Chapter 84

The air in February was humid, so everyone was tightly covered to protect themselves from the cold air.

C City was not far from the city Jun Zishu stayed at, so it only took her two and a half hours by high-speed train to arrive.

The air in the train was clean, so the ride to C City was relatively comfortable. While listening to the song coming through her earphones, Jun Zishu looked out the window quietly.

When the train arrived at its destination, Jun Zishu grabbed her handbag and walked out. Although the station was crowded when she arrived, everyone moved in an orderly manner, so she didn't take long to exit the station.

Fortunately, Jun Zishu didn't have to brave the cold winds outside for long as she quickly found Shi Yu.

Shi Yu was wearing a black coat and a gray scarf around his neck. His stiff figure looked mature and handsome, and many young girls were secretly looking at him from afar.

"Wentong, over here!" Shi Yu quickly spotted Jun Zishu as well, so he quickly walked up to her and tried to help her with her luggage. However, when he noticed that Jun Zishu only brought a handbag with her, he switched to helping Jun Zishu straighten her collar and her hair while asking, "Are you cold?"

"I just got off the train, so why would I be cold?" Jun Zishu said, smiling as she slid her hair to her back.

"Should we go to the hotel first?"

"Okay."

Afterward, Shi Yu held Jun Zishu's hand, showing care in his every action.

Jun Zishu lowered her gaze as she walked. Then, after walking a certain distance, she withdrew her hand, exhaled into her palm, and rubbed them together.

"Is it too cold?"

"There was a gust of wind just now, but it's okay now," Jun Zishu said, smiling at Shi Yu as she placed her hands into her pockets.

"Can you come out for only a day? I thought we could have fun for a few days."

"Mhm. There's a lot of work at the hospital."

"So, will you be leaving in the afternoon?"

"Yes."

"I'll check and see if there are any night trains later, then."

Shi Yu naturally assumed he would be returning with Jun Zishu. After all, C City wasn't his home.

"No hurry."

After walking to the main road, Jun Zishu and Shi Yu got into a taxi and headed to the hotel Shi Yu reserved. Jun Zishu never pulled out her hands throughout the entire ride, giving off a frigid look.

Shi Yu was a much more troublesome opponent than Wei Jiangen. Jun Zishu couldn't use the excuse she used against Wei Jiangen to deal with Shi Yu.

Shi Yu was about the same age as her and possessed roughly comparable financial standing, owning both a house and a car. He was also handsome and capable. He was the ideal partner any girl would want.

Moreover, Jun Zishu was certain that if she told Shi Yu that she wanted to get married, he would not hesitate to buy a ring and propose to her.

Thus, Jun Zishu couldn't deal with Shi Yu as she dealt with Wei Jiangen.

Fortunately, adults tended to be more sensible.

In Jun Zishu's opinion, Shi Yu was probably the most sensible of Jiang Wentong's five partners.

In the original storyline, Shi Yu was the quickest to regret and feel guilty over his actions.

In reality, the original plot was far more complicated than it seemed.

On the day Jiang Wentong's five partners murdered and divided her body, Mi Rou was the one to land the first strike, her knife going straight for Jiang Wentong's heart. Meanwhile, after drawing first blood, Mi Rou instigated the others with her words to divide Jiang Wentong's corpse, leading to a very bloody scene.

By the time the five divided Jiang Wentong's corpse, the atmosphere surrounding them had already become incredibly tense, every one of them ready to start a fight with each other.

Meanwhile, Mi Rou became the primary target for the other four. This was because the other four felt that no matter how much of a scumbag Jiang Wentong was, the woman should still belong to them. So, they felt that they should've been the ones to kill Jiang Wentong. Most importantly, all five of them wanted ownership over Jiang Wentong's head.

However, before they could start fighting each other, they heard the sound of people nearby. Startled, they quickly calmed down and fled the murder site with the body parts they respectively acquired.

Out of the five, Shi Yu was the quickest to snap out of his crazed state. Then, as soon as he recovered his sanity, he felt incredibly guilty and conflicted over his actions. Although he had wanted to kill Jiang Wentong for her infidelity, he felt heartbroken after the reality of Jiang Wentong's death dawned on him.

Hence, Shi Yu made up his mind and discarded all of the body parts he acquired in a relatively open space, making it so that they could be found easily.

By this time, Mother Jiang had already reported Jiang Wentong as missing. So, the police quickly identified the discarded body parts and launched an investigation over Jiang Wentong's murder.

Nobody knew that Jiang Wentong was dating five people simultaneously since the image Jiang Wentong had created a very good image for herself. Thus, the only person the police thought to visit was Shi Yu.

As for Zhang Lan, although she was aware that Jiang Wentong had been dating several people simultaneously, she wasn't aware of the other four's identities.

When the police eventually knocked on Shi Yu's door, Shi Yu frankly told them the truth.

Out of curiosity, the police asked him why he chose to confess and rat out the other four participants in the murder.

In response, Shi Yu said that while he might not be able to kill the other perpetrators, the law would punish those people on his behalf.

The statement was consistent with the core values of socialism. However, if one pondered over his words a little, one would quickly understand the motive behind Shi Yu's actions.

Shi Yu had failed to secure Jiang Wentong's head. He didn't wish for others to own it, either. So, he decided that he might as well drag the others down with him and have everyone join his beloved woman in hell.

Jun Zishu inwardly sighed as she glanced at the man sitting beside her.

Not one of Jiang Wentong's partners was normal. Every one of them was sick in the head.

...

When the two arrived in the hotel Shi Yu reserved, as soon as Shi Feng stepped through the door, Shi Yu immediately pressed her against the door.

"I missed you, Wentong."

Shi Yu tightly embraced Jun Zishu, his warm breath hitting Jun Zishu's face as he looked at her with a smile. Then, just as he was about to kiss Jun Zishu's lips, Jun Zishu turned her head away, causing his lips to fall on her cheek.

"Wentong?"

Shi Yu was a little stunned and confused by this situation.

In the past, whenever he returned from his work, the person would always greet him passionately. Never had she evaded his kisses like she did now.

Jun Zishu wiped her cheek with her fingers and gently pushed Shi Yu away. Then, she said, "I..."

"Is it because you're too tired? That makes sense. You've been on the train for a long time, after all. Sit down and rest first, then. I'll go and pour you some water," Shi Yu said as he removed his scarf and put it on the nearby chair. Then, she pulled Jun Zishu over to the bed, sat her down on it, and turned away to get Jun Zishu a glass of water.

"Shi Yu, I..."

"Come, have a drink," Shi Yu said as he handed the water to Jun Zishu. Then, he rubbed her head and asked, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

Jun Zishu tried to speak several times, but Shi Yu interrupted every time.

"Since you're tight on time, how about we go out in a moment? The wind is fine today," Shi Yu suggested, smiling as he looked at Jun Zishu. However, he gave no opportunities for Jun Zishu to reject his suggestion as he continued, "If you have something to say, wait till the day is almost over. It won't be too late to say it at that time. Alright?"

Jun Zishu nodded. Then, she took out a present from her handbag and said, "Your present."

Shi Yu could roughly guess what Jun Zishu wanted to say, so he euphemistically said that he didn't want to listen to it for the time being.

Understanding his intentions, Jun Zishu decided to go along with his wishes and not aggravate the situation. After all, if Shi Yu adamantly refused to break up with her, her mission would be as good as failed.

The Valentine's gift Jun Zishu prepared for Shi Yu was a men's watch. The watch cost her a hefty sum since it came from a big brand.

"Thank you."

Shi Yu accepted the gift and tried his best to smile as he rubbed his fingers against the edge of the box.

However, despite the two of them having reached a tacit agreement, the atmosphere in the room remained stiff.

"This is my gift to you," Shi Yu said as he took out a carefully decorated photo album.

Jun Zishu accepted it and slowly flipped through the pages.

"Skies, clouds, mountains, rivers, oceans, auroras, shooting stars... I've traveled to many places in this past year and a half, for myself and for you," Shi Yu said in a soothing yet dispirited voice.

Jun Zishu brushed her fingertips across the photos, complicated emotions appearing on her face.

Every one of the photos in this album was stunningly beautiful.

Unlike the images found on the internet, Jun Zishu could sense the photographer's emotions through these photos. She could also sense the beauty of the scenes captured.

"I have always liked photography. After falling in love with you, I continued carrying my camera and visiting the places I wanted to visit. However, I would think of you every time I take a picture at these places. I would wonder what kind of emotions you would feel when you see these sceneries.

"So, I decided to compile the photos I took into an album and give it to you.

"This, is my heart, and I am now giving it to you."

Shi Yu's words were romantic, and the atmosphere was also great. Unfortunately, the person he met was the wrong one.

Jun Zishu felt that if the person sitting here today was the real Jiang Wentong instead, she would probably fall for Shi Yu once more and stop mentioning breaking up.

Unfortunately, Jun Zishu wasn't Jiang Wentong.

Jun Zishu held no feelings for Shi Yu. Her intent on completing her mission remained firm from start to end.

However, the problem now was that Jun Zishu had no idea what she should say in this situation.

While Jun Zishu was immersed in her thoughts, she felt her head being lifted and found Shi Yu looking at her.

Jun Zishu generously returned Shi Yu's stare, mixed emotions in her eyes. Although Shi Yu's gesture moved her, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man.

After Shi Yu looked at Jun Zishu's eyes for some time, he suddenly sighed and asked, "Do you know what I can't see in your eyes?"

"I think I know."

"Why is it gone?"

If a person was truly in love, they couldn't hide it completely, especially not from the target of their affection. They were bound to expose it either through their actions or their words.

Shi Yu had come across many different people during his travels, which allowed him to develop an eye for people. Meanwhile, his experiences were telling him that the woman in front of him did not hold any feelings of love for him. Not anymore, at least.

"Many reasons."

"C City is a good place."

Shi Yu did not follow up with Jun Zishu's words. Instead, he arbitrarily started another topic.

"The Mandarin Duck Lake here is very beautiful. I originally planned to give you a surprise there."

The Mandarin Duck Lake had a more tacky name to it—Lovers' Lake.

The lake was shaped like two mandarin ducks, and a bridge called the Magpie Bridge spanned across the lake.

Lovers who visited C City typically made it a must to visit the Mandarin Duck Lake and Magpie Bridge. While visiting it, they would also make a vow of love to strengthen their relationships.

"But I think that you might not need that surprise anymore. Even so, I still wish to give it to you."

Shi Yu removed his hand from Jun Zishu's face and took out the item he had prepared beforehand—a small and beautiful red box.

Jun Zishu's heart froze momentarily, realizing that her prophecy had, unfortunately, come true.

"I was very nervous when I imagined this scene before. I am still nervous even at this moment," Shi Yu said as he got down on one knee. Then, with his eyes reflecting the light shining down from the ceiling, he asked:

"Jiang Wentong, will you marry me?"