Chapter 99

Chapter 99

Jian Jing received a phone call from He Daoist. It was like drinking a glass of ice water on a spring day, sending a shiver through her body and making her hair stand on end.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

She didn't waste time with small talk and immediately called Zhang Xi to ask about the background of the disfigured man.

Zhang Xi said, "That audition..."

"Say another word and you're done for," Jian Jing snapped. She was in no mood to haggle with her.

Zhang Xi weighed things up and decided not to offend her. "I don't know his name, but I heard Boss Wan call him ‘Master Qi Tian’."

Master Qi Tian.

Qi Tian?!

Jian Jing was shocked. She hadn't expected the lead she was chasing to appear in this way.

Back in 2010, did Qi Tian's disfigurement mean that he had indeed changed his appearance and was now living under a new identity?

To avoid alerting him, Jian Jing didn't ask Zhang Xi for the man's contact information.

Instead, she passed this information on to the detective who had originally handled Qi Tian's case, asking them to investigate his whereabouts. Since he had been in hospital before, there might be some clues.

With this taken care of, Jian Jing started wondering if she should contact Xie Wei.

These past few days, she had felt irritable, most likely due to her period. She was easily distracted and had missed a critical lead.

How did Xie Wei know about the bike theft?

Even if someone else had pointed it out, how did he pinpoint Shao Meng and Tao Tao so definitively?

Logically, even if he deduced the timing, he should have just suspected one or the other, not declared with certainty that it was both.

Something was off.

Jian Jing wanted to get to the bottom of this, yet she also felt strangely reluctant.

But she couldn't explain these inexplicable feelings, so she pretended they didn't exist. She asked the screenwriter for Xie Wei's number and dialed it.

Beep beep beep.

The ringing was like floating cat hair, making her want to sneeze.

"Hello?" Someone picked up.

"Xie Wei, this is Jian Jing. I want to ask you something." She steadied her mind.

There was a long silence on the other end.

Jian Jing was afraid he would hang up, so she added tentatively, "It's not about turning yourself in."

"That's fine," Xie Wei's voice was as gentle as a breeze. "Ask away. I'll tell you anything I know."

So Jian Jing asked, "How did you know it was Shao Meng and Tao Tao?"

"Someone told me," he readily revealed everything. "They called and asked if I wanted to know why I ended up like this. I said yes, so they told me about it."

"Who was it?"

Xie Wei said lightly, "They didn't say, but I suspect it was the person who helped them back then."

"Are you sure?" Jian Jing was shocked.

What was Qi Tian playing at? He committed one crime, but reeled in Shao Meng, Tao Tao, Zhang Xi and Xie Wei all in one go.

She was very wary. "This person is vicious. Did you..." She changed course mid-sentence. "Did you make any deals with him?"

"He didn't ask anything of me. Just said he couldn't bear to leave me in the dark." Xie Wei wasn't stupid. He added calmly, "Anything free is the most expensive. I know that."

"Have you met him in person?" Jian Jing asked.

"No. After he called, I only received a package with a talisman inside. When I opened it, it was a bug cocoon." Xie Wei's voice became hoarse, followed by stifled coughing. "You - cough - you shouldn't look for him."

After catching his breath, he continued raspily, "I'm at the end of the road, but you aren't. Miss Jian, don't get involved with him. He's very sinister."

"I know."

In the past, Jian Jing had thought Qi Tian was just a ruthless scammer. But after Xie Wei's case came to light, she had to admit this person was definitely not simple.

Either an ingenious fraudster, or there really was something off about him.

So this time, she chose to hand the lead to the police rather than investigate personally.

Silence descended at both ends of the line, with only the sound of shallow breathing.

Just as Jian Jing was about to say goodbye, she suddenly heard his breaths become rapid and weak, vaguely stifling groans, as if he was in pain.

However, the weight of a human life was far heavier than he could have imagined, suffocating him.

Before committing murder, he had wondered, what if fortune-telling was real? This thought tortured him, driving him to take revenge and vent the pain and anger of the past decade.

But after the person died, the complete opposite idea began to sprout.

What if it wasn't?

What if that person was a fraud, he just had bad luck, and it had nothing to do with anyone else? There were people like that in the industry too, who were obsessed with acting all their lives but ended up nobodies in the end.

Who could guarantee that he, Xie Wei, wasn't one of them?

"What if the person I killed was innocent? What if I shouldn't have killed him even if...?" He seemed to be explaining to Jian Jing, and also talking to himself, "You're right, I shouldn't have done that."

Jian Jing choked up, her heart aching unbearably.

A thought's difference between heaven and hell.

Once a sin was committed, there was no going back.

"I'm a coward. I used to hate others because of my failures, and now I regret it. How laughable." Xie Wei sighed, "If I could start over, I would..."

His gaze fell on her as he said gently, "I hope I could be like you."

Jian Jing was surprised and confused. "Like me?"

"Yes," he smiled, his eyes holding a trace of sadness, "To be someone who won't hurt others even in adversity, someone with principles and courage, a... good person."

Those in darkness would always be attracted to the light. And those who lack courage themselves would admire those who adhere to their principles.

Yet she avoided his gaze. "I'm not that kind of person."

"You confronted Boss Wan right outside my door," his lips curved up. "I heard everything."

"That doesn't mean anything." Jian Jing pressed her lips and turned to face him again. "Life can't be relived, but it goes on. As long as you're alive, anything is possible. Don't give up, Xie Wei. Come with me to the hospital."

Xie Wei looked at her without blinking, but his expression didn't waver at all.

"Alright, no matter if you agree or not, I can't just watch you do something stupid." Jian Jing gave up persuading him and took out her phone to dial 120.

Xie Wei reached out to stop her. "Wait." He sat up straight and said to her, "There's something I want to tell you. After you hear it, you can decide what to do. Okay?"

Jian Jing hesitated for a moment before putting her phone down. "Okay, go ahead."

He took a deep breath, as if gathering strength, leaning forward slightly.

Jian Jing knew he had difficulty breathing. She turned her face to listen closely. But he didn't say anything. He just lowered his head, and touched his dry lips to the skin on her cheek.

Like a kiss to a flower.

She froze for a moment, looking at him in surprise.

"Jingjing, the crimes that the law cannot judge have met their end by destiny," Xie Wei asked gently, "Isn't that good?"

Jian Jing's vision gradually blurred. "I've tried to kill myself too. You'll regret it."

"I don't regret it." He closed his eyes, utterly exhausted. "Thank you."

A life for a life taken, karma comes for us all.

It's been ten years. I'm too tired. Let it end here.

He relaxed his body and fell into the endless abyss.

On February 10, 2021, Xie Wei's depression relapsed and he committed suicide by poisoning himself at home.

*

[Quest Name: The Secret Behind the Body Swap (Completed)]

[Quest Reward: 20 Basic Bravery Points + 20 Special Contribution Points (The real murderer confessed + Foiled Qi Tian's scheme)]

[Note: Bravery points can be used to draw normal cards, 5 points per draw; Contribution points can be used to draw special cards, 10 points per draw]

[Limited Pool unlocked. Draw cards now?]

[Drawing limited cards...]

[Draw completed]

[Card Name: Status - Acting (Locked)]

[Effect: Possesses supreme acting skills that can fool anyone completely]

[Note: Special limited card, bound to host, indestructible, non-transferable, no usage limit]