Chapter 25: Death Notice
The piercing and urgent wail of the police siren had been ringing all night. The ambulance, with its flashing red and blue lights, had cut through the silent and desolate night. A few lonely stars had flickered in the clouds and then quickly disappeared, completely extinguished in the deep and dark night.
A car accident, a suicide… the complex case files were piled up on the desk. The police station had been working overtime until the middle of the night. Such things were not enough to be reported by the TV media. The next day, some small news media, like flies rubbing their hands together, had eagerly found some information and had all published reports.
The two cases involving human lives… were infinitely shrunk in this data-inflated era. As long as it had nothing to do with oneself… it was not even worth one or two online jokes that could make one laugh.
The cold screen was always able to filter out the due empathy. Two human lives… were just a matter of swiping a finger and looking at them for a moment, and then they were casually thrown to the back of one’s mind, like a small stone thrown into the vast and deep sea, which would sink into the deep darkness without making a single ripple.
…
“Are you tired, daughter? I feel like you’ve lost some weight again. Don’t listen to your mom’s nagging all day. Your health is important. If you’re really tired… you can put your studies aside for a while.”
Father He looked at his daughter, who was growing taller and more beautiful. His heart was as if it had been smeared with honey. No matter what he thought, his heart was sweet. He was worried, but he still couldn’t help but turn his head and nag He Mu Qing, who had just finished her evening self-study.
“I know. And where have I lost weight? I’ve been sitting in a chair all day. I feel like my thighs have gotten a little thicker.”
He Mu Qing pouted, and then, as if she had remembered something worth being happy about, her eyes lit up. Her face, which was not made up, was still bright and moving. Her flushed cheeks were like an unripe apple, fresh and hot, exuding the abundant youthful vitality of a girl of her age.
“Dad, Dad, guess what my rank is in this monthly exam?”
“Oh, you had a monthly exam a few days ago.” Father He frowned and pretended to be thinking. “You got fifth place last time. Then this time, you must be in the top three in the class. My daughter has been working so hard. She must be making progress every time.”
“Hehe…” He Mu Qing brushed aside the wet hair from her lips and raised her head. Her slender, porcelain-white neck was suddenly exposed to the air. A few crystal-clear beads of sweat slid down the beautiful curve and into her delicate and small collarbone. She smiled smugly. “I did exceptionally well this time. First in the class, sixth in the grade! And my Chinese is still the first in the grade.”
“Sixth in the grade? Oh my god… if you’re in the top three in your grade this year, you can compete for Jiangnan University, right? It was a pity for your school last year. The only promising student actually had a fever during the gaokao.”
Father He’s eyes were wide. He was usually the one who smoothed things over at home. He knew that his daughter’s grades had improved rapidly since her third year of high school, but he had not expected her to suddenly fly into the top ten in the grade. He had thought that it would be enough for his daughter to live a happy life. He had not expected this… it was really… a blessing from the ancestors.
“I was just lucky this time. I’m not sure if I’ll be sixth next time.”
He Mu Qing still couldn’t suppress the smile on her lips. She covered her cheeks and rubbed them hard. Her fair earlobes were a faint pink, hidden under her dark hair. “And didn’t we agree? I’m going to Qingchuan University. Jiangnan University… I’m not interested.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll support you wherever you want to go, daughter.” Father He stepped on the brake and slowly stopped at a red light. “It’s good to go to Qingchuan too. Let Su Yu take care of you. Otherwise, with your rough personality, I don’t know what your life will be like alone.”
“What does it have to do with him? I want to go to Qingchuan, just… just… because the scenery there is beautiful.”
He Mu Qing immediately put on a disdainful look, turned her head, and sneered twice. Her voice rose uncontrollably and then slowly fell.
She touched the hair tie on her wrist. That guy should have been wearing it, right? A hint of sweetness that she couldn’t even detect herself appeared in her heart. But the girl was still unforgiving. “And that guy promised me that I would have endless milk tea when I went to Qingchuan. He even said he would find all the good milk tea shops in Qingchuan. I don’t know if he still remembers. If he dares to lie to me… I won’t let him off the hook.”
“Oh, there was a car accident in Qingchuan yesterday. A student from Qingchuan University died. What a pity… it’s not easy to get into a good university.”
“Dad! What did Mom usually say to you? Don’t always play with your phone while driving just because you’re an experienced driver. It’s easy to get into an accident.”
“Alright, I won’t look at it anymore. I’ll remind Xiao Yu later. Qingchuan is not like our place. There are a lot of cars and people in a big city. He should be more careful.”
The traffic light at the intersection changed color in the darkness. Father He turned off his phone, stepped on the gas pedal, and the car quickly disappeared into the traffic, disappearing into the dark and vast night.
…
Su Yu was dead. A car accident.
Qingchuan had developed in recent years, and the traffic flow had increased more and more. The proportion of car accidents had also increased in a straight line. A car accident had occurred and someone had died, but it had not caused much of a stir.
But a living life had disappeared without any warning. The behind-the-scenes managers were busy with it. The cause and effect had to be written down in black and white and included in the case file. There could be no logical loopholes, and a reasonable explanation had to be given to the deceased’s family.
Cremation, burial, cancellation of documents… death meant that a person had to be completely erased from the physical and social level. A short life was preserved on a cold stone tablet, and a period was drawn.
The Youth Association had been busy organizing a community outreach event these past few days. The activity was quite interesting, and the notice that was issued had attracted the interest of many students. The Youth Association activity room, which had been lively a few days ago, was particularly deserted today. The main door was ajar, and no one was seen coming in or out for a long time.
Lu Siyuan pushed open the door of the activity room with a few new chairs. He panted a few times and put all the chairs on the floor. There were not many people in the activity room. He saw Xia Qiange, who was organizing documents at her desk, at a glance. His heart sank, and the smile that was always on his lips had disappeared since he had heard the news.
He thought for a moment and then walked over slowly.
“Qian Ge, you’re here so early.”
Xia Qiange stopped her pen, smoothed the light hair on her forehead, and glanced at Lu Siyuan. Her eyes were without their usual warmth. “Yes, I couldn’t sleep, so I came to finish the activity plan that I didn’t finish yesterday.”
“Oh, I see.” Lu Siyuan nodded, and the words that were stuck in his throat were finally pushed out. “About Su Yu’s matter… my condolences. How could it be so sudden? I thought he had just gone back to his hometown. I didn’t expect that we would never see him again.”
Xia Qiange slowly lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling, revealing a stirring emotion that didn’t match her calm expression. She pursed her lips, as if enduring a deep sorrow.
“Yes, it was too sudden.”
Lu Siyuan had only remembered that Su Yu had told him that Xia Qiange’s mother had passed away before the New Year, and he had thought that with the departure of familiar people one after another, he was worried that Xia Qiange would not be able to take the blow.
He looked at Xia Qiange again. Her long, dark eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow, and he couldn’t see the girl’s eyes clearly. It was just that her pale face was completely bloodless, and only her lips, which were parted but not speaking, were a faint pink.
“It’s good that you’re okay. Sister Hong said that everyone is taking a day off today. There’s no need to force yourself. I’m having dinner with Tang Xin today. Do you want to come along?”
“No, thanks. I’m almost done. I’ll go back and rest for a while after I’m done.”
Xia Qiange agreed, her hands not stopping. It was not until the footsteps had gradually faded away that she finally stopped her pen. The sorrow in her eyes slowly faded and turned into a thick, viscous ink. Her eyes were dark and gloomy. She curled her lips and smiled indifferently.
A page of blank manuscript paper was left with elegant and powerful handwriting, only two words.
Gu Zhi.
