Chapter 211: Chapter 211

Shi Nian was so awkward he didn’t know what to say, Marina’s gaze wandered back and forth between Shi Nian and Tang Yanqing, also silent; fortunately, Zhong Kui stepped forward: "The professor is just joking. If our room has to have a pet, then let it be me."

Marina stared at Tang Yanqing: "It’s such a pity that S didn’t get to hear the professor say these words. If she were still around, she’d be thrilled."

Shi Nian felt a sigh, unable to resist glancing towards Marina’s room.

There are four rooms in this suite, aside from Tang Yanqing’s, the other three rooms are missing people: S passed away, Jack was taken away, and Spicy Girl just vanished from the world.

Three completely different ways of leaving, yet possibly the same fate of never meeting again. And these changes happened in such a short time, looking back now, it’s quite sigh-inducing.

Tang Yanqing stared into Marina’s eyes slowly saying: "Though I couldn’t let S hear these words while alive, she certainly hasn’t left this room yet, I might as well protect her soul here."

The hour was getting late, and suddenly hearing Tang Yanqing say such things, it inevitably made one feel a bit eerie. Even Shi Nian couldn’t help but rub his arms, Zhong Kui’s eyes widened, Marina frowned and simply left the living room to return to her room, saying she was tired.

Then Zhong Kui also mentioned he had to go back to his room as he needed to complete a report that was due tomorrow, stating he wouldn’t be able to chat with them tonight.

The living room quickly emptied out, leaving just the two of them.

Shi Nian felt a bit awkward, lowering his voice: "Why would the professor say such things? It’s scary."

Tang Yanqing blinked: "The guilty need not fear ghosts knocking on the door."

Shi Nian was taken aback, unable to resist pointing his finger at Marina and Zhong Kui’s doors, shockingly asking: "Does the professor mean...?"

Tang Yanqing smiled, pointing to Shi Nian’s room: "You, go back to your room."

Shi Nian was startled, but could only turn to leave.

The others didn’t want to talk, should she persist shamelessly?

Shi Nian returned to her room feeling somewhat annoyed, unable to sleep.

After pondering for a bit, she sent Xiang Yuan a message: "That day our argument with Rosa on the roadside was seen by Xiong Jie. She might report it, just be prepared."

The Xiang Family treasures their reputation greatly, and Xiang Yuan, being a lawyer, cares immensely about public image, so if Xiong Jie really insists on reporting this incident, the impact might be more significant on Xiang Yuan than on her. Regardless, Xiong Jie’s actions are still targeted at her, she has a duty to give Xiang Yuan a heads up.

The phone remained silent for some time. Shi Nian thought maybe Xiang Yuan hadn’t seen the message or didn’t want to reply, so she switched her SIM card, back to Nana’s.

Messages had already flooded in, surprising her.

They were all from Tang Yanqing.

"Did you think I was ignoring you? Silly girl."

"Hey, why aren’t you speaking?"

"...Are you really angry?"

They had all been sent in the past few minutes. Shi Nian looked at them, unable to resist smiling.

Despite being so close, less than five meters apart in a straight line, they’re sending texts to talk. This way of communicating reminded her of the paper notes game from school days.

Back in middle school, that boy... stuffed notes all over her seat. In the desk drawer, under the seat cushion, in the supply cabinet, even among the books and notebooks on the desk, inside the pencil case... places she hadn’t even thought of, he managed to tuck notes into.

The way his passionate and overwhelming pursuit scared young her. She wasn’t happy, only afraid, fearful that during class while answering questions, or rising during breaks, notes would suddenly rain down from her body.

Yet oddly enough, those things that used to scare her, looking back now, she can savor some sweetness in them.

In her youth, she had been pursued so fervently, though it never sparked affection in her, such an experience is itself a beautiful memory.

At this age, reflecting on youthful times, if not for such memories, she might regret her teenage years as too dull.

While she was daydreaming again, Tang Yanqing’s message caught up with her.

"Hey hey hey, if you don’t speak up, I’ll come right over and break your door open!"

Shi Nian could only sigh. Thinking, what kind of professor is this? Just when she was half sweetly half melancholically reminiscing about youthful days, he disrupted it all.

She couldn’t help but smile slightly, bow her head, and reply to him: "So sleepy, what exactly is the professor’s instruction?"

Tang Yanqing then laughed, and hurriedly replied to her: "Answering your earlier question: S is dead, Jack is in custody, but this doesn’t mean S can rest peacefully. You could say the one who truly led her to doom was the person who first brought her the ’Spirit Mushroom’."

Shi Nian’s heart skipped a beat.

He indeed added another line immediately: "That’s right, Zhou Guanghan was the same. The results of the autopsy showed that their drug history didn’t exceed two years, which means they only started using drugs after attending Kangchuan University. Moreover, coincidentally, it was all Spirit Mushroom."

Shi Nian’s heartbeat suddenly became intense: "You mean, the Spirit Mushroom itself is a perfectly laid trap; and that forum is merely a byproduct?"

Tang Yanqing paused for a moment and sent another message: "Don’t forget, Nisha used to be a drug dealer. Not only Nisha, but those wives of Tong who had interactions with Zhou Guanghan are also drug dealers."

"So you’re saying the reason Zhou Guanghan got involved with the Spirit Mushroom was because those wives recommended the drug to him?" Shi Nian became even more startled, "And the true mastermind is the person behind those wives?"

Tang Yanqing replied: "Therefore, there must be inevitable connections between Yanwu Square and Kangchuan University. Although the thread from Spicy Girl was temporarily cut off, with simple reasoning, we know there is an unbreakable logical connection within this."

Shi Nian hesitated slightly: "Is it too late for me to say ’sorry’ now?"

Tang Yanqing couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, asking: "Why suddenly say sorry?"

Shi Nian annoyingly slapped her own head: "The night you searched me... I lied to you... I actually had Nisha’s drugs on me. I was afraid you’d find them, so I secretly hid them in that alley. If I hadn’t done that stupid thing, maybe we would have already confirmed if those drugs were Spirit Mushroom."

Tang Yanqing frowned as well: "Where did you hide it? I’ve observed that alley carefully, it wasn’t around you."

Shi Nian awkwardly shrunk her body, "Remember there was a barbed wire fence? On the other side of the fence was wasteland... I took the chance while talking to you to wedge it into the other side of the fence. You have big hands, so you probably didn’t consider trying to reach through the fence."

Tang Yanqing embarrassedly covered his face with his hand.

Actually, it wasn’t a matter of his hand size, rather—in the darkness and ignorance of that moment, he could only see this body so familiar to him, can’t be more familiar... He couldn’t control himself, and had long forgotten about reason and defense.

In his mind, there was only one voice: Get close to her; discard all those damned struggles and approach her recklessly!

And another nearly insane craving: If he touched her , would she think of him?

But... perhaps it had been too long, four years apart; moreover, he later discovered her memories had been tampered with, he had to face reality: She no longer recognized him, nor did she recognize his touch. The source of thɪs content is NoveI~Fire.net

Those once shy and awkward yet sweet explorations in the darkness between them, for her, had now turned into sheer terror in that dark alley.

He replied to her, heated yet somber: "No matter what we might have missed that night... I don’t regret it. Sleeping Beauty, what about you?"

Looking at this line on the screen, Shi Nian couldn’t help but close her eyes.

The memories of that night returned again, vividly stirring within her mind.

She took a gentle breath, knowing he was waiting for her answer.

She thought about it and finally pressed down the keys one by one: "...I just couldn’t help but feel regret. If we could have been a bit calmer that night, wouldn’t Nisha have survived?"

If that night she hadn’t interfered with him, and instead let him smoothly capture Nisha, taking Nisha back to the police station, wouldn’t Nisha then be under protection of the police station, avoiding the later tragic fate?

Thinking of Nisha made her nose sore: "So, I’m really sorry for that evening... I feel so regretful. I think it was all my fault."

So saying, she couldn’t help but recall the entire matter from beginning to end once more.

If it weren’t for her competitiveness in wanting to find a better topic to defeat Tang Yanqing, she wouldn’t have hastily started interviewing Tong’s wives who were drug dealers; and thus wouldn’t have rashly gone to Yanwu Square to find Nisha... maybe there wouldn’t have been this subsequent series of events.

She blamed herself, only for the sake of a manuscript, only for an interview, only for grabbing attention... yet it cost Nisha her life.

The phone continued to flicker, he was still sending her messages, but she could no longer reply. With her lip bitten, she lay down, tears brimmed in her eyes.

[Aim to update more tomorrow~]

Thanks to M. M for the flowers; Love-Dreaming Bird, LA Straw, irenelauyy for the monthly tickets.