Chapter 20 - 1#

“Why did you take Sister Xin away from Singapore…? Cheng Chen, what exactly is going on? Did you do something? Huh?” I grabbed his elbow and pressed him sternly.

Cheng Chen scratched his head anxiously, as if unsure how to explain. Finally, he stomped his foot and blurted out, “Ah!! Fatty, how do you expect me to answer with all these questions!!”

“What do you think I could do! Fatty! I came to you because I trust you as a friend!”

I was momentarily speechless, a pang of guilt rising in my heart.

I had indeed been harsh just now. No matter how reckless Cheng Chen could be, he still knew his limits.

I should have known that better than anyone.

Seeing Cheng Chen’s frustrated and tense expression, I patted his shoulder and went to pour him a glass of water. Cheng Chen tugged at his hands, his eyes slightly red as he glanced at me. My heart softened, and I couldn’t help coaxing him gently, “It’s my fault. Drink some water, catch your breath, and tell me slowly. I’ll think of a way to help you, alright?”

Cheng Chen snatched the glass from my hand and downed it in one gulp. He must have drunk too quickly because he choked, coughing hard a few times. He wiped his eyes with his hand, his face flushed, lips pressed tightly together.

“Spit it out. Tell me, and I can help you.” He was dirty and disheveled—I had no idea how he’d ended up like this.

Cheng Chen let out a low cry, his gaze unusually sharp as he stared at me. “Xiao Qi, I want to take Sister Xin away from this place.”

“Mm.” I nodded. “Why do you suddenly have this idea?”

“That bastard owes a mountain of debt. Just now, he brought loan sharks and planned to… to use Sister Xin as collateral!”

My eyes widened. “How could he—! Sister Xin is pregnant—!”

Cheng Chen glared at me with hatred. “Ha! Pregnant makes it even better—two for the price of one! Fatty, you don’t know how many underground black markets there are dealing in organs and children! That scumbag—goddammit!” He punched the wall hard.

Feeling dizzy, I grabbed Cheng Chen’s arm. “Then you don’t have to take Sister Xin away. You can… you can take her to the police and let them handle it—”

“Fatty! You don’t get it! Some of those cops are on their payroll! Go to the police? If we do, tomorrow we’ll see Sister Xin and her child’s corpses!”

I rubbed my forehead. I’d considered these possibilities, but when faced with them directly, an overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over me.

Still, this wasn’t the only solution.

“Cheng Chen, listen—” I patted his hand. “First tell me, how did you end up in this state?”

At that, the anger in Cheng Chen’s eyes flared even brighter.

“I got into a fight with that animal! I wanted to knock some sense into him! But you know what he said? He accused me of having an affair with Sister Xin! Said I should pay him off as the ‘other man’!”

“Damn it! And Sister Xin loves him so much! That son of a bitch!”

“Sister Xin is like my real sister—I grew up under her care! How can I just stand by and watch her suffer without doing anything!”

I finally had a clearer picture of what was going on and let out a sigh of relief. After thinking it over, I tried to calm Cheng Chen down.

“I understand. But you can’t just run away like this.”

“Think about it…” I rubbed my eyes. “If you take Sister Xin and leave, what kind of life can you give her and the baby? Not to mention where you’d even take her—Cheng Chen, you need to consider yourself and your family too…”

“What about Uncle Cheng if you just disappear?”

Cheng Chen cursed under his breath. “That old man has plenty of mistresses—he can just have another kid!”

I shot him a glare. He pursed his lips and looked away.

“Even if he had another child, you know in your heart whether Uncle Cheng dotes on you. You’re still his son. No matter how he’s wronged you or your mother, he’s never completely abandoned you. Ask yourself—has Uncle Cheng ever left you and your mother to fend for yourselves all these years…?”

“Fine, fine. I won’t bring up Uncle Cheng. Let’s talk about your mother.”

“Your mother—she worked so hard to raise you all these years. Even after she remarried, she always came to see you. If you just disappear like this, wouldn’t she be heartbroken?”

I looked at Cheng Chen and asked softly, “Can you… bear to leave her?”

Cheng Chen bit his lip and stayed silent.

I walked to the desk, opened the bottom drawer, rummaged through it, and pulled out a key and a card. I turned around and handed them to Cheng Chen.

“There’s some money in here. Give it to Sister Xin first. And this key is for my place in the new district. Don’t look at me like that—it’s a house my family bought when I used to live outside. It’s been empty since I transferred schools in eighth grade. Let Sister Xin stay there for now. After she gives birth, we’ll figure out the next step…”

Cheng Chen took them with both hands and muttered, “Mm.”

My lips still throbbed with pain. I forced a smile at Cheng Chen, probably looking terrible.

“Give it to Sister Xin tomorrow. Go home and rest for now. If you don’t go back this late, Uncle Cheng might break your legs.”

Cheng Chen finally perked up, proudly puffing out his chest. “I’m practically on par with the old man now. Those old bones of his can’t catch me.”

“Look at you, all cocky…” I shook my head, walked him to the door, and watched him leave.

Cheng Chen suddenly turned back, staring at me until I started to feel uneasy. Then he blurted out, “Fatty.”

“I… I promise you, after this is over, I’ll listen to the old man.”

“I’ll study hard and get into university.”

“I swear I’ll… I’ll listen to you guys…”

I waved my hand and nodded at Cheng Chen.

I understood. Cheng Chen wasn’t lazy or unmotivated.

Back when I was still a chubby kid, he was the only one who didn’t mind and was willing to sit with me. Back then, if anyone said a single word against me, hot-tempered Cheng Chen would either argue or throw a punch.

He had plenty of flaws, but he was still a good kid at heart. Cheng Chen was responsible—he just lacked maturity and couldn’t see the bigger picture. But he had a strong sense of duty, an honest character, and when he set his mind to something, he never shirked responsibility or blamed others.

General Cheng truly had a good son.

That night, I slept very restlessly.

Fragments of dreams swirled together—many cherished memories from my past life, or things I thought I’d long forgotten, kept tangling in my sleep.

One scene stood out the most vividly.

It was right before the summer of my sophomore year in university.

In my past life, I was somewhat withdrawn and didn’t make much of an impression on people. Compared to Wang Zheng, I was practically invisible. Wang Zheng, on the other hand, adapted effortlessly to any unfamiliar environment and handled social situations with ease.

During college, Wang Zheng was even more dazzling. I practically followed him around every day, feeling immense joy just standing by his side—it even lifted my spirits.

So much so that even after Wang Zheng got a girlfriend, I shamelessly clung to the spot beside him, until the people around me rolled their eyes and shooed me away.

Wang Zheng usually didn’t say anything. Sometimes he’d even let me stay.

Watching him get close with others, honestly, it hurt.

I felt an emptiness in my chest, a bitter ache in my nose, a warmth in my eyes—a dull, indescribable pain.

By then, Wang Zheng already had his own circle of friends. Most of them didn’t like me and often made snide remarks. Wang Zheng usually stayed silent, but the smirk on his lips was unmistakable.

Thinking back, I still don’t fully understand where that stubborn persistence came from.

As for the shift from Wang Zheng’s teasing indifference to outright disgust—it all came down to one thing.

It’s kind of embarrassing to talk about.

Wang Zheng had changed partners countless times, but I only managed to get one. Honestly, I can’t even remember what that girl looked like or what her name was.

My only memory of her is a fragment. I vaguely recall that she made the first move—she seemed to be a history major, surprisingly outgoing. It happened in such an awkward situation that I almost felt pressured into dating her. Everything was sudden and bizarre.

I remember that when Wang Zheng found out, he mocked me endlessly, even more than before.

I don’t know if it was because certain things in a relationship were unavoidable.

Or maybe it was because it was an open-minded country, where both thoughts and bodies were free. If I recall correctly, all I did with that girl was hold hands a few times. We hadn’t even kissed before skipping straight to the final step.

But…

The outcome became the main reason I suffered for the rest of my college years.

In my memory, it was an extremely unpleasant experience.

But in the end, nothing happened.

Because I ended up throwing up so badly I nearly needed an IV drip.

When the rumors spread, they twisted into—I was impotent with women.

Honestly, I think I was pretty unfairly treated.

Wang Zheng had a huge fight with me back then, saying some truly hurtful things. Just thinking about it still stings.

For the next two years, I barely dared to get too close to Wang Zheng.

Whenever I caught his gaze, I felt so miserable I couldn’t lift my head.

Tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep, I lay facedown as the first rays of light filtered in through the window, my eyes half-closed.

It felt like every time I closed my eyes, I saw Wang Zheng’s gaze from last night.

He had been acting strangely lately—I had no idea what was bothering him. Wang Zheng had a bad habit: not only was he irritable, but his moods fluctuated, and he always needed someone to take it out on.

Luckily, once he vented, he usually let things go.

When a knock came at the door, I sighed, got out of bed, and put on my glasses.

The knocking wasn’t loud, but it was persistent.

Wondering who it could be, I wiped my face haphazardly and opened the door.

Standing before me were two strangers in police uniforms, followed by several school administrators. When the officers saw me, they nodded, flashed their badges, and asked in a stern tone, “Are you Ren Qiri?”

I froze for a moment and nodded instinctively.

“Do you know this person?” One officer pulled out a photo. The person in the photo…

It was Sister Xin’s husband.

I frowned, unsure whether to say yes or no, so I answered, “I know of him. He’s the husband of a friend of mine.”

“Here’s the situation: This morning, we found his body in the old Xinhua Street district. Additionally, we discovered a debit card under your name in his residence. Therefore, we believe you can provide valuable information for this case. We ask that you come to the station with us now to assist with the investigation.”

My eyes widened in disbelief.

The officer put the photo away and said politely, “Please come with us immediately.”

What in the world… was going on?

This was my first time in a place like this.

The lighting was dim. The officer interrogating me was older, his yellowish eyes seeming to carry a predatory gleam.

“So you’re saying you didn’t know the deceased personally, but you knew his wife.”

“As for this friend of yours, Cheng Chen, and the deceased’s wife… ah, her name is Du Yixin. You helped her before. Where is she now? Have you been in contact?”

“According to what you’ve said, your friend Cheng Chen came to see you last night. Based on other witness statements, he appears to be a prime suspect…”

I answered absently, racking my brain, but the images in my mind were blurry and disjointed.

The room had only one small window. An old fan creaked overhead, the air stale and stifling.

Sweat beaded on my forehead. I pressed my lips together and said, “I don’t know where they are.”

The officer made an “oh” sound.

A bead of sweat trickled down. Suddenly, he slammed his hand on the table. Bang. I jolted. His face darkened as he drawled, “Are you sure you don’t know where they are—?”

I paused and shook my head.

“I don’t care what rich family you come from, but this is a matter of life and death. No matter how much dirty money your family has, it won’t save you now!” He slapped the table again, his tone harsh.

I clenched my teeth. “I really don’t—”

Just then, the door burst open and someone rushed in. When the officer saw him, he immediately shot to his feet and barked out, “Chief!”

The chief was also drenched in sweat, pale-faced. He snapped at the officer, “The suspect has already turned himself in! What the hell are you doing?!”

The officer froze. The chief angrily slapped him.

“You idiots! Who did you bring in here?! You—”

The chief turned to me, rushing over with a fawning smile. “Oh, young Master Ren, it’s all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Come, come, come with me. This place is unlucky.”

Before I could process what was happening, he pulled me out of the room. My mind was reeling, my legs weak.

When we reached the front, I heard the chief say warmly, “Third Master Ren, here he is.”

I froze. My legs gave way beneath me, and just as I started to lurch forward, Third Master Ren walked over and wrapped an arm around me.