By the riverside, a cool breeze blew gently.
After treating Liu Sisi’s wounds, the doctor sent by Liu Jinzong sensibly took his leave.
Jiang Fuyue stood at the top of the steps, facing the wind.
Liu Sisi sat at her feet.
The two remained silent.
“It’s late, let’s go back. We still have school tomorrow,” Jiang Fuyue finally said, ready to leave.
“Aren’t you going to ask why?” Liu Sisi stood up. Her face still bore injuries, but her expression was calm.
“Ask why?”
“Why I killed him.” At this, her voice softened, and her eyes showed a ripple of emotion.
Jiang Fuyue’s tone was unchanging. “He’s dead.”
Did it matter to ask or not?
“Don’t you think I’m… terrifying?” Liu Sisi asked.
Jiang Fuyue gave her a deep look, saying nothing.
“When I got home, my mom had already been beaten to death by him… Just like countless times before, she thought she could endure it, that she just had to bear it. But this time, she couldn’t bear it anymore.”
“People say murderers must pay with their lives, but he was drunk. If it went through the usual channels, it would only be considered a crime of passion or involuntary manslaughter, right? No death penalty.”
Jiang Fuyue: “So, you gave him the death sentence.”
Liu Sisi smiled faintly. “Yes, I made him pay the price. But when he took his last breath, here…” She pointed to her heart. “I felt empty too.”
“I thought, after the A Camp training, without a single real fight, it’d be too regrettable. Underground boxing is great; once you’re on the stage, you only need to take down the other person, life or death doesn’t matter.”
“I thought I wouldn’t survive even one match, but I won five in a row. Later, I realized that being ‘fearless’ was the secret weapon. Fighters aren’t afraid of stronger opponents or fiercer attacks; they’re afraid of reckless mad dogs.”
Under the moonlight, Liu Sisi’s lips curved slightly, her tone relaxed. “So, I won.”
Jiang Fuyue listened quietly, watching her switch from laughter to sighs, without showing any extra emotion.
From start to finish, Jiang Fuyue observed her with a scrutinizing gaze—without sympathy, without pity, astonishingly calm.
Suddenly—
“You don’t need to explain this to me.”
Liu Sisi’s lashes quivered, her eyes blank.
Jiang Fuyue: “I don’t care what happened between you and your parents, what triggered it, or how it unfolded.”
Liu Sisi frowned.
“All I hear is your side. Whether I believe it or not is irrelevant. As long as you know what you’re doing.”
The girl murmured softly, “He deserved it…”
Jiang Fuyue spoke in a flat tone, “If you still want to attend school, go see Uncle Liu before dawn. He’ll arrange everything for you.”
After saying this, she strode away.
Liu Sisi shouted at her retreating back, “Do you doubt me?”
Jiang Fuyue’s steps hesitated. Initially, she didn’t want to respond, but she couldn’t help but ask—
“Why did you request leave from the camp?”
Liu Sisi froze.
In the end, Jiang Fuyue left her with, “Take care of yourself.”
Her silence didn’t mean she didn’t doubt; her lack of mention didn’t mean she hadn’t noticed.
Liu Sisi requested leave, then her father Liu Kaibing killed her mother soon after—could it be such a coincidence?
If she genuinely wanted to die, it would have happened that night. How could she have survived the underground boxing ring for five days?
Jiang Fuyue didn’t expose her because she knew—one cannot easily persuade others without understanding their pain.
The world isn’t simply black and white, and people aren’t purely good or evil.
Since Liu Sisi dared to act, she should also be capable of covering it all up. Jiang Fuyue wouldn’t clean up after her.
She dialed a number, “Uncle Liu, withdraw everyone stationed on Sanliu Street.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Do nothing?”
“No need.”
“Then, the aftermath…?”
“Not our concern.” That was Liu Sisi’s problem to handle.
If she could weather this ordeal unscathed, Jiang Fuyue might just see her in a different light.
By the riverside, Liu Sisi scooped up a handful of river water, then let it fall, repeating the motion over and over without tiring.
Suddenly, she looked up at the crescent moon, her gaze tinged with both love and hatred, and an air of admiration.
“You’re amazing; nothing escapes your eyes.”
“But it’s fine. I didn’t intend to deceive you, because such filth didn’t deserve to live, and those who choose blind endurance over resistance aren’t worthy of sympathy either…”
The cool breeze scattered her last words, drifting over the misty river, until they vanished.
All that was left was a chill, merging into the darkness, adding to the night’s cold.
…
The next day, two news stories on the front page of Linhuai Daily shocked the city.
The first: The City’s Criminal Police Team Collaborates with Three Departments, Destroying Linhuai’s Largest Underground Boxing Ring.
The second: Two Bodies Found in a Rented Room on Sanliu Street. Preliminary Investigation Indicates the Wife Poisoned Her Husband’s Alcohol, But Was Beaten to Death Before the Poison Took Effect.
The second story attracted far more public attention, sparking online debate—
“This is a tragic tale of someone pushed past their limits but unable to escape the fate of death.”
“This woman must have poisoned him to save herself, but she still couldn’t escape. At least she took her enemy down with her; that’s something.”
“This isn’t a marriage; it’s enmity.”
“Last month, a husband killed his wife for insurance in C City. The month before, an ex-boyfriend slit a girl’s throat in K City. Now, here’s another case. September has no miracles.”
“Stay single to stay safe.”
“Another daily dose of commitment-phobia.”
“Being alone sounds great! Why find a murderous partner?”
“…..”
As online discussion brewed, the local police blog posted an update in the afternoon.
According to the report, the male victim Liu Kaibing and female victim Li Mouohua were husband and wife. Li endured years of abuse and finally resorted to poison.
That night, Liu Kaibing drank the poisoned wine but began assaulting Li Mouohua before the poison took effect. She died from severe head injuries, and Liu Kaibing eventually succumbed to the poison.
Autopsy results indicated that both died approximately six days prior. Police entered the home after neighbors reported a foul odor; the bodies were already decomposing.
They died within about half an hour of each other.
As the truth came to light, public sentiment gradually subsided, and soon, people’s attention was captured by fresh events.
Meanwhile, at Linhuai No.1 High School, the bell echoed across campus.
In Senior Class 3, the first lesson was math. Xu Jing walked to the podium, followed by an overly slender girl.
Her appearance wasn’t as striking as the newly transferred Yu Kaixin’s, and her cold demeanor, partially hidden by bangs, gave her an eerie aura.
“Teacher Xu! Another new student in our class?”
Xu Jing replied, “Not exactly new. This student was in Class 6 before transferring to our class this semester. Go ahead and introduce yourself.”
The girl looked up and smiled. In that moment, any sense of coldness vanished, replaced by a warm glow, revealing a bright and cheerful girl.
“Hi, everyone. I’m Liu Sisi. I used to be in Class 6, and I transferred to Class 3 this semester. I hope we can get along and enjoy our last year of high school together.”
Applause followed in welcome.
Liu Sisi’s gaze scanned the classroom, locking eyes with Jiang Fuyue in the back corner.
She smiled, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes, like a child eager for praise.
Jiang Fuyue’s lips moved without sound.
But Liu Sisi understood—she said, “Welcome.”
Wang Xiutong nudged her. “Jiangjiang, I think the new girl was looking at you and smiling.”
“Really? I thought she was looking at you, smiling.”
“Huh?” Wang Xiutong blinked in surprise.
Really?
She felt a little happy.
…
After school, Jiang Han and Ge Meng waited by the door.
“Sisi, you’re finally back! We thought something happened to you.”
“Where have you been the past few days? You didn’t answer your phone, and no one was home when we went over. We were so worried!”
Seeing her friends again, Liu Sisi felt a strange sense of detachment.
Her life had completely changed over the summer, as if half a lifetime had passed. She felt more mature, though she hid it well.
She would never be the same.
“Sorry for worrying you,” she said softly, just as she used to.
Perfect. No flaws.
“Oh, we’re friends. No need for that!”
“It’s just great to have you back! And you transferred to Class 3 with Sister Yue! How exciting!”
Liu Sisi nodded. “I think so too.”
From now on, tranquility would never be hers; an endless series of waves awaited.
But she welcomed it!
Last night, Uncle Liu had asked, “Where do you go from here?”
What had she said?
Oh, she said—
From now on, wherever the moonlight reaches shall be home.
The truth behind Liu Sisi’s parents’ deaths is left open-ended—let your imagination decide~
