Chapter 143

Zhang Dongmei boarded a bus heading back to the city.

A few months ago, sunlight streamed through the bus window, shining on her face and legs, but she didn’t feel a bit of warmth.

Her face was taut, her expression icy, without a trace of a smile.

She had just left her hometown. A few days ago, her father was driving drunk in the countryside and caused an accident, severely injuring the other party. Her father was fully responsible for the accident and had to pay 300,000 yuan in medical expenses for the victim.

Her father and brother were still quarreling endlessly, and after giving 30,000 yuan, there was no more money. She had managed to scrape together another 100,000 yuan to bring to them. This was the most she could come up with, and because of this accident, she was nearly drained.

Whom should she blame? Her drunk-driving father, her weak and incompetent mother, her spoiled and stingy brother, or herself for not being able to earn more money?

Moreover, someone had reported her recently, and the school was investigating her extracurricular tutoring.

Thinking of this, Zhang Dongmei couldn’t help but clasp her hands, forming a fist.

Wasn’t she tutoring the students for their own good?

The new policy claimed to reduce the burden on students, forbidding excessive homework, but the difficulty of the exams hadn’t decreased; it had even increased. Without a sea of practice problems and extra exercises, how could she improve her students’ grades?

Who had reported her?

Zhang Dongmei focused, her eyes flickering, and her mind raced through various suspects.

The school leadership hinted that the situation was serious. The accuser had not only evidence of her tutoring but also of her physically punishing students and even accepting bribes.

The provided list and evidence were thorough. In the worst-case scenario, she could lose her teaching certification and never be able to work at the high school again.

The school was still fighting for her, hoping she could stay, but she might have to become a counselor, unable to teach.

Was it the student who couldn’t afford the tuition and didn’t attend the tutoring sessions? But that student wouldn’t know such details. Or was it the student whose ear she had injured? It was her fault for not checking the student’s family background—who would have thought that the student’s distant uncle worked at the education bureau? Or was it Teacher Li, who was competing with her for the “Excellent Teacher” award this year? Teacher Li had pretended to be concerned, saying that tutoring students was wrong and that it would eventually cause trouble…

Zhang Dongmei pondered for a long time but eventually gave up.

The urgent matter was to gather the money. Her family could only rely on her.

Were those people really her parents? They were more like ravenous wolves and tigers. If she couldn’t come up with the money, they would devour her, piece by piece.

They bullied the weak but feared the strong, not daring to ask her brother for money but instead pestering her. They cried and wailed in front of her, completely indifferent to her well-being. To gather money, she had exhausted all means, maxing out her credit cards and borrowing from every colleague she could.

But the victim’s family had already threatened that if the money wasn’t paid in full, they would cripple her father. She couldn’t just watch them die.

Moreover, she knew that her parents had informed the victim’s family of her workplace. If she didn’t cover the debt, the victim’s family might cause a scene at her school, and then she wouldn’t even be able to keep her job as a counselor.

The bus finally stopped at the station. Zhang Dongmei got off, carrying her bag. There was no convenient bus route from here, and she was too frugal to take a taxi, so she prepared to walk all the way home. Her high heels didn’t fit well, quickly causing blisters, and each step felt like walking on knives.

She walked while scrolling through her contacts, which included hundreds of students and parents. Those marked with a star were from wealthy families, and those marked with a plus sign had connections.

Zhang Dongmei’s finger glided over one familiar name after another before she finally mustered the courage to make a call.

The person on the other end was the mother of a former student, a wealthy woman who owned two chain restaurants. She had always been warm towards Zhang and even called her a sister.

Zhang Dongmei exchanged a few pleasantries before bringing up the need to borrow money. The other party hesitated, “Ms. Zhang, I heard that because of your health, you won’t be teaching our child next semester?”

Zhang Dongmei thought to herself, good news never travels far, but bad news spreads quickly. She tried to keep her voice calm, “Well, I haven’t received any notification.”

Before she could finish her sentence, the call was disconnected.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Zhang Dongmei continued making the second call… the third… the fourth.

A cold smile gradually formed on her lips. These parents, who previously showered her with money and gifts to curry favor, were now hanging up on her as soon as she mentioned borrowing money, having heard she might not be teaching their children anymore.

She was now over forty, divorced, and childless.

Looking back on her life, she realized she had no friends and no family.

Now that she thought about it, she seemed to have dedicated her entire life to teaching. What did she have left?

A teacher’s salary was already modest, and she still had to support her family.

Zhang Dongmei entered her home, a very small house she had bought with a loan many years ago.

Suddenly remembering something, she began pulling out a large box from under the bed. She was alone, her feet still aching, her heart filled with anger, and the room was extremely hot, but she couldn’t afford to turn on the fan.

She used all her strength, sweating profusely, until she finally managed to drag out the large box. She was out of breath, her hands were chafed and stinging from the edges of the box.

Then she knelt down and began looking through the contents of the box.

It had once been her treasure, filled with a thick stack of certificates, the honors from her twenty-plus years of teaching.

She caressed the stack of certificates, so many accolades, so many commendations, so many people saying she was a good teacher…

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she went through each item, unable to let go, her cold heart gradually warming.

In all her years of teaching, she had graded far more assignments than most other teachers, often staying up late preparing lessons and waking up early for morning classes. Mathematics, unlike subjects like Chinese or English, couldn’t rely on old materials; new problem types kept emerging, and she would go through each new workbook cover to cover. Every year, she updated her lesson plans.

She may have done many things wrong, but she knew she had also done many things right.

Over her twenty-plus years of teaching, she had truly nurtured many outstanding students, producing many top achievers.

Without her, those students might never have achieved what they did. Many could have ended up leading mediocre lives, selling vegetables or working as waitstaff. Because of her, they attended good high schools, prestigious universities, and led different lives.

But those students didn’t feel grateful to her.

The parents were unreliable, and the students were even worse, turning into ingrates who never contacted her after graduation.

Such is the fickleness of the world.

She thought of her husband, who claimed her heart was only with her students. Their true breaking point came after she had a miscarriage from standing for nine hours preparing for an open class. Just a week after that incident, unable to stop worrying about her students, she was back in the classroom.

She had once longed for children, hoping to have her own. But in the end, she lost the ability to have children, and her husband started an affair with a young nurse.

Why was the world like this?

She was a woman struggling alone in the city, suffering from the disadvantages of having no background, trying hard to climb up on her own, constantly feeling the malice of the world.

She didn’t have a soft heart because she didn’t deserve one. Weakness and tears were not hers; she was a woman forged from iron, unable to fall sick or collapse.

Whenever she had arguments at home, was reproached by her parents, quarrelled with her husband, was bullied at work, or had her spot taken by someone with connections, she could only pick herself up and arm herself with a strong armor.

She could only vent her frustrations on her students. She hated the beautiful girls, envied the children from privileged backgrounds who were also gifted, and exploited the obedient ones.

Whenever she saw their naive faces, she wanted to show them what the real world was like. She acted out her ugliness for them, which was not even a tenth as cruel as the world had been to her.

Zhang Dongmei started looking through the things in the box. She had a habit of organizing and preserving everything after teaching a batch of students: old photos, outdated grade sheets, marked exam papers, and student reflections, both good and bad. As long as she thought they were valuable, she kept them.

Looking at these things, Zhang Dongmei seemed to return to more than ten years ago, with memories of one event after another awakening. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she suddenly thought of a way to solve her problem.

“A teacher for a day, a father for life.” No matter what, she would always be their teacher!

As long as she grasped her students’ weaknesses, she could borrow the money she needed.

If she couldn’t make people love her, she would make them fear her.

At first, she was selective, but later she became desperate for money and lost all sense of limits…

Back then, Zhang Dongmei didn’t realize that those children were no longer the trembling kids sitting in her classroom ten years ago. They had grown claws and fangs and learned to fight back fiercely.

Time had passed, and the students never imagined that their incredibly cruel teacher was also a person pushed to the edge by life.

Now, Zhang Dongmei’s body was gradually growing cold.

The worries that entangled her no longer tormented her.

Cheng Mo led Tan Shan out, still comforting her. Tan Shan just kept crying, unable to provide any new evidence. It seemed this case could now be concluded like this.

Song Wen went to the bathroom and, upon returning, turned his head to Lu Siyu and said, “Let’s go. Even if Tan Shan is guilty, we need to wait a while before we can send her to the city bureau.”

Lu Siyu looked up, puzzled, “Go… where?”

He was sorting through several pieces of information in front of him, trying to see if there was anything unreasonable.

With the sound of fireworks outside the window, Song Wen, wondering why this person was so indifferent, pointed to a spot not far away, “The rooftop. It would be a shame not to watch the fireworks from such a good spot.”

On the platform of Mingyue Building, Song Wen pulled Lu Siyu out. Lu Siyu usually avoided crowded places, keeping as far away from them as possible.

These festivities, the world’s prosperity, and joy seemed not to belong to him.

In Lu Siyu’s memory, he always felt there was nothing to see in fireworks. If Song Wen hadn’t insisted, he wouldn’t have come out. But now, looking up at the fireworks, he couldn’t help but be touched by the atmosphere.

As they came out, fireworks were being set off into the sky. The fireworks burst into a cluster of green light, then each green spark bloomed, climbing higher and higher like a vine, filling the sky.

The sky was a dark blue canvas, and the fireworks were like paintbrushes, splashing color freely. People stood below, looking up. Beautiful scenes unfolded above, indescribably beautiful.

Lu Siyu was mesmerized. These fireworks were entirely different from those in his memory. Thinking back, it seemed he hadn’t seen fireworks since his parents passed away, almost twenty years. Technology had advanced, and everything had changed.

At this moment, the entire Lunjiang riverside had turned into a sea of joy. Tens of thousands of people had gathered here, either standing, sitting, or finding high places. Everyone was looking up at the night sky. In the most bustling area of Nancheng, several tall buildings stood, among which the Nancheng Tower particularly caught people’s attention. Cheers and exclamations continuously erupted.

Clusters of fireworks kept ascending, blossoming in the dark sky.

With a loud bang, another firework shot up. For a moment, the sky seemed to be filled with fiery trees and silver flowers. As the silver flowers faded, a sudden shower of red rain fell, glittering red dots descending like stars falling into the world.

The fleeting lights were incredibly beautiful…

On both sides of the Lunjiang River, many people were holding cameras and phones, trying to capture these stunning scenes.

Song Wen, standing beside him, said, “How is it? Not bad, right? Watching fireworks like this, many people have to stand below for one or two hours, squeezing through the crowd. Here, we have a broad view and fewer people, making it the best observation point.”

He spoke lightly. In fact, if it weren’t for the case, the Lotus Moon Tower would be packed tonight. Guests would have crowded onto the platform, watching the fireworks shoulder to shoulder. If it weren’t for the case, they would probably have gone home after watching a movie. This was all a matter of coincidence.

Lu Siyu responded with a hum, looking up at the fireworks in the sky. His beautiful eyes were illuminated by the fireworks, seemingly containing countless stars, breathtakingly beautiful.

Song Wen watched the fireworks bloom in the sky and became a bit nostalgic, “In the past, when I was little, my dad took me to see fireworks once. I was about six. I remember there were so many people, layers upon layers, that no matter how high I jumped, I couldn’t see them. So, my dad lifted me onto his shoulders to watch the fireworks from the highest point. At that time, I thought my dad was the tallest man in the world. When I grew up, I wanted to be like him.”

At that time, Song Wen’s relationship with his father wasn’t as tense as it is now. Thinking of his mindset back then, Song Wen felt a tinge of sentimentality.

Lu Siyu said, “So your dad was pretty nice to you.”

Song Wen replied, “Not really. After the show, my dad was so busy talking with his colleagues that he didn’t pay attention to me. With so many people around, I got lost. My dad mobilized the entire police team to search the streets for me. When he found me, he gave me a good beating.”

There was more to the story. He continued, “When we got home, my mom found out that my dad had taken me to such a crowded place during his patrol and almost lost me. They had a huge fight, and then they both beat me up.”

Back then, Li Luanfang and Song Cheng often disagreed on many things, but they were remarkably in sync when it came to disciplining their child. Double beatings were a common occurrence.

Lu Siyu couldn’t help but smile, his eyes bending slightly. The night wind blew, tousling his bangs and revealing a bit of his smooth forehead. Looking at his nearly perfect profile, Song Wen thought the fireworks were far less attractive than the person beside him. Seeing Lu Siyu smile, Song Wen suddenly felt that getting two beatings in one day back then was worth it.

But the next moment, Lu Siyu suddenly lowered his head, feeling a bit melancholic, “Those days must have been quite interesting.”

That was the kind of family life he envied. Just like the warmth Song Wen could bring him now, it made him a bit reluctant to leave, unsure how to proceed. He felt a kind of unknown fear for the future, just like the pitch-black past.

Song Wen didn’t know what he had said wrong, causing Lu Siyu’s mood to dip. He tried to change the subject and pulled a box from the bag he was carrying, handing it to Lu Siyu.

“By the way, this is for you.”

“What… is it?” Lu Siyu took it and weighed it. The box was long and rectangular, not too big or too small, with some weight to it.

Song Wen explained, “It’s not something too expensive. I can’t afford anything too pricey. I just saw it by chance and bought it.”

Lu Siyu opened the box and found a silver-white thermos cup inside, exquisitely made with a pattern that matched his taste. It was obvious that a lot of thought had gone into choosing it.

Song Wen tried to make his voice sound casual, “I noticed your old cup was worn out, so I bought a new one. Your birthday is coming up, right? Consider it an early gift. You gave me a tie before, remember…”

He had thought about this for a long time, pondering what to buy and when to give it. If it was too expensive, it wouldn’t be appropriate. If it was too cheap, it wouldn’t look good. Giving it on the actual day seemed too intentional, but he didn’t want Lu Siyu to think he was being perfunctory.

Seeing Lu Siyu suddenly a bit down, Song Wen impulsively took out the gift to cheer him up. Then he realized, who gives a gift at a crime scene? The body was still lying downstairs.

Captain Song wished he could give himself a slap…

Birthday…

Lu Siyu didn’t mind the time or place. His birthday was October 2nd, which was tomorrow. Since it fell in the middle of the National Day holiday, except for when his parents remembered during his childhood, he never received gifts from anyone else.

When he was in kindergarten, he suddenly realized this and went home crying to his parents, blaming them for having him born during a holiday. At that time, his father comforted him, saying, “Those who care about you won’t forget your birthday just because it’s during a holiday.”

After his parents passed away, he didn’t pay much attention to his birthday. Throughout his school years, few people celebrated it with him.

Now, suddenly receiving a gift from Song Wen, he felt a bit at a loss holding it.

Seeing him silent, Song Wen thought he didn’t like it and nervously continued to explain, “Oh, by the way, the lid of this thermos can display the temperature…”

This feature was something he specifically chose, thinking it would be useful since Lu Siyu often had health issues. It would allow him to see at a glance if the water was too hot or too cold.

Lu Siyu looked down, his eyes feeling hot and moist, as if tears would fall if he didn’t hold them back. “This one is a bit bigger than my old one.”

Song Wen’s heart skipped a beat, worrying that he might have chosen one too big, “What’s wrong? Afraid it’ll be too heavy during fieldwork? If it’s too heavy, I can carry it for you.”

Lu Siyu replied, “You’re the team captain now. What kind of captain carries his subordinate’s thermos?”

Song Wen said, “I don’t mind. Others can’t tell me otherwise.”

Afraid Lu Siyu didn’t like the gift, Song Wen reached out, intending to take it back. But Lu Siyu clutched it and stepped back, clearly not planning to return it.

Lu Siyu’s eyes flickered before he spoke, “I haven’t received a gift in many years. I don’t know what expression to make or what to say…”

He had money but didn’t like getting too close to people. Most of the time, he was the one giving, rarely receiving such thoughtful gifts from others.

“Thank you. I am very…”

As he said this, the fireworks reached their climax. One after another, they exploded, drowning out his last two words.

As the fireworks illuminated Lu Siyu’s handsome face, he looked both beautiful and lonely. It was as if through the false splendor, he stood there all alone. Yet, it was this very loneliness that moved Song Wen.

Song Wen couldn’t help but tease him, “What did you just say?”

Lu Siyu’s mouth opened, hesitated, and then replied, “If you didn’t hear it, never mind.”

Song Wen said, “I thought you said you liked me.”

Clearly, he had heard and was just pretending. Lu Siyu said, “Remove the last word, and you’re right.”

Song Wen, emboldened, took a step closer and directly asked, “So, you don’t like me?”

Lu Siyu’s lips curved slightly as he held onto the thermos, pretending not to hear and saying nothing.

Another burst of fireworks blossomed, the brilliant display lighting up the sky, reflecting on their faces along the Lunjiang riverside.

Lu Siyu suddenly understood why people liked fireworks. Despite being fleeting, they were so beautiful that the moment itself seemed worth everything.

The final display ended, and the sky gradually returned to calm as the smoke cleared. Song Wen said, “It looks like it’s about over. It’s getting cold outside, let’s go back in.”

Lu Siyu nodded and began walking towards the stairwell.

“Do you think Tan Shan could be the murderer?” Song Wen suddenly asked Lu Siyu, then explained, “I… actually hope she isn’t. When I was in junior high, a teacher was very kind to me. Before every exam, she would call me to her office and give me a stack of blank paper. It wasn’t anything valuable, but receiving that paper made me feel like I would do well on the test.”

Just a stack of blank paper, but it remained a clear memory for Song Wen.

Teaching is a tough profession, and many teachers strive hard. Regardless of the grudge between Tan Shan and Zhang Dongmei, Tan Shan tried to be a good teacher…

Lu Siyu responded with a hum, but it was unclear if he had listened to Song Wen’s words. Suddenly, he lowered his head and let out a small sound of surprise.

“What is it?” Song Wen asked.

Lu Siyu looked up at Song Wen and said, “I think I know who was on the rooftop before.”