Chapter 67

Fan Xing’s heart sank suddenly. He quickly examined the information in detail. It provided a detailed description of the accident on that day—Chu Jiawen was hit head-on by a white private car in the western suburbs of City B on Linhe Road and died on the spot. Time of death: 12:37 noon.

Fan Xing subconsciously glanced at the current time, realizing it was approaching 12:00 noon.

And he was currently in the eastern part of City B. With thirty-seven minutes, there was no way he could make it in time!

So, he grabbed his phone, ready to call He Qingmo, but unexpectedly, He Qingmo’s call came in first.

He quickly answered, his tone unusually urgent, “Brother, quickly, have someone rush to the western suburbs on Linhe Road. I suspect that Senior Lu Chi is planning to reenact the scene of Chu Jiawen’s death in front of Xiao Yu. The time might be 12:37 noon.”

Although Fan Xing didn’t have concrete evidence, considering Lu Chi’s recent behavior and his sudden termination of the lease with no belongings taken, Fan Xing couldn’t help but prepare for the worst.

On the other end of the call, He Qingmo frowned deeply. He had called Fan Xing to inform him that Xiao Yu had escaped from home.

After Fan Xing told He Qingmo about Lu Chi’s intentions that day, He Qingmo notified the Xiao family. The Xiao family didn’t want trouble with Lu Chi, but they locked Xiao Yu at home, planning to send him abroad directly after the New Year to ensure no contact with Lu Chi. In that case, regardless of Lu Chi’s intentions, he wouldn’t be able to reach Xiao Yu.

However, this morning, the butler discovered that Xiao Yu had run away.

The Xiao family searched for him all morning but couldn’t find him. Finally, the patriarch called He Qingmo, inquiring about Lu Chi’s whereabouts.

He Qingmo hadn’t expected Xiao Yu to be so audacious. Although Xiao Yu appeared to be a second-generation wealthy, trouble-making devil, he was actually very afraid of his family patriarch.

Some time ago, after He Qingmo informed the patriarch about the grievances between Xiao Yu and Lu Chi, the patriarch summoned Xiao Yu back home and gave him a severe scolding with a chicken feather duster. He instructed him to “stay at home,” and Xiao Yu obediently stayed home for a month without causing any trouble.

However, this time, not only did the patriarch scold him severely, but he also kept an eye on him. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yu jumped out of the third-floor window and escaped over the wall.

This was unprecedented and indicated the extent of Xiao Yu’s obsessive infatuation with the character Lu Chi was portraying, as Lu Chi had suggested.

So, He Qingmo immediately called Fan Xing because he knew that Fan Xing was supposed to accompany Lu Chi to see a psychologist today.

However, looking at the situation now, things were quite tricky.

He pinched his brow and picked up another phone to call Song Yang. After a couple of brief instructions, he hung up and then spoke to Fan Xing, “Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”

After Fan Xing reported his location, He Qingmo hung up the phone, picked up the pile of materials, and bid farewell to the landlord before running downstairs to wait for He Qingmo.

He Qingmo wasn’t far away, and after a two-minute wait, he arrived in his car.

Once Fan Xing got in the car, He Qingmo immediately stepped on the gas, accelerating out.

“I’ve informed the Xiao family, and they are using all their connections to rush over. They should make it in time.” He Qingmo saw Fan Xing’s pale face and couldn’t help reaching out to hold his hand, only to find that Fan Xing’s hand was ice-cold and sweaty.

Fan Xing unconsciously tightened his grip on He Qingmo’s hand but didn’t say a word. His other hand continued to quickly flip through the remaining information, afraid that he might miss some crucial details.

He Qingmo didn’t say anything either, just trying to speed up as much as possible.

However, from their current location to the western suburbs, half an hour was simply impossible. Moreover, they encountered traffic jams, and the two of them were stuck on the elevated road, helplessly watching time slipping away.

Fan Xing, feeling restless, couldn’t even concentrate on the information. His heart was pounding, and his palms were getting increasingly sweaty.

He knew that with every second lost, the likelihood of something happening to Lu Chi increased.

Even though he knew that even without the traffic, he and He Qingmo wouldn’t make it in time, the rapid movement of the car still provided him with a slight psychological comfort.

But at this moment, all he could feel was powerlessness.

He repeatedly dialed Lu Chi’s phone, but all he got in response was the cold shutdown tone, repeating over and over, infuriating him to the point of wanting to curse.

Coincidentally, Song Yang’s call came in at this time. Fan Xing couldn’t wait and answered the call first, urgently asking, “How is it going? Have you found them?”

Upon hearing Fan Xing’s voice, Song Yang seemed a bit slow to react, and after a brief pause, he said, “We’ve reached the location, but we haven’t found them. However, we’ve already reported to the police. The police are conducting a search, and they’ve closed off the entire road section here, temporarily not allowing any vehicles to pass.”

Fan Xing glanced at the time; it was half-past twelve.

If Lu Chi wanted to deal the heaviest blow to Xiao Yu, he would undoubtedly want to perfectly recreate the scene from back then. Since they couldn’t go to Linhe Road now, they must have chosen a different location. Fan Xing slightly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that with Xiao’s family, Song Yang, and the police on the scene, there should still be room to maneuver.

He relaxed a little and was about to speak when his own phone rang.

It was Lu Chi calling.

Fan Xing was delighted and quickly answered, “Senior, where are you?”

“Why are you in such a hurry to find me? Miss me? Aren’t you afraid of making your brother He Qingmo jealous?” Lu Chi’s voice came through, sounding light-hearted, as if he had just woken up from a nap and forgotten to turn on his phone.

“Yes, I miss you. Senior, please tell me where you are, and I’ll come to you right away.” Fan Xing pressed on.

On the other end, Lu Chi seemed stunned for a moment, then chuckled lightly, “Xiao Xing, why are you in such a hurry to find me? Is it because you know my intentions and had He Qingmo do this? Xiao Xing, do you think doing this can stop me? Now, I can’t go to the original location, so I’ll just find another place. Don’t worry, with the current state of Xiao Yu’s mind, even if I can’t perfectly recreate what happened back then, he will still collapse. I want to make him wish he were dead…”

“Senior, this matter wasn’t done by Brother. The Xiao family reported it to the police. The police are searching nearby. Please don’t do anything foolish.” Fan Xing interrupted Lu Chi, putting the call on speaker and signaling He Qingmo not to speak.

“It’s okay. I’ve thoroughly studied this place, and the police won’t find us anytime soon. Even if they do find us…” Lu Chi suddenly paused, then seemed to realize something, “Xiao Xing, are you trying to trick me with your words?”

Fan Xing sighed silently, realizing that he couldn’t extract any more information. However, at least he could confirm that Lu Chi and the others should still be near Linhe Road, just in a more concealed location.

He Qingmo transmitted this information to Song Yang and also instructed Song Yang to locate Lu Chi. Fan Xing tried his best to delay the conversation.

“Senior, listen to me, okay? We’ve gathered a lot of evidence on Brother’s side. We’ll find the best lawyer for you. You can make Xiao Yu suffer in prison for ten or eight years. If you still want revenge, we can also… we can also help you beat him until he kneels and apologizes. Senior, remember when you said my gaming skills were terrible? During the winter break, you promised to practice with me. I’m going abroad to see my grandmother during the winter break, and you can come with me. My grandmother cooks delicious food; you’ll definitely like it. And also…”

“Xiao Xing, stop talking.” Lu Chi gently interrupted him, his voice carrying a faint smile. After a brief silence, he spoke again, “Although I know you’re trying to stall for time and locate me, I also know that you’re speaking from the heart. So, thank you. But don’t bother, you won’t be able to locate me. Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, ever since I woke up from my failed suicide attempt. From that moment, I’ve been waiting for today. Now, let me have this moment. You can’t stop me, so don’t try. You’re so considerate, you must know that I don’t want to live anyway. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have attempted suicide last time. Now, with my life, I can seek revenge. It’s…”

“Senior, no, don’t do this. I’m begging you, Senior, don’t die. I’m begging you.” Fan Xing hastily interrupted him, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

Fan Xing rarely lost control like this because from childhood to adulthood, no matter what happened, he had to face it and find a solution himself.

So, when facing any tricky situation, he would feel worried and nervous, but he always tried to find a solution immediately.

Today was no exception.

After guessing Lu Chi’s intentions, he wasn’t without nervousness, but he knew that worrying at a time like this would only make things worse. So, he tried hard to convince himself to stay calm, not to overthink, and to find a way to locate Lu Chi. Stopping Lu Chi was the most important thing at the moment.

But right now, he panicked!

Because he knew he couldn’t stop it.

Lu Chi would die! Perhaps right after this phone call.

Fan Xing realized that there was nothing he could do. Afterward, he could only see a lifeless body and felt that his heart was even more painful than being cut with a knife. How could he stay calm?

“Xiao Xing, don’t be like this,” Lu Chi’s voice sounded somewhat helpless, even tender, “You should know that, for me, this is liberation. You always wanted to help me, right? Don’t stop me, and don’t be sad for me. After today, forget about me. Pretend you never knew me. That would be the greatest help for me.”

Lu Chi let out a long breath at this point and then spoke in a carefree tone, “Alright, I won’t say more. I just wanted to say goodbye to you. Goodbye, Fan Xing!”

“No!” Fan Xing lost control of his emotions, shouting into the phone, his voice trembling violently, “Don’t, Senior, don’t die. Don’t let me see you dead; I’ll be scared!”

On the other end of the phone, both He Qingmo and Lu Chi were momentarily stunned. He Qingmo, in particular, could keenly feel Fan Xing’s current state because Fan Xing had unconsciously been holding onto his hand. The nails of that hand were deeply digging into his palm, his face devoid of color, and fine beads of sweat were continuously forming on his forehead. He was trembling all over.

He Qingmo looked at him, but Fan Xing was only tightly gripping the phone, all his focus on Lu Chi on the other end of the line.

After a long time, Lu Chi’s voice came through, carrying a hint of mockery, “So, Xiao Xing, you’re this timid? In that case, don’t come…”

“Senior…” Hearing that Lu Chi was still willing to respond, Fan Xing hastily interrupted him, “Senior, I’m really scared. When I was twelve, the police took me to the morgue… to identify a body. It was covered with a white cloth, lying motionless. The police pushed me forward and asked me to identify whether that person was… my father.”

Fan Xing paused for a moment, unconsciously cleared his throat, and continued, “I was terrified. I didn’t want to identify; I didn’t want to know who was lying underneath. But the cloth was lifted, and I saw… my father covered in wounds, his neck… his neck was…”

“Don’t say it!” He Qingmo abruptly hit the brakes, violating traffic rules to stop the car, and pulled Fan Xing over, hugging him tightly, gently stroking his back to comfort him.

Fan Xing’s body stiffened slightly. What he wanted to say, which he had gathered the courage to say, was ultimately stuck in his throat, unable to come out.

If Fan Xing had a secret in his heart, it was that day, that scene, which he dared not touch among all his experiences.

He told Lu Chi that he didn’t want to see him die; he would be scared, and it wasn’t a lie. He… was truly scared!

Because the only time in his life he had seen a dead person was his father.

He never dared to recall that scene because as soon as he thought about it, all his strength and optimism would be useless. He would instantly be surrounded by fear, helplessness, sadness… all the negative emotions.

Like at this moment, he wanted to convince Lu Chi, but he couldn’t find a better way. So, he took the initiative to bring up this matter for the first time, just wanting to stop Lu Chi. He didn’t want Lu Chi to die. He just wanted to keep the life of a good friend. But… after bringing it up, he found himself falling into an uncontrollable loop.

He Qingmo held him tightly, feeling the person in his arms trembling slightly. Fan Xing’s painful and helpless appearance made his heart feel as if it had split open. For a moment, he didn’t even want to care about Xiao Yu or Lu Chi’s life or death!

But Fan Xing wouldn’t think that way. Perhaps Fan Xing didn’t care about Xiao Yu’s life, but he couldn’t not care about Lu Chi’s life. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have forced himself to bring up the past he didn’t want to think about.

So, He Qingmo could only endure the heartache, embrace him, comfort him, and help him calm down.

Fan Xing indeed needed him. With his little face buried in the man’s chest, feeling the man’s heartbeat and warmth, Fan Xing’s overwhelmed emotions gradually eased. Because he knew he wasn’t alone; he had He Qingmo by his side.

Even so, it took him some time to regain himself. Then, he suddenly remembered Lu Chi on the other end of the phone. He quickly picked up his phone, but the call had already been disconnected.

He turned to look at He Qingmo, and his entire body turned cold.

Lu Chi, might he have… already…

He didn’t dare to think further. He tried to convince himself that if he didn’t want to think about the scariest thing, it wouldn’t happen. However, He Qingmo’s phone rang, and it was a call from Song Yang.

“Boss…” Song Yang’s voice was unprecedentedly low and weak, “I’m sorry, the accident… couldn’t stop it.”

 

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