All evils quietly fester and sprout in the shadows, growing black tentacles. Unexpectedly, Pingfeng learned of Ju Nian's predicament before leaving. She was determined to help Ju Nian, so she thought, since the photos had already been taken and she had long since grown disgusted with that perverted old fat sheep, as long as she gave Ju Nian a copy, she could make that old guy regret it, and then he would no longer be able to interfere.
She secretly mailed the photos, and the mail was taken away almost immediately. Xie Wangnian then discovered that several photos were missing—the ones he planned to sell for a fortune. He couldn't wait that long; he wanted to pull off a big heist. Once the photos were leaked and Han Shewen was down, Cui Minxing and the others weren't fools; why would they still be willing to pay? His grand plan had been ruined by this foolish woman, Pingfeng. So, they argued and fought in her rented apartment. He demanded to know who she had given the photos to and asked her to get them back, but she refused. Pingfeng's tantrums were enough to drive him crazy, and Xie Wangnian's eyes turned red with anger. When he calmed down, he had already stabbed the prostitute he liked with three bloody wounds…
This is a story so bad it makes you want to cry, but it has dragged almost everyone around Ju Nian into it.
Han Shu smashed almost everything he could in his parents' house. His mother was heartbroken, and the man he called "Dad," whom he respected all his life, bowed his head in silence. Pointing his finger at his father's nose, he roared amidst the ruins, "Who told me to believe in justice? Who told me to live a clean life? It was you! But what can I believe in now? I've lived to thirty, half my life chasing after you, and you're just a shameless old bastard!"
He was quickly slapped across the face, his mouth splitting and bleeding, but he didn't feel any pain. The person who hit him was his mother, Sun Jinling.
"Do you want me to die?" Sun Jinling said to her most beloved son, "Xiao Er, I'm begging you, destroy the photos."
She hated her husband, but she also hated her son who recklessly tore away that fig leaf.
Han Shu left home amidst his mother's overwhelming tears. He was an unfilial son; his world had crumbled, and he had also shattered his mother's world. But he couldn't help it; he couldn't swallow it. The thought of his father, whom he had revered like a god for half his life, looking like that in the photograph drove him mad.
That same evening, Han Shu received an international call from his sister Han Lin at the hotel where he was staying.
Han Lin must already know about this.
"Are you here to persuade me to destroy those photos too, sister?" Han Shu asked his sister, drunkenly, as he sat on the floor, leaning against the edge of the bed.
Han Lin's voice sounded distant and indistinct: "Han Shu, what will you do?"
Han Shu countered, "What if it were you?"
Han Lin was once a top student at one of the country's leading law schools, Han Shewen's proudest daughter, but she abandoned all that and went to a faraway foreign country. At this moment, she remained silent in the face of her brother's question.
After daybreak, Han Shu personally submitted the photos to the higher-level discipline inspection and supervision department. He did this without hesitation. Then he returned to Ju Nian's courtyard, shed his righteous facade, and buried his face in Ju Nian's lap, crying uncontrollably.
"What can I still believe in? I have nothing left, absolutely nothing."
His family, his parents, his faith, his pride were all destroyed, leaving only the woman beside him, as still as a cold pool, but she did not belong to him.
Ju Nian collected Ping Feng's body, burying her friend in the simplest way possible. The police found nothing suspicious at the scene of Xie Wangnian's crime, including photographs—perhaps I'd already found them. To everyone else, it was just an accidental bloodshed between two people living at the very bottom of society.
Standing in front of Pingfeng's tombstone, Ju Nian could almost still see that carefree, smiling face.
She said, "Let me help you this once, Ju Nian. I'll only help you this one time."
This time, she kept her word and risked her life.
What can we still believe in? (Part 2)
Later, Ju Nian found her only son and her parents in the city. Xie Maohua and his wife seemed to have turned white overnight. They cried until they had no tears left, and could only curse the despicable woman who had ruined their son's life like two madmen.
They never expected that Ju Nian would come to visit at this time.
Ju Nian said she wanted to go with them to visit Wang Nian.
This suggestion gave the elderly couple a reason to keep going. They used their last bit of money to bribe the authorities, and finally the three of them were able to see each other again.
Old age and a disheveled beard made him appear less childish and more weathered. It was as if he had grown up, in this way.
Xie Wangnian ignored his elderly parents' tears and admonitions. From the moment Ju Nian came into his sight, he had been looking at this somewhat unfamiliar older sister with trembling eyes.
Through the iron bars, Ju Nian tentatively reached out to stroke Wang Nian's hair. Wang Nian lowered her head and wept, saying, "I didn't mean to, sister."
Ju Nian said softly, "I know, I know..."
Then she suddenly grabbed Xie Wangnian's hair, which he hadn't bothered to cut short, and pulled out a small knife from one of his pockets, which he had hidden there before leaving the house.
She stabbed him without warning, just like Xie Wangnian stabbed Pingfeng.
Ju Nian was such a believer in fate; she had seen too much. She was too obedient and compliant, and she always thought, "That's it, let it be." But even she had reached her limit. Why should her life be so unfair? She refused this fate.
Her first slash landed on Xie Wangnian's arm, which he was using to shield himself, and blood splattered onto her face. Pingfeng, Pingfeng who was utterly foolish, bled even more that day. Before the second slash could land, Ju Nian was restrained by two guards and dragged away. As she was being pulled away, she finally got to see the stunned faces of Xie Maohua and his wife.
Ju Nian calmly cursed them: "Your daughter is a robber, your son is a murderer, you should both..."
Xie Wangnian's cries, accompanied by the throbbing pain in his arm, echoed in everyone's ears: "I didn't want to kill her, I really love her..."
Ju Nian thought she would go to jail again; to her, life inside was probably no different from life outside. Without Ping Feng, no one would force her to work overtime in prison. But she didn't stay long before Han Shu took her out.
They walked out of the detention center together. The rainy weather had just ended, and the sunlight was dazzling.
Han Shu resumed his grinning expression, "Next time you cause trouble, I won't be able to bail you out."
Han Shu's premonition was correct; after submitting the photos, they disappeared without a trace, as if a stone had sunk into the sea. He could no longer return to the West City Courtyard. Hearing that Old Hu and his team were about to close the case, he almost forgot how shrewd and cunning Old Hu was, while Dean Han remained Dean Han.
On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, Han Shu's colleague and friend Lin Jing invited him out for drinks. They used to hang out together often, but since Lin Jing had a wife and son, he rarely had time to keep Han Shu company as a lonely man.
Although they were supposed to be drinking, Lin Jing only drank a glass of red wine, while Han Shu drank all sorts of different kinds of wine haphazardly.
When they had drunk enough, Lin Jing advised Han Shu, "That's enough, that's enough."
He seemed to be talking about drinking, but he wasn't.
Half-awake and half-drunk, Han Shu lay on the bar counter, looking up at Lin Jing.
"We're family, why bother? He'll retire in a few years, he's still your father."
"He was also a greedy and shameless man."
Lin Jing smiled and said, "There are too many greedy people in this world, Han Shu. We can only do what we can."
Han Shu understood. Even Lin Jing hinted to him that he couldn't defeat the old man. The old man had seen more than he had ever walked. In fact, he himself knew that he was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
"Can you believe it? It's something my father taught me since I was a child, and I've always remembered it. He said that you have to stick to something, otherwise you won't have lived a life in vain. I've thought about it for more than ten years, and I finally realized that this sentence is the most reasonable one."
Lin Jing smiled and shook her head. "But what if such persistence is meaningless? I prefer things I'm confident about."
Lin Jing was always more tactful than him, which is perhaps why Lin Jing, who was only a few years older than him, had such a promising career.
Take the photo incident, for example. As long as the old man's position remains secure, it's bound to be a deeply buried secret. Lin Jing is currently just the chief prosecutor of a district procuratorate, yet he knew about it. He calmly advised Han Shu, like kindly advising a friend who's sulking with their family. But even Han Shu couldn't guess who this cautious and meticulous person was representing.
Han Shu bit his lower lip for a while, then lowered his head and chuckled. He slapped down his drink money, grabbed his coat, and staggered out.
The following day, Han Shu formally submitted his resignation from public office.
It ended before it even started.
Emerging from the municipal hospital after only a week of work since reporting for duty, Han Shu glanced for the first time at the solemn national emblem and the imposing gray pillars at the top of the high steps. He then recalled his godmother, Cai Yilin, who might spend the rest of her life on her sickbed, often mentioning the goddess of justice—blindfolded, in a white robe, holding a sword in one hand and scales in the other, symbolizing moral impeccability, uprightness, and fair judgment. She also had a snake coiled around her staff and a dog trampled under her feet. The snake and the dog represented hatred and emotion, respectively; true justice required relinquishing both. However, putting this into practice was far more difficult than he thought.
He insisted on leaving, and his superiors didn't insist he stay; it was just a matter of paperwork. His colleagues, though puzzled, probably thought to themselves, "With a playboy like him, where wouldn't he be successful?" Only Han Shu knew that his freedom also meant losing everything. His former beliefs had crumbled, and whether he could ever reconcile with the old man was uncertain. Most importantly, he was certain that his crazy and rebellious behavior could only happen once; after all, it was something he had loved since childhood—even if he had lost his reverence for it—but he would never again have the courage to repeat that kind of 'justice.'
The car headlights had a minor malfunction and were still being repaired at the 4S shop. It was the only major item Han Shu had bought with his own money; his godmother had sponsored some, but he'd already paid her back, so he didn't want to keep anything. Han Shu decided to walk to Ju Nian's place. It was quite a distance, but it would give him time to think things through. By the time Uncle Cai's small shop came into view, it was already dark. He checked his watch; he'd walked for almost two hours. In this remote corner of the city, far from being a city at dusk, the few scattered lights flickered precariously in the darkness, making them seem all the more warm and precious. Occasionally, he could hear the barking of dogs.
Han Shu had already made up his mind that if Ju Nian asked again, "What are you doing here?", he should act as pitiful as possible and tell Ju Nian that he had lost his job and had nothing left. This was the truth.
Han Shu had been feeling down about this all the way, which wasn't good. He hoped Ju Nian would feel a little sorry for him, but he didn't want her to pity him too much. So he put on an indifferent act and said, "Actually, it's nothing. For someone like me who has had all five of Maslow's hierarchy of needs met several times over, this is a trivial matter."
He thought about many things, and he felt that his heart had never been so full in his entire life. However, when Ju Nian's little house was right in front of him, a bucket of cold water was poured over his head—through the iron gate, he could clearly see that it was pitch black inside. She wasn't home, and Han Shu was disappointed.
Ju Nian should be on the day shift this week. Did she go to the hospital to see Fei Ming? Fei Ming hasn't woken up since her surgery. Han Shu has heard about it. While he was hesitating whether to call her or go directly to the hospital, an idea suddenly came to him, so he immediately took action.
He shook the locked iron gate, took off his coat, and swiftly climbed up the iron bar. He didn't consider the impropriety of his well-dressed appearance as a sneaky climber, nor did he worry that neighbors or passersby might mistake him for a thief. Since he was already going to such lengths, why not go all the way? Even if he had to wait, he would wait for her to return in her yard.
Fortunately, Han Shu hadn't neglected his training and was still quite agile. The height of the iron gate didn't pose too much of an obstacle for him. What he was more worried about was that the iron gate wouldn't be able to withstand his weight and would collapse, which would cause Ju Nian to bother him again when she returned.
When he landed safely in the courtyard, everything was fine except for his light-colored thin sweater and his hands being stained with rust. He landed very lightly and didn't disturb anyone. Because the moon was already out, the small courtyard, which had no lights, didn't seem so dark up close. The loquat tree, stripped of its leaves, stood quietly in the moonlight. Han Shu was pleasantly surprised to find that the bamboo chair that Ju Nian had placed under the eaves hadn't been moved inside in time. Heaven was on his side! He unceremoniously went over and half-reclined on the chair, gazing at the clouds tinged with the moonlight, imagining her sitting alone under the eaves like this in the past.
What will she see in her eyes?
What is she thinking?
Then he closed his eyes, as if that would allow him to feel her breath.
Just as he was immersed in the perfect, harmonious atmosphere he had created, something astonishing happened. Han Shu suddenly heard a creak, and the wooden door behind him was opened. He never expected there to be someone inside and was immediately startled.
Clearly, he wasn't the only one who was frightened; the two dark figures who came out of the door were also frozen in place because of the commotion on the bamboo chair.
He used his hands to support himself as he stood up from the bamboo chair, realizing something was wrong.
Once Han Shu had recovered from his shock, the first thing he said to Ju Nian, pointing at Tang Ye, was, "How did he get here? Who let him out?"
Ju Nian's face showed a rare hint of panic. She shielded Tang Ye, taking a step back. Yes, she was protecting her. Han Shu gritted his teeth secretly, and at the same time, he was certain of one thing: Tang Ye was definitely not released legitimately. Rather, he realized that even at this crucial moment concerning 'justice,' he still had one suspicious detail: they hadn't even turned on the lights. What were a lone man and woman doing inside in the dark?
Ju Nian knew Han Shu well, so she was the first to react. Before Han Shu could make a move, she pushed Tang Ye and said, "Let's go!"
Tang Ye was carrying simple luggage; this was an escape.
"No, he can't leave!" Han Shu moved to stop him, but Ju Nian held him back. "Please, Han Shu!"
This wasn't the first time she had begged him. The last time, they would never forget it—the 521 steps under the pomegranate tree had ruined something. Both times she held his hand, her eyes were filled with such sorrow, but neither time it was for him.
However, it was not just Han Shu who suddenly realized that yesterday was repeating itself. Ju Nian shuddered. Why did the same scene have to be played out again and again? Wu Yu in the past, and Tang Ye now, they both had to leave her hastily in this situation, even though they both chose to risk danger to say goodbye to her before leaving.
She saw off one person after another, as if she had spent half her life attending one banquet after another that was about to end.
Ju Nian knew only that she couldn't let the little monk's fate repeat itself. She might not be a person who clearly distinguished between good and evil, but she had her own set of principles in her heart.
She hugged the restless Han Shu tightly and shouted at the stunned Tang Ye, "Come on, didn't you want to leave?!"
Tang Ye hesitated, glancing at Ju Nian and the bewildered Han Shu.
"Let's go right now!"
As I said before, she was more clear-headed than he was. The farewells had been said; if she didn't leave now, it would be too late.
He backed away and took a few steps toward the door.
Han Shu, his face flushed, angrily said to Ju Nian, "You know perfectly well that he is guilty!"
Ju Nian looked up at Han Shu, "You know perfectly well that the crimes he committed by staying behind are far more than just what he deserves!"
Yes, he knew. Tang Ye leaving was not just, but if he stayed, was that just?
Tang Ye had already reached the courtyard gate, but he stopped and rushed back to their side with a speed that surprised the other two. He shoved Han Shu, who was completely defenseless under Ju Nian's restraint. Han Shu stumbled and bumped into the bamboo chair, while Tang Ye grabbed Ju Nian's hand that had suddenly slipped away.
"Come with me!"
His hands were cold, but they possessed a frenzied strength.
Ju Nian had longed for the little monk to say those words on the day of their farewell. If he had, she would have followed him to the ends of the earth. But Wu Yu didn't. He only said goodbye, because another pair of hands were waiting for him not far away. Xiao Qiushui and Tang Fang were ultimately just a dream.
But Tang Ye turned around, took her hand and said: Come with me!
"What a joke!" Han Shu's shock instantly turned into anger.