Chapter 3 — The Madman’s Masterpiece

Wen Shi-Xia and I are alike in many ways, yet we are fundamentally different. He was the one who snuck himself into the psychiatric hospital, driven by a burning hatred for his family and a desperate desire to escape that stifling existence. His family combed the world for him in a state of frenzy, never once suspecting that he had been living in a mental institution all along. He spent a year there. When the time came for his release, he begged me to leave with him. I fabricated an excuse straight out of a teenage drama: "In a year’s time, once you have become truly powerful, I will come to find you. Until then, you are forbidden from seeking me out." And the fool… he actually believed me. Today, he has risen to become a man in the city of Yun whom no one dares to provoke.

Ever since I encountered Wen Shi-Xia two days ago, the boy has acted as though he were under a love spell, calling me without fail every single day. I find myself feeling a pang of regret. Why must he be so clingy? As I hung up the phone, I glanced up to see two figures approaching. It was Shen Yin and her mother. Shen Yin shot me a disdainful look, her voice dripping with arrogance: "How unlucky to run into you." It seemed the slap she received recently hadn't taught her enough of a lesson. "Yin, do not be so rude," Shen Tan-Nghien chided, her expression stern. She stepped closer and addressed me: "You are Song Ha, are you not? I have heard all about the friction between you and my daughter. Yin was in the wrong here, and I would like to offer an apology on her behalf." Shen Yin yanked her mother’s arm, clearly indignant: "Mother, what are you doing? She was the one who struck me!" Shen Tan-Nghien ignored her, maintaining a polite smile as she addressed me: "I wonder if Miss Song might have a moment to spare? I would like to have a word with you." The corners of my lips curled upward: "Certainly." I was quite curious to see what kind of game this old fox was planning to play.

I sat there playing a candy-matching game on my phone, offering no conversation. Shen Tan-Nghien dismissed her daughter. Only after draining her glass of coffee did she finally open her mouth: "Gu Chuan is a good boy, and Yin has grown quite fond of him." A "Great!" echoed from my phone. "I heard you are working as an assistant for a small firm; the pay must be rather meager, hm? This card contains five million, and the pin is six-six-six." She slid the bank card toward me. "Unbelievable!" my game chirped again. "I hope you can vanish from Gu Chuan’s life entirely," she added, her tone turning ice-cold. I looked up with feigned laziness, set my phone aside, and slid over to sit right beside her. Her brows knit together, and she subtly shifted away. I immediately draped an arm over her shoulder, my gaze slowly tracing the contours of her face. One had to admit, Shen Tan-Nghien had maintained her appearance remarkably well. Standing next to her daughter, the two of them could easily pass for sisters. It was likely this very face that had so bewitched Hua An, making him forget his way home. My hand trailed from her neck up to her cheek. She panicked, darting a glance toward the door. I flashed a toothy grin and leaned in even closer: "Darling, you smell wonderful." She completely lost her composure: "Song Ha, you… what are you trying to do?" The cadence of that demand was identical to Hua An’s. I looked at her with a gaze filled with "affection": "How about making you mine?" She could hold back no longer and let out a shriek. Ironically, it was she who had chosen this location—a place both secluded and soundproof. "You pervert!" "Darling, don't scream." I reached out to cover her mouth, "Didn't you want me to leave Gu Chuan? If you agree to be with me, I will leave him. From the moment I first saw you, I fell in love. Even if you have a few wrinkles and lack a bit in the height department, it doesn't matter—gender and age are trivial details. My love for you is enough. From this day forward, Yin will be my daughter, Gu Chuan my son-in-law, and we shall be one happy, harmonious family." Shen Tan-Nghien’s short legs kicked out in a struggle, while I wore a sinister smile. Her eyes were wide with sheer terror. Suddenly, the door swung open and Shen Yin charged in. Seeing our posture, she screamed: "Mother! What are you two doing?" I released my grip and sighed: "Darling, since she’s seen everything, why don't you tell her?" Shen Tan-Nghien turned toward her, scrambling to rise: "Yin, it’s not what you think—" But seated deep in the chair, she lost her balance and collapsed onto me. "Careful now, my dear, you are so soft and fragrant." I gave her a light squeeze. Shen Yin could take no more: "You two are absolutely disgusting! No wonder you were acting so kind to her earlier… so you two have long since been…" She fled the room in tears. I tilted to the side, letting Shen Tan-Nghien scramble away like a terrified rodent. I let out a wicked chuckle, nonchalantly pocketing the bank card from the table before settling back into my seat. The candies on my screen were cleared in a single stroke. The phone chimed with a triumphant "Excellent!"

Wen Shi-Xia moved with remarkable speed. The former butler of the Hua household from all those years ago had been tracked down. "Song Qiao… it truly was suicide," he stammered, his voice trembling. I stood up, smiling: "I believe you." A flicker of relief washed over his face, but it froze the very next moment. "You… didn't you just say you believed me?" I let out a sharp, mocking laugh: "You are over forty years old and you are still this naive?" Tears welled up in his eyes, and his body began to shake. My younger brother spoke with utter disdain: "Big sister, why is this man so weak? He’s crying just from playing ball with me?" As the words left his lips, the man tied to the pillar shrieked: "Weak? Damn it, you’re holding a cast-iron weight!" I pondered for a moment: "In your opinion, which is harder, a cast-iron weight or a human skull?" My brother replied seriously: "Big sister, that’s easy. I’ll do my best to hit his head." He hoisted the weight, his eyes locked forward: "Three… two…" "Wait, wait!" the man yelled in a panic, his trousers already soaked, "Song Qiao was murdered!" My heart constricted: "By whom?" He spilled every detail like a torrent of rain.

Hua An is finally about to take a wife. After serving as a mistress for so many years, Shen Tan-Nghien has finally been "promoted" to the primary spouse. I wore a black formal gown and drove to the wedding. Shen Tan-Nghien was seated before a vanity, admiring her reflection, entirely unaware of my approach. When I placed my hand on her shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her skin. In the mirror, she looked stunning, yet her face was clearly filled with panic. "How… how did you get in here?" My hand tightened around her porcelain-white neck: "Darling, you really do make me… go cold inside." She began to tremble. "Without my permission, you dare to marry someone else?" My fingers slowly exerted more pressure. If it weren't for this woman all those years ago… Song Qiao would never have died.

Ten years ago, on this very day, Song Qiao had packed her belongings, preparing to come to the orphanage to collect me. But this woman arrived at the door, bringing Shen Yin along to provoke her. Song Qiao had long intended to leave the Hua family, so she paid the woman’s words no mind, anxious to leave quickly out of fear that I would grow impatient waiting for her. Shen Tan-Nghien, however, interpreted this as arrogance and intentionally blocked her path. In the struggle that followed, Song Qiao pushed her aside. Song Qiao reached down to help her up, but Shen Yin lunged forward, a fruit knife in her hand slashing directly across Song Qiao’s throat. Song Qiao collapsed in a pool of blood, desperately reaching for the door as she dragged herself toward the exit. At that precise moment, Hua An returned. He witnessed everything—but merely stood by, coldly pulling Song Qiao back. The three of them stood there, watching in silence as Song Qiao drew her final, labored breath.

Shen Tan-Nghien began to gasp for air: "Don't… don't do anything rash, Song Ha." I looked in the mirror, watching her face gradually flush to a bruised purple, and finally felt a hint of satisfaction. I leaned close to her ear, whispering: "So, will you listen to me now?" "I… I will." She attempted to nod, but with my grip locked on her throat, she could not budge an inch. "Good, be obedient… let me do something rash for once." A clear, wicked glint shone in my eyes. Shen Tan-Nghien’s face was filled with complete and utter helplessness.