My home in Xingjiang City was conveniently located near the subway station, making my commute to school a swift journey of less than ten minutes.
Indeed, today had been a day of many events.
Settling onto a bench at the subway station, I tilted my head back, beginning my usual habit of sorting through the day’s events. This simple act helped me organize my memories, making them easier to recall later.
The discovery of Yao Xinchang’s body at the party… the enigmatic Golden-haired Girl… Bingying’s startling reaction… and the cryptic meaning behind Ye Dieyu’s final words — all swirled within my mind.
She, too, was a part of the mysterious society. My knowledge of her was frustratingly limited to the fact that she was a twelve-year-old, emotionless prodigy. Delving deeper into her would be like staring into an abyss.
‘What a truly captivating woman,’ I mused.
“Seriously, just let me in!” A woman’s quarrelsome voice drifted down from the top of the escalator.
“Oh? But miss, you haven’t purchased a ticket yet.” It sounded like a staff member responding.
“We can discuss that later! I’m in a rush, I don’t have time for your nonsense!”
“But… but rules are rules…”
‘That familiar voice… could it possibly be…’
“Ugh, seriously! Take this card; there’s probably a hundred thousand in there. Honestly, what if I miss my train?!”
“No, no, no, no, no! It’s… it’s still not allowed…”
A slight worry gnawed at me. A quick glance at the notice board confirmed the subway was still six minutes away. I decided to investigate the commotion.
“You! Fine, tell me your name! I want to see who dares to obstruct my path!”
“Please, please don’t do this…”
My gaze immediately fell upon a young woman, dressed like a pampered heiress, standing imperiously before the ticket gate. Beside her, a staff member was on the verge of tears.
‘…It is you, after all, Bingying.’
Just then, the subway station’s manager hurried over, likely recognizing Bingying. He immediately began scolding the staff member, urging her to bow and apologize. Bingying, meanwhile, wore an expression of utter impatience, exuding the full air of a haughty young lady before strangers, with no hint of the tears she had shed earlier.
‘So that’s what she meant by asking about my plans to go home. Yang Mingzhi must be secretly gloating, his scheme having unfolded perfectly. I’ll remember this.’
If this continued, the staff member would be truly pitiable. She looked like a recent university graduate, likely just starting her internship here. If she were to be fired for offending Bingying because of me, my conscience would never rest.
“Alright, let’s not make things difficult for her. It was your mistake to begin with,” I said to Bingying, approaching her with a touch of resignation. Then, turning to the staff member, I added, “I can just swipe my card for her, can’t I?”
“Y-yes, you can!” she stammered, tears of gratitude welling in her eyes. ‘Oh, please don’t look at me with such adoration,’ I thought. ‘If you must thank someone, thank my uncle; this is his card, after all.’
“W-what a coincidence, Luo Tianchen,” Bingying stammered, greeting me. “I just happened to be taking the subway home as well.” Perhaps realizing this clashed with her earlier imperious display, she deliberately pouted, crossed her arms, and averted her gaze. “D-don’t misunderstand! I-I just happened to arrive! It’s not like I was following you here!”
‘What kind of tsundere heiress are you, anyway?’ I wondered. ‘And doesn’t your family have that red Ferrari LaFerrari pick you up for school every single day?’
“Alright, no matter how you look at it, it was your fault for not buying a ticket. You should apologize to her at once.”
“Tsk.” Only then did she react, reluctantly turning to the staff member. “I apologize for causing you trouble just now.”
“No, no, not at all! It was I who troubled you!” The staff member waved her hands frantically, clearly terrified. It seemed the shift manager had used that brief moment to explain Bingying’s identity, as her gaze towards me now shone with starry-eyed admiration.
‘I could pretty much guess what she was thinking,’ I mused. ‘She probably believes I, who so easily handled Bingying, am some kind of noble young master, especially with my polite demeanor. Perhaps she even imagines some ‘indescribable’ future encounter.’
‘You’re completely mistaken, though. I’m just an ordinary high school student.’
To prevent the situation from spiraling further, I quickly returned to the waiting area via the escalator. Bingying silently followed behind me, resembling a docile young wife.
After witnessing the recent scene, all the passengers understood that the young woman behind me was not to be trifled with. They instinctively gave us a wide berth, and the entire subway station fell into an eerie silence.
‘This feels… rather awkward,’ I thought.
Gazing at Bingying, who sat silently beside me, I hesitated for a moment before deciding to break the quiet. “Um…”
“I understand,” she suddenly interjected. “I know why you withdrew from the student council, Tianchen!”
‘Huh? Did Yang Mingzhi tell her?’
“Is that so? That’s good. I just want to be a…”
“You must be afraid!”
‘…Huh?’
“I understand, I understand everything!” Bingying declared, gripping my hands tightly. She gazed up at me, her eyes brimming with the tender affection a mother holds for her child. “You must be terrified! The person you confessed to suddenly died right before your eyes, and it happened during a student council gathering. It must have cast a deep shadow over your heart!”
‘No, it has absolutely nothing to do with that,’ I thought. ‘Besides, I submitted my withdrawal application days ago…’
“Don’t worry! I’ll immediately mobilize my family’s resources! We’ll definitely solve the case at once! My father is incredibly influential, you know; he knows many people in the police department! Once it’s resolved, you’ll return to the student council, won’t you?” She gazed at me with the pitiful, pleading eyes of a small animal, her voice barely a whisper.
I fell silent, a familiar ache beginning to throb in my chest.
‘Why? What is it about someone like me that makes you go to such lengths?’
“Alright,” I said softly.
“Really?!” Her expression instantly brightened; she likely hadn’t expected me to agree. She asked, brimming with delight.
“Mm,” I nodded.
‘Seriously, what am I doing?’
‘Why, at this point, am I allowing myself to soften again?’
“I’ll call Dad immediately and have him arrange for an investigation! Oh, and that Director Wang, the one they call the ‘Police Savior,’ he came to my birthday party last time. If it’s him, he could solve the case in just three days… no, half a day! If he can’t, I’ll have my father fire him!” Her face was positively radiant, beaming with a brilliant, hopeful smile.
‘No, if it’s *that* uncle, he might not solve the case even in half a year,’ I thought.
‘At the very least, I need to buy some time.’
“Ding dong~ Now arriving at Xingjiang Station. Passengers preparing to alight, please stand clear of the doors. Kindly allow passengers to exit before boarding. Thank you for your cooperation. The next stop is Molou Station.”
‘Ah, have we arrived?’ I stood up, and Bingying, flustered, quickly followed me toward the subway car.
For a fleeting moment, I thought I glimpsed a familiar figure.
‘No, that’s impossible. It must be my eyes deceiving me. How could she possibly be here, because she…’
“Was that… Yao Xinchang?” Bingying’s voice trembled, laced with utter disbelief.
“No, you’re mistaken. Let’s get on the train quickly,” I said in a low, firm voice, intending to pull her onto the car by force.
I couldn’t look, couldn’t even think about it. My intuition screamed that a colossal secret lay hidden behind this case, and anyone foolish enough to pry would meet a dead end.
While I cared little for my own safety, I absolutely could not allow Bingying to be harmed.
My hand was pulled free.
Outside the subway car, Bingying waved gently at me, a smile gracing her lips. “Don’t worry, I’ll just take a look; nothing will happen. Don’t forget, I’m a karate black belt!”
Then, she turned and walked away.
“Ding-a-ling-ling!” It was the sound of the subway preparing to depart.
The train doors slowly hissed shut.
I reached out, wanting to grab her, but I was powerless. A voice within me held me back: ‘Isn’t it better to just let her go? You’ve already decided to live an ordinary life, haven’t you?’
‘No, that won’t do. If she goes alone, she’ll undoubtedly be in danger.’
“Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Perhaps she wouldn’t bother you anymore, and you could finally live the ordinary life you desire.”
‘No, but if that happened…’
“You wouldn’t want to break your promise to her, would you? If you take this step, you won’t be able to turn back.”
I trembled all over, the world in front of me split into two halves. On one side was the ordinary life I currently longed for; on the other, the dark side of the world I had always been escaping, unwilling to face.
“Is it truly alright to give up now? This is the life you’ve yearned for so long. If you just leave her be, everything can come true.”
‘No matter what, that doesn’t matter.’
I had made my decision…
“Even if it means breaking your promise?”
‘That’s irrelevant. I don’t want to be a hero; I simply…’
‘…don’t want to see another girl get hurt!’
In the final moment, I exited the subway. Listening to its slow departure, it felt as though something within me had departed with it.
“Is this truly the right choice?”
‘Who knows? Perhaps my future self will regret it, but for now, I want to follow my own convictions.’
“Is that so? I hope you make a choice you won’t regret.”