บท 46: Chapter 46
The sky through the roof window had turned a dark blue, the light dim, and the entire maze was shrouded in a veil of night. The white walls glowed eerily in the darkness, making one's eyes dizzy.
Zhen Ai stood at the corner, her back stiff. Yan Su's low voice seemed to linger behind her.
"Don't run. Don't kill him!"
Did he know she wanted to kill? Did he know she was a demon?
Zhen Ai stubbornly kept her eyes open, staring at the irregular white walls in front of her, her eyes stinging from the light in the darkness. In this maze, she was more aware of her direction than ever.
She never wanted to escape.
If it weren't for that damned research tying her down, she would have thrown caution to the wind long ago. They had always been tracking her; she could never find their traces. It was always her being passively beaten, watching people around her die one by one.
She had had enough.
She wanted to kill him; she wanted to kill them.
Even if it cost her own life!
What was so great about dying?
After all, she was all alone in this world, nothing to hold onto.
Even in death, she would drag a few of their organization down with her! She wanted him to know that even in death, she would never return to being their puppet!
When she was so resolute, Yan Su appeared. Her hardened heart inexplicably softened. She didn't understand how he knew she was here, but she was clear that he remembered the map and would find her quickly.
And she didn't want him to find her.
Zhen Ai continued to silently slip away from the corner, inching closer to Harvey's direction under the faint light. A few times, she heard Harvey just on the other side of the wall, but every time she tried to approach, she hit a dead end.
Meanwhile, Harvey was brazenly traversing the maze, shooting at every shadow he thought he saw.
Yan Su's footsteps grew heavier, echoing in the dark. Zhen Ai knew he had gone to her previous spot without finding her. So she intentionally made noise to draw Harvey over.
The three of them were caught in a circle of searching in the maze.
Harvey, gun in hand, laughed menacingly in the darkness: "Women think fairy tales mean they can turn from Cinderella to princess. A notorious girl like Lin Xing thinks she can be with my brother? I just set up a prank, made a joke, and easily created a misunderstanding between them."
As he spoke, he followed Yan Su's footsteps, reaching a corner, quickly turning to aim down the narrow, empty passage.
His tone gradually filled with resentment: "But that bitch died mysteriously, leaving an intense mark on Harry's heart. I couldn't care less about her death."
"But a year after her death, my brother Harry was killed in a brutal and humiliating way. And you, bastard! You dare say with a straight face that he committed suicide!"
Harvey was infuriated by the old story, racing after Yan Su, bullets blooming against the white walls.
Yan Su frowned ahead, running, now drawing Harvey's attention entirely to himself. For the moment, Zhen Ai should be safe, but in this vast maze, where exactly was she?
The darkness would only deepen; what would happen next...
Just then, as he turned a corner, he ran straight into Harvey, who had been following the wrong path.
Their eyes met, surprise flickering in Harvey's gaze, quickly morphing into madness as he raised his gun to shoot. But that half-second of surprise was all Yan Su needed to retreat.
Harvey, filled with frustration, chased after him, catching a glimpse of Yan Su's black trench coat disappearing into the darkness.
His emotions were at a boiling point, and he sprinted after Yan Su, roaring in the dark maze: "You bastard! My brother didn't commit suicide!"
The man's furious voice echoed above, sending chills down one's spine.
Yet after a long silence, Yan Su unexpectedly replied calmly: "Not only did he commit suicide, but he also killed Laura before he died."
Suddenly, the maze fell silent.
"Harry was the best kid I've ever known! He was the best brother in the world," Harvey's voice turned cold, standing firm. His golden hair was swallowed by the night, and his blue eyes shone like a wolf, glimmering with a deep, bloodthirsty light.
He awkwardly opened the magazine to reload, the crisp sound of shells hitting the ground releasing a beast-like growl: "He wouldn't commit suicide! He wouldn't kill! You bastard!"
He strode through the maze, his voice trembling:
"You twist the truth, but I figured it out myself. I learned from Qi Mo about the cause of Lin Xing's death. She was suffocated by being kicked off a medication canister. Laura was cunning; she must have used this to blackmail everyone, so they conspired to kill her. But my brother Harry, he was kind and righteous; he surely couldn't bear the guilt and wanted to reveal the truth. As a result, he was killed by the others.
I had originally planned to have Anna kill them all, but that fool..."
Outside the maze, Daisy trembled all over, while Harvey's crazed voice echoed in the enclosed dark space, seemingly reckless: "I'm going to kill them all. Anna, Daisy, Kerry, Qi Mo, Tony—they all must die. They all must pay for my brother's death!"
"And you too, Yan Su! You should die as well!" Harvey spat out each word, suddenly turning the corner to chase Yan Su's figure, but the person opposite...
Instinctively, he shot a barrage of bullets, the wall across bursting open, but the person didn't fall.
The light in the maze was already dim. He focused, only to see a graffiti. The grim reaper's skull was hidden under a large hat, dressed in a black cloak, right hand raised high, holding a silver scythe.
Perhaps it was the darkness, but the reaper's black eyes were particularly deep, like black holes.
Even Harvey, seeing such a terrifying mural, felt his heart skip a beat. He steadied himself, looking again, only to be startled once more.
The grim reaper had changed its face.
A black baseball cap, pitch-black eyes like deep pits, a pale, cold face, a long, delicate neck—she held a silenced gun, aimed coldly at his head.
Her voice was low, as if a ghost from hell: "Was it you who taught Lin Xing to write love letters?"
In an instant, Harvey adjusted his sniper rifle, but Zhen Ai was faster; her finger was already moving. Just then, someone rushed out from the intersection between them and shoved Harvey aside.
Zhen Ai's bullet grazed Yan Su's neck, her heart instantly suspended in fear, her pulse racing.
The two men were tangled together in the darkness.
She rushed over to check if Yan Su was hurt, but he yelled, "Get down!"
Zhen Ai immediately slipped, as a bullet flew over her head and embedded itself in the wall behind her.
She looked up to see Yan Su firmly gripping the trigger of the sniper rifle, while Harvey struggled against him. The two men were pressed against the wall, silently competing. Yan Su tried to wrest the gun away, but Harvey, clearly stronger in combat, kicked Yan Su's leg, pinning him against the wall. Yet, Yan Su still held on to the trigger.
In the blurred light, Zhen Ai noticed a fleeting look of pain on Yan Su's face. She suddenly recalled Marie's words about Yan Su having weak bones.
He had been injured in the explosion.
Zhen Ai jumped up, still unsure of what to do, when she heard Yan Su command her through gritted teeth, "Don't shoot!"
Even now, he was worried she would kill Harvey.
Harvey turned to respond, but Zhen Ai brought the rifle butt down hard on his brow, causing him to wince, allowing Yan Su to disarm him. Quick as a flash, Zhen Ai seized the sniper rifle back from Yan Su and swung the heavy stock into Harvey's chest.
Harvey fell to the ground, unable to resist, and Zhen Ai struck again, her voice sharp: "Say it!"
Yan Su was taken aback; he had never seen such a fierce side of Zhen Ai and had no idea of her grudge against Harvey. The thought that he wasn't that close to Zhen Ai left him feeling slightly unsettled.
Harvey, repeatedly struck by a woman, yelled in frustration: "Who are you to Lin Xing? Do you want revenge too? What love letter? There are templates all over BBS; if you want to kill, just pull the trigger!"
Zhen Ai was stunned. BBS?
#
Soon, Officer Jones and others arrived.
As Harvey was taken away, he glared at Yan Su with a face full of resentment, as if staring at a mortal enemy: "You bastard who distorts the truth! How much did you take from someone else to lie to the world? I swear, the day I get out, I'll kill everyone who hurt my brother, including you, Yan Su."
Yan Su remained calm, as if he hadn't heard.
Suddenly, a strange excitement flashed across Harvey's face, and he laughed: "Including the ones you care about." He glanced at Zhen Ai. "Yan Su, I'll make you feel what I felt!"
Yan Su's gaze flickered briefly, then he fixed it on Harvey, replying steadily: "Harry Parker committed suicide."
"My brother wouldn't!" Harvey shouted angrily.
Yan Su replied coolly: "Your father knows the truth."
Harvey's body shook, stunned.
"I suspect it was you and Lola who orchestrated Lin Xing's drugging. Parker accidentally learned the truth from Lola, so he killed her. And you, his most beloved brother, he certainly wouldn't kill."
Yan Su watched the dazed Harvey, his tone calm. "He was utterly disappointed in you and hated everyone who tricked Lin Xing into the amusement park. He wanted the remaining people to live in fear, using his and Lola's deaths."
Harvey shook his head neurotically, unable to accept it: "Impossible, impossible!" This was undoubtedly a devastating blow to him.
"Parker called your father the morning he died for twenty minutes. He revealed everything. Six months after Parker's death, when the media was attacking me and I hadn't replied, your father visited to tell me my reasoning was correct. He couldn't go public, so he apologized to me. And... thanked me."
The last few words were surely old Parker thanking Yan Su for not exposing Parker's crimes.
Daisy, listening nearby, was brought to tears, and Harvey was completely stunned, while Yan Su remained unfazed: "Your father never told you, fearing you'd feel guilty. He said he lost one son and didn't want another to live in regret and lose again."
"Impossible, impossible..." Harvey's gaze was vacant, muttering to himself, before being taken away by the police.
Zhen Ai watched the flashing police cars and the brilliantly lit amusement park night, feeling empty and devoid of thoughts.
Daisy quickly wiped away her tears and approached Zhen Ai with a forced smile: "Zhen Ai, I'm heading to the police station to assist with the investigation. Can I have a way to contact you later?"
Zhen Ai remained silent, unresponsive.
Yan Su stepped forward, pulling Zhen Ai aside and coldly telling Daisy: "No."
"Why not?" Daisy asked, confused.
"For no reason. She's not your friend," Yan Su replied coldly, adding, "She's my friend... my friend alone."
Zhen Ai slowly looked up at him, only seeing his black collar and stiff short hair.
Daisy was angry: "Why are you so domineering?" As she said this, she bent behind him, grabbed Zhen Ai's hand, and snatched a pen from Jones to write her number in Zhen Ai's palm.
Zhen Ai's palm tingled, wanting to pull away, but Daisy held her firmly. Zhen Ai stared at her, the ticklish sensation reaching her heart.
As Daisy finished writing, Yan Su, growing impatient, glared at Jones: "Why haven't you taken her to the station yet?"
Daisy wasn't done; fearing Zhen Ai wouldn't call her, she suddenly added: "I'll give you next time," yanking Zhen Ai's baseball cap off and running away.
Zhen Ai's long hair spilled down like a waterfall, flowing gracefully in the night breeze. Her gaze remained quiet, carrying an indescribable allure and brilliance.
Yan Su paused, then slowly withdrew his gaze.
Zhen Ai glanced at the departing Daisy, then looked down at the small black letters and numbers in her palm, silently contemplating.
She slowly retracted her hand, realizing it was just her and Yan Su left.
Neither spoke. After more than ten hours apart, their reunion was like this... creating a distance that felt somewhat unfamiliar.
In the brightly lit amusement park, filled with laughter and joy, only the two of them walked silently among the crowd.
Zhen Ai recalled the words Yan Su had blurted out to Daisy earlier, a warmth spreading within her. After pondering, she decided to break the silence, asking: "How did you know I was in the maze?"
He answered calmly: "I recognized your footprints."
Zhen Ai's heart trembled slightly.
She had changed shoes, but could he still recognize her? It wasn't just footprints; it was forensic science that could determine height, weight, gender, age, and walking habits.
Had he quietly observed her? Or was this merely his habit of observation?
Zhen Ai didn't know, but she couldn't shake the warmth bubbling inside her.
Yan Su looked down at her. She had her head bowed, calm and serene, a stark contrast to the girl who had just fought Harvey in the maze. With his intelligence, he could connect Zhen Ai to that letter. He really wanted to ask her, wanted to hear her speak—much like how she had shared about her mother's death after the last explosion incident.
But such opportunities seemed rare and elusive.
And he didn't want to pressure her.
He truly couldn't understand why he felt so emotional; it defied scientific explanation.
He continued to watch her, her dark hair flowing in the night breeze, and suddenly felt an impulse to help her smooth it. But he restrained himself, turning his gaze forward, saying softly, "Since we're at the amusement park, do you want to play something?"
Zhen Ai was momentarily confused: "Huh?"
Noticing her slow response, Yan Su immediately adopted a disdainful expression: "Let me know when you've decided; I'll come find you tomorrow morning!"
Zhen Ai quickly looked around, spotting the amusement park's giant Ferris wheel, its colorful lights twinkling in the dark like a massive circular firework.
Yan Su followed her gaze: "Do you want to ride the Ferris wheel?"
Zhen Ai shook her head: "It looks like an explosion!"
Yan Su chuckled: "Yeah, I think so too. Whoever designed it must be an idiot."
Their gaze shifted.
Yan Su asked, "How about the roller coaster?"
Zhen Ai shook her head again: "What if the power goes out at the top?"
Yan Su nodded: "Yeah, there are hundreds of roller coaster incidents worldwide every year."
As they walked and talked, they found a shared understanding, happily criticizing every attraction in the amusement park.
At last, Zhen Ai saw the large, colorful carousel, exquisitely crafted. The horses rose and fell, the lights flickered, and a soft song played as it spun.
It was an old song, sung by a girl with a voice as light as silk, evoking a sense of elusive melancholy.
"Do you remember the things we used to say, I feel so nervous when…"
Yan Su stepped in front of her: "Do you want to ride the carousel?"
Zhen Ai gazed at the colorful lights, her memories hazy, and she vaguely recalled scenes from her childhood… Watching the queue of people, she quietly asked Yan Su, "Will you ride with me?"
Yan Su hesitated, looking at the colorful carousel, his expression awkward. To him, everything in the amusement park seemed childishly boring, and the carousel epitomized that childishness.
He rubbed his nose, contemplating how to respond, but was met with Zhen Ai's deep, dark gaze…
He withdrew his hand from his coat pocket and nodded: "Sure. I'll ride with you."
With so many people, Zhen Ai and Yan Su bought tickets and waited for the next batch.
She leaned against the railing, quietly watching the people on the carousel, couples reaching out to each other, laughter echoing.
Suddenly, she remembered her mother's words: the carousel is the saddest ride; it can never catch up with its companions, ultimately remaining lonely.
As the happy crowd dismounted, the carousel horses quieted. Staff began checking tickets, and Zhen Ai suddenly straightened up, saying to Yan Su, "I don't want to ride anymore."
Yan Su glanced at his ticket, puzzled: "Why?"
Zhen Ai shrugged nonchalantly: "No reason; it just feels childish."
Yan Su didn't press further, placing the ticket on the railing with a smile: "Great minds think alike."
Zhen Ai took a deep breath and walked away without looking back.
They both agreed that the amusement park was quite boring.
As they were about to leave, they spotted colorful bubble soda again. Zhen Ai lingered a bit longer, which Yan Su noticed. He asked, "Want to drink bubble soda?"
"Is it sweet?" Zhen Ai inquired.
"I don't know. I've never had it."
They entered the vending machine together, and Zhen Ai gazed at the colorful sodas bubbling over, unable to suppress a small smile, like a child eager for candy.
Yan Su found it amusing and asked, "Which color do you like?"
"Blue."
Yan Su nodded in satisfaction: "I like blue too." He ordered two blue drinks from the vendor.
The vendor kindly suggested, "Why not buy one of each color? Different flavors to try."
Yan Su replied coldly: "We like blue; why should we try colors we don't like?"
Zhen Ai agreed with Yan Su, looking at the vendor quizzically.
The vendor explained, "You can share the two flavors, right?"
"But I only like one; why drink two?" Yan Su didn't understand, feeling the vendor was questioning his love for blue, his expression darkening as he said, "Why share? To me, red looks like blood, yellow like waste, white like water, and black like muddy water."
The vendor was taken aback and obediently prepared two cups of blue bubble soda for them.
Zhen Ai held one cup, took a sip, and found it sweet and tangy, with bubbles dancing.
Yan Su asked, "Is it good?"
Zhen Ai nodded happily.
Yan Su took a sip too, and yes, it was indeed nice.
They each held their sodas, walking slowly and quietly. Then they saw a couple across the street sharing one cup through two straws.
Zhen Ai paused, curious: "Why are they sharing a cup?"
Yan Su answered casually: "Because they probably don't have money!"
Zhen Ai thought this explanation made sense and nodded in agreement. She looked at herself and Yan Su, each with a cup, and said, "Yeah, they seem so pitiful."
Nearby, the vendor overheard: …you two idiots.
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