Chapter 25: Deceased
You Ruxu always wore professional attire in public, her shirt buttoned meticulously to the top. It was fortunate that Zhou Tianzui had only kissed her collarbone, otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to walk out of that room. You Ruxu’s hand paused as she buttoned her shirt.
Fortunate?
She pursed her lips and heard Zhou Tianzui ask, “Are you ready?”
You Ruxu finished dressing and applied light makeup. After ensuring everything was in place, she walked out. Zhou Tianzui turned around as You Ruxu emerged from her room, her waist slender, her hair neatly tucked behind her ears. Her bag was like a treasure chest, containing everything. She had a live broadcast at noon, so You Ruxu was extra prepared, bringing not only makeup but also various small items needed for work.
Dressed like this, she looked ready to go on camera at any moment.
Yu Qiao looked at her, stunned, wanting to compliment her beauty, but then realizing she always looked beautiful, whether in professional attire or not. After a moment of thought, she said, “Xiao Xu is so professional.”
Zhou Tianzui chuckled, her tone cool: “Yes, Teacher You is the most professional.”
The familiar tone made You Ruxu’s ears itch. She touched her earlobe and said, “Auntie, you flatter me.”
She sat down and glanced at Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui’s gaze lingered on her collarbone. You Ruxu felt as if her gaze could penetrate her clothes, seeing the red mark there. She felt a little warm. Yu Qiao said, “I don’t know what you like to eat, I made something simple, have some.”
She sat beside Zhou Tianzui: “Don’t forget to come home this weekend.”
Zhou Tianzui peeled an egg and said, “I haven’t forgotten.”
She looked at You Ruxu: “When is our beautiful Yu going to introduce Teacher You to someone?”
You Ruxu almost choked on her porridge. She looked up at Zhou Tianzui, the familiar prickly feeling resurfacing. She lowered her head and heard Yu Qiao say, “Xiao Xu, I’m afraid no one is worthy of Xiao Xu.”
Zhou Tianzui chuckled coldly: “Mom, are you complimenting her or putting me down?”
Yu Qiao paused: “That’s not what I meant.”
She gave an awkward laugh. Zhou Tianzui glanced at You Ruxu and said, “But Mom’s right, no one is truly worthy of Teacher You.”
Yu Qiao didn’t respond. You Ruxu said, “It’s not about being worthy or not.”
Zhou Tianzui asked, “Then why don’t you tell us your criteria for a partner, Teacher You?”
Yu Qiao, seeing that the topic had shifted, also chimed in: “Yes, Xiao Xu, what kind of personality do you like? What kind of person?”
The spotlight was back on You Ruxu. She held her breath: “I like—” You Ruxu paused for two seconds, remembering the first time she met Zhou Tianzui, the car window rolling down, Zhou Tianzui’s raised eyebrows, her dark, deep eyes beneath her long eyelashes, shining beautifully in the sunlight. She said, “I like people with beautiful eyes.”
What kind of criteria was that?
What constituted “beautiful”?
Yu Qiao thought, she truly didn’t understand what moon-like people thought.
Zhou Tianzui, in a rather good mood, ate her breakfast and said, “Hurry up and eat, we still have to go back and get some things.”
You Ruxu glanced at her and continued eating her breakfast.
After breakfast, Yu Qiao was very enthusiastic: “Come visit again with Xiao Tian.”
Perhaps because she was lonely living alone, there was a hint of anticipation in her eyes. You Ruxu, meeting her gaze, couldn’t refuse. It was Zhou Tianzui who said, “I know, I’ll come back with her when we’re free.”
Yu Qiao, satisfied, sighed.
You Ruxu got into the car. The damp car seats from last night were dry. She looked out the window at Yu Qiao, who was waving goodbye, and wondered, if—if she knew who she was, would she still be so welcoming?
She was suddenly afraid of Yu Qiao finding out.
More afraid than before yesterday.
You Ruxu gripped the steering wheel, smiled at Yu Qiao, “Auntie, we’re leaving now.”
Yu Qiao waved, urging her to visit again. You Ruxu watched Yu Qiao’s figure receding in the rearview mirror, her breath catching in her throat, her face slightly pale. Only after turning onto another street did she recover.
Zhou Tianzui asked, “Do you need to go home and change?”
After all, You Ruxu was still wearing yesterday’s clothes.
You Ruxu said, “No, do you?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I have spare clothes at the hospital.”
You Ruxu gave a small “oh” and drove directly to the hospital, wanting to check on Zeng Jing as well.
Zeng Jing’s emotional state had stabilized after a night’s sleep, but she refused to see anyone, including You Ruxu. When she heard it was someone from the TV station, she pulled the blanket over her head. Lin Luo explained, “Teacher You, she was emotionally unstable last night.”
You Ruxu frowned: “What happened?”
Lin Luo briefly recounted last night’s events. Many reporters and media personnel had come to wait this morning, but Zeng Jing had been transferred to a different ward. Unable to find her, they could only ask the nurses. Tired of being questioned, a nurse finally snapped, “What more do you want? Isn’t it enough that you twisted her words and got her subjected to online abuse? Are you only happy when you drive someone to their death? Zeng Jing almost committed suicide last night…”
She realized her slip of the tongue too late.
But the reporters didn’t care and immediately published the news.
The words “Zeng Jing suicide,” “playing the victim,” and “depression” instantly became trending topics. Some netizens’ comments were even more extreme: [That’s all it takes?]
[Hilarious, I’m also feeling depressed now.]
[Depression is like a brick, used wherever needed.]
[These days, you’re not even qualified to be online if you’re not sick.]
There were no harsh insults this time, but the sarcasm was even more unsettling. You Ruxu nodded. Lin Luo glanced past her shoulder, towards Zhou Tianzui, who was talking to Dr. Zhao.
Zhou Tianzui had changed into her white coat, her long hair casually tucked behind her ears, her bangs falling slightly over her eyes when she looked down. A gust of wind revealed her beautiful profile, her pale skin. She was writing something, her long, slender fingers bare of any jewelry, clean and beautiful. Combined with her sharp jawline, she exuded an air of seriousness.
One wouldn’t dare to be presumptuous in front of her, only steal a glance.
She didn’t know if it was because her glance lingered too long, or something else, but Zhou Tianzui looked over. Lin Luo instantly felt numb, as if needles were pricking her scalp, rendering her motionless.
Soon, Zhou Tianzui and Dr. Zhao walked away, talking.
Lin Luo breathed a sigh of relief.
But a strange feeling also arose in her heart.
You Ruxu asked Lin Luo a few questions. Since she couldn’t see Zeng Jing, she didn’t stay any longer. After getting into the car, she called Chen Xiang. Chen Xiang asked, “Teacher You, are we still not publishing the second half of the interview?”
If they waited any longer, Mr. Zhao might give an interview to another news outlet, and they would lose their exclusive. Fortunately, Teams 1 and 3 were focused on Chen Mo and Zhang Xiaojie, otherwise, they would definitely be criticized for not publishing their story.
You Ruxu thought about what Mr. Zhao said yesterday.
He had evidence that Zhang Xiaojie set off the fireworks himself, but why? Zhang Xiaojie’s wife was about to give birth, he had no motive to do such a thing. It was this lack of motive that troubled You Ruxu, making her hold back the exclusive news.
Did he have a personal grudge against Mr. Zhao?
Unlikely.
Did he have conflicts with his colleagues?
Then there was no need to drag the entire factory down with him.
Moreover, his wife was about to give birth, he wouldn’t disregard his wife and child. Most importantly, Zeng Jing had said that Zhang Xiaojie had been in a good mood and hadn’t mentioned any conflicts with anyone. Although people could sometimes act impulsively, there had to be a reason for the impulse. How could he act without a reason?
Now, she felt she had to find out Zhang Xiaojie’s reason.
Chen Xiang, hearing no response, called out, “Teacher You?”
You Ruxu came back to her senses: “Yes?”
Chen Xiang said, “Are we still not publishing the news? Team 3 has contacted Chen Mo’s parents and might be doing an exclusive interview.”
You Ruxu let out a soft sound of surprise: “An exclusive interview?”
“It was decided last night.” Chen Xiang said, “Team 3 has been waiting near Chen Mo’s home, they didn’t even come back last night despite the heavy rain. Chen Mo’s parents saw them when they went downstairs and agreed to the interview.”
You Ruxu asked, “What were they doing downstairs?”
Chen Xiang said, “Picking up a package, I think. It seemed to be Chen Mo’s package. The elderly couple cried when they saw it.”
You Ruxu nodded and asked, “What time is the interview?”
“Ten o’clock.” Chen Xiang said, “They’re preparing now.”
She said, “Let’s go take a look.”
After a moment of thought, she said, “Let’s go now.”
Chen Xiang let out a surprised “huh”: “Now?”
You Ruxu said, “Yes.”
She looked at the sky. It had rained yesterday, and today it was still overcast. The sun wasn’t out. She drove to the station, picked up Chen Xiang, and heard Chen Xiang say, “Team 3 is getting cocky, some of them are even bragging in the group chat now.”
Zhang Xiaojie hadn’t woken up, Zeng Jing had been transferred, Zhang Xiaojie’s parents were keeping their doors closed, and Team 1 had less information about Zhang Xiaojie than even the netizens, and it wasn’t even first-hand information. Fortunately, Teams 2 and 3 didn’t have any major developments either. All three teams were at the same stage, which meant no progress. Moreover, Team 2 was in the unique position of having no progress and no popularity. Teams 1 and 3 weren’t afraid at all. They usually competed covertly, vying for ratings. Now, Team 3’s announcement of securing an interview with Chen Mo’s parents undoubtedly put pressure on Team 1.
Chen Xiang said, “The head of Team 1 was just throwing a fit in the office.”
You Ruxu nodded.
Chen Xiang continued, “But if we don’t release any news soon, our boss will probably get restless too.”
Shi Qi had given her a lot of leeway this time, practically handing over the entire news story to her. Teams 1 and 3 were waiting to see her fail, only the people on Team 2 believed in her.
Chen Xiang, especially, believed in her.
She cheered, “But Teacher You is still the best!”
You Ruxu smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. She parked the car downstairs at Chen Mo’s home, glanced at the time on her watch; it was only 8:30 am. The colleagues from Team 3 hadn’t arrived yet. She leaned back in her seat. Chen Xiang said, “I’m going to buy some coffee.”
You Ruxu nodded.
Chen Xiang ran off.
They were used to waiting for news, sometimes for half a day, so this short wait wasn’t a problem. The sky gradually brightened. You Ruxu saw several elderly women entering the residential complex, chatting and laughing, then sitting by a nearby pond to rest after their morning exercise, their foreheads glistening with sweat. You Ruxu got out of the car and walked over, sitting at the edge. A few of the women started talking when they saw her: “Whose child is this? She’s so beautiful.”
Another one said, “Is she from Old Chen’s family? I heard their daughter just came back from abroad, a real beauty.”
You Ruxu inexplicably gained a new identity. She smiled at the women.
The woman who spoke earlier became even more certain: “Definitely from Old Chen’s family, absolutely.”
“Really? She looks familiar.”
“Of course she looks familiar, we’ve seen her before.”
You Ruxu sat there, listening to their conversation with a smile. After a while, she spoke: “Good morning, aunties.”
“Such a sweet talker.” The elderly women were even more pleased, “Are you going to work?”
“Yes, I’m about to go to work.” You Ruxu said, “Is there something big happening in the complex? There are so many people every day.”
“Oh, it’s that Chen Mo incident.” The woman who spoke earlier waved her hand, “He lived in our building. The elevators are so crowded now.”
You Ruxu looked at her. She was a woman in her sixties, with a kind face, her hair partially gray, plump, her eyes crinkling into a line when she smiled. The other women, hearing her words, said, “Chen Mo? I heard about that too.”
“What’s happening now?”
When it came to gossip, everyone was interested, their ears perked up.
“What else could be happening?” She said, “Still the same, the elderly couple is crying at home. Serves them right, if only they had treated Chen Mo better when he was alive.”
Another woman was curious: “What? They didn’t treat him well?”
“It’s not that they didn’t treat him well.” She said, “Chen Mo’s mother was in poor health, and his father couldn’t do heavy work, couldn’t hold a job. Chen Mo had a girlfriend before, but because they had no money, his family broke them up. Because of this, Chen Mo even said he wouldn’t get married.”
“It was just a couple of years ago. Chen Mo, that child, was filial, obedient, and sensible. We watched him grow up. He was always well-behaved, but also stubborn. When he said he wouldn’t get married, he really meant it. His mother cried every day during that time.”
You Ruxu listened to their conversation, silent.
The woman continued, “It got better in the past two years, but his mother started urging him to go on blind dates again. I heard that before the incident, he even had a big fight with his family.”
Someone asked, “Where was his girlfriend from?”
“I don’t know, definitely not from this city. I’ve seen that girl before, quite delicate, but her family wasn’t well-off. Anyway, it ended quite badly.” She sighed, “If they had known this would happen, they might as well have let them get married. Maybe they would even have a grandchild now, someone to carry on the family name.”
“Exactly.”
You Ruxu’s phone vibrated as she listened to their conversation. It was a message from Chen Xiang. She glanced at it, sat for a few more minutes, then returned to the car. She asked Chen Xiang, “Have you investigated Chen Mo?”
“Investigated Chen Mo?” Chen Xiang swallowed her coffee. “No, why?”
You Ruxu said, “He had a girlfriend before, did you know about this?”
Chen Xiang said, “No.”
You Ruxu frowned.
Logically, with all the attention on Chen Mo, if anyone was digging, they would definitely have unearthed this ex-girlfriend, using some sentimental words to commemorate Chen Mo and their relationship. But since the incident, there hadn’t been a single mention of Chen Mo’s ex-girlfriend.
It was as if someone had set boundaries.
What should be known was widely publicized.
What shouldn’t be known was kept hidden, not a single whisper escaping.
She pondered, asking Chen Xiang, “Is Chen Mo’s case being handled by Team 3?”
Chen Xiang nodded.
You Ruxu asked, “Can you find Chen Mo’s ex-girlfriend?”
Chen Xiang said, “I’ll try.”
She contacted members of Team 3 and quickly received a reply. She looked at the screen, then at You Ruxu, and said, “Teacher You, we found her.”
You Ruxu turned her head: “And?”
Chen Xiang’s voice was low: “She’s deceased.”
Zhou Tianzui: What kind of person does Teacher You like?
You Ruxu: Definitely not someone like you.
Zhou Tianzui: …
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