Chapter 90
“Miss Fan Weiqi dedicated her life to the stage. She used her life to portray every role with passion and dedication. I believe her passing is a great loss to the world. Let us all remember her beauty and talent. May she find peace and happiness in the arms of our Lord. Amen.”
The priest’s words echoed through the funeral chapel, as mourners dabbed at their tears. After the prayer, they approached the coffin, each placing a white rose on top.
Song Ling, holding Li Xinjun’s hand, led her to the coffin. Li Xinjun looked at Fan Weiqi’s peaceful face through the glass, her features serene as if she were merely sleeping. Li Xinjun touched the glass and then placed her rose on the coffin.
“Qiqi, thank you for your companionship. You were the best friend I could have asked for. I hope you find peace and happiness in heaven.”
“Don’t worry, Weiqi knows how you feel,” Song Ling said, comforting her.
They returned to their seats, and Mark stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Fan Weiqi’s face. He took out a small box from his pocket and placed it on the coffin. He opened the box, revealing two rings. He slipped one onto his own ring finger and then, opening the glass panel on the coffin, gently placed the other ring on Fan Weiqi’s finger.
“I don’t know if you would have said yes, but I wanted to give you this ring. I hope you don’t mind my presumption, Weiqi. I love you. Rest in peace.”
After the final goodbyes, Fan Weiqi’s coffin was taken to the crematorium. Her family, their faces etched with grief, pressed the button, sending her on her final journey. When the process was complete, her ashes were placed in a white urn. With her family’s permission, Mark took a small portion of her ashes and placed them in a glass vial, which he wore around his neck.
Fan Weiqi’s final film became her legacy. The remaining scenes were completed with a body double, and the film was finally finished, albeit with a heavy heart.
Director Wang and his team worked tirelessly on post-production, determined to submit the film to the Berlinale before the deadline. Their hard work paid off, and they managed to submit the film just in time.
Mark returned to England, unable to bear the grief of losing Fan Weiqi. He couldn’t stand to stay in a place filled with memories of her, so he retreated to his familiar life in England, pretending it had all been a dream.
“Sister Ling, if you hadn’t asked Mark to turn me into a jiangshi, would you have done the same, like Mark did?” Li Xinjun asked one day, her voice thoughtful.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think I have his courage. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. I would rather have you hate me than leave me.”
“What if it were you? If you were the one dying, would you want me to turn you into a jiangshi, or would you want me to let you go, like Qiqi did?”
“My love is possessive. I want us to be together forever. So, if you ask me, I think this is better. We can be together for eternity.”
“I love you, Sister Ling.”
“I love you too.”
Song Ling pulled Li Xinjun into her arms, holding her close. Love was a strange and powerful force. Some people cherished the memories, regardless of how long they lasted. Others, like Song Ling, were greedy, wanting to hold onto their loved ones forever, for all eternity.
But no matter what path one chose, as long as they cherished the people in their lives, loved them with all their heart, and pursued their passions, they could live a life without regrets.
The next day, Li Xinjun slept in while Song Ling went to the office to catch up on work. Yu Wenqian, carrying a stack of documents, entered Song Ling’s office. Song Ling had been absent for a while, and many decisions awaited her approval.
“Ms. Song, I’ve assigned the promotional campaign to Guangli Pictures. Is that okay with you?”
“Yes, that’s fine. I’ve been very happy with your work arrangements. You don’t have to ask me about every little detail. Just use your judgment. And I wanted to discuss something with you. I’m thinking of promoting you to Director. What do you think?”
“What about the salary?”
“Double your current salary.”
“Too low. I’m not interested.”
“Then how much do you want?”
“Triple, at least.”
“I’ll give you quadruple, plus a ten percent share of the profits. I want you to manage all the company’s operations. I won’t be coming to the office very often. If you can’t handle it, I’ll find someone else.”
“Deal.”
“One more thing. Don’t accept any more work for Li Mo.”
“Tsk, tsk, one of you abandons the company, and the other one quits acting. What’s next? A honeymoon?”
“Knowing too much can be dangerous.”
“Hmph, try to get rid of me, and see who’ll run your company for you. Anyway, it’s none of my business. I won’t pry.”
“You’re the most arrogant person I’ve ever met.”
“That’s because you haven’t met many people. Alright, I’m not as free as you. I have a lot of work to do. If you don’t have anything else, I’ll get back to it.”
“Get out of here!”
After settling her work matters, Song Ling took the elevator down to the underground parking lot. As she walked towards her car, she took out her phone from her bag. Suddenly, she heard the screech of tires and a car engine revving. Before she could turn around, a black BMW slammed into her.
The car didn’t stop after hitting her. It accelerated, dragging her under its wheels, and then sped away.
Song Ling was thrown to the ground, rolling twice before coming to a stop. She felt bones breaking, her internal organs ruptured. As the car sped away, she caught a glimpse of the license plate: 48.
She lay there for a moment, her body slowly healing, and then got up. This was no accident. Someone had deliberately waited for her and then rammed their car into her at full speed, intending to kill her. If she weren’t a vampire, she would be dead.
She hadn’t seen the driver, but she had memorized the car’s scent. She moved her newly healed limbs, her eyes cold with rage. She was furious. She didn’t care if it was a case of mistaken identity. She would find whoever did this and make them pay.
She followed the car’s scent, her enhanced senses guiding her. She moved with superhuman speed, a blur through the city streets, until she arrived at a deserted field on the outskirts of the city.
She found a burned-out car, still smoking. The perpetrator had left recently. She examined the car, its exterior charred beyond recognition. There were no identifying marks.
She ripped open the hood and then tore out the engine, examining it closely. She memorized the engine number and then left.
It was late when she returned home. Li Xinjun was waiting for her in the living room. Seeing Song Ling enter, she turned off the TV and approached her.
“Where have you been all day? I couldn’t reach you on your phone. What happened? Why are you covered in dirt?”
“I had an accident. My phone was destroyed in a car crash.”
“You were hit by a car? How could you be so careless? Did anyone see you? Did anyone discover your secret?”
“No, it happened in the parking lot under my office building. And the driver sped away immediately after hitting me, so they didn’t see that I was fine.”
“That’s good. But that’s terrible! What if it had been someone else? They would have been left there to die!”
“They were trying to kill me. They were waiting for me in the parking lot. As soon as I appeared, they floored the gas pedal and rammed their car into me. I followed their scent, and I found their car burned to a crisp. They were trying to destroy the evidence.”
“Have you offended anyone?”
“Even if I had, it wouldn’t warrant attempted murder! I’ve only had this identity for a few years. I haven’t had time to make any enemies. And then I met you, and I’ve been with you ever since. I haven’t had any conflicts with anyone.”
“Then who do you think it was? A case of mistaken identity?”
“Perhaps, but I don’t care. I won’t let them get away with this. They came to my company’s parking lot, so their target, even if it wasn’t me, must be someone from the company. I won’t let them succeed. I memorized the engine number. I’ll have someone track down the owner of that car.”
“Do you need my help?”
“No, thank you. I know you’re still grieving over Weiqi. Let me handle this. I’m very thorough. They won’t find any trace of me. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, but try not to kill anyone. It will just complicate things.”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”
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