Chapter 359: Volume 1, Chapter 359: Weird Mire (30)

Jiang Zhi lost all strength, went limp and fell to the ground, and shouted hoarsely:

"What right do you have, what right do you have to take away others' lives? Even if they suffer, they still want to live! Wen Chijin! What right do you have, what right do you have?!"

In the distance, a police siren sounded, drawing nearer.

Wen Chijin suddenly crouched, half-kneeling before her, seeing the hatred in her eyes; the wound on his back wasn't even a fraction as painful as his chest.

The slightly calloused pad of his finger lifted, gently and tenderly wiping away the tear at the corner of her eye, then he took the knife from her hand.

Jiang Zhi broke down, raising her hand to hit him, again and again, but to no effect.

Wen Chijin grabbed her wrist, gently held her in his arms, letting her bite his shoulder, and said helplessly: "Sorry, little mute."

Jiang Zhi's emotions were too agitated, she fainted directly, collapsing into his arms.

The boy held her and placed her by the wall, then took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the bloodstains from her hand.

She stabbed his back with a fruit knife, yet her own hand was covered in fresh blood.

Officer Xiao Zhang stared at him fixedly, panting, and said: "You can't escape; this street will be blocked by police cars, no matter how resourceful you are, you won't get away!"

Wen Chijin asked: "Why is she here?"

Officer Xiao Zhang said nothing.

Wen Chijin continued to wipe his gun with the blood-stained handkerchief, speaking offhandedly: "I can surrender, but if you don't speak, I'm not sure how many of your colleagues this gun of mine will hit."

Officer Xiao Zhang's gaze fell on the girl leaning against the wall, unconscious; he gritted his teeth and said: "I sent her a message, but I didn't intend for her to come here—she came to find me herself."

Wen Chijin stood up.

After the rain, in the early morning, a strand of golden sunlight tore through the dark clouds and fell upon the bookstore entrance.

Yet he was in a place shrouded in dim shadows.

That strand of sunlight was clearly close to him, yet he seemed unable to ever touch it.

—

That day Wen Chijin was taken away by police cars; as a murderer who had killed dozens of people, he quickly appeared in newspapers and magazines, and people seeing his likeness on the news could not believe it.

After being unconscious for two days in the hospital, Jiang Zhi woke from her hospital bed and discovered she could not see.

She quickly realized this must be the side effect of 777 giving her half an hour of restored hearing.

The mission was not yet over.

But Wen Chijin, detained at the police station, was about to face execution by firing squad.

Having committed such a major crime, many people domestically were awaiting news of his execution.

Jiang Zhi leaned against the hospital bed.

Officer Xiao Zhang, sitting beside her, seeing this, hurriedly said:

"You're awake?!"

Receiving no response, Officer Xiao Zhang waved his hand in front of her eyes; the girl's dark pupils had no focus, were empty and lifeless, staring blankly ahead.

He wrote in her palm: "I'm Xiao Zhang; can't you see me?"

Jiang Zhi shook her head in reply.

Officer Xiao Zhang quickly got up, ran outside the ward, and called for a doctor.

After many doctors examined her, they speculated it was temporary blindness caused by overstimulation.

Thus she was not only deaf but also blind.

For her, this was undoubtedly a fatal blow.

But the girl shook her head indifferently, signing: "It's fine, you don't need to worry about me, Officer Xiao Zhang."

Officer Xiao Zhang had learned sign language.

"These days I'm on leave, so I can take care of you in the hospital." Xiao Zhang wrote in her palm.

Jiang Zhi politely declined: "I'm fine; now I just want to go home—please take me home."

Officer Xiao Zhang agreed: "Okay."

Returning home from the hospital.

Officer Xiao Zhang had made her dinner before leaving; the house was quiet and desolate, and before her eyes lay total darkness.

Jiang Zhi did not know how long this side effect would last, but compared to before, it should probably return to normal in about a month.

After finishing her meal, she lay down on the bed.

The villain was about to die; did her mission mean she had failed?

…

Two weeks later.

The day of Wen Chijin's execution arrived.

Officer Xiao Zhang came to tell her that the execution would take place at two in the afternoon.

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

Xiao Zhang called her; the phone vibrated twice and then hung up.

This was their agreed arrangement, because Jiang Zhi could neither see nor hear, so she could only ask Xiao Zhang to call her at the appointed time.

Ten minutes later, the execution ended.

Jiang Zhi did not pop out of this dream.

That meant Wen Chijin wasn't dead; no, rather, he had not left the dream.

Another two weeks passed.

Jiang Zhi's eyesight recovered, and she could attend school normally.

In the afternoon, after returning home from school, she received a message from Xiao Zhang.

(I have a friend who has an apartment for rent in L City; do you want to rent it?)

Jiang Zhi has recently been applying to transfer schools.

After Xiao Zhang learned she was going away, he said he would help her find a place to rent.

Jiang Zhi was very grateful to Xiao Zhang, but fearing that Wen Chijin might appear again, she politely declined his recommendation.

Her transfer application was approved today; she booked tonight's train, preparing to go to L City's Disabled Persons Art School to study.

While packing her luggage, a chill came over her back; Jiang Zhi turned her head, saw the window blown open by the wind, got up, and went to close it.

The closed glass window reflected the indoor light; as Jiang Zhi pulled her hand back, in her peripheral vision she saw a familiar face reflected on the glass surface—that figure stood behind her, very close, lowering its head to kiss her cheek.

Jiang Zhi, seeing this, stepped back, staggering, almost falling to the ground.

The image in the glass returned to normal, while what she had just seen seemed like an illusion.

Jiang Zhi's limbs felt cold; a chill crept from her spine to the crown of her head as she trembled backward, not daring to look at that window again.

She came to her senses, hurriedly packed her luggage, put on a mask, pulled her suitcase, and left home.

She called a taxi and went straight to the train station.

Jiang Zhi had booked a sleeper berth; the train station was bustling, crowds like a sea, and several times she was shoved to the ground, but someone always steadied her from behind.

Jiang Zhi dared not think about it; she boarded the train, found a window seat, took out a book, and began to read.

The seat next to hers had been booked by a middle-aged man; as soon as he sat down, he offered her some snacks.

Jiang Zhi refused.

The train moved.

After a few hours, Jiang Zhi put down her book, leaned back in the rear seat, closed her eyes, and rested.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man beside her curled the corners of his mouth excitedly.

After seeing her fall into deep sleep, he reached out his hand, intending to touch her leg.

Before his fingers could touch the girl's slender leg, he felt waves of cold pouring into his neck, as if a blade were slicing him, causing sharp pain.

The middle-aged man rubbed his neck; his hand was covered in blood. He screamed in fright, suddenly stood up, turned his head to look behind him, and abruptly met a pair of crimson, sinister black pupils, exuding a ruthless killing intent like a hellish demon.

The middle-aged man abruptly stood up, walked forward on his own, and entered the restroom.

Before arrival, the half-asleep Jiang Zhi rubbed her eyes, picked up her suitcase, and got off.

She had booked a homestay located close to the city center.

She took out clothes from her suitcase and walked into the bathroom.

As hot steam filled the bathroom, Jiang Zhi was washing her hair; her dark, waterfall-like hair fell down, she closed her eyes, and the relatively hot water poured over her body, dispelling the chill.

And behind her, the hazy white mist outlined a tall, straight figure.