DF Chapter 38

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Zhen Yi came to a halt. The heat from her sprint clung to her body, wrapping her in dampness. She felt stifled, nauseous. Her face and body were drenched in sweat, but deep inside, she felt as cold as if she were standing on the ice fields of Antarctica.

Her ears were ringing, blocking out all sound. All she could hear, over and over again, were Song Yi’s last words.

Across the street, she saw blood pooling around Song Yi’s body. The film crew swarmed around like mad, shouting, screaming. Fans in the crowd gasped, some crying as they pushed forward, hands over their mouths, eyes filled with tears.

Chaos spread, with people panicking, sobbing. But to Zhen Yi, the world had frozen into a deadly stillness. The air was thick with something that felt suffocating, like blood, clogging her chest.

Zhen Yi stood there silently. The call timer was still running in her palm, the seconds ticking by. But on the other end of the phone, there was only the desolate sound of the wind. Time had passed, leaving her in the empty quiet that follows hysteria.

A moment of panic and pain was over in an instant.

There wasn’t enough time, not enough time to say so many things…

She stood frozen, not knowing how long she had been there, until someone shook her shoulder—it was Si Gui.

Zhen Yi suddenly snapped back to reality. She ran her hand through her disheveled hair, her face calm and steady. “I’m fine,” she said flatly, turning to walk away. Si Gui grabbed her arm. “What’s going on…?”

“It’s about Song Yi,” Zhen Yi glanced back. “If you ask any more questions, we can’t be friends anymore.”

Her gaze was calm but cold, her expression unfamiliar and frightening, like she had become someone else entirely.

Si Gui was startled and stopped asking, though she still looked worried. “Are you really okay?”

Zhen Yi pulled her hand away. On the plaza, people were rushing toward the scene from all directions, converging in the chaos. But Zhen Yi was the only one walking away, silent and alone.

Not once did she look back.

On the seventh day after Song Yi’s death, it rained. A soft, steady drizzle.

It was her head seven, the seventh day after a person dies, when their spirit is said to return home for a final goodbye. The outline of Song Yi’s body was still marked on the ground where she had fallen, surrounded by flowers from her fans, now soaked with rain.

By evening, the wind blew petals across the street, scattering them everywhere.

Zhen Yi stood there, wearing sunglasses, her pale face expressionless. She bent down three times and laid a bouquet of bright red roses among the flowers. The raindrops fell gently, and the crimson rose petals gleamed like the face of a young, beautiful woman, streaked with crystal tears.

“On the seventh day, the soul returns home to say its final farewell,” someone murmured softly behind her—it was Tang Yu.

Zhen Yi didn’t respond. Her lips, like the rest of her face hidden under the sunglasses, were pale.

Amidst the flowers, Song Yi’s photograph was placed, where she smiled faintly, looking beautiful.

The rain seemed to intensify, but no one opened an umbrella. The wind scattered the petals further.

“Tang Yu,” Zhen Yi spoke slowly, her gaze lingering on the flowers. “Live well from now on. Don’t do anything bad. Don’t waste the protection Song Yi gave you.”

Tang Yu turned her head, the fine drizzle clinging to Zhen Yi’s hair like tiny crystals. That side profile, hidden by the sunglasses, looked so lonely in the rain. Tang Yu was surprised by her words, though not entirely shocked. “You know?”

“Someone once said that hatred binds people more easily than love. A common enemy brings them together.”

Tang Yu said nothing. Zhen Yi was silent for a long time before she added softly, “Suo Lei loves you deeply. Take care of yourself from now on. Don’t let down the protection Song Yi gave you.” After speaking, she turned to leave.

Tang Yu called after her, “Will Lawyer Zhen tell anyone?”

Zhen Yi paused for a moment. “I’m not that righteous. Besides, she paid me.” Her voice was faint, and soon, her black silhouette disappeared into the crowd, swallowed by the rain.

The rain seemed to fall harder.

Gradually, the water soaked Tang Yu’s eyelashes, dripping into her eyes, stinging and burning. Warm liquid ran down her face, and she couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears.

Can I still live a good life?

She stared at Song Yi’s face behind the glass photo frame and wept: Can I still live a good life?

Once upon a time, they had been so content, so happy!

That year, Tang Yu had boarded a train with Tang Shang and Wu Zhe, full of ambition and hope, vowing to make a life in the big city and bring their parents along. It was in that very train car that they met Song Yi. She had no ticket, no luggage, just a backpack, constantly dodging the train attendants as they made their rounds.

One time, with attendants coming from both ends, Song Yi had nowhere to hide and ended up crawling under Tang Shang’s bed, despite how filthy it was. Tang Shang had been shocked. That night, Tang Shang gave up half of her bed to this stranger, and the two girls spent a silent night squeezed together. Little did Tang Shang know, that small act of kindness would one day be repaid with a life-saving sacrifice.

In K City, the four young people worked hard, encouraging and supporting each other through every struggle. They never complained, and were grateful for even the smallest joys. A simple hotpot dinner in their cramped rented apartment made them feel like life was truly beautiful.

Tang Yu never particularly liked Song Yi—she always thought she was too cold and aloof. But that very coldness helped her stand out in the modeling world. One day, by chance, Song Yi tried her hand at acting, and her performance outshone the lead actor, propelling her to instant fame. The media praised her acting, calling it a talent that couldn’t be explained by anything but natural ability.

As Song Yi transitioned into acting, her career skyrocketed. It was during this time that cracks appeared in her friendship with Tang Shang. One time, Suo Lei invited them out to a bar, and Tang Yu overheard some of Tang Shang’s friends badmouthing Song Yi, calling her ungrateful. Tang Yu felt indignant on Tang Shang’s behalf.

It was only much later that Tang Yu learned these were just jealous rumors spread by competitors. In truth, Song Yi and Tang Shang were on good terms, even if they didn’t publicly show it.

When Tang Yu found out, she was puzzled. “If you’re really close, why did you tell people that Song Yi didn’t do well in her recent movie?”

Tang Shang had laughed heartily. “Because too many people are praising her. Someone needs to give her some honest criticism so she doesn’t get too proud.”

“That’s true, but if she hears that, won’t she hold a grudge?”

Tang Shang laughed again. “True friends trust each other. No explanation needed.”

Tang Yu secretly thought Tang Shang was too naive. Song Yi, that cold-faced woman, definitely wouldn’t forget a comment like that. But when disaster struck, she realized Song Yi wasn’t at all what she had imagined.

That nightmare, so long and agonizing, still tore at her heart whenever she thought about it, making it hard to breathe.

She only knew that Tang Shang was being relentlessly pursued by a wealthy man, but she never imagined it would push Tang Shang to the point of deciding to leave everything behind and run away with Wu Zhe. Tang Yu was heartbroken—Tang Shang was like her sister, and it was the first time in their lives that they were being separated. She didn’t want them to go, but with her career and boyfriend tied to K City, she couldn’t leave with them. Respecting Tang Shang’s decision, she tearfully waved them off as they drove away in a taxi.

The next time she got a call from her sister, it was from the hospital.

Rushing there in fear, her heart shattered when she saw what had happened. With no one to pay for their care, Tang Shang and Wu Zhe were left lying in the lobby, eyes closed as if dead. Tang Shang’s body was covered in blood, her appearance gruesome and pitiful, and not even a sheet had been provided to cover her.

Tang Yu’s heart bled as she screamed at the nurses and doctors in fury.

But the real heartbreak came later. When Tang Shang finally regained consciousness, something inside her had died, though something else seemed to keep her going. She didn’t shed a single tear—she was terrifyingly strong. They decided to report it to the police, but the authorities blocked them at every turn. Instead of arresting Lin Ziyi, they subjected Tang Shang to countless humiliating interrogations.

To make matters worse, the hospital refused to issue an injury report, and the law firms all shut their doors on them.