After My Death, I Became a Heartless Madman - Chapter 21

After a moment of silent confession, Lan Chi stopped pressing Song Shizhou once she understood her intentions.

“Alright, since you’ve already made up your mind, I won’t say anything more.”

“But if you plan to stay in Flying Bird Town for the long term, you should at least make some preparations.”

Shizhou raised an eyebrow, anticipating what she was about to say.

“I bought a car from a used car dealership in the Thirteenth District under my own name. Later, I rented it out to a long-haul truck driver…”

“The dealership takes a twenty percent commission, so we made a private deal, no official registration.”

“This driver has a wide range of business. We agreed on a payment every two years, and the account holder for the deposits isn’t me…”

“During his trips, he makes stops in the Fifth, Third, and Twelfth Districts.”

Was this a case of the cunning hare having three burrows? Maybe not. In any case, these measures weren’t meant to guard against Bai Ruowei.

Because Bai Ruowei couldn’t be guarded against.

Song Shizhou sighed helplessly. She had only half-heartedly set up these precautions, hoping that whoever came looking for her would be discouraged and not waste their time.

Lan Chi fell silent for a moment.

“Well done, but it’s not enough.”

“Finding that truck driver is only a matter of time. Tracing your whereabouts through him is also just a matter of time. Time, time…”

She chuckled lightly.

“But these people have no shortage of time or patience.”

Shizhou sighed.

“Yeah.”

Perhaps Miss Bai would find her someday? If that happened, it would be time to leave Flying Bird Town and Lan Chi.

“Honestly, everyone else is fine. I’m just afraid that one person might come looking and bring unnecessary trouble to you and the residents here.”

They lapsed into tacit silence. Song Shizhou had long since confessed her relationship with Miss Bai, though she didn’t know how to define it. She said she had once loved Miss Bai, that there were some complicated entanglements between them.

Lan Chi hadn’t pried further, simply saying it was fine, no big deal.

Today, she gave the same response to Shizhou’s words.

“It’s fine. Why scare yourself over shadows and rumors?”

Besides, Lan Chi took a sip of tea, unusually hesitant.

She had been waiting for Bai Ruowei’s arrival for a long time.

Perhaps sensing Shizhou’s resignation, or perhaps stifled by the heavy silence, Lan Chi tossed her a communication chip with a smile.

“Don’t worry about these things. Just throw away your old communication chip first.”

“Your idea was good, the only mistake was not giving those looking for you a conclusion.”

Shizhou blinked. “A conclusion?”

Lan Chi propped her chin on her hand, looking drowsy.

“Any conclusion would do. Humans are strange creatures. As long as there’s no resolution, they won’t easily give up…”

Any conclusion death, a new life, a new family, a new partner, or even forgetting everything and becoming a completely different person.

Song Shizhou thought silently.

She wasn’t so precious or important to Miss Bai. If Miss Bai truly had the patience to search for her, then any of those conclusions would surely make her leave.

Lan Chi had somehow managed to get hold of a car. Song Shizhou’s driving skills were decent, but the mountain paths were treacherous, jolting them relentlessly along the way until Lan Chi nearly vomited from the motion.

“Sis, where are we going?”

Lan Chi took a moment to steady herself before instructing Shizhou to park the car in the woods and step out.

“Do you see that cliff over there?”

Song Shizhou looked into the distance.

A perilous cliff stood less than two hundred meters away.

“That cliff is called Flying Bird Cliff named so because it’s so steep that only birds can cross it. Every year, extreme sports enthusiasts come here to challenge it.”

“And every year, accidents happen.”

Song Shizhou immediately understood.

“You want to make the people chasing me think I died here?”

Lan Chi nodded.

“We’ll walk from here, not drive.”

The two walked side by side, with Lan Chi wiping away half of their footprints.

Such meticulous planning wasn’t something an ordinary person would think of perhaps Lan Chi was a mystery drama fanatic? Shizhou’s mind wandered, but Lan Chi tapped her collar.

“Take off your jacket.”

Despite her slender frame, Lan Chi was surprisingly strong. She stuffed Shizhou’s wallet into the jacket’s pocket and hurled the whole thing off the cliff.

Shizhou gasped.

“Did it just roll down? I think I heard something!”

Lan Chi chuckled.

“Don’t worry, it’s caught on a tree.”

Shizhou looked down and saw the jacket indeed snagged on a branch jutting from the cliffside.

Now completely reassured, Shizhou finally relaxed. Even the most composed person had their limits, and with their pursuers far behind, she fell asleep unusually early.

But Lan Chi stayed awake.

She sat alone in the living room for a while, the shifting twilight casting her expression into ambiguity. Had Shizhou been there, she would’ve been startled because in that moment, Lan Chi resembled Bai Ruowei more than ever, exuding that same innate, chilling arrogance.

Lan Chi’s house appeared small, just two stories, but it was cleverly designed, with hidden spaces only the owner knew about like a secluded attic.

The wooden floor creaked faintly, but Lan Chi wasn’t worried about waking Shizhou.

She hadn’t been up here in a long time. The attic wasn’t some horrifying crime scene or a treasure trove, just a few chairs covered in thick dust.

Lan Chi didn’t sit. Instead, she stood and turned on her phone.

Shizhou’s communication chip was damaged, losing some contact information during retrieval. She could see phone numbers and call logs but not the saved names.

Patiently scrolling, Lan Chi picked the most frequently called number and dialed.

The call connected almost instantly.

“Hello? Shizhou, you finally picked up! Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been these past few days?”

Lan Chi let out a soft laugh, already knowing who it was.

But it wasn’t the person she was looking for.

The faintest chuckle traveled through the line, and Song Fengyu’s heart instantly tightened.

“Who are you?”

Just a few words, but laced with unmistakable hostility.

Song Fengyu frowned.

“You don’t need to know who I am.”

“Miss Song is a smart person. If you’re smart, you shouldn’t call Shizhou during this period to avoid causing her unnecessary trouble.”

With that, she hung up the phone.

The attic window remained closed. Even standing in such darkness didn’t frighten Lan Chi, yet an unusual sense of conflict twisted in her heart.

Should she, continue?

The moment the call ended, Song Fengyu immediately redialed, but the line remained busy.

Frustrated, she tossed her phone aside and grabbed her coat.

“It’s so late, Fengyu. Where are you going?”

Song’s Mother’s voice called out.

“Mom, I need to go out. There’s something at school.”

Song Lanyi smiled faintly, straightening her collar for her.

“The night is cold and damp. No matter how urgent, don’t forget to take your medicine…”

“Doctor Lin told me you haven’t been taking your medication properly lately.”

Song Fengyu had congenital heart disease. Though much improved after treatment, she still needed supplementary medication.

Fengyu’s eyes flickered.

“I’ve been feeling much better recently. I think I can.”

“Fengyu.”

“Do you know why I prefer you over Shizhou?”

Song Lanyi never hid her favoritism.

“Because I raised you with my own hands, the bond is naturally different. The second reason is…”

“You’re smart enough.”

Fengyu chuckled. “But Shizhou is also very smart.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“What I mean is, you’re smart enough to know what benefits the Song family, those are the things you should do. And what harms the Song family those are the things you shouldn’t do…”

“Though we still don’t know what connection exists between Song Shizhou and Miss Bai, it’s certainly nothing good. If you rashly involve yourself, that would harm the Song family.”

“Secondly, your feelings for Shizhou!”

“Mom!”

A knowing expression flashed across Song’s Mother’s face.

“Good child, haven’t you always felt guilty toward Shizhou, believing you stole her life? Then you should fulfill it for her, lead the Song family in her stead and achieve great things, shouldn’t you?”

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