After My Death, I Became a Heartless Madman - Chapter 9

“An old acquaintance?”

Miss Bai’s jade-like face remained expressionless. Her brows lifted slightly as she softly repeated those two words.

She tried hard to recall but was certain she didn’t know the person before her. Since she didn’t recognize Song Shizhou, there was no way she could know the so-called “old acquaintance” mentioned by her.

Yet why did she feel an uncontrollable surge of anger when Song Shizhou uttered those words with such a teasing tone?

Bai Ruowei suppressed this strange sensation with effort and spoke stiffly,

“Putting aside the drinking, don’t you know exactly what you just did to me?”

Song Shizhou lowered her gaze, adopting a polite and humble demeanor.

“My apologies, Miss Bai. I had too much to drink earlier. If I offended you in any way, I sincerely apologize.”

With that, she gave a slight bow, appearing deeply remorseful.

Bai Ruowei was taken aback. Blaming it on the alcohol?

There were many things she had forgotten entirely, but she remembered clearly what had just happened. Right here, on this very bed, Song Shizhou had kissed her—softly, earnestly, with an expression of utmost tenderness.

That look had startled Bai Ruowei, unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Could all of that really be dismissed with a flippant excuse about being drunk?

For some reason, Bai Ruowei’s head throbbed painfully. She refused to speak further, knowing someone would usually beg her to continue. But now, no one did.

Mia was busy contacting the hospital, while Li Ningzhi hovered nearby, fussing over her. There were many others too yet Bai Ruowei felt something was off. It wasn’t enough. These were all familiar friends, so why did it feel like something—or someone—was missing?

The room grew more crowded. Wherever she went, Miss Bai was always the center of attention. Amidst the chorus of concerned voices, a silent figure took a few steps back and quietly slipped away.

Song Shizhou squeezed through the crowd. Unremarkable as she was, no one noticed her departure.

But Bai Ruowei noticed.

Her heart suddenly fluttered with panic.

She didn’t want this person to leave her sight—even if she still didn’t know who she was, even if it was just for a moment.

Clutching her feverish gland, Bai Ruowei watched Song Shizhou’s retreating figure.

“Don’t go.”

Stepping out from the cramped platform, the scene opened up before her.

The banquet hall was thick with the scent of expensive perfumes. The sultry jazz music had been replaced at some point, and the dancers cast curious glances at her as she hurried past.

Staggering to the bar, she ordered a glass of water and gulped it down in one go, finally feeling somewhat alive again.

Run.

She had to run!

She didn’t want to stay here for another second, another minute, another moment.

The attendant at the entrance recognized her and stopped her.

“The banquet isn’t over yet, Second Miss. Why are you leaving so soon?”

“Madam instructed that you and the Eldest Miss return together. Won’t you, wait for her?”

“Madam,” of course, referred to Song Lanyi—Shizhou’s mother and the current head of the Song family. The “Eldest Miss” was Feng Yu. Even after the truth came to light, Song’s Mother still publicly declared Feng Yu as her biological daughter, while Shizhou remained the “Second Miss” brought back from the countryside—her identity and lineage forever ambiguous.

Even a mere servant of the Song family could boss her around.

In her previous life, she couldn’t be bothered to deal with these people, yet she gave them the opportunity to boss her around.

Song Shizhou smiled, her usually gentle expression suddenly turning sharp.

“Do I need to report everything I do to you?”

“Prepare the car. I’m going home immediately!”

Several attendants were startled and quickly complied.

Song Shizhou had returned to the Song family at twelve. Counting from the point of her rebirth, nine years had passed. These nine years of life hadn’t left much of her presence in the Song household—just a few clothes and a set of daily necessities.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door of the Song residence. Moonlight spilled through the doorway, revealing the pitch-black living room on the first floor. At this hour, her mother and younger brother were probably already asleep. Shizhou didn’t turn on the lights, feeling her way back to her room in the dark.

She didn’t want anyone to know about her plans. Every minute and second after her rebirth was precious, and she didn’t want to waste it on meaningless arguments. It would be best if she could leave quietly without alerting anyone.

“What are you doing in the middle of the night?”

Unfortunately, the sound of her luggage caught Song Lanyi’s attention. Four years ago, Song’s Mother was still quite young. Dressed in a champagne-colored silk nightgown, she didn’t look at all like someone approaching fifty.

Song’s Mother tapped the suitcase.

“Weren’t you attending a banquet tonight? Why did it end so soon? Where’s Feng Yu? Didn’t she come back with you?”

For some reason, Song’s Mother knew she owed Song Shizhou a lot, yet she couldn’t help but speak to her with a hint of sharpness. She attributed this to her frustration over unmet expectations. Song Nianchu peeked into the room from behind Song’s Mother.

“Yu-jie just called me. The banquet isn’t over yet. Song Shizhou ran away early.”

“I heard Miss Bai Ruowei suddenly fainted on the terrace during the banquet. At the time, only she and Song Shizhou were there. Song Shizhou, was it you who made Miss Bai faint?”

Song Nianchu was the third child in the family. Having a perfect older sister like Feng Yu was already frustrating enough, and now there was Song Shizhou to share the family inheritance with. He was practically fuming.

Song’s Mother frowned.

“What?”

“Song Shizhou, do you even know who Miss Bai is? Do you know how many people were lining up just to attend her welcome banquet? If you’ve offended her, not even Feng Yu can save you.”

Song’s Mother glanced at Song Nianchu.

“I never wanted her to go and embarrass us in the first place. It was your Yu-jie who kept pestering me. And now, not only is she ungrateful, but she’s also made a mess of things.”

Song Nianchu stuck out his tongue, and the mother and son burst into laughter.

In the past, Song Shizhou might have been hurt and upset, perhaps even trembling with anger. But now, she felt incredibly lighthearted. How wonderful, she thought. Mother, we no longer have to torment each other.

The best solution to mutual dislike isn’t clinging stubbornly, nor is it time revealing true feelings—it’s immediate separation, freeing each other.

Because of the banquet, she wore a delicate pearl necklace around her slender neck—her most expensive piece of jewelry, a gift from Song’s Mother on the day she returned home.

It was a string of exquisite Tahitian black pearls, each of the highest AA grade. What made it truly rare was that all twenty-seven pearls were nearly identical in size, flawless in every way—a truly exceptional treasure.

Song Lanyi spent a fortune to purchase these pearls and had them made into a necklace for Shizhou, symbolizing her treasured daughter who had been lost and found again.

Song Shizhou let out a light laugh as she removed the necklace from her neck.

The more precious something was, the more fragile it became. With just a gentle tug, the expensive pearl necklace shattered.

The once-lost pearls fell back to the ground, rolling once more into the lowliest dust—or perhaps they had never truly left it.

Song Nianchu let out a frightened scream, and Song’s Mother froze in shock.

“Song Shizhou, what are you doing?!”

How could she? How dare she?

Did she even realize what she was doing?!

Shizhou had been missing for nine years. The moment Song Lanyi saw her again, her heart nearly broke. These pearls—twenty-seven in total—represented the multiplied time she would spend making up for Shizhou’s suffering.

Almost without thinking, Song Lanyi instinctively dropped to her knees to gather the scattered pearls. The expensive beads rolled everywhere, bouncing out of sight. Even those she managed to retrieve were now marred with scratches.

They could never be restored.

“Mom,”

Song Shizhou smiled,

“I’m leaving. I won’t embarrass you anymore.”

“I know I’m not the daughter you envisioned. So from now on, you can go back to how things were before—with Feng Yu as your only daughter.”

With a loud slam, the door was shut behind her.

“How dare she. How dare she break this necklace.”

Song Lanyi murmured,

“Song Shizhou!”

“If you walk out that door today, don’t you ever come back!”

Song’s Mother’s words failed to stop Shizhou. Similarly, Bai Ruowei’s faint plea of “Don’t go” went unheard by Mia.

The atmosphere in the hospital room was heavy. The doctor had just spoken to Mia about Bai Ruowei’s test results. Miss Bai’s vitals were all normal—her fainting had been caused by a reaction to high-level pheromones.

Mia was stunned. Bai Ruowei was an S-rank Alpha—how could there be anyone in the Inner City with pheromones stronger than hers?

Feng Yu stood in a corner, silent for a long moment before finally speaking.

“Miss Bai, I sincerely apologize. Today’s incident was an accident, but thankfully, you’re unharmed.”

“Who are you?”

Song Fengyu hadn’t expected Bai Ruowei to be so blunt. “I’m Song Shizhou’s sister.”

Bai Ruowei frowned.

“Sister?”

Her tone was icy.

“I don’t want your apology if you weren’t the one responsible. Where’s Song Shizhou? Tell her to come in. I want her to apologize to me herself.”

Song Fengyu hesitated.

“She… isn’t outside.”

“Isn’t outside?”

Even though this was their first meeting, Bai Ruowei had never imagined Song Shizhou wouldn’t be by her side. She inexplicably felt that this person was deeply familiar, as if she had always been meant to follow her—never daring to disobey, always compliant.

Where had Song Shizhou gone? Why hadn’t she come? Song Fengyu didn’t plan to answer these questions, and Bai Ruowei had no interest in pressing further. Li Ningzhi politely escorted her out, while Mia crouched beside Bai Ruowei.

“Song Shizhou, female, twenty-one years old. Secondary gender characteristics: Enigma, but with underdeveloped glands. Overall abilities are inferior to those of a standard Alpha.”

“Before the age of twelve, she lived in an unknown small town in the Lower City District. At twelve, she was taken back to the Inner City by Song Lanyi, who publicly claimed her as her niece, but in reality she was Song Lanyi’s long-lost biological daughter.”

“Should we look into this person’s whereabouts?”

Mia thoughtfully attached a photo.

In the picture, Song Shizhou was only eighteen, her face still carrying traces of youthful innocence. Bai Ruowei took the photo.

It was an ordinary face, at best merely delicate, smiling foolishly at the camera.

Miss Bai stared at the photo for a long time before finally saying,

“No.”

She was utterly frustrated right now. She couldn’t understand why Song Shizhou wasn’t here, why she hadn’t stayed by her side immediately after hurting her. How could there not even be an apology?

She couldn’t fathom where these resentful thoughts were coming from. This was her first time meeting this Song Shizhou—why was she wasting so much time on her?

The doctor administered a mood-stabilizing injection to Miss Bai, and her emotions gradually settled. The lingering bitterness in her heart slowly faded. Bai Ruowei smiled and handed the photo back to Mia.

“I don’t even know this person. Why should we investigate her?”

Mia nodded.

“Wait!”

Mia froze.

The photo was snatched back by Bai Ruowei.

Miss Bai stared at the photo in a daze, her expression tender, as if gazing at a beloved.

The next second, she tore it to shreds.

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