A famous film director once said that this world is nothing more than a colossal unfinished movie, where every story ends in a hasty, half-hearted way, and all great people meet their ends as if their fates were scrawled by a drunken screenwriter.
Everyone is either facing an unfinished end or stumbling along the road toward one.
Cheng Orange never told him who this famous director was, but she said, sooner or later, he would come to know.
Shen Yao had once thought he and Qiao Yunxue would share an adventure for two, like in most fairy tales.
But in reality, there was nothing but endless suspicion and doubt.
This suspicion and doubt did not stem from conflict between them, but rather from the incurable natures deep within both.
“Shen Yao, it’s not too late to regret it now. There’s only one last stretch before we uncover the true nature of the anomaly. Are you sure you want to give up at this point?” Her voice trembled, though she struggled to restrain herself.
“I can’t trust someone who’s always lying.” Shen Yao said.
“Then what truth do you want?” Qiao Yunxue asked.
“Why were you eavesdropping on me?”
“For… your safety.” she forced out, the words difficult for her.
Shen Yao let out a cold laugh: “If it’s for my safety, then why did you drag me to the Swimming Hall? Didn’t you know I’m tormented by Urban Legend Syndrome?”
“…I… wasn’t…”
“Then why did you give me fake medicine?”
“Tha… that wasn’t fake medicine…” She squeezed out every word.
“Weren’t those Milk Tablets?”
“They were Milk Tablets… but… but not fake medicine…” She was utterly incoherent now.
Shen Yao couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. “Qiao Yunxue, I trusted you so much. For you, for that little bit of fondness I have for you, I risked my life to face the anomaly. For you, I had to grow distant from Cheng Orange. And in the end, is this how you repay my trust?”
“…I know…” Qiao Yunxue murmured.
“Can you turn around and face me while we talk?”
“…” There was no response.
Shen Yao was once again disappointed. How could a person, unable even to face others directly in conversation, ever hope to carry someone else’s trust?
“Qiao Yunxue, do you know?” he said, “We’re actually both rotten people. Your flaws show on the surface; mine fester within. On the outside, you seek death, but in truth, you’re desperately seeking life, while I’m just the opposite. You want your Mother to come back to life, while I only want to atone for them in my place.”
“…”
“For the sake of us both being rotten, can’t you just tell me? What are you hiding? What are you really after?”
“Shen Yao… what I seek, I already told you. I’m not hiding anything from you…”
Completely impossible to communicate.
“Then why did you let my Urban Legend Syndrome grow worse?” Shen Yao raised his voice. “Was it to trigger my inspiration? Like the Witch of Bordeaux, Gree? To use the burst of inspiration to twist reality and bring your early-departed Mother back?!”
“…How did you know that?” Qiao Yunxue hadn’t expected Shen Yao to know about the Witch of Bordeaux.
“That’s hardly a secret, is it?” Shen Yao sneered. “Qiao Yunxue, I want to die on the path I choose, not be discarded like a tool.”
Qiao Yunxue hurriedly said, “No… it’s not like that. I never meant to trigger your inspiration…”
“Then what is it for? There must be a reason, right?”
“…” Qiao Yunxue took a deep breath. “There’s no reason, Shen Yao, no reason at all.”
Shen Yao was utterly disappointed—not in her, but in himself. He’d actually held onto the fantasy that Qiao Yunxue could give a reasonable explanation.
“Then there’s nothing more to say.”
Qiao Yunxue finally turned around. She stood by the window, backlit, her shadow covering her face, only those bright, shining eyes cutting through the gloom: “Shen Yao, I honestly don’t need you anymore. But you did help me break through a seven-year bottleneck. Don’t you want to stay and enjoy your final reward?”
How many truths ever came out of this woman’s mouth?
Shen Yao realized that, after all this time, he didn’t even know Qiao Yunxue’s family circumstances.
Aside from knowing she had a Mother who died young and a Father who was always away, he knew nothing else. She never wanted to share anything with him.
“No.” Shen Yao shook his head. “The things you bought last time are more than enough. Thank you, Qiao Yunxue. Goodbye.”
With that, he walked out without a shred of reluctance.
He didn’t walk particularly fast. Maybe he was giving Qiao Yunxue a chance to regret, to call him back, to tell him the truth.
But so what? Could the rift and estrangement be so easily mended? After everything today, he could never go back to the way things were with Qiao Yunxue.
In the end, even as Shen Yao left the villa, Qiao Yunxue never tried to stop him.
She simply stood silently by the window, watching Shen Yao walk away. Watching in silence. Watching in silence.
When Shen Yao was gone, she moved to the table, put the disassembled watch into a bag, then carefully placed it in the drawer of her computer desk.
After all this, she sat in her chair, staring blankly, motionless.
After a long while, as if snapping back to reality, she picked up the landline and dialed: “This is Estelle von Campbell. Please connect me to your Manager. Mm. It’s me. Yes. Set up a new…”
After the call ended, she let out a long breath, as if she’d set down many burdens.
She couldn’t give Shen Yao an explanation, nor was she good at explaining.
This kind of ending was already the most perfect one for everyone.
The worst person… that selfish, antisocial, ruthless Estelle was about to complete her fate.
She had spent her youth in this process, spent Shen Yao’s trust and his hazy affection, but to her, it was all worth it.
No one liked her or cared about her, but there were people who liked Shen Yao, who cared about Shen Yao.
There was nothing in this world worth being attached to; she had long since made her peace with this.
She could not allow herself to waver because of Shen Yao’s brief kindness.
Seven years’ time.
Shen Yao was the last puzzle piece.
She waited a while, then a message came to her phone. She set up the Camera and started recording herself.
She first went to take a shower on purpose, then changed into her favorite red dress.
She loved red—everything red. Red was the color of a sincere heart, the color of burning blood, the color of beautiful, vibrant flowers.
She wished that one day the whole world would be filled with red flowers and waving red flags.
She dressed herself carefully, as if she were attending a grand banquet.
Finally, she sat before the Camera, her red lips parting slightly:
“I am Estelle von Campbell. My Chinese name is Qiao Yunxue. What follows is the Testament I record at 10 a.m. on July 16. I hereby declare that this Testament is made free of any coercion. My own will is clear. No third party or other testament shall alter the content set down in this video… First, Article One…”