Fang Yuan hadn't expected Tang Tianyu to be waiting for her at the exit of the girls' dormitory.
"Fang Yuan, I need to talk to you." Tang Tianyu glanced at the girl next to her, hesitated, and finally spoke with a serious, earnest air, completely unlike his usual bold and thick-skinned demeanor.
Ever since Xu Yan told her that Tang Tianyu and Cheng Li were close and that their dorms were once a social dorm, she began to doubt Tang Tianyu's motives for approaching her.
His motive couldn't be simply a quest for affection, as others had suggested. Otherwise, why didn't he tell her that their dorms were once a social dorm? Furthermore, what was his relationship with Cheng Li? What had happened between them?
If Tang Tianyu's motive for approaching her was Cheng Li, who had already committed suicide, then it would be even more puzzling. Cheng Li had committed suicide by jumping from a building; this conclusion had been confirmed by the police and the school; it was a final conclusion, accepted even by Cheng Li's family, and there was no possibility of overturning the verdict. What exactly did he want from her, approaching her?
Fang Yuan looked at Tang Tianyu, who seemed to be genuinely sincere, feeling a little lost. She didn't know what to do.
After hearing Tang Tianyu's words, Qin Yanping and the other three girls all glanced at Fang Yuan, watching her for her response.
"Let's go," Fang Yuan sighed softly. "I don't know him."
Tang Tianyu, anxious, stepped in front of Fang Yuan. "Fang Yuan, listen to me. I really need you, and I mean it this time."
Fang Yuan stood there, her eyes bright and clear. "Okay, I'll give you two minutes. Tell me what it is?"
Tang Tianyu glanced at the other girls. "I want to talk to you alone."
Fang Yuan shook her head. "Either you speak quickly or get out of the way. I don't want to waste time."
Fang Yuan deliberately glanced at the administrator at the girls' dormitory exit. Two female administrators were chatting, occasionally glancing in Fang Yuan's direction.
Tang Tianyu understood Fang Yuan's intention. If he didn't speak up and move aside, she would call the administrator.
Tang Tianyu gritted his teeth, tightening his cheeks as if he had made up his mind. "Fang Yuan, you've met Xu Yan, right? What did she say to you? Did she say anything bad about me? Actually..."
Tang Tianyu's words suddenly stopped, as if something had suddenly blocked his mouth.
Fang Yuan noticed that Tang Tianyu's eyes had become startled, and even a hint of fear appeared.
What was he afraid of?
It was a bright, sunny day, breakfast time for students. Nanjiang Medical College was bustling with activity. What could a strong man like him fear?
A sudden silence fell around Fang Yuan, so still that she could hear the sound of several people breathing.
She slowly turned around.
She saw a thin, elegant man standing behind her—Li Rong.
Li Rong stood silently with his back to the sun. In just two days, he had become noticeably more haggard. Li Rong now gave the impression that he could fall at any moment.
But even such a fragile Li Rong had frightened Tang Tianyu speechless?
Indeed, Li Rong's eye sockets were sunken, and it seemed as if blazing flames were gushing out from them, shooting towards Tang Tianyu.
His eyes at this moment were like those of a starving wolf, eager to tear Tang Tianyu to pieces.
Fang Yuan's heart trembled as she sensed the murderous intent in Li Rong's eyes.
Li Rong wanted to kill Tang Tianyu!
If looks could kill, Tang Tianyu would have been killed by Li Rong long ago.
Unfortunately, looks are just looks. No matter how intense the emotion they convey, they cannot become a tangible sword to harm human flesh.
So, for now, Tang Tianyu could still stand here peacefully.
Li Rong sneered at Tang Tianyu, "Actually, what? Why don't you continue?"
Tang Tianyu didn't even protest.
With his size and strength, he could easily knock Li Rong down, but he didn't dare to contradict him.
"Do you want me to help you continue? You're nothing but a coward, all talk and no action!"
"Enough!" Tang Tianyu's face flushed, his bones creaking as he tried to control his emotions.
"Boring!" Fang Yuan said to the girls, "Let's go. Leave them alone."
Tang Tianyu and Li Rong shouted almost in unison, "Wait."
The two glanced at each other, the air thick with tension.
Tang Tianyu stepped back. He whispered to Fang Yuan, "I'll come see you next time. Please believe me, I mean no harm."
With that, Tang Tianyu turned and left. He walked slowly, distraught, and nearly tripped over a rock on the road.
Li Rong chuckled coldly, like a night owl screaming in the dead of night. There was no trace of triumphant joy, but instead a sense of inexplicable sadness and desolation.
After laughing, he seemed to remember something and quickly caught up with the girls in Dormitory 441.
"Fang Yuan, wait, I need to talk to you about something."
"Really?" Fang Yuan ignored him and continued on her way. "But it seems we have nothing to discuss."
Even a fool could guess the hatred between Li Rong and Tang Tianyu. Was it Cheng Li?
"Do you want to know the truth behind Cheng Li's suicide?"
Yes, Fang Yuan wanted to know. She had a vague feeling that she had been caught up in this storm, that many things were not as simple as they appeared.
Everything that happened in Dormitory 441 was like a vast maze, mysterious and strange, with countless forking paths, and she was lost in them. What others perceive as the truth is, in reality, merely a series of forks in the road, intentionally or unintentionally planted by those behind the scenes. These forks are ultimately connected by a single, indistinct thread. The truth behind Cheng Li's suicide may be the thread that connects all the forks.
Fang Yuan paused and turned to face Li Rong. She examined him as if he were a criminal.
Li Rong didn't avoid her gaze, but slowly nodded. "Yes, I know the truth about Cheng Li's suicide. I came to you to tell you everything."
What kind of person was Li Rong?
Xu Yan described him as Cheng Li's boyfriend. In her eyes, he was a suspect attempting to murder her.
Fang Yuan could never forget that it was Li Rong who had led her to the basement of the Red Mansion. On that horrific night, Xu Yan committed suicide by jumping from the building. Although Li Rong was standing beside her at the time, providing an alibi, she still couldn't fully trust him.
Regardless of whether he was the mastermind, she should hear what he had to say. Just treat it like a performance.
Fang Yuan bit her lip, thought for a moment, and replied to Li Rong, "Okay, go ahead. I'm listening."
Li Rong glanced at the other girls and said firmly, "I want to talk to you alone. If you don't want to, forget it."
His request was the same as Tang Tianyu's.
It was 7:40 in the morning, and most of the students at Nanjiang Medical College were up. Some were studying English, some were exercising, and some were eating breakfast. There was hardly a corner of the medical school without students.
Li Rong wouldn't dare do anything to her in broad daylight.
Besides, her roommates had seen her go out with him, so he wouldn't be so foolish as to murder her now.
Fang Yuan took a deep breath of the air, fresh and cool.
Then, she said to the girls in Room 441, "You guys go to the infirmary first. Li Rong and I are going to talk about something and will catch up with you later."
Fang Yuan emphasized the word "Li Rong." She was confident the girls would remember this name.
Whether it was genuine itchiness or psychological factors, the wound on Qin Yanping's hand itched intensely. She repeatedly tried to scratch, but Tao Bing'er held her uninjured hand tightly. Scratching the skin could easily lead to infection.
"Okay, then. We'll be leaving now. Be careful." The girls had also heard about Fang Yuan's experience in the basement that night and were also wary of Li Rong.
After giving a few words of advice, the three girls hurried to the infirmary. Qin Yanping, already itching unbearably, kept urging her to stop.
After they walked away, Fang Yuan said, "Li Rong, can you talk now?"
Li Rong looked around and shook his head. "Not here, there are too many people coming and going."
"Then let's go to the Mushroom Pavilion. There are fewer people there." Fang Yuan was afraid Li Rong would take her to an unfamiliar place.
"Yeah, that's fine too." Li Rong pondered for a moment, then looked up at the Mushroom Pavilion by Moon Lake. It was indeed deserted.
Fang Yuan suddenly remembered that two days ago, she and Xu Yan had also had a heart-to-heart talk in the Mushroom Pavilion. They had been so affectionate at the time, but she hadn't expected Xu Yan to change her mind just a few hours later, pretending to be crazy and plotting to murder her.
This time, she met Li Rong again in the Mushroom Pavilion. Was it fate or coincidence?
Li Rong, what did she want to say to her?