If Lu Shiyan's previous behavior had been utterly bizarre, the collapse of the statue in front of everyone left all present utterly stunned.
Even the police officers, seasoned from years of handling cases, had never witnessed such a scene. For a long moment, no one moved.
The officer who had earlier drilled into the sculpture wore a face of sincere trepidation. "Captain, I followed the procedures exactly when extracting it. This wasn't my doing."
Huang Yu's expression was grave. Coupled with Lu Shiyan's strange actions moments before, it seemed he had genuinely seen Su Wan's ghost.
Tales of spirits and ghosts have circulated in this world for millennia. While he had never seen one with his own eyes, traces could be found in common folklore.
He raised a hand, stopping the officer from speaking further.
My mother and Lu Shiyan threw themselves onto the pile of fragments, their faces unable to conceal their anguish. "My daughter! My poor daughter! You died so tragically!"
"Mom is sorry for you, daughter. Come back. Mom will never scold you again."
"You must be playing a joke on me, Wanwan. Stop it, okay? Come home."
Lu Shiyan, meanwhile, frantically gathered the fragments from the floor into his arms. The officers nearby quickly intervened.
"Mr. Lu, you need to calm down. These fragments are now crucial evidence. Please leave this area immediately."
Lu Shiyan's eyes were bloodshot, glaring at everyone like a madman crawled up from hell. "Get out! All of you, get away! Take your filthy hands off her! Don't touch my Wanwan!"
"Mr. Lu, if you continue like this, we will have to take compulsory measures."
Lu Shiyan was beyond listening to reason. His mind held only one thought.
"Wanwan, don't be afraid. I'm here. I've come to take you home."
Old Master Lu stormed over. Though his steps were unsteady, his bearing carried the authority of a general. He raised his cane and brought it down hard on Lu Shiyan's back. "You unfilial son! When she was here, you didn't cherish her! Now that Wan girl is gone, you won't even let her rest in peace!"
Beaten, Lu Shiyan didn't make a sound, tears streaming down his face. He still clutched a few fragments in his arms, crying like a child.
"Grandfather... I've lost Wanwan..."
The sky grew darker, the wind and snow intensifying.
Lu Yanchen looked at a bead that had rolled to his feet. It was a companion bead to the dzi bead Lu Shiyan wore, its material unknown, its surface smooth and milky white.
Lu Yanchen bent down and picked up the bead.
His voice was hoarse, as if scraped raw by the cold wind. "Let's go."
Shen Ji nodded and wheeled him away, disappearing into the wind and snow.
The rest was left for the police to handle.
After I dissipated within Lu Shiyan's embrace, it felt as if I had fallen into boundless darkness.
I didn't know where I was, or what state I was in now.
I opened my eyes. All around was pitch black.
Gradually, fragments of scenes began to appear before me.
Strangely, it was as if several naturally formed screens surrounded me.
On them appeared two little girls. Curiously, these two girls looked remarkably alike.
The only difference was that one had a bright red cinnabar dot in the center of her brow.
I understood. These two children were me and Jiang Wanwan.
We grew up in the same time, but in different cities.
My childhood was fortunate. Especially after Su Ning'an disappeared, my parents poured all their affection onto me. My grandparents also doted on me immensely.
Later, I even met Lu Shiyan. I grew up smoothly, without major setbacks.
In contrast, Jiang Wanwan's childhood was miserable.
Not materially poor, necessarily. From these fragments, I saw her father, Jiang Qing, whom I had met once.
He was very cold towards Jiang Wanwan and Xu Lan. He had another family on the outside.
Though it was unclear why he never divorced Xu Lan, the woman society recognized as Mrs. Jiang was the 'other woman,' and the children he acknowledged were the other woman's children.
Jiang Wanwan, the legitimate daughter, lived a life without a father, ostracized by others.
The original marriage alliance with the Lu family intended for Jiang Zhi to marry in. Jiang Zhi didn't want to marry a disabled man, so she proposed Jiang Wanwan take her place.
Having been marginalized for years, with the 'other woman's' daughter usurping her status, her boyfriend, her father, everything that was hers, Jiang Wanwan had long suffered from severe depression.
She didn't despise Lu Yanchen specifically; she despised the world itself. That's why she ended her life on that day.
Just to retaliate against her father's words: even if it's a corpse, it must be married into the Lu family.
My appearance shattered this deadlock.
It was the biggest upheaval in both our lives.
She wanted to die. I wanted to live.
Jiang Wanwan's sigh echoed in my ears: "It hurts so much..."
I saw again that girl in the black dress, who looked like a fairy but possessed no vitality.
I reached out and embraced this girl with whom I shared a similar plight.
"Don't be afraid."
She had also seen my past. Our eyes held mutual sympathy.
"Wanwan, will you live on for me?" she pleaded.
"Help me get revenge. Help me take care of my mother. Help me tell that person... I don't love him anymore."
"Okay!" I desperately needed her body.
In return, I would seek revenge for her and fulfill all her unfulfilled wishes.
I would also carry her regrets forward, walking under the brightest sunlight, allowing Jiang Wanwan to be reborn!
She touched my face. "Wanwan, you are stronger than me. You will surely succeed."
Though we had never met before, in death we developed a special, understanding bond.
We held each other tightly. "Wanwan, I will treat your mother as my own, with genuine feeling."
"Then I can rest easy. Wanwan, will we see each other again?"
I smiled faintly at her. "I don't know. Regardless of whether there is an afterlife, I hope you live a healthy and sunny life, Wanwan. Live for yourself, just once."
"Okay!" At that moment, the surrounding mirror-like fragments shattered, and an unseen force pulled us apart.
"Wanwan, goodbye." That beautiful young girl flashed me a brilliant smile.
"Wanwan..."
"From now on, there is no Su Wan in this world, only Jiang Wanwan." Before disappearing, Jiang Wanwan left these words in my ear.
Then, my body felt as if it was plunging into an endless abyss. I don't know how much time passed before I abruptly opened my eyes.
The stark whiteness before me felt uncomfortable, and I wanted to shield my eyes with the back of my hand.
Xu Lan's crying voice reached me: "Wanwan! You're finally awake..."