Jiang Nanshu only felt the sun was blinding. She abruptly opened her eyes to find herself in a three-meter-wide alley.
Her mind sobered up in an instant, and she barely managed to stop running before she reached the mouth of the alley.
A large truck zoomed past her at a distance of just three centimeters.
The wind whipped up by its speed blew her black hair about.
The suffocating sensation of seawater still lingering, Jiang Nanshu took deep breaths.
Looking down at her pale hands, her slender arms were covered in purple bruises from needles.
She was back.
The sense of joy lasted but a second.
She was suddenly seized from behind by a group of people who twisted her arms, pressed her head down hard, and pinned her against the wall, immobilizing her.
“Heh, the little lady sure can run.”
Jiang Nanshu turned her head to look at the middle-aged man with a scruffy beard walking towards her, his sweat odor making her nauseous.
The man saw Jiang Nanshu’s look of disgust.
He grabbed her chin forcefully, revealing his yellow teeth, “Bitch, you’ve got a pretty face at least. Keep running, continue the chase. You’ll see what’s coming when we get back.”
They were the guards from the mental hospital, in reality, monitors Zhou Yanbai had placed there.
“Get lost.”
Her cold demeanor completely infuriated the man.
In their eyes, Jiang Nanshu was a prisoner, with her life or death at the discretion of their boss.
He raised his hand and slapped Jiang Nanshu across the face, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
The pain on her cheek awakened the violent streak deep within Jiang Nanshu.
She forcefully broke free from the grip and snatched an electric baton from the guard behind her, beating the man mercilessly with it.
“Control her, she’s having another attack. Sedative! Give her the sedative!”
The man was knocked to the ground by Jiang Nanshu, powerless against her relentless assault.
Jiang Nanshu picked up a stone and smashed it onto the man’s head.
A cold fluid was forcefully injected into her skin.
Before she passed out, Jiang Nanshu caught a glimpse of the distressed young nurse, Xu Yun, running towards her.
…
In fact, Jiang Nanshu didn’t have to leave.
In the world within the book, she was at her most relaxed and happy.
She didn’t have to fear her parents’ beatings, didn’t have to pressure herself into becoming a fine lady in the eyes of high society, nor did she worry about revenge from her enemies—she was so formidable, who could defeat her?
She was reminded again of her friends’ warm inquiries, her memory vague as though returning to the day she jumped into the sea.
The seawater was really cold.
When she was swept away, she only wished to die a bit faster.
But a figure swam desperately towards her, holding on to her hand tightly in the surging sea, unwilling to let go even half-drowned, stubbornly dragging her towards the shore.
Jiang Nanshu saw Lu Qingyan cry so helplessly for the first time, even more than when he was betrayed.
He kept shaking her, giving her cold body mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and it seemed like he was saying something.
Jiang Nanshu couldn’t hear clearly, only his choked sobs.
She had thought that even if she died, Lu Qingyan wouldn’t spare her a glance.
I never expected he would be so heartbroken.
Like his wife had died…
Ah, wrong, he was a widower indeed.
I even saw my five brothers rushing over, but they were too late; Lu Qingyan had already taken my body away.
Fifth Brother only found my shoes and mobile phone left on the wooden bridge.
He cried, wanting to jump into the sea to find me, but was stopped by our eldest brother.
He called the police in agony.
Second Brother’s usually indifferent facade cracked for the first time, his eyes red as he stared at the turbulent sea.
And third brother, he gazed at the mobile phone with a dark, indecipherable look in his eyes.
Jiang Nanshu thought, he must be looking at the nuisance call she had made.
Did he regret not hearing the last words she wanted to impart?
Actually, it didn’t matter; her last message had already been recorded on her phone.
As long as they charged her phone, they could find out.
Had Fourth Brother just come from the award ceremony?
He hadn’t even had time to change out of his formal attire.
He was sure to make the news headlines again tomorrow.
The salvage team searched for two days and still hadn’t found her.
Jiang Nanshu really wanted to tell them that Lu Qingyan, that guy, had taken her away.
They just had to get her back from him, cremate her body, and then, could they please check her mobile phone, show some respect for the deceased!
Luckily, they finally remembered her mobile phone.
Jiang Nanshu perked up with interest as she drew close.
They quickly found her recording.
This time, Jiang Nanshu did listen clearly.
Her voice was crisp: “By the time you hear this recording, I should have already committed suicide. I know you can hear what’s in my heart, and I know you’ve changed your destinies because of it. At first, I was really angry. I felt like a monkey, being toyed with. But you’ve all been really good to me. I’m so bad, yet none of you got angry. I thought you accepted my flaws. Later, when you couldn’t hear me anymore, everyone was so busy, barely having time to exchange a few words with me. I started to think, if you could still hear me, you’d still be revolving around me, unlike later when we couldn’t meet even once in half a year.”
“Anyway, talking about this is meaningless. I am Jiang Nanshu, from beginning to end, the one and only Jiang Nanshu. I wish you happiness. When you find my body, remember to cremate me and scatter my ashes in the sea.”
“Oh right, and there’s Lu Qingyan, help me pass a message to him. I know I wronged him. Everything I did to him was with an ulterior motive. I’m a big liar, a bad person, but I still quite liked him, because he was really good to me. He always took care of all my emotions, like my dad… cough, I’ve digressed. I’m already dead; just let him forgive me. Why hold a grudge against a dead person, it’s so exhausting. Also, I’ve transferred all my inheritance to Ji Ze. Brothers, help me watch over him, and don’t let him touch the money until he’s of age, and make sure he doesn’t do anything bad. My foster mother is not in good health; don’t let her find out. Just tell them I’ve gone abroad to study.”
“And then there’s Xixi and the others; this sudden departure of mine will probably drive her crazy, help me apologize to her. I broke my promise about the graduation trip. She’s a really good girl, she’ll meet friends even better and more reliable than me. Sister Yan doesn’t need me to say anything, she’s amazing, even men can’t necessarily compete with her. And Yang Jiashu… Now that the Six Love Organization is disbanded, he will probably be very upset. The rest of you live well. That’s all for my final message, goodbye.”
The recording ended.
Jiang Yunchuan was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Jiang Nanshu couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it must have all revolved around her death.
Her consciousness grew more and more muddled.
Someone was crying incessantly by her ear.
“Jiang Nanshu, I swear, even if it costs me my life, I will make you come back!”
Jiang Nanshu’s consciousness snapped back.
Before her eyes was a white ceiling, and the smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils.
Indeed, there was crying by her ear – a young nurse was sobbing, tenderly applying ointment to her face.
Upon seeing Jiang Nanshu awaken, she started to scold, “We told you not to fight, to stop brawling. You always get yourself so badly hurt. Does it hurt, Nannan?”