Chapter 388: I’m Only Happy, That’s All

2022-05-20

A sudden flash of lightning outside lit up the world like midday, making even the electric light inside seem dull by comparison. In that instant, Hu Ningning’s face appeared pale and ghostly, like a scene from a horror movie. The following clap of thunder crashed through the air, making my eardrums ring.

Yet just as quickly, everything went quiet again. That’s when I realized night had fully fallen. The rain outside still showed no sign of stopping. I couldn’t help but wonder where Gu Chen had driven off to by now—in this pitch darkness, it really wasn’t safe.

Hu Ningning stood up and closed the door tightly. “You have to keep this door shut, or the rain will blow right in,” she said.

She glanced outside at the pouring rain. “You’re right about one thing. The only reason they believed me is because I knew the details—so well that they couldn’t help but accept them. But they’re not as smart as you. You know, they never even bothered to ask who Zhang Zuochen’s friends were. Reality is, Zhang Zuochen didn’t have any friends at all.”

“Think about it. He was a boy with money, toys and snacks, but so timid that everyone wanted to pick on him. All you had to do was raise your voice, and he’d get scared, hand over his snacks, even let you take his toys. Faced with that… what would you do?”

We tend to take it for granted that the world is one way, but the world keeps proving we can never really guess how things truly are. We know what the universe looks like, how deep the deepest trench is in the ocean, but we can never know what the person sitting across from us is really thinking.

Hu Ningning spoke with practiced ease. “No one’s immune to temptation, you know? Human greed has no end. Why deny that? Why can’t we just follow our desires?”

“For you—”

Hu Ningning suddenly leaned in closer. “What would tempt you? Money? Power? Beauty? Or… the truth?”

None of the others mattered, but when she said that last word, it brought me up short.

She went on, “I can feel how much you’re chasing after the truth, how obsessed you are with it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be telling a nine-year-old girl about all this. But you must understand—not everyone actually wants to see the truth. I could tell you what really happened, but would anyone else believe it?”

“It doesn’t matter if others believe it or not. The truth is still the truth. It might be complicated, but it’s always pure, because it’s what actually happened. Some people would rather live in sweet dreams of their own making. Not me. Even if the truth is ugly or hard, I need to know it.”

“Then your guesses are all right—except for the part about Gu Hui.” Hu Ningning smiled. “Sometimes you put too much importance on a single person’s life. Maybe you always think killing someone must take a huge emotional toll—that they’ll lose sleep and jump at every sound.”

“But that’s not really how it is.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t worried about Gu Hui telling anyone. Honestly, you still don’t understand people. No matter how much time passes, Gu Hui will never say a word. Everyone only believed Teacher Gao was a monster because they listened to her. Now Teacher Gao is dead—do you think she’ll confess? The truth is, she was the one who killed him.”

Hu Ningning spoke with certainty. “She’ll never speak up. She might even try to forget it all. Maybe she never will, but she’ll pretend she has. That’s what people do—no one is an exception.”

“If that’s not the reason, then why did you kill Gu Hui?” I asked, my voice barely steady. “If not for her, Teacher Gao wouldn’t have been fired. She lied to help you, and you paid her back with murder?”

Hu Ningning just smiled. “Let me tell you another story. That day, it was pouring. A girl was bored at home, so she grabbed her umbrella and went to find Gu Hui. When Gu Hui saw her, she was happy—they were best friends, after all. The two of them went out together. The adults at home didn’t even notice that the girl had called Gu Hui out.”

Hu Ningning continued, “The girls strolled down the road under one umbrella, chatting and giggling. But the first girl didn’t see the puddle right at her feet and stepped straight in. It was deep—came up to her chest. She came out dripping with mud, looking a mess.”

She grinned at the memory. “It was hilarious. Gu Hui couldn’t stop laughing. Gu Hui’s actually a good kid, but she doesn’t understand that, for some people, ridicule hits harder than death. I worked so hard for years so no one in the village could mock me—Gu Hui never got it.”

“That’s not just being strong—that’s sick,” I said.

“Sick?” Hu Ningning shook her head. “You only say that because you weren’t the one being laughed at. The girl clawed herself out of the pit, still covered in mud, and Gu Hui was right there losing her mind with laughter. That sound reminded me of the mocking voices from my older cousins years ago. It made me furious.”

Her eyes flashed cold. “When I crawled out, she was still laughing. If you ever want someone to shut up for good, make sure they never get the chance to open their mouth again. That pit was interesting. When I fell in, it was so tight I barely got out thanks to my arm catching on the edge.”

“So you can probably guess the rest,” Hu Ningning continued. “I pushed her into the pit. Honestly, I didn’t think she’d go in so deep—her whole body disappeared. From the outside you couldn’t even tell there was a girl down there at all.”

“She didn’t say a word when she fell. I just watched the bubbles rise in the water.” Hu Ningning looked out the window, as if reliving the moment. “Funny, really—I thought I’d have to be careful she didn’t call for help, or that I’d have to push her down if she tried to climb out. But I stood there for a few minutes. She never made a sound. After a while I got bored and just went home.”

“Oh right.” Hu Ningning broke into a laugh. “I thought it through—heavy rain, empty streets—I could just wait for her to die. But it only took a few minutes. When I came back, no one even realized I’d left.”

“So I put on a bit of a show,” she said, glancing out the window. “I acted like I was just about to head out and ‘accidentally’ fell down in the courtyard. That explained where the mud came from and convinced everyone I’d been home all day.”

Her voice turned playful. “It took everyone a full day and night just to find Gu Hui’s body. Makes you wonder.”

Hu Ningning flopped onto the bed, looking completely unfazed.

“So why are you telling me this?” I asked, staring at her. “Aren’t you afraid of being caught?”

She burst out laughing and only calmed down after a while. “Big brother, what are you talking about? Do you have any proof? Besides, aren’t we just telling stories here? Everything I just said is just a story—surely you’re not taking it seriously? You’re way too cute.”

“Is it just a story?” I asked slowly, keeping my eyes on her.

Hu Ningning replied, “Of course. No matter who you tell my story to, it’ll always just be a story. And don’t forget—I’m not even fourteen yet. TV teaches us a lot, you know. I’m a good student, after all.”

She gave a bright smile. “Alright, big brother, I’ve said it’s just a story. Why are you being so serious?”

She picked up her phone.

I watched her go from cold and detached to a cheerful, lively neighbor girl in an instant. The sight filled me with dread. Hu Ningning always hides her true self, playing a different role for every person she meets, like she doesn’t have a real identity—like she is, somehow, all of us.

With a soft creak, the door opened and Hu Ningning’s grandmother walked in.

Seeing her grandmother, Hu Ningning beamed. “Grandma, grandma, I was just telling big brother a story! Is dinner ready? I’m so hungry.”

Her grandmother smiled and stroked her granddaughter’s face, her happiness clear as day after having her back safe.

“It’s ready, but your mom, dad and grandpa aren’t home yet. Let’s wait for them to eat together,” her grandmother said, glancing apologetically at me.

I spoke up, “Could I borrow an umbrella? I want to check on something…”