Chapter 324: Schemes of a Young Heart

2022-05-20

Although that man couldn’t be absolutely sure whether the mysterious employer—who refused to show his face—was the same person as the arrested high schooler Lü Xiangyang, after a bit of reasoning it became clear: the mysterious employer was definitely Lü Xiangyang.

Unlike Jiang Xiaochun, Lü Xiangyang deliberately drew attention to himself from the very start. What should have been a trivial event—a simple game competition between peers—he painted with a mysterious air, calling it ‘revenge.’

He deliberately used the word ‘revenge’ to catch our attention. When we heard that Lü Xiangyang had said ‘revenge’ out loud, it was only natural for us to link it to a deep sibling bond. And so, our investigation steered in that direction—pursuing Lü Xiangyang.

While tracking down Lü Xiangyang, our focus shifted away from Jiang Xiaochun, which eased some of the pressure on her. This wasn’t as simple as one plus one; when a case got messy, its influence more than doubled.

To make sure we firmly believed he was the returning avenger, Lü Xiangyang used the word ‘revenge’ to catch our eye.

Secondly, he purposely used his girlfriend’s phone to book a ticket, making it much easier for us to track his movements. If Lü Xiangyang had booked with his own phone, his disappearance would’ve gone unnoticed much longer. But by using his girlfriend’s phone, investigating his social ties made it simple to spot the clue.

By sheer coincidence, a doodle Lü Xiangyang had once scribbled on his girlfriend’s school uniform ended up identically matching the glow-in-the-dark drawing on the glass that scared Luo Ding to death. This only convinced us further that Lü Xiangyang was deeply involved. So our attention locked onto him as the likely avenger returning home—creating the perfect cover for the real killer.

With Lü Xiangyang’s carefully laid plans, all suspicion fell right onto him. Naturally, we followed the path he’d set, heading to the train station to investigate. Yet when we looked, it turned out Lü Xiangyang never even traveled south. He’d just wandered around the station before leaving.

At that point, all fingers pointed at Lü Xiangyang. He had the time, ability and motive to commit the crime. And it was then that Jiang Xiaochun started her killing spree. Even Jiang Xiaochun herself was surprised at how smoothly things went. But without Lü Xiangyang drawing all suspicion onto himself, things wouldn’t have been so easy.

By the time the murders were almost over, it was Lü Xiangyang’s turn to prove his own innocence. For Lü Xiangyang, clearing his name was just a matter of time. But he couldn’t reappear on his own—someone had to rescue him.

Aside from the man Lü Xiangyang hired, nobody else knew who he truly was. In fact, even that man wasn’t sure if Lü Xiangyang was the mysterious employer. Just like that, an unlucky young man ended up caught in the middle.

Without realizing it, they’d played out Lü Xiangyang’s drama perfectly—all for a ten-thousand yuan fee, never even knowing they’d been used.

We’d all been fooled by a kid with a mind sharper than anyone expected. Who would believe a seventeen-year-old could be so cunning? Even after all the disguises failed, he still held a backup plan—one we couldn’t do a thing about.

My thoughts raced. Every time I figured a piece out, an icy chill swept over me. I’ve always been one to assume the worst about people. Human nature’s darkest corners taught me that even if a person’s motive is love, the ugly and filthy parts still exist in the process.

If all my deductions are correct, we’re left with a staggering conclusion. Had Jiang Xiaochun forgotten her revenge after seven years of silence? Did that photo appear just to reignite her desire for vengeance? If that picture never surfaced, would she have simply kept living her quiet life, never thinking about revenge again?

But there was someone else—Lü Xiangyang, who deeply loved his sister. Childhood leaves a mark that colors a lifetime, and most psychological wounds begin with what we experience as kids.

The love children receive shapes their whole life. Even if Lü Xiangyang’s parents favored sons over daughters and spoiled him materially, material love can’t make up for emotional nurturing—they’re both vital.

It was always Lü Zhiqiu who raised her little brother Lü Xiangyang, providing the emotional support and education that their parents never could. Perhaps at ten years old, Lü Xiangyang didn’t fully grasp his sister’s death, nor the cruelty of how she’d been killed. But as he grew up, Lü Xiangyang gradually understood what had really happened.

He had been too young back then—he’d never even seen the scene, and only knew fragments about what happened seven years ago. He knew his sister had been killed, but not the reason, the killer, or even where she died.

But Lü Xiangyang did know that his sister had a close best friend. When he was five or six, he’d met this friend of his sister’s. Maybe children are perceptive—perhaps even then, Lü Xiangyang realized Jiang Xiaochun liked his sister, maybe even loved her.

So Lü Xiangyang began investigating Jiang Xiaochun. Step by step, he learned more and more. One day, Lü Xiangyang got hold of a certain phone. During his investigation, he discovered Jiang Xiaochun was also plotting revenge. That’s when Lü Xiangyang started crafting a plan—a plan to use someone else as his blade.

As a minor, still in school, if Lü Xiangyang disappeared suddenly, everyone would be suspicious. His parents would launch a full search. It would be too risky for a murderer to attract that kind of attention. So Lü Xiangyang chose not to act openly.

Instead, he left the phone outside Jiang Xiaochun’s door. Once Jiang Xiaochun picked it up, her plan began.

And through it all, Lü Xiangyang quietly watched from the shadows.

Of course, these are only my speculations. Still, I wonder—how could someone as clever as Jiang Xiaochun not sense something was off? Why didn’t she question why a phone suddenly appeared outside her door? Why did she take it and go along with it so willingly?

It’s not the first reaction most people would have. When Jiang Xiaochun saw the phone and the photo of Lü Zhiqiu, she must’ve realized it was intentional.

I slapped my forehead. How did I miss something so obvious? When Jiang Xiaochun saw the phone and the photo, she probably understood exactly who’d left it, and that’s when she decided to act.

Because she knew—someone else wanted justice for Lü Zhiqiu. And if that someone existed, it could only be Lü Xiangyang. That realization must’ve prompted her to move at once.

That moment was an unspoken understanding between the two. From then on, they both knew they weren’t alone. But in the end, Jiang Xiaochun chose to shoulder the burden herself. She understood that if she didn’t do it, Lü Xiangyang would step in before long.

If someone had to kill, if someone needed to pay the price, then let it be Jiang Xiaochun. She couldn’t bear to let Lü Zhiqiu’s little brother die, too.

Only now do I understand the look Jiang Xiaochun gave me on the hillside at the end. I used to think it was helplessness and sorrow—a complicated mix after we exposed her lies and she chose suicide. But now I see it was relief—it was the gaze of someone finally set free.

***

Maybe Jiang Xiaochun had always been waiting for Lü Xiangyang to finally grow up.

Only after that could Lü Xiangyang truly let go of his sister’s tragedy, and only then could Jiang Xiaochun follow Lü Zhiqiu in peace.

So, let it all end with Jiang Xiaochun. Perhaps that’s the real reason for her self-destruction. Someone has answered for these events—there’s no need to investigate further. I don’t know if this was Jiang Xiaochun’s third and deepest lie, but my heart says yes.

If Deng Xuemei’s death wasn’t enough to stop the investigation, then maybe Jiang Xiaochun’s own death would be. Who would imagine that behind Jiang Xiaochun stood Lü Xiangyang all along?

So many times, I’ve found myself wondering: what exactly is love? Was Lü Xiangyang’s need for revenge love? Was Jiang Xiaochun’s choice to sacrifice herself for him love? Even Liang Mei’s fierce need to protect her own child—was that love too?

But if it’s all called love, why does love lead to killing? Isn’t love supposed to be the most wonderful thing in the world?

Maybe love and hate aren’t so different after all—neither one higher nor lower. They’re both just human nature.

Now that I know all of this was orchestrated by Lü Xiangyang—yet he never personally killed anyone—what do I do? Should I treat what I’ve figured out as a story and let it go, or find Lü Xiangyang and expose the truth?

How am I supposed to make that choice?