Chapter 142: A Life Rescued, a Plan Thwarted, and a Rose Offered

Alas, you won’t be flying anymore.

As Liu Ying teetered precariously on the rooftop’s edge, Liu Hong seized the moment of her distraction, lunging forward to grasp her wrist.

With a powerful tug, he pulled her back.

Thus, a life was snatched back from the reaper’s scythe.

Though it seemed a light task, the reality was fraught with danger.

Had Liu Ying struggled wildly, Liu Hong would have been pulled down with her, both plummeting to become nothing more than crushed tomatoes.

Fortunately, that grim outcome never materialized.

Liu Hong secretly exhaled in relief, then shook his head. Beads of sweat, trickling from his brow to the ground, attested to the recent peril he had faced.

After pulling Liu Ying away from the precipice, Liu Hong immediately retrieved a discarded belt from the ground and bound her hands and feet, preventing any further impulsive attempts to jump.

Beyond the shock of Liu Ying’s recent words, she was, after all, a girl he had once cared for. Despite her malicious nature, he could not simply stand by and watch her die.

As a man, he couldn’t afford to be petty.

At worst, he would simply go home and cry in solitude.

It would be a second, ‘widowed’ unrequited love.

Feeling a pang of frustration, Liu Hong reached for the middle-aged man’s discarded jacket and draped it over Liu Ying, concealing her exposed body from further view.

“Hahaha, fly! No one can stop me.”

Yet, Liu Ying continued to babble deliriously, as if in the throes of a fit, causing Liu Hong to frown involuntarily.

Had he not overheard Liu Ying’s words moments ago, Liu Hong wouldn’t be plagued by such worry now.

The news of Wang Fanran’s death had not even been released by the police.

There was no way Liu Ying could have known in advance.

Furthermore, the mention of ‘Haozi’ from her lips only now triggered a memory in Liu Hong: previously, when Wang Fanran had escaped from Lin Qing’s residential complex, his accomplice had been captured.

That accomplice was named Haozi!

Of course, if it were only the name Haozi, Liu Hong wouldn’t be so certain.

However, once linked to Wang Fanran, the name inevitably brought to mind this particular Haozi.

Wang Fanran’s accomplice in dog theft.

But if the truth were exposed and someone came seeking retribution, why would they only target Lin Qing?

Both he and Su Yao would also be implicated.

Or perhaps…

Had Lin Qing left evidence at the scene?

Or was it because Wang Fanran sought revenge on Lin Qing, leading others to trace the connections back to him?

Suddenly, Liu Hong’s head throbbed with his thoughts, yet he could not discern the underlying truth.

To find answers, he had to question Liu Ying!

However, seeing Liu Ying’s deranged state now, he doubted he could extract any coherent information from her.

Pondering these thoughts, Liu Hong stood at the rooftop’s edge and gazed downwards, scanning for Lin Qing and Su Yao.

When he had received Lin Qing’s message earlier, it had included a final instruction: after locating Liu Ying, he was to search the surroundings for Su Yao and Lin Qing.

Liu Hong had initially wondered why Lin Qing would say such a thing.

Now, it seemed Lin Qing had anticipated this all along!

Hmm.

The more he thought, the less he understood what was truly happening!

It felt as if the entire world was keeping secrets from him!

After a swift scan of the ground below, Liu Hong immediately spotted the conspicuously dressed-as-a-man Su Yao, accompanied by Lin Qing, who was in a maid’s outfit. He promptly waved towards them.

Though he yearned to descend and speak with Lin Qing at once, the situation on the rooftop remained unresolved. If Liu Ying were to have another change of heart after his departure, they would simply have to wait for the police to arrive…

****

“I told you long ago, you wouldn’t succeed.”

Once Liu Hong had successfully rescued Liu Ying, the tension in Lin Qing’s chest finally eased.

Afterwards, Lin Qing looked up to see Liu Hong waving towards him. Su Yao, no longer covering her face, lowered her hand, and the smile that had graced her lips vanished entirely.

Her dark eyes held a chilling indifference.

She had truly believed this time would be a success.

After all, with Liu Ying standing on the very edge of the rooftop, a single stumble would have sent her plummeting like a kite with a broken string.

Alas…

She hadn’t anticipated Liu Hong’s selflessness; he had disregarded his own life for Liu Ying, daring to rescue her from the brink and thwarting death’s arrival.

By now, she calculated, the effects of the drug were fading.

Liu Ying would soon regain her clarity.

This carefully orchestrated murder plot had, once again, failed.

“Indeed, it wasn’t a success. Even killing with a borrowed knife failed.”

As Su Yao listened to Lin Qing’s words, she didn’t turn to face him. Instead, she spoke with a sullen air, lamenting internally the loss of yet another opportune moment for murder.

Yet, even as Su Yao simmered in her frustration, Lin Qing suddenly raised a hand and gently, but firmly, gripped her chin, intending to turn her face towards him.

Su Yao, complying with Lin Qing’s unspoken wish, tilted her head, wondering what he intended.

‘Did he wish to gloat before her?’

‘Or would he righteously declare that justice would always triumph over evil?’

‘Perhaps he would simply urge her to cease her murderous ways?’

Though Su Yao had deliberately left clues while orchestrating these events, hoping Lin Qing would follow them, she hadn’t wanted to savor this exquisite experience alone.

It was like a grand feast, growing livelier and more intriguing with each additional guest.

A feast for one, however, was merely a solitary loneliness.

Since meeting Lin Qing, Su Yao’s monotonous murder plots had transformed into a desire for an audience, for someone to witness her fulfill her deepest obsession.

Su Yao had subtly invited Lin Qing, allowing the beautiful symphony to grow richer and more vibrant.

However, once Lin Qing had truly succeeded in thwarting her, the music in her ears began to grate, becoming harsh and discordant.

It was like fingernails scraping glass, emitting a piercing, painful sound.

Mocking her failure.

Even when success seemed imminent, the ultimate outcome was still failure.

Su Yao knew she couldn’t afford to be petulant or angry about this.

She understood that the outcome was decided; there was no need to force it further.

Yet, to see a murder plot on the verge of success only to have it suddenly fail, inevitably provoked a surge of vexation.

In this regard, Su Yao acknowledged her own immaturity.

As Su Yao mused on these thoughts and lifted her gaze to Lin Qing, her eyes were suddenly obscured by a fiery red hue, leaving her momentarily stunned.

A single red rose.

It was the very flower Lin Qing had just purchased.

Earlier, Su Yao had assumed Lin Qing bought the flower for her, but he had shaken his head. Why, then, was he offering her a flower now?

Su Yao’s once indifferent gaze shifted to one of confusion. She then looked at Lin Qing’s face, awaiting a suitable explanation.

“Though I wasn’t certain I could foil your plan, I had a strong intuition that I would succeed. For that, I needed a flower—to appease someone.”

As Lin Qing spoke, holding the rose, he seemed a little uncomfortable, his gaze darting away from Su Yao.

Indeed, that was precisely the case.

Upon seeing the student vendor approach with flowers, Lin Qing felt compelled to buy a bouquet, anticipating a potential need.

If his hunch proved wrong, he would still present it to Su Yao after the school festival, as a memento of their first experience there.

If he was right…

After Liu Hong rescued Liu Ying, the rose could serve as a calming gesture.

Having thwarted Su Yao’s murder attempts two or three times, Lin Qing believed that without some form of gesture, she might grow angry!

It was precisely this thought that led the rose to prove genuinely useful now.

However, Lin Qing wasn’t sure if his post-facto consolation would actually work.

“If you wish to appease me, why won’t you look at me first?”

Even as Lin Qing worried, Su Yao suddenly spoke, her voice perfectly calm and devoid of inflection, making her emotions utterly unreadable.

Seeing this, Lin Qing didn’t hesitate; he simply lifted his gaze to meet Su Yao’s.

“I accept your flower.”

Unlike her flat, uninflected voice, the chill in Su Yao’s eyes rapidly receded, and a smile reappeared on her face, replacing her previous impassive expression.

A single flower had swayed her.

It was truly unexpected.

Yet, she found herself unable to refute it.

She couldn’t even pretend otherwise.

She loved the flower Lin Qing had given her, and she loved his words.

They never annoyed her; in her heart, she simply adored them.

Gazing at the red rose, Su Yao had already decided: she would take it home.

She would personally press it into a dried flower specimen.

Only then could it be perfectly preserved forever.

Then, as she reached out to take the fresh flower from Lin Qing’s hand, Su Yao seemed to recall something. Looking at Lin Qing’s face, she still wished to win a point back for herself.

“Next time, I will definitely succeed.”

As Su Yao uttered these words, her expression was earnest, her cheeks slightly puffed out in a childish pout. To Lin Qing, such a Su Yao appeared remarkably endearing.

Being constantly around Su Yao was making him abnormal too.

Confronted with Su Yao’s declaration of murder, his demeanor ought to be far more serious.

Yet now, he actually felt like smiling…

“Hmm, I wish you success.”

The last time, at the slaughterhouse, with blood still seeping from the wound on his chest, Lin Qing had whispered to Su Yao, word for word, that with him by her side, she would never succeed in murder.

This time, at the school festival, he held a red rose and smiled as he wished her success.

The same situation, yet starkly different reactions.

It was utterly unexpected.

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of future awaited him and Su Yao…

However, there was no need to fret over future matters now.

He would cherish the present moment!

Even though Lin Qing knew he absolutely couldn’t fall for Su Yao, he allowed his heart a small measure of leniency.

To stay by Su Yao’s side.

Neither too close nor too far.

He had always been adept at controlling his desires, never abandoning himself for external reasons.

And so, it was the same when it came to Su Yao.

Su Yao was like a dazzling, vibrant fireworks display, or perhaps a cloud drifting across the sky.

One could only watch, never touch.

Even if Su Yao was an inescapable nightmare for others, for him, who had always been entangled by nightmares, she was a beautiful dream.

Just as Su Yao heard Lin Qing’s words of success, her eyebrows involuntarily arched upwards. She was about to speak when her sleeve was tugged.

Looking down, she saw a little girl in a black cloak suddenly enter her field of vision.

“Big brother, you’re in danger.”

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