Chapter 1

Chapter 1

October 7th, the final day of the National Day holiday.

Nan Mu’s mother called again. She said his second aunt had introduced a girl to him-another graduate student who currently worked in the lab of Wisdom Biotechnology, a famous company in City A. Apparently, she specialized in polymer materials…

Nan Mu felt a headache coming on. He tried to brush her off, hoping to end the call quickly.

“Do you have any idea how old you are? You’re in your mid-thirties! Do you really think men are more desirable the older they get?!” His mother, sensing his perfunctory attitude, was fuming. “You said you wanted a girl with a master’s degree? Fine, I found you a graduate student. Then you said she had to study materials science? Fine, this time she didn’t just study it, she’s actually researching materials in a lab… What exactly are you still dissatisfied with? Do you think you’re an emperor selecting a concubine?”

Nan Mu rubbed his temples, exhausted. Just as he was about to say that spending the rest of his life alone sounded perfectly fine, a sudden news bulletin on the television caught his attention.

“We interrupt this program with a breaking news report. An employee named Wen Tangtang at the renowned City A firm, Wisdom Biotechnology, engaged in a verbal altercation with her supervisor, Xu Lei, due to work-related issues. The dispute escalated into a knife attack. During the struggle, the supervisor, Xu Lei, died at the scene. Wen Tangtang’s boyfriend, Wen Xin, was stabbed by Xu Lei while allegedly assisting in the assault. He is currently being rushed to the First Affiliated Hospital of A University of Science and Technology Medical School for emergency treatment. The suspect, Wen Tangtang, has been apprehended by the police. It is reported that the deceased, Xu Lei, was a well-known scientist in the field of biological cloning and a recipient of the Nobel Prize…”

Nan Mu practically bolted upright from the sofa.

Wen Tangtang? How could it be her!

Nan Mu rushed to the elevator. After pressing the button, he stood there in a daze for a moment.

He and Wen Tangtang hadn’t been in contact for ten years. At this moment, he realized with a jolt that he didn’t even know who to call to reach her.

He headed down to the basement and sat in his car. Flipping through his contacts, he found that almost no one he knew had any connection to Wen Tangtang. Frustrated, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel.

The horn let out a low blare, reminding him of the news report stating that Wen Xin had been rushed to the First Affiliated Hospital of A University of Science and Technology Medical School.

Nan Mu’s car practically peeled out of the parking space. He kept his foot floored on the accelerator the entire way.

It wouldn’t be easy to see a criminal suspect at a time like this. He searched through his phone contacts while driving and finally found the number for Qiu Ziyu.

The phone rang twice before someone picked up.

“Well, I’ll be damned. You’re actually calling me of your own accord…”

“I need a favor. I want to see Wen Xin-the one from the Wisdom Biotech Company murder case in today’s news.”

“I knew it. You never call unless something’s up.” Qiu Ziyu clicked his tongue. “Wen Xin was sent to the hospital. I’m actually here right now, but he’s in bad shape. He’s still in surgery, and it’s hard to say if he’ll make it… You know him?”

“Classmate.” Nan Mu paused, then added, “He’s Wen Miao’s brother.”

The other end of the line fell silent instantly, likely because Qiu Ziyu couldn’t find the right words for a moment.

“After Wen Miao died, I lost touch with Wen Xin and Wen Tangtang. That’s why I need your help. I have to see them.”

“Wen Tangtang knew Wen Miao too? Why do they all have the surname Wen?” This time, Qiu Ziyu seemed to catch onto a key detail.

“Yes, the two of them are sisters.”

“Wait. They’re sisters, Wen Xin and Wen Tangtang are boyfriend and girlfriend, and Wen Xin is Wen Miao’s brother… Did I hear that wrong, or did you get it mixed up?”

Nan Mu was in no mood to explain the intricacies of the Wen family to Qiu Ziyu right now. “You’ll find out soon enough once the investigation report is released. Just find a way to let me see them first.”
“Brother, I’m telling you the truth,” Qiu Ziyu sighed. “The person Wen Tangtang killed wasn’t just anyone. That was Xu Lei, a renowned figure in the world of physical sciences. The upper echelons are shaken. She’s the primary suspect now, so seeing her is definitely out of the question in the short term. Wen Xin is currently being resuscitated because his life is hanging by a thread. If you get here in time, I can find a way to let you in to see him. But honestly, his situation is grim; the doctors have already issued three critical condition notices.”

“I’ll be there immediately!” Nan Mu said before hanging up, pushing the car even faster.

=

By the time Nan Mu put on the surgical scrubs and entered the operating room, Wen Xin was already at death’s door.

However, when he saw Nan Mu, a sudden, fervent light unexpectedly flickered in his eyes.

Following Wen Xin’s gesture, Nan Mu found a key in his trouser pocket.

Wen Xin used almost every ounce of his remaining strength to squeeze out a few words. “Go… go back…”

“Go back where?”

Before Nan Mu could understand Wen Xin’s intention, the man breathed his last breath the moment he finished the sentence.

The doctors pushed Nan Mu aside and used the defibrillator, but they still couldn’t bring Wen Xin back. His open gown revealed a body covered in blood, a sight that mirrored Wen Miao lying in a pool of blood ten years ago.

The dense, suffocating crimson made it hard for Nan Mu to breathe. A dull ache began to throb in his prefrontal lobe, and the medical instruments in the doctors’ hands seemed to distort in his vision. His eyes were failing to focus on anything again.

While Nan Mu was in a daze, Qiu Ziyu grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the operating room.

At the same time, a large group of people in police uniforms arrived outside the room.

Though his consciousness was hazy, Nan Mu knew he couldn’t stay here. He gritted his teeth and followed Qiu Ziyu away from the scene.

The two avoided the crowds and reached a hospital corridor, where Nan Mu leaned against the wall, clutching his forehead.

“What’s wrong? Is your dizziness acting up again?”

Nan Mu didn’t answer. He leaned against the wall with his eyes closed for a long time before slowly opening them. The objects in front of him gradually came into focus, and Qiu Ziyu’s concerned gaze met his.

Exhaling softly, Nan Mu nodded. “I’m fine now.”

Qiu Ziyu sighed. “It’s been so many years. I thought you’d gotten much better. Ever since Wen Miao…”

Nan Mu didn’t want to recall the tragic state Wen Miao was in when she died before his eyes. Before Qiu Ziyu could finish, Nan Mu interrupted him with downcast eyes. He recounted what had happened in the operating room and took out the key Wen Xin had given him.

“Go back?” Qiu Ziyu toyed with the key, mulling over Wen Xin’s final words. “Could it be A University of Science and Technology? Since he used the word ‘back,’ it implies a place you’ve definitely been to before… Didn’t you say that after Wen Miao died, you all gradually lost touch? The only place that would warrant saying ‘go back’ should be A University of Science and Technology.”

Ten years ago, Nan Mu, Wen Miao, Wen Xin, and Wen Tangtang had all been students at A University of Science and Technology.

“And this key-could it be for a classroom? A place you used to frequent?”

Qiu Ziyu asked this because smart locks were so prevalent now; everyone was used to unlocking doors with fingerprints or passcodes. Very few people in the city still kept such a troublesome method of entry. Moreover, both Wen Xin and Wen Tangtang were high-tech talents with very substantial monthly salaries.