Chapter 7

The weight of life is far too light.

When the white shroud was lifted, my brother was reduced to a handful of ashes; later there was only an empty grave.

The first time I understood death, I lost the person I loved most.

He would never speak again, nor smile at me.

At my brother’s funeral, Mr. He and He Wei stood by He Yu’s side, comforting her.

I went up to question her: “Why did you message me and tell me to wait for you? Why did I wait so long and you never showed up? Did you…”

Did you do it on purpose?

I didn’t finish my sentence. Mr. He interrupted me: “Enough. Now is not the time to shift blame. The one who died was her own brother. She’s more upset than you are.”

I looked up at them.

He Yu seemed badly frightened, her face pale, unable to speak.

He Wei supported her, staring at me with a complicated expression, his eyes seeming to rebuke me for making a scene.

For a moment, I thought they looked like monsters with bluish faces and fangs.

But I took a step back. This time, my brother was no longer there to stand in front of me.

I went to the police, wanting those people to pay the price.

But the police said there was no surveillance on that stretch of road, no evidence, and it would be hard to convict anyone.

That was the first time I begged my parents.

I pleaded with them: “Dad, Mom, please, I’m begging you, help me. I want them to pay for what they did.”

They were silent for a while, looking conflicted. “Alright.”

They promised me.

They promised me.

But in the end, when the verdict was handed down, the ringleader was only sentenced to two years.

In court, the ringleader looked at me with a mocking smile.

So I started to wait for him to get out of prison.

During those unbearable days, I thought countless times about dying together with him.

But when the time finally came, all he did was play me a recording.

It was He Yu’s voice: “You want to get back at her? I can help you.”

I was stunned.

He laughed wildly: “Do you know why I only got two years? Of course, it’s thanks to your ‘good’ parents. I played them this recording, and they immediately agreed to help me.”

My ears seemed to stop working; his words cut deeper than the weapon in my hand.

He kept talking: “You begged them, but in the end, they still thought their own daughter was more important.”