The screech of brakes and the sound of impact came almost simultaneously.
Xia Qingyu's eyes widened, and before she could react, she saw Liao Tingting flung high into the air like a butterfly with broken wings, only to fall heavily.
That vibrant blue-green hair was the last image Xia Qingyu saw.
The next second, a hand covered Xia Qingyu's eyes, and Xia Qingtian's deep voice reached her ears, "Be good, don't look."
The moment happened too suddenly; Xia Qingtian was also startled and, as soon as she reacted, covered Xia Qingyu's eyes.
Everyone was stunned.
Liao Tingting's parents were also dazed. They rushed towards Liao Tingting like madmen, but could only see her lying there, continuously vomiting blood, watching a vibrant life fade before their eyes.
"Call the police!" shouted Father Liao, his face pale. "Phone! Emergency center! Call! Someone call! Tingting! Tingting!"
"Tingting! Look at Mommy! Look at Mommy!" Mother Liao cradled Liao Tingting's blood-stained face, her voice trembling, "Look at Mommy! Tingting!"
Her body convulsing in pain, Liao Tingting opened her mouth wide, blood gushing out. The broken bones and severe internal injuries made it impossible for her to even breathe.
Pain invaded every cell, and the world before her eyes gradually darkened.
The entire process didn't last long.
The arrival of the ambulance and police cars was merely a formality.
Father Liao and Mother Liao knelt on the spot like soulless figures.
The driver, also stunned, was helplessly trying to explain himself to the police.
More and more people were gathering.
Xia Qingtian didn't know what happened next. She led Xia Qingyu away from the hotel entrance and back to their room.
Xia Qingyu sat foolishly on the edge of the bed, appearing thoroughly shaken.
Xia Qingtian remained silent, extending her hand to gently embrace Xia Qingyu.
"Sister, can she... be saved?" Xia Qingyu's voice was muffled, as if trapped in a nightmare, unwilling to admit that what she had seen was real, yet knowing with certainty that it was.
Xia Qingtian knew very well that Liao Tingting was beyond saving, that a vibrant life had just vanished. Yet, she still held Xia Qingyu and whispered a mercifully vague answer, "I don't know."
"Then will her parents know they were wrong?" Xia Qingyu looked up at Xia Qingtian and asked.
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Xia Qingtian replied.
"But if they don't... won't Liao Tingting have died for nothing?" Xia Qingyu's gaze shifted slightly.
"Alas..." Taking a deep breath, Xia Qingtian placed her hands on Xia Qingyu's shoulders, looked directly into her eyes, and said, "If Liao Tingting's parents knew they were wrong, what difference would it make?
Humans are creatures that seek advantage and avoid harm. They won't dwell on such painful memories of failure for long.
Most likely, they will continue to resent and argue with each other. They might divorce, or they might not.
If they divorce, they will form new families, burying the failed marriage and their suicidal daughter in the past.
If they don't divorce, they are still young and might have another child. Watching this child grow, they might learn from their past experiences and ensure this child doesn't live an oppressive life. Or, they might continue to ignore this child they brought into the world, who might even resemble Liao Tingting, letting the child grow up in loneliness and follow in Liao Tingting's footsteps.
No matter what decision they make, from the moment Liao Tingting's life ended, she was destined to be forgotten, sealed away into her parents' shameful past."
"How could that be..." Xia Qingyu murmured, seemingly in disbelief, yet she knew with certainty that Xia Qingtian was right.
Such was human nature, and such were the facts.
"Qingyu, promise me, in this life, and the next, you will never, ever use your own life to punish anyone," Xia Qingtian said earnestly. "Because no life is so insignificant that it will be drowned by the river of history. Such punishment harms no one else; it only harms those who truly love you and yourself."
"I understand," Xia Qingyu met Xia Qingtian's gaze and nodded heavily.
She wanted to force a smile to put Xia Qingtian at ease.
But Xia Qingyu couldn't.
It was as if a black hole had sucked away all her positive emotions and ability to express them, leaving only exhaustion, pain, and sorrow.
"Be good, I'm here." Xia Qingtian knew Xia Qingyu was not alright and reached out to embrace her again.
Xia Qingyu said nothing more, simply letting Xia Qingtian hold her. After a long while, as if waking from a dream, she began to tremble and sob uncontrollably.
She cried out in grief for the passing of a life.
Xia Qingtian tightened her arm around Xia Qingyu's shoulders, staying quietly with her.
Xia Qingtian knew that words were useless at this moment. Simply being there was enough.
...
The incident happened very suddenly, and everyone was caught off guard. Miao Tong and Shi Xingwu, having spoken to Liao Tingting earlier, were also deeply impacted.
Shi Xingwu, in particular, looked pale, his ears ringing. The blue-green hair starkly contrasted with the vibrant red, yet they seemed to merge together.
It felt as if, at that moment, it was destined to become a lifelong nightmare he could never shake.
After a long while, Shi Xingwu finally came to his senses and squeezed out of the crowd with Miao Tong.
"I... I'm going back to my room first," Miao Tong's voice was muffled.
"Mm, I'll stay a bit longer..." Shi Xingwu felt that if he returned to his room or any confined space at that moment, he might vomit.
Not out of disgust, but...
He couldn't explain it, but the feeling was unpleasant.
"Mm, you go back early too. Don't think too much," Miao Tong patted Shi Xingwu's shoulder before turning to leave.
Shi Xingwu forced himself to take a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his stomach, trying to calm his mind, but it felt extraordinarily painful.
He began to walk away, towards a slightly more distant area. Before long, he saw a girl with a neat bob haircut sitting on a stone bench, her face pale.
It was clear she had also witnessed the scene.
Shi Xingwu initially didn't want to interfere, but seeing the girl looking as if she were about to faint, he approached and asked casually, "Are you okay?"
The girl looked up blankly. Her vacant eyes gradually focused, and she recognized Shi Xingwu as the one who had been joking around on the bus: "I'm... I'm fine."
"You don't seem like it," Shi Xingwu sat down beside the girl and asked, "My name is Shi Xingwu, what's yours?"
"My name is Lei Xirui," the girl replied softly, her voice a little quiet.