Xichuan Province, a remote small town.
Yang Qi, wearing a baseball cap and a large trench coat he'd found somewhere, was walking briskly on the rather deserted street, glancing back occasionally, afraid that Ye Ling and the others would catch up.
He had been hiding in this nameless small town for over ten years, living in extreme fear every day, terrified of someone finding him.
Ten years of hiding had made his nerves extremely sensitive. Any slightest disturbance would make him flee immediately, living in constant fear.
Over the years, he even kept a pistol under his pillow when he slept.
"They finally found me... they finally found me..."
Yang Qi walked quickly, his hand tightly gripping the worn pistol in his pocket, his palm already sweating.
"I knew they would find me... they were bound to find me!"
Yang Qi muttered incessantly, his voice filled with terror, his body trembling.
"What are you muttering about?"
Suddenly, Ye Ling's voice sounded in Yang Qi's ear, making him jump!
Yang Qi looked up and saw Ye Ling, smiling, blocking his path!
Seeing Ye Ling suddenly appear, Yang Qi's hair stood on end. He turned to run, but Ye Ling easily grabbed his shoulder.
Yang Qi panicked and reached for the gun in his pocket, intending to blow Ye Ling's head off!
Ye Ling, pressing on Yang Qi's shoulder, said calmly, "This is a public street. If you make a move now, you won't survive."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Yang Qi trembled violently, his eyes filling with endless fear. "You, are you here to kill me?"
He tightly gripped the pistol in his pocket, not daring to look back, his entire body soaked in sweat.
Ye Ling smiled, "It seems you're in some kind of trouble... But don't worry, I'm not here to kill you. I just have some questions for you."
"If you cooperate well, I might be able to help you resolve the trouble you're currently facing, and even..."
"Let you see your daughter."
As soon as Ye Ling said this, Yang Qi's body jolted. He quickly turned around, staring at Ye Ling in shock, and asked somewhat hysterically, "What, what are you talking about? My daughter?"
Ye Ling narrowed his eyes and smiled, "It seems you don't know you have a daughter? Li Xiaomei gave birth to her."
"I, I actually have a daughter..." Yang Qi became incoherent. He looked at his trembling hands, his mind in chaos.
"I actually have a daughter... Where is she now?" Yang Qi suddenly became extremely agitated, grabbing Ye Ling's arms, his expression somewhat ferocious, "I want to see her!"
Ye Ling easily broke free from Yang Qi's grip and turned to walk towards the street corner, saying without looking back, "Your daughter is living well right now, you don't need to worry."
"I need to ask you some questions. Only after confirming you are not the true killer of Li Xiaomei can I trust you."
"I..."
Hearing Ye Ling's words, Yang Qi's eyes flickered, a hint of hesitation flashing in them.
He subconsciously took two steps back, appearing somewhat guilty.
However, after only a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward to follow Ye Ling.
For him, he was already a dead man with nothing, just a worthless life!
He had been surviving day by day, like a walking corpse.
But now, Ye Ling told him that he had a daughter alive in this world, which undoubtedly gave him hope to continue living!
The daughter Ye Ling spoke of was like a ray of light in his dark world, illuminating his path!
No matter if it was a trap ahead, he had to venture forward for his daughter!
Ye Ling noticed Yang Qi's subtle movement, lowered his gaze, and his thoughts became active.
Yang Qi's earlier guilt suggested that even if he wasn't the killer, he was somehow related to Li Xiaomei's death.
Perhaps an accomplice, or someone who stood by and did nothing.
However, no matter what Yang Qi had done to Li Xiaomei back then, from the current situation, Yang Qi was definitely greatly involved in Li Xiaomei's death!
Finding Yang Qi this time might shed some light on the truth of that year.
Ye Ling thought to himself, leading Yang Qi to a small, old coffee shop in town, ordered two coffees, and then sat on the sofa, calmly staring at Yang Qi, who sat opposite him.
The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive.
Under Ye Ling's imposing aura, Yang Qi became timid again, not daring to meet Ye Ling's eyes. He slightly pulled down the brim of his hat, lowered his head, and hid himself in the shadows.
Perhaps in this way, he could gain some sense of security.
"Sir, please enjoy."
The waitress from the coffee shop placed the coffees on the table with a sweet smile, then quietly retreated.
The afternoon sun shone in through the window, making the small town appear exceptionally peaceful.
Ye Ling, looking through the steam rising from the coffee, said to Yang Qi, "Tell me, what was your relationship with Li Xiaomei back then?"
"And, tell me everything about why Li Xiaomei died."
Yang Qi lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before saying, "I... met Xiaomei at Xichuan University. She transferred into the school midway. She didn't fit in with her surroundings and didn't have many friends at school, often frequenting the library alone."
"At that time, I was also very withdrawn and friendless. I always felt she was very much like me, a lost soul. So, I tried to approach her, and slowly... we became friends in secret."
"After becoming friends with her and getting to know her better, I discovered that she wasn't an introverted and sensitive person at all. Everything was a facade she put up."
"In reality, she was warm, kind, and generous. All her qualities deeply attracted me."
"What shocked me even more was her mastery of computers, surpassing all of us, even the professors at the school... Everything about her was too mysterious, too dazzling. I became increasingly curious... why did she hide her true self from her classmates?"
"I wanted to understand her more and more, unable to suppress my love, I launched a fierce courtship towards her, but she always refused."
"I knew she liked me in her heart, but for some reason, she didn't dare to accept me..."
"Later, one time, I asked her out for dinner alone. I deliberately drank a lot with her, thinking that after she got drunk, she would accept me. But unexpectedly, after we both got drunk, things got out of hand, and we did something in a drunken stupor..."
"Don't make excuses for your sordid actions."
Ye Ling's eyes turned cold, "From what you're saying now, if I find out that Li Xiaomei was with you unwillingly, I can guarantee that you won't be walking out of this coffee shop today."
Yang Qi shivered and said, "I know I'm a scumbag... That incident deeply hurt Xiaomei... I wanted to beg for her forgiveness, but from that day on... we became complete strangers, and she never spoke to me again."
"I admitted I was wrong and never dared to pester Xiaomei again, only daring to watch her from afar, just hoping she would forgive me one day."
"And then... Xiaomei disappeared..."
"She completely vanished from my world... No one knew where she was."
"Disappeared?" Ye Ling frowned.
"Yes..." Yang Qi nodded grimly, "I searched for her frantically, but I couldn't find her... I only managed to... find a letter she left for me."
"A letter... that completely changed my life."