He scaled the wall from the Lin family's villa to another.
Though it was a villa district, these villas were built close together in neat rows.
Their villa's roof was connected to the adjacent one.
The person on the roof was Lin Jiashan, Liu Sandao was certain. Hao Yumei's expression suggested she knew it too.
He appeared within the villa but did not help put out the fire, choosing instead to leave.
"Sister Mei, don't be sad," Bai Suxiang said, taking Hao Yumei's hand. Though the hand was icy cold, she felt no fear.
One who could appear in the air like this was either a celestial being or a ghost.
Hao Yumei, held by Bai Suxiang, sighed and said, "I never thought I'd drag you down with me this time!"
She had intended to comfort Bai Suxiang, but as she held her hand, she felt something different and immediately asked, "You? You're not like me?"
"This, I..."
Bai Suxiang stammered, unsure what to say.
She was also a human, yet she could float in the air? She didn't know how to explain it.
If she claimed to be a celestial being, how could she explain not saving them?
In her panic, she suddenly recalled what the "Hao" character god had said and spoke, "Your guardian spirit said you were unwilling to reincarnate due to lingering grievances, so they asked us to keep you within the jade artifact. Once you understand the truth, you will naturally..."
"Of course, I have lingering grievances. If it were you, would you be willing?" Hao Yumei immediately retorted, her emotions raw, unlike her living self.
"I..."
Before Bai Suxiang could finish, Liu Sandao put a hand up, signaling her to stop.
Whether human or ghost, one needed an outlet for their emotions. If she wasn't allowed to understand what truly happened, how could her heart find peace?
"I'm not blaming him for not saving me; I resent him for abandoning our bloodline! For neglecting his own children! Wuuuuh! Wuuuuh!"
"Why was he so heartless? Why?"
...
Without further argument, Hao Yumei wailed loudly, listing Lin Jiashan's transgressions. Liu Sandao and Bai Suxiang let her cry, watching the villas below.
Dawn had broken, and to protect Hao Yumei's spirit, Liu Sandao had cast a spell.
Inside the villas, the fire had been extinguished.
People were seen carrying three bodies out of the building, each covered with a white sheet.
Hao Yumei's mood was somber, especially upon seeing the two small, delicate corpses. Tears welled up in her eyes, unstoppable.
Yet, as soon as the tears left her eyes, they dissipated. Only her low, hoarse ghost cries could be heard.
Amidst the crowd, Lin Jiashan appeared.
His expression was blank, his brows furrowed, his face somber, appearing deeply saddened.
"It's him, he's the master of this house, he's finally back."
"Didn't you hear? It was their nanny who did this!"
"This nanny is truly wicked. Eating their food, drinking their water, and yet she could do something like this!"
"Yes, yes, exactly. I also heard that when she was building a house back home, the mistress even gave her a lot of money? Such a person is truly venomous!"
The whispers, initially a few scattered words, gradually grew into a clamor.
Someone, no one knew who, uploaded a video of the incident, which quickly caused a huge uproar online.
The authorities in Wu Kuai City quickly began investigating the matter.
The facts were clear: the fire was intentionally set by Qian Shumei. Qian Shumei did not offer much defense, as if she had already accepted everything.
She showed no emotional breakdown, as if all of this bothered her less than losing money at the gambling table.
Lin Jiashan had been busy with many things recently, except for work.
Online speculation ran rampant, and before the official announcement, results were already declared.
To bring peace to Hao Yumei as soon as possible, he cast a spell and brought Bai Suxiang to the courtroom. Hao Yumei, residing temporarily in the Qilin Jade, also heard the cause and effect and all the details in the courtroom.
Although there were explanations and omissions during the trial, every person or spirit making a judgment had their own intuition.
Qian Shumei recounted that when she locked Bai Suxiang in her room at the moment the fire broke out, Bai Suxiang was furious.
She had never imagined Qian Shumei would be so ruthless. She thought it was just a rash act due to gambling debts, but she never expected her to be so venomous.
Lin Jiashan, aside from the sadness etched on his face, showed no other abnormalities. His grief seemed to be reflected in public online comments; everyone understood he must be the most heartbroken.
He positioned himself in that role of grief and performed all the actions expected of him.
Many marveled, "A man so successful in his career, truly the best man in the world. Whether his wife was alive or dead, he remained devoted."
However, during the second, and final, trial before the ultimate judgment, Qian Shumei suddenly spoke, ready to tear down his facade: "He actually has someone else!"
Lin Jiashan was enraged, roaring, "Shut the hell up! If you hadn't set the fire for blackmail, none of this would have happened! You're trying to shift the blame now, who would believe your lies!"
His outburst redirected the anger of everyone in the court back to Qian Shumei. No one believed that a wicked woman would speak the truth.
Qian Shumei felt the pressure, the suffocating sensation of everyone in the court staring at her, as if they wanted to devour her.
She wished to escape this place, or this world, quickly.
The trial proceeded with a one-sided momentum, tilting in Lin Jiashan's favor. Ultimately, Qian Shumei was sentenced to death, and many rejoiced.
A wicked person finally met their just desserts; wasn't this a cause for great satisfaction?
Bai Suxiang and Liu Sandao also believed this was the end of the matter. But on the night Qian Shumei died, the Qilin Jade vibrated intensely.
It was Hao Yumei who pulled Bai Suxiang, urging her to accompany her somewhere. Bai Suxiang had no choice but to call Liu Sandao along.
As the two arrived above the Wu Kuai City First Prison, Hao Yumei's spirit drifted in the air.
Shortly after, Qian Shumei's spirit also floated up.
Liu Sandao and Bai Suxiang watched from a distance, it seemed like a final farewell between mistress and servant in this lifetime.
"The words of a dying man are often good. May she repent and receive Hao Yumei's forgiveness," Liu Sandao said calmly.
Bai Suxiang remained silent, watching them serenely.
They cried, they cursed; sometimes they pulled at each other, sometimes they kowtowed in apology...
A small golden light emerged from Qian Shumei's spirit and flew towards the Qilin Jade.
It was a good karma, though tiny, very tiny.
If only she had known this day would come, why had she acted that way in the first place?