Chapter 28: Jin Yuan Has Been in a Car Accident

At the moment those words were spoken, Hu Tou and I froze where we stood, as if turned into pillars of ice.

Jin Yuan, whom we had tied up, suddenly stopped struggling and silently bowed his head.

Li Xiang, usually a bit of a fool but possessing a temper as explosive as gunpowder, slammed the Apple phone onto the bed and grabbed Jin Yuan by the collar, roaring, "Tell me, what’s going on with this phone? How did the phone Ren Yunwen took from the grave end up in your hands?"

Jin Yuan’s mouth was gagged, so he couldn't speak. Hu Tou, being the sharper one, quickly stepped forward and removed the cloth from Jin Yuan’s mouth. Yet, Jin Yuan remained silent.

Li Xiang shook him violently by the collar. "Are you mute? Speak to me, damn it!"

Jin Yuan’s face turned deathly pale from the shaking, but he still didn't say a word. I walked over and pulled Li Xiang back. "Let me handle this."

Li Xiang, fuming with rage, glared at me for a long moment before finally stepping aside. I approached Jin Yuan, but unlike Li Xiang, I didn't pressure him. I spoke in the tone I usually used with him: "Jin Yuan, we’ve been roommates for a long time now. We’ve always called each other brothers; I feel like you should tell us about this."

Jin Yuan turned his head to look at me, and finally, he let out a single sentence: "It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, I just don’t want you guys getting dragged into this."

Li Xiang, standing nearby, couldn't hold back anymore. "Jin Yuan, let me tell you, I hate it when people talk to me like that. If you don’t tell us, it means you don’t consider us friends."

Li Xiang wanted to continue, but I stopped him. I looked at Jin Yuan and said, "Don't hide it anymore. Tell us. I can help you."

"You?" Jin Yuan looked skeptical, but I nodded firmly.

Jin Yuan hesitated for a long time before nodding. "Since you’ve found out, I suppose I can tell you, but I still hope you don't get involved."

"Do you know why I haven't chased girls or acted like Li Xiang since I started college?" Jin Yuan asked himself, then answered, "I used to be a playboy. My family was wealthy, and back in high school, I would change girlfriends every week. But then I met her, and from that moment on, she occupied every corner of my heart. There was no room left for anyone else."

As he spoke, Jin Yuan sank into his memories.

That year, Jin Yuan was sixteen, and the girl was fifteen. Her name was Chen Ke'er, a classmate of his. She wasn't beautiful; she was quite ordinary. Jin Yuan, a wealthy second-generation heir, was dashing and arrogant. Usually, he wouldn't even spare Chen Ke'er a glance.

However, a sudden, violent rainstorm changed everything.

School had ended, and Jin Yuan had fallen asleep at his desk. When he woke up, the classroom was empty. Outside the window, a torrential downpour was raging, accompanied by fierce winds.

Jin Yuan was anxious. How was he supposed to get home in such weather?

He took out his phone and first contacted his wealthy friends, hoping one of them would drive over to pick him up. But none of his rich buddies were willing to make the trip in such terrible weather. In reality, they were just lounging at home, sleeping.

Jin Yuan’s heart turned cold. It was clear that these "brothers" he bragged about didn't care about him at all.

He then thought of the girls he had dated. He had spent a fortune on them; surely, asking them to bring an umbrella wasn't too much to ask? But after making the calls, his heart turned to ice. The women who claimed to love him when they were taking his money all found various excuses to refuse. Some even demanded he pay them first if he wanted an umbrella delivered.

As a rich kid, Jin Yuan was used to being arrogant and imperious; he couldn't stand such humiliation. He cursed them out and hung up.

He had never faced such a blow. He rarely associated with the boys in class because of his abrasive personality; many of them secretly loathed him and would have loved to see him suffer.

Still, there were a few sycophants who usually pandered to him. With no other options, he called them, hoping to borrow an umbrella.

But when he heard the mocking laughter on the other end, his hopes were shattered. "What's wrong, Jin Yuan? Aren't you a rich kid? Can't even get an umbrella? If you want one, pay up, and we'll bring it."

Listening to their mockery, he hung up again. For a moment, he felt despair. But born into a wealthy family, Jin Yuan had always felt superior to others. He had never admitted defeat, and he wouldn't start now.

If he didn't have an umbrella, so be it. He’d walk home in the rain. He didn't want to owe anyone anything. With that thought, he shouldered his bag and headed downstairs.

Just then, a voice called out to him. Jin Yuan turned back to see Chen Ke'er standing behind him with a smile. "Jin Yuan, you haven't gone home yet? I saw you sleeping; did you just wake up?"

Their relationship was merely that of ordinary classmates, but at that moment, seeing the smile on Chen Ke'er’s face, Jin Yuan felt a warmth in his heart. He could tell her smile was genuine, completely different from the sycophantic grins he was used to.

Jin Yuan was stunned for a moment before saying, "Yeah, I haven't left yet, but I’m about to."

He continued toward the exit. Just then, a flash of lightning tore across the sky, followed by a thunderous crack. Startled, Jin Yuan instinctively stepped back toward the stairwell.

Chen Ke'er’s voice sounded behind him again. "Jin Yuan."

He turned around, and Chen Ke'er was already there, holding an umbrella out to him. In that instant, Jin Yuan couldn't help but reach out and take it.

Chen Ke'er smiled at him, rushed to the stairwell, and ran out into the torrential rain.

Standing at the entrance, Jin Yuan watched her run into the downpour. He saw her clothes soak through, her developing figure becoming visible through the wet fabric.

Deep in his heart, a wave of emotion washed over him.

The friends who were happy to squander his money in high-end clubs had abandoned him when he needed help the most. Yet this girl, to whom he had never spoken a word, had offered a helping hand without reason and run into the rain for him.

It was just an umbrella, but it revealed the ugliness of human nature.

Jin Yuan smiled, his heart suddenly feeling light. He watched Chen Ke'er leave and didn't open the umbrella. Instead, he tucked it into his bag, stepped into the rain, and started running.

He wouldn't open it; he wanted to keep it as a memento.

After that, Jin Yuan cut ties with his fair-weather friends. He shed his playboy persona and focused his heart entirely on Chen Ke'er. She had always liked him, and soon after he began pursuing her, she agreed to be his girlfriend. But just as their love was about to blossom into something more, disaster struck.

Chen Ke'er died suddenly.

And it was because of Jin Yuan.

When he was still hanging out with his old crowd, he had offended many people. When he decided to turn over a new leaf, those people came looking for him.

It was a sunny day, and Jin Yuan was sleeping soundly in the apartment he rented with Chen Ke'er. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Chen Ke'er got up and opened it.

Jin Yuan didn't pay much attention, continuing to sleep. Through the haze of his slumber, he heard a commotion at the door and vaguely heard Chen Ke'er scream, "Run!"

He woke up startled. When he rushed out, he found Chen Ke'er standing in the doorway with her arms spread wide, her body covered in blood.

Jin Yuan trembled violently. Looking at her, he felt a heart-wrenching pain. He called an ambulance as fast as he could, but after she was rushed to the hospital, she was pronounced dead.

As Jin Yuan looked up, his expression was one of profound agony, tears streaming down his face. I didn't doubt him; his story was true. Since arriving at school, he hadn't shown interest in any girl. Once, a girl had even tried to take him to a hotel, but he had fled before they even arrived. Was it because he could never accept anyone else after her?

I never imagined that someone who seemed so carefree on the surface carried such a story in his heart.

I lowered my head. "I’m so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a painful memory."

Li Xiang stopped being aggressive and lowered his head as well. Hu Tou silently untied the ropes around Jin Yuan.

I spoke again. "The reason you took that phone... is it because of the rumor that it can talk to the dead?"

Jin Yuan nodded. "I knew Qiu Xiaoli and Ren Yunwen were a couple. I knew he took the phone from the grave to give to her. That’s why I told Li Xiang to pursue her, so I could get close to her too."

Li Xiang added, "That night you asked me to help scare Qiu Xiaoli, saying it was for revenge—it was actually for the phone, wasn't it?"

Jin Yuan looked at Li Xiang and nodded heavily. "I’m sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you."

Li Xiang laughed. "You idiot, why didn't you say so earlier? If you had told me, I would have helped you."

With that laugh, the tension in the room dissipated. Hu Tou joined in, and the mood lightened. I, however, stood to the side, my brow furrowed.

That night, we didn't take the phone away; we left it with Jin Yuan. But in my heart, I was planning. I had to find a way to destroy that phone, or something terrible would happen to him.

But before I could act, disaster struck that very night.

In the middle of the night, I was drifting in and out of sleep when I heard Jin Yuan’s weeping and laughter again. It was louder than ever. Through the cries and laughter, I vaguely heard him whispering something.

I couldn't help but peek toward his bed.

The room was pitch black, and I could only see the silhouette of a person under the covers. But on top of that silhouette, there seemed to be another figure lying there.

I was startled, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me. I rubbed them and saw a young girl lying on top of Jin Yuan’s quilt. Her hair obscured her face, falling down onto the bedding.

I shuddered, every hair on my body standing on end. But in the next second, I looked again, and the girl was gone, as if she had never been there.

Just then, Jin Yuan spoke: "I miss you. Really. Why were you so foolish back then?"

"Are you cold over there?"

"Okay, I’ll definitely come. Just wait for me."

Jin Yuan would say a sentence, pause, then let out a strange giggle, followed by a burst of sobbing. I lay in my bed, shivering as I felt waves of cold and heat wash over me.

I don't remember what else he said. He muttered to himself for nearly half the night. Eventually, I grew accustomed to the terror, and exhaustion finally dragged me into a deep sleep.

Before I drifted off, I vaguely saw Hu Tou sitting up in his bed, having been woken up as well.

I told myself I had to find a way to take that phone and throw it away tomorrow.

The next morning, I was woken by a loud crashing sound at the door. I looked up to see Li Xiang gasping for breath, wiping sweat from his face.

"Li Xi, Hu Tou, have you seen Jin Yuan?"

I climbed out of bed, dazed. "What do you mean? Jin Yuan is missing?"

"Yeah, I woke up at six, and he’s gone. I have no idea where he went."

I was wide awake instantly and looked at his bed. It was indeed empty. I jumped down and said to Li Xiang, "Search. We need to find him now."

In my mind, the words Jin Yuan had spoken the night before echoed, and I grew terrified.

*I’ll definitely come. Just wait for me.*

Where was he going?

The three of us rushed out of the dorm and mobilized the entire school to search for him. I headed toward the lake, Li Xiang went off-campus, and Hu Tou searched the rest of the school grounds.

I had just reached the lake when I received a call from Li Xiang. "Li Xi, get here fast! Jin Yuan got into a car accident, just like Ren Yunwen."