Chapter 042: Curiosity Killed the Cat

After hearing what Tong Ruan said, I didn’t respond further. Instead, I stood up, returned to the house to fetch my backpack, and then walked to the front gate, saying to her, “Lead the way. Let’s meet the one who took everything from you.”

Tong Ruan glanced at me and, right in front of my eyes, tucked the fruit knife into the back of her waistband.

I did nothing to stop her. She was a postdoctoral scholar; she surely knew what she should and shouldn’t do.

“By the way, could you lend me your stun baton?” I asked before leaving. Tong Ruan looked at me, said nothing, and handed the baton over from her bag.

I took it with delight, fiddling with it in my hand—this thing was truly a treasure.

In the taxi, I sat in the back as usual, while Tong Ruan took the front passenger seat. When the driver learned our destination, he was quite surprised, saying that place had long been abandoned—a godforsaken place where not even chickens or birds would go.

He even kindly informed us there had been a murder at the old brick factory, and that the way the victim died was terrifying.

“Hey? You two are so young, what are you going there for? That’s no place to be messing around,” he said, clearly out of concern, but the words surely stung Tong Ruan.

I didn’t reply, only glanced at her in the rearview mirror. I had no idea what she was thinking; her face was expressionless, as lifeless as a corpse.

“I’m going to pay my respects,” Tong Ruan said simply. Those four words said it all. The driver, understanding at last, offered an embarrassed smile and fell silent.

When we arrived, perhaps out of apology, he left us his phone number, saying it would be hard to catch a cab back to the city from here, and we could call him when we were ready to return.

After the driver left, I checked the time: ten-thirty. There was still an hour and a half before the appointed time.

Following Tong Ruan, we arrived at the gate of the old brick factory, now overgrown with moss. She reached out to push it open, but her hand froze midair, as though an invisible wall stood before her.

I didn’t overthink it. Stepping past her, I tried the door myself a couple of times, but it wouldn’t budge. I took a step back and kicked it hard.

With a loud crash, the gate toppled over.

Inside the factory, apart from dust, moss, and garbage, nothing had changed in twenty-three years.

According to what my grandfather had told me, Tong Ye’s body had been discovered in the factory building beyond this very courtyard.

I glanced at Tong Ruan, who was still standing outside the gate, but said nothing to her and walked inside on my own.

The moment I entered, I immediately recognized the spot where Tong Ye had died. The patch of blackened stain on the ground was the blood that had flowed from his corpse all those years ago.

No one had ever cleaned this place; the wind couldn’t reach it, nor could the sun or rain, so the bloodstain remained.

I sighed deeply. What kind of hatred could have led to this?

Now, whether it was me or Tong Ruan, it made no difference. The only thing left to do was wait for the killer to appear.

I found a spot, laid my jacket down as a cushion, and sat down.

Tong Ruan entered at this moment. She didn’t go anywhere else, but knelt before the bloodstain.

Time dragged on, minute by minute. At eleven eighteen, I heard the roar of a car engine outside.

At this hour, who else but Tong Ye’s killer would come to such a place?

I turned on my phone’s camera, set it up in a corner I had scouted earlier, and covered it slightly with a nearby stone.

At eleven nineteen and eight seconds, the door to the factory was pushed open.

A black hat, a black trench coat, those sharp, triangular eyes—seeing these unmistakable features, I knew the main character had arrived.

But I didn’t move. I just sat there, like a spectator at a play.

His first glance upon entering landed squarely on me.

He strolled toward Tong Ruan at a measured pace, but his gaze remained fixed on me.

He spoke, “Was it you who broke my spell last night?”

I smiled and nodded. “You flatter me.”

He snorted coldly. “Did Tong Ruan bring you here? Do you think that, just because you broke my spell last night, you can deal with me today?”

He paused, then asked, “How old are you?”

I grinned. “I’m only eighteen—still young.”

He nodded. “Youth is a gift. Since you’re still young, you should tread carefully, or you might not live to see tomorrow’s sun.”

I actually agreed with him on that point, and nodded earnestly. “You’re right.”

He curled his lip, clearly dismissing me. “I’ll let you go, since you’re young and have some ability. This has nothing to do with you. I’m here to settle my debt with the Tong family. Don’t get involved.”

Hearing this, I was amused. So he wanted to let me go?

“Hey,” I called out to him. “You’re not letting me go out of kindness, are you? Is it because last night’s spell backfired badly, and now you can’t handle me at all?”

I chuckled, stood up, and brushed off my pants. “Don’t worry, do whatever you need to do. I’m just here out of curiosity. What exactly did Tong Ye do to you that you went to such lengths to wipe out his whole family? It’s been twenty-three years, and you’re still after his daughter.”

“Oh? You want to hear a story? Not here to protect anyone?”

I shook my head, looked at Tong Ruan with clear disdain, and said, “Protect her? Please. If it weren’t to satisfy my own curiosity, I wouldn’t bother. Whatever you want to do has nothing to do with me. I’m just curious—will you indulge me?”

The man burst out laughing. “Curiosity? Young man, haven’t you heard the saying: curiosity killed the cat?”

Of course I had, and I understood the meaning. What puzzled me now was why, ever since this man entered, Tong Ruan’s breathing and heartbeat seemed to be growing weaker and weaker.