Fang Yuan, quick-witted, suddenly exclaimed, "It's you!"
Shadow was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "You're trying to stall for time? It's no use. I won't fall for that."
Fang Yuan sneered, "You think I'm lying? I know who you are!"
"Oh, then tell me!" Shadow mocked Fang Yuan. He didn't believe her. How could she possibly know his identity?
Everything was under his control, proceeding according to his plan. It was a perfect trap, easily enough to destroy Fang Yuan, Tang Tianyu, and Li Rong who had fallen into it. He even felt a little regretful that no one shared his pride.
Fang Yuan had no time to consider Shadow's thoughts. Her brain was racing. "This was a trap from beginning to end. If I'm not mistaken, Li Rong is also a victim. The Li Rong who led me to the Red Mansion isn't the real one; you're impersonating him! Li Rong did come to the library to borrow books the night Xu Yan committed suicide. The fact that you were able to imitate his clothing and even obtain the key to the basement, which only he possessed, proves that you're very familiar with him. Tonight, you're simply repeating your old tricks, impersonating Li Rong again to lure me into the Red Mansion. The only difference is that this time you knocked him out and left him in the basement, leaving him to fight Tang Tianyu. Just now, I kept thinking your voice sounded strange. You must have deliberately changed your tone when speaking to me. And you didn't dare approach me so I could see your face clearly. So, I might have seen you before!"
Shadow fell silent.
Fang Yuan knew she had guessed correctly. "Among the people I know, there's only one man who's familiar with Li Rong, and that's you—Wan Hai!"
Wan Hai let out a low, startled cry, appearing quite surprised. Although he praised Fang Yuan for her intelligence, he hadn't expected her to be so clever, to be able to see through his identity in such a short time.
Wan Hai sighed softly, "Fang Yuan, you're truly a terrifying girl, terrifyingly clever. You know, men these days prefer pretty, innocent girls. Girls are born to be deceived by men. Your cleverness only scares them. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about that anymore."
After saying this, he smirked and bent down to pour gasoline into the basement.
Fang Yuan stood at the iron gate, her feet damp as translucent gasoline flowed in through the crack under the door, spreading out.
She didn't step back, letting the gasoline soak her shoes. No matter how she retreated, she couldn't escape the impending flames.
Fang Yuan said quietly, "Wan Hai, I know I'm going to die soon. Before I die, can you answer a few questions?"
Wan Hai glanced at the stairs leading from the Red Building to the basement, making sure no one was entering. The Red Mansion's design was a bit peculiar. Sound from the basement couldn't reach the upper floors, but sounds from the Red Mansion's corridors could clearly reach the basement. It was said that this basement was once used as a refuge from war, and there was a sealed secret door at the staircase between the Red Mansion and the basement.
The lighter lit up, and Wan Hai's face flickered in the flames. He gracefully lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said coldly, "Ask me. I'll give you the time of a cigarette as my compensation."
Wan Hai unexpectedly agreed. Perhaps, as he said, he felt a little guilty? After all, she had no grudge against him.
What should she ask? If she really wanted to ask, Fang Yuan didn't know what to say. Her experiences these days were truly bizarre, and she was overwhelmed with doubts.
Fang Yuan decided to get straight to the point: "Why did you kill us?"
"Why did you kill you? That's too complicated. How can I answer? If I said I was forced to do this by circumstances, would you believe me?"
Fang Yuan cried out, "No! What circumstances? Did someone force you to kill?"
Wan Hai looked very surprised. "Of course someone forced you to kill? You really don't know?"
"Who?"
"You!" Wan Hai said fiercely. "If you hadn't meddled in other people's business, gone to Xu Yan, and investigated Cheng Li's suicide, why would I have gone to all this trouble?"
Fang Yuan cried out in disbelief. "You're lying! What does it have to do with me? Did you kill Cheng Li, not herself?"
Wan Hai grinned. "You're wrong. Cheng Li committed suicide. I was there."
Wan Hai was there when Cheng Li committed suicide? How could that be possible? None of the versions of Cheng Li's suicide mentioned that. How did Wan Hai escape the scene and evade the police and the school?
Fang Yuan couldn't understand. "What's the truth behind Cheng Li's suicide? She jumped from the building in Girls Dormitory 441. So, you were there at the time. How did you get in? What were you doing there?"
"Of course I went to commit suicide with her. At the time, she was already a little mad, obsessed with studying metaphysics. She'd broken up with Li Rong and been rejected by Tang Tianyu. The blow had completely changed her. With my circumstances at the time, I had no money, no looks, no talent, and no chance of attracting any girl. Although Cheng Li looked haggard, she was more than a good match for me. I was bored anyway, so I just treated it as a love game. Unexpectedly, one day, she came to me and asked how much I loved her. Would I be willing to commit suicide with her? I thought she was testing me, so I agreed without hesitation. She even gave me a key to the girls' dormitory, Room 441, and told me to sneak in to see her before midnight. I arrived as promised, but she didn't even wait for me to speak. She actually jumped from the building the instant it hit midnight. She was crazy! Yes, she was definitely crazy! Before she jumped, she was still putting on makeup, looking incredibly happy. Her eyes had never been so bright and charming when she looked at me. I suspected she mistook me for Tang Tianyu. She was crazy, but I wasn't. How could I have jumped with her to commit suicide for love, sneaking back to my own dorm and pretending nothing had happened?
Fang Yuan was still puzzled. If Cheng Li's suicide was truly a simple act of madness and love, why would Wan Hai go to such great lengths to deal with her?
"You lied to me! If Cheng Li committed suicide, why would you do this?"
Wan Hai sneered. "Do you think, under these circumstances, I need to tell you a lie? You really overestimate yourself."
Wan Hai was right. He didn't need to lie—lying to a dead person was meaningless. In his eyes, Fang Yuan was dead.
What other hidden secrets lay behind Cheng Li's suicide?
And this was the real reason why Wan Hai had gone to such great lengths to set a trap and murder him! Li Rong and Tang Tianyu were merely his burial objects. His target had always been him!
Li Rong had long been under his control; Tang Tianyu's appearance was a surprise. He had deliberately rammed the basement door to lure the two men in. While Fang Yuan was guarding the door, he deliberately ran out from a corner of the basement to startle her. She had fallen for the trick, afraid to stand guard at the iron gate alone. Whether she went alone or with Tang Tianyu to investigate the inner basement, the outcome would be the same—she would inevitably be frightened by Li Rong lying bleeding on the ground, and Tang Tianyu would inevitably come to her aid. He would inevitably find a chance to slip out of the basement and lock the iron gate.
"Since you're not lying, then tell me why you want to kill me!" Fang Yuan finally found the crux of the matter.
Wan Hai suddenly sneered and said grimly, "I wanted to tell you, too, but unfortunately, the time's up."
Wan Hai's cigarette was nearly finished. He took a final puff and prepared to throw the butt into the gasoline.
Fang Yuan, anxious, shouted, "Wan Hai, don't mess around. You can't get away. Listen, someone's coming!"
Wan Hai shook his head, seemingly filled with regret. "Fang Yuan, just accept your fate. Don't worry, it'll be over soon..."
He was about to continue when he suddenly realized something, his whole body trembled, and he abruptly stopped.
A clear, rapid sound of footsteps echoed from above him.
It was footsteps in the Red Mansion's corridor!
If he had ignited the gasoline and left through the basement, he would have had to pass through the Red Mansion's corridor and run into that person!
Who would come to the Red Mansion so late at night? Who was it?
Wan Hai suddenly felt dizzy—no matter who it was, if they reached the basement, all their plans would be shattered, and his scheme would be exposed.
He had been trying to persuade Fang Yuan to accept her fate, but now he felt deeply the horror of that fate. It was sweeping in, penetrating every pore, leaving no escape!