Chapter 88

Shuning took a deep breath, took out the medicine from her bag, and swallowed it. She walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and let the cold water pour over her head. She turned to look at herself in the mirror, not knowing when she had become the person she is now—manipulative, irritable, suspicious, and prone to making trouble. In fact, she didn't want much; she just wanted someone to pay attention to her and listen to her troubles, which she had no place to vent.

"Am I already so old?" Shuning muttered to herself, thinking again about what the girl at the car dealership had said.

Indeed, she was jealous of Gu Yan's youth and beauty. Her man left her for a young and beautiful girl like that.

The bright world she once knew suddenly collapsed, and she couldn't bear the shock. She changed completely, and her friends distanced themselves from her. Even her family began to look down on her. No one likes a bitter and sharp-tongued woman, and fewer and fewer people wanted to interact with her. No one talked to her or cared about her anymore, and her heart grew cold.

"In the past, I was young and beautiful, the focus of everyone's admiration. But now, I am nothing, just a woman who is a nuisance!" The marks on Shuning's face were unclear whether they were water or tears.

She had a big house and was not short of money, but what she lacked was someone to talk to and care for her. She wanted to be the confident person she used to be.

After coming out of the bathroom, Shuning walked into a room. The room was large, about several dozen square meters, with a black and white Taiji diagram painted on the floor. On the white walls hung two crescent-shaped short blades, a pair of noon and midnight yue.

The room was dusty, as if no one had entered it for months.

Shuning bit her lip, looking at the noon and midnight yue, and tears streamed down her face again. Back then, she and her man came together because of these yue, or rather, they became acquainted through a fight. From meeting to dating, and finally to marriage.

Ten years later, she had nothing, and the man left her for another woman, leaving her with these cold noon and midnight yue.

He no longer loved her or liked these cold blades.

She took a step, stepped on the wall, and picked up the noon and midnight yue. Her movements were not as graceful and agile as they were ten years ago; her body felt stiff and bloated, no longer slim.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, she went mad, wildly swinging the yue and slashing at the walls, creating deep grooves that proved the sharpness of the blades.

Panting, Shuning sat on the floor, her eyes unfocused, not knowing what she was thinking.

When a person has no life goals, no direction, and no one to talk to, they might think about leaving this cold world, falling into a deep sleep, and never waking up again.

She found an old white silk training suit, put it on, applied light makeup, and then left home with the yue.

...

Hao Meng drove Gu Yan back from a drive, and they were discussing where to eat.

"Look, isn't that the woman who just argued with you at the car dealership?" Hao Meng slowed down, looking at the woman in white martial arts attire walking on the road, and asked in surprise.

Gu Yan turned to look and nodded, saying, "It seems so. What is she doing here? Hey, look at what she's holding in her hand, that white thing."

Hao Meng didn't recognize what it was, but he could tell it was definitely a weapon, a cold weapon. The sharp tip looked scary even from a distance.

"It's a knife. This crazy woman isn't thinking of taking revenge on you and getting rid of you, is she?"

Gu Yan was startled, rolled her eyes, and said irritably, "We have no grudges or enmity. We just argued a bit. Is it that serious?"

Hao Meng laughed and said, "You don't understand the world of crazy people. What's a small matter to you might be a life-or-death issue to them! Let's follow her and see what she's up to!" His curiosity was piqued. This woman was definitely not normal. She argued with Gu Yan for no reason at the car dealership and now was walking around with two unrecognizable knives. How could that be considered normal?

The two followed her in the car, and Shuning walked forward without looking around, her eyes unfocused, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.

Dagong Lake Park is a large park in Shishi City, with mountains and a sizable lake that extends to the suburbs. The lake is not man-made; according to the elderly, there are springs underground, and the water is always flowing. The deep parts are bottomless, and every year, people drown in it due to accidents.

"She's going to the lake. Should we follow her?" Gu Yan asked softly. If they were to follow her, they would have to park the car and walk.

Hao Meng laughed and said, "With me here, what's there to be afraid of? If anything happens, I'll protect you, and you run first. Let's go and see!" He parked the car, and the two got out and followed her.

At noon, the sun was scorching, and there were few people in the park by the lake.

Shuning looked at the shimmering lake surface and suddenly smiled, mocking herself. She felt that her life was empty. She had no friends, no family, and her man had left her. All that was left was a person who was a nuisance and disliked. If she could see her current self in a mirror from her younger days, she would probably laugh at herself.

"If there's a next life, let me be a righteous female knight, not living so irritably and being a nuisance to others." Shuning muttered to herself. When she was young, she admired the life of a knight in martial arts novels, where one would right wrongs and help the weak. But later, the gap was too large, and she became a person everyone disliked.

Gu Yan and Hao Meng hid behind a tree, watching. Gu Yan whispered, "Boss, what do you think that woman is doing on the bridge? Is she thinking of jumping into the lake?"

As soon as she said that, Gu Yan's eyes widened as she saw the white figure jump from the bridge into the lake, muttering, "She, she, she really jumped in."

Damn, jinxed!

Hao Meng didn't hesitate and ran quickly to the lake. Gu Yan was momentarily stunned but followed, shouting as she ran, "Help, save her, someone, come and save her, someone jumped into the lake."

Without thinking, Hao Meng ran to the lake, dived in, and swam quickly toward the white figure sinking to the bottom of the lake...