TDU Chapter 392
Chapter 392 Fairness as I Decide
When fire strikes in the mountains, there’s little hope of rescue. Most simply look on.
Occasionally, a kind-hearted person might draw water from a well to put out the fire—but I had poured kerosene, and water would only make it more dangerous.
Not long after, a violent cough reached my ears; it seemed the pampered Jindou couldn’t withstand it any longer.
I’m sorry. Truly sorry.
Although I bore no personal hatred toward you, for my own reasons, I could not let you live.
If you survived, my crimes would be exposed. Tonight, no witness can remain; your death is the only way.
For the crime of intentional homicide: the sentence is death, life imprisonment, or fixed-term imprisonment of no less than ten years. If the circumstances are deemed less grave, the punishment shall be a term between three and ten years.
I stood at the doorway, crying uncontrollably. I didn’t understand why I felt such sorrow.
I had personally cured my own {sickness}, yet I felt unbearably sad.
What kind of life is this…? Why must it be so painful?
The fire quickly engulfed the entire house. From the window, I saw Jindou, engulfed in flames, panicking in the room. Her knowledge was truly limited; she didn’t roll on the ground to extinguish the fire, nor did she duck to avoid the smoke. In that situation, she could only await death. I saw her collapse, unconscious, and then the flames on her body spread and ignited Chengcai.
Before anyone else noticed the flames, I concealed myself and made my way to the village entrance, turned off my car lights, and left the mountain village.
It wasn’t until I carefully descended the mountain that I turned my car lights back on. Driving on, I eventually reached the town a few minutes later and found a roadside car wash. For thirty yuan, I had all the dirt and mud cleaned off the car body and wheels.
I checked the time on my phone, parked by the roadside, and took out the stickers from the Jay Chou merchandise. I stuck one on my arm, turned on the glow stick, and snapped a photo of my arm against the night sky.
{Tonight left me deeply content}.
Yes, tonight was truly joyful.
The enormous boulder pressing down on me had finally fallen to the valley floor.
I got back on the road. Again, I avoided the main streets, weaving through the small village paths. It took longer this time because most of the village lacked streetlights in the darkness. Eventually, I arrived back in Chengdu.
By the time I drove into the city, the sky was just starting to lighten.
This city reflected my mood. My dark past would vanish along with the night, and from now on, I could live here in peace.
Meanwhile, my parents and brother had accidentally perished in the fire in the mountains that night.
I hadn’t {slaughtered my entire family}; I was simply an unfortunate person.
I kept comforting myself silently, tears streaming down my face.
All my life, I had been deceiving myself—before, it was like this; and now, it remained the same.
With the most tragic childhood, yet foolishly hoping to rise above others through sheer effort; having virtually wiped out my own family, yet still fantasizing about embracing a brand-new life.
Why should I deserve it? There are so many criminals in this world. If I could escape the law, it would be unfair to everyone else.
But right now… I desperately want to experience {unfairness}.
I want to turn all this over, to live the rest of my life peacefully with Jiaqi.
I want to wear a wedding dress once, to be a normal woman.
Today, a thick fog enveloped Chengdu, blurring everything before my eyes.
“Jiaqi… wait for me…” I kept wiping the tears from my face, trying to console myself, yet my heart ached as though a knife had been driven into it. “I’m back… from now on, every day we’ll wake up together…”
“Welcome to the morning rush hour music broadcast.” The car radio crackled in a low tone. “Yesterday, Jay Chou brought back the memories of all those born in the ’80s and ’90s in Chengdu. If you missed the live show, follow along with the next track, ‘In the Name of the Father’, and return to the supreme era of Mandopop.”
{The faintly chilling morning dew dampens my black suit.}
{There is fog on the flagstone. The Father is lowly sighing.}
{A helpless realization can only be more cruel; everything is for the road that leads up to heaven.}
{The fog that can’t be blown away conceals our intentions until they're gone.}
{Whose soft pacing steps stop?}
{Without time to cry, the bullet that penetrated; already took away the warmth.}
{Each of us is guilty; committed different crimes}…
“No… wrong…” I muttered to the empty air. “I didn’t kill my family… some—someone defrauded me of two million… The sum involved was significant, and the nature of the case was egregious… I was only gathering evidence for court… Jiaqi… you believe me, right?”
He not only extorted me… he even borrowed high-interest loans… Jiaqi… you must understand me, right…?
I don’t want to be a demon… I just want to be an ordinary person.
I truly carry no burdens now… we can be together now, right?
As long as the police do not find me… we can be together now, right?
Once the dense fog in Chengdu lifts today… we can be together now, right?
I drove along Qingyang Avenue, past Du Fu Thatched Cottage and toward Wuhou Memorial Temple.
I reached for my phone to call Jiaqi, but a sudden dizziness swept over me. An earthquake had come, fiercer than any I had endured, as though it began beneath Chengdu.
I saw the ground ahead cracking open and slammed the brakes, coming to a steady stop just before the crevice. But I hadn’t expected the car behind me to fail to brake in time, causing a series of rear-end collisions.
I kept wiping my tears, trying to calm myself.
Why is there still another obstacle?
Why is it so difficult for me to step into a new life…?
The cars kept colliding, pushing me closer to the crevice.
“Don’t… do this…” I sobbed inside the car. “God, please… don’t test me anymore! I just want to survive…can you be unfair, for me, just once?!”
But this miserable life was no different from the thirty-three years I had endured before.
Not until my car plunged into the abyss did I realize there was never any hope.
This place dredges up terrible memories.
In the {letter delivery} game, I was held as a {Hostage}, trapped within an enormous microwave.
Terrifyingly, the space inside this microwave was even smaller than the room Butcher Ma had locked me in.
Those painful memories kept flooding back, dragging me deeper into despair.
Why did I end up in a place like this? And why was I being locked up again?
It must be because I had slaughtered my entire family, God was testing me once more.
Yes. This was fair.
But I was terrified. What should I do?
Would I really be cooked alive inside this microwave?
I was trembling inside when the door suddenly opened. I looked up and met his gaze.
Just like last time, someone had come to save me. The light from outside poured in, illuminating the handsome man before me like a shining lighthouse.
“Qi Xia!!”
I couldn’t control my trembling body and ran forward to embrace him.
“I…”
He looked slightly flustered, both hands suspended without purpose.
"Thank goodness... I was so terrified..." I said, my whole body trembling uncontrollably. "I thought I was going to be cooked alive in there..."
"Lawyer—Lawyer Zhang, I recall you don’t particularly enjoy being touched," Qi Xia remarked, his voice tinged with awkwardness.
"Ah…" I quickly let go of him and hastily wiping away the tear in my eyes. "I apologize... I hope I didn’t trouble you."
"Not at all; you merely caught me off guard," He replied, shaking his head. "I’m not particularly fond of unexpected situations. You’re not usually this way in my memory."
"I’m—I’m sorry," I murmured, slowly lowering my head and returning to my usual demeanor.
These people don’t know…
They don’t understand me.
I am a monster who slaughtered my entire family, utterly different from everyone here. Even if there are evildoers around, none could be more wicked than I am.
How laughable…
They believe I’m a meticulous lawyer, but they could never imagine how dark my heart truly is. That’s why no one can ever know about this… after all, I’ve already prepared my alibi in advance.
As long as I can get out of here, I can return to a normal life.
I longed for Jiaqi to drape me in a wedding gown and lead me toward that brighter future.
I am not Zhang Laidi.
My name is Zhang Chenze.
I’m aware this is unfair, but I’m sorry; I have no choice but to distort the truth.
TL Note: Lawyer Zhang, you are not a monster!! T^T I hope you will get out one day and marry Jiaqi, and live that life you longed for and rightfully deserve!!
Also, credit to this blog since I couldn’t be bothered to manually translate the lyrics- https://chineselyrics4you.blogspot.com/2008/10/01-yi-fu-zhi-ming-in-name-of-father.html
It’s a catchy song, feel free to listen to it here:
