Chapter 117: Different People, Different Fates

Different lives, different fates; the same umbrella, different handles.

Often, people imagine that if they were in someone else’s shoes, they could achieve this or that. But in reality, even under identical conditions, not everyone would become that same person. Every individual makes different choices under the same circumstances, and it is these distinct choices that ultimately define who we become.

It is much like receiving a silent phone call; the choices made by Zhang Yunxi and Dr. Wang were entirely different.

After receiving the silent call from Wang Chao, Dr. Wang simply curled his lip, hung up the phone without a second thought, and continued toward his own destination.

When Zhang Yunxi received the call from Hao Qian, an ominous premonition immediately took root in her heart. She instantly used a tracking app to identify the last known location of Hao Qian’s phone signal. Five minutes and twelve seconds earlier, Hao Qian had sent her a text: "I am Qingxue’s friend. I am on my way to save her. In half an hour, have Han Yuan come to the West City Scrapyard to pick her up."

Watching the cursor on her phone screen, which had been moving toward the west side of the city, suddenly stop at a specific point, Zhang Yunxi kicked the back of the front passenger seat. Suppressing her fury, she snapped, "Shen Yixia! Could you be any slower? It’s not like the sun has set yet!"

Shen Yixia turned his head, offering a wry smile. "Big sister, this is a Wuling. And it’s a vintage model from decades ago—older than I am. This speed is its absolute limit."

Han Yuan, sitting in the passenger seat, ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Pull over! I’ll go grab something faster. Dammit… by the time you crawl there, we won’t even get the scraps."

"Can't stop," Shen Yixia said, gesturing toward the windshield. "We’re on the elevated highway. If we stop, we’ll get a three-point penalty and a 100-yuan fine. Let’s wait until we’re off the highway."

"Off the highway?" Zhang Yunxi sneered. "There are sixteen kilometers left to the exit. By the time we get off, we’ll be almost there!"

"There’s nothing I can do about it," Shen Yixia shrugged helplessly. "Sixteen kilometers isn't that far. We’ll be there in half an hour, no problem."

Han Yuan watched an electric scooter whiz past them. He let out a long breath, unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed open the door, and leaped out. "You two can keep crawling like turtles. I’m in a hurry to save my sister!"

"Your sister?" Shen Yixia glanced at the man who had just jumped out, then looked at Zhang Yunxi through the rearview mirror, his face full of confusion. "Didn't you say we were chasing some guy in sunglasses? I thought we were going for revenge. So, we’re actually here to save someone? Well, in that case, this car could definitely go a bit faster."

"Your sister!" Han Yuan, having just landed, scrambled to chase the Wuling. His face was pale with rage as he cursed, "Hit the brakes! Wait for me!"

Zhang Yunxi bit her lip and bluffed, "It’s all the same. Chasing that man in sunglasses is exactly what we’re doing to save her."

Shen Yixia gave a soft "Oh," lightly tapped the brake pedal to slow the car down further, and waited for Han Yuan to scramble back inside. He flexed his wrists, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the gear shifter, and slammed his foot onto the accelerator. "Hold on tight! Let me show you what 'a thousand miles a day' really means!"

Sun Tiantian, sitting in the back, rolled her eyes. "Is 'a thousand miles a day' supposed to be impressive? A thousand *li* is only 500 kilometers. In 24 hours, that’s barely twenty kilometers per hour. An electric scooter is faster than you!"

"You can't look at it like that," Shen Yixia pouted, unconvinced. "Think about it, what electric scooter can run for 500 kilometers? My car might be a piece of junk, but give it a full tank, and it’ll do those 500 kilometers without a hitch."

Han Yuan pulled out a small knife, his finger tracing the tip. His eyes were cold as he looked at Shen Yixia. "If you keep dawdling, I’ll give you a hand! A literal hand with this blade!"

Shen Yixia felt a chill run down the back of his neck. He immediately accelerated and shifted gears, shouting, "Turtle mounting a rocket!"

No sooner had he spoken than a mechanical whirring sound erupted from beneath the Wuling. The exhaust pipe, originally the thickness of a stick, retracted, replaced by two bowl-sized pipes. A blast of scorching heat roared out, and the car surged forward, tearing down the road at breakneck speed.

Five minutes later, the Wuling screeched to a halt in front of an abandoned factory gate. Shen Yixia shook his wind-tousled hair, about to boast, but when he turned, he saw the other three had already pushed the doors open and stepped out. He curled his lip, reached behind his waist, pulled out a ghost mask, and put it on. Looking at the clock on the dashboard, a strange, eerie smile played on his lips. "Perfect timing."

Han Yuan charged into the factory first, with Zhang Yunxi and Sun Tiantian following closely, yet maintaining a careful distance that allowed them to advance or retreat as needed. After a few steps, the three stopped, forming a triangle as they peered into the pitch-black surroundings.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Suddenly, the sound of floodlights overhead flickered to life. Blinding white light pierced the heavy darkness, washing over Han Yuan and his companions. Han Yuan raised his right hand to shield his eyes, and through his fingers, he saw a woman lying naked on the ground in front of him. Panic seized him, and he sprinted toward her.

Zhang Yunxi and Sun Tiantian exchanged glances and immediately followed.

Han Yuan reached the woman and looked down; his mind went blank. He opened his mouth, stunned. "Why is it her?"

Lying on the dusty concrete floor was Hao Qian, the woman who had drugged his wine earlier. She was completely naked, her body covered in various bloody welts—some still oozing, others already crusted over.

A tear of blood trickled from the corner of Hao Qian’s eye. She looked at Han Yuan with a bitter, tragic smile, forcing the words out through her throat. "You’re here…"

Han Yuan immediately took off his coat, draped it over her, and pulled her into his arms. "What happened? Where is Qingxue?"

"You men really don't understand romance, do you? Meeting a woman for the first time and the first thing you ask is about another…" Hao Qian leaned against Han Yuan’s shoulder. "So this is what it feels like to have someone to lean on. It’s a pity. I’ll never find a shoulder like this to rest on for the rest of my life…"

Sun Tiantian squatted down to check Hao Qian’s injuries. Suddenly, she caught sight of the mangled flesh between Hao Qian’s legs. Her mouth fell open, the lollipop dropping to the ground. Her expression turned cold and grim as she spat out, "Beasts!"

Han Yuan followed her gaze and immediately began to tremble. "I’ll take you to the hospital right now…"

Hao Qian tugged gently on Han Yuan’s arm and shook her head. "I won't make it. Go save Qingxue first!"

"What the hell happened?" Han Yuan was torn between his desperate need to find Han Qingxue and his concern for Hao Qian’s condition. He panted, "Weren't you working with those people? Why help me save Qingxue? If you wanted to save her, why didn't you tell me about her in the first place? Why drug me?"

Hao Qian coughed up a bit of blood, her face deathly pale. "That… that’s a long story. Once you save Qingxue, she’ll tell you eventually… Now, I need to tell you something more important. In those TV dramas, the plot always cuts off right at this moment, and the victim never manages to name the culprit… As someone who has acted in countless such melodramatic shows, how could I let that happen to myself?"

Zhang Yunxi narrowed her eyes, scanned the surroundings, squatted down, and stared intently at Hao Qian. She whispered, "Who is the killer?"

Hao Qian let out a long, heavy breath. "I’ve never been one to trust others easily. I finally trusted that old man once, and look where it got me. So, I won't tell you the name. I will only tell Brother Han…" With a trembling finger, she traced a character into Han Yuan’s palm, then gave a playful wink. "Did you get it?"

Han Yuan clenched his fists tightly and nodded firmly.

"I’m so unwilling to go," Hao Qian sighed deeply. "I’ve spent my whole life comparing myself to others, never living a single day for myself. As a child, I compared myself to classmates; as an adult, to colleagues. Once I entered this industry, I started comparing myself to others in the business. I even secretly compared myself to Qingxue… But, different lives, different fates. Just look at us now. We were both harmed, yet I have no hope, while Qingxue can still be saved… The character 'compare' (比) is made of two daggers. One stabs me, and the other tears me apart from within…"

Hao Qian struggled to prop herself up. "Brother Han… you can't run away this time, okay?" She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Let me tell you a little secret. Actually, I am still pure. No filthy man has ever touched me. Do you believe me?"

Han Yuan’s eyes turned red, and he choked out a single word. "I believe you!"

"Hahaha…" Hao Qian laughed with the last of her strength. Her body went limp, and she slowly closed her eyes. "Don't forget… I am the ever-resourceful Fairy Hao…"