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墨書 Inktalez
The night before last, a sudden downpour drenched the city, only to abruptly cease at ten o'clock that night. By dawn yesterday, the rain resumed its gentle patter, an endless drizzle that soaked the reluctant pedestrians, dampened the fallen leaves of the sycamores, and weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
The funeral of Jiang Weiting is set to take place today on this dreary day. Wreaths and mourning banners form a sorrowful curtain, extending from the main path outside the publishing house into the hall.
Jiang Weiting had no family or friends, living a solitary life, so the publishing house took it upon themselves to organize this funeral.
The news was disseminated by Liu Qi. Readers spontaneously gathered, dressed in black, solemnly holding white umbrellas. At the entrance of the hall, they received a small white flower to pin on their chests. The turnout was overwhelming; the few boxes of white flowers prepared by the publishing house quickly ran out. Later arrivals fashioned small flowers from scraps of paper, folding them into delicate shapes to hold in their hands.
The rain seemed unwilling to let Jiang Weiting go, seeping under the mourners' umbrellas and soaking the paper flowers, giving them a dewy life. There were too many people for too few umbrellas; readers folded theirs away and embraced each other in silence amidst the rain.
Jiang Weiting lay peacefully in a white qipao, her face lightly made up by Yan Hong, appearing as if she were lost in deep thought or a serene slumber.
They had come to bid farewell to Jiang Weiting. Many among them had heard that police officers would also attend the funeral today and were waiting specifically to confront them after the service for an explanation regarding Jiang Weiting's death. Mourning and sorrow can sometimes morph into anger at unexpected moments, spilling over onto innocent bystanders.
Chu Yi had prepared himself for this moment. He spotted Yan Hong in the crowd, dressed in plain attire with tear-filled eyes glistening like raindrops.
Last night, Chu Yi had stumbled upon Yan Hong's diary at his residence. He knew he shouldn’t invade someone’s privacy like that, but he couldn’t resist opening it. Yan Hong's thoughts leapt off the pages. She understood Chu Yi’s heart and recognized that he wasn’t ready for marriage yet. When she took Miao Miao out for a day of fun, her comments about marriage were merely casual remarks. In truth, she didn’t want to marry either; she feared being trapped too early in such a commitment. She wrote in her diary: I am afraid of marriage. I don’t know why, but I always have this vague feeling that marriage will change my life and even change who I am as a person. I just want some kind of explanation from Chu Yi—even if it’s a lie. Yet Chu Yi remains stubbornly unyielding.
The memorial service was simple and elegant; editor Ji Hui delivered heartfelt eulogies on behalf of the publishing house, gradually stirring sobs among the crowd. Suddenly someone shouted out: “How did Jiang Weiting die? The police should provide an explanation!”
Indeed, the police should offer some clarity. Since Jiang Weiting's death was announced, various media outlets had exploited their imaginations to speculate on her suicide, leading many to believe her death was purely a homicide.
“Right! Are these police just sitting around? They need to give us answers! Capture the murderer!”
They shouted, their gazes all converging on Chu Yi. Chu Yi usually dressed casually, but today, to bid farewell to Jiang Weiting, he specifically wore a police uniform, standing out among the editors of the publishing house. Hearing the crowd's calls, he stepped forward and made a gesture for silence.
The mourners, who had been sobbing and shouting, quieted down, looking at Chu Yi with a mix of provocation and skepticism. Yan Hong, standing among the crowd, felt a twinge of anxiety for him.
“Jiang Weiting was a writer of romantic themes. She believed in love and revered it; her death is also tied to love. Her father, Jiang Deming, was a renowned composer who passed away this year. Friends who enjoy symphonic music may still remember him.”
Someone in the crowd responded, “Yes. I heard he committed suicide by hanging himself?”
Chu Yi nodded slightly and continued, “During his student days, Jiang Deming had a close friend named Li Quyuan. They both fell in love with the same girl. Later on, Jiang Deming published a grand symphony rich in Chinese national music characteristics and overnight became a rising star in the music world, leading to a smooth career. Romantic women are often drawn to talented men, and Jiang Deming won the affection of that girl. Li Quyuan did not attend their wedding but gifted the bride a jade silver bracelet as a wedding present. After they married, they had a wise daughter named Jiang Weiting. Later, when Jiang Weiting's mother passed away, she gave the bracelet to her.
As for his friend Li Quyuan, he had neither career nor love; he fell into despair and became an elementary school music teacher. He never married and only adopted an orphan named Li Suowen.”
At this point, Chu Yi paused deliberately; the audience fell silent. He continued, “Li Suowen deeply respected his adoptive father and understood that Li Quyuan possessed extraordinary musical talent but could not comprehend why he chose to live so humbly without achieving anything significant. Thus, differences arose between them until Li Suowen eventually ran away from home. Two years later, as his adoptive father lay dying from cancer, Li Suowen returned to his side. In his final moments, Li Quyuan revealed a secret he had hidden all his life: the symphony that made Jiang Deming successful was actually written by him.
Li Suowen asked his father why he never exposed Jiang Deming. Li Quyuan weakly shook his head and explained that Jiang Deming was his friend; he hesitated at that time and missed the opportunity. Later on, when Jiang Deming married the woman he loved, exposing him would ruin her life. To protect the woman he cherished, he was willing to keep this secret for life. As he was about to leave this world, revealing it to his son Li Suowen was not meant for revenge but rather to clear up misunderstandings between them.
After Li Quyuan's death, Li Suowen resolved to expose Jiang Deming. He actively sought information about him and met his daughter Jiang Weiting. He chose the night of the award ceremony where Jiang Deming would receive a lifetime achievement award as the moment to reveal the truth; he believed it would be the most ironic timing.
Before the ceremony began, Li Suowen found Jiang Deming in the lounge and confronted him about plagiarizing Li Quyuan's work. Under pressure from Li Suowen's questioning, Jiang Deming finally admitted it. He pleaded with Li Suowen not to disclose this information. At that time, Li Suowen had already fallen in love with Jiang Weiting. Jiang Deming threatened that if Li Suowen revealed this matter, he would obstruct his relationship with Jiang Weiting. Enraged, Li Suowen pulled out a small recorder from his pocket and showed it to Jiang Deming, telling him that their entire conversation was recorded like an intense symphony. With that said, Li Suowen left the lounge. Later on, Jiang Deming hanged himself and left behind a suicide note.
For Li Suowen, it was a tumultuous and painful transformation process. Initially, he only wanted revenge against Jiang Deming for his adoptive father’s sake. However, after meeting Jiang Weiting and falling in love with her, his feelings oscillated between revenge and love. Ultimately, he decided that as long as Jiang Deming admitted to plagiarism, he would not bring it up again. The recorder was given to him by Jiang Weiting so he could capture the live performance at the award ceremony; unexpectedly, it became useful when Jiang Deming tried to evade responsibility.
After leaving the lounge, he was unaware of Jiang Deming's suicide; instead, he returned home and got drunk while staring at his adoptive father's portrait. Upon hearing about her father's suicide later on, Jiang Weiting was devastated and went to find Li Suowen at his place. Unintentionally, she discovered the recorded conversation in the pocket of the sleeping Li Suowen.
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