A Secret (GL) - Chapter 2

Shen Juan had given her this amulet pouch and told her to keep it close to her body.

Gu Shuge had always been very obedient when it came to Shen Juan, and she treasured every single thing Shen Juan gave her. So she really did keep it on her at every moment. Carrying the amulet pouch with her was easy, but keeping it close to her body was actually somewhat difficult.

Because keeping it close meant she could not put it in her bag. She could only keep it in a pocket. But summer dresses rarely had pockets, and sometimes, when she attended receptions, she would not wear gowns with pockets either. For the sake of this amulet pouch, she truly racked her brains. Yet she did not find it troublesome at all, because it was something Shen Juan had given her.

It was also because of this amulet pouch that she liked winter best. In winter, she could simply find a cord, hang it around her neck, and hide it beneath her clothes. The length of the cord let it hang right near her heart. That was the place closest to her body, and also the place closest to her heart.

Now, Shen Juan had taken the amulet pouch away. It was quite strange. Her body had been mangled terribly in the crash, and her clothes were covered in blood, but the amulet pouch was perfectly clean, without even the slightest trace of blood on it.

Shen Juan walked to the door, then turned back and returned to the bedside. Gu Shuge saw her bend down and say something beside the corpse’s ear. Her voice was very soft, and Gu Shuge had to move closer before she could hear clearly.

She was saying, “…Stay here for now. Sister will come pick you up and take you home very soon.”

After saying that, she straightened up. As if she still could not feel at ease, she looked at that messy, lifeless body and added, “Don’t be afraid.”

Gu Shuge saw that Shen Juan’s lips were pressed very tightly together, her whole body tense. She was completely holding back her grief, as though if she let her restraint slip even slightly, the pain would spill out.

Gu Shuge became very, very sad as well. But a dead soul’s sorrow seemed as though it could only remain in the depths of the spirit. Her heart ached, and she felt an immense grief, yet her eyes and mind were very clear. She was like an outsider, watching this tragedy of life and death unfolding before her.

Shen Juan left.

Outside the door stood a formally dressed man and several doctors in white coats. The doctor at the head of them wore a pair of full-rimmed glasses with gold frames, and beneath the collar of his white coat, a formal suit and tie could be seen. When they saw Shen Juan come out, they immediately stepped forward, their attitudes very humble.

Shen Juan said to the first person, “Go to the scene.”

That person replied, “Yes.”

Gu Shuge recognized him. He was Shen Juan’s assistant, Lin Mo, a very cheerful, somewhat innocent big boy. The last time she had seen him, he had even joked, “After Miss Gu comes back, if you don’t have a suitable candidate, you can hire me as your assistant. I’ll definitely jump ship without the slightest hesitation.”

She had happily said, “Sure.” Then she had asked Shen Juan, “Sister, do you agree?”

And so Shen Juan had raised her head from the pile of documents and looked at her. There had been a smile in her eyes, and a touch of gentle indulgence at the corners, making Gu Shuge’s heart skip half a beat.

But now, Lin Mo’s face no longer held the cheerfulness she had once seen. Keeping to his duties, he took out his phone and arranged for the car.

Shen Juan no longer had the gentle smile from back then either. She turned to look at the doctors. The one at the front immediately introduced himself. “Ms. Shen, hello. My surname is Liu. I am the hospital’s deputy director. I was deeply grieved to hear this tragic news.”

Shen Juan had no mood for pleasantries, and Director Liu was also someone used to handling formal situations. Without waiting for Shen Juan to answer, he quickly continued and stated the purpose of his visit. “Because the case has not yet been closed, Miss Gu’s remains must temporarily stay here. We ask for the family’s understanding.”

The person was already gone. Right now, the most important thing was naturally to find out the cause of death and let the departed soul rest in peace. So the wise thing for the family to do was to cooperate with the police unconditionally. That was common sense.

But common sense was often put forward by bystanders who had never felt the pain cut into their own flesh. For the people caught inside it, every word was like a knife, piercing straight into the heart with perfect precision.

When Gu Shuge heard the words “remains,” a dull pain throbbed between her brows. Once again, she was reminded of her own death. Only now, she was no longer alone. Shen Juan was beside her. She turned toward Shen Juan, seeking reassurance.

But Shen Juan, the Shen Juan who had always been incomparably strong, did not say a single word that could put her at ease. She said, “Arrange for two people to stay with Xiao Ge.”

Gu Shuge’s heart sank into an abyss. In the face of death, humans had no room to struggle.

As though afraid she might change her mind, Director Liu immediately answered, “All right. I’ll arrange for people to keep watch here at once.” After saying that, he signaled for two people behind him to step forward and instructed them to guard this place, not allowing them to leave even half a step. “I’ll arrange two more people to take shifts as well, to guarantee that someone is watching here at every moment.”

Only after Shen Juan watched him finish making the arrangements did she walk outside. The sound of her heels striking the tile echoed through the corridor, one step after another, hollow and empty.

That instinct that had driven Gu Shuge to stay close to her body at the accident scene appeared again. But this time, what drew her was not the motionless corpse lying on the bed, but Shen Juan.

Gu Shuge looked back at her own body once, then followed Shen Juan without the slightest hesitation.

The car was parked outside the hospital. When the driver saw Shen Juan come out, he pulled open the door. Lin Mo sat in the front passenger seat, while Shen Juan sat alone in the back. Gu Shuge followed her in and sat beside Shen Juan.

The car started smoothly, without any jolting. Gu Shuge turned her head and looked at Shen Juan’s profile. Shen Juan’s eyes were empty, her gaze fixed ahead at some hollow point. Her body did not move at all. Her shoulders were tense, and she sat very straight. So Gu Shuge copied her posture too, turning her gaze forward toward some hollow place.

The driver turned on the radio. Gu Shuge knew that Shen Juan had the habit of listening to the news in the car.

At that moment, international news was being broadcast.

“On the 18th local time, British police released information through the media, seeking public assistance in locating two Chinese students who have been missing for several days. According to reports from The Times and several other British media outlets, these two Chinese nationals…”

Lin Mo looked at the back seat through the rearview mirror, then turned off the radio.

The car fell quiet.

Gu Shuge also felt that at a time like this, it was better to be quiet. Although for Shen Juan, her emotions would not be disturbed by the outside world, Gu Shuge still felt it was better this way.

She kept a distance of one person between herself and Shen Juan. Ever since getting into the car, Shen Juan’s posture had not changed, as if she were a statue.

Gu Shuge felt both worried and guilty.

She knew how great a blow her death would be to Shen Juan.

The accident scene was not far. They arrived after passing through two blocks.

The crowd that had surrounded the area was already gone. Only a few passersby remained, pointing and commenting with a few sighs. The police had set up a cordon around the circle. Several police cars were parked there, their warning lights still flashing on the roofs, creating an atmosphere of tension and danger. For an ordinary traffic accident, this was indeed too large a scene.

Shen Juan got out of the car. Gu Shuge saw her body sway the moment she clearly saw the scene outside, and she gripped the car door for support.

Only then did Gu Shuge remember. Today was Shen Juan’s birthday, and she had come here to pick up Shen Juan’s cake. This bakery had been in business for many years, and both of them liked the taste of this shop. So before Gu Shuge went abroad, every year’s birthday cake, whether hers or Shen Juan’s, had been ordered from this store.

Shen Juan must have thought of that too.

Gu Shuge looked at her worriedly. She badly wanted to say, This was just an accident. Don’t blame yourself. But Shen Juan could not hear her. She was powerless, and could only watch as Shen Juan’s eyes reddened and tears filled them.

The police over there noticed they had arrived. The middle-aged man in charge hesitated for a moment, but still came over. Hiding his unease, he put on a businesslike air, stretched out his right hand, and said, “You’re the victim’s family, yes? Hello, I’m Chen Xingfeng, captain of the traffic police team.”

Lin Mo stepped forward from the side and cut in at an angle. He shook the man’s hand and said, “Hello. I’m Lin Mo, assistant to the chairman of Gu Group. Whatever you’ve discovered, you can tell me.”

Captain Chen did not show the slightest displeasure. On the contrary, he seemed relieved that there had been no awkward silence. He said, “Our colleagues have already taken the driver responsible for the accident back to the bureau for questioning. According to procedure, traffic accidents are handled by our traffic police. Only after signs of… deliberate action are discovered will the criminal police take over.”

When he finished speaking, Lin Mo was just about to open his mouth, but Shen Juan spoke herself. There was still the sheen of tears in her eyes. Her pupils were pitch black, so dark they seemed to hold a storm, and on closer look, like a stagnant pool of black water. “I want to see the scene.”

Captain Chen immediately agreed. “Of course. The family has the right to inspect the scene.”

After saying that, he led the way, lifting the yellow police tape to let them pass.

The scene had not been cleaned up. There was blood everywhere, and scraps of flesh. The place where she had lain had been outlined in chalk in the shape of a human body. That high heel still lay there all alone. The cake box had been flattened, and cream had spilled out.

Shen Juan walked over and picked up the shoe.

This pair of shoes had been a gift from Shen Juan when Gu Shuge was eighteen. It was a classic style, with silver soles and bright, supple leather. Fresh patterns were embroidered across the vamp in silver thread—classical and modern, graceful and youthful, reflecting each other beautifully.

Back then, she had already owned many pairs of high heels, and she had even found it a little strange that Shen Juan would give her a pair of shoes at her coming-of-age ceremony. Her birthday was in late spring. The sunlight had been gentle and warm, falling on people as if it could lull them to sleep at any moment. She had run over to ask Shen Juan, and Shen Juan’s smile had been like the sunshine that day, hazy and soft, as she said, “The ones you have are, well, a little childish.”

Gu Shuge had been both embarrassed and angry, and she had sulked at her for two days. But she had treated the coming-of-age gift like a treasure, and even four years later, they had still been brand-new.

Now, this shoe had returned to Shen Juan’s hand. It was no longer new. Dust and mud clung to it, like a flower beaten down by autumn rain, crushed into the dirt, desolate and withered.

Captain Chen was right beside her. After hesitating again and again, he still walked over and reminded her, “Ms. Shen, as an item left behind by the deceased at the scene, this must be retained by the police. You can’t take it away for the time being.”

Shen Juan handed the shoe to him. He immediately took out a large zip-seal bag, placed it inside, and handed it to a young officer nearby.

Shen Juan’s gaze followed the shoe for a few seconds. It was only when the young officer’s body blocked the zip-seal bag and she could no longer see it that she silently withdrew her gaze and walked toward the vehicle that had caused the accident.

The vehicle was a very old sedan. Gu Shuge had never even seen this car emblem before. From the model, it was obvious this car was very cheap. Cheap and old—everything about it revealed the owner’s financial hardship.

There were still bloodstains on the front of the car, and the windshield in front was shattered as well. It was clear how great the force of the impact had been at the time. In truth, it had only been an instant. It had hurt, but it had not tortured her, because very soon, she had left her body and become a wisp of a dead soul.

Gu Shuge looked at the car for a while, then suddenly felt irritated. She remembered very clearly that at the time, she had not been walking quickly, and she had even paid attention to the cars on both sides. It was this car that had suddenly appeared and rushed toward her at high speed. If not for that, she should be at home right now, happily celebrating Shen Juan’s birthday, instead of lying in a cold morgue.

She did not want to look anymore. She turned to Shen Juan beside her and said, “Sister, let’s stop looking.”

Shen Juan bent down. Her fingertips touched the bloodstains on the front of the car. The blood was nearly dry, turning into a sticky semi-solid substance that left a tiny crimson mark on her fingertip.

Lin Mo had prepared a handkerchief. The moment she straightened up, he handed it over, but Shen Juan did not take it. The blood on her fingertip seemed to have congealed, showing a gloomy, dark red color.

So once blood had left the body for too long, it was no longer bright red.

Gu Shuge grew even more irritated and turned to drift a little farther away.

Over there, two police officers were holding notebooks and recording something. Out of boredom, she was just about to drift closer and look. A young officer bumped the person beside him with his elbow and asked, “Who is that woman? Why such a huge fuss?”

The officer he had bumped was a little older. A cigarette dangled from his mouth. He glanced at the young officer impatiently, then crouched back down and used a ruler to measure the marks on the ground before recording the data in his notebook. He paid no attention to him at all.

Gu Shuge found it a little funny.

The young officer was clearly restless by nature. Even after being ignored, he did not feel awkward. After making a few notes along with the older officer, he began complaining again. “It’s obviously a very simple traffic accident. The driver already said he was driving while fatigued and didn’t see the person ahead. We’ve checked the surveillance footage too, and there’s nothing wrong with the driving route at all. It’s just an accident. Why are we still wasting time investigating here?”

This time, the older officer did respond. He raised his head and let out a cold snort. “It had better be an accident. Otherwise, this is going to become a huge mess.” He paused, then turned slightly and glanced toward Shen Juan in the distance, saying with contempt, “The deceased was the heir to Gu Group. Now that she’s dead, the whole group is going to end up surnamed Shen.”

Gu Shuge could no longer laugh. She drifted away and returned to Shen Juan’s side.