Memory Lost

Chapter 79: Poisonous Beauty Part 1

The mountain road at daybreak is meandering and quiet. Beautiful and dense trees stand on both sides. On top of the mountain is the azureous and brightly lit sky.

Han Chen drives for another while before saying, “We’re already at Mount Heming. Are you going to tell me or not?”

Xin Jia has been staring at his side profile from the backseat. Her gaze is obsessive and a sense of not wanting to let go. She answers softly, “Continue further ahead. You’ll see a white colored house. Let’s stop there.”

Han Chen doesn’t speak anymore. From Xin Jia’s angle, his face is like a statue, not showing any bit of emotion. His pitch black pupils are beautiful and mesmerizing as always. Her nose feels sour suddenly. She sniffs lightly and says with a slight smile, “Han Chen, I have a flight tonight to return to Beijing. I’ve already agreed to dad’s request and will marry the department head’s son. He has had a crush on me for a long time. From now on, you don’t need to worry about me bothering you anymore.”

Han Chen’s hands are still on the wheel and he doesn’t comment. And in the woods ahead, the shape of a house appears.

“My biggest dream in life is to be with you. Now that she’s back, my dream is shattered. But at least leave me the remnants of my dream,” she unbuckles the seatbelt. She then says looking out the window, “Accompany me for a day and I’ll tell you everything that I know about back then. Don’t worry, I won’t make you do anything that will betray her. I just want to have some meals and chat with you. Just like a friend, okay?”

Han Chen stops the car in front of the house. He doesn’t turn his head back or answer her. Instead, he says in a cold voice, “If you were really one of the serial killers, do you think that I would let you go?”

Xin Jia smiles, opens the door and walks toward the house.

“Do as you wish. You won’t find any evidence. The evidence from the past has long been erased.”

Han Chen looks at her in silence.

She’s wearing a white jacket and a pair of coffee brown trousers with her long hair down resting on her shoulders today. From behind, she is still the quiet, slender and graceful girl. Now that he thinks more carefully, in the past four-plus years, he has never really paid attention to her. He has pretty much never really looked at her for real and hasn’t spoken much to her either. She isn’t much different from the other girls who surround him: clinging on obstinately and melancholy, as if she’s a woman who’s petty and low.

Han Chen opens the door and walks over as well.

Xin Jia fetches the key, opens the door and turns around to look at him. Her eyes are a bit red but her face is showing a sweet smile, “Han Chen, the first thing that I want to tell you is: Bai Jin Xi is not called Bai Jin Xi. Her real name is Su Mian. As for other things, come inside with me and I’ll tell you everything slowly.” She goes in leaving the door open for him.

Han Chen is a little stunned.

Su Mian.

s.

He raises his head to take a look at the house. The building is rather new; most likely built within the last few years. It’s a western style. There’s a lawn in the front with some flowers planted; there’s even a swing in the garden at the back of the house. Beside the swing, two bikes are standing; one

for men, and one for women. The windows in the living room are open where he can just make out the flowers on the windowsill as well as some of the furniture inside.

Han Chen stays quiet for a few seconds before following her inside. He walks slow and steady while his bright eyes are constantly looking around.

A pair of male slippers and a pair of female slippers are placed side by side in the foyer. Xin Jia changes into the pair of female slippers, bends down and puts the male slippers in front of him. Han Chen glances at her and doesn’t put them on. He walks past her directly and enters the place.

Xin Jia’s mind goes blank staring at the soft black male slippers in her hand. After a moment of silence, she puts them back where they were.

“I come here every week,” she says softly behind him, “and today, you’re finally willing to come.”

Han Chen walks into the living room and stops. It’s because of the wall-full of picture frames hanging inside.

They’re actually all him and Xin Jia’s photos together.

There are photos of them together when they were little. Han Chen has seen them at home before, so he’s not surprised. Like the one showing a group of children playing in the yard together, she and he are both among them. She looks just like an obedient girl standing beside him, while he’s standing there with a cold expression. And there’s also one showing his whole family. She’s also standing on the side being hugged by his mom.

There are photos of him after growing up. There’s one showing him lying in a hospital bed; this must be from during the year he was in a coma. She’s snuggling beside him on the bed holding his hand and is looking at him infatuated.

But the photos further down causes Han Chen to freeze.

It’s because they’re all photoshopped photos——

He and Xin Jia standing by the river. In the dim lighting, his expression is stiff while she has a sweet smile on her face. There’s a photo of them sitting on the same bed at an extravagant hotel; another one showing him hugging her from behind and snuggling closely together on the observation level of a mountain……these photos are laughable and stiff like a puppet show. It’s because they’re either pieced together with a cutout of his police ID card photo or from younger photos of him. The one with them hugging is actually just their heads keyed onto somebody else’s body.

Han Chen feels a sense of nausea from seeing them. He says with an even colder voice, “What is the purpose of all this?”

But Xin Jia doesn’t answer. It’s as if she didn’t hear him, she turns around to go into the kitchen. Her voice is gentle as always, “I prepared the food yesterday. They’re in the fridge and it’ll just take a few minutes to warm them up in the microwave. They’re all your favorite dishes. Just sit on the couch and wait a bit.”

Han Chen doesn’t take a seat.

He’s standing in the middle of the living room taking another look around. His eyes land on the bedroom.

There’s a double sized bed as well as a crib. The bedroom is brightly lit, so he can see clearly two life-sized baby dolls lying in the crib; one boy and one girl with sunlight reflecting on their obsidian eyes. Their faces are smiling as if they’re looking naively and sincerely back at him.

A phrase that Bai Jin Xi said before suddenly springs into his mind——

This person has already become a psychopath.

_____

About a couple of tens of kilometers away on the road, a police car is speeding through the traffic.

“Mount Heming!” Chatterbox hangs up and roars, “Xiao Zhuan found it. Leader’s car last appeared on the main road to Mount Heming.”

Cold Face keeps quiet but steps on the acceleration pedal.

Jin Xi dials Han Chen’s cell phone again, but it is still unreachable. She clutches the phone and stares out the window with her eyes full of coldness.

Xin Jia, if you dare to harm Han Chen, I will definitely not let you off!

_____

Han Chen and Xin Jia are sitting across from each other at the table.

Han Chen is looking down at the dazzling dishes but is still quiet. Xin Jia scoops two bowls of steamy rice and puts one in front of him.

She picks up her own bowl, holds up her chopsticks and reveals a smile filled with happiness, “You’ve already come all the way here with me. Just have a meal with me. This is my second request.”

Han Chen’s arms are still resting on the armrests and has no intentions to move.

“I won’t eat this meal. Xin Jia, there’s a limit to my patience.”

Xin Jia smiles drearily. She lowers her head and starts stuffing food into her mouth.

“It’s okay. If you won’t eat, it’s fine as long as you sit here to accompany me,” she says slowly, “Su Mian is a top graduated student from the ‘05 criminal psychology program of our National Public Security University.”

Han Chen’s expression is still like frozen as he looks at her without a word.

She eats a little bit before putting down her bowl and chopsticks. She then throws all of the food including the plates and bowls into the garbage can. She walks to the sink to wash her hands and turns her head to look at him smiling, “Okay, I’m done eating. Come play on the swing with me, okay? That’s the third thing that I want to do with you.”

Han Chen follows her out to the back of the house.

The frame of the swing is entangled with green vines that are blossoming with little white flowers. They’re peaceful and beautiful in the sunlight. Xin Jia sits on the swing, turns her head and looks at him, “Can you give me a push?”

“No,” Han Chen is standing two to three meters away from her as he says cooly.

Xin Jia turns her head back and stares at the ground. She starts swaying on the swing slowly, “Then I won’t tell you anything.”

“That’s enough!” Han Chen walks over, grasps her wrist and pulls her off of the swing, “Come to the station with me.”

Xin Jia staggers as he pulls her in the direction of the car. But she smiles suddenly and says, “Han Chen and Su Mian were involved in the same explosion case five years ago. They were both in a coma for a year before waking up, and they both lost their memories at the same time. The only thing I want is for you to spend a day with me. If we go to the station, I won’t tell you anything. Han Chen, are you sure you’ll be fine with that?”

Han Chen pauses his footsteps. He turns around to look at her. His grip on her wrist tightens causing her eyebrows to frown from the pain, yet she seems to be smiling even happier than before.

“Why was my and her condition exactly the same?” he asks in a cold voice.

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