Chapter 379: Chapter 379: Are They Alright?_1
In those three bottles of sweet and tangy orange juice, a significant amount of poisonous rat poison had been mixed in.
Qin Sisi retained a bit of childhood memory about rat poison. Back then, mice were abundant, and there were many who sold rat poison on the streets.
In those years, eight or nine out of ten poisoning cases used rat poison purchased from street vendors.
Later, the authorities realized the severity of the situation and enforced strict controls on rat poison, beginning with banning its production and sale.
Many people were worried. Without rat poison, how could they exterminate the rats at home? Would there be a severe rodent plague?
Of course, the situation people worried about didn’t occur. Without rat poison, there were no rats dying from ingesting it, and people afraid that their pet cats and dogs would accidentally eat poisoned rats could relax and let their pets roam free.
If there were cats around, how would rats dare to be rampant?
Thinking of cats, Qin Sisi glanced meaningfully at the silent Ye You at her feet and raised her head from her memory.
The tragedy in the library shocked everyone. Fearing it would tarnish the school’s reputation, the school leaders admonished the staff to keep quiet about the incident.
So, later, no one knew exactly what happened that day.
The loss of three lives ruined not only themselves, but also three families. Henceforth, the three families became like enemies.
The dutiful Messenger of Death naturally came by. Zhou Yuan’s ghost followed the messenger away. Although she harbored resentment, she also knew she was in the wrong and was willing to forget past grievances and start anew.
Fan Xiaoe’s soul also left with the Messenger of Death. She said she had accomplished what she wanted to do, her wish was fulfilled. She didn’t need to be a wild ghost anymore for Lu Yimin.
In the end, the only person who couldn’t let go was Lu Yimin.
The sensitive and delicate soul of an artist prevented him from moving past his guilt and regret for Fan Xiaoe and Zhou Yuan. He chose to stay here forever, both as penance for his past mistakes and as remembrance of the beautiful past.
This story deeply moved Qin Sisi. A pure and beautiful romance that began in the bloom of youth, it endured the pressures of school, parental objections, the passing of time...
We held hands firmly during the most challenging times, yet in the end, succumbed to an external temptation when everything was going smoothly.
Like the piano piece "Für Elise" - it starts off lively and cheerful, and then becomes deeply sorrowful.
Qin Sisi finally understood why on every rainy and snowy night, Lu Yimin had to play "Für Elise". It was his longing and his sadness.
But who was his Alice?
Was it Zhou Yuan, or was it Fan Xiaoe?
Perhaps it was both of them, or perhaps neither.
Lu Yimin looked at the silent Qin Sisi and asked softly, "Do you think I’m a very bad person?"
Qin Sisi looked at Lu Yimin with mixed feelings. Her shock at the story quickly turned to calm, and she stated clearly, "The tragedy that befell the three of you, you all bear responsibility."
Lu Yimin was a bit surprised. He thought Qin Sisi’s attitude would be similar to others who had heard the rumors - either scolding him for his infidelity and calling him a modern-day Chen Shimei, or exonerating him while pointing fingers at Zhou Yuan’s shamelessness and Fan Xiaoe’s cruel revenge.
Yet, Qin Sisi believed that all three of them were to blame for the tragedy.
Lu Yimin shook his head, stating sadly, "No, the two of them are innocent. It’s all my fault."
Qin Sisi then shot Lu Yimin a cold look. If you know you’re wrong now, where were you earlier?
After hearing Lu Yimin’s story, although he was also a victim, Qin Sisi could no longer find him appealing.
Qin Sisi gave a faint smile, and coldly replied, "Indeed, you are at fault. But in an avalanche, no snowflake is innocent."
Qin Sisi had no intention of exonerating Lu Yimin. However, in her view, all three of them indeed shared responsibility for the tragedy.
Lu Yimin’s fickleness and deceit were despicable; Zhou Yuan continued her relationship with him despite knowing he had a fiancée, and Fan Xiaoe sought revenge wildly after her love failed. How could either of these women be completely innocent?
"In an avalanche, no snowflake is innocent?" Lu Yimin repeated, after a pause, stubbornly added, "But they did all of this for me, so I am the one to blame. If only I had been more determined, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened."
With a furrowed brow, Qin Sisi asked, "If you could go back in time, are you sure you wouldn’t fall in love with Zhou Yuan?"
Lu Yimin’s expression faltered; he was lost for words.
Even if he could do it all over again, he probably wouldn’t resist falling in love with Zhou Yuan.
Some things you don’t know where you went wrong, but it’s wrong.
With a sigh, Qin Sisi said in a somber voice, "Thank you for telling me your story. I sympathize with you. Now, let’s talk about our deal!"
Qin Sisi’s attitude turned so quickly, Lu Yimin was somewhat taken by surprise. But he clearly felt that Qin Sisi did not like the him in the story.
Lu Yimin also sighed, saying, "I’ve wandered here for twenty years. Originally, I planned to stay forever in atonement. However, it seems I’ve caused some trouble for the people of the school. I don’t care about the soul power anymore. Since you need it, and we’re somewhat like-minded, you can have it."
Qin Sisi didn’t expect Lu Yimin to agree so readily. But she didn’t want to take something without giving anything in return. So she asked, "Do you have any unfinished wishes? Maybe I can help you."
After pondering for a while, Lu Yimin slowly said, "My parents are no longer alive; there’s nothing left for me. What I can’t let go of are Fan Xiaoe and Zhou Yuan in my past life. I wonder if they’ve been reincarnated, and if so, what they are like now, whether they are doing well.
If I could see them one more time, even if it means my soul disperses and I never reincarnate, I would be content."
This condition seemed easy enough to fulfill. She could just ask Lan Di to help find those persons. Qin Sisi had previously helped other spirits with similar matters.
After a moment of consideration, Qin Sisi said, "If you have their birth dates from their previous lives, I could help you find them."
"I do." Lu Yimin immediately responded with a touch of excitement and eagerness in his voice.
He floated over to the piano, pulled out a piece of paper from underneath the pedal, examined it with a complex look, then handed it to Qin Sisi.
Qin Sisi took it and saw that it had the birth dates of all three individuals written on it.
Qin Sisi looked at Lu Yimin questioningly, to which he replied awkwardly, "I took our birth dates and consulted a fortune teller. I hoped to use that method to force myself to make a choice."
Qin Sisi rolled her eyes. Instead of deciding for himself, he passed the buck to the fortune-teller. How childish.
