Chapter 123: The Difference Between Life and a Thousand Cuts

Since the last time Zhang Wenhao heard Chen Lili complain about the unfair treatment she and Dr. Li had suffered in the emergency room lounge of Ren’ai Hospital, he had felt a mix of sympathy and indignation. Yet, Zhang Wenhao was well aware of his own position: just a high school student, with little influence or voice, unable to truly help them. Unexpectedly, by rescuing the woman injured in the car accident, he had inadvertently solved a significant problem for Li Changyun and Chen Lili. This brought a deep sense of comfort to Zhang Wenhao, and he was genuinely happy for the two of them.

Today, Li Changyun was truly joyous. The shadows that once weighed on him had lifted completely. Faced with new opportunities, he was filled not only with gratitude but also with a strong desire to achieve something meaningful. They had all drunk quite a bit throughout the evening, and when it became clear that Li Changyun would soon be drunk if he kept drinking, Zhang Wenhao suggested that they call it a night.

Chen Lili had no objections; she knew Zhang Wenhao had classes the next day, and both she and Li Changyun needed to report to the People’s Hospital. So she nodded in agreement.

Zhang Wenhao asked Li Changyun if he wanted to drink more, but the latter said he still wanted a little more. Zhang Wenhao didn’t press further and took it upon himself to help him finish his drink before leaving the private room with Chen Lili.

Zhang Wenhao intended to settle the bill quickly at the counter, but upon saying “check, please,” the waitress tapped a calculator a few times and said, “That will be 458 yuan in total.”

Just as Zhang Wenhao reached for his wallet, the waitress unexpectedly pulled out a small stack of bills from the drawer and handed it to him. “Sir, here’s your change.”

Zhang Wenhao was taken aback, frowning. “I haven’t paid yet. How could you be giving me change?”

The girl glanced at him, then at the slightly dazed Li Changyun beside him, and apologized, “Sorry, I mixed up the customers. This gentleman here prepaid a thousand yuan at the front desk.” She pointed to Li Changyun and handed the change to Zhang Wenhao.

Zhang Wenhao smiled wryly to himself. Li Changyun was thorough indeed; knowing his own low alcohol tolerance, he had prepaid the meal before Zhang Wenhao arrived—probably worried that after drinking too much, Zhang Wenhao might forget to pay or lose out in the bill scramble.

Zhang Wenhao stuffed the change into Li Changyun’s pocket and said, “I didn’t drive here. Let’s take a taxi. I’ll see you both home.”

Chen Lili nodded. “Let’s drop Dr. Li off first. His place isn’t far from here.”

Zhang Wenhao agreed, supporting Li Changyun as they left the restaurant. They hailed a taxi by the roadside. Though Li Changyun was a bit groggy, he was still coherent enough to provide his home address. The driver took them there.

After parking, Li Changyun said, “Wenhao, I’m heading up now. We’ll get together another day.”

Zhang Wenhao nodded. “Call me when you have time.”

Li Changyun grunted in acknowledgment, then leaned out of the car and said, “Wenhao, brother, I truly thank you. There’s nothing else—I just want to say thank you!”

Zhang Wenhao sighed. “Are you okay going up by yourself?”

“I’m fine. You go ahead and take Lili home.” Li Changyun closed the door, waved to them, and headed up the stairs.

Once the driver resumed the journey, Chen Lili turned to Zhang Wenhao and asked, “Where do you live? If it’s close, I can drop you off first.”

Zhang Wenhao waved his hand, smiling. “No way would a gentleman let a lady see him home first. Let’s go to your place first.”

Chen Lili responded, “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m a few years older than you. Technically, you should call me sister—so it only makes sense for your ‘older sister’ to send you home.”

Zhang Wenhao said again, “Still, I’ll take you home first.”

By then, the driver had pulled up to the entrance of the residential complex. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the driver said, “stop debating who goes first and just tell me the address.”

Chen Lili blushed slightly but gave the driver her address.

After dropping Chen Lili off, Zhang Wenhao continued home in the taxi. Suddenly, his phone rang. He pulled it out, and the sight of the number made him shiver involuntarily. “Driver, pull over!” he said abruptly.

The driver was puzzled. “We’re not there yet.”

“Just pull over here,” Zhang Wenhao insisted.

The driver reluctantly stopped and checked the meter—26 yuan. Zhang Wenhao handed over a fifty-yuan note without a word, then pushed the door open and hurried off. The driver’s first reaction was to check if the fifty was counterfeit. Recently, many passengers had been handing over larger bills and then running off, leaving the driver unable to collect change. He was relieved to find the bill genuine.

Zhang Wenhao had already sprinted to a deserted corner by the sidewalk, where he pressed the answer button.

“Wenhao.”

It was Qian Ning.

He had guessed it would be her as soon as he saw the number beginning with double zeros. That’s why he had immediately gotten off the taxi to answer. The voice on the line was unmistakably hers.

For a moment, Zhang Wenhao was at a loss for words. Deep down, he realized how much he missed Qian Ning, but he also knew this longing was distorted and unrealistic, so he had kept it buried.

“Wenhao, what’s wrong?” Qian Ning asked softly on the other end.

Snapping back to reality, Zhang Wenhao hurriedly said, “I’m fine. How about you?”

“Pretty well.” Qian Ning paused, then said, “Wenhao, well done.”

Zhang Wenhao was stunned for a moment, then asked, “You knew?”

“I guessed,” she smiled faintly. “I’ve known Kim Seong-hoon for a long time. I know what kind of man he is. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to mistake a wealthy second-generation heir for you, nor would he accidentally kill himself falling down stairs.”

Zhang Wenhao smiled. “Kim Seong-hoon is that assassin, huh?”

Qian Ning responded, “A Korean, been in this line of work for many years.” Her tone grew a bit melancholic. “I heard he died and was surprised, so I looked into it. When I heard one of the victims was a student, I nearly freaked out—I thought it might have been you.”

Zhang Wenhao smiled knowingly. “And then?”

“Then,” Qian Ning said, “I found out the deceased wasn’t you. That’s when I knew something was off. All clues pointed to Kim Seong-hoon having found you, yet he killed someone else instead. He wouldn’t make such a mistake unless someone tricked him.”

Zhang Wenhao remained silent; Qian Ning was the only one who understood the situation and had guessed it was him. He was not surprised.

“Wenhao,” Qian Ning fell silent for a moment, then said softly, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect to bring you so much trouble.”

“Don’t say that,” Zhang Wenhao replied calmly. “This was my choice, not yours. Even if something happens to me, you don’t have to blame yourself.”

“I understand. I know that in my heart,” she said.

Zhang Wenhao couldn’t help but ask, “Are you okay now?”

“Sort of. I’ve moved to another place, basically out of danger.”

Zhang Wenhao nodded. “That’s good. Take care of yourself.”

“I know,” Qian Ning smiled. “Even if the student’s family doesn’t suspect anything, the organization will. After all, it was because of suspicion that I started looking into things.”

Zhang Wenhao said, “Let them suspect. All the evidence is destroyed. They won’t find me.”

Qian Ning said, “I’m still worried, so I called you.”

There was a pause, then she spoke with a weary tone, “Wenhao, after this call, I really have to start running for my life.”

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Wenhao asked anxiously.

Qian Ning smiled faintly. “I know I shouldn’t have contacted you—it puts you in danger. But I couldn’t control myself. I fear I won’t have control over the days ahead, so I called you. The organization never lets go of me. They’ve even threatened your safety. I can’t let them be so reckless anymore.”

Zhang Wenhao sensed something unusual and asked bluntly, “What do you want to do?”

Before calling you, I put everything I know and all the evidence I have into an email and sent it to every member of the organization. Many, like me, are disillusioned and will choose to quit. The organization will be severely weakened. But it doesn’t matter anymore. They want me dead, and whether they want to kill me or tear me apart, it’s essentially the same. But this way, the leadership will be too preoccupied with their own troubles to hunt you down.

Zhang Wenhao was speechless for a moment. He knew the organization first wanted Qian Ning dead because her involvement exposed them. The second time, it was because they feared she would leak secrets. But if she evaded capture long enough and kept the secrets safe, the organization might reach an unspoken truce with her: “Since you haven’t said anything all this time, then I won’t pressure you either, to avoid mutual destruction.” Yet her actions now would surely enrage the leadership, who might stop at nothing to find her.

This was not the difference between death and being torn apart—it was the difference between life and being torn apart.

Qian Ning heard no reply and whispered, “Take care of yourself.”

Zhang Wenhao responded softly, “You too. Please be careful.”

“Don’t worry.” Qian Ning laughed softly. “I used to not fear death, but now I do. If I’m to live, I need a reason. That reason is that I want a chance to see you again in this lifetime. I’ll do everything I can to stay alive.”