"The young girl is very innocent and a reliable client."
It was a quiet afternoon at Zhonghai University, with only the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze breaking the silence in the back garden.
Dressed in a white flowing dress with her long hair billowing, Ouyang Liuse sat beside Mu Zi, who was clad in black. They relaxed on a stone bench in a small pavilion, leisurely sipping mineral water.
"Very innocent, and also very pitiful," Ouyang Liuse continued after taking a sip of water, picking up where Mu Zi left off. "When I sat across from her, I could clearly see the emotions in her eyes. It was a complex mix of fear, excitement, anger, helplessness, and hope. I'll never forget that look for as long as I live..." Ouyang Liuse paused, her expression growing complex as she stared into the distance, as if seeing her past self. Lin's plight reminded her so much of her own past. Back then, when her aunt and uncle were laid off and bedridden, she bore the burden of their livelihood alone. Her beauty often brought trouble, like Fu Yang and others who buzzed around her persistently. Angry and aggrieved, she felt powerless... It seemed Mu Zi's view was right. When heaven fails to judge right from wrong, someone must stand up for the weak.
Snapping out of her reverie, Ouyang Liuse realized that she and Mu Zi had been silent for over ten minutes.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked, glancing at Mu Zi.
Mu Zi smiled and looked at her with a gaze filled with affection. "For the first time, I feel that the saying 'men and women working together is not tiring' is so accurate and classic."
Ouyang Liuse fell silent for a moment, then said with emotion, "I never thought I'd become an accomplice to murder."
Mu Zi's expression grew solemn as he gazed into her watery eyes. "Do you still think we're murderers?"
Ouyang Liuse fell silent again, her gaze drifting to the sky, where the blue was punctuated by fluffy white clouds. Deep memories seemed to weigh heavily on these clouds, turning them into teardrops in her eyes, swirling and rolling but never falling.
After a while, she reached out and gripped Mu Zi's hand tightly. "I feel like we are a pair of assassins," she said softly, resting her head on his chest.
"So, I've decided to change the code name," Mu Zi said, stroking her smooth black hair and smiling. "The name [Jia] isn't very appealing. I think 'Black and White Impermanence' is better."
Ouyang Liuse chuckled, her voice becoming lively and crisp. "Black and White Impermanence? That makes us sound like murderous animals..."
Mu Zi scratched his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. "You're right... Anyway, we need a new name that reflects our partnership."
Ouyang Liuse laughed again. "Can you stop using the words 'Black and White'? It sounds so bad!"
Mu Zi smiled and pondered while twirling a lock of hair. "How about 'Divine Condor Heroes'?"
Ouyang Liuse straightened up, shaking Mu Zi's arm as she laughed. "That's too tacky! Besides, aren't you plagiarizing Mr. Jin Yong's work?"
After her laugh, she stood up, pulling Mu Zi with her. "Let's leave the name for later. I've decided I like '[Jia]'. The important thing now is, have you thought of a way to deal with Wen Jun?"
As they walked out of the pavilion, Mu Zi said calmly, "Not yet. Let's review what we know about Wen Jun. His name is Wen Jun, a history teacher at Zhonghai University, lives on campus, single, lecherous, hypocritical. We know his daily routine: gets up around 6 AM, leaves his dorm around 6:30 AM for a run, arrives at his office around 7:30 AM, returns to his dorm around noon, back to the office at 2 PM, finishes teaching at 5 PM, sometimes attends school events in the evening, usually sleeps after 10 PM, often has female students stay over. That's all we know about Wen Jun for now."
As they strolled on the gravel path in the garden, Ouyang Liuse looked distractedly at the enigmatic man beside her. He was younger than her, but he gave her the impression of a real man, not a boy. Gone was any trace of youthful frivolity, replaced by focus and calm, resembling a famous detective... Sherlock Holmes!
Noticing her silence, Mu Zi turned to her and joked, "Do I look handsome?"
Ouyang Liuse shook her head, then quickly added with a bright smile, "But you do look cool."
Satisfied, Mu Zi nodded, "Finally, some honesty... How cool am I?"
Ouyang Liuse assessed him from head to toe: long black hair, black shirt, black pants, black shoes. "You're like a fallen angel."
"Good thing you didn't say I'm like Black Impermanence..." Mu Zi chuckled, then added thoughtfully, "Anyway, we know too little about our target, and with such a small circle of life, our opportunities to create an 'accident' are limited. It's hard to access his dorm, classroom, office, cafeteria, and the campus is crowded. This job won't be easy, considering the girl's limited budget..."
Ouyang Liuse gave his arm another shake, her face showing a hint of apology. "I can help you with reconnaissance, but I'm not ready to design a murder plan myself. So, I can only..."
"Any help is appreciated," Mu Zi said, squeezing her delicate hand. "You've accepted my ideology, but you haven't broken through your moral barrier yet. It takes time, and I'll wait for you."
"I might never break through. I can't imagine myself planning someone's death. I'm not the Grim Reaper..." Ouyang Liuse said sadly. "Just watching you play the role of the Grim Reaper, planning to take lives, is already my limit."
Mu Zi nodded, put on his sunglasses, and said, "Let's not talk about this now. We should check out the terrain."
They walked side by side out of the garden, striding on the hot asphalt road.
"Fallen Angel, Black Impermanence..." Mu Zi mumbled as they walked.
"What are you muttering about?" Ouyang Liuse asked, puzzled.
Mu Zi suddenly stopped under a tree, glancing at Ouyang Liuse. "The Angels of Death! I've thought of our code names. From now on, instead of [Jia], we'll be known as The Angels of Death! You'll be called Light and I - Archangel"
"Code names?" Ouyang Liuse repeated, surprised and amused. "The Angels of Death?"
"Anyway, it's a change from the codename '[Jia]'. Starting today, it's The Angels of Death! You always wear white, and I prefer black. The names fits us perfectly..."