In 2006, during a bitter winter.
Yang Ming stood at the entrance of the funeral home, trembling all over, but it wasn't due to the biting cold wind. His gaze was hollow, his face etched with disbelief and pain. Just an hour ago, he had received a phone call.
"Is this Yang Rui's brother? Your sister... has committed suicide."
The cold voice on the other end felt like a sharp blade, piercing directly into Yang Ming's heart.
"Impossible! You've got it wrong!" Yang Ming couldn't believe it. But when the caller recited his sister's ID number and school address, his legs gave way, and he fell from the scaffolding at the construction site.
Just a few days ago, Xiao Rui had tugged at his arm, saying, "Brother, when I come back from school this week, I'll definitely make your favorite sweet and sour ribs!" How could that sensible, kind, always smiling sister possibly have taken her own life? What on earth had happened in just a few days?
Yang Ming clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms, yet he felt no pain. The only voice echoing in his mind was, "Xiao Rui, tell me this isn't true... Please..."
As he reached the door of the morgue, his body felt stiff. His clothes were already tattered, covered in dirt and sweat. He wanted to wipe the mud off his hands but realized there wasn't a single clean spot on him. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed the bitterness in his throat and staggered inside.
The acrid smell of disinfectant was almost suffocating, but he couldn't care about that. In the cold room's center lay a body covered with a white cloth, lying quietly. Yang Ming's heartbeat nearly stopped, his legs felt as heavy as lead. He stood beside the corpse, trembling hands wiping randomly on his pants. The stains did not vanish; instead, they made his pants even dirtier.In 2006, during a bitter winter.
Yang Ming stood at the entrance of the funeral home, trembling all over, but it wasn't due to the biting cold wind. His gaze was hollow, his face etched with disbelief and pain. Just an hour ago, he had received a phone call.
"Is this Yang Rui's brother? Your sister... has committed suicide."
The cold voice on the other end felt like a sharp blade, piercing directly into Yang Ming's heart.
"Impossible! You've got it wrong!" Yang Ming couldn't believe it. But when the caller recited his sister's ID number and school address, his legs gave way, and he fell from the scaffolding at the construction site.
Just a few days ago, Xiao Rui had tugged at his arm, saying, "Brother, when I come back from school this week, I'll definitely make your favorite sweet and sour ribs!" How could that sensible, kind, always smiling sister possibly have taken her own life? What on earth had happened in just a few days?
Yang Ming clenched his fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms, yet he felt no pain. The only voice echoing in his mind was, "Xiao Rui, tell me this isn't true... Please..."
As he reached the door of the morgue, his body felt stiff. His clothes were already tattered, covered in dirt and sweat. He wanted to wipe the mud off his hands but realized there wasn't a single clean spot on him. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed the bitterness in his throat and staggered inside.
The acrid smell of disinfectant was almost suffocating, but he couldn't care about that. In the cold room's center lay a body covered with a white cloth, lying quietly. Yang Ming's heartbeat nearly stopped, his legs felt as heavy as lead. He stood beside the corpse, trembling hands wiping randomly on his pants. The stains did not vanish; instead, they made his pants even dirtier.
He didn't care, because at this moment, his eyes were fixed on the white cloth in front of him.
Taking a deep breath, he stretched out his trembling hand and slowly lifted the white cloth…
His breath became more rapid, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Xiaorui's pale skin was covered with horrifying scars!
There were clear binding marks around her wrists and ankles, and the dark purple bruises on her delicate limbs stood out glaringly!
There were also several burn marks on her arms, as if from cigarette butts, grotesque and terrifying!
"What… what happened…" Yang Ming murmured, his voice filled with disbelief and pain.
He carefully lifted the remaining white cloth covering his sister, then gasped sharply!
Xiaorui's abdomen had several knife wounds. Though they had been stitched up, the horrific marks were still clearly visible.
Yang Ming suddenly turned around, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the staff member standing nearby. "You're telling me this is suicide?!"
The staff member took a step back, his expression flustered. "This… this is the preliminary conclusion. We don't know the full details…"
Yang Ming rushed forward, grabbing the other person by the collar, his eyes red. "My sister is covered in wounds, and you're telling me it's suicide?!"
Just then, a security guard in uniform entered the room. "Please calm down! According to the autopsy report, it is indeed suicide. As for the injuries on her…"
At this point, the security guard hesitated for a moment before speaking, "It's obvious these are old injuries, and they were likely self-inflicted during some sort of sexual encounter."
"Bullshit!" Yang Ming gritted his teeth, "Xiaorui is only eighteen! How could she…?"
He released the staff member and turned to face the guard, his voice trembling, "My sister… she was clearly abused… This can't be suicide! Someone did this to her!"
The guard sighed but remained silent.
The entire morgue was eerily quiet, as if no one believed his words.
In that moment, Yang Ming appeared utterly helpless. Finally, he could no longer hold back and collapsed next to his sister's body, sobbing uncontrollably.
…
"Brother, you should've gone to college. Your exam scores were better than mine… and you're so smart…"
"Brother, you must be working so hard on the construction site, right? When I graduate and get a job, I'll take care of you…"
"Brother, stop always giving me the meat, you should eat more yourself…"
"Brother, how did mom and dad die?"
"Brother…"
Scenes of memories flashed through Yang Ming's mind, causing him unbearable pain!
"Ah!!!"
Suddenly, Yang Ming raised his head and screamed with every ounce of strength in his body. His bloodshot eyes were filled with endless agony and despair!
With everyone watching, he wrapped his sister's body in the white cloth, lifting her up and slowly walking out of the morgue.
Every step seemed to be trampling on his own heart!
"Wait a minute... You haven't..." A guard was just about to stop him.
The captain beside him sighed and said, "Let him go."
Walking out of the funeral parlor, snowflakes suddenly began to float in the sky, as if mourning for the lost lives.
In an instant.
The snow was like tears.
Falling all over the sky.
Yang Ming was holding his younger sister's body like this, stepping on the cold asphalt road, his face as pale as death.
His eyes were hollow, as if his soul had already left with his sister.
"Hey!"
Several flashily dressed hooligans blocked his way.
The yellow-haired leader said ferociously, "You're that Yang Rui's brother, right? Your sister borrowed money from us and hasn't paid it back yet. Now that she's dead, how do you plan to pay off this debt?"
Hearing the other party's words, Yang Ming slowly raised his head, a trace of confusion and pain flashing in his eyes. He asked hoarsely, "Xiao Rui borrowed money from you?"
"Bullshit!" The yellow-haired hooligan sneered, "Damn it, don't you dare try to deny it! I'm telling you, your sister took nude photos when she borrowed money from us! If you dare to deny it, I'll stick those photos all over her school and let everyone know that your sister was a slut!"
At this time, another hooligan took a glance at the body that Yang Ming was holding and said with a look of regret, "Damn it, what a pity! I offered to waive the interest if she spent a night with me back then, but she just refused. Well, now she's dead."
"Fuck, aren't you afraid of getting sick?" The third hooligan cut in. "Don't be fooled by her innocent-looking face. She was such a slut behind others' backs..."
"How do you know that?"
"How the hell don't I know?"
While these guys were talking without restraint, Yang Ming's face grew even uglier.
He stared fixedly at the yellow-haired leader and asked word by word, "What did you just say?"
Each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Are you fucking deaf? I said..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yang Ming suddenly rammed his forehead hard against the other's nose bridge!
There was only a shrill cry, and the yellow-haired hooligan fell straight to the ground, his nose crooked and blood gushing out all over his mouth in an instant.
"Fuck your mother!" The other hooligans rushed forward when they saw this.
Yang Ming turned around, shielding his sister's body, and let them punch and kick him.
Each punch and each kick was heart-wrenching, but compared to the pain in his heart, these were nothing.
"Xiao Rui... I'm sorry. Wait for me, sister..." He whispered to his sister in his arms, as if she could still hear him.
He carefully placed the body on the ground. Immediately, he was kicked hard on the back and almost fell down.
But he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up.
When he stood up again, his eyes were filled with crazy fury!
It was a kind of despair and fury after losing everything!
Almost in an instant, he grabbed the hooligan closest to him.
The strength he had built up from working on construction sites all year round burst out in an instant.
Before everyone could react, there was a crisp "crack" sound. To everyone's astonishment, Yang Ming had actually broken that man's arm alive!
The hooligan's screams pierced through the cold air, while a cold light flashed in Yang Ming's eyes.
Snowflakes were swirling in the air, and the whole world seemed to change its color.