Chapter Twenty-Eight: Pride

“To your knowledge, what was Wang Yuluo’s relationship with others like? Did she have any particularly sharp conflicts with anyone?”

“Not really. To be honest, Wang Yuluo wasn’t especially popular in our study group, mainly because she barely paid attention to classes or assignments. She wasn’t there to improve herself; it was more like she was just passing the time. Maybe it was because she came from a very privileged background—she always wore and used the best things. Sometimes, when she spoke, she inadvertently made others feel belittled or mocked.”

Cai Xin sighed. “I felt that way at first too, since my family isn’t well-off, and over the years I’ve developed certain habits. For example, if I forgot my water bottle and got really thirsty, I’d buy a bottle of water, and after I finished, I’d bring the bottle home to save up and sell as recyclables.

That kind of thing probably never even crossed Wang Yuluo’s mind. So when she found out, she was genuinely shocked. She said something like, ‘You even have to collect bottles to sell for scraps? How poor must you be!’

I was pretty upset at the time, but later I realized she wasn’t unfriendly—she was just too naive and blunt, but her heart was in the right place. After that, when she realized my family’s situation, she started being very considerate, giving me her extra study materials and things she didn’t need.

So with her personality, it’s unlikely she was especially well-liked in the study group, but she definitely wasn’t hated either—she never actually put anyone down or bullied them.”

“Since you’ve known her, have you noticed anything different about her lately?” Ning Shuyi asked.

“Well…” Cai Xin thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. She seemed to be in a good state recently, even looked happy when going to the tutoring classes.

She mentioned that soon she’d be going with a club she’d joined outside of class to a big comic convention in another city. She told me she was going to prepare the best costume and accessories, hire the most skilled makeup artist, find a photographer to take stunning pictures of her, and afterward she’d show me the best shots to admire.

I didn’t notice anything unusual about her; she seemed perfectly normal.”

“Who chose the movie you two watched that day? There’s a cinema near your grad school prep class, and it’s big and easy to find. Why didn’t you go there? Why take a longer route and watch a more expensive film at a private theater? Was it just for that horror movie?”

Cai Xin hurried to explain, “No! I didn’t pick the movie. I’m not that brave—I’m the type who is scared but can’t help wanting to watch scary things. I wouldn’t dare suggest a horror movie myself.

Wang Yuluo didn’t pick it either. I think someone gave her the tickets—or something like that—so we didn’t really have a choice. She wanted to see it, heard it was really thrilling and scary, but didn’t want to go alone, so she asked me to come with her.”

“Who gave her the movie tickets? Did she mention that to you?” This detail was new to Ning Shuyi and the others, since the private theater’s security footage only showed them using the self-service machine, but it was hard to tell from the video whether they bought the tickets or just picked them up.

That was why Cai Xin’s answer caught their attention.

“I don’t know. She just scanned a code to pick up the tickets; she didn’t buy them herself.” Cai Xin seemed nervous—after all, it was unsettling to learn that someone you’d just seen the day before had died. She felt a chill she couldn’t quite explain. “Was there something wrong with that movie? Did something happen in the theater? Did anyone else die?”

Ning Shuyi understood—Cai Xin was shaken not just because someone she knew had died so suddenly, but also because she was afraid there had been an incident at the cinema and felt she’d narrowly escaped danger herself.

“There was nothing wrong with the theater. Everyone else who watched that movie is fine,” she reassured her, then continued, “Did you go to the cinema together that day, or did you meet up somewhere first?”

“We didn’t go together. Wang Yuluo skipped class that morning and didn’t go to the tutoring center at all. I attended my earlier classes—like I told you, the teacher for the later class wasn’t very good, so I left during the break after the first session.

We’d already agreed to meet near the mall, and after I got there, we’d go to the cinema together.

My earlier class ran late, so by the time I arrived, Wang Yuluo was already there. I rushed over, but when I got there, she told me there was still quite a while before the movie started. She hadn’t told me the actual start time before, probably because she thought if I knew, I’d worry about missing other classes and wouldn’t agree to go with her.

I was a bit annoyed, since I’d carefully planned my schedule. The movie actually started over an hour later than I’d been told, so even with a lunch break, I was definitely missing another class…

But since I’d already made the effort to go, and she’d always been kind to me, I didn’t want to make a fuss over something so small. I couldn’t just turn around and leave.

So, I didn’t say anything about it. We just wandered around the mall for a while to pass the time,” Cai Xin explained.

Ning Shuyi nodded, understanding the subtext that Cai Xin hadn’t voiced. People care about their pride. Cai Xin was known for being diligent in the prep class—she had even been praised by the teachers. She said she only skipped a class she didn’t like because she couldn’t refuse Wang Yuluo’s request, and that was closely tied to the financial help Wang Yuluo often gave her.

Similarly, even after realizing Wang Yuluo had misled her about the movie’s start time, Cai Xin’s frustration and restraint were also connected to her reliance on Wang Yuluo’s help. But naturally, she wouldn’t admit that out loud—everyone has their dignity to protect.