Heart pounding like a drum, death by falling from a building
Wen Qingli’s eyes widened slightly and she froze in shock, a flush of red instantly rising across her fair ears.
Still, she tried her best to keep her composure.
“Lu Zheng… I didn’t mean to do that. Rest assured, I absolutely have no other intentions.”
As soon as she spoke, she quickly stepped back to put some distance between them. Her clear almond eyes darted nervously around the room.
Seeing that everyone’s attention was fixed on the stage and no one had noticed the small mishap between them, she let out a long, quiet breath of relief.
Lu Zheng, meanwhile, looked at her with a deep, complex expression.
The soft sensation of her lips brushing against his cheek still lingered as if it had never faded. His nose was filled with her sweet, pleasant fragrance.
It seemed he did not mind this little accident at all.
His gaze drifted to her full, soft lips—rosy, glossy, and now lightly caught between her teeth. They felt even softer than he had imagined.
What would it feel like to actually kiss them?
Realizing he was entertaining thoughts he should not, Lu Zheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he quickly suppressed the urge.
Seeing her put distance between them and act as if they were barely acquainted, he found himself faintly amused.
“Teacher Wen,” he called her name softly.
Wen Qingli looked up at him. “Yes?”
“Even though we agreed to pretend not to know each other in public, we are still old classmates. Aren’t you being a little too distant?”
Wen Qingli stared into his dark eyes, and for a moment she thought she caught a glint of teasing in his gaze. She had never expected he could also be playful.
“But we barely spoke to each other back in school anyway,” she replied.
The implication was clear: they had never been close even in the past.
“Were you closer with Fu Wenzhou then?” he asked, recalling how often Fu Wenzhou used to wander into their classroom in those days.
Wen Qingli’s long lashes fluttered. “I wasn’t close to him either—not as close as you were with Bai Chuxue.”
The words had barely left her mouth before she regretted them.
Lu Zheng’s Adam’s apple moved gently. “You saw me go out to talk with Bai Chuxue?”
Wen Qingli’s breath caught involuntarily. She wanted to deny it, but she also did not want to lie to him, so she nodded honestly. “Yes, I did.”
“I only spoke with her for a few minutes,” he said calmly. “And I also told her that I am married.”
Wen Qingli’s heart skipped a beat.
She stared at him in disbelief. “You… you told her you are married?”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Lu Zheng’s lips. “Don’t panic. I didn’t tell her that my wife is you.”
Before Wen Qingli could respond, he added, “Rest assured, Teacher Wen. I will keep to the agreement we made before we got married.”
Wen Qingli relaxed slightly and nodded. “And you can rest assured, Captain Lu. I will also abide by our agreement.”
She would bury her secret crush deep in her heart and never let him suspect a thing.
“Teacher Wen,” he said, changing the subject, “are you starting to get used to it?”
Wen Qingli blinked. “Used to what?”
“Being married.”
She nodded. “It’s fine.”
“Would you like to try becoming more familiar with each other when we get home tonight?” he asked in a low voice.
Wen Qingli’s heartbeat, which had only just settled, suddenly raced out of control again.
Even though her mind was in turmoil, she did not let it show on her face. Instead, she put on a gentle, composed expression and nodded. “All right.”
Both of them were adults, so she understood perfectly well what he meant by “becoming familiar.”
His dark eyes grew deeper and more intense as they fixed on her rosy lips. “We can start with a kiss.”
Wen Qingli’s heart was already pounding like a drum, yet she still nodded obediently. “Okay.”
With that settled, they said nothing more.
Lu Zheng’s phone rang, and after answering, he turned and walked out of the auditorium.
Wen Qingli watched his tall, stern figure from the corner of her eye. Only when he had walked far enough away did she lift both hands to cover her burning cheeks, which were now flushed bright red.
The thought of kissing him later filled her with nervous excitement and anticipation.
Qi Sheng sang two songs in a row, and Mingtang ran over to Wen Qingli looking thoroughly exhilarated.
“Hearing him perform live is a whole different experience! I think his singing voice has gotten even better, though it sounds a little hoarse now. I wonder if he’s been smoking too much.”
Wen Qingli remembered how paparazzi had recently photographed Qi Sheng smoking in a restaurant, and the photo had even made the trending list.
“Still, the pressure on him must be immense. Coming from a rural background without any connections, it really hasn’t been easy for him to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry,” she said.
Mingtang nodded. “That’s true. But some of his extreme fans are also quite frightening. They’re always attacking anyone who says anything against him.”
Mingtang sighed. “Exactly. And because he hasn’t done a good job of guiding his fanbase, I haven’t gone to any of his public events in the past couple of years.”
As the gala was drawing to a close, Mingtang tugged at Wen Qingli’s arm, her face bright with excitement. “Qingli, come with me to the old classroom building, okay? There was a boy I liked once, and back then I was bold enough to sneak up to the rooftop on the sixth floor and carve a confession into the wall. After all these years, I want to go see if the marks are still there.”
Wen Qingli agreed. “Sure, let’s go.”
Night had fallen deep, and the path leading to the old building was quiet and empty.
Moonlight spilled over the ground, and the only sound was the soft rhythm of their footsteps.
The moment they reached the base of the building, a deafening crash echoed through the air.
Wen Qingli quickly pulled Mingtang back several steps.
The ground seemed to shake violently with the impact.
A dark figure had plummeted from the rooftop of the sixth floor, crashing down right in front of them without warning.
If they had taken just one more step forward, the falling body would have landed directly on them.
Warm, crimson blood spread rapidly across the pavement.
The man’s limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, his joints bent grotesquely, and his entire body was soaked in blood. His face was swollen and disfigured beyond recognition.
“Ahhh—!”
Mingtang had never witnessed such a horrific sight. Her eyes went wide and she screamed in terror.
Wen Qingli glanced at the mangled body on the ground. From the style of his clothes, she could tell who it was—
It was Qi Sheng, the famous star who had just been singing on stage, admired by everyone just moments before.
Wen Qingli was equally stunned.
Only a short while ago, he had been standing under the bright lights, singing and dancing with endless energy and charisma.
As a police sketch artist specially hired by the department, Wen Qingli had far stronger nerves than most people.
She leaned forward slightly, her eyes scanning the position of the body and the fixed, dilated pupils in a split second.
In just two seconds, she could tell he was already dead on impact.
Seeing this scene firsthand sent a chill running down her spine, and she felt a wave of physical nausea rising in her stomach.
She looked over at Mingtang, who had collapsed onto the ground, her face ashen and her whole body trembling violently.
Putting an arm around her friend’s shoulders to steady her, she looked up toward the rooftop.
It was completely empty, with no sign of anyone there.
Taking a deep breath, she fumbled for her phone with shaking fingers and dialed Lu Zheng’s number.
The call connected quickly, and his deep, magnetic voice came through. “Teacher Wen. Shall we go home together later?”
Wen Qingli fought to keep her emotions under control, her voice tight and steady as she described exactly what had just happened.
Back at Lu Zheng’s end, as soon as he hung up, he immediately called the Criminal Investigation Division.
“Notify the forensics team and the medical examiner to proceed to the scene right away.”
After making the call, he quickly found the school principal and instructed him to arrange security personnel to seal off all entrances and exits—no one would be allowed to leave, and all anniversary activities were suspended.
Once everything was arranged, Lu Zheng hurried straight to the scene.
He had expected Wen Qingli to be completely shaken and terrified, but when he arrived, he found her holding Mingtang, whose face was still deathly pale, gently soothing her.
She usually looked so soft and fragile, yet in this moment of crisis, she remained calm and composed.
Lu Zheng took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
Wen Qingli lifted her eyes to meet his. Her eye sockets were slightly red, and her lashes trembled gently, but she did not cry or lose her composure. She nodded faintly. “Don’t worry about me. Go and get to work.”
Soon, the wail of sirens filled the night air.
Members of the Criminal Investigation Division and local police officers arrived at the scene.
A cordon was set up around the area, and onlookers were guided back and kept at a safe distance.
When word spread that the famous star Qi Sheng had fallen from the building and died, everyone attending the school anniversary was shocked.
Some whispered among themselves, others covered their mouths in silence, and a few braver ones tried to take photos or videos, only to be stopped sharply by the officers.
The entire campus was thrown into chaos.
No one could understand why Qi Sheng would fall from the rooftop—whether it was an accident, a suicide, or a murder. Panic and speculation spread quickly through the crowd.
Dr. He, the medical examiner, put on his gloves and knelt down to begin the initial inspection.
“The body position is stiff and unnatural, limbs twisted at abnormal angles, and the point of impact does not match the pattern of a free fall without external force. There are also faint marks of restraint on the skin. Based on this initial assessment, we can rule out unassisted suicide.”
Lu Zheng’s jaw tightened. “Seal off the entire building. Post officers at every entrance and exit to the rooftop. No one is allowed to approach.”
Before leading his team up to the roof, Lu Zheng glanced back at Wen Qingli.
She was standing quietly at the edge of the crowd, supporting Mingtang. Her face was still pale, but her expression remained steady and calm.