Mad Dog

Chapter 4: Shattered And Reborn

When Zhi Qi and Meng Chunyu returned to the dormitory from the cinema in the afternoon, it was as if the weekend hadn’t started for the playful and lively little girl. Meng Chunyu immediately applied a smoky makeup that seemed out of place to Zhi Qi, and then, wearing a black strap dress, she happily left.

When Zhi Qi was alone in the dormitory, the silence was palpable. Her long eyelashes fluttered for a moment. She walked to the computer desk and sat down. Her slender fingers paused on the keyboard for a while before gently tapping the words ‘Jiang Qi.’

A plethora of search results instantly appeared on the webpage, and the devilish yet handsome face of Jiang Qi leaped into view. Even though she was mentally prepared, Zhi Qi’s heart still skipped a beat. The young girl, like a thirsty fish entering the ocean, avidly searched for everything about Jiang Qi on Baidu and Weibo, saving various images—she even set one as her computer desktop.

Certainly, inevitably, she also came across many controversial comments about Jiang Qi.

“Gazing at the Sky” was originally a low-budget suspense crime film with limited audience appeal. The only selling point in its previous promotion was the fame of the director, Shen Lei.

However, after its release, it unexpectedly ‘exploded’ due to the fermenting word of mouth.

Jiang Qi’s mesmerizing and superb performance undoubtedly played a crucial role, receiving the most significant feedback. Zhi Qi, who rarely went online, now checked Weibo and found that four or five trending topics prominently featured Jiang Qi’s name. Like Meng Chunyu, who had just watched the movie, the audience who had seen “Gazing at the Sky” were mostly crazed about Jiang Qi. The comments were mostly:

‘Where did this stunning guy come from? Incredible!’

‘Is this really a newcomer? The acting is too amazing! I suggest those popular stars who can’t even cry properly to learn from him…’

‘This is pure talent. Isn’t Jiang Qi a newcomer?’

‘Really, with such good-looks, why bother with such acting skills? With such acting skills, who needs such attractiveness?’

…

Initially, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, as Jiang Qi’s performance in “Gazing at the Sky” was truly stunning. However, as some gossip enthusiasts began to dig up Jiang Qi’s past scandals, the tone shifted, and negative comments started pouring in:

‘This guy has been in jail, it’s confirmed. What good person can commit a crime when underage? I guess the psychopath in the movie must be playing himself.’

‘In jail??? OMG, my filter is shattered!!!’

‘Calling on level-ten gossip experts to enlighten us on the ins and outs, the hunger for gossip is unbearable!’

‘Who knows? Maybe this newcomer is mentally ill.’

‘Publicity stunt? Can someone who has been in jail become an actor?’

‘Yeah, isn’t this ruining the internet culture? Strongly recommend getting out of the entertainment industry!’

…

In the ever-changing wind of the online era, they both shape and change the trends—love as well as hate.

Worthless.

Zhi Qi’s black eyes quickly veiled with a thin mist, a cold and mocking laughter escaping her lips. Although she felt a bit sorry for the evaluations, good or bad, that these people had for Jiang Qi, she wasn’t worried about how Jiang Qi would react to these comments.

If a young man like Jiang Qi were to be melancholic due to others’ opinions, his life would be mostly filled with sorrow and grief. Zhi Qi had accompanied Jiang Qi for many years since childhood and had mastered the greatest ‘skill’—to focus only on what she wanted to pay attention to.

Everything else was just passing clouds.

Zhi Qi also searched and saved everything about Jiang Qi that she ‘wanted to pay attention to’ online.

Unfortunately, “Gazing at the Sky” had just been released, and there were no resources available for her to watch repeatedly online. Besides this movie, Jiang Qi had no other works. Zhi Qi could only quench her thirst by repeatedly looking at the pictures online. He hadn’t participated in any public events, and he didn’t have his own fan group. Most of the information was just ‘edited images’ and ‘candid shots.’

Just as she was enthusiastically browsing, her phone, placed to the side, buzzed.

Zhi Qi glanced at it, and the screen flashed with the words ‘Zhi Yu.’ She tilted her head slightly, picked it up, and softly said, “Brother.”

“At the dormitory?” The voice on the other end of the phone was deep, yet strangely authoritative and unquestionable. He straightforwardly said, “I’m coming to see you.”

“Yes.” Zhi Qi replied first, then asked with some confusion, “Why do you want to see me?”

“I’m confiscating your phone and computer.” Zhi Yu’s actions matched his tone, straightforwardly stating, “Don’t go online for a while.”

…

“Brother, it’s unnecessary.” Zhi Qi naturally knew what he was up to this time, sighed softly, and said, “I know about Jiang Qi acting now.”

There was a full three seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

When Zhi Yu spoke again, there was a slightly gritted teeth sensation, “Aren’t you the one who hardly goes online?”

Zhi Qi had long been accustomed to Zhi Yu’s impulsive temperament and didn’t take it to heart, just smiled faintly, “I happened to be dragged by my roommate to watch a movie, and I saw him in this one—brother, has Jiang Qi become even more handsome after four years?”

Her seemingly indifferent ‘fangirl’ appearance made Zhi Yu on the other end of the phone feel the urge to throw the phone.

“I don’t give a damn about that kid.” Zhi Yu’s tone became serious, warning, “Get your head straight, don’t keep getting close to him. We don’t know what Jiang Qi… what Jiang Qi will turn into now.”

Zhi Yu was three years older than Zhi Qi and had been taking care of her since childhood. He was used to being dominant when facing her, and his words were decisive. After the kidnapping case eleven years ago, Zhi Yu personally accompanied her to and from school for nearly half a year—though their schedules often didn’t align, being her brother, he would actively find ways to coordinate.

Zhi Yu was naturally aware of Jiang Qi and was equally grateful to him as Zhi Minglin and Mei Ran. He knew that his sister liked to stick around Jiang Qi, and while he couldn’t help but find it both amusing and exasperating, he didn’t object.

At the age of thirteen, he wasn’t raised for nothing. Even though Zhi Yu was just a teenager at the time, he considered himself able to judge people and distinguish between good and bad. He knew that although Jiang Qi was a bit cold and strange, he was a good person. That’s why he didn’t oppose Zhi Qi frequently interacting with him. He even had many interactions with Jiang Qi himself.

After all, if you looked at Jiang Qi as a person, leaving everything else aside, Zhi Yu also thought he was a ‘very cool’ boy.

But all this understanding was limited to four years ago, to the Jiang Qi before he turned seventeen…

It is said that the prison is the darkest place in the world, where all the sinister and ugly souls gather, capable of breaking a person’s bones and reshaping their temperament completely. So Zhi Yu couldn’t imagine what Jiang Qi, who had spent three years there, would look like now.

After all, through the screen, his danger, coldness, and the spreading wickedness made people shudder… Zhi Yu could never feel at ease with Zhi Qi having any involvement with Jiang Qi. Yet, damn it, he understood Zhi Qi’s obsession with Jiang Qi better than anyone else.

Just like now.

“Brother, no matter what he becomes,” Zhi Qi held the phone, determined, and said, “He will remember me.”

The girl’s stubbornness made the veins on the back of Zhi Yu’s hand holding the phone pop.

“Remembering you, what’s the use?” He spoke with a hint of ferocity, “Can that put food on the table?”

“Maybe it can, after all, love can fill the belly.” Zhi Qi smiled, softly refuting, “Brother, rest assured, I won’t go looking for him now.”

“But I know he likes me. No matter what Jiang Qi becomes, he only likes me.”

This extreme self-confidence in the relationship between her and Jiang Qi had never wavered for a single moment in the four years. Zhi Qi knew that the young man wouldn’t come to her now, she just didn’t know how to face him. But she would patiently wait for Jiang Qi. Her phone number had never changed because it was a ‘promise’ stained with their blood.

After finishing her words, regardless of Zhi Yu’s rage on the other end of the phone, she daringly hung up. Perhaps those who are favored have confidence without fear. She knew Zhi Yu wouldn’t truly be angry with her.

The girl’s pitch-black pupils returned to the computer screen, covered with pictures of Jiang Qi.

Among them, there was a profile picture of the young man. His ink-black hair was blown by the wind, and there was a faint, small scar on his forehead, about two centimeters long. If you didn’t look carefully, you couldn’t see it, and with today’s makeup techniques, it could probably be seamlessly covered.

Perhaps only Zhi Qi knows how this scar came about.

This is Jiang Qi being cut on the forehead with sharp pieces of gravel by someone.

That probably happened around two months after Zhi Qi got to know him.

The little girl developed a liking for hanging around Jiang Qi. After class, she would go to play with him. During lunch, she even had Mei Ran bring two portions for them, going to find him to eat every day. Gradually, Jiang Qi also got used to her presence, not as distant and cold as he was at the beginning, keeping people at a distance.

If Zhi Qi gave him something, he would eat it, but he didn’t accept anything else. He also gradually started playing with Zhi Qi. Faced with the girl’s various requests and innocent cuteness, most of the time, he silently agreed.

Jiang Qi wouldn’t express it verbally, but it seemed that he didn’t mind Zhi Qi, the ‘destroyer’ who had barged into his world of nothingness. Even… a hint of a smile began to appear in Jiang Qi’s usually indifferent amber eyes.

After all, girls are probably the cutest creatures in the world.

But there were plenty of students who Jiang Qi found displeasing, and now with Zhi Qi, this beautiful and cute girl, constantly hanging around and being nice to him, it only intensified the ‘displeasure’ of others.

The world of elementary school students is not without malice, and often, it’s even more pronounced.

On an ordinary day after school, Zhi Qi ignored the eager eyes of Zhi Shuang, who wanted to walk with her, and left the classroom on her own. Since the last time she ‘followed suit’ and said that Jiang Qi could also kill people, Zhi Qi didn’t want to play with her anymore.

Children’s likes and dislikes are often that simple.

And in the eyes of those with dark hearts, ‘evil’ is often irrational.

Zhi Qi went to Class Three but didn’t see any sign of Jiang Qi. However, she noticed his backpack still in its place. So, the little girl thought he must have gone to the restroom and leaned against the wall outside the classroom, waiting for him. With nothing much to do, the little girl simply played with the straps of his backpack, pulling them with both of her small hands.

But as the students in the classroom left, and with the teacher about to lock the door and turn off the lights, Zhi Qi had no choice but to take Jiang Qi’s backpack out of the classroom and continue waiting in confusion.

Where could Jiang Qi have gone? He wouldn’t have gone home without even taking his backpack, right?

The brightly lit corridor plunged into a cold and silent stillness as Zhi Qi stood there. Just as she was hesitating whether to leave as well, she faintly heard sobbing sounds from a classroom around the corner.

Zhi Qi paused, subconsciously walking towards the source of the noise.

It was a seldom-used abandoned music classroom. So late… why would there be someone?

A sudden sixth sense made the little girl feel uneasy, and her heart pounded. It wasn’t until she approached the door of that classroom and looked through the narrow glass window that she saw the scene inside, and her large, dark pupils shrank abruptly—

Several older male students were surrounding and pressing Jiang Qi onto the podium, their actions ruthless and brutal. The boy being firmly controlled had a dark frown, more prominent on his pale face. His lips were bruised and purplish, clearly showing signs of enduring pain after being beaten.

The boy’s eyes were cold and red, like the unyielding light of untamed wilderness.