Profiler

EPILOGUE

At the Jiangbin City police lockup, Fang Mu slept peacefully for several nights. He didn't dream at all.

As he had requested, Tai Wei arranged it so that he could have his own cell. All of his meals were takeout, and each morning he was given the day's newspaper and a pack of expensive Zhonghua cigarettes.

When he didn't feel like doing anything else, Fang Mu would lie on his iron bed and look out the window, silently watching the clouds pass and day turn to night.

Occasionally Fang Mu would think of those who had passed, the things that had happened. But now he was much more at peace and it seemed like it would be difficult for anything to shake him.

So this is all that it feels like to have killed someone.

A few days later, officers from the PSB discovered an abundance of evidence in Sun Pu's home proving that he had committed all the murders. Someone was then sent to JiangbinCityUniversity to inform them of the situation, and Meng Fanzhe's name was officially cleared. At the same time, it was determined that Fang Mu had acted in self-defense and the case was closed. Tai Wei's testimony had been the critical factor.

Fang Mu's only regret was that he had been unable to attend Professor Qiao's memorial service.

It was Tai Wei who came to let Fang Mu out of his cell.

The day was clear and bright. As Fang Mu walked out of the detention house, the sun was shining overhead. He bathed in its warmth, his whole body pleasantly tingling. Like many of those on the street around him, he couldn't help but raise his arms and stretch.

When they reached the jeep, Tai Wei gave Fang Mu his belongings, including the fountain pen. Fang Mu looked the pen over for a long time, and then placed it carefully in his breast pocket.

Tai Wei watched this and then suddenly asked: "You did all that on purpose, right?" He pointed at the pen. "That's just a regular pen."

Fang Mu didn't respond. He knew that Tai Wei hadn't mentioned what happened with the pen when he testified.

Seeing that Fang Mu wasn't going to answer, Tai Wei didn't ask anything else, just silently started the jeep.

When they reached the school gates later, something suddenly occurred to Tai Wei.

"Oh, that's right." He searched in his pockets as the jeep sat at the school entry. "I meant to give this to you, too."

He handed something to Fang Mu. It was the dagger.

Fang Mu didn't immediately take it from him. For a few seconds he just stared at it, not saying a word. Finally he grabbed it.

"I'm gonna head back," he said, his voice low. Then he hopped out of the vehicle.

After he had gone a few steps toward the gates, Tai Wei called out to him.

This guy is always like this, huh? thought Fang Mu.

He turned around.

Frowning, Tai Wei looked into his eyes.

After a long moment, he asked: "You remember how I once recommended that you become a cop?"

"Yeah."

Tai Wei looked down, thinking deeply about something. A few seconds later, he looked back up. In a determined tone, he said, "I take it back."

He drove off.

Fang Mu watched the jeep disappear into the distance. Then he smiled, turned, and walked through the gate.

Today was the last day of finals. Unable to wait any longer, the students who had finished their tests had already packed their stuff into boxes and were heading to the train station. Amid this crowd of homeward-bound students, Fang Mu walked slowly toward Dormitory 5.

When he was back inside Room 304, Fang Mu sat on the bed and looked at all the papers still stacked on the desk. Touching them, he found they were covered with dust.

After sitting in silence for a while, he began to organize his things.

At this point he had finished everything he needed to do. There was no reason to stay here any longer. That afternoon he would go to the graduate student office and apply to switch dorms.

Fang Mu didn't have much stuff, and before long he had packed all of it up. After brushing the dust from his hands, he grabbed his washbasin and towel and then opened the door.

He frowned.

A bunch of people were standing in the hallway, Du Yu among them. They were all looking at Fang Mu as he walked out of the room.

He was stunned.

Du Yu walked over and stood in front of him. He looked at him for several seconds, and then at Room 304.

"You packed your stuff?" he asked, turning back to Fang Mu. "You're leaving here?"

"Yeah," Fang Mu said. Not wanting to have to say anything else, he walked past Du Yu.

"Hey!" Du Yu called from behind him. "What about your promise?"

Fang Mu turned back around. "What?"

Du Yu gave him a cold look. "You promised me that when you found the killer I would be the first to know."

Fang Mu was briefly taken aback. Shaking his head, he smirked and then turned to go.

"You're just gonna leave like this?"

Unable to help himself, Fang Mu was about to say, "What else do you want me to do?" but when he turned around, he saw that Du Yu was smiling at him.

"What if someone else like Sun Pu appears? What are we supposed to do then?" Du Yu, nudged Zou Tuanjie, who was standing beside him. Taking the hint, Zou Tuanjie winked at Fang Mu and then waved the guys around him into Room 304.

Du Yu was still looking at Fang Mu as he had before. "So, you have to stay."

He slowly walked over to Fang Mu as their dorm-mates bustled about around them, moving Fang Mu's stuff back into Room 313.

Du Yu stood in front of Fang Mu for a moment, and then gave him a sudden punch to the shoulder.

"There's some more good news. Liu Jianjun called me today. He's doing a lot better, and says he'll probably be back real soon."

Two months later.

Winter was already almost over. Still wearing a thick cotton coat, Fang Mu walked through Changhong City Teacher's College campus. Before long he was drenched with perspiration.

Liu Jianjun had just sent Fang Mu a text message, telling him happily that he was already able to walk slowly on his own. As Fang Mu smelled the sweet scent of trees budding in the air, his mood felt just as brilliant as the weather.

The ice had already thawed on JingLake and Fang Mu could see the water drift back and forth like fine gauze. On the opposite bank where a patch of willow trees had once stood, there was now a small store. Its loudspeaker was playing a familiar song: Boundless as the Sea and Sky.

"I chased you through the wind and rain, I lost you in the mist, the sea and sky will never change, but will we stay the same…? "

Fang Mu found a rock on the bank of the lake and sat down. He thought of how he had looked two years ago, when he had to walk around with a cane. A smile came to his lips.

"In the blink of an eye I lost myself, and the love in my heart grew dim — Who will still love me…? "

He pulled the knife from his pocket and looked it over.

The bottom of the dark-green handle used to be bumpy from having been burnt in the flames. Now the material had already been made smooth and shiny from the caress of his hand.

He unsheathed the blade and its sharp edge glinted in the sunlight. Gently, Fang Mu ran his thumb along the serrated edge, feeling the ridges against his skin.

The knife had already followed two owners, had witnessed too many things. Back when it was gradually put together on some crude assembly line, it probably never expected that it would lead such a full life.

Now it just lay in Fang Mu's hands, happily enjoying its owner's attentions, as if it had already forgotten what a terrifying weapon it had been when held by those two other people.

In the end, a knife was just a knife.

Why must people hold them responsible for so much?

Fang Mu laughed quietly. What does a knife know about responsibility? In the final analysis, only we can take the blame.

He stood up, weighed the knife in his hand, and then suddenly launched it over the lake.

The knife shone in the sunlight as it arced through the air. Then with a plop it dropped beneath the water. A few small ripples drifted out from the spot, but soon the lake was just as placid as before.

Goodbye, Wu Han.