Jian Jing had already decided on the contents of her will.
She had no relatives or spouse, so it was very simple:
1. After her death, all copyrights to her works would go to Kang Mu Cheng.
2. Her book collection, manuscripts, and dog would be entrusted to Jiang BaiYan.
3. Her assets, including houses, stocks, and funds, would be managed by Kang Mu Cheng, with the proceeds used to establish a mystery novel competition.
4. Her glasses, watch, and lighter would be left to Ji Feng, provided he was still alive. If not, they would be placed in her urn for burial.
5. Her computer was not to be opened, and all hard drives and memory cards were to be burned.
6. Jewelry and watches would be given to female friends, and other personal items could be taken by friends who wanted them.
7. She wished to be buried next to her parents, and when Knight (her dog) died, it could also have a nearby burial plot.
Everything was so simple.
Jian Jing felt as if she had become more relaxed.
Looking at the system panel, there was a big red warning:
[Punishment task countdown: 54:35:09]
The system had given her three days.
How considerate.
In reality, she didn't have that much to do.
Jian Jing thought for a moment, then went to the hospital for a look. The patient hadn't woken up yet, and many colleagues had come, each stuffing red envelopes into Ji Yunyun's hands.
She didn't go up, instead turning to go shopping at the mall.
The scariest thing in the world is when a person is gone, but their money hasn't been spent.
Hurry up and spend a little.
Buy a few new season clothes and bags, even if they won't be used, the act of shopping itself is joyful. Then go to the nail salon for a New Year's manicure, get a hair treatment, and finish with a spa day at the beauty salon.
The next day, take Knight to the park to play frisbee, and when tired, go to the pet groomer for a bath and trim.
After that, it was just in time to go to Kang's house for dinner.
Kang Mu Cheng had no idea what she had been doing during this time, and talked about the new book: "There's been an inquiry about a manga adaptation. Would you like it to become an anime?"
Usually, Jian Jing would get a headache when he talked about work, but at this moment, these troubles seemed endearing: "I thought it would be for film or TV?"
"Manga adaptations are popular now too," Kang Mu Cheng said. "Want to sell?"
She said, "I've only written one book."
Kang Mu Cheng smiled: "It's cheaper to act quickly. If we wait, I'm afraid they won't be able to afford it later."
Jian Jing thought for a moment, but still said, "I haven't thought about it, let's talk about it later." Fearing he would see through her, she deliberately added, "Can't we discuss it after the New Year?"
With only a few days left until the New Year, anything could be postponed until after.
Kang Mu Cheng immediately accepted her reason and changed the subject: "How do you plan to spend this year?"
"Eating hotpot and sleeping at home," she said without originality.
Kang Mu Cheng: "Yingjie invited us to Africa, want to go?"
Jian Jing blinked: "To see lions?"
"I don't think you'd want to go hunting," he said. "The Nile, pyramids, diamonds."
She said: "I don't want to go." Racking her brain for an excuse, "It's too dirty..."
Kang Mu Cheng said: "I thought you might want to cruise on the Nile."
"And then someone really dies," Jian Jing joked. "Forget it, you guys have a peaceful New Year. Wait until I graduate and then you can take me traveling."
This July, she should be graduating with her master's degree.
Kang Mu Cheng asked: "Where do you want to go?"
"I haven't thought about it, we can ask Brother Yingjie when the time comes," she said. "How has he been lately?"
Kang Mu Cheng calmly replied: "He's doing well, has a new girlfriend."
Jian Jing made an "oh" sound: "That's good."
Yang Xiao had been dead for a long time, and Yao Yao was in prison reflecting on her mistakes. No matter how much pain and tears, time would slowly heal and comfort. It took Si Yingjie three years to walk out of his grief, which wasn't too long or too short. It was time to start a new life.
If she couldn't come back... Jian Jing's thought arose and was quickly suppressed.
On the third day, she took Knight to Jiang BaiYan's studio.
They hadn't started their holiday yet and were busy with Spring Festival Gala promotions.
Jiang BaiYan was going to perform on stage again this year, but instead of a comedy skit, he was going to sing. He had been practicing behind closed doors recently.
As soon as Jian Jing entered, she let Knight go and picked up Pudding from the shelf, petting the cat: "Pudding, did you miss me?"
Pudding: "Meow~"
"Jing Jing~" The owner used the same tone, coming out of the practice room to greet her, "Why did you come by yourself? If you needed something, you could have called me, I would have come over."
Jian Jing said: "Just came to play."
"Have a seat." Jiang BaiYan called out, "Hey, you, go down to the coffee shop and buy some snacks. Jing Jing, would you like a Spanish latte? It tastes pretty good."
She nodded.
Jiang BaiYan then showed her around the newly built sunroom. Even in the dead of winter, the green plants inside were growing exceptionally well, lush and pleasing to the eye.
Although Jian Jing didn't understand feng shui, anyone who saw such a scene would naturally think: the studio must be thriving.
"Did you have someone look at this place?" she asked curiously.
Jiang BaiYan said: "Yes..."
He actually didn't really believe in fate or feng shui, but many people in the industry did, so he went along with it, having masters look at the feng shui and do fortune-telling, occasionally visiting temples to burn incense and make donations.
Then, for some reason, his career had indeed developed well over the past two years, so the superstitious became even more superstitious...
"I keep cats, and now everyone's starting to keep cats," Jiang BaiYan lamented. "But my Pudding has been neutered, and he's more interested in cat toys than female cats. I really regret it."
Jian Jing couldn't help but smile.
After chatting idly for a while, he finally asked: "Jing Jing, did you come to see me for something?"
"I plan to seclude myself to write The Demon Doctor 4 over the New Year," Jian Jing said, using her prepared excuse. "There's no one at Kang's house for the holiday, so I was hoping you could help me take care of Knight."
Jiang BaiYan agreed immediately: "Sure." Then he tentatively asked, "Do you want me to bring you meals every day?"
Jian Jing: "The hotel will deliver meals."
She was a member of a five-star hotel, not from staying there, but from ordering food. Previously, she just ordered takeout, but after doing it frequently, it became a meal subscription.
During the New Year period, the hotel would be responsible for her five meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea, and late-night snack. Regular meals included two meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, one soup, one dessert, and one fruit. Both Chinese and Western options were available, and she could order the day before. Hotpot and barbecue were also options.
If she weren't too lazy to clean herself, she wouldn't even need the housekeeper to come.
Jiang BaiYan was immediately disappointed but didn't say anything: "Don't worry, leave Knight to me. He can keep Pudding company."
The assistant bought coffee, and Jian Jing had afternoon tea with everyone. Jiang BaiYan dragged it out until evening, naturally inviting her to have dinner together.
Considering the cats and dogs, they chose to have barbecue.
Knight ate until his belly was round, completely satisfied. Jian Jing patted his head: "Be good these few days, and get along well with everyone, okay?"
The German Shepherd wagged his tail and licked her hand.
Jian Jing: "Exercise more, don't get as fat as Pudding who has to go to school to lose weight."
Knight: "Woof!" Very spirited.
She smiled.
Finally, she went to the hospital one more time.
The nurse allowed her to visit for ten minutes.
Jian Jing didn't use that much time.
She walked into the ward and said to Ji Feng: "If I die, you..." You what?
In the ICU, various machines beeped, like a symphony of life.
So Jian Jing swallowed the rest of her words and patted the blanket: "I hope we can both survive."
Then she left.
In the evening, she chatted on WeChat while taking a bath.
She was chatting with several people at once, though all were girls.
Zuo Xin said: [I broke up with my boyfriend]
Background: In the second half of last year, unable to resist her family's urging, she went on a blind date with a civil servant they had arranged. The guy was quite handsome and from a well-off family, but as they spent time together, problems arose.
Zuo Xin wanted to date for two years before getting married ("I'm only 24, and I'm supposed to get married and have kids?" she had exclaimed incredulously on the phone), but the man wanted to get married this year and have a baby in the second half of the year.
Unable to reach an agreement, they broke up.
Zuo Xin: [He thought his conditions were so great that if I didn't stay with him, no one would want me. Pah! It's better we broke up. I don't want my future life to be all about family and kids. That would drive me crazy!!]
Jian Jing: [Agreed]
Fei Na (Professor Lao's daughter, a Southeast Asian animal conservationist) said: [Chen and I are in China. We're in Yunnan and planning to get married next month. Come if you can]
Jian Jing sent a red envelope in advance, saying: [I'll see about work arrangements. Here's my wedding gift first]
In the crime-solving sisters' group chat.
Liang Yi: [@Jian Jing, how is Ji Feng doing? Is he bedridden?]
Jian Jing: [ICU]
Ya Nan: [Is it serious?]
Jian Jing: [Yes]
Liang Yi: [Shall we go visit her tomorrow? Are you coming?]
Jian Jing: [I've already been, I won't go again]
...
Skipping the writers' group.
Skipping the classmates' group.
Lao Gao: [Teacher Jian, let me update you on Yu Can's situation. His real name is Yu Yao, he's the second child in the family. He had an older sister named Yu Can whom he killed, and a younger sister who married and moved away but is still in contact. We collected his hair samples and confirmed that the unidentified charred body from November 2nd is related to him, but not the one from November 8th. Once he regains consciousness, we should be able to clarify the identity of the last victim.]
Jian Jing: [He's not dead?]
Lao Gao: [The wicked live long, he still wants to live]
Jian Jing: [What about Cai Xin?]
Lao Gao: [She was resuscitated, it was a close call. The doctor said the anesthetic levels in her body were dangerously high, a little longer and she wouldn't have made it. Thanks to you]
Jian Jing: [Glad she's okay]
It wasn't until after eleven at night that she turned off her phone and lay down on the bed, still fully clothed.
[System: Punishment task officially begins]
[System: All cards are forbidden during the task period]
[Task Name: Punishment • Mystery of Death]
[Description: You were killed, find the murderer]
[Time Limit: 3 days]
Jian Jing's consciousness sank to the bottom of the sea.
It was an extremely peculiar sensation, floating on the sea, feeling both the buoyancy of the water and gravity's pull on the body.
Sinking deeper and deeper, for an unknown time, the seawater formed a vortex with a hollow center.
She fell through, then suddenly sprang up from the bed.
"Scattered moonlight pierces through the clouds, hiding from the crowd, spreading like scales on the sea, waves dampen the white dress, trying to push you back..." Her phone was playing music.
Jian Jing blinked slowly, her gaze falling on the phone beside her pillow. It was the alarm, showing 7:00 AM. Morning light seeped through the gaps in the curtains, casting a faint golden glow on the floor.
She looked around.
A room of about twenty square meters, a wardrobe, a desk, a chair.
On the desk were a notebook and some textbooks, a coat and bag hung on the chair, the back of the bedroom door was covered with various items, and behind it was a simple shoe rack stuffed with several pairs of shoes.
Opening the wardrobe, there was a mirror inside.
Reflected in it was a 23-year-old girl with long black hair, fair skin, slight dark circles under her eyes, a thin frame, arms and legs completely lacking muscle definition.
Jian Jing's emotions were very complex.
She was familiar with the self she saw before her, because this was her "true self."
She had returned to her own world.
In fact, the moment she saw the punishment task, she had a premonition, but didn't expect it to be exactly like this.
She was back.
Glancing at the date on her phone, May 5th. That confirmed it, she died on May 8th, perfectly aligning with the task's time limit.
The task required finding the killer.
This wouldn't be easy.
Jian Jing died at their hands, and she didn't even know who they were.
Three days left, take it slow. She thought calmly, rather than investigating, she needed to go to school for work first.
In this world, she was a proud member of the teaching profession. Originally, according to her parents' plan, she should be teaching while going on blind dates, getting engaged this year, married next year, and having a baby the year after.
Just like Zuo Xin.
But Jian Jing, who hadn't rebelled since her failed childhood attempt to run away from home, finally exploded after being forced into numerous blind dates.
She moved out of her family home, rented a place near the school, with the attitude of "push me further and I won't come home," finally getting some breathing room.
However, her former self was still too sweet.
