Li Tianming's greeting made Qin Siyang pause slightly.
'The person who framed Li Tianming was his ex-wife?'
'No.'
'Two years ago, Li Tianming hadn't divorced then.'
'The one who framed him was his wife.'
Qin Siyang didn't expect Li Tianming to make this call right in front of him.
After thinking for a moment, he decided he shouldn't get involved. After all, this was Li Tianming's personal matter.
Qin Siyang got up to leave, but Li Tianming gestured for him to sit back on the sofa and listen.
"Yeah, that's right. This is the first time I've called you since our divorce. I just wanted to have a chat. How have the past two years been?"
"Good. How's Little Feng doing? Don't worry, I have no intention of fighting you for custody. I've also kept my promise these past two years—not once did I contact him, to avoid him being influenced by a father labeled a murderer. I was so afraid of missing him too much that I didn't even keep a single photo of us together."
"Little Feng is doing well too? Do you still have enough money at home? Mm, good. Has he awakened his Sequence yet? Not yet? I see. Yes, [Godslayer Camp] couldn't find his records, so I figured either he hadn't had the chance to register his Sequence yet, or maybe you changed his name and didn't tell me, so I asked. Mm, sorry, I was overthinking."
"Me? Just a principal at a regular school. Whether I'm doing well or not—it's about the same. Yeah, the five-digit district, as remote as it gets. You know how it is."
"Mm? You have something to do later? Then push it back. I want to talk to you. We were once married. After our divorce, I never disturbed you and our son, and I left you all the money. Giving me some time to chat—shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"
"No? Why not?"
"Yes, Chen Fenghe followed me here after I was demoted. That's right, you guessed it—I've hooked up with her. Didn't expect you to still keep an eye on me. Yes, you're absolutely right—I do regret marrying you. But if I had to do it again, I might still marry you. Because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have Little Feng."
"Even though I don't love you, I have always loved our son."
"Heh, you still get worked up so easily. I didn't mean that you're just some attachment to our child—you misunderstood me. What I meant was, you're just nothing."
Li Tianming's tone remained calm as ever.
After saying this, he fell into a brief silence.
Qin Siyang figured the person on the other end was probably unleashing a barrage of curses at him.
"All done? If you're done cursing, take a breath. Now it's my turn."
"Mm, don't be so quick to hang up. I have just one question."
Li Tianming let out a soft sigh.
"I thought you were a [Phantom Assassin]. Even though you never showed any skills, I never once thought you'd lie to me."
"Hold on, don't interrupt—I haven't even asked my question yet. Can you let me finish first? Good, thanks."
"Ye Hongqing, why did you help Guo Jiuxiao set me up?"
Li Tianming took a deep breath, his expression calm.
But Qin Siyang noticed that his hand was trembling slightly.
"Don't ask me how I found out. There are things that can't be discussed over the phone—we both understand that. If you insist on digging deeper and someone is eavesdropping, the one in danger will be you."
"Calm down. Yelling won't change anything. Besides, shouldn't I be the one yelling at you?"
"I just want to ask one thing—why did you help Guo Jiuxiao set me up?"
"Why?"
Li Tianming leaned back into the chair, his expression indifferent, silently staring at the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts, waiting for the response from the other end.
Yet minutes passed, and there was still no reply.
Li Tianming sat like a statue, unmoving except for the slight rise and fall of his chest.
Watching him, Qin Siyang felt a heavy weight in his heart.
Knowing that his ex-wife betrayed him was one thing. Hearing Li Tianming personally question her was another.
Li Tianming's tone was incomparably calm, his words slow and deliberate, as if he were casually catching up with an old friend he hadn't seen in years.
But Qin Siyang could already feel the sorrow and anger in his heart.
No matter how he put it, Li Tianming probably found it laughable.
So in the end, all those emotions condensed into a single sentence.
Why?
After a long while, Li Tianming spoke again.
"No, Ye Hongqing, you should know—I didn't come to hear you admit your mistake or apologize. I didn't come for some meaningless excuse. I just want an answer."
"I remember back in university, you were on the debate team—always articulate and quick-witted. How come now, you're stammering and incoherent?"
"Forget it, stop saying these things—I don't want to hear them."
"If you refuse to talk, then pass a message to Guo Jiuxiao for me."
"My case—tell him to help out. Before the college entrance exams are over, I want my name cleared."
"I need my name cleared."
"I need to see Little Feng."
"That's all."
Li Tianming hung up the phone.
He reached for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket.
But his fingers didn't seem to cooperate. After fumbling a few times, he still couldn't pull it out.
It looked a bit pathetic.
Qin Siyang turned his head to look out the window and asked,
"Old Li, I didn't know you had a son."
Li Tianming finally managed to pull out the cigarette pack. It was already crumpled from his grip.
He took one out, lit it, and took a deep drag, burning away nearly a third of it in one go.
After exhaling a smoke ring, Li Tianming said, "It wasn't important enough to mention. So why bring it up?"
"When do you think you'll clear your name?"
"You should've heard it. Before your college entrance exams are over."
"You think it's possible?"
"I already told him. I'm not going to worry about it anymore. He's the one who did it, he set up the scene, and he fabricated the charges. If he can't clean up his own mess, I'll just report Ye Hongqing and drag him down with her."
"Now that I know who did it, I can't carry this black mark for the rest of my life."
Qin Siyang nodded but was still puzzled, "Old Li, why did you let me hear all this?"
He felt like an eavesdropper, just listening in on Li Tianming's secrets without being able to help at all.
Li Tianming said flatly, "I once thought that if I found out who framed me, I'd make sure to take them out. But I never expected it to be my ex-wife, the mother of my child."
"I can't do it," Li Tianming stared at Qin Siyang.
The office was so quiet that Li Tianming's heavy breathing was audible.
"Qin Siyang, I need your help."
"You mean… you want me to kill her? If it's just killing someone, wouldn't it be easier to find someone else?"
Li Tianming glanced at him, "I don't trust anyone else."
Qin Siyang shook his head with a smile, "I should feel honored then, that you trust me so much."
"Wait until my case is cleared and my name is restored. Then you can take action. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're well compensated."
Qin Siyang looked at him, "Didn't you say that in your circle, no matter how fierce the fight, you don't take lives? Wouldn't killing Ye Hongqing break the rules?"
"She's not part of that circle."
"She's just a stupid woman who got used," Li Tianming exhaled another smoke ring, his gaze vacant.
As if along with the smoke, other things were fading away too.
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