Chapter 1: November 7 - JC, JFM
Notes:
Incidentally, I feel like script style fics have gone out of fashion. Leave it to me to be a decade behind the trends. While I've read real police transcripts, I've formatted it according to my selfish wishes, but do feel free to criticize and correct me.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG CHENG
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 7, XXXX. 4:53 PM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Please state your full legal name for the record. |
| JC: | Jiang Cheng. |
| SL: | So, Jiang Cheng. Is there anything I can get you, a coffee, tea, water? |
| JC: | No, thank you. |
| SL: | OK. Let me know if anything comes up. |
| JC: | OK. |
SGT. SONG STAYS SILENT, WAITING FOR JIANG CHENG TO SPEAK. JIANG CHENG MAKES NO INDICATION OF WANTING TO SPEAK.
| SL: | I guess I’ll jump straight into it. You called the police saying you had committed a murder. |
| JC: | Yup. |
| SL: | You killed your mother. |
| JC: | Stabbed her to death, yes. |
| SL: | I have to ask – why did you do it? |
JIANG CHENG SHRUGS. NO OBVIOUS AFFECTUAL CHANGES.
| JC: | No reason. |
| SL: | Well, Jiang Cheng. In my experience, murders are seldom committed without reason. |
| JC: | I don't know what to tell you. I killed my mother. There was no deeper reason. |
| SL: | If we asked your siblings, would they say the same thing? |
JIANG CHENG SHRUGS AND LEANS BACK INTO HIS SEAT. NO OBVIOUS AFFECTUAL CHANGES.
| JC: | Probably. Who knows. |
| SL: | You're remarkably calm for someone who's facing a potential life sentence |
| JC: | Yeah, I guess I am. |
| SL: | Did you commit the murder knowing that you'd probably never be a free man ever again? |
JIANG CHENG LAUGHS. HIS EYES DO NOT SMILE.
| JC: | I suppose so, yes. |
| SL: | Not much of a talker, are you? |
| JC: | Never been accused of wanting to socialize. Sorry about that. |
| SL: | That have anything to do with you not wanting to tell me why you killed your mom? |
| JC: | Reaching a little there, officer. |
| SL: | You’re not giving me anything to go on. |
| JC: | Why do you care anyways? You’ve got a lock on this case. A guaranteed prosecution can’t feel that bad – I’ve confessed, what else do you need? An apology? |
SGT. SONG SIGHS AND LEANS FORWARD. JIANG CHENG DOES NOT REACT.
| SL: | Look, kid. Anybody who murders their mother is either completely sociopathic or they’ve been put in a tough situation with no way out. I want to know which one you are. |
[05:00]
| JC: | Who cares? Besides, you can't be that much older than me. |
| SL: | I don’t want to lock up a good person for life. |
| JC: | Who’s to say I’m not a sociopath? Who’s to say I don’t want to be locked up for life? |
| SL: | I’ve read your file. It doesn’t read sociopath to me. |
| JC: | Haven’t you heard? In my line of work, psychopaths find the most success. |
| SL: | A psychopath wouldn’t kill their mother for no reason. A sociopath might. |
JIANG CHENG SNEERS. SGT. SONG DOES NOT REACT.
| JC: | So you’re a shrink now, officer? |
| SL: | Part and parcel of the training. You [unintelligible]. |
| JC: | Give it up, officer. I’m not telling you anything. |
| SL: | We’ll be interviewing your family and your co-workers as part of the investigation. |
| JC: | Not sure why you’d need to investigate. I confessed. |
| SL: | It’s good policework. We need to make sure that this case is airtight. |
| JC: | Good luck. Let me know if you need me to say anything incriminating. |
SGT. SONG STANDS.
| SL: | You really don’t want anything to drink? Anything to eat? |
| JC: | Spare me, officer. Just throw me back into the cell. |
| SL: | You know, I could [unintelligible whispers]. |
JIANG CHENG LUNGES FORWARD BUT IS CUFFED TO THE TABLE.
| JC: | [unintelligible shouting]. |
SGT. SONG LEAVES THE INTERROGATION ROOM
PART ONE END
[07:00]
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG FENGMIAN
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 7, XXXX. 5:15 PM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Please state your full legal name for the record. |
| JFM: | Jiang Fengmian. |
| SL: | Thank you. I hope my colleagues have been treating you well while you’ve been waiting. |
| JFM: | I didn’t expect such excellent service at a police interview. A very novel experience, I must say. |
| SL: | Glad to hear it. |
| JFM: | Have you talked to my son? |
| SL: | No. I wanted to learn more about him from yourself before I questioned him. On arrest, he was quite evasive as to why he did it. |
| JFM: | I see… I see. |
| SL: | Do you – do you have any idea what would have prompted your son to – |
| JFM: | Not at all. It came as a surprise to me, too. |
| SL: | Ah. Sorry for your loss, by the way. |
NO OBVIOUS AFFECTUAL CHANGES.
| JFM: | It was a surprise. I still can’t quite believe that A-Cheng – he truly did confess, correct? I wasn’t there – |
| SL: | He confessed over the phone, and again when officers attended the scene. |
| JFM: | I see. I understand. |
| SL: | Mr. Jiang, I have a number of questions I’d like to ask you. Please stop me at any time if you need a break, ok? |
| JFM: | Yes. Thank you. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. I will answer to the best of my knowledge. |
| SL: | Your son and his mother – what sort of relationship did they have? |
| JFM: | They were very close. That’s why I’m having such a hard time understanding how this could have happened – my lady wife and A-Cheng were always together. She cared for his well-being very much, perhaps to the point of fanaticism. |
| SL: | Could you explain? |
| JFM: | Ah, this goes a bit into family laundry… |
| SL: | Please. Any clues to help us determine why Jiang Cheng did what he did will help our prosecutors with their sentencing decisions. |
| JFM: | So what I say will – |
| SL: | If Jiang Cheng killed his mother with intent, it will be much easier to ensure that he’s locked behind bars for the rest of his life. Otherwise, we might be able to get him the help he needs. |
NO OBVIOUS AFFECTUAL CHANGES.
| JFM: | I see. Well, all I can really say is that my lady wife did not care for the child I adopted into our family, and she pinned all her hopes onto A-Cheng. A-Cheng, in turn, was very eager to please his mother. I really couldn’t tell you why – why A-Cheng would do this, he was [unintelligible]. |
| SL: | Sorry, could you repeat that? I didn’t quite catch what you said. |
[05:00]
| JFM: | I apologize. I was saying that he was just like his mother. Their personalities, that is. He took after his mother. |
| SL: | What sort of person was the deceased – sorry, Yu Ziyuan? |
JIANG FENGMIAN DOES NOT REACT.
| JFM: | My lady wife was very headstrong. She had a way of doing things, and god forbid if you asked her to bend to anyone’s will. She expected perfection. An intelligent, sharp woman, if not rigid and quick to anger. |
| SL: | Your relationship with her – |
JIANG FENGMIAN SMILES WRYLY
| JFM: | It was something of an arranged marriage. There are things to love about her, things I loved about her, but – |
| SL: | It was difficult. |
| JFM: | Difficult, yes. That would be a word for it. |
| SL: | The adopted child, would that be Wei Wuxian? |
| JFM: | Yes, yes. A-Xian. |
| SL: | She didn’t get along with him? |
| JFM: | Putting it lightly. |
| SL: | What was Wei Wuxian’s relationship with Jiang Cheng? |
| JFM: | The boys were always very close. It was strange to me, at first, that my lady wife allowed A-Cheng to spend so much time with A-Xian. I wondered if it wasn’t just to keep an eye on A-Xian? But no, I do believe the boys genuinely consider themselves to be brothers. |
| SL: | Do you believe Wei Wuxian would have any idea why Jiang Cheng killed his mother? |
| JFM: | I don’t believe so, no. Nobody could have seen this coming. |
| SL: | And you – what sort of relationship did you have with Jiang Cheng? |
| JFM: | Pardon me? |
| SL: | You mentioned he was close with his mother. Was he at all close to you? |
| JFM: | Well, we are father and son. I know him as well as any father would know their son. |
| SL: | But you have no clue – |
| JFM: | Like I said, it was surprising. I could never, not even in my worst nightmares, imagine any of this happening. Jiang Cheng wasn’t that kind of person. |
| SL: | Right. |
SILENCE AS SGT. SONG WAITS FOR JIANG FENGMIAN TO CONTINUE SPEAKING.
| JFM: | I – to be honest, it has been a while since the two of us sat down and had a nice talk. If I had spoken to him sooner, I wonder if I – if this – if it all just – didn’t happen. |
| SL: | So you had no idea if this was something he planned, or if this was just spur of the moment. |
| JFM: | Yes, yes. It was a surprise. |
[10:00]
| SL: | You said your wife cared for him to the point of fanaticism. Could you explain? |
| JFM: | She cared very much about his success. She paid close attention to his extracurriculars, his marks. I believe they call them helicopter parents? Or tiger moms? I’m not quite sure of the terminology. |
| SL: | So she was very controlling. |
| JFM: | Yes, but A-Cheng never gave any indication that he was displeased by his mother’s actions. |
| SL: | Could it be that you missed the signs? |
| JFM: | I – No, I don’t believe I did. |
| SL: | If given the opportunity, would you like to speak to your son? |
JIANG FENGMIAN SHIFTS UNEASILY. SLIGHT FROWNING.
| JFM: | I – I wouldn’t know what to say to him, really. He did just – you know. |
| SL: | I understand. It would be hard meeting him under these circumstances. |
| JFM: | He admitted it. |
| SL: | He did. |
| JFM: | I just don’t understand. A-Cheng – never seemed the type. Never. |
| SL: | Sometimes we think we know someone, but it turns out we knew nothing about them. I’ll give you the same advice I’ve given others – talk to someone about this. A counsellor, therapist, whatever. It’ll help. |
| JFM: | I – thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. |
| SL: | Did Jiang Cheng ever attend anything like that? |
| JFM: | You mean – therapy? |
| SL: | Yeah. |
| JFM: | Oh no, never. His mother didn’t believe in that branch of science. And A-Cheng didn’t – it wasn’t as if he needed therapy. He was successful. He was normal. |
| SL: | He worked at your company, correct? |
| JFM: | Yes. He’s – was my heir. In training to take over the company. |
| SL: | Looks like he was the Senior VP Operations. |
| JFM: | Yes. Quite a demanding role, one he performed well in. See, that’s why I can’t understand – he didn’t give you a reason? Nothing? |
| SL: | When he spoke to officers on the scene, he said he had no deeper reason. |
| JFM: | I – I don’t believe it. |
| SL: | That’s why we’re talking to people close to your son. |
| JFM: | Right. Yes. That makes sense. |
| SL: | And you observed no changes in his behaviour leading up to this incident. |
| JFM: | You know – it was his birthday two days ago. Everything went surprisingly well that day. It was – everything was perfect. |
| SL: | Sorry, how old was he turning? My math’s not so good these days. |
| JFM: | I – um – |
| SL: | Oh, it’s in my notes. Sorry about that. It was Jiang Cheng’s 31st birthday. |
| JFM: | Yes, yes. That’s right. One year after the big three zero. His mother was nagging about him finding a girlfriend, I remember, I said to let Jiang Cheng take his time, go at his own pace. |
| SL: | And the evening proceeded peacefully? |
| JFM: | Yes. I suppose that could be considered strange, that my wife didn’t argue with me, but it was A-Cheng’s birthday. He’s often out of the country, you know, on his birthday. It’s been a few years since we’ve gathered for a celebration. |
[15:00]
| SL: | So Jiang Cheng generally doesn’t celebrate his birthday at home. |
| JFM: | No. |
| SL: | Do you know if he usually celebrates at all? |
| JFM: | I don’t know. |
| SL: | I see. Can’t be expected to keep tabs on your adult son at all times, right? |
JIANG FENGMIAN IS SILENT. NO OBVIOUS AFFECTUAL CHANGES.
| SL: | You mentioned your adopted son was close with Jiang Cheng. What about your daughter? Jiang Yanli? |
| JFM: | Oh, the three of them were thick as thieves. The boys love their older sister. |
| SL: | I’m scheduled to talk to your daughter and her family tomorrow. You think they’ll have any more information to share? |
| JFM: | More than I do, I hope. If A-Cheng confided in anyone, it would have to be with A-Li. |
| SL: | I hope so as well. Are you certain that there was no indication, whatsoever – |
| JFM: | Everything was normal, officer. I – I really don’t understand why this happened, the birthday – A-Xian was there! Yet it had been peaceful! I thought – A-Cheng, there were no changes with A-Cheng. It was my wife – I thought my wife was acting strange. |
| SL: | So there had been changes with Yu Ziyuan? |
| JFM: | It was like she lost her edge – not mentally, not like that – she was, she stopped being so sharp. I thought she was just excited for A-Cheng’s birthday. She wasn’t as angry. She was the one who invited A-Xian! |
| SL: | The adopted son she disliked. |
| JFM: | Exactly. That had been strange, but everything else had been peaceful. Normal. |
| SL: | No disturbances, whatsoever? |
| JFM: | None. A-Cheng had been so happy, how could it all just – so quickly – |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng had been happy that day? |
| JFM: | Well, yes. It was his birthday, after all. |
| SL: | When did the changes with Yu Ziyuan first begin to occur? |
| JFM: | I noticed when she was planning A-Cheng’s birthday party, more than a week ago. She was excited. We didn’t argue as much in that last week. |
| SL: | And that was out of character for your relationship? |
| JFM: | We were always arguing about something. |
| SL: | If you don’t mind me asking, what did you usually argue about? |
| JFM: | Oh, everything. Small things, like where I left my cup. Big things, like – like A-Xian, I suppose. Everything. |
| SL: | Did you argue about Jiang Cheng? |
| JFM: | All the time. I don’t understand why she was so hung up on the idea that I didn’t love A-Cheng as much as I loved A-Xian – if you’re running the investigation, I’m sure you’ll come across the rumours soon enough. |
| SL: | What rumours? |
JIANG FENGMIAN SIGHS AND RUNS A HAND THROUGH HIS HAIR.
| JFM: | A-Xian being my illegitimate son with a woman I used to love, who happened to die during a trip with her husband. There’s no truth to these rumours, of course. I even offered to run a DNA analysis to ease her fears. She didn’t seem to care. |
| SL: | And she invited Wei Wuxian to Jiang Cheng’s birthday party? |
| JFM: | Strange, is it not? |
| SL: | We tried to reach out to Wei Wuxian, but it looks like he’s busy with a shoot. |
| JFM: | He’s quite the star these days. Seems like he’s been heavily sought after. |
[20:00]
| SL: | He works in – |
| JFM: | Film, yes! Have you seen him in The Necromancer’s Angel? |
| SL: | Can’t say I have. |
| JFM: | It was excellent work. I would recommend it. |
| SL: | Did your late wife watch it? |
| JFM: | I don’t know. I would assume not. But A-Xian took a day off his current shoot just to come home and celebrate A-Cheng’s birthday. Like I mentioned, they’re quite close. So I can’t understand – the two brothers were very close, so why was she always comparing the two of them? They couldn’t be any more different, personality wise. |
| SL: | Oh? |
| JFM: | Like I said, A-Cheng is very much like his mother. A-Xian is like his mother. They’re nothing alike. |
| SL: | I see. Mr. Jiang, why don’t we take a quick break? We’ve been talking for quite a while now. |
| JFM: | Oh! Of course. Yes. |
| SL: | I’ll be back in ten minutes. If you’d like to use the washroom, or grab a snack, let my colleague know. |
| JFM: | I will. Thank you. |
PART ONE END.
[22:00]
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG CHENG
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 2 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 7, XXXX. 5:40 PM
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Please state your full legal name for the record. |
| JC: | Jiang Cheng. |
| SL: | Thank you. Glad you’ve calmed down a little. I was speaking with your father. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT REACT. AFFECT IS CALM.
| JC: | I’m sure the conversation was riveting. |
| SL: | Happy belated birthday, by the way. |
| JC: | Thanks. |
| SL: | How was your birthday? I heard your mother threw you a party. |
| JC: | Uneventful, all things considered. The cake was good. My sister’s a great baker. |
| SL: | No arguments? |
| JC: | Not really. |
| SL: | What does that mean? |
| JC: | It was quiet. Nothing big. Just small squabbles, over portioning and stuff. |
| SL: | Is that unusual? |
| JC: | When my family gathers, there’s bound to be arguing. |
| SL: | Why was there no arguing this time? |
| JC: | No clue. |
| SL: | Your father says you’re rarely in the country for your birthday. |
JIANG CHENG LOOKS SURPRISED.
| JC: | Did he say that? |
| SL: | Is there a reason why? |
| JC: | Bad luck, I suppose. Hey, where are you going with these questions? |
| SL: | Your mother didn’t do anything to upset you on your birthday? |
| JC: | Oh, I see. No, nothing about the birthday party was my motive. Like I said, there was no motive. No meaning whatsoever. |
| SL: | The birthday party was a peaceful gathering. |
| JC: | Yeah. |
| SL: | Your siblings will corroborate this? |
| JC: | You’ll be asking them anyways, right? |
| SL: | Please answer the question. |
| JC: | My siblings will corroborate this. |
| SL: | Your father seemed to have no idea why you would kill your mother. |
| JC: | Of course not. It was meaningless, after all. A meaningless killing, and a meaningless death. |
| SL: | He said you were a good Senior VP Operations. |
JIANG CHENG STRAIGHTENS IN HIS CHAIR.
| JC: | Did he, now? And how would he know? |
| SL: | He said that he couldn’t fathom you throwing everything away to kill your mother. |
JIANG CHENG SCOFFS.
| JC: | Of course not. It wasn’t as if I had been planning this. It just happened. |
| SL: | What do you usually do on your birthday? |
| JC: | Nothing special. Grab a meal. Drink until I pass out. The usual. |
| SL: | Are you a heavy drinker? |
| JC: | I’m not an alcoholic, if that’s what you’re asking me. |
| SL: | Do you drink regularly? |
| JC: | No. |
| SL: | You know, we reached out to your brother, but it seems he’s busy with his shoot. |
| JC: | Of course he is. It was hard enough for him to find the time to show up on the 5th in the first place. |
| SL: | What do you usually do, as Senior VP Operations? |
| JC: | Is this some sort of tactic, jumping from topic to topic like that? How do you manage to keep anything straight? |
| SL: | It must be a very demanding job. |
| JC: | Well, that’s literally what I was born and bred to do. |
| SL: | Have you ever considered leaving the company, doing your own thing? |
| JC: | Never. |
| SL: | That was a quick answer. |
| JC: | It is what it is. |
| SL: | Kind of like you killing your mom. |
JIANG CHENG GRINS.
[05:00]
| JC: | Exactly. |
| SL: | I don’t believe you. |
| JC: | What’s not to believe? |
| SL: | Your father said your mother was a bit of an overbearing parent. |
| JC: | Well, she wanted my best. Too bad she’ll never get it. |
| SL: | And you never wanted to leave? |
| JC: | Where would I go? This is my family, my home. |
| SL: | You didn’t answer the question. |
| JC: | You know, I really don’t think I should be talking to you without my lawyer present. |
| SL: | I thought you wanted to be locked up forever. |
JIANG CHENG IS SILENT.
| SL: | Do you not like my questions? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | Will I get anything else out of you today? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | If I get a lawyer, will you talk to me? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | You probably won’t. Like I told you earlier, I’ll be talking to the rest of your family. If you’re that against them speaking to you, I might just schedule visitation. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | Fine. Have it your way. Your father’s waiting for me in the next room, anyways. Good time to end it. |
JIANG CHENG FROWNS BUT DOES NOT RESPOND.
INTERVIEW END.
[06:00]
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG FENGMIAN
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 2 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 7, XXXX. 5:50 PM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Please state your full legal name for the record. |
| JFM: | Jiang Fengmian. |
| SL: | Thank you. I hope your break was pleasant. |
| JFM: | Yes, it was. I had a nice walk. It’s nearly dinner time, so I’d like to go home soon if possible. |
| SL: | Sorry about that – and thank you for coming down on such short notice. I’m sure a man of your position has many commitments. |
| JFM: | Well, it can’t be helped. |
| SL: | I’ll keep it quick, then. Do you think Jiang Cheng has hidden anything from his family? |
| JFM: | No, I can’t see why he would. |
| SL: | Are you certain that the relationship between Jiang Cheng and Yu Ziyuan was healthy and mutual? |
| JFM: | Mutual, certainly. A-Cheng respected his mother quite a bit. There was a lot to respect about her, after all. Healthy? The Yu family has always taught their children under threat of the whip. It is what it is. |
| SL: | Is that whip literal or figurative? |
| JFM: | Oh, definitely figurative. She would never lay a finger on A-Cheng. |
| SL: | So she doesn’t hit her children? |
| JFM: | Not her own children, no. She has laid hands on A-Xian before, but I made sure that never happened again. |
| SL: | I see. |
| JFM: | That’s why A-Xian moved out quite early, at eighteen. A-Cheng’s almost always around the house. He owns his own apartment, so I’m not sure why he doesn’t stay there. I assumed it was to be closer to his mother. |
| SL: | I see. |
| JFM: | …Are you suspecting that my wife abused A-Cheng? |
| SL: | We have to rule out all possible explanations. |
| JFM: | No, I can’t see that happening. She was strict, yes, but abuse? I don’t know about that. |
| SL: | Like I said, we’re just ruling things out at this stage. |
| JFM: | Right. Sorry for getting a little worked up there. |
| SL: | Nobody wants to hear their spouse being accused of abuse. |
| JFM: | I would never let anything like that happen. Not to my children. |
| SL: | Of course. I understand. |
| JFM: | You can ask A-Li tomorrow. |
| SL: | I will. Mr. Jiang, thank you so much for your cooperation today. |
| JFM: | Of course. It is my duty. |
| SL: | I’ll let you go, then. Enjoy the night. |
| JFM: | Thank you. Oh – when do you think the investigation will be completed? |
| SL: | I can’t give a concrete date, but we will do our best to have everything resolved as soon as possible. I understand your concern, but – |
| JFM: | You must understand, this is quite stressful. If A-Cheng confessed – perhaps there’s no further reason to conduct an investigation. |
| SL: | Are you – |
| JFM: | It seems callous of me to say so, but this news will do our company no good. My late wife would be furious if I let this impact our company. And A-Cheng has always been a good son. Perhaps that is why he turned himself in so easily. |
| SL: | You – |
| JFM: | Do not mistake this for me not caring for A-Cheng, or for my wife. It breaks my heart to say any of this, but please, consider it. I don’t wish for this case to waste more resources than necessary. |
| SL: | Right. I’ll keep that in mind. |
| JFM: | Thank you. I’m sure if you asked A-Cheng, he’d agree with me. He loves the company just as much as I do, after all. |
| SL: | Right. Goodnight. |
JIANG FENGMIAN LEAVES THE INTEROGATION ROOM.
SGT. SONG STRETCHES.
| SL: | Been a while since I’ve faced someone who cared so little about their spouse’s death, or their son being jailed for life. Psychopaths in business, huh. And here CEO Jiang has a reputation for being a philanthropist. Wait, did I forget to stop the recording? |
Police find wife of Jiang Corp CEO dead, social media speculation rampant
Police have reported the death of Yu Ziyuan, wife of Jiang Fengmian, CEO of Jiang Corp, and founding partner of Yu-Jin LLP.
She was found dead in her home at around 2:30 this afternoon. Homicide investigators were called to the scene after police received a report of a murder in progress.
Officially, police state that they are in the beginning stages of the investigation, but they are not looking for suspects. This incident is believed to be isolated and unrelated to the recent scandals faced by the Jin family.
Images spreading on social media show a handcuffed Jiang Wanyin, Yu Ziyuan’s son and the Senior VP Operations of Jiang Corp, being led out of the house by police.
Police were not available to comment on the reliability of these social media posts.
Notes:
I'm a little careless, so let me know if there are any tags that I've missed. Also, let me gripe about formatting for a second - it suuuuucks. I hate it. I feel like I spent more time formatting the fic than writing it. Don't know why I put all my effort there. DYK: this whole fic is a goddamn table.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading <3
Chapter 2: November 8 - JYL
Notes:
I was going to do it all police interview transcripts, but I realized that Jiang Cheng would probably make bail no problem. Criminal proceedings differ by jurisdiction, so I tried to make it as broad and non-specific as possible. Also, police interviews are generally long as hell with a lot of bullshit questions which I have not included for the sake of - I didn't want to. Again, if you want to nitpick, please feel free to do so. I may or may not incorporate your suggestions.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
BAIL HEARING
BETWEEN:
THE STATE | Xiao Xingchen (XXC), for the State
-and- |
JIANG CHENG | Jin Zixuan (JZX), for the Applicant
HEARD: November 8th, 9:00 AM
| JUDGE: | Ok, first up on the docket is – Jiang Cheng. Counsel, your arguments? |
| JZX: | Thank you, your honour. My client has no history of prior convictions and is known in the community as a prominent philanthropist and volunteer – he is unlikely to pose a danger to the public in any case due to the specific nature of the crime. Mr. Jiang poses no flight risk. He voluntarily contacted police and has been fully cooperating with the investigation. We propose an order for house arrest at the address provided with his sister, Jiang Yanli, as surety, with a penal sum set at 10 million dollars, 3 million dollars as deposit. We also propose an order for the applicant to not possess any weapon. |
| JUDGE: | Counsel for the state? |
| XXC: | No objections, your honour. |
| JUDGE: | Alright. I'll allow the application and order the applicant judicial interim release in the penal sum of $10,000,000 with $3,000,000 deposit, and with Jiang Yanli as surety, upon the following conditions: |
| 1. To keep the peace and be of good behavior; | |
| 2. To reside with his surety and remain at the address provided by counsel at all times, precluding life-threatening emergencies under which circumstance he will be accompanied by Jiang Yanli at all times; | |
| 3. To not possess any weapon as defined by the Criminal Code. | |
| Did I miss anything? | |
| JZX: | No, your honour. |
| JUDGE: | It’s always nice to have a straightforward one first thing in the morning. Alright, next on the docket is – |
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG CHENG
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 8, XXXX. 9:45AM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Please state your full legal name for the record. |
| JC: | Jiang Cheng. |
| SL: | Thank you. You knew about the bail hearing, didn’t you? |
| JC: | What about the bail hearing? |
| SL: | Your brother-in-law showed up. |
| JC: | Did he? I assumed I would be assigned a public defender. |
| SL: | You haven’t even spoken to one. |
| JC: | I’ve never been in this position before. I don’t know how the system works. |
| SL: | So you're talking to me now? |
JIANG CHENG SIGHS.
| JC: | Don't hold it against me, officer. Can’t expect a man to have his head screwed on perfectly straight after murdering his mother. |
| SL: | I thought you didn’t want to talk to your family. You don’t seem too upset, though. |
| JC: | I got over it. I certainly can’t avoid talking to them. |
| SL: | You also don’t seem surprised that your brother-in-law’s representing you. |
| JC: | My sister is too kind for her own good, and Jin Zixuan is the definition of whipped. So, am I free to go? |
| SL: | I’ll let him tell you in person. |
| JC: | Don’t be a tease. |
| SL: | I’m not. I’m scheduled to speak with your sister soon. My colleague will escort you out into the waiting room. |
| JC: | Too bad. I’ll miss it here. |
| SL: | Will you? |
| JC: | No. But I will reiterate my offer – you need me to say anything incriminating, you know where I am. |
| SL: | I think you’ve already done enough damage to your case. |
| JC: | Is that right? Then let me tell you one more thing before I leave – [unintelligible whispers]. |
| SL: | What did you say? |
| JC: | I’ll see you again, officer – soon. |
| SL: | No. No, now I’m not leaving. What do you mean that your mother wasn't the one you wanted to kill? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | We're doing this again? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | I'll ask your sister. |
JIANG CHENG SMILES BUT DOES NOT RESPOND.
INTERVIEW END
[3:00]
A CONVERSATION IN A PRIVATE ROOM: WITH JIN ZIXUAN
November 8, XXXX. 9:43AM
| JC: | When did you get my signature? I don’t remember ever authorizing you to represent me. |
| JZX: | You know A-Li would never let that stop her. See, I’ve got your signature right here. |
| JC: | Tell Jie she should really stop doing that. |
| JZX: | Tell her yourself. |
| JC: | No. |
| JZX: | Then stop trying to throw me under the bus. |
BRIEF SILENCE.
| JC: | …Thanks. |
| JZX: | Don’t thank me. It’s all A-Li. |
| JC: | Yeah, I know. |
| JZX: | You should probably find a real criminal lawyer. This really isn’t my area. |
| JC: | I’ll look into it. |
| JZX: | …Did you really kill Madame Yu? |
| JC: | Do you really want to know? |
| JZX: | No. But it seems a shame not to take advantage of solicitor-client privilege. |
| JC: | Hm. I did. |
JIN ZIXUAN SIGHS.
| JZX: | Why? |
| JC: | People keep asking me that. |
| JZX: | I think that’s part of building a case against you. |
| JC: | Don’t be sarcastic, you know Jie hates that. |
| JZX: | You must’ve had a reason. |
| JC: | Too bad there wasn’t one. I told the cops as much. |
| JZX: | Do you really want to go to jail that badly? |
| JC: | Not particularly. But actions have consequences. |
| JZX: | …Well, I won’t say I’m not grateful. Not the you being in jail part, the other part. |
| JC: | Are you allowed to say that? |
| JZX: | Solicitor-client privilege. |
| JC: | Not afraid I’ll tell Jie? |
| JZX: | You won’t. |
| JC: | I can't believe my sister married you. |
COMPANIONABLE SILENCE.
| JZX: | After the cop finishes speaking with A-Li, it’s my turn, then A-Ling. You’ll have to wait a little longer before going home. |
| JC: | That’s right – what are my bail conditions? |
| JZX: | House arrest, and no knives. |
| JC: | Hilarious. |
| JZX: | Three million deposit too. |
| JC: | Ouch. Couldn’t negotiate it down? |
| JZX: | Like I said, not my area. I set it in the hopes that counsel wouldn’t oppose my application, and it worked. Don’t worry – it came from your account. |
| JC: | My account? |
| JZX: | A-Li has your signature. If you breach your bail, we’ll be taking the ten million penalty from your account too. |
| JC: | Incredible. |
| JZX: | I know. |
| JC: | Anything else? |
| JZX: | A-Li’s your surety. You’ll be living with us. |
JIANG CHENG NARROWS HIS EYES, THEN SIGHS.
| JC: | Sorry for the trouble. |
JIN ZIXUAN LOOKS AWKWARD.
| JZX: | Least we could do. |
| JC: | I didn’t mean for A-Ling’s uncle to be a murderer. I really am sorry. |
| JZX: | He’ll forgive you. He always does. |
JIANG CHENG SIGHS AGAIN.
| JC: | He really shouldn't. |
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG YANLI
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 8, XXXX. 10:00AM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record? |
| JYL: | My name is Jiang Yanli. |
| SL: | Thank you, Mrs. Jiang, for taking the time to come in this morning. |
| JYL: | Of course. Officer, is it really true that A-Cheng said he – he killed mother? |
| SL: | Yes. Preliminary forensic analysis supports his statement. |
| JYL: | And he was the one who turned himself in? |
| SL: | Yes. |
JIANG YANLI’S FACE CRUMPLES. SHE QUICKLY COMPOSES HERSELF.
| JYL: | I’m sure you have many questions for me. |
| SL: | I’m sorry to put you through this, but I do have some questions that I need to ask. I’d like to let you know as well – we can put you in touch with therapists, counsellors if you would like us to. I find that speaking to someone always helps. |
| JYL: | Thank you for your concern. I – I have someone I can talk to. |
| SL: | I hear your family held a birthday party for Jiang Cheng on the 5th. What was the atmosphere like at the party? |
| JYL: | It was tense. |
| SL: | Tense? Your father had said it was perfect. That Jiang Cheng was happy, and that there had been no arguing. |
JIANG YANLI SMILES WEARILY.
| JYL: | Everyone was very courteous that day. |
| SL: | Isn’t that good? |
| JYL: | Mother is only courteous at home when she’s hiding something. |
| SL: | Is that so? |
| JYL: | Mother has excellent self control. I suppose she had a reason for not – not expressing her thoughts in the moment. |
| SL: | Do you have any idea what Yu Ziyuan might’ve been hiding? |
| JYL: | Usually, I’d say anger. |
| SL: | Your brother called it a “peaceful gathering”. |
| JYL: | It was peaceful. |
| SL: | But it was tense? |
| JYL: | If I were to make an analogy, it would be a cold war. It was peaceful, but there was a threat looming. |
| SL: | You don’t know what this threat was. |
| JYL: | No. On the surface, there was no threat. What I’m telling you is – gut instinct, lived experience, I suppose. I wouldn’t be telling you this baseless speculation if I didn’t think – I’m sure you hear this quite often, but A-Cheng really isn’t – he wouldn’t hurt a fly if he had the option to let it survive. |
| SL: | I understand. As an investigator, I rely on instinct often – to tell me if there’s something not quite right. |
| JYL: | There was one event that stood out to me, though. I don’t know if I’d call it strange, but it was unexpected. It was nothing to do with A-Cheng. |
| SL: | Oh? |
| JYL: | Mother asked me to bake a cake. I had offered, previously, when Mother said she was going to hold a party for A-Cheng, but she turned me down. Then the morning of the 5th, she called and asked me to bake a cake. So I did. |
| SL: | Did you ask why she needed one? |
| JYL: | Of course not. |
| SL: | Why not? |
| JYL: | Why would I? |
| SL: | Could she not have bought a store-made cake? |
[05:00]
| JYL: | Well, I assume her arrangements fell through last minute, and mother does enjoy my cooking. Besides, it was A-Cheng’s birthday. It was more of a surprise that she didn’t ask me to bake the cake initially. |
| SL: | Do you think that the cake was related in any ways to the tension? |
| JYL: | I don’t know. |
| SL: | You’re not sure, though. |
| JYL: | Mother said the cake I baked was delicious. She didn’t bring up anything about other cakes, or mishaps involving them. |
| SL: | And your mother is never courteous without reason - if something had happened, she would have brought it up under normal circumstances. |
| JYL: | That’s correct. Sadly, I don’t have enough information to speculate. |
| SL: | Do you think her being courteous had anything to do with Wei Wuxian’s presence? |
| JYL: | I believe mother invited A-Xian, and mother would never bother to hold her tongue around A-Xian. |
| SL: | So you don’t believe that Wei Wuxian contributed to the tense atmosphere? |
| JYL: | I can’t say either way. Mother – in any case, she didn’t start anything with A-Xian that night. |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng told me that your mother wasn’t the one he wanted to kill. |
JIANG YANLI COCKS HER HEAD.
| SL: | Do you know what he might’ve meant by that? |
| JYL: | No. Not at all. |
| SL: | You answered very quickly. |
| JYL: | It’s an easy question. I don’t believe that he wants to kill anyone. I’m sure that’s what he means. |
| SL: | So there’s nobody that you would identify as another potential victim? If there is, in the interest of public safety we would need to reconsider his bail conditions. |
| JYL: | I’m confident that Jiang Cheng would never kill anybody else. If you ask me, Sergeant Song, he was trying to throw you off. |
| SL: | Throw me off? |
| JYL: | Mhm. |
| SL: | Why would he do that? |
| JYL: | You would have to ask him. |
| SL: | Do you have any basis for your belief? |
| JYL: | I’m his sister. Again, I must say it’s a gut feeling. |
| SL: | Is that something he enjoys doing, throwing people off? |
| JYL: | Rather than it being something he enjoys, it’s just something he does. I’m sure it’s a bit of a habit – mother always liked testing people. |
| SL: | I see. Let me ask another question. |
| JYL: | Please. |
| SL: | Was he close to you mother? |
| JYL: | I’m not sure what you mean by that. They were mother and son. Of course they were close. |
| SL: | Jiang Fengmian characterized your mother as caring for Jiang Cheng to the point of fanaticism. |
| JYL: | Fanaticism? Father said that? |
| SL: | Yes. Is that surprising? |
| JYL: | No, not at all. In any case, father is largely correct in his assessment. You see, A-Cheng is her only son, and with my weak constitution mother never considered me to be a viable candidate to take over the company. |
| SL: | So from an early age, he was trained to be your father’s heir. |
| JYL: | That’s correct. Mother expected the best from A-Cheng. |
| SL: | But not from you. |
| JYL: | Not from me. |
| SL: | Would you say she was a good mother? |
JIANG YANLI HESITATES BEFORE SPEAKING.
[10:00]
| JYL: | She was definitely a mother. To me – she supported me in my endeavours, monetarily or otherwise, as long as I caused no trouble to the family or the business. All she needed was for me to become a fine young lady. She was there for me when I needed her, I can say that much. She was always there for me. |
| SL: | So would you characterize her as a good mother? |
JIANG YANLI SMILES WRYLY.
| JYL: | Sergeant Song, people are rarely so easily categorized as “good” or “evil”. It wasn’t that simple. She had her moments either way. |
JIANG YANLI PAUSES.
| JYL: | Even when it came to A-Xian. Mother had her moments. |
| SL: | Oh? |
| JYL: | She could’ve easily had him kicked out of the house – Father could never divorce mother, for a multitude of reasons. He would’ve had no choice but to let A-Xian loose. She could’ve not paid for him to go to our private school, for the extracurricular lessons. Whatever reasons she had, Mother let A-Xian stay. |
| SL: | Your father told me she hit Wei Wuxian. |
| JYL: | Yes. |
| SL: | What was the context behind that? |
JIANG YANLI HESITATES.
| JYL: | Did father say she never lay a hand on us? |
| SL: | Yes. |
| JYL: | Perhaps you should ask A-Xian and A-Cheng this question as well. For my part – well, rulers hurt quite a bit. In that sense, I suppose she never laid a hand on us. |
| SL: | Your father – how would you characterize his relationship with Jiang Cheng? |
| JYL: | Hmm. Fine, I suppose. |
| SL: | Would it surprise you if I said that your father wasn’t interested in this investigation? |
| JYL: | It would. |
| SL: | He told me that there was no reason to investigate further. |
| JYL: | Father said that to you? |
| SL: | Yes. |
| JYL: | I see. |
| SL: | You don’t seem surprised. |
| JYL: | I thought he would at least – show some sort of concern. What did he say to you exactly? |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng turned himself in. There’s no reason to let this case linger in public consciousness for longer than necessary. |
JIANG YANLI BLINKS SLOWLY.
| JYL: | Oh. I see. That should tell you all you need to know, then, about A-Cheng’s relationship with father. |
| SL: | You’ve been quite straightforward with me until now – why hide anything about your father? |
| JYL: | …A-Cheng doesn’t like this topic very much. It’s not something that I try to bring up. It doesn’t seem anything relevant to the case, anyways. While I trust that you are a professional, we do have to be careful about these sort of things. |
| SL: | I understand, but please don’t hide information from me. |
| JYL: | Are you going to continue your investigation, despite father’s ask? |
| SL: | That’s a good question. There are many in my position who would not continue this investigation. But I – I do feel like somethings not quite right here. I truly would like to understand why your brother did what he did. |
JIANG YANLI SMILES BLANKLY.
[15:00]
| JYL: | I appreciate the sentiment, officer. I hope the investigation is allowed to continue. |
| SL: | Do you think – |
| JYL: | I don’t know. I don’t know if father is willing to go that far, but I also believed that father would want the investigation to be completed thoroughly. |
| SL: | I’ll have to keep that in mind, then. Your brother indicated he would be willing to speak to me if I called him in for questioning. Knowing what you have told me – I may come by your residence to question him, if you are open to my presence. |
| JYL: | As long as A-Cheng’s willing to speak with you, I have no concerns. |
| SL: | Even if what he says is incriminating? |
| JYL: | He can make his own decisions. |
| SL: | You’re not still suspicious of me? |
| JYL: | I’ve always believed myself to be a good judge of character. Barring that, please remember that I am still a daughter of the Jiang family. |
SERGEANT SONG PRESSES HIS LIPS TOGETHER.
| SL: | Duly noted. Your father also told me that Jiang Cheng is close with Wei Wuxian, is that correct? |
| JYL: | Yes. |
| SL: | Despite his mother hating Wei Wuxian? |
| JYL: | Yes. Mother never liked A-Cheng being around A-Xian, but they’re brothers. They complement each other well. |
| SL: | So Jiang Cheng didn’t always listen to his mother. |
| JYL: | You could say that, or you could say that A-Cheng was willing to accept the consequences of disobeying mother. |
| SL: | And what would those consequences be? |
| JYL: | When we were younger, mother loved making us write lines. You know – “I’m sorry for running in the hallways and knocking over the vase, causing it to break. Running indoors is terribly dangerous and can cause damage to both ourselves and to objects. I promise to never run indoors again.” That sort of thing. |
| SL: | What about when you grew older? |
| JYL: | We got better at hiding things when we grew older. Mother couldn’t monitor us 24/7. |
| SL: | If Jiang Cheng were to be caught, what would the punishment be? |
| JYL: | You’d have to ask him. After a certain age, mother would punish me in private. I’m sure that was true for A-Cheng as well. |
| SL: | But not true for Wei Wuxian? |
| JYL: | Mother didn’t bother for A-Xian – she said what she felt like saying whenever she felt like saying it. |
| SL: | How would Jiang Cheng react to that? |
| JYL: | What could he say? There’s no point in fighting a battle that has long since been lost. All we could do was listen, and reassure him after the fact. |
| SL: | How did your mother punish you? |
| JYL: | Hm? Oh, nothing major. Just a slap on the wrist, a lecture. |
| SL: | But you’d still say your brother was close with your mother? |
| JYL: | Yes. The love – perhaps wasn’t quite expressed in a healthy manner, but none of us would ever doubt the love mother held for A-Cheng. How could a son betray a mother who loved him that much? A-Cheng could never do something so - unfilial. |
[20:00]
| SL: | And that’s what confuses you about this case? |
| JYL: | I don’t believe A-Cheng to be capable of killing, much less killing our mother. |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng – does he usually spend his birthdays out of town? |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS.
| JYL: | Did Father say that? |
| SL: | Is this something else he was wrong about? |
JIANG YANLI SMILES.
| JYL: | I did say we got better at hiding things. I’m his sister – you think I’d let him waste his birthdays on business trips for five years in a row? Oh, that’s not to say there was no business done on those trips. There was just also some celebrating with A-Xian, their college buddies, friends. You should ask A-Cheng about it. |
| SL: | Your brother said, and I quote – “Nothing special. Grab a meal. Drink until I pass out. The usual.” |
| JYL: | Mmm, that does sound like something he’d say. He hates admitting to having any sort of fun. But I do have to mention – he’s not the type to drink until he passes out with people he doesn’t know. |
| SL: | He could be doing it by his lonesome. |
| JYL: | A-Cheng is more likely to be working his sorrow away than to be drinking it away. That’s more of an A-Xian thing. |
| SL: | But he gets drunk on his birthday? |
| JYL: | Like I said – an A-Xian thing. |
| SL: | So why did you hide this from your parents? |
| JYL: | Family celebrations – are generally quite unpleasant, not very conducive to birthday party atmosphere. And I’m sure you don’t need me to spell it out, but mother would be very upset to know that A-Xian and A-Cheng are still so close. |
| SL: | And you decided to hold the birthday parties away from home, under the guise of a business trip. |
| JYL: | Yes! I suppose Mother might’ve gotten lonely, though, if she wanted A-Cheng to celebrate at home this time around. |
| SL: | Lonely? Not suspicious? |
| JYL: | We’re very good at hiding things. I’m not sure how Mother could’ve known, though I suppose it’s possible. |
| SL: | And these college buddies of Jiang Cheng’s – who would they be? |
| JYL: | Nie Huaisang, Wen Qing and Wen Ning, Mianmian – Luo Qingyang. My husband likes to tag along, and sometimes A-Xian’s boyfriend comes too, although I don’t think either of them are very fond of each other. |
| SL: | So it’s not a large party. |
| JYL: | No, definitely not. Everyone is sworn to secrecy. |
| SL: | And why would your mother be upset that they’re “still so close”? Did she expect them not to be close anymore? |
JIANG YANLI STARES.
| JYL: | Have you not heard the rumours? |
| SL: | There are a lot of rumours about your family. |
JIANG YANLI SIGHS.
| JYL: | There have been rumours floating around that Father wants A-Xian to lead a new multimedia project that’s supposed to showcase our AI and 3D motion capture technology. There have also been rumours that Father has been looking for a way to entice A-Xian into the company and eventually make him the Creative Director. |
| SL: | And your Mother didn’t like that. |
[25:00]
| JYL: | Mother wanted A-Xian nowhere near the company. “Don’t let him get too close – he’ll stab you in the back one day.” She’d say. “Don’t let the bastard take what’s rightfully yours.” |
| SL: | I see. |
| JYL: | A-Xian – he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. He doesn’t want to offend Mother – that’s why he went into creative arts in the first place; what he thought was furthest from business education. But Father did adopt him – he can’t turn a request down from his saviour. |
| SL: | A tough situation. |
| JYL: | So there’s no point in making Mother angry over a birthday party. |
| SL: | But Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are still close. |
| JYL: | They’re brothers. A-Xian – he’s smart. In the arts or in the sciences, he excelled. He wanted to be an engineer when he was younger, you know? But he went to film school. A-Cheng very nearly begged A-Xian not to go, afraid that A-Xian was abandoning his dreams because of Mother. |
JIANG YANLI STOPS.
| SL: | And then? |
| JYL: | They argued, as boys do. They had a little falling out. Then they talked it through. |
| SL: | What happened? |
| JYL: | I don’t think it’s relevant to why A-Cheng killed Mother. I apologize for reminiscing. |
| SL: | No, I would like to know. |
| JYL: | This really isn’t my story to tell. What’s important is that they’re brothers. |
| SL: | So you won’t tell me? |
| JYL: | Sorry, sergeant. |
| SL: | ...Alright. So, you said Jiang Cheng was willing to accept punishment for being with his brother. |
| JYL: | When we were young, yes. And when we got older, we hid, so there was no punishment to accept. |
| SL: | Would Yu Ziyuan have punished Wei Wuxian alongside Jiang Cheng? |
| JYL: | I don’t know. It never happened. The punishments I spoke of were back when they were in grade school. Afterwards, the two kept their distance at home. |
SGT. SONG PAUSES.
| SL: | Ok. Let’s stop here for today – you’ve given me a lot more information than I know what to do with, and I still need to speak to your husband and child. |
| JYL: | Yes, I’d like to bring A-Cheng home with me as soon as possible. |
| SL: | I’ll be reaching out to you with more questions in the future. |
| JYL: | Please call in advance to schedule a time. |
| SL: | Of course. |
| JYL: | Will I be coming here, or -? |
| SL: | We’ll see. Depending on the situation, we might have to speak elsewhere. |
| JYL: | But you will continue. |
| SL: | Yes. I will. |
| JYL: | I look forward to your conclusions. |
| SL: | If there’s time left over – I’d like to speak to Jiang Cheng again before you leave today. |
| JYL: | If he agrees. |
| SL: | Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, Mrs. Jiang. |
INTERVIEW END.
[29:21]
A CONVERSATION IN THE LOBBY: WITH JIANG YANLI
November 8, XXXX. 10:32 AM
| JYL: | You killed mother. |
| JC: | That doesn’t sound like a question. |
| JYL: | It isn’t one. |
| JC: | …I’m sorry. |
| JYL: | Why did you do it? |
| JC: | I can’t tell you. |
| JYL: | Why not? |
| JC: | I’m sorry. |
| JYL: | Alright. |
BRIEF SILENCE.
| JYL: | It’s been a while since you’ve visited our home. What do you want for lunch? |
| JC: | I thought I wasn’t allowed near knives. Can you even cook without them? |
| JYL: | Oh, that won’t be a problem. |
| JC: | Jie – |
| JYL: | I trust you not to do anything untoward. Besides, it’s not my money. |
| JC: | …Anything’s fine. |
A CONVERSATION BETWEEN XIAO XINGCHEN AND SONG LAN - November 7, Night
| SL: | I have someone that’ll be having their bail hearing tomorrow. |
| XXC: | Oh? You rarely discuss work at home. |
| SL: | The man’s name is Jiang Cheng. |
| XXC: | Yes, our whole office was in an uproar over that news. |
| SL: | You’re the district prosecutor – you were assigned that case, right? |
| XXC: | Yes. It’ll be nice to be working with you in case prep again. Your assistant handed over all of the relevant files already, and I’ve given them a listen – is there something else I need to know? |
| SL: | Can you allow his bail? |
| XXC: | Oh? |
| SL: | I have a feeling about this case. I want him to stop being so wary around me so I can dig a little deeper – there’s something more to this murder, I can feel it. I don’t have any real evidence yet, but it’s there. I know it is. |
XIAO XINGCHEN SMILES. THE LOVE IS GENUINE.
| XXC: | And you used to be so by the books. |
| SL: | Looks like I’ve been influenced by a certain somebody. I can promise Jiang Cheng doesn’t pose any sort of risk to the public, if that’s what you’re concerned about. |
| XXC: | I trust you. We’re partners, after all. |
| SL: | Thank you. |
| XXC: | I wouldn’t have opposed the bail application in any case. |
| SL: | That’s what I thought. I still wanted to tell you, though. |
| XXC: | Thank you. |
SOMEWHERE IN THE BACKGROUND, THERE’S THE SOUND OF CHILDREN SCREECHING PLAYFULLY.
Notes:
Imagine relying on JFM's evidence - couldn't be me. Unedited... lmk if you notice anything! Thank you for reading <3
Chapter Text
A CONVERSATION IN A PRIVATE ROOM - 2: WITH JIN ZIXUAN
November 8, XXXX. 9:50AM
| JZX: | You know the difference between murder and manslaughter, right? |
| JC: | Why would I know that? |
| JZX: | Don’t you read books? Or those watch those police procedurals? |
JIANG CHENG SNORTS.
| JC: | What do you think? |
| JZX: | You don’t even watch the news? |
| JC: | Nothing on the six or nine o’clock I need to know that I don’t already know. I mean – in what universe would I need to know the difference between murder and manslaughter? |
| JZX: | Aren’t you worried about the rising crime levels in the city? Or those stranger attacks? I thought this was – I’m pretty sure even A-Ling knows the difference! |
| JC: | You and I both have bodyguards. Besides, I could outrun any knife-wielding junkie. |
| JZX: | They’ve got guns these days. |
| JC: | And I’ve got a bulletproof suit. Your point? |
JIN ZIXUAN SIGHS, EXASPERATED.
| JZX: | Look. You could at least care about how long of a sentence you’re looking at, or try and pretend to care. Sergeant’s been asking you questions, right? About your motive? You better not have – |
| JC: | Lucky for you, I honestly have nothing to say. |
| JZX: | Lucky for you, you mean. If you did it heat of the moment – manslaughter’s fifteen, max, four to fifteen. Murder’s – |
| JC: | Twenty-five to life, I know. I’m not completely out of touch. |
| JZX: | You know that, but you don’t know – you – Christ, you were fucking with me, weren’t you? |
JIANG CHENG SMIRKS. JIN ZIXUAN STANDS UP AND BEGINS PACING.
| JZX: | I can’t believe you – of all times – just – do you really not – fuck, just keep your mouth shut, alright? And you’ll be back soon, even if you confessed. We’ll try for the four. |
| JC: | It doesn’t – |
| JZX: | You don’t – you don’t get it. A-Ling’ll miss you. A-Li’ll miss you. |
| JC: | What don’t – |
| JZX: | I know you’ve got a sick sense of justice. You admitted it, you want to atone, whatever – but man, don’t drag A-Ling and A-Li into it! They don’t deserve that! |
JIANG CHENG’S EXPRESSION SHIFTS. JIN ZIXUAN SITS BACK DOWN.
| JZX: | If you’re gone – they… Jesus Christ, Jiang Cheng. You, you do realize – they love you? |
JIANG CHENG HESTITATES.
| JC: | I… |
A PAUSE. JIN ZIXUAN STARES COOLY.
| JC: | Alright. I get it. |
| JZX: | Yeah? |
| JC: | I got it. I’ll keep my mouth shut on motive. |
| JZX: | So you’re going to get a real criminal lawyer now. |
| JC: | Ah – |
| JZX: | Jiang Cheng, you – |
| JC: | Look. I – I don’t want to – I can’t –– I – let me keep it in the family? |
JIN ZIXUAN IS QUIET. A MOMENT PASSES IN SILENCE.
| JZX: | You’re a stubborn bastard. I can’t believe someone like you is A-Li’s brother. |
| JC: | Thanks. |
| JZX: | Don’t sound so relieved. I’ll be taking my pay out of your account. |
| JC: | Take as much as you want. I won’t be using it for at least the next four years, after all. |
| JZX: | Can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. |
| JC: | Jie did say that you wanted to go criminal before your mother convinced you it was a bad idea. |
| JZX: | Not like this. Never like this. |
| JC: | …Yeah. |
| JZX: | Seriously, why did you…? I can’t defend you if I don’t know – |
| JC: | We want four years, right? So tell me – what sort of story gets me four years? |
INTERVIEW WITH JIN ZIXUAN
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 1 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 8, XXXX. 10:40AM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Please state your full legal name for the record. |
| JZX: | Jin Zixuan. |
| SL: | Thank you for agreeing to this interview, despite – I understand you’re representing Jiang Cheng? |
| JZX: | For now. Criminal isn’t my area of practice. I just showed up for the bail hearing because I heard Jiang Cheng hadn’t retained a lawyer – no offense, but public defenders aren’t ideal. However, I cannot answer any questions that would violate solicitor-client privilege, but you probably knew that already. |
| SL: | I understand. Just out of curiosity – what’s your primary area of practice? |
| JZX: | Copyright. |
| SL: | And you practice out of your mother’s firm? |
| JZX: | I worked there for a while, but not anymore. Started up my own thing. |
| SL: | Have you ever worked with the deceased – Yu Ziyuan? |
| JZX: | No. She led the financial arm of the firm, tax acts, that sort of litigation. |
| SL: | That’s not your area. |
| JZX: | Right. No cases came up where she needed my expertise, and when I did need tax experts, I usually asked someone not so high up the ladder. |
| SL: | You’re also her son-in-law. |
| JZX: | That’s correct. |
| SL: | What was she like at home? |
JIN ZIXUAN PONDERS FOR A MOMENT.
| JZX: | Well, professionally, she was nicknamed the Violet Spider – she had this intricate, purple-stoned ring, amethyst, I believe, though I can’t be sure. She always wore that ring instead of her wedding band. Spider came from the fact that she would always manage to trap you in a web spun out of your own words, or something along those lines. She didn’t leave any of that at work. |
| SL: | So she brought that attitude home? |
| JZX: | No one could ever win an argument against her. |
| SL: | Did you not like her? |
| JZX: | I wouldn’t say that. It’s like having a very political family member – there’s just topics you don’t bring up around her. |
| SL: | Like what? |
| JZX: | Her cases. That Wang legal assistant she hates because she very clearly married her way into having a job, and somehow she’s still just a legal assistant that doesn’t even know how to draw up an itinerary and book a connecting flight. Stuff like that. |
| SL: | What about Jiang Cheng, and Wei Wuxian? |
| JZX: | The only safe topic was – ironically – politics. |
| SL: | What about Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian? |
| JZX: | She was surprisingly liberal, so it was easy to talk politics with her. |
| SL: | Please answer my question. |
| JZX: | We try not to mention anything that isn’t politics. |
| SL: | Fine. What did you talk about on Jiang Cheng’s birthday, then? |
| JZX: | We talked about A-Ling. She lectured me about being too lax with him, that I don’t care enough about his studies and he’ll end up useless if I keep coddling him – I don’t coddle him, by the way – and that he’s too skinny and we need to feed him more – all in all, she’s pretty unimpressed with my parenting skills. |
| SL: | Is that all you talked about? |
| JZX: | Well, she also asked me why I’m not going back to get my PhD. |
| SL: | Do you need a PhD? |
[05:00]
| JZX: | No. But she has one, and so does Mr. Jiang, and my mother as well. Jiang Cheng’s working on his PhD in management science. She made a very pointed example of my father not having a PhD. |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng has the time to do PhD coursework on top of his work? |
| JZX: | Probably not, but he’s managing it anyways, I suppose. |
| SL: | What about your wife? |
| JZX: | …She didn’t expect A-Li to get a PhD. |
| SL: | Why not? |
| JZX: | Well, A-Li’s got a bit of a weak constitution – always got sick easily. She had to delay entry into school by a year because of it. Madame Yu never really held any academic hopes for A-Li. But look at her – she’s got a Master’s of Food Sciences and really – I tried to help her with her Wine Biotechnology class because I like wine, but grape DNA? And pest control? And weather? I’ll stick to drinking it, thanks. She’s starting her PhD in Viticulture, too. Madame Yu was pleasantly surprised when A-Li told her. |
| SL: | Sounds like her mother underestimated her. |
| JZX: | Everyone underestimates A-Li. Even me. All the time. |
SGT. SONG SMILES.
| SL: | It’s easy to underestimate kind people, isn’t it? |
| JZX: | Absolutely… sounds like you’ve got experience on that front, too. |
| SL: | You could say that. But Jiang Cheng wasn’t the type to be underestimated, was he? |
JIN ZIXUAN’S LIPS TWITCH.
| JZX: | You know – years ago, I would rather have eaten my own foot than to have admitted this, but Jiang Cheng – I mean, not to underestimate him, but – he’s kind. |
JIN ZIXUAN GRIMACES AT HIS OWN WORDS.
| JZX: | He’s – nobody would ever accuse him of being kind, obviously, but he’s kind. He’s a good sort of guy. Definitely wouldn’t underestimate him, not that sort of kind, but – you can trust him. That’s rare, in our social circle. |
| SL: | Oh? |
| JZX: | I know you’re trying to probe me for more, but I’ll happily tell you. There’s different sorts of kindness, you know? Jiang Cheng acts cold and domineering – that’s why people say he’s like his mother, I’m sure you’ve heard – or will hear, anyways. So that’s why no-one would underestimate him. Who would dare underestimate Madame Yu, let alone the son that’s just like her? But that’s just on the surface. Deep down, he’s just like his sister. A little more neurotic, more of a perfectionist asshole, but otherwise, just like A-Li. |
| SL: | What about his father? Does he share any characteristics…? |
| JZX: | To be quite honest, I don’t really know Mr. Jiang all that well. I wouldn’t be able to say. But I am able to say, with full conviction, that A-Li and Jiang Cheng are more alike than most people will ever know. They have the exact same kindness. |
| SL: | Mmm. |
| JZX: | Yeah. |
| SL: | But you didn’t always think of him that way? |
JIN ZIXUAN SHRUGS.
| JZX: | Look – I’ll be the first to admit – I was a bit of an asshole too, when I was younger. A-Li and I didn’t get along, and Jiang Cheng hated me for that – rightly so. |
| SL: | People change when they grow older. |
| JZX: | Yes. Took some growing up for me to realize that I didn’t actually hate A-Li, that what I hated was the concept of my mother telling me “you’re going to marry that girl someday.” Honestly a little unsettling, being told that the plain looking girl was going to be my wife at age seven. |
[10:00]
| SL: | So it was initially an arranged marriage? |
| JZX: | Mhm. Like you probably know, my mother and Madame Yu were close friends. They wanted to tie our families together through marriage, the firstborn son with the firstborn daughter. |
| SL: | Rare, nowadays. |
| JZX: | Not especially. Not in families like ours. |
| SL: | I suppose I wouldn’t know. |
| JZX: | It’s funny. Being born into a rich family has its benefits – but the freedom that people see, the freedom of having all the money in the world, there’s a lot – a lot of – tradition, I guess you could say. You see people, like my cousin, who rebel against that tradition. The rich second generation without a single care in the world. But – if you have even the slightest sense of responsibility, any ambition at all – there are a lot of constraints that come with that freedom. In the end, I suppose it’s the same for everyone, rich or poor. I can’t marry freely because of business ties. Others can’t marry freely because they can’t afford to get married. |
| SL: | You think about this a lot? |
| JZX: | It was part of growing up. Making sense of the world I was born in. Coming to terms with my role in the family. |
| SL: | And Jiang Cheng – you think – |
| JZX: | He’s responsible. |
| SL: | Does that have anything – |
| JZX: | Madame Yu wouldn’t have allowed irresponsibility, if that’s what you’re asking. |
| SL: | You think he’s come to terms with – |
| JZX: | Alright, that’s a little too far. He’s just my brother-in-law. We don’t really have heart-to-hearts about this sort of stuff. I’d trust him with my life, and certainly with A-Ling and A-Li’s life, but I don’t know – don’t think he would ever tell anybody what I told you, even if he was thinking it. |
| SL: | Then I must thank you for telling me. |
| JZX: | Of course. |
| SL: | What made you think that Jiang Cheng was kind, though? |
| JZX: | Oh, right. Well – Jiang Cheng hated me for being mean to A-Li, right? Wei Wuxian too. They resented me to hell and back, threatened to kill me and all if I even dared make A-Li frown. But Jiang Cheng – look, suffice it to say, once A-Li forgave me, Jiang Cheng was surprisingly OK with us dating. |
| SL: | Oh? |
| JZX: | Wei Wuxian – that idiot definitely still hates me a little, I’m pretty sure, even though he pretends to be civil around A-Li. Jiang Cheng actually – he actually tried to get to know me. To be fair to Wei Wuxian, he really is quite busy, but I’m also fairly certain he uses that as an excuse to avoid me. |
JIN ZIXUAN PAUSES.
| JZX: | Did you know that Jiang Cheng likes dogs? Wei Wuxian is deathly afraid of them. |
| SL: | What does that have to – |
| JZX: | He has his own apartment. Wei Wuxian’s rarely in town. Why doesn’t he have his own dog? |
| SL: | I guess we should ask him. |
| JZX: | I always wondered. |
| SL: | What does that have to do with – |
| JZX: | Anyways, he’s a not a bad person. Certainly wouldn’t have expected him to kill his mother. You know, Jiang Cheng and Madame Yu were always close. |
[15:00]
| SL: | Oh? |
| JZX: | Yes. Jiang Cheng had a lot of respect for Madame Yu. He’d do anything if his mother asked it of him. |
| SL: | How do you know that? |
JIN ZIXUAN SHRUGS AGAIN.
| JZX: | Ask anyone in the family, and they’ll tell you the same. They’re always on the same side, Madame Yu and Jiang Cheng. Always working together on company projects, commiserating on their next big moves. If you ask A-Ling, he’ll tell you they always gang up on him, telling him to study harder. So – of all people, killing his mother makes no sense to me. I wonder – if it wasn’t just some sort of – accident? |
| SL: | Why would you say that? |
| JZX: | Jiang Cheng’s surprisingly moral for a businessman of his caliber. I just can’t see this being deliberate. |
| SL: | Are you trying to concoct a story, put some sort of spin on this for a plea deal, make me think I can’t reasonably convict for first-degree? |
| JZX: | Absolutely not, officer. I know better than to do that. This is my sincere testimony, my sincere opinion. Even if it was an accident, I doubt Jiang Cheng would ever admit to it, that’s all I’m saying. |
| SL: | Why wouldn’t he? |
| JZX: | Like I said, he’s kind. He’s got a sense of morality. An accidental killing is still a killing, right? |
| SL: | So you believe that Jiang Cheng killed his mother? |
| JZX: | I certainly don’t want to believe it. But if he confessed – he wouldn’t confess for no reason. He wouldn’t throw away his life on a lie. So I don’t believe it when the police say that Jiang Cheng killed his mother. I believe it because Jiang Cheng said he killed his mother. |
| SL: | I see. |
| JZX: | Really? Even I don’t fully understand my logic on this. |
| SL: | In the end, all you’re saying is that you sincerely believe that Jiang Cheng killed his mother, but that he would never do so deliberately, and you’re not just saying it to get him less time. |
| JZX: | Hm, that’s a good summary. |
| SL: | I have some other questions for you. |
| JZX: | Please, go ahead. |
| SL: | Was there anything strange that happened, any personality changes in either Madame Yu or Jiang Cheng, or unexpected events, leading up to the murder? |
| JZX: | Well, like you said, it was Jiang Cheng’s birthday. At this point, I’m sure you already know that we don’t usually celebrate with family. |
| SL: | Your sister told me you usually celebrate under the guise of a business trip. |
| JZX: | Yes, exactly. So that could be counted as strange. And Wei Wuxian being invited by Madame Yu. That’s strange. |
| SL: | Yes, Jiang Fengmian brought that up as well. He also said the atmosphere was quite nice, that Madame Yu was acting softer than usual. |
| JZX: | Well, I don’t know about Madame Yu acting softer – she seemed like her normal self to me. |
| SL: | What do you mean by that? |
| JZX: | She nagged at me a lot. |
| SL: | And what about the atmosphere? |
| JZX: | Standard fare, really. |
[20:00]
| SL: | And what do you mean by that? |
| JZX: | It’s the same, whenever we have family dinners or any sort of family gathering. It’s like a giant grey cloud hanging overhead. Sometimes it’s rain showers, sometimes it’s a storm, sometimes there’s not a single droplet. |
| SL: | Quite the comparison you make there. |
| JZX: | Thank you. |
| SL: | Your wife called it a cold war. |
| JZX: | Yes, that’s quite normal in families like ours. I think. It was like that in my family too, anyways. |
| SL: | Is that so? |
| JZX: | It’s all public knowledge – my father was a prolific womanizer, and the accusations that surfaced later didn’t even manage to reveal the half of it. My mom knew all of the sordid little details from the very beginning and was only turning a blind eye to protect our family’s reputation. Not even – she cleaned up father’s messes. Imagine what family dinners were like. |
| SL: | I don’t think I can. |
| JZX: | That’s probably for the best. I don’t know how many half-siblings I have out there. |
| SL: | To turn back to the topic of Jiang Cheng – |
| JZX: | Right. |
| SL: | Do you think he’s hiding anything? |
| JZX: | Aside from the obvious? I don’t know what he would have to hide. |
| SL: | You mentioned marriages – an unapproved girlfriend – |
JIN ZIXUAN LAUGHS ALOUD.
| JZX: | Absolutely not. No. Unfathomable. |
| SL: | I almost feel insulted on his behalf, the way you say it. |
| JZX: | I just don’t see it. I really don’t. No, no unapproved girlfriends. He’s dated in the past, but – I bet the girls hate that he loves the job more than he loves them, if he even feels any affection for them in the first place. They try sticking around for the money, but even then – he’s stingy, for a billionaire. |
| SL: | He’s stingy? |
| JZX: | That’s probably not a good way to put it – more like, he’s not willing to send good money after the bad. He doesn’t make worthless investments. How else did Jiang Corporation manage to tighten their finances? |
| SL: | Jiang Fengmian did say that he was good at his job. |
| JZX: | Oh? He’s right, though. |
| SL: | You seem surprised. |
| JZX: | Jiang Fengmian isn’t one for praise, to my understanding. |
| SL: | I see. But I heard Madame Yu was quite the overbearing parent – she didn’t try and set up an arranged marriage for Jiang Cheng? |
| JZX: | I wouldn’t know, nothing that I know of. I assume nobody was good enough for her precious son. |
| SL: | Jiang Yanli also mentioned that she was asked last minute to bake a cake. |
| JZX: | Oh yes, that did happen. |
| SL: | You didn’t find that strange? |
| JZX: | No. Honestly, it slipped my mind – I just assumed that Madame Yu was unhappy with whatever she had ordered in advance. |
| SL: | Alright. I’ll take that at face value. One last question before I end the interview for today – your wife mentioned that she wanted to get home before lunch – Jiang Cheng said to me that his mother wasn’t the one he wanted to kill. Do you know what he might’ve meant by that? |
[25:00]
| JZX: | Wow, that’s a sudden one to spring on me. No, then – maybe I was right, that it was an accident? He didn’t mean to kill his mother, he didn’t want to kill his mother. He didn’t want to kill anyone. Then it all makes sense, right? |
| SL: | That’s what you think? |
| JZX: | Yes. |
| SL: | Not that he wants to kill someone else? |
| JZX: | Absolutely not. Look, I’ll say it again – I can’t imagine Jiang Cheng having a reason to kill his mother. |
| SL: | Right. |
| JZX: | It can’t have been deliberate. |
| SL: | Ok. |
| JZX: | I agreed to this interview, even though I didn’t have to – anything I say can and will be used against me, right? But legitimately – there’s nothing. |
| SL: | You know, Jiang Cheng told me that he had no reason to kill his mother. |
| JZX: | And I sincerely believe it. |
| SL: | Did he tell you the details of what happened? |
| JZX: | You know I can’t answer that, sergeant. That’s privileged. |
| SL: | Yeah. Figured I’d try anyways. In any case, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I appreciate your time. |
| JZX: | Of course. |
| SL: | Oh right – nearly forgot. Your father-in-law said he’d like the investigation to end as soon as possible. |
| JZX: | What. |
| SL: | I spoke to your wife about it, she knows the details. I just wanted to let you know. |
| JZX: | Right. |
| SL: | I didn’t tell your wife this, but it seems he thinks that reason that Jiang Cheng turned himself in – was to protect the family business. To lessen the media circus around his mother’s death. |
JIN ZIXUAN DOES NOT RESPOND. HIS EXPRESSION IS SHOCKED.
| SL: | You think there’s any possibility of that? |
JIN ZIXUAN DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | I’ll give you a moment to think on it. |
| JZX: | No… no need. It – it doesn’t matter what his father believes, correct? There’s only one truth. In any case, thank you for telling me this, sergeant. |
| SL: | Of course. Let’s go call your son. |
INTERVIEW END
[28:25]
A CONVERSATION IN THE LOBBY: WITH JIN LING
November 8, XXXX. 10:33AM
| JL: | I didn’t know you hated grandmother that much. |
| JC: | I don’t hate her. |
| JL: | Then why? |
JIN LING LOOKS TO BE ON THE VERGE OF TEARS. JIANG CHENG TURNS AWAY.
| JC: | I made a mistake. |
| JL: | Why? |
| JC: | It was the culmination of years of bad decisions. |
| JL: | What’s culmination mean? |
| JC: | All my decisions built up and gathered to its very highest point. Also known as an apex. |
| JL: | Why? |
| JC: | You know how you want to play games instead of study? And then you feel bad that you got a bad mark even through you could have avoided it by studying? |
| JL: | What’s that got to do with anything? |
| JC: | But you just keep not studying, until one day you realize that your marks are nowhere good enough to even apply for university. |
JIN LING GROANS, BUT HIS BREATH IS UNSTEADY.
| JL: | Why are we talking about this again? I thought grandma was dead. |
| JC: | You’re a big boy, right? Figure it out on your own. |
| JL: | I hate you. |
| JC: | Good. |
| JL: | I’m not joking! I really do hate you! |
| JC: | That’s completely fine, A-Ling. |
JIN LING WIPES AT HIS EYES.
| JL: | Fine! Whatever! |
JIN LING TURNS AWAY AS JIANG CHENG TURNS TOWARDS THE CHILD.
JIANG CHENG RAISES AN ARM, BEFORE LOWERING IT.
HE DOES NOT COMFORT JIN LING.
THE ARM THAT WRAPS AROUND THE BOY IS HIS MOTHER’S.
INDICTMENT
IN THE NAME AND AUTHORITY OF THE SUPREME COURTS:
By oath, it is presented that
JIANG CHENG
on or about the 7th Day of November, at or near the City of Yunmeng, did commit the second-degree murder of the individual YU ZIYUAN, contrary to Section 231 of the Criminal Code.
Notes:
Your humble reminder that I am not a lawyer and I hope things are going procedurally as they should. If it's not, well, at least I'm having fun writing it, and I hope you're having fun reading! Also - retroactively aged JC to 31. Anyways, lmk if you notice any errors or anything, always appreciate feedback <3
Chapter Text
A CONVERSATION IN A CELL: WITH JIANG CHENG AND A CELLMATE
NOVEMBER 8, XXXX. 02:26 AM
| CELLMATE: | Fuck, man. Not again, the same fuckin’ officer too, motherfucker never gives my cigs back. Least I get a cellie this time – man, what they get you in for? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| CELLMATE: | Just my fucking luck. I get a cellie and he’s a fucking mute. Come on, man, I know you ain’t fuckin’ sleeping on this fucking bench. Aren’t you bored out your fuckin’ mind just layin’ there starin’ at the ceiling? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| CELLMATE: | Bet you don’t trust me. I’m the one who shouldn’t trust you, you suit-wearing motherfucker. Got blood all over that fancy shirt of yours – lemme guess. Uh, gotta be some sorta fight – got a little too drunk? Beat up some poor motherfucker at a bar? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| CELLMATE: | Nah, wouldn’t land your rich ass in here. Gotta be something big. Like – you caught your girl fuckin’ another man in your bed, so you fucked him up while your girl called the cops on ya. How ‘bout that? |
JIANG CHENG SITS UP AND FLEXES HIS FINGERS.
| JC: | Something like that. |
| CELLMATE: | No shit? Nice, man. I knew I was a goddamn genius. Fuck, I’d do the same thing if I saw my girl hooking up with some other fucker. Suit or not, we’re all fucking men, amiright? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| CELLMATE: | Come on, you gotta give me the deets, yeah? Girl’s gotta been fine as fuck for you to be here. Thought you rich motherfuckers never made it to where us poor bastards sit, pay your way out or some bullshit. Don’t get the chance to talk to your type in here. So, was the bitch worth it? |
JIANG CHENG RAISES HIS HEAD AND LOOKS HIS CELLMATE IN THE EYES.
| JC: | She’s dead. |
| CELLMATE: | …Oh fuck. Shit. Fuck, I knew you rich fuckers were insane – you killed her? Why the fuck – wouldn’t you usually go for the guy? |
| JC: | He wouldn’t have slept with her if he’d known. She seduced him. I can’t blame him for her indiscretions. |
| CELLMATE: | You knew the guy? Man, that’s fucked. |
JIANG CHENG SIGHS.
| JC: | Alright, enough with this. I’d like some peace and quiet, please. |
| CELLMATE: | You cant just leave me on a fucking cliffhanger, man, that’s bullshit – |
| JC: | Corporal, I’m no longer speaking to you. |
| CELLMATE: | Corporal? Who the hell you callin’ corporal? You think I’m a cop? Fuck, that’s the fuckin’ most funniest thing I’ve heard – |
| JC: | Corporal. You might not remember, but you ran security for one of my brother’s events. I know who you are. It’s late. You want to interrogate me while I’m tired. I get it, but I’d really like to sleep. We can talk about my mother in the morning. |
| CELLMATE: | Your mother? Fuck, you killed your mother? |
| JC: | Corporal Wen. That’s enough. |
JIANG CHENG LAYS BACK DOWN AND CLOSES HIS EYES.
| JC: | I really am tired. |
| CELLMATE: | Never heard of this Corporal Wen. I look like him? |
| JC: | And speak like him. One might posit you are him. |
| CELLMATE: | …Fuck. We could drag you out there into a room, if you fucking want. We can interrogate you in there. |
| JC: | And I’ll sleep in the chair. You can yell at me all you want. I’ve slept through worse. |
| JC: | In fact, your yelling might just help me sleep. |
| CELLMATE: | Fuck it. Hey, Zhang, lemme out. This fucker’s a lost cause, might as well let Song at him in the morning. |
THE CELL DOORS CREAK ONCE, THEN TWICE.
JIANG CHENG IS LEFT IN SILENCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT.
A CONVERSATION IN AN OFFICE: WITH SONG LAN AND WEN CHAO
NOVEMBER 8, XXXX. 05:30 AM
| SL: | I thought I told you it was no use going undercover. |
| WC: | How the hell was I supposed to know he was gonna recognize me??? |
SONG LAN SIGHS.
| SL: | I should have explained more clearly, then. His brother is Wei Wuxian. |
| WC: | So what? My father is Wen Ruohan. |
| SL: | Wei Wuxian has bodyguards. |
| WC: | Uh huh, and so does every other D-list celebrity. |
| SL: | Many of them are ex-Yunmeng police. |
| WC: | I don’t see your point. |
| SL: | There’s fifty officers operating out of this station. |
| WC: | Yeah, I know. You fucking suck at explaining things, Song. Get to the fucking point. |
| SL: | Don’t forget I’m still your superior. |
| WC: | Yeah yeah, whatever. |
| SL: | What I’m trying to say is that the major families – Jin, Nie, Lan, and Jiang, all have ties to the police – for security, events, other – |
| WC: | I KNOW. |
| SL: | The Jiang’s handpicked security from our roster - specifically, from the Yunmeng branch. Just like how the other major families do, from their own home stations. |
| WC: | That doesn’t explain how the fuck he knows me; I sure as hell wasn’t on the roster. Dad wouldn’t let me bodyguard for some dipshit. |
| SL: | He would recognize most of the officers in the station, if he’s seen the roster. I hear he has a very good memory. |
| WC: | AGAIN, what is your fucking POINT. |
| SL: | That explains why I didn’t want any of the officers going undercover – they’d likely be recognized. As for recognizing you – you – you’re Wen Chao. Wen Ruohan’s son. Why the hell wouldn’t he recognize you? |
| WC: | …I am pretty hot shit, aren’t I? |
| SL: | And he’s been investigated by us before. He’ll recognize a good number of names and faces from the past as well. |
| WC: | He’s been investigated before??? |
| SL: | …You haven’t read the case brief. |
| WC: | What are you gonna do about it? |
SONG LAN STARES BLANKLY.
| SL: | …What’s important is that there is a good chance that he knows names, or at least the faces, of our officers. That’s why I said there was no point in going undercover. You – I don’t know why you thought it was a good idea for you to go, of all people. Constable Zhang would’ve at least had some sort of chance to not be recognized. |
| WC: | I’m the best at doing undercover shit. Besides, what a fucking weirdo. Who goes around memorizing that sorta shit? |
| SL: | The sort of weirdo that’s the heir to a powerful multinational company. If that’s it for your report, then get out of here and go read the case brief. |
| WC: | Yeah, whatever, sir. |
INTERVIEW WITH JIN LING
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 1 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 8, XXXX. 11:10 AM
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record? |
| JL: | [unintelligible] |
| SL: | Sorry, could you repeat that a little louder? |
| JL: | Jin. Ling. |
| SL: | Very nice to meet you, Mr. Jin Ling. |
| JL: | Ok. |
| SL: | So, tell me – how old are you? |
| JL: | Turning eleven in a couple of weeks. |
| SL: | Oh, just started grade six? |
| JL: | Yeah. |
| SL: | Must be exciting, being an intermediate student. |
| JL: | Sure. |
| SL: | Do you like school? |
| JL: | It’s fine. |
| SL: | Is it too easy? |
JIN LING STRAIGHTENS IN HIS CHAIR, CHIN TILTING UP HAUGHTILY.
| JL: | I’m studying stuff way more complicated than what we’re learning right now. I can’t believe we’re just starting to learn multiplying fractions – like, what? |
| SL: | So you have tutors? |
| JL: | Of course I do. I’m learning algebra. |
| SL: | Wow, that’s pretty high level. |
| JL: | Hmph. |
| SL: | Must be hard. |
| JL: | I mean, I gotta study, that’s all. It’s nothing special. |
| SL: | Do you like studying? |
| JL: | I mean, I’d like it better if jiujiu and popo weren’t always on my case about it. |
| SL: | Your uncle and your grandma must care a lot about your education. |
JIN LING ROLLS HIS EYES.
| JL: | It’s annoying. They’re always on my case about something. |
| SL: | I have a couple of questions I’d like to ask you, if that’s ok. |
| JL: | You’ve already asked me a bunch of questions. |
| SL: | If any of these questions are uncomfortable, feel free to tell me to stop, alright? |
| JL: | Whatever. |
| SL: | I’m going to ask you some questions about your grandmother and your uncle. |
| JL: | I know that everyone thinks jiujiu killed grandmother. You don’t need to be so weird about it, I’m not a kid anymore. |
| SL: | You’re very mature. Thank you for being patient with me. |
| JL: | Yeah, you’re welcome. |
| SL: | So, do you like your uncle? |
| JL: | [Unintelligible] |
| SL: | I see. I’ll put that down as a yes. |
| JL: | Do whatever you want. Hmph. |
| SL: | What about your grandma? |
| JL: | Grandmother – all she does is talk about school. It sucks, and its boring. |
| SL: | Did they have a good relationship, your uncle and grandma? |
| JL: | How am I supposed to know? Whenever I see them, all they do is nag at me. I’m not even eleven yet! Why does it matter what high school program I get into, that’s like a whole year away! |
| SL: | I suppose they want to see you succeed. |
JIN LING PULLS A FACE.
| JL: | I mean, I can totally get into a school with an IB program or whatever. I only get perfects on my exams anyways. |
| SL: | Wow, that’s amazing. |
| JL: | Piece of cake. |
| SL: | So is that what they usually talk to you about, studying hard and getting into good schools? |
| JL: | Grandmother always goes on and on and on about doing good in school. At least mom interrupts if grandmother’s been going on for too long, which is cool I guess. And when grandmother isn’t there, jiujiu doesn’t really talk about that sort of stuff always. |
| SL: | What do you talk to your jiujiu about? |
| JL: | I dunno. Stuff. |
| SL: | What sort of stuff? |
| JL: | Stuff stuff. |
| SL: | Like girls, that sort of stuff? |
JIN LING FLUSHES.
[05:00]
| JL: | Ew, what? No! |
| SL: | Then what sort of stuff? |
| JL: | You know! Like, my dreams or whatever! You can stop now! |
| SL: | So, mostly about you? |
| JL: | Yeah, what else would we talk about? |
| SL: | I’m not sure, I’d need you to tell me. |
| JL: | Well, nothing, ok? |
| SL: | Alright. Let’s see… Did you attend your uncle’s birthday party on the 5th? |
| JL: | No. |
| SL: | Oh, why not? |
| JL: | It was an adult thing. I stayed home. |
| SL: | All by yourself? |
| JL: | No. |
| SL: | Then who was with you? |
| JL: | Uncle Wangji. Apparently, he wasn’t invited to the birthday party. |
| SL: | Who’s Uncle Wangji? |
| JL: | Uncle Wei’s boyfriend husband. |
| SL: | Boyfriend husband? |
| JL: | I don’t remember if they’re married or not. They act like they’re married, but I didn’t go to any wedding, so I don’t know. |
| SL: | So Uncle Wangji stayed to take care of you. |
| JL: | I took care of him. |
| SL: | Oh? |
| JL: | Yeah! Uncle Wei told me to look after him while he went to jiujiu’s birthday party. |
| SL: | What did you do with Uncle Wangji? |
| JL: | I made him dinner and then we watched one of Uncle Wei’s movies. |
| SL: | What movie did you watch? |
| JL: | The Necromancer’s Angel, or something like that. |
| SL: | Did you like it? |
| JL: | It was ok, I guess. Kinda sappy and lame but whatever. Uncle Wei’s in it. |
| SL: | Were you sad that you weren’t invited to your uncle’s birthday party? |
| JL: | As if! Jiujiu had dinner with me the other day already, I don’t need to hang out with all the grown-ups. |
| SL: | When did you go to dinner with your Jiujiu? |
| JL: | Um, the 4th? |
| SL: | Did you talk about anything? |
| JL: | No. |
| SL: | Why not? You didn’t talk during dinner? |
| JL: | No, it was just - uninteresting stuff. |
| SL: | Do you have any details you can tell me? |
| JL: | No. |
| SL: | Why not? |
| JL: | There was nothing murder-related, alright? It was just – stuff. |
| SL: | Why don’t you want to talk about it? |
| JL: | It’s private. Jeez. It was just – nothing! I was talking about my problems, alright?! |
| SL: | Alright, alright, I got it. What about Uncle Wangji, then, was he sad he wasn’t invited? |
JIN LING RELAXES, THEN SHRUGS.
| JL: | Dunno. Maybe. He’s always sad when he’s not with Uncle Wei, they’re super in love or whatever. But we went to pick up Uncle Wei and mom and dad together, so he wasn’t as sad. Uncle Wei said the party was boring. I’m glad I didn’t have to go. |
| SL: | Boring? Did he say why? |
| JL: | No? He just said that he would rather have stayed with me instead. |
| SL: | So he didn't say what happened at the party? |
| JL: | Nothing happened, obviously. It was boring. |
| SL: | You make a very good point. So, Uncle Wei and your jiujiu, are they very good friends? |
| JL: | What do you mean, friends? They’re both my uncles. Uncles are brothers. So they’re not friends. |
| SL: | So they don’t like each other? |
| JL: | That’s not what I said. |
| SL: | But you said they’re not friends. |
| JL: | No, I said they’re brothers. |
| SL: | Right, but do they like each other? |
| JL: | How am I supposed to know? |
| SL: | Ok, but do your Uncle Wei and your jiujiu hang out together often? |
| JL: | No? Uncle Wei is always on shoots, and jiujiu works all the time. Jiujiu’s been so busy lately, you know? He won’t even – whatever. |
| SL: | Won’t even what? |
| JL: | [unintelligible] |
| SL: | So you miss him hanging out with you? |
| JL: | No! |
| SL: | How long has your jiujiu been busy, then? |
| JL: | Like, months. Since summer break. |
[10:00]
| SL: | Do you know why he’s been so busy? |
| JL: | Some sort of company project or something. Who cares? It’s obviously more important than my elementary school stuff. |
JIN LING’S POUT BETRAYS A DEEPER DISAPPOINTMENT.
| SL: | So you went to pick up your parents and Uncle Wei? |
| JL: | Yeah, then Uncle Wangji drove Uncle Wei to the airport, and we went home. |
| SL: | Where was Uncle Wei going? |
| JL: | Back to set or something. |
| SL: | And then what did you do? |
| JL: | We went home. |
| SL: | Did your parents talk about anything during the drive? |
| JL: | I dunno, I kinda [unintelligible] |
| SL: | It must’ve been pretty late by then. |
| JL: | Yeah. |
| SL: | Do you know what time it was when you went with Uncle Wangji to pick up your parents? |
| JL: | Like, past 10. |
| SL: | Can you tell me a little more about your uncle? |
JIN LING SHRUGS. HIS VOICE CRACKS AS HE SPEAKS.
| JL: | I don’t know what you want me to say. |
| SL: | I don’t want you to say anything. |
JIN LING’S FACE TWISTS.
| JL: | Don’t lie to me! |
| SL: | I’m not – |
| JL: | Obviously you want me to say something! You think jiujiu killed grandma! So you wanna know the reason or whatever so you can throw him in jail! |
| SL: | I don’t want to throw your jiujiu in jail. |
| JL: | And I don’t believe you! I know cops always wanna throw people in jail! Jiujiu didn’t do anything wrong, you know?! |
| SL: | Why do you think that? |
| JL: | Because! Jiujiu wouldn’t do whatever you stupid cops are accusing him of! |
SGT. SONG SIGHS.
| SL: | Jin Ling, I promise I’m not trying to throw him in jail, ok? I want to help him. I want to figure out who really killed your grandma. |
JIN LING NARROWS HIS EYES.
| JL: | I don’t believe you. I said jiujiu didn’t do anything wrong, and you didn’t believe me. |
SGT. SONG HESITATES. HE LOOKS UNCOMFORTABLE.
| SL: | Young mister Jin Ling, I appreciate you taking the time to speak to me today. It’s already getting close to lunch, and I’m itching to get something to eat. |
| JL: | You’re changing the subject! So you really are trying to get jiujiu thrown in jail! |
| SL: | That’s not the case at all. You’ve, um, you know that your jiujiu is going home with you today? |
| JL: | So what? |
| SL: | He’s, |
| JL: | …Jiujiu …he wouldn’t. He liked grandma. |
| SL: | Yes, but - |
| JL: | I don’t want to talk to you anymore. |
| SL: | … |
| SL: | Alright. |
INTERVIEW END
[14:07]
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG CHENG
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 2 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 8, XXXX. 11:26 AM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record? |
| JC: | Jiang Cheng. |
| SL: | Thanks for talking with me again before you leave. |
| JC: | I don’t think I have much of a choice, do I? |
| SL: | There’s a couple of pictures I’d like to run by you before you leave. |
| JC: | Why now? Why not earlier? |
| SL: | Couple of things we’d like to clear up. Some of the juniors made some improper assumptions that I’d like to correct. |
| JC: | Well, Sergeant. To save the both of us some time, I would like to let you know that my lawyer has advised me not to speak to you. |
| SL: | Well, you knew that before, didn’t you? |
| JC: | I’m listening to him this time. |
| SL: | Oh? What’s changed? |
JIANG CHENG SHRUGS.
| JC: | I’ve been advised to not answer your questions. |
| SL: | I see. |
SGT. SONG PUSHES FORWARD A PHOTO OF A KNIFE.
| SL: | Do you recognize this knife? |
| JC: | Following the advice of my lawyer, I decline to respond. |
| SL: | Where is this knife from? |
| JC: | Following the advice of my lawyer, I decline to respond. |
| SL: | What about this bottle, recognize that? |
| JC: | Following the advice of my lawyer, I decline to respond. |
| SL: | …Fine. If you want to do this the hard way, I’ll oblige. I’ll ask your sister. |
| JC: | Go ahead. |
| SL: | Are you seriously…? So you do have something to hide, huh, something that might lead to a first degree murder charge, potentially? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | And here I was hoping you were choosing to cooperate. You know, you can make your own choices, but I have to tell you – the jails are full with people who choose not to speak. If you speak, I can help you. I can’t do anything for you if you stay silent. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| SL: | I thought you were better than this. If it was as simple as, as you losing control in the moment, telling the truth – truthfulness to your side of the story would mean a lot. I thought you were going to take responsibility for your actions, like a man, for your own good and for your family – |
JIANG CHENG LAUGHS.
| JC: | Sorry, “like a man.” I don’t mean to interrupt, please go on. |
SGT. SONG FROWNS.
| SL: | I didn’t expect you to choose the cowardly and selfish way out. You not speaking – you’re placing your family in the media spotlight for no reason. All the speculation, you can make it go away if you just tell the truth. Your sister, your nephew, your brother – can they handle this level of scrutiny? This can’t be easy for them. How will this impact your brother’s career? And your nephew – what will your lies do to him? Will you let - |
THERE IS A SUDDEN BANG AS JIANG CHENG SLAMS HIS FIST ON THE TABLE. HIS AFFECT REMAINS CALM.
| JC: | Are you done, Sergeant Song? Because I’d like to go for lunch. My sister is an excellent cook, and it’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of eating her homemade meals. Your provocation is pointless. |
| SL: | I’m not trying to provoke you. I want you to tell the truth, for your own good. For your family’s good. |
| JC: | Sorry. My lawyer’s advised me not to speak on this. You can hold me here for as many hours as you wish, and my answer won’t change. |
| SL: | …Fine. I’m not trying to antagonize you. I really do want the best for you. |
| JC: | Keep telling yourself that, officer. |
| SL: | Let’s get you out of here. |
INTERVIEW END
[5:52]
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG YANLI
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 2 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 8, XXXX. 11:32 AM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record? |
| JYL: | My name is Jiang Yanli. |
| SL: | Sorry for catching you before you go like this. |
| JYL: | Is there something urgent you’d like to ask me? |
SGT. SONG SLIDES A PHOTOGRAPH TOWARDS JIANG YANLI.
| SL: | This knife. Do you recognize it? |
| JYL: | …Yes, I do. This is a sashimi knife. |
| SL: | Where is this knife from? |
| JYL: | Well… I’m not sure which store it was purchased from, but I do know that it is a knife we own. We have a locked cabinet in the kitchen – we don’t want the cook using these knives, they’re quite fragile – so the knife would ordinarily be stored there. |
| SL: | And approximately how many knives are stored in this cabinet? |
| JYL: | I’d say, hm, around fifteen? They’re stored flat on the shelves. Knife blocks aren’t the most hygienic. |
| SL: | And this locked cabinet, where is it? |
| JYL: | Oh, it looks like a normal cupboard that you just can’t open. There’s a lock under the handle. |
| SL: | Who has the keys to that lock? |
| JYL: | Me, my mother, and my brother. |
| SL: | Not your father? |
| JYL: | He doesn’t cook. |
| SL: | Your brother cooks? |
| JYL: | On occasion. He helps me out, as well. |
| SL: | And your mother cooks? |
| JYL: | She has a copy of every key. |
| SL: | I see. |
| JYL: | If you don’t mind me asking, Sergeant, why did you not ask earlier? |
| SL: | It looks like a kitchen knife, so it was assumed that it was taken from the kitchen. I was going through the notes again and noticed that there was no knife missing from the magnetic strip. |
| JYL: | Oh yes. The magnetic strip only has the standard chef’s knife set. |
| SL: | And this – |
SGT. SONG SHOWS A PICTURE OF A WINE BOTTLE.
| JYL: | Oh, that must be one of mother’s. |
| SL: | Where are her wines usually stored? |
| JYL: | I honestly haven’t got a clue. We do have a cellar, I’m assuming it's from in there? |
| SL: | There was nothing missing from the cellar. |
| JYL: | Then I truly could not tell you. I don’t drink, and I only ever fetch wine from the cellar when we have guests. What mother drinks on her own time – I wouldn’t know. |
| SL: | Your mother drinks often? |
| JYL: | Yes. |
| SL: | How often, would you say? |
| JYL: | I’m not home often, not anymore. In the past – she definitely drank wine with dinner, and I would see her with a glass before bed. Now, I’d assume father would know more, or A-Cheng. |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng’s not speaking to me, as per advice from his lawyer. |
| JYL: | Ah, yes. A-Xuan always wanted to be a criminal lawyer. I’m sure they’re having fun. |
| SL: | You think they’re having fun? |
| JYL: | Perhaps that was the wrong turn of phrase. A-Cheng’s more cooperative than you'd think – I’d say he’s currently going along with A-Xuan. |
| SL: | And why would he do that? |
| JYL: | Like I mentioned – A-Xuan always wanted to be a criminal lawyer. There’s no reason for A-Cheng to deny him the experience, if you understand what I mean. Not to worry – I’m sure after consulting with A-Xuan, he’ll be right back to cooperating. |
JIANG YANLI PAUSES.
| JYL: | After all, I’m still cooperating with you. |
| SL: | And I thank you very much for that, Mrs. Jiang. |
| JYL: | Of course. Do you have any other questions for me? It’s approaching noon, and I prefer having meals at regular intervals. |
| SL: | Nothing for now, Mrs. Jiang. |
| JYL: | Very well then. You know how to contact me if you need further information. |
INTERVIEW END
[6:03]
A CONVERSATION AS THEY EXIT THE CAR, JIN LING RUNNING TOWARDS THE HOUSE: WITH JIANG YANLI, JIANG CHENG, AND JIN ZIXUAN
November 8, XXXX. 12:05 PM
| JYL: | They showed me the knife. |
JIANG CHENG FLINCHES. JIANG YANLI NOTICES.
| JYL: | I said I recognized it from the locked cabinet in the kitchen. I said I don’t remember who bought it. All the knives were bought by either me or you. |
| JC: | Jie – |
| JYL: | I know all the knives in there. I bought most of them. |
| JC: | I know. |
| JYL: | A-Cheng, where – ? |
| JC: | Doesn’t matter. I – I’m sorry. |
| JYL: | Don’t take me for a fool, A-Cheng. |
| JZX: | Not to interrupt, but do the knives in the cabinets have edge guards? |
| JYL: | Yes. A-Cheng, your knife – |
| JC: | There’s no edge guard, I threw it away when I bought it. It’s a 11.8’’ yanagi. Original edge guard was wood, I believe. |
| JZX: | Got it. A-Li, can I get the key? I’ll head over after lunch. |
| JYL: | Not right away? |
| JZX: | They’ve left the scene, they’ll need a warrant to search again. |
| JC: | Won’t the crime scene be blocked off or something? |
| JZX: | The crime scene is your room, not the kitchen. Should be fine. If it isn’t, well – the edge guard, the wood cracked and you threw it away. You never got around to buying a new edge guard. |
| JYL: | I see. That makes a lot of sense. The cabinet is lined, so there really isn’t need for an edge guard. Isn’t that right, A-Cheng? |
| JC: | Right. |
| JZX: | I’ll let you know if there’s an edge guard. |
| JC: | ...I've been thanking you a lot recently, haven't I? Don't get used to it. |
| JYL: | A-Cheng. |
| JC: | ...Thanks. |
| JZX: | I graciously accept. |
Notes:
I will always headcanon JYL as an excellent liar.
Lore: SL works as a cop. Wen Chao is a rat. The Wen own the police. Don't think too hard about it, I'm certainly not. Channel the eleven year old brat energy.
As always, let me know if anything's confusing or if you got any questions! Might inspire me to clarify things haha anyways tyty for reading <3
Chapter Text
CRIME SCENE NOTES – CONSTABLE LI
NOVEMBER 7, XXXX. 14:29
Weather: Daylight and Sunny
Upon attendance to the scene, observed a man (suspect) sitting cross-legged with the deceased female victim laying across his lap in the foyer of the mansion. Suspect is approximately 25 years of age, height approximately 5’11’’, East Asian male, mid-length black hair with a slim build, wearing a white dress shirt, soaked liberally with blood across the front, black slacks with visible staining along the right thigh where the victim’s neck bleeds into the fabric, black slippers. Victim was approximately 40 years of age, 5’5’’, East Asian, wearing a black dress with violet floral patterns. The victim suffered a clear slash wound on the neck, as well as three stab wounds to the chest. When officers entered the building, the suspect raised his hands and identified himself as JIANG WANYIN, and the victim as his mother, YU ZIYUAN, and stated that he had killed her. The suspect was fully cooperative with officers.
There are traces of what appears to be blood smudged along the stone of the foyer leading onto the hardwood floor and up the stairs. Suspect’s slippers and socks are slightly stained with blood, blood smudges and trail appear to have been left by the victim’s blood while being transported down the stairs located in the northeast corner of the foyer. The blood trail leads into what appears to be a bedroom, which the suspect stated was his bedroom. The bedroom is largely undisturbed save for the large pool of blood soaking the suspect’s bed, as well as the associated blood splatter across the floor and eastern walls. An empty wine bottle and a single used glass was observed on the nightstand west of the bed. The blood trail further leads into the ensuite bathroom, where there are bloodstains near the sink and evidence of blood being washed away in the sink. Next to the sink is a single knife clean of any blood or physical residue. Knife is large, with an approximately 12’’ long blade.
Officers at the residence met with SGT. SONG of HIT, who arrived at 14:47. SGT. SONG stated he would be working the homicide & requested photographs taken of the scene and evidence collection.
AUTOPSY REPORT – RECEIVED 14:23, NOVEMBER 8
Name of Decedent: YU ZIYUAN
Date and Time of Death: NOVEMBER 7 ; BETWEEN 1330 AND 1430 HOURS
Date and Time of Autopsy: NOVEMBER 8 ; 0845 HOURS
Age: 57 YEARS
Sex: FEMALE
Case #: YM/374581
PATHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES
- Three (3) Stab Wounds to the Trunk
- Wound One (1): Left lateral chest penetrating into left lung
- Depth: 2.45’’
- Area: 1.17’’ x 0.1’’
- Wound Two (2): Right proximal shoulder penetrating into chest cavity
- Depth: 2.25’’
- Area: 1’’ x 0.1’’
- Wound Three (3): Right lateral chest penetrating into right lung
- Depth: 4.14’’
- Area: 1.39’’ x 0.1’’
- One (1) Incision Wound to the Neck
- Entrance: Left neck
- Depth: 0.5’’
- Length: 3.37''
- Wound One (1): Left lateral chest penetrating into left lung
- No evidence of blunt force trauma
- No evidence of hyoid fracture
- No evidence of significant natural disease processes
- Toxicology is positive for ethanol in post-mortem peripheral blood
EXTERNAL EXAMINATION
Asian female with multiple stab wounds to the trunk and one incision wound to the neck. Skin is clear, with no evidence of bruising or other wounds consistent with struggle. No defensive wounds observed. No other remarks.
INTERNAL EXAMINATION
Internal organs are unremarkable.
TOXICOLOGY
| Compound | Result | Units | Matrix Source |
| Ethanol | 179 | mg/dL | 001 – Femoral Blood |
| Blood Alcohol Concentration | 0.179 | g/100mL | 001 – Femoral Blood |
Other than as noted above, examination of the specimen submitted did not reveal any positive findings of toxicological significance.
OPINION
Yu Ziyuan died as a result of exsanguination due to multiple stab wounds (trunk) and single incision wound (neck).
Manner of Death: HOMICIDE
The opinion as to the cause and manner of death is based on the information available at the date of this report. If additional objective, probative information becomes available, I reserve the right to consider such information, and if appropriate, amend the report, including the cause and manner of death.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JIANG CORPORATION VICE PRESIDENT OPERATIONS RESIGNS
Jiang Wanyin, Senior VP Operations at Jiang Corporation, has resigned effective November 8th, XXXX in light of serious allegations that have been raised against him. He will no longer be involved in Jiang Corporation’s operations or communications. The President has approved the interim appointment of He Xian as Acting Vice-President Operations while the Board of Directors convenes to select the most qualified candidate for the position. Jiang Corporation remains committed to building a safe and transparent workplace, and will be cooperating with law enforcement fully throughout the course of the inquiry.
Notes:
I read a study – most of the time, post-mortem blood alcohol levels are lower than right-before-they-die blood alcohol levels, but not all the time! Isn’t that interesting? Other things to note is that the autopsy report is missing the details of internal organ examination – it’s unremarkable, alright? I don’t wanna type out all that stuff about pink livers and clear intestines or whatever. The crime scene notes are what the attending officer jotted down quickly into his notebook.
Chapter Text
A PASSING CONVERSATION BETWEEN POLICE CHIEF YAO AND SERGEANT SONG
November 8, XXXX. 5:02 PM
| YAO: | So you’re telling me your man’s not only out on bail, you didn’t even question him overnight when you had the chance, and now he’s completely clammed up? I didn’t expect you of all people to make such a rookie mistake! | ||
| SL: | He was initially fully cooperative, and I understood that you didn’t want to offend Mr. Jiang. | ||
| YAO: | Then was then, Song. The situations different now, understand? We’ve got to solve this case quickly. You should have it on lock! | ||
| SL: | Sir, I don’t understand the rush – | ||
| YAO: | That’s for me to understand. All you need to do is make sure that we have a foolproof case for Jiang Wanyin – prosecution’s already laid second degree murder charges, so don’t embarrass me by fudging the case now! | ||
| SL: | But you told me to tone down the interviews – | ||
| YAO: | You want to interview the heirs to the biggest conglomerates in our country, for what reason??? Don’t you already have a confession??? | ||
| SL: | My gut feeling tells me we’re missing something – | ||
| YAO: | What gut feeling? The evidence is overwhelming, Song. We don’t need to introduce any more speculation into the case. Tone down the interviews, and focus on the cold, hard evidence, understand? Just get Jiang Wanyin’s confession on tape. Find that motive. | ||
| SL: | I would need to speak to more people to ascertain – | ||
| YAO: | Just ask Wei Wuxian, apparently he’ll give you motive. Or just interview CEO Jiang instead. No need to snoop around anyone else. | ||
| SL: | Why would you say that? | ||
| YAO: | Call it my gut feeling. CEO Jiang is free tonight, by the way. You should talk to him again. |
INTERVIEW WITH JIANG FENGMIAN
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 1 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 8, XXXX. 7:35 PM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record? | ||
| JFM: | Jiang Fengmian. | ||
| SL: | Thank you, Mr. Jiang. | ||
| JFM: | May I ask why you have come to visit me tonight? I was under the impression that we had discussed everything I had to contribute last night. | ||
| SL: | I’d like to go over some of the finer details, hammer out some facts, speak to you about any potential motives that Jiang Cheng would have. | ||
| JFM: | I see you are conducting a thorough investigation. | ||
| SL: | This is a formality, Mr. Jiang. It must be done. | ||
| JFM: | It relieves me greatly to see that our police are taking this incident so seriously. Well, please go ahead and ask what you need to. | ||
| SL: | …Out of curiosity, did you know that your son is out on bail? |
JIANG FENGMIAN FROWNS SLIGHTLY.
| JFM: | I must admit, I haven’t had time to follow the case as closely as I’d like. Do you know who his lawyer is? | ||
| SL: | Jin Zixuan. |
JIANG FENGMIAN’S FROWN DEEPENS.
| JFM: | I see. I didn’t think he was the type to waste his time on – he’s not a criminal lawyer, if I recall correctly. | ||
| SL: | I understand he specializes in copyright. | ||
| JFM: | That aligns with what I remember. I see… so A-Cheng is out on bail… | ||
| SL: | Will you be visiting him? | ||
| JFM: | I don’t believe that is any of your concern, officer. You have come regarding the particulars of the case, yes? Let’s proceed with that. | ||
| SL: | Of course. It looks like the crime scene’s been cleared rather quickly, hasn’t it? | ||
| JFM: | I had the foyer professionally cleaned once your Chief authorized it. | ||
| SL: | It must be unsettling being in the house your son killed your wife in. | ||
| JFM: | Thankfully, A-Cheng’s room is in a separate wing from mine. What is it that you wished to ask me about? | ||
| SL: | I see that your son has resigned from his position at your company. | ||
| JFM: | Of course he has. We can’t be having this incident hang over the company like this. | ||
| SL: | So you spoke to him about this? | ||
| JFM: | There’s no need, I’m sure he’ll understand the decision. He would have made it himself. | ||
| SL: | Your son must love the company quite a bit, then. | ||
| JFM: | Undoubtedly. What he lacked in talent he made up in hard work, all for the sake of the company – and his mother. He was never able to pick things up as intuitively as A-Xian, but his mother made sure that A-Cheng would never fall behind. She was a very strict parent to A-Cheng. | ||
| SL: | Is that right? I recall that you said the two were very close. |
[05:00]
| JFM: | Yes, incredibly so. It was very hard for me to reconcile that belief of mine – knowing A-Cheng killed my wife, but also knowing how much A-Cheng loved his mother. You asked me, didn’t you, whether I missed any signs that A-Cheng might have been unhappy under my lady wife’s control, but – I couldn’t think of anything, correct? | ||
| SL: | Yes, I remember you saying that. | ||
| JFM: | Last night, I couldn’t help but wonder – what did I miss? | ||
| SL: | Did you recall something? | ||
| JFM: | I don’t know how much help this’ll be to you, officer. | ||
| SL: | Any little detail helps. |
JIANG FENGMIAN SIGHS. HIS EXPRESSION IS BLANK.
| JFM: | My wife would never let A-Cheng play with the other children his age, he was constantly in extracurricular courses, and I, I must admit, I took a rather ‘hands-off’ approach to parenting – my lady wife was taking care of it all, of course. But looking back on it, how overbearing it all was, I wonder if I missed the resentment that was building in A-Cheng? | ||
| SL: | Right… | ||
| JFM: | I remember that A-Cheng, when he was very little, said he didn’t want to inherit the company. | ||
| SL: | Is that right? | ||
| JFM: | I believe he wanted to become some sort of – I don’t recall exactly, but he was interested in the arts, and he quite enjoyed sports as well. At some point he wished to become an Olympian. | ||
| SL: | Every child dreams of that sort of thing. | ||
| JFM: | My lady wife shut him down quite horridly – I tried to convince her to let our son try more activities outside of academics, but she did not agree with me. | ||
| SL: | So you argued? | ||
| JFM: | It was a minor argument, all things considered, but she considerably tightened A-Cheng’s schedule afterwards. | ||
| SL: | How old was Jiang Cheng at that time? | ||
| JFM: | I’d say – thirteen, fourteen? I remember thinking that ah, one does have these impulses for rebellion when going through the stages of puberty. And A-Cheng had a rough time throughout those years. | ||
| SL: | A rough time? What do you mean by that? | ||
| JFM: | He was quite angry, he lashed out quite a bit. But never towards his mother, A-Li, or myself – he argued with A-Xian quite often, and he was caught in fights at his school. | ||
| SL: | In fights? How did your wife react to that? | ||
| JFM: | She had no problem with it as long as it didn’t impact A-Cheng’s schoolwork, and as long as he won – immediately, or eventually. | ||
| SL: | So she encouraged this behaviour? | ||
| JFM: | I wouldn’t say encouraged – it’s boys being boys, boys get into fights. In any event, he mellowed out by the time he entered university, and his grades never suffered for it, as I understand. | ||
| SL: | And he argued with Wei Wuxian? |
[10:00]
| JFM: | Verbal sparring, I’d say. Spats between brothers. In any event, I was thinking – did he not lash out at his mother because he was afraid of her? You asked me if she hit him. What if she did, and I just never noticed? I knew she had raised her hand against A-Xian previously, but I had never considered she would do the same to A-Cheng – | ||
| SL: | Then did he not lash out at you because of that same fear? | ||
| JFM: | You – no, of course not! Please do not misinterpret my words in that twisted manner, I was – |
JIANG FENGMIAN FREEZES. HE LOOKS AS IF HE’S REALIZED SOMETHING.
| JFM: | I didn’t see him very often, during those years. I was – busy. | ||
| SL: | Busy? Busy with what? | ||
| JFM: | There were a number of major projects during that period of time, I’m sure you can find a timeline. In any event, I didn’t have the opportunity to speak with A-Cheng. | ||
| SL: | Not even at dinners? | ||
| JFM: | Dinners in our family… were largely eaten quietly. Yes. | ||
| SL: | I believe you mentioned that you prevented your wife from physically abusing Wei Wuxian, but it seems you’re no longer certain that you were able to fully monitor the situation. Can you, with certainty, whether or not your wife was physically abusive towards your children? | ||
| JFM: | I – was not very, A-Cheng, he’s very independent. I was able to keep a better eye on A-Xian than on A-Cheng, A-Xian is much easier – to monitor. But A-Cheng, I – I don’t, I’m unsure, he was with his mother very often, I didn’t have the chance to – to – | ||
| SL: | To what? | ||
| JFM: | I left A-Cheng to his mother. She – In any event, I believe you also had some questions regarding the particulars of this case? |
SGT. SONG PAUSES. HE MAKES A DECISION.
| SL: | That’s right. There’s a couple of pictures I’d like you to look at – |
JIANG FENGMIAN VISIBLY RELAXES.
SGT. SONG PASSES THE PHOTO OF THE KNIFE TO JIANG FENGMIAN.
| JFM: | That’s quite the knife. | ||
| SL: | Do you recognize that knife? | ||
| JFM: | No, not at all. I also don’t cook, so I would not recognize any knife, to be quite honest. | ||
| SL: | Alright. Do you know where the knives are stored in your home? | ||
| JFM: | I believe there’s a magnetic strip. | ||
| SL: | Is that all? | ||
| JFM: | Yes, I’d assume so. | ||
| SL: | So, no knife cabinet? | ||
| JFM: | Knife cabinet? I – my wife took care of – the kitchen, the staff… | ||
| SL: | You have kitchen staff? | ||
| JFM: | Once in a while, yes, when we hosted dinners. | ||
| SL: | Who have you hired as staff in the kitchen? | ||
| JFM: | My lady wife, she handled that completely… | ||
| SL: | Your wife must have been quite busy, juggling her practice and home obligations. | ||
| JFM: | She only really litigated one or two major cases a year, she’s a – was a founding partner, after all. | ||
| SL: | And what about this? |
SGT. SONG PASSES THE PHOTO OF THE WINE TO JIANG FENGMIAN.
JIANG FENGMIAN LOOKS STARTLED.
| JFM: | Oh, god – the Petrus? | ||
| SL: | You recognize this bottle? | ||
| JFM: | I bought her the 1947 vintage for her birthday. She loves the Bordeaux from Chateau Petrus, I thought – that bottle must’ve been left standing on the counter for weeks, I thought one of the housekeepers must have taken it when it disappeared… |
[15:00]
| SL: | Sorry, I’m not following. | ||
| JFM: | I missed our anniversary celebration this year, I had been working on a very important project, and – but she forgave me, things come up, business can’t always be put off, we both know that, so her birthday – it was going to be a day for the two of us. And every anniversary we have a bottle of Petrus, so I bought a special vintage, one of the best vintages, and nothing else. I didn’t think it would offend her, that she would think that I hadn’t taken the time to prepare a gift for her birthday, that I’d only brought her a bottle of wine, I… | ||
| SL: | Oh. I see. | ||
| JFM: | We didn’t even open the wine at the restaurant. She ended up ordering a house special. When we got home, she just left it on the counter. | ||
| SL: | So Jiang Cheng could have taken it to his bedroom? | ||
| JFM: | I suppose he could have, but I don’t believe he often indulges in alcohol. I’m not sure why he would do that. | ||
| SL: | There was no place for it in the cellar. | ||
| JFM: | No, there wouldn’t be. We keep the cellar fully stocked. | ||
| SL: | Did Yu Ziyuan, by any chance, have an alcohol problem? | ||
| JFM: | No! Goodness, no. She just enjoyed a glass with dinner, and occasionally a glass before bed, that’s all. Our cellar is quite small compared to our peers, quite honestly. It’s stocked in case we need to gift a bottle, or if we have guests. | ||
| SL: | So you don’t think that your wife had a separate storage for her wine? | ||
| JFM: | She does have separate storage. We have some old vintages from past anniversaries that were never finished, and we don’t keep them in the main cellar. | ||
| SL: | Really? We didn’t see this separate storage. | ||
| JFM: | I can show you there after the interview. It’s hidden behind the main cellar. | ||
| SL: | Thank you, I appreciate that. Is there a reason for the separate cellar? | ||
| JFM: | Not that I know of. My lady wife requested it, and I obliged. | ||
| SL: | And you initially thought a housekeeper might have taken the Petrus. | ||
| JFM: | Yes. But my lady wife made no indication that anything was wrong, so I didn’t pursue the whereabouts of that bottle. | ||
| SL: | You didn’t check the other cellar? | ||
| JFM: | No…no. It didn’t seem right to pry. But seeing the bottle here – the only other time she drinks the Petrus is on special occasions… | ||
| SL: | What sort of special occasions? | ||
| JFM: | Before a big court appearance, or when we opened that new branch of Jiang Electronics, she would always pull out an anniversary Petrus to celebrate. | ||
| SL: | You didn’t finish the whole bottle on the night of the anniversary? | ||
| JFM: | No, like I mentioned, we both don’t drink that much. Moderation. Sergeant Song, I think I’d know if my wife was an alcoholic. | ||
| SL: | Right. Well, it’s getting late. I wouldn’t want to impose on your hospitality for too long. |
[20:00]
| JFM: | Not at all, Sergeant Song. This case is very important, and if my recollections are at all helpful to your investigation, I’ll answer any questions you may ask. | ||
| SL: | Thank you very much, Mr. Jiang. I appreciate your cooperation, and I will be reaching out for more statements as the investigation continues. |
JIANG FENGMIAN GIVES A STRAINED SMILE.
| JFM: | Oh. Of course. |
INTERVIEW END
[20:29]
A CONVERSATION IN JIN ZIXUAN’S STUDY: WITH JIANG CHENG AND JIN ZIXUAN
November 8, XXXX. 10:48 PM
| JZX: | You killed Madame Yu in your bedroom, right? What state was your bedroom in post – um, incident? | ||
| JC: | You can say murder, you know. The bed caught most of the blood. | ||
| JZX: | Right. And then you said you washed your hands, cleaned the knife – | ||
| JC: | Jin Zixuan. Tell me the truth. | ||
| JZX: | Great. Now what? | ||
| JC: | …Why? Why even bother – it’s not that big of a deal, right? If I just give it all up? It’s not – the media frenzy, everything, it would be all over. Jin Ling, A-Jie – they’ll, it’ll be alright, they’ll move on. You’ll be there for them. There’s no reason to go through this farce – | ||
| JZX: | Gods above, why are we having this conversation again – | ||
| JC: | Just because you want to fulfill your dream – | ||
| JZX: | My dream – | ||
| JC: | Of being a criminal lawyer – |
JIN ZIXUAN SLAMS THE REFERENCE BOOK SHUT.
| JZX: | How dare you suggest that. | ||
| JC: | I – | ||
| JZX: | How dare you. | ||
| JC: | I – shit – Even if you said – |
JIANG CHENG STANDS UP AND BEGINS PACING.
| JC: | I just don’t get it, alright?!? I don’t fucking get it! There’s no benefit to dragging this out, publicizing everything – | ||
| JZX: | I told you, didn’t I? Is it so hard for you to believe that we don’t want to see you rotting in jail for the rest of your life? | ||
| JC: | There’s such thing as parole – | ||
| JZX: | You admit to killing Madame Yu, get convicted for second degree murder, who knows if you’ll even live long enough to be eligible for parole! Is that so hard for you to understand?! | ||
| JC: | A decade is nothing! | ||
| JZX: | A decade MINIMUM! Jin Ling’ll have graduated from UNIVERSITY at that point! A decade, Jiang Cheng! A decade! You’ll be 41! Jiang Cheng – | ||
| JC: | That’s plenty young! Compared to what’s – I can’t let this keep hanging over A-Jie and A-Ling like this! How is dragging this out going to affect A-Ling?! If I just went to jail, if there’s a whole court process – he’ll – he’d forget about me soon enough, I’m sure Wei Wuxian’ll be more than enough to fill – | ||
| JZX: | What the hell is wrong with you? | ||
| JC: | I’m right, aren’t I?!? There’s no reason for me to be around, no reason for you to risk your career for me, no, if I cut ties now then it’ll all be fine you’ll all be fine – | ||
| JZX: | Why are you so –– |
JIN ZIXUAN NARROWS HIS EYES.
| JZX: | That’s not it, is it? What are you trying to hard to hide? | ||
| JC: | Hide? I’m not hiding anything! What are you talking about – | ||
| JZX: | You’ve always been a cagey asshole, but you know when you need to talk. You know better than to stay silent on this but you’re still not telling me shit, how is that not hiding – | ||
| JC: | I don’t want you committing perjury and getting disbarred, there’s ethics – | ||
| JZX: | – anything, as if you of all people care about ethics, or getting me disbarred – | ||
| JC: | – so I can’t tell you! | ||
| JZX: | Bullshit! You won’t tell me! You’re so eager to give yourself up, I know you know something, you have to be hiding something – and I don’t know what it is you don’t want me or A-Li to know, but I swear to god, if you’re hiding anything that I could use to get you acquitted – | ||
| JC: | Why the fuck would I ever be acquitted? | ||
| JZX: | And that’s my fucking problem with you right now! What the hell do you think you’re doing, pulling some Wei Wuxian-esque stunt, sacrificing yourself and going to prison for some sort of top secret reason – |
JIANG CHENG FLINCHES. JIN ZIXUAN DOES NOT NOTICE.
| JZX: | I don’t give a shit if you spend your whole life rotting in a federal penitentiary, alright?! I told you, I’m doing this for A-Li! She’ll blame herself for the rest of her life if she can’t help you, she’ll blame herself for missing the signs, and I’ll blame you for making her miserable! | ||
| JC: | You think I can’t weigh the consequences?! The truth would make her even more miserable! | ||
| JZX: | But you would at least – you’d be with us! You wouldn’t be in prison, and she won’t have to wonder if she could’ve prevented it! She won’t have to live with the knowledge that she couldn’t stop you from going to prison! And A-Ling! You think Wei Wuxian can replace you? You think A-Ling’s not going to visit you every week in prison, you really think that he’ll be better off explaining to his peers that he’s going to visit his uncle in jail on the weekend instead of hanging out with them at, I don’t know, their house? No! And – of course he’s going to visit you! Do you know how miserable he was these past few months with you sequestering yourself off in some office working on some bullshit project and not even dropping by our place? He missed you! Don’t give me that incredulous look, you think I don’t know my own son? | ||
| JC: | I would’ve come if – | ||
| JZX: | Of course A-Li didn’t want to call you, you’re so goddamned busy and A-Ling’s old enough to have a modicum of pride preventing him from hanging off of you all the time, can’t you see that? Can’t you see any of that!? So tell me, Jiang Cheng, if you hold the least bit of love for your family – what the fuck is it that you’re so intent on hiding?! | ||
| JC: | It’s nothing! | ||
| JZX: | It’s clearly something!!! | ||
| JC: | MITIGATING FACTORS! Fucking, mitigating factors. |
JIANG CHENG SUDDENLY SEEMS TO LOSE ALL ENERGY AS HE COLLAPSES INTO AN ARMCHAIR.
| JC: | Why couldn’t you get that goddamned publication ban? | ||
| JZX: | I told you. You’re the accused, and this isn’t a sexual assault case. No way judge’ll allow the application, barring exceptional circumstances. More importantly, what’s that about mitigating factors? | ||
| JC: | I shouldn’t have said anything. It’ll go to motive anyhow. | ||
| JZX: | You know, the law doesn’t care about motive. It’s intent they care about. | ||
| JC: | What’s the difference. | ||
| JZX: | You seriously don’t know? | ||
| JC: | Don’t. | ||
| JZX: | Do you want me to explain? |
JIANG CHENG PUTS HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS.
| JC: | Fuck. Go ahead. | ||
| JZX: | Intent. Intention. Thinking, in the moment, I’m going to kill this person. Motive speaks to intent, a lot of the time. If you have a reason to kill someone, you’re likely to think in the moment I’m going to kill them. But sometimes, even if you have a motive, in that moment you might not have thought I’m going to kill them. Do you want an example? | ||
| JC: | Keep going. | ||
| JZX: | Let’s say – your girlfriend has a very aggressive brother that you’ve argued with in the past. You two don’t get along, and he doesn’t like you dating his sister. That could be a motive for you to kill the brother. However, the circumstances of the murder are as follows – are you listening? | ||
| JC: | Yeah, go on. | ||
| JZX: | The circumstances of the murder are as follows – you go to your girlfriend’s house, not expecting to meet the brother because he’s working. However, he arrives home early, and sees you on the couch with his sister. He’s mad and starts threatening you. Your girlfriend gets up to defend you. The brother slaps your girlfriend. You rush to get up and defend her, pushing him away from your girlfriend. He stomps off, swearing, as you stay back to comfort your girlfriend. Suddenly, you notice the brother’s back with a knife, and he’s coming towards you. You freak out and grab the baseball bat lying against the sofa and swing at the guy. You hit him in the ribs, the back, the neck, the head. There’s a crack and a thud as he collapses onto the floor. He’s dead. | ||
| JC: | Did you just come up with this example on the spot or…? | ||
| JZX: | No, it’s a real case. | ||
| JC: | Dramatic. | ||
| JZX: | So, in this case you would have motive, but not the requisite intent to murder, making it manslaughter, or you could even argue self-defense. | ||
| JC: | I see. | ||
| JZX: | But if it were a jury trial, they might see it differently. Depending on the way you tell the story, the jury might think that you’re lying, and this is just a cover for you thinking man, this would be a good time to get rid of the brother for once and for all. The way you present the testimony makes a huge difference. So, Jiang-xiong. What is it that you’re hiding? | ||
| JC: | Don’t call me that. I’m not hiding anything. | ||
| JZX: | If it can give us self-defense, or even just paint you in a sympathetic light – I don’t know if it’s embarrassing or what – you can weigh it, can’t you? Your pride, or you being A-Ling’s murderer uncle, you being stuck behind bars and A-Li’s guilt every time she thinks about you – | ||
| JC: | Shut. Up. Shut up, I don’t want to hear it. | ||
| JZX: | Your call. I’m just the idiot playing at being your criminal defense lawyer, apparently. | ||
| JC: | Yeah, that’s exactly what you are. |
JIANG CHENG STRAIGHTENS IN HIS SEAT.
| JC: | The cops haven’t had access to the panic rooms, right? | ||
| JZX: | They’ll need to file a warrant to get access. Why? Is the secret to your crime hidden in there? | ||
| JC: | As if. Just let me know if they’re going to search in there, alright? | ||
| JZX: | Alright. As long as you promise me we’re never having this conversation again. | ||
| JC: | Jie’s really rubbing off on you. | ||
| JZX: | How come A-Li didn’t rub off on you? You’d be so much more tolerable. | ||
| JC: | If I’m so – | ||
| JC: | … | ||
| JC: | …Actually, you know what? Maybe I do have something to share. | ||
| JZX: | So you were – | ||
| JC: | Jin Zixuan. I’m trusting you on this one. Don’t – I’ll tell A-Jie when – promises, right? | ||
| JZX: | …Alright. I promise. | ||
| JC: | …Good. Good. OK. You’re going to – don’t interrupt me. And no questions. Just listen. And make yourself comfortable, because it’s a long story. |
WEI WUXIAN’S BROTHER KILLS MOTHER??? WEI WUXIAN REACTS!
THIS STORY IS DEVELOPING, BE SURE TO CHECK BACK IN FOR UPDATES!
On November 9th, Senior VP Operations of Jiang Corporation, Jiang Wanyin, officially announced his resignation from the company he was set to inherit – as was widely expected, given that Jiang Wanyin had been charged with the second-degree murder of his birth mother, Yu Ziyuan, wife of Jiang Corporation CEO Jiang Fengmian.
It is an open secret that Wei Wuxian was adopted at a young age by Jiang Fengmian, and after the explosive fight caught on video a few years back, it is well known that Wei Wuxian is not well liked, to put it lightly, by his brother by adoption, Jiang Wanyin.
Fans on social media have been expressing their concern for Wei Wuxian, with one user stating “Man if he could do that to his mom all I can say is I’m glad our xianxian’s still alive”, with another using replying “If he could treat our xianxian like that, of course he’d be capable of murdering his literal mother”.
The prevailing sentiment? As one user so succinctly put it, “Jiang Wanyin’s a real piece of shit, iykyk.” If you know, if you’ve seen the video, you know.
Users have been bombarding Jiang Corporation official accounts, demanding an explanation for Jiang Wanyin’s actions, and arguing that Wei Wuxian should be made the new Senior VP Operations now that “Xianxian’s evil brother had been ousted from the position that was rightfully his”.
Insiders familiar with the matter have leaked that Wei Wuxian flew back home from set on Greece, where he’s been filming a secret project codenamed SUNSHOT. “He was so shocked,” the anonymous insider reported. “When he heard the news, he kind of just shut down, so the director OK’d him to go home.”
While Wei Wuxian’s relationship with his adoptive mother was reported to be strained, it seems that he might still care for her more than Jiang Wanyin, her son by birth, ever did.
Photographs of Jiang Wanyin being led out of the opulent Jiang Manor in cuffs have been spreading like wildfire on social media, with many ex-employees of the man joining in on the discussion surrounding their former boss, with one employee complaining “he’s not human he’s def some sorta evil alien in human skin have you seen him smile ever???”, another adding “he only knows how to yell ive never heard him say anything nice good riddance tbh another rich bitch down the drain”. Consensus opinion seems to be that Jiang Wanyin was far from being a good boss, let alone a good person.
Wei Wuxian’s social media accounts have not yet updated with reaction to this news, the last post being a picture posted on November 2nd of him at a birthday party.
THIS STORY IS DEVELOPING, BE SURE TO CHECK BACK IN FOR UPDATES!
Notes:
JC and JZX healthy brother-in-law dynamics give me life. The mitigating factors should be somewhat predictable, knowing Madame Yu. And don't miss the autopsy report and crime scene notes in the previous chapter! Hopefully I won't need to go back and change any of the details lmao
Also, the case that JZX mentions is a reference to a real case. I’ll probably be referencing a lot of real life cases, mostly Canadian BUT I’m not a lawyer and I’m not planning on becoming one either, so if there are any lawyers out there – I’d love to hear your opinions when we get deep into the legalese. Concrit always welcome!
Research paper hours - Case references:
- R. v. Feng, 2015 BCSC 1447 (CanLII), https://canlii.ca/t/gkp00 Poor guy was originally convicted of second degree murder by the jury, this was his appeal down to manslaughter.
Chapter Text
A CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE: WITH JIN ZIXUAN, JIANG CHENG AND NIE HUAISANG
November 9, XXXX. 01:15 AM
| NHS: | Hello hello, Jin-xiong. Hope I didn’t wake you up. | |
| JZX: | Nie Huaisang? Sorry, can I help you with something? | |
| NHS: | I didn’t want to call Jiang-xiong’s cell, so I called your personal instead. Can you pass him the phone? I’ll wait. | |
| JZX: | How did you know…? – Never mind. Jiang Cheng. It’s for you. |
THERE’S SOME RUSTLING IN THE BACKGROUND.
| JC: | Huaisang. | |
| NHS: | Jiang-xiong. Jiang Wanyin. Jiang Cheng. Jiang. Cheng. Wanyin. Jiang-xiong. | |
| JC: | Are you just going to keep repeating my name? | |
| NHS: | So the witch is finally dead. | |
| JC: | You – don’t talk about my mother like that. | |
| NHS: | You really did it. You killed her. | |
| JC: | You’re not even going to pretend like it could’ve been someone else? You’re not going to ask me if I really did it? | |
| NHS: | Do you want me to ask? | |
| JC: | No. | |
| NHS: | Didn’t think so. Why didn’t you tell me? | |
| JC: | I’ve been in jail, Huaisang. | |
| NHS: | You’re not in jail right now. You haven’t been in jail for hours. Why didn’t you call me? | |
| JC: | I – what are you calling for, anyway? | |
| NHS: | Don’t think I can’t tell you’re changing the subject; you’re lucky we have more pressing matters. The lovely Sergeant Song Lan has been calling my poor secretary non-stop all day. He wants to talk to me. | |
| JC: | …Didn’t think they’d go that far. | |
| NHS: | Apologize to my secretary. | |
| JC: | You can pass on my apologies. | |
| NHS: | So. Have you come up with a backstory yet? Should I talk to him? What am I allowed to say? Brief me. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT REPLY.
| NHS: | Hello, anyone home? You’re with Jin-xiong, don’t tell me you don’t have anything planned, I’ll send my – | |
| JC: | You can say anything. Anything and everything. Say whatever you want. Tell the truth. Don’t leave a single thing out. |
NIE HUAISANG IS QUIET.
| NHS: | Jiang-xiong. | |
| JC: | What? | |
| NHS: | I don’t want to be party to your suicide. | |
| JC: | Suicide? What are you talking about? | |
| NHS: | I’m not kidding around right now, Jiang-xiong. | |
| JC: | I’m still very much alive, Nie Huaisang, and I’d thank you to not go around killing me off. | |
| NHS: | You know what? You’re right. In some ways, this is worse than suicide. Jiang-xiong, if you think I’m too scared to tell you off – | |
| JC: | Alright, I’m putting you on speakerphone. Jin Zixuan, tell him that I’m not committing suicide. | |
| NHS: | Don’t try to – | |
| JZX: | As his lawyer, I can confirm he’s not trying to commit suicide. Not right now, anyway. I had to talk him out of it. | |
| NHS: | So you are going to be his lawyer. Huh. | |
| JC: | At no point did I attempt to commit suicide. Why are you so fixated on me killing myself? |
NIE HUAISANG SIGHS.
| NHS: | So I can really say whatever I want to say, Jin-xiong? | |
| JZX: | Anything and everything. | |
| NHS: | I hear that they’ll be reaching out to the Lan’s as well, seeing your history with Lan Xicheng and Wei-xiong’s history with Lan Wangji. | |
| JC: | Like he said. Anything and everything. | |
| NHS: | And this is part of your strategy. | |
| JC: | Yup. | |
| NHS: | And you’re sure you don’t want to hire a real, professional criminal lawyer. | |
| JZX: | That’s what I asked. | |
| JC: | Yup. | |
| NHS: | …Alright. OK. No take-backs. | |
| JC: | If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. | |
| JZX: | You can always call me if you have any questions – | |
| NHS: | So why did you – |
JIANG CHENG HANGS UP.
A CONVERSATION IN THE HOME THEATER: WITH JIANG YANLI AND JIANG CHENG
November 9, XXXX. 03:36 AM
JIANG CHENG SITS HUNCHED OVER ON THE SOFA. A MOVIE PLAYS QUIETLY IN THE BACKGROUND.
JIANG CHENG RAISES HIS HEAD AS HE NOTICES JIANG YANLI STANDING IN FRONT OF HIM.
| JYL: | Still awake? | |
| JC: | What are you doing down here, Jie? It’s three in the morning, get back to sleep – | |
| JYL: | I could say the same to you, A-Cheng. | |
| JC: | …I haven’t had much time to watch movies. It’s been nice catching up. But this – this is pure Oscar-bait. I don’t mind artistic movies, but there needs to be an element of entertainment and I don’t think I’m being entertained – | |
| JYL: | You can’t sleep, can you. | |
| JC: | … | |
| JYL: | I’ll come sleep down here. Let me go grab some blankets – | |
| JC: | I’m fine, Jie. Sleeping on the couch is bad for your back, it isn’t worth the pain. Let’s go back upstairs, alright? I’ll head back up with you, it’s about time for me to sleep anyway. | |
| JYL: | It’ll be just like when we were kids. Remember when Mother and Father were out on business trips, and the three of us would set up a little fort and watch movies and fall asleep on the carpet? |
A SMALL SMILE ON JIANG CHENG’S FACE. JIANG YANLI LIGHTS UP.
| JC: | Yeah, and Wei Wuxian would complain about waking up all sore. And you would make pancakes for breakfast. | |
| JYL: | You helped mix the batter. | |
| JC: | While Wei Wuxian whined about us not putting chili flakes into pancakes. |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS SOFTLY.
| JYL: | A couch is much softer than the ground. | |
| JC: | Jie – | |
| JYL: | Tomorrow, let’s do a big sleepover. Me, A-Xuan, A-Ling, and you. We’ll binge silly movies and fall asleep together. | |
| JC: | No, no. It’s ok. I’m serious. I’m fine. A-Ling has school, and you should sleep early. Don’t worry about me, alright? I’m ok. | |
| JYL: | This isn’t for you. One late night once in a while should be fine, A-Ling’s only in grade 6. And he’s missed you while you were busy with work – let’s make it a fun day for A-Ling, alright? It’s been stressful for him these days too. | |
| JC: | Are you… Ok. Yeah. Sounds like a plan. But let’s head back upstairs for tonight, Jie? | |
| JYL: | You don’t want some brother-sister bonding time? | |
| JC: | Jie, I can tell you’re trying not to yawn. Let’s get to bed. | |
| JYL: | I’ll head back up, then. You can keep watching your movies. I didn’t mean to interrupt. | |
| JC: | You weren’t interrupting, I… you weren’t interrupting. | |
| JYL: | Goodnight, A-Cheng. Try to get some sleep. | |
| JC: | Of course, Jie. I’m not planning on pulling an all-nighter. | |
| JC: | Goodnight. |
A DREAM
Having been exposed to Wei Wuxian’s proclivities all my life, it was inevitable that I, too, would one day get blackout drunk. That one day, I’d follow in his footsteps, finally letting myself indulge in the exercise of forgetting that Wei Wuxian so seemed to enjoy.
Just for a moment, I had thought that night. Just for a moment, I’d like to forget.
When I woke up the next morning I couldn’t remember who I was.
I knew I was Jiang Cheng. But who was that?
How did Jiang Cheng move? I thought, as I rolled out of bed.
How did Jiang Cheng walk? I thought, as I staggered, wholly uncoordinated, out of my bedroom.
What were Jiang Cheng’s mannerisms? I thought, as I brought up a hand to claw at the spears behind my eye.
How did Jiang Cheng talk? I thought, as a groan escaped my lips, indecipherable mumbling as I stumbled into the bathroom.
What words did Jiang Cheng use? I thought, afraid of the repetitions in my mind.
What expressions did Jiang Cheng make? I thought, as I observed my haggard reflection in the mirror.
I attempted a smile. My face remained remarkably blank.
The air tasted like gasoline.
I closed my eyes, flipping though my memories, trying to reconstruct ‘Jiang Cheng’, or at least some close approximation of him.
Some memories were too old to be useful, others too blurred to serve as reference. My head split from the combined forces of hangover and concentrated effort.
I opened my eyes. The mirror reflected a scowl that transformed into a sneer as it recognized a familiar self. Exhaustion sharpened into a glare, slumped shoulders squared as the figure drew itself straight to full height.
There was a sense of nauseating satisfaction that I didn’t need to recall who I was – even if my mind didn’t remember, my body would always know.
I turned and immediately vomited.
I would never drink myself into that state again.
A CONVERSATION IN JIN ZIXUAN’S OFFICE: WITH JIN ZIXUAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 9, XXXX. 08:07 AM
| JZX: | You look like hell. | |
| JC: | Thanks. Would be scarier if I looked like I slept well, though, wouldn’t it? | |
| JZX: | Good point. |
JIN ZIXUAN CONTINUES TYPING AT HIS DESK. JIANG CHENG DEPOSITS HIMSELF INTO THE ARMCHAIR.
TIME PASSES.
| JZX: | Don’t you have anything to do that’s not sitting in my office playing on your phone? Work – |
JIANG CHENG SNORTS.
| JC: | Didn’t you see the press release? Look at how fast father dropped me from the company, “in light of recent allegations” against me – wonder how long he’s had that particular release lined up. | |
| JZX: | I meant schoolwork. You’re still working on your – | |
| JC: | Academic leave. What, am I bothering you? Do you want me to go? | |
| JZX: | Don’t be so sarcastic, you know A-Li hates that. It’s not like – I just thought you would be – | |
| JC: | A-Jie’s working on her research. I don’t want to disturb her. | |
| JZX: | Oh, so you’ll disturb me instead. | |
| JC: | So I am bothering you. Very sorry about that. | |
| JZX: | Your actions don’t seem to accurately reflect your words. | |
| JC: | This armchair is nice. I should order one for my office. | |
| JZX: | …Wei Wuxian’s coming back today. |
JIANG CHENG FREEZES.
| JC: | And you’re telling me that now? Just like that? | |
| JZX: | There didn’t seem to be a good time to tell you earlier. In any case, I just found out. | |
| JC: | I thought he was on a long shoot in Greece or something. | |
| JZX: | He texted earlier. He’s staying in our guestroom, after all. | |
| JC: | Not with his Lan Zhan? |
JIN ZIXUAN SHRUGS. HE LOOKS POINTEDLY AT JIANG CHENG.
| JC: | Right. How long? | |
| JZX: | Two days, apparently. Couldn’t take any more time off. | |
| JC: | And I can’t leave this goddamned house. | |
| JZX: | Unfortunately, no. | |
| JC: | Right. Well, I’m taking a nap. Wake me up when he shows up. | |
| JZX: | In my office? Oh – make yourself comfortable, I guess. |
A CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE IN JIN ZIXUAN’S OFFICE: WITH JIANG FENGMIAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 9, XXXX. 8:27 AM
JIANG CHENG OPENS HIS EYES, ANNOYED AT THE BUZZING IN HIS POCKET.
| JC: | Ugh, who’s calling – ah. Ha. |
A SNEER SPREADS ACROSS JIANG CHENG’S FACE. HIS EYES NARROW IN PLEASURE.
| JZX: | Isn’t that your work phone? | |
| JC: | It is, thank you for noticing. | |
| JZX: | Why are you still carrying it if you’ve been fired…? |
JIANG CHENG IGNORES JIN ZIXUAN AND PICKS UP THE CALL.
| JC: | Hello, Jiang Wanyin speaking. | |
| JFM: | A-Cheng. What have you done? | |
| JC: | Oh, father. Hello to you too. What have I done, let’s see… I killed mother, got arrested and – |
JIANG FENGMIAN SIGHS. THERE IS A TINGE OF ANNOYANCE.
| JFM: | Yes, I know that. I’m asking what you’ve done with your laptop! | |
| JC: | Laptop? What laptop? | |
| JFM: | The data, A-Cheng, your notes, whatever you were doing in your capacity as Senior Vice President! | |
| JC: | Hm? Why would you need that? | |
| JFM: | Are you being purposefully obtuse, A-Cheng? | |
| JC: | No. | |
| JFM: | We need it for the handover. | |
| JC: | Handover? What handover? Aren’t I still Senior Vice President? | |
| JFM: | I’ve had you resign, A-Cheng. I’m sure you understand that we can’t have a murderer in our executive team. | |
| JC: | Alleged murderer. More importantly – I don’t remember resigning. | |
| JFM: | You’ve already confessed, A-Cheng. There’s no need to be difficult. This is for the company, you know that; would your mother want you to drag the company down? | |
| JC: | As if you’d know what mother wants. | |
| JFM: | What – | |
| JC: | If I’ve resigned, then IT should be able to access my laptop. Everything important is saved on the server. And Mr. Pan should be able to help with the handover; as Vice President he’s been working closely with me, hasn’t he? | |
| JFM: | Mr. Pan has been of absolutely no assistance. I don’t believe he even knows what his position in the company is! | |
| JC: | Hm, is that so? What about my secretary, then? Ms. Si? | |
| JFM: | She says all she knows is how you like to take your coffee. A-Cheng, what sort of department are you running here? | |
| JC: | A good one, surely, if the company hasn’t already folded due to the incompetence of my staff. Anyway, what about IT? | |
| JFM: | Your laptop won’t turn on – you know that. And none of your files are saved on the server! | |
| JC: | Why would I know that? | |
| JFM: | You tampered with your laptop, didn’t you? | |
| JC: | Absolutely not. Ridiculous. | |
| JFM: | I will be speaking with Sgt. Song, A-Cheng. He’ll want to know about this. | |
| JC: | Of course. Go ahead. | |
| JFM: | Why are none of your files on the server? | |
| JC: | I’m telling you, they’re there. Just search a little harder, the drive’s a little disorganized, that’s all. | |
| JFM: | A-Cheng – if you’re so certain they’re on the server, then please tell me the file path. | |
| JC: | I’ve resigned, right? This technically isn’t my problem anymore. | |
| JFM: | A-Cheng. You are my son. I expect you to – | |
| JC: | Not kill your wife? |
THERE IS A SHARP INTAKE OF BREATH.
| JFM: | What’s gotten into you? Why are you speaking to me like this? | |
| JC: | Good luck finding the files. By the way, it was Old Pan’s job to back them up. I hope he did. | |
| JFM: | Jiang Cheng – ! |
JIANG CHENG HANGS UP. JIN ZIXUAN STARES.
| JZX: | What have you done, Jiang Cheng. | |
| JC: | No need to start throwing accusations around. This has nothing to do with me murdering mother. It was – an unintended consequence of a contingency, let’s say. | |
| JZX: | A contingency for what? | |
| JC: | I’ve been the Senior Vice President Operations for a couple years now. I had heard rumblings that I would be moved to another position, so I thought I’d buy some insurance. Didn’t know father actually thought I was doing a good job, though. Maybe he wouldn’t have moved me. |
JIANG CHENG PAUSES.
| JC: | Although knowing that wouldn’t have stopped me from having a contingency. | |
| JZX: | Are the files really on the shared drive? | |
| JC: | Most of them. | |
| JZX: | Most of them. |
JIANG CHENG SMIRKS.
| JC: | Usually, the important ones would find a way to stay with me. |
JIN ZIXUAN SNORTS.
| JZX: | Contingency? Leverage! You know the board’s been itching for you to take over as president. | |
| JC: | A rose by any other name. | |
| JZX: | Why haven’t you taken over, anyway? |
JIANG CHENG SHRUGS.
| JC: | Why would I? It’ll all be mine eventually, no need to speed up the process. | |
| JZX: | You aren’t worried that he’ll leave the company to Wei Wuxian? | |
| JC: | What, you interrogating me now? | |
| JZX: | You know they’ll ask you eventually. |
JIANG CHENG SNEERS.
| JC: | You think Wei Wuxian wants the company? | |
| JZX: | If your father gives up all his shares to Wei Wuxian, it’s not about what he wants anymore. | |
| JC: | And you think Wei Wuxian won’t give it all up to me? | |
| JZX: | You wouldn’t take it, would you? | |
| JC: | You think I wouldn’t? | |
| JZX: | I don’t think you would. | |
| JC: | Jin Zixuan, you think I wouldn’t take the shares if Wei Wuxian offered them to me? | |
| JZX: | Maybe you would. Would you? | |
| JC: | No one likes a flip-flopper. |
A PAUSE.
| JC: | Do you think my father’s will is going to make it into evidence? | |
| JZX: | Truthfully? No. | |
| JC: | Can you get it into evidence? | |
| JZX: | …I don’t know. How would that help? | |
| JC: | It wouldn’t. But it would be nice to see what he has in there. | |
| JZX: | So you think there’s a possibility that your father plans to leave all his shares to Wei Wuxian. | |
| JC: | This world is full of endless possibilities. | |
| JZX: | You haven’t discussed this with your father before? The will, that is. | |
| JC: | No. I haven’t talked to him in my capacity as his son in, what? A decade? | |
| JZX: | That long already? | |
| JC: | And I do believe he hasn’t even noticed. | |
| JZX: | What will you say, when Sergeant Song asks you about your relationship with your father? | |
| JC: | What is there to say? It has nothing to do with Mother. | |
| JZX: | And if he pushes? | |
| JC: | Why are you pushing this issue, Jin Zixuan? What do you have in mind? | |
| JZX: | Was I being too obvious? | |
| JC: | I wonder what your definition of subtle is. | |
| JZX: | The story goes a little like this – | |
| JC: | Oh, I see. You want to push the emotional neglect angle. |
JIN ZIXUAN DEFLATES SLIGHTLY.
| JZX: | …Well, yes. Combined with what you told me last night – | |
| JC: | Go ahead. We might as well. Want me to tell you a few stories, then? | |
| JZX: | You’re less hesitant than I thought you would be. |
JIANG CHENG LAUGHS BITTERLY.
| JC: | It’s well enough known in our circles, Jin Zixuan, you know that. It makes no difference to me if one hundred people or one hundred million people know that Jiang Fengmian never… – – loved me. I came to terms with it long ago. | |
| JZX: | …Right. | |
| JC: | Sympathy. A story that tugs at heartstrings – the dogs, or… hm. Ha. Well, this is certainly one that’ll do it. |
A STORY, AS REMEMBERED BY JIANG CHENG
This took place when I was eleven. I don’t think anyone remembers that day quite the same way I do, because it was a rare, rare vacation, a rare time when Mother, Father, and Wei Wuxian were in the same place, at the same time, in the same room, and not fighting. Not fighting yet, anyway.
We were at the lakeside cabin. Wei Wuxian wanted to go canoeing. A-Jie, you know her condition – Mother said she’d stay back with her, so me, Wei Wuxian, and Father could head out on a canoe together. The lake was calm, the weather was nice. There was no danger, no obvious danger.
We rowed out, the three of us, Wei Wuxian chattering away, Father nodding along, rapt, and me – I don’t know what I was doing. I was rowing. I concentrated on rowing. Sometimes, the canoe would tip dangerously as Wei Wuxian squirmed, but Father – or I – managed to keep it upright. We headed towards the middle of the lake.
It got windy, in the middle of the lake. It was a big lake, a deep lake, the kind where you couldn’t see the opposite shore, the kind that had its own weather. I remember snapping at Wei Wuxian to stop rocking the canoe, and Father snapping at me to stop reigning in Wei Wuxian’s free spirit – and I don’t doubt that neither of them remember any of this – but I shut my mouth and kept rowing.
I wondered if we should head back. I brought it up. Father frowned – I lacked adventurous spirit, he said. So we headed further into the lake, Wei Wuxian rocking, the winds picking up.
I’m sure you can guess what happened next.
When the boat flipped – I was wearing my lifejacket properly, Wei Wuxian wasn’t. Father was an experienced boater, he’d been canoeing on the lake before – Wei Wuxian was sinking. I can’t begrudge Father for diving after him first – of course he did. I would have too. Father flipped the canoe right-side up, dragged Wei Wuxian up and dumped him back into the canoe.
I floated away. The currents in the middle of the lake were surprisingly strong, hard for an eleven-year-old to swim against, especially with a life jacket on.
I was in no particular danger of drowning, so I watched in silence as Father hauled himself onto the canoe to help a sputtering Wei Wuxian spit out the water he had choked on. Wei Wuxian was shivering, full body trembling, as father hugged him tight.
I kept floating.
Wei Wuxian was in shock, probably, as Father comforted him.
I kicked against the current. It was useless. The canoe was growing smaller. But I had a lifejacket on. I wouldn’t have drowned. I was still floating.
I wondered if I should yell out, but I remembered how Father hated it when I asked for help. He always wondered why I couldn’t figure things out on my own, the way Wei Wuxian did.
Turns out I should’ve yelled out, though. I would’ve been scolded either way.
Anyway, once Wei Wuxian got himself together, he realized I was missing and started yelling at my Father to look for me.
I wonder if Wei Wuxian remembers that? Right after he found me, he was crying about how he had noticed that I was gone. By the end of the day, Wei Wuxian was telling me that Father was the one that noticed I was gone.
I wonder if Father remembers. I’m sure he remembers that Wei Wuxian very nearly drowned. Maybe he only remembers the way Mother yelled at him afterwards – by the time they retrieved me, Wei Wuxian had dried in the sun, shirt and everything. I was still sopping wet by the time we made it back to the cabin.
Mother had many questions. Why was I the only one wet and shivering? What had happened to me? Why did Wei Wuxian look fine?
But A-Xian nearly drowned –
He looks perfectly dry to me!
I’m sure you can extrapolate the rest of the argument for yourself.
So, Jin Zixuan. How’s that story for jury sympathy?
| JZX: | …A-Li and I know an excellent therapist – | |
| JC: | Don’t be ridiculous. | |
| JZX: | No, listen. Telling me the story is useless, I can’t do anything with that information. | |
| JC: | What? Then why did you – | |
| JZX: | I never told you to tell me, I was going to say, before you interrupted me – I want you to undergo a psychiatric evaluation so we can use the information. | |
| JC: | A psychiatric evaluation. | |
| JZX: | Maybe we can even get a not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder verdict. | |
| JC: | Mental disorder? Are you kidding me? | |
| JZX: | You said you weighed it. And it goes along perfectly with what you told me last night, like I was saying before you interrupted me. | |
| JC: | You know, I’m starting to remember why I never liked you. |
A CONVERSATION OVER LUNCH: WITH JIANG YANLI, JIN ZIXUAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 9, XXXX. 12:25 PM
| JZX: | How’s the research going, A-Li? | |
| JYL: | Excellent! The winery I reached out to is more than happy for to do some testing for my coursework, which is certainly a load off my mind. | |
| JZX: | Have you scheduled a time? | |
| JYL: | They’ve very graciously offered to send the samples to the lab, so I won’t need to go down there myself. | |
| JZX: | Tht’s nce. | |
| JC: | Don’t talk with food in your mouth. |
JIANG YANLI SMILES WRYLY.
| JYL: | He’s right, A-Xuan. |
JIN ZIXUAN SWALLOWS.
| JZX: | Sorry. |
JIANG CHENG SIGHS.
| JC: | No, I – habit. | |
| JYL: | So, what were you boys discussing this morning? | |
| JZX: | You know, your father called Jiang Cheng – apparently, he thinks Jiang Cheng is out to sabotage Jiang Corp. | |
| JYL: | Oh dear. Did something happen in the office? | |
| JC: | He doesn’t have a clue what I’ve been doing, so he’s been having some trouble with the handover. | |
| JYL: | That's right, the handover! How’s Miss Si doing? | |
| JC: | They’ve appointed He Xian. | |
| JYL: | He Xian? But isn’t Si Rou your successor? | |
| JC: | Father wants one of his own in my office, I suppose. It isn’t like he knows who I’ve been working with. | |
| JYL: | Oh, so that’s why he’s having trouble with the handover. |
JIN ZIXUAN WATCHES THE TWO IN FASCINATION.
| JZX: | Of course you know about this. | |
| JC: | Of course. | |
| JYL: | I was the one who suggested Miss Si, you know? She’s very hardworking. | |
| JZX: | So the laptop – | |
| JYL: | Yes, the contingency. |
JIANG YANLI SMILES CONSPIRATORIALLY
| JYL: | That was only in case the proper offboarding procedures weren’t followed. | |
| JC: | It wasn't as if I planned to be out of office this morning. | |
| JYL: | So how’s father reacting? | |
| JC: | He can’t find the files on the server. They are there, though. Then he accused me of having incompetent staff. |
JIANG YANLI'S SMILE WIDENS. SHE SEEMS DELIGHTED.
| JYL: | I told you, they like working for you! They’re not going to betray your trust now, of all times. They know you’ll be back. | |
| JC: | They shouldn’t. I’m an alleged murderer. | |
| JYL: | Exactly, alleged. They trust you! Now that you bring it up, how’s planning for the trial going? Anything I need to know? | |
| JZX: | Well, we’re thinking of mounting a couple of defences, um – | |
| JC: | I’ll tell you about it later, Jie. I promise. | |
| JYL: | …Alright. I trust you’ll hold to that promise. | |
| JZX: | If Sgt. Song calls, A-Li, you can tell him anything. Just keep being open and cooperative – outside the knife, I don’t believe…? | |
| JC: | Nope. Nothing that I can think of. Anything he asks – relationships, any of that – answer honestly. | |
| JYL: | Perfect. I’m fantastic at being honest. Speaking of honesty, has A-Xuan told you that A-Xian’s staying tonight and tomorrow? | |
| JC: | Yeah. | |
| JYL: | A-Xian’s going to dinner with Lan Wangji, though, so at least you’ll have that time to – mm. | |
| JC: | Yeah… | |
| JZX: | Is Wei Wuxian going to join the movie night? | |
| JYL: | Hmm, I’m not certain he’ll actually be sleeping in our house tonight if he’s having dinner with Lan Wangji. We’ll see. | |
| JC: | So we’re actually going to have a movie night? | |
| JYL: | Did you think I was joking, or did you think I forgot? | |
| JC: | No, just – | |
| JZX: | It’s a good idea. We might as well take one night to unwind, it’ll only get busier from here on out. | |
| JYL: | Exactly. A-Cheng, once you’re done eating, can you help me with the dishes? | |
| JC: | Of course, Jie. |
A BRIEF CONVERSATION OVER DISHWASHING: WITH JIANG YANLI AND JIANG CHENG
November 9, XXXX. 1:07 PM
| JYL: | Are you all right? It doesn’t look like you got much sleep – if you really don’t want to do the movie night, that’s alright. We can do it another day. | |
| JC: | No, tonight’s good. | |
| JYL: | I’ll tell you when Wei Wuxian gets here – you’ll be in A-Xuan’s office, right? | |
| JC: | Thanks. Yeah. | |
| JYL: | …I trust you, A-Cheng. If you need me to wait, I’ll wait. When you’re ready to tell me, I’ll listen. | |
| JC: | …Thanks. Jie – I really – |
JIANG CHENG SIGHS. HE SEEMS FRUSTRATED.
| JC: | I don’t know what I thought would happen. Not this. | |
| JYL: | Well, I’m glad you’re here with us. No matter what. You’re my little brother. | |
| JC: | You deserve better than me. | |
| JYL: | Don’t say that, A-Cheng. | |
| JC: | But I’m glad I have you. |
A CONVERSATION IN JIN ZIXUAN’S OFFICE: WITH WEI WUXIAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 9, XXXX. 04:15 PM
JIN ZIXUAN’S PHONE BUZZES.
| JZX: | Wei Wuxian’s here. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND. JIN ZIXUAN SLIPS OUT.
SECONDS LATER, WEI WUXIAN BURSTS IN. HE LOOKS DISTRAUGHT.
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng! Tell me its not true! You didn’t really do it, did you??? |
JIANG CHENG LOOKS UP FROM HIS PHONE.
| JC: | Do what? | |
| WWX: | This isn’t the time for jokes! | |
| JC: | Not the time for jokes? Wei Wuxian, you think I don’t know that? | |
| WWX: | Then why? Why?! Why would you do it?!? | |
| JC: | You’re asking me why? I should be asking you – why do you even care? | |
| WWX: | She was your mother! | |
| JC: | You think I don’t know that either? | |
| WWX: | Then why??? You loved Madame Yu! You – | |
| JC: | There is no why, Wei Wuxian. It has nothing to do with you. Just give your statement to Sgt. Song, say whatever you want to say. | |
| WWX: | Nothing to do with me?!? Jiang Cheng, how could – | |
| JC: | How could I what? How could I have done it? | |
| WWX: | I just don’t get it! You could’ve – | |
| JC: | What is there to get, Wei Wuxian? What is it that you so badly want to get? | |
| WWX: | There had to have been another way – |
JIANG CHENG LAUGHS. IT’S DERISIVE.
| JC: | Of course, Mr. Oh-So-Righteous. You would never have killed Mother, would you? You could never do something that horrible, it never would’ve even crossed your mind to commit such a crime, right? But guess what?! I’m not you!! I killed her and she’s dead and its on me, Wei Wuxian, so are we going to focus on that or do you want to keep going on about what a piece of irredeemable shit I am?! | |
| WWX: | That’s not what I’m trying to say – |
JIANG CHENG SCOFFS.
| JC: | You never “try” to say anything, Wei Wuxian, but you still manage to say it anyway – oh, don’t get started – it’s me, right? Somehow, I’m the one in the wrong for “reading too much into it”, isn’t that what you want to say? |
WEI WUXIAN CLOSES HIS MOUTH.
JIANG CHENG SNEERS.
| JC: | You think I don’t know you by now? If you’re just going to lecture me, then get the fuck out. I don’t need your pity, and I sure as fuck don’t need your self-flagellating bullshit – don’t look at me like that, we both know you just love making everything your fault. | |
| WWX: | Why do you always need to be so difficult, Jiang Cheng? I’m just trying to – | |
| JC: | I’m the one being difficult? Me? | |
| WWX: | You’re always like this, just listen – | |
| JC: | What about get out is so hard for you to understand, Wei Wuxian!? | |
| WWX: | I’m just trying to – | |
| JC: | Just trying to get out? Just trying to leave??? | |
| WWX: | You – fine! I’m leaving now, are you happy? Just remember – |
WEI WUXIAN PAUSES AT THE DOOR.
| WWX: | I’m on your side. No matter what, didi. |
WEI WUXIAN CLOSES THE DOOR SOFTLY BEHIND HIM.
A SECOND LATER, THERE’S A MUFFLED THUD OF A HEAVY OBJECT HITTING THE WALL. AND ANOTHER THUD. AND ANOTHER. AND ANOTHER.
| WWX: | The peacock isn’t going to be happy seeing all his law textbooks banged up on the ground, Jiang Cheng, or those new dents in the drywall – | |
| JC: | FUCKING LEAVE!!! |
ANOTHER THUD. THE DOOR TREMBLES FROM THE IMPACT.
| WWX: | Jesus, got it. Tou-chy. |
Notes:
I tried researching corporate structure, but it remains a mystery to me. Would there be handover? What info is there? How would any of this work? Big companies are a mystery to me. They probably shouldn't be, power to the people and all that but corporate goings-on - completely outside my area of expertise. I found information that I am completely unable to parse. If you have any suggestions re. accuracy I welcome it. Anyways, it would almost be sweet that JFM trusts JC to run the department smoothly.
Other than that, JYL deserves to be CEO. She’d probably be great at it. JC’s relationship with his father – his relationships in general, more to come on those details.
Also, depending on when you're reading this, there might be some formatting errors. Hopefully I caught them all...
Chapter 8: November 9 - NHS
Summary:
NHS talks a lot but says very little.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
INTERVIEW WITH NIE HUAISANG
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 1 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 9, XXXX. 2:35 PM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record. | |
| NHS: | I’m Nie Huaisang! Very nice to meet you, Sergeant Song Lan, though I wish it were under better circumstances; really, I’m not even sure why you’ve called me here with such urgency – you were scaring my poor secretary with your incessant calling! | |
| SL: | Your secretary didn’t seem very scared. He seemed very ready to hang up the phone when he heard my voice. | |
| NHS: | Because he was scared! It’s quite frightening when law enforcement calls our office non-stop, you know that? He’s very fragile, and we humble artists don’t do very well under pressure. | |
| SL: | He swore at me. | |
| NHS: | He was scared, Sergeant Song! | |
| SL: | Let me guess – he’s had negative experiences with police in the past. |
NIE HUAISANG’S EYES WIDEN. A FAN APPEARS FROM SOMEWHERE AND SNAPS OPEN.
| NHS: | My goodness, Sergeant Song, how did you know? An abusive brother of his joined the force, he’s been wary of the police ever since. |
NIE HUAISANG SIGHS. HE FLUTTERS THE FAN.
| NHS: | It’s so hard to tell which cops are the good ones, you know? These days, it’s so hard to tell anything, it’s all just so violent and confusing, so frighteningly chaotic to the point that one almost wants to lock oneself away from the horrors of the world, away from all of the havoc and mendacity that’s all so common nowadays, though I must admit I don’t have the heart to deprive the world of my excellence. |
NIE HUAISANG SNAPS THE FAN SHUT. THE FAN POINTS AT SGT. SONG.
| NHS: | Of course, I’m sure you’re one of the good ones! |
SGT. SONG BLINKS.
| SL: | …Right. Of course. I’d like to ask you a couple of questions about Jiang Cheng. |
NIE HUAISANG LEANS FORWARD IN THE CHAIR. HIS POSTURE SPEAKS OF OPENESS.
| NHS: | Yes, Jiang-xiong. Couldn’t believe the news when I heard it – I’ve known him for decades and I would never expect this, but as they say – |
THE FAN SNAPS OPEN AGAIN. IT COVERS HIS MOUTH.
| NHS: | It’s always the one’s you don’t expect. This is why you’ve called me here, Sergeant Song, to ask me about Jiang-xiong? | |
| SL: | So you believe that Jiang Cheng killed his mother? |
THE FAN FLUTTERS LANGUIDLY. IT INTERRUPTS THE READING OF HIS AFFECT.
| NHS: | That’s certainly the question, isn’t it? Well, all I can say is that I don’t know, Sergeant Song, I don’t know what to believe; I don’t want to believe that the Jiang-xiong who loved his mother so much would do something like this, but I also don’t want to believe that Jiang-xiong would lie about something so – life-altering! Tell me, what should I believe? If I believe in my friend, Sergeant Song, then must I not believe in his words? But if I believe in his words, then the friend I knew would be foreign to me! I don’t know! |
[05:00]
| SL: | So you’ve known him for quite a long time? | |
| NHS: | All of us have known each other since we were children, Sergeant Song. We all attended the same private schools, mingled at the same charity balls, marry to share the wealth – of course I’ve known him for a long time! | |
| SL: | Are you still friends now? | |
| NHS: | Another good question, Sergeant Song. Can I be friends with a man who murdered his mother? |
NIE HUAISANG PAUSES. THE SILENCE BEGS FOR A RESPONSE.
| SL: | Can you? | |
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, what do you know about Madame Yu? | |
| SL: | Not very much, I must admit. From what I understand, she was a very strict mother, who didn’t like Wei Wuxian all that much. | |
| NHS: | Strict, my friend, is an understatement. Banning me from buying new brushes when I fail a math exam is strict. Ripping up my paintings when I fail every final is abuse. | |
| SL: | I don’t think you’re talking about Madame Yu. |
NIE HUAISANG WAVES DISMISSIVELY.
| NHS: | I’m drawing a parallel, a parallel. | |
| SL: | You’re saying Madame Yu is abusive? | |
| NHS: | Have you talked to Wei Wuxian yet? | |
| SL: | No, we’re scheduled for tomorrow morning. | |
| NHS: | Well, Wei-xiong’s answer to this question should be plenty enlightening. After all, I’m an outsider to the Jiang family – I haven’t got a clue what they’re doing. | |
| SL: | But you are accusing Madame Yu of being abusive. | |
| NHS: | I don’t know what Madame Yu did, but I do know how it affected Jiang-xiong. | |
| SL: | What do you mean by that? | |
| NHS: | Have you seen how tired that poor man looks? |
NIE HUAISANG PAUSES AGAIN.
| SL: | …Well, I haven’t seen him – | |
| NHS: | Sometimes I wonder if Jiang-xiong even sleeps, what with all the responsibilities he has and no-one to help him. Have you spoken to the elder Mr. Jiang yet, Sergeant Song? | |
| SL: | Yes, I – | |
| NHS: | Then you know that he doesn’t have his father’s support, I’m sure. Imagine for a moment, if you would, taking over the family business when your own father can’t even be bothered to show you the ropes? And I know he didn’t – ask Jiang-xiong if you don’t believe me. | |
| SL: | No, I believe you – but what does this have to do – | |
| NHS: | Imagine needing to learn the inside outs of a company you’re meant to inherit through stints as a junior business analyst, what those people do, I have no clue, I’m sure it’s all very complicated and helpful to the business but junior, junior – I don’t believe he saw even the shadow of his father in those months. And then – imagine working your way up the ladder with nothing but your own ability and reputation as CEO Jiang’s less favoured son – Jiang-xiong may be the heir, but how many believe that Jiang Fengmian would really leave full control of the company to Jiang Wanyin without leaving an equal share for Wei Wuxian? Jiang-xiong started at junior business analyst, junior! What sort of light borrowing – 借光 – is that supposed to be, Sergeant Song, when the rumours of Wei-xiong being brought straight into the executive level are treated as credible? Now that’s a father’s light! |
[10:00]
| SL: | Well – | |
| NHS: | Yes, yes, you have the excuse of Jiang-xiong gaining experience at the lower levels, some chance to prove himself to his employees, he was young then and Wei-xiong has many years of experience in media now – I don’t know, ask the elder Mr. Jiang for his reasoning, the only thing I know is that Jiang-xiong went from junior whatever to middle management to whatever he is now by his own effort – though I’m sure he leveraged his family’s wealth once or twice, but that’s not the same – and imagine, Sgt. Song, imagine being Jiang Fengmian’s wife, knowing that your son is spurned by your husband, his father? Imagine needing to teach your son everything his father should have taught him when it’s not even your area of expertise? Imagine supporting your son every step of the way, no matter the cost to yourself or to him – | |
| SL: | Yes, I’m – |
THE FAN SHUTTERS WITH A FLOURISH.
| NHS: | You couldn’t imagine it, my dear Sergeant Song. We’re children born with silver spoons in our mouths, I know that, you know that, and I don’t blame you for thinking it – you work with Wen Chao, don’t you? Goodness knows that that old Wen Ruohan takes pains to make sure we all know that his children aren’t to be messed with. What they want, they get. |
NIE HUAISANG TAPS THE TABLE WITH THE CLOSED FAN TWICE. HE OPENS IT, LAYING IT FLAT ON THE TABLE.
| NHS: | I painted this fan. Isn’t it pretty? | |
| SL: | Yes, but – | |
| NHS: | If Madame Yu were my mother, I would never touch a brush, let alone paint a fan, because it wouldn’t be about what I want. My brother came to the realization that I would be happier doing what I wanted, what I loved. And Sergeant Song, don’t take this to mean that Jiang-xiong doesn’t genuinely enjoy business and all the nonsense that comes with leadership – he certainly doesn’t hate it, and he’ll tell you he likes it – but Jiang-xiong, he’s a good son. He’s not like me, he doesn’t want to upset his mother, he doesn’t want to fight or rebel – all he wants to do is make his mother proud. |
NIE HUAISANG PICKS UP THE FAN AND SNAPS IT SHUT.
| NHS: | And he’s aware of what that means. |
NIE HUAISANG LEANS BACK INTO HIS SEAT. AFFECT IS MELANCHOLY.
| NHS: | So when you ask me if I would know anything about why Jiang-xiong killed Madame Yu, I can only tell you that I have no idea, Sergeant Song. I don’t know why he did it. I don’t know. | |
| SL: | …You sure know a lot about Jiang Cheng, though. | |
| NHS: | We’ve been friends for a long time, Jiang-xiong and I. | |
| SL: | Then you’d know just as much about Wei Wuxian, or Jin Zixuan? | |
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, what are you trying to imply? | |
| SL: | I’m not trying to imply anything. | |
| NHS: | Of course not, of course not. In any case, if you have any questions about those two, please do throw them my way, I’ve been dying to tell the story of Jin-xiong and Wei-xiong fighting over the last serving of Li-jie’s soup that one year – |
[15:00]
| SL: | That reminds me – do you go to Jiang Cheng’s birthday celebrations? |
NIE HUAISANG PERKS UP.
| NHS: | That’s right, there wasn’t one this year, thanks to Madame Yu calling Jiang-xiong back home for his birthday! Such a shame, I rarely get a chance to see Jiang-xiong as is. Did you know that I plan those? | |
| SL: | Is that – | |
| NHS: | It’s a fantastic opportunity to work on small-scale event planning, and it’s such a challenge with the secrecy of the whole affair but it all needs to be flamboyant enough to serve as a proper birthday party but not so flamboyant as to ruin Jiang-xiong’s night, and with the limited personnel and cash? My goodness, the lengths I go to – | |
| SL: | Sorry, you plan the parties by yourself? | |
| NHS: | Oh no, of course not. Li-jie plays a huge role, she has this sweet voice and manner that’s just fantastic for working with venues and vendors, though it is an indictment of our society that my own sweet voice and manner aren’t enough to achieve even half of the results that Li-jie can – | |
| SL: | And what usually happens at these parties? |
NIE HUAISANG SEEMS GENUINELY CONFUSED.
| NHS: | What a strange question, Sergeant Song! It’s a birthday party, what else happens at birthday parties? We catch up, drink, sing karaoke if there happens to be one, though I suppose not having one never stops Wei-xiong’s caterwauling – oh, that’s an over exaggeration, he has a lovely voice – we eat Li-jie’s cake, which is always delectable, we have fun! What else is there to do? | |
| SL: | Well, I’m sure with such esteemed personages attending there’s always talk of business or – | |
| NHS: | Perish the thought! We’re friends, friends! Business is banned, Sergeant Song. We don’t talk business or anything like that on Jiang-xiong’s birthday, it’s very strict rule, and breaking the rule results in the breaking of brushes or the equivalent precious belonging – us friends don’t often have the chance to gather altogether in one place at one time, can’t be bringing business into it, that’s for the charity balls. And Sergeant Song, while I’m more than happy to go into depth about Jiang-xiong’s birthday parties, I’m not seeing…? |
THE QUESTION LINGERS IN MUTUAL SILENCE.
| SL: | How much does Jiang Cheng usually drink on his birthday? | |
| NHS: | Oh, barely. I’m not even sure that Jiang-xiong likes alcohol, he’s probably the second most sober – or third most, or – suffice it to say, he’s never very drunk. We have quite the amount of non-drinkers among us, you know? Li-jie can’t drink too much, and she has too discerning a palate to down any of the cheap stuff, Wen-jie is too healthy to drink more than one glass and of course A-Ning listens to his sister, Jin-xiong stays sober for his wife, really, only Wei-xiong gets deadass drunk and Hanguang-jun is always there to pick him up, thankfully, saves all of us the trouble – though pre-Hanguang-jun, we took turns dragging him to the hotel, can’t be dumping that work on the birthday boy, though Jiang-xiong always accompanied – |
[20:00]
| SL: | What about you? | |
| NHS: | What about me? | |
| SL: | Do you drink? |
NIE HUAISANG GIGGLES.
| NHS: | I’d like to leave that off the record, thank you very much. Da-ge always lectures me about drinking, it’s all quite annoying – but drinking, that’s very much a vice of Wei-xiong’s, can’t say it is for the rest of us. | |
| SL: | Do you know if Yu Ziyuan was a drinker at all? | |
| NHS: | No clue, Sergeant Song. I try – tried to stay out of the Madame’s way – she didn’t like me very much, the Madame, I have to say. Thinks I’m frivolous. I couldn’t tell you anything about her, really; she was somewhat a dark shadow lingering – a spectre haunting, you could even say – I was very much afraid of her. | |
| SL: | I see. What about Jiang Cheng – was he afraid of his mother? | |
| NHS: | Afraid of his mother? I couldn’t say, but I do believe that I’ve never met a person who wasn’t afraid of Madame Yu. Of course, I assume Jiang-xiong has built up some tolerance, being her son and all, but as I previously mentioned – Jiang-xiong didn’t want to disappoint her, I know that much. Whether or not if it was borne out of fear, or just a sense of duty, I could not tell you. | |
| SL: | Never came up in any conversations? | |
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, what sort of teenager spends their time complaining about their mother? Or, hm, now that I think of it, perhaps a surprising number of teenagers, but no – never came up in conversation, there were more pressing issues to discuss, like how to study for a class I didn’t recall attending, or – | |
| SL: | I’d like to ask – did Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng attend the same schools as you during primary and secondary school? | |
| NHS: | Oh yes, the Lan-run private schools. We all went there, same year and everything! | |
| SL: | Could you tell me more about Jiang Cheng during those school years, and his relationship with Wei Wuxian throughout that time period? |
NIE HUAISANG SIGHS DEEPLY.
| NHS: | Where to begin, Sergeant Song. This is all almost twenty years past, ancient history, I can’t say I recall most of it, quite honestly. | |
| SL: | I’m sure there were incidents that stood out, like – | |
| NHS: | Like the time Wei-xiong punched Jin-xiong in the face and got suspended, that was something! See, Jin-xiong was insulting Li-jie, called her ugly and worthless or whatever, definitely very very rude, he was quite the arrogant rascal back then – | |
| SL: | Does this have anything to do with Jiang Cheng? | |
| NHS: | Patience, Sergeant Song, I’m getting there – | |
| SL: | Please get there as soon as possible. |
NIE HUAISANG SIGHS AGAIN.
| NHS: | Fine, fine, I understand. Long story short, as you so commanded, Jiang-xiong witnessed the whole thing. I’m sure he would’ve punched Jin-xiong too if it had gone on for any longer, but Wei-xiong got to him first. | |
| SL: | When was this? | |
| NHS: | Hm, second year high school? Third year? I’m sure the people involved remember much more clearly than I do, quite honestly. | |
| SL: | So Jiang Cheng had a better grasp on his temper than Wei Wuxian. |
[25:00]
| NHS: | By then, sure. What year is the year before graduation? Is that third year? Fourth year? I think it was the year before graduation, but I can’t be certain – | |
| SL: | By then? | |
| NHS: | Yeah, by then. | |
| SL: | Do you mean that he didn’t have a grasp on his temper previously? | |
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, are you taking liberties with my words? So this is the manipulation I was told to watch out for, my secretary really is quite excellent – | |
| SL: | Please answer the question, Nie Huaisang. |
NIE HUAISANG WILTS AT THE SUDDEN PRESSURE.
| NHS: | Wei-xiong doesn’t have much of a temper. Jiang-xiong does. Wei-xiong rarely gets angry, at anything, see, while Jiang-xiong is a touch more, let’s say, sensitive. It took a while for Jiang-xiong to be able to, hm, reach inner zen? No, that’s not right, he’s definitely not reached inner zen – maybe a forced zen state? In any case, he was able to reign in his temper. | |
| SL: | What set off Jiang Cheng’s temper? | |
| NHS: | I have no clue, Sergeant Song. I really don’t – one tries to avoid individuals in their time of anger, for fear of becoming collateral damage. | |
| SL: | I’m sure you witnessed something. |
NIE HUAISANG IS SILENT.
| SL: | There’s no way you didn’t. | |
| NHS: | What are you planning to do with Jiang-xiong? | |
| SL: | Excuse me? | |
| NHS: | He’s charged with second degree murder. | |
| SL: | That’s correct – | |
| NHS: | You know, I know your husband. | |
| SL: | Yes, I know. | |
| NHS: | I can’t see him marrying a cruel or unjust man. | |
| SL: | Thank you, I suppose. | |
| NHS: | So I’m asking you this in absolute confidence, knowing your husband. | |
| SL: | Is that a threat? | |
| NHS: | Absolutely not! Where did you get that idea? No, I’m saying that I trust you because Xiao Xingchen has nothing but praise for you, which is why I’m asking you this question – what are you planning to do with Jiang Cheng? |
SILENCE.
| SL: | [unintelligible] | |
| NHS: | [unintelligible] | |
| SL: | [unintelligible] | |
| NHS: | So what are you searching for? | |
| SL: | A reason. | |
| NHS: | What reason? | |
| SL: | There’s something I don’t know about his relationship with his mother. He’s hiding something. | |
| NHS: | And why do you need to find this out? | |
| SL: | If it can be proven that this crime was closer to self-defense than to wholesale murder, he’ll get less time. | |
| NHS: | And here I thought cops got promoted based on – | – |
NIE HUAISANG MIMES BANGING A GAVEL WITH HIS FAN.
| NHS: | Bang bang! Life in prison, parole never. | |
| SL: | That’s not why I’m here. | |
| NHS: | Is that right? Perhaps you still believe in justice, like your lovely husband? | |
| SL: | Please don’t bring up my husband again. | |
| NHS: | Ah, apologies. Sorry, won’t do it again. | |
| SL: | So. What did you witness? |
NIE HUAISANG SIGHS. HE OPENS THE FAN, THEN CLOSES IT.
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, let me tell you something – |
NIE HUAISANG PAUSES. SGT. SONG IS SLENT. NIE HUAISANG SIGHS AGAIN.
| NHS: | Jiang-xiong used to be happy. Then he was angry. Now he’s – |
NIE HUAISANG GESTURES BROADLY.
[30:00]
| NHS: | This. | |
| SL: | What do you mean by ‘this’? | |
| NHS: | He’s fine, isn’t he? Very handsome man, acerbic but fair, respected and feared, the definition of success. Isn’t that good? | |
| SL: | Is it not good? | |
| NHS: | I wouldn’t know. You’d have to ask him. | |
| SL: | And you say he used to be happy. Is he not happy now? | |
| NHS: | I wouldn’t know. The only time I see him informally is for his birthday. Otherwise, we’re all business, all the time. | |
| SL: | I thought you were friends? | |
| NHS: | We are. But the only ones he visits regularly are his family, and even then, the visits are sparse, from what I understand. | |
| SL: | Do you not go visit him? |
NIE HUAISANG LAUGHS. AFFECT IS FLAT.
| NHS: | God, no. Of course not. He’d hate it if I visited him. | |
| SL: | Would he really? | |
| NHS: | He would. And not in a ‘pretend to hate it and secretly like it’ sort of way, but in a ‘temporarily surprised, pleased, then a rapid descent into annoyance, impatience, and wishing for me to leave’ sort of way. | |
| SL: | That sounds specific. | |
| NHS: | Because it is, Sergeant Song. That’s the kind of man he is. | |
| SL: | And you’re still friends with him? | |
| NHS: | Of course I am. | |
| SL: | Why? | |
| NHS: | That’s an invasive question, isn’t it, Sergeant Song. I don’t know why. I don’t know why I’m friends with him. Maybe I shouldn’t call him a friend; he’s nothing like the other friends I have, after all – I don’t even particularly enjoy his personality. But I trust him. I trust him, and that’s more than I can say for a lot of my friends. |
NIE HUAISANG PAUSES.
| SL: | And why do you trust him? | |
| NHS: | He’s never let me down. | |
| SL: | What does that mean? | |
| NHS: | I mean what I say. Jiang Cheng, Jiang Wanyin, has never disappointed me. As they say – his word’s as good as gold. | |
| SL: | Could I get an example? | |
| NHS: | No. | |
| SL: | Why not? | |
| NHS: | We’re not talking about me here, Sergeant Song, come on – aren’t you going to ask me about Jiang-xiong’s anger problems? | |
| SL: | …Fine. Tell me about Jiang Cheng’s anger problems. | |
| NHS: | There’s not even that much to tell, to be honest. Jiang-xiong never started a fight with his fists, but goodness, was he good at riling people up. | |
| SL: | And who would these people be? | |
| NHS: | Oh, randoms. Anyone who would so much as look at him the wrong way. | |
| SL: | Not Wei Wuxian? | |
| NHS: | Wei-xiong was off fighting his own fights, he was quite busy. | |
| SL: | I thought you said it was hard to get Wei Wuxian angry? | |
| NHS: | Yes, but Wei-xiong is extremely justice-oriented; became friends with A-Ning after protecting him from a bully, you know? |
NIE HUAISANG SEEMS TO SMIRK. CANNOT CONFIRM.
| NHS: | He was like a little hero, running around getting himself involved in other people’s messes. | |
| SL: | And Jiang Cheng wasn’t a part of that? | |
| NHS: | He was, in the beginning, for, a couple months? Two terms at most, no, definitely not more than a year. In any case, they had separate messes for most of our schooling tenure – even more so when they attended separate universities. |
[35:00]
| SL: | And the Lan allowed these spats? | |
| NHS: | Allowed, not allowed, none of it matters if you don’t get caught, right? Incidentally, Wei-xiong got caught a lot. | |
| SL: | What about Jiang Cheng? | |
| NHS: | Unknown! Jiang-xiong was a model student, even if he got into little altercations… teachers would usually let it slide, unless it was Lan-laoshi – Lan Qiren. He was caught by Lan-laoshi that one time, but I have no clue what the outcome to that was – no suspension or anything of the like, but that doesn’t mean anything – I wasn’t there, was I? | |
| SL: | Can you tell me more about these altercations? | |
| NHS: | What’s important to note, Sergeant Song, is that Jiang-xiong never, never– unlike Wei-xiong – Jiang-xiong never got into a fistfight. There were no punches thrown, no kicks, no physical injuries endowed upon the flesh. | |
| SL: | Then these altercations? | |
| NHS: | Verbal, Sergeant Song. Fully verbal. | |
| SL: | He never got into a physical fight, not even once? | |
| NHS: | Never. | |
| SL: | Then what did you mean when you said he was caught by Lan, um, Qiren? | |
| NHS: | It was a moment of carelessness on his part, I must admit – he should’ve known better than to call anyone, even that Su She, something along the lines of – ah, pardon the language – an ‘inbred retard who’d suck his own father’s dick if it meant you could shine as gold as Lan Wangji’s piss’ in front of Lan-laoshi. So vulgar. No creativity. But I can’t blame him, that time Jiang-xiong really was being provoked, and Wei-xiong wasn’t there to take the heat. | |
| SL: | Take the heat? | |
| NHS: | Wei-xiong was suspended for punching Jin-xiong, you know? Not that he was suspended at that particular moment, but it was known that getting into it was Jiang-xiong was the same as getting into it with Wei-xiong, especially before Wei-xiong began his vigilante arc; not to say that Wei-xiong didn’t have good reason, there was some bullying going on – but prior to that, the two were inseparable at school. | |
| SL: | And when was this again? | |
| NHS: | Could not tell you, Sergeant Song. I quite honestly have very little recollection of anything other than my own struggles during those year. It’s all just a blur – though I can tell the exact month and date my brother – | |
| SL: | Alright, so you say that Jiang Cheng used to be angry, and now you say that he never got into any physical fights. So what exactly do you mean when you say – | |
| NHS: | You don’t need to get into fights when you’re angry, Sergeant Song – have you ever been angry? | |
| SL: | It’s only human. | |
| NHS: | Do you fight people when you’re angry? | |
| SL: | No, but – | |
| NHS: | Jiang-xiong didn’t have any anger management problems. | |
| SL: | You said – | |
| NHS: | And I said there was nothing to tell, didn’t I? He was angry; that’s different from having an anger management problem. Teenagers are angry, aren’t they? Isn’t that how it is? |
[40:00]
| SL: | Then how did you know he was angry? | |
| NHS: | You’ll have to trust me on this one, Sergeant Song. There’s a certain tension, certain mannerisms that become obvious – you’re a trained detective, Sergeant Song, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. | |
| SL: | And you can pick up on these signs? | |
| NHS: | Mhm. | |
| SL: | Can I ask why? | |
| NHS: | Of course you can ask! | |
| SL: | But you won’t answer. |
NIE HUAISANG SMILES. THE FAN OPENS.
| NHS: | Any other questions, Sergeant Song? | |
| SL: | Would you say he’s close to Wei Wuxian? | |
| NHS: | They’re brothers. Anything other than that, you’d have to ask the two of them, I wouldn’t know, I really wouldn’t. | |
| SL: | You said that they were inseparable at school. | |
| NHS: | Yes, early on, when we just exited primary school – Jiang-xiong was like Wei-xiong’s shadow, or so some would say. | |
| SL: | Not the other way around? | |
| NHS: | Perhaps it was the other way around. I always saw them as brothers – nothing more, nothing less. | |
| SL: | But then they separated. Why? | |
| NHS: | How would I know, Sergeant Song? The reason certainly wasn’t shared with me. That’s not to say that they didn’t still speak to each other, or have lunch together. There was just a clear – schism, let’s say. | |
| SL: | Schism? What made you think it was a schism, and not just teens growing into their own personalities? | |
| NHS: | Maybe it was that, I don’t know. But in any case, Wei-xiong started his crime-fighting phase. | |
| SL: | And after high school, you went to the same university as Jiang Cheng? | |
| NHS: | Oh, no. I went to art school. Jiang-xiong went to some sort of business school, I have absolutely no clue what he was doing in those years. We were both very busy, at most we caught up during his birthday. | |
| SL: | What would you talk about, then, if you were out of contact for so long? | |
| NHS: | To be quite fair, it was mostly me talking at him. He’d throw in something about his work, or school, it was a miracle if I could pry any information about anything else out of him. | |
| SL: | I thought you didn’t discuss business. | |
| NHS: | Business and work are two very separate concepts, Sergeant Song. Business is soft. Work is rigid. Business is negotiations. Work is complaining about your coworkers. See the difference? | |
| SL: | I think I understand. So, let’s say, this year – how many times have you talked to Jiang Cheng? | |
| NHS: | Let me see, I can definitely list it – Once during the new year, to wish him a happy new year – he replied with a generic message, very lazy – he texts during my birthday too, also a generic message, but at least I get a gift to go along with it – | |
| SL: | Do you not hold a birthday party? | |
| NHS: | Oh, my birthday parties are splendid. Jiang-xiong sends a present every year, but he attends so rarely, maybe once every three years or so? Not this year, he seemed to be quite busy with some sort of project. And even in the years he does come, he hangs around just long enough for greetings before disappearing into the ether – unsociable, that man, and ungrateful. Do you know how many people beg for invitations? |
[45:00]
| SL: | And after that? | |
| NHS: | I sent him a picture of a work of mine, and he just replied with a thumbs up, sometime this summer. Isn’t that rude? And after that, we haven’t spoken. | |
| SL: | Do you know what this project of his is about? | |
| NHS: | No clue, I don’t keep up with his business. | |
| SL: | And you said that outside of his family, he doesn’t have many other relationships? | |
| NHS: | He has plenty of business relationships, but no, nothing personal. | |
| SL: | So he isn’t close to his business associates? | |
| NHS: | Who would want to be close to a business associate? | |
| SL: | He’s close to you. | |
| NHS: | Yes, but we’re friends before we’re business associates, Sergeant Song. | |
| SL: | Then does he have any other friends, ones that don’t attend his birthday party? | |
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, do you take me for the sort of man that keeps a list of his friend’s friends? | |
| SL: | Can you please answer my question? | |
| NHS: | The answer is no, I do not know if he has any other friends. Any other questions, Sergeant Song? | |
| SL: | What about during his school years? | |
| NHS: | What about his school years? | |
| SL: | Did he have any other friends – | |
| NHS: | No-pe. Honestly, who’d want to be friends with him? | |
| SL: | You say that, but – | |
| NHS: | He’s not very nice, is he? He’s polite, but also very sharp, sarcastic, cutting, curt, terse, aloof; any of those words come to mind, isn’t that right, Sergeant Song, when you heard everything I told you? – he doesn’t like any of the flowery, fluffy words that are oh so important for communication, refuses to put any honey into it. I’m sure you’ve noticed, haven’t you? You are a detective, after all. | |
| SL: | I haven’t spoken to him much, actually. | |
| NHS: | More likely he hasn’t spoken much to you, I’d say. | |
| SL: | You might be right about that. And let me ask again – did Jiang Cheng ever speak to you about his mother at all? Anything? Any little detail – | |
| NHS: | Jiang-xiong doesn’t speak to anybody about anything, Sergeant Song, I thought we’d established that. | |
| SL: | But I’m sure as friends, you must have – | |
| NHS: | Does our friendship seem traditional, Sergeant Song? No, even during those school days, Jiang-xiong spent most of his time going straight home from classes – no clubs, no extracurriculars – well, some extracurriculars, but in and out. In and out. We didn’t text, we didn’t call. We saw each other in class. We discussed classwork, I whined at him about everything going on in my life. I heard nothing from him, nothing about him, and I didn’t ask. | |
| SL: | Why not? | |
| NHS: | For the same reason I don’t visit him. It’s clear that he’d rather leave certain topics untouched – unlike Wei-xiong, I have something called tact. So if you want to learn about Jiang-xiong, you’ll have to ask Wei-xiong. | |
| SL: | So he never talked to you about his relationship with his brother either. |
[50:00]
| NHS: | Of course not. Sergeant Song, let me make something clear to you – I know a lot about Jiang-xiong. I also know absolutely nothing about Jiang-xiong. Knowing a person – it’s impossible to know a person. I have my interpretations of his character, I have my beliefs about his actions, but I don’t know, I can’t know, I’ll never know what went through his head, what’s going through his mind – it’s impossible – |
NIE HUAISANG SNAPS THE FAN SHUT.
| NHS: | I said he used to be happy. But even then, was he happy? I said he was angry. He may very well still be angry now, just less obvious about it. I say that he values nothing more than family. You tell me he killed his mother – and I’m completely serious when I say that the Jiang Cheng I know would never have done this. He’s not a killer, Sergeant Song, I can’t – can I say this? Well, I’m sure you understand – if people of our caliber wanted to kill anyone, especially a family member, it would be child’s play. How would anybody know? It would be simple, Sergeant Song, and I’m sure you’ve encountered such strange suicides and accidents before. So it begs the question, doesn’t it – does he not want to – did he want this? It makes no sense. | |
| SL: | You believe that if it were pre-meditated, we’d never even find out about it. | |
| NHS: | We have plenty ways of hiding these sort of things, Sergeant, you yourself should know best! There was no reason for him to turn himself in. Although I do suppose he has quite the sense of justice… | |
| SL: | You know, [unintelligible]. | |
| NHS: | Oh? So you do know, then, the skulduggery. | |
| SL: | Yes – in fact, let me circle back to a comment – | |
| NHS: | Circling back? | |
| SL: | – you made. You said that Jiang Cheng worked his way up the ladder, but I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours. | |
| NHS: | You’ll have to clarify for me, Sergeant Song. There are many, many rumours, all the time, I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint – | |
| SL: | The rumour that he had something to do with the death of the people whose roles he later inherited. |
NIE HUAISANG LAUGHS GLEEFULLY. HE POINTS THE FAN AT SGT. SONG.
| NHS: | Do you really believe those rumours? | |
| SL: | You have to admit, it doesn’t look good – | |
| NHS: | Oh, my god. You really do believe those rumours! Aha! | |
| SL: | Is it really that funny? | |
| NHS: | Of course! Guy dies in a helicopter accident, another commits suicide after being convicted of pedophilia, and you think that Jiang-xiong had a hand in it? We were just talking about subtlety, Sergeant Song – do you think any of those deaths were subtle? | |
| SL: | But it was quite convenient – | |
| NHS: | Too convenient, wouldn’t you say? The Safety Board did their investigation, didn’t they? A helicopter screw or something was made out of the wrong material and failed early, you think – | |
| SL: | We were just talking about the skulduggery, weren’t we? |
NIE HUAISANG LAUGHS AGAIN.
[55:00]
| NHS: | Oooh, turning it around on me, are you? Love that, love that – can’t say anything against that, really; jet fuel can’t melt steel beams, after all. But Sergeant Song, do you really believe that Jiang-xiong would do something like that? | |
| SL: | Someone had to have leaked information to the press about Su Tiebang’s gambling debts, which led to the investigation that discovered the human trafficking – | |
| NHS: | Yes, we call those enterprising reporters, the last front for journalistic integrity! My goodness, you really do believe that Jiang-xiong killed his way to his current position! Well, all I can say is that I, personally, don’t see it happening. Do confirm with Jiang-xiong, though, what would I know? Nothing! | |
| SL: | Was his father ever suspicious of him? | |
| NHS: | How would I know that, Sergeant Song? I’m not friends with Mr. Jiang, I know nothing about what he thinks – | |
| SL: | But you did say that Mr. Jiang doesn’t care about his son? | |
| NHS: | Oh, everyone knows that, especially in our circles. There’s only so many times you can name Wei Wuxian as your son before Jiang Cheng – | |
| SL: | Sorry, what does that mean? | |
| NHS: | You know, introductions – ‘this is my son Wei Wuxian, very clever, this one, and my other son, Jiang Cheng’, you can’t expect people to believe that Mr. Jiang loves Jiang-xiong the same way he loves Wei-xiong! | |
| SL: | Did he really? | |
| NHS: | Oh yes, and that’s only during the introductions! Ask him about how his sons are doing, and he’ll prattle on all day about Wei-xiong’s accomplishments – ahem – ‘A-Cheng? Yes, he’s doing very good as well.’ | |
| SL: | That’s quite the impression of Mr. Jiang. | |
| NHS: | Thank you, it’s a talent of mine. | |
| SL: | So Mr. Jiang’s biases are clear to everybody in the business community? | |
| NHS: | To everyone that matters, yes – so can you really blame Madame Yu for wanting her husband to pay a little more attention to her child? | |
| SL: | I thought you didn’t know anything about Yu Ziyuan’s relationship with Jiang Cheng. | |
| NHS: | I don’t! But that was also obvious – the only reason he ever brings up Jiang-xiong at these events is when Madame Yu prods him about it – ‘And A-Cheng? He’s been doing excellently in class as well, hasn’t he?’ I’ve even heard some people say that they can’t help but pity her, really, when you think about it; can’t even raise a child to be loved by his father – |
[60:00]
| SL: | Tell me more about that. | |
| NHS: | About what? | |
| SL: | What did people say about Madame Yu? | |
| NHS: | Hm? You want to hear the gossip? | |
| SL: | Yes. | |
| NHS: | Well – none of this is my opinion, of course, I’m just telling you what I heard – she’s very scary, headstrong, don’t want to get on her bad side – kind of like Jiang-xiong, or the other way around, more accurately – but she chose a man who would never love her, how pathetic is that? No matter how hard she chases, he’ll never love her; just look at Jiang Fengmian pouring all his attention on his adopted child, legitimate son alone next to his mother, both standing far from the proud father showing off his Wei Wuxian, how pitiful, how miserable, how wretched. Can’t strongarm the man into loving her, like she strongarmed him to marry her. Stuff like that, I’d say. | |
| SL: | You’re painting Yu Ziyuan to be quite sympathetic. | |
| NHS: | I’m just telling you what I heard – I, myself, like I said, very afraid of Madame Yu. | |
| SL: | And you can’t tell me what Jiang Cheng thought about her. | |
| NHS: | Mmm, other than the fact he loves his family, and therefore must also love his mother, and takes his mother’s instructions very seriously – that’s about it. | |
| SL: | I’m sure there was gossip about Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian as well. | |
| NHS: | Oh, plenty, plenty. You want to hear that too? | |
| SL: | Please. | |
| NHS: | Let’s see – Jiang Cheng hates Wei Wuxian and wants him dead, or he should, anyways, based on the circumstances of Wei Wuxian’s arrival, it wouldn’t make sense for Jiang Cheng to feel anything except hatred. And oh, Wei Wuxian is very benevolent and continues to love Jiang Cheng despite that, from what Jiang Fengmian says. And then there was the video, of course, of that fight on set, you know the one, that was certainly a moment, really solidified everyone’s beliefs. | |
| SL: | Hm. | |
| NHS: | Don’t believe the rumours? | |
| SL: | Rumours should always be taken with a grain of salt, shouldn’t they? | |
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, you were the one who asked! Of course, Jiang-xiong and Wei-xiong are nothing but the best of brothers, but how would they know? They’ve never seen the two interact before. | |
| SL: | That’s true. | |
| NHS: | Sergeant Song, I’m thirsty. Do you have anything to drink? | |
| SL: | You know what? We’ve been going at it for quite a while, one final question and then we'll take a break – Jiang Cheng told me that the one he wanted to kill wasn’t really his mother. Would you have any idea what he’s referring to? |
NIE HUAISANG SEEMS CONFUSED.
| NHS: | I haven’t a clue, Sergeant Song. Not the slightest inkling. | |
| SL: | Nothing at all? | |
| NHS: | It turns out that I’ve never known anything about Jiang-xiong. How could I even begin to speculate? | |
| SL: | Then based on what you knew about him before all of this, would you have any idea? | |
| NHS: | Hm. No, I don’t believe so. But I do believe that he didn’t want to kill his mother. Even if he did do the deed, it would make sense to me that he didn’t want to do it. Maybe it doesn’t mean that he wanted to kill someone else, Sergeant Song. Maybe it just means that he didn’t want to kill his mother. | |
| SL: | Then why would he phrase it that way? |
NIE HUAISANG SNAPS THE FAN OPEN. IT HIDES HIS FACE.
| NHS: | You’d have to ask him, though I must say he does love playing games – he may not look the type, but his brother is Wei Wuxian, after all. | |
| SL: | Thankfully, I’ll be talking to him tomorrow. | |
| NHS: | Can we keep talking tomorrow too? I’m tired… |
INTERVIEW END
[60:06]
Project Limitless Reveal Date, Rumours
Updated Nov. 9
The rumoured reveal date of November 21st is likely to come and go without any announcements for the highly anticipated Project Limitless – multiple trusted sources have indicated that the secretive project was being led by Jiang Wanyin, the former Senior VP of Operations, who resigned abruptly after being charged with the murder of his mother. The loss has sent the team scrambling – “He was the only who had the full picture,” sources say. “It’ll be hard to continue without him.”
Information about Project Limitless was first leaked in Q1, with forum user Pickledchili dumping a blurry 15 second video and corresponding screenshots in a thread titled LIMITLESS. The spliced-together scenes were quickly identified by industry insiders to be related to tensor holography– snippets of code that matched what MIT researchers released in their ground-breaking article four years ago, and what seemed to be a Jiang-branded device projecting a full-colour holograph of a man dancing, the camera panning to the dancing man being projected.
The video was removed fairly quickly, but not before users had a chance to download and analyze every frame. When asked for comment, Jiang Corporation CEO Jiang Fengmian firmly denied any research into the potential applications of tensor holography, stating that “it’ll be years before the technology reaches a market-viable state.”
Undeterred, Pickledchili continued to release what seemed to be snippets of the project’s progress (see archived pictures and videos here), with the unfamiliar device being used sporting a distinctive lotus logo, unlike any of the branding we’ve seen from Jiang Corporation in the past, which could point to the launch of a new product line.
Most recently, Pickledchili posted a thread titled NOV21. While the content of the thread was the entirety of Lorem Ipsum, users speculated that Project Limitless might be finally seeing the light of day.
Notes:
Borrowing light (借光) (jiè guāng): Profiting off someone else’s prestige. It’s got a lotta different severity levels – something minor, like my friend’s husband came to pick her up and I hitched a ride; the light is my friend’s prestige of having a ride, and I’m borrowing it. Or something major, like my dad is a prominent businessman so you’ll give me an internship to curry favour; the light is my dad’s prestige. It’s also commonly used as a way to say “excuse me” lmao – lemme borrow the light of you being ahead of me so I can be ahead of other people, I guess.
Tensor holography is real tech that looks very cool, hope it can do something sometime.
Other notes – every ~100 words is a minute, and I’ll try to actually get those words on paper in a timely manner, no guarantees tho. And for anyone that’s also reading my unfinished longfic, I am (kinda) working on it, I just fricked up a little so I’m in planning hell. Also this one is more fun to write (for now). TY everyone for reading <3
Chapter Text
A CONVERSATION BEFORE SCHOOL: WITH JIANG YANLI, JIN ZIXUAN, AND JIN LING
November 9, XXXX. 07:45 AM
| JYL: | A-Xuan, hasn’t it been a while since our last movie night? |
JIN LING PERKS UP.
| JL: | Movie night? Mama, are we doing a movie night? | ||
| JYL: | What do you think, A-Xuan? Should we have a movie night? | ||
| JZX: | …It has been a while, hasn’t it? Do you want a movie night, A-Ling? | ||
| JL: | YES! Yes! Movie night! Can we do it today? I wanna do it today! |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS.
| JYL: | Yes, let’s do it today, A-Ling! If you do your best at school, we can choose some fun movies to watch tonight! |
JIN LING’S EXCITEMENT IS PALPABLE.
| JL: | Mama, will Jiujiu choose movies too? I wanna watch something Jiujiu chooses! | ||
| JZX: | What about a movie baba chooses? | ||
| JL: | Noooo, we always watch baba movies, I wanna watch a Jiujiu movie! |
JIN ZIXUAN DEFLATES.
| JYL: | Of course Jiujiu can choose a movie! | ||
| JL: | And I want popcorn too! Baba, can you buy popcorn? | ||
| JZX: | I’ll buy popcorn. And soda, and candy – | ||
| JL: | YES! CANDY! |
JIANG YANLI SIDE-EYES JIN ZIXUAN.
| JYL: | But we can’t eat too much, ok? And we need to make sure to brush our teeth before bed. | ||
| JL: | Yes, mama – but we need to get enough for Jiujiu, ok, baba? |
JIN ZIXUAN DEFLATES EVEN FURTHER.
| JZX: | I will. I promise. | ||
| JL: | Movie night. Haha, yay! | ||
| JYL: | Alright, alright, A-Ling. I know you’re excited, but we still have to go to school first. Let’s go get your backpack ready! | ||
| JL: | MOVIE NIGHT! |
A PASSING CONVERSATION IN THE LIVING ROOM: WITH JIANG YANLI AND JIN ZIXUAN
November 9, XXXX. 4:16 PM
| JZX: | Did you ask if Wei Wuxian was going to join us for the movie night? | ||
| JYL: | A-Xian… was a little more hesitant than I thought he’d be. I told him it would be alright if he wanted to come, but I’m not sure I can convince him that – we’d want him there. | ||
| JZX: | Judging by the noise coming from upstairs, he might have a point. | ||
| JYL: | A-Xuan! | ||
| JZX: | I hope he makes it. I’ll help you convince him? |
JIANG YANLI SMILES SWEETLY.
| JYL: | That would be lovely, thank you. |
JIN ZIXUAN MUTTERS SOMETHING UNDER HIS BREATH.
| JYL: | Hm? What was that? | ||
| JZX: | Nothing! Nothing – it’s about time for A-Ling to be home, right? I’ll go wait by the door – | ||
| JYL: | No need for that, A-Xuan. Come, sit with me. I’d like to catch A-Xian before he leaves. |
JIN ZIXUAN SITS NEXT TO JIANG YANLI.
A CONVERSATION IN THE LIVING ROOM: WITH JIANG YANLI, WEI WUXIAN, AND JIN ZIXUAN
November 9, XXXX. 4:20 PM
WEI WUXIAN WALKS PAST THE LIVING ROOM, GIVING JIANG YANLI A WAVE.
| WWX: | Seeya, Jie! I’ll swing around tomorrow, but – | ||
| JYL: | A-Xian, are you leaving already? Come, sit with Jie for a while, how long has it been since we last talked? | ||
| WWX: | Technically, this morning – | ||
| JYL: | Don’t be pedantic, A-Xian. Sit, sit, let’s talk! |
WEI WUXIAN GLANCES AT JIN ZIXUAN.
| JZX: | Yes, Wei Wuxian. Sit. |
WEI WUXIAN BACKTRACKS. HE SITS ADJACENT TO JIANG YANLI.
| WWX: | How could I say no to you, Jie? | ||
| JYL: | That’s a very good question. Did you have a good talk with A-Cheng? | ||
| JZX: | Jiang Cheng chased you out, didn’t he? | ||
| WWX: | What’s it to you, peacock? | ||
| JYL: | – A-Xian. | ||
| JZX: | – I’m his lawyer. |
WEI WUXIAN BLINKS. DISBELIEF IS CLEAR.
| WWX: | You’re his lawyer??? What do you know about criminal law? | ||
| JZX: | Just because you don’t know that my sub-specialty is criminal doesn’t mean Jiang-xiong doesn’t know. | ||
| WWX: | Jiang-xiong? Jiang-xiong??? |
JIN ZIXUAN SMILES FAINTLY.
| JYL: | Now, now – | ||
| WWX: | I guess if Jiang Cheng OK’d you as his lawyer, you can’t be all that bad… although I would’ve preferred he hired a professional – | ||
| JZX: | – I am a professional. | ||
| JYL: | – He is a professional. | ||
| JZX: | Wei Wuxian. You understand that I’m taking this seriously? |
WEI WUXIAN SNORTS.
| WWX: | Of course you are. Jie’d beat your ass if you weren’t. Anyways, if you’re his lawyer then you can tell me what’s going on, right? | ||
| JZX: | No. Of course not. | ||
| WWX: | You – | ||
| JZX: | Solicitor-client privilege. Also, Jiang Cheng could come down any second – | ||
| WWX: | Fuck that, I’m his brother. |
JIANG YANLI FROWNS.
| JYL: | Language. Just because Jin Ling isn’t home right now doesn’t mean you can speak carelessly. |
WEI WUXIAN SHRINKS.
JIN ZIXUAN SMIRKS.
| WWX: | My bad, Jie. | ||
| JYL: | As long as you understand. | ||
| JZX: | And what did Jiang Cheng say to you, Wei Wuxian, when you were talking at him earlier? |
WEI WUXIAN MAKES A FACE.
| WWX: | Nothing, that’s what. And what do you mean, talking at him? | ||
| JZX: | Mmm. See? | ||
| WWX: | And what’s that supposed to mean? | ||
| JZX: | It means I’m not telling you anything. |
WEI WUXIAN GLARES.
| WWX: | You could at least tell me if he actually killed anyone! | ||
| JZX: | He would tell you he did. | ||
| WWX: | Tell me, Jin Zixuan, or I’ll – | ||
| JZX: | I can’t. I really can’t. | ||
| JYL: | A-Xian. If A-Cheng wants to tell us, he will. | ||
| JZX: | More importantly, I don’t want to get reported by Jiang Cheng. He definitely wouldn’t mind having me disbarred over breaking confidentiality. |
SILENCE AS WEI WUXIAN POUTS.
| JYL: | If you don't mind me asking, A-Xian, what do you know about this whole – incident? | ||
| WWX: | Only what I’ve seen in the news. I still can’t – this is Jiang Cheng we’re talking about here, right? He’s –––– why? | ||
| JZX: | Just a suggestion, but maybe you could ask him. After, say, a movie night, he might be more receptive to your dubious questioning abilities. | ||
| WWX: | What did you just say about me? | ||
| JYL: | That’s right, A-Xian. You should really come to the movie night, if you’re able to make it. | ||
| WWX: | I don’t think that Jiang Cheng would like me there, Jie. | ||
| JZX: | When did you start caring about what anybody likes? | ||
| JYL: | – A-Xuan. | ||
| WWX: | – What the fu- what’s that supposed to mean? | ||
| JZX: | …You don’t know that Jiang Cheng wouldn’t want you there. Right, A-Li? |
JIANG YANLI NODS.
| WWX: | You–! Fine. He threw your law textbooks at me. I’d say that’s a pretty obvious clue that he wouldn’t want me around. | ||
| JZX: | My law textbooks? …why the textbooks? | ||
| JYL: | You know how he is, A-Xian. At the end of the day, you two are brothers. You know he loves you. He cares about your opinion. I’m sure he’s just finding it a bit hard confronting you, after, ah, all of this. Give him a little time, ok? Drop in later if you think that’ll work better, but you two really should talk. Properly. | ||
| WWX: | Not to question your judgement, A-Jie, but – | ||
| JYL: | A-Xian. I can tell, you know? When you feel guilty? | ||
| WWX: | I don’t feel – | ||
| JYL: | You think that A-Cheng killed our mother for you, don’t you? |
WEI WUXIAN’S EYES WIDEN.
| WWX: | I… |
SILENCE.
| JZX: | That’s some main character syndrome. | ||
| JYL: | I hate to agree with A-Xuan, but he’s right. A-Xian, there’s no reason for you to think that – |
WEI WUXIAN STANDS.
| WWX: | But then why else would Jiang Cheng do this??? I can’t – he loves Madame Yu! He wouldn’t, he wouldn’t, except for – | ||
| JZX: | I don’t think he’d kill his mother for you, Wei Wuxian. Not just for you, anyway, probably just a happy coincidence that it solves some of your problems. Let’s call it incidental benefits. | ||
| WWX: | But there’s no other possible reason! Madame Yu and him – why? If not for me, then WHY??? He wouldn’t do it otherwise, there’s no way – Jiang Cheng? Not a chance, he loves her, the only time they even ever disagree it’s about me – |
A LAUGH. IT’S MIRTHLESS.
| JC: | Do I really need to say it? Just for you, Wei Wuxian, I’ll clarify – I didn’t kill Mother for your sake. Christ, are you delusional. |
JIANG CHENG IS LEANING AGAINST A WALL.
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng!!! You – | ||
| JC: | Come to the movie night if you want. Don’t come if you don’t want. Can’t stop you from doing whatever you want to do, right? | ||
| JYL: | A-Cheng… | ||
| WWX: | And what’s that supposed to mean?! | ||
| JC: | You know exactly what I mean. |
WEI WUXIAN MOVES TOWARDS JIANG CHENG.
| WWX: | No, I fu- I don’t! I don’t know what that means, Jiang Cheng, you have to tell me for me to understand, why can’t you just tell me – | ||
| JC: | You should probably stop yelling. Jin Ling’s home from archery club. |
WEI WUXIAN WHIPS HIS HEAD AROUND.
NO JIN LING IS IN SIGHT.
| WWX: | He’s NOT. | ||
| JC: | He will be, in two minutes. If you’re going to your Lan for dinner, you should gǔn dàn before A-Ling wheedles you into staying for dinner. | ||
| JYL: | Just because it’s not English doesn’t make it appropriate, A-Cheng. | ||
| WWX: | Maybe I will stay for dinner. | ||
| JC: | Again, can’t stop you. You’re a free man. |
JIANG CHENG SNEERS. HIS POINT IS OBVIOUS.
WEI WUXIAN SCOWLS.
| WWX: | See, Jie? How can I have a normal, human being conversation with him when he’s being like this? | ||
| JC: | That’s the question I ask myself every time you speak to me. | ||
| JYL: | Boys. | ||
| WWX: | Why? Why can’t you just tell me?? I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on, you need to let me – | ||
| JC: | I don’t need to ‘let’ you do anything, Wei Wuxian, and I certainly don’t need your ‘help’. This conversation is over. I’m not talking about this with Jin Ling around. | ||
| WWX: | He’s not home yet. | ||
| JYL: | Boys! |
THE TWO SNAP TO ATTENTION.
| JYL: | A-Cheng, if you’re not ready to talk about it, we understand. |
JIANG YANLI LOOKS AT WEI WUXIAN.
WEI WUXIAN LOOKS WRONGED.
| WWX: | But – | ||
| JYL: | No buts. We’ll respect A-Cheng’s space. But A-Cheng – don’t take it out on your brother. |
JIANG CHENG’S EXPRESSION IS FLAT.
| JC: | I’m not. | ||
| JYL: | Then let’s keep it that way, alright? We’re all family here. Of all times – this is not the time to argue. |
SILENCE. WEI WUXIAN BACKS AWAY FROM JIANG CHENG TO SIT BACK DOWN. HE’S SLUMPED.
| WWX: | …It was about the project, wasn’t it? | ||
| JC: | If I told you no, would you believe me? |
SILENCE.
| JC: | Exactly. |
THE FRONT DOOR OPENS.
| JL: | MOM, DAD, I’M HOME! |
A CONVERSATION IN THE LIVING ROOM: WITH FAMILY
November 9, XXXX. 4:31 PM
| JYL: | Welcome home, A-Ling! There’s a glass of water on the island for you, we’re in the living room! | ||
| JL: | OK! COMING! |
THUMPING FOOTSTEPS.
WEI WUXIAN LOOKS FRANTICALLY FOR AN EXIT.
JIN LING ROUNDS THE CORNER.
| JL: | I’m home, mama – xiao-jiujiu? Um – | ||
| JC: | How was school, A-Ling? |
JIN ZIXUAN SEEMS MILDLY OFFENDED.
| JL: | Uh, fine, I guess? Why’s xiao-jiujiu in our house? | ||
| JYL: | Manners, A-Ling. | ||
| JL: | Good afternoon, xiao-jiujiu. | ||
| WWX: | Good afternoon yourself, kiddo. Well, I was just about to – |
JIN LING HAS AN EPIPHANY.
| JL: | Oh! Did you hear about the movie night we’re gonna do tonight? Are you gonna come to the movie night, is that why you’re here? |
WEI WUXIAN FREEZES.
| JC: | That’s right. He’s going to have dinner with your Jiufu, and then he’s coming to movie night. |
JIN LING EYES WEI WUXIAN WARILY.
WEI WUXIAN SMILES. HIS SMILES ARE ALWAYS NATURAL.
| JL: | But we’re not watching any of your movies, ok? I’ve seen ‘em all a million times. | ||
| WWX: | Ah, if you don’t want da-jiujiu to come, that’s OK – | ||
| JL: | I didn’t say that! You can come if you want. I don’t care if you don’t want, though! |
JIN LING IS LOOKING AWAY.
THREE PAIRS OF EYES STARE AT WEI WUXIAN.
| WWX: | Of course I want to come! Can I come, A-Ling? |
JIN LING TILTS HIS CHIN UP HAUGHTILY.
| JL: | You can come. I’ll even let you choose a movie – as long as it’s not yours, ok? | ||
| WWX: | I’m honoured, young master Jin Ling. I’ll make sure to choose the most excellent movie. | ||
| JL: | Hmph! | ||
| JZX: | Do you have any homework left over, A-Ling? |
JIN LING PUFFS UP FURTHER.
| JL: | Finished it all in class! | ||
| JZX: | Then do you want to come choose your movie with baba? |
JIN LING LIGHTS UP.
| JL: | Yes! Let’s go, let’s go! I wanna watch adventure and fighting and baba what candy did you get did you get any ring pops I wanted pixie stix too –! |
JIN LING ZOOMS OFF, JIN ZIXUAN FOLLOWING.
THE REMAINING THREE WAIT UNTIL JIN LING IS OUT OF EARSHOT.
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng. How could you? | ||
| JC: | Are you really going to argue with me? Were you going to say no? | ||
| WWX: | Well, no, but – | ||
| JC: | Then it’s fine, isn’t it? | ||
| WWX: | No, it’s not fine –! | ||
| JYL: | In any case – I’m glad you’ll be coming, A-Xian. |
WEI WUXIAN EXAMINES JIANG CHENG.
JIANG CHENG’S EXPRESSION IS FLAT.
| WWX: | Are you glad, Jiang Cheng? | ||
| JC: | Don’t push it. We are not going to talk about any of this in front of A-Ling, got it? Don’t you dare start with me tonight. | ||
| WWX: | Jesus, got it. You think I’m that careless? I wouldn’t do that to A-Ling. | ||
| JC: | We both know exactly how careless you are. |
WEI WUXIAN DOES NOT RESPOND.
| JYL: | Ah, look at the time! A-Xian, if you head out now, you’ll still make it on time for Lan Wangji’s five o’clock dinner prep. |
WEI WUXIAN GLANCES AT THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK.
| WWX: | Is it already – oh, I seriously gotta run – but Jiang Cheng, don’t think I won’t pry something out of you yet. You can’t keep yelling at me forever! I’m more persistent than you think! | ||
| JC: | Oh, I know. | ||
| WWX: | No you don’t! I’ll be back toooniiight -------- |
WEI WUXIAN DISAPPEARS.
JIANG CHENG GROWLS SOMETHING UNDER HIS BREATH.
| JYL: | A-Cheng, are you alright? |
| JC: | I’m sorry, Jie. Shouldn’t have put you between us like that. |
| JYL: | You know that's not what I mean, A-Cheng. |
JIANG CHENG WAVES DISMISSIVELY.
| JC: | It’ll be fine. You know how it is. | ||
| JYL: | I…–I understand. In the meantime, do you want to go down and help pick a movie? A-Ling said this morning that he wanted to watch a Jiujiu movie. | ||
| JC: | I’ve never been in a movie? | ||
| JYL: | He wants you to pick a movie, A-Cheng. | ||
| JC: | He… got it. Call me when you need help with dinner, ok? | ||
| JYL: | I’ll be calling all three of you back to assist me, I promise. Now shoo! To the basement with you! |
JIANG YANLI WATCHES AS JIANG CHENG HEADS DOWN THE STAIRS.
SHE WAITS TO HEAR JIN LING’S EXCITED YELLS BEFORE RELAXING.
DINNER PASSES PEACEABLY.
CONVERSATION FOCUSES ON JIN LING, WHO ENJOYS THE ATTENTION.
WEI WUXIAN ARRIVES AT 7:00 PM, LADEN WITH SNACKS.
Notes:
Split the chapter in half so I can provide something while I agonize over part 2.
Gǔndàn (滚蛋): Fuck off if you’re being mean about it, scram if you say it nicely.
JL was a little traumatized by the interview, but the thought of a movie night has successfully overridden residual strange feelings. JL will always call WWX xiao-jiujiu. WWX refers to himself da-jiujiu, since he’s older than JC. JYL and JZX don’t correct JL because it really doesn’t matter all that much, and it's a little funny.
Pulling from my elementary era where ring pops and pixie stix were the real hotness. Tyty as always for reading!
Chapter 10: November 9 – MOVIE: DOWNER
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A NIGHT IN THE HOME THEATHER: WITH FAMILY
November 9, XXXX. 10:56 PM
THE SECOND MOVIE ENDS.
JIN LING YAWNS, THEN CATCHES HIMSELF.
| JL: | I’m not tired! One more movie – we’ve only watched two – please? | |
| JZX: | Let’s get to bed, A-Ling. Look at the time. | |
| JL: | Noo… just one more – |
JIN LING YAWNS AGAIN. HIS EYES ARE WATERY.
WEI WUXIAN YAWNS.
| WWX: | Really is contagious. Kid, admit it – you’re tired. | |
| JL: | ‘m not tired. Promise. | |
| WWX: | Young master, this one admits fatigue – |
WEI WUXIAN YAWNS AGAIN.
IN THE SPIRIT OF CONTAGION, JIN LING YAWNS.
| JC: | Jin Ling. What did we say about sleep? |
JIN LING POUTS, THEN RELENTS.
| JL: | I won’t grow tall if I don’t get lotsa sleep, and brain cells will die and I’ll be stupid forever. |
JIN ZIXUAN GLANCES AT JIANG CHENG IN MILD HORROR.
JIANG YANLI IS UNFAZED, BLINKING SLEEPILY.
| JYL: | A-Ling, it’s way past our bedtime. It’s time to sleep, sweetheart. | |
| JL: | …No. Wanna watch another movie with Jiujiu. |
JIN LING GRASPS AT JIANG CHENG.
JIANG CHENG SMACKS JIN LING LIGHTLY ON THE BACK OF HIS HEAD.
| JC: | I’ll still be here tomorrow, and the day after that and the day after that. | |
| JL: | …you’ll make me do homework. You never watch movies with me. | |
| JC: | If you finish all your homework and your chores, we can watch more movies on the weekend. |
JIN LING PONDERS.
| JL: | Promise? | |
| JC: | Promise. | |
| JL: | …but you’re always too busy. | |
| JC: | When have I ever broken a promise, A-Ling? | |
| JL: | …hmph. | |
| JC: | And I’ll be here for a while yet. So let’s get to bed. | |
| JL: | …fine. | |
| JZX: | Do you want baba to carry you up? | |
| JL: | No! I’m almost eleven! I can walk! | |
| JYL: | And don’t forget to brush your teeth – A-Xuan? | |
| JZX: | I’ll keep an eye on him. | |
| JL: | I know how to brush my teeth! |
JIN LING STUMBLES TOWARDS THE STAIRS.
HE PAUSES AND WHIRLS AROUND.
| JL: | And jiujiu’s better go to bed too! |
JIN LING STOMPS AWAY.
JIN ZIXUAN FOLLOWS.
| WWX: | Wow. Every time, you and A-Ling – Jiang Wanyin, ultimate babysitter. Who’d believe it? If I told anyone, they’d call me crazy. Insane, even. |
JIANG CHENG IGNORES WEI WUXIAN.
| JC: | Jie – | |
| JYL: | Mmm. Yes. Right. |
JIANG YANLI YAWNS AND SITS UP STRAIGHT.
| JYL: | Cleaning up, cleaning up, we have to clean up | – |
| WWX: | You can leave the cleaning to us, Jie! You should go to bed, you look like a zombie – | |
| JYL: | Is that how you see your Jie…? |
JIANG YANLI YAWNS AGAIN. SHE COLLAPSES BACK INTO THE COUCH.
| WWX: | Zombie. A very pretty, kind-hearted, excellent zombie that needs some sleep. | |
| JC: | Stop yapping and start moving. Wrappers in the chip bag. | |
| WWX: | I know how to clean, dude. I wasn’t born yesterday – | |
| JC: | Then clean. |
BLEARY-EYED, JIANG YANLI OBSERVES.
| WWX: | Should we vacuum? There’s crumbs – | |
| JC: | Pick up the garbage. |
JIANG CHENG LEAVES.
| WWX: | Wait, where are you going – | |
| JYL: | A-Cheng knows where the hand vacuum is. | |
| WWX: | Oh. |
JIANG CHENG RETURNS. HE BEGINS TO VACUUM.
THEY CLEAN.
WEI WUXIAN PICKS UP A FALLEN PILLOW.
| JC: | Leave it. Jin Ling will clean that up tomorrow. | |
| WWX: | Oh. |
WEI WUXIAN DROPS IT BACK ON THE GROUND.
SOON, THE ROOM IS CLEAN OF CRUMBS AND WRAPPERS.
THE COLLAPSED PILLOW FORT IS UNTOUCHED.
JIANG YANLI YAWNS. SHE STANDS UP AND STRETCHES.
| JYL: | Thank you. | |
| WWX: | We obviously weren’t gonna leave it, Jie, how could we – | |
| JC: | I’m going to head out for some fresh air before I turn in. Jie, hurry up and go to bed – and don’t worry about breakfast tomorrow. I’ll handle it. | |
| JYL: | Ah, well – thank you. Don’t forget your jacket, it’s getting chilly these nights. | |
| JC: | Will do. Goodnight, Jie. | |
| WWX: | Wait for me, I’m coming too – Night, Jie! Sleep tight! |
JIANG CHENG LEAVES.
WEI WUXIAN SCRAMBLES TO FOLLOW.
JIANG CHENG RETURNS THE VACUUM AND GRABS HIS JACKET.
WEI WUXIAN FOLLOWS CLOSELY.
HE NOTICES A DISTINCT RECTANGULAR BULGE.
| WWX: | Did you start smoking again? I thought you quit. | |
| JC: | I don’t need an alcoholic worrying about me. |
THEY WALK OUT THE BACK DOOR.
A CONVERSATION IN THE BACK GARDEN: BETWEEN JIANG CHENG AND WEI WUXIAN
November 9, XXXX. 11:03 PM
| WWX: | Is Jie OK with you still smoking? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| WWX: | Where did you even get the cigarettes, man? | |
| JC: | I’m here much more often than you. | |
| WWX: | Bah, rub it in, won’t you. Hey, is that a veggie patch over there? Is Jie growing vegetables? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng, is our Jie growing vegetables? |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| WWX: | I just want to know what Jie’s growing, Jiang Cheng – tell me? Please? | |
| JC: | Ask Jin Zixuan. He takes care of it. | |
| WWX: | What? No way – you’re kidding. You’re not kidding? Oh my god – him? That peacock? He has the guts to touch dirt with his bare hands? Isn’t he deathly afraid of – he freaked out when those ants crawled up his leg that one time at the picnic, god, that was hilarious. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| WWX: | Maybe its exposure therapy. |
THEY REACH A FENCE FAR FROM THE HOUSE.
JIANG CHENG LIGHTS A CIGARETTE. HE TAKES A DRAG.
| WWX: | So. Jiang Cheng, what’s – | |
| JC: | Don’t you have anything better to do than follow me around? |
WEI WUXIAN SIGHS.
| WWX: | Look. I promised I wouldn’t start anything with A-Ling around, but I’m not going to let you just – | |
| JC: | Are you going to release the promo on the 21st? | |
| WWX: | Huh? What? You – no, of course not! That’s the least of our worries – | |
| JC: | Release it. | |
| WWX: | No. | |
| JC: | Release. It. | |
| WWX: | No! | |
| JC: | Alright. Fine. | |
| WWX: | And I changed the password to the account too, so don’t think that you can release it yourself. | |
| JC: | …You’re an idiot. | |
| WWX: | You know what, Jiang Cheng? Maybe I am. But I’m not the one – |
WEI WUXIAN CATCHES HIMSELF.
A PUFF OF SMOKE.
| JC: | You’re not the one what, hm? Not going to say it? | |
| WWX: | …I helped you make that promo, don’t I have a say? | |
| JC: | Fine. Change the subject. It’s my project, Wei Wuxian. I can release whatever I want, whenever I want. | |
| WWX: | …and did Madame Yu feel the same way? About it being your project? | |
| JC: | Jesus Christ – |
WEI WUXIAN STARES, SEARCHING.
A PUFF OF SMOKE. A DEEP SIGH.
| JC: | She didn’t know, Wei Wuxian, Mother did not know about the project, I did not kill my own mother for you, you fu – seriously? Why is it so hard for you to believe that my mother’s death has nothing to do with our project? | |
| WWX: | The articles were speculating – | |
| JC: | Yeah, and Father would’ve been over the moon if he could tie you to a Jiang project, hm? Or maybe he’s already given you something and I just didn’t hear about it, that’d be – | |
| WWX: | What? No! Uncle Jiang – | |
| JC: | – business as usual, right? And even if Mother knew, Wei Wuxian, even if, why the hell would I kill her? For what reason? And why, Wei Wuxian, would I ever put myself in that position for you, of all people? | |
| WWX: | Well ––– fine, then, if you’re so confident that it’s got nothing to do with the project then you’ve got nothing to hide from me. Absolutely nothing, right? It’s got nothing to do with me, nothing to do with the project, wholly unrelated, so you can tell me why, the for real why Madame Yu’s dead! Right? |
JIANG CHENG SNEERS.
| JC: | I don’t need to tell you anything. | |
| WWX: | Or maybe you can’t tell me. | |
| JC: | Or maybe I don’t want to tell you. | |
| WWX: | Why wouldn’t you want to – is it – Jiang Cheng, do you still not trust me? I – |
JIANG CHENG LAUGHS. IT’S BITTER.
| JC: | Oh, so we’re talking about trust now? I should be asking you that question, Wei Wuxian – do you not trust me? Do you not trust me to know exactly what I’m doing? That everything happening is well within my expectations? That I’ve long since accepted the consequences of my actions?? That I know what I’m doing??? Fuck, is that really so hard for you to believe??? | |
| WWX: | You – it’s not the same and you know it!!! You wouldn’t – kill – you can’t have expected it, you wouldn’t have let it come to this – |
WEI WUXIAN PACES.
| WWX: | Why won’t you just tell me the truth?!? |
A PUFF OF SMOKE.
| JC: | That reminds me. Wei Wuxian, did you know that I’ve never lied to you? Never, not once. Can you say the same? | |
| WWX: | Can I say – you’re lying to me right now, asshole!!! | |
| JC: | If that’s what you think, I can’t change your mind, can I. I can’t ever change your mind about anything. Not when you decided to leave. Not when you started acting. Not when – | |
| WWX: | What – stop that!!! Why are you trying to – fuck, this – this is about you, Jiang Cheng, not me!! Madame Yu, you had no reason, no reason whatsoever, nothing, fucking nada, so why??? What the hell’s your problem? Why is it such a classified federal goddamned national defense top-secret fucking bullshit with you? It’s literally not a big deal, like – yeah, it’s a big fucking deal but it’s fine, right? It’s fine!!! We can work through it! I can do something about it, but if you won’t – tell me – What’s going on??? |
WEI WUXIAN’S FIST IMPACTS THE FENCE. THE FENCE IS STURDY.
| WWX: | What are you thinking??? |
A PUFF OF SMOKE.
JIANG CHENG SIGHS.
| JC: | I thought it was about you. Weren’t you just saying I killed Mother for you? | |
| WWX: | Yeah, but that was – no, don’t you dare try turning this around on me! You’re out here telling me that Madame Yu really knew nothing about our project? Madame Yu? She knows everything! Just because Uncle Jiang didn’t know, that means jack shit, and if she knew I know she wouldn’t hesitate to have me – | |
| JC: | Mother was human, Wei Wuxian. | |
| WWX: | And you’re seriously telling me it had nothing to do with me. Or the project. | |
| JC: | Yes. | |
| WWX: | And you know what? That’s fine! I believe you, because – because that’s good! Fucking dandy or whatever – so you can tell me the truth! Right??? Like I said, if it’s not me – Jiang Cheng, then you have nothing to hide from me, you know that! And even if it were me – you know I’m on your side, I’ll always be on your side, you know that, no matter how many times you need me to say it, I’ll keep telling you – I’m on your side, I’m on your side, I’m on your – | |
| JC: | Right. | |
| WWX: | –side, I’m serious, Jiang Cheng, you can tell me, you – you’re my brother! I’m your brother! Through thick and thin, we promised, I – let me keep that promise. You can tell me. You can trust me. I trust you. I promised. Please. |
WEI WUXIAN PLEADS.
A PUFF OF SMOKE
| JC: | You really want to know that badly? | |
| WWX: | Of course I do, why the hell do you think I’m here?! | |
| JC: | No matter what? | |
| WWX: | No matter what. |
LONG SILENCE.
JIANG CHENG SIGHS.
| JC: | …It was suicide, alright? Mother committed suicide. |
SHOCKED SILENCE.
| WWX: | …What? | |
| JC: | Yeah. You think I could let that news get out? | |
| WWX: | But – then why would you say you killed her? How does that help anything? | |
| JC: | I panicked. I didn’t think things through. I didn’t think any of this would happen. | |
| WWX: | But you could still – you can unconfess, right? Tell the cops the truth? It’s not too late, there’s still, it’s only been a couple of days – the knife – it wouldn’t have your fingerprints, right, if it was suicide, so that’s evidence – and evidence, like, a suicide note, did Madame Yu leave anything behind? if there was no note, I’m good at forgery, I could totally – |
JIANG CHENG LAUGHS.
A PUFF OF SMOKE.
| JC: | My god. You really can do everything, can’t you? | |
| WWX: | What are you laughing about?! I’m being serious here! | |
| JC: | I know. |
A FINAL DRAG.
JIANG CHENG PUTS THE CIGARETTE OUT AGAINST A WOODEN FENCE AND TUCKS THE BUTT INTO HIS JACKET POCKET.
| JC: | But I’m kidding. |
JIANG CHENG TAKES OFF HIS JACKET. HE TOSSES IT AT WEI WUXIAN.
WEI WUXIAN CATCHES IT. HE’S STUNNED.
| JC: | Laugh, Wei Wuxian. It’s a joke. And wear the jacket if you’re going to stay out any longer, it’s getting cold. I’m heading back in. Goodnight, Wei Wuxian. |
JIANG CHENG HEADS TOWARDS THE DOOR.
AFTER A SECOND, WEI WUXIAN RUNS AFTER JIANG CHENG.
| WWX: | JIANG CHENG, WAIT – |
JIANG CHENG LOCKS THE DOOR BEHIND HIM.
WEI WUXIAN BANGS LIGHTLY ON THE LOCKED DOOR.
JIANG CHENG IGNORES HIM.
| WWX: | …You know, your jacket’s too small for me… | |
| WWX: | Fuck. What the fuck? | |
| WWX: | Never lied to me? That motherfucker – | |
| WWX: | What the hell’s wrong with him?!? | |
| WWX: | The fuck’s going on??? |
A PASSING CONVERSATION BEFORE THE BASEMENT STAIRS: WITH JIANG CHENG AND JIN ZIXUAN
November 9, XXXX. 11:18 PM
JIANG CHENG HEADS TOWARDS THE BASEMENT.
JIN ZIXUAN WALKS OVER.
| JZX: | Hey. |
JIANG CHENG STOPS.
| JC: | What do you want. |
JIN ZIXUAN JERKS HIS HEAD IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE BACK DOOR.
| JC: | Yeah? | |
| JZX: | …Everything ok? With you? |
JIANG CHENG SNORTS. IT’S HALFHEARTED.
| JC: | Just because I told you a couple of sob stories, you’re going to act like this. | |
| JZX: | Act like what? | |
| JC: | I’m really not in the mood. | |
| JZX: | No, seriously, act like what? | |
| JC: | …Jesus, lord, why is it so hard for a man to be left alone for just one second, one second, that’s all I need – | |
| JZX: | You stink. | |
| JC: | What? And what do you want me to –––– |
JIANG CHENG GRIMACES.
| JC: | I’m sorry, alright? I shouldn’t have, I know, I know – | |
| JZX: | You don’t need to apologize to me. | |
| JC: | Then who do I need to apologize to? | |
| JZX: | …You know what I mean. | |
| JC: | There’re people out there who’d pay millions to hear me apologize, you know that? |
JIN ZIXUAN SIGHS.
| JZX: | Jiang Cheng – look. Go and take a shower or something. | |
| JC: | Where do you think I’m going? | |
| JZX: | You’re staying in the basement suite? You don’t smell that bad. |
A PAUSE.
| JC: | Good point. Won’t take much longer for Wei Wuxian to find the spare key. | |
| JZX: | I’ll let him in. | |
| JC: | Yeah, you do that. | |
| JZX: | …You know, somebody once told me that it’s unhealthy to hold everything in. If you keep it all inside, nobody will know – | |
| JC: | Keep the therapist talk to yourself. | |
| JZX: | They worry about you. | |
| JC: | …Yeah. I’ll have to do something about that. | |
| JZX: | Please do. I’m sure they’d be on your side, no matter what the truth is – | |
| JC: | Goodnight, Jin Zixuan. And if you’re going to let Wei Wuxian in, do it before he freezes to death. |
JIANG CHENG TURNS AND HEADS UPSTAIRS.
| JZX: | …Wei Wuxian can let himself in. |
A PHONE CONVERSATION IN THE GUEST SUITE: WITH WEI WUXIAN AND LAN WANGJI
November 9, XXXX. 11:47 PM
| WWX: | See, Lan Zhan? I remembered to call. | |
| LWJ: | You are ok. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, I’m perfectly fine! You worry too much, darling – staying up all night to wait for my call? Mwah. Mwah mwah mwah. | |
| LWJ: | Mmm. Wei Ying will not come home? | |
| WWX: | I wish I could, Lan Zhan, but you know I can’t! Jiang Cheng, that little – he won’t tell me anything, so how am I supposed to, you know, don’t you usually loop in family on what the official story’s supposed to be, at least? But he won’t – nothing. | |
| LWJ: | Hm. | |
| WWX: | No, it’s not normal! He locked me outside – | |
| LWJ: | Locked outside. | |
| WWX: | Ah, he knows I know where they keep the spare key, it’s not that big of a deal, and even though it’s too small he gave me his jacket and everything, even if I had to walk around the corner to throw out the butt that he left. Anyways – he’s still him, but – Jiang Cheng – you don’t know him, alright? I know you don’t exactly like him or anything, but – he’s my brother. I know. | |
| LWJ: | Hmm. | |
| WWX: | I didn’t mean it that way, Lan Zhan, don’t get pouty – it’s just, it’s like with Xichen-ge, right? You and him are brothers. Me and Jiang Cheng are brothers. | |
| LWJ: | Brothers. | |
| WWX: | All the rest of that stuff’s ancient history, I know what you’re thinking about. Anyways, stop getting me sidetracked! Do you wanna hear about Jiang Cheng or not? | |
| LWJ: | Can he hear? | |
| WWX: | Lan Zhaaaaaan. Who do you think I am? | |
| LWJ: | Double-checking is a good habit. | |
| WWX: | Fiiiiiiine, no, Jiang Cheng can’t hear. You know I’m in the basement, he’s in one of the guest suites upstairs. See? Perfectly distanced. Can I tell you what happened now? | |
| LWJ: | Mhm. | |
| WWX: | So. Jiang Cheng wouldn’t kill Madame Yu, right? We can both agree on that. | |
| LWJ: | Mhm. | |
| WWX: | And he says its got nothing to do with Madame Yu threatening to kill me, but how – he wouldn’t admit it, even if that was the case, and plus he’s, going, going through some sort of psycho phase, like, he lied to my face about why he did it, you know?! He said Madame Yu killed herself, then he said he was kidding and laughed! Why??? Lan Zhan, it makes no sense! | |
| LWJ: | Psycho phase. Wei Ying is very smart. | |
| WWX: | No no no, Lan Zhan, that’s not it, I know you think he’s permanently insane or at least insane-adjacent but that’s just not – that’s just him being normal. | |
| LWJ: | He is – | |
| WWX: | He’s not evil, Lan Zhan! He’s not cruel, or mean, he’s just a little, prickly! And salty, and sour, full of vinegar and all that – but that’s not the point, Lan Zhan, he’s not cruel, and that’s what I’m saying – he wouldn’t kill. | |
| LWJ: | Hm. | |
| WWX: | Fine, I’m not going to try to convince you, but – | |
| LWJ: | In any case. He is not Wei Ying’s responsibility. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, but – | |
| LWJ: | This is his responsibility. | |
| WWX: | But he’s my brother. I – I can’t just – | |
| LWJ: | Do not let him drag you into his mess. | |
| WWX: | I – Lan Zhan, I know you want to protect me, but I told you – I know him. I know Jiang Cheng – | |
| LWJ: | He will hurt you again. | |
| WWX: | But that was my fault to begin with, right? If it weren’t – | |
| LWJ: | No. | |
| WWX: | …Yeah, I know. But this – this, he could go to prison, Lan Zhan, like – federal penitentiary, supermax, real – shit, real shit. | |
| LWJ: | Perhaps this is his choice. | |
| WWX: | Who would choose that??? | |
| LWJ: | Psycho phase. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, well – isn’t it family’s responsibility to talk someone down from psycho phase? Like when Xichen-ge had his, you know – | |
| LWJ: | Different. Xiong-zhang did not kill a person. | |
| WWX: | …Look, Lan Zhan. You know I can’t ignore this. |
BRIEF SILENCE.
| LWJ: | …It is why I love Wei Ying. | |
| WWX: | Aw, and I love you too! | |
| LWJ: | Mmmhm. | |
| WWX: | But I still need to make sure Jiang Cheng’s ok. I don’t have much time before I need to get back to set, and I – at the very least, the truth. I just want him to tell me the truth. | |
| LWJ: | I do not think he will. | |
| WWX: | Well, I’ll do my level frickin best to get it out of him, then. I gotta – just gotta formulate a plan, like tomorrow morning, after Jin Ling leaves – | |
| LWJ: | The interview. | |
| WWX: | Ah. What time was that again…? | |
| LWJ: | One. Your flight is eight. | |
| WWX: | Shit. There’s never enough time, is there? | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying can speak to him now. | |
| WWX: | I can’t fight with him when Jin Ling’s here! | |
| LWJ: | You fought. | |
| WWX: | We didn’t fight, not like that! I meant fight, like yelling – don’t wanna wake the kid up, you know? I told you earlier, didn’t I? No fighting, just a little Q&A, that’s all. | |
| LWJ: | Mmm. | |
| WWX: | Yeah. And A-Jie, her house is too big and too small at the same time, like – I can’t force my way into sharing a room with Jiang Cheng, but if we argue the kid’ll definitely hear it. I’m loud. He’s loud too. | |
| LWJ: | Then Wei Ying should sleep. You cannot resolve anything tonight. | |
| WWX: | But – | |
| LWJ: | He will not answer your questions. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, I – maybe he won’t, maybe he will, but I just don’t know why, like – I don’t care, you know? I don’t – well, not I don’t care, but I don’t – just because he killed Madame Yu, it doesn’t mean I can’t, you know. He doesn’t just stop being my brother because he killed – and we’re not even sure he did it, right? He confessed, sure, but – did you know he told me that Madame Yu committed suicide, then he said he was kidding? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. | |
| WWX: | Right??? That’s – how do I get him to – | |
| LWJ: | Not Wei Ying’s job. | |
| WWX: | …What if he killed Madame Yu for me, though? | |
| LWJ: | He would not. | |
| WWX: | But he would. | |
| LWJ: | He would not. | |
| WWX: | He’d do anything for his family. | |
| LWJ: | Is Wei Ying family? | |
| WWX: | Yes. Unequivocally, yes. If we weren’t family, you know – I know that Madame Yu – knew that Madame Yu wanted me gone, I know that he was holding her back somehow, I know – I know. Madame Yu could’ve ended my career whenever she wanted. There’s no way I would be where I am today if Madame Yu had her way, right? | |
| LWJ: | I would not have let her. | |
| WWX: | Lan Zhan, as much as I believe in you, you don’t know Madame Yu. Nothing can stop her when she’s on the warpath, you know, nothing short of death. And Madame Yu’s dead. | |
| LWJ: | There are many other possible reasons. | |
| WWX: | Like what? | |
| LWJ: | Perhaps she wished to harm Wei Ying’s sister. Or family. | |
| WWX: | No, nah, impossible. Madame Yu loves, loved – fuck, loved Lingling, adored him to pieces. She’d never. | |
| LWJ: | You know Madame Yu well. | |
| WWX: | I mean – | |
| LWJ: | Hm. | |
| WWX: | Lan Zhan… | |
| LWJ: | Perhaps Jiang Cheng did not lie. | |
| WWX: | That Madame Yu committed suicide? | |
| LWJ: | Mhm. |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | I don’t know. Like, I can’t – I really don’t – I sound like Nie Huaisang, don’t I? | |
| LWJ: | Hmmh. | |
| WWX: | It’s not funny. I – | |
| LWJ: | Sleep. There is tomorrow. | |
| WWX: | Tomorrow? You think he’ll just – |
WEI WUXIAN PAUSES.
| WWX: | …You know what? I said that earlier, right? There’s tomorrow. Maybe I should make breakfast with him. | |
| LWJ: | That is not – | |
| WWX: | No, it’s an awesome idea! I’ll make breakfast, send little Lingling off to school – then we’ll talk. With Jie and that stupid peacock, all four of us – there’ll be time aplenty before I need to go talk to Mr. Cop. | |
| LWJ: | …Wei Ying. Be careful. | |
| WWX: | Pick me up at – | |
| LWJ: | 12:15. | |
| WWX: | Thank you, my lovely lovely Lan Zhan. Don’t worry about me, alright? It’s all family stuff, it’s no biggie, really. Aaaalright. Now let’s get you to bed, hm, Lan Zhan? | |
| LWJ: | Hmm. Goodnight, Wei Ying. | |
| WWX: | Love you too, my darling muffin munchkin sweetheart strawberry stew. Mwah. | |
| LWJ: | …mwah. |
Notes:
You really thought that there’d be any shit-stirring during A-Ling’s movie night? Kid makes the lot of ‘em watch movies quietly – I mean, he can yell about it, but the audience must keep silent. Conducive to lack of arguments.
Collapsible clicks have been introduced, prepare for unending notes of varying relevance.
Notes x4
1. A-Jie vs. Jie. In the dialect I speak, I say A-Jie. In Mando, I say Jie. I’m pretty sure their dialect would also be A-Jie, and JC says A-Jie in the show, right? Is this a thing people care about? Otherwise, I’m sticking to what’s easier to type.
2. I was going to make JC flick JL on the forehead, but I suddenly realized that I’ve only ever seen that in media and never in real life. Smacking on the back of the head is very common. Forehead flick? Is that real? Do people do that? Or is it just a TV thing? Anime thing?
3. Cigarettes are calming but I reject calmness via lung cancer. TIL average puffs per cigarette approximately 6.8; high-yield cigarettes average 8.3 puffs. So you don’t have to count, JC did 8. Hooray trivial details!
When JC used to smoke, he’d not go near his Jie’s house for at least an hour so the smell had time to dissipate. WWX once told him to start vaping. JC refuses for aesthetic reasons, as well as some other reasons.
4. WWX’s voice is hard. And I hate formatting.
Chapter 11: November 10 - PRECURSOR, LWJ
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
BREAKFAST: WITH JIANG YANLI AND JIANG CHENG
November 10, XXXX. 7:35 AM
| JYL: | You’re as good a cook as I remember, A-Cheng. | |
| JC: | It wasn’t too salty? | |
| JYL: | Not at all. Just right. | |
| JC: | Mm. |
THEY CLEAN UP TOGETHER, QUIETLY.
ONE PLATE IS LEFT BEHIND.
| JYL: | …Can I ask you a question? |
MOMENTARY FREEZE.
| JC: | Of course. | |
| JYL: | You like purple, don’t you? | |
| JC: | What – where’s this coming from, Jie? | |
| JYL: | Do you? | |
| JC: | Yeah…? | |
| JYL: | And you really like the Lotus Root and Pork Rib soup I make, right? | |
| JC: | – Jie, is everything OK? | |
| JYL: | You love dogs, and you love A-Ling. | |
| JC: | I’d say I love A-Ling more than I love dogs, but – | |
| JYL: | You like cooking? | |
| JC: | If it’s between like and dislike, I would have to say like, but – | |
| JYL: | You don’t cook. | |
| JC: | I just – | |
| JYL: | Normally. I know you don’t. | |
| JC: | I don’t have the time, you know that. | |
| JYL: | You used to swim, didn’t you? Do you still swim? | |
| JC: | When I have the time, sure – | |
| JYL: | Do you ever have the time? | |
| JC: | Jie – what’s your point? |
JIANG YANLI LOOKS AT JIANG CHENG.
SHE SEEMS CONFLICTED.
| JYL: | All I’m trying to say is that you finally have some time to yourself. We have a pool, we have a kitchen. A-Ling’s getting a pet dog for his birthday, so even if you won’t get a pet yourself – |
SURPRISE.
| JC: | Really? You’re getting A-Ling a dog? |
SMALL SMILE.
| JYL: | His uncle insisted, and A-Ling’s always wanted a dog. Besides, A-Xian isn’t in town all that often, and even when he is he doesn’t stay with us. Anyhow, don’t distract me, now – as I was saying, you know can take some time to do things for yourself? Our home is your home. | |
| JC: | I don’t think I’m supposed to be on vacation. | |
| JYL: | Who’s to say what anyone’s supposed to be doing? | |
| JC: | Jie – seriously, what are you trying to say? | |
| JYL: | I don’t know when you last took time for yourself, A-Cheng, that’s all. I want you to take some time for yourself. Do something for you. |
JIANG CHENG SCOFFS.
HE PUTS THE FINAL DISH IN THE DISHWASHER.
| JC: | With all due respect, Jie, you don’t need to worry about me. Everything I do is for myself. | |
| JYL: | Is that so? All of it, everything you’ve been doing has been for yourself? | |
| JC: | I – |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT FINISH HIS THOUGHT.
| JC: | Jie, you don’t need to worry about me – and I get your point. You’re right, I’m still a little tired. | |
| JYL: | A-Cheng – | |
| JC: | Thanks, Jie. It’s nice to be reminded to rest, once in a while. I’m going to head up for a nap. Wake me up for lunch? |
JIANG YANLI LOOKS AWAY.
| JYL: | …Of course. Anything you want for lunch? | |
| JC: | You mention the soup. Any chance of that in the near future? Anything’s fine for lunch. | |
| JYL: | Look forward to it, then. |
JIANG CHENG LEAVES.
JIANG YANLI RUBS AT HER EYES.
| JYL: | …not enough… | |
| JYL: | It’s not enough… | |
| JYL: | … | |
| JYL: | What a joke. |
BREAKFAST: WITH JIANG YANLI AND WEI WUXIAN
November 10, XXXX. 7:48 AM
WEI WUXIAN STUMBLES INTO THE DINING ROOM.
| WWX: | G’morning, A-Jie, Chengcheng! Mmmm, something smells good, is that – | |
| JYL: | Good morning, A-Xian! Breakfast’s on the table – it should still be warm. | |
| WWX: | Hm? Chengcheng’s – | |
| JYL: | You managed to get up so early – don’t dilly-dally, eat! |
WEI WUXIAN PULLS OUT A CHAIR AND SITS WITH A THUMP.
ON THE PLATE IN FRONT OF HIM IS A JIAN BIN GUOZI, BUT STRANGELY RED.
HE GRABS IT WITH A PASSION.
| WWX: | Where’s Jiang Cheng? | |
| JYL: | Ah, A-Cheng mentioned he was going to use this time to get some rest in. | |
| WWX: | Ha, fat chance of that. He’s avoiding me. | |
| JYL: | Hmm. It’s not going to taste good if you let it get cold, A-Xian. | |
| WWX: | I set an alarm and everything, man, how – where’s Lingling and that husband of yours? | |
| JYL: | They headed off for school, 20 minutes ago now? |
JIANG YANLI PULLS OUT A CHAIR AND SITS ACROSS FROM WEI WUXIAN.
| WWX: | But it’s not even eight yet… | |
| JYL: | I must say, I’m impressed seeing you up so early. | |
| WWX: | I was gonna help with breakfast, but – | |
| JYL: | A-Ling has band practice in the morning, before school. | |
| WWX: | Aren’t those in the afternoon? | |
| JYL: | No? | |
| WWX: | They moved them to the morning? | |
| JYL: | I don’t recall them being held in the afternoon. | |
| WWX: | They were when I was in elementary school. | |
| JYL: | Ah. That was decades ago, A-Xian. Eat. | |
| WWX: | I am eating. | |
| JYL: | You’re holding it, not eating it. |
WEI WUXIAN TAKES A BITE.
| WWX: | Mmm! Mmmm… mmnn mmm mmnm – | |
| JYL: | Is it still warm? | |
| WWX: | Mmhm. |
WEI WUXIAN SWALLOWS.
| WWX: | ‘S good. Jiang Cheng made these? | |
| JYL: | A-Cheng made breakfast, yes. | |
| WWX: | Huh. | |
| JYL: | He did say he was going to make breakfast last night, remember? | |
| WWX: | Yeah, but I didn’t think he’d make any for me, ‘cause, you know – |
WEI WUXIAN SMILES FONDLY AND TAKES ANOTHER BITE.
| WWX: | He never waits for me to get up. It’s so rare that I get to eat anything he makes. | |
| JYL: | Compared to mine, how does it taste? | |
| WWX: | Mm. You make ‘em less heavy these days, Jie. Healthier. But less satisfying. |
WEI WUXIAN MAKES STRANGE NOISES AS HE POLISHES OFF THE FOOD.
| WWX: | Mmphr. Mmnnm. Its been so long, I’m almost glad – |
WEI WUXIAN CUTS HIMSELF OFF.
| JYL: | It has been a while, hasn’t it? | |
| WWX: | Years. Decades, even. Does he even cook for you these days? |
JIANG YANLI SMILES, AMUSED.
| JYL: | For A-Ling. If we’re lucky, we get his leftovers. | |
| WWX: | Doting uncle he is, of course. Mmm. That was good. |
FINISHED WITH THE MEAL, WEI WUXIAN LEANS BACK IN HIS CHAIR.
| WWX: | Lemme help with the dishes, then. | |
| JYL: | It’s rare you get time off as is, A-Xian. Rest. Leave it to me. | |
| WWX: | I mean, loading the dishwasher isn’t that hard – | |
| JYL: | Did you have a chance to talk to A-Cheng last night? |
WEI WUXIAN STARTLES.
| WWX: | I – yeah. |
SILENCE. JIANG YANLI STANDS AND TAKES THE DISHES.
| WWX: | Jie, why d’you suppose he won’t tell us what really happened? |
JIANG YANLI HUMS. HER BACK IS TURNED AS SHE LOADS THE DISHES.
| JYL: | A-Xian – you and him are alike, more alike than you like think – if you had a secret, would you want us to push? Or would you want us to wait until you’re ready to tell us yourself? | |
| WWX: | That’s different – | |
| JYL: | Is it really that different, A-Xian? | |
| WWX: | C’monnnnn, Jieeeeee, you sound like Jiang Cheng. Are you on his side? | |
| JYL: | You know I don’t take sides, A-Xian – the fundamental principles are the same, you know this. And I know you’re worried about A-Cheng. We all are. But what is it that we need to know that we don’t already know? Do we really need to know the details? Maybe all we need to do is support A-Cheng. Maybe that’s all we can really do. | |
| WWX: | Jiejie… | |
| JYL: | It’s not easy, I know. But what A-Cheng needs right now is our faith. Our trust. | |
| WWX: | Trust… |
SILENCE. A WHIR AS THE DISHWASHER CYCLE BEGINS.
| WWX: | Say, Jie, do you – this is, like, don’t take it too seriously, but – Madame Yu. Suicide a possibility at all? You know – | |
| JYL: | Mother? Suicide? | |
| WWX: | Ah, forget it, don’t listen to me – | |
| JYL: | A-Xian. Where did you get that idea? | |
| WWX: | …I mean, if it’s Jiang Cheng, he – if he didn’t kill Madame Yu, then how else could she have, you know, died? I was just speculating, that’s all, it’s nothing really anything, Jie – | |
| JYL: | Did A-Cheng say something to you last night? | |
| WWX: | No! No, nothing, nothing at all… |
JIANG YANLI TURNS AND STARES.
| WWX: | Fine, he said some stuff. Then he said it was a joke. …Really, Jie, it’s nothing, just forget about it? Please? | |
| JYL: | You don’t really think that, do you? | |
| WWX: | Jieeeeee – | |
| JYL: | Or you wouldn’t have brought it up. Though I suppose it doesn’t matter, in any case – | |
| WWX: | What do you mean, it doesn’t matter? | |
| JYL: | Nobody knows mother better than A-Cheng. |
SILENCE.
| JYL: | Not even me. |
SILENCE.
| JYL: | Certainly not father. But suicide? That’s – I couldn’t see mother committing suicide, no. You know just as well as I do – that’s not, mother wouldn’t. No. So why is it bothering you? |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | I just – I, Jiang Cheng – I really, really believe, or maybe I just don’t want to believe… you know what I mean, Jie? |
SILENCE.
| JYL: | Yes. …Yes, I do. | |
| WWX: | And you know Jiang Cheng’s not really sleeping, is he? Did he tell you he didn’t want to talk to me? | |
| JYL: | Hm. | |
| WWX: | …Do you really think I shouldn’t pry any further? Just – let, Jin Zixuan take care of it? | |
| JYL: | …You can trust him. Both of them. You don’t need to take everything onto yourself, A-Xian – I know you care, I know you want to solve everything yourself and make sure we’re all safe and happy, but – that’s not always the right thing to do. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, but – he’s too stubborn for his own good, Jie, I just want to – |
WEI WUXIAN CUTS HIMSELF OFF.
SILENCE.
| WWX: | Jie, why don’t I ever listen to you sooner? You’re always right, and I know this. | |
| JYL: | A-Xian – | |
| WWX: | You don’t need to sound so wary, Jie, I know you’re right, I really do – Jiang Cheng’s always been touchy bas – guy, a touchy individual, tight-lipped sneaky m – I’m sure he’s got it under control. He really always has everything under control, right? I can trust him. Yeah, I can trust him! Should I go tell him that? | |
| JYL: | I can tell – | |
| WWX: | I’m not planning anything, swear on my life! | |
| JYL: | On your life? | |
| WWX: | …Alright, on Lan Zhan’s life, I’m not planning anything! |
JIANG YANLI SIGHS, RESIGNED.
| JYL: | You’re heading upstairs to go talk to A-Cheng? | |
| WWX: | Am I not allowed to head upstairs and talk to Chengcheng? | |
| JYL: | I believe he really is resting, A-Xian. I’m sure the last couple of days haven’t been easy on him either. | |
| WWX: | …Lan Zhan’s picking me up at 12:15. | |
| JYL: | I know. He told me. | |
| WWX: | What time is it right now? | |
| JYL: | Eight. | |
| WWX: | Only eight?!? | |
| JYL: | If we’re going to have an early lunch – A-Xian, go wash up. I’ll need your help for lunch prep. | |
| WWX: | Just me? | |
| JYL: | Let’s see… A-Xian, after you wash up, please go pick some things up from the grocery, let me write you a list – |
A DREAM
Options.
不要在一棵树上吊死, Mother would tell me. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat”, or maybe even “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.
Neither truly captures the absurdity of the idiom. Literally translated, it would be –
“Don’t hang yourself to death on a single tree.”
…
What does that mean?
Should I hang myself on two trees?
Does it matter what tree I choose to hang myself on?
Why am I even hanging myself?
Is it that I’m too blind to realize that I have other options?
…
Either way, the phrase troubled me as a child. In the abstract, it made sense. Suicide is not what one would consider to be a good option, and when we search for options we search for an ideal outcome, of which death is generally not considered to be desirable. When pondering the individual words, however – nonsense.
But if Mother was saying it, it had to be true. So I never questioned it.
I never questioned it.
…
Once, I did repeat it. Slowly and deliberately, I repeated the phrase after Mother – 一课树上吊死.
…
Mother stared. Always, always with that same expression.
She saw right through me, she always did, saw clearly through my uncertainty and confusion, heard and hated my hesitation – I began to apologize for interrupting her, but as if in clarification –
“My son. What greater luxury is there than being able to choose one’s death?”
What is there, really.
…
What Mother failed to mention, or perhaps purposefully neglected to mention –
It was never about hanging or trees. Obviously. Forget about how many trees there are –
“Don’t be so dead set on one option.”
It’s about dead ends.
“Don’t tie yourself to one option.”
Even if there’re only trees with ropes tied to them.
“Don’t hang yourself to death on a single tree.”
It’s about avoiding dead ends.
…
And if you can’t avoid the dead end?
…
I never wanted any of this,
I could’ve done anything else.
Just because the trees were there and the ropes were tied and it was all laid so neatly in front of me –
I chose the wrong option.
I’ve run out of options.
Finally, only now –
I can see every option in front of me.
A CONVERSATION: BETWEEN JIANG YANLI AND JIANG CHENG
November 10, XXXX. 9:48 AM
THE ROOM IS DARK.
JIANG CHENG IS LAYING ON TOP OF THE COVERS.
| JYL: | A-Cheng? | |
| JC: | Yeah? | |
| JYL: | Did I wake you up? | |
| JC: | No. | |
| JYL: | Did you manage to get any rest? | |
| JC: | Yeah. | |
| JYL: | Are you feeling alright? |
JIANG CHENG SITS UP.
| JC: | I’m perfectly fine, Jie. Did you need me for something? | |
| JYL: | No, no. I just wanted to check in on you. | |
| JC: | Thanks. I’m OK though. | |
| JYL: | That’s good. |
SILENCE.
| JYL: | You’re being quite cagey around A-Xian, aren’t you? |
JIANG CHENG SLUMPS BACK INTO THE BED.
| JC: | He’s got a movie to film. How’s telling him anything going to help anybody? | |
| JYL: | You feel better with him around, at the very least – ah ah ah, I know you’re happier when he’s here – | |
| JC: | If you’re mistaking my agitation for happiness, Jie – | |
| JYL: | How could I mistake something so simple? | |
| JC: | Besides, I’ve got you. | |
| JYL: | I could never presume to replace A-Xian! You never argue with me, for one. | |
| JC: | That’s because you’re sensible and make good points. | |
| JYL: | And if I make a point you don’t like, you say ‘Yes, Jie’ and ignore me. | |
| JC: | I don’t – | |
| JYL: | You’re happier when he’s around. | |
| JC: | I’ll argue with you right now. |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS LIGHTLY.
| JYL: | A-Cheng, protesting is not arguing. But why not talk to A-Xian? | |
| JC: | What can I tell him that I haven’t already told him? | |
| JYL: | Why would you say Mother committed suicide? | |
| JC: | What – of course he told you, it was – he wouldn’t stop asking and I wanted to go to bed, alright? Mother, of all people, committing suicide – tells you a lot that he believed me, honestly. | |
| JYL: | But why would you think of that? | |
| JC: | Why – Jie, I would very much like to not talk about this. |
SILENCE.
| JYL: | Alright. Has A-Xuan given you a strategy yet? | |
| JC: | He’s doing research, it’s in the works, like I said – I’ll tell you – | |
| JYL: | Will you tell me the truth before the trial? I’d… I’d like to be prepared. |
JIANG CHENG HESITATES.
| JC: | That might – not be a good idea, Jie, but – | |
| JYL: | Is there something I can’t know? | |
| JC: | …It would be better if you went into the trial not knowing. | |
| JYL: | Better for me, or for you? | |
| JC: | The both of us. | |
| JYL: | But A-Xuan knows. | |
| JC: | I had to tell him. It’s part of the plan. | |
| JYL: | And it’s something I know nothing about, nothing at all? | |
| JC: | What do you mean, Jie? | |
| JYL: | You might not be telling me, but do I know about what you’re going to say or will this come as a surprise to me? | |
| JC: | To you and everyone that isn’t Jin Zixuan. |
SILENCE.
| JC: | And he only knows because I had no choice. |
JIANG YANLI PATS JIANG CHENG LIGHTLY ON THE HEAD.
SILENCE.
| JYL: | A-Xian wants to talk to you again. | |
| JC: | …Figured. | |
| JYL: | How about you boys help me prepare lunch? | |
| JC: | I thought I wasn’t allowed around knives. | |
| JYL: | That’s no excuse, A-Cheng. If you’re not sleepy anymore, let’s head down. | |
| JC: | And Wei Wuxian is down there? | |
| JYL: | He’s watching TV in the living room. | |
| JC: | He still got the mood to watch TV, huh? | |
| JYL: | A-Cheng. |
SILENCE.
| JC: | Right. He’s helping out too? | |
| JYL: | Mhm. | |
| JC: | Jie. You know I appreciate you. But what you’re doing, it’s… |
THE WORD LINGERS.
| JYL: | That won’t stop me, A-Cheng. When it comes to being stubborn, I grew up learning from the best. |
JIANG CHENG CRACKS A SMILE.
| JC: | Alright, alright. Fine. Let’s go down – the soup, is that still what we’re making? | |
| JYL: | You’re in charge of the side dishes. I’ve saved some short rib from the soup – |
INTERVIEW WITH LAN WANGJI
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 1 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 10, XXXX. 8:00 AM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record. | |
| LWJ: | Lan Zhan. | |
| SL: | I understand you’re better known as Lan Wangji, or professionally as Hanguang-jun? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. | |
| SL: | Thank you, just confirming. I appreciate you coming in so early today. | |
| LWJ: | Not an issue. | |
| SL: | Do you know why I’ve reached out to you for an interview? | |
| LWJ: | Jiang Wanyin. | |
| SL: | That’s right. How well do you know Jiang Cheng? | |
| LWJ: | Little. |
LAN WANGJI’S EYEBROWS TWITCH.
| LWJ: | He is Wei Ying’s brother. | |
| SL: | That’s… correct. So you’d say you don’t know him very well? | |
| LWJ: | I know him. |
SILENCE.
| SL: | Ok… um – can you tell me about what you know? | |
| LWJ: | They argue. | |
| SL: | Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng? | |
| LWJ: | Mm. | |
| SL: | What do they argue about? | |
| LWJ: | Who is right. Who is wrong. |
SLIGHT WRINKLE.
| LWJ: | Asinine. | |
| SL: | Normal sibling banter? | |
| LWJ: | I do not speak to my older brother in that manner. It is improper. | |
| SL: | Right. Well, has Wei Wuxian expressed any concern about their interactions? | |
| LWJ: | Hm. |
SILENCE.
| SL: | If he hasn’t expressed any concern, what reason do you have to be concerned? |
LAN WANGJI’S EXPRESSION SHIFTS MINUTELY. CONTEMPT?
| LWJ: | He can not express concern. | |
| SL: | He… cannot? Not – does not? Would not? | |
| LWJ: | Cannot. Would not. | |
| SL: | Why ‘would not’? | |
| LWJ: | He is kind. He forgives. | |
| SL: | What has he forgiven? | |
| LWJ: | Cruelty. | |
| SL: | From who? | |
| LWJ: | Yu Ziyuan. Jiang Wanyin. | |
| SL: | And you know the details of this cruelty? | |
| LWJ: | Yu Ziyuan and her son are cruel and vindictive. | |
| SL: | Mother and son both? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. | |
| SL: | I’ve heard much about Yu Ziyuan, but Jiang Cheng as well? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. | |
| SL: | What did he do to Wei Wuxian, that you would say something like that? |
SILENCE.
| LWJ: | I know. Jiang Wanyin is not a good man. He will take advantage of whatever he can to strengthen his own position. At any cost. | |
| SL: | What has he taken advantage of? | |
| LWJ: | His position. His money. Wei Ying. | |
| SL: | Wei Wuxian? | |
| LWJ: | He takes advantage of Wei Ying’s good will. Takes advantage of his kind heart. Would not hesitate to trample on Wei Ying. | |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. | |
| SL: | …Why would you say that? |
LAN WANGJI PONDERS.
| LWJ: | Jealousy. | |
| SL: | Jealousy? | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying excels in all areas. He is kind. Always willing to help. So that man takes advantage. Uses Wei Ying’s ideas, Wei Ying’s skills, and calls them his own. | |
| SL: | How? |
LAN WANGJI’S LIPS TWITCH. COULD IT BE A SNEER?
[05:00]
| LWJ: | In school, homework. In work, projects. At home, a scapegoat. | |
| SL: | Scapegoat? | |
| LWJ: | When we were young, I saw. |
SGT. SONG WAITS FOR LAN WANGJI TO ELABORATE. NO ELABORATION IS FORTHCOMING.
| SL: | …Alright, what did you see? |
LAN WANGJI DOES NOT ANSWER IMMEDIATELY.
| LWJ: | She called him a bastard. A waste of space. A mistake. Worthless filth. A disgusting inbred retard who should’ve just been eaten by dogs if only to spare the world his existence. |
THE FURROWING OF LAN WANGJI'S BROWS IS SUBTLE. ON HIM, IT IS A DEVESTATING EXPRESSION.
| LWJ: | He stood by and said nothing. Even as she struck him, he said nothing. | |
| SL: | How did you see this? | |
| LWJ: | Yu Ziyuan did not know. I had followed – I was to deliver some remedial work to him. I heard yelling. I peeked through a window. | |
| SL: | Right. | |
| LWJ: | All he did was watch as Wei Ying suffered. | |
| SL: | Where was Wei Wuxian hit? | |
| LWJ: | Legs. Back. Abdomen. She used a thick cane. | |
| SL: | … | |
| LWJ: | They do not care for Wei Ying. As you say, mother and son both. | |
| SL: | What about their sister? Jiang Yanli? | |
| LWJ: | Miss Jiang – she is sickly. Her influence is little. She takes care of Wei Ying. She is good. | |
| SL: | Not like her brother? | |
| LWJ: | Not like her brother. | |
| SL: | …Alright. So let’s talk about the brother a little bit, dig into that a bit more. |
LAN WANGJI RELAXES. WHEN HAD HE TENSED?
| LWJ: | Ask. | |
| SL: | I understand that you didn’t go to Jiang Cheng’s birthday party, the one on November 5th? | |
| LWJ: | I was not invited. | |
| SL: | Why not? | |
| LWJ: | I am not family. | |
| SL: | I understand that you and Wei Wuxian are married. | |
| LWJ: | Mm. | |
| SL: | Why wouldn’t you be considered family? | |
| LWJ: | My presence would not be welcome. | |
| SL: | Correct me if I’m wrong, but you have attended Jiang Cheng’s birthday parties in the past? | |
| LWJ: | Correct. | |
| SL: | So this has to do with the presence of the elder Mr. Jiang and Madame Yu? | |
| LWJ: | Correct. | |
| SL: | Could you elaborate? |
LAN WANGJI PAUSES.
| LWJ: | Wei Ying did not want to cause a scene on his brother’s birthday. | |
| SL: | So you didn’t want to attend? | |
| LWJ: | Incorrect. | |
| SL: | Were you invited? | |
| LWJ: | No. But had Wei Ying allowed it, I would attend. | |
| SL: | But Wei Wuxian didn’t want you to go. | |
| LWJ: | No. | |
| SL: | Do you know why not? | |
| LWJ: | He was afraid. Of causing a scene. |
SLIGHT EMPHASIS. SCORN.
| SL: | Why would your presence cause a scene? | |
| LWJ: | I am not family. | |
| SL: | But you’re Wei Wuxian’s husband. | |
| LWJ: | Yu Ziyuan does not consider Wei Ying to be family. | |
| SL: | But Wei Wuxian was invited to the birthday party. | |
| LWJ: | For ulterior motives. | |
| SL: | Ulterior motives? | |
| LWJ: | I am certain. | |
| SL: | Where does this certainty stem from? | |
| LWJ: | That woman would not interact with Wei Ying if not for an ulterior motive. | |
| SL: | I see. What ulterior motives…? | |
| LWJ: | Her reasoning is not comprehensible. But she would not hesitate to see Wei Ying harmed. | |
| SL: | And you wanted to attend with Wei Wuxian to keep him safe? | |
| LWJ: | Correct. But Wei Ying instructed me to watch Jin Ling. | |
| SL: | So you stayed with Jin Ling instead. | |
| LWJ: | Correct. | |
| SL: | But nothing happened to Wei Wuxian. | |
| LWJ: | I would not be certain. | |
| SL: | Why not? | |
| LWJ: | Many effects manifest over time. | |
| SL: | You think something may have happened to Wei Wuxian? | |
| LWJ: | I have been keeping a close eye on him. |
LAN WANGJI PAUSES. SGT. SONG WAITS.
[10:00]
| LWJ: | Wei Ying said his brother forbade him from drinking excessively. Wei Ying had only one glass of wine. | |
| SL: | I’m sure you’re telling me this for a reason. | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying enjoys alcohol. | |
| SL: | Yes, I’ve heard. | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying has never been barred from drinking any other year. | |
| SL: | You don’t think Jiang Cheng was nervous about Madam Yu’s presence, and didn’t want Wei Wuxian to get too drunk? | |
| LWJ: | Hm. | |
| SL: | You don’t think that’s possible? | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying is not thoughtless. He would not have drank excessively in any case. | |
| SL: | But he did complain about being cut off. | |
| LWJ: | He was not complaining. He was merely making an observation. | |
| SL: | Right. So you think Madam Yu wanted to poison Wei Wuxian. | |
| LWJ: | You do not believe me. | |
| SL: | It’s not my job to believe or disbelieve, only to try and get all the perspective I can. Why do you think Jiang Cheng would have cut Wei Wuxian off? | |
| LWJ: | There was something in the alcohol. | |
| SL: | …Right. But you said Wei Wuxian drank a glass? | |
| LWJ: | One glass was not enough for the effects to manifest immediately. This is why I am monitoring him. | |
| SL: | What do you think was in the alcohol? | |
| LWJ: | As you say. Poison. |
SGT. SONG BLINKS.
| SL: | Was the family sharing the bottle? | |
| LWJ: | I was not there. | |
| SL: | Ok. Um, who do you think might’ve poisoned the bottle? | |
| LWJ: | Yu Ziyuan. | |
| SL: | And do you think that this is related to her being dead? | |
| LWJ: | Unlikely. | |
| SL: | Why not? | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying trusts his brother. I do not. | |
| SL: | So you think Jiang Cheng might’ve had a hand in poisoning his brother? | |
| LWJ: | No. But I do not think he would stop it. | |
| SL: | Why not? |
LAN WANGJI STARES BLANKLY AT SGT. SONG.
| LWJ: | He would not defy his mother. Not for Wei Ying. | |
| SL: | Why would you say that? |
IT IS LAN WANGJI’S TURN TO BLINK.
| LWJ: | I do not trust Yu Ziyuan, nor do I trust Jiang Wanyin. When I say I am surprised that he killed his mother, it is with genuine belief that Jiang Wanyin would sooner watch Wei Ying die than hurt his mother. | |
| SL: | But he did tell Wei Wuxian to not drink. Would that not be some form of protective measure, then? | |
| LWJ: | When they are the very cause? | |
| SL: | What do you mean by that? | |
| LWJ: | If not for them, Wei Ying would not drink in excess. | |
| SL: | Then why does he drink? |
VISIBLE STRUGGLE. THIS HURTS LAN WANGJI TO TALK ABOUT.
| LWJ: | He drinks to leave. | |
| SL: | Leave? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. | |
| SL: | Mentally, spiritually? | |
| LWJ: | Physically. All of it. |
PURE ANGER.
| LWJ: | He would have killed Wei Ying. | |
| SL: | What? | |
| LWJ: | He would have killed Wei Ying. | |
| SL: | Ah, could you please – elaborate? Who tried to kill Wei Wuxian? | |
| LWJ: | Jiang Wanyin. | |
| SL: | When? | |
| LWJ: | A decade ago, now. | |
| SL: | …How? | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying was drunk. He was given pills. | |
| SL: | Pills? | |
| LWJ: | Pills. | |
| SL: | What sort of pills? |
LAN WANGJI FROWNS.
[15:00]
| LWJ: | It was not shared with me. | |
| SL: | But Jiang Cheng gave Wei Wuxian pills to take? When Wei Wuxian was drunk? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. And Wei Ying was hospitalized. | |
| SL: | Hospitalized? Was there some sort of reaction, then – | |
| LWJ: | Yes. It was a miracle he survived. | |
| SL: | That serious? | |
| LWJ: | Correct. | |
| SL: | Did Jiang Cheng ever try again? | |
| LWJ: | Unknown. | |
| SL: | Huh. I haven’t heard about this from anyone else. | |
| LWJ: | They do not discuss this. They hide it. | |
| SL: | And who’s they? | |
| LWJ: | Everyone who was there. | |
| SL: | Who was there? | |
| LWJ: | Jiang Fengmian. Yu Ziyuan. Jiang Wanyin. | |
| SL: | Did Nie Huaisang know? | |
| LWJ: | He knows. | |
| SL: | And Jiang Yanli? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. | |
| SL: | But they don’t talk about it. | |
| LWJ: | For optics. Out of fear. They do not mention it. | |
| SL: | What about you? Do you talk about it? | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying does not want me to talk about it. | |
| SL: | But you told me. | |
| LWJ: | It is important for you to know. | |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng killed his mother, though. Not Wei Wuxian. | |
| LWJ: | I do not believe he killed his mother. | |
| SL: | Then who do you think killed Yu Ziyuan? | |
| LWJ: | I do not know. Not Jiang Wanyin. | |
| SL: | Then why would he turn himself in? |
LAN WANGJI IS SILENT.
| SL: | You really believe that Jiang Cheng didn’t kill Yu Ziyuan? | |
| LWJ: | It does not matter if Jiang Wanyin killed Yu Ziyuan or not. What matters is that Wei Ying is protected. | |
| SL: | I understand. I’ll see if I can do anything about that. | |
| LWJ: | You must. | |
| SL: | But who do you think killed Yu Ziyuan? | |
| LWJ: | Anyone. Anyone but her son. She was disliked by many. | |
| SL: | Assassins? | |
| LWJ: | This is your job to find out. And it is your job to protect. | |
| SL: | And Jiang Cheng. You think Jiang Cheng is capable of killing? | |
| LWJ: | Absolutely. | |
| SL: | …Was he always? | |
| LWJ: | I do not understand your question. | |
| SL: | Do you think he’s always been capable of killing? I understand you used to go to school together, and you’ve been acquaintances with him for many years now. | |
| LWJ: | I am no acquaintance of his. I know only Wei Ying. The matter of Jiang Wanyin does not interest me. | |
| SL: | But you must know of his interactions with Wei Wuxian. | |
| LWJ: | Yes. And I have told you. Jiang Wanyin is nothing without Wei Ying. Back then, even more so. A constant shadow. Always hanging on. Always hovering. Waiting. Taking his time and giving nothing in return. | |
| SL: | Then why would he want to kill Wei Wuxian, if he relies so heavily on him? | |
| LWJ: | The project is approaching completion. | |
| SL: | The project? | |
| LWJ: | I cannot say. But Wei Ying’s role – I am sure that you must have heard. | |
| SL: | Heard about what? | |
| LWJ: | Wei Ying becoming an executive. Jiang Fengmian’s offer. | |
| SL: | Do you know if that’s true? | |
| LWJ: | I do not know. | |
| SL: | Wei Wuxian hasn’t talked to you about it? | |
| LWJ: | The offer was a rumour. But I do not know if that rumour will be made true. | |
| SL: | Ah. | |
| LWJ: | But that would not stop Jiang Wanyin. You must know of his past. His predecessors. | |
| SL: | Yes, the scandals and the deaths. He was ultimately ruled to be not involved in the deaths, though I wouldn’t know about the scandals. | |
| LWJ: | Ridiculous. You know the truth. | |
| SL: | …No, no I don’t. | |
| LWJ: | Such convenient deaths. I will remind you – Jiang Wanyin would not hesitate to kill. | |
| SL: | But not his own mother? | |
| LWJ:` | … | |
| SL: | Changing your mind? |
[20:00]
| LWJ: | With a man of such character, it would not be a surprise. Jiang Wanyin seemed to have loved his mother. At the least, obeyed. But perhaps it was all a farce. | |
| SL: | You don’t have a high opinion of Jiang Cheng. | |
| LWJ: | No. | |
| SL: | Nor do you have a high opinion of Yu Ziyuan. | |
| LWJ: | No. | |
| SL: | Do you know much about Yu Ziyuan at all? | |
| LWJ: | Again. She is cruel. Vindictive. Inhuman. A bitter, miserable woman. | |
| SL: | What about Jiang Fengmian? | |
| LWJ: | Jiang Fengmian? There is nothing to know about him. | |
| SL: | And what do you mean by that? | |
| LWJ: | He cares for Wei Ying. But he does not have the power to protect Wei Ying. | |
| SL: | What do you mean that there’s nothing to know about him? | |
| LWJ: | He is as he seems. Nothing more. Nothing less. | |
| SL: | I see. |
SILENCE.
SGT. SONG TAPS HIS PEN AGAINST THE TABLE RHYTHMICALLY.
SILENCE.
| SL: | You love Wei Wuxian, don’t you? | |
| LWJ: | Yes. |
SILENCE.
| SL: | Is there anything else you’d like to add? If not, I’ll leave the interview here for now. | |
| LWJ: | You must protect Wei Ying. I cannot stop him from visiting Jiang Wanyin. Within Jiang Yanli’s house, Jiang Wanyin will not act. But I fear an accident. And I cannot be with him every second. | |
| SL: | Doesn’t he have a security detail? | |
| LWJ: | The best. But Jiang Wanyin – watch him. | |
| SL: | Already am. Don’t worry, Mr. Lan. We’ve got him under close supervision. | |
| LWJ: | Good. |
PAUSE.
| LWJ: | If Wei Ying is hurt. |
PAUSE.
| LWJ: | I will not be happy. | |
| SL: | We’ll be monitoring closely. | |
| LWJ: | Good. |
INTERVIEW END.
[22:52]
Notes:
Thank you so much to all of you who stuck around for this update, and thank you to those who left such kind comments and kudos! It means so much to me. Much love ❤️
Anyways, next is finally WWX's interview!
Personal Notes
Hope everyone had a wonderful summer!
So, I lost my job. Have a better job now but it's stressful af. Thought things would settle down by end of August but not until end of September did I start getting back to normal. Some minor turmoil that has affected me way too much for what it is. Literally just stress over money. Though money isn't that minor all things considered, but it also isn't that major.
Ah well, shits coming together. Slowly getting back on track!
Chapter 12: November 10 - LUNCH, WWX ONE
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
WHEN THE SIBLINGS COOK, THEY DO SO IN PERFECT HARMONY.
YEARS OF COORDINATION.
FOCUSED COMMUNICATION.
AN EASY SLIDE BACK INTO OLD HABITS.
COOKING IS SACRED.
THE BROTHERS KNOW THIS AS THEY WORK QUIETLY.
JIANG YANLI KNOWS THIS AS SHE STIRS THE POT EVER SO GENTLY.
ONCE THE DISHES ARE PLATED, THE ILLUSION WILL BE BROKEN.
MEALS ARE A FAMILIAR BATTLEGROUND.
A CONVERSATION: BETWEEN JIANG YANLI, WEI WUXIAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 10, XXXX. 11:37 AM
| JYL: | That was nice, wasn’t it? | |
| WWX: | Any opportunity to cook with you is a blessing, Jie! | |
| JYL: | Mhm, so you say. | |
| WWX: | So I declare, Jie – a blessing. | |
| JYL: | Flattery will get you everywhere, A-Xian. Come on now, you and A-Cheng both, eat! So, A-Xian, how’s the filming going? | |
| WWX: | Mm, yeah – good, it’s been going really smooth, the part just makes sense to me, y’know? I can’t wait for the movie to come out. You’ll come to the premier, right? | |
| JYL: | Of course! | |
| WWX: | And Chengcheng, if you’re not in jail, I’ll give you tickets too. | |
| JC: | Don’t want them. |
AWKWARD PAUSE.
| WWX: | Fine, your loss. |
EATING.
| WWX: | What about you, Jie? Your wine thing, that’s been going good? | |
| JYL: | Yes, the research has been going smoothly – A-Xian introduced me to a couple of his friend’s vineyards, small operations, so the comparison in data will be quite useful. | |
| WWX: | Whatever you come up with, I want to be the first to taste it. |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS.
| JYL: | I’m not making wine, A-Xian, but I will share with you any samples I get my hands on. | |
| WWX: | If you do start your own brand, I better be the face for the marketing. | |
| JYL: | You’ll be my product ambassador, of course. And that project you’ve been working on with A-Cheng, how’s that going along now? | |
| WWX: | Ah – ha. Jiang Cheng, you tell Jie. Maybe you’ll listen when Jie says it’s a bad idea. | |
| JC: | Mmmhm. I don’t know how we’ll proceed quite yet, I haven’t discussed it with Jin Zixuan. It’ll likely have to go on hold. | |
| WWX: | What – that’s not what you told me! | |
| JC: | I changed my mind. | |
| WWX: | Bah. | |
| JYL: | You’re still working with A-Xuan, then? | |
| JC: | There are some details that need to be ironed out. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, details. That you won’t share with me. |
WEI WUXIAN DOWNS HIS BOWL OF SOUP AND WIPES HIS MOUTH.
| WWX: | Madame Yu – that night, she said something to me. |
JIANG YANLI’S EYES WIDEN.
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT REACT.
| WWX: | She – she asked me if I really thought of myself as your brother. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT REACT.
| WWX: | I said yes, obviously. And then she asked – she asked… she asked me how far I was willing to go for the Jiang family, like – that’s why I’ve been trying to figure things out, ok? I don’t get it! Why would she ever ask me that?!? And now she’s dead! And you say you killed her!? What am I supposed to think? What am I supposed to do? |
JIANG YANLI HIDES A GASP.
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT REACT.
| JC: | And how did you answer that question? | |
| WXX: | What – | |
| JC: | What are you willing to do? | |
| WWX: | I’d do anything for you, you know that! | |
| JC: | And that’s what you told my mother? | |
| WWX: | Of course that’s what I told Madame Yu! | |
| JC: | And how did she react? | |
| WWX: | She – why are you giving me the third degree on this, Jiang Cheng – | |
| JC: | Just answer me. | |
| WWX: | I – she smirked. Then she left. | |
| JC: | That’s it? | |
| WWX: | Yeah, that’s it. So Jiang Cheng – |
JIANG CHENG SEEMS A THOUSAND MILES AWAY.
| JC: | Yeah? | |
| WWX: | What’s going on? And don’t say it doesn’t involve me, you know that’s not true. | |
| JC: | Hm. |
JIANG YANLI STAYS QUIET.
| WWX: | She invited me. She asked me a strange-ass question. You can’t tell me I’m – I thought… the truth? I thought she was asking me to – disappear. For you. For the family. | |
| JC: | That’s not what Mother said. | |
| WWX: | I know how to read between the lines, Jiang Cheng. | |
| JC: | You’re wrong. | |
| WWX: | What? | |
| JC: | If Mother wanted you gone, what makes you think she’d ask your opinion on the matter? | |
| WWX: | Well, when you put it that way – dude. You sound like you know why she asked. | |
| JC: | Hm. | |
| JYL: | A-Cheng… | |
| JC: | I don’t know why she asked. I don’t know why Mother does anything. But I can tell you what she meant. | |
| WWX: | Ok? Spit it out, then. | |
| JC: | She meant that you should listen to me. | |
| WWX: | You – ! | |
| JC: | QUIET. Let me finish. |
WEI WUXIAN GLOWERS, BUT COMPLIES.
| JC: | For one, Mother’s dead. What she said doesn’t really matter anymore. You can listen to whoever you want, trust whoever you want, she’s not going to come after you. | |
| WWX: | And you wonder why I think – | |
| JC: | Two. It wasn’t as if you were listening to me when Mother was alive. It wasn’t as if Mother came after you when she was alive. There was nothing wrong with the status quo. | |
| WWX: | Then – | |
| JC: | Why did I kill Mother? |
IANG CHENG SIGHS.
| JC: | If it were up to me – look. This whole – it’s going to trial. You’ll find out then, Wei Wuxian. Don’t make me say it twice. | |
| WWX: | …I did say I’d do anything for you. But how am I supposed to help if I don’t know? | |
| JC: | Not knowing is the best help you can give. | |
| WWX: | And you really, truly don’t know why Madame Yu – | |
| JC: | No. | |
| WWX: | And you really did kill…? | |
| JC: | I stabbed her, yes. |
SILENCE.
| JC: | What’s done is done. And Jin Zixuan – he knows what he’s doing. We have a plan. Everything’s going to be fine. | |
| WWX: | You really think so? | |
| JC: | You never were very patient. | |
| WWX: | What’s that got to do with anything? | |
| JC: | I’m not trying to throw my life away, ok? But – you and Jie, you’ll still be questioned. It’ll be easier for all of us. | |
| WWX: | …I’m speaking to the cops today. | |
| JC: | I know. So be honest with him. That’ll be the greatest help you can give me. No shenanigans, no mind games, just – the truth. | |
| WWX: | Everything? | |
| JC: | Everything. | |
| WWX: | Fuck, man… | |
| JC: | Yeah. | |
| JYL: | …We trust you, A-Cheng. I trust you to do what’s right. | |
| JC: | It’s not that I don’t trust you with the truth, I just – | |
| JYL: | You never need to explain yourself to us, A-Cheng. I told you, remember? Whenever you’re ready. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, whenever you’re ready. | |
| JC: | …And Wei Wuxian, why didn’t you tell me about the conversation earlier? |
SILENCE. WEI WUXIAN IS STILL.
| JC: | Oh, I see. |
DERISIVE.
| JC: | You thought I already knew about this, didn’t you? | |
| WWX: | You know that’s not it, I just didn’t want you to – | |
| JC: | It doesn’t matter. | |
| WWX: | I thought it was my – | |
| JC: | IT DOESN’T MATTER. It’s fine, Wei Wuxian. Let’s just eat. And do me a favour – don’t tell the cops about this. | |
| WWX: | I wasn’t planning on it. But seriously, dude, it’s not like I thought – I didn’t tell you because… |
WEI WUXIAN STRUGGLES TO FIND THE RIGHT WORDS.
| JYL: | A-Xian told you because he wanted you to know the truth, A-Cheng, and this is really the first time we’ve sat down together – don’t hold that against A-Xian. I’m sure hiding it wasn’t his intention. | |
| WWX: | Exactly! What Jie said. | |
| JC: | Right. |
SILENCE.
| JC: | And that’s really all Mother said to you that day? | |
| WWX: | Ah, well – | |
| JC: | Since we’re all telling the truth now and everything. | |
| WWX: | …She did ask me whether Uncle Jiang had really offered me that Creative Director position. And, no, that didn’t happen, and I told her as much. And I told her I wasn’t interested in being part of Jiang Corp unless you wanted me involved. | |
| JC: | What exactly did she ask? | |
| WWX: | Like, word for word – you know I can’t remember. It was something along the lines of if I ever wanted to work at Jiang Corp, but I told her that I was happy with where I am. And I’d be there for you and Jie if you ever needed me. Why are you looking at me like that? | |
| JC: | Anything else? | |
| WWX: | No, that’s seriously it. Nothing else. Again, why are you so curious about what Madame Yu said to me? | |
| JC: | All of that. Don’t tell anyone. | |
| WWX: | Like I already said, I’m not planning on it. Why are you so hung up on – does it not fit your war plan or whatever? | |
| JC: | Glad you worked it out. Now can we please get back to eating? |
MEALS ARE A FAMILIAR BATTLEGROUND.
JIANG CHENG PICKS IDLY AT PEA SHOOTS.
WEI WUXIAN DOWNS ANOTHER BOWL OF SOUP.
JIANG YANLI ADDS MORE FOOD INTO HER BROTHER’S PLATES.
ALL THE MORE REASON TO KEEP TEMPERS IN CHECK.
| WWX: | Actually, I’m already done. |
INTERVIEW WITH WEI WUXIAN
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 1 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 10, XXXX. 12:40 PM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record. | |
| WWX: | I’m Wei Wuxian. | |
| SL: | Thank you. You’re a hard one to schedule, Wei Wuxian. I appreciate you making the time to come. |
WEI WUXIAN LAUGHS.
| WWX: | Yeah, comes with the territory. Sorry about that. I – yeah. Came here as soon as I could. | |
| SL: | Do you know why you were called here for this interview? | |
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng killed Madame Yu, right? |
WEI WUXIAN SHAKES HIS HEAD.
| WWX: | God, I still can’t believe it. | |
| SL: | Is it really that hard to believe? | |
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng? The Jiang Cheng I know, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on Madame Yu. I’ve never even seen them argue. | |
| SL: | He was that afraid of Madame Yu? | |
| WWX: | No! No, I mean – he loved her. It wasn’t fear or anything, just – yeah. | |
| SL: | So you’d say they had a pretty good relationship? | |
| WWX: | Well, I mean, I wouldn’t call it a – good relationship. They were mother and son. She ordered Jiang Cheng around, and Jiang Cheng listened. It was that sort of relationship. | |
| SL: | Like a master and servant? | |
| WWX: | Nah, that’s going too far. Nothing like that. But it was weird. I don’t think I can put a name to it, really. It was a strict mom and an obedient son. That’s all it was. They loved each other. Mother and son. But anyhow, there’s no way – I can’t believe – I heard from Jie that he turned himself in? | |
| SL: | That’s correct. | |
| WWX: | Damn. | |
| SL: | He called the police and confessed to committing the crime. |
WEI WUXIAN IS SILENT.
| SL: | I hear your relationship with Yu Ziyuan wasn’t the smoothest either. | |
| WWX: | Yeah. Yeah, you could say that. | |
| SL: | Was there a reason why? | |
| WWX: | Pretty obvious why, right? | |
| SL: | It would be wrong of me to speculate. | |
| WWX: | Why’s it even matter, anyway? It’s not like I killed Madame Yu. | |
| SL: | Then you have nothing to hide. | |
| WWX: | Yeah, but – jeez. It’s not something I really talk about, you know? I don’t really see how this’ll help. |
SONG LAN PONDERS.
| SL: | It establishes patterns of behaviour. What sort of person Madame Yu was. What she could’ve done that caused Jiang Cheng to do what he did. That sort of evidence could be very valuable. | |
| WWX: | Valuable to doing what? | |
| SL: | From what I know about Jiang Cheng, this whole incident seems quite out of character. I didn’t enter the force to convict innocents. | |
| WWX: | …Madame Yu was afraid that I would replace Jiang Cheng. Which is ridiculous, because no one can replace Jiang Cheng. But – I get it. I get it. I came out of nowhere, after all. Just showed up one day. Who wouldn’t be a little wary? | |
| SL: | Just a little wary? Jiang Fengmian tells me that you moved out as soon as you could due to Yu Ziyuan’s abuse. | |
| WWX: | Ok, I know Uncle Jiang didn’t say that because Uncle Jiang would never call it abuse. | |
| SL: | What did he call it? | |
| WWX: | Her temper? I don’t know. He didn’t call it anything. | |
| SL: | He said she hit you. | |
| WWX: | …Yeah. I mean, it was a long time ago, and it really wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t like she was trying to permanently disfigure me or anything. | |
| SL: | I would hope not. |
WWX LAUGHS. HIDING NERVES?
[05:00]
| WWX: | Yeah, no. No disfigurement. | |
| SL: | Can you tell me more about how she hit you? | |
| WWX: | Um, when we were kids she used to slap our hands with rulers, or smack us around a little bit. There was some caning when I got a little older – it’s kinda embarrassing to talk about, being smacked on the butt with a cane. | |
| SL: | Us? | |
| WWX: | Well, me and Jiang Cheng mostly, but even Jie got dragged into it once in a while. It was a family sorta thing, not like a – it was a family sort of thing. | |
| SL: | And what were the reasons behind the physical punishment? | |
| WWX: | I was probably being an ass, I don’t really remember. It wasn’t that big of a deal, really! No permanent injury, no irreversible damage. Just a little, you know – |
WEI WUXIAN MIMES SLAPPING.
| WWX: | Little hits. Very whatever. I turned out perfectly fine, didn’t I? Do my own stunts and everything. | |
| SL: | And it was the same for Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli? | |
| WWX: | Yeah, well not Jie, Jie usually got away with just a ruler on the hands or something. | |
| SL: | But was the punishment received by you and Jiang Cheng equal? | |
| WWX: | Weeeell, you have to understand that Jiang Cheng is her son. | |
| SL: | Of course I understand. | |
| WWX: | So obviously Jiang Cheng mostly got to write lines and apology letters and do extra chores and work, unless we had really fucked up. | |
| SL: | And what would that look like, really fucking up? | |
| WWX: | Great question. |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | I don’t think Jiang Cheng’s ever had a big fuckup. | |
| SL: | And you did? | |
| WWX: | I nearly blew up the shed one time. Madame Yu was really mad about that. | |
| SL: | And what did she do? |
WEI WUXIAN CONSIDERS HIS WORDS.
| WWX: | Well! She… whipped me? | |
| SL: | What? | |
| WWX: | To be fair, the shed nearly burnt down. | |
| SL: | Why? Were you hurt? | |
| WWX: | Accident, obviously. There was some open flame, there were some in-progress fireworks – no one was hurt, thank god. It didn’t actually burn down, the shed, there was just some localized fire. | |
| SL: | And Yu Ziyuan whipped you? | |
| WWX: | She’s got a really cool whip. Family heirloom or something. It’s purple. | |
| SL: | Did that not scar? That can’t have been – | |
| WWX: | It wasn’t that bad. But the important thing is – I’ve always been pretty experimental, so I make a lot of mistakes. Which then, obviously, have consequences. Jiang Cheng is much more sensible than I am. Not much opportunity for whippings, I’d say. |
SGT. SONG SHAKES HIS HEAD.
| SL: | And then there’s the verbal abuse. | |
| WWX: | No, well – something like that. | |
| SL: | Did Yu Ziyuan ever verbally abuse Jiang Cheng? | |
| WWX: | I don’t know. She’d get mad at him sometimes, but – I don’t really know – parents get mad sometimes, right? And Jiang Cheng took it well. As well as I did, anyways. We’d both get reamed. What’s the difference, right? Uncle Jiang’s right – it was more like scolding than it was abuse. | |
| SL: | Do you remember any specific phrases she used? |
WEI WUXIAN PAUSES.
[10:00]
| WWX: | No. Not really. General sentiments, like we suck, or we need to do better and stop being bad at what we’re doing. No specific phrases. | |
| SL: | Was there anything different that she said to you that she wouldn’t say to Jiang Cheng? | |
| WWX: | Well, I’m the adopted bastard child – she’d never call Jiang Cheng that! Other than that – we were both ungrateful, although I think was more ungrateful than Jiang Cheng. | |
| SL: | Yeah? | |
| WWX: | See, Madame Yu was never always – I wouldn’t say she was ever kind to me, but her attitude got worse over the years. | |
| SL: | The family environment was negative enough to prompt you to move out, wasn’t it? | |
| WWX: | Yeah, um, not really? I mean, sure, it was a part of it, it wasn’t like I enjoyed being – you know, yelled at – but it was mostly because I got a scholarship to go to film school. I didn’t leave because of Madame Yu – I can take it. I left because I thought that would be best for Jiang Cheng. | |
| SL: | For Jiang Cheng? | |
| WWX: | Yeah. | |
| SL: | Could you please elaborate? | |
| WWX: | Uncle Jiang was encouraging me to go to business school. | |
| SL: | Was that a problem? | |
| WWX: | Yup. Not for me. Not for Jiang Cheng. For Madame Yu. | |
| SL: | Why is that? | |
| WWX: | Officer, sir, I’m not completely blind. I know how much pressure Madame Yu places on Jiang Cheng. I couldn’t do that to him. I couldn’t – go to business school? I still can’t believe Uncle Jiang brought it up when we were all together. Honestly, it was a miracle that Madame Yu didn't go absolutely ballistic, like, sure, she was mad, but – you know. It wasn't that much worse than usual. But, I mean – I can’t go to business school. I just – I couldn’t. | |
| SL: | Why not? | |
| WWX: | You know. Hostile takeover or whatever. Business school. | |
| SL: | Did you want to? | |
| WWX: | Want to what? | |
| SL: | Go to business school. | |
| WWX: | Nah, not really. I’m more of a hands on type, anyways, and look at how well it all worked out for me in the end. Never a moment’s regret. | |
| SL: | Who said anything about regret? | |
| WWX: | Nobody! That’s what’s so great about it. I could do my thing, Jiang Cheng could do his thing – perfect. | |
| SL: | How did Jiang Fengmian feel about you not going to business school? | |
| WWX: | Uncle Jiang tends to respect my decisions. Which I really appreciate, obviously! So yeah, that wasn’t a big issue or anything. | |
| SL: | And Yu Ziyuan? How did she feel about your decision? | |
| WWX: | I mean, I don’t know. I didn’t really ask, y’know? Just kinda did it. | |
| SL: | I see. What about Jiang Cheng? How did he feel about it? | |
| WWX: | He understood. | |
| SL: | Really? | |
| WWX: | Yeah. |
NO OBVIOUS AFFECTUAL CHANGES.
| SL: | And you said previously – what do you mean, when you say that Madame Yu got worse over the years? | |
| WWX: | Well, um, exactly that? She wasn’t as tightly wound when I was a kid, she got a lot more uptight when me and Jiang Cheng entered, like, the fifth grade. It was probably my fault, to be honest. | |
| SL: | Why would you say that? | |
| WWX: | I knew how hard Madame Yu was on Jiang Cheng – not to brag, but I’m pretty smart, you know? Top of the class and all that. |
WEI WUXIAN PAUSES.
[15:00]
| WWX: | I should’ve just taken it easy, but I liked being the best. I didn’t quite, understand, the consequences it would have for Jiang Cheng. | |
| SL: | Consequences? | |
| WWX: | Well. I was first. Jiang Cheng was second. Uncle Jiang praised me without a second look at Jiang Cheng, of course Madame Yu couldn’t take it! And I was too proud, too arrogant to notice any of that. I was too busy basking in my own happiness. | |
| SL: | You were a child. | |
| WWX: | Yeah. I was. But I knew, you know? I knew, and I ignored it. | |
| SL: | You were a child. You might know now, but back then – | |
| WWX: | I should’ve known. If I didn’t know, then I should’ve known. |
WEI WUXIAN’S AFFECT IS MELANCHOLY.
| SL: | But what were you supposed to know? | |
| WWX: | I knew that Jiang Cheng was working hard. I knew that he was starting to think that Uncle Jiang only cared about me. I – I knew that Madame Yu talked to him about me. But it was too late. I knew too late. | |
| SL: | It’s not your fault. | |
| WWX: | It sorta is. |
SILENCE.
| SL: | You still feel guilty, don’t you? | |
| WWX: | I mean, I have a conscience. I know what I did. | |
| SL: | You didn’t do anything. | |
| WWX: | Exactly. | |
| SL: | So you moved out, went to film school. Trying to make up for it? | |
| WWX: | That’s not quite – I wasn’t making up for anything, it was just the right thing to do. | |
| SL: | And I understand that even before then, you and your brother were drifting apart. | |
| WWX: | Hm? | |
| SL: | In high school. | |
| WWX: | Drifting apart… yeah, you could say that. He thought I was being – he didn’t – I was standing out a bit, you could say. | |
| SL: | Heard you got into fights. | |
| WWX: | Yeah. There were bullies. I didn’t really like that. Reminded me – you know. | |
| SL: | You’re a courageous one. Got a good, moral head on your shoulders. | |
| WWX: | I – thanks, I guess? Is that a complement? | |
| SL: | Of course it is. If only more people stood up and did the right thing like you did. | |
| WWX: | Well, it’s not as if Jiang Cheng didn’t want to help, it’s – he can’t exactly go around starting fights, you know, being who he is and all that. And – well, the bullies kinda – business relations, you know? | |
| SL: | I hear you punched Jin Zixuan in the face. | |
| WWX: | I did. It was pretty funny. Nearly got expelled for that! He deserved it though, the way he was treating my A-Jie. | |
| SL: | They’re married now. | |
| WWX: | I know! A travesty, truly, but I understand he’s a changed man now. Seems to treat A-Jie right, anyway. | |
| SL: | And your relationship with Jiang Cheng nowadays– has it changed? How would you describe it? | |
| WWX: | Oh, that’s easy. We’re brothers. We stick with each other. I’ve got his back, and he’s got mine. Through hell or high waters, as they say. | |
| SL: | It seems that you’re still quite at odds, though. | |
| WWX: | Don’t believe the press, man, like – yeah, he’s a bit of an asshole, definitely needlessly scary for no good reason – but he’s, he’s my brother. Pure and simple. I mean, we argue, but brothers argue, and – I trust him – with my life. |
[20:00]
| SL: | Doesn’t sound like you’re too sure about that. | |
| WWX: | Just got a little choked up, is all. Not everyday that I profess my love for my lil’ bro. | |
| SL: | So you and Jiang Cheng are close? | |
| WWX: | Didn’t I just say we’re brothers? Of course we’re close! | |
| SL: | Even though Madame Yu didn’t like it? | |
| WWX: | Yeah – yeah… You know, he didn’t need to. He didn’t need to be my brother, but he’s my brother. | |
| SL: | What do you mean by that? | |
| WWX: | I mean he didn’t need to be my brother. He could’ve hated me too, just like Madame Yu did. He should’ve hated me. | |
| SL: | And Madame Yu hated you. | |
| WWX: | I can’t blame her. You know, when Madame Yu invited me to the birthday party, the first thing I did was call Jiang Cheng. | |
| SL: | Oh? | |
| WWX: | I wasn’t sure it was a good idea for me to show up, you get what I mean? Not sure he would want me there. | |
| SL: | Why wouldn’t he want you there? | |
| WWX: | Isn’t that obvious? | |
| SL: | There are too many possibilities. | |
| WWX: | Exactly. | |
| SL: | So what possibility were you thinking of? | |
| WWX: | I – huh. |
WEI WUXIAN FALLS SILENT.
SGT. SONG WAITS.
| WWX: | I didn’t want to be a nuisance. It could have been a courtesy invitation, and Madame Yu didn’t actually want me there. I couldn’t ask Madame Yu, obviously, so I checked in with Jiang Cheng. | |
| SL: | And that’s it? | |
| WWX: | Yeah. | |
| SL: | Spent a while thinking about your reply there. | |
| WWX: | Its, you know. Putting your gut feeling into words ain’t easy, man. | |
| SL: | But Jiang Cheng gave you a thumbs up on attendance? | |
| WWX: | He said it was up to me. | |
| SL: | Not much of an answer. | |
| WWX: | No, that clearly means that I should show up. No is no, up to me is yes. | |
| SL: | Do you communicate in secret code? | |
| WWX: | It’s our very secret brotherly language. | |
| SL: | And the day of the birthday party, did you fly in from set early, or? | |
| WWX: | Nah, I flew in the day after my birthday and hung out with Lan Zhan and Jie in the meantime. | |
| SL: | Where did you stay? | |
| WWX: | My apartment. | |
| SL: | Right. | |
| WWX: | Of course I have an apartment here! This is home base, after all. | |
| SL: | And approximately what time did you arrive at the mansion on the day of the party? | |
| WWX: | Madame Yu said 5:00, so we showed up at 4:55. | |
| SL: | And I assume you took time off your shoot to attend? | |
| WWX: | Yup. My agents know that I take time off around my birthday every year, so they’ll give me a day or a week no problem. | |
| SL: | When’s your birthday? | |
| WWX: | October 31st. Makes it super convenient to celebrate with Jiang Cheng without giving anything away, you know what I mean? We almost never celebrate Jiang Cheng’s birthday on the 5th. Plus, my fans know I like to party, so a couple days gone after the 31st – pretty clever, if I do say so myself. | |
| SL: | Flew in November 1st, ok. And you certainly have quite the fan following. | |
| WWX: | What can I say? God gave me a gift, and I intend on using it. | |
| SL: | And it’s quite an open secret that you are the adopted child of Jiang Fengmian, of Jiang Corporation. How have your fans been reacting to the news? |
WEI WUXIAN’S SMILE FREEZES BUT DOES NOT DROP.
[25:00]
| WWX: | Fans always have something to say. Best thing for anyone is to ignore them, I say. Gotta stay true to your own artistic integrity, can’t let yourself be swayed by the ignorant opinions of the masses. | |
| SL: | Looks like most of what they have to say is out of concern for you, though. | |
| WWX: | And I appreciate all those messages deeply! But I’d also like to mention that at this stage in my career, I don’t actively monitor social media. I leave it up to my publicists and image managers, mostly just give a yes/no approval to any posts going online. And I haven’t approved anything related to this situation quite yet. | |
| SL: | I’m sure they’re quite busy, then, dealing with this news. | |
| WWX: | They’re always busy. | |
| SL: | Many of your fans are concerned that Jiang Cheng might have wanted to go for you next, in light of your quite public falling out. |
WEI WUXIAN’S SMILE FALTERS, BUT QUICKLY RETURNS.
| WWX: | I mean, don’t tell anyone, but that was all staged. Jiang Cheng coulda become an actor too if he wanted. That was some fantastic screen presence. But I’m approximately 0% concerned that Jiang Cheng will kill me. Negatively concerned, even. | |
| SL: | So that viral video was staged? Wow, never would have thought. | |
| WWX: | Yeah. Staged. | |
| SL: | For what reasons? | |
| WWX: | The obvious, really. Madame Yu had been riding Jiang Cheng about “consorting” with me, and I’d been getting some gossip about how I was pulling strings using my Jiang Corp connections to get roles – which wasn’t true, by the way, anybody with half a brain-cell knew it wasn’t true but gossip rags, you know? – so we thought a public falling out would be a good way to two birds one stone the whole situation. | |
| SL: | With your brother? Not with your – uncle? | |
| WWX: | Well, Uncle Jiang wouldn’t have agreed to do it, that’s for sure – and everyone know Jiang Fengmian has the integrity of the Buddha himself, he’d never open backdoors for anyone. | |
| SL: | Is that – he’s never opened backdoors? | |
| WWX: | No, he doesn’t believe in letting his children leverage the Jiang name. | |
| SL: | But you’re not his child. |
WEI WUXIAN’S SMILE DOES NOT DROP.
| WWX: | No, I suppose not. | |
| SL: | How did your – how did Jiang Fengmian react to the video? | |
| WWX: | Uncle – well, he immediately called me to say that Jiang Cheng didn’t have the authority to decide anything, that I was still his son. And then I told him the whole video was faked by the both of us and that cutting ties with Jiang Corp would be good for my career, and he respected my decision. |
WEI WUXIAN SHRUGS.
| WWX: | And that was the end of that. Sorry, can we get a quick washroom break? I drank a lotta soup and it’s on the tail end of its journey through my body. | |
| SL: | Yes, of course. Let’s take a quick break. |
PART 1 END
[29:47]
A PHONE CALL: BETWEEN WEI WUXIAN AND JIN ZIXUAN
November 10, XXXX. 1:11 PM
THE PHONE IS PICKED UP AFTER THE FIRST RING.
| JZX: | What do you want. | |
| WWX: | You didn’t tell me that he would ask so many questions! What the hell?! And – Jiang Cheng said I could tell the cop anything, is that true? Or is he just being an asshole again? | |
| JZX: | It’s true. Did you leave the interview just to call me? | |
| WWX: | Who cares! Anything anything? | |
| JZX: | The truth behind your family relationships will be key to our litigation strategy. | |
| WWX: | So I should tell him everything, even if he asks me about me and my life and it has nothing to do with the case? | |
| JZX: | As long as you feel comfortable telling it. | |
| WWX: | Even if it incriminates Jiang Cheng? | |
| JZX: | Do you feel comfortable telling it? | |
| WWX: | Ha ha. Fuck you. |
WEI WUXIAN HANGS UP.
Notes:
WWX's questioning is a little disjointed, isn't it? SL is not done with WWX for a while yet.
Notes
That first block of text, I agonized over the capitalization and alignment. Lemme know if that looks too horrific.
WWX, JC, and JYL do their best to never argue at the table. It's not like they ever talked about it, but the shared trauma just resulted in a silent agreement of sorts.
WWX was a little thrown off by the interview and checked in with JZX, the lawyer, to make sure he can say what he's saying. He's def not comfortable saying anything incriminating about JC, and we all know that.After WWX said he was already done eating lunch, JC realizes he was tricked into starting a conversation at WWX's convenience and he is a little salty about that.
SL is leading the interview by the nose. When things are a little all over the place, its a bit harder to keep lies consistent. Not that WWX is lying, but SL doesnt know that.
I sorta wanted to keep this in the editing hopper for a few more days but those days turn into weeks real fast and I never end up changing anything lol.
Chapter 13: November 10 - WWX TWO
Chapter Text
INTERVIEW WITH WEI WUXIAN
With Sgt. Song Lan
PART 2 OF 2 RECORDED INTERVIEW
November 10, XXXX. 01:18 PM
[00:00]
| SL: | This interview is being recorded. I’m Sergeant Song Lan, with the Homicide Investigation Team. Can you please state your full legal name for the record. |
| WWX: | We have to do this again? |
| SL: | Yes. |
| WWX: | Not going to ask about how my bathroom break went? |
| SL: | I’d rather not know, thank you very much. Name, please. |
| WWX: | Alright – ahem. I’m Wei Wuxian, world-renowned actor and – |
| SL: | Thank you very much. Let’s pick up where we left off. |
WEI WUXIAN GRINS.
| WWX: | Fine, what do you wanna talk about? I feel like we’ve gone over basically everything, seriously – like, I really don’t see how I can help you. Jiang Cheng’s my brother, sure, but like I’ve been saying – I’ve been busy. Know what I mean? |
SGT. SONG LEANS FORWARD.
| SL: | I understand that you might think of this as a pointless exercise, Wei Wuxian, but I do this for the sake of being thorough. I’ve been told on multiple occasions that your brother isn’t – wasn’t the type of person to do something… like this. I want to explore all avenues of investigation. I don’t want to miss anything. |
| WWX: | Sure, man. Whatever you say. What avenues are you looking at now? |
| SL: | Let’s start with your uncle. Jiang Fengmian. He was much more involved in your life than Madame Yu, is that correct? |
| WWX: | Yeah, for sure. |
| SL: | You don’t think Jiang Fengmian would have – |
WEI WUXIAN MAKES A NOISE.
| WWX: | Hell no, dude. You can explore this avenue all you like, but it’d be courteous of me to let you know – that’s a dead end. Uncle Jiang could never. |
| SL: | Why not? |
| WWX: | Uncle Jiang isn’t capable of hurting a fly, like – he barely has the stomach for acquisitions, let alone murder. He’s the gentlest person you’ll ever meet, man. He’s straight up Buddhist or something, would never hurt a living thing. Don’t think he’s actually Buddhist, though. No shrines or anything. Also, he’s not vegetarian. |
SGT. SONG MAKES A NOTE.
| SL: | I’m curious – Uncle Jiang, but not Auntie Yu? |
WEI WUXIAN RECOILS.
| WWX: | Oh god, hell no. Absolutely – Jesus. What are you even – no, no, it was always Madame Yu. |
| SL: | Lots to unpack there. |
| WWX: | Lots to unpack in general, man. Madame Yu is Madame Yu. Whatever string of words that came out of your mouth just now – that’s not it. |
| SL: | Have you ever tried calling her Auntie Yu? |
| WWX: | For as long as I remember, Madame Yu. Besides, who cares what I call her? Wasn’t this about Uncle Jiang? |
| SL: | As I said, pure curiosity. After you moved out, did you have much contact with your Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu? |
| WWX: | Nah, not really. I’m sure they kept tabs on me, but there’s – I wasn’t exactly calling them on the weekends or anything. They’re busy, I’m busy, you know how it is. Why? |
| SL: | So you didn’t have much occasion to speak with your Uncle or the Madame? |
| WWX: | Exactly. |
| SL: | Not even for the holidays? |
| WWX: | I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’re not really the family to look to for intimate holiday reunions. |
| SL: | What about less intimate holiday reunions? I’m sure there are functions that can’t be missed. |
| WWX: | Yeah, well, I’m not the legitimate son, so technically I can miss anything I want. And I’m an actor. I can miss anything if I’m filming. And did you know, I haven’t shown up to one of those things since like – before I became an actor? Now, instead of the business soirees it’s all about the industry parties, which are quite honestly much more my speed. |
| SL: | You don’t even visit your sister for the holidays? |
WEI WUXIAN SEEMS OFFENDED.
[05:00]
| WWX: | Of course I visit my sister, officer, that’s different! |
| SL: | And your brother? |
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng visits Jie at the same time I visit, so yeah, I see him. |
| SL: | But not your Uncle Jiang? |
| WWX: | Um – well, we do like a lunch or dinner. Usually lunch. When I’m in town, visiting Jie. |
| SL: | And that’s the only time you speak to him during the year? |
| WWX: | Well, we call and stuff, but in person that’s basically it. |
| SL: | And when was the last time – before Jiang Cheng’s birthday – that you were in the same room as Madame Yu and your Uncle? |
| WWX: | Wow, um – quite a while ago, I haven’t – not since I moved out, so give or take a decade? |
| SL: | Not even for New Years? |
| WWX: | No – I hear it’s just fancy dinner. I haven’t been. |
| SL: | Hear from who? |
| WWX: | Jie, Jiang Cheng. |
| SL: | And Jiang Fengmian, on your calls? |
| WWX: | Yeah, him too. |
| SL: | What do you usually talk about, on these calls? |
| WWX: | Work, mostly. |
| SL: | You don’t talk about Madame Yu? |
| WWX: | Ah. |
SILENCE. IT STRETCHES.
| WWX: | Madame Yu isn’t the easiest to live with. And Uncle Jiang doesn’t really want to badmouth the mom in front of the kids, I guess. |
| SL: | Is that what you think? |
| WWX: | Yeah, I mean – and Jiang Cheng, he’s – was, he was so close to Madame Yu too, and Madame Yu always supported Jie, so… |
| SL: | So you were the only one Jiang Fengmian could talk to about Yu Ziyuan’s failings? |
| WWX: | I wouldn’t say failings, that’s a little too much. Just small things, pet peeves. |
| SL: | Like? |
| WWX: | Um. I’m not really sure, it all kinda blurs together, you know – |
| SL: | You’re an actor. Don’t you memorize lines? |
| WWX: | Completely different – conscious effort is put into memorization, I’m not tryna memorize every conversation I have with anybody. Just the vibes, you know? Just – Uncle Jiang wasn’t always happy with how Madame Yu did things. |
| SL: | And what do you mean, you never really had a problem with Madame Yu? |
| WWX: | I mean I never really had a problem with Madame Yu, like I said, I totally get it, get her, you know? All of that ‘me showing up out of nowhere’ stuff, makes sense to me. And she wasn’t always so – |
SILENCE.
| SL: | So? |
| WWX: | I knew she didn’t like me, when I first – arrived, I knew she didn’t like me but she never hated me, not until later, when I got a little older. |
| SL: | She got worse over the years, you said. Fifth grade. |
| WWX: | Yeah. |
| SL: | And when you say worse, what do you mean by that? Was it how she treated you, or – |
| WWX: | Everyone. Back in the day, me and Jiang Cheng and all that, you know, kick a ball around, punt things over the fence, that sort of stuff, whatever – then it was all locked down, one day. She put everything into Jiang Cheng. |
| SL: | Everything? |
| WWX: | Yeah. |
| SL: | What does that mean, everything? |
| WWX: | Like – everything. Strictly regimented, I swear that once classes let out, on the dot, Madame Yu was there to drive him home. |
| SL: | Not you? |
| WWX: | I had a driver. |
| SL: | You didn’t go home at the same time? |
[10:00]
| WWX: | I usually hung around to play with the other kids, right? But – I literally wouldn’t see Jiang Cheng until dinner, even when I did go home at the same time as him, just – whisked away into his room to study, or back on the road for extracurriculars – I assume extracurriculars, I don’t really know. I went to my own extracurriculars. With a driver. |
| SL: | You didn’t have the opportunity to speak to Jiang Cheng at home, then? |
| WWX: | Yeah, no. As long as Madame Yu wasn’t on some sort of work trip. |
| SL: | What about Jiang Fengmian? How did he play into this? |
| WWX: | I mean, he didn’t? Madame Yu took care of Jiang Cheng, I guess that was good enough for him. |
| SL: | And you? |
| WWX: | What about me? |
| SL: | Was she worse to you? |
| WWX: | I – honestly? Like I said, she wasn’t all that involved with me when I got older. |
| SL: | Really. |
| WWX: | Yeah. She mostly just pretended I didn’t exist until I did something that reminded her I existed, say, a shed that happened to combust. |
| SL: | And she whipped you. |
| WWX: | Mhm. |
| SL: | Was Jiang Cheng there? |
| WWX: | …Mhm. |
| SL: | And he didn’t do anything to stop it? |
| WWX: | What was he supposed to do? Stop his mother? Stand up to Madame Yu? |
| SL: | It would have been the brotherly thing. |
| WWX: | It would have been impossible. |
PAUSE.
| SL: | Was that a common punishment, whipping? |
| WWX: | Nah, just that once. |
| SL: | Are you certain? |
| WWX: | Pretty certain, Sarge. Pretty damn certain. |
| SL: | Then what was the common punishment? |
| WWX: | Look, I think you’ve misunderstood something. I wasn’t kidding when I said it wasn’t abuse – you asked about the big fuckup, I told you. It came with a big punishment. Other than the rulers and spanking when we were kids, there really wasn’t any physical punishment when I got older. Just that one time I set the shed on fire when I was, like, sixteen. |
| SL: | Hm. |
| WWX: | Once she started focusing on Jiang Cheng, and that was super early on, she didn’t have time for me. I’m gonna be completely honest with you, officer – she definitely did throw things at me if I said anything that upset her, but her aim was not good, and my dodging is very good. |
| SL: | …Right. So your uncle would call to complain about his wife – |
| WWX: | Weeell, let’s not call it complain, |
| SL: | Do you think you were the only one he spoke to about Madame Yu in that manner? |
| WWX: | …Yeah, I’d suppose so. |
| SL: | That certainly puts you in an interesting position. He never invited you home for the holidays? |
| WWX: | Holidays? Oh, of course he invited me back for the holidays, every year. Surprisingly, I was busy. Every year. |
| SL: | Hm. Do you think he expected you to turn him down? |
| WWX: | I dunno. I’m not sure what he was expecting. |
| SL: | Do your siblings attend the holiday events? |
| WWX: | How else would they tell me about the fancy dinners? Yes, officer, of course they attend. |
| SL: | And other than Madame Yu, what do you speak about? |
| WWX: | I told you, work. He likes to check in on me. |
| SL: | You don’t check in on him? |
| WWX: | Man, who cares about that? |
| SL: | It seems to me that you and your Uncle Jiang should be quite close – why downplay your interactions with him? |
WEI WUXIAN SIGHS. IT’S FRUSTRATED.
[15:00]
| WWX: | Officer, sir, with all due respect, you can dig into me all you want but you really have no clue what it’s like, ok? I don’t know what you’re trying to get out of this conversation, but – I’ll summarize it for you – I owe Uncle Jiang my life. But he’s not my father, and he never will be, and you know he’s not even my uncle by blood, right? I owe him my life and I owe him more than I could ever repay but he’s, he’s got nothing to do with any of this – he’s not my father. Madame Yu was not my mother. Jiang Cheng, he’s my brother, and Jie is my Jie. |
A PAUSE.
| WWX: | You said it yourself. I’m not his child. |
| SL: | Is that why Jiang Cheng tried to kill you? |
| WWX: | What the fuck? |
WEI WUXIAN IS SHOCKED. HIS VOICE CARRIES AN UNDERTONE OF ANGER THAT HIDES FEAR.
| WWX: | Where the hell did you get that idea? |
| SL: | I spoke to your husband this morning. |
UNDERSTANDING AND FRUSTRATION DISAPPEARS AS QUICKLY AS IT APPEARS.
| WWX: | I – fuck, yeah, that’s, um, a misunderstanding. |
| SL: | Your husband misunderstood and thought your brother was trying to kill you. |
WEI WUXIAN IS OFF-BALANCE.
| WWX: | Yeah… that doesn’t sound quite right, huh. But it’s true – it was an accident. It wasn’t like Jiang Cheng was trying to kill me. It’s – just, you know, sort of a bad timing meets me being drunk meets an Inception sorta coincidence, actually, I don’t know if that’s what I want to reference, it’s not like he could get in my head or anything, my heads pretty hard, I’ve been called hard-headed a couple of times in my life – |
| SL: | You’re rambling. |
WEI WUXIAN HAS REGAINED HIS COMPOSURE IN THE MEANTIME.
| WWX: | Ah. Um. Look, it really was just an accident. I was drunk, right, and Jiang Cheng tossed me some pills for my inevitable hangover, and I just kinda took ‘em right there and then – yeah, that’s all she wrote. |
SILENCE. WEI WUXIAN DOES NOT ATTEMPT TO FILL IT.
| SL: | I hear you have an affection for alcohol. |
| WWX: | That’s one way to put it, yeah – it just tastes good. Honest to god. What else did Lan Zhan tell you about my brother? |
| SL: | Quite a bit. |
| WWX: | Like what? |
| SL: | You know, you could clarify this for me – what is the relationship between your husband and your brother? |
| WWX: | Sarge – again, who cares? |
| SL: | I need to know how much of your husband’s testimony I can trust. |
| WWX: | Fuck, man, I don’t know – if it’s about Jiang Cheng, just – don’t listen to A-Zhan, alright? He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. |
| SL: | Why not? |
| WWX: | It’s complicated. Don’t worry about it. |
| SL: | That sounds worrisome. |
| WWX: | Ha ha. |
| SL: | Ok, then, something easier – he said that you didn’t allow him to attend Jiang Cheng’s birthday party. Why not? |
| WWX: | Lingling needed a babysitter. Lan Zhan was available. |
| SL: | I’m sure you could’ve hired someone else. |
| WWX: | And Lan Zhan doesn’t like Madame Yu. Or Jiang Cheng. |
[20:00]
| SL: | But I understand that he attended Jiang Cheng’s birthday’s in years past? Why not this year? |
| WWX: | Madame Yu wasn’t there in years past, obviously – did you just want me to say that? Because that’s it. End of story. I don’t really like having A-Zhan around Madame Yu. He gets prickly and protective, and I really didn’t want to be bringing that atmosphere. And Madame Yu didn’t invite him. And I wasn’t told I could bring a plus-one. |
| SL: | But you’re married. Surely Madame Yu would expect – |
| WWX: | Absolutely not. Jin Zixuan gets invites, and he married Jie. Legitimately. With a wedding and Madame Yu in attendance. |
| SL: | So you didn’t bring Lan Wangji. You couldn’t bring him. |
| WWX: | Exactly. |
| SL: | Did you have fun? |
| WWX: | Hm? |
| SL: | At the party. With Madame Yu and your uncle. Did you have fun? |
| WWX: | Fun… well. That would not be the word I’d use to describe the event. It was… fine. |
| SL: | Did you speak to your Uncle Jiang while you were there? |
| WWX: | Yeah, we talked about the project I’m working on, you know – Sunshot? He wanted to know what that was all about. |
| SL: | I’ve heard that it’ll be a documentary of the Great War – at least that’s the rumour. |
| WWX: | Mmmm. |
| SL: | Can neither confirm nor deny? |
| WWX: | Couldn’t tell Uncle Jiang either, so don’t feel too left out! |
| SL: | What about the other project of yours I’ve been reading about in the news? |
| WWX: | Oh, that rumour about me become creative director or whatever? That’s not true, just so you know. You can ask Uncle Jiang too, he’ll say the same thing. |
| SL: | And you’re not just hiding the truth together, collaboratively. |
| WWX: | Wow, is this what it’s like to be a police officer? Just, constantly doubting everyone? |
| SL: | Not everyone. |
| WWX: | Just me? |
| SL: | Did you speak to Madame Yu as well, then? |
| WWX: | Right, don’t answer my question – it depends on what you mean by ‘speak’, I suppose… there was an exchange of cordial greetings, I offered to pour her a drink, she sneered at me, I wondered why I was invited, yeah, that’s about it. |
| SL: | So no conversation? |
| WWX: | And I can’t help by wonder why I was invited, if she wasn’t going to talk to me. |
| SL: | Nothing? |
| WWX: | It went a little – ahem – ‘Wei Wuxian. You made it.’ ‘I hope you’ve been doing well, Madame Yu. I truly appreciate you inviting me tonight. Can I refill your drink?’ ‘Hmph.’ She looks me up and down. And then she walks away from me to go talk to Jie. |
| SL: | And nothing else? |
| WWX: | The rest of the night, nothing. Glared at me once in a while, but didn’t speak to me again. |
| SL: | And this invitation – did she send you a letter? |
| WWX: | A letter! No, do you think we live in the 1700s? Of course not! |
| SL: | It certainly doesn’t sound like she would call you. |
| WWX: | No, she texted me. |
| SL: | She knows your cellphone number? |
| WWX: | Of course she knows. Why wouldn’t she know? |
| SL: | I thought you didn’t keep in contact. |
| WWX: | Well, no, we don’t keep in contact, but Uncle Jiang has my personal number. She could ask Uncle Jiang. |
[25:00]
| SL: | And he’d give it to her? The number of the boy that his wife hates? |
| WWX: | When you put it like that – I dunno, she texted me. |
| SL: | Do you still have that text? |
| WWX: | Yeah, of course. |
| SL: | Can I take a look? |
WEI WUXIAN DIGS IN HIS POCKETS AND PULLS OUT HIS PHONE
| SL: | That’s not a Lotus phone. |
| WWX: | No, it’s not. |
WEI WUXIAN SCROLLS THROUGH THE PHONE.
| SL: | You’re not given a free Jiang cellphone? |
| WWX: | You know just as well as I do, Sarge – the Lotus phones are, to put it lightly, not very good. Don’t know why they can’t just stick to software and cloud and whatever, the hardware is just… a little garbage. Not to my taste, you could say. |
| SL: | Then what about the hologram project I keep hearing about? |
WEI WUXIAN LOOKS UP, SEEMINGLY IMPRESSED, BEFORE TURNING HIS ATTENTION BACK TO HIS PHONE.
| WWX: | You went digging, didn’t you? Those are still some pretty niche rumours. |
| SL: | If its real, its revolutionary. And it does fit, in some ways, into the traditional software and middleware offerings. |
| WWX: | And researching Jiang Corp too! But true, yes, revolutionary is one word – groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting, genre-defining and all that. Amazing what R&D can come up with when they have funding, huh? |
| SL: | Is there not a hardware component to that? |
| WWX: | How am I supposed to know? In case you forgot, I don’t work at Jiang Corp. |
| SL: | There’s this little device thing, they’re speculating it’s some sort of new hardware. For portable holographs. Whatever that’s good for, I’m sure you’ve done your market research. |
| WWX: | Well, I sincerely hope they run better than the Lotus phone. |
| SL: | And it’s interesting that you went for a lotus-bud looking logo. Not sticking with the phone logo? |
| WWX: | I didn’t go for anything. |
| SL: | Then your brother. Isn’t he the lead on this project? |
| WWX: | Go ask him. If he’s the lead, I haven’t heard anything about it. Didn’t you want to see the text? |
WEI WUXIAN PUSHES THE PHONE FORWARD.
| WWX: | See? |
| SL: | I see a text from an unsaved number. |
| WWX: | And it says? |
| SL: | ‘Jiang Cheng’s birthday – Jiang Manor – November 5 – 5:00pm’. That’s all it says. |
| WWX: | Well, check the number then if you don’t believe me. |
| SL: | No, I believe you. Why would you lie about being invited by Madame Yu? I’m just surprised you know that’s her number. |
| WWX: | You’re the one that thinks I’m lying, Sarge. And I know her number because I asked Jiang Cheng about the text, and he told me that was her number. |
| SL: | It’s just hard to understand why she invited you. |
| WWX: | Man, I don’t get it either. |
| SL: | And she dies two days later, when you have an airtight alibi of being in Greece. |
| WWX: | I didn’t poison her, if that’s what you think. |
| SL: | If you did poison her, then whatever you used was clever enough to not show up in toxicology despite the delayed effects. |
| WWX: | I didn’t poison her. How did we get to accusing me of poisoning Madame Yu all of a sudden? |
| SL: | I’m not accusing you of anything, Wei Wuxian. You were the one that brought up poison, and you did say you poured her a drink. |
| WWX: | I did not pour her a drink, I offered to pour her a drink, and she sneered at me so I didn’t. Just to make that clear. |
| SL: | So no drinks poured. |
| WWX: | Nope. |
| SL: | What about you, did you do any drinking that night? |
| WWX: | I wish. |
| SL: | So you didn’t drink? |
| WWX: | I only had one glass of wine, that’s it. |
[30:00]
| SL: | Do you happen to recall what wine it was you were drinking that night? |
| WWX: | No clue. Ask Jie, she would know – she’s the wine connoisseur. |
| SL: | At the very least, do you know recall the colour of what you drank? |
| WWX: | Red. And pretty fucking dry. Probably some sort of Merlot – Madame Yu likes merlot. I think. |
| SL: | Sounds like you know a bit about wine yourself. |
| WWX: | Well, you pick things up. |
| SL: | And you like to drink. |
| WWX: | Please. Most people like drinking – most normal people, that is, and most normal people don’t pay too much attention to what they’re drinking – alcohol content, if it’s wine or not wine, that’s about it. I know a lot about normal people. |
| SL: | …Right – |
| WWX: | So yes, I enjoy my alcohol, and my night was mildly ruined by my incredible self-control. Self-control, which I have, because I’m not an alcoholic. |
| SL: | I never intended to imply – |
| WWX: | That’s OK, dude, you’re just doing your job. But I am very in control of my alcohol consumption. I wasn’t drunk, and I haven’t been drunk in ages. In fact, the last time I was drunk – it’s gotta be going on six years now? |
| SL: | Really? Despite the partying? |
| WWX: | Hell yeah, despite the partying. You can’t get drunk around industry people – they’d eat you alive! |
| SL: | Of course… that night, though, who else did you talk to? |
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng, Jie, Jin Zixuan, Uncle Jiang – |
| SL: | Was this before or after you spoke to Yu Ziyuan? |
| WWX: | What do you mean? You want to know who I spoke to in, like, chronological order? |
| SL: | If you remember. |
| WWX: | Well, I showed up, right, and wished Jiang Cheng a happy birthday. That’s one. Hugged Jie, acknowledged the presence of Jin Zixuan. Grabbed a glass. Got glared at by Jiang Cheng. Greeted Madame Yu, talked a little with Uncle Jiang, and then we sat down. Ate cake. |
| SL: | Did you notice, at any point, anyone missing? |
| WWX: | And what do you mean by missing? |
| SL: | Periods of time where their presence wasn’t accounted for. |
| WWX: | No? Why would I notice that? |
| SL: | Madame Yu didn’t slip out at any point? |
| WWX: | I mean, not that I noticed. |
| SL: | What else happened that night? How long did you stay for? |
| WWX: | Far too long, for what the event was. Literally just ate and stood around, and it was what? Five hours? |
| SL: | Madame Yu – how involved was she with Jiang Corp, anyways? I know she had her own legal practice, but going through the notes, it seems like she hadn’t worked with Jiang Corp in years. |
| WWX: | Huh. |
| SL: | Do you know anything about that? |
| WWX: | Um, no, not really? Like I said, I’m not really involved in Jiang Corp, so I wouldn’t know if Uncle works with Madame Yu or not. |
| SL: | I asked your Uncle, see, and he was quite evasive to the matter. You seem to be the closest to Jiang Fengmian. Can you think of any reason why your Uncle wouldn’t be taking advantage of his wife’s legal knowledge in the last couple of years? |
| WWX: | No, not really? Well, other than the fact that Uncle Jiang generally didn’t like nepotism, or like, you know, family interference sort of thing, maybe that’s why. |
| SL: | Is that so. |
SGT. SONG WRITES IN HIS NOTEBOOK.
[35:00]
| WWX: | Uncle Jiang’s really into the idea of fairness. That’s why he made Jiang Cheng work his way up, you know? Didn’t want to hand it all to him on a silver plate. |
| SL: | Doesn’t want to make it too easy, I see. |
| WWX: | Yeah, Madame Yu wasn’t too happy about that. |
| SL: | And when you say you’re certain that your Uncle Jiang would never hurt her – |
| WWX: | I’m certain. A hundred percent. |
| SL: | But you say that your brother, that Jiang Cheng also wasn’t the type of person – |
| WWX: | Woah, woah, that’s different – |
| SL: | To hurt someone – |
| WWX: | You know that’s not what I’m saying – |
| SL: | So what precludes it from being Jiang Fengmian? |
| WWX: | That’s false equivalency, dude, and you know it is. |
| SL: | Be that as it may – |
| WWX: | No ‘be that as it may’, Sergeant Song, and I’d thank you not to twist my words – I don’t believe it, ok? I can’t believe that Jiang Cheng killed Madame Yu, no matter what he says, and I won’t believe it until I have cold, hard evidence – |
| SL: | Is the knife and his own testimony not enough? |
| WWX: | There’s no security camera footage. I bet it just shows him carrying Madame Yu’s body into the foyer, otherwise you wouldn’t be asking me these questions. |
| SL: | You know about the security camera footage? |
| WWX: | Of course. They were installed to catch me sneaking out at night, after all. |
SGT. SONG PAUSES.
| SL: | That’s why there’s a camera in your room? |
| WWX: | Are those still recording? What a waste. |
| SL: | Your siblings didn’t have cameras in their rooms. |
| WWX: | They also didn’t sneak out at night. |
| SL: | But no, those cameras weren’t recording. They were disconnected from the system years ago. |
| WWX: | That sounds about right. Madame Yu always hated wastefulness. |
| SL: | Really? |
| WWX: | Yeah, why are you so surprised? |
| SL: | Well, it’s not the image I have of the spectacularly wealthy. |
| WWX: | Yeah? |
| SL: | Her wardrobe seems to be worth millions, by our initial estimate. |
| WWX: | Dude, what the heck, why are you estimating that? |
| SL: | Theft. |
| WWX: | But I thought you guys thought that Jiang Cheng killed her, why would there be theft? |
| SL: | Perhaps he had worked in tandem with another individual with another aim. Perhaps he stayed behind to create a scene where there was only one perpetrator. As I said, we need to be thorough. |
| WWX: | Geez. |
| SL: | You seem surprised. About what? |
| WWX: | Madame Yu was stingy as all hell, Sarge. Like, not even a little bit wasteful. Sure, her clothes were tailored. Bags, Birken. Watches? Luxury. Shoes? Seasonal. It’s all about image, image is – was, everything. How you’re perceived is crucial to your ultimate success, that’s what Madame Yu says. But no more than that. Not about more. About enough. |
| SL: | She said that to you? |
| WWX: | To all of us, but yeah, even to me – even if I’m adopted, I’m still part of the Jiang family’s image, right? So I have to look the part. Act the part. And part of it is just looking expensive. She’d always say – part of looking expensive is looking classy, looking classic, not being a walking billboard. More is tasteless, nouveau riche. |
[40:00]
| SL: | And she said that to you? |
| WWX: | I’m a walking billboard. |
| SL: | Excuse me? |
| WWX: | You know, brand ambassador. Walking billboard. An icon for the nouveau riche. |
| SL: | And she said all this to you when? |
| WWX: | Just lessons you pick up over time, it’s not like she sat me down and lectured me on image management. It was a dinnertime topic. You know, when you’re a teenager, wanting to wear branded t-shirts. Ask anyone, they’ll tell you. Um – ‘You must control how you’re perceived. Good, bad, as long as you are the master.’ |
| SL: | So she didn’t talk to you about this when you became an actor? |
| WWX: | No, like I said. We didn’t really talk. |
| SL: | Right. |
SGT. SONG MAKES A NOTE.
WEI WUXIAN CRACKS HIS KNUCKLES.
| SL: | Do you know why this was such an important topic to her? |
| WWX: | How am I supposed to know? |
| SL: | Not even any speculation? |
| WWX: | To be honest, I don’t really feel comfortable speculating, but there must’ve been a good reason. All things said and done, I respect Madame Yu. She did things for a reason, always. |
| SL: | You respect her, despite everything? |
| WWX: | Yeah, well. She did what she had to do. |
| SL: | So, she had to abuse you? And monitor you? |
| WWX: | Again with that word, dude! Forget it, let’s not dig into the family drama again, I’ve had enough of it for today. |
| SL: | Alright, alright. Would you be wiling to speak to the respect, though? |
WEI WUXIAN HUFFS, BUT OBLIGES. ALTOGETHER TOO WILLLING.
| WWX: | I mean, look at her legacy. Her career. She was a powerful woman who got shit done, and it’s not like she’s wrong about, you know, my presence messing up the whole Jiang family vibe. Can’t have been easy for her either, right? I’m not her son or whatever. So the fact that she was even making an effort – even if it was just to keep up appearances, she could have just as easily left me to my own devices. |
| SL: | And would that have been so bad, being left to your own devices? |
| WWX: | God, you can’t even imagine. Madame Yu pushed me to be better than I was – otherwise, I might’ve just – just – if no-one held me back – |
| SL: | What about your Uncle Jiang? |
WEI WUXIAN SHIFTS, UNCOMFORTABLE.
| WWX: | He would’ve let me do anything. And I don’t know what I would’ve done. |
| SL: | Maybe you would’ve killed Madame Yu. Or her son. And taken over. |
A GUTTURAL NOISE ESCAPES FROM WEI WUXIAN.
| WWX: | Dude, that’s not funny. Don’t even joke about that. |
| SL: | You don’t think you have that in you? |
| WWX: | What the fuck, man! No! |
| SL: | What about your husband? |
| WWX: | What about him? |
| SL: | Hanguang-jun loves you very much. He’d do anything for you. |
WEI WUXIAN BANGS HIS FISTS ON THE TABLE.
HE STANDS, LEANING OVER, NOSE TO NOSE WITH SGT. SONG.
| WWX: | Don’t you even dare imply that. Don’t you fucking dare. I’m warning you. |
| SL: | He has motive. |
| WWX: | But no opportunity. |
SGT. SONG DOES NOT REACT.
[45:00]
| SL: | We don’t know if he had opportunity, not yet, but he might have. Like I said, we have to be thorough. |
| WWX: | Not him. Never him. He wouldn’t. I know he didn’t. |
| SL: | It’s convenient, though, isn’t it? Jiang Cheng makes the perfect scapegoat, and as you tell it, your husband hated his mother-in-law. |
| WWX: | No. No, no, no. I told you, don’t go putting fucking words in my mouth. |
| SL: | And then there’s the misunderstanding with him and your brother that you haven’t cleared up. Making sure we don’t put together the pieces? |
IT IS A TESTAMENT TO WEI WUXIAN’S PATIENCE THAT NO PUNCHES ARE THROWN.
| WWX: | Fuck you. You want to know the truth so badly, that you’ll provoke me like this? You want to know about – |
WEI WUXIAN CATCHES HIMSELF.
| SL: | The pills for the hangover. Is that what really happened? |
| WWX: | Sonata. |
| SL: | Excuse me? |
| WWX: | Exposition, development, recapitulation. Learned a couple things from A-Zhan, over the years. A part, B part in dominant, C part, A part, B part in main. Most common format. Cyclical, patterns, reiterated themes. |
WEI WUXIAN SITS BACK DOWN.
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng and I used to be pretty hotheaded back in the day, easily provoked. Him more so than me, in some ways, me more so than him in others. Now? We’ve both grown. I know my husband didn’t do it, I know I didn’t do it. You can’t pin it on us – we’re too big for that. So. What’s your game? |
| SL: | All I want to know is why Lan Wangji seems to hate Jiang Cheng so much. Why does he think he tried to kill you? |
| WWX: | Look. Bro gave me a bottle of Aspirin and I downed the whole thing. I was drunk. That’s it. A-Zhan seems to think it was done maliciously, I can’t convince him otherwise, but I can convince him to at least act civil. For me. Is that what you wanted to hear? |
| SL: | So you tried to kill yourself, and your husband didn’t want to believe it. |
| WWX: | You can call it whatever you want. It’s got nothing to do with whatever you’re trying to find out about Madame Yu’s death. |
SILENCE.
| SL: | I apologize. That was insensitive of me. |
| WWX: | Look. Jiang Cheng would never try and murder me. That’s all you need to know. A-Zhan would never hurt Jiang Cheng or Madame Yu, because it’d hurt me. |
| SL: | If that’s the case, why doesn’t Lan Wangji believe you, that Jiang Cheng didn’t do it maliciously? |
WEI WUXIAN SHRUGS.
| WWX: | Chengcheng tossed me the pills. |
| SL: | And you never explained to him – |
| WWX: | Oh, I definitely explained, but A-Zhan’s a little hardheaded, see? Once he gets an idea into his head, it’s hard to change his mind. |
| SL: | And Jiang Cheng’s OK with that? |
| WWX: | He seems to find it amusing. |
| SL: | And how do you know? |
| WWX: | I asked. |
| SL: | You asked. |
| WWX: | Yeah. He seems to find it real amusing. |
| SL: | And you talk with Jiang Cheng often? |
| WWX: | Sure. You have Jiang Cheng’s phone records, I’m sure – that’s all there. |
| SL: | I’d like you to tell me. |
WEI WUXIAN SHRUGS.
[50:00]
| WWX: | Ship’s sailed, Sarge. Surprisingly, I’m not much in the mood for talking anymore. |
| SL: | Alright. Last few questions then. |
| WWX: | Please. |
| SL: | Have you been to Jiang Cheng’s apartment? |
| WWX: | Downtown? |
| SL: | Yes. |
| WWX: | Yup. |
| SL: | When was the last time you were there? |
| WWX: | Subpoena the access records or something. There’s a log. |
| SL: | Have you been there this year? |
| WWX: | Yup. |
| SL: | Why? |
| WWX: | To visit. Talk. |
| SL: | Doesn’t look really lived in, his apartment. |
| WWX: | He’s mostly at the mansion. Madame Yu liked having him at home. |
| SL: | Then why did he have his own apartment? |
| WWX: | Ask him. I don’t know. |
| SL: | Haven’t been to his apartment recently? |
| WWX: | Nope. |
| SL: | Do you know anything about the will? |
| WWX: | What will? |
| SL: | Yu Ziyuan’s will? I hear it hasn’t been read yet. |
| WWX: | Then you know more than I do, Sarge. I’m not even in the will. Why would I know anything about it? |
| SL: | Just wondering if Jiang Cheng has said anything about it. |
| WWX: | Nope. Not really top of mind for any of us, surprisingly. |
| SL: | That’s right. You’re all well off enough even without an inheritance. |
| WWX: | Ha. Most of it’ll go to Uncle Jiang anyway, right? Isn’t that how it works, stuff goes to the spouse? |
| SL: | Unless the will says otherwise. |
| WWX: | Hm. |
SGT. SONG SIGHS. HIS EXPRESSION IS CONTRITE.
| SL: | I’m hoping you’ll be available in the future to take a call or two – we might have some more questions for you. I realize that I might have pushed too much, but – |
| WWX: | You really fucked it, Sarge. |
| SL: | If it means anything to you, I’m truly sorry. I really do want to crack this case, and it seemed like a lead. |
| WWX: | Fuck, man. I know. I know. I can tell. I wouldn’t have told you otherwise. |
| SL: | I couldn’t tell how much was a lie, you loving your brother. I needed to know. |
| WWX: | None of it. I’d never lie about that. |
| SL: | It’s just – all you say is that he’s your brother. And I understand that family relationships can be complicated, and you can still love the people that hurt you – do you understand what I’m trying to say? |
| WWX: | No, not really. |
| SL: | You say you love him, and that he loves you. I don’t really see any evidence of that. |
WEI WUXIAN FROWNS. HE IS DRAWN BACK INTO THE CONVERSATION.
| WWX: | What do you mean? |
| SL: | You think you owe him, don’t you? Even if you don’t call it guilt, you know what you did to him. You’ll stick with him, through hell or high waters, even if he’s a bit of an asshole. You’re close because you’re brothers. You’ll do anything for him. What’s he done for you? |
| WWX: | What? |
| SL: | And I’m sure that’s what your husband sees too. The man he loves, being exploited by his brother. |
| WWX: | What?? No – |
| SL: | Do you love him, or do you feel obligated towards him? Does he care about you at all? |
| WWX: | No! God, is that really how I sound? |
| SL: | And you and your husband would make the perfect team. Good alibis. One with plenty reason but no opportunity, one with no reason but plenty opportunity. The only thing that changed my mind – you could’ve talked about how much you care about your brother, how you visit him and hang out and talk all the time. Made it convincing. |
| WWX: | But I didn’t. |
| SL: | You didn’t. |
SILENCE.
[55:00]
| WWX: | …He’s done a lot for me, you know? He wouldn’t admit it, but he covers for me. |
| SL: | That argument you filmed benefitted you both. |
| WWX: | No, not that. |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | It was when I first started out, you know, nobody starts out big, right? So in my college baby acting years, I was a bit – wild, you could say – |
| SL: | You do have a reputation as quite the partier. |
| WWX: | Ah, well, you know – my reputation proceeds me. |
| SL: | So you were like that, even back then? |
| WWX: | Yeah, well – see, I had some less than savoury, uh – encounters, let’s call them, and, well, you know, a little too much to drink – |
| SL: | So you’re saying you got into barfights. |
| WWX: | Well, I wouldn’t call them barfights, per se, they were – tussles, in close proximity to liquor establishments – |
| SL: | Barfights. |
| WWX: | Barfights. But it’s not like I can just sit there and do nothing if I see a guy being needlessly creepy, right? Can’t just watch silently when someone’s trying to spike a drink? And you know how it is, these – confrontations – get filmed, you know, handsome man fights less handsome criminal behaviour man, and all press is good press, right? Not that I did it for the press, of course, but – the fights were good. I got to follow my heart and go viral, gotta say, fantastic trade. |
| SL: | But this went wrong? |
| WWX: | Well, ah, l might’ve punched the wrong guy one night. Um, you might know him? Works with you? Super rich? |
SGT. SONG FROWNS.
| WWX: | Yeah… |
| SL: | You didn’t get into a fight with… |
| WWX: | Yeah. |
| SL: | You didn’t recognize him? |
| WWX: | In my defense, I – no, I didn’t. Why would I? Like – Jiang Cheng does that sorta thing, but I’m not the heir, that’s – I don’t do that stuff, why would I know Wen Chao? |
| SL: | Why did you…? |
| WWX: | He’s a creep. Was a creep, anyway. Maybe he’s reformed now. I don’t know. |
SGT. SONG’S EXPRESSION STIFFENS.
| SL: | So what happened next? |
| WWX: | Well, you know the Wen’s – their tangled web of nonsense spreads everywhere, and they’re weirdly influential, aren’t they? Anyway, if they said the word I’d be blocked from being in the film industry for the rest of my pathetic existence, but – nobody ever saw that particular video of me breaking Wen Chao’s nose, either, and the Wen’s kinda – left me alone. |
| SL: | And this has to do with Jiang Cheng how…? |
| WWX: | He found out, right? So – |
| SL: | Who found out what from who? |
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng found out about the fight from Nie Huaisang. |
| SL: | He was there? |
| WWX: | No, Huaisang wasn’t there, but he tends to know these sorta things, and he loves snitching on me to Jiang Cheng. The important part is that Jiang Cheng found out and, well, cooperative approach. Corporate magic. That sort of thing. |
| SL: | What could he have to offer to Wen Ruohan? He didn’t even have much influence at the time. |
| WWX: | I just – like I said, there were no repercussions. Something had to have happened. |
| SL: | So you feel that you owe him for a favour you’re not even sure happened. |
| WWX: | No! Well, no – it’s not that I owe him, but – when we were kids, too, when I’d get in trouble he’d always be right by me, serving the same punishments. |
| SL: | He was aiding and abetting you. By your own admission, he’d take whatever punishment his mother gave. |
| WWX: | But he didn’t have to aid and abet me, right? |
| SL: | Maybe he enjoyed your antics just as much as you did. |
| WWX: | But he always discouraged me from – |
| SL: | Plausible deniability. That way he wins no matter the outcome. |
WEI WUXIAN’S SPEECH QUICKENS.
[60:00]
| WWX: | He took the fall when I broke the glass on the coffee table when we were kids – |
| SL: | He was there with you, I’m sure – was he not also culpable, and would his punishment not be less than yours? |
| WWX: | Yeah, but – |
| SL: | On how many occasions did he not take the fall for you? |
| WWX: | I can’t expect him to always – |
| SL: | Lan Wangji says he takes advantage of you. |
| WWX: | He doesn’t! Name one time he’s – |
| SL: | The creative director rumours, and the rumours of your attachment to a project he’s spearheading. He’s using your name as marketing. |
| WWX: | Well, even if that were true, maybe I consented to that! |
| SL: | You didn’t go to business school. |
| WWX: | That was my decision, he had jack shit to do with it – |
| SL: | And maybe you’ve lost perspective of your own position – |
| WWX: | I haven’t! Not for a moment, not for a single fucking minute – Jiang Cheng would never use me, never treat me like just a tool. Never! |
SILENCE.
| SL: | Then you trust him? |
| WWX: | Yeah, of course! With my life. |
| SL: | You believe in him? |
| WWX: | Believe in him what? |
| SL: | When he says he killed Madame Yu. |
| WWX: | I – |
WEI WUXIAN CLOSES HIS EYES, LEANING BACK IN THE HARD PLASTIC CHAIR.
THE SECOND HAND CROSSES OVER TWELEVE ONCE, THEN TWICE.
HIS EYES ARE STILL CLOSED WHEN HE SPEAKS.
| WWX: | …Yeah, well. |
WEI WUXIAN SPRINGS BACK FORWARD, EYES OPEN.
| WWX: | But even if it was him, he had to have had a reason. Like, maybe he was threatened. Maybe something happened. Maybe it’s metaphorical, like some sort of inside joke? Hell, maybe Madame Yu asked him to do it, I don’t know! |
| SL: | But you believe that the wounds were caused by Jiang Cheng? |
| WWX: | I said what I said. I don’t intend to take it back. But, |
WEI WUXIAN SHAKES HIS HEAD.
| WWX: | Jiang Cheng might not call me A-Xian anymore, but he lets me turn up drunk to his apartment. He might never acknowledge me as his brother in public, but he lets me call him at three in the morning to complain about scripts and he listens the whole time. He’s there for me. Maybe nobody else sees it, but I know. When I need him most, he’ll be there for me. |
| SL: | …Do you think he killed Madame Yu for you? |
| WWX: | I don’t… no. He wouldn’t. There would be no reason to, Madame Yu was the one who invited me to the birthday party. I survived that. Madame Yu wasn’t out for my blood. I’ve been living good up ‘til now, you know? |
| SL: | Do you – you know the rumours, that he killed the – |
| WWX: | Yeah, I know. He didn’t do it, by the way. |
| SL: | And you know this for sure? |
| WWX: | As sure as I am that Lan Zhan and I didn’t kill Madame Yu. I don’t know if it’s good luck or bad luck, but Jiang Cheng didn’t cause those deaths. |
| SL: | But he caused this one. |
| WWX: | Fuck, I don’t even know anymore. You’ve got me all confused, Sarge. |
| SL: | But you’ll defend his good character to the end. |
| WWX: | Yeah. Yeah, I will. |
| SL: | I apologize, again, for the questioning I put you through. |
| WWX: | You know, I consider myself a pretty good judge of character. I really do want to figure what happened, like – I don’t believe Jiang Cheng did it, I seriously don’t. And you seem like a justice-oriented sorta guy, so I’m really hoping you’re able to – I dunno. Keep this on track. Get to the bottom of things. |
[65:00]
| SL: | I do as well. I’m not sure what it is about this case, but my gut tells me there’s more to this. |
| WWX: | There is. There has to be. Here – my personal number, if you have any questions for me. My other personal number, not my personal personal number, but you won’t have to go through my agent. |
| SL: | …Thank you. I was afraid that I’d – |
| WWX: | No biggie. Doesn’t seem like you’re going down that road anymore, anyway. |
| SL: | No. I don’t think I am. |
| WWX: | Great. Ah, if I could provide a suggestion? |
| SL: | Of course. Anything that you think would help the investigation. |
| WWX: | I’m not sure if you know about this already, but you know the mansion has panic rooms? Or, like. Hidden rooms. In the bedrooms. For hiding. |
| SL: | No, I did not know. |
| WWX: | Even my room had one. I used to use it to hide my, um. I knew Madame Yu knew about the panic room, but she never checks in there, so some of my – I have a small workshop set up in there. I don’t know – if Madame Yu used hers. I wouldn’t know how to get in, but Uncle Jiang would know, I’m sure. Or like, wall tapping. |
| SL: | That’s incredibly valuable information. We’ll have to act on the right away. |
| WWX: | Yeah. You do that. Can we be done now? I’m – a little tired. |
INTERVIEW END
[67:57]
Notes:
Thank you all for leaving such kind comments while I've been gone! I appreciate you all <3
WWX's going to want to rendezvous with LWJ after this. As always, please let me know if you spot any errors! Concrit always welcome too!Notes
Had a bit of a mental breakdown, but here we are. Originally, this was going to be split into two chapters, but given the length of absence I merged it into one.
SL never asks about WWX's career out of a sense of professionalism - doesn't want to be a weird fan, but he is a little bit of a fan. Enough of a fan he was freaking out a little about getting WWX's not personal personal number. Enough that he felt bad about pushing on the LWJ issue when he knew it likely wasn't going to lead anywhere. Of course, it wouldn't make sense - why would JC be willing to take the fall for a brother when there's no love? WWX doesn't think about this, because he loves his brother. SL did, but chose to continue the line of questioning anyway. Gut feeling told him that going down this line of questioning would be important in the long run.
From outside, from someone who has no insight into their brains, what does WWX & JC's relationship look like? How does it connect to Madame Yu's death? SL thinks the answer is somewhere in there.
Chapter 14: NOV 10 - WWX THREE, DEBRIEF
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A CONVERSATION: BETWEEN WEI WUXIAN AND SONG LAN
November 10, XXXX. 2:35 PM
| SL: | Before you leave, Wei Wuxian, would you allow me to ask a few final questions? I’ve turned off the recorder, so it’s just me and you. |
| WWX: | Off-the-record? Is that even allowed? |
| SL: | There’s just a couple of things your brother told me that bothered me, and they pertain to you but not to the case. I thought you might be more comfortable answering the questions without the recording. |
| WWX: | Fine. Shoot. |
| SL: | I understand you and Jiang Cheng had a falling out before you became an actor. When you turned down the opportunity to become an engineer. |
| WWX: | Yeah, well. Sure, that happened. It wasn’t all that big of a deal. |
| SL: | Jiang Yanli seemed to think otherwise. |
| WWX: | Jie told you about the fight? |
| SL: | Yes. |
| WWX: | No way. |
| SL: | How else would I know about it? |
| WWX: | Yeah, but there’s no way she’d tell you the details. You probably asked her about us fighting and she brought it up as an example, but didn’t tell you anything so now you’re asking me. |
| SL: | Jiang Cheng begged you not to go to film school. |
WEI WUXIAN SNORTS.
| WWX: | Something like that. |
| SL: | That wasn’t what happened? |
| WWX: | Sarge, I’m not going to talk about ancient history any more than I have to, off-the-record or not. Is that all you wanted to ask? |
| SL: | He also said that Madame Yu wasn’t the one that he wanted to kill. That there was someone else he had in mind, someone else that’s still alive. |
WEI WUXIAN STARES BLANKLY.
| WWX: | What? Say again? |
| SL: | Madame Yu wasn’t the one he wanted to kill. |
| WWX: | Damn, what the fuck? Madame Yu – what? |
| SL: | I had suspected it was you, at first. That he wanted to kill. |
| WWX: | No, no. No. I – what? There’s – like, I said it once but I’ll say it again – Jiang Cheng, he’s not a killer. Are you sure you didn’t just hear him wrong or something? |
| SL: | You seem to be taking this very seriously. |
| WWX: | Well, yeah, why would he say that to you? Is he trying to be suspicious on purpose? |
| SL: | If you could think of who this person he wants to kill might be – |
| WWX: | I don’t know. There’s nobody, I’m sure there’s nobody. |
| SL: | And you’re not afraid it’s you? |
| WWX: | No. No. No way it’s me, and I’m being serious, don’t look at me all suspicious like that, how many times do I have to repeat myself? Jiang Cheng isn’t a danger to me. |
| SL: | Despite everything. |
| WWX: | Exactly. Maybe he was – I don’t know what he’s thinking, saying something like that, but I promise you that he’s not – there’s nobody else he wants to kill. Maybe he’s tryna freak you out. |
| SL: | Is that what you really think? |
| WWX: | All I know for sure is he’s not going to hurt anyone, OK? Not me, not anyone else. |
| SL: | You’re sure? |
| WWX: | One hundred percent. |
| SL: | Your Uncle Jiang was quite eager for the case to be closed, you know. Do you think maybe he knows anything about – |
| WWX: | About what? |
| SL: | About what Jiang Cheng said. Who he wants dead. |
| WWX: | Why – why would he know? |
| SL: | Jiang Fengmian did push for Jiang Cheng to be convicted and for the case to be closed. He didn’t want any further investigation into the case. |
| WWX: | Huh? I don’t – I legitimately don’t follow. You think Uncle Jiang made Jiang Cheng – is, what? Turning Jiang Cheng into a hitman? |
| SL: | Perhaps Jiang Fengmian fears something negative for Jiang Corp may surface if we were to investigate too deeply into the case. |
| WWX: | Like what? |
| SL: | I was hoping you might know. |
| WWX: | How would I know, I’m literally not even – I’m just an actor, I don’t know what’s going on at Jiang Corp. |
| SL: | He seems to be the closest to you. |
| WWX: | And what did Uncle Jiang say to you about the case, like – did he say you should stop investigating? |
| SL: | He said it would be of benefit to the both of us if the case was closed as quickly as possible and no further investigation conducted. |
| WWX: | Right, well. Did he give you a reason why? |
| SL: | To kill the scandal as quickly as possible, keep it out of the public consciousness. |
| WWX: | I mean, that’s probably just his CEO brain talking, right? I’m sure – there’s no weird conspiracy, like. Probably just a coincidence. Jiang Cheng being weird, and Uncle Jiang trying to compartmentalize. Yeah. |
| SL: | And that’s what you really think? |
| WWX: | Yeah. |
| SL: | No connection there. |
| WWX: | Nope. |
| SL: | Just your brother acting strange, for seemingly no reason. |
| WWX: | Yeah. He’s – he’s like that. He’s got his reasons, always has his reasons, but only he ever knows what those reasons are. He’s just that sort of guy. |
| SL: | I see. Your brother certainly left us with one hell of a riddle. |
| WWX: | I – was that all you wanted to ask about? I’d really like to get outta here, I’ve got a flight to catch. |
| SL: | That was all, yes. Thank you for being patient with me, I truly appreciate it. |
| WWX: | Of course, of course. |
THE MEN STAND AND LEAVE THE INTERROGATION ROOM.
A CONVERSATION IN A CAR: BETWEEN WEI WUXIAN AND LAN WANGJI
November 10, XXXX. 2:46 PM
LAN WANGJI IS WAITING OUTSIDE IN A NON-DESCRIPT SEDAN.
WEI WUXIAN WAVES AS HE JOGS OVER.
HE SLIDES INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, LEANING TOWARDS LAN WANGJI FOR A QUICK KISS
| LWJ: | Wei Ying. Are you well? |
| WWX: | Well as I could be, darling. What did you tell him about Jiang Cheng this morning? The Sarge said he’d talked to you. |
LAN WANGJI STARES WEI WUXIAN IN THE EYE.
| LWJ: | The truth. |
| WWX: | Lan Zhan, come now. What happened to lying is forbidden? |
| LWJ: | I am not lying. |
| WWX: | Then what happened to gossip is forbidden? |
| LWJ: | I did not gossip. |
WEI WUXIAN APPEARS RELAXED.
| WWX: | He asked about it, you know. The incident with the pills. You told him about it. |
LAN WANGJI KNOWS HE IS ANYTHING BUT.
| LWJ: | He needed to know the truth. |
| WWX: | And I’ve told you, darling, it’s not what you think. That’s not what happened. I was drunk; I took too many pills. That’s it. It had nothing to do with Jiang Cheng, and I truly don’t appreciate you bringing it up to the cop. |
| LWJ: | Jiang Wanyin gave you pills. That he knew would react poorly with the alcohol. |
| WWX: | And I took them, against his advice. |
| LWJ: | You say you remember nothing about that night. This is only what Jiang Wanyin told you. |
| WWX: | And I believe him. |
| LWJ: | I do not. And I will do anything to ensure Wei Ying is safe. Protected. |
WEI WUXIAN SIGHS, LONGSUFFERING. LOVING.
| WWX: | I know, A-Zhan. And that’s the problem – I don’t need any protecting from Jiang Cheng. I keep telling you, he wouldn’t hurt me. |
| LWJ: | He has already hurt you. On many occasions. |
| WWX: | Let’s not get into this again, just – A-Zhan, please. You trust me, right? |
THERE IS NO HESITATION.
| LWJ: | I do. |
| WWX: | Then do me a favour – stop saying bad things about Jiang Cheng, ok? You don’t have to like him, I’m not asking for that. Just, he wouldn’t do anything to me. I promise. That’s all you told him about, right? The pills? |
| LWJ: | …Yes. I did not speak of – |
| WWX: | Good. Great! |
| LWJ: | He left you – |
| WWX: | Please, A-Zhan. Just drop it? All of it? The Sarge doesn’t need to know any of that, it’s really not relevant. Please. |
| LWJ: | …I understand. |
WEI WUXIAN CLAPS HIS HANDS TOGETHER.
| WWX: | Now that’s that, A-Zhan, my lovely husband, now that’s resolved, let’s see… what’s for dinner tonight before I have to fly, hm? |
| LWJ: | Hm. |
| WWX: | Oooh, think you can surprise me? |
| LWJ: | Hmh. |
| WWX: | Ok, alright, keep your secrets. Gotta makes some phone calls anyway – |
| LWJ: | Who will you call? |
| WWX: | Uncle Jiang. Thought I’d check in on him, you know? And I gotta update the peacock. Still can’t wrap my head around why Jiang Cheng chose him, like, guy’s not even a criminal lawyer. |
| LWJ: | Hm. |
| WWX: | Why, do you think Jiang Cheng had a reason for choosing him? |
| LWJ: | Yes. |
| WWX: | Yes? A-Zhan… |
| LWJ: | Family. |
| WWX: | Yeah, but also consider – conflict of interest. Practice insurance. Professional risk. What are you grinning about? |
| LWJ: | You think the risk is not worth the reward. |
| WWX: | No, that’s not what I’m trying to say – |
| LWJ: | It is. |
| WWX: | I’m not asking why Jin Zixuan agreed to represent Jiang Cheng, because of course he did! |
| LWJ: | You are. |
| WWX: | I’m not, it’s – how can he trust Jin Zixuan to stay professional, that’s all! It’s not his area, how can he trust Jin Zixuan to do it right? And not be, you know, wrong? What even is a sub-specialty? Can you sub-specialize in law? Is that even how it works? |
| LWJ: | Mhm. |
| WWX: | Man, whatever. I’m gonna call Uncle Jiang, alright? |
| LWJ: | Mhm. |
A CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE: WEI WUXIAN AND JIANG FENGMIAN
November 10, XXXX. 2:52 PM
WEI WUXIAN HOLDS THE PHONE TO HIS EAR.
IT BARELY RINGS ONCE BEFORE HE HEARS HIS UNCLE’S VOICE CRACKLE THROUGH.
| JFM: | A-Xian, how are you? It must be tough on you with the paparazzi and all, what with the news. |
| WWX: | Good, good, Uncle Jiang, I’m doing good. You’re holding up alright? I’m sorry about – you know – |
| JFM: | I’m doing fine, A-Xian, as well as can be expected. Never would’ve expected anything like this from A-Cheng, but I suppose I can’t be too surprised. |
| WWX: | Hm? |
| JFM: | It’s a shame. I really did want to bring you into our company, but that might have to wait another couple of years, once everything dies down. |
| WWX: | No, no, Uncle Jiang, I was serious when I said that I really don’t want to – I don’t need to be a part of the company, that’s not why I called – |
| JFM: | You’re a very thoughtful child, A-Xian, and I’ve always appreciated that about you. But you would be an asset, and it would be my failing as CEO to not bring you into the fold. |
| WWX: | No, seriously – |
| JFM: | If there’s one good that’s come out of this, at least she won’t be upset about this. |
| WWX: | Um, |
| JFM: | If you need my support with anything, A-Xian, you know you can reach out to me? You have my direct line, after all. So, what’s the occasion today? |
| WWX: | Nothing big, just, have you visited Jiang Cheng at all? |
| JFM: | Ah? |
| WWX: | No, no, just wondering – I’d just talked to Chengcheng, and I was wondering if you’d had the chance, since he’s been at A-jie’s – |
| JFM: | Ah. We’ve spoken. |
| WWX: | About what? |
| JFM: | His responsibilities. A-Xian, please leave worrying about the case to me. I want this wrapped up just as much as you do. |
| WWX: | Wrapped up? Just like that? |
| JFM: | Of course, wrapped up. A-Cheng was right to turn himself in. It’ll help resolve this matter all the more efficiently. |
| WWX: | You, uh. You believe he did it? |
| JFM: | What else am I to believe? That A-Cheng decided to shoulder blame for a murder he didn’t commit? For what reason? |
| WWX: | …Right. You’re right, Uncle Jiang. |
| JFM: | Now, don’t burden yourself with this nonsense, alright? It’s got nothing to do with you, and you’ve got your career to think of too. Stay well, A-Xian. Keep yourself safe. |
| WWX: | It’s not nonsense, Uncle Jiang. |
| JFM: | Ah, it was a poor choice of words. I only meant that I didn’t want to see you tangled up in all of this – I’ve lost A-Cheng, I can’t lose you too. |
| WWX: | You haven’t lost – |
| JFM: | Haven’t I? I’ll do anything to protect you and A-Li from the fallout, but there’s nothing I can do for A-Cheng, not anymore. It breaks my heart, it really does. He’s my son, of course – it’s hard to believe. I don’t want to believe it. But what can I do but make the best out of the bad situation? |
| WWX: | Right. Right. Of course, Uncle Jiang. I’m sure you’ve been under a lot of pressure, so I’ll, ah. Let you go. Back to work. |
| JFM: | Please don’t take this as me dismissing you, A-Xian. And I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to call you sooner, but you’re quite right. It’s been quite – hectic. |
| WWX: | You keep well too, Uncle Jiang. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you. |
| JFM: | The best thing you can do for me is finishing up that movie of yours and chasing your dreams. Keep an eye on A-Li for me too, ok? I’m sure she’s taking it hard. |
| WWX: | Of course. |
| JFM: | Well then. |
| WWX: | Talk to you soon, Uncle Jiang. Bye bye. |
| JFM: | Call soon. |
WEI WUXIAN HANGS UP.
| WWX: | Oh, right. I wanted to tell him that I told the Sarge about the panic room. Whatever, I’ll text him later. I’m gonna call Jiang Cheng and them now, OK? Give them a quick rundown. |
| LWJ: | Mhm. |
| WWX: | So be quiet? Please? |
| LWJ: | Hmph. |
| WWX: | You know I love you. |
| LWJ: | Mm. |
A CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE: WITH WEI WUXIAN, JIN ZIXUAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 10, XXXX. 2:59 PM
WEI WUXIAN CALLS JIN ZIXUAN.
IT RINGS ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES.
| JZX: | Do you want to speak to me or Jiang Cheng? |
| WWX: | No hello? |
A MUFFLED VOICE.
| JZX: | Right. We’re together right now, if you want to give us a rundown of your talk with Mr. Song. |
| WWX: | Fine, what the hell, put me on speakerphone. And I’m with A-Zhan – not on speaker, mind you, but if Jiang Cheng starts yelling he might hear. |
| JZX: | You’re on speaker. |
| WWX: | Jeez, A-Jie’s a saint for putting up with you. Anyway, A-Zhan told him about the pill incident. He asked me about it. |
| JC: | Fantastic. Tell your husband he did a great job. |
| WWX: | Well, if you didn’t want him to talk about it you should’ve warned us in advance, no need to be sarcastic. |
| JZX: | I didn’t even know Lan Wangji was going to talk to Sergeant Song. He didn’t notify me. |
WEI WUXIAN GLANCES AT LAN ZHAN, WHOSE LIPS ARE PULLED INTO A GHOST OF A SMIRK.
| WWX: | Right, well from now on A-Zhan’s going to tell you if he’s going to speak to the cops. Right, A-Zhan? |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | A-Zhan? |
| LWJ: | right |
| WWX: | Great, so that’s resolved. |
| JZX: | What did he say, I couldn’t quite catch it. |
| WWX: | He said he promises to warn you in advance if he’s gonna speak to the cops. Anyway, I told the Sarge what happened, but he didn’t seem to buy it. |
| JZX: | That’s not going to be an issue. It’s very much a non-issue, actually. Probably. It was likely that incident would have come up anyway. What else did you tell him? Or, what else did your husband tell him? |
| WWX: | That’s it, that’s the only thing of note – A-Zhan didn’t tell the Sarge anything else. Right, A-Zhan? |
| LWJ: | right |
| WWX: | Yup, that’s it from A-Zhan’s side. As for me, well. You said I could tell him the truth, right? |
| JZX: | What did you tell him? |
| WWX: | Anything I was comfortable telling him, so. I told him about the panic rooms. |
| JC: | What!?! |
| JZX: | Oh dear. |
| WWX: | Yeah, um. Thought I’d notify you. Hope that fits in with your plans. |
| JC: | I can’t believe you told him about the – seriously? The panic rooms? Why would you ever – how did you even think to bring up the panic rooms, my god, what goes on in your brain – |
| WWX: | Yeah, um. I hope that’s OK? |
| JC: | OK? OK? I don’t know, Wei Wuxian, was it OK? It didn’t even cross my mind that you would be the one to – what did you say about the panic rooms? |
| WWX: | Just that we had ‘em, and I used mine as a workshop – you know I’ve never been in yours or Madame Yu’s. Shit, you don’t have anything – |
JIANG CHENG LAUGHS. IT’S EDGED WITH MANIA.
| JC: | Ah, Wei Wuxian, I can’t believe I’m saying this but great job, you fucking moron. I can’t believe it – the panic rooms. Jesus. And here I was hoping they’d never find out. |
| WWX: | Oh. Thanks? |
| JZX: | What are you thinking? |
| JC: | Oh, you’ll love this. Give you some legwork. |
| JZX: | Oh no. |
| WWX: | When did you guys get so close, ‘you’ll love this’ – |
| JC: | Anything else you let slip through those floppy fucking lips of yours, Wei Wuxian? Or was it enough to compromise the security of the mansion? |
LAN ZHAN’S LIPS TIGHTEN. WEI WUXIAN ROLLS HIS EYES.
| WWX: | That’s all I wanted to tell Jin Zixuan, thought he should know about those things in case they didn’t come up in your battle plan. Everything else we discussed – you know. Pretty expected. |
| JC: | I can always trust you to introduce new complexities, can’t I. |
| WWX: | Well, you know I’ve got your back, right? Whatever you need from me, I’ll be there. If I make a mess, I’ll clean it up. |
| JC: | Ha. What I need is for you to stop talking to me. I’m hanging up. |
| WWX: | Wait! One more thing. |
| JC: | What? |
| WWX: | I’m gonna call you when I get to the hotel, so pick up. |
| JC: | If the phone rings in the middle of the night - |
| WWX: | Flight’s like ten hours, it’ll be tomorrow morning. And don’t pretend you aren’t awake then, I'm not stupid. |
| JC: | Fine. And what number will you be calling? |
| WWX: | Your personal. |
| JC: | Do not call my personal. |
| WWX: | Why not? |
| JC: | I don’t need a record of you talking to me. |
| WWX: | Fine. Then I’ll call Jin Zixuan. |
| JZX: | If it’s the morning, I need to drop A-Ling off at school. |
| WWX: | A-Jie, then. |
| JC: | How early in the morning? |
| WWX: | You really want me to put a time to it, huh? |
| JC: | Yes. |
| WWX: | You know what? I’ll just pick up a prepaid and call your work phone, how about that? |
| JC: | My work number’s been disabled, idiot. |
| WWX: | Oh, shit. Um. |
JIANG CHENG SIGHS, IRRITATED.
| JC: | Just text A-Jie asking if she’s free, and she’ll give you the OK to call. Is that all you wanted to say? |
| WWX: | Right, uh – take care of yourself, ok? I’m trusting you on whatever strategy you’ve got going on. Because I trust you. But if you need anything, need me to help – |
| JC: | You can help by fucking off with your husband or something, I don’t give a shit, just stop involving yourself in all this. If you want to help, do that. And don’t call. |
| WWX: | Dude – |
THE LINE DISCONNECTS.
| LWJ: | Hmph. |
| WWX: | A-Zhan, don’t get started. |
| LWJ: | I am not. Jiang Wanyin is correct. |
| WWX: | Oh? |
| LWJ: | Do not involve yourself in this. For his sake. |
| WWX: | A-Zhan… |
| LWJ: | And let us enjoy dinner before you go. Free from these worries. |
| WWX: | You know I can’t just not worry. You’d be worried too, if it were Xichen-ge. |
| LWJ: | Completely disparate. |
| WWX: | Yeah, you think Xichen-ge could never do anything like that, right? And that’s what I think too. So it’s exactly the same. |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | He’s my brother, A-Zhan. My comrade-in-arms. I can’t abandon him – and I know what it sounds like, I promise. I promise I’m not doing it because I think I have to, ok? Not just because I was adopted into the family. Or because I owe him anything. I genuinely, really truly think he’s a good guy. |
| LWJ: | Mh. |
| WWX: | So I can’t help but worry. I don’t know, I’m not sure how to say it but – I want the best for him, y’know? |
| LWJ: | The best for him. ‘Stop involving yourself.’ |
| WWX: | Yeah, well. Would you? |
| LWJ: | If my brother requested that I remove myself from a situation. I would. |
| WWX: | Yeah? You don’t sound so sure. |
| LWJ: | You trust Jiang Cheng. He has a plan. His plan does not involve you. Therefore, you must not interfere. |
| WWX: | A-Zhan, no, don’t do that, don’t make it sound so reasonable – |
| LWJ: | It is reasonable. There is nothing you can do. |
| WWX: | But the panic room, I helped there didn’t I – |
| LWJ: | Introduced a new variable. |
| WWX: | That was helpful! |
| LWJ: | That changed the plan. |
| WWX: | In a good way! |
| LWJ: | The plan was changed. The outcome was not. The possibility was accounted for. |
| WWX: | And how would you know that? |
| LWJ: | Jiang Cheng was not upset. |
| WWX: | I – |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | Alright, fine. It’s just – I’m just not thinking hard enough, there’s definitely something I can do – |
| LWJ: | Nothing. Stay out of his way. That is enough. |
| WWX: | …You really think? You’re not saying it only because you don’t like Jiang Cheng? |
LAN WANGJI DOES NOT REPLY. WEI WUXIAN SIGHS.
| WWX: | That’s what I thought. But you’re right, you’re right, it’s not like I can do anything right now. I’ll focus on you instead, how’s that sound? |
A SMILE ON LAN WANGJI’S FACE.
| LWJ: | A-Ying. |
| WWX: | Love you too. Now seriously, what’s the plan for dinner? |
DECADES AGO – NIGHTTIME, IN A BEDROOM
| WWX: | Hey, Chengcheng, are you still awake? |
| JC: | Am now, you butt. What d'you want? |
| WWX: | Pfft, no way you were asleep, liar. |
| JC: | Could’ve been. |
| WWX: | No, you couldn’t. |
| JC: | Yeah, I could. |
| WWX: | No, you couldn’t. |
| JC: | Ugh, be quiet. Now I really can’t sleep. |
| WWX: | You ever wonder why we’re here? |
A BREATH.
| JC: | No. Now go to sleep. |
| WWX: | I know you think about it. That’s why you can’t sleep at night. |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | Don’t ignore me! |
| JC: | Shhhhh! Not so loud! |
| WWX: | Sorry. Don’t ignore me. Why d’you think Madame Yu was so mad today? |
| JC: | How am I supposed to know, dummy? |
| WWX: | I heard her say to Uncle Jiang that she doesn’t want us sharing a room anymore. |
| JC: | Great. Then maybe I’ll be able to sleep at night. |
| WWX: | Hmph, you can’t trick me. I help you fall asleep. |
| JC: | No way. |
| WWX: | Yeah I do. |
| JC: | Nope. |
| WWX: | Yup. |
| JC: | Nope. |
WEI WUXIAN YAWNS.
| WWX: | Yup. |
JIANG CHENG HUFFS OUT A LAUGH.
| JC: | Go to bed, Wei Wuxian. |
| WWX: | You too, lil’ bro. |
| JC: | Don’t call me that. |
| WWX: | Mmm. G’night. |
JIANG CHENG DOESN’T REPLY.
MOMENTS LATER, LIGHT SNORES FROM WEI WUXIAN’S DIRECTION.
| JC: | Good night. |
Notes:
Thank you everyone for your lovely comments! They give me the motivation to write for real, I literally have no words to describe how happy they make me. Questions, speculation, concrit always welcome! I noticed some grammatical errors when checking the timeline, so I'll be going back and fixing those sometime.
By the way, there is no such thing as off-the-record when speaking to cops. You’d think WWX would know that, but he’s only ever been in drunk tanks, not actual situations.
More Notes
1. SL thinks it’s very interesting that JYL and JZX thought JC was trying to throw him off, but WWX is taking the threat much more seriously.
2. The non-descript sedan is a recent model Honda Accord in my head. The fancy non-fancy sedan of the people, alongside the Toyota Camry. You'd think LWJ would drive a nicer European car, and he normally does. This is his undercover vehicle.
3. JFM didn't even consider the possibility that WWX would fly in to visit JC, he legit thought that WWX just called JYL to check in on the situation. He doesn't think that WWX's talked to the cops at all.
4. I'm wondering when/if I should include the arguments and incidents between WWX and JC as flashbacks, the tentative first memory in this chapter.
5. I have 20k written out in various snippets, just in case you're wondering how much longer this is going to go on for. For reference, when I started posting I also had 20k written out in various snippets.
Chapter 15: November 10, 11 - PANIC
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
A CONVERSATION IN THE STUDY: WITH JIN ZIXUAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 10, XXXX. 3:08 PM
JIN ZIXUAN IS AT HIS DESK.
JIANG CHENG IS LOUNGING IN THE ARMCHAIR, NOW DIRECTLY OPPOSITE JIN XIXUAN.
| JZX: | So, Mr. Jiang. The panic room. |
JIN ZIXUAN LOOKS JIANG CHENG DIRECTLY IN THE EYE.
JIANG CHENG STARES BACK, UNAMUSED.
| JC: | Don’t call me that. |
| JZX: | Is there anything in there? |
| JC: | In mine or my mother’s? |
| JZX: | Both. |
| JC: | Hm. I suppose I’m in need of a cleaning service. |
| JZX: | For yourself or your mother? |
| JC: | There’re some items with my mother that will need to be retrieved. |
JIN ZIXUAN DOES NOT FLINCH.
| JZX: | And how do you propose I get in? Is there a book I pull, some sort of a hidden passageway? |
| JC: | God, no. Mother hated clichés. No, there’s a biometric lock. |
| JZX: | And – should I go to the morgue, cut off a finger? |
JIANG CHENG SEEMS GENUINELY AMUSED BY THE IDEA.
| JC: | I have a copy of the key. |
| JZX: | There’s a physical key on top of the biometric lock? |
| JC: | No, a false fingerprint that the biometric lock is set to respond to – yes, there’s a physical key. |
| JZX: | Doesn’t that defeat the point of having biometrics? |
| JC: | “Doesn’t that –“ No, it doesn’t. You really think those are just panic rooms? You, with all the splendor of the Jin household – did you even have panic rooms? |
| JZX: | Of course we did. |
| JC: | Right, of course you did. Your father must’ve been paranoid that one of his bastards would come for him, one day. |
| JZX: | There was a passage to the safe room from the master bedroom, now that I think about it. |
SILENCE.
| JC: | In any case, there needed to be a way to open the door that wasn’t logged. |
| JZX: | Does A-Li have a key to your mother’s room? |
| JC: | No. |
| JZX: | Do the police have a key? |
| JC: | No. |
| JZX: | How do you know? |
| JC: | I have the only copy. |
| JZX: | Madam Yu didn’t have a key? |
| JC: | She has her finger. |
| JZX: | What about the logging – |
| JC: | What’s so strange about Mother entering her own panic room? |
| JZX: | Oh. But how do you know you have the only copy? |
| JC: | Mother only had one copy of the key made. |
A PAUSE, AS JIN ZIXUAN DIGESTS THE INFORMATION.
JIANG CHENG WAITS.
| JZX: | And how do you propose I even enter the mansion anyway, given the police tape? You’re not worried about the cameras catching me entering the mansion to do… whatever it is you want me to do? |
| JC: | Nobody told you to enter through the front door. |
| JZX: | Perimeter cameras? |
| JC: | Right, you wouldn’t – there’s a blind spot. Hedge garden, near the – give me a piece of paper. I’ll draw it out for you. |
JIN ZIXUAN SIGHS AS HE PROVIDES PEN AND PAPER.
| JZX: | Fantastic. I’ve been relegated to petty thievery. |
SILENCE AS JIANG CHENG SKETCHES.
| JZX: | Oh, I see it now. That’s the back garden, isn’t it? There’s a passing resemblance, I suppose. |
THE PEN TAPS ON PAPER.
IT POINTS TO A VERTICAL LINE DRAWN THROUGH A SQUARE.
| JC: | You’ve got a lot of leeway here. Under those hedges there’s an area where it’s not so tight, so go through there. These cameras – were adjusted, so they don’t have good vision of this whole area. There’s a trellis here, which has been reinforced so don’t be afraid to climb it. It’s just a ladder. It’ll lead you straight up to this roof section with the window. |
| JZX: | And the window isn’t locked? |
| JC: | The window will be latched, but the latch is loose. Just slide a card under and it’ll open. All the interior cameras on the upper floors were deactivated years ago, so it’s a straight shot to the rooms. If you remember where that is from all your visits with A-Jie. |
JIN ZIXUAN COUGHS.
| JZX: | I remember. How is your security so bad, that the windows can be unlatched like that? |
| JC: | It wasn’t bad when it was installed, obviously; you think Mother would have let that slide? No, if it wasn’t a latch modification, he would’ve figured something else out sooner or later. |
| JZX: | Right. And you’re sure the interior cameras are deactivated? |
| JC: | Only the cameras with vision to the exterior are recording, I disconnected the rest myself. Nobody’s ever at home, we don’t even have staff in the mansion most days and the ones we do have think the cameras are recording. |
| JZX: | You weren’t worried about security? |
| JC: | What are the staff going to do? Steal a knife? I wouldn’t give a damn if they did, quite honestly, they can’t get to the valuables in any case. |
| JZX: | Do you not have silverware? |
| JC: | You’ve eaten at our table, you tell me. |
SILENCE.
| JZX: | What if the police wired them up again? The cameras? |
| JC: | Ha. Good joke. Now, if you’re done with your questions, the key to Mother’s panic room is in my panic room. You’d better go tonight – Father won’t give access to those rooms to the cops that easily, a couple days at least, but sooner rather than later. |
JIN ZIXUAN BLINKS.
| JZX: | And how do I get in there? |
| JC: | A-Jie has the key. |
| JZX: | You don’t have the key to your own panic room? |
| JC: | I’m not chopping off my finger and giving it to you. |
| JZX: | You’re really telling me you and your mother don’t have a copy of your respective physical keys. |
A PEN TWIRLS LAZILY BETWEEN NIMBLE FINGERS. JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| JZX: | And Madam Yu, she must have had a copy of the key to your panic room. |
JIANG CHENG DOES NOT RESPOND.
| JZX: | Do you have a key to Wei Wuxian’s? |
THE PEN CLATTERS ONTO THE DESK.
| JC: | Excuse me? |
| JZX: | Wei Wuxian’s safe room. |
| JC: | I understood what you were referring to, asshole. |
| JZX: | It was just a question, you don’t have to answer it. I’m not interrogating you. But you should think of an answer, in case you’re asked by our friends in law enforcement. Who he has a key for, who you have a key for. A mental key inventory. |
JIANG CHENG SCOFFS. THE PEN REMAINS ON THE DESK.
| JC: | Forget your meandering rhetoricals, let’s get back to my point. |
| JZX: | Fine. A-Li’s been in your panic room? |
| JC: | Ask her, I don’t know. The keyhole is camouflaged, the panel underneath the biometric lock is removable. In the room, on my desk, you’ll find a small stack of old journals. The key will be sandwiched somewhere in there. Take the journals to Mother’s room and replace the journals in her room with mine. Dust won’t be an issue so don’t worry if you knock anything over, but obviously, avoid that if possible. Bring Mother’s journals back and we can have a nice little bonfire. Roast some marshmallows with A-Ling. Got it? |
JIN ZIXUAN SIGHS AGAIN.
| JZX: | Of course, burrow through some hedges and climb some vines. Somehow, climb back down with a stack of journals in my arms. Simple enough. |
| JC: | If a ten-year old can do it, you can too. |
| JZX: | And there’s nothing else in Madam Yu’s room you need me to clear out, just the journals? Do they look any specific way, or would I be able to recognize them on sight? And can I carry them? |
| JC: | They look exactly the same as the old journals on my desk. They’re relatively small and thin, so you should have no problem carrying them in a bag. Or a briefcase, if that’s what you’re into. They’ll replace one for one; 14 total. |
| JZX: | What a coincidence. |
| JC: | Yes, quite a coincidence that we purchase journals from the same establishment. |
| JZX: | Not that. One for one. |
SILENCE.
| JZX: | Was there an eventuality that the panic rooms would come under suspicion? |
SILENCE.
| JZX: | You planned this. |
| JC: | Hardly. It just so happened that we began journaling in the same year – like mother, like son. Surely it can’t be that much of a surprise. |
| JZX: | No, you know that’s not what I’m talking about, even if you have the world’s most obvious excuse ready. You brought it up before, the panic rooms, don’t think I’ve forgotten – you’d have preferred that Wei Wuxian hadn’t brought it up, but you were ready for it. |
| JC: | I’m ready for many things, Jin Zixuan. |
| JZX: | You were ready for this. |
| JC: | And what good is a man who is unprepared? |
| JZX: | Then I need to know your preparations, Jiang Cheng, and what you’re preparing for. It doesn’t work if you lie to me; I can’t help you if I don’t know the truth, I can’t put together a defence if I don’t know the details. |
| JC: | I haven’t lied to you and I won’t lie to you. |
| JZX: | But you haven’t told me the whole truth either, have you? When you told me all that happened in the past, with your father – was it just a story to throw me off the panic rooms? |
| JC: | No, that was real, the timing was just a coincidence – |
| JZX: | When is anything a coincidence with you? |
JIANG CHENG SEEMS INFINTELY PATIENT.
| JC: | And I told you that I’m trusting you, Jin Zixuan. I’ve said a lot of things that I swore I wouldn’t share with anyone. I’m asking you to do things I’d never ask anyone to do -- I’m trusting you. That you’ll be on my side. So. I’m really hoping that you’ll have the courtesy to trust me when I say that I’ve told. You. Everything. That’s relevant. Whatever the timing was on telling you that memory? A coincidence. The existence of the panic rooms? Irrelevant to this case. |
| JZX: | Irrelevant, and you have me breaking into a crime scene to retrieve evidence, that sort of irrelevant? How would you know what’s relevant or not relevant? When did you become a lawyer? |
| JC: | When I grew up with one of the world’s most successful as my mother. |
PAUSE.
JIN ZIXUAN TAKES A DEEP BREATH.
| JZX: | You know what? Fine. It’s your life and it’s not my reputation on the line; nobody’s going to care if I botch a criminal case. If you’ve got it under control, then you’ve got it under control. I’ll follow your lead. |
| JC: | Thank you. |
JIN ZIXUAN SHIFTS.
| JZX: | Speaking of thanks... Speaking of thanks. I’m not thanking you, you’re giving me a hell of a lot of work with no benefit to me whatsoever, but I’m just saying. For trusting me. With everything you’ve told me, um. Can’t have been easy. But for A-Li, and A-Ling. You know. Trusting me. To do this. Getting the journals. Trusting me to not read them. All of that. |
JIANG CHENG LOOKS AWAY. A RARE HESITATION.
| JC: | If I can’t – if I didn’t, it’d be an insult to A-Jie. She trusts you, so I had to give you a chance. And you weren’t wrong. Not on this. I’m not so far gone that I can’t appreciate an objective eye. |
| JZX: | But you don’t trust Lan Wangji. You wouldn’t have told him. |
| JC: | ‘Course not. In what universe would he be an objective eye? |
JIN ZIXUAN HUMS IN CONSIDERATION.
HE OPENS HIS MOUTH, THEN CLOSES IT.
| JZX: | So. Thank you. |
| JC: | Yeah, yeah. |
| JZX: | You should thank me now, for taking on your case. And for becoming a thief. And for climbing trellises, my god. I don’t know what sort of roughshod man you think I am, but I am sacrificing quite a lot here to no benefit to myself whatsoever. |
A SMALL SMILE.
| JC: | You’re taking your pay from my account, with impunity. ‘No benefit whatsoever.’ The benefit is that A-Jie doesn’t divorce you, how’s that for benefit? |
| JZX: | Sometimes, I wonder if you and A-Li are actually related. |
| JC: | Ha. You and me both. |
COMPANIABLE SILENCE.
| JC: | And take care of her, alright? She’s – it’s been a lot. She needs a break. Some time out and away. |
| JZX: | A-Li’s worried about you, you know. |
JIANG CHENG’S EXPRESSION FALLS.
| JZX: | And you know, for someone who’s been napping in my armchair all day you don’t look all that rested. |
| JC: | Forgive me for having a lot to think about. |
| JZX: | Oh, is that what you’ve been doing? Thinking? Not sleeping? |
| JC: | Shut up, peacock. |
| JZX: | A-Li’s worried. |
| JC: | You don’t need to repeat yourself, I heard you the first time. |
| JZX: | I wouldn’t repeat myself if I didn’t have to. |
| JC: | You don’t ‘have to’ do anything. |
| JZX: | Really? |
AN EYEROLL.
| JC: | No, not really. |
| JZX: | Exactly. A-Li’s worried about you. When was the last time you slept through the night? |
| JC: | I’ve slept just fine, thank you. |
| JZX: | You think you’re slick hiding it from A-Li, but don’t think I didn’t notice the caffeine pills missing from my stash. |
| JC: | A shame. I honestly thought you didn’t know how to count. |
| JZX: | Next thing you’ll know you’ll be going through those emergency cans of Red Bull in the basement. You haven’t slept for more than a couple of hours over these last three days, have you? |
| JC: | That’s nothing. |
| JZX: | To you and me, maybe. Not to A-Li. |
| JC: | I know. I know, goddammit. I just – |
| JZX: | How do you expect your sister to take care of herself when she’s worrying about you? Get it together, man. Whatever it takes. |
JIANG CHENG BURIES HIS FACE IN HIS HANDS. WHEN HE SPEAKS, IT’S MUTED.
| JC: | fucking – the pillow. The pillow’s not right. |
| JZX: | You’ve never had this problem before. |
| JC: | I wasn’t staying more than one night before. |
PAUSE.
| JZX: | Oooooh. Kay. Would you like me to – pick up your pillow? From your apartment? |
| JC: | no. |
| JZX: | You could have told A-Li, she would’ve gone to pick it up for you. |
| JC: | And have her show up at my apartment? Now, of all times? Even you – you’re not going to my apartment, there’s no way that would look good. Just – we can have visitors, right? It won’t be a problem if people visit here? |
| JZX: | We’ll have to notify the officer, but why, do you want someone else to pick it up for you? We could just buy a new one. |
| JC: | Give me your phone. |
| JZX: | Who are you going to call? |
| JC: | Nie Huaisang. |
| JZX: | You’re going to have to look at me to pick up my phone, you know. |
JIANG CHENG SNATCHES THE CELLPHONE JIN ZIXUAN SLIDES ACROSS HIS DESK.
HIS EXPRESSION IS UNREADABLE.
| JC: | Unbelievable. |
| JZX: | Why are you calling Nie – |
JIANG CHENG GETS UP AND LEAVES THE ROOM.
JIN ZIXUAN RAISES AN ARM, BEFORE IT FALLS TO HIS DESK.
| JZX: | Fine. I’ll go grab the key, then. |
JIN ZIXUAN STANDS UP.
JIANG CHENG RETURNS TO THE ROOM. HE HOLDS THE CELLPHONE UP TO JIN ZIXUAN’S FACE.
| JZX: | I don’t have face ID set up. |
JIN ZIXUAN TOUCHES HIS THUMB TO THE PHONE SCREEN.
| JC: | Appreciated. |
JIANG CHENG LEAVES AGAIN.
JIN ZIXUAN FOLLOWS, TO FIND JIANG YANLI.
A CONVERSATION IN ANOTHER STUDY: JIN ZIXUAN AND JIANG YANLI
November 10, XXXX. 3:21PM
JIN ZIXUAN CARRIES A CUP OF WATER.
HE STANDS NEXT TO JIANG YANLI, WHO IS STARING INTENTLY AT HER MONITOR.
ON THE MONITOR, WHAT VAGUELY SEEMS TO BE INFORMATION ABOUT WILDFIRE SMOKE AND GRAPES.
AND DIRT.
AND GRAPHS.
WITH LINES AND WORDS.
| JZX: | Water? |
| JYL: | Oh! Thank you, A-Xuan. |
JIANG YANLI TAKES THE WATER.
| JZX: | So. I was talking to your brother, |
| JYL: | How’s A-Cheng doing? |
| JZX: | Both of them, actually. Wei Wuxian just finished his interview, and he mentioned. Ah. Panic rooms? |
| JYL: | Oh, goodness. The panic rooms. |
JIANG YANLI SEEMS UNPERTURBED.
| JZX: | You have a panic room too? |
| JYL: | Mhm. I didn’t use it for much, quite honestly. At most, it was a nice and quiet place to unwind. |
| JZX: | Jiang Cheng said you had the key to his? |
| JYL: | Ah, the key to A-Cheng’s panic room? Of course, I know where it is, should I grab it now? |
| JZX: | If you can. Jiang Cheng’s requested that I do some rearranging. |
| JYL: | Hmmm. Follow me up? |
| JZX: | Let’s go. |
JIN ZIXUAN FOLLOWS JIANG YANLI AS SHE STARTS MOVING.
| JZX: | Have you ever been inside? Jiang Cheng’s panic room? |
| JYL: | Of course not! A-Cheng gave me the key in confidence, made me swear that I’d never go inside unless it was a real emergency. |
| JZX: | You weren’t curious? |
| JYL: | Oh, you can’t even imagine how curious I am. But how can I betray his trust like that? No, I’ve never entered. I’m surprised he’s allowing you, even considering the unusual circumstances. |
| JZX: | He’s only letting me in because he trusts you. |
| JYL: | You think so? |
THEY WALK UP THE STAIRS.
| JYL: | A-Xuan, would you be able to tell me why you need the key to A-Cheng’s panic room? |
| JZX: | To get the key to your mother’s panic room and move some journals around. And take some home. |
AN IMPISH GRIN.
| JYL: | My my, my sweet husband, turned gentleman thief. |
| JZX: | Why do you think I’m turning thief? How do you know I’m not entering through the front door? |
| JYL: | You wouldn’t let the cameras record you, would you? You’ll have to climb the trellis up. |
| JZX: | You know about the trellis? |
| JYL: | Of course I do! I know exactly what my little brothers get up to. You’ll need gloves, don’t want you getting any splinters. |
| JZX: | Of course not. Splinters! Imagine. |
JIANG YANLI GIGGLES.
| JYL: | And the ski pants, so the hedges don’t tear up those wonderful slacks you’re wearing. |
| JZX: | The hedges don’t have thorns, why would they tear up my pants? |
| JYL: | Oh, darling. I love you, so make sure to wear the outfit I lay out for you. When are you going? |
| JZX: | Tonight, I think. |
| JYL: | Then I’ll have them out by then. |
| JZX: | Are hedges really that dangerous? I’m used to dirt now, Lili. Worms hold no power over me. I’ve gardened. |
| JYL: | And gardened you have, A-Xuan, a lovely garden as well, with beautiful flowers and a flourishing vegetable patch. All by yourself, too! A real man of the earth, and you know how I love seeing you so hard at work. |
JIN ZIXUAN PREENS.
| JZX: | Nothing but the best for you, obviously. |
| JYL: | Still, you’ll wear the clothes? |
IT’S NOT A QUESTION.
| JZX: | Of course I will. |
| JYL: | Good! |
THEY ENTER THE MASTER BEDROOM AS JIANG YANLI HEADS FOR THE WALK-IN CLOSET.
| JZX: | Did anyone have the key to your safe room? |
| JYL: | Mother, A-Cheng, A-Xian, they all had keys. |
| JZX: | That’s a lot of keys. |
| JYL: | It isn’t as if they would barge into my room without a reason, and I trust them not to lose the keys. Besides, there certainly was no need for our home to have panic rooms to begin with. We might’ve called them panic rooms, but they certainly weren’t being used that way. |
| JZX: | Was it your mother that commissioned their design and installation? |
| JYL: | Of course it was. |
| JZX: | Designed to double as locked studies. |
| JYL: | Mhm. |
| JZX: | It’s a lot, combined with the perimeter security. |
| JYL: | Look at it this way, A-Xuan. What is the purpose of a panic room? |
| JZX: | For hiding when someone breaks in. |
| JYL: | Would someone want to break into our property, with all the perimeter security? |
| JZX: | I’d say it’s unlikely, but I’ve heard of it happening. Didn’t the Ouyang family hide out in their panic room when their mansion got broken into? |
| JYL: | That’s true, but compared to the Ouyang family – it might be rude to say so, but we’re not apples to apples. And for all of Mother’s faults, groundless paranoia was not one of them. |
| JZX: | You’re not wrong. |
| JYL: | But lets say someone broke in despite the perimeter security, would the physical lock on the panic rooms keep them out? |
| JZX: | Depends on skill, I suppose. |
| JYL: | Why would we spend the money to make sure that every member of our family, even A-Xian, had the safe rooms installed in our bedrooms with a physical lock, of all things? |
| JZX: | It’s not a panic room doubling as a locked study. |
| JYL: | Exactly. If there ever was a true threat to our family, a proper bunker would be much more useful than a commercially available room. And we do have a bunker. |
| JZX: | A locked study masquerading as a panic room. |
| JYL: | I’m sure father uses his room to great effect as well. It would be quite something if we could tunnel an exit through the panic rooms to lead to the bunker, though, connect the rooms, lead towards some sort of underground cave system. Wouldn’t that be fun? |
| JZX: | I’ll work that into our next home redesign. What do you think is in your father’s panic room? |
| JYL: | Only father would know. |
| JZX: | Do you have the key to your father’s panic room? |
| JYL: | No, I don’t. |
| JZX: | But you have a key to Madam Yu’s panic room. |
| JYL: | That’s right! She gave me a key. Just in case, she said, but I wasn’t to go in there otherwise. How did you know? |
| JZX: | So you’ve never been inside? |
| JYL: | No. |
PAUSE.
| JZX: | But Jiang Cheng doesn’t know you have a key? |
| JYL: | Ah – well, I don’t believe so, no? |
| JZX: | The key you have, A-Li – it’s the original? Madam Yu’s original? |
| JYL: | That’s… yes. |
| JZX: | He knows you have a key. |
| JYL: | Hm? Who knows what, now? |
| JZX: | He said he had the only copy, not the only key – which means he knows that the original has got to be somewhere. |
| JYL: | Wouldn’t one assume the original is with Mother? |
| JZX: | Then he’d have the original on him, he wouldn’t risk leaving it in the mansion. |
| JYL: | I wouldn’t put it past Mother to have it well hidden. |
| JZX: | No, I don’t think so. He would have told me if there was an unlocated key floating around – no, I think – why wouldn’t he want me to know that you have a key? |
JIANG YANLI SIGHS.
| JYL: | It was my mistake. I shouldn’t have told you, but I thought A-Cheng – otherwise, there would’ve only been one key. It’s not something we share lightly, information about the panic rooms or keys. He’ll be upset I told you. |
| JZX: | Well, I did trick you. A little bit. |
| JYL: | A lot a bit, Jin Zixuan. |
JIN ZIXUAN DROOPS.
| JZX: | I just wanted to know. |
| JYL: | You could have asked. |
| JZX: | That’s what I did! I asked. |
| JYL: | You made me think that A-Cheng had already told you. |
PAUSE.
| JZX: | Are you mad at me? |
| JYL: | I am. |
| JZX: | What if we don’t tell him that you told me? |
| JYL: | We could do that, I suppose. |
| JZX: | What were we talking about again? Building an underground bunker? |
JIANG YANLI HUFFS OUT A LAUGH.
| JYL: | Don’t think you’re getting away with tricking me that easily. |
| JZX: | I’m sorry for tricking you. |
| JYL: | That’s better. |
| JZX: | Then I had better confess… you know, with everything, you can always share with me –– we can bring in some help with the chores and stuff. A chef. Or something. Is what I was going to do. |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS OUT LOUD.
| JYL: | Smooth transition, A-Xuan, but I’m holding up just fine. |
| JZX: | You need rest, Lili. Physical, mental, all of it. I was going to surprise you, but. |
PAUSE.
| JZX: | I’ll get an appointment booked with the massage therapist for you. Tomorrow, there’s nothing much tomorrow anyway. It’s Friday – |
JIANG YANLI STOPS OPENING A BOX TO LOOK AT JIN ZIXUAN. HER VOICE IS SOFT AND FIRM.
| JYL: | No, A-Xuan. |
| JZX: | But, |
| JYL: | I need to be here. I need to be present. I can’t – |
| JZX: | You have to take care of yourself too, Lili. Please. |
| JYL: | I am taking caring of myself, A-Xuan – |
| JZX: | You really are just like Jiang Cheng. |
| JYL: | Excuse me? |
| JZX: | Sorry. Jiang Cheng really is like you. |
| JYL: | You know that’s not what I mean. |
| JZX: | You’ll both run yourselves into the ground before admitting any weakness – A-Li, don’t look at me like that. When you had morning sickness and you tried to hide it from me? It almost worked too, didn’t it? Your brother tore me a new one over that. |
| JYL: | That’s different – |
| JZX: | And it’s always different when you’re the one doing it, yes, I understand. That’s what your other brother loves saying too, ‘that’s different’. Now – I don’t particularly care if either of those two run themselves into the ground, but I can’t let you do that. |
| JYL: | You can’t let me? |
| JZX: | I can’t bear to see you so stressed, Lili. Just one day to relax, that’s all I’m asking for. Please? For me. |
JIANG YANLI SMILES WRYLY.
| JYL: | That’s not fair, you know I’ll do anything for you. |
| JZX: | I know. That’s why I said it. |
JIN ZIXUAN RECEIVES A LIGHT SMACK ON THE SHOULDER.
| JYL: | I can’t go out, I legally have to keep an eye on A-Cheng. |
| JZX: | No, Jiang Cheng legally has to live in your house. You can go out for a couple of hours. Oh, but not tomorrow morning – Wei Wuxian wants to call Jiang Cheng and he’ll be calling your phone. You’re too soft on them; letting them decide things like that without even letting you know. |
| JYL: | Oh, I don’t mind. |
| JZX: | I know you don’t, but it’s the principle of it all. They should’ve double-checked with you. |
| JYL: | You didn’t double-check with me when you pretended you wanted to talk to A-Cheng but called my number instead because we were next to each other in your contacts. |
| JZX: | That’s-! |
| JYL: | Different? |
JIN ZIXUAN SCOWLS.
| JZX: | Please don’t draw that parallel. |
| JYL: | You were the first to say it, A-Xuan. But… tomorrow, just for a couple of hours, ok? A-Sang has been pestering me to check out one of those experimental relaxation therapies – mud therapy, I think he called it. |
| JZX: | Mud? |
| JYL: | Would you like to join me, A-Xuan? |
| JZX: | Ah. If you’d like me there. And I can always slot in an appointment with our regular if the… mud… doesn’t work out. |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS.
| JYL: | I won’t ask you to go to mud therapy with me, A-Xuan, but you need to follow your own advice. I know how hard you’ve been working lately; how late you’ve been coming to bed. There’s only so much you can do, my love. You and A-Cheng both know that. I did say I was worried about the both of you. |
| JZX: | Right. Jiang Cheng’s key. Have you found it yet? |
| JYL: | Changing the subject? You’re lucky that I have. |
A FEW MOMENTS PASS AS JIANG YANLI OPENS POUCHES WITHIN CONTAINERS WITHIN BOXES.
| JZX: | …You don’t regret any of this? It would’ve been so much easier to just – let this one go. |
| JYL: | No. |
SIMPLE AND CLEAR. JIANG YANLI SPEAKS WITH A SMILE.
| JYL: | That was never an option. I won’t abandon them. |
| JZX: | Do you think he did it? |
| JYL: | It truly doesn’t matter, A-Xuan. Whatever he did or didn’t do, I’m not letting him go to prison for this. |
SHE PULLS OUT A KEY.
| JYL: | There you go, A-Cheng’s key. |
IT DROPS INTO JIN ZIXUAN’S OPEN HAND.
| JZX: | Does it really not change anything? Whether or not he – |
| JYL: | What do you think, A-Xuan? Do you think Jiang Cheng –– no. Do you think my little brother is capable of killing my mother? |
THE WORDS ARE COLD. JIANG YANLI SPEAKS WITH A SMILE.
| JZX: | No, I – I… I don’t know. Yes, I suppose. Yes. I do. If he thinks he has a good reason, he’s capable of anything. |
JIANG YANLI’S SMILE SOFTENS.
| JYL: | You really are getting to know A-Cheng quite well, aren’t you? A-Xian is the same, you know. Two idiot brothers, sharing one brain cell and they don’t even know it. |
| JZX: | But what do you – |
| JYL: | No more stressful questions, A-Xuan. Look at the time – didn’t you promise to pick A-Ling up from basketball after school? You’d better get ready or you’ll be late. |
| JZX: | Is it already that time? |
| JYL: | Hurry up now, go put away that key and pick up our son. Practice ends at four, and he’ll be furious if you’re late. |
| JZX: | Right, right. On it. Can I borrow your cellphone? Your brother has mine. |
| JYL: | Of course, it’s on my desk. Go now, shoo! |
A CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE: WITH JIANG CHENG AND NIE HUAISANG
November 10, XXXX. 3:11 PM
THE PHONE RINGS ONCE. TWICE.
| NHS: | And with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to? |
| JC: | It’s me. |
| NHS: | And who is this… ‘me’? My caller ID shows it’s Jin-xiong, but you don’t sound like him – goodness, are you a scammer? Are you spoofing your number? What information are you trying to trick out of me? |
| JC: | Do you still have my overnight bag? |
| NHS: | Ah, always so eager to get down to business, Jiang-xiong. What have I told you about pleasantries? Does it hurt you to be polite? No, even if it does hurt you, even if it burns your soul to the core and sends you into a despair deeper than any you’ve ever known you should do it anyway, you know this – |
| JC: | Oh my god. One more word – |
| NHS: | Then don’t ask me pointless questions! I don’t lose things, especially not your things, and especially not things you pick up on a semi-regular basis, you self-absorbed prick. Using me as a receptacle for miscellaneous storage, unbelievable. You’re so lucky you know me. What miracles did you have to pull off in your past lives to land me as your friend in this one? |
| JC: | Right. Would you mind dropping it off for me? |
RUSTLING.
| NHS: | Not holding up so well, are we? Your darling brother drop by? |
| JC: | Yes. |
| NHS: | And how did that go? |
| JC: | As expected. Huaisang – |
| NHS: | At least you’re working with Jin-xiong? I’ve got all my eggs in your basket, I’d thank you not to throw it off a cliff. |
| JC: | Like I said, we’re working on it. But you can still get the eggs out of there – |
| NHS: | Nonsense. If you’re not going to throw it off a cliff, then the eggs are fine right where they are. |
SILENCE, SAVE FOR MORE RUSTLING.
| NHS: | Found the key. Your overnight bag, right? |
| JC: | Yes. It’ll likely – I’m not being monitored, but don’t risk anything. I’m surrounded by nosy people. |
| NHS: | Unnnnnderstood. I will not put any weird things in your bag. |
| JC: | No edibles. No alcohol. No knives. |
| NHS: | What about the – |
| JC: | Leave it in there. Just don’t add anything. |
| NHS: | Fine, fine. |
| JC: | Do not disturb the order. |
| NHS: | I said I got it, Jiang-xiong, don’t you trust me? |
| JC: | I trust you far too much, Nie Huaisang, and that’s the problem. |
SOUND OF KEYS JANGLING, AS IF THEY ARE BEING TWIRLED AROUND A FINGER.
| NHS: | Ugh, you always know exactly what to say, don’t you? Don’t think I’ll forgive you so easily, Jiang-xiong – my brother is pissed at you. He definitely won’t forgive you easily. |
| JC: | Your brother barely knows me. |
| NHS: | Even so, even so! Can’t have his baby brother being friends with a known murderer now, can we? I’m going to grab the bag now, Jiang-xiong, I’ll give Jin-xiong a call before I show up. |
| JC: | Can you do nine? |
| NHS: | Nine it is, expect me then. |
| JC: | I will. I’ll owe you one after this. |
| NHS: | Please, no one’s clearer than me when it comes to debts owing and you know I’d never take advantage of you like that, not after everything. Even calling it square is a stretch. Now, if you ask me for one more thing, then I’ll consider it a debt owed, how about that? |
| JC: | Then I’ll ask for one more thing. |
| NHS: | Oh! |
| JC: | Plan a spa day for my sister this weekend, will you? Something relaxing. Private. That mud thing you’ve been posting about being all rejuvenating or whatever. She likes new things. |
NIE HUAISANG GROANS.
| NHS: | Oh, Jiang-xiong, you sneaky so-and-so. |
| JC: | For her and the peacock, actually, she needs to talk to someone about all this. |
| NHS: | You know I’d do that without you needing to call it in! Really, getting my hopes up for nothing – imagine, a debt owed by the illustrious Jiang Wanyin himself! You don’t even know how much something like that goes for in my circles. |
| JC: | Come to think of it, I’ve never really owed you anything. Hm. |
| NHS: | You’re terrible and you’re ridiculous. Anyway, I’ve got Li-jie and Jin-xiong covered – they’ve been covered for ages, so you look out for yourself too, alright? |
| JC: | You know I will. |
| NHS: | I don’t know anything, Jiang-xiong, you should know that by now. |
| JC: | And I know better than to believe that. I’ll see you soon, Huaisang. |
| NHS: | Yes yes, ta ta and toodleloo! |
A DIAL TONE AS JIANG CHENG HANGS UP. NIE HUAISANG IMMEDIATELY DROPS HIS SMILE.
| NHS: | He’s really going to treat me like a gofer, huh. The nerve of that man, really. |
HE KICKS THE OVERNIGHT BAG AT HIS FEET.
| NHS: | No alcohol, no edibles – I’ve only ever done that once, and it was for his own good; they said cannabis would help with sleep! How was I to know THC percentage would make that big a difference, the paranoid asshole he is? Ungrateful. |
| NHS: | “Do you still have my overnight bag,” he asks. “Do not disturb the order.” Guess what – looks like I’m not allowed to put anything in. Or more likely, you just think I’ll follow the spirit of your request like I always do, but no. It’s the letter of the law this time. |
| NHS: | Sometimes, it feels like he thinks I'm predictable. |
ANNOYED SIGH.
| NHS: | It’s been a long time since we’ve worked together, my dear friend, and I think you fail to realize I don’t have to do any of this – did you know that, Jiang Wanyin? I really don’t owe you anything anymore. We don’t owe each other anything anymore. |
| NHS: | Arrogant bastard thinks he knows everything; he’s lucky he’s so useful. |
NIE HUAISANG TAKES A DEEP BREATH.
| NHS: | Phew. Ok, alright, let’s start prepping! Show’s on the road, show’s on the road, things are happening and we’d better make a good showing. Dazzle our audience. |
| NHS: | Because you don’t know what you’re doing, Jiang Wanyin, and you never do. For someone so focused on consequences… – luckily for you, I’ll make sure it all works out. |
| NHS: | And at the end of it all, I’ll make sure you owe me. This time for sure. I will have you in my debt. |
| NHS: | After all, that’s what friends do! |
A CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE: WITH WEI WUXIAN AND JIANG CHENG
November 11, XXXX. 8:07 AM
| WWX: | Morning, Jie! Thanks for doing this, by the way. You know how paranoid he is, the – |
| JC: | Do you really want to finish that sentence? |
| WWX: | Jesus Christ, Jiang Cheng! I thought – pretty obvious what I was thinking, but man. Way to scare a guy. |
| JC: | If that’s all you wanted to say, I’m hanging up. |
| WWX: | No! No, no, don’t do that, it’s just that, everything – |
A YAWN.
| JC: | Have you even slept? |
| WWX: | Slept on the plane, bro. Don’t try changing the subject. |
| JC: | There is no subject. Closing your eyes isn’t sleeping; go to sleep. |
| WWX: | Yeah, well. Maybe if you’d just talk to me, I could sleep instead of talking to you, but no – |
| JC: | You could go to sleep right now, literally nobody is stopping you. You don’t need to talk to me – |
| WWX: | I do. I really do, Jiang Cheng, because do you know what Sergeant Song said to me? |
| JC: | Oh, good. |
| WWX: | He said that you told him the one you wanted to kill wasn’t Madam Yu. |
| JC: | Uh huh. That. |
| WWX: | That? That?!? That – what does that mean? Jiang Cheng, what does that mean??? |
| JC: | What do you think I mean? |
| WWX: | Agh, why are you always turning my questions back on me, dude? You’re so fucking exhausting, all the fucking time you do this – I asked first so answer my question! |
TONE OF CLEAR EXASPERATION.
| JC: | Maybe I’m just surprised you thought it meant anything at all. |
| WWX: | Really, dude? That’s what you’re gonna say to me, like you don’t put an inordinate amount of brainpower into every word choice like you’re some sorta late 18th century wordsmith? I know you, Jiang Cheng, so don’t go trying that with me. |
| JC: | Seems to me I was taking a few pages from your book, Wei Wuxian. A little banter. Talking a little shit. |
| WWX: | Wh – ?! You don’t banter with the fucking cops, Jiang Cheng, especially not when you’re under investigation for murder, what the fuck! You know that! |
| JC: | Oh, and you know exactly when to keep your mouth shut, huh? |
| WWX: | Oh nonononono, no I fucking don’t! You remind me of that every chance you get; you think I’m going to fall for that bait? No, you’re not going to get me with that – just what the hell – what is it that you won’t tell me? Do you really not trust me enough to tell me what’s going on? |
| JC: | God, we’re back to this now? And you’re the one calling me exhausting? |
| WWX: | You’re the one bringing us around in circles, dude! If you just gave me a straight fucking answer we wouldn’t have to have these ouroboros-ass conversations, can’t exit the roundabout traffic circle type shit. I mean, you’re clearly – you were clearly trying to take the fall for someone, but now, are you still, with Jin Zixuan – so what’s up with that? What’s up with this? |
SILENCE.
FOR ONCE, IT IS NOT WEI WUXIAN WHO FILLS IT.
| JC: | You know what? I’m worried about you. |
| WWX: | What – |
| JC: | It’s OK to be glad Mother is dead, you know? I know she was never kind to you. I’d never blame you for that. Hell, throw a celebration if that’s what you feel like doing. That’s the last thing you need to feel guilty about. |
| WWX: | WHAT – |
| JC: | You’re well within your right to be glad Mother is dead. You don’t need to do anything to make up for it. |
| WWX: | What? |
| JC: | Just because Mother asked you how far you’re willing to go for our family – don’t mistake it for her acknowledging you. You don’t have to listen to her just because she’s dead; in fact, I’d encourage you to go ahead and ignore her like you always have. There’s no reason for you to feel obliged to act a brother to me. |
| WWX: | What??? |
| JC: | And don’t sound so confused. |
| WWX: | Of course I’m confused, what the fuck – |
| JC: | You know, you weren’t all that concerned about me when I was under investigation for the deaths of – |
| WWX: | Of course not, you said you didn’t do it! You told me you had it handled! |
| JC: | And I said I had it handled this time too, didn’t I? So why do you keep pushing? What’s so different this time? |
| WWX: | I – it’s different, this is different, this is – that was almost a decade ago, I… |
SILENCE.
| WWX: | This is Madam Yu. You – you said you did it. You said you did it. |
SILENCE.
| JC: | You say you trust me. |
| WWX: | I do. |
| JC: | But everything you do. Every question you ask me. You don’t trust me, Wei Wuxian. |
| WWX: | I do – |
| JC: | There’s a lot you don’t tell me. Fine. It’s not like I tell you everything either. But you could’ve told me when Father called you about the job offer. |
| WWX: | I turned that down – |
| JC: | I know you did, not that I heard it from you. What good did that do? |
| WWX: | The rumours were good for publicity! On the hologram project, you agreed – |
| JC: | I didn’t agree to shit, Wei Wuxian, I couldn’t agree, there was nothing to agree to! The news was out there, I couldn’t do anything at that point but make the best of it! |
| WWX: | That’s not what you said then – |
| JC: | That’s not what you heard! You don’t listen to me, you don’t trust me. Fine, but – |
| WWX: | No. No, no, no. I’m not just going to take this, Jiang Cheng, because I do trust you. I don’t know where you got that idea that I don’t, but I do. I listen. I’m always listening, and I know when you’re deflecting. |
| JC: | Deflecting? I’m not – |
| WWX: | You’re just trying to hide some sort of big secret because you think telling the truth will hurt someone. I don’t know who. You love fucking lying for no benefit to yourself whatsoever and you only tell the truth when you think no one will believe you. No, but the lies do benefit you, right? Make you look tough, build this fucking image of the person you want to be? But the image is just lies, and you’re this little tiny hole in the center, the little center point the webs don’t touch because it’s where they come from, pinhole in the camera projecting the upside-down, some fucking truth you don’t want to show the world – because it’ll hurt you, right? Truth hurts and you don’t fucking like hurting! |
| JC: | What are you talking about – |
| WWX: | You always act like you’re saying it as it is, but bro, just look at you! Always looking down your nose like we’re all beneath you but it’s an act and you know it because whenever you’re like this – you’re scared. You’re scared of something and you want to hide it. And all I want to know is what you’re hiding, that’s it! Because I can help you! The two of us – whatever you’re scared of, we can fight it together. Because we’re stronger together. Because we’re brothers, Jiang Cheng. I’m with you, all the way. |
INSPIRATIONAL.
WHEN JIANG CHENG REPLIES, HIS VOICE IS BARELY AUDIBLE.
| JC: | What a fucking joke. |
| WWX: | I’m not fucking around here, Jiang Cheng. I’m being serious. |
A SHARP LAUGH, AND INHALE.
| JC: | You have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, saying that shit to me. Like I don’t have the same insight into me that you have. Like you know me better than I do. Lying to myself. Wei Wuxian, if I’m lying to myself, then what are you doing? |
| WWX: | Oh no, you asshole – |
| JC: | You’re afraid too, aren’t you? And like you always do, you take that fear and turn it into this, this, energy, recklessness, turn it into self-destruction and martyrdom, turn it into problem-solving and people-saving, and God help me, you think I need saving – but what is it that you’re afraid of? What are you so afraid of that you’re digging so deep into me? What are you trying so hard to ignore? What am I here to distract you from? |
| WWX: | That’s not it, dude, I’m just trying to help you – |
| JC: | And when did you start being afraid of things, anyway? Always the first to jump in, weren’t you, always with the big moves – |
| WWX: | And you, you’re always trying to turn things on me, what about you? Too afraid to self-reflect? Too afraid to find out what you really are, how you really feel, always with that façade, bitter-fucking-Betty – |
| JC: | – everything’s always going to work out fine when it comes to you, when did that stop being the case? That confidence that everything’s going to turn out fine, what are you so afraid of – |
| WWX: | – too afraid to be yourself, always trying to be someone else, but too bad, dude, we are who we are, |
WEI WUXIAN RAMBLES ON AS JIANG CHENG FALLS SILENT.
| WWX: | You never have to act around me, Jiang Cheng, I swear to God, I swore to God, I don’t know how to make it any clearer to you that I’m on your side, I’m trying to help you, so stop being such a fucking dick and just listen for a sec, just – |
EYES WIDEN. GENUINE HURT.
NO ONE IS THERE TO SEE IT.
| JC: | Ah, fuck. You’re afraid of me. |
EYES WIDEN. GENUINE DISMAY.
NO ONE IS THERE TO SEE IT.
| WWX: | What? That doesn’t even make sense – |
| JC: | That’s it, isn’t it? It all makes sense. |
| WWX: | Makes sense? What makes sense, where – |
| JC: | When? When did you start being afraid of me? |
| WWX: | I’m not afraid – |
| JC: | When did you stop believing in me? |
| WWX: | I never – |
| JC: | How long? For how many years have you considered me – you really think I’m capable of murder? |
| WWX: | What??? I have never, not ever, not for a single moment –! Jiang Cheng, you have to stop being like this – |
JIANG CHENG HANGS UP.
Notes:
We bleed into the morning of the 11th here, but that's because I wanted to include something to make up for how long it took for me to edit this whole chapter. There'll have to be a little rewinding in the next chapter... Anyways, big thank you as always to everyone following along, and happy new year! Love to you all, nothing but the best hopes and wishes, fortune, wealth and health. Though it might sound flippant, every one of your comments, kudos, bookmarks, subs -- powers me. Unending thanks. Questions, comments, crit, always welcome. I've triple-checked for formatting errors, but I know I've missed something somewhere. Please do let me know!
Now, for the chapters comments...
1. In my notes, it says NHS is the only character allowed soliloquys lmao
2. JZX’s intrusive thoughts – if A-Li married LWJ, would JC trust LWJ? JZX’s rational thoughts – A-Li would never get with LWJ. JZX’s ego – if anything, everyone’s missing out by not being with me. Too bad I only have eyes for A-Li.
3. Sweet in-law moment of the day – JC genuinely forgets that JZX is not privy to all the details of the Jiang family childhood. He feels that if JYL knows, JZX must also know, since this is how it’s been ever since the two of em got married.
4. JZX distracted himself with JYL’s wellbeing and forgot to ask the key (haha) question: does JYL have keys to WWX’s panic room? (Yes, the panic rooms and keys are a heavy-handed metaphor for ~trust~. What’s a metaphor again?)
5. You thought this was a murder mystery? Turns out it's just a setpiece for the soap opera, oops.
6. They switch between calling it a panic room and a safe room arbitrarily, it doesn't mean anything. They just choose whatever feels nicer to say in the moment.
7. I tried to write a proper fluffy moment for JYL and JZX, took me like a month to do. I'd like to be more fluffy, to balance out the drama.
Chapter 16: NOV 10 - NHS HANGS OUT
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
| JFM: | Hello? | |
| SL: | Hello, Mr. Jiang. This is Sergeant Song calling, regarding – | |
| JFM: | Of course, of course! Sergeant Song. How can I help you today? | |
| SL: | Then I’ll get straight into it, if you don’t mind. | |
| JFM: | Of course not. Please. | |
| SL: | I’ve had the chance to speak to your son. He mentioned the existence of panic rooms. |
SILENCE.
| JFM: | Excuse me? Panic rooms, that’s – that comes as a surprise to me. A-Cheng mentioned this? |
ANNOYANCE. SGT. SONG TAKES NOTE.
| SL: | Oh, no – excuse me for being unclear, I spoke with Mr. Wei – Wei Wuxian today; he was kind enough to fly out for the interview. You’ve raised a good man in him, Mr. Jiang. Very candid and insightful, thoughtful. For a man of his fame and stature, he was incredibly down to earth. It was truly a pleasure to speak to him. | |
| JFM: | I see. He told you about the panic rooms, then? |
SATISFACTION. SGT. SONG TAKES NOTE.
| SL: | That’s correct. | |
| JFM: | And I assume you’re calling to ask for access? | |
| SL: | That’s right, Mr. Jiang. | |
| JFM: | Which rooms would you need access to, then? Jiang Cheng’s, certainly, and his mother’s. | |
| SL: | We would need access to all of them. | |
| JFM: | Oh, no, surely that’s unnecessary. There’s no reason for A-Xian or A-Li to be subject to such scrutiny, Sergeant. | |
| SL: | We have a certain standard of thoroughness, Mr. Jiang. Should we fail to investigate all the rooms, it would bring into question what evidence we gathered from the suspect’s panic rooms. Your panic rooms would serve as a baseline, as it were, or proof that what exists in one room does not necessarily exist in the other. | |
| JFM: | Of course, of course, I understand your perspective… still, Sergeant Song, is there any need for evidence? As I understand it, A-Cheng confessed. What more could you possibly need? I just don’t see how this would help. | |
| SL: | His confession, unfortunately, is insufficient. He refuses to accompany it with a guilty plea. The last thing either of us want, Mr. Jiang, is a years-long trial, constantly having to relive this trauma. It is my belief, which seems to be shared with Mr. Wei, that your son may have some sort of trick up his sleeve to prevent jail time, to – I’m not sure that “get away with it” is the right wording here, but to dodge responsibility, certainly. However, Jiang Cheng may have been counting on the unwillingness to share family secrets to keep key evidence hidden, which is why Mr. Wei, quite reluctantly, disclosed the existence of these panic room. At the very least, Mr. Wei seems to believe that the panic rooms likely play into some sort of larger plot. | |
| JFM: | Larger plot? What could be larger than… hm. | |
| SL: | Your son, suddenly turning on you. No longer cooperating with your business. I fear that he may have larger plans for you. | |
| JFM: | I’d ask what reason A-Cheng has to harm me, but the situation forces me to accept realities I once thought impossible. You believe that the panic rooms could hold this information? | |
| SL: | It is a possibility, yes. | |
| JFM: | A-Cheng wouldn’t be so foolish as to leave evidence behind. | |
| SL: | So we would think, but overconfidence leads to mistakes. In turn, this has led to many unexpected breakthroughs throughout the course of my career. |
JIANG FENGMIAN SIGHS. IT IS WEARY.
| JFM: | Well, I expected more from him than these petty disruptions, so he may very well have overestimated his own abilities. It is what it is. I will arrange for access to these rooms, as you suggest. | |
| SL: | I appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Jiang. When can we expect to be able to enter? | |
| JFM: | It will take a day. The panic rooms are designed to open via biometrics, and I’m unable to access any room other than mine. I will have my assistant contact the installers. | |
| SL: | Perhaps we could begin with your room first, then. | |
| JFM: | I apologize, but please understand that this has been quite a busy period for me; I may be able to prioritize your calls, Sergeant, but business forces me to be away from my home. I will arrange for access as soon as possible, please rest assured in that. |
JIANG FENGMIAN’S VOICE IS WARM AND SOOTHING. SGT. SONG MAKES A NOTE.
| SL: | Of course, I understand. Would it perhaps be easier for me to arrange for the doors to be opened? | |
| JFM: | I would prefer that no damage be done to my home, Sergeant. As I mentioned, the doors are designed to be opened via biometrics. You can rest assured that there will be no tampering done to any of the rooms in the meantime. | |
| SL: | Well, | |
| JFM: | I can promise you, Sergeant. The biometrics are logged if you are worried, but I’m disappointed that you don’t seem to trust me. | |
| SL: | Apologies, Mr. Jiang. I meant no offence – merely professional habit. | |
| JFM: | A habit that serves you well, I am sure. Very well. I will see you tomorrow night, Sergeant. My secretary will give you the specifics. | |
| SL: | Tomorrow – will that be enough time for you, Mr. Jiang? | |
| JFM: | It was you who emphasized the urgency, Sergeant! I will have the installers come on a rush basis, and I myself will make the time to be there in person for any questions you may have. I hope you find that amenable? | |
| SL: | Yes, of course. I appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to do this. | |
| JFM: | There is no reason for me to not be fully cooperative, Sergeant, and I hope I have never given you reason to believe otherwise. I don’t intend on involving my legal team unless matters truly get out of hand. | |
| SL: | No, of course not. | |
| JFM: | If this is what it takes to assist you in completing your investigation, then it must be done. | |
| SL: | Thank you. | |
| JFM: | Now, if there isn’t anything more. | |
| SL: | One last thing, if that’s alright. | |
| JFM: | Ask away. | |
| SL: | Did you give Madame Yu Wei Wuxian’s cellphone number? | |
| JFM: | No, I don’t believe I did. Why do you ask? | |
| SL: | No particular reason. I won’t hold on to you any longer, Mr. Jiang. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to speak with me. | |
| JFM: | Was my wife in communication with Wei Wuxian? There wasn’t anything – |
JIANG FENG MIAN’S VOICE CARRIES AN UNDERTONE OF CONCERN. PANIC?
| SL: | No, not at all, Mr. Jiang. Please don’t be alarmed – we were just curious as to how Madame Yu obtained Mr. Wei’s contact information to invite him to your son’s birthday party. | |
| JFM: | Ah, if it’s just that. You could have said so; I’m sure A-Cheng told her. Then, if that’s it? |
THE UNEASE IS STILL PRESENT.
| SL: | That’s it, thank you again for your time. | |
| JFM: | Excellent. I will see you tomorrow. |
A CONVERSATION: BETWEEN JIANG CHENG AND JIANG YANLI
NOVEMBER 10, XXXX. 8:52 PM
THE TWO SIBLINGS ARE RELAXED IN THE LIVING ROOM.
THEY SIT NEXT TO EACH OTHER ON THE SECTIONAL.
| JYL: | Thank you for putting A-Ling to bed. He hates sleeping early, but you always seem to manage it. | |
| JC: | I’m not a parent. | |
| JYL: | And still he hangs on to your every word. | |
| JC: | That’s because I’m not his parent. | |
| JYL: | And it’s all the more effective for it. At least one uncle should be a good influence! | |
| JC: | Ha. | |
| JYL: | And we’re lucky enough to have two excellent uncles – don’t roll your eyes at me, A-Cheng. | |
| JC: | Only one of these uncles is getting A-Ling to bed at a reasonable hour. | |
| JYL: | Only one of these uncles is present, and the presence is due to circumstances outside his control. | |
| JC: | The uncle who isn’t currently present would have A-Ling running around till midnight. |
JIANG YANLI TILTS HER HEAD.
| JYL: | Are you arguing with me because I said you don’t ever argue with me? | |
| JC: | Of course not. | |
| JYL: | Good. | |
| JC: | Mmm. |
SILENCE.
| JYL: | So you’ve sent my husband on a secret mission. |
JIANG CHENG SMILES WANLY.
| JC: | It’s not much of a secret, Jie. There’s just a couple of files that need to be cleaned out if the panic rooms are going to be investigated. | |
| JYL: | Mother’s or yours? | |
| JC: | Both. | |
| JYL: | What sort of files? | |
| JC: | Sensitive business materials. | |
| JYL: | Ah, mother’s files on the deaths. Will you use this opportunity to clear your name, absolve yourself? | |
| JC: | There’s really no need to dig up ancient history --- deaths - how do you know about the deaths? | |
| JYL: | Mother would have wanted you to use those files. That’s why she held on to them, after all. | |
| JC: | What are you talking about? | |
| JYL: | Isn’t that what she told you? |
JIANG CHENG SHAKES HIS HEAD IN DISBELIEF.
| JC: | I know you’re not one to be underestimated, Jie, but somehow you always find new ways to surprise me. | |
| JYL: | Thank you. So, why not use the files? | |
| JC: | I… the timing. It wouldn’t look good, like I’m deflecting blame onto Mother. Though I suppose I could have left Pu Wenge’s file, that one really was quite the misfortune. Who would have expected a helicopter crash to kill him, of all things. | |
| JYL: | Are you going to destroy those files, then? | |
| JC: | Mhm. How do you know about the murders, anyway? | |
| JYL: | Ah, good question. Mother told me, of course. |
JIANG YANLI’S TONE IS LIGHT. WHEN JIANG CHENG SPEAKS, IT’S BREATHLESS.
| JC: | You’re joking. | |
| JYL: | Not at all. | |
| JC: | She – she never wanted you involved in this sort of business…? | |
| JYL: | Taking care of obstacles is a wife’s duty. | |
| JC: | But not you! She never wanted to put you in harm’s way, run that sort of business – | |
| JYL: | It wasn’t for me to emulate, A-Cheng. It was for me to recognize what sabotage looked like. It was to teach me how it might be done. |
JIANG CHENG SHAKES HIS HEAD.
| JC: | I never knew. | |
| JYL: | “Women keep secrets that men fight to expose.” Or so Mother would say. | |
| JC: | She told you everything? | |
| JYL: | Walked me through the process herself. | |
| JC: | God. | |
| JYL: | You should have told me, though, that the panic rooms were going to be investigated. I could have had material in there. |
JIANG CHENG’S EYES WIDEN.
| JC: | I didn’t – | |
| JYL: | I don’t. |
A BREATH OF RELIEF.
| JC: | I should have checked with you. Even if it wasn’t – you could have had personal materials in there. | |
| JYL: | You don’t have to apologize, A-Cheng. There was no way you could’ve known; we don’t talk about these things. Our plans, our knowledge; everything we went through, or are going through... we don’t talk about it – and don’t say there’s nothing to talk about. | |
| JC: | I wasn’t going to. | |
| JYL: | All these things we don’t talk about, how would we ever know? And we can’t move on if we don’t know the extent of it, you know? It’s important – it’s difficult, but it’s important. And it’ll help all of us, bring us closer. |
A CAREFUL NEUTRALITY SETTLES ON JIANG CHENG.
| JC: | Is that something your therapist told you? Jin Zixuan did say you guys found a good one. | |
| JYL: | It – that doesn’t take away from my point. It’s important, A-Cheng. The sort of things that we always kept to ourselves, it would be so much better if we knew the sum of it. Really understood where all of us are coming from. How we all got to this point. Clear the air, any misunderstandings – | |
| JC: | Don’t get me wrong, Jie. I’m glad the therapy is working out for you, and that talking about it works for you, and you’re right. There’s plenty to talk about. | |
| JYL: | So – | |
| JC: | And I’d tell you if I had something to tell, but I honestly have nothing. Nothing ever happens, Jie. Nothing that you don’t already know. | |
| JYL: | Even so, what you think I know I might not know. We’ll never know until we talk about it. | |
| JC: | Right, like any of us can do anything about what happened in the past by talking about it. The past is the past, Jie. Let it lie. Don’t you think we have more pressing issues to focus on right now? | |
| JYL: | But – | |
| JC: | Talk is talk is talk. It doesn’t change anything to hear it – no explanations will change – | |
| JYL: | It will. It changes everything. | |
| JC: | Right. | |
| JYL: | Knowing always changes things. | |
| JC: | And not always for the better. | |
| JYL: | You didn’t know that I knew all these things. I wanted to hide it too, A-Cheng, I didn’t think it was right of me to put this on you, but now that you know, doesn’t that make things better? Isn’t it better to know that we can share our experiences, our burdens with each other? Grow together – understand each other better? | |
| JC: | That’s – |
JIANG YANLI’S CELLPHONE VIBRATES ON THE SOFA.
CALL DISPLAY SHOWS NIE HUAISANG.
| JYL: | It looks like A-Sang is here. | |
| JC: | Impressive that he’s on time. | |
| JYL: | Don’t be rude – he’s here to bring you your things. And don’t think this conversation is over. |
JIANG YANLI PICKS UP THE PHONE.
IT’S 9:02 PM.
| JYL: | Hello, A-Sang? | |
| NHS: | Li-jie, I’m outside your door! I didn’t want to ring the doorbell in case you’ve got the little princeling in bed already. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything? | |
| JYL: | No, no! Of course not, I’m coming to open the door right now. |
JIANG YANLI LEAVES THE LIVING ROOM.
ON THE FRONT PORCH, NIE HUAISANG HOLDING A DUFFEL BAG AND GIFT BAG.
HE’S STARING INTO THE POTTED PLANT ON THE PORCH, EYES VACANT AS HE WAITS.
IT IS AN ORDINARY POT, CONTAINING AN ORDINARY PLANT.
THE DOOR OPENS. NIE HUAISANG IS IMMEDIATELY EXCITED.
| NHS: | Li-jie! Jie, it’s been forever since I’ve seen you – it must be so depressing, being locked in here with Jiang-xiong and Jin-xiong, joyless workaholics they both are, | |
| JYL: | A-Sang, what are you – | |
| NHS: | Oh, don’t tell me Jiang Cheng didn’t warn you I was going to drop by! That man – he takes you for granted, Jie. You must break free of their shackles and come shopping with me soon; there’s so much to catch up on! All I’ve brought is this bag for Jiang-xiong – some overnight essentials, you know how particular he is about these things. | |
| JYL: | Is that – | |
| NHS: | Can you believe he wanted me to buy a whole new pillow for him? And he says I’m the picky one, when he’s out here specifying the specific brand and model of pillow he’d like. Ah, I suppose the best I can do is to serve as his errand boy, but more than happy to drop by, of course, I did say – it’s been far too long. I really wanted to check in on you, Li-jie. This whole thing has been rough enough on me – look at me! Haggard! I can’t imagine what you’re going through. | |
| JYL: | I don’t see a single wrinkle on you, A-Sang, you look immaculate as always. Would you like to come in and sit? | |
| NHS: | Oh, no no no. I couldn’t intrude, I wouldn’t want to create more of a mess for you to clean up afterward. I’m just here to drop off the bag, and, you know – let you know, you can call me if you need anything at all. A day out, if you want me to reserve a store, a nice meal with Jin-xiong, anything. I just want you to know I’m here to support you. Whatever you need. | |
| JYL: | It wouldn’t be an intrusion at all, A-Sang! There’s so much to talk about, isn’t there? | |
| NHS: | Are you sure? | |
| JYL: | Of course, I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t. | |
| NHS: | And the little young master Jin has gone to bed? | |
| JYL: | Yes, he’s all tucked in. | |
| NHS: | And it’s not too late for you, Jie? | |
| JYL: | Not at all. |
PAUSE.
| NHS: | Well, if it isn’t an imposition. | |
| JYL: | Please, please. Come in! Let’s catch up, shall we? All of us. |
NIE HUAISANG LIGHTS UP.
| NHS: | Ah, Jie, you’re too kind! Then I won’t turn you down, thank you for having me – and don’t worry about the tea, I have some lovely first flush, Ming-qian Maofeng tea, I know how much you like a good cup of Huangshan Maofeng. Or is it too late at night for tea? I’ve brought some Cordyceps too, and Shihu – have Jiang-xiong brew some of that for us. Yes, that sounds good. |
NIE HUAISANG ENTERS, AND THE TWO HEAD TO THE LIVING ROOM.
| NHS: | Hello, Jiang-xiong! Jin-xiong! |
JIANG CHENG TURNS AROUND. HIS LIPS CURL AT THE SIGHT.
| JC: | A-Jie, you didn’t have to invite him in. | |
| JYL: | Don’t be so rude, A-Cheng. A-Sang came all this way just to bring you supplies – Huaisang, sit! |
NIE HUAISANG HANDS THE DUFFEL BAG AND GIFT BAG TO JIANG CHENG.
| NHS: | That’s right, don’t be so rude. Here, Jiang-xiong. Shihu – go boil some of that up for us, will you? | |
| JC: | I – Jie, do you…? | |
| JYL: | Please do, A-Cheng. Four should be enough, you know how much water to add. Thank you. |
JIANG CHENG LEAVES WITH THE BAGS.
| NHS: | I don’t see Jin-xiong – was my greeting too hasty? | |
| JYL: | Ah, A-Cheng has my husband out running errands. I’m not quite sure when he’ll be back. | |
| NHS: | Oh dear, he’s been assigned errands as well, has he? Jiang-xiong has always been bossy, what with his orders and plans. |
NIE HUAISANG SIGHS.
| NHS: | But I’m quite jealous. What a lovely husband you have… to be on Jiang-xiong’s side despite everything. He must love you very much, Li-jie. | |
| JYL: | And I could say the same to you, Huaisang – risking everything to bring my little brother a pillow. | |
| NHS: | I’m too good to him, aren’t I? But the pillow was secondary, altogether secondary. I wanted to check in with you, Li-jie. Make sure you’re doing OK. |
JIANG YANLI SMILES WRYLY.
| JYL: | I’ve known you for quite a while now, Huaisang. You don’t need to keep up pretenses around me. |
NIE HUAISANG GASPS.
| NHS: | Jie, you wound me with your words, truly. But – yes, you’re right, you’ve got me, I’m also worried about our Jiang-xiong. You know how he gets when it comes to family, so to see this all unfolding – |
JIANG CHENG RETURNS EMPTY-HANDED AND SITS ACROSS FROM NIE HUAISANG.
| JC: | I can hear you, you know. | |
| NHS: | And you were meant to hear it all, Jiang-xiong. To see this all unfolding, as I was saying – I’m sure you’re focused on the human impact of it all, but the project, your project Stinky Peppers or whatever you’re calling it, Fermented Habaneros, | |
| JC: | Limitless. | |
| NHS: | Right, right. That was the username you were posting under. Project Limitless… who named the project again? | |
| JC: | Who do you think? | |
| JYL: | Be polite, A-Cheng. | |
| NHS: | Yes, Jiang-xiong, why are you being so snippy? Don’t roll your eyes at me – you don’t even say a ‘thank you for dropping by!’ and I say nothing, but this? Being short with me? I won’t stand for this. | |
| JC: | …Wei Wuxian named the project. The whole damned thing was his idea, wasn’t it? | |
| NHS: | Don’t sound so bitter. It’s easy being the ideas-man; do you know how hard it is to make ideas a reality? Don’t answer that, I don’t care. What I’m saying is – |
JIANG CHENG SIGHS.
| JC: | The project is still going ahead, you don’t have to worry about that. | |
| NHS: | That’s precisely why I’m worried! I hardly want to see my investments blown away like so much dust in the wind, but you’re not at Jiang Corp anymore, and I don’t intend on supporting the man who ran a near market-monopoly into collapse, if that’s what you’re thinking. How will this project be capable of going forward without you? | |
| JC: | The economy wasn’t doing all that well, to be fair – | |
| NHS: | Yes, yes, the economy wasn’t doing well and the Jin Conglomerate somehow managed to eat up all your market share because they’re immune to recessions, isn’t that right, Li-jie? | |
| JYL: | Mhm, which resulted in this political marriage to keep Jiang Corp afloat, because a man like Jin Zixuan would never marry such a homely girl if it wasn’t by – | |
| JC: | You know where your investments are going and the plan hasn’t changed. I’d tell you if it had. | |
| NHS: | No, I don’t think so. | |
| JC: | Excuse me? | |
| NHS: | Little mice have been crawling all over your department after your little stunt, searching for irregularities. You haven’t been keeping an eye on matters, have you? How careless of you. |
JIANG CHENG ROLLS HIS EYES.
| JC: | Right, of course. What is it that you love saying? People can’t leave well enough alone. | |
| NHS: | Exactly, exactly. | |
| JC: | But there are no irregularities, so what’s your point? There’s nothing for anyone to find. | |
| NHS: | But surely you’ll be missing the November 21st soft-launch date, no? Your plans must allow for a delay; what’s another year or two or ten? There’s no reason to launch when you’re under such scrutiny, and there’s hardly going to be anyone pouring capital into R&D for this black-hole of a technology, so it isn’t like you’ll be outcompeted anytime soon. We’ll need to wait until well after the trial. | |
| JC: | They can scrutinize all they want, we’re not waiting. | |
| NHS: | I don’t think so. I will not be tied to a murderer’s product. | |
| JC: | But I’m not going to be a murderer. | |
| NHS: | But you are a murderer. | |
| JC: | No, I don’t think I will be. | |
| NHS: | Oh? So, what? Are you going to play the victim instead? You, Jiang-xiong, just to sell your product? A willing victim? | |
| JC: | Don’t ask stupid questions. | |
| NHS: | And you think you won’t be the murderer? | |
| JC: | Of course. Who do you think I am? |
NIE HUAISANG LOOKS TOWARDS JIANG YANLI, EYES WIDE.
| NHS: | Li-jie, who is this arrogant man in front of me? I don’t know him, the Jiang-xiong I know can’t keep a handle on his public image to save his life. Oh, don’t keep rolling your eyes, Jiang-xiong – keep doing that and you’ll go cross-eyed one day, you know? And your dear brother, he knows this? This, “not-murderer” plan of yours? | |
| JC: | Of course not. He’d think of it as – | |
| NHS: | Perjury, yes yes, or even worse – he’ll believe that you’re innocent – but let’s focus on the real question here, | |
| JC: | Where’s your fan, Huaisang? | |
| NHS: | Hm? Oh, you miss my dramatic – |
NIE HUAISANG FLICKS HIS WRIST, AS IF SNAPPING OPEN A FAN.
| NHS: | You know I don’t need one with you, darling. Never with you. | |
| JC: | I’ve told you to not call me that. It’s strange not to see you with it, having these sorts of discussions. | |
| NHS: | Oho, feeling nostalgic already? There’ll be plenty of time to reminisce when you’re incarcerated, Jiang-xiong, so focus! | |
| JC: | I won’t let your company launch this, Nie Huaisang, and I won’t let your company have more stake than they already have. |
NIE HUAISANG BRINGS HIS HAND UP TO HIS MOUTH. IT DOES NOTHING TO HIDE THE SMILE.
| NHS: | Of course not, and I’d never ask that of you! But how will you accomplish anything given your current state? And your uncooperative brother? | |
| JC: | I’ve never needed his cooperation to get things done, have I? | |
| NHS: | And your current state? | |
| JC: | Keep an eye out for news. | |
| NHS: | News. Do you hear this, Li-jie? He’s sitting right in front of me but he wants me to hear it from the news. How do you put up with him? |
JIANG YANLI SMILES HELPLESSLY AT NIE HUAISANG’S EXAGGERATED POUT.
| JYL: | He’s my little brother and I love him very much, and it’s my pleasure to put up with him; he’s not one for reckless plans, after all. | |
| NHS: | Is this true, Jiang Cheng? You’re not one for reckless plans? |
NIE HUAISANG SMILES SWEETLY. JIANG CHENG FROWNS.
| JC: | What are you trying to say? | |
| NHS: | Wei Wuxian doesn’t know about your plan, yes? | |
| JC: | Yes. No. He doesn’t know. | |
| NHS: | And you’re planning on making this very public? You? Now? | |
| JC: | I don’t have much of a choice, do I? | |
| NHS: | You always have a choice, Jiang Wanyin – having no choices? That’s a choice in and of itself. | |
| JC: | Don’t quote me at me. | |
| JYL: | And you truly won’t tell A-Xian? | |
| JC: | No. Better for me to control the narrative before he drags me into it with some misguided attempt at helping. | |
| NHS: | You’re so cold, Jiang-xiong. | |
| JC: | He’d do the same for me. |
NIE HUAISANG LAUGHS.
| NHS: | Aha, that’s a good one! Now, go check on the Shihu, will you? I think I hear a pot lid rattling. | |
| JC: | Chasing me away now that the conversation is over? And you’re calling me cold. | |
| NHS: | Are you going to leave Li-jie waiting? |
JIANG CHENG GLANCES AT JIANG YANLI. JIANG YANLI SMILES, AND MAKES A SHOOING MOTION.
JIANG CHENG LEAVES.
| NHS: | So, Jie. Did that help you feel better? I figured he wasn’t sharing any details with you, so… thought I’d coax some information out of him! | |
| JYL: | And here I thought this conversation stemmed from your genuine concern regarding your investments. | |
| NHS: | The concern for my investments is genuine, Jie, as is my concern for Jiang Cheng. |
NIE HUAISANG’S VOICE LOWERS TO A WHISPER.
| NHS: | I don’t know what he’s planning, and whatever he’s told Jin-xiong, it’s good enough that he’s not questioning it. But you know how it is with him – he won’t tell anyone the entirety of what’s going on in his head. Now, we know he’s quite the strategist, but it’s Jiang-xiong. For all he rags on Wei-xiong, he’s literally no better. | |
| JYL: | Mhm. | |
| NHS: | And he gets even worse when he’s cranky from staying up all night scheming. | |
| JYL: | Do you think the pillow will help? | |
| NHS: | No, of course not! It’s an excuse, simply an excuse, meant to make you feel better and think he’s sleeping better when he’s actually not changed anything at all. I taught him how to do makeup, you know, to hide those dark circles? He’s gotten to be quite the dab hand at it, really, but I suppose he doesn’t feel like dipping into your supply if he looks so decrepit. | |
| JYL: | I’m sure you have a plan, then? | |
| NHS: | You could drug him. Make him tea at night, pour a little something-something into it – | |
| JYL: | I am not going to dose him, A-Sang. | |
| NHS: | Ah, well, figured it was worth a try. Jiang Cheng’s quite fun when he’s all tipsy, you know? | |
| JYL: | Oh, is this something you’ve seen? | |
| NHS: | You haven’t? | |
| JYL: | No, in fact. I haven’t had the pleasure. | |
| NHS: | I haven’t either, but I’d like to imagine he is. Where is Jin-xiong, anyway? What sort of errand has he been tasked to run by our illustrious Mr. Jiang? | |
| JYL: | Please don’t call A-Cheng that. It’s a little unsettling. |
JIANG YANLI LEANS BACK.
| JYL: | And I’m not quite sure what the errand is – A-Cheng isn’t sharing any of the details, and my husband takes his job very seriously. Confidentiality, I’m sure you know. | |
| NHS: | You and him are one unit, Li-jie, I would never consider it breaking confidentiality if he told you all the sordid little details about his clients. Besides, you’re very good at keeping things hush-hush. |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS.
| JYL: | What is there to keep hush-hush? You know as much as I do, A-Sang, and I’d have known nothing of this plan of his had you not come by today – I’d think they’d tell you more, honestly. You know how they try to keep me out of it all. | |
| NHS: | We’re just two lilies in bloom, Li-jie, they’re afraid to spoil our purity. | |
| JYL: | You, a lily? |
NIE HUAISANG WIDENS HIS EYES.
| NHS: | Excuse me, how rude! If not a lily, then what? | |
| JYL: | A dandelion, perhaps? | |
| NHS: | Dandelion! That’s Wei-xiong, if anything, all beautiful yellow petals and ideas disappearing into a puff of wind, but like a weed, he keeps coming back. It’s his best trait, really. Speaking of Wei-xiong, it seems he’s being accosted by the media trying to get a scoop on this story. Have you seen the stories that have been coming out? Ridiculous, all of it. | |
| JYL: | I’m sure his publicists are quite pleased; all press is good press, no? | |
| NHS: | Unexpected bounties, as they say. Did he take any time off filming to come visit? | |
| JYL: | He flew back for a couple of days just to speak with the detective in person. | |
| NHS: | So they’ve talked then, in person, our two brothers? | |
| JYL: | Mhm. | |
| NHS: | That must have gone fantastic! | |
| JYL: | As well as you might expect, I fear. |
NIE HUAISANG SIGHS.
| NHS: | Those two. If only they’d get over their performative masculinity for one second, sit down and talk – well, performative, yes. Masculinity? Not so much, not insofar as those two words performative and masculinity fit together so well these days… in any case, wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone were like us, Li-jie? | |
| JYL: | Oh, I don’t know about that. | |
| NHS: | Ever-humble, Jie, and that’s exactly why the world would be a better place! But, hm, let me guess – Wei-xiong pushed too hard, Jiang-xiong pushed back just as hard? |
JIANG CHENG EMERGES WITH A TRAY, HOLDING A TEAPOT AND FOUR CUPS.
| JC: | Not much of a guess, Huaisang. | |
| NHS: | Well, then why don’t you tell me what happened? | |
| JC: | It’s none of your business. |
NIE HUAISANG POUTS. NOBODY IS PHASED.
| NHS: | What, I’m not allowed to care for my beloved childhood friends? |
THE TRAY IS PLACED ON THE TABLE. JIANG YANLI POURS FOR THREE.
| JC: | Thank you, Jie. | |
| NHS: | Expecting Jin-xiong to be back soon, Jiang-xiong? | |
| JC: | No, not at all. | |
| NHS: | Hmmm. What did you send him away to do, anyway? I hear from Li-jie you have him running an errand? | |
| JC: | Taking care of some things that I can’t take of right now, yes. | |
| NHS: | On account of you being under house arrest. Right, that reminds me, Li-jie! Jiang-xiong might not be able to leave the house, but you certainly can. You must join me in visiting my friend’s new spa, remember I was telling you? Mud therapy? |
JIANG YANLI RAISES AN EYEBROW.
| JYL: | What a coincidence. I was just talking to A-Xuan about that. | |
| NHS: | Oho? Great minds think alike, Jie, and we’re the only great minds in the room right now. |
JIANG CHENG TAKES A SIP OF HIS DRINK.
| NHS: | So, Li-jie, how about it? I feel like a promotor sometimes, with how I go on about it, but knowing you’re drowning yourself in filth – it’s an indescribable feeling. It’s so comforting, you forget you’re covering yourself in mud, with the warmth and the weight. And the way it tightens around your skin, it’s like you’re wearing armour! it’s almost a shame to wash it off, but I can hardly wallow in mud my whole life. Mud is mud, after all, no matter how natural it feels. |
NIE HUAISANG GLANCES AT JIANG CHENG WITH A SLY SMILE.
| NHS: | I’d take you, Jiang-xiong, god knows you need the relaxation, but considering your circumstances… oh! You think Jin-xiong would want to come along, Li-jie? | |
| JYL: | Heh. Could you imagine, our A-Xuan covered in mud? | |
| NHS: | I don’t particularly want to imagine it, but I’ll try --- for you. |
NIE HUAISANG SCREWS HIS EYES SHUT. JIANG YANLI TAKES A SIP OF HER DRINK.
SECONDS PASS. EYES OPEN.
| NHS: | Oh, sweet failure! Try as I might, the image does not come to me, Li-jie. Forget about that husband of yours – he can do whatever he wants if he refuses to enjoy the plebian pleasures of life. And that goes for you too, Jiang-xiong. Just because you can’t leave the premises doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy yourself – there’s a pool back there, you know? And I have it on good authority that you have not been enjoying your government-imposed vacation. | |
| JC: | Who’s authority? Your own? | |
| NHS: | Your wonderful sister here wouldn’t look so stressed if you were taking any time at all to enjoy yourself, my friend. |
NIE HUAISANG POINTS GRANDLY AT JIANG CHENG.
| NHS: | To you, Jiang Wanyin, I prescribe – a swim. Lighten up, Jiang-xiong. You might as well relax, now that everything is out of your hands. |
JIANG CHENG IS EXPRESSIONLESS.
| JC: | Nothing is out of my hands. | |
| NHS: | Well, I certainly don’t see anything held betwixt those slender fingers of yours, so you may as well make the most of those empty hands while you can. Right, Li-jie? | |
| JYL: | Mhm. | |
| NHS: | Speaking of empty hands, that does remind me, Jiang Wanyin – how’s Miss Si doing in your absence? I hope she wasn’t too disappointed that they passed her up for promotion. | |
| JC: | That’s just what happens when you throw your support behind the losing horse. | |
| NHS: | Don’t bother trying to distract me with your prepubescent self-pity, we both know you’re reformed from all that nonsense. Write that down in your diary – I won’t be tricked by your negative Nancy antics anymore. | |
| JC: | Alright, let me make a note of it… a new pearl of wisdom added to the pages dedicated to your delusions. | |
| NHS: | Oh my, flattery! My one weakness, | |
| JC: | One of many. | |
| NHS: | aside from Miss Si’s smile, which is now seldom seen, from what I hear from your team. They miss you. |
JIANG CHENG FROWNS.
| JC: | You’ve been speaking to my team. | |
| NHS: | They can’t reach you, can they? I only offered to pass on any messages they might have for you, thought I’d get some secret coded messages to pass along, but alas. Simple well wishes, the exact wording of which I have not committed to memory and thus will not be passing along, aside from the general sentiment which I am sure I have already adequately conveyed. | |
| JC: | Ha. | |
| NHS: | Yes yes, I know they’re competent, hand-picked by you, yada yada. They can navigate a little malicious intent coming from your father with no issues, I’m sure. Boring! | |
| JC: | Why even bother asking me about Si Rou if you’re the one telling me how she’s doing? | |
| NHS: | I thought you’d miss your right-hand woman, but cold-hearted that you are, you’ve abandoned her to the wolves with nothing but a knife in her hand. Yet! She’d still follow you into the jaws of death itself – | |
| JC: | You just said they were boring. | |
| NHS: | You’re boring, Jiang Wanyin. All you do is give them orders – maybe they’d like an indication about how you’re doing? Is that really so hard? The state you’ve put them in – coming to me, of all people! For answers you refuse to give. | |
| JYL: | He won’t even tell us how he’s doing, A-Sang. You can hardly expect him to keep in contact with his staff, especially now that he doesn’t need their assistance. |
JIANG CHENG’S EXPRESSION FLICKERS BRIEFLY WITH BETRAYAL.
IT SETTLES INTO CASUAL DISDAIN.
| JC: | My staff know how to contact me if they need me. If they’re contacting you instead, Nie Huaisang, they clearly know the matter isn’t important enough to bother me with. |
NIE HUAISANG RAISES HIS ARMS IN SURRENDER.
| NHS: | I’m just trying to help, Jiang-xiong! Who knows how your father might choose to clear out your poisonous murderous presence at his beloved company, I just want to make sure you’re taking good care of Ms. Si – she doesn’t deserve to be collateral damage. | |
| JC: | You’d know all about that, huh. Collateral damage. | |
| NHS: | Oh, don’t start with me. I’m not Wei Wuxian. | |
| JC: | Start? You started it yourself, poking your nose into my business. | |
| JYL: | A-Cheng, please. | |
| NHS: | You invited me into your business. I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t invite me. | |
| JC: | I asked you to bring me a pillow. | |
| NHS: | Technically, you asked me to – | |
| JC: | And to bring me my overnight bag, yes – | |
| JYL: | Both of you! | |
| JC: | No. Huaisang, I don’t know what games you want to play. I don’t care where you find your fun, but don’t you dare find it here. | |
| NHS: | Fun? Fun?!? Oh, Jiang Wanyin, you ungrateful bastard. How hard is it to get through your thick head that I’m here to help? | |
| JC: | I don’t need your help. | |
| NHS: | Oh, right! Because I’m just here for a casual visit, aren’t I? | |
| JC: | As casual as a fucking snake in the grass, you scheming – | |
| JYL: | For christ’s sake! |
IMMEDIATE SILENCE.
| JYL: | You’ll wake up A-Ling. | |
| NHS: | Yes, Mr. Jiang. You should lower your voice. | |
| JC: | Don’t. | |
| NHS: | You think you’ve made Miss Si untouchable with whatever trick you pulled, but it only makes her more vulnerable. | |
| JC: | You don’t even know what you’re talking about. | |
| NHS: | It puts her at the center of your little coup. | |
| JC: | There is no coup. | |
| NHS: | Yes, of course. There is no coup at Jiang Corp. There are no irregularities in your department. There isn’t a plan to launch a subsidiary that you will take completely independent. There’s definitely no plan to make that independent subsidiary swallow up its own parent company. | |
| JC: | Nie Huaisang! | |
| NHS: | Oh, have you not told our Jie that last bit of the plan that does not exist? | |
| JC: | There is no last bit. | |
| NHS: | I’m sorry, first there’s no plan, now there’s no last bit? Please, enlighten me to the truth, Jiang Wanyin. |
JIANG CHENG FOCUSES HIS WORDS ON JIANG YANLI.
| JC: | It was a hypothetical. A possibility, or impossibility. You know with Father… I couldn’t take the chance, Jie. I can’t give this up, not for Father. If I ever thought I needed to take it that far, I would’ve told you, but – if it weren’t for this, it never would’ve gotten that far. There’s – it’s functionally impossible for an independent subsidiary to do any of that. It was just... wishful thinking. | |
| JYL: | You never need to explain yourself to me, A-Cheng. | |
| NHS: | Wishful thinking with a thousand-page plan, of course, and the understanding that you’re Jiang Fengmian’s son and the board’s favourite innovator. In any case, your father knows about the project, Jiang-xiong, and you know that he knows, he knows that you know that he knows and as much as I don’t rate your father at all, he’s not completely oblivious – and you’ve made things so obvious for him. |
NIE HUAISANG WAVES HIS HAND CARELESSLY.
| NHS: | So here we are today. | |
| JC: | And how is it that you know any of this? | |
| NHS: | Any of what? | |
| JC: | All of it. | |
| NHS: | It’s my job to know things, you know this. |
JIANG CHENG SCOFFS.
| JC: | Then I have a suggestion, Huaisang, one more thing for you to know – stop digging. | |
| NHS: | Don’t tell me you’re handling it. | |
| JC: | I am handling it. |
NIE HUAISANG RETURNS THE SCOFF.
| NHS: | So you answer one call from Mr. Jiang and we’re calling that handling things? |
JIANG CHENG NARROWS HIS EYES.
| JC: | And who told you about the call? | |
| NHS: | My sources are confidential as you well know, my good friend, and I have no plans to divulge my sources at this point in time. In fact, you should be more worried that I have sources at all, Jiang Wanyin! For all the control you say you have, all I see from you? Kneejerk reactions, cryptic comments and an erinaceous attitude – exhausting, that’s what you are. Exhausting! | |
| JC: | Go home if you’re so exhausted. |
A LONG-SUFFERING SIGH FROM NIE HUAISANG.
| NHS: | You’re really intending to go ahead with the launch, then. You’ll let them remove all traces of you, all your hard work – down the drain, for what? Where does your plan lead you, Jiang Cheng, if not to ruin? | |
| JC: | You don’t know what you’re talking about. | |
| NHS: | Then give me something to work off of, Jiang-xiong! Otherwise, all I’ve got is my own speculation and that’s all I can act off, and you know how that goes. | |
| JC: | Are you threatening me? |
A BROAD SMILE ON NIE HUAISANG.
| NHS: | Oh dearie me, Jiang-xiong, you know me, how could I dare? I quake in my boots at the sight of you – | |
| JC: | Sarcasm doesn’t suit you. | |
| NHS: | And that’s the only truth I’ve heard from you all night. |
SILENCE.
| NHS: | Right, enough going around in circles, I’ve had enough of you. You know my going rates on favours – I’ll give you three days, considering the circumstances. Jie, let me know when you get tired of hanging around these no-good men and I’ll whisk you away like the prince you deserve, and – oh, sit back down, I’ll see myself out, no need to get up on my account – not you, Jiang Wanyin. You – walk me to my car. | |
| JC: | I’m under house arrest. | |
| NHS: | The car is parked within the boundaries of the property, you ingrate. Good night, Jie! I’m sorry you have to live with him, and I’ll see you soon – we’re making those plans for the mud spa! |
JIANG YANLI LAUGHS.
| JYL: | Goodnight, A-Sang! It’s always a pleasure to have you drop by. |
NIE HUAISANG WAVES AS HE FLOUNCES OUT OF THE ROOM. JIANG CHENG TRAILS BEHIND.
A CONVERSATION ON THE WAY TO THE CAR: NIE HUAISANG AND JIANG CHENG
NOVEMBER 10, XXXX. 9:51 PM
THE TWO WALK OUT THE FRONT DOOR IN SILENT LOCKSTEP.
HALFWAY DOWN THE DRIVE, NIE HUAISANG STOPS.
| NHS: | Your hologram technology will go nowhere without our support, you know that. | |
| JC: | I know you’re not seriously considering pulling out. | |
| NHS: | And you know that the commercial use for your technology is seriously lacking. Have you heard from our illustrious Lan Xichen? | |
| JC: | No. | |
| NHS: | Hmm. He must have some trust in you then, if he’s not come around to pry. | |
| JC: | Like you have? | |
| NHS: | You never need to keep up appearances around me, Jiang-xiong, just say what you want to say. | |
| JC: | You know what I’m going to say – their money’s running dry. Higher education funding is collapsing, their EdTech arm’s gone through a third round of layoffs. And you know where the arts are at. They can’t keep up their model for much longer if they want to maintain the same level of philanthropy. They want to see this launched far more than I do. | |
| NHS: | Oh no. No no no – oh, Jiang-xiong, tell me you’re not pushing this forward for the Lan's, of all things. | |
| JC: | I’m not doing this for Lan Xichen, if that’s what you’re saying. | |
| NHS: | You never did anything for Lan Xichen – I’d doubt you’d start now. |
JIANG CHENG GRIMACES.
| NHS: | It’s always about your brother with you. Please, you know that Lan Wangji won’t thank you, so why even bother? | |
| JC: | There’s nothing I want less than his thanks. | |
| NHS: | So just because this is your brother’s pet project, you’ll throw your resources into it? All of them, to the very last cent, to the very last person? | |
| JC: | It was a good idea. | |
| NHS: | Like shit it was. Does he even know what you’ve been going through? |
JIANG CHENG STOPS AND TWISTS TO FACE NIE HUAISANG.
THE RAGE IS CLEAR IN HIS EYES, THOUGH THE EXPRESSION IS NEUTRAL.
| JC: | When does he ever. When does he ever? Of course the fuck not, do you know what he – he just fucking comes in with the idea, walks in like he owns the place and pitches holograms – fucking holograms! Like it’ll do me any good to help out the Lan's – fuckssake, making it seem like I’d be in the wrong for not bailing out another, another –– frankly unrelated company, with my reach and resources? Do you know how many favours I had to call in to even get the skeleton of a team off the ground?! | |
| NHS: | I was one of the favours, yes, I remember. | |
| JC: | Then you know better than anyone then to ask that question. Does he know what I’m going through, Christ. | |
| NHS: | I’m just saying! Maybe if you just told him – | |
| JC: | Tell him what? It’s not that easy? That’s not how it works? I can’t just “do it”? You know I’ve tried, A-Sang – | |
| NHS: | But he never asked! He never asked for it, you said it yourself – it was just an idea. Just an idea – you could have said no. You could have turned it down, could have said “sorry, but no” – but you wouldn’t have, would you? Even if you could, even if it was the best option – don’t blame this on Wei Wuxian, Jiang Wanyin. You should have never pushed this one forward. | |
| JC: | Fuck you. | |
| NHS: | Say whatever you want – I’m not wrong. You can take all the pills you want if it helps you sleep at night but you know that I’m right. Why did you kill your mother? |
SURPRISE. A WRY SMILE. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
| JC: | All of your theatrics, just to ask this, your actual question. Typical. |
NIE HUAISANG BEAMS.
| NHS: | Can’t help but be curious, Jiang-xiong! It doesn’t matter, etcetera etcetera, but I so would like to know. |
JIANG CHENG STARTS WALKING, LONG STRIDES TOWARDS THE GATE.
NIE HUAISANG CHASES.
| NHS: | C’mon, Jiang-xiong, please? | |
| JC: | I did what I had to do. That’s all you need to know. | |
| NHS: | Did Xian-ge ask you if it was related to the project? | |
| JC: | Of course he did. | |
| NHS: | And? What did you say? | |
| JC: | None of your business, Huaisang. Drive home safe. | |
| NHS: | Booo, don’t be so boring, darling! I came over here and everything, brought you everything you asked, and you won’t even throw me a bone? | |
| JC: | I won’t fall for this again, Huaisang. |
PUPPY-DOG EYES.
| NHS: | Please? I mean, we both know the Madam knew about the project. |
A SIGH, AND A TRIUMPHANT GRIN IN RESPONSE.
| JC: | The project is the project. Mother’s death – is something else entirely. | |
| NHS: | See, that wasn’t so hard now, was it? | |
| JC: | So you say, but Wei Wuxian didn’t want to hear a single word of it. | |
| NHS: | Well, what reason does he have to believe you? | |
| JC: | You aren’t going to ask if it was really me? | |
| NHS: | I’m not your brother! I could not possibly care less, really. Why, Jiang-xiong, is the question. Why is Madame Yu dead? | |
| JC: | Oh, he asked that too. | |
| NHS: | Of course he did – any sane man – woman – person, any sane individual would ask why and really? Now that say you’ve given up on being a murderer I can’t fathom why you’d kill Madame Yu. | |
| JC: | And that’s the question, isn’t it? Though given your reputation, I’d think you’d be used to not knowing. | |
| NHS: | Rude! |
THE TWO REACH THE CAR.
| NHS: | In all seriousness, get some sleep, Jiang-xiong – you need it. They might not be able to tell, but you’re falling apart if you’re asking me for your bag. | |
| JC: | For someone who doesn’t know anything, you sure have a lot to say. |
JIANG CHENG WATCHES AS NIE HUAISANG SLIDES INTO HIS CAR.
JIANG CHENG TURNS TO LEAVE AS AN ENGINE ROARS TO LIFE.
A WINDOW IS ROLLED DOWN.
| NHS: | Oh, and don’t be mad – you told me not to put anything in and it was all pretty last minute, so, um, I didn’t get to restock after I raided your bag… didn’t touch your Sonata though! But nada on the coke, that’s all gone, not sure where it went but, well, definitely not in the bag. Sorry! | |
| JC: | Wait – – no, where do you think you’re going – ! |
THE CAR DISAPPEARS AT AN IMPOSSIBLE SPEED.
| JC: | Fucker – |
JIANG CHENG DIALS A NUMBER ON HIS CELLPHONE. IT RINGS ONCE. TWICE.
| NHS: | I said I’m sorry! All I was doing was following your orders – besides, it’s not good having drugs around kids, right, even if it’s just a little bit? And you’re not an addict, so surely there isn’t an issue, it isn’t like you’ve needed your bag in ages, really, I’m doing you a favour! Imagine if Li-jie found out, wouldn’t that be heartbreaking? | |
| JC: | God, you’re a lot of things, Nie Huaisang, but I never even considered that you might be a fucking thief! | |
| NHS: | I was going to replace it, but you said not to mess with the order – | |
| JC: | You’d already messed with it! You know exactly what I fucking meant when I told you not to mess with it – leave the cocaine, leave the fucking cocaine, always with the substitutions, like a bottle of Remy is any better – | |
| NHS: | You don’t need to work longer and you hardly need to earn more --- you need to relax, and honestly who knows what your dealer’s cut it with – | |
| JC: | WE HAVE THE SAME FUCKING DEALER christ, I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you – | |
| NHS: | I know you’re upset now – you’ll thank me later, | |
| JC: | Thank you? Thank you??? | |
| NHS: | Last thing your family needs to assume is that you killed Madam Yu because you were high – | |
| JC: | I wasn’t fucking high – | |
| NHS: | Or the cops finding out that every time I come by its so I can help you ride the slopes – | |
| JC: | Why the fuck would the cops find out??? One thing, just one thing I’m asking from you and you can’t even manage that much – | |
| NHS: | Reflect on your anger, Jiang-xiong. | |
| JC: | Right, like you’re not a serial user – | |
| NHS: | I’m not! And you know I’m not, and you’re not either! It was only ever for work, work and clients and networking, and yes, fine, the parties, but you don’t even come to those so I don’t understand why you’re so angry – | |
| JC: | I needed it! You of all people, you should know – dealing with this shit, just one moment of relaxation, is that too much to ask? |
JIANG CHENG’S VOICE CRACKS.
| JC: | I need a break. I need a FUCKING break, and you pull this shit. |
A GENTLE VOICE.
| NHS: | You need to swim. You need exercise. You need to get out of your own head, you need to stop acting like you’re the main character and everything in the world hinges on your actions. You don’t need stimulants. See, the world doesn’t revolve around you – there’s nothing wrong with giving up, Jiang-xiong. |
BITTERNESS.
| JC: | Oh, so now you want me to give up. | |
| NHS: | You know what I mean. Tell someone what really happened. Even if it’s not me or your brother or your sister, you can’t keep hiding it. You’ll ruin yourself – you’ll ruin everything. |
COMPLETE SILENCE.
SOMEWHERE, NIE HUAISANG HAS PULLED OVER.
| JC: | …Do you think I did it? | |
| NHS: | Of course not. | |
| JC: | Yeah? | |
| NHS: | She was your mother. | |
| JC: | …She was. | |
| NHS: | And you won’t even give yourself the chance to mourn her. | |
| JC: | I haven’t, have I? | |
| NHS: | You loved her. | |
| JC: | She was my mother. |
SILENCE.
| JC: | I didn’t kill her. Not really. |
A CONFESSION.
| NHS: | I know. |
SILENCE, BUT FOR BREATHING.
| JC: | It was never supposed to happen. | |
| NHS: | I know that too. |
A SOFT HUFF.
| JC: | For someone who doesn’t know anything, you sure know a lot. | |
| NHS: | I know. |
THE FONDNESS IS CLEAR IN NIE HUAISANG’S VOICE.
| NHS: | Your sister will be missing you; you should head back in. And – I did add a carton of smokes to your bag, if you need them. Your shitty Pall Malls. The red ones. And think up an excuse for why you called me, alright? | |
| JC: | I – shit, you’re right. I’m… |
BEGRUDGING.
| JC: | Thanking you for dropping by. | |
| NHS: | See? Told you you’d thank me. |
Notes:
Damn, over half a year? Huge thanks to everyone who left comments and are still around, hugs and kisses for you all! Anyway, when NHS shows up the guy won't stop talking, my god. The chapter was 90% done in Feb but he just kept talking --
Any comments, praise, or complaints? Feel free to come yap at me at my newly reactivated tumblr @kayllanbreak Posting before bed, so any edits/errors you may notice/bring to my attention will be corrected in the morning...Now, for the chapters comments...
1. JC made a miscalculation – he thought access would be granted to Mr. Cop in 2-3 days, but it was next day delivery. Why did JFM give access so easily? Because JFM heard it was WWX who told, and JC had (tragically) not accounted for JFM’s love for WWX.
2. JC @ JYL’s question re. arguing: Caught emoji
3. Ok... the cocaine... look. Cocaine is pretty common in those circles, and people are able to use it recreationally with minimal professional and personal consequence - just look at Junior. Look, this is the man who spent his free time torturing demonic cultivators. You're telling me that the torture wasn't some sort of way to gain relief, let out some steam?
4. NHS and JC have a history - a past? Anyway, they're close friends, have been since school.
5. Shihu are a medicinal root thing, tastes pretty good imo. And high quality shihu are expensive af, so it's been a while since I've had any. You can add it to soups, or boil it into a tea.
6. NHS knows how to play JC better than anyone. NHS know how to play everyone better than everyone.
7. Why is Madam Yu involving JYL in the family business? Despite being infirm and a woman, we are in the modern era after all. Modern Madam Yu is all about women having power.
8. I watched a video about an LS swapped prius. Imagine if NHS had one of those, just roaring away with a v8 in his prius lmao.
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