Couple of Mirrors - Chapter 5: Murder
It's still raining. Back at the party, Zhang Wan is about to get into her car (although, as we'll soon learn, it's not technically her car) when a voice behind her calls out, 'Zhang Wan!'
She turns. 'Youyi?'
Zhang Wan bursts into a fit of wild laughter.
'You are firing me?' she asks.
Zhang Wan speeds recklessly through the streets of Shanghai, raging at Zhou Heng and Xu Youyi. 'Who are they to treat me like this?' she demands. She flashes back to Zhou Heng telling her, 'It was just a fling.' Then she recalls Xu Youyi telling her, 'Zhang Wan, you're fired.'
The next morning, Xu Youyi returns to the Zhou home, where Zhou Heng is waiting for her. 'Youyi!' he exclaims, 'you're finally home!'
'Youyi, I'm sorry,' Zhou Heng tells her. 'I know I was wrong. Now that you've already slapped me, won't you forgive me this one time?'
At her birthday party, Xu Youyi is greeted by one of the guests, who tells her that unfortunately, Zhou Heng had to go and take care of something in the back garden. She looks down at the place settings. Isn't this exactly Zhang Wan's style? she thinks. She reaches out for the place card in front of her. 'This is?'
She has gone too far, Xu Youyi decides. To the great consternation of her guests, she snatches up a table knife and marches towards the back garden...
...where Zhou Heng is asking, 'What do you want, Zhang Wan?'
'Xu Youyi fired me,' Zhang Wan tells him. 'I want you to set up a company for me.'
'Zhang Wan,' says Xu Youyi, 'you're fired.'
Zhang Wan bursts into a fit of wild laughter.
'Yes,' says Xu Youyi.
Zhang Wan flies into an absolute rage. 'Do you really still think all your successes are due to your own talents?' she demands. 'Let me tell you, Xu Youyi, without me organising things for you, without the Zhou family's support behind you, you are nothing!'
'So this is what you really think,' says Xu Youyi.
'So what if it is?' replies Zhang Wan. 'With my talents, why would I need to stay so close to you, if not because of Zhou Heng?'
Xu Youyi turns away. 'I've said everything I needed to say. You're on your own.'
Zhang Wan shouts after her departing back. 'Xu Youyi, I'll make sure you regret this!'
Ten years of friendship and five years of marriage, Xu Youyi thinks to herself. But it was no more than a mirage.
There's a loud 'BANG' as the car hits something. Zhang Wan brings the car to a screeching halt, and leans out of the window. 'What is it?' she wonders.
The headlights illuminate the slumped, lifeless body of a girl, a pool of blood spreading beneath her. She's surrounded by broken bottles of milk.
Xu Youyi gives him a slap.
'Zhou Heng,' says Xu Youyi. 'This is a difference of principle. Why don't we get a di--'
Before she can finish saying the word, a new voice rings out: 'Xu Youyi, I would advise you to choose your words more carefully.' The speaker is Zhou Heng's mother, who is coming down the stairs.
'The Japanese deal for your new book is still being negotiated,' she reminds Xu Youyi. 'If you make any decisions which disgrace the Zhou family, you can forget about Japan. You won't even see a single copy being sold in this country again.'
If I bring up divorce, thinks Xu Youyi, it could destroy my career completely, given how much power the Zhou family has...
'That won't happen, mother,' says Zhou Heng. 'Youyi was only speaking in the heat of the moment. She wouldn't do anything so reckless.'
'I'm tired,' says Xu Youyi, and heads up the stairs. To give up my career as a writer for all this ... would that be worth it? she wonders.
Zhou Heng follows her up the stairs, reminding her that it's her birthday party tomorrow and that lots of editors and writers have been invited. Xu Youyi slams the door in his face.
She opens the place card to see a picture of Zhou Heng and Zhang Wan kissing, drawn in lipstick. Also written in lipstick is the message: 'Wishing you happiness every day.'
Lipstick? thinks Xu Youyi. Who other than Zhang Wan could have done this?
Zhou Heng sneers. 'Are you dreaming?'
'You've gone too far!' she shouts, lunging at Zhang Wan, the knife raised. But before she can reach Zhang Wan, there's a 'BANG', and a bullet wound appears in the middle of Zhang Wan's forehead.
Yan Wei lowers the rifle and straightens. 'A life for a life,' she says.
'Am I?' asks Zhang Wan. 'I ran over someone and killed them while driving your car last night. If you don't make me happy, I'll tell the police that it was you who did it, and deliberately.'
Zhou Heng wraps a hand around her throat. 'You dare?!'
It's at this point that Xu Youyi makes her appearance. 'You two?'
Blood spatters onto Xu Youyi as she watches Zhang Wan keel over, dead.
Elsewhere, light gleams off the barrel of a sniper rifle.
