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墨書 Inktalez
Aunt Li could never have imagined that the ones who ultimately betrayed her would be the buyers of her paintings.
After her escape, she was solely focused on selling the works in her possession, but little did she know that one of the buyers was a friend of Lin Hai.
When the buyer saw that this woman possessed so many of Lin Hai's works, suspicion arose in his mind. During their second transaction, he reported her to the police in advance, resulting in her being caught red-handed.
It turned out to be a murder and theft case. This middle-aged woman, who was usually quiet yet highly capable, was all a façade. Her true intention was to get close to Lin Hai, gain his trust, and then seize the opportunity to steal his works for sale.
Aunt Li confessed to the murder.
That night, she hadn’t delivered tea to Lin Hai at all; instead, she arrived at the studio only after hearing his cries. At that moment, she saw Lin Hai in a frenzied state and was instantly tempted by malicious thoughts. She stepped forward and pushed him hard, causing him to fall from the second-floor window into the pool below, creating the illusion of an accidental drowning.
She could carry out such an act so easily only because she understood the situation well enough to know that a person in a frenzied state appears dangerous yet is incredibly vulnerable.
Another outcome surprised both Yuejiang and Yusheng.
Yuejiang finally realized why, during their nearly three years at university, she and Li Xiran had been so close, yet Xiran had never been willing to visit her home.
It turned out that Xiran was afraid of facing Aunt Li, worried that any hint of abnormality might ruin their plans.
To her astonishment, Aunt Li was actually Li Xiran's mother.
After retiring, Aunt Li had come to work as a housekeeper for Lin Hai after learning that her daughter was friends with Yuejiang.
Knowing Lin Hai's reputation, she hoped he would take Xiran as a student; however, he consistently refused.
Aunt Li initially thought that over time Lin Hai would relent, but she gradually realized that his neuroses had reached a pathological level—he was always taciturn and extremely irritable.
It wasn’t until she discovered that the vibrant colors in Lin Hai's Water Lilies were primarily due to issues with the paint that she decided to use this knowledge as leverage. Lin Hai became furious and even physically assaulted Aunt Li, escalating their conflict dramatically from that point onward.
Strangely enough, Lin Hai did not dismiss Aunt Li from his home.
Meanwhile, Aunt Li began stealing some of his works and collectibles to sell as revenge. Until that fateful night when she saw Lin Hai weak and deranged, she ultimately decided to take drastic action and killed him.
Li Xiran dropped out of school after discovering the truth.
The last time Yuejiang saw her was at the entrance of the art academy, across a street where the two former friends locked eyes.
Yuejiang watched in despair as she hailed a taxi and jumped in as if fleeing for her life, feeling a tightness in her chest.
After everything had settled, Shao Chong reveled in his efforts, proudly declaring, "Finally, the truth is out. Aunt Li's illegal gains have been recovered, and she has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Uncle Lin can finally rest in peace."
"No," Yuejiang countered Shao Chong's words. "How could Dad have beaten Aunt Li and then kept her at home? And as an artist, would he really be oblivious to the disappearance of his own works and collections?"
"Unless Aunt Li was a clue that Uncle Lin intentionally left behind," Yusheng said. "Yuejiang, I even think that even if Aunt Li hadn't killed him that night, he wouldn't have survived anyway."
"And you all might not realize that Aunt Li mentioned in her testimony that once, while Lin Hai was in the studio, she went to his bedroom to steal and saw that painting of the night Water Lily Diagram in the cabinet. It stood out to her because it was different from his other works."
"At that time, Lin Hai hadn't begun creating Finding Water Lily yet. This means that painting existed before Finding Water Lily; it was the first piece, not the last."
Yuejiang paused for a moment and murmured, "Could it be that those twelve paintings were merely supporting characters? Just to highlight that black light?"
If Dad had made up his mind to face death early on, then no matter how great the danger lurking around him was, it wouldn’t matter to him.
He only needed to methodically arrange those clues and hints for his daughter.
Yuejiang began to realize that many seemingly incomprehensible and absurd events had reasonable explanations behind them; they were intricately connected in ways outsiders couldn't understand simply because they were unaware of the truth.
In October, the weather was clear and crisp.
On the weekend, Yuejiang locked herself in her father's studio, her eyes fixed on those Water Lilies paintings as if she were trying to pierce through the canvas to uncover something hidden within.
Ultimately, her attention settled on this series titled Finding Water Lily.
The mysteriously appeared thirteenth painting had been labeled an ominous work by others; under the moonlight, the swaying Water Lilies evoked a sense of sorrow and despair.
The newspaper published a photo of this painting, stirring up a frenzy outside. It was even compared to Van Gogh's Wheatfield with Crows—an entire scene devoid of focus, chaotic and gloomy, foretelling death.
Yet Yuejiang couldn't shake off her doubts. If this truly was her long-lost mother's work, how had it ended up on the easel?
Father had not left the studio all night.
The only breakthrough came from the accidental discovery of Du Yusheng's identity.
Perhaps the missing man standing to the right of Mother in that incomplete photograph hidden in Father's safe was Yusheng's Father.
But why did his parents return to Huai Cheng while he was left alone in the mountain village?
Yuejiang's mind raced with various speculations, yet none of them held firm. She lay on the sofa in the studio, fatigue creeping over her, and soon fell asleep.
When she awoke, it was already midnight. Rubbing her eyes, Yuejiang walked to the window, her sleepiness causing her to instinctively glance outside.
In that moment, she stood frozen, astonished by the scene before her.
It was almost identical to the thirteenth painting: the dark night, the moonlight fragmented by the gaps in the Paulownia tree's branches, and the shimmering water surface where the moon's reflection floated faintly, deep and serene.
It turned out that the scene depicted in the painting truly existed; it had not distorted in any way but preserved its original form to the greatest extent, emphasizing light rather than the shapes of objects themselves.
Father's camera for capturing scenes lay in a cluttered cabinet in the studio. Yuejiang hurriedly picked it up and photographed the pond's true appearance at midnight.
“Father, when exactly did you paint this thirteenth piece? Why did you include it in the Finding Water Lily series? What are you trying to tell me? Is the clue to finding Mother hidden within this painting?”
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