Substitute Girlfriend Contract (GL) - Chapter 1

Police car lights flashed red and blue as they screamed by. Uniformed officers and doctors in white coats, carrying a stretcher, rushed to the mountain peak. The cliff’s edge was a desolate landscape of withered branches and dead leaves. A middle-aged woman was on her knees, clutching a crumpled jacket and sobbing uncontrollably.

A young officer frowned, turning to the female officer beside him. “What’s going on?”

The female officer replied, “We got a report that someone jumped off the cliff. This is what we found when we arrived. The lady is the mother of the victim, Ai Yunjing…”

The officer nodded and walked over to the collapsed woman. He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Ma’am,” he said in a low, somber voice. “My condolences.”

The woman looked up, her face a tear-streaked, snot-covered mess. Her eyes were red and swollen, bulging out of her face. Like a drowning person grabbing a last straw, she seized the officer’s hand. “You can find her, can’t you? There are so many trees down the mountain, maybe my daughter isn’t dead? She’s not dead, is she?”

The officer’s face fell, and he patted her hand.

Below the Cliff of Oblivion was a primeval forest. Many expeditions from home and abroad had gone down to explore the place, but not a single person had ever come back. The local mountain dwellers said the forest floor was all swamp, mushy, fetid mud full of leeches, and other unknown creatures. Once you went over the edge, there was no chance of survival.

Falling from such a height into a forest swamp teeming with wild beasts and strange insects… how could anyone possibly still be alive? The police couldn’t risk sending people down into the wilderness.

He felt a heavy sense of sorrow. It was the ultimate tragedy, a parent burying their child. Seeing the woman’s grief-stricken and hopeless face, he knew that in the face of death, all words were hollow.

In the end, he could only repeat, “My condolences.”

The woman let out a long wail and collapsed onto the ground. She stared at the endless sky above, where the clouds drifted far away. She stared at them, wondering if her daughter’s soul was among them.

“Xiaojing, why couldn’t you just live?” After a long time, when her tears had grown cold and dry, the woman slowly closed her eyes. An overwhelming flood of exhaustion and sorrow washed over her, and she sank into a deep unconsciousness.

A doctor rushed to help her onto the stretcher, gave her an IV drip, and carried her down the mountain.

The female officer wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and sighed. “Why don’t people value their lives anymore?”

The officer fidgeted with a Zippo lighter in his hand, watching the flame ignite and extinguish, then ignite again. After a moment, he pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it. He took a deep drag, exhaled into the air, and his voice was a little hoarse. “Maybe some things are more painful than death.”

******

Wind blew through the window, making the pale curtain sway gently.

On the desk was the last year’s cartoon calendar, covered in doodles. On the opposite wall, sticky notes were plastered everywhere, each with smiling faces and hearts drawn on them. On every note was written, “You will love me.” The glass paperweight on the desk was sitting on a pile of transparent, colorful candy wrappers, and next to it lay a little dancing candy wrapper figure.

In the center of the desk, a diary lay open. Its pages were filled with densely-packed stories that didn’t belong in this world. Bizarre, fantastical, and far-fetched.

At the very end of the last story, a few lines were scrawled.

Sometimes, people become so disillusioned with the world that they want to die.

Utterly disappointed and completely exhausted that they grow weary.

It’s not about sadness or joy; it’s just weariness. I want to start over.

Goodbye, everyone. I’m leaving. I wish you all well, and please don’t worry about me.

*****

In a small town in County B, City A, a woman with long hair and a light apricot trench coat strolled down a ginkgo-lined street. With each step, her little brown leather boots lightly kicked at the piles of golden leaves. A small smile played on her lips as she gazed up at the blue sky.

Spotting a taxi with its rooftop light on, she walked over and tapped on the window. “Are you free, sir?”

The taxi had come from the county town. It was a small town with few passengers, so going back empty would be a loss of money. The driver was happy to get a fare. “Yes, I am. Get in, miss!”

The woman gave a small smile, ducked down, and slid into the car, her fringe backpack slung over her shoulder.

The driver started the engine. “Where to, miss?” he asked.

“Hmm…” she thought for a moment. “B County Train Station.”

“You got it.” The driver stepped on the gas, and the car pulled onto the asphalt road. “Going on a long trip? You don’t seem to have much luggage.”

She smiled, looking out at the scenery blurring past the window. “Not really a long trip. I’ll go wherever the road takes me.”

“Wow, that’s poetic. Are you a poet, miss?” the driver teased.

“Something like that,” she said, leaning her head on her hand and smiling. The zipper on her fringe bag was open, revealing the corner of a book.

“That’s awesome! A lady poet!” the driver exclaimed.

She didn’t act modest. “Thank you,” she simply said, laughing softly.

The car turned onto the beltway, driving from the south end of the county town to the north. It passed the bus station, and a little further east was the North City Train Station.

When they arrived, the driver got out to open her door for her. “Here you are, miss. Have a safe trip!”

She stepped out with her bag, turned, and gave the driver a big smile and a wave. Her light chestnut-colored wavy hair and apricot trench coat fluttered in the wind, mingling with the dancing ginkgo leaves. It was a picturesque sight, elegant and serene, very pleasant to look at.

As she walked, people often turned to look at her. If she met their eyes, she would give a slight nod and a gentle smile before moving on.

Before the security check, she handed her ID card and ticket to the ticket checker. The checker took the ID, scanned it, frowned at the computer screen, and then looked at the ID twice more.

“Are you Tao Anyu?” the checker asked, pushing the ID back to her. “Is this your ID card?”

Tao Anyu picked up the card, comparing the photo to her own face. “Yes, it’s mine. Do I not look like the picture?”

The checker took the ID back, shook his head, and said, “It’s not that you don’t look like it. The card had a problem when I scanned it just now.” He handed the ID back to her. “There, it’s fine now. Go ahead.”

Tao Anyu smiled. “Thank you.”

After passing through security, her palms were slick with a fine sweat. She found her gate, took a seat in the waiting area, and let out a soft sigh. She took a water bottle from her bag and took a few sips, waiting a while for her heart to settle. She looked at her ID card again. It had a photo of her with her lips pressed together in a small smile, along with her basic information. The name was Tao Anyu.

She had been so nervous when the checker looked at her ID, especially when he asked if it was hers, because her ID was a fake.

Tao Anyu’s ID card was counterfeit. Even though the forger had claimed to use the most advanced methods available, Tao Anyu was still terrified, walking on eggshells to the train station to test its authenticity. Luckily, it passed without a hitch, and she was now truly grateful to the skilled forger.

Tao Anyu’s name was also a fake. It had been her very first pen name, but almost no one knew it. She had only ever used it to publish two short stories in an obscure little magazine before she changed it. Her real name was Ai Yunjing.

But starting today, she was Tao Anyu.