They attended the same kindergarten, and later went to the same elementary school, middle school, and high school. You could say the three of them were always inseparable.

Because his parents passed away early, James Carter cherished his friends even more than others. However, Samuel Thompson's death was like losing his two closest friends all at once.

On the day Samuel Thompson was killed, Jane Harris was also present and witnessed the entire incident. The shock was so great that she remained in a coma in the hospital for several days, and after waking up, she developed severe autism. Not only could she not attend school, she couldn't even take care of herself.

Edward King's actions destroyed two families and took away James Carter's two closest friends and companions. This hatred had always been buried in his heart, and instead of fading with time, it had only taken root and grown stronger.

The power of hatred is terrifying; it can completely change a person's character and drive them to do things unimaginable to others.

The Xu family lived very close to the Xia family—leaving the neighborhood, it took less than ten minutes to walk there.

It was Xu's mother who opened the door for James Carter. Ever since Jane Harris developed autism and became completely dependent on others for care, Xu's mother had to quit her job to look after her at home.

"It's Wenjie, isn't it? No tutoring today?"

"I had tutoring this morning, but I have the afternoon off," James Carter replied cheerfully, then asked, "Aunt Xu, has Xiaojing eaten yet?"

"I'm actually worried about that. I don't know what's wrong with her today—she hasn't eaten a single bite since this morning."

"Ah! She can't go without eating. Aunt Xu, let me try feeding her." James Carter changed into slippers and went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Xu's mother nodded gratefully and said, "Xiaojing always listens to you the most, Wenjie. Sorry to trouble you again."

James Carter dried his hands, walked out of the bathroom, and smiled, "Aunt Xu, there's no need to be so polite with me."

He carried the meal Xu's mother had prepared and walked into Xiaojing's room.

The room was still as tidy and spotless as ever, with many stuffed animals piled in the corner. Those used to be Jane Harris's favorites, but now they were just decorations.

On the pink bed sat a girl, facing the window with her back to the door. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall from the top of her head. She wore a pure white dress, but her thin shoulders could barely support the light fabric, giving the impression that she might float away at any moment.

Just looking at her back made James Carter's heart feel as if it were being pricked and cut by needles and knives. He gently closed the door, forced a smile onto his face, and said in a light tone, "Xiaojing, I came to see you."

"..." The girl sat by the window, unmoving, as if she hadn't heard him at all.

He was already used to this. Ever since that day, Xiaojing hadn't spoken a single word. In front of her, he was used to talking to himself, performing a one-man show.

"Aunt Xu said you haven't eaten all day. That's not good. Even if you're unhappy, you can't mistreat your own body. You still have to eat."

"Look how thin you are now—a strong wind could blow you away..." James Carter wasn't a talkative person, but only in front of Xiaojing would he go on and on.

He placed the food and utensils on the desk, pulled out a chair, then walked over to Jane Harris, squatted down, and said softly, "Come on, Xiaojing, eat a little first. After you finish, I'll tell you some good news."

As he spoke, he took Jane Harris's slender hand and led her to the desk, letting her sit down.

Then he picked up the chopsticks, took a piece of golden egg, and brought it to Jane Harris's mouth, smiling, "Aunt Xu's cooking is even better than the chefs at restaurants. It's my favorite. Xiaojing, you should eat a little too."

Jane Harris opened her mouth slightly, letting him feed her the egg.

From beginning to end, she was like a puppet being moved around, even eating mechanically. Her body was here, but her eyes were empty, and her heart had long since been lost somewhere unknown.

After she had eaten half a bowl of rice, when James Carter tried to feed her more, she immediately pushed the food out with her tongue. He knew this meant she was full.

He put down the bowl and chopsticks, took out a tissue, and gently wiped Jane Harris's mouth while smiling softly, "Xiaojing, in the next three days, I will make Edward King pay with his life for Xu Song. Your nightmare will also come to an end."

"Not happy?" James Carter stroked her long hair and smiled, "Don't worry about me. This time, I won't be as reckless as last time. Have you heard of 'using a tiger to drive away a wolf'? Even if Edward King is a wolf, there will always be a tiger in this world that can swallow him."

"Three days, at most three days, and everything will be over."

"After it's all over, I can ask for a few days off from school and take you out for a trip, help you relax."

"I think, if Xu Song is watching from above, he wouldn't want to see you like this."

"The college entrance exam doesn't matter. I'm so smart—even if I take a few days off, it won't affect me."

James Carter kept talking to himself, while Jane Harris had already turned her head to look out the window, her heart seemingly having flown far, far away.

On Monday, as usual, James Carter wrapped lead weights around his wrists and ankles and ran to school.