A week had passed since the last date with Gwen, and in that time, their relationship had steadily progressed.
After their Sichuan Cuisine meal, Gwen had enthusiastically raved about it to her family.
This piqued their interest, and they decided to try it one afternoon. The result was predictable; everyone, except Gwen, was overwhelmed by the spiciness.
Meng Ran could only imagine how busy the bathroom must have been that day.
After that date, Meng Ran had also told his family about it. Zhao Li and Meng Huo were surprised.
Especially Meng Huo. He had developed a strong interest in Gwen and asked Meng Ran to invite her over for dinner, saying he would cook.
Meng Ran readily agreed; he was more than happy to.
On Sunday morning, Meng Ran enjoyed a rare lazy morning. It wasn't that he was particularly tired, but he felt a weekend wasn't complete without a bit of lounging.
After waking up and getting ready, he went downstairs for lunch. It was, as always, Meng Huo's cooking, and the aroma alone was enough to make your mouth water.
Meng Ran ate heartily, his face almost buried in his bowl, when suddenly, Meng Huo's voice caught his attention.
"Oh, what's happening? A good girl... Sigh, this isn't our country, after all. Everything's such a mess." Meng Huo sighed, looking at the newspaper.
Then he looked up at Zhao Li and said, "Honey, you have to wait for me to pick you up every day. Don't run around on your own, and don't work too late. The security is terrible these days."
Zhao Li smiled sweetly and replied, "I know, I'll definitely wait for my husband to pick me up every day."
Meng Ran was already powerless to complain about his parents' daily display of affection.
He was also a little curious about the news his father had just mentioned, so he reached out and picked up the newspaper on the table to read.
The newspaper was full of everyday news. He even saw a report about himself, with people hotly debating whether he was the Masked Hero or a criminal.
Meng Ran continued to read, turning the pages. Suddenly, his pupils constricted. He then forced himself to continue reading, suppressing his emotions.
"Teenage Girl Brutally Murdered, Killer at Large, Still Unapprehended!"
Meng Ran was so agitated because he saw someone he knew. It was the girl he had saved a while back, the one who had almost been assaulted.
She was the girl reported as murdered in the newspaper.
Although the newspaper didn't provide detailed information, Meng Ran could confirm, based on the limited information, that the victim was her.
The killer had been identified but was still at large, not yet apprehended.
He was also someone Meng Ran knew – the thug who had been strung up on a lamppost after having his "eggs" crushed.
Meng Ran didn't remember the girl's name, only that she was a very beautiful and polite girl.
That night, Mia's helplessness, her smile of surviving the ordeal, and her tears all surfaced in Meng Ran's mind.
Over and over, it replayed in his head.
Meng Ran didn't know how he'd gotten back to his bedroom. He felt lost, bewildered, and a little regretful.
He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Should he blame himself for being too weak, or should he admit that he wasn't Superman and couldn't do everything perfectly?
Why did that thug manage to commit this crime? Shouldn't he have already been caught and dealt with by the police?
If he hadn't knocked the thug unconscious that day, but instead given him a lesson and a warning, maybe the tragedy wouldn't have happened.
If he hadn't strung him up on the lamppost that day, but taken him to the police station, maybe he wouldn't have had a chance to escape, and the tragedy wouldn't have happened.
Or perhaps, if he'd acted decisively and taken out that thug on the spot, would the tragedy have been averted?
Meng Ran was curled up in bed, his mind filled with impossible "what ifs" and questions, his heart heavy with regret and self-blame.
It seemed he'd taken things far too lightly. Not only had he failed to clarify his own principles and methods…
He hadn't even grasped the responsibilities and burdens that came with his actions.
He'd just done it, acting on instinct, like Spider-Man in a movie.
But the harsh reality had slapped him in the face, forcing him to confront consequences he'd never considered.
Just then, a knock sounded on Meng Ran's door. Meng Huo's voice came from outside, "Son, can I come in?"
He and his wife had already sensed that something was wrong with Meng Ran.
The two of them discussed it for a long time, and ultimately decided that Meng Huo should go and try to comfort Meng Ran, even though they didn't know the specific reason.
Seeing that no one answered, Meng Huo waited a moment before pushing open the door.
He saw that the curtains were tightly drawn, and he could only vaguely make out Meng Ran curled up in the quilt.
Meng Huo sat down on the bed, then softly said to Meng Ran, "Xiao Ran, Dad knows you're troubled. Can you tell Dad what's wrong?"
"Even though Dad might not be able to give you the answer, it's good just to talk about it."
"Dad can be your listener, your confidant."
"Your mother is also very worried about you. You should know that Dad and Mom will always be with you, behind you."
"So if you have any problems, don't keep them bottled up. Dad and Mom will always be your strong support."
Meng Huo looked at his son after speaking, but Meng Ran was still curled up in the bed.
After a moment, Meng Ran's somewhat hoarse voice came from under the covers.
"If there was one thing you could have done at the time, but you didn't do it because you didn't foresee what would happen."
"And as a result, this matter led to very serious consequences, so serious that they can't be remedied or corrected."
"What should I do when I encounter such a thing?"
Meng Huo didn't ask for the reason after hearing Meng Ran's question, but instead, he fell into silent thought.
For a time, the room fell silent, with only the sound of the father and son breathing.
After a moment of silence, Meng Huo spoke, "Although I don't know the specifics, Dad knows that you must be very regretful right now, which is why you're so sad."
"What Dad means is, since it's already happened, and the outcome is already here, there's no way to change it. The only thing we can change is ourselves."
"We can only learn from this and let the consequences serve as a warning in our minds."
"Then, when similar situations arise in the future, give it your all. Only by giving it your all will you avoid regrets."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent again. Meng Huo wasn't in a hurry, waiting by the bedside. He knew Meng Ran was definitely pondering his words.
After a while, Meng Ran finally emerged from under the covers, his eyes fixed on Meng Huo in the darkness.
"Dad, thank you. I think I understand what I need to do."
Meng Huo nodded with satisfaction, "That's good. Remember to talk to Mom and Dad about anything in the future, don't keep it bottled up."
After saying this, he patted Meng Ran's head and left. He had to go back and report the situation, to reassure Zhao Li.
Meng Ran stood up in the room. He stood by the mirror, looking at himself with resolute eyes.
He had thought clearly about the path he hadn't considered before, the consequences he should bear, and the responsibilities he should shoulder.
He had given up his fantasies because reality wasn't a movie; it was far more brutal.
In movies, superheroes can avoid killing, and they can be principled, good citizens, good neighbors.
They can have a love-hate relationship with the villains, spending their lives fighting the same few enemies.
But reality doesn't work that way.
If Meng Ran had taken care of Bill that night, the tragedy of Mia's torture and murder wouldn't have happened.
Letting a criminal go and causing an innocent girl to pay with her life was a truly fucked-up thing.
He clearly had the ability, yet he couldn't prevent this tragedy from happening.
A person's growth is always accompanied by some setbacks, but what made Meng Ran grow was a living person's life.
Since he decided to fight crime, he had to bear the corresponding responsibilities and be determined to fight against it.
Not for fame, fortune, or honor, but simply for the unwavering belief in his heart to fight crime to the end.
It's precisely because the law has loopholes and cannot operate perfectly that the Masked Hero comes into being.
Their existence is to fill these loopholes, to judge those criminals whom the law cannot.
If they, who should be filling the loopholes, act entirely according to the law, then all of this will be meaningless, including their very existence.
Venom completely covered his form, and the pale eyes under the hood were emitting an eerie white light.
Meng Ran looked at the figure in the mirror, which resembled an Evil Spirit, and firmly declared in his heart.
"From now on, I am the true Evil Spirit, the terror that will make criminals and those who escape justice tremble."
The criminal, Bill! The Evil Spirit's judgment is about to descend!
Use your blood and soul to pay tribute to the innocent dead!
------------------------
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