Chapter Three: She Came Out of the Photograph

When the stream ended, Wen muted her microphone. “You created her.” It was not a question. “I don't know.” “You changed the photograph. She appeared.” “You agreed to the change.” Jianwei regretted the words immediately. They sounded like an attempt to shed responsibility. Wen gave a cold laugh. “So this is my fault?” “No.” Jianwei met her eyes. “We need to remember precisely what happened. You chose to protect the memory. I performed the alteration. The consequences belong to both of us, and we should deal with them together.” “We?” “If she came from your memories, she may know where Qiao Sui went. She may know why my mother appeared in the picture.” After a silence, Wen asked, “You've been investigating your mother all this time?”