Since the direct poison could not be found, and the hospital did not give a clear poisoning report, the police could do very limited things, and it was impossible to really summon all the suspects to the bureau for interrogation.
However, after this quick and timely operation, it was possible to "confirm" the rumors that Zhou Yunyun was poisoned, and extinguish the version of "a female squad leader in our school who had a sudden mental illness" that was already brewing and was about to spread out.
After all, if it was a psychotic episode, there would be so many police officers.
Tan Yunlong was arranging the next stage of the investigation task and direction, Li Chaiyuan and Lin Shuyou left the dormitory building first and sat in the police car when they entered.
Lin Shuyou was a little excited: "Brother Xiaoyuan, what are we going to do next?"
"There is an easiest way."
"The simple method is good, just use the simple!"
"You kidnap all five girls, and then torture and torture them to extract confessions."
Lin Shuyou: "......"
Li Chaiyuan turned his head sideways and looked out the car window, the environment on campus often has a quiet atmosphere, and each university has its own style.
After Lin Shuyou hesitated and thought for a long time, he asked: "Brother Xiaoyuan, are you tied up in the basement of our school's cheap store?"
"Huh?"
"I think it seems that it is more suitable for detaining people, and the most dangerous place is often the safest place."
"Are you really going to do this?"
"If you can be sure that the cursed person is among those five people, Brother Xiaoyuan, I think your method is feasible."
"Then why don't you just kill those five people, the murderer is there anyway."
Lin Shuyou: "......"
Lin Shuyou tried to convince himself again, his ten fingers were bent hard, and his expression was also distorted, and finally, the whole person was like a deflated ball, and said dejectedly:
"Brother Xiaoyuan, this ...... I don't think I can do it."
He actually really thought about the feasibility of doing so.
Li Chaiyuan: "Don't worry, the cursed person is very stupid, if you catch a fish, you will take the bait yourself.
Fish will run when frightened, and stupid people will jump to the surface of the water when frightened.
The range of suspects is so small that it is no longer difficult to find out who is the curser.
What needs to be considered now is that since the other party can master such a high-level spell in his hand, it is impossible for him to pick it up casually on the side of the road as an ordinary person, right?
There is still a copper coin buried in the cemetery of my hometown of Shigang, and I haven't picked it up until now.
This kind of high-level spell, she knows how to use, dare to use, and know how to recycle, which shows that she is very familiar with this.
Even if the matter of hitting mosquitoes with a cannon is ridiculous in itself, the premise is that she has a cannon and can fight.
This means:
She's a jerk and a backstage idiot.
Li Chaiyuan crossed his fingers and pulled it gently.
Catching her is just the first step.
The second step is to fish for the relationship portal behind her.
As for the third step, that is...... Hehe.
A line that often appears in the underworld movies that Runsheng likes to watch is: Disaster does not affect the family.
But the problem is that you have already moved our family first.
Lin Shuyou found that there was a deep indifference in the young man's eyes.
He mistakenly thought that Brother Xiaoyuan was dissatisfied with his previous rejection, so he had to force his mouth:
"Brother Xiaoyuan, could there be more than one murderer?"
"Huh?"
"Is it possible that among the five people, two, three, four, or even all of them are murderers?"
If they are all murderers, then they have no moral burden, so they will go and make a fuss tonight, but they can't be killed!
"No, there is only one murderer."
"Ah......"
"Zhou Yunyun is very popular, even if he is a murderer, when he gets along with Zhou Yunyun every day, he should be a sister with a good relationship.
In a dormitory, if there are many people who are dissatisfied with you and unite, acquiesce and cover up the actions that murder you, it must reach the point of being hated by many gods?
Besides, this is a spell, using a spell, ordinary people don't have the qualifications and level even if they want to participate."
"Then I......"
"I only hope for one thing now." Li Chaiyuan lowered his head and looked at his flat fingernails.
"What's the matter?"
"Did you bring money?"
"I brought it." After experiencing the embarrassment of not having money to take a taxi last time he went out, Lin Shuyou now deliberately carries his wallet before going out every time.
"There is a store over there, you go buy some paper and paint."
"Okay, I'll go buy it."
Lin Shuyou got out of the police car and looked at his departing back, Li Chaiyuan's eyes slowly sank.
He hopes that the portal behind the murderer must not be as sensible and knowledgeable as Lin Shuyou's family last time, and don't jump out to do a righteous destruction of relatives.
So this time, the identities of the Qin and Liu families will not be reported for now.
I am now: sitting at the Haohe Wharf in Nantong and fishing for corpses.
Come on,
Take the bait.
……
It was getting dark.
In the dormitory.
The police had already left, and the five girls were either sitting by their beds or on chairs, creating a very depressing atmosphere.
Their eyes on each other were already filled with suspicion and caution.
Tong Yanyan spoke: "So, Yunyun, was you poisoned?"
Wang Lunan suddenly burst into tears, crying and said: "Why is this happening, why is this happening? Who is the one who wants to harm Yunyun, who is it!"
She was the youngest in the dormitory and the most delicate, and every time she cried in the past, the sisters in the dormitory would come to comfort her.
But this time, no one was in this mood, they were all freshmen, and many people were facing the police so close for the first time in their lives.
Different from the image of police seen in movies and television, when you question a person in a full police uniform in reality, the sense of oppression and deterrence is real.
Zhao Mengyao: "I really can't understand who wants to harm Yunyun, Yunyun is such a good person, who can do such a thing!"
As she said this, Zhao Mengyao swept her gaze over the other four girls one by one.
Zhang Xin: "I believe that even if someone wants to harm Yunyun, it won't be our dormitory, won't the police continue to question, ask everyone in the class and ask others, we are just the first batch to be questioned, not to say that the murderer who poisoned is in our dormitory."
Zhou Shengnan jumped out of bed and said: "Anyway, if I let you know who caused it, no matter who it is, I will kill her!"
Tong Yanyan bent down, she was the lower bunk, and Zhou Yunyun was her upper bunk, so some of the supplies of the two were placed under the bed.
The plastic basin was pulled out again, and the original piece of laundry soap had been taken away by the police for inspection.
Tong Yanyan pointed to the plastic basin and asked: "Who put a new piece of laundry soap in it?"
Everyone's eyes were on the plastic basin, and no one spoke.
Tong Yanyan asked again: "The person who changes the laundry soap will definitely not come out to admit it himself, I want to ask, have any of you seen others come down to me to change things?"
There was still no one speaking, just shaking his head.
Tong Yanyan pursed her lips and continued: "If you see it, please speak up now, don't try to protect anyone, because since she dares to poison Yunyun, she may poison you too!"
Wang Lunan wiped her tears and said, "I didn't see it."
Zhao Mengyao: "I didn't see it either."
Zhang Xin: "Is this laundry soap poisonous, or is the piece of laundry soap Yunyun used last night poisonous? Yunyun can't eat laundry soap, could it be that something will happen if you come into contact with it? Then Yanyan, will there be a problem with the clothes you wore this morning?"
Tong Yanyan looked at Zhang Xin with some doubts and asked, "What do you mean by this?"
Zhang Xin: "I'm worried about you, you see the police's previous attitude, it obviously means that there is a problem with the laundry soap, and the police just came to find it, isn't it poison?"
Zhou Shengnan said with a puzzled face: "I haven't been able to figure it out, why is poisoning related to laundry soap?"
Zhang Xin continued to explain: "Could it be the kind of toxin that can be infected through contact?"
Wang Lunan: "If this is the case, wouldn't it be possible for our entire dormitory to suffer? Woowoo, I don't want to die, I don't want to be crazy, woowoo......"
"Nan Nan, don't cry." Zhou Shengnan shouted, "What problems can crying solve?"
Zhao Mengyao: "Why don't we write an anonymous note? If anyone is embarrassed to say it in front of everyone, let's write it down on paper and open it together?"
Tong Yanyan said dissatisfiedly: "This kind of thing has already happened, what is there to be embarrassed about, Yunyun is already lying in the hospital, if you know something, do you still need to save her face?"
Zhou Shengnan echoed: "Yanyan is right, at this time, if you see something but don't dare to say it, it is really hopeless."
Zhang Xin: "I think Mengyao's proposal is good, why not try it?"
Zhao Mengyao took out a notebook, tore off five sheets of paper, and took five more water pen refills.
A piece of paper and a refill, she handed them to her roommates one by one.
When it was about to be delivered to Tong Yanyan, Tong Yanyan didn't answer, but shouted: "It's really a waste of effort, with this effort, why didn't you tell the police directly just now?"
After shouting, Tong Yanyan got out of bed and put on her shoes.
Zhou Shengnan asked: "Yanyan, where are you going?"
"I went to the school store to buy new cups, toothbrushes, toothpaste, laundry soap, and I also had to change all the towels!"
Tong Yanyan walked out of the dormitory.
Wang Lunan looked at the paper and refill in her hand and asked: "Then should we still write?"
Zhao Mengyao said: "Write, what if, everyone turns their backs to write, and after writing, put it in this box in order, and we will read the content together."
Everyone turned their backs.
"Write everything you need to write, don't turn around, come one by one, put it in, starting with Nan Nan, then Xinxin, then Shengnan, and finally me."
After everyone was ready, Zhao Mengyao shook the pen holder, and then spread out the four notes in turn, the first three had no words, and the fourth one read:
"I saw the soap that Yanyan changed."
In the dormitory, everyone was silent.
Zhou Shengnan was puzzled: "Who wrote it?"
No one answered.
Zhou Shengnan continued, "If Yanyan did it, why did she bring it up just now, asking who put it there?"
Zhao Mengyao: "Is she deliberately trying to stop the thief?"
Wang Lunan: "Do we...do we need to tell the police? Or should we wait until Yanyan comes back and ask her together?"
Zhang Xin got out of bed and walked out.
Zhao Mengyao: "Xinxin, where are you going?"
Zhang Xin: "I'm going to see the counselor. I want to apply for a dorm change!"
…
As Tong Yanyan walked out of the dormitory building, a pink paper figure fluttered down in front of her.
She was so angry that she didn't even look at it, simply stepping over it.
After arriving at the store and picking up her toiletries and daily necessities and paying, Tong Yanyan picked up the pay phone on the counter and dialed a number.
The counter was right by the door, in the shadows to the left of the main door. Li Zhuiyuan stood there, his ears twitching as he heard everything Tong Yanyan said clearly.
She was on the phone with her mother, talking about Zhou Yunyun, saying the police had come today, and expressing her nervousness and fear.
Her mother was comforting her on the other end of the line.
After Tong Yanyan finished her call, she packed her belongings and returned to her dorm.
The other four girls had also left the dormitory building alone that night, after all, they were all going to the cafeteria for dinner.
As each girl emerged, a small pink, human-shaped piece of paper floated down in front of them.
Zhang Xin glanced down at the paper and continued walking.
Zhou Shengnan grabbed the falling piece of paper and threw it into the trash can in front of them.
Wang Lunan and Zhao Mengyao were startled when they saw the paper and ran away.
In addition to Tong Yanyan, two other people had come to the store to make phone calls: Wang Lunan and Zhang Xin.
Wang Lunan called her father, recounting what had happened that day and then tearfully seeking comfort.
She was rambling on and on, even telling her father about the note-writing incident that took place in the dormitory after Tong Yanyan left.
Zhang Xin called her uncle, who was either a school leader or had connections there. Zhang Xin asked him to help her move to a new dorm, saying she didn't want to stay there anymore.
When her uncle asked her why, she recounted what had happened in the dorm that day, disparaging every other girl except Zhou Yunyun.
Zhou Shengnan and Zhao Mengyao didn't call, which was understandable. Phones weren't yet commonplace, and for rural students, being able to call their parents anytime to chat was a luxury.
Tong Yanyan, Wang Lunnan, and Zhang Xin all came from well-off families.
The first two called their homes directly, while Zhang Xin used connections to get a new dorm.
In fact, there was a public phone at the bottom of each dormitory building, on a platform outside the dorm management office.
The three of them had left the dormitory to make a phone call at the store because Li Zhuiyuan had Lin Shuyou cut the dormitory's phone line.
To connect, they'd have to wait until the relevant maintenance personnel arrived tomorrow to investigate and fix it.
As for the paper figures that fluttered down as each person emerged, they were also thrown by Lin Shuyou, who had hidden in the tree.
The night deepened. Although it wasn't yet time for the dormitory lights to be turned off, it wasn't far off. Outside, only a few couples were still whispering their last words to each other on the street, and the store was preparing to close.
Li Zhuiyuan sat down on a bench, and Lin Shuyou ran over.
"Brother Xiaoyuan, have you found anything?"
"Three people called, but nothing unusual was found."
Lin Shuyou scratched his head. "Oh, what a pity! It's okay, Brother Xiaoyuan, think of other ways. We can definitely..."
"What a pity?"
"Didn't you say the three people who called couldn't find anything unusual?"
"No abnormalities, doesn't that mean they're normal? That eliminates three options."
"Uh...right!"
When you label the murderer as an "idiot," the world becomes very simple. Devising elaborate traps and tests is an insult to yourself.
An idiot wouldn't realize that while he's paying close attention to her, he'd go out of his way to call his "family" and chat about family matters just to impress him.
If she had that kind of brains, she wouldn't have opened a new box of laundry soap and thrown it back.
If she were to contact her family, she should have told them that someone seemed to have discovered her secret, apologized, and then sought their help.
Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Where's the paper?"
"Brother Xiaoyuan, I noticed. Wang Lunnan and Zhao Mengyao jumped when they saw the paper. Tong Yanyan stepped on it. Zhang Xin glanced at it and left. Zhou Shengnan simply threw it into the trash can.
So, based on your earlier elimination and their reactions, Zhou Shengnan is the one who cast the curse?"
Li Zhuiyuan pulled the pink figure-shaped paper from Lin Shuyou's pocket, gently shook it in front of him, and asked, "Why?"
"Because she's not afraid! Brother Xiaoyuan, you cut the paper figure to the standard size for a figurine. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of incantations would be able to tell.
But there's nothing written on it, no string tied around it, and no signature. Just like a Taoist talisman, there's no inscriptions on it. It's just a standard piece of yellow paper. There's nothing to be afraid of.
So, two methods of elimination. Now, there's only one truth: the one who cast the curse was..."
"Ayou."
"Hmm, Brother Xiaoyuan?"
Li Zhuiyuan flicked the piece of paper in front of him and asked, "Do you think this piece of paper is scary?"
"I..."
"I deliberately painted it pink instead of white or black, hoping it wouldn't look scary. This kind of paper is perfectly normal to put on a wall at a cultural event. What's so scary about it?
Don't overthink things; everything can be simple.
So, anyone who's scared by it is either naturally timid and prone to crying, or...there's something truly wrong with them."
"So, the one who cast the curse was..."
"Zhao Mengyao."
...
"Who are you looking for?"
Tong Yanyan asked gruffly, opening the dormitory door.
After she returned to her dorm after shopping, everyone there looked at her with obvious wariness, even hostility. This made her feel very uncomfortable, and even her temper with strangers was gone.
"Is Zhao Mengyao in your dorm?"
"Yes."
"A boy asked me to deliver a love letter to her. Here it is."
An envelope with a heart was handed to her, and Tong Yanyan took it.
The girl who delivered the letter left. She had returned to the dorm late, and a boy had given her money to come in and deliver the letter, essentially earning some extra cash by running an errand.
Tong Yanyan closed the door, tossed the letter to Zhao Mengyao, who was now sitting on the upper bunk, and returned to her own bed.
In the past, every time Zhou Yunyun received a love letter, everyone would collectively exclaim in curiosity, making a fuss, and even clamoring to read it together.
But Zhou Yunyun never opened the envelopes, putting them all in a drawer.
Everyone began to speculate, saying that the class monitor already had someone in their heart.
Zhao Mengyao picked up the envelope with some surprise and waited a moment, only to find no one cheering, no "Yo!"s.
She muttered to herself, "Oh, who'd even bother reading this right now?"
Tong Yanyan didn't respond. Zhang Xin was packing for her dorm move tomorrow. Wang Lunnan curled up in bed, tears welling in her eyes. She needed comfort, not emotional value.
Only Zhou Shengnan offered a perfunctory response:
"Just consider it a good time." Zhao Mengyao's chest heaved, and she took a series of deep breaths, finally calming herself.
Then, she carefully opened the envelope and took out the letter.
The handwriting was beautiful, but the content was brief.
"I need an explanation for the curse on my cousin.
See you backstage at the school auditorium tomorrow at noon.
—Sit down at the Nantong Haohe Pier, Li the Corpse Recoverer."
Zhao Mengyao's face paled. She asked in a trembling voice, "Hey, our Yunyun, where are you from?"
Zhang Xin pulled up her suitcase. She was from Jinling, also Jiangsu, so she answered, "Nantong."
Tong Yanyan then said, "Didn't the young man who was with the police today say he was Yunyun's cousin? So he should be from Nantong, too?"
Zhang Xin: "I think so."
Zhao Mengyao got out of bed.
The original article is reading!
Zhang Xin asked, "Are you going out to meet him?"
"Huh?"
Zhang Xin was speechless. "That guy? The one who wrote you the love letter."
"I...I...yes, I'm going to meet him."
Zhou Shengnan asked, "Are you going to agree?"
Zhao Mengyao shook her head. "No, I'm going to reject him and make him give up on it. Haha, what are you thinking? Am I such a shrewd person? I'd agree to it just because of a love letter?
If that were the case, wouldn't our class monitor have dated over a dozen people already?"
Because Zhao Mengyao brought up Zhou Yunyun again, the slightest spark of conversation was instantly extinguished.
Everyone lowered their heads, and fell silent.
Zhao Mengyao left the dormitory and went downstairs first. At the entrance, the dorm manager was about to close the door. Seeing her coming down, she asked, "Are you leaving? Go quickly and come back soon. I'll wait for you."
"No, no, no, it's okay, Auntie. You close the door. I'm not leaving."
Zhao Mengyao seemed to suddenly remember something. After waving her hands repeatedly, she ran up the stairs again.
She didn't return to the dormitory either. Instead, she went into the public restroom on the floor, hid in the innermost stall, and closed the door.
She pulled a piece of origami paper from her pocket, stretched it out, and blew on it. The paper expanded into the shape of a gold ingot, then a small boat. Then, she stuffed the "love letter" into the boat.
She looked at her fingers, bracing herself, and took a deep breath.
"Ugh..."
Taking a deep breath in the restroom, the foul odor made her feel nauseous.
After two dry heaves, she steeled herself. She brought her finger to her mouth, biting the tip and dripping blood onto the paper boat. Once the boat was thoroughly soaked, she pulled a cigarette case from her pocket and retrieved a lighter.
"Snap!"
The lighter ignited the red paper boat, which she then tossed into the toilet bowl below.
"Splash!"
Just then, the water reservoir at the front reached a certain level and began to drain. The water surged through the toilet bowl, and the flaming paper boat sank into the round hole.
From a pit ahead, someone cursed:
"Do you have any sense of public morality? Smoking in the toilet!"
…
Sixth Hospital, ward.
Tan Wenbin sat in a chair, arms crossed, feet folded over the edge of the bed.
Although this was a bit far from the bed, he could keep an eye on the patient while also keeping an eye on the three candles beneath.
Zhou Yunyun fell asleep, a long time. At that moment, her eyelids fluttered, and she woke.
Although her eyes were still a little hazy, her spirit was gradually returning.
She seemed to be thinking, recalling the events of the day.
Then, fear flashed across her eyes again, and horrifying images began to flood her mind, and her body instinctively curled up.
"Are you awake?"
Zhou Yunyun turned her head and looked at Tan Wenbin beside her. She bit her lip, tears streaming from her eyes.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's all over, it's okay."
Tan Wenbin reached out to wipe her tears. This wasn't the first time Zhou Yunyun had cried that day. During the day, when she lay in bed with her eyes hazy and lifeless, she had seen him cry too.
However, when Tan Wenbin's hand reached out, Zhou Yunyun took it, then buried her head in his.
Tan Wenbin could only bend down, embrace her, and gently pat her back.
If a girl is the class monitor, she can't control the crowd unless she's strict and raises her voice.
As the class's left guard, Tan Wenbin had often been yelled at and lectured by the monitor.
This was the first time he had seen such a soft side of the monitor.
Even on the eve of the college entrance exam, when she confessed her love to him, she was as confident as a rainbow in the sky.
But now, she was scared, weak, and desperate for support and security.
Tan Wenbin hugged her, his eyes gleaming with ruthlessness.
He had been avoiding the question of his feelings for Zhou Yunyun. Did he like her?
He probably did.
She was beautiful; she existed in his memories. Her confidence and smile had once adorned his youth.
If he hadn't liked her, he wouldn't have told Uncle Tan about her, leading Aunt Tan to overhear them.
If he hadn't been attracted to her, he wouldn't have told Runsheng about her, prompting him to repeatedly tease him: "When are you going to have a baby?"
But if you're talking about a life-or-death love, that's definitely not the case, because it hasn't actually begun.
But to him, she truly is different.
It's a difference that even outsiders, like Lin Shuyou, can see.
Beyond all this, Zhou Yunyun's experience today has reopened another scar in Tan Wenbin's heart.
He had witnessed Zheng Haiyang's death before him, and today, he nearly watched Zhou Yunyun fall to her death right before him.
Having already experienced loss once, the rage he felt when faced with another one is unimaginable.
He had been suppressing this anger. He hadn't shown it during the day when Xiaoyuan was around, because he didn't want to interfere or influence Xiaoyuan's judgment. Xiaoyuan had already gone to investigate the incident with his father.
Once the investigation was complete and the true culprit was found, Tan Wenbin would kneel before Xiaoyuan and beg him for revenge.
He knew very well that Brother Xiaoyuan didn't like being kidnapped by emotions and was very averse to acting on emotion, but he, Tan Wenbin, just couldn't stand it.
He was going to kill whoever had assaulted Zhou Yunyun. Kill him! Kill him!
Zhou Yunyun's sobs gradually subsided, and she turned her head away. The fierce expression on Tan Wenbin's face faded, replaced by a gentle smile.
"Thank you, Binbin."
Tan Wenbin helped her adjust her pillows so she could lean more comfortably.
As he stood up and distanced himself from her, Zhou Yunyun raised her hands and tugged at his clothes.
She was terrified.
"Don't go..."
Tan Wenbin shrugged, pointed to the fruit on the bedside table, and said, "I just wanted to show you that classic scene of peeling an apple by the bedside."
Zhou Yunyun looked up at the bedside table. There was indeed a fruit basket.
Her lips were dry, too.
But she still shook her head, her hands still clutching the boy's clothes.
She wasn't being sentimental, or acting coquettishly because she couldn't bear to see her beloved leave. She had just experienced a terrifying experience and was still reeling from the afterglow.
"All right."
Tan Wenbin picked up an apple and a fruit knife and lay down beside the bed.
A smile crossed Zhou Yunyun's pale face. She leaned her face against Tan Wenbin's chest, her arms wrapped around his waist, afraid he'd disappear.
Tan Wenbin hummed a song as he peeled an apple.
After peeling a piece, he placed it in her mouth. She opened her mouth and ate it, not minding the contact of her lips with his fingers.
The soft, warm touch actually made Tan Wenbin's heart flutter.
After eating half the apple, Zhou Yunyun said, "No more, you eat."
Tan Wenbin then ate the remaining half himself.
Zhou Yunyun asked, "Why are you here?"
Tan Wenbin knew this wasn't the time to help her recall her past. Instead, he smiled and asked back,
"Then I should be under the bed?"
Zhou Yunyun seemed aware that she was pressed against his chest, her arms around his waist. But she simply lifted her face slightly and slowly moved her hand away. A moment later, she pressed her face back, her hand holding him tighter.
After a long pause, she spoke again, "What... happened to me?"
"It was a nightmare. Now it's over, and from now on, it's all sweet dreams."
Tan Wenbin gently patted the girl's back with his fingertips.
He didn't intend to tell Zhou Yunyun the truth, because not everyone could handle it.
Zhou Yunyun, after all, wasn't A'li.
Back then, when Xiao Yuan had exhausted himself, setting up the formation to kill the dwarf father and son, it was he who rode his tricycle, slapping himself to stay awake, and took Xiao Yuan back to Grandpa Li's dam.
Xiao Yuan told A'li that someone was plotting against him, and he had already retaliated, intending to kill the person who had plotted against him.
He fainted beside her at the time, but even though he was dazed, he saw the usually cold and expressionless little girl, A'li, smile.
But if he told Zhou Yunyun the truth, and then shared his past and future experiences with her, even ignoring the causal influence of the river, would she... truly be able to accept it?
After completing a mission with Brother Xiaoyuan, he'd come back and tell her: Hey, do you know how powerful I am? Tonight, I crushed a man to death with a rock; tonight, I single-handedly wiped out a whole horde of evil spirits!
Not every girl would be as happy as Ah Li, expressing her joy directly.
Of course, he didn't want her to become Ah Li. He hoped she could continue to live her life with the confidence and sunshine she had always had.
If he could, he'd be happy just to see her occasionally.
If she found a partner, he'd feel regretful and might suffer from insomnia, but he'd eventually find peace.
But now...Tan Wenbin looked at her in his arms, and at the way his fingers stopped patting her, and then touched her back, the smoothness he could feel even through her clothes.
He wasn't naive. He knew: the distance he'd so carefully maintained seemed to have been breached.
"Tan Wenbin."
Zhou Yunyun, her face still pressed against his chest, called out his full name.
"Your servant is here. What are your Majesty's wishes?"
"Tan Wenbin, I want to be with you. The kind that won't leave us apart."
"That's not good. You're sick, wouldn't it seem like I'm taking advantage?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't agree." Zhou Yunyun raised her head and looked into his face. "There's no rule that only boys can pursue girls. I can pursue you, too."
"No, no, no, it's not worth it. It's not worth it, old squad leader. We won't be wronged by this."
"Do you have a girl you like?"
"Yes."
Zhou Yunyun lowered her head and fell silent.
This reply seemed to instantly drain all the courage she had mustered.
"I used to act weird during study sessions, just to hear her yell at me angrily, 'Tan Wenbin, be quiet!'"
"Puff..."
The girl laughed.
Tan Wenbin: "Tan Wenbin, you can stop studying, but don't disturb other students!"
"Okay." The girl grabbed Tan Wenbin's waist and shook him.
"Tan Wenbin, if you don't behave, I'll tell the teacher!"
"Alright, alright." Zhou Yunyun blushed.
"Tan Wenbin, now's the time to study. Don't you care about your future?"
"Stop! That's enough." Zhou Yunyun lightly punched the boy's chest.
Tan Wenbin lowered his head, looking at the girl in his arms.
"Class monitor."
Zhou Yunyun's body tensed slightly.
"I never thought a toad like me would one day be able to eat swan flesh."
"No, no..."
Zhou Yunyun continued to pound Tan Wenbin's chest in dissatisfaction.
"Don't use metaphors at this moment, don't use metaphors."
Alas, women are so hard to please.
"Squad leader."
"Hmm..."
"I like you."
Zhou Yunyun was satisfied. She closed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips, and her breathing gradually calmed.
Just as Tan Wenbin had said before, the nightmare was over, and what followed was a sweet dream.
Just think of it as just a dream.
At least in her dream, she felt satisfied.
She fell asleep.
This time, her brows were no longer furrowed, and her expression was comfortable and calm, even a little sweet.
Tan Wenbin also smiled.
Although the environment wasn't right, smoking was harmful to health, and secondhand smoke was extremely harmful, he had quit and given the pack he had on him to his father...
But he really wanted to lie there right now, light a cigarette, and then exhale a series of excited little smoke rings, like a steam locomotive in an animation: "Beep, beep, beep!"
He moved the girl's hand away, gently settled her down, and covered her with the quilt.
Tan Wenbin got out of bed, glanced down at the three candles that were still burning, then straightened up and gently twisted his waist and neck.
Brother Xiaoyuan and his biological father had gone to investigate. He didn't know if his biological father had inherited his excellent talent and could cooperate with Brother Xiaoyuan.
Suddenly, Tan Wenbin felt as if a cold wind blew in, hitting his face and making his forehead feel cold.
The doors and windows of the ward were all closed, with no ventilation.
After so many experiences, Tan Wenbin had learned his lesson: something was wrong.
He reached into his pocket with his left hand, pulling out a talisman, and with his right hand, he pulled a Yellow River shovel from his bag.
He slowly walked around the bed, facing the ward door.
He used to stand in front of Xiaoyuan, but now, behind him, there was another person who needed his support.
The hospital seemed quite quiet late at night. This floor was a single-person ward, and only patients with special medical conditions or special status could stay here.
So, tonight, other than this one, all the wards on this floor were actually vacant.
An old man wearing a ripped white vest, carrying a bamboo basket on his back and leaning on a wooden stick in his left hand, arrived at this floor via the stairs.
He looked about seventy, but his actual age was probably younger, as his wrinkled, gaunt face gave the impression of an ordinary, weathered farmer.
The new pair of cloth shoes on his feet were the only respectable thing about him. He was dressed as if he were going to the market.
The old man raised his stick, scooped it into the bamboo basket on his back, and swung it forward.
A dirty, tattered rag doll fell to the ground.
The old man uttered a muffled, inarticulate sound, his stick circling the doll.
The doll began to tremble, and wisps of black smoke emerged from it. Finally, in front of him, a ragged, disheveled girl, about fourteen or fifteen, condensed.
The girl's body was covered in patches of stitches, and silver needles were scattered all over her body. Her tangled hair completely obscured her face.
She began to move forward, dragging herself along the corridor until she reached the ward.
She turned and tried to enter, but halfway inside, she was pushed back by an inexplicable force and thrown backward.
Behind her, the old man's eyes flashed with confusion.
Inside the ward.
Tan Wenbin, who hadn't been in the yin, felt the chilling wind suddenly intensify, then abruptly cease. A faint trembling and grinding sound echoed around the ward.
He immediately turned around and saw that the three candles beneath the bed had only swayed slightly, but continued to burn normally. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, a crisp snap of fingers echoed from somewhere in the silent hospital building.
"Snap!"
The three candles went out instantly!
Tan Wenbin's eyes widened. What was going on?
The girl was making her second attempt to enter. She first passed halfway through, then completely inside.
Seeing this, the old man's confusion vanished, replaced by a slightly reserved smile.
"Haha, a mere corpse retriever, someone I've never heard of, actually dares to ask my family for an explanation.
Well, today, I, this old man, will satisfy you.
I wonder if this explanation satisfies you?"
At this moment, a young man's voice echoed:
"Very satisfied."
(End of this chapter)