The biological clock woke Tong Xiaosong up precisely at six in the morning. He opened his eyes, rolled his sore eyeballs, and felt the discomfort of clothes and shoes still clinging to his body.
Even though it was already morning, the dormitory was eerily quiet, while the corridor outside seemed restless for reasons unknown.
The events of the previous night rushed back into his mind, and Tong Xiaosong’s complexion turned pale.
No way!
It must have been a dream.
Such terrifying things couldn’t happen in reality.
Tong Xiaosong pulled back the curtain, and the upper and lower bunks across from him remained empty, just like the night before. His upper bunk was also unoccupied.
The scenes from last night flashed through his mind, and he felt a sense of absurdity.
How could that be possible?
As if it were any other day, he took out his basin and towel from the cupboard, preparing to freshen up.
Upon opening the door, several students ran past him.
“It was too terrifying.”
“Was it a suicide?”
“Seems like it…”
These words hit Tong Xiaosong like a series of heavy blows, weighing on him.
Tong Xiaosong breathed rapidly; he didn’t want to pay attention to these discussions. He just wanted to go about his routine as if it were any other day—freshen up, sling his backpack over his shoulder, and go to school.
He quickened his pace toward the water room.
Gradually, he noticed that the students discussing the unidentified deceased person were following the same route he was taking.
Before reaching the water room, he stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at the large crowd gathered at the entrance.
What had happened?
If it involved a dead person…
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Shouldn’t it be the old school building?
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But now, he saw Zhu Fan in a bizarre posture inside one of the sinks, filled with a pool of red liquid.
It seemed like the person intended to lie down in the sink but got stuck because their shoulders were too broad, preventing them from fitting. Their head was tilted backward, neck seemingly broken, hanging into the sink, submerged halfway in the red liquid. Their eyes were hidden, but you could see the unsettlingly raised corners of their mouth, as if in a maniacal laughter.
In one hand, they held a reflective knife, while the other was soaking in the sink. Beneath the calm surface, there lurked a terrifying stillness.
Tong Xiaosong recognized that knife. It was the same knife he had held many times and often contemplated raising.
“Make way! Back off!”
“Everyone, step back!”
A forceful hand pushed Tong Xiaosong aside, causing him to stagger. He instinctively reached out and steadied himself against the wall. Turning his head, he saw police officers entering in a line, accompanied by a forensic expert carrying a box.
“Secure the scene!”
Yellow tape was pulled up to cordon off the area.
“Don’t look! Go to school!”
“Go to school!”
School leaders hurriedly ushered the students away like herding sheep.
Suddenly, one of them spotted Tong Xiaosong and squinted.
“You there! Stay!”
Before Tong Xiaosong could react, his shoulder was tapped. Almost reflexively, he shook off the hand and shouted in terror, “No! Don’t!”
When Tong Xiaosong recognized the surprised school leader in front of him, he gradually calmed down and lowered his head.
A police officer approached, “Who is this?”
The school leader said, “He’s from the same dormitory as the student inside, called…”
Unable to recall Tong Xiaosong’s name, the school leader looked at him.
The police officer sternly asked, “Raise your head. What’s your name?”
Tong Xiaosong slowly lifted his head, his semi-long hair covering his brows and eyes, making it hard to see. Only the dry, flaky lips were visible, moving twice, “Tong Xiaosong…”
The police officer frowned, reached out, and lifted Tong Xiaosong’s slightly curled hair upward.
In those widened eyes, there was fear and tears, trembling as if witnessing something horrifying.
The officer released his grip, brushing aside the somewhat disheveled hair to ensure a continuous view of those eyes. He asked, “Do you know how your roommate died?”
Tong Xiaosong shook his head, tears streaming down his face, trembling with fear, “No, I don’t know…”
His gaze pierced through the mist, looking inside, where it seemed the police had finished taking photos and collecting evidence. They were now figuring out how to drain the water from the sink.
They retrieved some shredded paper from the sink and put it into evidence bags.
“Looks like these papers blocked the drain.”
To confirm this statement, after retrieving the paper, the red liquid slowly receded, revealing the entirety of Zhu Fan.
When his eyes were submerged, he seemed to wear a mysterious smile, but now that his eyes were exposed, Tong Xiaosong discovered the opposite expression of pure terror. The wide-open eyes mirrored Tong Xiaosong’s current gaze, only lacking the vitality, filled with lifelessness.
The police observed Tong Xiaosong and believed that he probably knew something important. Instructing the school leader nearby, the officer said, “Give him some time off, take him to the office to calm down, and we’ll come over later.”
The school leader quickly agreed, then turned to Tong Xiaosong, saying, “Don’t be afraid. When the police ask you anything, just tell them the truth. Come, let’s go to the office for a while.”
With that, the school leader took away the basin and towel from Tong Xiaosong’s hands and pulled his arm to move forward.
Tong Xiaosong followed the school leader, dazed and bewildered. It seemed like he still couldn’t believe it, glancing back at the eerie and bloody washroom.
The police stood at the washroom entrance, casting a suspicious look at Tong Xiaosong.
***
Tong Xiaosong sat on the sofa, holding hot water in his hands, sipping slowly. The school leader didn’t ask anything specific; instead, he continued to console Tong Xiaosong, emphasizing the importance of telling the truth when the police arrived.
After a while, the door opened, and two police officers walked in, one of them being the one who had questioned Tong Xiaosong at the washroom entrance.
The police officer sat down beside Tong Xiaosong and whispered, “Hello, Tong Xiaosong. My name is Zheng Zhili. I’ll ask you a few questions. Don’t be nervous; just answer truthfully, okay?”
Tong Xiaosong lowered his eyes and nodded slowly.
Zheng Zhili asked, “Where were you last night? What were you doing?”
Last night…
Tong Xiaosong slightly opened his mouth, recalling the scenes from last night, and his breathing became rapid again.
Seeing this, Zheng Zhili reassured, “Don’t be afraid. Whatever you saw last night, just tell us. Don’t worry; we will protect you.”
They dared to say this because they had already checked the surveillance footage. It was indeed a strange case of Zhu Fan’s suicide, appearing as if he had a mental breakdown.
In the surveillance, Tong Xiaosong, who hurriedly returned last night, was also suspicious.
They were sure that Tong Xiaosong knew or saw something.
As for whether Tong Xiaosong committed the murder, they thought it was unlikely. Firstly, there was no evidence. Secondly, Tong Xiaosong was too frail and timid; standing at the washroom door, he seemed almost faint from fear. If he were the perpetrator, his mental resilience wouldn’t be so fragile.
Zheng Zhili looked at the towel in the basin and took it out, soaking it in some hot water.
Sitting back next to Tong Xiaosong, he handed the warm towel to him.
“Relax. We’re here, and there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Holding the warm towel tightly, the warmth felt more real than the hot water, and Tong Xiaosong finally regained a sense of the living temperature.
A sob broke out in the room.
Tears fell into the cup of hot water as Tong Xiaosong, seemingly unable to hold on any longer, cried in a choked and pitiful manner.
“I, I last night… Last night… Zhao Shanyi jumped off the building.”
“What!?” The other police officer in the room exclaimed.
Zheng Zhili widened his eyes, “You mean… there’s another victim?”
The school leader was so frightened that he couldn’t even speak, staring nervously at Tong Xiaosong.
This is interesting! Thank you for translating so many chapters already! I hope this continues hehe
ˁ•ᴗ•ˀつ～ 💞
Damn the ghost definitely didn’t wait long to finish the job :DDD
Wow, how sad im to hear the news of the deaths of these three /setting off fireworks
Emmm well those bastard deserve to die anyway