Nan Yue couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air as countless theories swirled through her mind.
"Yue Yue?"
Seeing that Nan Yue’s expression was off, Chi He looked at her with concern.
"It’s nothing... That girl was likely killed by Zhao Ming from the fourth floor, and her body was hidden in the small woods..."
Nan Yue lowered her gaze and continued, "You can try to get the Apartment Manager to intervene, but I'm not entirely certain it will work."
"The fourth floor? Zhao Ming?"
Realizing that Chi He hadn't been present during their earlier discussion, Nan Yue briefly shared her encounters and thoughts from today with him.
Chi He looked at Nan Yue with eyes full of admiration. He had a youthful face, and even though he was slightly older than her, he still looked like a young boy. Being looked at that way would make most girls blush.
"You’re so impressive, actually figuring out so much... I'm glad I ran into you for this mission."
The smile on Chi He's face deepened. "I understand. Thank you. I’ll try to get the Apartment Manager involved tomorrow."
Since it was nearly midnight, and Chi He wasn't in any immediate danger, he naturally wouldn't risk looking for the Apartment Manager at this hour.
Nan Yue nodded, and the two of them parted ways in the corridor. As she was opening her door, she heard another door open behind her and felt someone's gaze on her back.
Nan Yue didn't look back, nor did she greet Li Ge. She had no intention of continuing to gain favor with him.
After entering her room, she locked the door and turned on all the lights before climbing into bed with the newspapers she hadn't finished reading.
Nan Yue didn't remember when she fell asleep, but when she woke up, the room was filled with an exceptionally strong scent of blood.
The smell was so overpowering it felt like she was living in a slaughterhouse.
Sensing that something was wrong, she fumbled to turn on the light. Her hands felt wet and sticky. It was only when the light flickered on that Nan Yue saw her hands were covered in fresh blood.
As the room brightened, the apartment she lived in had somehow transformed into a living hell.
Blood was splattered across all four walls, and there were several bloody handprints as if an ignorant child had dipped their hands in gore and smeared them randomly around the room.
The trails of blood extended all the way to the living room, with several footprints visible in the crimson stains on the floor.
Nan Yue stared motionless at the space beside her. The apartment's bed was a five-foot double bed; though not huge, it could comfortably fit two people.
However, when Nan Yue had gone to sleep, she was alone.
Now, there was someone else beside her.
That woman!
The woman was lying under the covers on the other side, her eyes wide with a look of terror and despair, her face completely covered in blood.
Nan Yue steeled her nerves and yanked the blanket aside.
Beside her were the woman's mangled remains, hacked into pieces of flesh and bone.
Even Nan Yue felt her stomach churn. The metallic stench and the visual shock made her gorge rise.
Without realizing it, she had been sharing a bed with a dismembered corpse.
The woman was truly dead. Unlike her state last night when she was crawling on the bed, she now appeared exactly as she had when she died.
Noticing that the spirit showed no intention of attacking, Nan Yue cautiously began to examine the body.
The dismemberment was haphazard, suggesting the killer had no medical background.
The tool used was likely something like a bone cleaver, as the cuts were extremely jagged with numerous marks on the bones.
Nan Yue fell into thought as she stared at the scattered remains on the bed when a sudden knock sounded at the door.
"Hello? Open the door!"
It was Li Ge's voice.
Nan Yue didn't move, sitting quietly on the bed. The knocking outside grew louder and more violent until it turned into a frenzied kicking against the door.
"Open up! I saw her come back! Open the door!"
Li Ge was kicking with great force, sounding as if the thin door panel would be smashed open at any moment, but Nan Yue remained unmoved.
If he could have kicked it down, Li Ge would have entered long ago. For a scavenger, that would be a dead end, making the mission impossible to complete.
However, the average person's first instinct upon seeing themselves in bed with a gruesome corpse would be to flee.
If Nan Yue hadn't guessed wrong, Li Ge would have been waiting for her the moment she ran out.
Li Ge couldn't get in, but if she went out, whether she would survive was another matter entirely.
The commotion outside continued. Nan Yue looked at the corpse beside her and then checked the time.
It was only three in the morning, and she really wanted to sleep...
Ultimately, the allure of a good night's rest won out. After all, she had experienced sleeping with corpses during her mock exams before.
Nan Yue went to the cupboard, grabbed a clean blanket to wrap herself in, and turned off the lights. Amidst Li Ge's violent kicking, she actually managed to fall back asleep.
When Nan Yue woke up the next morning, her room had returned to its original state. The blood on the walls and the corpse beside her had vanished, as if everything she had seen last night was merely a dream.
Having slept well, Nan Yue went to wash up in a good mood. It was only then she noticed two missed calls from Lu Li on her phone.
She dialed back, and Lu Li picked up after a single ring.
"Nan Yue, something happened."
...
The night before, Zhang Qingyang had hidden in his room to read the newspapers.
After the analysis from Nan Yue and the others, he felt as if none of the residents in the apartment were human. The thought of spending the night with something unknown made him want to vomit.
However, Qingqing hadn't actually harmed him. He just didn't know what kind of supernatural event would occur tonight since she wasn't around.
Zhang Qingyang prayed feverishly while forcing himself to study the newspapers.
Without him noticing, time had already reached one in the morning.
"Huh?"
An article in the bottom right corner of the newspaper caught Zhang Qingyang's eye, and he couldn't help but read it aloud.
"Everpeace Apartments has seen multiple incidents of domestic violence, eventually culminating in a murder case! During police intervention, the husband maintained a cooperative attitude, leading the court to believe it was a low-probability accident and subsequently rejecting the wife's divorce request. Unexpectedly, just half a month later, the husband murdered and dismembered his wife in a fit of rage. City A reminds its residents to prioritize their mental health."
Zhang Qingyang was utterly confused. He didn't know whose clue this was supposed to be; he hadn't even managed to memorize everyone else's neighbors.
He was so immersed in his thoughts that he failed to notice the faint click coming from the living room.
"Dismembered due to domestic violence... Could it be Qingqing?"
Zhang Qingyang frowned as he stared at the paper. "Qingqing doesn't have a husband, and she doesn't look like someone who’s been abused..."
"Hehe, you're right."
A girl's voice, clear as a bell, suddenly echoed in the room. Zhang Qingyang shrieked in fright, the newspaper flying out of his hands.
Only then did he realize that Qingqing had somehow entered his home and was standing right by his bed, watching him.
"You... you... how did you get in!"
Zhang Qingyang's eyes widened to the point of tearing. He had initially hoped for a night of pleasure during the mission, but once he realized Qingqing might not be human, he had abandoned that idea.
He had resolved not to open the door for her no matter what happened tonight, and yet...
"You invited me in, after all."
Rate on N.U.
