But the person who had just turned their back to her clearly had short hair!
Yang Xufen felt her blood freeze. She swallowed hard and slowly turned around, only to find the person on the bed was gone!
Her senses and imagination went into overdrive. She felt something pressed against her back!
It was very close, as if she were leaning against a block of ice.
Yang Xufen’s body began to tremble. She told herself to stay calm.
The mission had just started. There wouldn't be an unavoidable death trap yet. She had to stay calm... stay calm.
She walked into the bedroom with stiff movements.
Don't look back. Just sleep. Don't worry about anything.
That was what Yang Xufen told herself.
But just as she entered the room and was about to reach the bed, she suddenly saw herself in the small mirror on the desk.
And the thing behind her...
It was a woman with short hair, pressed tightly against her back!
Her expression was filled with resentment, and half of her face was a mangled mess of flesh, with what looked like pebbles embedded in it.
Yang Xufen’s eyes widened. She couldn't help herself and let out a scream.
Then she saw the woman’s resentful expression twist into a wide, leering grin.
A pair of ice-cold hands wrapped around her neck...
Before she died, Yang Xufen realized she had seen this woman before.
She lived in the staff dormitory building opposite her own...
Her name was... Zhao Mingming.
Nan Yue took a long look at the wardrobe after she got up. The blood-stained clothes from yesterday had vanished, as if it had all been a dream.
She washed up calmly. Huang Ya Nan had already gone to line up at the cafeteria.
Even though they were good friends, Huang Ya Nan acted more like a follower because she needed Xiang Guang’s help with something.
No matter how many times Li Hui told her there was no need to be so formal, Huang Ya Nan wouldn't listen.
Jiang Siyan was fiddling with a bicycle downstairs. Seeing Nan Yue, he pretended to push the bike over casually.
"Comrade Li."
Nan Yue nodded. "Good morning, Comrade Tang."
On a downhill stretch of road, the two quickly exchanged what had happened. Jiang Siyan spoke about Tang Yu’s situation cryptically, but Nan Yue understood.
"What I’m curious about now is that there are too many threads. What exactly counts as a secret?"
Nan Yue massaged her temples. "Xiang Guang’s attitude toward Li Hui and Tang Yu’s feelings for Li Hui should both count as secrets in the factory."
But the mission wouldn't be that simple, and it hadn't ended yet.
That meant those weren't the real secrets.
What exactly were they looking for?
Everyone has secrets, especially in a factory community like this where everyone has a side they keep hidden.
They had no idea which aspect they were supposed to find.
"I’m going to see Wen Xiang Yuan today, as well as Gu Xiang Kai."
Gu Xiang Kai’s identity meant the three girls couldn't approach him. Only Jiang Siyan was suitable.
Thinking about Gu Xiang Kai’s consistently boisterous persona, Nan Yue felt a bit of a headache.
Nan Yue told Jiang Siyan about the other scavengers she knew. He would use his position to check on them.
It wasn't to help them finish their missions, but because Nan Yue had noticed that every person who appeared seemed to have some connection with the original host.
Since they didn't know what kind of secret they were looking for, they couldn't let a single clue slip by.
On the way, Nan Yue saw Zhu Xi Ning running past in a hurry. Zhu Xi Ning saw her too, but she didn't stop to say hello; their relationship didn't allow for it.
She only turned back to give Nan Yue a deep, lingering look.
Nan Yue had never seen her look so lost before.
Nan Yue glanced at Jiang Siyan, who followed her lead smoothly. "I’ll slip away in a bit to find Wen Xiang Yuan."
Nan Yue and Jiang Siyan parted at the cafeteria entrance. Huang Ya Nan had already gotten the food, and Nan Yue gave her the food stamps as usual.
On the way to the factory after breakfast, they ran into Zhang Xiaotian, who was playing hopscotch with some other children.
"Xiaotian, remember to wake your dad up!"
Zhang Xiaotian’s father was on the afternoon shift today.
It was unclear if Zhang Xiaotian heard her or not, but he kept staring at Nan Yue.
No, he was staring at Li Hui.
Nan Yue bent down and beckoned to him. Zhang Xiaotian ran over.
Since they often ate together and she was his mother’s best friend, he wasn't shy.
"What is it? Why do you keep looking at me?"
Huang Ya Nan scolded him for being a brooding mute with the same temper as his father.
To her surprise, Zhang Xiaotian suddenly spoke up in a muffled voice.
"Auntie Li, you haven't cried lately."
The expression on Huang Ya Nan’s face darkened instantly.
"The color on your body is gone, too."
"Slap!"
A hand struck Zhang Xiaotian’s face, and he immediately burst into tears.
Huang Ya Nan grabbed her son’s ear and scolded him, while Nan Yue stood aside with a blank expression.
Eventually, Zhang Xiaotian wiped his tears and ran away crying. Huang Ya Nan looked over awkwardly.
"Don't listen to his nonsense. What does a kid know?"
Nan Yue said nothing, only looking at Huang Ya Nan.
"I’ll head to the workshop first. I’ll get your lunch for you!" Huang Ya Nan added, clearly trying to cover something up.
Nan Yue watched her run off.
She hadn't expected that the clue was right in front of her all along.
Li Hui’s best friend, Huang Ya Nan, probably knew the most.
Zhang Xiaotian was just a child who didn't understand anything. His comment about the color being gone was likely the most direct way he could express it.
What kind of color would stay on the body for many days before slowly fading?
Bruises.
If even Zhang Xiaotian could notice it, how could Huang Ya Nan, who was with Li Hui every day, not know?
It was impossible.
The changes in Li Hui’s clothing, her low spirits, the bruises on her body—Zhang Xiaotian saw them, and Huang Ya Nan saw them too.
But she chose to act as if she hadn't.
The reason was obvious.
Xiang Guang could help her husband change positions.
Huang Ya Nan was indeed Li Hui’s friend, but right now, she needed the help of Xiang Guang’s influence.
She chose to turn a blind eye to her friend’s tragic situation.
Nan Yue arrived at the warehouse. Zhu Xi Ning wasn't there yet.
She sat quietly, putting herself into the role of Li Hui.
A woman with excellent popularity and outstanding looks and ability, married to the man everyone in the factory considered the most reliable and capable.
After the marriage, the man wasn't as noble and upright as he appeared to outsiders.
He didn't let Li Hui wear bright clothes, didn't let her read books, and even took her salary, giving her a fixed amount of food stamps when he went on business trips.
He even used his connections in the factory to transfer Li Hui to the warehouse.
Everyone knew Zhao Mingming and Li Hui didn't get along. How could the weak-willed Li Hui be a match for the shrewish Zhao Mingming?
Xiang Guang didn't care how miserable Li Hui’s life was.
He just wanted to hide her away.
Even more disgusting was that he still maintained his persona as a loving husband to the outside world.
Not a single person in the factory had a bad word to say about Xiang Guang. No one would believe what Li Hui was going through.
She was being trapped to death by Xiang Guang.
No.
There were three people who should have known about Li Hui’s situation.
Huang Ya Nan was one.
Yang Hua was another.
With the poor soundproofing of their dormitory, Nan Yue could even hear Yang Hua’s family arguing. She didn't believe the neighbors wouldn't hear the commotion if Xiang Guang laid a hand on Li Hui.
Rate on N.U.
