The window of the room swung open, and the white curtains billowed out as if someone were standing behind them.
A glint of silver flashed in Zhu Xi Ning's hand.
She couldn't attack.
Ultimately, Zhao Mingming was the one who had wronged the girl; it would be unjustified to attack the ghost now.
Especially since this mission prioritized cause and effect.
It was practically a live broadcast of massive karmic retribution.
Zhu Xi Ning walked to the curtains and pulled them aside, revealing only the pitch-black night and the blurry shadows of trees.
There was nothing.
No one was standing outside.
Something caught the corner of Zhu Xi Ning's eye, and as she turned her head, she saw a splash of red peeking out from under her pillow.
What was that?
She leaned down and pulled the object out. Her expression shifted slightly the moment she saw it.
It was a red insole, perfectly sized for her.
It definitely hadn't been there before she went to sleep; it must have appeared while she was out.
The wind continued to blow behind her, the curtains lightly brushing against her shoulder as a reminder that the window had been opened only moments ago.
Song Chunhua...
Suddenly, Zhu Xi Ning's body stiffened. Within the curtains that were fluttering in the breeze, she felt something touch her.
Or more accurately, a hand had touched her.
A cold, stiff hand.
Zhu Xi Ning turned around, but the curtains were still just swaying in the wind. No one was there.
However, on her clothes, there was a wet, bloody handprint.
...
Wen Xiang Yuan tossed and turned in the dilapidated room, unable to sleep. The air was thick with the smell of mold mixed with medicine, making it difficult to breathe.
Beneath her was a rickety iron bed covered with uneven cotton padding.
Granny Zhao's snoring echoed beside her, and Wen Xiang Yuan's nerves were on edge.
She had seen Jiang Siyan that afternoon and had been contemplating the logic of this mission ever since.
She had caused Li Wang's death, but it was still unclear who had killed Zhao Yao.
Wen Xiang Yuan's primary goal remained finding clues about Li Hui.
She had tried to probe Granny Zhao several times that evening, but the old woman refused to speak whenever Li Hui was mentioned, her expression turning sour.
Finally, pushed to her limit, she had snapped that Zhao Yao shouldn't meddle in Li Hui's family affairs or she would report her to the factory.
Wen Xiang Yuan rolled over. This confirmed that Li Hui had indeed sought Zhao Yao's help.
Li Hui was frequently a victim of domestic violence and couldn't easily go to the factory clinic, as the doctors there would surely ask about her injuries.
Given Xiang Guang's reputation in the factory, no one would believe or support Li Hui no matter what she said.
So, she always went to Granny Zhao.
Most people who sought out Granny Zhao were like that—they had secrets or problems that the clinic couldn't resolve.
Take Yang Hua, for example. She wanted a child, but the clinic doctors told her to let nature take its course and trust in science.
Unable to wait, she came to Granny Zhao.
Granny Zhao's father had been a barefoot doctor in the village and had taught her the basics along with some superstitious charms and rituals.
Even though this was an era of science, many people still held onto feudal beliefs.
The number of people who came to Granny Zhao was no less than those who went to the clinic.
Li Hui was one of them; she had secrets she could only share with Granny Zhao.
Granny Zhao had seen many people and knew how to keep her mouth shut.
That was how Zhao Yao and Li Hui had become close.
Zhao Yao was estranged from everyone else in the factory, keeping only to Granny Zhao.
Li Hui was a few years older, but she was kind and gentle, so it was only natural for them to become friends.
What did they talk about in private? Zhao Yao was young and likely couldn't stand Xiang Guang's two-faced nature.
Li Hui probably urged her to let it go, saying that Xiang Guang had influence in the factory and she just had to endure it.
Then, one day, the final straw that broke Li Hui appeared.
When she saw the corpse of the little orange cat, Li Hui must have thought of herself.
There was no difference between her and the kitten; both were just playthings in Xiang Guang's hands.
She developed the intent to kill Xiang Guang.
How could a frail woman kill a man as strong as Xiang Guang?
Wen Xiang Yuan could only think of one way.
Poison.
So she went to Zhao Yao—the one person who had always despised Xiang Guang and urged her not to endure the abuse.
Zhao Yao was the only person in the factory who knew what Li Hui was going through, who believed her, and who sympathized with her.
She wasn't like Huang Ya Nan, who pretended not to know, or Yang Hua, who remained indifferent.
She empathized with Li Hui, standing by her side without any personal interest.
She was the only person Li Hui could think of to help her.
Did Zhao Yao help her?
Wen Xiang Yuan believed the answer was yes.
Because Xiang Guang was dead.
However, Granny Zhao's words contradicted her theory.
If Zhao Yao had helped Li Hui in secret, Granny Zhao shouldn't have known about it.
Since Granny Zhao did know, her perspective was naturally one of disapproval.
Just like now.
She and Zhao Yao relied on the factory's relief to survive; if they got involved in a murder, they would both end up in prison.
So she forbade Zhao Yao from contacting Li Hui or even mentioning her name.
Looking at it this way, it seemed either Zhao Yao had told Granny Zhao about Li Hui's request, or she had been caught while getting the medicine.
In short, the plan had failed.
Wen Xiang Yuan frowned in frustration. If Zhao Yao had actually given Li Hui the medicine, would that count as indirectly killing Xiang Guang?
If so, then the one haunting Zhao Yao now shouldn't just be Li Wang, right?
"Thud."
A dull thumping sound echoed right at the window above Wen Xiang Yuan's head.
The sound against the glass was heavy, sounding as if it might shatter at any moment.
Wen Xiang Yuan's body froze, and she involuntarily looked up.
A bruised, purplish-blue face appeared outside the window, pressed tightly against the glass.
"Thud."
The man outside hammered his head against the windowpane over and over. His once-prominent nose was flattened into a ridiculous shape against the glass.
His face had turned a deep purplish-red, looking as if it might burst at any moment.
His bloodshot eyes rolled downward, staring fixedly at Wen Xiang Yuan lying on the bed.
"Thud."
"Thud."
He continued to bang his head against the glass, not with urgency, but with a deliberate sense of mockery.
It was as if he were saying: I've found you, and I'll be inside to catch you soon.
The fear Wen Xiang Yuan felt at seeing the supernatural event was quickly eclipsed.
A sense of panic and helplessness surged in her heart because Li Wang was currently using Gu Xiang Kai's face.
She couldn't bear to see that familiar face in such a state, nor could she accept seeing someone she knew die before her eyes.
Two trails of tears fell from Wen Xiang Yuan's eyes. She didn't look at the thing outside again.
She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, enduring the night through the sound of those rhythmic impacts.
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