Chapter 104: I truly had good intentions.
Downstairs in the car, Li Xu was already asleep. Xu Jiayuan splashed his face with cold water, striving to stay alert.
Neither had slept the previous night, and they hadn't rested well during the day. Waking up and immediately coming here, it was natural for them to feel weary at this late hour.
Li Xu could afford to sleep. After all, he had brought Broken Floral Dress from the haunted house, acting somewhat like a guardian. He had insisted on coming, and the Special Security Bureau didn't refuse.
But Xu Jiayuan, as a member of the Special Security Bureau, couldn't sleep. He needed to stay vigilant. If anything went awry, he would have to manage the situation.
Even though Chi Shen said he would handle things, in Xu Jiayuan's view, Chi Shen was just a civilian. Handling emergencies was his responsibility, not Chi Shen's.
Thus, Xu Jiayuan once again splashed water on the back of his neck.
Suddenly, the car window was knocked upon. Startled, Xu Jiayuan turned to see a spirit plaque bearing a bloody handprint.
Xu Jiayuan was taken aback!
The slender, pale hand holding the plaque lifted, pointing towards the residential area.
Xu Jiayuan then realized that Chi Shen had returned. Almost dozing off earlier, he had forgotten that Chi Shen had left again. It was one thing for him to wander around, but to do so carrying a spirit plaque at night? Wasn't he afraid of scaring children?
Chi Shen, however, didn't enter. He remained silent, prompting Xu Jiayuan to follow his pointing finger. Gazing in that direction, he saw specks of starlight emerging from one of the apartments, floating into the sky.
"It's over," sighed Xu Jiayuan, "Time to head back and get some sleep."
Chi Shen opened the car door and settled inside. He put Bai Wan's plaque back into his backpack. They waited a bit longer, and when Gui Lian returned, Xu Jiayuan drove off.
The sound of the car door closing roused Li Xu. He opened his eyes just in time to see the last few lights ascending into the sky. Touching his neck, he remarked, "For some reason, I still feel out of sorts."
Xu Jiayuan said from the side, "The ghost on your neck is gone. Shouldn't you be relieved?"
"I used to find it uncomfortable," Li Xu began with a faint smile. "I always felt like I was wearing the wrong clothes and sometimes couldn't breathe easily. But now that it's truly gone, it feels like something's missing."
From the backseat, Chi Shen presented the red-clothed female ghost, pushing her forward. "Boss, how about this one? Just a head and hands, with long hair. She's lighter than the floral-dressed ghost. She could make up for your loss."
Li Xu turned to see the red-clothed female ghost smiling at him, a mix of comic and horror. He felt his heart skip a beat and waved his hands in refusal, "No, no. I'll get used to it. She should stay with you."
Chi Shen wore a look of disappointment. The red-clothed ghost seemed unhappy as well. She prepared to teach Li Xu a lesson, but Chi Shen quickly pulled her back, stuffing her into his backpack.
The scare sobered Li Xu. He picked up his phone to review the design proposals, thinking that the eerie ambiance made now the perfect time for such tasks, ensuring his feedback would be top-notch.
Chi Shen, known for being elusive outside of work, certainly wasn't about to join Li Xu in reviewing designs. His attention was fixed on Huang Lingling.
Among the victims of the serial killings in the Harbor City, only Huang Lingling could be found.
Huang Lingling was in the car, gazing back at him. The dim streetlights painted her as a lonely, abandoned child.
"So, what's your wish?"
Huang Lingling smirked wickedly, "I don't want to vanish. I have no wishes."
"Really?" Chi Shen smiled faintly, "One more chance."
She looked up defiantly, "I don't fall for such tricks. I just want to live. I don't want to disappear."
Chi Shen contemplated for a moment, then looked at Huang Lingling's legs. "Seems I've been too kind to you, fixing those legs."
At his words, her expression shifted to one of wariness. "What are you planning?"
"Children can be such a hassle," Chi Shen mused. "I only wanted to grant a wish because you once helped me." His gaze deepened, eyes darkening. "Let's see what you truly desire."
Chaotic memories sped past like a rushing train. Despite her youth, Huang Lingling's resentments ran deep. She remembered more than the headless ghost in the floral dress, even recalling her life before death in vivid detail.
Those memories from her past life were the very reasons she became a vengeful spirit.
Memories of Huang Liuqiang's beatings, the agonizing pain of her legs being brutally broken, and further back, the cold and hunger.
Chishi saw an old woman in Lingling's memories. This woman fed Lingling when she was starving, mended her clothes, and even gave her clothes that her own children had outgrown.
That same elderly woman had her hands chopped off by Huang Liuqiang.
From that point, a deep-seated hatred took root in young Lingling's memories.
She wished for Huang Liuqiang's death, yet she also wished he would be kind to her, like other fathers were to their children.
On the rare occasion when Huang Liuqiang returned from a card game and brought her a steamed bun, her joy knew no bounds.
A glance through Lingling's memories revealed a life filled with pain from her earliest recollections. The occasional warmth from the old grandmother was also extinguished by Huang Liuqiang's own hands.
After witnessing all this, Chishi had a faint idea forming in his mind. As Lingling's memories continued to unfold, a disturbance rippled through Chishi's usually calm demeanor.
He saw the root of all her suffering – the so-called fortune teller who had advised Huang Liuqiang to worship the God of Wealth.
On a dim, sunlit afternoon, Lingling sat on the front steps of her house, playing with the weeds, in a surprisingly good mood because her father had given her an egg for lunch, filling her stomach for once.
Then she saw a well-dressed man, who looked like the city folks she'd seen, enter their yard. Even his posture seemed attractive. Young as she was, unfamiliar with terms like "upright stance" or "gentlemanly demeanor", she simply thought he looked good.
The man glanced at Lingling sitting on the steps but proceeded to knock on their door.
Her father promptly answered, and his face lit up with a rarely-seen joy. He warmly welcomed the visitor with tea and water.
Such a display from her father was unusual, so she remembered it well.
The visitor didn't stay long; after a brief chat, he left. Afterward, her father began carving a statue of the God of Wealth.
While the cause of the serial murders in Harbor City seemed rooted in one man's greed and cruelty, Chishi saw there was a triggering factor.
Strikingly, the profile of the man who advised Huang Liuqiang bore a strong resemblance to Ji Xingchen!
Chishi withdrew from Lingling's memories.
Lingling sat in a shadow where even streetlights couldn't reach, her smile turning even more malevolent as she looked at Chishi.
"You've seen it."
Chapter 104: I truly had good intentions.
Downstairs in the car, Li Xu was already asleep. Xu Jiayuan splashed his face with cold water, striving to stay alert.
Neither had slept the previous night, and they hadn't rested well during the day. Waking up and immediately coming here, it was natural for them to feel weary at this late hour.
Li Xu could afford to sleep. After all, he had brought Broken Floral Dress from the haunted house, acting somewhat like a guardian. He had insisted on coming, and the Special Security Bureau didn't refuse.
But Xu Jiayuan, as a member of the Special Security Bureau, couldn't sleep. He needed to stay vigilant. If anything went awry, he would have to manage the situation.
Even though Chi Shen said he would handle things, in Xu Jiayuan's view, Chi Shen was just a civilian. Handling emergencies was his responsibility, not Chi Shen's.
Thus, Xu Jiayuan once again splashed water on the back of his neck.
Suddenly, the car window was knocked upon. Startled, Xu Jiayuan turned to see a spirit plaque bearing a bloody handprint.
Xu Jiayuan was taken aback!
The slender, pale hand holding the plaque lifted, pointing towards the residential area.
Xu Jiayuan then realized that Chi Shen had returned. Almost dozing off earlier, he had forgotten that Chi Shen had left again. It was one thing for him to wander around, but to do so carrying a spirit plaque at night? Wasn't he afraid of scaring children?
Chi Shen, however, didn't enter. He remained silent, prompting Xu Jiayuan to follow his pointing finger. Gazing in that direction, he saw specks of starlight emerging from one of the apartments, floating into the sky.
"It's over," sighed Xu Jiayuan, "Time to head back and get some sleep."
Chi Shen opened the car door and settled inside. He put Bai Wan's plaque back into his backpack. They waited a bit longer, and when Gui Lian returned, Xu Jiayuan drove off.
The sound of the car door closing roused Li Xu. He opened his eyes just in time to see the last few lights ascending into the sky. Touching his neck, he remarked, "For some reason, I still feel out of sorts."
Xu Jiayuan said from the side, "The ghost on your neck is gone. Shouldn't you be relieved?"
"I used to find it uncomfortable," Li Xu began with a faint smile. "I always felt like I was wearing the wrong clothes and sometimes couldn't breathe easily. But now that it's truly gone, it feels like something's missing."
From the backseat, Chi Shen presented the red-clothed female ghost, pushing her forward. "Boss, how about this one? Just a head and hands, with long hair. She's lighter than the floral-dressed ghost. She could make up for your loss."
Li Xu turned to see the red-clothed female ghost smiling at him, a mix of comic and horror. He felt his heart skip a beat and waved his hands in refusal, "No, no. I'll get used to it. She should stay with you."
Chi Shen wore a look of disappointment. The red-clothed ghost seemed unhappy as well. She prepared to teach Li Xu a lesson, but Chi Shen quickly pulled her back, stuffing her into his backpack.
The scare sobered Li Xu. He picked up his phone to review the design proposals, thinking that the eerie ambiance made now the perfect time for such tasks, ensuring his feedback would be top-notch.
Chi Shen, known for being elusive outside of work, certainly wasn't about to join Li Xu in reviewing designs. His attention was fixed on Huang Lingling.
Among the victims of the serial killings in the Harbor City, only Huang Lingling could be found.
Huang Lingling was in the car, gazing back at him. The dim streetlights painted her as a lonely, abandoned child.
"So, what's your wish?"
Huang Lingling smirked wickedly, "I don't want to vanish. I have no wishes."
"Really?" Chi Shen smiled faintly, "One more chance."
She looked up defiantly, "I don't fall for such tricks. I just want to live. I don't want to disappear."
Chi Shen contemplated for a moment, then looked at Huang Lingling's legs. "Seems I've been too kind to you, fixing those legs."
At his words, her expression shifted to one of wariness. "What are you planning?"
"Children can be such a hassle," Chi Shen mused. "I only wanted to grant a wish because you once helped me." His gaze deepened, eyes darkening. "Let's see what you truly desire."
Chaotic memories sped past like a rushing train. Despite her youth, Huang Lingling's resentments ran deep. She remembered more than the headless ghost in the floral dress, even recalling her life before death in vivid detail.
Those memories from her past life were the very reasons she became a vengeful spirit.
Memories of Huang Liuqiang's beatings, the agonizing pain of her legs being brutally broken, and further back, the cold and hunger.
Chishi saw an old woman in Lingling's memories. This woman fed Lingling when she was starving, mended her clothes, and even gave her clothes that her own children had outgrown.
That same elderly woman had her hands chopped off by Huang Liuqiang.
From that point, a deep-seated hatred took root in young Lingling's memories.
She wished for Huang Liuqiang's death, yet she also wished he would be kind to her, like other fathers were to their children.
On the rare occasion when Huang Liuqiang returned from a card game and brought her a steamed bun, her joy knew no bounds.
A glance through Lingling's memories revealed a life filled with pain from her earliest recollections. The occasional warmth from the old grandmother was also extinguished by Huang Liuqiang's own hands.
After witnessing all this, Chishi had a faint idea forming in his mind. As Lingling's memories continued to unfold, a disturbance rippled through Chishi's usually calm demeanor.
He saw the root of all her suffering – the so-called fortune teller who had advised Huang Liuqiang to worship the God of Wealth.
On a dim, sunlit afternoon, Lingling sat on the front steps of her house, playing with the weeds, in a surprisingly good mood because her father had given her an egg for lunch, filling her stomach for once.
Then she saw a well-dressed man, who looked like the city folks she'd seen, enter their yard. Even his posture seemed attractive. Young as she was, unfamiliar with terms like "upright stance" or "gentlemanly demeanor", she simply thought he looked good.
The man glanced at Lingling sitting on the steps but proceeded to knock on their door.
Her father promptly answered, and his face lit up with a rarely-seen joy. He warmly welcomed the visitor with tea and water.
Such a display from her father was unusual, so she remembered it well.
The visitor didn't stay long; after a brief chat, he left. Afterward, her father began carving a statue of the God of Wealth.
While the cause of the serial murders in Harbor City seemed rooted in one man's greed and cruelty, Chishi saw there was a triggering factor.
Strikingly, the profile of the man who advised Huang Liuqiang bore a strong resemblance to Ji Xingchen!
Chishi withdrew from Lingling's memories.
Lingling sat in a shadow where even streetlights couldn't reach, her smile turning even more malevolent as she looked at Chishi.
"You've seen it."
