Ripples spread across the surface of the water, one after another, like some ominous portent.
Just a few minutes ago, when she’d looked, the water had been as smooth as a mirror.
Two human-shaped objects, as if lifted by an invisible force, silently drifted up and down beneath the water’s surface.
There was no movement at all—utterly unlike anything alive.
No matter how strong her nerves were, witnessing such a supernatural phenomenon with her own eyes still made Hua Qi’an’s breath skip a beat.
She instinctively gripped the electric baton in her pocket.
The icy coldness brought her a faint, almost negligible sense of security.
Expressionless, she stared at those two human forms, her mind racing.
From the moment she entered the mansion, she’d been recording everything.
This should serve as evidence.
Now, with two suspected corpses suddenly appearing in the house, no matter what, she couldn’t just walk away as if nothing had happened.
With this in mind, Hua Qi’an quickly left the room thick with a salty, fishy odor and headed downstairs.
She needed to get a closer look, and most importantly, keep recording—to leave herself the most direct evidence.
Walking through the empty mansion, her footsteps echoed unusually clearly.
A faint echo replied, speaking of the utter quiet.
Though she’d never been to the pond before, Hua Qi’an quickly mapped out a route based on the room’s location.
When she reached the edge of the pond, the thick, almost tangible salty stench made her retch.
She instinctively raised a hand to cover her nose and mouth, frowning deeply.
Only now did she realize how gentle the odors she’d smelled in the past few days had been by comparison.
The two corpses in the pond floated face down.
Their features couldn’t be seen clearly, but judging by their builds and clothing, they were likely two men.
One was broad and muscular, the other much leaner.
Soaked in the water, their bodies were starting to swell, the bluish-white skin appearing even more ghastly in broad daylight.
Hua Qi’an noticed that the thunderstruck wood amulet hanging around her neck was giving off a faint warmth.
She turned, shifting her gaze from the corpses in the water, and, to steady herself, picked up the wooden talisman and examined it in front of her eyes.
The talisman itself seemed duller than when she’d first received it; the cinnabar rune on its surface had lost its former vibrant red, as if the spiritual energy had faded away.
Only the lingering warmth told her it was still guarding her.
Hua Qi’an finally felt a little more at ease.
She lifted her wrist, looking at the prayer beads that Liu Ran had given her.
Once warm and lustrous, they too had dimmed.
Even to Hua Qi’an, the fading of these two items was clearly visible to the naked eye.
Something was definitely wrong.
She remembered what Liu Ran had said: these were to protect her from “those things”…
The change in them was an undeniable warning that this was no ordinary matter.
It seemed that the splash from earlier might not have been a simple accident.
Perhaps these two uninvited guests had triggered something within the haunted mansion…
Hua Qi’an’s heart sank.
Without any hesitation, she swiped her phone and split the screen to call the police.
“Hello, I’d like to report an incident.”
Her voice was as cold and calm as ever, utterly unwavering.
Corpses… She’d seen them before.
What shook her more was the aftermath.
“This is… the address is…”
She gave the haunted mansion’s address clearly to the dispatcher.
“Yes, I’ve found two floating bodies in the mansion’s pond.”
“My name is Hua Qi’an. I’m still at the scene and will cooperate with the investigation.”
After hanging up, Hua Qi’an let out a long breath.
She kept recording, focusing her camera on the bodies in the pond, then slowly filming the surrounding environment to ensure she captured everything.
The police arrived swiftly.
In less than half an hour, the shrill wail of sirens broke the deathly silence of the deserted area.
Several officers got out of the car.
Seeing the luxurious yet desolate mansion and the slender, indifferent Hua Qi’an waiting at the door, a flicker of surprise and suspicion crossed their eyes.
“You’re the one who called?” The lead officer, a middle-aged man, stepped forward and sized up Hua Qi’an with a sharp gaze.
Hua Qi’an nodded.
“I’ll take you to where I found the bodies.”
With the size of this courtyard, if the police had to search for the way themselves, it would only waste time.
That was why Hua Qi’an had waited at the door for them.
At the pond’s edge, Hua Qi’an pointed to the two floating corpses.
“Officer, here’s the full recording from the moment I entered the mansion. It might help with your investigation.”
She handed her phone—recording already stopped—to the officer.
He took it, noticing the hours-long video, then looked at Hua Qi’an’s pale but exceedingly calm face, his gaze tinged with curiosity.
“Come back to the station with us to make a statement.”
Hua Qi’an had no reason to refuse.
She obediently got into the police car.
The station was filled with a tense, oppressive atmosphere, police officers hurrying to and fro.
Hua Qi’an was led into an interrogation room, a harsh fluorescent light shining from above, making her instinctively squint.
“Name, age, occupation.”
“Hua Qi’an, nineteen. Second-year Archaeology Department student at Hangyang University.”
The young officer making the record looked up in surprise at her major, but quickly returned to his professional demeanor.
“Why were you at that location?”
“I heard the place was haunted, so I wanted to record something live. That’s why I made the video,” Hua Qi’an replied, half-truthfully.
Why she was at the haunted mansion… was irrelevant.
“When did you discover the bodies?”
“Just a few minutes before I called. I heard a splash, then saw it from a second-floor window…”
Hua Qi’an recounted the process of discovering the corpses in an organized, composed manner.
Her calmness and clarity amazed the officer across from her.
This was nothing like the reaction one would expect from a nineteen-year-old female university student who had just found two dead bodies.
The interrogation lasted longer than Hua Qi’an expected.
Her recording was too extensive; the police needed time to verify everything.
That video was not only evidence, but also the perfect alibi.
It wasn’t until night had fully fallen that Hua Qi’an was finally allowed to leave.
Her phone was, of course, returned; the station had already made a copy of the video.
The recording was so long that Hua Qi’an didn’t bother to edit it—she just sent it in a single package to a blank account.
“This episode’s editing will be tough on you guys.”
“I recorded dead bodies.”
Stepping out of the police station, the chilly night wind slapped her face, clearing away the daze brought on by hours in a closed space.
She rubbed her aching neck.
Her original plan had been to film all afternoon and evening, but now, after all this, she’d have to stop.
Next, she just needed to hurry back to her dorm and get a good night’s sleep.
Just as she was about to follow the navigation to the bus station to catch a late bus, a flashy sports car screeched to a halt at the police station entrance.
A man decked out in designer brands, hair styled in gaudy silver-foil waves, got out swearing, followed by several hangers-on from the backseat.
Hua Qi’an paused.
That hairstyle looked familiar.
Wasn’t he… Wang Chang?
The rich second-generation who’d confessed to Chen Zhiyan at school and had his scene ruined by her.
What was he doing here?
Wang Chang turned and obviously saw Hua Qi’an too.
He froze for a moment, then his eyes burned with anger.
He recognized Hua Qi’an!
It was this woman!
If not for her, how could he have been humiliated in front of Chen Zhiyan that day!
He stormed toward Hua Qi’an, as if about to settle scores.
But as he drew closer and saw her face clearly under the station’s bright lights, his steps involuntarily slowed.
The girl’s face, pale with fatigue, looked even more delicate for its sickly tinge.
Instead of marring her features, it lent her a fragile beauty that stirred pity.
Her lashes were long, casting a slight shadow in the lamplight, and her jet-black eyes watched him coolly, calm and unreadable.
In that moment, Wang Chang’s fury morphed into something hotter and more primal.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
The anger vanished from his face, replaced by a smile he thought was suave and charming.
“Miss, have we… met somewhere before?”
He spoke in feigned surprise, lowering his voice by several tones to add a touch of masculine magnetism.
Hua Qi’an couldn’t be bothered to respond.
She saw the greed and desire in Wang Chang’s gaze and felt a wave of nausea.
Men like this were no different from the girls in middle school who’d crowded around her, making her feel suffocated.
Maybe those girls at least smelled nicer…
She didn’t answer, just turned expressionlessly to walk past him toward the bus station.
“Hey, miss, don’t go!”
Wang Chang quickly stepped forward to block her path.
His hangers-on circled around, subtly forming an encirclement.
“I’m Wang Chang,” he straightened his collar and struck a pose he thought was dashing, “My cousin had some trouble today… I’m here to identify the body.”
“Didn’t expect to meet such a beautiful lady here. Must be fate, right?”
He reached out, trying to grab Hua Qi’an’s hand.
She stepped back in disgust, avoiding his touch.
Her gaze turned icy, a layer of frost settling in her dark eyes.
“Move.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an unmistakable chill.
Wang Chang was momentarily stunned by her stare, then laughed it off. “Such a temper, miss. I just want to get to know you—make a friend. What’s your name? Leave a contact?”
“You ruined my confession before. Shouldn’t you make it up to me?”
His hangers-on chimed in.
“Yeah, beauty, it’s the first time our Bro Wang’s been so forward.”
“Give us some face.”
Again.
Familiar scene, familiar heckling, and Hua Qi’an’s stomach churned.
She remembered how Chen Zhiyan had been harassed by this guy before.
Her breathing began to grow labored.
Just as she was about to force her way past them, a black sedan slid quietly to the curb.
The window rolled down, revealing a bright, beautiful face.
“Qi’an?”
Chen Zhiyan sat in the driver’s seat, surprised to see Hua Qi’an surrounded.
Her gaze shifted to Wang Chang, instantly growing cold.
Roaches… they really are everywhere…
Her pretty brows knit together, and her gentle voice dropped, tinged with displeasure.
“Wang Chang, what are you doing this time?”
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