Volume One, Chapter 41: Why Are You Here?

A group of people followed the red thread out of the hospital room. At the entrance of the hospital, the two threads pointed in different directions.

Xiao Yu pointed to one of them and said, “It should be this way.”

Xiao Ming agreed, pointing at the other thread as he explained, “That direction leads to Dad’s favorite billiards club. He’s there almost every Saturday afternoon.”

With the direction confirmed, everyone followed the red thread and soon arrived at an unfinished building. The thread stretched upwards, reaching all the way to the rooftop.

“I’ll go in. You wait out here,” Chi Xingwan said.

Cheng Fan objected immediately, “Consultant Chi, I’ve already informed the association. Secretary Dai is on his way. Please don’t go in alone—it’s far too dangerous.”

“No one knows what’s happening inside. If we delay any longer, the consequences might be irreversible.”

Cheng Fan fell silent. After a moment, he said, “Then let me go in with you.”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Chi Xingwan replied reflexively.

Cheng Fan hesitated, uncertain. “Consultant Chi, is it because you’re afraid I’ll just drag you down?”

“As long as you know, there’s no need to say it out loud.”

“I knew it…”

Chi Xingwan didn’t argue further; she simply walked straight into the abandoned building, calling back over her shoulder, “Keep those two safe. Wait for me outside.”

The building’s structure was complete, but inside, the walls were bare and unpainted, the atmosphere damp and foreboding.

Chi Xingwan climbed the stairs directly, making her way straight to the top floor. As she reached the sixth floor, she heard a commotion above—a familiar noise. Without a second thought, she quickened her pace and hurried up.

On the ninth floor, Yu Dongli was shouting at a young man, her grip tight on his arm.

“Huang Yusen, we’ve been together for three years! How could you treat me like this?”

Her boyfriend, Huang Yusen, looked exasperated, tugging hard to free his arm. “I told you—it’s over. Why must you act so crazy and keep clinging to me?”

“I won’t give up so easily! You owe me an explanation!”

Yu Dongli refused to let go, determined. Behind her, Xu Mingyue looked furious, even Wen Jing’s usually gentle face betrayed her annoyance.

Xu Mingyue, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward and yanked Yu Dongli back. “Enough! Do you realize we were supposed to be in the lab today? Because you ran off, we couldn’t finish the experiment. If this goes on, we’ll all fail the class—you know that?”

Thanks to Xu Mingyue’s intervention, Huang Yusen finally broke free and dashed upstairs, disappearing from sight in moments.

Yu Dongli turned her anger on Xu Mingyue. “What’s your problem? This is my private business! Who are you to interfere? You let him get away—how will you make it up to me?”

“Are you crazy? Willing to live or die over a man? If you hadn’t run out of the lab, I wouldn’t even be involved.”

Chi Xingwan couldn’t listen anymore. She picked up a steel pipe from the floor and struck it against the wall, drawing the attention of all three girls.

“Can someone explain why you’re here?”

Wen Jing hurried over, relief in her eyes. “Xingwan, you’re just in time. Talk some sense into Dongli, convince her to come back with us.”

“Tell me what happened first.”

Wen Jing glanced at Yu Dongli, choosing her words carefully. “We were in the university lab, doing an experiment. Dongli got a call, got really upset, and ran off. Mingyue and I were worried, so we followed her here.”

Chi Xingwan turned to Yu Dongli. “Your turn. Why did you come here?”

Yu Dongli, for reasons she could not explain, found Chi Xingwan intimidating and reluctantly mumbled, “A friend saw my boyfriend here with another woman and told me. That’s why I came.”

“He’s not your boyfriend anymore. If he died, it wouldn’t matter to you,” Xu Mingyue couldn’t help but retort.

“Xu Mingyue! He was just confused for a moment and made a mistake. We haven’t broken up!”

As the two were about to argue again, Chi Xingwan finally lost her patience and shouted, “Do you even realize the danger you’re in?”

It was the first time the three had seen Chi Xingwan angry, and they all shrank back, startled.

“Now, all of you, go downstairs and wait outside for me,” Chi Xingwan commanded.

Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing instinctively moved toward the stairs, but Yu Dongli glanced upward, then gritted her teeth. “I’m not leaving. I’m going to find my boyfriend.”

She refused to listen to anyone, her mind full of Huang Yusen, and rushed upstairs.

Chi Xingwan clicked her tongue. “No advice can save someone hell-bent on courting death.”

Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing grew uneasy at her words. They might dislike Yu Dongli, but they didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.

“Xingwan, what’s up there? Is it dangerous?” Wen Jing asked timidly.

Chi Xingwan’s voice was calm again. “Who knows? Perhaps a murderer.”

Xu Mingyue’s mouth fell open in fright, and Wen Jing was on the verge of tears. The two exchanged a glance, determination settling between them.

“Xingwan, we’re coming with you. At the very least, we have to bring that fool Dongli down safely.”

Wen Jing’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded resolutely. “Exactly. We can’t let you go alone. There’s three of us—our chances against a murderer are better.”

Chi Xingwan hesitated, then realized it might be for the best. Besides Dongli and Huang Yusen, at least Xiao Rui was up there. She wasn’t sure about Su Tang’s capabilities, but with Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing, she’d have help keeping Dongli under control.

“In that case, let’s go up together. Keep these amulets close to you.” She handed two protective charms to Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing.

They took them. Xu Mingyue then said, “Right—we should call the police.” She pulled out her phone, only to find she had no signal at all.

“No signal...”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just go up,” Chi Xingwan said.

Xu Mingyue put her phone away. She and Wen Jing followed closely behind Chi Xingwan, and the three of them reached the top floor without incident.

The moment they stepped onto the top landing, the scene before them changed: the corridor was filled with fresh flowers, the air heavy with a suggestive perfume, as if this was no longer the abandoned building.

Ahead stood a wooden door, tightly shut.

“Did someone move in already?” Xu Mingyue wondered aloud.

Chi Xingwan walked up, hand on the doorknob. Before she pushed it open, she said to the others, “When we go in, stay behind me and follow my instructions. Don’t move unless I say so.”

“Okay,” the two replied in unison. At that moment, they didn’t question why they should obey Chi Xingwan, the youngest among them.

As the door opened, an even heavier scent flooded out. Xu Mingyue and Wen Jing suddenly felt their hearts race, their faces flushing red.

But Chi Xingwan showed not the slightest change. She strode in first, leading the way.