El hibisco como pintura

Capítulo 7

"Then you have to be careful. I have a meeting today and can't go. I'm really worried about you being alone." Principal Chen's worried voice came from the other end of the phone.

“Principal Chen, it’s alright. I’m just going to see Li Wenbin’s parents to see if there are any clues. I’ll be home in a bit.”

"Then call me when you get home, and I'll feel at ease."

"I understand." After hanging up the phone, Gao Xiaoyuan looked up and happened to see the door number.

44 Haiquan Road

For some reason, Gao Xiaoyuan suddenly felt a little nervous. She took a deep breath, patted her chest, and then walked to the iron gate and peered inside.

The yard was overgrown with weeds, looking like it hadn't been tended to in a long time. A thick layer of dirt covered the steps, and the windowpanes seemed uncleaned for ages; the red door, however, stood out starkly. It looked like no one had lived here for a long time.

Did Li Wenbin's parents move away?

Gao Xiaoyuan peeked through the window, but unfortunately, thick curtains covered the room completely, making it impossible to see inside. Gao Xiaoyuan reached out and pressed the doorbell.

Five seconds passed, and no one came out.

Gao Xiaoyuan rang the doorbell a few more times, but still no one came out to open the door. It seemed that the house had indeed been uninhabited for a long time.

Gao Xiaoyuan took a few steps back in disappointment, glanced at Villa No. 44 one last time, and then turned to leave.

Just then, a sound suddenly rang out, "Squeak—"

Gao Xiaoyuan slowed her pace and then gradually stopped. She turned around and looked at the iron fence.

The iron gate was open!

Is someone in the room?

Gao Xiaoyuan hesitated for a moment and went back, squeezing through the gap in the open iron gate.

"Hello, I am a student from Beiqing High School. My name is Gao Xiaoyuan. Principal Chen sent me here." Gao Xiaoyuan said nervously in the courtyard, her eyes fixed on the red door.

No one responded; all was quiet.

Gao Xiaoyuan rubbed her hands together nervously, not knowing why she was so tense, but she felt as if a pair of eyes were watching her. Who could it be? Was it Li Wenbin's mother, or his father? Gao Xiaoyuan unconsciously looked around.

The surrounding area was filled with small villas, but there wasn't a single person in sight. It seems that wealthy people don't want to meddle in other people's business or interact with others.

Gao Xiaoyuan turned her gaze back to the red door and then called out, "Hello, I am a student from Beiqing High School."

Suddenly, with a loud bang, the red door opened a crack.

Gao Xiaoyuan was startled and took a step back, biting her lower lip as she stared at the red door. She had a strange feeling about the house, a kind of eerie and terrifying atmosphere, and she didn't know what she would encounter if she went inside. Although she was very scared, Gao Xiaoyuan still braced herself and went inside.

The house was very clean, which surprised Gao Xiaoyuan.

The roof is black, the walls are white, the floors are black, and the furniture, lamps, fabrics, and sofas are all black and white... Even the staircase leading to the second floor is black and white, with black handrails and white steps.

Gao Xiaoyuan couldn't help but shiver; the monotonous black and white color scheme made her extremely uncomfortable. She stood in the lobby, her eyes scanning the entire house. In the center of the lobby sat a set of black leather sofas; the white glass coffee table was completely empty. To the left of the lobby was a narrow corridor leading to a room, and to the right was another room, which looked more like a kitchen. Directly opposite Gao Xiaoyuan was the staircase leading to the second floor.

There is no one.

Gao Xiaoyuan tried to cough lightly.

Still no one.

Gao Xiaoyuan pursed her lips, about to speak, when she suddenly heard a melodious piano sound.

She instinctively shuddered, her gaze immediately shifting to the door at the end of the left-hand corridor.

The piano music was coming from there.

Gao Xiaoyuan walked quietly in that direction, and stopped when she was almost in front of the door.

She guessed it must be a music room. Normally, music rooms have soundproofing, so the music shouldn't be able to get out, but because the door was ajar, the music was coming out.

Gao Xiaoyuan tilted her head and looked through the crack in the door.

The music room was empty except for a white grand piano standing in the middle. Sunlight shone through the glass walls onto the piano, making it look even more beautiful.

But there was no one in front of the piano, and the piano music stopped at that moment.

Gao Xiaoyuan opened the door and stepped inside.

The music room was empty, but there wasn't a single person in sight.

Where did the pianist go? Gao Xiaoyuan circled the room. One side of the house was entirely enclosed by a glass wall, offering a clear view of the outside. Gao Xiaoyuan pushed the glass wall, finding it sturdy with no door and no possibility of opening. Looking out over the glass wall, she saw tall weeds in the yard, but still no one was there. Frowning, Gao Xiaoyuan walked to the piano and lightly pressed a few keys. The piano produced a cheerful sound, but unfortunately, Gao Xiaoyuan couldn't play, so the notes sounded discordant.

Just as Gao Xiaoyuan was unconsciously pressing the piano keys, she vaguely heard the sound of water dripping. She immediately stopped and listened quietly to the dripping sound.

"Tick-tock—tick-tock—"

Gao Xiaoyuan's eyes widened slowly as she saw a drop of red liquid on the piano key. Startled, she withdrew her hand and stared blankly at the red liquid.

One drop, two drops, three drops...

Gao Xiaoyuan slowly raised her head and looked at the ceiling.

Three red musical notes on the ceiling were unusually conspicuous.

Just then, another drop of red liquid landed on Gao Xiaoyuan's face. She wiped it off and then brought it to her nose to smell it.

It's blood!

Explanation of the two notes

Gao Xiaoyuan stood frozen for a full minute before letting out her first scream. Then, she dashed out of the music room and ran towards the door. But when she tried to pull on the door, she found it locked. Gao Xiaoyuan pounded on the door, shouting, "Let me out! Open the door! Let me out!" No matter how much she yelled, the door wouldn't open, and no one answered her. Gao Xiaoyuan turned around and stared nervously at the black and white house, her heart filled with fear.

The room was eerily quiet, a silence that almost suffocated Gao Xiaoyuan. She turned around and continued pounding on the door, but it remained firmly shut. Desperate, Gao Xiaoyuan kicked the door, but it didn't budge. She ran to the window, trying to open it, but found it locked too. In her panic, she frantically searched for something to break the glass and escape. Just then, she heard that ticking sound again.

Gao Xiaoyuan froze, her gaze fixed on the music room.

The blood was dripping from the ceiling, and what did those red musical notes represent? Gao Xiaoyuan looked up at the second floor.

What is on the second floor?

Although terrified, Gao Xiaoyuan came here to find clues. She originally wanted to find Li Wenbin's parents to learn about what happened back then, but now the house was empty. But if no one was there, how could there be music? And the bloodstains on the ceiling... the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Gao Xiaoyuan gritted her teeth and slowly walked towards the stairs with her heart pounding. When her fingers lightly touched the cold handrail, she couldn't help but shudder and stared intently at the second floor.

Is someone on the second floor?

There is only one room on the second floor, which should be considered a bedroom. However, according to Principal Chen, Li Wenbin lives with his parents, so how could there only be one bedroom?

Gao Xiaoyuan hesitated before pushing open the bedroom door, her eyes widening in an instant.

The entire room was covered in piano key wallpaper—the ceiling, walls, and floor were all covered, and even the writing desk, study desk, bed sheets, pillows, and computer were covered in piano key patterns.

Gao Xiaoyuan walked into the room in surprise, stood in the middle and turned around, reaching out to touch the wall and then the computer.

"Is this Li Wenbin's bedroom?" Gao Xiaoyuan knew from Principal Chen that Li Wenbin loved the piano, but she never expected that Li Wenbin loved the piano to this extent, with the entire bedroom filled with piano keys, which seemed a bit extreme.

There were three long, narrow indentations on the wall behind the bed, with several black lines drawn next to them. Gao Xiaoyuan didn't know what they represented; perhaps musicians just had unconventional ideas.

Gao Xiaoyuan looked down at the floor; it was clean and there were no bloodstains. She lay down and ran her hand over the floor, frowning slightly. It seemed the blood hadn't seeped in from there. When she looked up, she immediately saw another door in the bedroom. Gao Xiaoyuan got up, walked over, and pushed open the door, finding herself in a small bathroom.

The bathroom looked quite ordinary, with a rectangular mirror, a bathtub, a shower head, and a sink. Nothing seemed particularly special, except... there was a white towel draped next to the sink.

It's normal to have towels in the bathroom, but this towel is wet, as if someone just used it.

Was there really someone in this room? As Gao Xiaoyuan stepped out of the bathroom, she kept thinking about this question. When she looked up, she was startled and let out a scream, because she saw a boy in a school uniform smiling at her from the doorway. But when she saw him clearly, she couldn't help but pat her chest and breathe a sigh of relief, forcing a smile.

It turned out that it was just a life-sized photograph that was pasted behind the door. Because it was so realistic, Gao Xiaoyuan mistook it for a real person.

After calming down, Gao Xiaoyuan walked behind the door and looked the photo up and down.

The student in the photo is wearing the same school uniform as Gao Xiaoyuan. She has slightly curly hair, a round face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and upturned lips. She looks very happy. She is holding a trophy in her left hand and raising her right hand in a victory gesture.

Is this Li Wenbin? He looks very sunny and energetic; he must be an optimist, right? Gao Xiaoyuan wondered to herself, glancing around the room again.

A notebook, which looks like a diary, is neatly arranged on the desk.

Gao Xiaoyuan walked over and picked up the notebook. There were some musical notes drawn on the cover, but unfortunately Gao Xiaoyuan couldn't understand any of them, so she casually unfolded the notebook.

"Huh? What are these...?" Gao Xiaoyuan unfolded the notebook and discovered it was filled with all sorts of musical notes, each accompanied by a sentence. She flipped through several pages, finding that every page contained a musical note and a sentence. Did Li Wenbin like to use musical notes to represent his language, with the accompanying sentences serving as explanations? Thinking of this, Gao Xiaoyuan recalled the blood-red musical notes on the ceiling of the music room on the first floor. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she immediately began searching for those notes in the notebook. Sure enough, on the seventh page, she found the exact same notes as those on the ceiling.

Welcome to my home.

So that's what it means. Who is welcoming her? Why in this way? And why doesn't anyone show up? Just then, Gao Xiaoyuan heard a sound, a sound that looked like plates colliding.

Plates! Is someone in the kitchen?!

Whose birthday is it today?

Gao Xiaoyuan rushed downstairs and headed straight for the kitchen. She was stunned the moment she pushed open the door.

There was still no one in the kitchen. Only a chocolate cake sat on the table, with candles flickering on it. Two round plates sat on either side of the cake, with a knife and fork on either side.

Gao Xiaoyuan quickly glanced around. The cabinets and kitchenware were neatly arranged, the clean tabletop was spotless, and the sky outside the window had darkened, with only a lingering ray of sunset hanging reluctantly on the horizon.

Gao Xiaoyuan slowly walked to the dining table, her eyes fixed on the four bright red characters on the cake: Happy Birthday.

Whose birthday is it today?

"One, two, three, four, five, six..." Gao Xiaoyuan counted the candles carefully. There were seventeen in total, so the person celebrating their birthday must be seventeen years old this year.

Gao Xiaoyuan glanced around the kitchen again, and after confirming that no one was there, she quickly hid a knife next to the plate in her sleeve, then sat down at the dining table as if nothing had happened and waited.

Time ticked by, but no one appeared. The candles on the cake were about to burn out, and the birthday person still hadn't shown up. Gao Xiaoyuan had no choice but to quickly blow out the candles.

Suddenly, music started playing, and Gao Xiaoyuan was so startled she almost fell off her chair. But she immediately realized it was her phone ringing in her pocket, and she quickly pressed the answer button.

"Hello--"

"Xiaoyuan, your voice sounds a little off, what's wrong?"

Hearing Principal Chen's voice, Gao Xiaoyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Principal Chen, Li Wenbin's parents aren't home, and this house..." Gao Xiaoyuan said nervously in a low voice, "This house seems a bit strange. I haven't seen a single person, but I have a feeling that there's someone in the house." Gao Xiaoyuan said the last word "person" very uncertainly.

"Xiaoyuan, what do you mean by 'is anyone here'? I don't understand what you mean." Principal Chen's voice sounded somewhat hurried.

“I don’t know. I just heard someone playing the piano, and then I saw blood dripping from the ceiling of the music room, and…” Gao Xiaoyuan looked up and saw the cake: “Principal Chen, what is Li Wenbin’s birthday?” Even Gao Xiaoyuan didn’t know why she asked that question.

“Li Wenbin? Let me think…” There was silence on the other end of the phone. Gao Xiaoyuan huddled against the wall, nervously looking around, afraid that someone might suddenly appear.

"Oh right, it seems to be today!" Principal Chen suddenly said, and Gao Xiaoyuan froze. She stared blankly at the cake, and suddenly noticed something red underneath it.

Gao Xiaoyuan put her phone on the table and moved the cake to the side.