Wenn die Liebe naht, ist es wie Schnee

Kapitel 4

When faced with the corpse of one's own kind, a nameless fear arises. This fear is real; when you cannot predict the object of your fear yet clearly feel it, this elusive and ever-present dread is like a bomb that could explode at any moment, shattering you to pieces with a deafening roar. Or it's like a termite, slowly eating away at your composure and reason, causing your mental defenses to crumble in an instant.

Hiss...

Strange sounds came from inside the iron gate again. Luo Shimin's breathing suddenly stopped, as if the surrounding air had been sucked away, and her whole body was gradually soaked with cold sweat. The strange sounds brought her back to the terrifying scene from last night. Nurse Luo's face was ashen, her blood-red tongue was sticking out, and her bulging eyeballs made her dizzy.

The feeling of suffocation grew stronger, and there was hardly any air left in her lungs. A cruel smile crept onto Nurse Luo's lips, and a voice from hell escaped her mouth, "'It' will come for you."

"Luo Shimin!" Xia Chen called her name softly, "I'm going to break down this door."

Upon hearing Xia Chen's voice, Luo Shi felt a sudden relaxation throughout her body, and she collapsed weakly into Xia Chen's arms. After removing her mask, a wisp of cold air entered her lungs again.

"What's wrong? Are you alright?" Xia Chen asked Luo Shimin with unexpected concern.

"I'm fine." Luo Shimin helped Xia Chen to his feet. "Go ahead and crash."

Xia Chen handed the flashlight to Luo Shimin, stepped back a short distance, and sprinted over at top speed, slamming his shoulder hard against the iron gate. With a loud bang, the gate didn't budge, only a trail of dust falling from its edge.

"What a sturdy door." Xia Chen hugged his shoulder, the pain distorting his handsome face. "I refuse to believe it." Xia Chen took another run-up and rammed his other shoulder into the iron door. This time, the door wobbled twice but still wouldn't open.

"Let's think of another way," Luo Shimin said with some heartache. "How about we go up and find some tools before coming down?"

"I refuse to believe this nonsense." Xia Chen prepared to charge again.

With a creak, the iron gate opened by itself, a sound that sent chills down her spine. Standing in the doorway, Luo Shimin's heart leaped into her throat. A chilling gust of wind sent a shiver down her spine. The howling wind sounded like a person's desperate scream. Luo Shimin's mind went blank. Her animal instincts kicked in, sensing danger. Something whistled past her ear and disappeared into the darkness further away.

Xia Chen rushed over in a few strides and stood in front of Luo Shimin, watching the iron gate warily.

"Shall we go in?" Luo Shimin's voice was barely audible.

Xia Chen spoke instead of acting; he took Luo Shimin's small hand and walked through the iron gate. The pungent formaldehyde hit her nostrils, and Luo Shimin's tears immediately flowed.

After wiping away her tears, Luo Shimin saw that she was in a cramped space of less than twenty square meters. A fine layer of water droplets covered the grayish-yellow walls. In one corner stood two cabinets filled with various medical instruments. Underneath the cabinets, a huge rat was gnawing on something. It showed no fear of humans; its two tiny, red-bean-sized eyes glowed faintly. Despite being terrified of rats, Luo Shimin didn't scream. In less than twenty-four hours, she had witnessed far more terrifying things than rats. Perhaps, the most frightening thing in the world is humanity itself.

In the northeast corner of the room, there was a bed. The bed was surrounded by a layer of gauze or plastic sheeting, and you could vaguely see a person lying on the bed, which appeared to be a man.

Having released Luo Shimin's hand, Xia Chen slowly walked over and lifted the veil. Dr. Wu lay stiffly on the bed, his face pale. Luo Shimin froze, but what froze her completely wasn't Dr. Wu's face, but his body. There was a huge wound on his upper body, the skin exposed like clothing, revealing his internal organs. The organs were covered with a layer of white mucus, looking slippery, but there was no blood, not a drop. Xia Chen used something to carefully examine the liver, stomach, or other organs, his face almost pressed against them. A tiny scar on one of the organs caught his attention. Luo Shimin bent over and gagged, tears and snot streaming down her face, blurring her vision.

In a hazy state, Luo Shimin saw the demon's hideous grin.

Everything went black, and Luo Shimin fainted again.

Xia Chen ran over and picked up Luo Shimin, holding a delicate little glass bottle in his hand. The label read, "Xia's Pharmaceuticals!" He gripped the bottle tightly.

007 Autopsy Report

While unconscious, Luo Shimin entered a terrifying dream. She was running through a dark tunnel, but no matter how hard she ran, she could not see the exit. A chill ran down her spine, and the hairs on her body stood on end. In the darkness behind her, a monster whose appearance she could not see was chasing her.

A bone-chilling cold swept over her from all directions, her head throbbed with pain, and her heart pounded wildly.

A face suddenly emerged from the darkness ahead, rapidly approaching her. Its gaze was blank and numb as it stared at me, and the breath it exhaled almost touched her face. It was Qi Xiaoke's face, a face bearing the marks of her former beauty.

"Luo Shimin, Luo Shimin..." Someone called her name in the darkness, and there seemed to be a glimmer of light ahead. She ran forward with all her might, and after a bright light, she woke up. "Where am I?"

"You fainted from fright in the infirmary, and I carried you up here." Xia Chen's voice was unusually gentle.

Luo Shimin then noticed that she was lying in Xia Chen's arms in an ambiguous position, and the unique scent of a man filled her nostrils. Her face flushed red instantly. "I've caused you trouble."

"It's alright, I wouldn't have made such a significant discovery without you."

Luo Shimin broke free from Xia Chen's embrace and asked, "What exactly happened?"

Xia Chen stared at Luo Shimin for a while, and only spoke after confirming that he really wanted to know, "According to my speculation, the course of events was like this: Wu Tao tampered with the switch, strangled Dr. Zuo and Nurse Luo in the dark, and then cruelly murdered Qi Xiaoke. When you arrived at the door while he was killing Hu Rongrong, he hid in the sewer."

"Then who killed him?" Luo Shimin thought of a question. People can commit suicide, but they would never kill themselves in that way. "How can you be sure he wasn't killed along with others?"

“Although Dr. Wu was also strangled, I touched him and his body was still warm when we found him. He had been dead for no more than four hours.” Xia Chen sighed at this point. “Although I don’t know who the murderer is, I’m sure that at least one of the two people still alive in the infirmary is the murderer.”

"Why?" Luo Shimin asked, bewildered.

“I’ve carefully examined the furnishings in the sewer’s hidden room. They’re the same brand as the ones in the infirmary, and they even have the Yishi Academy’s number on them. I checked the duty roster. There are always two people on duty in the infirmary. It’s impossible for one person to move those things into the sewer without alerting the others. It’s very likely that the entire infirmary was involved. Now, only a nurse surnamed Song and a doctor surnamed Wei are still alive.”

"But why did they kill? There must be a reason for killing."

"I don't know either." Xia Chen lowered his head, then raised it again after a few seconds, his eyes radiating confidence. "But I'll find out soon enough."

Luo Shimin felt much better after sitting for a while. She stood up and asked, "What should we do? Should we report it to the police?"

"Leave this to me. I know some people at the police station. I'll have them sneak down into the sewers from somewhere else and lie in ambush in a hidden room. As soon as someone goes in, they'll be caught. He'll most likely be the murderer."

Luo Shimin looked at Xia Chen with admiration, "You're not an undercover cop sent to the school, are you?"

"An undercover agent?" Xia Chen was amused by Luo Shimin's rich imagination. "You watch too many anime. I'm just a student, an ordinary student. At most, a student who likes detective novels."

Xia Chen always had a blank expression, his face as unchanging as a still well. But when he smiled, he was truly handsome; Luo Shimin felt completely melted, as if she had melted into his smile. "Let's leave this place first," Xia Chen said, taking Luo Shimin's hand as they walked out of the infirmary.

"Let's go get something to eat. I don't want you to faint from hunger again." Xia Chen seemed to have forgotten that he was still holding Luo Shimin's hand. Luo Shimin was as obedient as a lamb, letting Xia Chen lead her away.

School cafeteria.

Zheng Yubing and Shui Lan were eating breakfast at a table near the door. Shui Lan was sipping her milk. Just moments ago, they had been worried about Luo Shimin. These days, men are all the same, and handsome men are the worst of the worst, the most despicable of the worst. But then, thinking of Luo Shimin's vicious father and ruthless brother, they felt a sense of relief. It took more than just courage and audacity to harm Luo Shimin.

After Shui Lan finished drinking her milk, she looked up and saw Zheng Yubing's extremely surprised face. Her eyes were wide open, and her mouth was wide open, big enough to fit an egg. What's more, she hadn't swallowed the food in her mouth yet.

"Did you see a ghost?" Shui Lan turned around and saw that her expression was even worse than Zheng Yubing's. The milk she had in her mouth that she hadn't had time to swallow turned into a rain of flying milk.

They witnessed a scene they would never have believed: handsome Xia Chen was walking hand-in-hand with Luo Shimin through the restaurant, the latter radiating a blissful, womanly happiness. The two saw Luo Shimin, and Luo Shimin saw them too. Embarrassed, Luo Shimin covered her rosy cheeks with her other hand, displaying a charmingly shy demeanor. Zheng and Shui simultaneously recalled Luo Shimin's often-repeated phrase—"Don't be obsessed with me, I'm just a legend."

Xia Chen gentlemanly pulled out a chair. "Sit here and wait a moment, I'll go buy some food." Luo Shimin nodded like a chick pondering its predicament. She hadn't understood it before, but now she personally experienced what it meant to be flattered. After Xia Chen walked away, she gave Zheng and Shui, who were walking towards her, an OK sign, signaling them not to come any closer.

Shui and Lan exchanged a glance. Both of them were sensible people. They gave Luo Shimin a thumbs-up and left the restaurant.

Xia Chen returned with the food. Luo Shimin glanced at the food on the plate, which was all his favorite food, and was secretly delighted. Could this be the legendary telepathy?

Luo Shimin ate the food on her plate in small bites, trying to appear more ladylike. She had no experience interacting with boys, and while eating, she was mentally calculating what to do next. By the time she finished her food, she still hadn't figured out what to do.

Xia Chen had already finished eating and showed no intention of leaving. "If you don't mind, let's sit here for a while longer. I'm waiting for a friend."

Friend? Luo Shimin was a little surprised. Xia Chen had only been at the school for less than a week; where would he get a friend? Xia Chen noticed her question and explained, "A friend of mine who's been with me for a long time wants to give me something. Something you'll be interested in too."

Luo Shimin asked, somewhat puzzled, "Something I would be interested in? What is it?"

Xia Chen didn't hide anything from her. "The autopsy report... My friend is a policeman. He called me while you were unconscious and told me he had obtained the detailed examination reports for the three victims at the medical clinic. He's on his way and will be there in two or three minutes."

Luo Shimin's tolerance was clearly much stronger than Shui Lan's. She forcefully swallowed the milk that was about to spit out. When had she ever been interested in an autopsy report? She could see from Xia Chen's eyes that he considered her a confidante. She swore to heaven that she only wanted justice for her friends, one dead and one injured. Under no circumstances would she have any interest in the blood splattered on a cold corpse. She didn't want Xia Chen to see it, so she pretended to be very expectant.

"He's here." Xia Chen stood up and waved to the restaurant entrance.

Luo Shimin peeked into her heart, and what she saw nearly made her eyes pop out. A stunningly handsome man, seemingly possessed by the very essence of heaven and earth, was walking towards her with a nonchalant, wicked smile. The police uniform looked tailor-made for him, making him appear incredibly dashing. Luo Shimin inwardly screamed, "Why are they both so handsome? Which of these two handsome men should I choose? One is cold, the other is passionate, I like them both, which one should I choose? God, why are you torturing me like this? It's too difficult to choose!"

Xia Chen introduced the two, "This is my friend Ye Cheng, a promising young policeman, and this is my deskmate Luo Shimin, a bold and righteous beauty."

"I can tell you're a beauty. It's nice to meet you." Ye Cheng smiled and extended his hand to Luo Shimin. Luo Shimin grasped Ye Cheng's hand and chuckled foolishly.

Ye Cheng said with a wicked grin, "So that's why you asked me for help last night. It was because of such a beautiful girl. You're incredibly lucky. When will I ever have a beauty like that by my side?"

Luo Shimin immediately understood why the police hadn't looked for her when she was the first to arrive at the scene; it was Ye Cheng who had played a crucial role, and the police had no idea she was there.

"Stop pretending to be innocent. There are at least fifty or a hundred beautiful women around you. Hurry up and give me the information I need." Xia Chen lightly punched Ye Cheng in the chest.

Ye Cheng's gaze never left Luo Shimin. He smiled and handed the file folder to Xia Chen, explaining, "This case is truly complex. Judging from the time of death, the three victims were murdered between 7 and 8 pm last night. There are several suspicious points in the case. First, the forensic doctor found a strange enzyme on Qi Xiaoke's body. This enzyme has never been found in the human body before and is very rare in nature. Its purpose is currently unknown. Second, on the surface, Dr. Zuo and Nurse Luo appeared to have been strangled, but the forensic doctor found two needle-like bite marks on Nurse Luo's neck. Her body also contained some kind of toxin, with a complex composition, somewhere between snake venom and insect venom. I almost forgot about the latest body you found in the basement. There wasn't a drop of blood on him, and we didn't find any blood-drawing equipment at the scene. The police currently suspect that members of the medical department are conducting some kind of evil medical experiment prohibited by law."

"Our surveillance personnel will arrive in half an hour. Dr. Wei and Nurse Song, who are still alive, will be under 24-hour police surveillance. Once sufficient evidence is found, they will be arrested immediately," Ye Cheng added. "There's another very important point I almost forgot: Qi Xiaoke's small intestine is missing. We searched the scene carefully; it's possible the murderer cut it off and took it."

Luo Shimin didn't care about these questions. "How is my friend doing? Is she alright?"

"Your friend is fine, she's just still in a coma, and she'll wake up in a day or two. She's an important witness now, and our police will send people to protect her for her safety."

Luo Shimin felt much relieved. Hu Rongrong was safe and sound, the murderer had been brought to justice, and Qi Xiaoke could rest in peace. Xia Chen interjected, "The case is a bit too simple. I don't think that's normal."

Ye Cheng was somewhat confused. "What do you mean it's too simple?"

Xia Chen closed the file. "I have a feeling this case won't end so easily. You know my intuition is usually very accurate. Also, have you thought about this? Why did the murderer take Qi Xiaoke's small intestine? And why did it have to be hers? She wasn't the only one with a small intestine at the scene; everyone has one."

Ye Cheng stopped talking.

A commotion arose outside the restaurant, and the students sitting near the entrance all ran out.

"What's wrong?" Ye Cheng asked.

“Probably that fool is using some clumsy way to woo me again.” Luo Shimin shrugged. “This kind of thing is very common at Yishi Academy.” Her tone was full of contempt, as if she often experienced similar things.

"Nurse Song has gone mad!" came a gasp from outside the restaurant.

008 Nurse Song Has Gone Mad

Xia Chen gave Ye Cheng a look, as if to say, "See? I told you, it won't end so easily. Everything is as I expected."

The three exchanged glances, and Xia Chen took the lead, rushing out of the restaurant. The road was filled with running students. Xia Chen reached out and grabbed one of them, asking, "Where is Nurse Song?"

The student who was pulled back was very dissatisfied, but when he saw Luo Shimin standing next to him, he immediately said obediently, "Nurse Song went to the old building area."

Xia Chen then asked, "How did she go mad?"

"How would I know? I only heard that someone saw him running on the school road in tattered clothes, shouting, 'The bugs are coming! The killer bugs are coming!' That's all I know."

"Go on your way." Xia Chen let go of the student's hand, and the student disappeared in a flash along the path. Chinese people love a good show; there are always onlookers. They have a strange, even morbid, schadenfreude about misfortunes happening to others. As long as it doesn't happen to them, who cares?

Xia Chen muttered to himself, oblivious to those around him, "How did Nurse Song suddenly go crazy?"

Ye Cheng poked his lower back with his finger. "Now is not the time to think. Shouldn't we go check on this Nurse Song? We don't know if she's really crazy or just pretending."

"This way." Luo Shimin intended to lead the way, but Xia Chen beat her to it. She discovered another problem: Xia Chen, who had been at the school for less than a day, was just as familiar with it as she was. Xia Chen led the two through a grove of trees that the students called Ghost Forest, the most convenient route to the old buildings area. Ghost Forest got its name because of its proximity to the old buildings; the vegetation was unusually lush, and entering the grove gave one a creepy, eerie feeling, as if someone was behind them. Even at noon, few students would approach Ghost Forest. This was practically an unspoken rule among the students of Yishi Academy, but Xia Chen chose this path without a care. He seemed very dissatisfied with the academy's rules; he had transferred here precisely to break them.

"Damn road." A green plant snagged Ye Cheng's clothes again, making him look somewhat disheveled.

Xia Chen said, "We'll be out in a few more steps. This is the fastest route. It won't take a minute to get to the old buildings area. I have a bad feeling."

Ye Cheng quickened his pace. His previous experience told him that whenever Xia Chen had a bad feeling, someone would die. Too many people had died in this case, and he didn't want to see anyone else die.

The three walked through the woods and found the crazed Nurse Song in front of the steps of an old building.

Nurse Song, in her early thirties and still single, was quite attractive and usually very attentive to her appearance. However, she was wearing stained pajamas, barefoot, and disheveled, her hair a tangled mess. Her cheeks were bruised, clearly from a fall. Her eyes were bloodshot, and anyone could see the terror in them. Saliva dripped from her mouth, staining her clothes. Her lips were moving as if she were trying to say something, but no one could understand her. Everything indicated that Nurse Song had truly gone mad.

"She seems to have gone mad with fright." Quite a few things happened last night, and Xia Chen couldn't think of anything that could drive a mentally mature middle-aged woman insane. Moreover, this woman was a medical student, already accustomed to bloody scenes, and far more courageous than the average person.

Seeing more and more students gathering around, Ye Cheng thought, "I think it's best to take her away from here first, and then find an expert to take a look. Her illness might be curable."

Nurse Song had taken care of Luo Shimin when she was sick. Luo Shimin couldn't bear to see her like this now, so she reached out to pull Nurse Song away. The three of them made a new discovery: there was a faint ligature mark on Nurse Song's neck, but it was the same as the marks on the necks of the other victims.

As more and more onlookers gathered, Nurse Song suddenly stood up, gesticulating wildly and shouting hysterically at the onlookers, "Run! The bugs are coming! The bugs will kill you! Run!"