Mysterious Cases of Female College Students

Chapter 2

So no one spoke anymore, and they all silently packed their things.

There were two empty beds in the dormitory. Tao Hua always had a lot of things, so she piled the extras on them. But when she got to one of the beds, her expression suddenly changed drastically, because the label on the bed rail read "Xiao Chuhan." She lost her balance slightly, but tried her best to remain calm, saying, "Muxiang, are you deliberately trying to mess with me? Why did you write that ugly girl's name here?"

Mu Xiang didn't know why the name "Xiao Chuhan" was here either, and helplessly protested, "I didn't write it! Could it be... could it be that Xiao Chuhan came here too?"

Tao Hua's face darkened further, and Zhuo Jiasi and Zuo Feifei vehemently denied it, even showing signs of fear. In the awkward silence, Zhuo Jiasi could only say, "Let's not overthink it. Maybe it was someone who used to live here, also named Xiao Chuhan."

The explanation was weak, because the three red characters were clearly newly written; the ink didn't even seem completely dry yet. All four fell silent, only the water droplets at the end of the aisle continued their relentless flow. And in Zhuo Jiasi's mind, the sound of the easel falling to the floor echoed repeatedly.

4

Perhaps none of the four girls imagined that three years later they would end up at the same university, and even living in the same dormitory. To celebrate, Tao Hua excitedly suggested going out for a meal, and the other three naturally agreed. The four girls forgot about the unpleasantness from earlier and found a quaint little restaurant called "Orchid Garden" outside the school.

After so many years apart, the four girls naturally had a lot to talk about. They recounted their lives over meals, but unexpectedly, Tao Hua had taken to smoking and drinking. Zhuo Jiasi watched her gulp down beer, her fingers stained yellow with cigarette smoke. She suddenly realized that while Tao Hua's face still held a proud expression, her heart was shattered.

No one mentioned Xiao Chuhan anymore. Her drowning death was undoubtedly the deepest hidden pain in the hearts of the four of them. Because of this, they consciously stopped contacting each other after that accident; perhaps it was the best way to escape. But it was clear that Tao Hua was using violence to try and forget the pain.

By the end of the dinner, Tao Hua was completely drunk and was rambling incoherently.

Left with no other choice, Zuo Feifei said she had to take Tao Hua back to her dormitory first. Zhuo Jiasi had been missing Mu Xiang and wanted to chat with her more, so the two said they would stay a little longer before returning to their dorms.

After the two women left, Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang's conversation became much more casual. Mu Xiang leaned closer and asked with some confusion, "Jiasi, your grades have always been excellent. I remember you were first in the city in the high school entrance exam. How did you end up at Chujiang University?"

Zhuo Jiasi smiled sheepishly and said to Mu Xiang somewhat mysteriously, "Because of someone."

Alone? Mu Xiang felt a little confused, but then suddenly realized and said, "Oh, is someone waiting for you at this school?"

"I guess so." Zhuo Jiasi was about to say "Su Mu's" name when she saw Li Sixia walk into the restaurant with a smile. Clearly, he had seen her too. But his previously beaming face immediately froze, and he scurried into a private room as if he didn't recognize her. She felt a little strange, but considering they weren't very familiar with each other, she didn't bother to find out why.

Section 8: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (7)

Mu Xiang remained an introverted girl, finding it difficult to express herself. Zhuo Jiasi then began talking to her about Su Mu, lost in her own beautiful reverie, and even took Mu Xiang's hand, asking her to go see Su Mu together the next day. However, Mu Xiang remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

Zhuo Jiasi raised her voice and asked again before she realized what she meant. She pursed her pale lips and whispered, "Me going with you? That wouldn't be appropriate. Let's wait until you two are more familiar with each other."

Night had fallen, and the dormitories closed at 10 PM. They had no choice but to rush back to school, not even having time for a walk. The first to fourth floors were bustling with activity; many were undoubtedly still in a state of excitement at the start of the semester. But once they reached the fifth floor, everything became quiet. Faint lights shone from the other dormitories, and most of the people inside were dutifully going about their business; hardly anyone was talking.

Strangely, room 514 was completely dark. The dormitory building doors were already closed. Where could Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei have gone? Luckily, Zhuo Jiasi had brought her key with her, so she groped her way in to turn on the light, but no matter how she pressed the button, no light came on. Mu Xiang sat on her bed, feeling frustrated, and complained, "The lights were working fine when I went out, how come they're broken now?"

Zhuo Jiasi put the key on the bed, thought for a moment and said, "I'll go downstairs to find Aunt Luo and see if there's anything I can do." The darkness was so oppressive and she couldn't bear to endure it all night.

Thankfully, Aunt Luo hadn't rested, and she seemed to be an extremely enthusiastic woman. She took the light bulb and followed Zhuo Jiasi upstairs, muttering, "It's a good thing you and Tao Hua were junior high classmates; otherwise, with her fiery temper, no one would want to be her roommate."

"Hehe, no," Zhuo Jiasi said with a smile. "Tao Hua isn't a bad person, she's just been spoiled and developed a spoiled princess attitude."

The two chatted as they arrived at the door of dormitory 514, but the door was tightly shut. No matter how much Ren Zhuojia knocked, no one answered. She couldn't help but worry, where had Muxiang gone? Helpless, Aunt Luo had no choice but to say she would go downstairs to get the spare key.

It was almost eleven o'clock, and some dormitories had already turned off their lights and gone to sleep. Only a few scattered lights remained in the corridor. Zhuo Jiasi sat alone by the dormitory door, waiting for Aunt Luo. But no sooner had Aunt Luo left than the door suddenly opened. It was pitch black inside, and Mu Xiang lay motionless on the bed. She nudged Mu Xiang, laughing, and said, "You naughty girl, don't pretend with me. Want to be as scary as Tao Hua?"

But Mu Xiang didn't react at all; instead, Tao Hua's computer automatically turned on. Zhuo Jiasi didn't think much of it, assuming Mu Xiang was just too tired and had fallen asleep. So she went over and logged into QQ, sitting there surfing the internet while waiting for Aunt Luo. Su Mu was actually online! She sent a cute smiley face and said, "Su Mu, guess where I am?"

Su Mu immediately replied with a surprised emoji: "I saw your IP address, but... how come you're at our school?"

Zhuo Jiasi was a little excited and typed a long reply. But strangely, after chatting for a long time, Su Mu was unwilling to see her, keeping saying that he was busy recently and would contact her again in a while. Before she could calm down, he said he was going offline to sleep, and his profile picture instantly turned gray.

Just as Zhuo Jiasi was feeling a bit disappointed, Aunt Luo came in with a light bulb and asked, "Didn't you say you didn't have a key? How did you get in?" She was about to say that Mu Xiang was in the dormitory when she noticed the bed was empty. But she was clearly sleeping just now, how could she have disappeared so suddenly? Could it be that she was chatting too excitedly with Su Mu and didn't even notice Mu Xiang waking up?

Section 9: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (8)

Aunt Luo installed the light bulb, and the dormitory was finally lit again. She said somewhat displeased, "What time is it? Why are you the only one back in your dormitory?"

Zhuo Jiasi stammered for a long time but couldn't answer, so she could only say perfunctorily, "Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei went to play in other dormitories, and Mu Xiang went to the bathroom." Aunt Luo didn't ask any more questions and went downstairs with a bunch of keys.

Zhuo Jiasi was genuinely scared when she was left alone in the dorm. She tried to distract herself from her fear by going online, but then the power went out. She checked her phone; it was already midnight. Perhaps it was the dorm's turn-off time. Feeling a bit cold, she went to bed without even washing her feet. In her hazy sleep, she smelled a floral fragrance, and her sleep became heavy.

5

Zhuo Jiasi kept having a dream. In the dream, a cold wind kept blowing, and at the end of the darkness, the image of a suicidal girl on a canvas kept appearing, her blood flowing along her body like a red river. Closer and closer, Zhuo Jiasi finally felt her head explode and woke up with a jolt.

The dormitory lights were on again, casting a faint glow on the white floor. A small shadow stretched all the way to the middle of the room. "Who's there?" Zhuo Jiasi asked alertly, but didn't dare to turn around and look at the balcony immediately. There was no response from the balcony. Just as she was about to turn her head, she heard a "meow," and a black shadow darted out into the hallway through the crack in the door.

It was just a black cat! Was it so cold? Turns out the dorm door was ajar. Zhuo Jiasi dragged her slippers over to close the door, only to find a pile of cat poop right there. Such disgusting stuff would stink by morning, so she grabbed a piece of scrap paper, wrapped it up, and threw it in the public restroom.

It seemed quite late; the lights in the other dorm rooms were already off. The cat feces in the trash can had become incredibly foul-smelling. Zhuo Jiasi covered her nose and made her way to the public restroom, dumping the feces directly into the trash can. But just as she was about to leave, she noticed someone by the window of the public restroom—a girl holding a drawing board, seemingly crying.

The dripping sound was still eerily faint. Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but tentatively ask, "Excuse me, is something bothering you?" The girl didn't answer, but just stared at her intently, her gaze deep and chilling. After a long while, she threw down her easel and walked out of the public restroom as if Zhuo Jiasi had never existed.

Zhuo Jiasi sniffed hard, sensing an unusually familiar scent emanating from her, yet she couldn't quite place where she had smelled it before. And why did the sound of the easel falling sound so similar? She couldn't resist going inside to pick it up and look—it was still the same girl who had committed suicide in the bathtub! Instinctively, she wanted to run into the hallway, but as expected, the door was locked again.

Tao Hua must be playing tricks on me again! Zhuo Jiasi finally lost her temper and shouted loudly, "Tao Hua, stop playing tricks on me and let me out!" But no one responded until she was so tired from shouting that her whole body went limp, and then she heard the sound of the door opening.

The door slowly opened, and just as Zhuo Jiasi was about to reprimand Tao Hua, she found the girl who had been crying earlier standing in the doorway. She still ignored Zhuo Jiasi, walked straight to one of the restrooms, and brought out a black cat, her expression desolate and pale.

Zhuo Jiasi followed him out of the public restroom and said somewhat cautiously, "Thank you so much for earlier."

The girl didn't appreciate the gesture. Instead, she coldly said, "Don't go to that public restroom anymore. Just use the restroom in the dorm. Otherwise, if anything happens to you, I won't be responsible. And I wasn't here to save you; I just wanted to go in and find my boobs."

Section 10: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (9)

"You live in this dorm too?" Zhuo Jiasi's mouth dropped open as she watched the girl walk into her room. But the girl didn't answer, hugging her black cat and lying down on the bed without saying another word.

Zhuo Jiasi couldn't sleep a wink all night. She tossed and turned, wondering where Mu Xiang and the others had gone. And when had this girl moved into the dorm? There hadn't been a single sign! Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly at the unfamiliar girl, sensing an eerie quietness about her. There wasn't even a sound of breathing. Only the black cat, who hadn't slept all night, kept staring at Zhuo Jiasi, its eerie green eyes seeming to flicker.

It seemed that Zhuo Jiasi only fell asleep at dawn. Just as the first rays of light streamed in, she closed her eyes, and the sound of a cat's meow sounded particularly crisp in the autumn air.

6

If Mu Xiang hadn't been pushing her so hard, Zhuo Jiasi didn't know how long she would have slept. When she woke up again, it was already noon. She exclaimed in a panic, "Oh dear, isn't today the first day of school? How did I sleep until this time?"

Mu Xiang chided from the side, "So you finally remembered school was starting! I came to your dorm early this morning to wake you up, but I couldn't get you out of bed. I had to go to class myself and even went to your department to ask for leave for you."

"You..." Zhuo Jiasi felt a headache coming on. Finally remembering what happened last night, she shook Mu Xiang's shoulder and asked anxiously, "Where did you all go last night? You left me alone in the dormitory, and that strange girl..." Looking over, she saw that the strange girl's bed was very clean, as if no one had ever slept there.

Mu Xiang, oblivious to Zhuo Jiasi's odd behavior, feigned anger and said, "Last night? You have the nerve to say that? After you went to see Aunt Luo, I remembered I'd left some things in my old dorm. But when I got back, I knocked on the door for ages, and nobody was home. So I left you a note saying I was going back to my old dorm to sleep. I'm so fed up with their attitude!"

Someone knocked on the door? Probably while she was sleeping. But Zhuo Jiasi found it strange; she was always easily startled, so how could she not hear the knocking? She comforted herself, thinking she must have been exhausted from running around yesterday when she registered. Then she vaguely remembered the note, which she seemed to have used as scrap paper to wrap cat poop. She then casually asked the strange girl about it.

As soon as she finished speaking, Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei walked into the dormitory. Tao Hua said with some disdain, "Are you talking about Wu Qiuyang? That brat, she really angered me yesterday! I don't know why, but Dad insisted on putting her in our dormitory."

It turned out that when Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei returned to their dorm yesterday, they found another girl had moved in and had thrown all of Tao Hua's belongings on the floor. Drunk, Tao Hua became even more arrogant and demanded to kick her out. However, the girl refused to speak and instead glared at Tao Hua's anger. This attitude only fueled Tao Hua's rage, almost causing her to rush into a fight. In the end, Zuo Feifei had no choice but to drag her home to sleep.

"But... Tao Hua, didn't you notice that girl seemed a bit strange...?" Zuo Feifei said hesitantly, "When we came this morning, she seemed to be standing next to Jia Si, staring at her..."

Zhuo Jiasi's heart skipped a beat. She thought of the black cat's eyes, which seemed to constantly overlap with those of the girl named Wu Qiuyang, so blurred that she suddenly couldn't tell them apart. From midnight to dawn, was it the black cat watching her, or Wu Qiuyang watching her? Or perhaps, it was all just an illusion.

Section 11: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (10)

Tao Hua continued to grumble, "Of course she's weird! That long scar, like a worm crawling on her face, it looks absolutely disgusting!"

Finally, Mu Xiang, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but speak up: "Tao Hua, can't you watch your mouth? If you hadn't been so unforgiving, would Xiao Chuhan... have been so foolish as to give up her chance to live?"

These words naturally enraged Tao Hua. She slammed a cup on the table and roared, "Mu Xiang, you'd better make yourself clear today! Do you think I'm a murderer? I bullied Xiao Chuhan, but don't you all remember? I wasn't the only one who called her 'ugly monster' back then! Besides, I was already trying to help her get out of trouble, but she refused to appreciate it!"

Zhuo Jiasi knew that continuing the commotion would only escalate the situation. She pulled Mu Xiang away, telling Zuo Feifei to take good care of Tao Hua. But just outside the dormitory, they ran into Wu Qiuyang. Sure enough, a scar covered her face, stretching from the corner of her eye to her chin, and her eyes still held a chillingly cold light. The black cat in her arms suddenly jumped out, burrowing into the shards of a broken cup on the floor, instantly bleeding profusely from the cuts. But Wu Qiuyang ignored it completely, going straight to her computer, turning on her headphones, and putting them on.

Tao Hua was about to get angry again, but Zuo Feifei pulled her downstairs. Mu Xiang stared blankly at Wu Qiuyang, as if the two had known each other for a long time. It wasn't until Zhuo Jiasi tugged at her that Mu Xiang came back to her senses, and the two slowly walked downstairs.

They walked for a long time without Mu Xiang speaking again. Zhuo Jiasi knew that Mu Xiang was still blaming herself. If she hadn't suggested going swimming in the mountains that day, perhaps Xiao Chuhan wouldn't have had the accident. But no one had expected that Xiao Chuhan, who was always an excellent swimmer, would drown. She still remembered Xiao Chuhan's last expression—despair to the point where she had no strength left to struggle. She pushed Tao Hua's hand away and smiled as she sank to the bottom of the water. That scene was something the four of them would probably never forget for the rest of their lives.

Now, all Zhuo Jiasi could do was sigh and comfort her, "Muxiang, why do you live with this self-blame every day? Xiao Chuhan... is now in our past."

"But..." Mu Xiang raised her head, her eyes already brimming with tears, "Every time I see Tao Hua, I think of Xiao Chu Han. I admit it was a mistake to suggest we go swimming, but if Tao Hua hadn't said so many hurtful things to mock Xiao Chu Han when she rescued her, would Xiao Chu Han have chosen to give up her life?"

Suddenly, Zhuo Jiasi's memory returned to that summer in junior high school. Xiao Chuhan painfully stretched out her hand, screaming for help in the water. Tao Hua, who was closest to her, also reached out her hand, but said in her usual mocking tone, "There's no point in living for an ugly girl like you. You might as well reincarnate as a beauty." Upon hearing this, a gloomy look fell over Xiao Chuhan's eyes. She pulled away from Tao Hua's hand and let herself sink to the bottom without struggling. Later, they both told the police that Xiao Chuhan had drowned, but they knew perfectly well that Xiao Chuhan had committed suicide.

Unbeknownst to them, the two walked silently to the art department. Zhuo Jiasi looked up and saw patterns and words drawn with paint, which made her forget all her unhappiness. To ease the atmosphere, she patted Mu Xiang's hand and said happily, "Mu Xiang, be good. Don't be bothered anymore, I'll take you to see my dream lover!" Su Mu had mentioned in his letter that he would always choose sunny afternoons to paint large fields of sunflowers on the rooftop of the art building.

But Mu Xiang seemed unusually flustered. She broke free from her hand and ran away, turning back to shout, "Go see him yourself! I'm going back to the dorm first. Remember to come back early tonight!"

Section 12: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (11)

Zhuo Jiasi smiled. Mu Xiang was still the same as in junior high school, running away whenever she heard about seeing boys. But deep down, she harbored immense affection, constantly telling herself, "Zhuo Jiasi, you're finally going to see Su Mu."

7

Zhuo Jiasi excitedly climbed seven floors, not even bothering to rest along the way, until she finally saw a beam of light streaming through a half-open door. She smiled mischievously and muttered to herself, "Su Mu, I've finally caught you."

Zhuo Jiasi tiptoed open the door, and sure enough, a slender boy sat quietly in the center of the rooftop. He gazed up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought, while in the canvas opposite him, vast fields of vibrant sunflowers bloomed endlessly. It must be Su Mu; Zhuo Jiasi remembered the plaid shirt in the photo. But at this moment, she suddenly couldn't bear to disturb him. What a quiet boy he was. It was as if disturbing him would instantly erase all his beauty.

He took a deep breath, preparing to lower his head and continue drawing, when he saw a shadow land right at his feet. Just as Zhuo Jiasi was caught off guard, he suddenly turned around. He had thought it would be the most unexpected and beautiful encounter, but unexpectedly, it was Li Sixia. Zhuo Jiasi was a little disappointed, awkwardly retreating from the balcony, and apologized softly, "I'm sorry, I thought…" He was about to say "Su Mu's" name when he remembered Li Sixia's rude attitude that day, and shut his mouth.

But this time, Li Sixia didn't maintain her initial indifference. Instead, she asked gently, "Can you tell me, what is your relationship to Su Mu?"

Zhuo Jiasi was naturally a little shy about revealing the matter of having a pen pal, so she casually lied and said, "They're friends... very, very good friends."

Li Sixia stared in astonishment, speechless, his expression returning to its usual coldness. He sighed, brushed past Zhuo Jiasi, and disappeared into the stairwell.

Gazing at the figure so strikingly similar to Su Mu's, Zhuo Jiasi felt a pang of loss. Remembering that Li Sixia's easel was still on the rooftop, she grabbed it and ran downstairs. But on the third floor, she bumped into a tall, slender girl. A strong smell of mint wafted through the air. Zhuo Jiasi involuntarily coughed; she had been allergic to mint since childhood.

"Don't you have eyes when you walk?" the girl spoke first, her tone arrogantly angry. "Honestly, you almost knocked me down the stairs."

Zhuo Jiasi hurriedly looked up to apologize, but then froze. The girl's face was so familiar; she was the suicidal girl on the canvas in the public restroom! Zhuo Jiasi completely forgot to apologize and couldn't help but grab the girl's wrist, examining it closely against the sunlight, though she herself didn't know what she was looking for. But she was disappointed; the girl's wrist was clean, and even the blue veins were clearly visible.

The girl got even angrier, shoved Zhuo Jiasi away, and shouted, "Are you crazy?!"

The easel fell to the ground with a thud, making a distinctly clear sound. Zhuo Jiasi hurriedly apologized. But the girl stared intently at the easel, asking with some displeasure, "Isn't this easel Li Sixia's? How come it's with you?"

"Ah... I was just about to return it," Zhuo Jiasi replied, picking up the easel. "He was in such a hurry that he dropped it on the rooftop."

The girl snatched the drawing board away, saying impatiently, "Who asked you to meddle? I'm his classmate; I'll give it to him later. Go away by yourself."

Zhuo Jiasi, stunned and unable to refute further, could only go downstairs alone. In the corner of her eye, she saw the girl smiling brightly at the field of sunflowers. Who wouldn't be moved by such a beautiful scene? Yet, she always felt a strange aura about the girl, a chilling fear. Of course, this feeling didn't last long. She sighed helplessly in the art building, still not seeing Su Mu. Where was he? Why wouldn't he see her? Did he prefer to bury his feelings in the illusions of words?

Section 13: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (12)

Seemingly unwilling to give up, Zhuo Jiasi lingered around the bulletin board in the art building, trying to find any clues related to Su Mu. Suddenly, a group photo caught her eye—it was Su Mu and Li Sixia standing on the podium with their arms around each other's shoulders; it was clear they were extremely close friends! But why was Li Sixia completely indifferent to Su Mu's affairs?

Zhuo Jiasi was a little confused, feeling that Su Mu had suddenly become less clear, like a mystery swirling in her mind. Suddenly, she remembered Su Mu's mailing address and ran to the design class in the art department.

It was already past the end of get out of class, and the classroom was empty. Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly inside, feeling as if a pure white-clad boy was waving at her. Su Mu had once said that he sat in the last row by the window. She could even imagine what it would be like to sit there, with warm sunlight shining down on her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a boy who politely asked, "Excuse me, do you need any help?" His enthusiasm was strikingly similar to when she met Li Sixia at the start of the school year. Zhuo Jiasi finally snapped out of her reverie and eagerly asked, "Are you in this class? And do you know where Su Mu went?"

The boy's smile vanished instantly. He took a few steps back in fear and stammered, "Who are you? Don't you know... he committed suicide by jumping off a building two years ago?"

He jumped to his death! This unexpected news struck Zhuo Jiasi's heart like a bolt from the blue. She even glanced at the classroom door number again to confirm that Su Mu was indeed writing to her from this address! They had maintained correspondence for two years; how could Su Mu have committed suicide two years ago! Could the address be wrong, or could the person writing to her not be Su Mu at all?

Zhuo Jiasi was at a loss for what to do. She completely ignored the terrified boy and stumbled out of the art building.

Section 14: Chapter Two - Picture of a Girl's Suicide in a Bathtub (1)

Chapter Two: Illustration of a Girl's Suicide in a Bathtub

8

Wandering aimlessly through the campus, Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of desolation, completely losing her bearings. But then she ran into Yao Xiaomo near the playground. Yao Xiaomo was carrying a huge stack of books towards the classroom and stopped Zhuo Jiasi, asking with some concern, "Jiasi, why didn't you come to class this morning? I heard… you were sick?" She then realized that she hadn't been to the classroom to see her classmates and teachers since the start of the semester. The people in dormitory 514 weren't from the same department, making it difficult to contact them for anything—a real hassle.

Before Zhuo Jiasi could answer, Yao Xiaomo said, somewhat fearfully, "See? I told you that dorm was creepy. Zhuo Jiasi, you should try to get your advisor to change your dorm. Actually, the people in our dorm really like you. Anyway, your bed is empty now, so it wouldn't be bad to come back and share a dorm with us. Also, I heard that Tao Hua from your dorm is a spoiled witch pampered by the vice principal."