Mysterious Cases of Female College Students

Chapter 9

Section 51: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (3)

"Of course!" Tao Hua stood up excitedly, hands on her hips, and said, "I finally managed to chase that stinky cat away, but not long after, it brought back a bunch of marbles from somewhere and made a terrible racket in the dorm. I had no choice but to lock it outside. But heaven knows how it could be so naughty; it actually went up to the rooftop and made a racket. How could I possibly surf the internet in that situation? So I ended up wearing headphones and playing on the computer all night."

The sound of marbles continued, but was it Black Cat or Wu Qiuyang on the rooftop? Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang stared at each other, but neither of them said anything more to Tao Hua. Their fear was enough; why involve another person? The two of them tacitly packed Tao Hua's things and urged her to go to the ward to take care of Zuo Feifei.

Finally, only two people remained in the dormitory. After a long silence, Zhuo Jiasi finally mustered the courage to ask, "Muxiang, the day before yesterday, when Tao Hua was helping you find clothes, she discovered that you... knew Su Mu a long time ago."

Mu Xiang stared in astonishment, clearly unaware that Zhuo Jiasi already knew about it. She lowered her head in silence, remaining silent for a long time, her fingers fidgeting inside her clothes, crumpling them into a mess.

Zhuo Jiasi had intended to control her emotions and wait for Mu Xiang to reveal the truth, but the prolonged delay had eroded her patience. As night quietly fell, she finally roared angrily, "You know Su Mu, you like Su Mu! But why did you lie to me? Aren't we best friends and sisters?"

Enraged, tears welled in Mu Xiang's eyes, and she could only respond slowly, saying, "Jia Si, I didn't mean to deceive you. Besides, nothing happened between Su Mu and me!"

"Nothing at all?" Zhuo Jiasi asked, still unsatisfied. "How could that be? Your most precious wooden box is full of things related to him!"

Driven to desperation, Mu Xiang had no choice but to reveal the truth. She said, slowly and deliberately, "Su Mu doesn't know me at all. Everything I did was just wishful thinking!"

Even after entering high school, Mu Xiang was still frequently bullied. Other children would always chase after her, calling her "the wild girl from the cripple's family," because her parents had died in a car accident long ago, and she had only a disabled adoptive father who had cared for her for many years. Su Mu was simply a boy who had unintentionally helped her out of that situation. At that time, Su Mu was a freshman in college and happened to see Mu Xiang being bullied, so he stood up for her and drove the boys away. Later, Mu Xiang found his school badge on the ground, learned his name was Su Mu, and even saw his poems in many magazines. Therefore, she vowed to get into Chujiang University, where Su Mu studied.

So that's the truth. Did I really misunderstand Mu Xiang? Zhuo Jiasi still asked, somewhat unwillingly, "Then why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Jiasi..." Muxiang hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I know you like Su Mu. So why should I bring up those things and interfere with you and Su Mu? Do you want us to become rivals in love?"

One sentence left Zhuo Jiasi utterly shocked and deeply ashamed. It turned out that Mu Xiang had chosen to give up her own love in order to maintain their friendship. But Zhuo Jiasi had treated that friendship with distrust. This moment of embarrassment would be unforgettable; her head hung low, too heartbroken to meet Mu Xiang's gaze.

But Mu Xiang took out a wooden box and handed all the contents to Zhuo Jiasi, saying gently, "Jiasi, you liked Su Mu. Although he's gone, I hope you'll take good care of these things."

Section 52: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (4)

"No, no, no..." Zhuo Jiasi declined, "Actually, when I think about it, I don't really know Su Mu at all. We still don't know who the person who impersonated him and wrote me the letter is."

"But you loved his poetry, didn't you?" Mu Xiang said with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll definitely help you find that despicable fellow!"

The two of them finally smiled at the same time, and their frozen friendship was rebuilt into a beautiful rainbow after the storm.

34

Because Mu Xiang was in a hurry to come back and call Tao Hua, she hadn't had time to eat yet, so Zhuo Jiasi had no choice but to accompany her to the restaurant for dinner. But as soon as they got to the dormitory building, they saw Sun Ying, who used to be in the dormitory, helping Yao Xiaomo walk into the dormitory. Her head was wrapped in layers of gauze, and there were traces of blood that were faintly visible under the white gauze.

Zhuo Jiasi was about to go up and ask what had happened, but Sun Ying, who was supporting Yao Xiaomo, pushed her away and said fiercely, "If she hadn't been in contact with the people in dormitory 514, how could she have encountered such bad luck?"

Yao Xiaomo remained silent, her head bowed low, obscuring her face. Could dormitory 514 truly bring bad luck? Zhuo Jiasi was on the verge of tears, and Mu Xiang, unable to offer a reasonable explanation for these phenomena, could only gently hold her hand. This sorrow was interrupted by Aunt Luo's words. She ran out of her room and asked, "Isn't Tao Hua in the dormitory? Her father came looking for her, saying she left her things at home. Look, she's still waiting outside."

The two looked out of the dormitory and saw a slightly overweight middle-aged man standing at the entrance, carrying some things and wearing a simple, honest smile. Many people clearly recognized the vice-principal; he frequently greeted or spoke to passersby. Just as they were about to go up and say hello, Wu Qiuyang emerged from beside the dormitory building, silently watching Tao's father while holding her black cat. Tao's father's face suddenly turned ashen; he quickly lowered his head, pulled Wu Qiuyang away, and walked off into the distance.

Watching Tao's father and Wu Qiuyang's departing figures, Mu Xiang was immediately puzzled and asked, "Is Wu Qiuyang very familiar with Tao Hua's father?"

Zhuo Jiasi was about to say that "Wu Qiuyang is Tao's father's illegitimate daughter," but considering the expressions on Wu Qiuyang and Tao Hua's faces, she decided it was best not to gossip about other people's family matters. So she said evasively, "Isn't Tao Hua's father the vice principal? Everyone knows him. He probably has some school-related issues!"

"But..." Mu Xiang's doubts hadn't diminished, and she still blinked as she asked, "Wu Qiuyang is notoriously bad-tempered; we've never seen her speak to anyone!"

Zhuo Jiasi didn't know how to answer, so she pulled Mu Xiang towards the restaurant, changing the subject, "Mu Xiang, you must be hungry. The restaurant is about to close, let's hurry up and go."

Mu Xiang reluctantly gave up, but her questioning gaze remained fixed on the direction where Tao's father and Wu Qiuyang had disappeared.

Seeing Mu Xiang enjoying her meal, Zhuo Jiasi finally felt relieved. After all, this meant that the misunderstanding between them hadn't affected their friendship. Mu Xiang would still protect her as before and help her unravel one terrifying secret after another. Thinking of this, she remembered what Li Sixia had asked her to do and quickly said, "Mu Xiang, by the way, what about the letter Li Sixia asked me to find last time? It seems there's still no progress."

Mu Xiang frowned, slowly put down her chopsticks, and looked up to say, "Jia Si, have you really fallen for Li Sixia? Tao Hua just said you didn't go back to the dorm all night yesterday. Were you with him?"

Zhuo Jiasi lowered her head awkwardly and whispered, "I am with him, but we..." Of course, she dared not say that she had gone back to monitor Mu Xiang, so she could not say anything more and her voice disappeared without a trace.

Section 53: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (5)

Mu Xiang sighed, then suddenly grabbed her hands and said sincerely, "Jia Si, you must remember. Li Sixia is not a good person; he is the murderer who killed Su Mu, so..."

Before she could speak, Zhuo Jiasi grabbed Mu Xiang's hand and urgently explained, "No, Mu Xiang, listen to me, the truth is actually like this..." Then, she recounted the whole story that Li Sixia had told Mu Xiang.

But Mu Xiang completely ignored it, crossing her arms and saying dismissively, "Did he tell you all this? Jia Si, don't be so naive. Everyone in school knows that Li Sixia plagiarized Su Mu's work and stole his girlfriend. Only someone as simple-minded as you would be foolish enough to believe him!"

The atmosphere turned tense again. Zhuo Jiasi lowered her head, unsure how to defend herself, as she had only believed Li Sixia's words on instinct. After a long while, Mu Xiang regained her gentleness, took her hand again, and said earnestly, "Jiasi, listen carefully. I will definitely find out the true face of this hypocrite, Li Sixia. Wasn't he so concerned about Su Mu's letters? There must be some unspeakable secret in them. We'll go back right away and find them one by one, and see how he can still lie." After saying that, she grabbed Zhuo Jiasi's hand and hurriedly left the restaurant.

Walking through the quiet campus, Zhuo Jiasi kept asking herself: Zhuo Jiasi, is Li Sixia really a liar? A gust of wind blew, chilling her heart, and it seemed some memories were starting to surface unexpectedly…

35

It was quite late after dinner. Aunt Luo was just about to close the dormitory doors when Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang came back and playfully stuck their tongues out at her. Aunt Luo then said seriously, "Where have you all been so late? Don't wander around like that again. Oh, and Zhuo Jiasi, this is a letter Yao Xiaomo asked me to give you."

Zhuo Jiasi took the letter, opened it, and read Yao Xiaomo's instructions: "Jiasi, don't get too close to Li Sixia in the future." It was the same message as Mu Xiang's. She gasped, crumpled the letter into a ball, and threw it in the trash. Seeing her pale face, Mu Xiang didn't dare ask what it said and instead pulled her back to the dormitory.

Wu Qiuyang hadn't returned, leaving only the two of them in the dormitory. As soon as they got back, Mu Xiang started searching everywhere. Zhuo Jiasi knew she was looking for Su Mu's letter. The two of them searched the dormitory together, even boldly opening Zuo Feifei's and Tao Hua's closets, but to no avail. Only Wu Qiuyang's place remained unsearched. The two looked at each other, unsure what to do.

Finally, Mu Xiang gritted her teeth and said, "Jia Si, you keep watch at the dormitory entrance, I'll come and look for her." Zhuo Jia Si hesitated for a long time, but still ran to the dormitory entrance to wait, keeping a close watch on Mu Xiang's movements inside.

Unfortunately, Wu Qiuyang unexpectedly appeared at the end of the corridor, carrying her black cat and slowly walking towards the dormitory, still with a cold and indifferent expression. Zhuo Jiasi hurriedly knocked on the dormitory door, but thinking that Mu Xiang would definitely have to put her things back, she rushed forward to greet her warmly, saying, "Qiuyang, you're finally back! Is your black cat alright? I heard Tao Hua kicked it a few times yesterday."

Wu Qiuyang ignored her and continued walking towards the dormitory. As her face became clearer, Zhuo Jiasi had no choice but to rush up and snatch the black cat from her arms. Unexpectedly, the black cat was unusually fierce, screeching and biting Zhuo Jiasi before running to the end of the corridor.

Section 54: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (6)

Zhuo Jiasi clutched her injured arm, feeling a piercing pain, and forced a smile, saying, "I'm so sorry. I thought this cat was so cute, I wanted to hug it, but I didn't expect..."

A look of disgust flashed across Wu Qiuyang's eyes, but she remained silent and slowly walked into the corridor. Seeing that she was already far away, Zhuo Jiasi quickly ran back to the dormitory, only to find Mu Xiang sweating profusely as she rummaged through her locker. She wiped her sweat and looked up, saying, "Jiasi, I just found a loose brick on the wall behind her locker. Go and stall for a little longer while I move it."

Left with no other option, Zhuo Jiasi returned to the dormitory entrance. Wu Qiuyang hadn't appeared in the hallway yet; she must have gone to the communal restroom to look for the black cat. Zhuo Jiasi stomped her foot, clenched her fists, and walked towards the communal restroom. The unusual silence around her made her a little scared. The door was tightly locked, and she couldn't open it no matter what she did. Various sounds mingled inside—dripping water, meowing, banging—creating a chaotic jumble in the darkness. She couldn't help but pound on the door and shout, "Qiuyang, is that you in there? Open the door! What are you doing?"

There was no response from inside; instead, the cat's cries grew even more pitiful. Zhuo Jiasi stopped knocking and nervously turned around, only to be startled! Wu Qiuyang stood before her, the scar on her face resembling a gaping maw, lunging menacingly at her. She closed her eyes in fear, but the imagined devouring didn't materialize.

Wu Qiuyang produced an axe from somewhere, pushed Zhuo Jiasi aside, and began hacking at the locked door of the public restroom. The chopping noises startled everyone on the fifth floor, and even people from other dormitories came out to watch, but immediately retreated back into their rooms upon seeing the commotion. Zhuo Jiasi dared not leave, while a fierce curiosity lured her away. What on earth was Wu Qiuyang doing? Time passed amidst the chopping sounds, and the meowing from inside still hadn't stopped. What on earth was happening in the public restroom?

About ten minutes later, the door finally creaked and rattled, but the cat's meows grew weaker and weaker. Wu Qiuyang threw down the axe, shoved the door open, and rushed inside, with Zhuo Jiasi following her. As soon as the light was turned on, Zhuo Jiasi covered her mouth and screamed. The black cat was hanging from the ceiling, a thick rope wrapped around its neck, leaving a deep, bloody mark, and its green eyes gleamed with a dying struggle.

Wu Qiuyang wasn't in a hurry at all. She took out a small knife from her pocket, quickly cut the rope, and held the dying black cat, simply gazing at it quietly. After a long while, Zhuo Jiasi tentatively asked, "Qiuyang, should we take it to the vet?"

Wu Qiuyang ignored her, stood up with a blank look in her eyes, and walked back to the dormitory with the black cat in her arms.

Mu Xiang must have found what she was looking for, she thought, and secretly gave Zhuo Jiasi an OK sign. But Zhuo Jiasi didn't feel the expected excitement. Instead, looking at the dead black cat, she suddenly felt that Wu Qiuyang's heart was filled with a dark sadness.

Mu Xiang, unaware of what had happened, stared blankly at the dead black cat, too afraid to break the silence and ask Zhuo Jiasi what was going on. Fortunately, Wu Qiuyang only lay there for a short while before putting the black cat down and leaving the dormitory, allowing the two to finally speak.

Upon hearing Zhuo Jiasi's account of what happened, Mu Xiang said incredulously, "The black cat was hanged? How is that possible?"

But as soon as the word "death" was uttered, the black cat seemed to have a final burst of energy, suddenly meowing. The two were startled and looked over, only to see the cat twitch a few times and then lie still… Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang stared blankly at the cat's corpse, not daring to breathe, and stopped talking about it. To ease the tension, Zhuo Jiasi had to change the subject, anxiously asking, "Did you find anything in her closet?"

Section 55: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (7)

Mu Xiang smiled smugly, took out a thick stack of letters from the drawer, and said, "I think these are Su Mu's letters!"

Because they were pressed inside the damp walls, the letters had turned yellow and moldy, and even had a disgusting smell. But Zhuo Jiasi was still relieved, after all, they were Su Mu's letters, and they could also prove Li Sixia's innocence.

Mu Xiang was somewhat disappointed because the letters were mostly sweet nothings exchanged between lovers. Su Mu was a very romantic poet, and he always wrote a poem for Xia Youcai at the end of each letter. It was clear that they had truly loved each other; Xia Youcai's arrogance was completely absent from her writing. Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but think that perhaps this was what people in love were like—able to completely change themselves for someone else.

Several letters remained unread, but Zhuo Jiasi was incredibly sleepy. She smelled the rich floral scent again and finally yawned, saying, "Muxiang, we have class tomorrow, let's go to sleep."

But Mu Xiang was still unwilling to give up. She carefully examined the letters and said angrily, "Go to sleep first, I'm going to read them for a while longer."

Zhuo Jiasi shook her head helplessly and climbed into bed by herself, falling asleep almost immediately.

36

It was the sound of marbles rolling, but this time it felt like a hammer pounding against the deepest part of my heart.

Zhuo Jiasi hid under the covers, her eyes tightly shut, trying her best not to think about anything, but her thoughts couldn't overcome her intense curiosity. She finally couldn't resist peeking out, the faint light making her eyes blurry. It was Mu Xiang still sorting through the letters, her head bowed, reading each densely packed word.

Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly at the blank ceiling. It seemed there was more than just the sound of marbles; there were also footsteps. Could it be Wu Qiuyang up there again? She leaned against the bed railing and softly called out to Muxiang, but Muxiang didn't seem to hear her. Frustrated, she raised her voice, "Muxiang, are you hearing those strange sounds again?"

Mu Xiang seemed to hear her voice; her shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't turn around. She lowered her head and studied the letter for a while, then walked towards the bathroom as if no one was there, her footsteps light and silent.

Zhuo Jiasi sensed that Mu Xiang's behavior was somewhat unusual, so she got out of bed and went to look at the letters. Mu Xiang seemed to really like Su Mu's poetry, copying the poems from each letter into a pretty notebook. There was also another notebook recording some events that had happened between Su Mu and Xia Youcai. Just as Zhuo Jiasi was about to open it for a closer look, she heard a loud noise from the bathroom, instantly reminding her of the sound of a drawing board falling. Her heart sank, and she reflexively searched the dormitory for the picture of a girl committing suicide in the bathtub. Sure enough, as expected, it had silently disappeared again.

"Muxiang..." Zhuo Jiasi slowly walked towards the bathroom, calling out timidly, "Are you in there? What are you doing? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

There was no response from inside; instead, the sound of running water grew louder, and water even seeped out from under the door. In the dim light, Zhuo Jiasi suddenly sensed something was wrong with the water and bent down to touch it, a bone-chilling cold washing over her. Her fingers felt numb, and forcing herself to hold her hand up to the light, she was immediately terrified and recoiled. The liquid on her fingers was unmistakably bright red blood!

Zhuo Jiasi even tried to dismiss everything as a hallucination, hoping she had simply taken a sleeping potion like Zuo Feifei. But when she fell to the ground, terrified by the blood, the pain overwhelmed her body, and she knew it was all real! In the chaos, she frantically pounded on the door, desperately shouting, "Muxiang, what happened to you? Come out quickly!"

Section 56: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (8)

The door creaked open, and a rustling sound came from inside.

Zhuo Jiasi struggled to her feet and looked into the bathroom. Mu Xiang was facing away from her, head down, wiping the bloodstains from the drawing board. She called out "Mu Xiang" again, but Mu Xiang continued wiping the board vigorously, showing no reaction whatsoever. Zhuo Jiasi froze, then mustered her courage, ran in, closed her eyes, and nudged Mu Xiang. Mu Xiang cried out and fell to the ground.

When Zhuo Jiasi opened her eyes again, Mu Xiang had already gotten up and asked loudly, "Jiasi, why did you push me?"

Seeing Mu Xiang's normal complexion, Zhuo Jiasi was somewhat incredulous; she had been acting strangely just moments before. She even touched Mu Xiang's forehead and said, "Are you alright? I called you for ages, but you didn't answer..."

Mu Xiang then realized what was happening, shook her headphones, and laughed, saying, "I had my MP3 volume turned up all the way, that's why you didn't hear it!"

"But..." Zhuo Jiasi pointed to the canvas and said, "Why...why did you come to the bathroom to wipe this painting?"

Mu Xiang scratched her head sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry, did I scare you? I read the letter but didn't find any meaningful clues. I also remembered that Tao Hua said this painting was some kind of 'death curse,' so I wanted to wipe off the bloodstains and see what it said."

Zhuo Jiasi stared at the pool of blood, finally remembering it was from when she stopped Zuo Feifei from cutting her wrists. She hadn't realized Zuo Feifei had planted a clue herself. No wonder so much red liquid had flowed out; the color and blood must have leached and dissolved in the water. But such a sight at night would frighten anyone. She urged, "Muxiang, let's clean it again tomorrow. It looks rather eerie; let's go to sleep first!"

Muxiang glanced at the painting reluctantly, then said dejectedly, "Alright then. I'll come back to polish it tomorrow."

Zhuo Jiasi climbed into bed and, hearing the sound of marbles rolling again, asked anxiously, "Muxiang, did you hear that?"

"The sound of marbles rolling, isn't it?" Mu Xiang seemed used to the sound and said nonchalantly, "I put on my headphones just now because it was so noisy. Jia Si, you should listen to music too, that way you won't hear anything and won't think about those messy things."

It was indeed a good idea. Zhuo Jiasi could no longer hear the sound of the marbles rolling; only the rousing music was blaring in her ears. Unable to fall asleep, she turned her head away impatiently, only to be met with the eerie green light of a cat's eyes.

Wasn't the black cat dead? Zhuo Jiasi rubbed her eyes in disbelief, and there really was a slight green light flickering. She wanted to call for Mu Xiang again, but Mu Xiang was already snoring softly. Finally, she didn't have the courage to move around in the dark anymore, so she turned on some soft music, pulled the covers over her head, and tightly closed her eyes…

37

The next morning, Tao Hua excitedly ran back to the dormitory with breakfast, deliberately glancing sideways at the sleeping Wu Qiuyang, and said in a shrill voice, "A dead cat was found downstairs in the dormitory. I wonder whose ugly cat it is. It's so pitiful!"

Zhuo Jiasi felt a stinging pain in her eyes and rubbed them hard before opening them. She didn't know when Wu Qiuyang had returned to the dormitory, but as soon as she heard the words "dead cat," she ran to the balcony. Looking down from the railing, she saw a large crowd gathered below, with the black cat, smashed to pieces, in the middle.

Mu Xiang was also startled, gripping the railing tightly with both hands, and glancing tremblingly at Zhuo Jiasi. The black cat had died last night; it couldn't have climbed onto the balcony and fallen on its own. Wu Qiuyang, who always slept with it, was currently asleep. Could it be that she had abandoned the black cat? The two of them had this thought at the same time, and felt that Wu Qiuyang's figure, even in the sunlight, was still so dark, sending chills down their spines.

Section 57: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (9)

Wu Qiuyang's lack of reaction made Tao Hua lose interest. She tossed the breakfast onto the table, took a bite of bread, and said, "This is breakfast Lu Shiliu bought for you. Eat up, let's go to class together later."

"Class?" Mu Xiang didn't take the breakfast. "I'll go take care of Fei Fei later." Clearly, she was still worried about Lu Shiliu staying by Zuo Fei Fei's side.

Tao Hua said with dissatisfaction, "Mu Xiang, are you afraid of all men except Su Mu? Lu Shiliu truly loves Fei Fei, why are you so relentlessly pressuring him?"

Zhuo Jiasi tried to persuade Mu Xiang, but Mu Xiang simply picked up her bag and walked towards the dormitory door, saying, "Then I won't eat breakfast. I'll go check on Fei Fei first." Before Zhuo Jiasi could react, the dormitory door was slammed shut with a loud bang.

"Hmph, still throwing a tantrum!" Tao Hua angrily put down half a loaf of bread and began to grumble, "Jia Si, it's all your fault for being kept in the dark. Actually, Lu Shiliu is really good to Fei Fei, even I'm incredibly touched. But it's also my fault for being too harsh on Xiao Chuhan back then. Fei Fei asked me to talk to her properly, but you know I'm quick-tongued and always say the wrong thing. Sigh, I really regret it now."

Seeing Tao Hua's unusually distressed expression, Zhuo Jiasi felt embarrassed to dwell on the past. She could only comfort her while eating her bread, saying, "After all, Xiao Chuhan committed suicide, so don't blame yourself too much."

"That's true," Tao Hua sighed, then continued, "but look at Mu Xiang and Fei Fei's attitude; they're clearly putting all the blame on me. Actually, when Xiao Chu Han was drowning, I was just teasing her, but I never expected her to be so reckless..."

"Stop talking," Zhuo Jiasi had to interrupt her, standing up to pack her things. "Let's get ready and go to class."