Mysterious Cases of Female College Students

Chapter 10

Tao Hua didn't say anything more and ran to the bathroom to wash up. But as soon as she went in, she screamed. Zhuo Jiasi was startled by the scream and quickly followed her in. Tao Hua's fingers were trembling as she looked at the picture of a girl committing suicide in the bathtub. There was now a black cat in the picture, lying mangled and bloodied on the girl's chest, its eerie green eyes gleaming with malevolence. Zhuo Jiasi was also startled and helped Tao Hua quickly out of the bathroom, her suspicions growing even stronger.

Who put a black cat on it overnight?

Zhuo Jiasi's mind was still filled with the image of the black cat; the lifelike brushstrokes were unmistakably those of a professional. Tao Hua, however, remained unsettled. She suddenly jumped up and lunged at Wu Qiuyang's bed, yelling, "Ugly freak! Your own cat is dead, why are you using this painting to scare us?"

Wu Qiuyang was finally woken up by Tao Hua's grip, but she didn't fight back. She just opened her sleepy eyes and turned to face the wall to sleep again. Seeing Tao Hua's unyielding attitude, Zhuo Jiasi had no choice but to pry her hands open. Wu Qiuyang shrank back further, burying herself completely under the covers. But the moment her hand brushed against the hem of her clothes, Zhuo Jiasi froze. The touch of this fabric felt so familiar. She immediately remembered the night she was attacked in the large art studio; the feeling of grabbing the attacker's clothing was exactly the same.

Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly at Wu Qiuyang's bed, feeling extremely weak, and staggered backward. Luckily, Tao Hua caught her and asked, puzzled, what was wrong. But she didn't dare answer, grabbing her schoolbag and taking Tao Hua's hand, saying, "Nothing, nothing, let's hurry to class!"

Section 58: Chapter Six Accidental Injuries (10)

38

After running all the way to the dormitory building, Tao Hua was panting heavily. She angrily pulled her hand away from Zhuo Jiasi's and muttered, "Jiasi, why did you run so fast! You've exhausted me."

Zhuo Jiasi's nerves were still on edge. She looked around and found the black cat was gone. Worried, she looked up towards the dormitory, only to suddenly see Wu Qiuyang standing on the balcony, poised to jump. Terrified, she grabbed Tao Hua and shouted, "Wu Qiuyang, what are you doing?"

Tao Hua looked up and saw that the balcony was empty, with only a few pieces of clothing swaying in the breeze. She laughed smugly again, patted Zhuo Jiasi on the shoulder, and said, "Jiasi, when did you become so timid? It's just that ugly girl, isn't it? With me here, she wouldn't dare come out!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Aunt Luo emerged carrying a garbage bag, emanating a stench. Tao Hua couldn't help but frown, covering her nose as she said, "What kind of dormitory supervisor are you? The garbage's been sitting there for days, and it stinks like this before you even think to take it out!"

Aunt Luo seemed very afraid of Tao Hua. She lowered her head after being scolded and mumbled, "It's that dead cat from this morning. I don't know who's so heartless as to leave the cat outside. It's already stinking." After saying that, she hurriedly walked towards the trash can.

In this cold weather, it already smells bad after just one night? Zhuo Jiasi straightened up, staring at the black bag tugging at Aunt Luo's body, and seemed to see a black cat stretching out its claws. Remembering the disgusting scene of the black cat hanging in the public restroom, she dared not recall it any longer, and left the dormitory building with Tao Hua in her hand.

Halfway there, Zhuo Jiasi remembered to tell Tao Hua, "Oh right, your father came yesterday. He said he wanted to bring you some things, but you were taking care of Feifei."

"Yes, I know," Tao Hua said without looking up. "I saw those things on the table this morning. Thank you!"

Zhuo Jiasi stared blankly at Tao Hua, thinking to herself that she and Mu Xiang hadn't even had a chance to greet Tao's father! Could it have been Wu Qiuyang who brought it back? It probably was; after all, the things only appeared on the table that morning, and even though she was Tao's father's illegitimate daughter, she was still his daughter. With that thought in mind, she decided not to tell Tao Hua the truth.

The two parted ways at the intersection and went to their respective classrooms. Zhuo Jiasi felt weak all over; she probably hadn't slept well the night before. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw either the image of the black cat struggling to be hanged or its mangled remains after being smashed to death, making it impossible for her to take a nap. She could only stare blankly at the blackboard with tired eyes, her mind utterly exhausted.

Yao Xiaomo sat two rows in front of her, her head still seemingly aching. Zhuo Jiasi watched her with concern, fearing the faint blood might gush out. So she tore off a piece of paper, drew a heart on it, and wrote: "Xiaomo, are you feeling better? What happened?" But no matter how much she patted the boy's shoulder, he wouldn't turn around. Having no other choice, she crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it at Yao Xiaomo.

The paper ball successfully hit Yao Xiaomo's neck. But strangely, Yao Xiaomo didn't turn around; instead, she wobbled and fell to the ground. Her eyes were wide open, white foam was coming out of her mouth, and her pale lips were trembling. Zhuo Jiasi was too frightened to speak, but the boy in front of her stood up, pointing at her and saying, "It was Zhuo Jiasi who hit Yao Xiaomo on the head with the paper ball! I saw it, I saw it!"

All eyes in the class were on Zhuo Jiasi, as if she were a monster, filled with fear and hatred. Fortunately, the teacher, who was teaching, reacted quickly, slamming her hand on the desk and shouting, "Class, don't be afraid! Come quickly and carry Yao Xiaomo to the hospital!"

Several male classmates surrounded Yao Xiaomo and carried her outside. Only Zhuo Jiasi remained in the classroom; her face had turned deathly pale as she helplessly stared at the pool of blood on the floor. It wasn't much blood; it was probably from Yao Xiaomo's head, but she suddenly felt the blood rushing towards her at an astonishing speed. She felt like she was about to be drowned in blood and finally broke down in tears.

"Jiasi!" Li Sixia rushed in, quickly embracing her trembling body, repeatedly saying the same thing, "Don't be afraid, I'm here. Don't be afraid, I'm here. Don't be afraid, I'm here..."

Section 59: Chapter Seven: The Phantom of the Hospital (1)

Chapter Seven: The Phantom of the Hospital

39

It seemed like she slept for an incredibly long time. Zhuo Jiasi felt the dream was endless, a vast, colorless black space constantly swaying. Yet, she realized she hadn't slept so peacefully in a long time. Since coming to Chujiang University, not a single day had passed without her being haunted by nightmares. She even started crying when she woke up, inwardly berating herself for going against her parents' wishes to study in such a distant city, now living in constant fear.

Li Sixia had been taking care of her. Because the hospital's infusion room was full, he had to support himself with one hand on the pole with the IV drip attached, and hold the unconscious Zhuo Jiasi in the other. She kept mumbling in her sleep, but her expression lacked the terror she had shown when she had a high fever that night. Seeing that she was awake, Li Sixia loosened his grip and asked with concern, "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

Zhuo Jiasi gazed at Li Sixia with tender affection, feeling an urge to hug him tightly, and a touch of nostalgia for their earlier embrace. No wonder she hadn't had any nightmares this time; it turned out Li Sixia had been there for her. She could even vaguely recall him carrying her all the way to the hospital, repeatedly telling her: "Don't be afraid, I'm here..."

"Jia Si, Jia Si..." Li Sixia waved her hand in front of her eyes, "What's wrong? Are you still feeling unwell?"

Zhuo Jiasi snapped out of her reverie, looked up at her watch, and realized it was already three in the afternoon. She frowned and asked, "Li Sixia, do you know... is Yao Xiaomo feeling any better?"

Li Sixia glanced at the IV drip; a third of the fluid was still in. She tried to calm her down, saying, "I saw your classmates upstairs just now. Yao Xiaomo must be inside. I'll take you up to see her after your drip is finished!"

But Zhuo Jiasi suddenly became stubborn, insisting that Li Sixia help her upstairs to see Yao Xiaomo first. Helpless, Li Sixia had no choice but to hold the IV pole in one hand and help her upstairs with the other.

At the end of the corridor was the operating room. The students were all gathered at the door, whispering amongst themselves. Zhuo Jiasi slowly walked over, and they stopped talking, staring at her with extreme disgust. Zhuo Jiasi seemed used to such looks and calmly asked, "How is Xiao Mo? Can you tell me?"

"How is she?" Sun Ying, her former dormmate, stepped forward, pointing at her angrily, and said, "She got hurt because she went to your dorm to find you, and yet you still tried every means to harm her! She's been in the operating room for several hours now. If her life is in danger, you'll never have a peaceful mind for the rest of your life!"

Immediately afterward, the others joined in the commotion, shouting, "The jinx of Dorm 514, get out of here! Don't bring us any more disaster!"

Section 60: Chapter Seven - The Phantom of the Hospital (2)

Zhuo Jiasi was forced to retreat, holding Li Sixia tightly with both hands, but she was unwilling to let go. She wanted to see Yao Xiaomo come out safely with her own eyes.

Before anyone knew it, Mu Xiang and Tao Hua arrived at the hospital and were equally startled by the scene. They had no choice but to forcibly drag Zhuo Jiasi away, the needle rubbing haphazardly against her wrist, and she felt as if it had already pierced her heart.

The three of them finally dragged Zhuo Jiasi to Zuo Feifei's ward. Zuo Feifei's condition seemed to have improved somewhat; her complexion had become slightly rosy, and even her gaze towards Lu Shiliu was exceptionally bright. Zhuo Jiasi, however, was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She painfully pulled out the IV drip, repeatedly blaming herself, saying, "It's all my fault, all my fault..."

Mu Xiang quickly grabbed Jia Si's bleeding wrist with one hand and hugged her with the other, saying, "Jia Si, don't blame yourself, okay? Let's talk about it slowly after we find out the truth."

Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei joined in the comforting, and the four of them almost burst into tears. Li Sixia and Lu Shiliu tactfully left the ward, feeling somewhat speechless.

After a long pause, Lu Shiliu asked uneasily, "Li Sixia, have you heard them talk about those strange things happening in dormitory 514?"

Li Sixia nodded heavily, leaned against the wall, and said, "However, I believe there are definitely no ghosts or monsters in the world, so I must help them unravel this mystery."

A flicker of surprise crossed Lu Shiliu's eyes, then he patted Li Sixia's shoulder and said, "Yes, I believe it too. Then let's help them together!"

The crying continued inside the ward, while the two boys outside looked at each other and smiled sadly.

40

Yao Xiaomo was out of danger the next day.

However, the entire class harbored hostility towards Zhuo Jiasi, preventing her from getting close to Yao Xiaomo and even glaring at her with hatred during class. Even Li Sixia became an object of dislike, not only because of the matter concerning Su Mu, but also because many still suspected him of killing Xia Youcai. Considering that both of them were once admired figures throughout the school, and their deaths were linked to Li Sixia, his life was naturally difficult as well.

Fortunately, there was Lu Shiliu, a stranger from another school. He inquired about Yao Xiaomo's condition under the guise of her cousin. It seemed that her brain injury was already severe, and the emotional trauma had triggered further symptoms. He also learned the cause of Yao Xiaomo's injury: when she went to dormitory 514 to find Zhuo Jiasi, she apparently experienced something terrible and fell down the stairs in her panicked escape. Since the fall, she had become very quiet, and even her eyes showed a clear fear.

After listening to Lu Shiliu's words, the five people fell into deep thought, all wondering what Yao Xiaomo had seen in the dormitory and why she had panicked to the point of losing the will to speak. In the silence, Tao Hua suddenly shouted, stating firmly, "It must be Wu Qiuyang who's behind this! She always has the habit of sleeping during the day, and she was the only one in dormitory 514 at that time. She must have done something to Yao Xiaomo!"

This explanation indeed matched the time and place perfectly, because on the afternoon of the incident, they were all at the hospital taking care of Zuo Feifei, making Wu Qiuyang the only possible perpetrator. Zuo Feifei also affirmed, "Yes, Wu Qiuyang's behavior has always been strange. She's always sneaking around; she looks like a bad person."

Section 61: Chapter Seven - The Phantom of the Hospital (3)

Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang exchanged a glance and had no choice but to tell her about their encounter with Wu Qiuyang on the rooftop. Moreover, Zhuo Jiasi was almost certain that Wu Qiuyang was the one who attacked them in the darkness that night; the feeling that fabric gave her was unforgettable. Therefore, the six of them unanimously agreed to begin investigating Wu Qiuyang.

Thanks to Lu Shiliu's care, Zuo Feifei's health had almost fully recovered, so she insisted on returning to the dormitory. Lu Shiliu initially refused, fearing that Zuo Feifei's mental state might relapse, but considering the seriousness of the situation, hesitantly agreed.

Tao Hua seemed to have completely forgotten everything that had happened before. She patted her chest and said to Lu Shiliu, "Don't worry, Lu Shiliu. Zuo Feifei and I were the best partners back then. We'll definitely find out Wu Qiuyang's true colors!"

The others laughed, but felt a pang of sadness. The four of them, each harboring their own secrets and at odds, had unexpectedly come together in the face of fear. After discussing it, they decided to pretend nothing had happened and return to their dormitory, where they would then try to catch Wu Qiuyang red-handed.

Lu Shiliu was incredibly long-winded, holding Zuo Feifei's hand tightly and repeatedly reminding her, "Feifei, you must be careful. If anything happens, you absolutely must call me immediately."

Despite the danger, Tao Hua remained fearless, clutching her stomach and laughing, "Lu Shiliu, do you think you're strong enough to sneak into the girls' dormitory?"

Lu Shiliu was so anxious her face turned red. Zhuo Jiasi then stepped in as a peacemaker, saying, "Alright, alright, stop talking. Let's hurry back to the dorm."

Just as the four were about to leave, Li Sixia called Zhuo Jiasi back, her expression grave. "Jiasi," she said, "I want to talk to you about something."

Clearly, Mu Xiang and Tao Hua still harbored resentment towards Li Sixia. Mu Xiang glared at him hostilely, while Tao Hua said meaningfully, "Jia Si, we must hold our ground despite our fear!"

Zhuo Jiasi frowned and said somewhat displeasedly, "You guys go back to the dorm first, I'll be back in a bit." Hearing her tone, they felt embarrassed to say anything more and had no choice but to go back to the dorm together.

Li Sixia seemed completely oblivious to their conversation, leading Zhuo Jiasi on a stroll around the campus before finally mustering the courage to ask, "Jiasi, did you find what I asked you to find?"

Zhuo Jiasi chuckled. She hadn't expected him to go through all that trouble just to ask about those letters. She looked up and caught sight of Li Sixia's nose, smiling as she said, "Muxiang and I found them last night. I'll bring them to you tomorrow. Muxiang seems to really like the poems inside. Speaking of which, Su Mu is quite talented."

Li Sixia's expression immediately changed, and she said somewhat awkwardly, "You've read all those letters?"

Zhuo Jiasi then realized that peeking at other people's letters did seem inappropriate. She lowered her head and said, "Because the letters were scattered and not properly sealed, we just glanced at them. But there weren't any secrets in them, were there..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Sixia sighed and said, "Oh well, forget it then. It's really nothing. When you pick up the letter tomorrow, remember to bring me that painting too. It's been sitting there for so long; I think Su Mu and Xia Youcai should know how I feel by now."

Zhuo Jiasi nodded hastily and said, "Yes, they definitely will. They've probably already forgiven you. Don't overthink it anymore."

Li Sixia smiled faintly, then ruffled Jia Si's hair with her hand and said, "Jia Si, thank you."

Feeling embarrassed, Zhuo Jiasi pretended to be angry and pushed his hand away, running off and saying, "I'm going back to my dorm now. See you tomorrow!"

Section 62: Chapter Seven - The Phantom of the Hospital (4)

Li Sixia did not try to stop her, but simply stood there quietly, blossoming into a beautiful flower in the breeze.

41

As soon as she returned to the dormitory, she saw several people huddled together, discussing something as if facing a major crisis. Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, jokingly saying, "Are you guys discussing military secrets? Can I join in?"

"Go away, go away," Tao Hua said jokingly. "A mere soldier shouldn't interfere with the three of us generals discussing matters of state."

Zuo Feifei and Mu Xiang both burst into laughter, but their phones rang inconveniently. It was Lu Shiliu calling Zuo Feifei. Tao Hua mischievously imitated Zuo Feifei's childish voice, making Zuo Feifei blush. Even after hanging up, Tao Hua teased, "Oh my, Lu Shiliu has only been gone for a short while! What, you already miss me?"

Zuo Feifei pouted and said, "Tao Hua, it's always you who teases me. And Mu Xiang, I know you're unhappy with what Lu Shiliu did back then, but I hope you can forgive him, okay?"

Mu Xiang's expression was somewhat blank; she neither shook her head nor nodded, but simply changed the subject, saying, "Then let's drink more coffee tonight and not go to sleep."

Zuo Feifei was extremely embarrassed by the evasive answer and slunk back to her bed. But Tao Hua started nagging again: "Actually, I don't think Lu Shiliu is a bad person, after all, he's our old classmate. But Jia Si, I have to warn you, Li Sixia is really no good. He treated his brothers like that, he'll treat you the same way in the future. So…"

"Tao Hua..." Mu Xiang interrupted Tao Hua, saying stiffly, "You shouldn't concern yourself with other people's affairs."

Zhuo Jiasi looked at Mu Xiang with gratitude, unsure how to explain things under these circumstances. Even though she knew Li Sixia had been wronged by the entire school, he had promised Su Mu that he would never reveal the truth. Therefore, she would also help Li Sixia keep this secret and never let a fourth person besides her and Mu Xiang know.

Tao Hua was clearly unhappy, and she sullenly turned on the computer to play games. The alliance's momentum had weakened considerably, and Zhuo Jiasi felt a little guilty, so she could only climb into bed and start reading.

It was finally past midnight. All four of them had drunk plenty of coffee and were energetically engaged in their own tasks. Tao Hua was writing in her diary again, always trying to hide her misdeeds, seemingly gloating as she wrote about Wu Qiuyang's embarrassing affairs. Zuo Feifei was texting Lu Shiliu with a constant smile, as if her fingers didn't hurt at all. Mu Xiang, however, was still studying those yellowed and moldy letters, refusing to acknowledge anyone. Zhuo Jiasi was reading a poignant love story and almost burst into tears.

Sure enough, after midnight, the sound of marbles started rolling again from the ceiling. One by one, the marbles rolled back and forth. The four of them stared blankly at the dark ceiling, feeling as if their earlier courage had vanished. Tao Hua broke the silence, grabbing her coat and quickly standing up, saying, "I'm going to the rooftop to see what's wrong with that ugly monster!"

Zhuo Jiasi knew that Tao Hua was always an extreme person and was afraid that she would fight with Wu Qiuyang, so she advised her, "You should stay in the dormitory and take care of Zuo Feifei. Mu Xiang and I have been to the rooftop, so let's go up and see what's going on." She was also afraid that Zuo Feifei might do something bad if she stayed in the dormitory.

So, Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang went up to the rooftop hand in hand. Unexpectedly, Wu Qiuyang wasn't there; only a cold wind howled in the spacious area. Sure enough, there were many marbles by the railing. They ran over and picked them up; they were still warm in their palms, indicating someone had been there. They unconsciously walked towards the storage room on the rooftop. The door inside rattled in the wind, and there seemed to be a faint creaking sound.

Section 63: Chapter Seven: The Phantom of the Hospital (5)

Zhuo Jiasi's palms were sweaty, while Mu Xiang mustered her courage and shouted, "Who's in there? Come out now!"

But there was no response from inside. They continued approaching the storeroom, gently pushing the door open. Suddenly, a flock of black birds flew out, disappearing into the distant sky in a dark mass. The two women were startled and sat down on the ground. Zhuo Jiasi, however, breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her sweat and saying, "So it was just crows inside..."

Before they could finish speaking, the rooftop door slammed shut! The two reacted quickly, running over and pounding on the door, shouting, "Who locked the door? Open it for us! Open it now!"

They knocked and called for a long time, but no one answered. Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt scared. So much time had passed, why hadn't Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei come looking for them? Had something happened to them too? Mu Xiang noticed her worry, but she didn't have the strength or energy to comfort her anymore. She could only hug Zhuo Jiasi and say, "Don't be afraid. Let's sleep for a while. When we wake up, everything will be alright."

Because both of them were wearing pajamas, they felt unusually cold on the rooftop, so they huddled together in a tight embrace. It wasn't until the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon that their eyelids grew heavy, and they finally succumbed to the cold and fell asleep.

42

Finally, Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei opened the door to the rooftop. They asked worriedly, "Are you two alright?"

Mu Xiang hugged her cold shoulders, angrily saying, "Where have you all been? We didn't go back to the dorm last night, didn't you even come to check on us?"

Tao Hua and Zuo Feifei stammered for a long time without getting a clear answer, so Zhuo Jiasi quickly interrupted them, saying directly, "Tao Hua, don't speak. Feifei, what exactly happened between you two last night?"

Zuo Feifei rubbed her little braids for a while before saying shyly, "Yesterday, Tao Hua and I waited for you to come back, but you didn't come back for a long time, and then I accidentally fell asleep..."

She actually fell asleep! The two women were nearly furious, staring at them with disappointment. Tao Hua, however, explained bluntly, "We don't know why. We drank so much coffee, and we were perfectly fine. But then we suddenly smelled a floral scent, and suddenly we felt so sleepy, so..."

Before she could finish speaking, Mu Xiang said impatiently, "Enough! Stop making excuses for your mistakes. Jia Si and I are freezing to death on the rooftop."

Zhuo Jiasi wasn't so impulsive. She was particularly sensitive to the scent of flowers, and she also recalled her nightly routine. She always seemed to suffer from insomnia, but the moment she smelled that fragrance, she would unconsciously fall asleep. Could there be a secret in that fragrance? Zhuo Jiasi didn't scold her further, but calmly said, "Never mind. Muxiang, let's go downstairs and get some hot water; we're freezing."