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Capítulo 1

Section 1: On the Creation: The Sunflower's Light and Fleeting Years

Author's Note: The Sunflower's Light Away Through the Years

The sunflowers bloomed, then withered.

Through this long journey of blooming and withering flowers, I completed this suspense novel filled with both warmth and cold.

Like a journey in pursuit of light, one must traverse dark tunnels, barren deserts, and torrential downpours before finally gazing up at the sun in the sky. Pain begins to seep into the skin, penetrating to the very marrow. The journey was both the beginning and the end of a calamity, ending everyone's fate with warmth. Yet, those fleeting years, marked by hardship, become a touch of red in the brushstrokes of my pen.

This is my second time writing a suspense novel. Perhaps my writing style is too accustomed to romance novels, so I always find myself getting lost in the suspense and thrills, only to encounter unusual emotional touches.

Friendship, love, and family ties are placed in a turbulent, dark container, each struggling to find a way out within its own secrets.

The plot is no longer controlled by words, but rather written in fits and starts with emotions, ending with a perfectly natural period.

Perhaps this is a crude writing habit, because I lack the patience to plan the whole story and am only able to be controlled by some subconscious desire, without even knowing how I will end it. So, whenever I serialize a novel online, whenever a friend asks me what the ending is, I am completely bewildered and say, "I haven't finished writing it yet, how would I know what the ending is?" This writing style is often misunderstood, but I feel that creating suspense novels in this way has a more mysterious and enigmatic feel to it.

For me, reading a novel is a soulful exploration. Therefore, I often don the masks of different characters, immersing myself in the text to experience different lives and search for unknown endings. For example, in this book, I play the role of the female protagonist, Zhuo Jiasi. I use her eyes to uncover and discover many secrets, such as Tao Hua's entangled family relationships, Zuo Feifei's girlish feelings, and Mu Xiang's forbearing past… Of course, the most indispensable element is the silent love. Su Mu is an impeccably excellent and tender-hearted boy, while Li Sixia is a warm-hearted boy tainted by the dust of the world. I had already perfectly crafted Su Mu, but in the end, I liked Li Sixia more, perhaps because that sense of realism is more captivating.

The initial intention was to create a campus romance novel, but soon it was discovered that using suspenseful writing to drive the plot would make it a more spiritual novel.

Suspense is the key to all emotions. In the name of love, all stories are led into a huge vortex of fear, and secrets about the past gradually emerge. In fact, this is a very common writing style. Everyone has stubborn shadows buried in their hearts because of past mistakes.

Fear stems from inner unease, which seems to be the central theme the entire novel attempts to convey, while what I want to express is the power of humanity. Ultimately, the root of all the stories lies in the mockery among five girls.

The ultimate culprit was simply someone whose mind was twisted by grief, becoming the terminator of evil.

When it comes to writing suspense novels, I'm not exactly a pure person. I always have to find some light in the darkness, and the sunflower is the warmth that runs throughout the entire story, allowing readers to escape from sheer fear and think about the beauty of love.

So from beginning to end, we were sleeping in the warmth of sunflowers, spending a period of fleeting years.

The publication of this suspense novel is thanks to so many people. For example, Rongshuxia and T, which allowed my writing to gain recognition from many unfamiliar readers; the Meiruominghua Forum, where many friends have accompanied my writing for two or three years; and Teacher Zheng Hui, who helped me gain a deeper understanding of suspense novels… Perhaps this book will introduce me to many new friends, so to paraphrase a line from the novel, I want to tell all my lovely fans: “Actually, as long as a person has no inner demons, no amount of noise will stir up fear. And even in times of fear, there are sunflowers, symbols of light, to accompany you, aren’t there?”

In that case, let us be like sunflowers and bravely pursue happiness!

Mou Zhiping

October 1, 2008

Section 2: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (1)

Chapter 1 Dormitory 514

1

Chujiang University truly possesses the beauty of a paradise on earth. Ancient red bricks are piled up to form a long wall, creating a shining five-pointed star shape. Moreover, the tall gate adopts an ancient courtyard design, as if a fragrant historical memory is sealed inside.

Zhuo Jiasi stood quietly at the school gate, her face bare, gazing up at the sky. She took a deep breath and felt an unprecedented sense of beauty. Unconsciously, she patted her backpack; inside was a thick stack of letters, their warmth palpable even through the nylon fabric. Under the bright sunlight, just as Su Mu had said, she instantly fell in love with this little-known school.

Su Mu is Zhuo Jiasi's pen pal. Their acquaintance began three years ago when Zhuo Jiasi saw Su Mu's poetry in a campus poetry magazine. The soulful words touched her, and she began writing to him on elegant stationery. Su Mu replied quickly, his letters not only filled with graceful prose but also often accompanied by charming artwork. It turned out he was not only a poet but also possessed exceptional artistic talent. Now, three years later, their correspondence has deepened with time, acquiring a beautiful, settled quality.

Zhuo Jiasi didn't tell Su Mu that she had chosen Chujiang University. Her decision had been met with strong opposition from her family, because with her excellent grades, she could have easily gotten into a prestigious university. And indeed, her college entrance exam scores were astonishingly high, yet no one expected that she would choose only the ordinary Chujiang University. But even now, she hadn't regretted it. In her heart, as long as she could be with Su Mu, nothing else mattered.

She had finally made it to today. She needed to settle herself down first, and then give Su Mu a huge surprise tomorrow.

Because her parents were still upset about her choice, they didn't send her to school. Zhuo Jiasi carried her heavy luggage alone, rushing around the huge campus. The complicated registration process made her sweat profusely. Fortunately, she met a handsome boy who kindly ran over to help her with her luggage and even helped her complete the registration process.

Zhuo Jiasi's face flushed red, and she followed behind him with her head down. Only when they reached the entrance of the girls' dormitory did he turn around with a smile and say, "Alright, this is the girls' dormitory. Your room is 105, it's the eighth room on the left after you go into this passage. I won't see you off."

"Okay, thank you for your help." Zhuo Jiasi took the luggage and struggled to carry it to her dorm, but then turned around as if remembering something and asked, "Senior, what's your major? What's your name?"

The boy had soft facial features, his eyes shone with a gentle light, and even the corners of his mouth were bright. He answered cheerfully, "I'm Li Sixia, from the Fine Arts Department, class of 2005."

What a coincidence! She's in the same department as Su Mu! Zhuo Jiasi was secretly delighted and couldn't help but ask, "Really? Do you know a boy named Su Mu?"

Upon hearing this, Li Sixia's smile vanished instantly, and his face darkened. He didn't speak, turning his head away in utter despair, his eyes filled with sorrow. Even more strangely, he seemed like a completely different person, utterly devoid of his previous enthusiasm. He didn't even answer the question, simply leaving Zhuo Jiasi behind and departing.

How strange! Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt puzzled. Sensitive as she was, she searched for the reason in her heart. Could it be that Su Mu had a grudge against him? But she didn't want to believe it. Su Mu in the photo had a gentle and elegant face, and always maintained the most elegant smile. How could he have a grudge against someone else? Perhaps she was just overthinking it. Zhuo Jiasi stopped thinking about it and picked up her luggage and walked towards dormitory 105.

Section 3: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (2)

The other students in the dorm had arrived three days earlier; they all came from different cities. Despite being exhausted, Zhuo Jiasi enthusiastically offered them local specialties and quickly became acquainted with them. She knew very well that in university, dorm relationships were absolutely crucial. They chatted about many interesting topics, and a girl named Yao Xiaomo kindly helped her unpack.

But after Zhuo Jiasi had tidied everything up, a slightly aged woman rushed in, panting, and asked anxiously, "Who is Zhuo Jiasi here?"

Zhuo Jiasi looked up in confusion, recognizing the dormitory supervisor she had seen earlier at the dormitory entrance, and replied, "I'm here. I'm Zhuo Jiasi."

The woman's voice softened slightly. She made an apologetic gesture and said sheepishly, "I'm so sorry. The dormitory management just came to inform you that you've been assigned the wrong room. Your room should be 514. Please move there yourself!"

"Huh?" Zhuo Jiasi's mouth dropped open, and she felt frustrated again. Looking at her neatly made bed, she felt extremely angry. What made her even angrier was that her roommate, who had been so enthusiastic just moments before, had suddenly become indifferent, and wouldn't even help her unpack anymore. She stared longingly at the local specialties, but could only irritably move on to another spot in the dorm.

She was in room 514, still on the fifth floor, and she was really worried about how to move her things up there.

Fortunately, the girl named Yao Xiaomo couldn't bear to see it anymore and kindly helped Zhuo Jiasi carry her things upstairs. But when they reached the fourth floor, she said shyly, "Zhuo Jiasi, I'll help you carry them here!"

Zhuo Jiasi paused for a moment before smiling with relief, "Thank you, Xiao Mo. Only you were willing to help me. Why don't you go upstairs and sit for a while longer? I'll treat you to dinner after I've packed my things!"

"Don't blame them..." Yao Xiaomo looked up anxiously, her face filled with fear, and explained, "You've just arrived here, you don't know about dormitory 514, do you? Everyone at Chujiang University knows that dormitory is cursed. People who lived there once committed suicide by jumping off the building... Later, we heard that strange things often happened there, so many people avoid that dormitory! Listen to this, '514' means 'I'm going to die,' and no one who lived in that dormitory ever had a good ending!"

Seeing Yao Xiaomo's serious expression, Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but laugh. She gently patted her shoulder and said, "Xiaomo, we're both university students now. Why do you still believe these rumors? There's no such thing as ghosts or monsters in this world!"

Yao Xiaomo blushed and only said, "No matter what, you should take good care of yourself." After saying that, she ran downstairs in a panic.

Zhuo Jiasi shook her head helplessly and had no choice but to carry her luggage upstairs herself. Sunlight streamed in from outside, casting beautiful rays that rippled and rolled along the stairs. She couldn't help but smile; this height was perfect for enjoying the view, probably the best place to stay.

2

There didn't seem to be many people living on the fifth floor; the entire corridor was very quiet, and even the wind carried a slight chill. Zhuo Jiasi shivered slightly, thinking that it was probably because the floor was too high that no one wanted to live there, and some even spread rumors as a prank.

The door to dormitory 514 was tightly closed; it seemed no one was home. But Zhuo Jiasi thought that was impossible. School started tomorrow, and she had arrived just in time to register; no one could be later than her. She knocked on the door again, but only heard echoes from the hallway. Her roommates had probably all gone out. She put down her luggage, sat wearily by the door, and rested her head on her knees.

Section 4: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (3)

Before she had rested for long, Zhuo Jiasi felt someone patting her shoulder, so lightly it was almost a gentle touch. She reacted quickly, raising her head, only to find the surroundings still empty. Relieved, she lay back down. But soon the patting sensation returned. She looked up again and saw a dark figure flash past at the end of the corridor.

Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt a chill; the wind in the corridor made her feel cold all over. But she kept reassuring herself that there were no ghosts or monsters in this world, and someone must be trying to scare her. So she mustered her courage and shouted at the end of the corridor, "Is anyone there? Who's there?" The corridor remained deserted, and only an empty echo came from it. She had no choice but to hug her arms tightly and walk towards the end of the corridor.

It seemed to be a public restroom, as the continuous dripping sound could be heard. Each drop was chilling. Before Zhuo Jiasi could even get close, a scream came from inside: "Blood, blood, blood..." She took a few steps back, then rushed in. There, she saw a girl huddled in a corner, hugging her knees and crying loudly. Red liquid was flowing from the tap, gushing and staining the clothes in the basin, overflowing and spreading throughout the white laundry sink!

Zhuo Jiasi was also frightened and tried to run out of the bathroom, but the door slammed shut with a "click." She tried to open it several times, but couldn't; only the sound of dripping water could be heard. Helpless, she tentatively approached the girl and cautiously asked, "It seems the door is broken. Are you alright?" But in reality, her body was trembling violently, and she couldn't help but wonder if what Yao Xiaomo said was true.

The girl cried for a while before raising her head and staring at Zhuo Jiasi for a long time. Then, almost simultaneously, they both shouted, "Zhuo Jiasi!" "Muxiang!" It turned out they were junior high school classmates and had been very close. If Zhuo Jiasi's family hadn't moved so hastily, they wouldn't have lost contact. But unexpectedly, they reunited under these circumstances.

Before they could even catch up, Mu Xiang said, her voice trembling with fear, "Zhuo Jiasi, everyone says dormitory 514 is haunted, but I never believed it. I've only been here for two days, and I'm almost scared to death. School's about to start, and still no one's registered. I live here alone, and every night I can hear marbles rolling upstairs. Even during the day, it feels eerily gloomy. I was just washing clothes here, and when I came back from the bathroom, there was blood coming from the pipe!"

Zhuo Jiasi, always bold, tried her best to calm herself down. Holding Mu Xiang, she comforted her, saying, "How could such a strange thing happen! Let me go take another look." Saying this, she slowly approached the pipe, scooped up some red liquid with her hand, and felt a sticky residue on her fingers. She then suspiciously brought it to her nose and smelled it, unable to help but burst out laughing: "Mu Xiang, this clearly smells like paint!"

Paint? Mu Xiang frowned, then screamed in even greater terror, "Then...that makes sense. You know, this floor of the dormitory used to be inhabited by male art students, and then more than a dozen of them jumped to their deaths. Could it be...could it be that they've come back?"

The words had barely left her lips when the sound of flushing water came from the bathroom again. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang took a few steps back, suddenly feeling the bathroom was eerily empty. Zhuo Jiasi was about to ask Mu Xiang if she had seen anyone in the bathroom before coming in when the curtains suddenly fell shut, plunging the room into darkness, leaving only the sound of their breathing.

"Who is it? Who's playing this prank?!" Zhuo Jiasi questioned the toilet, her voice weak and uncertain, but the flushing continued unabated. Mu Xiang was trembling violently, burying her head in Zhuo Jiasi's back, almost sobbing, "Jiasi, what should we do?"

Section 5: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (4)

Zhuo Jiasi still tried her best to act nonchalant, shielding Mu Xiang behind her as they walked towards the toilet, kicking open the door with her eyes closed. With a crash, a large easel fell over and landed at their feet.

The two were startled and stared blankly at the old drawing board.

After a long while, Zhuo Jiasi finally went up and tremblingly turned the canvas over. The scene on the canvas was simply horrific! A beautiful young girl lay naked in a bathtub, her lifeless eyes seemingly filled with deep resentment, and blood was gushing from her right wrist, staining the entire canvas crimson.

Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt nauseous, and Mu Xiang couldn't help but scream and faint.

Left all alone, Zhuo Jiasi felt terrified and shook Mu Xiang violently, saying, "Mu Xiang, wake up! Wake up!" But Mu Xiang didn't respond at all, lying limply in her arms, so quiet that only her soft breathing could be heard.

Just then, a soft sound of a lock being opened came from outside the door, and the door slowly opened, letting in a gust of cold wind...

3

Who is it?

Zhuo Jiasi felt only tension in her chest, and even her voice lost its balance.

Only a staggering figure slowly approached through the doorway, the person's face completely blurred. She held the unconscious Mu Xiang tightly, her palms sweating, the sound of dripping water filling her ears.

It was a middle-aged woman's voice: "What are you doing here?" The curtains were drawn, and the cold sunlight shone in, making the bathroom bright again.

Upon seeing the dorm supervisor, Zhuo Jiasi breathed a sigh of relief. "It's us, Auntie. I don't know what happened just now. The door was locked from the inside, and even the curtains closed by themselves. And..." She went to look for the fallen easel, but strangely, it was gone. All she could hear was the sound of the toilet door rattling back and forth. She gasped and didn't dare to say another word.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman frowned and shouted, "It must be that brat's doing again! Ever since she came to this floor, nothing good has come of it!" As she spoke, she seemed to be searching for something in the corridor.

"Wow!" The words had barely left her lips when a tall, mischievous girl jumped out from behind the trash can by the door, startling the middle-aged woman so much that she stumbled back a few steps. She couldn't help but start cursing again: "If you keep acting like this, I'll tell your dad! You're scaring all the new classmates!"

But she didn't know until she looked, and Zhuo Jiasi immediately recognized the girl in front of her, exclaiming, "Tao Hua, it's you!" Coincidentally, Tao Hua was also their junior high school classmate. She could never forget that arrogant expression; Tao Hua seemed to be a born favorite.

Tao Hua ignored the middle-aged woman and burst into laughter at Zhuo Jiasi: "Old classmate, it's been so long! Isn't my greeting gift generous enough? Oh dear, Mu Xiang is quite cooperative; she actually fainted from fright."

It turned out that everything that had just happened was just Tao Hua's prank. Zhuo Jiasi breathed a sigh of relief, glancing helplessly at Tao Hua, who still loved to play tricks on others as before. The middle-aged woman beside her continued to nag, "Tao Hua, stop doing this. This floor is already eerie enough; playing these kinds of games will ruin your father's school sooner or later..."

Before she could finish speaking, Tao Hua became impatient, glared at her, and yelled, "Please, Aunt Luo! Why do you talk so much every day? You're so long-winded. If you want to tell my dad, then hurry up and do it!" As she spoke, she gave Aunt Luo a hard shove.

Section 6: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (5)

Aunt Luo sighed helplessly, handed the key to Zhuo Jiasi, and said softly, "I forgot to give you the dormitory key earlier, take it now!" Then she didn't say anything more, quietly turned around and left. In the corridor, there were light footsteps, seemingly carrying a sigh.

Knowing Tao Hua's temperamental nature, Zhuo Jiasi dared not scold her further. She suppressed her anger and asked calmly, "Tao Hua, what are you doing here?"

"Hehe. Still not awake?" Tao Hua walked over and patted Mu Xiang's cheek, grinning mischievously. "Because my dad is the vice-principal of Chujiang University, if my grades aren't good, I can only get into our own school through connections! I didn't expect to find your and Mu Xiang's names in the registration list, so I managed to get you two into the same dorm!"

No wonder she changed dorms for no reason! Zhuo Jiasi said angrily, "But you can't do it like this, look at Muxiang now!" Muxiang in her arms was still limp, her face still showing fear, and her lips were trembling slightly.

Without a second thought, Tao Hua splashed water from the pool onto Mu Xiang. Mu Xiang woke up screaming, clutching Zhuo Jiasi and crying, "Jiasi, don't leave me, don't leave me!"

Zhuo Jiasi hugged Mu Xiang tightly, but Tao Hua was laughing so hard she was bent over. Mu Xiang turned around with trembling hands and carefully called out, "Tao Hua?" For a moment, she was completely bewildered by the suddenness of what was happening.

Seeing that the two were holding their breath and unwilling to speak, Tao Hua became a little anxious again. She used her usual coquettish skills, took Zhuo Jiasi's hand and said, "Oh, don't be angry, I was just playing around. Come with me, I'll take you to meet someone, I guarantee you'll be even more surprised." With that, she pulled them towards the dormitory.

Zhuo Jiasi had no choice but to support Mu Xiang and follow Tao Hua into the dormitory. Only the sound of their footsteps could be heard in the corridor, but a faint sound still lingered in her ears, like the crash of the easel falling over earlier, and the scene in that painting that she could never let go of in her memory.

The dormitory door, which had been tightly closed, opened easily with a gentle push from Tao Hua, revealing a girl with a childlike demeanor. A familiar baby face, a few adorable bangs, and a sweet, innocent smile. Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang recognized her immediately—it was their junior high classmate, Zuo Feifei.

It turned out that Tao Hua had seen their names on the registration list early on, so she used her status as the vice principal's daughter to force the dormitory management to transfer the four of them to one dormitory. Now, she stood beside them, even more delighted, laughing loudly at the three of them. Needless to say, Zuo Feifei had also been tricked by her.

As expected, Zuo Feifei said with a hint of reproach, "Tao Hua, you still love to play pranks on people! But you really couldn't have brought us to this dorm. I heard it's cursed here! Maybe... maybe you should move us to the dorm downstairs?"

"What, scared?" Tao Hua said with a hint of disdain. "Let me tell you, I deliberately arranged for you to be in this dorm! There are no ghosts or monsters in this world. Our mission as sisters is to dispel the rumors at school so my dad can have some peace!"

"My sisters..." Mu Xiang, who was always sentimental, suddenly lost in thought and murmured, "It's a pity... Xiao Chuhan is no longer here."

One sentence caused several people's expressions to change drastically. Tao Hua, in particular, almost angrily scolded, "Mu Xiang! Didn't we agree never to mention her again? If it weren't for her, would we have been separated for so many years? So much time has passed, why are you still holding onto this!"

Mu Xiang glanced at Tao Hua with some dissatisfaction, but dared not argue, and could only timidly lean against Zhuo Jiasi.

Section 7: Chapter 1 Dormitory 514 (6)

Zhuo Jiasi patted her shoulder comfortingly. Actually, among the girls, only the two of them used to be best friends. Even now, Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but feel sorry for Mu Xiang, so she smoothed things over, saying, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about it anymore. The four of us are back together; we should be happy!"