charme félin

Chapitre 3

"It's noon. If Miss Zi has time, let's have lunch together."

"Huh?? Oh~~ okay."

We walked out of the police station together and went to a restaurant right next to it.

"Captain Xiao is here? Has the head been found yet?" It seems he's quite familiar with the restaurant owner.

"Hehe..." Xiao Lin just laughed without answering. Seeing that he couldn't get any information out of him, the restaurant owner smiled awkwardly. "Oh~~ Is this your girlfriend? She's really pretty." The owner looked at me and said to Xiao Lin.

We smiled at each other, neither of us speaking. The owner, smiling, ushered us into a small private room and placed the menu on the table. As he bent down, a familiar face appeared behind him—Meizi!! She smiled eerily, beckoning to me, and a voice said to me, "Go, go and you'll know the truth, go..." But I knew I couldn't go; if I went, I might not come back. But my feet wouldn't obey me, and I walked out. Meizi turned and left, and I followed her to a small park nearby. I had never seen such a quiet place before. Suddenly, Meizi turned around. "Mi'er, help me, help me find my head, otherwise I'll be reborn as an animal in my next life. Please, help me catch the murderer who killed me."

"Plum, tell me who killed you, and where is your head?"

"In a very dark place, very dark and cold, they killed me. I don't know. I kept getting terrifying phone calls, and then my head left my body, just like that."

As she spoke, she forcefully ripped her head off—yes, ripped it off. Blood splattered all over me, and blood flowed from the eyes of her severed head. I forgot to scream because I passed out the next second.

Chapter Five

When I woke up again, everything was white. The face in front of me gradually became clear. It was Xiao Lin. "Zimi, are you awake?" I nodded.

"It's good that you're awake. Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

"How did I get here? Where did you find me?"

"Huh? You forgot? We went to a restaurant to eat, but in the middle of the conversation you suddenly collapsed onto the table. I thought you were sick."

"What? You're saying I've been at the restaurant the whole time?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

I recounted my experience to Xiao Lin. He lowered his head, seemingly deep in thought, then looked up and asked thoughtfully, "Do you believe in ghosts?"

I shook my head first, then nodded, and Xiao Lin laughed: "What do you mean?"

"Although I'm an atheist, what's happened these past two days has made me believe that some things in this world are really unbelievable. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, I don't know. Anyway, I'm a scaredy-cat, so I'd rather believe it. Tomorrow I'll go to the temple to burn incense and get a talisman. Even though Meizi and I are quite close."

"By the way, you said she didn't know who killed her?"

"Yes, she said she kept receiving terrifying phone calls. Maybe she heard some scary sounds on the phone and was so frightened that she died. Then the murderer went into her room, killed her, and moved her body to our company?"

"Hehe, you could be a detective. Maybe we haven't figured it out yet, but one thing is for sure: your company wasn't the primary crime scene. But strangely, we didn't find anything suspicious when we went into her rented apartment. Maybe she wasn't killed at home. If we figure out where she last went, maybe we can find her head."

"What similarities does this case have with the case our company had last year?"

"Not only last year, but also the year before, for three consecutive years, this is the sixth body with missing limbs. Apart from the first woman who committed suicide, the first was missing her left leg, the second her right leg, the third her right arm, the fourth her left arm, the fifth her neck to chest, and this is the sixth one without a head. We also can't find the severed parts. Sigh... it's been a cold case ever since. We're also very troubled by this case, but we don't know where to start. The only thing they have in common is that these victims are all young, beautiful, and capable girls."

"Captain Xiao, why does this feel a bit like a story from Young Justice Bao?"

"What story?"

"The story goes that seven imperial guards, having released the prince who had been switched by a raccoon dog, had to hide in a small village called Yinyi Village to survive. However, one of them was unwilling to accept this and planned to leave with his entire family overnight. But the other six discovered them and trapped the family of seven in a cave, burning them alive. After the fire was extinguished, they carried out seven mummified corpses and placed them in a secret room in the family's house and the knife factory they ran. Twenty years later, the other six imperial guards died one after another, and their deaths were gruesome, with parts of their bodies missing. Everyone thought it was the mummified corpses seeking revenge. Finally, Bao Zheng discovered the truth: only six people had died in the fire. One of the men's daughters had been rescued, married, and had children. The reason why there were seven mummified corpses was because someone had cut off parts of the bodies of the six mummified corpses to create the seventh."

"Finished?"

"Okay, that's it."

"Why didn't I think of that? Maybe..."

"Take your medicine, take your medicine." Xiao Lin was interrupted by the nurse before he could finish speaking. Xiao Lin stood up and said, "Okay, you should rest well. I'll come see you again tomorrow."

After Xiao Lin left, I kept my eyes open, afraid to close them. I was afraid that if I closed them, I would see Mei Zi holding a head and asking me to help her find the murderer. The pillow started vibrating, which I found comfortable, so I let it vibrate. But it showed no sign of stopping, so I reluctantly reached under the pillow and pulled out my phone. Because yesterday's call had made me hate the ringtone, I had put it on vibrate. It was Luo Fei calling. "Hello, Fei Fei..."

"Where are you, Mi'er? I need to talk to you."

"I'm at the hospital."

"What? The hospital?" Luo Fei shouted from the other end of the line; you could imagine her gaping mouth without even looking.

"What's wrong? Which hospital?"

"I'm fine at the Third Hospital. The doctor said I have anemia."

"Oh, then I'll come see you now." Before I could finish speaking, she hung up the phone.

Before long, Luo Fei appeared in front of me. As soon as she came in, she patted my head and looked me over for a while. "It's alright, it's nothing. You seem to be in good spirits. You won't die anytime soon."

"What are you saying? Can't you say something nice? I'm still a patient."

"Isn't that good? Look, I even brought your favorite watermelon. By the way, I have something to tell you. I looked through some information at the newspaper, and your company has been experiencing a series of murders for the past two years. It all started when a girl named Wang Ling committed suicide by jumping off a building. After her suicide, there were a series of murders, and the manner of death was gruesome. First, they were scared to death, and then limbs were amputated. Each body was missing a different part."

“I understand. Xiao Lin just told me that these dead people are not related to those who committed suicide.”

"I think she's still a key figure; how come those incompetent cops didn't think of that?"

"Perhaps they've thought of it, but they don't have any clues?"

"Fine, just to put your mind at ease, I'll check it for you."

"Are you sure you can handle this? This is a police matter, it has nothing to do with us. Let's not get involved. What if they can't find anything and we get ourselves implicated too..."

"Pah, pah, pah, can't you say something auspicious? Think about it? Maybe you'll be next? Otherwise, why do you keep getting strange phone calls and QQ messages? When can you be discharged from the hospital?"

"I don't know, nothing's wrong, I want to leave now."

"What's wrong with you? Why are you anemic? Are you on your period?"

"What? I'm just anemic, that's why I fainted." Then I told her what happened before I fainted, and she widened her eyes. "Could there really be a ghost?" I shook my head because I really didn't know if ghosts really existed in the world.

Chapter Six

Leaving the hospital, I was still in a daze. These events left me constantly uneasy. Was that mysterious phone call related to the whole thing? I didn't understand. After Luo Fei brought me home, she went to the newspaper office. She said she had to get to the bottom of things, but if even the police couldn't do it, how could a weak woman like her? I was alone at home, bored and listless. I couldn't write a word of my novel. I went into my art studio—actually, it was just a small bedroom we'd converted into an art studio—set up my easel, and tried to paint. Painting was the only thing that allowed me to concentrate. When I finally put down my brush, I looked at my watch; it was already 8 pm. I picked up a cigarette from the table, lit it, and looked at my masterpiece. The outline was starting to emerge, but why did the woman in my painting look so familiar—Mei Zi? She was giving me a strange smile when suddenly red liquid flowed from her eyes. It was blood, yes, blood. I rubbed my eyes hard, and when I opened them again, the painting was still the same. A young woman was dancing lightly in the painting. There was no familiar face, and no bleeding eyes. Was it all just my hallucination?

"Alright," I stubbed out my cigarette and walked out of the studio. Luo Fei still hadn't returned. That unfamiliar phone call hadn't come all day, which reassured me a bit. "Ring ring..." The phone rang, startling me. Could it be? I cautiously answered, "Hello..."

"Hello, Miss Zi?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Oh, this is Xiao Lin. When were you discharged from the hospital? I tried calling your cell phone earlier but it was off, so I called your home phone. Are you feeling better?"

"Hehe, thank you, Captain Xiao. I'm fine now. You've really gone to a lot of trouble today. I haven't had a chance to thank you yet."

"It's nothing, anyone would do the same. I'm just glad you're okay. I hope we can stay in touch, okay?"

"Of course, I also hope to catch the murderer as soon as possible. Just let me know if there's anything you need me to do."

"Thank you. I was worried you wouldn't cooperate with us."

"How should I reply? My childhood dream has been to be a detective, and I hope this time I can fulfill that dream."

"Hehe... Alright then, I won't disturb your rest any longer. Goodnight."

"Good night."

I hung up the phone and fell into deep thought. I didn't understand what any of this had to do with me. I hadn't been with the company long, let alone made any enemies. Why was everything happening to me? My head was spinning. Guanyin Bodhisattva, Buddha, please help me! Lost in thought, the phone rang again, startling me. "Hello, who is it?"

"Zimi, I am Wang Zhengming."

"Mr. Wang, why are you calling so late?"

"Oh, I heard you weren't feeling well this afternoon. It's normal for a boss to care about their employees, right? How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

"Thank you, Mr. Wang. I feel much better. I'm so sorry to trouble you to call so late."

"Then you should get some rest. Come directly to my office tomorrow, and I'll give you another case to work on."

"Understood, Mr. Wang. Is there anything else?"

"That's all. You should get some rest."

"Oh, Mr. Wang, goodbye."

"goodbye."

The exploitative class! They're giving someone a job right after they're discharged from the hospital—they have no humanity. *Thump! Thump! Thump!* "Who is it? Can't a person have some peace and quiet?"

"It's me, Mi'er, Xiao Cui! Are you alright?" Xiao Cui was howling outside. I went to open the door. "I'm fine, I'm not dead yet. What are you doing here so late?"

"I came to see you. Feifei said you were sick."

"You saw Feifei?"

"Yeah, I saw her at Old Sichuan's place just now. She was with a handsome guy, and she said she doesn't think she'll be coming back tonight?"

"Huh? Not coming back? Are you kidding me?" I said, picking up the phone and dialing her number. "Hello, Aunt Feifei, aren't you coming back tonight?"

"Mi'er? Yes, I'm not going back tonight, hehe, you should go to sleep early! Be good, I'll go back tomorrow." Before I could speak, there was another busy signal. Luo Fei is always like this. Although she doesn't have a boyfriend, she's never short of men. In her words, she wants to be single but not celibate. She's indifferent to men. I shook my head and decided not to bother with her. It's not the first time.

“Mi’er, I know you’ll be lonely at home alone, so I came to keep you company.”

"No need, you can go now, I'm going to sleep." She ignored him and finished washing up. Seeing that he still showed no sign of leaving, she got a little annoyed. "Hey Cui Zijian, are you leaving or not?"

He didn't answer me, he just stared at me intently, making me feel like a thousand insects were crawling inside me. He slowly approached me. "Mi'er, you should know that I've always liked you."

"So what?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"cannot."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like you."

"But I like you." As he said this, he was only a centimeter away from me. I took a step back, and he followed suit. Finally, I leaned against the wall, and he held me firmly between his arms. "Promise me, be my girlfriend, and I will treat you well."

I could clearly feel his burning desire as he spoke. As his face drew closer, I raised my leg and kneed him in the groin. While he bent over in pain on the floor, I quickly ran away. But just as I was about to open the door, he grabbed me again. He shoved me to the ground like a madman. Just as he was about to pin me down, he suddenly stopped. I saw his face contorted in fear, his pupils dilating rapidly. I felt a chill run down my spine. I dared not turn around, afraid of seeing something horrific, but I couldn't resist the temptation. Slowly, I turned my head and saw Mei Zi standing smiling in the corner of the living room. Xiao Cui knew Mei Zi was dead; perhaps his fear stemmed from this. "Ah ...

When I looked back again, Meizi was gone. The next day when I went to work, everyone was talking about something. When I walked over, Sister Huo pulled me aside and said, "Xiao Zi, did you know that Xiao Cui was sent to the mental hospital this morning? He kept calling Meizi's name. It's so strange. I think Xiao Cui must have encountered something evil and was frightened. Meiyu's spirit is still haunting us."

"What else did Xiao Cui say?"

"What else is there to say? He's already gone mad, it's pitiful. Actually, Cui was a good person, what a pity." Sister Huo shook her head and walked away, but I felt uneasy.

Chapter Seven

A week passed peacefully without incident, but Luo Fei had been missing for a week. Her phone was switched off, and her colleagues said she had taken leave. But how could she not contact me for a week? Just as I was considering whether to call the police, the phone suddenly rang. "Hey, Mi'er, I just got off the plane. Are you home? I'll be home soon. I brought you lots of gifts. Wait for me."

I hung up the phone hastily, without giving her a chance to speak. Hearing her voice reassured me a lot; although I was angry, I was definitely relieved. For the past few days, because Luo Fei wasn't home, I hadn't had the time or the mood to clean the house. Now I got up and tidied everything. An hour passed, and just as I finished and sat down, I heard the door open. I rushed over. It was Luo Fei! I hugged her tightly. "Feifei, you know how much I missed you while you were gone! I thought you were lost!" Tears welled up in my eyes. Luo Fei patted my back, comforting me. "Oh, oh, oh, my sweetheart, I'm sorry. I should have told you, but I was in such a rush that I forgot. I'm sorry, don't be angry." We sat down on the sofa.

"Feifei, where have you been these past few days?"