Le cadavre de la femme enveloppé dans le placard

Chapitre 7

Feng Junzi suppressed the unpleasant smell in his breath, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dim environment of the dance hall. He carefully observed this place he had never been before, and for a moment, he was struck by its "spectacular" scale. The dance hall was packed with people. Along the dance floor, around the seats, and even along the aisles leading to the restrooms, almost every aisle was lined with two rows of "dance girls." There were at least several hundred dance girls here, of all shapes and sizes, beautiful and ugly, of all ages. In the dim light, it was impossible to tell how heavy their makeup was. Feng Junzi only glanced at them briefly, but he knew that most of the dance girls were around thirty or forty years old, while the customers were mostly also quite old, and the younger people were mostly migrant workers. Customers looking for dance partners were wandering through the crowd, selecting their preferred girls.

Midnight Nightclub wasn't considered the most upscale entertainment venue in Binhai, but compared to this place, it was practically a palace. Han Shuang had never been to this place before, and even she wrinkled her nose upon entering. However, Red Forest had its advantages: it was spacious, crowded, and cheap—the entrance fee was only three yuan, and a dance cost only ten yuan to your partner. Under the dim lights, men and women clung to each other, dancing a single step called "Huang Er," during which they could rub and tease each other. Some unruly customers could even indulge in groping and masturbation. There were also "private rooms" and "elegant seating" around the dance hall, but Feng Junzi wasn't sure what kind of entertainment they offered.

Feng Junzi wasn't here for lowbrow entertainment; he was looking for someone—Dr. Chen Yidao, a surgeon at the Affiliated Hospital of Binhai Medical University. Chen Yidao was Chen Xiaosan's cousin. He was a surgeon whose skills were so excellent, and of course, he accepted bribes readily, that many people privately called him Chen Yidao. As for his original name, nobody knew.

Chen Yidao's income was high enough, and he was a respectable person in society. Feng Junzi never expected him to frequent places like this. Truly, the world is full of wonders! After some investigation, Feng Junzi discovered that Chen Yidao had a hobby: after taking off his white coat, he would stuff a wad of ten- and twenty-yuan bills into his pocket and go to the Red Forest Dance Hall for illicit affairs. According to Chen Yidao himself, "It's the pleasure of finding gold in the sand. Even in such a low-class place, if you look carefully, you can find high-quality women, and the price for taking them out is very cheap. A surgeon can tell what kind of woman a woman is in the dark."

Upon entering the Red Forest and witnessing this scene, Feng Junzi couldn't help but think that Chen Yidao was somewhat perverted. In such a dark environment, finding Chen Yidao among so many people was virtually impossible. Fortunately, he had brought Piaopiao with him. The crowd and darkness had no effect on Piaopiao; however, seeing such a chaotic scene made her face turn bright red to her ears, and she almost turned and left immediately. After Feng Junzi coaxed her gently for a long time, she finally stamped her feet and steeled herself to go into the crowd to find Chen Yidao.

Just as they had calmed Piaopiao down, Han Shuang encountered another problem. The Red Forest Ballroom had no female customers; any woman who entered was a prostitute. It was rare to see a young and beautiful woman like Han Shuang there. Before Feng Junzi and Han Shuang had taken more than a few steps, a group of all sorts of men swarmed around them like flies, reaching out to invite Han Shuang to dance, their hands and feet quite lewd. Feng Junzi also encountered similar lewd advances. Before he had taken more than a few steps, heavily made-up women on either side reached out to him, leaning in intentionally or unintentionally while saying, "Boss, dance a song, please."

Feng Junzi was very impatient, his brow furrowed as he was about to explode, but Han Shuang, being from the entertainment industry, was unfazed. She grabbed Feng Junzi's arm, broke through the crowd, and quickly entered the dance floor, pretending to be a customer dancing with the ladies. The dance floor was packed like dumplings in a pot. Feng Junzi wasn't used to the "swaying" steps, and immediately adopted a ballroom starting stance. Before he could even take two steps, he had already bumped into three couples, drawing a chorus of quiet curses in the darkness.

Han Shuang chuckled and said softly, "You really want to dance? Quickly take your hands off my waist and just wiggle around in place."

Feng Junzi looked around and saw that it was indeed the case; couples were huddled together, just swaying aimlessly. He frowned and said, "It's best not to stay in a place like this for too long. If a fire breaks out here, I don't think we'll be able to escape."

Just then, Piao Piao appeared and told them that the person had been found. Feng Junzi and Han Shuang pretended to dance while carefully following Piao Piao through the crowd towards Chen Yidao, and soon spotted him. Chen Yidao wasn't dancing; instead, he was squinting his lecherous eyes, searching through the crowd. Feng Junzi, arm in arm with Han Shuang, quietly approached, separating as they got close, and Han Shuang happened to appear right in front of Chen Yidao.

Chen Yidao was searching for a suitable partner among the rows of young ladies when he suddenly saw Han Shuang and his eyes lit up. Without thinking, he immediately reached out and grabbed her, saying, "Miss, let's dance."

Feng Junzi saw Chen Yidao's hand seemingly sticky, wrapped around Han Shuang's waist. The two figures quickly disappeared into the darkness of the dance floor. The rest was up to Han Shuang to make her move. He left the dance hall and waited in the lobby outside the exit.

Feng Junzi seemed completely unhurried. He had enough confidence in Han Shuang that Chen Yidao would most likely not miss this opportunity to seduce her. Sure enough, after a while, Chen Yidao came out arm in arm with Han Shuang. The two smiled ambiguously and talked quietly before hailing a taxi and leaving. Han Shuang didn't deliberately look at Feng Junzi, but subtly made a hand gesture before getting into the car. Feng Junzi didn't move and gracefully followed.

...

At midnight, Chen Yidao suddenly awoke from a daze to find himself lying naked in the bathtub. He felt a headache coming on and remembered that he was in a hotel room bathroom. He slowly recalled how he got to this place. He remembered that he had a rare encounter with a beautiful and passionate dancer at the Red Forest Ballroom, who had aroused him to the point of losing control on the dance floor. After two songs, he couldn't wait to take her to the hotel to book a room.

The remaining memories were sometimes clear, sometimes blurry. He seemed to have done something, yet also seemed to have done nothing; he had actually fallen asleep in the bathtub, which, judging by the time, must have been when he was burning with desire and hurriedly taking a shower. He was a doctor, and immediately became suspicious. How could he have fallen asleep? Had someone tampered with the tea he drank after entering the room? A panic gripped him as he struggled to sit up, when he suddenly noticed a note beside him. It appeared to be written in bright red ink: "Call the police immediately, or you will die!"

Chen Yidao was terrified when he saw the note; his blood seemed to freeze. He suddenly felt the scene was so familiar; he had experienced the same thing two years ago, but back then, it wasn't him lying in the bathtub, but an innocent young girl. He had taken money from his cousin, Chen Xiaosan, who had implied that he was being coerced by a powerful figure into performing an organ harvesting surgery. He thought it was all over and no one would know, but he never imagined that today he would be lying in the bathtub again, seeing the exact same note.

Upon seeing the note, Chen Yidao suddenly felt a chill behind him. He "found" himself lying on a pile of ice. He couldn't believe he had experienced the same thing. He struggled to reach his hand behind his back and vaguely touched two long cuts. All his willpower collapsed in that instant.

...

"This person died very strangely. He died in the bathtub with his eyes wide open, but there were no wounds on his body, and the forensic examination did not find any cause of death."

Feng Junzi and Chang Wu were drinking. They had enjoyed eating barbecue together ever since they came to the coastal city. Today, Chang Wu had invited Feng Junzi out, and they were discussing Chen Yidao's case.

"Chang Wu, you just said that this case is related to the case from two years ago, so the cause of death should be the same?"

Chang Wu took a sip of his drink and continued, "That's precisely what's strange about this case. On the surface, it's exactly the same as two years ago—someone was found dead, naked, in a hotel room bathroom. But the difference is that this person hadn't suffered any harm before death and was in good health. There was also a piece of paper next to him..."

"What words are written on the paper?" Feng Junzi interjected.

"A blank sheet of paper, with no words written on it."

"So he was also lying on ice?"

"No, there was nothing unusual about the bathtub. It's speculated that he fell asleep while taking a bath and died mysteriously. If it weren't for the case from two years ago, I wouldn't have thought too much about it. That's why I called you out today to talk."

"Chang Wu, have you ever heard the story of 'seeing a snake in a cup'? Perhaps I think your forensic experts should examine whether this person had a large amount of adrenaline secreted before death."

Chang Wu: "Old Feng, what do you mean by that? Are you saying he was scared to death by himself?"

Feng Junzi: "This person is Chen Xiaosan's cousin. He was a surgeon before he died. Can't you think of anything? If he was involved in the case two years ago, and you know that doctors must be involved in such cases, what would he think if he suddenly found himself in the same situation?"

Chang Wu: "What you said makes sense, but he's not stupid. Doesn't he know he wasn't injured?"

Feng Junzi laughed: "People can hallucinate under certain circumstances. For example, they might see words on a note even though there are none on it, feel ice in a bathtub even though there is none, or find wounds even though they are not injured. Do you think this is possible?"

Chang Wu: "So how does this kind of hallucination occur?"

Feng Junzi: "As the saying goes, suspicion breeds ghosts. If he has done such a thing, he will naturally make the same association in the same environment. At this time, as long as an external force adds a little push to his mind, his hallucination will appear."

Chang Wu: "What are you referring to as external forces?"

Feng Junzi: "For example, a ghost, a ghost who died unjustly."

Chang Wu's expression changed upon hearing this, and he asked urgently, "Are you implying something to me?"

Feng Junzi raised his cup and drank, speaking slowly and deliberately: "I didn't say anything, I was just guessing. But there are examples of killing people using psychological suggestion. You should have heard of a foreign experiment: someone blindfolded a death row inmate, tied him to a chair, and used a piece of ice to scratch his wrist, but it didn't even break the skin. Then they played the sound of a dripping faucet for him... Two hours later, when they removed the blindfold, the man was already dead."

Chang Wu: "I've heard of this experiment. Are you saying that Chen Yidao might have died this way?"

Feng Junzi: "Actually, what killed Chen Yidao wasn't some vengeful spirit, but the demon within his own heart. He could live, and he could die! If he had a clear conscience, he wouldn't have died, but the fact that he is dead now only proves that he was truly guilty!"

Chang Wu looked quietly into Feng Junzi's eyes, as if he had something to ask, but remained silent for a long time before finally saying nothing more.

3-3. Suspicious and paranoid

Chen Yidao's death was bizarre, even mysterious, and the story circulated in the streets for quite some time. But the aftermath of Chen Yidao's death was far from over. When people were taking stock of his belongings, they found a large amount of cash and valuable jewelry in his wardrobe and desk. Meanwhile, his wife and mother almost went to court over the distribution of his estate. Then, somehow, a former lover of Chen Yidao appeared, who was said to have taken a lot of his money and was still living in a house that Chen Yidao had bought. So the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law united against him... In short, three women make a drama, and things got really messy.

Chen's mother originally wanted to ask Chen Xiaosan to help resolve these matters, but Chen Xiaosan's mind wasn't on that at all; he couldn't be bothered with Chen Yidao's family affairs. After learning of Chen Yidao's mysterious death, Chen Xiaosan lived in constant fear. He immediately thought of Piaopiao's case two years ago. His intuition told him that Chen Yidao's death was directly related to the murder two years prior, but he wasn't entirely certain, because Chen Yidao had committed many other despicable acts. He instinctively wanted to figure things out and decided to consult with someone.

The person he was looking for was Li Datou. This Li Datou wasn't some scoundrel like Chen Xiaosan. His real name was Li Jinkui, a respectable overseas graduate with a master's degree who had returned to China. He was currently the assistant general manager and chief financial officer of Weida Shares, and had previously served as the board secretary. When Hu Shiwei got into trouble, he was the manager of the securities department, and he had just become the chief financial officer this month. Regarding Piaopiao's matter, Wei Boxi hadn't directly contacted Chen Xiaosan; he had simply given instructions. Everything was arranged by Li Datou.

Chen Xiaosan found Li Datou and told him about Chen Yidao's situation, expressing his concerns. Finally, he cautiously asked Li Datou, "Do you think we should report this to Boss Wei? That way, if any trouble arises, it will be easier to resolve."

Li Datou was secretly alarmed, but he tried to remain calm and said to Chen Xiaosan, "Why bother President Wei with such a trivial matter? If you can't even handle your own affairs, how will the boss use you in the future? Who still knows about the case from two years ago?"

Chen Xiaosan: "That's all. Apart from the dead Chen Yidao, all that's left is you and me."

Li Datou's mind raced: "Is it really just you and me? If you don't tell and I don't tell either, no one should know. What are you afraid of?"

Chen Xiaosan thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and nervously said to Li Datou, "There should be another person, the girl from the Midnight Nightclub, who was also the deceased's classmate, what was her name, Shuangshuang? She should know something about the inside story."

Li Datou asked nervously, "Does she know you?"

Chen Xiaosan: "We've met before."

Li Datou: "Does she know me?"

Chen Xiaosan: "I don't know, I didn't tell her much."

Li Datou seemed to secretly breathe a sigh of relief and said to Chen Xiaosan, "President Wei is currently troubled by something. Don't bother him with such trivial matters; you know his temper. You'd better find out whether Chen Yidao's death is related to Shuangshuang. I don't need to tell you how to do it, do I?"

...

Li Datou told Chen Xiaosan that Wei Boxi was indeed troubled by something. Wei Boxi had been very unhappy these past few days, all because of rumors circulating online. He didn't know when it started, but almost every influential financial forum across the country had started posting about insider information regarding Weida Shares, and the content of these posts was very unfavorable to him.

The content of the post also puzzled Wei Boxi. It was clearly written by an insider, sounding incredibly inflammatory and convincing. According to the post, Weida Shares had engaged in almost every kind of shady business that exists in the securities market. Wei Boxi knew Weida Shares' situation best. These online comments made him very uncomfortable. Some comments were true, some were genuine, and some were fabricated. The true ones were indeed true; they were Weida Shares' secrets, and exposing them would cause trouble. The false ones were clearly fabricated, but they were so detailed and believable that if he hadn't known the situation himself, he would almost have believed them.

If things were out in the open, Wei Boxi wouldn't be worried; he believed he could handle it. But what truly troubled him was not knowing who was behind it or what their motives were. He asked his assistant, Li Jinkui, to investigate the post's source, but such posts, repeatedly reposted online, were difficult to trace back to their origin. Li Jinkui told him that the perpetrator would definitely follow up, and that specialized technicians should keep an eye out; they would surely be able to find out next time. Wei Boxi had no choice but to wait.

He's been receiving numerous calls from various media outlets these past few days, requesting interviews on this matter, all of which he politely declined. He only told the media that the company would be publishing a clarification announcement soon, refuting the false rumors. He had also discussed the clarification announcement with the company's senior management and felt quite conflicted. Some things remain rumors without clarification, but once clarified, they prove the existence of the information. Therefore, the clarification announcement must be substantial, proving that the rumors are indeed false. The consensus reached was to refute the obvious fabrications in the rumors; once one point is debunked, the other rumors will crumble.

...

Needless to say, the person secretly causing trouble was Feng Junzi. Feng Junzi didn't know exactly what shady dealings Weida Shares had, but Xiaowei's accident and the subsequent dream he received reminded him that Weida Shares definitely had secrets. What kind of shady dealings could a company like Weida have? It might seem mysterious to outsiders, but Feng Junzi was an expert. He collected almost every kind of material about Weida Shares, noting down any suspicious points and fabricating a story based on the most plausible deductions. He didn't know exactly where Weida Shares' problems lay, but he knew that Weida Shares' problems must lie in one or more of these areas.

Wei Boxi is currently focused on how to issue a clarification announcement, while Feng Junzi is also waiting for Weida Shares' clarification announcement. Weida Shares' clarification announcement can point Feng Junzi in the right direction, telling him exactly where the real problem lies. This is what they call "the layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the details"—a listed company's clarification announcement often serves as an insider hint. He's now waiting for the main course to arrive after the miscellaneous feast.

Feng Junzi had more than just one thing on his mind. Chen Xiaosan was thinking about going to find Han Shuang, and Feng Junzi also expected that Chen Xiaosan would go to find Han Shuang. So after Chen Yidao's matter was over, he asked Han Shuang to move out of Huashan Community and move into his own home. He also told Han Shuang to stay at home for a while and not to go out, so that Chen Xiaosan could not find him for the time being.

Han Shuang was initially reluctant, but Feng Junzi made it very clear: "You know very well how Piaopiao died two years ago. You should know what kind of person Chen Xiaosan is now. He won't scare you with a fake knife like I did. What he's going to show you will definitely be the real thing."

Han Shuang: "So much time has passed, would he still think of me?"

Feng Junzi: "Even I thought of that, so how could Chen Xiaosan not have thought of it himself? I didn't ask you for help because I didn't want to put you in danger, but you are indeed in danger now."

Han Shuang said bitterly, "Let him come if he wants. I'm not afraid of him anymore. At worst, we'll fight to the death. I used to tremble when I encountered these people. Now I think it's ridiculous to live like this. Chen Yidao is dead, good riddance! Chen Xiaosan deserves to die too, all these stinking men deserve to die... I'm not talking about you."

Feng Junzi looked at Han Shuang, seemingly trying to glean something from her pretty face. He felt that Han Shuang had changed a lot since that night when she "came back to life," much so that it was beyond his expectations. He originally thought that Han Shuang was only willing to help him because she was frightened by the ghost, or perhaps because she felt a little regret, or maybe because he had something on her, so she had no choice but to cooperate.

Now it seems things aren't like that. Han Shuang even hates Chen Xiaosan and his ilk more than he does. She's been very proactive in dealing with Chen Yidao, so it seems that while Feng Junzi has stirred up her remorse, he's also stirred up her hatred. He has a vague feeling that something is wrong. He doesn't know if he's pulled this prostitute back from the brink of depravity, but he's certain he's led her to a dangerous edge.

Harboring resentment and seeking revenge against the world's most hateful people is a dangerous game; if handled poorly, it could end in self-destruction. He also felt a chill—was he himself heading towards this dangerous edge? If so, he needed to be careful.

Thinking of this, he said to Han Shuang, "I know you hate them, but the purpose of hating bad people is to make good people feel better. At least for now, you are a good person, so it won't be difficult to put you in danger. If you want to deal with Wei Boxi and Chen Xiaosan, you must first protect yourself. Otherwise, if you get into trouble yourself, how will you deal with them?"

Han Shuang laughed, a laugh that seemed rather desolate, and asked, "Am I a good person? Do you think I'm a good person? Someone like me?"

Feng Junzi was speechless for a moment, then replied, "A friend of mine who is a policeman once told me: There are only two colors in the world, black and white, and there is no gray in between."

Han Shuang: "What do you mean?"

Feng Junzi: "Inside that door, you are black; once you come out, you are white. Some people may think that there are many hidden, gray things in the world, but that's an illusion. If you see through it, there is only black and white underneath the gray. I won't talk about what you were like before, but at least now, you are lovely white in my eyes."

Han Shuang's smile changed from desolate to warm as she asked, "Do you really think I'm cute?"

Feng Junzi felt a little regretful. He felt that he shouldn't have spoken so frivolously to Han Shuang, but there was nothing he could do now, so he could only continue, "Of course, come with me." Han Shuang turned around, packed her things, and left with Feng Junzi.

...

Chen Xiaosan went looking for Han Shuang but found no one there. People at the Midnight Nightclub told him that Han Shuang hadn't come to work for a long time. He managed to find out Han Shuang's address, but she didn't seem to have gone home for several days. However, Chen Xiaosan felt that Han Shuang hadn't gone far because her car was still parked downstairs.

Feng Junzi intentionally left Han Shuang's car downstairs. Firstly, the car was too conspicuous and easily spotted; secondly, it served another purpose—it was Han Shuang's only clue, and with it, they could track Chen Xiaosan's whereabouts. Chen Xiaosan thought he was secretly investigating Han Shuang, but his movements were actually observed by the real ghost. Piao Piao told Feng Junzi that Chen Xiaosan had been loitering around Han Shuang's car every night for the past few days.

That evening, Chen Xiaosan arrived again, this time in his company car. Just as his car reached the entrance of Huashan Residential Area, he suddenly saw Han Shuang's car approaching from the opposite direction, and it appeared to be Han Shuang driving. Overjoyed, Chen Xiaosan quickly turned around and followed. Han Shuang's car headed straight for the downtown area, and Chen Xiaosan followed, traversing most of the city, until they arrived at the entrance of Binhai Park.

Chen Xiaosan saw Han Shuang's car parked in the parking lot at the park entrance from afar, and Han Shuang's figure had already walked into the park. Chen Xiaosan hurriedly parked his car and quickly followed her in. It was already past ten o'clock at night. There was no entrance fee to the park, and the citizens who came to stroll and dance in groups had long since left. Perhaps only couples in love were still hiding in the bushes under the cover of the night.

Although Feng Junzi had arranged everything, he, hiding in the shadows, was worried for Han Shuang when he saw Chen Xiaosan chasing after her. Han Shuang herself seemed completely unconcerned, walking leisurely towards a flower-lined corridor in the darkness. Feng Junzi breathed a slight sigh of relief when he saw that no one followed Chen Xiaosan after he went inside.

This flower-lined promenade is a scenic spot in the seaside park. In the height of summer, the promenade is covered with dense vines, and flower bushes are planted densely on both sides. The promenade is quite long, with nine twists and turns, making it a pleasant place to escape the summer heat. However, at night, it looks eerie and sinister, and even lovers are reluctant to be intimate there. Chen Xiaosan saw Han Shuang slip into the promenade and felt a surge of joy. He was a desperate criminal and wasn't afraid of any dark environments. He thought that this was a perfect opportunity to intercept Han Shuang in this secluded spot. On one hand, he wanted to ask Han Shuang if she knew anything about Chen Yidao, and on the other hand, he wanted to have some fun and maybe even extort some money from her. At that moment, he thought, "This woman is really good-looking. I can't let her go after all the trouble I've put in these past few days." So he followed Han Shuang into the promenade.

The corridor twisted and turned, and Han Shuang's shadow was nowhere to be seen ahead. Chen Xiaosan chased after her. For some reason, a cold wind blew over him as soon as he entered the corridor, and he shivered. The further he walked in the darkness, the weaker his confidence seemed to become, and his steps gradually slowed down.

Chen Xiaosan felt the air around him growing colder and colder. He wondered what frightening thing lurked in the darkness, and a sense of dread crept over him. But he was a fearless man, and he immediately shook his head, finding himself ridiculous. He thought, "What haven't I done? What's there to be afraid of?"

Just as Chen Xiaosan was thinking this, he suddenly bumped into something, startling him so much that he jumped back. He took out his lighter, lit it, and saw a card-shaped object swaying in the air. Someone had used a thin rope to suspend it in the middle of the corridor, something Chen Xiaosan hadn't noticed while lost in thought.

Chen Xiaosan brought the lighter's flame closer to his face, his expression as if he'd been suddenly punched. The card was actually a photograph printed on white paper, and the person in the photo was himself, Chen Xiaosan! Hitting something was the first shock, suddenly seeing his own photo was the second. Even with his usual bravery, Chen Xiaosan was frightened this time. The lighter's flame had unknowingly gone out.

Chen Xiaosan calmed himself down and lit the lighter again to look at the photo. He noticed a beam of light shining into his eyes. It turned out there was something stuck to the photo. Upon closer inspection, he was once again terrified – it was a small scalpel gleaming coldly in the darkness.

Chen Xiaosan was truly terrified. He ripped off the photo with the scalpel in it, hesitating whether to continue chasing Han Shuang. If he did catch up with Han Shuang, would he end up like his cousin Chen Yidao? He thought for a long time, but still took a step forward.

The remaining stretch of road was perhaps the longest Chen Xiaosan had ever walked in his life. He hadn't experienced Feng Junzi's inability to escape Ghost Alley, nor had he heard Piao Piao explain what was going on. This winding corridor seemed to have no end. Chen Xiaosan walked through the corridor, not knowing how long he had walked, but still hadn't reached the exit. Even demons have their fears. Chen Xiaosan thought himself very brave, but he found that when he felt guilty, he was more vulnerable than anyone else.

At this moment, Feng Junzi and Han Shuang were hiding in the shadows, watching the Flower Shadow Corridor from afar. Seeing that Chen Xiaosan hadn't emerged, they knew Piao Piao's manipulation had succeeded. Chen Xiaosan himself was unaware that his subconscious had been tampered with by a ghost; he simply kept pacing back and forth in the corridor. That night, Chen Xiaosan walked in the corridor for over two hours, until he was almost completely exhausted. Finally, perhaps in a daze, he suddenly understood something, let out a low growl, and stumbled and crawled out from the flower bushes, which were taller than a person.

When Chen Xiaosan emerged from the flower bushes, the thorns scratched his body, but he barely felt any pain. A gust of cold wind blew, and he felt a chill on his trouser legs—he had unknowingly wet his pants. When he returned to the park entrance, Han Shuang's car was long gone.

After returning home, Han Shuang said to Feng Junzi, "Today was really great. It's a pity I didn't scare him to death. Come on, let's have a drink to celebrate."

Feng Junzi didn't seem happy at all: "Are you happy? My heart was in my throat. What if Piaopiao couldn't stop him and caught up with you?"

At this moment, Piao Piao, who was "sitting" to the side, said, "This person's aura is so strong! I can't get close to him normally. It was only when he saw that photo that his aura weakened that I was able to stop him. But then he suddenly broke free and ran away from the flower bushes. I guess I was tired."

Feng Junzi asked curiously, "Do ghosts get tired too?"

"A ghost's body may not get tired, but the willpower of us ghosts can become weary."

Feng Junzi didn't speak, but Han Shuang asked him first: "Were you talking to Piaopiao just now? How come you can see me but I can't, and you can hear me but I can't?"