В эпоху династии Сун вдовам было легко выйти замуж

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Before Julie could warn him, Ray was knocked down from behind by Ben.

It was impossible for Julie to escape again. Ben grabbed her by the neck and shoved her against the ship's railing, his voice grim.

With a hint of smugness, she said, "Happy Independence Day, Julie!"

Julie managed to squeeze out a voice from her throat: "Please...it was an accident..."

(11)

Ban said fiercely, "I understand accidents very well. Here's some advice: when you want someone to die, you should make sure he..."

He's really dead.

As if he had heard those words, the injured Ray struggled to his feet.

Ban was no longer going to give Julie any chance. He swung the hook to smash Julie down, but his hand somehow got caught in the mooring rope on the side of the boat, and the more he struggled, the tighter it became.

Upon seeing this, Ray pounced on him and pushed the pulley.

Ban's hands were securely bound by the rope knot, and he was lifted rapidly by the rope, soaring powerfully to the top. His hand, holding the fishing hook, struck the sharp pulley and was severed, causing him to fall. The rope, still swaying due to its remaining force, flung Ban, who was hanging above, into the water.

Ray and Julie, still shaken, ran to the side of the boat and scanned the sea, but there was nothing in the dark water.

Julie finally broke down in tears, wanting to release all the torment and fear she had endured. Ray held her tightly in his arms, without saying a word.

The ship slowly sailed away, heading towards the port.

On the shore, the fishing boat was completely surrounded by police, with more than a dozen officers thoroughly investigating the scene. But once daybreak, this boat would surely be on the front page of the town's newspaper.

Ray and Julie, who survived the ordeal, were on the shore not far from the ship.

Julie was overwhelmed with emotion; so many things had happened that she hadn't anticipated, whether it was the truth or her feelings. "We didn't kill anyone! This whole year..."

“I know.” Ray understood Julie’s feelings perfectly, because he had gone through the exact same process himself:

The guilt was unbearable; I had to know who he was, which is why I went to find Missy. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you… I want you back… I can't lose you again." Ray's voice was filled with deep affection, like a plea.

The red police lights spun incessantly, flashing across their faces. Julie looked intently at Ray; in his eyes she saw sincerity and something familiar that she had only dared to recall in her dreams.

Ray wasn't in a hurry for an answer. There were things he'd wanted to tell Julie for a long time, things he thought he'd never have the chance to, but now he had to seize the opportunity. His voice sounded dreamlike: "I love you! Julie." Nobody...

"You understand me so well."

After a long pause, Julie finally opened her mouth and said to Ray, "I understand your pain."

The two embraced tightly.

A sheriff approached. He didn't want to bother the two young men, but there were some things he had to ask.

"Do you know why he wants your lives?"

Ray and Julie exchanged a glance. There were too many twists and turns and secrets involved, but that was all in the past, and it was something only they needed to know. So, they shook their heads in unison, answering innocently, "We don't know."

"

"This is it," a police officer shouted from the boat.

The fishing net of the large ship was slowly pulled up, and the fishhook was hooked between the meshes, with Ban's severed hand still gripping it tightly.

Julie shuddered, still shaken; the fishhook had brought back so much blood and horror. Ray pulled her into his arms, unwilling to let her suffer any more.

The sheriff said confidently, "The body will appear; it usually will."

Ray and Julie didn't respond, they just looked at the ship with mixed feelings.

One year later.

On the university campus, the sun seemed to haven't shone so brightly in a long time. Green lawns, white buildings, students walked by hurriedly yet calmly.

In the dressing room, the door of a wardrobe was open, and you could see that it was covered with intimate photos of its owner and Ray.

Julie was only wrapped in a bath towel when she answered the phone.

“I’m on the list for the Principal’s Award… Thank you!” Julie had completely changed; she no longer had that lingering gloom and was now as energetic as a robust young deer.

“I know, I miss you too! We’ll see each other in a few weeks, I can’t wait!…I love New York so much!” Julie giggled as she pushed open the frosted glass door and stepped into the shower, clearly teasing him.

“No, of course I love you more. I love you, you know that.” With that, Julie turned on the tap, and hot water gushed out.

"I need to take a shower, I'm going to be late."

Outside the glass door, a female classmate walked over and called out, "Julie, you have a letter."

"Thank you," Julie replied.

Julie continued flirting on the phone: "A bath towel." Clearly, the man had asked something rather crude.

The problem is with the hall. "Ray, stop it. In two weeks you'll be able to do whatever you want... Okay, I love you too. Goodbye."

Julie hung up the phone, her face beaming with undisguised sweetness. She opened the door and walked to the wardrobe. Suddenly, Julie's face drained of color, and she stared blankly at the stool.

It was another letter like that! The white envelope had no postmark, no address, only her name, written neatly in capital letters, each letter seemingly the same size. Julie had only ever received one such strange letter in her life, and that letter had brought her a series of nightmares. She couldn't believe that this nightmare wasn't over yet.

Julie hesitated before stepping forward and picking up the letter. Her fingers were icy cold. Could someone be playing a joke? She glanced around; the entire bathroom was deserted except for her.

Julie nervously pulled out the letter and opened it—"Please attend the poolside dance this Saturday afternoon."

It was just an invitation to the school dance, Julie breathed a sigh of relief. She chuckled wryly, wondering if she was being too paranoid.

Julie walked into the bathroom, where the room was filled with steam from the hot water that had been sitting for a long time, making it impossible to see anything.

Julie suddenly felt uneasy.

She slowly groped her way towards the running shower stall. As the sound of the water grew louder, the glass door gradually emerged from the mist. Julie reached the shower stall door and suddenly noticed a sentence written on it—the sentence she feared most in her life: "I still know!"

Julie felt her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She turned around and looked around the bathroom, but she couldn't see anything clearly.

There was only one place left to see; Julie slowly turned her head back—

"Crash!" A dark figure smashed through the glass and lunged straight at Julie...

The Third Chapter: The Bewitching Tale

(1)

Introduction

"This was a very unfortunate accident, and I regret it."

In San Francisco, shrouded in night, the narrow passageways between the skyscrapers are utterly silent. From above, the darkness resembles a net, waiting to devour any unfortunate intruder.

A cacophony of footsteps approached from afar, and a frantic figure leaped across the rooftops, fleeing into the darkness. Watching his partner leap past, Officer Scotty Fegguson hesitated. While such maneuvers were common in police training, the darkness below held a particular chill.

The criminal had already fled into the distance, and Scottie knew that catching him was his duty, especially since he was one of the most respected detectives in the San Francisco Police Department. He took a few steps back and leaped towards the opposite rooftop. But at the last moment, fear swept through him, and his steps faltered slightly. Instead of jumping onto the roof as expected, Scottie hung suspended in mid-air, gripping the drainpipe below with both hands.

Scottie's forehead immediately became covered in fine beads of sweat, and his eyes no longer held their usual confidence and composure, but instead revealed...

He showed a look of horror.

“Give me your hand.” Scottie’s partner had clearly noticed the accident Scottie was in. He struggled to maintain his balance and reached out his hand to Scottie as far as he could. Looking at his partner’s outstretched hand above him, Scottie simply didn’t have the courage to let go of the drainpipe that held his life in its hands. Instinct made him grip the drainpipe even tighter, but the dilapidated pipe clearly couldn’t bear such weight, emitting a snapping sound that filled Scottie with despair.

The partners on the rooftop had to lean forward a few more centimeters, their hands almost touching...

A sudden, piercing scream shattered the silence of the night. A figure plummeted from the rooftop to the ground, waking the surrounding residents from their sleep. Many rushed out of their houses to find a man in a police uniform lying face down on the ground, a pool of blood spreading from his head, his body enveloped in the thick darkness. More observant people noticed that his eyes were still open, faintly revealing a look of utter terror.

On the rooftop, Scotty couldn't help but cast his gaze down into the passageway below. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and Scotty's consciousness plummeted into a constantly spinning circular geometric shape.

one

Scotty found it hard to explain why he always chose to come to Michi when he felt frustrated and confused. Like many people who turn to alcohol, he could find peace as soon as he entered Michi's room, even if the two of them were like this now, with Michi busy with her design while he sat idly without saying a word.

Perhaps because of their past engagement, Scottie considered Miki her closest person from the bottom of her heart. Whenever she made a decision, she always told Miki first.

"Are you really going to resign from the police station?" Miki finally looked up from the design drawings at Scotty.

Scotty stood up nonchalantly, lacking the courage to deceive himself in front of Miki. Being a police officer was truly his most beloved profession, yet his fear of heights seemed like an insurmountable chasm. The image of his partner, shrouded in darkness and lying in a pool of blood, lingered before his eyes.

“Actually, the doctor said I might recover, perhaps by gradually getting used to the height, or by being subjected to another strong stimulus.” Scottie tried to keep a light tone as much as possible.

“Then let’s give it a try.” Miki walked into the kitchen and placed a small ladder in front of Scotty.

Miki's small ladder was the kind usually kept in kitchens, the kind used to reach items in the top cupboards. The entire ladder was only about a meter high, and Scottie wore a disdainful smile. He easily stood on the first step, a confident smile on his face as he looked at Miki. Miki recognized that smile; Scottie always wore it when he made a breakthrough in a case. Miki returned Scottie's encouraging smile, although she didn't believe her fear of heights could be cured so easily, but hope was better than no hope at all.

Scottie slowly lifted his left foot and placed it on the second step. This time, he didn't stand on it as easily as the first time. He held the position for about five seconds, his expression becoming somewhat serious. Miki, standing below, clearly noticed Scottie's change in demeanor. As if casually, Miki adjusted her posture, slightly extending her arms forward and leaning her body forward a few degrees. Scottie noticed this obvious protective gesture, and with a gentle push of his right foot, he stood firmly on the second step of the ladder.

This successful attempt undoubtedly gave Scottie and Miki a huge boost. Scottie stretched out his arms to help him maintain his balance, and he nimbly lifted his feet to stand on the third step. However, the moment his feet touched the step, the same dizziness as that night struck him again.

Scottie collapsed into Miki's arms. The distant sky stretched infinity from the window, and Scottie stared at the indistinct focal point in the distance, her eyes glazed over.

two

Scotty could hardly believe he was sitting there, listening to his friend, whom he hadn't seen in 20 years and who was practically a stranger, tell such an absurd story. Perhaps it was the aimlessness after he had just resigned, or perhaps it was the shock and blow he had just experienced at Mitch's house. In any case, he had seen Gavin again.

Gavin Ace, a college classmate of Scottie and Mitchell. After graduation, he left San Francisco for some politically connected reason, and no one knows where he went or what he did during those 20 years. However, the man who appears before Scottie now is managing a large shipping company for his wife, and is currently troubled by some of her strange behavior.

While success cannot be simply measured by wealth, Scotty, who had just lost his job, couldn't help feeling somewhat dejected. After all, Scotty was one of the most popular figures on campus back in the day, and as for Gavin, he'd probably have to carefully flip through his yearbook to get even a vague recollection of him…

“I know this sounds a bit idiotic.” Gavin Ace’s expression was calm. He spread his hands innocently, his shoulders drooping limply. Unlike the confident businessman Scotty had first met, Gavin now seemed helpless. “You think I made this up?”

“No.” Scottie was unsure if his answer was appropriate.

“I didn’t make this up, and I don’t know how I could make it up. When she was talking to me, she would suddenly fall silent, her eyes would be covered by mist, and her gaze would be blank, making her someone I didn’t recognize. I would call her, but she wouldn’t even hear me. Then she would let out a long sigh, and she would come back, looking at me with bright eyes. She didn’t even know what had happened to her…” Clearly, Gavin didn’t intend to let Scotty go so easily; he chose to tell this absurd story to its end.

Scotty was starting to regret coming here. He had no desire to pry into other people's lives, especially the still completely unfamiliar world of married life. Maybe his wife was having an affair? Damn it, this kind of thing… Oh well, maybe Gavin really did need help. He could only sit back down in the corner chair.

“She also often wandered around, and God knows where she went. One day I followed her, and I saw her walk out of an apartment building and become a completely different person, even the way she walked changed. She started her car, drove to Golden Gate Park, and sat by the lake, gazing at the mooring post on the opposite bank, you know, the old gate. She sat there for a long time, motionless, while I had to go back to the office. But when I got home that night and asked her what she had done, she said she had driven to Golden Gate Park, sat by the lake, and that was all. But her car odometer showed she had driven 94 kilometers. Where did she go?” Gavin tried to control the frustration in his voice, hoping to remain calm.

Scottie's curiosity was fully ignited. His eyes, burning with excitement, revealed that he was asking himself the same question, just as a detective.

three

Ernie's Restaurant is a very famous restaurant in San Francisco. Its simple glass doors may not seem particularly impressive, but its delicious food keeps it full of diners from all walks of life.

Scotty sat at the bar, still pondering whether to accept Gavin's request. Pushing through the noisy crowd, Scotty easily spotted Gavin, but his gaze was quickly drawn to the captivating figure sitting opposite him. Long golden hair, a dark green dress accentuating his fair back—what kind of face could such a mesmerizing silhouette hold? Scotty was eager to find out.

Just then, Gavin and his wife Mei Ling stood up and walked toward Scotty.

Her long, golden hair was piled high on her back, highlighting her sharply defined, beautiful face. Scottie's first impression was one of stunning beauty. This stunning beauty wasn't simply pretty or alluring, but rather a slightly aloof kind of beauty. The angles of her cheekbones conveyed this aloofness in a subtle yet clear way, softening even her tightly closed, somewhat stiff lips. The dark green dress perfectly enveloped her graceful figure, adding an elegant depth to her aura. The surrounding noise seemed to have no effect on her; a serene expression remained fixed on her face, her pale blue eyes quiet and gentle.

Scottie struggled to focus his mind. Was this woman truly tormented by pain? He decided to accept Gavin's commission, not for Gavin, not for any other reason. He simply wanted to help this woman uncover the truth, or rather, to find a more plausible reason for himself to get closer to and understand her better.

Four

The car wasn't going very fast; there weren't many vehicles on the streets of San Francisco at this time. As Scottie drove, he admired Mei Ling's back through the rear window of the car in front of him.

Today, Mei Ling was dressed in a gray business suit, which added a touch of melancholy compared to the night before. Scottie was relaxed; for someone with over 20 years of experience as a detective, following such an unsuspecting car was incredibly easy. However, in his heart, he hoped that what he was doing now was to protect Mei Ling.

Soon, Mei Ling's car turned right into a dark, narrow alley, and Scottie followed suit.