Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

The surrounding trees were draped in red silk. Crimson candles flickered in the wind. Below the trees were paper effigies of people, houses, and cars. Inside a large, paper-craft bridal sedan, a paper figure dressed in red wedding attire sat waiting. An eerie feeling swept over her.

Jiang Li swallowed. Thinking of the previous side effects, she chose to wait and see what would happen. ’What is this?’

’A ghost marriage?’

The next second, he walked forward, picked up the red bridal veil, and placed it on the wedding attire. His pale hand lovingly caressed the veil.

"Zhixia, I’m sorry. I couldn’t find your body." ’Unfortunately, he didn’t have the strength to search anymore.’

Wedding music played from a speaker. "First bow to Heaven and Earth..."

He bent down and bowed to Heaven and Earth with the paper effigy in the sedan. The wedding music from the speaker echoed in his ears, and the leaves rustled.

A crow landed overhead, tilting its head as it watched the scene.

He threw the paper offerings into a pre-dug pit. The flames flickered, and the acrid smell of smoke filled the air.

Suddenly, he coughed twice. In the blood he coughed into his open palm lay an insect. "My Life Gu is dead... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH."

He coughed up a few more mouthfuls of blood, then, propping himself up, he hugged the paper figure from the sedan and lay down in the pit.

Jiang Li watched this scene unfold. She was in Guo Tianqi’s body, and her vision of the few stars above gradually blurred.

’So, is Guo Tianqi dying?’

When Jiang Li woke up, she felt a tickle on her face. The scorpion was clumsily holding a piece of tissue in its pincers, trying to wipe the tears from her face.

Jiang Li carefully lifted the scorpion off her face. She thought about Guo Tianqi’s situation, and what Miao Anji had said before.

’So if a Gu Worm is harmed, its master is also harmed. A Life Gu... so if it dies, wouldn’t Xiao Ji end up just like Guo Tianqi?’

’How could Xiao Ji just casually give her something so important?’

Jiang Li placed it in its little nest on the nightstand and grabbed the phone beside her to call Ji Qinghe. "Hello, Officer Ji? Guo Tianqi is dead. He died on the mountain, not by the river."

"Officer Ji, I’m begging you, you have to find Ruan Zhixia’s body."

"Okay, Jiang Li. Don’t worry, we will do everything we can."

"Okay." Jiang Li sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, processing the lingering emotions from Guo Tianqi.

Jiang Li picked up the scorpion’s little nest and walked outside.

Miao Anji looked at the small, cotton-padded nest in her hand and rubbed his nose. ’Living in such luxury?’

"Sister." Seeing Jiang Li walk over, Miao Anji sat up straight and greeted her with a smile.

"Xiao Ji, this little thing is so important to you. How could you just give it to me so casually? What would happen if something went wrong?"

Jiang Li glanced at the Red Scorpion in the nest. It must have been afraid of Miao Anji, as it buried its head in the bedding, leaving only its tail exposed.

"Sister, it’s not that serious. You’re overthinking it. It’s very strong; it won’t die."

Miao Anji picked up a nearby orange, peeled it, and offered it to Jiang Li.

Jiang Li was at a loss for words. ’He’s changing the subject again.’

"Then what does it eat?"

"It’s fine, I’ll feed it." Miao Anji smiled and took out his phone to text his grandma again.

Jiang Li didn’t want to interrupt him.

She glanced at Wu Ming practicing Tai Chi not far away, then at the busy Yu Huannian in the kitchen. Only then did she remember that her own business was still unsettled.

Jiang Li opened a video app and searched for tutorials.

Among the many tutorials, she was immediately drawn to one taught by a woman dressed all in black, holding a knife. What followed was a flurry of chops and stabs—chop, chop, stab; chop, chop, stab; stab, stab, chop; chop, sweep, stab—the movements were as smooth as flowing water.

Her eyes lit up as she watched. ’This is great.’

Jiang Li watched the video and began to imitate the movements, looking quite the part.

"Time to eat," Yu Huannian called out, placing a specially prepared soup in front of her. "I saw an expert say this stuff is nourishing."

Jiang Li curiously opened the lid and took a look, then raised her head, stunned and stiff. "This... this is great, but maybe you should block your ’expert’?"

’It’s all aphrodisiacs! Big data is really out here tricking my honest, simple-minded little brother!’

Yu Huannian looked at Wu Ming, confused. ’What does she mean?’

Wu Ming curiously came over to look, then burst into roaring laughter. "HAHAHA, Yu Huannian, it’s ’nourishing’ all right—about right for you! HAHAHAHAHA..."

After a round of merciless ridicule from Wu Ming, Yu Huannian took out his phone for a closer look and smartly scrolled to the comment section.

He finally understood after seeing one of the comments. Blushing, Yu Huannian picked up the bowl and placed it in front of Miao Anji.

"It’s all yours, pretty boy."

Miao Anji took it and had a sip.

After breakfast, Jiang Li decided to head to the police station.

Just as she stepped outside, two unfamiliar police officers approached her. One came forward and showed his badge. "Hello, which of you is Yu Huannian?"

"I am." Yu Huannian glanced over, confused.

The two officers exchanged a look, then moved forward and restrained him. "Yu Huannian, you are under suspicion of sexual assault. Please come with us."

In the end, they were all taken to a police station next to the hospital. When they entered, doctors and nurses from the clinic were all there. A nurse in a white coat pointed at Yu Huannian.

"Yes, Officer, that’s him! He’s the one who brought the patient in. He paid the medical fees and then disappeared."

"Officer, the patient still hasn’t woken up. You have to get justice for her!"

"This is the medical report. At first, we thought the patient had simply drowned, but the examination revealed it wasn’t that simple."

"The patient has bruises all over her body, a broken right leg, severe tearing, and her face was disfigured..."

The nurse began to sob quietly as she spoke. ’It’s just too tragic.’

"I didn’t do it! I saw her jump into the river, so I went in to save her, and then I took her to the clinic..." Yu Huannian hurriedly explained.

"That place is so remote. You just ’happened’ to be there? Only a ghost would believe you!"

"You!"

Jiang Li quickly stopped Yu Huannian. "Officer, has the patient’s identity been confirmed?"

"The patient had no identification on her. We’re running fingerprint comparisons, but it will take some time."

Jiang Li watched Yu Huannian being led away for interrogation, then took out her phone and called Ji Qinghe.

"Officer Ji, Xiao Nian saved a woman who jumped into a river a while back. We’re at the police station next to the hospital now. I need you to come here. I think she might be Ruan Zhixia."

"Okay." Ji Qinghe shot up from her seat and rushed over with her team.

The nurse glared at them viciously. They had called the police the moment the examination report came back.

If they hadn’t come back to the hospital yesterday, it probably wouldn’t have been this easy to find him.

’To do that to a girl... he’s a monster!’

Ji Qinghe and Zhou Tiancheng arrived swiftly. Zhou Tiancheng went to confer with his police colleagues inside.

Ji Qinghe and Jiang Li went to the hospital.

Jiang Li looked at the person on the hospital bed with guilt. She had only glanced at her briefly that day and never imagined it could be related to Ruan Zhixia.

Plus, the case wasn’t focused on Ruan Zhixia at the time. She had been busy ever since, and had forgotten about the person Xiao Nian had saved.

"Guo Tianqi mentioned in his diary that Ruan Zhixia has a birthmark below her wrist."

Ji Qinghe looked at the unconscious woman on the bed, walked over, pulled back the blanket, and carefully took her hand.