Liang Qi looked at me and looked at him, and finally found that the jade pendant on his chest had fallen out.
"Would you like to take it off and show it to you?"
"Oh, no need." I realized that I was a little out of sorts.
On the way back, Liang Qi and I didn't say anything. From a certain perspective, we experienced life and death together.
That night invisibly brought us closer, but also invisibly separated us.
He just said that walking out more when I have nothing to do will help me get back to a good state.
I nodded, and after entering the community, we parted ways. The fire in the building that caught fire in the afternoon had long been put out, and there was still smoke in the air.
The police told me that the sudden explosion was actually caused by man, and since the fire truck had received an alarm call before the explosion, they suspected that the explosion was just a smoke bomb. It's very possible that the murderer is coming for me, and they will also tighten security nearby so that I don't have to worry.
But I'm not that worried.
The girl covered in blood sat beside my bed. She kept wiping her neck with her hands, but the blood kept flowing. I didn't understand why she never left, but within two days, I got used to having her by my side, even though she looked terrifying.
I thought about Liang Qi again. Was his appearance that rainy night and his appearance this afternoon all coincidences?
He suddenly moved near my house, as if he was deliberately getting closer to me.
But if he was the murderer, why did he save me?
I remember the look in the murderer's eyes. When he grabbed me, he was like a leopard grabbing its prey. He would bite hard and not let go. But there was no murderous look in Liang Qi's eyes, only inexplicable sadness and tenderness.
I couldn't figure it out. After that night, the doctor was worried that I had a sleep disorder and prescribed me some sleeping pills and Sweet Dream Capsules to prevent nightmares.
There were too many things that I couldn't figure out, so I had to take medicine and sleep.
I dreamed of that girl again, and that girl took me back to the bridge, back to the place where she was killed.
She and I stood on the bridge waiting for the murderer to appear. I seemed to hear the sound of thunderstorms, and the man slit the girl's throat amidst the lightning and thunder.
Then he saw me and ran toward me. I started running almost subconsciously, and the girl covered in blood followed me. Her expression was more eager and nervous than mine.
I can't run away, I know it.
I fell heavily to the ground, and the man slowly walked up to me, grabbed my neck with his hands, and pressed the blade against it.
His eyes were full of excitement, and his body began to tremble with the pleasure of hunting.
I was extremely scared, but in this fear, I saw a white jade pendant hanging around his neck.
It was the same white jade pendant I had seen on Liang Qi's chest.
The next second, I saw the murderer's face turned into Liang Qi.
I woke up from my dream and sat up in bed. As soon as I touched my forehead, I was already sweating profusely , and my back was soaked. I could clearly feel my heart beating faster, as if I had just gone through a long-distance run and was breathing heavily.
It was as if I had just returned to reality from that rainy night.
Yes, I must have seen that white jade pendant on that rainy night.
Both Liang Qi and the murderer appeared that night. I can't be sure if there is a deviation in my memory.
I looked at the girl, she was just squatting next to me and looking at me, I asked her.
"Liang Qi, is he your murderer?"
She just blinked without nodding or shaking her head.
I might actually have a problem, how could I ask one of my own hallucinations who the murderer was? I know very well that she is an illusion, she is not a ghost, she is a reflection of my thoughts, she is too close to my emotions.
I couldn't wait until the next morning, so I got out of bed and quietly left the house. The plainclothes officer told me at night that the police force was limited and they could not protect me 24 hours a day, so I should not go out at night.
But I couldn't care less. Even at 2 o'clock in the night, I couldn't control myself. I wanted to go find Liang Qi.
I always feel that he still has secrets.
Maybe, he is the murderer.
At 2 o'clock in the morning, the light was still on in front of Liang Qi's window. I was standing downstairs, hesitating whether to go up or not. A figure appeared by the window. Liang Qi lifted the curtains, as if he sensed my arrival.
He gestured for me to go up by the window. My thoughts seemed to be out of my control, and I walked up step by step.
Liang Qi opened the door. His kitchen was open. There was a table knife on the countertop and a cut tomato next to it.
The blade seemed to be stained with blood.
"Want to eat noodles?"
I nodded, and he skillfully chopped tomatoes and scrambled eggs, making tomato and egg noodles for two people.
When he brought the noodles in front of me, the rising mist blocked the way between us, and the only sound in the air was the sound of two people eating noodles quietly.
"You can ask whatever you want. It's just the two of us here. After you ask, you can go home and rest early."
He's straightforward and I don't hold back.
"Where did that white jade pendant on your body come from?"
"My mother gave it to me when I was little, and I wear it all the time." He lowered his head and ate the noodles without looking at me, but I would have preferred him to say that he picked it up, not him, or that it was a gift from someone else.
As long as he hasn't been close to him for many years.
"I remembered that that night, I saw this jade pendant on the murderer's body."
I'm not sure about my memory, but Liang Qi's body suddenly froze, but at that moment, he quickly returned to normal.
He didn't answer me again until he finished eating the noodles.
"If you think I am the murderer, you can call the police directly. You don't have to do it yourself." His voice was as calm as the lake in winter.
"Are you?"
I swear, if Liang Qi says he is not, I will never doubt him again.
"Do you think I am?"
There was something shiny in his eyes. I even thought it was my imagination. Was he crying?
I began to feel guilty. I even felt that I had misunderstood him. He was so kind and gentle, and he saved my life.
"I'm sorry, I can't remember clearly. I didn't tell anyone. There was something wrong with my brain. I could see the dead girl."
I pointed to where the girl was sitting, looking at the group photo on the coffee table.
Liang Qi was a little surprised. He looked in the direction I pointed, and there was nothing there.
"right here."
I walked to the girl's side, and the girl pointed to the photo on the table. I picked it up and looked at it, but I couldn't say a word.
The photo was of Liang Qi and another person, and I recognized those eyes.
It was the eyes that pinched my neck hard on that rainy night. It was the eye that cut the girl's artery without hesitation.
The girl was so scared that she hid behind me.
"So, you knew who the murderer was all along?"
I took the photo and questioned Liang Qi.
He looked extremely weak and sat down on the sofa slumped.
"I stopped him from killing you, but I couldn't stop him from killing that girl. It was too late."
"You clearly know who the murderer is, why didn't you call the police? He could come to kill me at any time!"
"No, no, no, I won't let such a thing happen, I won't let him hurt you."
"What guarantee do you have? Where is the murderer now?"
Liang Qi shook his head. He had never seen the murderer after that rainy night. He knew that the murderer would come back, so he moved next to my house.
"Xiao Nuan, I just want to protect you, I…"
He hesitated to speak, and I didn't want to listen anymore. I understood that he didn't save me by accident, and he wasn't even saving me. He just hoped that the murderer would be less guilty.
As for the ambiguous feelings between us, even if it is not my wishful thinking, it has come to an end.
"I have to go now."
I put down the photo and walked outside.
"be safe."
He didn't ask me not to call the police, and he didn't say a word of apology.
"I'm going to call the police."
Liang Qi put on an extremely forced smile, and the tears in his eyes finally fell.
"It's up to you to decide."
I didn't look back and walked straight home. I went back to the room and lay on the bed crying.
My mind is filled with the shadow of Liang Qi and those eyes full of killing. I could never imagine that Liang Qi knew the murderer, and he never mentioned it, even when my life was threatened.
I'm not as selfless as he is. I have to live, I have to bring the murderer to justice, and I can't ruin my life.
I kept my eyes open until dawn, and dim light came into my room. I glanced at the girl next to me who was covered in blood, and called the police.
Introduction: It was just an ordinary night, and I saw a man slit a girl's throat with a knife.
And that man also saw me.
My hometown is a small water town in the south. On the eve of a summer rainstorm, the high temperature and the moisture from the water always make everything sticky.
I never thought that on such a night, I would almost lose my life.
When there was a rustling sound in the woods under the bridge, I thought it was just some small animal passing by.
Just the next second, a woman's scream penetrated my eardrums, but only for a second, there was no sound.
I realized something was wrong and looked toward the woods. What I saw made me scream in surprise.
It was a girl in a white dress, and blood was gurgling from her neck, pouring down from the white dress. In front of her was a man in a black hoodie and black gloves.
My scream made him notice me and I see him.
He was wearing a hood and a mask, with only his eyes exposed.
His hand was squeezing the girl's neck. He didn't panic. He just looked at me and let go. The girl collapsed to the ground like a doll whose strings were pulled out, her feet still twitching.
I stood there, the strong stimulation of the picture had made me unable to move, and my teeth were chattering. I wanted to make a sound for help, but my throat was dry and I couldn't make any sound.
The man just stared at me, and suddenly he started running towards the bridge!
He's coming for me!
My body seemed to be unsealed, I picked up my steps and ran forward crazily!
A heavy rain is coming, and there is already lightning and thunder in the sky.
That man is not far behind me! I can even hear his heavy, hasty footsteps!
"Help!" I shouted desperately!
The thunder roared, completely drowning my cry for help in the night.
Seconds later, heavy rain poured down. There are not street lights everywhere in rural towns. The heavy rain made it difficult for me to see the road ahead, and my feet became even more slippery!
run! Run as fast as you can!
Only by moving forward can I survive!
That man seems to be getting closer to me!
There is a road ahead, and cars pass by from time to time. Run onto that road! I have a chance to escape!
Thinking of this, I tried my best to move faster!
"ah!"
I was running so fast that I didn't notice a puddle under my feet and fell to the ground!
The stones on the ground scratched my knees, and the pain made it impossible to move my legs.
Stand up, must stand up! I lifted my body up hard and fell back to the ground heavily in an instant!
Time is running out! That man has caught up with me!
I knew I couldn't stand up again, so I had to drag my legs and crawl backward step by step.
He walked towards me step by step.
He still held the knife in his hand, and the blood on the knife dripped to the ground under the wash of rain.
"Help! Is there anyone?" I shouted towards the road!
He was right in front of me.
"Please, don't kill me, please!"
The cry for help has turned into begging him for mercy, and tears mixed with rain flow down his face.
At that moment, I clearly felt that death was coming.
He knelt down and pinched my neck. He was so strong that I couldn't break free, so I could only stare at him blankly.
My mouth kept opening, I was still making the final struggle, I still wanted to beg for his mercy.
His eyes were full of murderous intent, but I saw a smile in these eyes.
Please, let me go.
I screamed in my heart, and the next second, I lost consciousness.
When I woke up again, I was already lying on the hospital bed with an IV bottle hanging next to me.
My mother sat next to me, watching me wake up, and immediately gathered around me.
"Xiao Nuan, how do you feel?" Tears were rolling in her eyes, ready to fall at any time.
I seemed to have suddenly returned to the real world from that rainy night, and the dazzling sunshine made it difficult for me to open my eyes.
"Mom, what's wrong with me?"
"You are lucky, but you were almost killed." My mother couldn't hold back her tears anymore.
I recalled the scene that night in my mind, the rainy night, the man holding the knife, and the cold touch of the knife on my neck.
The rain was very loud, and I only remember that a car stopped not far from us, and someone rolled down the window and shouted towards us.
Then the man with the knife knocked me unconscious, and I don’t remember anything after that.
"Who sent me to the hospital?" I touched the thick gauze on my forehead.
"The person who saved you seems to be named Liang Qi. He was talking to the police outside the ward. When they come in later, you have to thank them properly."
I nodded, closed my eyes and wanted to sleep for a while, but I couldn't fall asleep. My mind was filled with the scene of that rainy night, the man wearing a hooded mask chasing me on the rainy night.
And the girl covered in blood, is she dead?
At this time, there was a knock on the door, and two policemen walked in. Behind them, followed a man in a white shirt. He lowered his head and said nothing, with his eyebrows knitted together.
"Are you Yu Nuan?"
"yes."
"A vicious murder occurred in the town last night. As the only witness, we want to question you and ask you to tell the truth everything you know."
The two policemen sat down one behind the other, and the policeman behind opened his notebook.
"Describe what you saw."
Although I didn’t want to think about it anymore, in order to catch the murderer as soon as possible, I forced myself to tell the police everything I could recall.
"You said that your screams attracted the murderer to attack you. Did you see the murderer's face clearly?"
I shook my head.
"Does the murderer have any other more iconic items, or is there anything special in appearance?"
"It rained heavily that night, and there weren't many street lights. He was wearing black clothes. I was too scared and didn't notice any details."
The injured area suddenly started to hurt, and the memory of that night was a little blurry.
"Mom, I have a headache."
"Comrade police, the doctor said that my little Nuan suffered head trauma and should not use her brain excessively. Do you think so?"
My mother felt sorry for my health and was anxious to end this conversation.
The policeman didn't say anything else. He only said that he would come back in a few days and that he could contact him anytime he remembered anything. I said yes.
After the police left, the man in the white shirt came up. My mother was extremely enthusiastic when she saw him.
"Liang Qi, sit down quickly. Auntie will peel an apple for you to eat. It means that Nuan is discharged from the hospital. Auntie has to treat you to a meal. Thank you for saving our little Nuan's life."
"Auntie, you are too new. I just met you by chance."
That white shirt turned out to be the person who saved me.
"Then you sit down for a while. Yu Nuan has a headache. I'll call the doctor to take a look."
After my mother left the ward, the two of us were left. Liang Qi lowered his head and didn't speak.
"That, thank you."
"You're welcome, please take good care of yourself." He smiled, which was very nice.
"You're not a local, are you?"
Liang Qi was a little surprised.
"how do you know?"
This town is not big, and the permanent population is not large. If you are a local, you will have heard of a man as good-looking as Liang Qi, from all over the country.
"Guess."
He smiled again, the white shirt suited him very well, and his whole person looked sunny and warm.
"I'm the new art teacher in town, from elementary school. Nice to meet you."
We chatted a few more words, introduced each other's names, and Liang Qi left.
Regarding the details of saving me that night, I didn't ask much, and he didn't say much. I thought maybe we both thought it was a not-so-good memory.
I was about to take a nap when my mother came in happily holding a fruit basket.
"Xiao Nuan, I don't know which of your friends sent me such a big fruit basket. I didn't even bring it in. I just left it at the door."
"Put it at the door? Do you have a card?"
"I'm here to look for it, oh, it's really there." My mother pulled out a card from the pile of fruits and handed it to me.
When I saw what was on the card, I broke into a cold sweat.
There is only one line on the card:
I will come to you again, but you won’t be able to run away next time.
I know that it was left by the murderer and he will not let me go.
I couldn't help but think of that rainy night. If Liang Qilong hadn't died , I would have been the second victim. I couldn't help but tremble all over. My mother saw that something was wrong with me and immediately took the note away.
When she saw the words on it, she screamed in surprise. She immediately picked up the phone and called back the police who had just left.
Soon, my ward was filled with people again.
There are people who collect evidence, people who take notes, and people who check and monitor.
From the police investigation, we learned that this fruit basket was delivered to the door of my ward by a cleaner. The cleaner said that a man gave him 100 yuan to give this fruit basket to me.
He was wearing a cap mask, and there were no fingerprints left on the fruit basket or note.
The surveillance did not capture this person, as if he had never appeared.
The police told me: "You don't have to be afraid. We will strengthen your personal protection and we will definitely not put you in danger."
I laughed. It's summer vacation now. I will leave the town and go back to college in two months. If the murderer keeps chasing me, can the police follow me to school?
The police advised my mother that for safety reasons, it was best for me to go home and recuperate. My mother immediately went through the discharge procedures for me without saying anything.
She always said: "Your dad passed away early. If something happens to you again, mom won't survive."
In order not to worry my mother, I followed her home obediently, and I didn't tell her that I could see the girl.
The dead girl with her throat slit and covered in blood.
She was right next to me, just looking at me.
She followed me home, sat at the table and watched me eat, and pointed out the dappled sunshine outside the window to me.
It was like she was still alive in my eyes.
But I didn’t tell anyone about this matter. I knew that there was something wrong with my brain, maybe it was a psychological problem.
But now, I have no time to worry about this. I still want to save my life and live. The murderer is still at large and he will come to me at any time.
I have to keep my spirits up.
But I didn't expect him to come so quickly.
It was an afternoon and I was still taking a nap. My mother went out to buy groceries. Not far from our apartment building, there were two plainclothes policemen standing. They looked drowsy on a hot summer afternoon.
What woke them up was not my scream, but the sudden explosion from the building next door.
The explosion also woke me up. The dead girl pointed to the balcony. I ran over immediately. There was already a fire on the third floor of the building next door.
Many people had gathered downstairs. In order to ensure the safety of the residents, the two plainclothes policemen immediately went to check and evacuate the crowd to avoid secondary damage after the explosion.
One of the plainclothes men was busy calling the fire alarm, but the fire truck had already entered the gate of the community.
Before I could sigh at the speed with which the firefighters responded to the fire alarm, my door rang at this time.
"Dong dong dong." There was a silent knock on the door.
"Who is it?" I walked forward, waiting for the response from the person outside the door.
Could it be my mother? Did she forget her keys? If so, she wouldn't be silent.
"Dong dong dong." There were three more knocks on the door, but this time it was obviously much more urgent.
"Who is it!" My heart twitched, and I looked at the girl covered in blood. She looked extremely scared.
"Dong-dong-dong! Dong-dong-dong!" The knocking on the door became more and more urgent!
I took a kitchen knife from the kitchen and held it tightly in my hand.
Do you want to open the door? I am very sure that the murderer is standing outside the door, and he is looking for me.
The knocking on the door sounded for a long time and suddenly stopped. But my spirit was still tense, and I knew he hadn't left, and there was no sound of footsteps.
"Boom!" There was a sudden loud noise, and the whole door trembled.
He's kicking down the door! The sound of him kicking the door seemed insignificant in the chaos after the explosion.
He kicked the door again and again, and the wall dust fell down.
My hand holding the kitchen knife began to shake, and the girl was also trembling. She pointed in the direction of the bedroom.
right! My phone is still in the room! I can call the police!
I rushed into the bedroom and found my cell phone. The sound of the door being kicked outside did not subside at all. The call came through and I quickly explained the situation to them. The police said they would send someone over soon.
I felt a little relieved, but the next second, I thought of my mother, she was coming back soon.
I called my mom right away, but no one answered.
Outside the door, the knocking on the door stopped, my heart was in my throat, and the kitchen knife came back to my hand at some point.
There were footsteps outside the door, from near to far, and then from far to near.
"Click." The door opened.
My mother walked in carrying vegetables and was stunned when she saw me standing at the door holding a kitchen knife.
Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes, I threw away the kitchen knife and rushed to hug her.
The police also arrived at this time, and they asked me about the situation just now.
They learned from their mouths that the explosion had just occurred in a vacant room in the unit next door. Due to the high temperature, the gas tank had aged and leaked, causing the explosion. Trace identification specialists were testing whether the cause was man-made.
I still have lingering fears, and the temperature after the explosion still permeates the air, making me even more uncomfortable. I walked to the balcony and prepared to close the window.
It was at this time that I saw Liang Qi.
He stood under the shade of a tree, looking at the direction of the explosion. He seemed to feel that someone was watching him. He raised his head and looked up, and he happened to see me.
He smiled and waved to me, his face looking particularly white in the shadows.
Not long after, Liang Qi appeared in the living room of my house. He greeted my mother politely. My mother saw how enthusiastic he was and tried her best to persuade him to stay for dinner.
He couldn't refuse, so he had to stay. The police had already left, and my mother hid in the kitchen, leaving me alone with him sitting in the living room.
"What a coincidence." I immediately regretted saying these four words, typically looking for something to say when I had nothing to say.
"Yeah, I just moved here, and I didn't expect you to live here too. I live in the building in front of you."
Liang Qi pointed forward, I nodded, and we fell into silence again. The scene of that rainy night suddenly appeared in my mind, and I suddenly wondered how Liang Qi saved me.
"How did you save me that night?"
Liang Qi was peeling an apple. His back stiffened for a moment and he didn't answer me immediately. Instead, he handed me the peeled apple. I was stunned for a moment and took it.
"I came back from school that day and was about to go home. It was raining heavily. I seemed to hear shouts in the vagueness, so I drove a little slower. Then I found you and the murderer. I was afraid that it would be too late to get out of the car. , so I opened the window and yelled at him first, but fortunately, he didn’t attack you, he just knocked you out and ran away.”
"It's that simple?"
If I were a murderer, and I happened to be seen by someone when I committed the murder, according to the murderer's logic, he would kill the witnesses, just like he chased me after killing the girl. Why did Liang Qi run away after yelling? What's up?
"Well, I saw that you were unconscious, so I quickly drove you to the hospital."
My mother came out of the kitchen with the food, and he stood up naturally and went to help my mother set the tableware, as if it was all natural.
After Liang Qi finished eating, he thanked me and left. My mother sent him to the door. At the door, he suddenly asked me if I wanted to go sketching with him.
"Me?" I pointed at myself and was surprised. The girl was as confused as me and looked at me with her head tilted.
"Well, you should go out and relax. You don't seem to be in good spirits. Nature can heal your mood."
"Okay, okay, Xiao Nuan, mom thinks Liang Qi is right, you should go out for a walk and see the sun at least."
I don't know why, but after that night, I started to be afraid of leaving home. I was afraid that I would die inexplicably at some point, but there seemed to be a force somewhere that made me unable to refuse his invitation.
I changed out of my pajamas and agreed to go out with him.
The girl covered in blood followed us, as well as the two plainclothes policemen.
From my perspective, there were five of us going out together.
Liang Qi did not choose a place with bridges and water. He took me to the mountain. It was almost dusk and the sunset was beautiful.
Liang Qi set up his drawing board and began to draw the scenery. I sat next to him and watched it all quietly.
The two plainclothes policemen next to him were still discussing the vicious murder case. Currently, there was almost no progress in the information about the murderer.
"Do you hope to catch the murderer?" I asked Liang Qi.
He put down the brush in his hand, turned to look at me, and nodded.
"Of course. What about you?"
Liang Qi asked this question in an innocent and funny way. If the murderer is not caught, my life will be in danger. This is a question that has no second answer.
I later learned that we were both calmly lying to each other.
"The painting is done."
After a long time, Liang Qi put down his painting brush, and I leaned over to look at his paintings. He did paint mountains and rivers at sunset, but there was still me in the mountains and rivers at sunset.
"Sorry, I used you as a model without your permission."
"It's okay, I like it very much."
In that painting, I looked sideways at the mountains, surrounded by flowers, as if I were in heaven, but only I knew that the blood of the girl next to me had already stained the grass red.
"If you like it, I'll give it to you." Liang Qi took off the drawing paper, rolled it up, tied it with a ribbon and handed it to me.
"Thank you." I accepted the painting.
I realized that there was a secret emotion fermenting between me and Liang Qi, and behind this emotion was most likely the abyss of hell.
Liang Qi stood up and put away his paint board. He was not wearing an apron, but his white shirt was still spotless. He left two buttons unbuttoned, and the moment he bent over, a small object fell out from between his neck.
It was a white jade pendant, and I seemed to have seen this jade pendant somewhere.