Chapter 4 The Lone City (4)

Chapter 4: The Lonely City (Part Four)

Jiang Songnian called the police, who arrived quickly and questioned Lin Yanqing about the situation. By now, Lin Yanqing had calmed down and explained everything that had happened from start to finish.

After the police examined the scene, they asked Lin Yanqing for his contact information and then let him leave.

Lin Yanqing kept his head down the whole way, entering the elevator of Building 20. Jiang Songnian followed closely behind. He had wiped his collar with a wet wipe, leaving a damp stain.

Lin Yanqing stole a glance at him and said quietly, "I'll pay for your clothes."

"Sure, two thousand yuan."

Lin Yanqing's eyes widened in disbelief. "How can you profiteer off me like that?"

Seeing him perk up, Jiang Songnian couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry about it. It's on me."

The elevator doors opened. Lin Yanqing didn't say anything more and quickly returned home.

Xia Li, having waited for him for a long time and unable to reach him by phone, was about to go to the market to look for him when he saw Lin Yanqing return home empty-handed.

"Weren't you going grocery shopping?"

"I left them at the scene." Lin Yanqing went into the bathroom to wash his hands, taking off his jacket and stuffing it directly into the washing machine.

"The scene? What scene?" Xia Li asked, puzzled.

Lin Yanqing's throat tightened. The smell of blood seemed to cling to him, impossible to shake off. He simply stripped off all his clothes and took a shower. Images of Granny Liu's body kept flashing in his mind. He felt his eyes grow slightly damp, his heart aching.

After his shower, he came out, drying his hair as he walked to the living room. His voice was thick with unshed tears. "Granny Liu is dead. The window was open, the dog ran out... and it's dead too..."

By the end, Lin Yanqing's voice was hoarse.

Xia Li couldn't believe it. The neighborhood group chat was buzzing with messages. He opened it to see everyone discussing the incident.

"What awful luck for Granny Liu? The dog ran out, and then she..." Xia Li tried to comfort him. "People say pets are intuitive. Maybe it went to heaven to keep Granny Liu company."

Lin Yanqing sat on the sofa drying his hair, stunned by the words. Yes, how could it be such a coincidence? Granny Liu was bitten by a stray dog, and her own dog was gutted. Wasn't that too much of a coincidence?

He recalled the scene: blood had pooled on the floor, but there were no animal paw prints. Instead, there were many sneaker prints. The police had even asked for his shoe size earlier and had him make a footprint. That meant the police now suspected foul play.

Lin Yanqing's pupils constricted, shocked into silence. Granny Liu had been murdered, and the killer had bitten her corpse. And the dog? Could it have been the same person?

Lin Yanqing didn't know, feeling only that his head was about to explode. At the same time, he suddenly remembered Jiang Songnian. He had forgotten to ask why Jiang Songnian was there.

Over the past few days, Lin Yanqing had vaguely felt someone was following him. Just now, Jiang Songnian had suddenly appeared there, including their encounter at the supermarket yesterday. Everything was too coincidental.

Seeing him so shaken up, Xia Li poured him a glass of milk and put an arm around his shoulders. "Bro, do you want me to fry you an egg? You should eat something first."

Lin Yanqing turned to look at him. "We can't film today. Do you have any backlog?"

"I have a few clips left. They'll do."

"That's good." Lin Yanqing took a deep breath and grasped Xia Li's wrist. "The killer hasn't been caught yet. If you don't have classes these next few days, don't go out." He paused, then added, "And absolutely do not talk to that guy across the hall. He might be a psycho killer."

Xia Li nodded solemnly. After a moment, he brought over his iPad and opened an email to show Lin Yanqing.

"Bro, look at this. It's an email from Aimeile, asking me to do an ad," Xia Li said.

Lin Yanqing glanced at it distractedly, still feeling unwell, but he forced himself to focus. "Don't take ads like that. We promote healthy eating. Health supplements don't align with our channel's philosophy."

"But they're offering a lot of money. And Xi Dan is taking them too," Xia Li whispered. "One ad pays five hundred thousand."

Lin Yanqing was utterly shocked. He struggled painfully for two seconds before turning off the screen, saying with anguish, "Money doesn't fall from the sky. Five hundred thousand... we can just scam Yunchuan for money. He's doing well now."

Lin Yanqing rested at home for a day and finally felt more like himself. On Monday, he mustered his energy to go to work. As he was about to leave, it occurred to him. Before opening the door, he looked through the peephole. Apartment 1901 was quiet. He didn't know if Jiang Songnian was still home.

Then he went out, calmly pressed the elevator button, watching the neighbor's door from the corner of his eye. Still no movement.

By nature, Lin Yanqing was both a worrier and a cautious person. Once inside the elevator, he pressed the button for the underground parking garage. At the same time, he randomly pressed the button for the 10th floor.

As the elevator doors closed, Lin Yanqing heard the door of 1901 open again. He held his breath, waiting for the elevator to open on a lower floor.

Soon, it reached the 10th floor. Lin Yanqing stepped out and headed for the stairwell. The elevator doors closed and descended as usual.

Lin Yanqing stood behind the fire door, looking out through the glass windowpane. He heard the heavy sound of shoes on the stairs. The person moved quickly, running swiftly down the stairwell. A figure flashed past, and Lin Yanqing clearly saw Jiang Songnian's back.

It felt as if someone had grabbed him by the throat, making it hard to breathe. His guess was correct. Jiang Songnian had been following him. After Lin Yanqing took the elevator down, Jiang Songnian had run down the stairs. He seemed like someone who exercised regularly, with a strong physique. Running from the 19th floor might only be a few seconds slower than the elevator. He could easily catch up, follow him to the supermarket, to work, to various places.

Lin Yanqing was bewildered. Who exactly was Jiang Songnian? Why was he following him? Was he connected to Granny Liu's case?

Since his company was nearby, Lin Yanqing rarely drove to work. But today, he had no choice. If he took the subway, he would be paranoid the entire time.

He tried his best to stay calm. He took the elevator down and walked to his parking spot as usual, while keeping an eye on his surroundings, afraid Jiang Songnian might jump out from some corner and attack him.

He got into his car, and only after locking the doors did he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Lin Yanqing started the car and drove out of the parking garage, unaware that someone in the trunk let out a muffled cough.

Xia Li had no classes today and slept until almost ten. Following the chore list Lin Yanqing had left, he first did the household chores, then edited some footage for a while. By noon, he was starving and remembered there were instant noodles and luncheon meat in the cupboard, perfect for making noodles with luncheon meat and egg.

*

He cheerfully walked to the storage cabinet, pulled open the drawer, and picked up the can of luncheon meat. Although they promoted healthy eating, indulging in something unhealthy occasionally was only human.

Just as he was about to open the can, He Yunchuan called.

Xia Li answered the phone. He Yunchuan knew he had no classes today and asked if he had time for seafood, also to discuss a new contract.

Xia Li played it cool and agreed. After hanging up, he smiled and put the luncheon meat back in the cupboard, waiting for He Yunchuan to pick him up for a feast.

He changed into a white T-shirt with a cartoon bear print, put on light-colored jeans, fully charged his phone and stuffed it in his pocket, then waited leisurely for He Yunchuan to arrive.

He Yunchuan had gotten up early, showered, washed his hair, shaved, styled his hair, sprayed on a bit of cologne, changed into an expensive casual suit, and put on a custom-made Swiss wristwatch—understated, luxurious, and unique.

*

On the drive to Xia Li's place, he passed by the flower shop he frequented. He parked and went in to buy a bouquet. After browsing, he found the flowers looked a bit wilted. The shop owner was also complaining about the recent abnormal weather. Not just their shop, but even the flowers in the botanical garden weren't doing well, and prices had gone up instead.

He Yunchuan picked a relatively fresh and vibrant bouquet of sunflowers. Next door was a snack shop. He thought for half a minute, first put the sunflowers back in the car, then went in to buy snacks.

Lin Yanqing had very healthy living habits and set high standards for Xia Li, forbidding him from eating this and that. Xia Li was like a little hamster, hiding snacks to eat secretly. He Yunchuan often bought them for him, earning a scolding from Lin Yanqing. But once bought, Lin Yanqing wasn't so harsh as to throw them away.

Recently, the weather had been hot, and summer vacation was about a month away. Knowing Xia Li's personality, he probably wouldn't want to go out much. So He Yunchuan thought he'd buy a lot for him at once.

At this hour, the snack shop wasn't crowded. A few crates of soda had just arrived at the entrance, about to be moved to the storage room. He Yunchuan directly asked the clerk to set aside two crates for him: one mixed crate of cola, Sprite, and Fanta, and one crate of orange juice.

Then he took a shopping cart and loaded it with potato chips, biscuits, dried tofu, shredded beef, vacuum-packed chicken drumsticks and wings... a bit of everything, filling four large plastic bags.

After paying, the clerk helped him carry the soda to the trunk and placed the snacks in the back seat.

He Yunchuan, worried Xia Li might be getting impatient, hurried on his way. Although there were many traffic lights, there weren't many cars at this time, so he soon reached the entrance of the residential complex.

He Yunchuan drove into the neighborhood, intending to park near Building 20. But for some reason today, all the surface parking spots were full. He'd bought a bunch of stuff, and if he parked too far away, it'd be a pain to haul them upstairs. After some thought, he drove into the underground parking garage.

After parking, He Yunchuan called Xia Li, asking him to come downstairs to help carry the snacks and drinks upstairs before going out to eat.

After hanging up, He Yunchuan got out of the car first to move the drinks into the elevator. There was also a box of Shizuoka melons in the trunk, a gift from a friend yesterday. Standing by the trunk, he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and was about to lift the box when he heard a rustling sound near the front of the car. He tilted his head and saw a boy in a yellow checkered shirt pressed against the car window, seemingly peering at the snacks in the back seat.

He Yunchuan glanced at him twice, a mischievous impulse taking over. He teased the kid, "Hey kid, give me a hand with these bags, and I'll give you some chocolate."

The boy didn't turn around or acknowledge He Yunchuan. His face remained pressed against the window, and a strange gurgling sound came from his throat.

"How about you hold these flowers for me? I'll give them to the guy who's coming down in the elevator. You can't miss him—he's the cutest, prettiest guy in the whole complex," He Yunchuan boasted smugly.

Suddenly, the boy slammed his palm against the car door with a loud bang. He Yunchuan was startled, his brow furrowing. He thought better of it and decided not to make a big deal out of it with a kid, then proceeded to unload the drinks, heading toward the elevator entrance.

The elevator had already descended to the basement level. Xia Li was just stepping out. He Yunchuan temporarily set down the two boxes of drinks to hold the elevator door open. Seeing Xia Li looking so fresh and cute, he couldn't help reaching out to touch his hand.

"Stop pawing at me! Be careful, or my brother will beat you up!" Xia Li pulled his hand back, waving a tiny, fierce fist.

Trying not to laugh, He Yunchuan asked, "There's a box of melons in the car. Do you want them? I got them yesterday, very fresh."

"Yes! My brother likes them!" Xia Li cheered.

"Ah, looks like they've gone bad," He Yunchuan said quickly.

Unfazed, Xia Li happily ran toward the car. At a glance, he spotted the little boy who was knocking his head against the car window. The boy looked about five or six years old, kind of familiar, but Xia Li couldn't place him.

He Yunchuan said, "You grab the snacks from the back seat. I'll get the melons."

Xia Li stared blankly at the child, feeling something was off. He stood by the front of the car, then turned back to look at He Yunchuan.

He Yunchuan shook his head. "Ignore him. Just a kid messing around. Let's get the stuff upstairs first; the drinks are still blocking the elevator door."

Xia Li nodded quickly and walked around to the other side of the car, thinking he should report it to the building manager. There were no parents around, and with so many cars in the parking garage, it would be bad if the child got hit.

Before opening the car door, he noticed the sunflowers on the passenger seat and curled his lip in mild disdain. Then, happily, he pulled open the back door.

"Wow, you bought so much!" Xia Li's eyes widened in delight. He happily hauled out two plastic bags, setting them on the ground for now. The other two bags were closer to the far side of the seat; he had to bend over and stretch his arm to reach them.

He Yunchuan, holding the box of melons with one hand, bent down to pick up the two bags on the ground and headed toward the elevator first.

Xia Li struggled to pull out the other two bags. One bag wasn't tied tightly, and a round tin of cookies slipped out, rolling under the seat. Xia Li had to climb into the back seat, awkwardly fishing around under the seat.

The cookie tin seemed to be stuck. Xia Li strained, his arm getting sore, but he couldn't retrieve the box. Meanwhile, the boy's face remained pressed against the window, as if amused by his struggle, and he began slapping the car door, waving his arms.

Xia Li gave up on the cookie tin. Just as he was about to back out of the car, through the thin pane of glass, his eyes met the boy's.

The boy's entire eye sockets were blood-red, as if his eyeballs had been gouged out or covered by a bloody haze. There were bloodstains on his face, and the corners of his mouth were also crimson.

Xia Li's heart suddenly raced. He felt the boy was looking at him, yet the boy's eye sockets clearly had no eyeballs. Swallowing hard, Xia Li stammered, "Kid, y-you didn't wipe your mouth after eating ketchup."

The boy smiled, his mouth stretching open inch by inch. Chunks of flesh fell from between his teeth, and sticky, bloody skin smeared against the window, leaving a crimson trail.

Xia Li clenched his teeth tightly, his face rigid with tension. He slowly backed away, his knees stiff but his legs weak. With a thud, he fell to the ground, landing right on top of the two plastic bags, which rustled loudly.

In that instant, the boy moved! His speed was extreme—in the blink of an eye, when Xia Li looked up again, the boy had already circled to this side of the car. His shoulder pressed against Xia Li's shoulder, his blood-covered face now inches away. In those eyes like pools of blood, Xia Li saw his own panicked reflection.

"Hey, what are you two playing at? Come on over!" He Yunchuan urged from the elevator entrance.

Xia Li let out a wild scream, shoving the boy away. But he couldn't stand up; snacks scattered everywhere, and he stumbled clumsily.

The boy fell to the ground, his knees making cracking sounds. He didn't use his hands to push himself up; instead, with force from his ankles, his body rose in a strange, twisted posture.

Xia Li was so terrified that tears streamed down his face. Just then, two large hands appeared on the boy's shoulders, restraining him.

He Yunchuan ran up from behind, patted the boy's shoulder, then lifted him by the armpits into the air. He gave a short, humorless laugh and said, "Little rascal, what's your game? Pranks, huh? Go find someone else to bother. Don't bully my Lili."

The boy struggled fiercely. He Yunchuan held him from behind, unable to see his expression, but he was shocked by the raw strength in the child's body.

Xia Li stumbled to his feet, his voice hoarse as he shouted, "He Yunchuan! This kid has rabies! D-d-don't touch him!"

He Yunchuan was stunned, thinking he was joking. But he saw Xia Li's face pale with fear, the mess on the ground, and most importantly, the child's immense strength—he could barely hold on. Seeing the back door was open, He Yunchuan took a step forward and, before the child could break free, forcefully threw him into the car, clicking the door lock shut.

The child fell forward onto the seat but quickly got up, baring his teeth and slapping the windows.

He Yunchuan caught sight of his face and immediately held his breath. He suddenly realized this was far more serious than rabies.

"I'm calling the police now, Lili. You go upstairs first. Lock the door and don't come out once you're home."