Qin Yanping's suicide had caused a panic in the girls' dormitory at Nanjiang Medical College. Dormitory 441 was already considered a sinister and eerie place by the women there, and several suicides had been linked to it. Qin Yanping's suicide, especially this time, happened right next to them. The bloody and tragic scene would chill anyone who witnessed it.
At first, their discussions were limited to small, whispered conversations among close friends, like rats whispering among themselves, while they kept a wary eye on their surroundings. If a stranger approached, they would immediately shut up and pretend nothing had happened. Once the stranger had passed, they would resume their conversation, their voices muffled and their tones erratic. It was rare to see a girl alone in the dormitory. Even when using the restroom in their own dorm, they would bring another girl along, seemingly to alleviate their panic.
The more mysterious something became, the faster it spread. Panic spread rapidly throughout the girls' dormitory at Nanjiang Medical College. No matter how hard the school tried, it was futile. More and more girls moved to rental housing outside the school.
Fang Yuan and the others were also temporarily accommodated in the medical school's guesthouse. Although Qin Yanping's body had been removed, the faint smell of blood lingered in girls' dormitory 441, a sweet, almost sickening smell, no matter how the school workers cleaned it.
That day, none of them went to school. The medical school assigned them two double rooms: Fang Yuan and Su Ya in one, and Xu Zhaodi and Tao Bing'er in the other. At eight o'clock in the evening, Xu Zhaodi and Tao Bing'er quietly entered Fang Yuan and Su Ya's room.
No one spoke, and the room was dead silent. Su Ya lay on her bed, holding a copy of "Human World Ci Hua," but for a long time, she didn't turn a page. In reality, she was lost in thought, and the copy was merely a display.
Fang Yuan sat blankly on her bed, as stiff and mechanical as a puppet, completely devoid of any life. She only glanced at Xu Zhaodi and Tao Bing'er as they left and returned; beyond that, she made no other move or word.
Xu Zhaodi and Tao Bing'er sat quietly beside Fang Yuan, heads bowed, silent.
Two beds, four people, each maintaining their fixed positions, motionless and silent, like the closing curtain of a pantomime.
At 8:15, footsteps were heard outside the room, pausing at the door.
It was Qin Yue and her boyfriend, He Jianhui.
Qin Yue's eyes were red, as if she had been crying. It was no wonder; as a homeroom teacher, seeing one of her students suddenly commit suicide was a difficult situation for anyone. The medical school officials had just spoken with her, asking if there were any abnormalities in Qin Yanping's mental and emotional state. She couldn't answer, and they were very dissatisfied with her work.
"You're all here. Are you all okay?" Qin Yue caressed Fang Yuan's head lovingly, glanced at the four girls, and continued, "Qin Yanping is dead. I know you're all heartbroken, and so am I. Now that it's happened, don't dwell on it. Combat it, face it bravely. Life goes on, and the sun will rise as usual."
Tao Bing'er sobbed. "Teacher Qin, I understand those principles. If it were someone else's relative or friend who died, I would say the same to comfort them. But it was Qin Yanping who died! Qin Yanping, the one who slept in the same bed with me every day! I'm truly heartbroken and want to cry. I don't understand why she committed suicide."
"If even you don't understand, it's even harder for me to comprehend why she committed suicide." Qin Yue's face was filled with sadness. The mood darkened. "She'd only been at the school a few days, and her social circle was very small. How could she have taken such a desperate step as suicide? I heard she's an only child. If the school doesn't provide a clear explanation, I'm afraid her family won't let it go so easily."
He Jianhui lit a cigarette and said, "This afternoon, Qin Yanping's family arrived and confronted the medical school's leadership, causing a scene. They refusing to believe Qin Yanping committed suicide and threatening to publish the story online, in newspapers, on television, and elsewhere, seeking justice. This will not only impact the reputation of Nanjiang Medical College, but also the image of Nanjiang City itself. No one can bear the responsibility."
As if to confirm He Jianhui's words, a commotion erupted outside the guesthouse, with people shouting and cursing.
Soon, a group of people stormed into Fang Yuan and her friends' room.
Fang Yuan recognized the man in the lead as Qin Yanping's father. Following behind were several other young and strong men, and the guesthouse staff were powerless to stop them.
"Get out of the way! What are you doing? You think hiding someone will get you away? Justice is in the hearts of the people. They've done nothing wrong, so why are they afraid of us seeing them?" The bearded man spoke, aggressively pushing aside the waiter who was trying to stop them.
Qin Yanping's father also noticed Fang Yuan and the others and shouted, "Come on, everyone's here."
Qin Yanping's relatives rushed in, and the room suddenly became crowded.
"You're..." Qin Yanping's father recognized Qin Yue. "You're Qin Yanping's homeroom teacher, right? I was looking for you! Tell me exactly how Qin Yanping died!"
Qin Yanping's father was furious. He reached out and grabbed Qin Yue, as if to drag her in front of him for interrogation, completely ignoring the fact that she was a woman.
He Jianhui reacted quickly, dashing in front of Qin Yue and blocking Qin Yanping's father. No wonder he followed Qin Yue closely; it was to prevent the agitated Qin Yanping family from harming her.
"Let's talk it over. Calm down. Sit down first," He Jianhui said, but his hands didn't slow down. He pressed down on Qin Yanping's father's shoulders, preventing him from moving forward.
"What's wrong? Are you getting physical?" The bearded man wasn't to be outdone, reaching out to push He Jianhui. He Jianhui's upper body merely trembled a few times, his feet rooted to the ground, and he didn't retreat.
He Jianhui usually enjoyed working out at the gym, and he was quite strong. If a fight really came to a head, the bearded man wouldn't be able to stop him.
Just as the two men were at a stalemate, someone else tried to rush in. The one trying to rush in was the medical school security guard. They were shoving and jostling with the young men the bearded man had brought with them, and the atmosphere was filled with tension, ready to erupt at any moment.
At this critical moment, Qin Yanping's father yelled, "Stop!"
He reached out and grabbed his beard. "We're here to find the truth, not to fight. Tell them to leave first."
Then, he cried to Qin Yue and the others, "Teacher Qin, I came to you for no other reason than to find out how my Pingping died. I just can't believe she would commit suicide! She'd only been at school a few days, and no matter how hard or tiring it was, it was only a few days. How could she commit suicide? Her grandfather fainted upon hearing the news and is now in the hospital, his life or death still unknown. Her grandmother wept bitterly. "It was all gone, his voice hoarse from crying, he couldn't even speak. Her mother fainted and woke, fainted again, acting mad all day, unable to accept the reality of Pingping's death. Do you know the pain of being a parent, of failing to raise a child, of seeing your child die before you? If I could, I'd rather die than my poor Pingping. Without her, what's the point of living in this world? Now, I just want to find out how she died. This is just a small request, I beg you!"
After saying this, Qin Yanping's father's knees buckled and he knelt on the ground.
Everyone present was moved.
Fang Yuan felt a pang of pain in her heart, and warm tears welled up in her eyes. She walked over to Qin Yue and whispered something softly.
Qin Yue ordered the security guards to leave, and the bearded man led the other relatives out of the room. He Jianhui, who had wanted to stay, was also ruthlessly kicked out by Qin Yue.
Only the girls from Dormitory 441, Qin Yue, and Qin Yanping's father remained in the room. Fang Yuan shared the secrets of how Qin Yanping had nearly strangled her in her sleepwalking and how she had accidentally killed her cousin Wanwan as a child. She deliberately omitted the mention of her visit to the library to consult Xiao Jing. She feared that Qin Yanping's family would cause trouble again, perhaps by harassing Xiao Jing.
After listening to Fang Yuan's account, Qin Yanping's father remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly, "This silly girl! We've known for a long time that she killed Wanwan. Why is she so stubborn?