The black cat walked quickly, seemingly impatient.
The sight of one person and one cat seemed particularly eerie in the night of the medical school.
Traveling through the grove and around Moon Lake, the black cat led Fang Yuan to the faculty dormitory and stopped outside.
The black cat barked a few times at the dormitories, glancing around, seemingly undecided.
Has it forgotten how to get there, or has it changed its mind and decided not to take Fang Yuan?
Of the faculty dormitories, Fang Yuan had only been to Teacher Qin Yue's. Could the black cat be taking her there?
Fang Yuan glanced toward Qin Yue's quarters. While most of the other dormitories were dark, Qin Yue's was brightly lit.
Teacher Qin Yue wasn't up so late. What was she doing?
Fang Yuan wanted to go over and take a look, but the black cat suddenly barked excitedly, as if finally remembering something. Its light blue eyes fixed on Fang Yuan, and it continued its leisurely pace. Fang Yuan had no choice but to follow it.
The black cat skirted the teachers' dormitory where Qin Yue lived. It wasn't going there.
After passing about four or five rows of dormitories, the black cat actually went upstairs, leading Fang Yuan to the east-facing apartment on the fourth floor, where it stopped.
What was it bringing Fang Yuan here for?
Fang Yuan groped in the darkness, found the iron door, and gently pulled it open.
It was so late, and the owner of this house hadn't locked the door?
The black cat slipped through the crack in the door and stood inside, calling to Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan tiptoed inside, found the switch on the wall, and turned on the hall light.
The room was nicely decorated, a retro earthy red with carved wood accents throughout. Adding to the artwork on the walls and the antiques on the coffee table, it exuded a refined elegance.
"Is anyone there?" Fang Yuan called softly. Sneaking into someone else's home like this made her feel like a thief.
No one answered her. Was he asleep, or was there no one in the house at all?
Fang Yuan bravely checked each room. There were three rooms in the house. The first and second were empty, leaving only the third.
The third room was a small study. The lock on the door had been broken, and judging by the cracked wood, it seemed to have been broken recently. Furthermore, a black cat stood at the doorway, meowing non-stop at Fang Yuan. This seemed to be the final destination the black cat had led her to.
Who had broken the lock? What was in this room?
Fang Yuan took a deep breath and gently pushed the door open.
The room was partitioned off by a thick black cloth. The front area was relatively small, with only a desk, but on top of it were some recording equipment. Fang Yuan had seen these devices on TV; they seemed to be used for eavesdropping. Did the owner actually enjoy eavesdropping on others' privacy?
What was hidden behind the black cloth?
Fang Yuan let out a low cry, making sure the room was empty before slowly walking over and gently lifting the black cloth. Then, she froze.
Behind the black cloth was a darkroom where photos were developed. The walls were covered with photos—photos of Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan had never seen so many of herself before. There were photos of her laughing in the dorm, photos of her pensive on campus, photos of her sad in the hospital, photos of her eating in the cafeteria. There were countless, at least hundreds of them.
These photos documented Fang Yuan's entire emotional journey since arriving at the medical school. Who was the owner of this room? What was he doing?
On the table lay a huge photo, a group picture of all the girls in Dormitory 441. A blood-red X was drawn across Qin Yanping and Tao Bing'er, a bar was drawn across Xu Zhaodi, and a question mark was placed over Su Ya. Clearly, the owner of the house was the mastermind behind their misfortune, and it all started with Fang Yuan!
Fang Yuan's legs went weak, her heart hollowed out, like a mindless corpse. She wanted nothing more than to get out of here, out of this horrible room.
Indeed, how could she not be terrified? Everything she did was under surveillance. Her every word, every action, every gesture was scrutinized under a magnifying glass. This feeling was even more terrifying than being held captive in a zoo. It was like she had become a guinea pig, being used for experiments.
If she was right, the bug must have been placed in their dorm room 441, recording everything they said. No wonder Su Ya believed the mastermind knew everything about the girls in dorm 441. And if they weren't familiar with their habits and psychological secrets, how could they have devised so many vicious and bizarre traps? Although she still didn't know how the mastermind behind this had pulled it off, or what methods he'd used to cause such a series of inexplicable suicides, the mere thought of it was terrifying.
How could such a person exist in the world?
Fang Yuan stumbled out of the room and headed for the door. Unexpectedly, before she reached it, the door suddenly opened, and a man walked in, nearly bumping into him.
Looking up, she saw it was He Jianhui.
He Jianhui also looked surprised, letting out a "huh" and froze in his tracks. He blocked Fang Yuan's path, showing no sign of moving aside.
Why was it him?
He was the owner of this room?
If that was the case, then he was the one hiding behind the scenes, designing so many terrifying traps?!
Fang Yuan stared at the elegant young man before her, unable to believe the depth of his evil heart.
He Jianhui glanced at the unlocked study. Knowing Fang Yuan had already been there, he chuckled dryly. "Fang Yuan, since you're here, please stay a while. Let me show my hospitality."
He Jianhui walked into the living room and brewed two cups of coffee. "This coffee is excellent," he said. "It's made from lava from the Kona volcano in Hawaii. It's very rare, and the flavor is unique. Come and try it."
He Jianhui left the door unlocked.
Did he forget to lock it, or did he leave it unlocked on purpose? Fang Yuan was so close to the door, and He Jianhui didn't stop her from leaving? Wasn't he afraid she would report him?
He Jianhui, still beaming, handed Fang Yuan a cup of rich, fragrant coffee, as if nothing had happened.
Fang Yuan didn't take He Jianhui's coffee. He was too sinister, and all she wanted now was to get away from him as quickly as possible.
"I'm not thirsty," Fang Yuan said, stepping back a few steps to the main door. She reached out and opened it.
"Why, you want to leave so soon? Don't you have a lot of questions for me?" He Jianhui took a sip of his coffee, looking quite content. "If you leave now, you'll never know again."
"If I ask, will you tell me?" Fang Yuan retorted.
"Why not tell you? Now that you've found this place, it's time for this game to end." He Jianhui smiled faintly, guessing Fang Yuan's thoughts. "You're afraid of me, right? You just want to get out of here, right?"
Fang Yuan didn't deny it. "I'm afraid of you, only because you're a beast in human form, a demon who kills without blinking an eye."
"You're wrong," He Jianhui said with a look of deep regret. "Don't make hasty judgments about things you don't understand. I thought you were different, but I didn't expect you to think the same way."
Fang Yuan thought for a moment. Although it was late at night, this was the faculty dormitory of the medical school. If she shouted, it would definitely alert the neighbors next door. She believed He Jianhui wouldn't dare to act rashly. Perhaps, for this reason, he had left the door unlocked, to reassure herself. Furthermore, Qin Yanping, Tao Bing'er, and the unconscious Xu Zhaodi all showed no signs of injury from the fight. This proved that He Jianhui wasn't a violent person and wouldn't resort to violence against her.
But when it came time to ask, Fang Yuan didn't know how to begin. There were so many strange events unfolding in girls' dormitory 441, so many mysteries that it was impossible to unravel them. She was filled with so many questions that she didn't know which to ask first.