"But didn't you say we shouldn't get involved? Now that two people have died, it's obviously dangerous. Shouldn't we just stay out of it?" Lin Yuan asked nervously.
"Didn't you notice? Every time something happened, we were there. That means even if we try not to get involved, whoever's behind this will find a way to drag us in."
"The one behind this? What do you mean? Don't you think it's Li Yiqian's sister, Li Yiqing, coming back for revenge?"
"I don't believe in ghosts. There's cold medicine in the drawer—get it for me."
Lin Yuan took out the medicine and poured a glass of water. "So, who are you going to see?"
"Zhang Junsheng," Su Jin'er replied, swallowing the pills with the water.
"Why go see that creep? No way, I'm going with you. If anything dangerous happens, I'll be there to help," Lin Yuan said with a determined expression.
"Yes, he's creepy, but he's also a coward."
"You do know, right? Most murderers are perverts—and cowards."
"Enough with your nonsense. I just want this case to end soon. Once we catch the killer, we can get back to finishing our five years of college in peace." She paused. "Where are Xiaonan and Yiqian?"
"Yiqian is determined to avenge her sister. She's convinced these deaths are connected, so she went to investigate the guy who died yesterday. Xiaonan was worried and went with her."
"Let's go find Zhang Junsheng." Su Jin'er got out of bed, still a little dizzy.
Meanwhile, Zhang Junsheng was sitting in his dorm room, staring blankly. After hearing about another death that morning, fear overtook him. He scanned the room nervously, as if something terrifying was lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.
Knock knock knock—
The sudden knock made him jump. He stared at the door, hesitating, until a familiar voice spoke.
"Anyone home? Is Zhang Junsheng in? Someone's here to see you," came the raspy voice of the dorm supervisor.
Trembling, Zhang Junsheng got up and opened the door. "Who's looking for me?"
"They're downstairs," the old supervisor replied and walked away.
Watching him disappear down the hall, Zhang Junsheng suddenly chuckled to himself—an eerie, unsettling laugh.
Later, the three of them sat in a quiet café near the school. It was surprising to find such a tastefully decorated coffee shop in a remote spot, and the soft music inside created a peaceful atmosphere.
Zhang Junsheng took a sip of coffee. His face was pale, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days.
"You know why we're here," Su Jin'er said calmly.
"I know you're smart, Su Jin'er. But I'm warning you—don't get involved in this. It's beyond anything we can handle." His voice shook, and his hand trembled so badly he had to set the cup down. Still, the coffee spilled.
"Why are you so scared? What do you know?" Su Jin'er felt a strange sympathy for him. Disgusted as she was by his past behavior, maybe he was also a victim.
"I don't know anything. Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. I'm begging you—and Li Yiqian too—stop digging. If you don't, you'll all die. No one will escape."
"But how do you know so much about this school? You're a freshman, just like us. What happened?" Su Jin'er pressed.
"Yes, I'm a freshman. But I was too curious. And curiosity..." he gave a hollow laugh, "can get you killed." He slumped back in his chair, voice filled with despair.
"You must know something. If we find the killer, this can all end. We might survive!" Lin Yuan said urgently.
"Killer? You think this was done by a person? Have you ever seen someone screaming for help while stabbing a knife into their own throat?" he blurted, then seemed to regret it.
"What? Are you saying the guy yesterday stabbed himself in the throat while yelling for help?" Su Jin'er was stunned. She had never considered such a possibility.
After that, no matter how they asked, Zhang Junsheng stayed silent, staring out the window.
Disappointed, they left. They had hoped for answers, but only found more questions.
Back at their dorm, they had barely sat down when Su Jin'er's phone rang.
"It's Chu Feifan. He's waiting downstairs. Says he has important news."
They met him at the lakeside pavilion on campus.
"So, what news do you have?" Lin Yuan asked.
"We heard from the police that the guy from yesterday may have committed suicide. The only fingerprints on the knife were his own," Zuo Yi said.
"We heard the same thing from Zhang Junsheng—but his version was more terrifying," Su Jin'er replied.
"What do you mean?" Chu Feifan asked.
"Zhang claimed he saw the guy kill himself. He said the guy was screaming for help while stabbing the knife into his own throat," Su Jin'er said quietly, staring at the lake.
"Why didn't you press him for more details?"
"He wouldn't talk. He's scared. He thinks it's something supernatural."
"Like that ghost girl—Xiao Qing?" Zuo Yi asked, half-joking.
"We don't know. But this isn't simple," Chu Feifan said seriously.
"Is that all you found out?" Su Jin'er asked suddenly.
"Of course not. We looked into the guy who died yesterday. You'll never guess who he was," Zuo Yi said with a smirk.
"Oh come on, just tell us!" Lin Yuan said, exasperated.
"He was a fifth-year student. And more importantly, he was Xiao Qing's ex-boyfriend."
"What?!" Su Jin'er and Lin Yuan exclaimed together.
"It's true. His name was Li Ran. They broke up for some reason, and he was devastated. After her death, he even fell seriously ill," Chu Feifan added.
"What else is she hiding?" Su Jin'er whispered. She still felt that Li Yiqian was keeping secrets.
"Who?" Chu Feifan asked.
"Li Yiqian. Xiao Qing was her sister. She came to this school to investigate her death. She never believed her sister killed herself because of academic pressure."
Chu Feifan and Zuo Yi inhaled sharply.
"We need to figure out what happened five years ago. Five people died in a month," Su Jin'er said, voice trembling.
"You've heard the rumor too?" Zuo Yi asked.
"Yes. First Xiao Qing hanged herself. Then two other girls did the same. One fell from a building, and one drowned. Two of them lived in dorm room 414. Why were all the victims girls?" Su Jin'er asked, feeling uneasy.
"There's something else you might not know," Chu Feifan said. "Those girls were close friends. They weren't in the same dorm, but they were in the same class."
"That makes it even stranger." Su Jin'er looked up. "Who told you that?"
"Haha! You don't know? Our Prince Charming here is quite the ladies' man. Even a fifth-year student council president fell for him," Zuo Yi joked.
"Stop it!" Chu Feifan blushed.
Su Jin'er paused. "You're not president yet, right? So... could you get the key to the archives from her?"
"Ugh… fine." Just thinking of that girl made Chu Feifan break into a cold sweat. Her stare always made him feel like he was standing naked in front of her.
"Then tonight at nine, we go to the archive room. The school must have records of what happened five years ago."
"Yes. The student council rules say every major incident must be recorded. Five deaths in one month definitely counts."
They agreed on the plan and parted to take care of other matters. It was nearly noon, and Su Jin'er still had questions for Li Yiqian. She wondered if Yiqian and Xiaonan had found anything yet.
Back at the dorm, they were still out. So Su Jin'er and Lin Yuan headed to the cafeteria for lunch.