Chapter 149: Chapter 131

All Tan Linlin could see was darkness when she opened her eyes due to a blindfold obscuring her vision, and her head was a little dizzy.

Tan Linlin felt herself tied up tightly. She panicked and tried to move her body but failed to accomplish anything.

Her clothes…were gone.

There was the smell of disinfectant in the room, and shortly after regaining consciousness, Tan Linlin heard the sound of footsteps.

Tan Linlin was scared, and many bad thoughts immediately surfaced in her mind.

“Is… Is it you, Boss?”

The other party did not speak, choosing to let out only an odd chuckle.

“Please…let me go…”

“Shh.”

Duct tape was pressed against her lips, and Tan Linlin could only whimper like a desperate lamb to the slaughter.

Something cold wandered across her skin. Tan Linlin clenched her fists and let out a muted groan.

Blood dripped and splashed on the floor, forming a puddle that gradually increased in size.

…

It had already been 33 days since Chen Yang’s corpse was discovered. Yet, the crime investigation team still hadn’t found anything.

During the past 17 days, many people came to the station to report missing people.

Even if a person disappeared every day in this large city, nobody other than the people around them would pay attention to their disappearance.

A person could disappear because of a variety of reasons. Some had run away from home, while others were either killed or abducted. Jun Zishu paid close attention to these missing reports. She wasn’t sure if any of these missing people could be the killer’s next victim. Or, more specifically, she wasn’t sure if a new victim had already appeared.

Out of the many missing reports, some were found, and some were not.

However, regardless of the situation, time continued its steady advance, and the new year arrived without fail.

Although it wasn’t the Lunar New Year, many people still wished each other a Happy New Year in the new year. It was also a good day for couples to go out on a date, and the current liveliness of the city was comparable to that of Christmas.

Although Jun Zishu didn’t have any living humans to accompany her through the New Year, she had a ghost by her side.

Jun Zishu naturally had no desire to go outside in this cold weather. She didn’t have any dates planned, anyway.

Instead of going outside, Jun Zishu ate hotpot by herself at home. Although hotpot was typically something one ate with a group of people, she didn’t mind the lack of a lively atmosphere.

After the meal, Jiang Yinsheng took on the duty of doing the dishes. Meanwhile, Jun Zishu watched the little ghost do the dishes from the side.

“Should we go out for a walk afterward?”

“But didn’t you say that you didn’t want to go out because it was too cold outside?”

“I changed my mind.”

“Wait for me, then.”

Jiang Yinsheng didn’t mind staying indoors or going outside. She was satisfied so long as she could stay by Jun Zishu’s side.

…

Although it wasn’t snowing outside, the howling wind was chilling.

“Your scarf,” Jiang Yinsheng said as she brought over Jun Zishu’s scarf.

In response, Jun Zishu cooperatively lowered her head and let Jiang Yinsheng tuck it around her neck.

Jiang Yinsheng was still wearing the same clothes as before, her face looking a little pale.

The two didn’t go anywhere special, choosing to simply take a stroll in the nearby shopping mall.

Since they were at the mall, Jun Zishu used the opportunity to buy some daily necessities and ingredients for tomorrow’s hotpot. She had taken a liking to hotpot recently, so she would have it once every day. She also didn’t have to do as many preparations to cook hotpot, simply having to dump all the ingredients into one big pot of water.

“You should avoid eating hotpot so much. It’s not good for your health,” Jiang Yinsheng advised.

During her stay in Jun Zishu’s house, Jiang Yinsheng realized just how much Jun Zishu disliked investing energy into cooking. Jun Zishu would either order food deliveries or cook a pack of instant noodles and call it a day. If neither of these two options was available, she could also settle for bread.

“I’ll have it one last time tomorrow. Then, I’ll go back to ordering deliveries. Once the Lunar New Year comes, I can go back to my mother’s house to have meals there,” Jun Zishu replied in a low voice as she pushed the shopping cart, making sure that passersby couldn’t hear her.

Jiang Yinsheng nodded with a satisfied smile, looking like a child who had just received candy.

…

Jun Zishu wasn’t a youngster, and she had no intentions of staying up late to wish others a Happy New Year. Hence, she went to bed at 10 PM like usual.

The instant the numbers displayed on the digital clock switched to “00:00,” loud fireworks went off in the night sky outside.

Jiang Yinsheng gazed at Jun Zishu’s sleeping face, her lips gently dropping a light kiss on Jun Zishu’s forehead as she said, “Happy New Year, Miss Officer.”

As the faint sounds of exploding fireworks came from outside the glass window, Jiang Yinsheng’s body stiffened when she saw Jun Zishu rolling over. She dared not move even a muscle in this situation. Only after a while had passed and no further movement came from Jun Zishu did Jiang Yinsheng relax and breathe out a sigh of relief.

Afterward, Jiang Yinsheng laid down on the bed, making sure to put some distance between herself and Jun Zishu. It couldn’t be helped. Her body was too cold, and she worried that she would bring discomfort to her beloved.

Sometime later, Jun Zishu opened her eyes in the dark, a complicated look on her face.

In reality, Jun Zishu had never been a particularly perceptive person. However, probably because of her current body and because Jiang Yinsheng wasn’t trying very hard to hide her emotions, it didn’t take long for her to notice the feelings hidden behind Jiang Yinsheng’s eyes.

In Il Mare, it was mentioned that three things in this world couldn’t be hidden: cough, poverty, and love.

Jun Zishu agreed with this quote. The first was a bodily reaction that couldn’t be controlled, while the second was a truth that could not be hidden.

As for love, it could be clearly conveyed through one’s every action and expression.

Jiang Yinsheng had never said anything that could be easily misunderstood. She had never taken any suggestive actions, either. She would only help Jun Zishu do the dishes and laundry every day. The most excessive thing she had done thus far was probably the light kiss she planted on Jun Zishu’s forehead.

However, Jun Zishu might not be able to reciprocate the little ghost’s feelings.

If Jun Zishu had to stay in this world for a long time, she might have reciprocated the little ghost’s feelings.

Even so, that was only a possibility.

Of course, she also had the option of choosing to stay in this world after completing her mission. However, she preferred to leave as swiftly as she came.

Jun Zishu would occasionally get confused over the meaning of life. Up until this point, she was merely living for the sake of living. None of the mission worlds could spur her desire to stay, and she would always remain clear-headed enough to know what she needed to do. Never had she acted rashly on her emotions before.

Little Fairy?

[Mhm, I’m here.]

Do you know why other people choose to reincarnate indefinitely?

[Some people want to earn enough EPs so they can exchange for the things they want, while some people would accumulate enough authority before settling down in a world. Some people simply wish to live long lives. Simply put, they are all living for the sake of their desires.]

Is that so.

[Why did you come to the Department of Transmigration, Host?]

To…live.

[What is the reason you choose to continue living, then? Is it money? Beauty? Power? To return home? But I can’t seem to feel any desire for these things coming from you. You’ve always dealt with these matters with a calm mind as if everything is within your expectations.]

I…

I… What do I want?

Jun Zishu did not know.

She used to live her life like a precision robot. However, when this robot separated from its master, it only knew it needed energy to keep itself working. It didn’t know what exactly it was supposed to do.

[You don’t have to live such a repressed life, Host. Isn’t it better to live for yourself? You should do whatever you want and enjoy whatever you want.]

How carefree.

[I hope you can live more freely, Host.]

Thank you.

Jun Zishu closed her eyes and went to sleep. In the meantime, some people’s nightlife had just begun.

…

New Year’s Night was a night of revelry for youngsters.

Wu Yuxin hugged his new girlfriend, his heart filled with joy.

After pursuing the girl he liked for some time, he finally worked up the courage to confess on New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, not only did he succeed, but he had even managed to capitalize on the festive atmosphere to invite his new girlfriend to a hotel.

There were no taxis on the road, so the two youngsters walked hand in hand as they strolled down the street happily.

Many small hotels lined the street they walked on. After entering one of these hotels, Wu Yuxin pulled out his ID card and rented a room. Seeing this, his girlfriend gently hammered him on the chest and asked, “You came prepared, huh?”

“Of course. Come.”

Wu Yuxin took his girlfriend to the third floor and happily entered the room.

Wu Yuxin had his girlfriend lean against the window, deciding to go for an exciting play.

“Cold.”

His girlfriend pouted, not too happy at his decision.

“Don’t worry. I’ll warm you up in a moment.”

While the two lovebirds were getting into the mood, Wu Yuxin looked up and seemed to see something.

“Why did you stop moving?”

“Look down the window. Doesn’t it look like someone is standing there?”

“Who cares?” the girlfriend said unhappily.

However, Wu Yuxin couldn’t not care. The more he looked at the big clump of something below, the more it looked like a person. Moreover, the way it remained motionless was quite scary.

Wu Yuxin had just fired his first shot, so he leaned closer to the window to look at that something.

“Come look. That person hasn’t moved in the slightest all this time.”

“Maybe it’s a pillar.”

Wu Yuxin turned on his phone’s flashlight and tried to shine it on the suspected person. However, as it was dark outside and there was quite some distance between them, he couldn’t get a good look at the other party.

“Stop looking at it. Come, let’s continue.”

…

The next morning, Wu Yuxin finally got a clear look at the suspected person.

“It looks like a girl… She’s been standing there the entire night. Don’t tell me her boyfriend is in the hotel?”

The other party was a girl with long hair, and she had her back facing Wu Yuxin as she leaned against a wall.

“Huh? It can’t be, right?”

The girlfriend grew compassionate upon hearing Wu Yuxin’s assumption, so she walked up and took a look at the girl as well.

Afterward, Wu Yuxin opened the window and shouted, “Hey, girl down there!”

“She seems to be ignoring us.”

“Let’s go down and take a look. She’s been standing there all night, so she might’ve gotten sick.”

…

Ten past ten in the morning, the police station received a call reporting a crime.

“Chief, the body of the cannibal’s new victim might have appeared. According to the informant, the flesh of the corpse’s thighs is missing.”

“What about the organs?”

“They’re intact.”

“The body didn’t get disemboweled?”

“Yes, but the body’s other parts are damaged.”

While listening to Wang Duoduo’s report, Jun Zishu walked out of the station and got into the car.

After more than a month had passed, the killer had dumped another body. Moreover, the method he used this time was somewhat different.

For a serial killer, the gap between his crimes was relatively long.

“The deceased is Tan Linlin, female, 16 years old, a first-year student of Second Lanhai High School. On December 19, her form teacher reported her missing. Although an investigation was conducted into her disappearance, no clues were found.”

“The teacher reported the case?”

“Yes. Data shows that her parents have passed away, and she is currently living in her uncle’s house.”

“It seems the uncle and niece don’t share a good relationship.”

…

Jun Zishu couldn’t help but frown when she saw the state of the corpse.

Although the corpse this time didn’t get disemboweled, it didn’t look any better than the previous corpse.

The deceased’s chest was strangely flat, and there was a huge bloodstain on the front of her body.