Ning Hangyi: A game that must be fouled

Chapter 10
一
In life, many things are like this - when you speak out openly, others don't think there is anything wrong; Backfired.

I consider myself a mature, intelligent woman, or authoress—of course I understand the appeal.It is not modest to say that I stand out among thousands of writers—a great deal depends on my directness and honesty.And of course my intelligence.

Some things need not be denied.A writer's inspiration and ideas are not a never-ending river—in fact, even the river will dry up one day.I've been writing suspense thrillers for nearly a decade (hope you don't guess my age based on that), and have published eight best-selling novels that have brought me handsome profits.If it hadn't been adopted—or borrowed from Mr. Pu Songling's method, I believe it would not be possible to achieve this.

Speaking of this, it seems a little ridiculous.I, a modern urban woman who combines beauty, intelligence and elegance, what kind of relationship will I have with "Mr. Liaozhai" who lived in the Ming and Qing Dynasties?The reason is that I was greatly inspired by an anecdote about Pu Songling introduced in a book.

I read this book when I was young, and I can't remember exactly.Anyway, it is a book that tells short stories of famous people.Among them, the story of Pu Songling impressed me deeply.It is said that in order to collect writing materials, Pu Songling set up a tea stall under an old locust tree on the roadside of the village entrance.Pu Songling listens carefully, and often captures unexpected wonderful stories from it.He also established a "rule", no matter who can tell a story, no tea money will be charged.Therefore, many passers-by and tea drinkers talked about anecdotes and anecdotes in the village, and some people made up a few sentences casually.In the end, Pu Songling collected more and more stories and materials, which inspired his imagination and ideas, and finally wrote "Strange Tales from a Liaozhai Studio", which has been handed down for generations.

Recalling that when I first created suspense novels, all kinds of interesting and ingenious ideas emerged one after another, and I was not at all worried that I would run out of inspiration one day.But frustratingly, this day came sooner than I expected.After the publication of my fourth book, I couldn't think of any good novel subjects for half a year, which made me feel confused and panicked, and even doubted that I could not go on the road of writing again.In the confusion, I suddenly thought of Pu Songling and his tea stand.

Without a doubt, this idea saved me.I know how to collect my inspiration and writing materials.Of course, it is impossible for me to set up a tea stall. What I have adopted is an approach that is in line with the spirit of the times.

I rented an office building in the downtown area, and hired a smart little girl as my assistant.I will tell you through the media that the famous female suspense writer Qianqiu solicits novel and interesting writing topics from the general public. As long as you have bizarre experiences or unusual knowledge, you can come to my studio after making an appointment and tell me about you. s story.As long as I think your story has value, I will pay you a fee.If I decide to write a novel based on this story, the expense will be considerable.

After the news was released, it caused a violent reaction.Some people think that I am deliberately hyping; some people (probably colleagues) sarcasm, saying that I have exhausted my talents, and I can only come up with this kind of grandstanding, which is quite disdainful.Of course, there are supporters, saying that writers put down their airs, communicate with the public, and obtain the most authentic materials for creation, which is a sincere attitude.For all kinds of positive or negative comments, I will not pay attention.I knew what I wanted, and in fact, I got it.

The phone in the studio rang off the hook. QQ, Weibo and other contact methods are also popular.Fortunately, it's not me who has to deal with all this, but my assistant who is often overwhelmed.She has to screen among the many people who actively participate-ask them to tell a short part of their story, so as to weed out some particularly unreliable people, choose for me people who she thinks are really valuable, and then arrange them meet me.This saved me a lot of time and energy.I limit the number of "story tellers" I meet with to fifteen per week.

Still, my canny female assistant makes mistakes.Sometimes, I can clearly feel that the visitors just want to earn a "reporting fee". The stories they tell are actually seen in a book or magazine, but they replace the protagonist with themselves, claiming that it is own personal experience.Faced with this situation, I sometimes directly state the source or source of his (her) story, which often makes the scene a little awkward; but more often than not, I don’t want to point it out, and thank them politely, Then pay them a nominal fee for reporting materials.It's not that I'm being hypocritical, but I think that after all, they came here after doing some homework, and I didn't pay much—this kind of people generally don't have high requirements.

Only very rarely do I come across one or two people who really have something really new and interesting to write about.After they have finished telling their wonderful and weird experiences, I will spend a lot of time on research. Once I find that this story has indeed been described by no one, I will really find gold.Artistic processing of these subjects, and then published as a book - proved to be successful in doing so.Almost all of my next four books were completed in this way.I am a man of faith and will pay one-tenth of the royalties I get to the people who provided the material in the first place.

Well, having said so much, it's time to get to the point.The next thing I want to talk about is my experience in writing my ninth book.I, along with this book, and the purveyors of this story—and, of course, a few others—combine on this horrific event.Believe me, as a veteran suspense thriller writer, I've seen and heard all kinds of weird things.But what I am about to describe still gives me the chills to this day.What I want to remind is that after listening to this story, you must not think about certain scenes or pictures in the story, otherwise you will be like me, and you will be haunted by nightmares after a long time.The strangeness and horror of this incident are beyond the level of ordinary people's acceptance.Of course, including me.

And you.

two

The story will start on April 4 this year, which is Thursday. In the afternoon, my assistant Xiaoya arranged for me to meet with the "story provider".I distinctly remember that it was a bad, rainy day, which was a bad omen, and if I had been wiser I should have realized it then.

My studio is located on the 19th floor of this building, with excellent daylight on weekdays.But in this rainy weather, the whole room is like being shrouded in a gray curtain.I deliberately did not turn on the lights, trying to use the sky to set off the atmosphere for the narrator.But unfortunately, the young girl sitting in front of me failed to capture the good vibes.The way she narrates things is downright dull and nothing new.She didn't realize that I couldn't possibly write it—this kind of old house haunted story is almost done badly, and only third-rate writers or screenwriters use this kind of material now.

Out of courtesy, I did not interrupt her as I told her story, and I did my best to appear interested in her story.It wasn't until after the girl had finished that I gently pointed out that this type of story had been around for over a decade.The girl blushed, and she told me that she was actually a fan of my book, and that she came here not only to tell me this story, but also to meet me.Then she stood up in embarrassment, bowed to me, expressed the delay of my time, and hurried away, of course not saying a word about the cost.Her humble attitude made me feel a little guilty and uneasy.

After the girl left, I sat on the leather chair in the studio and let out a long breath.According to Xiaoya's arrangement, there are still four visitors who have made an appointment this afternoon. I really hope that there will be one or two who can really play a role-my new book has not been released yet.

The door of the office was pushed open. Under normal circumstances, it should be the next visitor, but it was Xiaoya who walked in.She walked up to me quickly and said to me: "Sister Qianqiu, something unexpected happened. There is a special guest who insists on seeing you immediately. He said that he has no time to wait behind the four people. And he directly The door-to-door, there was no appointment at all before."

Without thinking, I said: "Then please tell him politely and ask him to wait patiently for a while. Of course, if he really can't wait, he can come back next time - we have to treat every visitor fairly. "

"I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to do this." Xiaoya handed over a business card. "Look who he is."

I frowned, and took a look at the business card. Just seeing the name, my lips parted involuntarily.

Fei Yunhan.A giant in the financial industry, one of the top [-] richest people in the country.If it weren't for the clear job description on the business card, I would definitely think that this is a person with the same name and surname as him.what's the situation?This person would personally visit my small studio to provide me with story materials?My mind couldn't turn around for a while.

Xiaoya saw that I was stupefied, and reminded: "Sister Qianqiu, Mr. Fei is waiting in the reception room right now. Don't doubt it, it must be him. I've seen it on TV and in newspapers."

"Then why are you still standing here? Hurry up and ask Mr. Fei to come in." I glared at Xiaoya. "Can we afford to neglect this kind of guest?"

"Okay. What about the four guests who made an appointment before?"

I hesitate slightly. "Tell them that I have something to do today and I can't meet with them. Please find another time. You apologize to them on my behalf." I looked at my watch, "It's past four o'clock, why don't you invite these guys later?" A guest to dinner, as an apology."

Xiaoya nodded: "Okay, Miss Qianqiu, I know what to do."

One minute later, Xiaoya brought Fei Yunhan into my office very politely.I stood up from the leather chair and went forward, with a just right smile on my face. I tried to show the reserve of a literati and the charm of a woman on this smiling face at the same time, and I hope I can do it.

Fei Yunhan offered to shake my hand in a very gentlemanly manner. "Hello, Qianqiu writer. I'm sorry to come to visit you so presumptuously." He spoke in a gentle manner, with a very refined temperament.

I am also a person who has seen the big world, and my posture, movement and language are all in place. "Hello, Mr. Fei, I really didn't expect such a big man like you to come here. I feel very honored."

Fei Yunhan smiled and waved his hands. "Don't say that, Miss Qianqiu is a famous writer. I am very grateful that you can agree to my abrupt request and meet me."

I have to admit, he was a good talker, obviously a man of great culture and charm.This kind of mature man with money, status, culture and connotation is quite lethal.I'm sure it's hard not to be attracted to him as long as it's a woman. "Okay, Mr. Fei, let's not be polite, please sit down." I politely spread my hands and made a "please" gesture.

Fei Yunhan nodded and sat down on the leather sofa.Xiaoya brewed a cup of high-quality Longjing tea, put it on the glass coffee table next to him with both hands, and said, "Mr. Fei, you drink tea." Fei Yunhan nodded slightly in thanks.After that, Xiaoya walked out of the office in a sensible manner, and gently closed the door.

Fei Yunhan is well-dressed and handsome. Although his figure is a little fatter, it is considered to be in good shape among middle-aged men.I remember the papers saying he was in his 40s, but he actually looked younger.When I was observing him, he sat up straight and explained to me: "Miss Qianqiu, I'm sorry, I should have made an appointment with you in advance. But my working hours are not fixed, and I travel at home and abroad at any time. Even if I I'm afraid I won't be able to come on time even after making an appointment, so I have to come directly to visit."

"It's okay, Mr. Fei, I understand very well." I was curious. "I don't know why you want me?"

He pauses for a moment. "That's right. My daughter is your loyal book fan. She bought almost all of your books. I also learned about you from her."

I laughed and said, "I never thought that your daughter would be my reader."

"She is very small, and has been paying attention to your new book and all the trends. I learned from her that day that you have been collecting writing materials from the public. I didn't know it before."

"I made you laugh. Indeed, I have been doing this for several years. Why, Mr. Fei, are you interested in suspense novels?"

He smiled lightly. "To tell you the truth, the life of people like us looks glamorous, but in fact it is very boring. There are so many things that bother us every day, and we don't have much time to read books."

He said it very tactfully, and let me know again that he is a person who knows how to deal with things. "Of course, you have a lot to do." I really couldn't figure out why he was looking for me, so I couldn't help asking again. "Mr. Fei, what is your purpose for coming to see me?"

He smiled gently and said, "It's the same as other people who come to visit you—providing creative topics for Qianqiu writers."

I stared at him to see if he was joking.Fei Yunhan saw the meaning in my eyes, and he said seriously: "Miss Qianqiu, I'm not joking, I mean it seriously."

When he said that, I was a little caught off guard, even a little embarrassed.I shrugged in disbelief and spread my hands. "You know, my move... is to imitate the old Mr. Pu Songling. The target is mainly some ordinary people. I really can't afford a big man like you to tell me stories and provide materials for me. .”

Fei Yunhan waved his hands. "Miss Qianqiu, please don't say that. I never thought I was a big shot. Really, it's not a polite word. I'm just engaged in some high-level jobs, but I'm still an ordinary person." He paused. "Maybe, after hearing my story, you will know that I am not only an ordinary person, but I even have more troubles and confusion than ordinary people."

I looked at him and could feel the sincerity and sincerity of what he said. "Mr. Fei, do you have any stories to tell me?"

He seemed to be stalling for time, as if the things he had to say were so difficult that he was relieved by asking boring questions. "I heard that you will pay a certain fee to those who come here to provide story materials." He tried his best to show a very interested look. "I'm really curious, how much is a good story theme worth?"

I couldn't help laughing out loud. "No matter how much I pay the person who provides the story, it's not worth mentioning to you." I jokingly said, "Mr. Fei, you didn't come to me just to make this money, did you?"

He smiled too, as if realizing he had asked a silly question.After a while of silence, his face tightened and his expression became serious, which made me realize that he was finally going to get to the point.

"Miss Qianqiu, before I tell this matter, can you promise me two things?" He stared into my eyes.

"You say."

He took a deep breath. "What I'm going to tell you next is not about anyone else, it's happened to me. It's...so weird and bizarre. So weird...that most people would find it totally unbelievable after hearing it So, my first request is, I hope you can believe me, people like me should not be so boring as to come here specially to make up a story for you."

I nod. "Mr. Fei, you don't need to explain this, I will fully trust you."

"Thank you very much." He went on to say, "The second point is, this matter, so far, I have never told anyone, including my wife and daughter, or my closest friends. Among them You will probably know the reason after listening to it. So my request is, after you learn about this matter, please keep it a secret for me, okay?"

To be honest, what he said made me panic and feel the invisible pressure.But the foreshadowing he made made me very curious about what he was going to say, and my instinct told me that this was definitely a very unusual thing.So, I said yes with little thought. "Okay, I promise." Suddenly I realized a contradictory thing. "But Mr. Fei, I'm a novelist. You provided me with your story, implying that I could write it into a novel. How can it be kept secret?"

"It doesn't matter. As I said, no one knows about this matter except you. If you write this story, as long as you change the name and identity of the protagonist in the story, no one will think that it is me. "

"I see. In fact, if you asked me to use your real identity or name, I wouldn't dare. It's against the rules of publication."

He pulled the corners of his mouth into a forced smile, and I could tell he couldn't relax.Now that I have granted his two requests, he can finally speak.

"Qianqiu writer, I am 44 years old now. In the eyes of ordinary people, I have a successful career and a happy family. It seems that I should be the most carefree and happy person in the world. But in fact, no one knows, There is a secret in me, this secret is terrifying and mysterious, and it has haunted me like a demon for many years. The reason is that I am afraid that they will think that I am mentally abnormal after learning this secret of mine. What is more serious is that if this matter is known to my competitors, they will definitely make a big fuss as an attack My weapon. So for many years, I could only choose to suffer in silence. But recently... I feel like I can't take it anymore. I have to...seek help."

The scene in front of me stunned me - Fei Yunhan, who is the leader in the financial industry, is such a calm and courageous mature man, and now he is covering his face with his hands and sitting in front of me in great pain.I believe that if it wasn't for his super self-control and willpower, he might have burst into tears now.God, it's not a TV in front of me, he's sitting right in front of me!I was shocked beyond words, staring blankly at him, not knowing what to do.

Fei Yunhan fell into his terrifying memories. "Before I was 20 years old, it was pretty normal. But - I can't remember the exact time - it must be when I was 21 years old, I discovered that an incredible, horrible thing happened for no reason. on me."

He stopped, his lips tightly pressed together, and I noticed that his body was shaking slightly.I know he's battling his inner fears.I shouldn't have rushed him, but I was just too curious.I have received countless visitors, but I have never been so nervous and looking forward to it. I couldn't help asking: "What is it, Mr. Fei?"

After a while, he raised his head and opened his mouth, but no sound came out.I realized that this conversation was going to be as long and painful as pulling a tooth.

I don't know how he mustered up the courage.He finally spoke up. "Writer Qianqiu, can you believe it? I will see my own face on all reflective objects...it becomes the face of a strange and terrifying woman."

It took me about ten seconds to understand what he said.Suddenly, my whole body trembled as if I had been electrocuted.I thought of one thing!Oh my god, it couldn't be... I couldn't hide my shock and horror, my eyes widened involuntarily, and I covered my mouth with one hand.

Maybe I was overreacting.Fei Yunhan looked at me with some puzzlement. "Writer Qianqiu, did what I said scare you?"

I swallowed. "Yeah, I was kind of intimidated."

"I thought you suspense and thriller writers would have a certain resistance to this kind of thing." He said in a slightly puzzled tone, "I heard my daughter talk about some of the content in your book. In fact, you used to Some stories have been written that are scarier. Why are you so horrified by what I say?"

There is no doubt that he is a thoughtful man.In his understanding, or in his anticipation, I should be surprised, but not so exaggerated-he has already noticed this.This detail made me feel clearly that Fei Yunhan is a character who is gentle on the surface but powerful on the inside.I kind of understand why he got where he is today.

Now, what I have to do is to cover up the emotions I just showed.I couldn't let him know that what he said actually brought up a memory in me.

"Mr. Fei, most of the stories I wrote before are fictitious. But before you told me about this matter, you emphasized its truth to me, so I felt particularly shocked and frightened."

Fei Yunhan thought for a while, then nodded, it seems that he believed my words.

"Mr. Fei, you said that you could see your own face turned into a woman's face on the reflective objects? Can you explain in more detail? I'm afraid I don't quite understand." I brought the topic to the main topic.

"The first one happened when I was 21 years old. I was studying at the university and living in the school dormitory. That night, I was thinking about something on the balcony of the dormitory, and I accidentally caught a glimpse of a window pane facing it. , As a result, I didn't see my own image that should have been reflected from it, but saw the face of a strange woman! I was shocked at the time, and before I could see clearly, that face disappeared in a flash. At that time, I didn't pay much attention to it, thinking that maybe I was just dazzled or had a short hallucination."

I didn't interrupt him and listened to him continue.

"However, I never imagined that since that time, this has happened repeatedly. And almost always at night. Whether it's glass, mirrors, metal, smooth walls, or even reflections in water, I can To see that horrible face! There are so many reflections in life that it is almost impossible to avoid!"

When he said this, even I was scared.Think about it, when a person looks in the mirror, what he sees is not his own face, but the face of a strange woman, how terrifying it is.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm scared and helpless. None of my relatives, classmates, or teachers around me can help me."

"Why don't you try to tell someone about this?" I marveled at his resilience. "Are you so sure no one can help?"

Fei Yunhan shook his head and said: "This incident is too weird, no one will believe it, it will only make them think I am insane." He smiled wryly, "All the education I have received since I was a child indicates that I must Advocating science. Let alone others, even I don’t want to believe this is true. You know what? I once thought I was really mentally ill.”

"Then..." I mumbled. "How did you rule out that possibility afterwards?"

"First of all, I calmed down and thought about it. I didn't think I had any possibility of suffering from mental illness. As I said before, this weird situation appeared without warning. I didn't suffer any stimulation or mental pressure before. Besides, my family I have no history of mental illness." He said in a deep voice, "Later, when I had the opportunity to go to the United States and some advanced European countries, I asked a psychiatrist to do a mental test for me-every time the conclusion was that My mental state is quite normal."

I take a deep breath. "Mr. Fei, do you remember how many times this situation has happened?"

"Countless times. I haven't counted them."

"Do you see the same face every time? Or is it different?"

"It's definitely the same face. I have already memorized this face. It's a pity that I haven't studied art, otherwise I could accurately draw the appearance of this woman."

"Can you describe this face to me?"

After hearing my question, Fei Yunhan leaned back a bit, shivered, and his face became very ugly.

I quickly said, "It's okay, Mr. Fei, if you don't want to recall or describe..."

"No, there's no need to recall." He said sullenly, "I'm more familiar with this face than my own. You know, I hardly dare to look in the mirror afterward." He tilted his head Going up, let out a breath, as if making some kind of decision. "Now that I have come, I must describe this horrible face to you."

I looked at him nervously.

"This is a middle-aged woman in her 40s, her hair is coiled up, and her hairstyle is a bit old-fashioned. Because I only saw her face, the clothes can only describe the neck part-her collar looks like The kind of cotton clothes worn in the old days."

Fei Yunhan stopped here.I found that he didn't mention the most important part, so I reminded: "Mr. Fei, you only mentioned her hairstyle and clothes, but not her appearance."

Fei Yunhan's face turned pale, and there was a look of fear in his eyes.His trembling voice made me feel horrified: "It doesn't matter what she looks like... what matters is..."

I looked at him in confusion: "What is it?"

Fei Yunhan stared into my eyes for a long time, and finally said the most important sentence:

"Writer Qianqiu, this is the scariest point... What I saw was not an ordinary face, but the face of a woman who died after being hanged!"

three

Fei Yunhan's words caused the temperature in the room to drop by ten degrees.The resulting fearful associations created a terrifying picture before my eyes.Immediately I felt creepy and my hairs stood on end.

"I'm sorry, Miss Qianqiu, I scared you." He said anxiously.

"It's terrible..." I covered my mouth and said, "Just thinking about this kind of picture makes one's scalp tingle. How many times have you seen it?"

Fei Yunhan said gloomily: "Now you understand my pain to some extent, right? I dare say that if this kind of thing happened to some people with weak mental endurance, I'm afraid they would have gone crazy with fright."

"That's right." I nodded, "I can't believe you've endured it for so many years."

"No, I don't have the courage and guts to endure it all the time." He looked ashamed. "I chose to avoid it by all means. Since I owned my first house, I have tried to avoid any reflective things in the room-the floor is antique wood floor; the coffee table is also solid wood; the window The glass is covered with curtains all day long; the mirror is not even dared to be placed-only by taking these measures can I avoid seeing that terrible face as much as possible."

I nodded my understanding.

"Unfortunately, these methods will cause some troubles." Fei Yunhan said with a bitter face, "That is, my family can't understand my 'eccentricity'. My wife and daughter have talked with me more than once. Communicating, trying to understand why I'm doing this, it's giving me a lot of headaches."

"Then how do you deal with it?"

"What can I do? I can't tell them the truth, can I? They won't believe it at all, they will only ask me to see a psychiatrist; I don't want to scare them either." Fei Yunhan shook his head helplessly. "I just told them I didn't like smooth things. But then they gradually realized that it wasn't a matter of personal preference, but almost paranoid. I guess they must think I have some kind of psychological problem. I really have a hard time saying no out."

Against my will, I comforted him: "Boss Fei, maybe they don't think so, are you worrying too much?"

"No, you don't know, one thing that happened recently...is very bad. I guess my daughter probably thinks I'm crazy." He said sadly, "My daughter came back from a trip to France and brought me a A beautiful gift - a Givenchy all-metal lighter. I am very happy, but unfortunately when I unpacked the box and took out the lighter..."

"You saw that face again." I guessed it, I guessed it when he said the word "full metal".

"Yes... At that time, I was completely unprepared, holding this exquisite little gift in my palm and looking at it carefully. Suddenly, I saw that terrifying face on the metal surface of the lighter. I lost control for a moment, let out a strange cry, and then put The lighter was thrown far away. My wife and daughter were present at the time, and they were stunned. Then, I saw my daughter with tears in her eyes, and ran back to her room aggrieved. I thought, I broke her heart , but I couldn't explain it to her...that sucks." He sighed and shook his head repeatedly, his eyebrows drawn into a knot.

I looked at Fei Yunhan sympathetically.Sitting before me at this moment is not a financial tycoon, but a sad and loving father.

In order to get Fei Yunhan out of his sad mood, I tried to divert the topic. "Mr. Fei, after all these years, have you ever wondered why such a strange thing happened to you?"

This sentence obviously hits the point.Fei Yunhan raised his head at once. "Writer Qianqiu, this is exactly what I want to discuss with you!"

His manner made it evident to me that he was not ignorant of the subject.This interested me so much that I couldn't help but lean forward a little. "You seem to have discovered something, haven't you?"

"It can't be said that I have discovered something, I can only say that... there is an indescribably wonderful feeling." He tilted his head thoughtfully, as if he was looking for that feeling. "It's absurd to say it..."

I encourage him. "It's okay, you can tell." This is not a common sense thing.I thought to myself.

After a few seconds, he stared into my eyes and said, "Every time I see that woman's face, I feel familiar, as if... I have known her before, or seen her somewhere. But again I can't even remember my life..."

"You've seen her many times," I reminded.

"No, that's not what it means," he explained. "I know, I've seen her countless times in all kinds of reflective objects. But I don't know her because of it, but... from the beginning It's a very subtle feeling. Let's put it this way—sometimes, I have a strong feeling—as if the hanged woman is myself!"

My heart shudders. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

"I don't understand either," he said despondently. "As I said, it's just a subtle, inexplicable feeling. If I knew exactly what it was, I wouldn't be so bothered." , confused."

The office fell silent.The sky outside the window was as dark as night, and the sound of raindrops fluctuated, with one or two muffled thunderclaps from time to time.Fortunately, I turned on the light before Fei Yunhan came in, otherwise I wondered if I would be able to bear this terrible story in such a strange atmosphere.

After a long time, I asked: "Mr. Fei, may I know what is the purpose of you telling me this matter, or providing me with this material?"

Fei Yunhan looked at me with a weary expression. "Writer Qianqiu, to tell you the truth, it has been more than 20 years since this strange phenomenon appeared. I thought I had been forced to adapt to this strange thing. But recently I found that I couldn't bear it anymore. I About to be driven insane."

"Recently? Why?"

His eyes were filled with the unending sadness of torment. "Before, I only occasionally saw that face in the reflective objects at night. So I just had to be careful not to get close to the reflective objects at night. But recently, I can also see it in the daytime... ..."

He raised his hand slowly and pointed to the huge French window next to me, but he didn't look over it. "Actually, I never said it - from the moment I walked into this office, I saw that face in the window. You may not have noticed, but I was afraid to look at it. side."

I felt a chill in my heart, and followed his gaze. Although I didn't see anything, I still felt a chill down my back.

"What you can't see, only I can see," he said.

I retracted my gaze, propped my fingers on my forehead, and let out a long breath.After a while, I asked, "You say this has only recently become serious?"

"Yes, to be precise, from the beginning of this year."

"What do you think is going on?" I changed the question. "Do you have your own understanding of this?"

He was noncommittal, and after thinking for a while, he said with an obviously uncertain tone: "There is only one possibility I can think of... This face, or the owner of this face, is conveying some kind of message to me, or implying something."

"Then what do you think it is?"

He looked up, with a look of despair in his eyes. "It's suggesting that I... want me to kill myself."

I was so startled that I nearly bounced off the leather chair. "Mr. Fei, why do you think so?"

"Otherwise, how do you think it should be understood?" Fei Yunhan asked back, "A face of a hanged woman appeared in front of me more and more frequently, apart from thinking it was trying to drive me crazy or to death, I don't think It is impossible to understand that it is to bring me luck and good news, right?"

I was at a loss for words.After a while, I asked, "Mr. Fei, you said earlier that you must seek help now. I want to know, what can I do for you?"

Fei Yunhan stared at me begging for help. "Miss Qianqiu, I tell you this for two reasons. First, I guess, as a suspense writer, you may often come into contact with or learn about some weird things. I want to see what you think about the weird things that happened to me. Do you have any insights?"

I thought for a moment - in fact I have been thinking.In the end, I could only tell the truth with apology: "I'm sorry, Mr. Fei, I really don't have a clue about this matter."

Fei Yunhan nodded slightly, expressing his understanding. "It doesn't matter, I know that this matter is not so easy to get an answer. So, my second goal is to hope that Qianqiu Writer can write a novel based on my experience—of course, if you think it is valuable."

"I am very interested in your story, which is an excellent subject for a mystery novel," I told him, trying to understand his reasons for doing so. "You hope that this book will attract public attention after it is published?"

"That's right. Of course I hope that people's attention is not on me, but on this matter itself. The protagonist of this book will obviously be a fictional character." He once again subtly reminded me not to reveal his secret. "But regarding the content of the book, you can state in the introduction that this is a story adapted from real events."

I think of a question. "Mr. Fei, are you not afraid that your wife and daughter will read this book after it is published? Don't forget, your daughter is a fan of my book."

"They may see it, at least my daughter will. But I guess they won't think that I am the prototype of the protagonist in this story. They don't know that I came to you." He was silent for a moment. "They might think that there are people like me in this world. It's better that they think so."

"Is that what you want me to write this book for?"

"Not exactly." Fei Yunhan looked at me sincerely. "Writer Qianqiu, every book you write is a best seller, and this book is no exception. If many people read this story and form a topic of discussion, then I think there will always be various Speculation and analysis. Maybe some of them can inspire me.”

I understand. "You want to seek an answer to this matter through public opinion."

"Yes!" He suddenly became excited. "For more than 20 years, I have been suffering every day-I don't just mean the horror that the face gave me. The confusion about this matter. I really can't figure out how this happened Why is this strange thing happening to me inexplicably? Who is this woman I saw? What does she have to do with me? What is she going to do? One tenth of the property is given to him (her)!"

I stared at him blankly, and couldn't help guessing in my heart what a huge and astonishing figure one-tenth of Fei Yunhan's property would be.I hope he doesn't see what I'm thinking.

He really didn't see it.Seeing that I was stunned, Fei Yunhan adjusted his facial expression and relaxed. "Sorry, Miss Qianqiu, I lost my composure. Did I scare you?"

"It's okay, Mr. Fei, I understand how you feel."

"Since it's about money, Writer Qianqiu, please allow me to apologize for the abrupt visit and the presumptuous request." The way he said it really made people feel very comfortable. "After this book is published, I am willing to pay you 100 million as a thank you."

God, the hateful and lovely rich man!It seems easier for him to pay 100 million than it is for ordinary people to buy an ice cream.Wait - reserved, polite - I can't be too excited to be rude. "Ah... no, Mr. Fei, you are too polite. You provided me with your personal experience as a writing material, and then paid me in return. How can there be such a reason?"

"This is what you deserve, Writer Qianqiu, you have agreed to my unfeeling request." Fei Yunhan stood up from the leather sofa and stretched out his hand again. "I should say goodbye."

I stood up and shook his hand. "Mr. Fei, I promise you that I will let you and the readers see this book within three months."

"That's really great." Fei Yunhan let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had completed a very important thing. "Thank you very much. For the first time in so many years, I confide this strange incident and the distress in my heart. I feel much better now."

"I am very honored to be able to help you." This is also what I say from the bottom of my heart. No matter from which aspect, I would like to thank him.

four

After sending Fei Yunhan off, I went back to the office.It's past six o'clock now, but I don't want to go home just yet.

Sitting on the comfortable, soft leather sofa, I was full of thoughts.This special visitor this afternoon has stirred up several complicated thoughts in me.

First of all, I really want to thank Fei Yunhan.He got me both the subject of my next book and a good fortune. 100 million is as easy as picking it up from the street.Plus royalties from the book itself.I think I will not have to work for half a year next year, and go to a beautiful and leisurely place abroad for a good vacation.

Getting along with people like Fei Yunhan is really a very enjoyable thing.He had everything every man could ever want and every woman could want—except, perhaps, that terrifying face that haunted him all the time.He is charming, personable, without big airs, and he always speaks and does things in a decent way, without making you feel the oppression of a big man.In fact, he knew very well in his heart that any writer would not let go of the matter he talked about—this is undoubtedly a wonderful writing subject!But he apologized again and again, as if he had really made an unkind request.This style of doing things will make everyone who comes into contact with him feel very comfortable.God, am I kind of in love with him?
However, the more polite and gentle he is, the more it increases the guilt in my heart.

One thing, I thought of it when he first said that weird thing, but I never told him.

Now, I need to carefully recall a meeting about two months ago.I'm going to combine those two things.

Open the drawer and pull out the notebook for recording the visit.I went back a few pages - and found it!That's right, the February 2 record.

In order for those who listen to the story to understand what is going on, it is necessary for me to briefly describe what happened on February 2.

That day, like today, was a day to meet visitors.I won't mention the few people who came before, and just talk about the key person.

The second she walked into my office, I knew this was not going to be an ordinary woman.The age is about 37 or 10 years old. It is possible that the actual age is older than it looks. Of course, it is thanks to the high-end cosmetics and skin care products.She has an outstanding appearance, a well-proportioned figure, and an elegant temperament.Wearing a high-end fur coat worth more than [-] yuan, a white mink shawl was casually draped over his shoulders, and when he took off the gray deerskin gloves, a large square diamond was shining.This woman is radiating the light of money all over her body.At that time, I dared to say that it was impossible for her to come alone.Under this building, there must be a high-end car parked with a driver and bodyguards inside.At the time, I couldn't guess exactly who she was, but now I obviously know.

At that time, I didn't know what this kind of rich lady came to me for, anyway, she definitely didn't come to earn that little "material supply fee".So I was smart enough not to mention it, so as not to be laughed at by her.After she sat down, we started talking.

Mrs. Kuo told me (with a pretty good attitude, not particularly domineering), that she had some confusion accumulated over the years and wanted to talk to me.I expressed interest and motioned for her to speak freely.

With the records in the notebook, I can almost recall her words:

"When I was 25 years old, I married my current husband. It was my first marriage and it will be my only one. I married well and my husband was a successful man who made our family life Wealthy, everything. But from the day I married him - or rather, from the day I moved into our new house, I was very confused."

"The house is very big, and the furniture is well-equipped and high-end. I didn't think there was anything wrong at first. But soon, I found a strange thing-there is nothing in this house that can reflect light. You know, I It refers to things like glass and mirrors."

At that time, I was a little surprised, and asked her if there were no glass on the windows of this house?

"It is installed, but the non-reflective frosted glass. I am very puzzled-isn't this kind of glass usually only installed in school classrooms? Who would install this kind of glass at home? It will make the room's lighting It got pretty bad. But it seemed like it was what my husband wanted. I asked him why he wanted the glass, and he just said he liked it."

"Floors, walls, wardrobes, dining tables... In short, every part of the home is made of rough and non-reflective materials. Well, I can accept these. But there is one thing that I absolutely cannot stand-the There is no mirror in the bedroom or bathroom!"

"Writer (she looked at me with a stern look), you're a woman too. You know what a mirror means to a woman, it's next to life. There's no woman in the world who doesn't love beauty , without the mirror, how do you tell me to live?"

I immediately nodded in agreement, indeed this is too much.

"Later, my husband and I communicated many times and put forward a very strong and even tough request - I must have a dressing table with a large mirror. My husband finally agreed, but the condition is that this thing cannot Put it in the bedroom, but only in the study. Sigh, forget it, it’s better than nothing. So, every night, I can only hide in the study alone to apply face and make-up. It reminds me of the female ghost in Painted Skin .What's going on here?"

"The point is, that's not the weirdest thing. I found out that since I bought that dresser, my husband hardly ever goes into the study. He moves all his materials and supplies to the other room. Moreover, he bought a lot of dark, rough cloth and asked me to cover the mirror after using it-by the way, the same is true for the TV and computer screen at home. To cover with a cloth, it must be strictly enforced. He is non-negotiable when he says these things. Can you imagine? I have to take off a cloth like a hijab every day when I put on makeup, it is so annoying and funny .”

"Sometimes, me, and later my daughter. We inevitably forget to cover those things with a cloth. Every time this happens, my husband gets very angry. He is well restrained and doesn't fly into a rage , but will still blame us for our carelessness. Alas, my daughter and I feel very wronged, but we can only suffer in silence from his eccentricity."

When I heard this, I was really excited.Mrs. Rich continued to talk about her weird husband.

"As the days went by, I gradually noticed. Sometimes - outside, for example - my husband would always see something reflective. At that time, he would have a look of horror, as if he had seen something terrible. It's like a monster. It really confuses me."

"By the way, we moved houses several times later. The house got bigger and bigger, more spacious and luxurious. But the principle of 'no reflective things in the house' has been carried on to this day. This rule was born in our house Say, just like the law of universal gravitation cannot be changed."

When I asked if she ever asked her husband why he did this, Mrs. Kuo smiled wryly.

"How could I not have asked? I have asked countless times. But my husband always refused to give me reasons. Ah, of course, he has said some reasons, but I can hear it is perfunctory, definitely not true Alas, I realize that I will always face a marriage full of mystery and mistrust. But there is nothing I can do. I can't blame my husband too much, because he is so good in other respects. I Love him. I can't find any other flaws or flaws in him... only this one, it's always been on my mind. I'm sure he's hiding something from me."

When Mrs. Rich finished talking, she eagerly asked me if I had heard of similar incidents before, or if I could give a reasonable explanation for her husband's strange behavior.I told her that although I have described many bizarre things in my book, it does not mean that I have experienced those things (because many of them are fictitious), let alone explain the real strange things around me .Obviously, I let her down.

In the end, when she left, she said that it was my freedom to write a novel based on this subject.But if I were to write, it must not refer to her in the book, or even create a character like her.What's more, she asked me to promise not to tell anyone that she came to me.

Having said that, I believe everyone understands what is going on.

Now, my heart is throbbing—this is really too dramatic—Fei Yunhan and his wife may never have imagined that they came to me one after another and told me the same thing from their own perspectives.This incident was finally integrated by me to form the prototype of an excellent suspenseful story.

And, interestingly, I guess after this book is written, both Fei Yunhan and his wife will read it.And they will definitely think that this is the result of their visit to me.I just don't know how they will feel after reading my book.

I can't control this anymore.I've got enough of the important stuff.This story based on real events is the best suspense novel theme I have encountered over the years, and its framework has been quietly formed in my heart.

I have a vague feeling that this story will be a high point in my writing career.I must grasp it well. With the help of this story, I may become the top famous writer in China, and my social status will naturally skyrocket.

Thinking of this, my heart surged, and I seemed to have seen the gratifying situation of my own fame and fortune.

Unfortunately, I didn't expect what happened next.That's something for later, so I won't show it for the time being.

五

In just two days, I conceived the general content of the new story, tentatively titled it as "Reflection", and I am very satisfied with the storyline.

In fact, I thought about writing this story after I met Fei Yunhan's wife (I didn't know her identity at the time) a few months ago.It's a pity that the materials she provided at that time were very limited, and I couldn't find a reasonable explanation for the strange things she told for a while, so this idea was shelved.After Fei Yunhan came to me, all the problems were solved. I just need to give a very dramatic cause and result, and add some suspense and storylines, and a best-selling novel came into being .

I sent the synopsis and synopsis to my publishing editor, Luo Min, a savvy publisher who is two years younger than me and has the insight of a hawk.She finished it right away.Then - and I know she was agitated - called directly because she had given up chatting online.

"Oh my god, Qianqiu, it's great!" As soon as the phone was answered, she heard her usual exaggerated tone. "How can you come up with such a good story idea?"

I smiled lightly.In fact, she knew that I was soliciting writing materials from the public, but she just didn't say anything, and attributed all the praise to me.This, I suppose, is a clever editor's way of encouraging authors. "Do you like it, Luo Min? That's great." I said to her.

"Love it. I think readers will love it too," she said. "I promise it will be a hit!"

"I hope so." I asked for her opinion as usual. "Do you think there is anything that needs to be revised?"

"You know, Qianqiu, you are the author I am most confident in. When will I ask you to revise the manuscript? This book has everything a reader wants-suspense, story, thriller, emotion-all the elements are gathered... ...Well, I have only one suggestion."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Are you going to write just one book of this?"

"Then what do you mean?" In fact, I already understood.

"You know what I mean." She was like a roundworm in my stomach. "If the book is a big seller, readers won't get enough of it, and they'll look forward to a sequel or a prequel or something."

I thought about it. "However, the structure of this story does not seem to be suitable for writing several parts."

There was a brief silence on the phone, obviously Luo Min was also thinking about this issue. "That's right," she admitted, "It's a bit of a struggle to write a novel that consists of several seasons... But I think at least two books can do it."

"Upper and lower?"

"Yes, you leave some suspense and doubts in the first part, and then use the second part to supplement and solve the mystery. Of course, the characters and plot have to be expanded."

"Luo Min, you are increasing my workload." I pretended to complain, but actually affirmed her proposal in my heart.

"It's also increasing your income, my dear. Think about it."

smart woman.After I hung up the phone, I smiled.Mining a good subject to the max, as greedily as the gold and coal miners—that's what they do.Still, it's a really good proposition, making the book in two and doubling my royalties as well.

The new story outline divided into upper and lower parts was sent to Luo Min four days later.She was very satisfied and submitted the topic selection immediately.After some bargaining, my royalty income was determined.The contract expects me to hand over the manuscript within three months, which happens to be what Fei Yunhan and I agreed upon.I signed without hesitation.

六

I admit that while writing this book, I found a long-lost creative passion.Not only the temptation of profit - this wonderful story almost moved me.Sometimes, like readers, I look forward to the following plot strongly, which pushes me to write quickly.As a result, the manuscript, which was expected to be completed in July, was handed over to the publisher in early June.

This situation is obviously gratifying for me and the publisher.I got the vacation early, and the publisher was able to catch up with the prime time of summer vacation. In mid-July, my new book "Reflection" began to be released.As previously promised, the publishing company invested a lot of money and energy in the packaging and publicity of this book.Luo Min told me that this is their most important book this year, and their expectations for this book are probably higher than mine.

As it turns out, I didn't disappoint everyone.By all I mean readers, booksellers, and myself.Two weeks after the new book was released, the book sales report showed that in just half a month, "Reflective Light" sold nearly 50 copies, ranking among the top ten in the book sales list.The publisher was so happy that it not only called me the full amount of the manuscript fee in advance, but also told me that the book would start to be printed in a month.More intimately, the publishing company asked me if I would like to take a vacation in the Maldives, and of course all the expenses would be borne by them-they hoped that I could start the creation of the second part as soon as possible after relaxing.I politely declined and expressed my willingness to stay in China to help promote the new book.Actually, I am really not interested in Maldives now, I am looking forward to more long-term benefits.

I called Fei Yunhan and told him that a new book has been published and it is quite popular.Fei Yunhan told me that his daughter had already bought the book last week, but he hadn't had time to read it carefully due to work reasons.But after flipping through it roughly, he was already very satisfied.I told Fei Yunhan that this book is only the first and there will be a second.Fei Yunhan seemed very interested, and told me that after the second part was published, he would pay me another 100 million.Hearing this sentence, I was almost overwhelmed by the great joy, but I had to work hard to maintain calm on the surface, which was really difficult.

Fei Yunhan asked me to provide him with a bank account number so that the previously agreed 100 million yuan could be transferred to my account.I pretended to evade and played hard to get, until Fei Yunhan said that if I really didn't want to provide the account number, I had to send it to me in person, and I "reluctantly" told him a string of numbers that I had memorized long ago.The scary thing is that when I was doing these things, I didn't feel ashamed of my hypocrisy at all. Maybe people who have been in the literary and art circles for a long time are like this-I can only comfort myself like this.

100 million is just as imagined before, and it is easy to get.Plus my royalties, I have a lot of money at once.Of course, I was not short of money to spend before, but after all, it has never been possible to obtain so many benefits at the same time.Looking at my increasing popularity, influence and rising net worth, admiring the pleasing numbers in my account, and thinking that this will happen again after the second book is published, I know that I have won Everything expected before.The resulting sense of happiness and satisfaction almost made me dizzy, and I knew that luck was on my side.

But what happened next meant that it seemed that Lady Luck was just passing by, and that she was going so fast that it caught me off guard.

One month after "Reflection" was published, one morning, I received a call from Luo Min.

"Qianqiu, what's going on!?" She asked abruptly, which made me baffled.But I could tell from her anxious and exasperated tone that something must be wrong.

"What's going on?" I had a bad feeling.

"Didn't you watch the news online?"

"No, I haven't turned on the computer today, what's wrong?"

Luo Min let out a long breath, as if expelling the stuffy air in his chest. "Then turn on the computer quickly... Forget it, I can't wait for you to watch the news slowly, so I'll tell you directly."

I gripped my phone anxiously.

"I just saw the news this morning. It shocked me for a long time. It was about you, Qianqiu! The news revealed that your new book "Reflection" and two other New books written by two authors are almost identical. Now, all three of you are suspected of plagiarism, and the odds are probably against you!"

I stayed. "You said that my book is exactly the same as the books of the other two? What do you mean? What are the same places?"

"I don't know, and I haven't read their books! But the news on the Internet said that except for the names of the characters, the subject matter and content are similar."

"This...how is it possible!" I couldn't help but shouted out.

"Qianqiu." Luo Min asked in a serious tone that I had never heard before, "Tell me the truth, you really don't know about this?"

"Of course I don't know!" I said anxiously, "I didn't get up until after ten o'clock, and then I had some breakfast..."

Suddenly, I realized the real intention of her question. "Luo Min, do you suspect me of plagiarism?"

"Tell me honestly, have you ever borrowed someone's story idea?"

I said angrily. "Don't put it so euphemistically, plagiarism is plagiarism, there is nothing to borrow or not!"

"Okay." She didn't bother to play around with me anymore. "Did you copy it?"

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't plagiarize?"

She replied: "I believe it. Qianqiu, we have cooperated for so long, I know you. I know you will not tell lies to me. Besides, I must trust you, because I am you and the responsible editor, and we are a A grasshopper on a rope!"

On the one hand, she said she would believe me, but on the other hand, she implied that there was nothing I could do.This ambiguity made me very angry.My voice was almost trembling: "Luo Min, listen, I don't need you to try hard to believe me. If you suspect that I plagiarized, then go ahead and investigate, as long as you can produce evidence to prove that I plagiarized, I am willing to pay you ten times the manuscript fee!"

After saying this, I pressed the hang up button hard and threw the phone onto the table.

I went to the balcony, took a few deep breaths, adjusted my emotions, then quickly returned to the room and turned on the computer.

Hell, it was reported on the homepage of Tencent.com!I had hoped that this news came from an unknown small website, but now it seems that it does not seem to be groundless.

I browsed through the news quickly, and it was roughly what Luo Min told me just now, but I learned some more specific information - a female writer named An Wen, and a newcomer named Yu Ge, each wrote a This is a suspenseful novel called "The Woman in the Mirror" and "Strange Face".The report said——“These two books are almost identical in content and subject matter to the new book “Reflection” by the famous female writer Qian Qiu”; “Obviously, at least two of the three people are suspected of plagiarism”; , and strongly urge the State Press and Publication Administration to investigate this matter and find out the plagiarists. Otherwise, it will encourage plagiarism in the literary world.”…

My brows became more and more wrinkled, almost becoming two twisted ropes.As Luo Min said just now, the situation seems to be particularly unfavorable to me.Although the report did not explicitly say that I plagiarized, it sounded like I was implying that I was the most likely—" A book fan of Qianqiu said that she was very disappointed, and if it was found out that Qianqiu had plagiarized, she would never leave Buy any of Qianqiu’s books”; “Some book fans said that even if Qianqiu really plagiarized, as long as she can make a public apology, everyone will still support her as always—after all, everyone makes mistakes.”

Damn it, damn it!I slammed the mouse aside, so angry that I wanted to smash the computer screen.But at this moment, the phone rang, and I was so angry that I didn't bother to answer it, but the caller was so persistent that he didn't even hang up.The ringing of my phone bothered me, so I picked it up to stop it from ringing.

"Hello, is this the writer Qianqiu?" A strange man's voice said.

"It's me, who are you?" I replied angrily.

"I'm a reporter from Xinjin Morning News. I want to interview you about the coincidence between your new book and two other works. Maybe you would like to explain something to readers through our newspaper. If you have time..."

"Sorry, there's nothing to explain, and I'm not available." I hung up before he could finish.

In the next half an hour, I received two calls from different media, all of which I rejected politely.On the one hand, these reporters disgust me, and on the other hand, I admire them. They really have great powers—I have never released my mobile phone number, but they can still find me through various channels and find me accurately.But they didn't pick the right time, and now I'm distraught and don't want to see anyone.Besides, I really don't know what to tell them, I'm at a loss myself.In order not to be harassed anymore, I turned off my phone.

I was about to do some research on the Internet about those two authors and their works when the doorbell rang.I rolled my eyes—oh my god, maybe those reporters found my house?
"Who is it!?" I yelled in the direction of the door.

"It's me, Qianqiu."

Robin's voice.I hesitated for a moment, walked over and opened the door.

My editor in charge stood at the door with a look of apology on his face.Her tone was obviously softer than on the phone. "I'm sorry, Qianqiu, I believe you didn't plagiarize, really."

I can't be mad at her anymore. "Come in and talk."

this woman.Just now he looked apologetic, but after entering the door, he showed his true colors within five seconds. "Anyway, how could you hang up on me? And then turn off the phone! Why are you so angry?"

I fell down on the sofa and sighed on my back: "I'm not angry with you, I just don't want those reporters to keep harassing me."

Luo Min sat over and stared at me. "Reporters found you so quickly. How did you tell them?"

I turned to look at her. "What are you telling me? I don't know anything at all! I don't even know the two authors, let alone their works. I have never encountered such a situation. God knows how it happened. What a coincidence!"

"You think it's a coincidence?" Luo Min frowned. "In my experience of being in the publishing business for so long, if two authors have written the same subject matter, it may be a coincidence, but three people - and so close to the same time. The probability of this kind of book is too small, almost impossible."

Luo Min's words reminded me of an important question. "By the way, when were their books published?"

"I checked, and the female writer named An Wen was the first to come out. Her "Woman in the Mirror" was published in June this year; "Reflection" was published in July, so you are the first Two; and the "Crazy Face" written by the newcomer Yuge was only released last week, that is, at the beginning of August, and he was the last one to publish it."

I opened my mouth wide in surprise. "The time is so close! The time between the three of us to publish the book is only one month apart!"

"Strange, isn't it?"

"Have you read their books?" I asked.

"What do you think?" Luo Min looked at me. "I just learned about it this morning, how could I have read their books?"

"What about the brief introduction?"

"It should be available online."

"I'll look it up right away." I walked to the computer desk, opened the search engine, entered the titles and author names of the two books, and found the relevant introductions easily.Luo Min stood next to me, staring at the computer screen with me.

After a few minutes, we basically understood——An Wen is a not-so-famous writer, who had published a few short articles in magazines before, and published a book two years ago, which did not attract much attention. "The Woman in the Heart" is her second book; while Yuge is an internet writer, not to mention not well-known, this "Curious Face" is the first time he has published a physical book.

There is nothing worth noting about the author's profile, but the key point is the introduction of the contents of these two books, which left me dumbfounded and my throat tightened.

The news on the Internet is not wrong, these three books are so similar, they are like triplets born together!All three books describe a protagonist who sees a terrifying face in a reflective object, and this face looks like a woman hanged herself!

As an introduction to a suspense novel, it is natural not to reveal too much about the plot, let alone the ending.But this is not important anymore, just seeing this rough introduction, I was already extremely shocked and horrified.There is no doubt that even a fool will immediately think of the word "plagiarism" when they read the brief introductions of these three books.

"Damn it! It's exactly the same!" Luo Min exclaimed from the side, which reminded me of her existence.I was so dazed just now that I almost forgot everything around me.

I left the computer desk, sat on the sofa, picked up a pack of women's cigarettes on the coffee table, took out one, lit it, and took a deep breath.Sucking too hard made my lungs uncomfortable and caused me to cough continuously.

Luo Min sat down next to me. "I've never seen you smoke before, did you smoke it recently?"

I shake my head. "Smoking all the time, just very little."

Luo Min sighed, took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, and lit it with the lighter on the coffee table. "Me too, I only smoke two when I'm upset."

The two of us just leaned on the sofa, puffing out the smoke, not speaking for a long time, lost in our own thoughts.

Finally I found that cigarettes could not wake me up, but only made me fall into a deeper fog. I dragged the ashtray over and put out my hand to put out the cigarette."What do you think is going on here?" he asked.

"Plagiarism, [-]% plagiarism." Luo Min said his conclusion, and then looked at me. "Of course, I'm not talking about you."

I did not speak.

"What do you think?" she asked me. "Could it be the two of them who copied yours?"

I pursed my lips and thought for a while. "Honestly, I don't think it's very likely. I haven't revealed the plot of this book to anyone before it was published, and I haven't posted or previewed it online. How could they know what it's about? Unless... These two guys are super hackers who can steal data from my computer - but is this an exaggeration?"

"Indeed. If they had this ability, I'm afraid they wouldn't choose to be some kind of writer." Luo Min put out the cigarette. "Think about it carefully, before you wrote this book, did you really not tell the content of the story to anyone else? Except me."

I thought about it for a long time before answering her: "I can say with absolute certainty that apart from sending you the brief introduction and story outline, no one else knows about it. Even my assistant Xiaoya doesn't know about it."

Speaking of this, I couldn't help but ask: "Could it be...is there something wrong with you?"

Luo Min's body flicked, as if he saw a snake while walking in the grass. "Why do you suspect me!" She screamed, "I am the editor in charge of you. If something goes wrong, I will also take responsibility together! Do I still want to hurt you?"

"Don't be so excited." I think her high-pitched voice annoys me even more. "I know you won't harm me. I mean, will someone get information about this book through your computer without your knowledge?"

She waved her hands impatiently. "It's absolutely impossible. Well, don't discuss this issue any more." After thinking for a while, she asked, "By the way, how did you come up with the subject of this book?"

I opened my mouth slightly, thinking of Fei Yunhan and his wife, but I didn't know what to say to Luo Min. "Well... you know, I have a studio for people who come to provide story materials."

"I know. Tell me directly, who provided you with this material?"

I became cramped. "...Sorry, Luo Min, I'm afraid I can't tell you." I promised Fei Yunhan.

Luo Min stared at me with a pair of eyes: "What time is it now, and you are still playing charades with me! Why can't you tell me? Is there something hidden in it?"

"No big deal. It's just that the person who provided the story material asked me to promise that his name and identity must never be told to anyone."

"I don't think that includes me, your responsible editor!"

"I think he means everyone. Sorry, Luo Min, I... promised him."

We stared at each other for several seconds.

Luo Min exhaled and spread his hands. "Qianqiu, how can you tell me to believe you?"

I grabbed her hand. "You have to trust me! Luo Min, I just collected the materials and then processed them artistically. I definitely didn't refer to anyone's..."

Suddenly, Luo Min stretched out a hand and signaled me to stop.She had a stern look on her face, as if she had thought of a very important question.

"Qianqiu." She stared at me. "Look, is there such a possibility—this person who provided the story material didn't just look for you. He also provided the story material to two other writers."

I was completely stunned.

What Luo Min said reminded me, as if a person in the foggy forest saw the exit at once.

I was so annoyed and anxious that I almost lost my ability to think calmly.Now, I have to admit, that's the most reasonable assumption right now.

But is this possible?Didn't Fei Yunhan say that he only told me about this matter?Did he lie to me?However, a person of his status and status...

"Qianqiu, what are you thinking?" Luo Min interrupted my meditation. "Do you think the situation I'm talking about is possible?"

I looked at her, not so sure. "I don't think... probably not."

"why?"

"From what I know of him, he shouldn't have done such a thing."

"How well do you know him? Is he someone you know?"

"It doesn't count...but he said he was the only one who told it to me. He's a very sincere guy, and I don't think he'd lie to me."

Luo Min rolled his eyes. "Who is worthy of complete trust these days? Well, stop guessing here, call him for confirmation."

I feel embarrassed.Fei Yunhan just remitted 100 million to my account, the key is that he promised to pay me another 100 million (after the second part is published), and now he wants me to call and ask him if he lied to me, what to do? Can you open your mouth?
Seeing that I was still hesitating, Luo Min became anxious.Just as she was about to say something, her cell phone rang.She glanced at the caller ID and quickly answered the phone. "Editor-in-Chief, I'm at Qianqiu's house...what?"

She frowned and listened for a while, then said, "Okay, I see, I'll tell her right away."

She hung up the phone, and I immediately asked, "What did the editor-in-chief say?"

Luo Min said: "Reporters from several newspapers went to our publishing company and asked us or you to come forward to respond to this incident."

"Damn it, what a lingering ghost!" I scolded, "After being rejected by me, I went to the publisher again!"

"How did you turn them down?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course, tell me."

I let out a sigh of relief. "They asked me to explain something to readers through the newspaper. I was upset at the time, so I politely said I had no comment, and then hung up."

"Oh!" Luo Min exclaimed, "How can you offend the reporters? Under the current situation, whether you can get a favorable situation depends entirely on them! The editor-in-chief asked me to tell you that you must cooperate with us to hold a meeting tomorrow afternoon." A press conference, trying to clarify the facts. Now the editor-in-chief is serving those reporters in a restaurant with good wine and good food, but you... oh!"

Luo Min's words made me break out in a cold sweat.Only then did I realize that I was too impulsive before, and I deeply regret it.I looked at Luo Min anxiously. "A press conference tomorrow? What did you want me to tell the reporter?"

Luo Min stood up from the sofa and looked at his watch. "The editor-in-chief urged me to go back quickly, to help him deal with those reporters, and to prepare for tomorrow's press conference. Immediately call the person who provided the story material and ask what's going on."

That's all there is to it. "But what if he doesn't admit offering it to other writers?" I asked.

Luo Min thought about it. "In short, you have to prepare a set of rhetoric today, and publicly declare that your work is absolutely original at tomorrow's press conference. In addition, you have to anticipate the questions that some tricky reporters may ask, and plan your answers in advance. Don't be left speechless when asked, that would be bad."

Luo Min walked to the door, turned around and said to me: "In short, tomorrow's press conference is very important. If you can gain the trust and support of the media, it will be an excellent publicity for you; but if you don't control it well , that would be bad."

After saying this, she sighed and walked out.

Seven

After Luo Min left, I realized the importance of this matter.Not being in the way of affection anymore, I called Fei Yunhan.

He picked it up quickly. "Miss Qianqiu, I'm going to call you later."

I was taken aback. "Boss Fei, you already know about this?"

"Yes, I saw the message this morning. How could this happen?"

Hearing what he said, I felt a chill in my heart—he actually asked me what was going on?Do I still need to ask him?

Seeing that I didn't speak, Fei Yunhan probably guessed something. "Miss Qianqiu, I can guess the doubts in your heart...but please believe me, I was as shocked and puzzled after seeing this news as you are. I really don't understand why those two writers would Write about the same subject matter. I have definitely only told you about this matter!"

He said it so firmly that I couldn't help but believe him. "Mr. Fei, I just want to call you to ask you for confirmation. Since you said so, then I think there must be something wrong in other aspects."

"Thank you for your trust in me. Will this matter affect you adversely?"

He is a trustworthy man, I don’t want to hide any thoughts and emotions in front of him, I told him frankly: “…Yes, some readers and media seem to be questioning my plagiarism.”

There was a moment of silence on the phone. "Writer Qianqiu, do you hope... that I can help you clarify?"

"No, that's not what I meant." I shook my head again and again, forgetting that there was no way he could have seen it. "I know it's impossible. That would reveal that the protagonist of this story is you."

His tone was apologetic. "I really want to help you, but... well, I didn't expect such a strange thing to happen."

"It's okay, Mr. Fei, I can understand."

"Then what are you going to do?"

I tell the truth. "Tomorrow afternoon, my publishing company will hold a press conference and ask me to attend and answer questions in person."

"……oh oh."

Through the phone, I can still feel Fei Yunhan's uneasiness. "Mr. Fei, don't worry, I will answer the reporter's questions in my own way, and I won't tell you."

"Thank you, Qianqiu."

"Well, it's all right, I'm hanging up the phone."

"Wait a minute," he yelled. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"You ask."

He hesitated for a long time before speaking. "Writer Qianqiu, I know you certainly can't talk about plagiarism. So, do you think those two writers plagiarized your works?"

Luo Min asked this question just now, but I still thought about it again. "I don't know. I don't think it's very likely. I haven't disclosed the contents to anyone, and the three books were published so close together that they couldn't have plagiarized after seeing my book. That would be too late in terms of time." I didn't tell him that the author named An Wen was published earlier than me.

"So, did the two of them copy each other?"

"I don't know that, I don't know them."

"Yes..." Fei Yunhan smiled awkwardly. "That's a silly question."

"Mr. Fei, why do you ask this question?"

There was a brief silence on the phone. "I just thought... so curious. If those two writers didn't plagiarize, how did they know about the weird things that happened to me?"

I was going to say that this is exactly what confused me as well.Suddenly, I thought of a person, and I swallowed the words that had come to my lips.

Fei Yunhan's wife!

When I think about this possibility, I feel like being electrocuted all over my body.By the way, Fei Yunhan said that he only told me about this matter, but his wife never said so!She could have had several people to talk to.

But, I thought again, didn't Fei Yunhan's wife say that she didn't understand why her husband was so afraid of reflective things?In other words, she should not know that her husband will see the face of a hanged woman in the reflective object.That being the case, even if she told different people (the two writers might be among them), those people would not be able to accurately guess what Fei Yunhan saw.

Unless, Fei Yunhan's wife didn't tell the truth, in fact, she...

I thought to myself and forgot that I was holding the phone receiver.Fei Yunhan probably saw that I hadn't spoken for a long time, and asked, "Writer Qianqiu, are you still there?"

"Oh, yes, sorry, I was distracted."

Fei Yunhan is a very smart person, and immediately asked: "Did you think of something?"

I couldn't tell him that his wife had come to see me.Since I lied to him from the beginning, now I have to hide it to the end.I explored other possibilities. "Mr. Fei, I was thinking about the question you asked. Do you mind if I analyze this matter thoroughly for you?"

"Of course I don't mind. That's what I'm eager to know."

"I can only offer some hypotheses. For example, Mr. Fei, do you write blogs?"

"No, I don't have time to write. At most, I can post two tweets in my free time, but I will never mention this matter."

"So, what about the traditional diary?"

"I don't write either, I haven't had the habit of keeping a diary for a long time..."

Having said that, he suddenly stopped.

I realized what he was thinking. "President Fei, what's the matter?"

"Wait, you mentioned the diary, I remembered... I was going to write a diary more than ten years ago!"

"And you recorded it in your diary."

"That's right... But after I got married, I was afraid that my family would see what I wrote, so I tore up the diary and threw it into the trash can. I never wrote a diary after that."

"So, do you think this is the problem?" I hinted further.

"You mean someone has read my diary and learned about this incident? But... who would peek? Even if someone has read it, how could it be more than ten years later that this incident (in the form of the novel) method)? And it happened to be published at the same time as your novel, isn’t it too coincidental?”

Indeed, this is a problem.I'm lost again.Both Fei Yunhan and I fell silent.

After a long time, Fei Yunhan said: "Miss Qianqiu, let me think about this matter again. Anyway, I have a feeling—this matter is very unusual."

"Yes, I find it unusual, too."

"In any case, I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. If I could..."

"Okay, Mr. Fei, don't talk about money anymore." I interrupted him.I don't want him to look down on me too much.

Fei Yunhan seemed to be aware of this too.He didn't insist, just thanked me sincerely again, and then hung up the phone.

Eight

The press conference started at three o'clock in the afternoon, and the location was the conference hall on the fifteenth floor of a large bookstore in the city center.I got there a little after two o'clock, and took a rest at the water bar on the eleventh floor.The boss, editor-in-chief and others of the publishing company were all gathered there, and I greeted them and chatted briefly for a while.After that, Luo Min pulled me aside.

"Did you call the man?" she asked.

"It did. But he said he didn't tell anyone else about it."

"Could he be lying?"

"I don't think so. Besides, if he really intends to lie to me, what can I do to him?"

Luo Min sighed. "Forget it, I guessed it would be like this-are you ready to answer the reporter's question?"

I stroked my carefully combed long hair. "If there is anything to prepare for, I have a clear conscience, and I can answer whatever I want."

Robin stared at me. "You are really relaxed. We are all more nervous than you. I hope you can really cope with it by then."

I raised my eyebrows, sat gracefully on a leather chair, and took a glass of lemonade handed to me by the waiter, looking at ease.Luo Min looked a little annoyed when he saw me like this.I saw that she wanted to have a seizure, but because of the many people around her, she held back.

In fact, my relaxed posture was faked, and I was actually very nervous.In the past, most of the press conferences I attended were to promote new books or serve as guests.But this time, it was to be cross-examined like a court trial.While it's true that I didn't plagiarize, I have no evidence to prove it, and that's the biggest problem.In addition, it is also difficult to keep Fei Yunhan a secret.If I can't name the person who provided the story material, will the reporter take that as a suspect?Will they believe my word for it?

I don't know if Luo Min saw that I was pretending to be calm, but she didn't expose it anyway.She exhaled, dragged a leather chair over, sat across from me, and stared at me seriously.

"Listen, Qianqiu." She lowered her voice and whispered, "Put away your indifferent expression and listen to me carefully. What I'm going to say next is very important to you."

I'm a little more focused.

"When journalists ask questions for a while, it is inevitable that they will ask questions about plagiarism. We hope that when you answer such questions, you will not show that you don't know anything, but subtly imply that there may be that Two authors copied yours."

I was taken aback for a moment, and asked lightly, "Who are you referring to by 'we'?"

"The editor-in-chief and me, or the boss."

I frowned. "But I think it's unlikely they copied mine."

"I know." Luo Min looked around, like a spy exchanging information. "Of course we have also analyzed it, and it is indeed unlikely. But you still have to say so."

"why?"

"There are two reasons." She lowered her voice. "The first is that now the media and the public have determined that this is a case of plagiarism. If you say you don't know anything, it will only make them think that you have nothing to say; second, we analyze that the other two The authors and their publishers will definitely respond to this matter in the near future. If they bite first, we will be passive. So..."

"We want to strike first?"

"Be quieter." Luo Min pulled me. "You just need to understand what I mean."

I pondered. "How do you ask me to bite them first? I have no evidence to prove that they copied mine."

Luo Min rolled his eyes upwards. "God, if we have evidence, do we still need to discuss countermeasures here? It has been shown to reporters! It is because there is no evidence, so you just want you to imply that they plagiarized. Hint, understand? It is not called Just point it out!"

"Your voice is a bit loud." I reminded her. "Are there any reporters here?"

"The reporters are at the venue, basically all of us are here. But this kind of thing cannot be known to everyone." Her voice dropped again.

Although I understand that what Luo Min said is reasonable, I still feel that it is against morality. "Does that count as slander?"

"Of course not, and you didn't say anything clearly. Besides, people in the literary and art circles slander and attack each other every day. This is the survival rule of this industry, you know."

I stopped talking.

Luo Min looked at his watch. "It's already [-]:[-], we have to get ready to enter. Be flexible, Qianqiu, you are a smart woman."

I took the elevator to the meeting hall on the fifteenth floor with the people from the publishing company.With the help of the mirror in the elevator, I checked my makeup—I dressed up relatively elegantly today, with only a little makeup on, hoping to give people the impression that intellectuality is better than beauty.I took a deep breath and walked into the venue with a group of people.

"Qianqiu, Qianqiu is here!" I heard some excited shouts, obviously not from well-informed reporters.As I walked towards the rostrum, I scanned the audience—God, there were several times more people than I imagined.In addition to various reporters, there are also many book fans.Hell, this isn't a book signing, who invited book fans?
I didn't dare to show this kind of dissatisfaction on my face. After I sat on the stage, I stretched out my hand and waved to the book fans with a smile, trying to show a confident look.Soon, the staff asked the scene to be quiet, and the press conference began.

The host first introduced the main guests on the stage, and then thanked all the media friends and enthusiastic book fans present.Next, the CEO of the publishing company made an opening statement, mainly expressing the publisher's attitude - they were deeply shocked by this incident, and hoped to inform the public of the facts (our unilateral facts) through the media, and express their concern for plagiarism. The behavior expresses strong condemnation and contempt.The boss said that based on his many years of cooperation with me, he knows me [-]% and firmly believes that my works are absolutely original.Next, he handed over the time to the reporter, indicating that the reporter can ask me questions freely.

The reporter of Culture Weekly who was the first to ask a question. "Ms. Qianqiu, as far as I know, you are the first author to give a positive response to this incident. When did you learn about it?"

"Yesterday morning." I answered him.

"How did you know that?"

"My publishing editor told me, and I went online immediately and saw that."

"What did you feel at the time?"

"Very shocked, and...angry."

"Why are you angry?"

"The book," I said with an indignant, distressed expression. "It is a new work that I collected materials, then carefully conceived and created with all my heart. It took me a lot of time, energy and effort, and I exchanged countless hard nights of staying up late and low-quality dinners accompanied by instant noodles, It is the work I am most satisfied with so far. But I did not expect that there would be two other books that are so close to my work in terms of subject matter and content. I don’t know how this subject matter leaked out, but I can assure you that I am the earliest and only creator of this story. I only feel regretful now, maybe I did not do enough to keep the subject matter secret. I will learn a lesson through this incident.”

After I finished speaking, I unobtrusively glanced at Luo Min on the right.I saw that her face was flushed, and her bright eyes were looking at me excitedly, and she was clearly saying——Your words are amazing, Qianqiu!

The reporter sat down and lowered his head to record.The second reporter stood up and asked: "Miss Qianqiu, do you mean that 'subject matter leaked' means that the other two writers may have obtained your ideas and ideas through some means?"

"I don't know, it's just speculation on my part. But I can't think of an explanation other than that possibility."

"Have you known the two authors, An Wen and Yu Ge?"

"I don't know each other at all. These are two names I only heard yesterday."

"How do you think the subject matter of this story might have gotten out?"

"I can't be sure, there are too many possibilities."

"Have you ever shared your story ideas with others before writing them?"

"I didn't let too many people know, I sent the outline to my responsible editor in early April." From here, I started lying. "After that, I mentioned some plots of this story to some of my best friends, and I wanted them to help me refer to it. I think...the problem might be here."

"You mean that your friend revealed the content of the story to the other two authors?"

"No, it's impossible." I shook my head firmly. "I trust my friends, they are all my best friends, and they will never betray me. I think they may have revealed it by accident, or they told it to some other people, or it was on the Internet Mentioned... You know, some of my friends are also fans of mine, and maybe they can't resist the urge to preview my new book in advance... Anyway, too many possibilities. I really can't be sure. But , I didn’t tell them to keep it secret, it’s my fault, I can’t blame them.”

I thought it was time for the reporter to sit down after asking this question, but he didn't stop. "Have you asked your friends for proof?"

"Not yet. I just found out about it yesterday. But I don't want to blame my friends. As I said, it's not their fault, it's my own carelessness." Can you sit down?I don't want to discuss this issue anymore.

He sat down and let me go.I breathed a sigh of relief.

A female reporter got up and asked: "Miss Qianqiu, we all know that you have a studio that has been established for several years, and it is dedicated to receiving people who come to provide you with story materials. So, is the material for this story also obtained in the same way? ?”

coming.I knew it was an unavoidable problem. "That's right, it was given by a guest who visited me in April, and he said it was his personal experience. Of course, what he provided was just a good 'point', not the full story. Great Most of the plots were conceived and created by myself on this basis."

The female reporter nodded. "Can you give us the name and information of the person who provided the story material?"

"Sorry, no. He asked me to keep his identity a secret before he told me about it. He didn't want the publicity." That's true.

The female reporter was obviously dissatisfied with my answer. She tilted her head and asked, "If you can ask this person to come forward to help you confirm this matter, I think everyone will have nothing to question. Don't you think so?"

bitch. "That's right, but in this case I will be a person who does not keep my word. Therefore, I would rather face your doubts than break my promise. This is my principle." I answered her righteously.

The female reporter pouted and sat down.

At this time, a young girl in the back row raised her hand, and I motioned for her to ask questions.

"I'm sorry," the girl said timidly, "I'm not a reporter, I'm just a fan of your book. Maybe, I shouldn't speak at this time. But I really can't help but say—Sister Qianqiu, I'm chasing your book It’s been nearly ten years. I’ve learned who you are through your work. I’m so helpless that something like this happened this time, but I just want to say from a reader’s point of view that I absolutely believe in you Yes!" She suddenly raised her voice, looking a little excited. "You are a sincere person, which can be seen from your open collection of writing materials. Therefore, I believe that you will never plagiarize! I will always support you!"

God, is this girl an angel you sent?She showed up just in time!Although what she said made me feel ashamed when I just lied, but I was really moved by her.I nodded to her and said to her deeply: "Thank you, thank you very much."

Some reporters turned their heads and raised their cameras to take pictures of the girl.I think there will be sentences like "Qianqiu's loyal book fans expressed their complete belief and support for Qianqiu" in the report.

Next, several reporters asked questions, none of which were sharp questions, but questions that were beneficial to me.Such as-"If it is finally confirmed that the two authors plagiarized your work or your idea, will you take legal action?", "Is the story of "Reflection" adapted from real people and real events?", "This This book is just the first part, when do you plan to publish the second part?"... I answered one by one, showing my generosity and dedication.The people from the publishing company also had red faces, and sometimes they would cooperate with me in answering the questions, making the atmosphere relaxed and lively.Obviously we've got the situation under control.

At this time, a female reporter wearing sunglasses and a hat in the back row raised her hand.I held out my hand for her to ask a question.

The female reporter said in a low, hoarse voice: "Writer Qianqiu, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, please." I replied with a smile.

The voice was unhurried, but every word he uttered was full of resentment and resentment:
"To be honest, is it so difficult for you?"

nine

My smile froze immediately, and the muscles on my face stiffened.

All the people turned their heads to look at this woman, not understanding who she was and why she suddenly attacked.

"What do you mean by that?" I controlled my emotions.

She moved the corner of her mouth and let out a sneer. "You understand in your heart."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." I stared at her and fired back.

"It's my honor to be here today. Although I didn't hear any truth, but I can appreciate your excellent performance and wonderful lies. It's a worthwhile trip." She said slowly.

As soon as this remark came out, there was an uproar.The boss on the rostrum stood up and glared angrily at the woman who disrupted the situation.The others were all stunned.I sat awkwardly, trying to stay calm.

"Which newspaper are you a reporter?" The boss asked angrily.

"I'm not a reporter." The woman slowly took off her hat and sunglasses. "Of course I can't compare with the pious writers on stage. I'm just a small writer named An Wen."

I was stunned, An Min!It's the female author who wrote "The Woman in the Mirror"!She... actually ran here!When the people in the publishing company and I were amazed.The reporters were excited, perhaps they came here just to wait for this kind of dramatic scene to appear.Now, the flashing lights flickered on this woman, and she immediately became the focus of the audience.

The editor-in-chief obviously saw that this woman was not kind, so he stood up and said, "Ms. An Wen, today is a press conference held by our company and Qianqiu Writer. I'm sorry, we didn't invite you to attend, please leave immediately."

"Too clever." An Wen said sarcastically, giving the editor-in-chief a thumbs up. "You are right. It is wise to drive me away immediately, before I tell the truth."

"Security!" The editor-in-chief was furious, "Get her out!"

Two tall security guards walked towards An Wen quickly, each of them held her by one arm, almost trying to lift her out.An Wen shouted loudly: "Great, this is your skill! Get me out, and you can continue to deceive!"

"Let her go!" I yelled.The two security guards let go and stood aside.An Wen breathed a sigh of relief, tugged at the bottom of the crumpled clothes, glanced up at me, and groaned.

I glared at her and asked word by word: "Tell me, what is the truth? What lie did I tell?"

"Do you really want me to tell you?" she asked defiantly, "Are you sure?"

"Stop talking nonsense, just say what you have to say—" I almost uttered the indecent word "fart as soon as you have something to say".This woman was driving me crazy, I almost forgot it was a press conference.I still maintain the last bit of rationality, otherwise I really want to step down immediately and give her a slap in the face.

An Wen said with a long voice: "Originally, I came to your press conference not to disrupt the stage. I was just interested in what you would say. If you said that your work just happened to be similar to my idea, then Forget it. What I didn’t expect was that you accidentally revealed the idea of ​​the story, and also suggested that another author and I copied your subject matter. This really makes me a little bit hard to listen. Great writer Qianqiu, I didn't say you copied me, but you took a bite and slandered me."

She pretended to sigh helplessly. "Oh, but, who told me that I'm not a big-name writer? I can't make such a big show like you. You're really smart. You just decided that we are small writers, and it's impossible to be like you. What kind of press conference did you hold, so you dare to lie so blatantly?"

My whole body is shaking, and now I have the heart to kill this woman.I don't know where she got her confidence, so I think I copied her.But I must remain calm. The reporters and readers are watching me. I must make a strong counterattack and not lose my footing.

"If you are a knowledgeable and cultivated person, please speak with facts. Listening to you, it seems that I copied yours? Do you have evidence?" I asked, suppressing my anger.

"Okay, with so many journalists here, let me get this straight. You said that in early April, you sent a brief to your editor, and then you told your friends about the story, Right?"

"That's right, what's wrong?"

"And you imply that we got your story idea after that. But you know, that's impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"In March, I have already serialized this story on the Internet. Excuse me, how can I steal your idea?"

This sentence seemed to have given me a blow to the head, and I was stunned.I didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Seeing that I was speechless, An Min became even more arrogant. "Don't pretend to be ignorant, you know very well in your heart. My novel was serialized on a small website, and it didn't attract much attention, but somehow it was seen by you, a great writer. Maybe in an unknown Searching for topics that can be used for reference on small websites is one of the ways you obtain writing materials, right? After reading my article, you think this topic is good, so..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" I yelled angrily, "Who has read your damn article? The material of this novel is..."

I almost blurted out "the financial tycoon Fei Yunhan told me", but I swallowed it back.damn it!As long as you say this sentence, you can save me, but I just can't say it!

"What is it? Tell me, Qianqiu Great Writer, can't you tell?" An Wen said aggressively, "Don't pretend, if someone really provided you with the material, you would have already told who he is Is it necessary to keep him secret? I am afraid there is no such person? But I am different from you. I have iron-like evidence to prove that my article was definitely written before yours - I posted the article on that website The time cannot be changed, as evidenced by the time stamp. If you are interested, come down and check it out slowly."

I was speechless, for the abominable woman spoke with such confidence that I could not refute at all.I could have said "Even if your article was written before mine, it doesn't prove that I copied yours"; but the problem is, I can't prove that I didn't copy it either!Because I can't say Fei Yunhan's name!This crucial point caused me to fail miserably.My psychological defense has collapsed, and I know that I have completely lost to her, even though I was wronged!
Now, I'm sitting on the rostrum with my head bowed like a defeated rooster, my mind buzzing.I can feel that the editor-in-chief, boss, and even Luo Min are all looking at me suspiciously, even they don't believe me anymore!God, I never expected this press conference to turn out like this, it sucks!

However, that goddamn An Wen didn't give up yet, and the situation got out of hand.Seeing that I stopped talking, she pointed to the female book fan who had expressed her support for me just now and said, "Girl, it's hard for you. You have to cooperate with them in acting. Tell me, how much is your performance fee?"

I couldn't help but raised my head and stared at the girl dumbfounded.I noticed that her face flushed immediately, and she said hesitantly: "What are you talking about... I was a loyal reader of Sister Qianqiu..."

An Wen sneered sneer. "Okay, haven't you rehearsed this part? Look, the show can't go on?" An Wen suddenly pointed to Luo Min on the rostrum and said, "I accidentally saw her when I was eating in the restaurant below at noon today ( Luo Min) is whispering to you—are you teaching your lines? Honestly, is the publishing company asking you to cooperate with the performance, or is it the great writer himself?"

"Don't...don't talk nonsense, no one taught me anything!" The girl was obviously timid.

"Okay." An Wen stared at her, "Didn't you say that you are a loyal reader of Qianqiu? You have been following her books for nearly ten years. Now tell us, what books did she write? Just tell us the title of the book."

The girl's face was red to the base of her neck, and she stood there unable to speak a word.Under the tremendous pressure, she couldn't bear it any longer, and covered her face with her hands and quickly left the venue.

Now, everything couldn't be more obvious.The venue almost exploded, and the reporters could no longer hold back their excitement and excitement—scandals in the literary and art circles were one of the topics they were most interested in.Now, more than half of the reporters flocked to the rostrum (some interviewed An Wen), dozens of tape recorders were facing me, and a lot of questions were bombarded at me like cannonballs:

"Miss Qianqiu, do you admit to An Wen's accusation?"

"The female reader who expressed support for you, did you know her before?"

"Miss Qianqiu, please tell us if the truth is really what she said?"

"Why don't you fight back against An Wen's question?"

"Did the publishing company plan this matter with you..."

I couldn't even hear the subsequent questions. It was like hundreds of bees were flying around and buzzing in my mind.I felt bouts of dizziness.In the midst of my ignorance, I saw the boss leave in a huff, and the editor-in-chief and others also left.They abandoned me and left me here alone in great pain.

I know it's all over.

Ten

The next two weeks were the darkest of my life.

I was forced to turn off my phone all day to avoid the media.The computer is too afraid to turn on - the reports about me on the Internet may make me tempted to smash the computer.I stayed at home all day, didn't want to go anywhere, and spent my time in the company of cigarettes, alcohol and snacks.The shock and injury caused by this incident are far beyond what I can bear.

For more than ten days, there were only two people who had contact with me.One is my assistant Xiaoya. She found my residence without calling my cell phone.Apparently she knew everything through various channels.She didn't ask me a word what happened, just told me to take a good rest for a while, she will deal with the affairs of the studio, and then go out to buy a lot of fruits and food for me, and then left wisely.

The second person to visit is Luo Min.I suspect she's here to make sure I'm alive - she's watched me plummet from peak to valley.According to her understanding, people who encounter such things have every reason to commit suicide-of course, this is my guess.Like Xiaoya, she didn't bring up that matter again, she just told me that she resigned and left my old employer.She didn't mention the publishing company's attitude towards me, and I didn't want to ask.I didn't even question about the "female book fan" that day.We're both exhausted by now, and we can't blame the other.She was only in my house for 15 minutes and left.

For several days afterwards, I continued to be immersed in loneliness and sadness.It was not until three weeks later that the third guest was ushered in.It was he who pulled me out of the abyss of decadence and despair.

Chen Sida, one of my college classmates, can be regarded as my best friend of the opposite sex.We both had some good feelings for each other when we were classmates. We had the opportunity to develop into a pair of lovers, but for various reasons we failed to make it to that point. The relationship only developed to be good friends and then stopped.But that's fine, I'm not the kind of woman who would be a good wife and mother, not before, not to mention now.And Chen Sida is not a man who likes to live at home, he is in his late thirties, and he is still single.

Chen Sida is a private psychiatrist who serves several wealthy people at the same time and provides them with regular psychological counseling.He doesn't have to go to work every day, but his income is more than twice that of ordinary psychologists. The reason is that he is not only proficient in his profession, but also handsome, so he naturally becomes the darling of the upper class.

When Chen Sida stepped into my house, he immediately found that the house was in a mess—beer cans were tilted here and there, cigarette butts and ashes piled up in hills in the ashtray, and packaging bags of various snacks were scattered all over the place.He looked back at my haggard face again, astonished as if he saw a resurrected zombie. "What happened, Qianqiu?"

It seems that this is a person who does not care about the news of the literary and artistic circles, which makes me feel more at ease. "I was robbed just now." I said weakly, and fell down on the sofa.

"The robber also drank beer and ate snacks with you." Chen Sida sat next to me and looked at me sideways. "Don't be joking, tell me the truth. When I call you, the phone is always turned off, so I just want to come and have a look. It seems that something really happened to you."

I don't want to go back and recount what happened to me.I am a strong person and I don't want to get sympathy from others.But——I suddenly thought, Chen Sida is a psychiatrist, and now he comes to the door by himself, why don't I give a free psychological consultation?I don't want consolation, I just want some practical advice and help.

Thinking of this, I sat up straighter and looked at Chen Sida.

"You really don't know anything about me?" I asked him.

"I really don't know. What's wrong?"

I was thinking about how to tell him this matter, if he wanted to understand everything clearly, he had to tell Fei Yunhan's secret.I hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Are you psychologists just like pastors in churches? It's your professional ethics to keep secrets."

"It's not so sacred, but the meaning is similar." Chen Sida said, "Now you want me to talk to you as a psychiatrist?"

"……Maybe."

"Why can't it be as a friend?"

"I want your professional opinion. To be honest, I'm really confused and lost." I can't hide my helplessness anymore. I'm still a woman.

Chen Sida stared at me for a while. "Okay, tell me."

After saying this sentence, he seemed to enter a professional state immediately. "Look me in the eyes," he demanded, and I did.Then he spoke to me in a deep, suggestive tone. "Now, try to relax. Remember, trust me [-] percent, tell me everything, don't hide anything."

His words seemed to have some kind of magic, which made it easy for me to open my heart. "You know Fei Yunhan, right?"

"Of course I know, you're talking about that Fei Yunhan who is the leader in the country's financial circle?"

"Yes, it's him."

"What's up with him?"

"At the beginning of April, he came to see me. I was very surprised at that time, how could such a big man like him come to visit an author who wrote a book like me..." Under the guidance of Chen Sida, I clearly explained the whole thing The process is described.When it came to the fact that I had to be questioned and wronged at the press conference because I promised to keep the secret for Fei Yunhan, and I was in an embarrassing situation, I finally shed tears.I didn't cry that day, but in front of Chen Sida, I became unreserved.I don't understand what's wrong with it myself.All I know is that when I finished all of this, I fell into Chen Sida's arms, crying so hard.

Chen Sida obviously didn't know what role he should play.I asked him to communicate with me as a psychiatrist before. He probably really entered the professional state and was a little at a loss for my current behavior.He didn't hug me, just patted my back slightly, and handed me a tissue at the same time. "Okay, Qianqiu, don't cry. Let me analyze it for you."

I sat up straight again and wiped away my tears with a tissue. "Sorry, I lost my composure."

He shook his head slightly. "It's so strange what you're talking about. As a researcher in psychology, I've been exposed to all kinds of weird cases of abnormal human psychology and behavior. Using professional knowledge and experience, I can always find the cause or reason. But to be honest, I can't judge what's going on with what you told me, at least not right now."

I have controlled my emotions and calmed down. "Which aspect are you referring to? Fei Yunhan?"

"It's not just him. The whole thing eludes me. For example, the author named An Wen, judging from her behavior, she seems to really think that you copied her idea, not like Deliberately slandering you—I’m sorry, Qianqiu, I hope you won’t be unhappy. I’m just talking about the facts.”

I didn't speak.I hate that woman surnamed An, but I have to admit that Chen Sida's analysis makes sense.

"Of course, I'm [-]% sure that you won't plagiarize." Chen Sida continued, "It's not because I'm your friend that I say that, but because it's really unreasonable."

"why?"

"Don't panic, I will analyze this slowly in a while. Now let me talk about the most weird points I think. The first is of course what Fei Yunhan told you, about the fact that he saw the face of a hanged woman in the reflective object It's a weird thing. We first have to judge whether he's telling the truth."

"You suspect he's lying to me?" I frowned. "But why did he do this? A person like him wouldn't be so boring, would he?"

"Certainly not out of boredom. Whether he's telling the truth or not, there's always a purpose."

"Then can you judge whether he is telling the truth?"

Chen Sida rested his chin on his hands and thought for a while. "After all, I haven't had face-to-face contact with him, so I can't make an accurate judgment. But I tend to believe what he said is true."

"In your psychology, have you ever had such a case?" I asked, "a person saw his own face in a mirror or reflective object changed into a strange face."

Chen Sida frowned deeply. "There are indeed such cases. But the problem is that people who have this kind of situation can only be severely mentally ill. But Fei Yunhan is obviously not like... Moreover, he said that he has had this kind of mental illness since he was 21 years old. The situation has lasted for more than 20 years! This is the illogical place. If he is mentally abnormal, it cannot be manifested in this aspect alone, and it is impossible for no one to know for so many years. Of course, he will not be in his career. It has developed so successfully that it has come to this point.”

"So what's your conclusion?" I asked.

"There are only two possibilities - the first is that Fei Yunhan made up a story for you for a special purpose; the second is that he really encountered a strange phenomenon that modern science cannot explain."

I shivered and felt a chill down my back.I didn't think about this question before, but just regarded it as an excellent novel subject.Hearing what Chen Sida said now, I feel really terrible.

Chen Sida went on to say: "Fei Yunhan's experience is the first weird thing. The second is, why did two other similar books appear after you wrote a novel based on this theme?"

This is the question I am most concerned about. I am very much looking forward to Chen Sida giving me a reasonable explanation, so I can't wait to ask: "What do you think is going on?"

Chen Sida had a calm expression, nodding his head and saying nothing, like a chess player staring at the chessboard, thinking about how to make a move.After a long time, he raised three fingers. "I think there are only three possibilities."

I looked at him intently.

"The first possibility is that among the three of you, there is indeed plagiarism." Before I could speak, he explained, "But as I said just now, this possibility is the lowest, because it is really Unreasonable - now I can tell you why."

He stared at me. "Think about it, no matter who is plagiarizing, how can it be so thorough? According to you, all three books are written about a person who saw his own face in a reflective object turned into the face of a hanged woman. If It's a plagiarized subject, so the plagiarist could have changed it so it wasn't so obvious - say, see a monster's face instead, or the face of a man who was killed. Why does it have to be 'hanged 'Where is the face of the 'woman'? Wouldn't it be too stupid to plagiarize like this?"

I pursed my lips and nodded involuntarily—in fact, as an author who has been writing for many years, I should have thought of this too.But at first I was dazzled by anger, and then I was overwhelmed with grief, and I was never able to make a calm and logical analysis like Chen Sida.Now that I feel much more awake, I quickly asked, "What about the second possibility?"

"The second possibility was actually thought of by you and your publishing editor at the beginning——Will Fei Yunhan, or his wife, disclose the subject matter of this story to several authors?"

"Then do you think this possibility is great?"

Chen Sida shook his head. "I don't think it's very likely. Let's think about it this way. Fei Yunhan has repeatedly reminded you not to tell others about this matter, which shows that he cares about the confidentiality of this matter. In this case, it is unlikely that he will disclose this matter to others." Tell too many people. Obviously, if this thing gets out, it will be very bad for him."

"And what about his wife?" I asked.

"It's unlikely. She came to you because you opened a studio and openly solicited writing materials from the public, so she had a reason to come to you and take the opportunity to confide in you. But the other two authors did not In doing so, why would she have any reason to take the initiative to find them? And as you said, she came to you because she thought it was impossible for you to know her identity. Of course, she never thought that Fei Yunhan himself would come. And A very important point - she doesn't know what Fei Yunhan saw in the reflective object, so she can't tell others the full situation. It's a coincidence that you can know."

"You don't seem to have the slightest doubt that Fei Yunhan and his wife will collude..."

"I thought about this possibility, but I ruled it out. Because I really can't figure out what is the point of the couple singing this double reed, and I can't figure out what their purpose is. Think about it, this couple is the national One of the richest people. Whether they do this kind of thing for fame or profit, it is unjustifiable."

I admit this is true.When Chen Sida said this, the two possibilities were almost overturned. I thought about it for a while, and asked puzzledly: "You said there is another possibility? But I can't think of it. Except for these two situations, What else is possible?"

Chen Sida leaned towards me and looked at me: "You are an excellent writer of suspense novels, and your logical thinking and analysis skills should also be top-notch. Qianqiu, can't you really think of another possibility?"

Under his prompting, I was still at a loss and could only look at him blankly.

Chen Sida sighed: "Maybe it's the authorities who are obsessed, and the bystanders will know."

He stared into my eyes and said: "Qianqiu, listen carefully, the last situation is the most likely one in my opinion - besides Fei Yunhan, there are two other people who have the same thing happen to them Strange thing. In other words, the other two writers wrote about two people who had the same experience as Fei Yunhan."

eleven
I was stunned. I really didn't think of the situation Chen Sida said.I used to think that such a strange thing could only happen to one person, but now that he proposed such a bold idea, I felt a little hard to accept for a while.

"You mean, there are two other people, like Fei Yunhan, who will see their own face in the reflective object turned into the face of a hanged woman. And the two authors, An Wen and Yuge, learned about this subject Later, it was adapted into a novel, so it will collide with mine?" I asked suspiciously, "Is this possible? Is it too mysterious?"

Chen Sida put his fingertips together and stood up against his chin. "I can only say that this is a possibility. But when it comes to mystery - if we believe what Fei Yunhan said, it is tantamount to believing that there are such strange things in the world that are beyond the scope of science - then, If this kind of thing can happen to one person, why can't it happen to many people?"

I kept my mouth shut.Chen Sida continued: "There is another problem that deserves special attention-these three books with the same subject matter were all published recently. Think about it, Fei Yunhan said that he has been in this situation for more than 20 years. But He came to you recently and told you about it. Could it be the same for the other two who have the same situation? Why did all three of them tell you about it only recently? There must be a reason for it!"

I rolled my eyes and thought of something Fei Yunhan had said to me. "By the way, Fei Yunhan said that this situation has only become serious since the beginning of this year. Moreover, he thinks that terrifying face is conveying some kind of message to him, or hinting at something..."

"What does he think he is implying?" Chen Sida asked urgently, "Did he tell you?"

I remembered Fei Yunhan's desperate look at that time. "He thought... that face was suggesting suicide."

Chen Sida leaned back, as if taking a breath.Immediately, he got up from the sofa, took a few steps in the room, and suddenly stopped: "This incident is really too strange and incredible. I have a faint feeling——behind this incident, there must be something hidden A little-known secret!"

Before I had time to speak, he immediately bent down and stared at me and said, "And, it may be just as Fei Yunhan expected—this incident is a symbol of some kind of danger."

Chen Sida and I looked at each other, and after a while, I expressed my true feelings. "You... frightened me."

"There is nothing to be afraid of." Chen Sida announced to me, "Qianqiu, from now on, you are no longer facing this matter alone, and I will accompany you to find out the truth of this matter!"

I asked in surprise: "Don't you have to work?"

"I don't need it this week. A rich businessman I made an appointment with went abroad temporarily, which is equivalent to giving me a vacation."

"Why do you want to investigate this?"

Chen Sida's eyes lit up, shining with excitement and anticipation. "This matter interests me so much, it has thoroughly aroused my curiosity, and I really want to know whether my many speculations are correct; besides, as your friend, I also want to help you find out this matter, Wash away your grievances."

I shot him a thankful glance and asked, "What are you going to do?"

Chen Sida is a person with a clear mind and a very organized way of doing things. "First of all, of course, it is to verify whether the 'third possibility' I mentioned is really the case."

"How to verify?"

He thought about it. "In order to show prudence, it is best for us to visit the two authors in person."

"What! You want me to find An Wen." I yelled loudly, "I just want to tear her mouth apart when I see her!"

Chen Sida took into account my resistance. "Alright then, let's go find the author named Fisherman's Song."

I am somewhat reluctant. "I don't know where he lives, I don't know him at all."

As a psychologist, Chen Sida read my concerns from my attitude.He squatted in front of me and said to me: "Qianqiu, you know how important it is to you to find out about this matter. So, now is not the time to lose face. You must take action to clear up your grievances! Don't you want Has the public always misunderstood you like this?"

His words were like a sharp needle, piercing directly into my heart, making me conscious of what I should do.I nodded to him and said, "Yes, I understand. I'm going to check Yuge's address now."

This is not a difficult task.I first looked up the publication information of Yuge's "Crazy Face" on the computer, and found out which publishing house was cooperating with him.Then, I called Luo Min and asked her to help me find out the contact information and address of Yuge from that publishing house.Luo Min is quite familiar with the people in the publishing house.Sure enough, she called back after a while.Tell me Yuge's mobile phone number and specific address.I wrote it down with a pen.

Now, I don't want to delay for a moment.I thank Chen Sida for getting me back on my feet and full of energy again.I went to the bathroom for a shower, a quick touch of make-up, and a light suit—renewed.Chen Sida gave me appreciative and encouraging eyes.Then, the two of us went straight to the airport and went to the small southern town where Yuge is located.

twelve
The plane flew for nearly three hours and arrived in T city at [-] pm.After leaving the airport, we decided to go to Yuge's residence immediately.

"Let's call his cell phone first." Chen Sida said.

"I called him once before I came out, but his mobile phone seemed to be shut down due to arrears."

"Try again."

I took out my mobile phone from my purse and called the number Luo Min gave me, but the system still reminded me that the mobile phone had been shut down due to arrears.I shook my head at Chen Sida.

"Is the number provided by Luo Min Yuge's? She can't make a mistake, right?" Chen Sida frowned.

"I don't know." I said, "Now I can only pray that the address she provided is correct."

Chen Sida shrugged his shoulders. "It's just a matter of luck."

We ate something casually at a restaurant near the airport and then hailed a taxi.I took out the note with the address in my purse and read it to the driver.

This bus took more than 50 minutes and arrived at the destination at seven o'clock in the evening.After getting out of the car, we found ourselves in a slum area on the edge of the city - low, dilapidated old-fashioned buildings, dirty and narrow streets with garbage piled everywhere, dim street lights - this is obviously a settlement for the bottom of society.

Chen Sida frowned and said, "Qianqiu, are you sure it's here?"

"Anyway, I didn't make a mistake." I said against the address written on the note. "Whether Luo Min made a mistake, I don't know."

"Which building is he in?"

"Let me take a look... Unit 27, Building [-], No. [-], is here." I pointed to a dark building in front of me and said.

Chen Sida breathed out, as if he was ready to be disappointed. "It's all here, I can only go up and have a look."

We walked up the dark stairs to the third floor, and I said, "This is it, 301."

Chen Sida knocked on the door.

After a long time, a weak voice came from the room asking: "Who?"

We both looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.Chen Sida asked, "Excuse me, is this the home of the writer Yu Ge?"

A few seconds later, the door opens, and we see a 30-something, but unshaven and unkempt face.This man was wearing a wrinkled shirt and baggy trousers, with a tired look on his face, his eyes were empty as he looked at us, as if he hadn't seen anything, and he looked extremely haggard and decadent.This state of his reminds me of my former self.I judged in an instant that this must be the person we were looking for.

"Are you the fisherman who wrote the novel "Crazy Face"?" I asked.

"It's me. You are..."

I glanced at Chen Sida, and then told the truth: "I am Qianqiu who wrote "Reflection"."

Yuge's eyes widened suddenly, he stared at me for a while, and said in surprise: "Ah...it's really you, I remembered, I saw your photo in a magazine before."

My hands circled my chest. "Can we... can we go in and talk?"

Yuge glanced at Chen Sida.Chen Sida immediately said: "I am Qianqiu's friend, and I came to visit you with her."

Fisherman looked at us meaningfully for a few seconds, as if he had guessed our reason for coming. "Okay, please come in."

The home--if it could be called a home--was too shabby, too shabby.There is only one room less than ten square meters, and then there is the kitchen and toilet.Single beds, broken sofas, desks and chairs, and other miscellaneous items were crammed into this small space.There wasn't even a TV or computer in the room, nor was there any decent piece of furniture.But there are a lot of books in the house—books are piled on the table, on the bed, even on the floor, and there are many handwritten manuscripts.The hobbies and occupation of the owner of this house can be said to be clear at a glance.I saw that "Curious Face" was placed on his bedside.

If it is an ordinary person, they may feel inferior and ashamed of their poor situation, but Yu Ge seems to have no such awareness.He said to us nonchalantly: "The room is small, you can sit wherever you want."

Chen Sida sat on the broken sofa, I dragged the chair in front of the desk to him, and Yu Ge sat on the bed.

We were silent for a while.Fisherman seemed to be waiting for us to speak - we came to him.I had many questions in my mind, but sitting in front of him, I didn't know how to speak for a moment.

In the end, it was Yuge who spoke first: "Great Writer Qianqiu, you came to me because of the 'plagiarism incident'?"

Now that he's getting right to the point, I don't need to go around in circles. "yes."

"What is your purpose in coming to me?"

"I want to know something from you."

He snorted with a half-smile. "You want to ask if I have plagiarized your work?"

"No, I know you didn't copy mine." I said bluntly.

His listless eyes opened slightly. "Oh? How can you be sure?"

"You have no chance of copying my work." I looked at him, "just as I have no chance of copying yours."

I stared at him for more than ten seconds.

"Yes, it is," he admitted.

"But our work is still the same."

"Yes."

"Why do you think this is?"

"What do you think?" he asked back.

"I don't know. That's why I came to you, hoping to find the answer with you."

"Looking for the answer..." He looked up and smiled wryly, "I'm afraid this answer is meaningless to me."

"Why do you say that?" I asked puzzled.

Yuge spread his hands. "As you can see, I am a poor writer through and through. I am so poor that I have problems with even the most basic living security. My mobile phone has been shut down for arrears; the rent is three months in arrears, and the landlord is urging me to leave every day. ;The only meal I ate today is a bowl of noodles at noon, and I have to use my brains about what to eat tomorrow. The great writer Qianqiu, the life of people like us is unimaginable. Like The 'plagiarism scandal' hit me as hard as you can understand how huge and deadly it is."

"No, I understand," I said. "It hit me hard, too."

"I believe." He said, "but the difference is that you are a great writer who has long been famous and has a fixed readership. Even if this incident has a certain negative impact on you, after a period of time, you can still Redeem everything with the next new book. But I'm different - as a first-time bookmaker, this happened, and no publisher would ever want to work with me. So I say, this incident It was fatal to me. Whether or not I can find that 'answer', I will never have the chance to do it again."

"Why are you so pessimistic?" I comforted, "As long as we can prove that we have not plagiarized, we can reverse the current unfavorable situation."

"Yes, but I'm afraid I don't have the time and money to support me until that day." He said desperately, "You people who have nothing to worry about can't imagine how difficult my life is."

Chen Sida and I looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

When Yuge said this, he seemed to be unable to hold back his momentum, and let his sorrowful emotions overflow. "Originally, I had a stable job, but in order to pursue my dream and show my talent, I resolutely resigned and started writing full-time. Some of the articles I wrote before failed to attract much attention, so that I have been Living a life of poverty. But I did not give up, I firmly believe that one day, I will write a shocking work... Finally, I waited, and I found the excellent subject of "Sly Face"... "

He was babbling about his past, but suddenly he got to the point!Both Chen Sida and I were shocked and stared at him intently.

"This story is the best novel subject I have found so far! I wrote an introduction to the story and some sample drafts, and sent them to a publishing company. The editor quickly contacted me and said that he appreciates the idea of ​​this story very much. Going to publish this book and promising to promote it! I was so excited, I thought my chance to make a difference had finally come.”

"At that time, I was actually penniless, but in order to finish this book, I borrowed some money from a few poor fellows, and then I stayed in the house every day and devoted myself to writing. The purpose is to see The reputation and income brought to me after the book was published...However, less than a week after publication, I heard the editor tell me that the book was caught in a plagiarism storm..."

Having said that, Yuge looked at me sadly. "Great writer Qianqiu, do you know? This matter is the most unfavorable to me. First of all, my book is the last to be published among the three books, which gives people the impression that plagiarism is the most suspected; secondly, I am A newcomer, without any fans and supporters. Therefore, while maintaining you, your loyal readers slander and slander me, and think that I am a plagiarist. And readers will choose to buy you after knowing that the content of my book is similar to yours because you are a great author—and finally, the editor angrily told me that my book sales were almost zero, and all the bookstores demanded returns."

After listening to his words, I was speechless.Originally, I thought the situation was the worst for me, but now I know that the biggest victim is actually him.

"It's not over yet - if the book can't be sold, the bookseller will naturally lose money. They refused to pay me the manuscript fee on the grounds of plagiarism. In fact, they knew that I could not plagiarize! But I am weak and have no way to fight with them. Confrontation, I can only knock out my teeth and swallow it. The end result is that not only did I not get a penny, but I was also infamous, and I owed a debt that I didn’t know how to repay. All unfortunate things Focused on me alone."

I deeply sympathize with what happened to him, and feel regretful and disturbed for the indirect harm I caused to him.But the problem is, he has said so much, but he has never been able to talk about the issues I care about the most.Chen Sida obviously felt the same way.He couldn't bear it anymore, and asked: "Yuge, can you tell us how you got the subject of this story?"

Fisherman stared at us for a moment: "It is adapted from a person's real experience."

Chen Sida and I quickly glanced at each other.

Chen Sida then asked, "Who is that person?"

Yuge shook his head and said, "I can't tell you this."

"Why?" I asked.

"The man who told me about it asked me to assure him that his name and real identity must never be revealed."

This...is the same as Fei Yunhan's request!I became a little anxious: "Now that something like this has happened, we can deal with it in special circumstances. You don't need to keep it a secret for him... No, I mean, just tell me alone, okay? I won't Said it."

Fisherman stared into my eyes and asked back: "Then, great writer Qianqiu, can you tell me where your themes come from?"

I hesitated for a moment, and replied, "Just like you, it is also based on someone's personal experience."

"And that person told you himself?"

"That's right." I noticed the word "also" he said, which indicated that he was in the same situation as me!
"Then tell me that person's name first, okay?"

Instead, he took me into the army, which made me speechless for a while.I didn't even mention Fei Yunhan's name at the press conference. I endured such a big grievance, but now I say this name?

Yuge guessed my concerns. "It seems that that person also asked you to keep it secret for him."

"Yes." I looked at him and said, "To be honest, I came here specially to confirm one thing—whether it is the same person who told us about this subject."

Yuge lowered his head and thought for a while. "I don't think it's the same person."

Chen Sida showed great interest at the moment, and asked, "Why do you think so?"

Yuge said: "The man told me that he would only tell me about this matter. And I...believe him."

"That person told me that too." I couldn't control my emotions. "I feel more and more now that this is the same person."

Fisherman stared at me. "It seems that you really want to say this name to prove it."

"That's all," I said. "I had intended to keep his secret, but circumstances forced me to do so."

"If we do this, both of us will lose our trust." Fisherman reminded.

"I can't control so much anymore. And you, what do you have to worry about?" I said, "If it's really the same person, then this person will make us miserable."

Yu Ge hesitated again, and said, "Okay, then tell me the name of that person first."

So far, that's all I can say.Just when I opened my mouth and was about to spit out the three words "Fei Yunhan", Chen Sida suddenly pressed my shoulder from the side and said, "Okay Qianqiu, it's getting late, we should say goodbye. Don't disturb people's rest."

I looked at him in surprise, spread my hands, and asked with my eyes——what do you mean?
Chen Sida and I have been friends for many years and have a good understanding with each other.His piercing eyes looked straight at me.I read the message in his eyes—more on that later.

Chen Sida took my arm and stood up. "Yuge, thank you for telling us so much about your process of creating this book. Our trip was not in vain, and one thing is now very clear - you and my friend Qianqiu are innocent, None of you are plagiarists. We will continue to investigate what happened to this matter." Chen Sida took out a business card from his shirt pocket and handed it to Yuge. "Keep in touch with us if you want, okay?"

Yu Ge blankly took the business card and nodded dully.Obviously, he is just like me now, monk Zhang Er is confused.

"Then, let's take our leave, goodbye." Chen Sida led me out of the room.

thirteen
After going downstairs, we stepped into the dark and narrow alley.Chen Sida held my arm and walked forward without saying a word.But I couldn't hold back anymore, stopped, looked at him and asked, "What's going on? Seeing that I finally managed to understand the fisherman's song and asked him to tell me the name of that person. Why did you suddenly drag me away? ?”

Chen Sida said: "You don't need to break the contract to prove this matter. Have you ever thought that if this desperate fisherman learned Fei Yunhan's secret, he would use his brain and run to find Fei Yunhan?" What will be the result of extortion?"

I let out a sulky breath. "You are really thoughtful. But the problem is, if you don't testify because you are worried about this, this matter may never be clear."

"Qianqiu, you obviously don't understand what I mean." Chen Sida stared at me, "I said, you don't need to break the contract because of this - because I don't need to testify, I have already judged whether it is the same person who provided the subject matter to you .”

I opened my eyes wide. "Really? Then tell me, is it the same one?"

Chen Sida looked around and frowned slightly: "Do we have to talk here? Can we find a coffee shop and sit down and talk slowly?"

"No, just say it here!" I couldn't wait. "Don't be a fool, tell me quickly!"

Chen Sida sighed helplessly: "Okay, listen to me..."

Suddenly, a few figures flashed out from nowhere.These people quickly surrounded the two of us, and one of them, a tall and thin man in black clothes and black trousers, swayed in front of me and said glibly, "Beauty, look at your outfit, it doesn't seem like you are going in and out of this kind of place." Why, come to this slum to experience a different feeling?"

I glared at him. "Who are you? What does it matter to you?"

"Look at you, why are you so indifferent? Since you're here, let me borrow some money and give my brother some flowers."

I have absolutely no experience in encountering such a thing, and I didn't even realize what was going on, so I scolded: "Why? Get out!"

The little bastard with a hippie smile suddenly changed his face, and threw a switchblade out of his sleeve, and pointed it in front of me. "Beauty, I'm not asking you."

robbery! ?Only then did I wake up, and my breathing suddenly became short of breath.At this time, the few gangsters surrounding us moved closer together, forcing Chen Sida and me to retreat to the corner.

I grabbed Chen Sida's arm nervously, and Chen Sida's other hand came back and pinched my arm lightly, as if to remind me to keep calm.

"Oh," Chen Sida suddenly sighed, turned his face to look at me helplessly, and said with his mouth curled up, "Miss, are you satisfied now? Didn't you just come to this kind of place to find excitement? How about it? Is it fun?"

My heart was beating wildly nervously, but Chen Sida looked indifferent, as if we just joined a bad tour group.

"Hey, brother, relax." Chen Sida said to the tall, thin man holding a knife, "Look, there are so many of you, and we are only two, so we are obviously not your opponents. So if you want anything, just ask Yes. We will cooperate well."

"You're quite interesting." A bald man with a lizard tattooed on his face said coldly, "You know what we want."

"Of course. But what I mean is, are you only interested in money? We don't have much cash on hand now, but my mobile phone is good." Chen Sida took out his mobile phone from his trouser pocket while speaking, "The new Apple mobile phone, take It will cost about 3000 yuan in the second-hand market.”

I stared blankly at Chen Sida, wondering if he was crazy.The punks also looked a little confused, as if they had never encountered such an active victim.

"Don't look at me like that, miss." Chen Sida said to me, "Didn't you say you've never been robbed before? Then let me tell you, it's called robbery."

He turned to those hooligans and said, "Sorry, I have to teach my ignorant girlfriend a lesson. She was spoiled by her father who was a high-ranking official. Brothers, you must have experienced this too—— It's always a bit frustrating to have a wayward girlfriend. Take today as an example. She insisted on pestering me to accompany her here to find excitement. It turned out to be her goal. Guys, you really shouldn't be like this Cooperate with her."

The tall and thin man narrowed his eyes and stared at Chen Sida suspiciously. "Are you kidding us?"

"Of course not." Chen Sida said with a serious face, "I hope you can teach my girlfriend a lesson. Otherwise, she will become more and more self-willed. She never allowed them to follow the bodyguards her father assigned him. Every time those bodyguards find it hard. But this is true, the two of us are on a date, followed by a few big men, what's the matter?"

Chen Sida turned to me again and said, "What are you still doing? Take out the money and the mobile phone and give them to others—oh, yes." He said to the gangsters, "Can we take out the card? The money stored on it Phone numbers are of no use to you, all you need are the phones themselves."

A man wearing a hat that covered more than half of his face with the brim of the hat said to the tall and thin man, "Boss, I think this kid is deliberately delaying the time so that the bodyguards can find them. Let's not be fooled!"

The tall man approached us with a knife and said viciously, "Stop talking nonsense, and hand over the money and mobile phone!"

"Okay, okay, then I won't get stuck." Chen Sida made a gesture of picking money out of his trouser pocket.Suddenly, he saw something in front of him, waved his hands happily and shouted: "Hey, we are here, Gordon! Li Qi!"

The tall man turned his head and saw that there were indeed several people approaching in front of him.He yelled "Damn!" and shouted to his accomplice, "Run!"

A group of punks fled.I stared blankly at their backs disappearing at the end of the street corner.Chen Sida touched me with his elbow: "Aren't you going to run?"

With his reminder, I suddenly came to my senses, and hurriedly ran in the opposite direction with Chen Sida.After a while, when I came to a street with a lot of traffic, I stopped and breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Sida quickly hailed a taxi, and the two of us got into the car.Chen Sida said to the driver: "Go to any four-star or higher hotel in the city center."

Half an hour later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of a four-star hotel called "Zidu Hotel".Chen Sida paid the fare, and we walked into the magnificent hotel lobby.

"Should we live together, or separately?" Chen Sida asked me.

In view of what happened just now, I replied: "Let's live together."

Chen Sida said to the receptionist: "A standard room." He showed our ID cards.

We took the elevator to the eleventh floor, and we walked into the room.I told Chen Sida: "Lock the door."

Chen Sida smiled and said, "You still have lingering fears about what happened just now? Don't worry, you'll be fine here."

I sat on the bed, exhaled, and stretched my stiff body.

"You don't want to stay in this boring hotel tonight, do you? Let's not have a drink at a nearby bar?" Chen Sida said.

"Forget it, I don't want to go out anymore. The law and order in this city is really terrible."

Chen Sida laughed loudly: "You can't blame the whole city, you can only blame us for going to that kind of place—the slum areas in every city have the highest crime rate. So after I came out of Yugejia, I only You wanted to leave quickly, but you insisted on saying it there, and it turned out that this kind of thing really happened."

"Sorry, I have absolutely no such experience."

"I can tell."

"When that man compared me with a knife, I was really scared." I looked at Chen Sida, "Why are you so calm? Have you ever experienced this before?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Then how can you handle it so well?"

Chen Sida looked at me and reminded: "Qianqiu, I'm a psychologist."

"That's right...but I'm really curious, how could you come up with such a clever way to escape?" I was suddenly very interested in this. "Teach me, if I encounter this kind of thing again in the future, I can do the same. Or, I can also write this method into the novel to benefit many readers."

Chen Sida smiled and said: "The idea is good, but I am afraid that this method cannot be used by everyone. Only people with particularly good psychological quality can do it."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, it's rare that you're so interested in psychology." Chen Sida sat on the bed opposite me, "First of all, the most important thing is to keep calm, and you must not show fear or panic. It will make the gangsters even more arrogant."

I nod.

"Next, analyze calmly. Have you noticed that at the beginning, I didn't say a word—in fact, at that time, I was carefully observing their words and deeds, so as to judge what kind of gangsters they were. .”

"What is your conclusion after observation?"

"This group of people are just punks, not the kind of real dangerous murderers. You can tell from what the tall and thin guy said when he approached you-real robbers don't have so much nonsense, they will directly Knife comparison, in the shortest possible time to get what they want."

"Hmm." I nodded, thinking his analysis made sense.

"After confirming this, I knew it. Next, I deliberately appeared to be unafraid of them, and asked them if they wanted my mobile phone-know why I would do this?"

"why?"

"This is taking advantage of people's rebellious psychology. Generally, people who are robbed will subconsciously protect their things - such as hugging their purses tightly, or pressing their pants pockets tightly - which instead reminds the robbers that they should not Where to start. But I took it out openly, but it made them confused, and even suspected that there was a fraud, and they didn’t dare to act rashly. Human psychology is like this-if a certain situation is different from what they expected, they will Feeling a bit overwhelmed. I just want to achieve that effect, so that they don't know what to do for a while."

"I understand."

"During the period when they were at a loss, I started to speak out, deliberately disclosing some bluffing information to them. And my other purpose of saying these words was, of course, to delay time and find countermeasures."

"It's really wonderful." I admired.

"However, this kind of bluff requires good acting skills and self-confidence. It's what you say if you believe it. Of course, those people may only be half-believing, but I have already caused a kind of shadowy effect on them. ——Finally, I noticed that the opportunity was coming, and a few people came in front of me, so I pretended to see acquaintances and shouted loudly—those punks who had been psychologically suggested before were scared away like frightened birds.”

I laughed out loud. "Gorden, Li Qi? It really belongs to you. You came up with these two names?"

"It's the name of two of my friends, let me borrow it."

I sighed from the bottom of my heart: "It is really a lucky thing to have a friend who studies psychology."

"I told you before that psychology is one of the most practical disciplines, applicable to all aspects of life - do you believe it now?"

"Yes."

Chen Sida looked at me squarely. "Qianqiu, in fact, the most important point of psychology is that you have to fully consider the other person's psychology. People who are robbed are certainly afraid, but you have to think that if you are a thief with a guilty conscience, the gangster may be more afraid than you." He paused slightly, "Just like what happened to you, you feel that you have been greatly wronged, and probably the other two writers. So, I hope you can forgive some of their actions."

I figured it out, he was referring to An Wen making a big fuss at the press conference.Chen Sida asked me to forgive her, perhaps to persuade me to put down my face and go to An Wen to find out the facts.But my resentment towards An Wen cannot be eliminated in a short time.I bit my lip and said nothing.

After a while, I realized it was time to get down to business.After those little bastards, I almost forgot a problem that I was very concerned about at first. "By the way, you can tell me now, why do you think Fei Yunhan is not the one who provides the story theme for Yuge?"

"It's also the method of using psychoanalysis—in fact, the reason is very simple." Chen Sida said, "First of all, think about it, if Fei Yunhan intends to lie to you—that is, after he visited you, he found Yu Ge again. , then he will tell Yuge honestly, his real identity? Just make up a name. So even if you agree with each other's names, it's useless."

"However, we don't necessarily just judge by the name, but also by the person's height, appearance, etc..."

Chen Sida waved his hands and said, "Don't worry, I still have a second piece of evidence that can prove that it's definitely not Fei Yunhan."

I calmed down and listened to him.

"Think about it, if Fei Yunhan is a super rich man who spends a lot of money, if he wants to ask a certain writer to write for him, will he not give that person some benefits? For example, he paid 100 million for you. Then if he If you look for Yuge, you will obviously pay a sum of money. But look at Yuge’s current situation—it’s really as he said, he’s so destitute that he can’t afford three meals. Don’t say 100 million, I’m afraid he has a lot of money. Not even a hundred dollars—so, you see?"

I nodded slightly.

"Besides, think about the environment near Yuge's house, and his dilapidated cheap rental house. Would a noble person like Fei Yunhan go to that kind of place? If he wanted to look for it, he would only look for it. Famous writers like you."

Chen Sida's words completely convinced me, and now I can completely rule out this possibility.But at the same time, I felt a little frustrated. "So, our trip to T City didn't help?"

Chen Sida looked at me with wide eyes, as if I had said something unbelievable. "Why do you think so? Qianqiu, we have gained a lot from this trip!"

"Like what?"

Chen Sida excitedly sat down next to me. "We have confirmed one thing - Yu Ge's novel is also written based on the material provided by someone, and this person is definitely not Fei Yunhan, but another person who has the same experience as Fei Yunhan - this proves that I The third guess before is correct!"

I think for a moment. "So, what shall we do now?"

Chen Sida glanced at me. "I think, if you can ignore the past and go to An Wen..."

He stopped there because I was already shaking my head.

"Chen Sida, I'm sorry... Although you are running around for my affairs, I also know that you are doing it for my own good. However, it's not a matter of face. My disgust and disgust for An Wen is too serious now. I can't sit still Come down and have a good talk with her. Besides, she might not want to see me... So, please understand me. I really can't do it."

"Okay, I understand. Qianqiu, I won't force you."

"Actually, I have an idea..." I said, "Let's go to Yuge again tomorrow and find a way to find out the contact information of the person who provided him with the subject matter, and then we..."

Chen Sida interrupted me with a wave of his hand. "This method is inappropriate. Yuge won't tell you at all, because it's clear that he will be wronged. Think about it, if he asked you to provide Fei Yunhan's contact information, would you tell him?"

I was discouraged. "So we can't go any further."

"That's not the case." Chen Sida thought deeply, "Let me think about it...but one thing is for sure—it doesn't make sense for us to stay in T City. Let's take a flight back tomorrow."

"Hmm." I nodded.

"Okay, I've been tired all day, let's take a rest. You don't mind if I take a shower first?" Chen Sida started to take off his clothes while talking, without any scruples in front of me, only a pair of boxer shorts remained, showing sexy, Shapely body.

"You... we live in the same room, you have to obey the rules." My face was slightly hot.

Hearing what I said, Chen Sida moved closer to me, staring at me with a pair of fiery eyes.He propped his hands on both sides of my body, and there was a tendency to press down.I fell backward involuntarily, only to find that I was pandering to him, as I would end up on my back in bed.

"You... what are you going to do?" My heart was beating wildly, and I tried not to focus on his bronzed, strong, strong muscles—is this the perfect figure in my memory?
"If I want to disobey the rules, I wouldn't have done so ten years ago." After Chen Sida said this, he suddenly laughed, then straightened up, turned his back and went into the bathroom, humming a little song.

I stared at his back, my lips were tightly shut, and my cheeks were flushed.

fourteen
After returning to my city, Chen Sida stayed with me for several days.From the perspective of a psychiatrist, he suggested to me that I should do more things that make my body and mind happy, so that I can adjust my mentality and get out of the shadow and trouble of the previous incident.I followed his advice.So, we had a great time these days - playgrounds, scenic spots, cinemas and bars all left our footprints.And every meal, Chen Sida arranged exquisitely and innovatively - we ate Thai food, Japanese food, Brazilian barbecue, spicy hot pot... and enjoyed the fun of life.

As for how to continue investigating that matter, Chen Sida didn't say a word these days.I don't know if he has a well-thought-out plan, has plans, or can't think of the next step—or, he hopes that I will agree to go to An Wen after I feel better?In short, I didn’t mention this matter either—I have been immersed in a boring and monotonous writing life for a long time, and finally reunited with the long-lost happiness. Walk.

The truth is, after a few days of having fun, I was in a much better mood.I believe I have come out of the shadow of that incident.Sometimes I even think - it doesn't have to be investigated anymore, everyone will gradually forget about it.As long as I write a new book, I can divert everyone's attention from the previous book (I am not going to write the lower part of this "Reflection") for the time being.I can get everything I once had again.

Unfortunately, this is clearly wishful thinking on my part.This matter is far from over.In fact, what happened before was just a prelude, and all kinds of scary, inexplicable and unimaginable situations slowly surfaced from now on.

At 09:30 in the morning, Luo Min called.At that time, Chen Sida and I were discussing where to go for fun today.The phone call ended up pulling me relentlessly back to an incident I didn't want to bring up again.

"Qianqiu, something happened, do you know?" Luo Min's anxious voice came from the phone receiver.

The last time she spoke in that tone was when she was telling me about plagiarism — somehow she always finds out about these shitty things before I do.This time I replied a little angrily: "What's the matter? Whose book is the same as mine? It doesn't matter. It's the same thing if there are ten or eight more books."

"No! Did you know? The author of Yuge hanged himself at home last night!"

I opened my mouth wide in shock and froze.Chen Sida at the side saw something was wrong and walked up to me.

"Why...why did he commit suicide?" I asked Luo Min.

"I don't know. The report on the Internet didn't say the reason. It just speculated that he might have committed suicide because of too much mental pressure or the current situation of his life. He had no way out."

I was surprised again. "So he didn't leave a suicide note?"

"Yes."

Chen Sida stared at me with wide eyes, as if he had already guessed what happened.He walked quickly to the desk and opened my laptop.

I slowly sat on the sofa, forgetting to hold the phone in my hand, and muttered to myself: "Impossible, it was only a few days, why did he commit suicide..."

This whisper was heard by Luo Min, and she immediately asked alertly: "Qianqiu, what did you say?"

I was stunned for a few seconds, and I could only tell her the truth: "A few days ago, a friend and I went to T City to look for Yuge..."

"What!" yelled the phone. "Did you go to him? What did you say to him?"

I was taken aback. "Luo Min, what do you mean by asking me that? Do you suspect that his suicide has anything to do with me?"

"Oh, this..." She seemed a little embarrassed. "It's not that I think so. It's just that your relationship with him is... a bit delicate. Anyone who hears you say that will... Well, you know what I mean."

I took a breath and had to admit that she was right.

"Qianqiu, does anyone know that you went to Yuge?"

I bit my lip and thought for a moment. "No one should know...I didn't tell anyone. Of course, now you know."

"I won't tell anyone. But, I'm really curious, what on earth did you go to him for?"

"I want to ask him how the subject matter of his novel came about."

"Did he tell you?"

"told."

"How did it come here?"

"What he said was also adapted from a person's personal experience."

"Ah! Qianqiu, as I said, I must have told you about that person, and..."

"No, that's not the case. Luo Min, you misunderstood." I pressed my forehead irritably, and I didn't know how to explain it to her.

"What the hell is going on then?"

"I don't know. That's all I know, and he didn't tell me the rest. . . . Well, he said it hit him hard, and he's too poor to tell—that's all."

"Then what? What did you say to him? Or... what did you do?"

"My God!" I couldn't help exclaiming, "you might as well just ask—'How the hell did you drive him to death?'"

There was a few seconds of silence on the phone.Luo Min said again: "Qianqiu, I didn't mean that. But think about it for yourself...you just went to him a few days ago, and he committed suicide. Even a fool would think that something must have happened."

"Oh..." I sighed and rolled my eyes upwards, trying to restrain my emotions as much as possible. "Luo Min, listen carefully. I just went to him to find out some information about the book. I was very polite and polite to him, and I didn't say anything excessive, let alone make any excessive demands. I visited His whole process took less than half an hour. There was absolutely no way I could have said or done anything that could have hurt him - oh my god, I even comforted him! So you see now that I have nothing to do with his death Nothing to do with it. I have a clear conscience. I'm not afraid to be questioned by anyone - that's all, thanks for the info, anything else?"

Luo Min sighed on the phone. "Qianqiu, why are you losing your temper with me? I just care about you, and I don't want you to get into unnecessary trouble again."

I realized that my attitude was really bad, so I changed to a moderate tone and said to her: "Yes, I know you mean well...Sorry, I'm just a little excited. Why do bad things happen one after another?"

"Okay, Qianqiu, as long as you have a clear conscience, no one will be able to trouble you. I hope this matter will not affect you. I will continue to work."

"Have you found a new job?"

"Yes."

"Which one?"

"Dove Books."

I raised my eyebrows. "Not bad, it's a big company."

"Well. Let's keep in touch at any time, and we can cooperate again in the future."

"Okay, bye."

After I hung up the phone, Chen Sida immediately came over and sat beside me. "I learned about Yu Ge hanging himself on the Internet."

"How to say?"

"I guess Luo Min has already told you about the same." Chen Sida told me more details. "He committed suicide last night. One thing is strange—he hanged himself in the house, and he didn't even lock the door, so people passing by quickly found out, but he was already dead at that time."

"The door was not locked... Maybe he deliberately wanted his body to be found?"

"It's possible. But does it matter to a dying person? Besides, there's an illogical doubt."

I looked at Chen Sida. "What is it?"

"He didn't leave a suicide note."

I pondered for a moment. "What do you think that means?"

Chen Sida stretched out his hands and made a comparison. "Think about it, what is his depression and frustration? Everyone suspects that he plagiarized. If he is going to commit suicide, why doesn't he write a suicide note to clarify this matter? It is still impossible to prove that he died in an unclear manner. What's more, Yuge's house is filled with all kinds of books, manuscript paper, and pens. He can grab paper and pens whenever he touches them. In this case, he committed suicide without writing a suicide note. , isn’t it against common sense?”

I thought of Yuge's down and out situation. "Perhaps, he committed suicide only for financial reasons."

Chen Sida shook his head and said: "I don't think so. His poverty did not come suddenly, but a long-term state. He should have adapted to his own poverty and should have a certain degree of resilience. I don't think he will Suicide because of poverty."

"And there's one more thing!" Chen Sida seemed to have suddenly remembered something, and said with wide eyes, "Do you remember, when we left his house. I gave him my business card and asked him and me Contact. He took it at that time and nodded. It means that he still has hope in his heart, and he has not given up on his life. Why can't he think about it in just a few days?"

After listening to Chen Sida's analysis, I couldn't help asking: "Then what do you think is going on? Didn't he commit suicide, but was murdered?"

Chen Sida stood up from the sofa, put his hands on his chest, and shook his head slowly. "Murder . . . who would kill a poor writer like him? What's the good of killing him? Besides, I'm sure the police aren't so stupid that they can't tell the difference between suicide and homicide."

I spread my hands. "Then I don't understand. You don't think he committed suicide, and you deny it. Then what do you think is going on?"

"I didn't say that it is absolutely impossible for him to commit suicide..." Chen Sida thought, "But I was wondering if there is another possibility..."

I was stunned and said, "Apart from suicide and homicide, what else would cause a person to hang himself?"

Chen Sida suddenly pointed at me, which startled me. "By the way," he said, "that's exactly what I was thinking."

"What?" I looked at him blankly.

Chen Sida stared at me and said, "In the story you wrote, will the protagonist see a hanged face?"

I don't know why, but what he said sent a chill down my back.I swallowed, and replied, "Yes...in the reflective object."

He kept staring at me. "Don't you think it's a coincidence? There are many ways to commit suicide - now few people choose the ancient and traditional way of suicide by 'hanging'. Because hanging suicide is a very troublesome thing - it will make People die painfully and slowly. But why did Yuge choose such a way of death?"

"Maybe...he was influenced by this story." My body was a little chilly, and the words I spoke were trembling.

Chen Sida fell silent.After a few minutes, he said: "Now we have too little information. I can't make an accurate judgment based on the reports on the Internet. But I have an intuition——Yuge's death must not be an ordinary suicide. Concealment!"

"So what are you going to do?" I asked.

Chen Sida said to me sternly: "Qianqiu, now that someone is killed, we can no longer consider emotions or face—we have to meet An Min once."

After a long silence, I said to Chen Sida: "Okay, I agree. But, we will go again in three days."

"Why?" Chen Sida asked.

"I can't meet that woman surnamed An right away. I hope that three days will be enough for me to adjust my mentality and reduce my resentment towards her a little."

Chen Sida thought about it. "Well, just don't change your mind when the time comes."

fifteen
Also please Luo Min, I asked An Wen's phone number and address.Luo Min was very surprised when she learned that I was actually going to find An Wen.I didn't explain too much, I just said that I would tell her the details when I got back.

An Wen lives in City S, which is not too far from my city.Actually, I don't mind taking the train slowly - meeting this kind of woman is definitely not something to look forward to anyway.But Chen Sida was more impatient than me—he insisted on dragging me to take the plane.Either way, it's best to go and come back quickly.

We arrived in S city in just over an hour.Of course, I will not call An Wen in advance - I plan to go directly to her house, just like she came to my press conference, to be an uninvited guest.Chen Sida seemed to have guessed my thoughts, he seemed a little worried, and reminded me several times not to turn this meeting into a farce—we are here to seek the truth and facts.In fact, I also understand, but the specific situation depends on the attitude of the woman at that time.

It was only three o'clock in the afternoon after getting off the plane, but I refused to go to An Wen right away because I was tired.Chen Sida had no choice but to book a room in a hotel with me first.After I lay down on the soft and comfortable bed, I actually fell asleep until six o'clock.Afterwards, we ate at a Korean barbecue restaurant near our hotel.

I ordered beef short ribs, lamb and tenderloin for grilling, a large seafood hot pot, cold noodles, sushi, and two bottles of sake.Chen Sida looked at me gaping, I guess he was doing a psychological analysis on me.

Sure enough, as soon as the waiter left, he said uneasily: "Qianqiu... I hope it's not what I understand—you...are you preparing for a big battle?"

"What war?" I pretended not to understand.

Chen Sida stared at me with that look—you know what I mean.

I laughed out loud. "Are you thinking too much? I'm just hungry."

Chen Sida raised an eyebrow and took a few sips of barley tea from his cup.

After a while, all kinds of delicacies were served.We poured warm sake into elegant little glasses and clinked glasses.I drank it down in one gulp, Chen Sida paused for a moment, and drank the wine too.Then, I grilled the meat by myself with great elegance, and tasted the food in a leisurely manner.Chen Sida always seemed a little absent-minded.

After eating this meal for an hour and a half, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening when I walked out of the restaurant.Chen Sida had looked at his watch several times before, and now he finally couldn't help but said, "Qianqiu, can we get down to business?"

I used the alcohol to pretend to be confused: "Okay, should I go to sing or watch a movie next?"

Chen Sida grabbed my arm with both hands and said seriously: "Qianqiu, don't do this! Now is not the time to joke. You know what we are here for!"

Chen Sida probably never imagined that I fell into his arms and hugged his waist with both hands.I closed my eyes and said softly: "Have you forgotten? Ten years ago, the two of us came to S City to play. At that time, we were both young and ignorant college students."

Chen Sida fell silent.After a while, he said, "Yes, I haven't been to City S since then."

I raised my head and looked at him: "Me too."

"Really?" Chen Sida showed a surprised expression.

"Really, it's not just here, I have almost never been to the places we have visited together before. Ever since you were with that girl named Ye Fan..."

"Okay, Qianqiu, stop talking about it, it's all in the past." Chen Sida hugged me gently.

We stood on the street, embracing each other, as if there was no one else around.Under the neon lights, the body is intertwined in various colors of light, as if falling into a tunnel of time and space.In this way, we went back to the green years, back to that night ten years ago.

Obviously, we're stuck in our old relationship and we can't get out of it.At this moment, I left Chen Sida's embrace, but I still looked at him charmingly, flicking my long hair. "Tonight, let's stop thinking about those unhappy things and try to find the old happiness-there are not many opportunities like this in life."

Chen Sida nodded gently: "Okay, leave everything until tomorrow."

"Do you still remember how we played that night ten years ago?" I wanted to test him.

"Of course I remember." He laughed, "At that time we were both college students, we didn't have much money, we couldn't go to those high-end places, we had to go to the night market in the old street."

"That's right." A warm current surged in my heart. "We just go to the night market."

"Want to relive it?" he asked.

"Of course." I took his arm.

Chen Sida and I looked at each other and smiled.He raised his hand, ready to hail a taxi.I pushed his hand down. "Let's go on foot."

"It's far away."

"Does it matter?" I leaned on his shoulder.

Chen Sida pursed his lips and smiled.We walked in the direction of the old street.

It's the same as ten years ago - it's still the old street in our memory, and it's still the bustling and lively night market.We even recognized the fat owner of an ice shop we used to patronize.Strolling in the noisy night market, we visited the small handicraft stalls and jewelry stalls next to each other.I bought a pair of five-yuan decorative earrings and put them on, and took off the diamond earrings and put them in my pocket—tonight, I want to go back to myself ten years ago.

Although we couldn't eat anymore, we still sat down in front of several food stalls, ordered some special snacks that we hadn't eaten for a long time, and tasted them carefully, just to get back the long-lost touch in our hearts.

Strolling in the alley of memories until 10:30, we reluctantly returned to the hotel.

What will happen next is naturally logical, and anyone can imagine it.

No, you are wrong.

sixteen
It was Chen Sida who took the shower first.When I came out of the bathroom in my pajamas, he was leaning against the head of the bed, with the quilt covering his waist, his upper body was naked, his hands behind his head, exuding a sexy and seductive aura.He looked directly at me, the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.I stood in front of him, looking at him charmingly, not rushing over.I want to touch his nerves and fully ignite him.

Sure enough, he couldn't bear it anymore, sat up, knelt on the bed, and stretched out a hand to pull me.The quilt slipped off his body, and I vaguely glimpsed that he was wearing nothing underneath.Immediately, I blushed and my heart beat, but I deliberately avoided his hand—playing hard to get is the best prelude to a passionate scene.

He caught me, dragged me over, and hugged me into his broad arms.I let out a soft cry, which might have been a stimulant to him.His arms were tightly wrapped around me, and his lips slowly moved around my neck and cheeks, and I felt his heavy panting and snorting.I can no longer rely on myself, I close my eyes and let myself be manipulated.

As soon as his lips touched mine, it immediately made me tremble like an electric shock.It's been a long time since I felt this way.I was about to jump in, when a very disappointing thing happened - my phone rang.

Chen Sida hesitated for a moment, I put my arms around his neck and said softly, "Leave it alone."

Chen Sida continued to kiss me, but in this extremely uncoordinated phone ringtone, the initial atmosphere disappeared.Both of us were a little annoyed, Chen Sida sighed, and said to me: "Go ahead, don't delay."

Impatiently, I grabbed the mobile phone on the bedside table, pressed the answer button, and asked angrily, "Who is it?"

"It's me... Qianqiu." A voice that sounded uncomfortable, paused for a long time. "I'm An Wen."

What?An Min!She actually took the initiative to call me?I widened my eyes and looked at Chen Sida.The room is very quiet now, and he also heard the voice on the phone, looking at me in the same surprise.

"What do you want me for?" I asked.Did she know that I came to S city?
"Qianqiu, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She apologized one after another, with anxiety and even fear in her sincere tone. "I know now, I blamed you...you didn't plagiarize my novel at all. I...get it."

She said this so suddenly that I didn't know what to say for a while.I froze for a few seconds and asked, "What do you understand?"

"I... I may not be able to tell. Anyway, after Yuge's death, I seemed to realize something suddenly. After that, I read the books of the three of us, and then I understood everything..." Her voice became more and more serious Hurry up, as if someone is chasing her.

"Wait, please explain clearly! What do you mean? What happened to the books of the three of us? What do you understand?" I was also nervous when she made me.I'm starting to feel something is wrong.

"Ah, Qianqiu..." Her voice was mixed with endless panic and fear, as if there was a monster staring at her from the window at this moment. "I, I don't know what to say... I'm terrified!" She seemed to be crying, and screamed loudly, "Anyway, remember, all the answers are in the book written by the three of us!"

After saying this, her voice fell silent, but the phone did not hang up.I was shrouded in a horrified and strange feeling, my heart was beating wildly, and I shouted into the receiver: "An Wen, An Wen! Hey, are you still there?"

Chen Sida asked from the side: "What's wrong? The phone is disconnected?"

"No." I glanced at my phone. "The phone has not been disconnected, and it is still on the phone."

"You call her to try again."

"An Wen, hello, hello!" I yelled, and then said to Chen Sida, "She didn't hang up the phone, but she just didn't talk!"

"Then can you hear her voice?"

I listen carefully. "I can hear some tiny rustling sounds, but I can't make out what they are doing!"

"Here, let me listen to it." Chen Sida snatched the phone from me, and pressed it tightly to his ear.I saw his brows furrowed more and more.

"What's wrong? What did you hear?" I asked anxiously.

Chen Sida shook his head. "I can't hear clearly, it seems that a person is moving something silently, or doing something..." He looked at me sternly. "I have a bad feeling!"

I looked at him in horror.

"Something must have happened to An Min!" Chen Sida said.

"Then... what should we do?" Strange, I don't hate this woman at all now.Chen Sida thought for a while. "Hurry up and call the police!"

"Use my phone?"

"No! Your mobile phone has been on the call, and then listen carefully to the movement over there." Chen Sida took out the mobile phone, "I'll call the police, and you tell me An Min's address!"

In a panic, I took out a small book, which recorded An Wen's address.I handed it to Chen Sida, and suddenly pressed his hand again: "Wait a minute! How do you tell the police? We don't know what happened over there. What if it's not what we think?"

Chen Sida said: "Believe me, I can tell from all the situations that something must have happened to her!"

I don't stop him anymore.Chen Sida quickly called the police.He told the police that something unexpected happened when we were talking on the phone with An Wen just now, and he suspected that An Wen had encountered some kind of danger.He provided the police with his address details.

After calling the police, Chen Sida put on his clothes.Obviously, we can't continue to linger.The phone was still on the phone, so I put the phone on the cabinet and switched it to hands-free—that kind of whispering voice still came intermittently, which sounded weird and inexplicable, and made people shudder with fear.

We sat on the bed, anxiously guarding the mobile phone that was making strange noises.Chen Sida hugged me, which made me feel less scared, but my whole body was still cold.Suddenly, I heard a clear "bang!" from the phone, as if something had fallen to the ground.After that, nothing was heard.

This crisp sound startled Chen Sida and me, and both of us trembled.After a long silence, the two of us looked at each other with a look of horror on our faces.

"Chen Sida... tell me, could the sound just now be..." I was so frightened that I couldn't speak coherently, and my whole body was shaking.

"Don't think about it." Chen Sida said to me, but I could see from his expression that he clearly thought of what happened on the other end of the phone.

Then there was a dead silence on the phone.After a few minutes, I finally couldn't take it anymore, grabbed the phone and pressed the hang up button.

Chen Sida put his arm around my shoulders and said, "Okay, Qianqiu, don't think about it anymore. Go to sleep, no matter if something happened to An Min, we will know tomorrow morning."

I nodded and leaned on his chest.That's the only way to ease my fear a little.

Ten minutes later, Chen Sida's cell phone rang suddenly.Looks like we don't have to wait until tomorrow to know the result.

Seventeen
"Hello, is this Mr. Chen Sida?" A man's deep voice came from the receiver of the mobile phone.

Chen Sida was taken aback for a moment, and then replied, "Yes."

"I'm Wang Lexin from the Criminal Investigation Section of the Public Security Bureau of S City. It was you who called the police just now, right?"

"Correct."

"We want to know something from you. Please stay in Wantai Hotel with Ms. Qianqiu. Let's meet in the lobby of the hotel in 10 minutes, is that okay?"

"……OK."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Sida sat on the bed in a daze.I asked, "What's wrong? Did the police call? What did he say?"

Chen Sida took a breath, then spat it out again: "The current police are comparable to the investigators of the CIA. They have already found out that we are now in the Wantai Hotel in S City."

"You said 'we'?" I wondered if he had made a typo.

"Yes, it's us—they know you're with me now."

I was surprised: "How is it possible?"

"It's not really surprising. I used my mobile phone to call the police, and the police can use their authority to find out who the number belongs to. In addition, we used our ID cards to register in a hotel connected to the public security network, so they can easily check. Arrived."

"Then why do they still call to confirm? Why don't they just come to the door?"

"I think he was out of politeness. After all, we are not suspects; at the same time, he indirectly told us that the police are powerful and everything about us is under their control."

I frowned. "The police are looking for us, does it mean that something really happened to An Wen?"

"Probably." Chen Sida rolled over and got out of bed. "Get dressed. The police will arrive in 10 minutes and ask us to meet in the lobby."

It is almost one o'clock in the morning, and it is obvious that a very urgent situation has occurred, otherwise the police would not have come to us in such a hurry to find out the situation - it seems that An Wen is in danger.Although it was late at night, I didn't feel sleepy at all, so I quickly got dressed, and then simply touched up my makeup, and took the elevator downstairs with Chen Sida.

When I came to the lobby of the hotel, I saw a middle-aged man leaning against the front desk smoking a cigarette.When he saw us, he walked towards us.When approaching, he took out his police card from the inner pocket of his clothes, showed it to us, and said at the same time, "Hi, I'm Wang Lexin."

"Hello, Police Officer Wang." Chen Sida said straight to the point, "Is it because something happened to An Min that you came to us?"

Officer Wang was noncommittal. "Please come to the bureau with me, both of you, and cooperate with the investigation."

After saying this, he turned around and walked towards the hotel entrance, there was no room for negotiation at all.Chen Sida and I had no choice but to follow him.

There is also a policeman in the police car, sitting in the driver's seat.After we all got into the car, Officer Wang said to him, "Let's drive."

The police car took us to the Public Security Bureau.Entering the office of the Criminal Investigation Division, Police Officer Wang dragged over two chairs and asked us to sit down. He himself sat on a leather swivel chair behind the desk and looked directly at us.

Police Officer Wang is tall, with broad shoulders and waist. He has been tense since we met, and is extremely intimidating. He looks like the kind of person who is difficult to deal with.Sitting face to face with him, anyone will feel an invisible pressure.

He stared at us for a moment and asked, "Do you know about An Wen's situation now?"

Chen Sida and I looked at each other and almost answered together: "I don't know."

"By 'don't know', do you mean not knowing whether she is dead or alive; or not knowing what happened to her?"

Chen Sida thought about it. "The second type."

Officer Wang stared at him. "But you just called the police that she might be in danger."

"Yes."

"Why do you think so?"

Chen Sida said: "It's like this. When we were in the hotel, we received a call from An Wen. She seemed very disturbed and panicked. She said something unclear and then stopped talking, but The phone didn't hang up - we felt something was wrong, so we called the police."

Officer Wang was deep in thought, as if he was judging the truth of what Chen Sida said.After a while he asked, "What did she tell you?"

Chen Sida looked at me.Officer Wang immediately understood, and he asked, "Is the call for you, Miss Qianqiu?"

"Yes."

"Is your relationship with An Wen good?"

"Not at all." I told him truthfully.

"Then why did she call you?"

"I don't know. Maybe she wanted to tell me something."

"whats the matter?"

I found the policeman's attitude disgusting and his tone of questioning as if he was interrogating a suspect.I said with some displeasure: "Officer, can you tell us first what happened to An Min?"

He was silent for a while, and said: "We rushed to An Wen's house after receiving your call to the police, and found that she had committed suicide."

My heart was hit hard.I closed my eyes and opened them after a few seconds: "Did she... hang herself?"

"That's right, how do you know?" Officer Wang asked me with narrowed eyes.

I'm confused right now and don't know how to answer his question.Although I had expected the result, I was still deeply shocked and horrified when this fearful conjecture was confirmed.

"Let's go back to the previous question. What did she say when she called you before committing suicide?" The policeman didn't intend to give me a chance to breathe, and continued to ask.

I frowned deeply, and said irritably: "Officer, this matter is a bit complicated. I don't know if you understand something that happened to An Wen and me before... I don't know where to start."

"Just start tonight."

I looked at him with some doubts.

"Miss Qianqiu, since I can accurately call your name—well, it's your pen name. Then of course I know your occupation and basic situation. You and An Wen are both writers, and recently because of publication issues There have been some disputes, and there is an author called Fisherman's Song—he is dead." At this point, he paused. "Okay, don't go any further. I'm telling you this in the hope that you can understand that we police don't know everything before we handle the case. So just tell us what you know, don't worry that I will Can't understand."

Although he said it lightly, I can see that this policeman is not a mediocre person.

"Can you tell me? An Wen called you and said something - I've asked this question three times." He didn't show any impatience. "Actually, you know, I can go to the mobile company to retrieve your call records, but I still hope you can tell me yourself."

I breathed a sigh of relief and cleared my mind. "Okay, officer. Since you have investigated the matter between me and An Wen, you should know that she and I are almost enemies. So it is completely out of my interest that An Wen called me tonight." Unexpectedly. She started by apologizing to me for blaming me and knowing that I didn't plagiarize her novel at all - it was so sudden that I couldn't react at all. Then she started to say some inexplicable words that I couldn't understand at all What is she saying."

"It's okay, tell me what she said or what she meant—what inexplicable things did she say?"

"She said that after Yuge's death, she suddenly realized something..." I tried my best to recall, "At last she said—all the answers are in the book written by the three of us—I really don't understand what this means."

Officer Wang spent about half a minute thinking about what I said.Then he asked, "And then?"

"Then there was no sound on the phone, but she didn't hang up."

"So did you hang up?"

"No, I held my phone nervously, listening carefully to the movement over there, wondering what happened."

"What did you hear?"

"I heard a rustling sound." Now that I think about it, it is undoubtedly a person playing with a piece of rope, and my body trembles. "...A few minutes later, I heard a 'bang' and there was a dead silence after that."

"Have you guessed what might have happened?"

I didn't speak.Chen Sida replied: "To be honest, we have some guesses, but we are not sure."

Officer Wang opened the desk drawer and took out a paper bag. "I have a few photos of the scene of An Wen's suicide that I took just now, do you want to see them?"

Chen Sida and I looked at each other, unable to figure out what the police officer was trying to do by showing us this photo.

"Want to see it?" he asked again.

"...Okay." Chen Sida swallowed, and took the paper bag.

Chen Sida glanced at me, as if asking for my opinion.My eyes did not avoid.He slowly pulled out a photo from the paper bag.

As soon as my eyes caught the picture, my blood froze and I was chilled—a woman in a nightgown hanged in the middle of the living room by a rope tied to an overhead light.That face was a far cry from the loathsome face I remembered.Her face was blue and purple, her eyeballs were protruding, and her tongue protruded ten centimeters out of her mouth. She was extremely terrifying-I didn't dare to take another look, so I immediately turned my head to the side and tightly covered my mouth, afraid that it would suddenly Couldn't help but vomit.

Chen Sida didn't want to look at it anymore, he stuffed the photo back into the paper bag and handed it to Police Officer Wang.

Officer Wang put the photo back in the drawer.Continue to ask us: "Did you arrive in City S yesterday?"

"Yes." Chen Sida replied.

"What are you doing here?"

I think it would be very suspicious to answer truthfully, but I can only answer truthfully. "...We are here to find An Wen."

"What are you looking for her for?"

"Learn about her book."

"So have you found her?"

"No."

"Why? When did you arrive yesterday?"

"Around three o'clock in the afternoon."

"And then, what did you do?"

"I'm a little tired, so I went to the hotel to rest. I had dinner at a nearby Korean barbecue restaurant at six o'clock. After that, we went to the night market in Lao Cai." I simply said all the itinerary.

"It's a very casual and comfortable arrangement." Police Officer Wang said with a slightly sarcastic tone, "But, didn't you come here to find someone?"

"Yes, but do we have to look for it that day? Can't we look for it the next day?"

Officer Wang said suddenly: "Perhaps you all know that there is no 'next day'."

I was startled and asked, "Officer Wang, what do you mean by that?"

"Just talk about it, it's not interesting." He continued to ask, "Does An Min know that you are coming to find her?"

"do not know."

"You didn't contact her beforehand?"

"Yes."

"But she called you at night, as if she knew you were in City S."

This also confuses me. "I don't know...Maybe she didn't even know that I came to City S. It's just a coincidence."

"All in all, she died a few hours after you came." Police Officer Wang said meaningfully, "Of course, it may indeed be a coincidence..."

Suddenly, his sharp eyes shot at me. "Then what about Yuge? According to our investigation, before Yuge committed suicide, you also went to T City where he was located, and the purpose was to find him. After that, he also hanged himself—Miss Qianqiu, could this be the same? coincide?"

His words put me in an extremely unfavorable situation, and he has already clearly expressed his doubts about me.My face was hot with anger and embarrassment: "Officer, frankly, I don't know if this is a coincidence. I also really want to know why they hanged themselves. Actually, it's more than that--for I am very confused by all the strange and inexplicable situations I have encountered recently! There is only one thing I can tell you with confidence, that is, the deaths of the two of them have nothing to do with me. Having said that, I have What method can make two people commit suicide? Officer, I have to remind you-they committed suicide! But what you just said means that I killed them!"

"Whether they committed suicide or not, we will investigate clearly." Officer Wang said calmly.

Hell, he's starting to doubt even that.I was too lazy to continue talking to him, and stood up from the chair: "Great, officer, I hope you can come to a conclusion as soon as possible. If there is nothing else, I want to go back to the hotel and sleep."

Chen Sida followed me and stood up with some hesitation.Police officer Wang clasped his fingers, sat firmly on the leather swivel chair, and said to us: "No problem, you can go back to the hotel to rest. However, in the next few days, you may have to trouble the two of you to cooperate with our police investigation, so you cannot leave for the time being." City S."

Chen Sida and I looked at each other.Chen Sida said sullenly, "Officer Wang, we have cooperated very well and told you all the truth. What do you want from us?"

"I'll have to verify what you said one by one." He clearly expressed his distrust of us. "So of course you can't leave right away."

"That's a matter for your police—I'm afraid you don't have the right to force us to stay in S City, do you?" Chen Sida said a little bluntly.

Officer Wang slowly stood up from the leather swivel chair, put his hands on the desk, stared into Chen Sida's eyes, and said softly: "Believe me, I can temporarily detain you in S City in several official ways. But I I don’t want to do this, so I just told you verbally. I hope you don’t force me to take those coercive measures, okay?”

His tone of voice was very gentle, but there was an aura of calmness and prestige.Chen Sida and I stared at him helplessly.After a while, Chen Sida took my hand and left the police station without saying a word.

Eighteen
Back at Wantai Hotel, it was already 02:30 in the morning, but Chen Sida and I did not feel sleepy at all.The shadow of fear hangs over us, and the air around us is oppressive and heavy.

The two of us leaned against the head of the bed together, lost in our respective thoughts.After a long time, I looked at Chen Sida and asked, "What are you thinking?"

Chen Sida turned to look at me, and opened his mouth slightly, seeming to hesitate to speak. "……nothing."

I stared at him for a long time, and said timidly: "Actually, you are thinking the same as me, aren't you? ——Three authors who wrote this topic, two of them have already died, and the next one will be my turn."

"How could it be? Qianqiu." Chen Sida looked at me in surprise, "The two of them committed suicide. As long as you don't have that thought, this kind of thing won't happen!"

I said sadly: "Really? Do you really think they hanged themselves 'voluntarily'? I don't know Yuge, but An Wen——she called me before she died! What she said you I heard it too...and also, her feeling of being panicked and involuntary - it doesn't look like what she should have before committing suicide!"

I looked at Chen Sida sadly: "Although I don't study psychology, I know that you know it better than me—the two of them are absolutely impossible to commit suicide simply, but there is a terrifying and mysterious force driving them. Or force them to do it! You didn't say that because you didn't want to scare me. In fact, you knew in your heart—after them, I'm next!"

"Don't say that, Qianqiu!" Chen Sida grabbed my arms. "I don't think so! That's right, I'm thinking about this problem, but what I'm thinking about is—how to solve the mystery of the suicides of the two of them through the current clues!"

"Will that save me?" I asked tremblingly.

"You will be fine, Qianqiu, I assure you!" Chen Sida hugged me in his arms. "Trust me, I will do my best to find out the truth. Until then, I will be by your side!"

I sobbed in Chen Sida's arms: "Sida, I'm really scared... I have a very bad feeling. It's not just now - after An Wen called me, I felt this way Yes—this time, I'm afraid I really encountered something evil. All signs show that we are really entangled in strange and unexplainable supernatural events. The incident Fei Yunhan told me is like a Deadly virus, it spreads to us, makes us encounter or face the crisis of death!"

Chen Sida was silent for a moment, then said doubtfully: "But, Fei Yunhan and the other two people who really experienced this incident, they themselves are fine—why did the author who recorded this incident suffer from misfortune?"

"Who knows? Maybe...they won't escape the same fate in the end." I said pessimistically.

Chen Sida shook his head and said, "No, the current situation doesn't look right no matter what."

I looked at him confusedly: "What are you saying wrong?"

"Qianqiu, listen to me. Modern psychology believes that everything has rules to follow, even if it is a lunatic, what he does will not be unreasonable. So, no matter what we are facing now Whether it is a man-made event or a supernatural event, it should conform to certain laws, but all the current logic is chaotic!"

I didn't understand what he meant. "Can you be more specific?"

Chen Sida gestured with both hands in front of me. "Let's look at it this way—we don't know the other two people who provided ideas, so let's not talk about them for now." He bent his thumb to the palm of his hand, indicating that this is the first point. "Fei Yunhan said he had this condition 20 years ago, but he's been fine until now. And Yu Ge and An Wen An Wen obviously only found out about it not long ago - they died soon This is very difficult - what is the 'trigger' that leads to death?"

I nodded and said, "I understand what you mean—then, aside from Fei Yunhan, is there any rule in the order of death of Yu Ge and An Wen?"

"I'm thinking about this too." Chen Sida frowned.

I thought about it for a while, and suddenly thought of a possibility: "Could it be..." But I denied it before I said it. "Well, that's not the case."

"What do you think of, say it." Chen Sida said, "Any possibility is worth exploring."

"I was going to say - will it be the order in which we publish the books, but that's not right."

"Why not?"

"I remember Luo Min told me—An Wen's book was published in June; mine was published in July; and Fisherman's book was published in August. That is to say, in order of publication——An Wen Wen first, me second, Yuge third—but now Yuge dies first, An Wen second. The order is completely wrong."

Chen Sida nodded thoughtfully: "Then, it may be in another order..."

After a moment of silence, I let out a low "ah" and said to Chen Sida: "By the way, I remembered Yu Ge once said that he said that the publishing company knew that he could not plagiarize - I was a little puzzled at the time, It's a pity I didn't ask him in time."

"Do you think he meant anything by saying that?"

I explained to Chen Sida: "Based on my understanding of the publishing industry, sometimes it happens that if a well-known author completes a manuscript, the publishing company will arrange for it to be published quickly; but a newcomer like Yuge , Sometimes the completed manuscript has been handed over to the publisher for a long time, but it is still waiting in line..."

Chen Sida is very smart, and he understood it before I finished speaking. "You mean, Yu Ge may actually be the fastest among the three of you to finish this novel, but it's just that the publication time was dragged to the end?"

"Yes, that's why he said that the publishing company knew very well that he couldn't plagiarize!"

"I understand." Chen Sida nodded and said, "If the manuscripts were arranged in the order they were written, it might just happen to be - Yuge first, An Wen second, and you third."

I feel cold all over. "This... is the current order of death."

Seeing that my face turned pale with fright, Chen Sida quickly comforted me: "Don't be nervous, Qianqiu. It may not be true. This is just our guess."

"If this is really an opportunity for death, what does it mean?" I asked tremblingly.

Chen Sida pondered for a moment, then slapped his thigh suddenly: "That's right! Before she died, An Wen said, 'All the answers are in the book written by the three of us'! I almost forgot about this—this is a Very important clue!"

"That's right." I nodded repeatedly.Fear and worry almost made me forget this important reminder. "She must be trying to remind me of something before she dies!"

Chen Sida asked eagerly, "Have you read the two books of An Wen and Yuge?"

I shook my head: "I haven't read it. I just learned about the brief introductions of these two books from media materials—very close to the theme and plot of my book."

"Does that mean you haven't looked at it carefully?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I know what to do. Go to bed now, and we will go to the bookstore to buy those two books tomorrow morning." Chen Sida looked very excited. "I dare say that if you compare and study the books of the three of you together, you will definitely make great discoveries!"

Nineteen
The next morning, Chen Sida and I came to the largest book city in S City.An Wen's "Woman in the Mirror" and my "Reflection" were quickly found and bought a copy respectively.I looked up Yuge's "Strange Face" on the computer in the bookstore, but there was none.Recalling what Yu Ge told us, it is estimated that the bookstore thought the sales were not good and returned the goods.Chen Sida and I had to go to other bookstores to ask.After more than two hours of hard searching, I finally found the only copy of "Sneaky Face" in a medium-sized bookstore. The two of us quickly bought it as if we had found a treasure.The three books are all in my hands.

In order to save time, neither of us had lunch. We bought a few breads on the way, then hurried back to the hotel, and read eagerly like a terminally ill patient finding a medical book on healing.

Looking at it this way, we almost forgot the time—it’s not that An Wen and Yu Ge’s writing is so attractive, but that I didn’t regard their books as novels at all, but carefully studied them as important materials.At six o'clock in the afternoon, I finished reading those two books.Chen Sida is still burying his head in reading - he wants to read one more book than me (I don't need to read my own).Using this time, I found the hotel's sticky notes and recorded some key points in the three books so that I could discuss them with Chen Sida later.

A little after seven, Chen Sida finished reading all three books.He rubbed his sore and swollen eyes and said, "Damn it, it's been a long time since I graduated from college that I read for hours on end."

"Me too."

"are you hungry?"

"a little bit."

"Then let's eat here and ask the waiter to bring it over."

"Ok."

Chen Sida called the hotel restaurant, ordered a few dishes, and asked for them to be delivered to our room within 10 minutes.During the waiting period, we did not talk about the three books for the time being. We stretched our muscles and relaxed our minds. I think Chen Sida, like me, was engrossed and nervous when reading these books.After a few hours, I was naturally very tired.

When the food arrived, we ate quickly, then called the waiter to take away the dishes.Next, let's get down to business.

I asked Chen Sida: "Have you discovered any problems through these three books?"

"What about you?" he asked back.

"What the three books have in common is that they all take a person to see the face of a hanged woman in a reflective object as a clue, triggering a series of subsequent events or mysteries." I concluded.

Chen Sida nodded.

"However, the setting of the plot will be different afterwards." I took the post-it note I used for recording just now and pointed it to Chen Sida. "I briefly summed up the content of each book—the "Sly Face" written by Yuge, it is about the male protagonist who often sees a scary picture of a hanged woman in the reflective objects after he moves to a new house. After he learned about the situation from people nearby, he learned that a middle-aged woman had hanged herself here before in this house. Now this ghost seems to be hinting at himself, and there is something hidden in it. Finally, after investigation, the hero found that This middle-aged woman did not hang herself, but was murdered and pretended to be a suicide scene. The purpose of this ghost is to let him find out the real culprit and avenge himself."

"Well, that sums it up pretty well."

"An Wen's "The Woman in the Mirror", in fact, I think it is more novel in terms of plot setting - he wrote that the heroine hanged herself because of a broken relationship, and became a lonely ghost who could not be saved. This ghost Because I still can't forget my boyfriend, I went to visit him quietly at his residence, but I didn't expect to find out the real reason why my boyfriend abandoned me. The ghost was completely enraged and turned into a vicious ghost, trying every means to intimidate and Torturing the heartless man—the main way is to let him see the horror of himself hanging himself in various reflective objects. Finally, the man saw the strange face in the reflector while driving and had a car accident. Also turned into a ghost."

"This story is indeed very innovative - the heroine is not a person but a ghost. The dialogue between the two ghosts at the end of the story is also very meaningful." Chen Sida said. "Okay, here's your "Reflection" at the end."

"This is the story I wrote." I know this too well to write it down on a post-it note. "Since the protagonist was in his teens, he will see the terrifying face of a hanged woman in all reflective things. He drew this face from memory and searched for information about this face. Finally, he It turns out that this is a woman who actually existed decades ago, and various circumstances indicate that this woman may be his previous life."

"Your story seems to end here."

"Yes, because this is the upper part, and the original plan has a lower part."

Chen Sida thought for a moment and asked, "Qianqiu, when you were writing this story, why did you think of using 'past life' as an explanation? Is this your own idea?"

"Not exactly..." I thought back, "It was something Fei Yunhan said that reminded me of this."

"What did he say?"

I bit my lip and thought for a moment. "He told me that he often had the feeling that the hanged woman (in the reflector) was himself."

Chen Sida frowned.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"It's nothing." Chen Sida looked at the note. "What else did you record?"

"I counted the information on the 'hanged women' in each book—including their names, ages, and physical characteristics. I don't know if these are meaningful."

"Names should be meaningless. Obviously, no one will put the real names of the people who provide the story material in the book. But age and appearance should be meaningful." Chen Sida looked at me, "Actually, I was in I also noticed the issue of age when I watched it.”

"What did you find?" I asked him.

"In your story and Yuge's story, the woman who hanged herself is about 40 years old, but in An Wen's story, the woman is 20 years old."

I thought hard, but couldn't figure it out, so I asked, "What does this mean?"

"Let me ask you first, why did you set the age of the hanged woman at 40?"

"This is based on the materials provided by Fei Yunhan - what he saw was the face of a woman in her 40s."

Chen Sida stretched out his hands and gestured in front of me. "Okay, now let's assume - will An Wen and Yu Ge be the same as you?"

"You mean, the ages they set also come from their respective providers?"

"Yes."

I understand. "What you're saying is that the person who gave them the story -- the person who actually lived through it -- saw a 40-year-old woman in the reflector and a 20-year-old woman."

"Yes! If this is the case, then we may be able to make a bold guess—there were three women, two around 40 years old, and one around 20 years old. For some reason, they hanged themselves together!"

I was shocked. "Why did you come to such a conclusion?"

"It can't be called a 'conclusion', it's just a 'conjecture'." Chen Sida corrected.

"Why do you think these three women committed suicide 'together'?"

Chen Sida looked at me. "Qianqiu, judging from the current situation, do you think that these three women who hanged themselves have nothing to do with each other?"

I fell silent.After a while, I asked, "So, if your conjecture is true, what does it mean?"

Chen Sida grabbed a pen from the bedside table, turned over a page of the sticky note, and said while writing: "Qianqiu, in psychology, there is such a way to solve problems - when we feel that something has no clue , let’s simplify it and only focus on the most critical parts of it. Let’s take this matter that we’ve encountered now—the whole process is very complicated. So, now we will summarize a few of this matter Extract a key word and see if you can find something.”

At the same time as he finished speaking, he had already written a few lines on the paper and handed the note to me. "What do these keywords remind you of?"

I took the post-it note and saw that it said:

different age = different date of birth;

Hanging together = dying on the same day;
Suspected Reason: Agreed suicide
I read over and over again what I wrote on the paper, and suddenly I thought of a sentence, which popped up in no time: "I don't want to be born in the same year and the same month, but I want to die in the same year and the same month!"

"That's right..." Chen Sida was about to say something when a gust of cold wind suddenly blew in from the window.Immediately, the ceiling lights and bedside lights in the room began to flicker on and off.Immediately a chill ran down my spine, and the hairs all over my body stood on end.

We closed the windows.

I closed it with my own hands, and I remember it clearly.But now, with horrified eyes, we see that the balcony windows have been pushed back.

I quickly hugged Chen Sida, but deep fear seized both of us at the same time.The light bulb was still flickering, I have never encountered such a thing, I was so nervous that I was short of breath and couldn't move.

After about half a minute, the abnormal situation disappeared, and everything returned to calm.We waited for a while, Chen Sida stood up, and quickly walked to the balcony to close the window.He came back and said to me in horror: "Qianqiu, I think we guessed right..."

"Stop it!" I pressed his mouth.He felt me ​​trembling and pulled me over and hugged me tightly.

Chen Sida gently stroked my back with his generous palm, comforting me: "Okay, let's stop talking..."

We hugged each other, and it took us a long time to get through this moment of fear.

Originally, I thought that moment just now was scary enough.But in fact, what happened that night made me feel what it means to be heartbroken.

twenty
Under a jujube tree on the hillside, three girls were beating the jujubes on the tree with thin bamboo poles, talking and laughing.Several people looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, and they could understand it by looking at their undeveloped bodies.Ripe red dates fell to the ground, and the three girls picked them up with their hands, and put them into their mouths without wiping them twice.Tired from beating, there were enough jujubes on the ground, so the three girls sat under the tree, picking up jujubes on the ground and eating them.While eating, he looked at the other party with a silly smile, and then talked about some things about his daughter's family, looking very comfortable.

But after a while, a girl with twisted braids looked worried and said, "Well, the days when the three of us play like this may not be many in the future."

The girl who answered the conversation had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and looked like a kid.She asked puzzledly, "Qiao Nier, why do you say that?"

The girl called Qiao Nier lowered her head and said, "My mother told me to get married..."

"That's a good thing!" Another girl in a floral padded jacket clapped her hands, "That's great, Qiao Nier is going to be a daughter-in-law too, just like me!"

Qiao Nier glared at her: "Stop laughing at Shuangfeng, do you know who I'm going to marry?"

Shuangfeng asked: "Who?"

Qiao Nier said with a bitter face, "Old Yangtou from Niuzhuang."

"Oh, it's the old Yang who collects rice with other families and sells it in the city? He must be 60 years old?" the girl with braided braids asked in surprise.

"Isn't it, Sister Yanzi (probably the nickname of the braided girl), I used to call Lao Yangtou Grandpa when I saw him. Now..." Qiao Nier was about to cry.

Shuangfeng asked: "Why did your mother let you marry him!"

Qiao Nier said: "My mother said that although Lao Yang is a bit old, his body is still quite strong... Also, my mother said that after marrying him, he will not have to worry about food."

Yanzi was a little anxious: "That's what I said, but you married to be a concubine."

Shuangfeng nodded her head one after another, and said in agreement: "And I often heard Brother Zhuzi say that Lao Yangtou's wife is very powerful, not to mention tall and tall, and even five women can't scold her when they quarrel. You If you marry her and be the second wife, why don't you look at her face every day?"

Qiao Nier covered her face and began to cry: "I know! That's why I'm afraid! It's all right to marry Lao Yangtou, but thinking of her wife makes me tremble all over."

Shuangfeng said: "If you tell your mother these things, you will say that you will die and never marry."

"How can my mother not know this. But she cried and said to me, our five daughters, our parents can't afford it, we can only marry one. Sister Shuangfeng, Sister Yanzi, you say, this kind of marriage Things, how can we have the final say?"

Yanzi asked: "So, this marriage has already been decided by your mother, and you can't change it?"

Qiao Nier nodded her head bitterly: "My mother has collected the betrothal gifts and money from Old Yang, and the date has also been set."

Yanzi said angrily: "This is not marrying a daughter, it is clearly selling a daughter!"

Shuangfeng sighed: "It doesn't matter whether it is married or sold, our daughter's family's life is always involuntary."

Yanzi smacked her lips, as if she didn't agree with Shuangfeng's words. Among the three, she was the most rebellious.She pulled Qiao Nier and asked: "What day is your mother's appointment?"

"It's December, the day of heavy snow (solar terms). The matchmaker said that she saw the day and it was the most suitable day for marriage."

The swallow cried: "Oh, isn't that next month?"

"Yeah, but it worries me to death."

"Are you really going to marry?"

"What else? Do I have a choice?"

Swallow bit his lip and said nothing.Shuangfeng is someone who has experienced it. She took Qiao Nier's hand and said, "Nier, I think you don't have to worry about it, just accept your fate. We women always want to marry." Her tone became sour. "You may be better than me if you marry Lao Yangtou."

Both Qiao Nier and Yan Zi looked at her, and asked puzzledly, "How could it be?"

Shuangfeng let out a long sigh: "If I hadn't talked about these things today, I wouldn't want to tell you. My little brother[7], alas..."

Yanzi asked, "What happened to him?"

Shuangfeng said sadly: "I married there when I was 12 years old, and I took care of my little husband who was under [-] years old every day. At that time, he couldn't speak, and he couldn't walk well. I thought it was because he was young... …Now that he is over five years old, he still can’t talk, walk, eat or relieve himself. It doesn’t matter if he is fed, but every night he has diarrhea on the bed and cries endlessly...I just found out, When I got married, no one told me that my little husband is actually a fool. My in-laws don’t expect anything else, but hope that he will grow up to be more than ten years old and consummate the house with me so that the family can be passed on. It's hard to live a fool's life..." At this point, Shuangfeng felt sad for a while, and wiped away tears.

Swallow said in surprise: "Ah... I've never heard anyone say that your husband is a fool before."

Shuangfeng wiped her tears and said: "My parents-in-law are so good-faced that they never told the outside world. Even my parents were lied to by them at first, but now it's too late. That's it."

What happened to Shuangfeng attracted the other two girls to take her as an object of sympathy.The three of them held each other's hands and sighed together.After a while, Qiao Nier said: "Sister Yanzi, it seems that Sister Shuangfeng and I are destined for this life. Now you are the only one who is free. In the future, you must marry a man you like, don't be like us .”

When Yanzi heard this, she showed anxiety and embarrassment, her whole face flushed, as if remembering something embarrassing.Qiao Nier was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Yanzi concealed: "No, it's nothing..."

Shuangfeng saw the clue, and said with some displeasure: "Yanzi, I told you the facts about my husband's family just now. You have something to do but cover it up and don't want to tell us. Do you think we are good sisters?"

Yanzi looked at the two sisters, looking very embarrassed.After a while, she choked out a sentence: "In my life... I can't get married anymore."

"Why?" the two asked curiously.

Swallow thought for a while, since the words have been said here, it is better to tell the whole story, so as not to say that he is not mean enough.She said to the two: "I told you, but you can't tell others."

"Ah."

"But don't say it!"

"It's natural, how can we tell others the secret between us sisters?" Shuangfeng said, Qiao Nier also nodded.

Yanzi hesitated for a while, and finally decided to go all out: "During the Dragon Boat Festival last year, the three of us and Brother Zhu[8] went to the city to watch dragon boat rowing, do you remember?"

"Remember."

"Later we got separated, you two went back together, and I went back with brother Zhuzi."

"Well, what happened?"

Yanzi pursed her lips and held back for a long time, then blushed and said in a low voice: "On the way back, we passed a small forest, Brother Zhuzi gave me... broken."

"Ah! You..." Qiao Nier couldn't help shouting.Swallow hurriedly covered her mouth. "Don't shout! Let others hear!"

After a long time, the two girls calmed down a little, and all three of them blushed.Qiao Nier asked: "Yanzi, no one else knows about this?"

"Of course no one knows, or I would die."

"That matter... what's it like?" Shuangfeng asked with a blushing heart.

"Oh, I hate it!" Yanzi turned her head away in shame, but couldn't help giggling. "Anyway, you will always know later!"

Shuangfeng said, "If you don't tell me, we'll ask brother Zhuzi."

Yanzi shouted: "How dare you!" As she said that, she rushed towards Shuangfeng, and Qiao Nier made a posture to help Shuangfeng.The three girls were laughing and playing together.

Tired from the fuss, they calmed down to rest.Qiao Nier suddenly remembered something, and said, "Oh, sister Yanzi, you will always marry in the future. When your husband finds out that you are broken, what will you do?"

"Keep your voice down!" Yanzi looked around nervously and shyly.

Shuangfeng lowered her voice and said: "Swallow, to be honest, this is a big deal. Our girl, if we let her husband's family know that she broke before she got married, she will be 'sinked' or 'sell'." Yes!"

"Sister Yanzi can marry Brother Zhuzi, then it doesn't matter." Qiao Nier said.

Yanzi said quietly: "No, brother Zhuzi has already proposed marriage to him, and it is said that his mother agreed..."

"Then what do you do?"

"I just said that I will never marry in my life."

"But this kind of thing is not up to you to decide. When the matchmaker comes to propose marriage, as long as your parents agree, they will have to go through the door!" Shuangfeng became a little anxious. "Are you fourteen too? I think this will happen soon!"

Yanzi was a little at a loss: "Then... what should I do?"

Shuangfeng scolded: "You are like a fool, how could you do such a foolish thing!"

"Then can you blame me..." Yanzi muttered in a low voice.

After sitting under the jujube tree for a long time, none of the three could come up with an idea.In the end, Shuangfeng lamented: "Oh, our daughter's family lives in this world, why is it so hard? All the red tape seems to be aimed at us, and there is no way to resist. Even...even life cannot be controlled by oneself. Come dominate."

Qiao Nier sighed, but Yan Zi didn't speak.After a long while, she suddenly said, "Who says life can't be decided by oneself?"

Both Shuangfeng and Qiao Nier looked at her.

Swallow said to them mysteriously: "Do you know 'Garden'?"

The two girls shook their heads together: "What garden?"

Yanzi lowered his voice and said: "I also heard from the older generation that there is a place in this world where there is only happiness but no pain and sorrow. There are endless good things to eat and endless new clothes to wear. , and our daughter's family is in that place, just like men. The old people call it the 'garden'."

Shuangfeng and Qiao Nier listened fascinatedly, and were brought into the incomparably wonderful fantasies and longings.After a while, Shuangfeng asked: "Is there such a good place? Why haven't I heard of it?"

"I also overheard my grandma and the others talking about it when I was a child. They didn't want us to know about it. You think, if everyone went to the garden, it would be okay."

Qiao Nier opened her round eyes and asked, "Why? Why don't you go to such a good place?"

Yanzi was silent for a moment, then said: "Because that place can only be visited after death."

Both Shuangfeng and Qiao Nier were stunned.After a while, Qiao Nier said: "Sister Yanzi, you are not teasing us, are you?"

"Who's kidding you?" Swallow said solemnly, "I've made up my mind, I'm going to the garden!"

Qiao Nier asked in surprise: "Really?"

"of course it's true!"

Qiao Nier thought for a while and said, "Then I will go with you too!"

"Qiao Nier, you..." Shuangfeng looked at her in astonishment.

"Sister Shuangfeng, I'm going! Instead of marrying Lao Yangtou as a concubine, it's better to find this happy and beautiful garden!"

"Do you really believe that there is a 'garden'?" Shuangfeng said worriedly, "What if it was just made up by the elders..."

"That's okay." Swallow said, "Anyway, if I let my husband's family know about my affairs after I get married, I will be 'sinked', so I might as well go to the garden now!"

"Yes! If I marry into Lao Yang's family and suffer, it may be worse than dying. I'd rather gamble once!" Qiao Nier took Yan Zi's arm, as if they had formed a heart.Qiao Nier asked, "Sister Shuangfeng, what about you? Aren't you suffering too? Why don't we three sisters go to the garden together and live a happy life!"

Swallow also said: "Yes, Shuangfeng, then we three sisters can play carefree in the garden every day, that would be great!"

Shuangfeng thought for a long time, and finally made a decision: "Okay, I'll go to the garden with you! I've had enough of this kind of life!"

"That's great, Sister Shuangfeng!" Qiao Nier hugged Shuangfeng excitedly, Yanzi also gathered, and the three hugged each other.

"Let's make an appointment." Swallow said.

"Tell me, Sister Yanzi." Qiao Nier said.

Swallow thought for a while and said, "Qiao Nier, will your wedding day be the day of heavy snow next month?"

"Yes."

"Then let's set it on the day of Xiaoxue this month, shall we?"

"Okay!" The two girls nodded together.

Shuangfeng asked: "How do we get to the garden?"

Swallow thought about it and said, "Go into the river, that's the most convenient way."

"No, no, no... the river is too cold, it's unbearable." Qiao Nier frowned.

"Then let's hang ourselves," Swallow said.

This time, the two girls have no objection.

"Hey, what clothes were we wearing that day?" Qiao Nier asked.

"Of course we have to wear the most beautiful clothes, and we have to dress up and go to the garden beautifully," said the swallow.

"Yeah! I'll put on the red padded jacket I got married on." Qiao Nier asked Shuangfeng, "You also have a red jacket, Sister Shuangfeng."

"Yes, I wore it when I got married." Shuangfeng said.

"It's a pity that I don't have it." Swallow said regretfully.

"It's okay, Sister Yanzi, we will accompany you to the town to buy a new red ribbon, so you can dress up beautifully!"

"Yeah!" Swallow nodded happily.

In this way, the three girls happily made an appointment to hang themselves, and they made an appointment to go to the garden together on Xiaoxue's day.

21
Lunar calendar, light snow.

Yanzi and Qiao Nier arrived at the agreed place early - an abandoned wooden house in the village.They are looking forward to here, waiting for the arrival of Shuangfeng.

Qiao Nier ran out without telling her family, and put on the red padded jacket she had prepared for her wedding day.Swallow did not have a wedding dress, but wore a floral dress that would only be worn during festivals.Both combed their hair neatly and tied a hairpin, like two brides.The swallow's head is tied with a newly bought red headband, and it looks beaming.

The appointment was in the morning, but Shuangfeng arrived in a hurry after noon.She also put on a red jacket, and she was as beautiful as when she got married two years ago.After the wooden house was gathered, Qiao Nier complained: "Sister Shuangfeng, why did it take you so long to arrive? Sister Yanzi and I have been waiting here for several hours."

Shuangfeng said: "I can't help it. My younger brother seemed to have a premonition in the morning. He was crying and screaming, and he insisted on not letting me leave. It was hard for me to put him to sleep. I still have to wait for my father-in-law and mother-in-law. I dared to run out in this suit only after I fell asleep."

"Forget it, just come anyway." Yanzi pointed to a beam in the middle of the room and said, "While waiting for you, Qiao Nier and I will tie the ropes."

Shuangfeng looked up, only to find that on a beam in the middle of the house, three ropes for hanging were tied side by side, and the hanging part was tied with a rope loop for the head to stick in.Below are three wooden stools.

Seeing this situation, Shuangfeng couldn't help feeling chills in her heart, she swallowed her saliva, and there was a look of fear in her eyes.

Yanzi saw that Shuangfeng was hesitant, and asked, "Shuangfeng, don't you regret it?"

Shuangfeng faltered: "No...no."

Yanzi looked at her for a while, then suddenly took Qiao Nier and Shuangfeng's hands together, and said: "Let's make an oath. When we hang our necks for a while, the three of us will kick away the chairs stepped on at the same time. If some of us temporarily regret not doing so..."

"So what?" Jonny asked.

Swallow thought for a while: "The one who dies first will be reincarnated, waiting for her to carry on in the next life! In short, we three sisters will go to the garden together."

"Yes, we must go to the garden together!" Qiao Nier said firmly.

"Well, let's go to the garden together." Shuangfeng repeated.

The three girls made their vows, went to the middle of the house, and each stepped on a wooden bench.They grabbed the noose with both hands and stuck their heads in.Yanzi and Qiao Nier looked solemn and expectant, and Shuangfeng trembled all over.

"Let's say that sentence together, and then kick off the stool at the same time." Swallow said.

"Yeah." Qiao Nier nodded.This sentence is something they have already thought about.

"We three sisters don't want to be born in the same year and the same month, but we want to die in the same year and the same month!" The three said together.Shuangfeng's voice was very weak.

After Yanzi and Qiao Nier finished speaking, they kicked down the wooden stool without hesitation.The bodies of the two of them sank suddenly, hanging in the air.

Shuangfeng didn't know what she was thinking. After she said that, she might still be hesitating, and she didn't kick off the stool immediately.At this moment, she saw that the two sisters had successfully hanged themselves!She stared wide-eyed in horror, watching their faces turn purple due to suffocation, their eyes were constantly protruding out, and their tongues were involuntarily sticking out of their mouths, stretching out longer and longer, looking extremely painful. Scary to the extreme.

Shuangfeng's legs trembled, her face was pale, and she was completely shocked.What made her shudder the most was that she saw Yanzi's bulging eyes staring at her side, the meaning of which was self-evident.After a while, Yanzi and Qiao Nier were completely motionless, and Shuangfeng couldn't take it anymore, she screamed and jumped off the wooden bench, and ran out of the wooden house like crazy...

Then, it felt like a long time.

When I saw Shuangfeng again, she looked close to 40 years old, and the foolish husband also looked 25-[-]. There was a boy in his teens beside them, who looked like Shuangfeng and his father.Shuangfeng is sad and lifeless all day long, with a haggard face.She often woke up from her sleep, crying loudly, and shouted: "Yanzi, Nier, I'm sorry for you, please let me go!"

The picture suddenly changed again, and I saw Shuangfeng wearing a rope on the beam of her house. She put the rope on her head, and said slowly with a relieved expression: "Yan'er, Nier, I'm here. I'm late It’s been more than 20 years, but I’m still here, so don’t rush me.”

When the stool fell, Shuangfeng's legs were hanging in the air.She was wearing a red jacket, large flowered trousers and red cloth shoes, exactly the same as when she got married more than 20 years ago.

22

"Ah—" I woke up suddenly, trembling all over.Touching his face, it was full of undried tears.I sat up and couldn't help covering my face and weeping.

With a bang, the bedside lamp came on.Chen Sida saw me sitting on the bed crying in the middle of the night, not knowing what had happened.He hurriedly jumped out of bed, sat beside me, held my shoulder and asked, "Qianqiu, what's wrong?"

I threw myself into Chen Sida's arms and cried even harder: "Sida, I... I had a dream."

"Did you have a nightmare? It's okay, it's okay..." Chen Sida comforted me by patting me on the back.

"No, it's not an ordinary nightmare. This dream is so real, everything seems to be happening in front of my eyes!" I recalled that frightening picture again. "Those three girls hanged themselves right in front of me!"

Chen Sida looked at me in surprise: "What?"

"In my dream, I saw three girls from the old days, who looked like thirteen or fourteen years old. For various reasons, they agreed to hang themselves on the same day. But one of the girls named Shuangfeng repented temporarily..." I Tell Chen Sida the content of the dream.

Chen Sida thought for a while after listening. "You said that before they hanged themselves, they said, 'I don't want to be born in the same year and the same month, but I want to die in the same year and the same month'?"

"Yes! This dream is like telling me what happened back then!"

"Do you think the people and things in this dream actually existed?"

"Otherwise? How could I have such a dream?"

Chen Sida shook his head and said, "Qianqiu, you know that 'thinking every day and dreaming at night'. This sentence has a scientific basis. We talked about it before going to sleep. After falling asleep, the brain cortex The subconscious mind is still active, so it causes you to have dreams like this."

I am willing to believe Chen Sida's explanation, but I still doubt that the dream just now is anything but ordinary.That feeling is too real, too clear.I can still clearly remember the looks of those three girls, and the horrible appearance when they hanged themselves, and their voices are still echoing in my ears.Everything seems to have happened a few minutes ago.

Seeing that I was silent, Chen Sida guessed that I was overly frightened.He said, "I'll get you a glass of water, just drink some warm water." He said and stood up from my bed.

The moment he moved away from me, I suddenly saw something on the white sheet.When I saw clearly what it was, my brain exploded, and my whole body shook violently like chaff.

"Sida... you, come here..." I was so frightened that I couldn't utter a complete sentence, my hands tightly grasped the quilt, and my body tightened up.

Chen Sida turned his head and followed my line of sight to see that extra thing on the quilt.He picked it up and asked wonderingly, "Where did this red rope come from?"

I know, I know what this is.I just saw this thing in my dream--this is the new red-headed rope on the swallow's head!Now, it is actually in front of me, and it is still so new, as if it has been in another world for so many years, and it is only now reappearing in the world.

Chen Sida came over with the red-headed rope and asked, "Whose is this, Qianqiu? Do you know?"

"Don't take it here!" I yelled, terrified and terrified.Chen Sida stayed where he was, opened his mouth slightly, and seemed to have guessed what was going on.

"Throw this thing away!" I yelled. "It's out of this world!"

Chen Sida followed what I said, went to the balcony to open the window, and threw the red-headed rope into the air.

He came back and put his arm on my shoulder.I tucked the blanket tightly and leaned against him.Suddenly, everything came to my mind.After experiencing so many horrific events before, I am not so afraid now.I grabbed Chen Sida's hand and said, "I understand everything! I know everything about it!"

Chen Sida stared at me.

"Before those three girls hanged themselves, they made a vow - if anyone survived, the one who died first would be reincarnated, waiting for her to carry it out in the next life! As a result, the girl named Shuangfeng changed her mind temporarily, Sure enough, the contract was broken. So Yanzi and Qiao Nier have been waiting for Shuangfeng after reincarnation." I opened my eyes wide and said to Chen Sida, "Do you understand? Fei Yunhan and the other two provided story materials to Yuge and An Wen's person is the reincarnation of these three girls! They have the same nightmare in this life—the face of the hanged woman that appears in the reflective object is exactly what they looked like in their previous lives!"

Chen Sida was tongue-tied, as if he couldn't accept it.He paused for a long time, then said: "But, if they have already been reincarnated, they already have a real body, how can they entrust dreams to you like ghosts?"

"It's obsession." This is what I felt deeply in my dream. "The oath they made before they died tied the three of them tightly like a hanging rope. This obsession formed an incredible force that was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people—but It can explain why Fei Yunhan (and the other two people) can see visions in the reflective objects, and why I dreamed about their scenes back then."

"This kind of strange thing happened to Fei Yunhan and two other people, I can understand it. But why did it happen to you? This matter has nothing to do with you." Chen Sida said.

I thought about it and said: "I think it's because Fei Yunhan and the others failed to understand this matter, so the power in the dark asked me to write this matter in order to wake up Fei Yunhan and the others. memory!"

Suddenly I thought of something related to it: "Ah... this can just explain why both Yu Ge and An Wen encountered accidents, but I didn't—because their writing was in the wrong direction, while mine was correct ——The whole thing is really related to the 'previous life'!"

Chen Sida showed a horrified expression: "So Yu Ge and An Wen were really killed by the ghost that is still haunting after reincarnation? This is really unbelievable."

"It's unbelievable, but it's the only possibility that explains everything," I said.

Chen Sida frowned deeply, thought for a few minutes, and said, "That's right, everything is connected in this way. But there is one thing, I think something is wrong."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"The time is a bit wrong." Chen Sida said.

"What do you mean?" I didn't understand.

Chen Sida cleared his mind a little. "The contents of the dream you mentioned - such as child brides, marrying a second wife, etc., are things that only happened in the old society. Especially the matter of 'taking concubines'. As far as I know, since the May 1919th in 1919 After the 'movement', 'monogamy' was implemented and was written into the 'Marriage Law' of the Republic of China. Like Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek, they had only one wife. That is to say, what happened in your dream was at least It happened before 2011, and now it is 90, at least [-] years ago. Qianqiu, do you understand what I mean?"

I still shook my head in confusion.

Chen Sida said: "What you saw in your dream were three thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls. After they hanged themselves, if they were reincarnated, they would be at least 90 years old. The other two we don't know. Let's not talk about it, but Fei Yunhan's age is completely out of line."

I said, "But the three of them didn't die together. Shuangfeng lived to be nearly 40 years old."

"Fei Yunhan is only a little over 40 years old now, even if you add the 20-odd years that Shuangfeng lived, he still can't make it to 90 years old."

I frowned.

"One more thing." Chen Sida continued, "If what Fei Yunhan saw was Shuangfeng, then who were the other two seeing? It’s the face of a 40-year-old woman, and what An Wen wrote is the face of a 20-year-old woman—what’s going on here? They all don’t match.”

I thought about it. "Actually, there is nothing unreasonable about this. After all, Yuge and An Wen wrote novels. Maybe they changed their ages according to the needs of the plot."

"Then why does Fei Yunhan's age not match?"

I thought about it for a long time, and I could only say: "Modern science can't explain such things as reincarnation. Who knows what laws it follows? No one can know whether people will be reincarnated immediately after death, or whether they have to wait for a while." ——This matter has long been beyond our cognition.”

Chen Sida declined to comment, thoughtful.After a while, he asked: "If everything is as we infer, what are you going to do?"

I looked back and sighed. "What else can I do? The ghost sent me all the red-headed ropes, which clearly hinted that I would write down the things in the dream. If I don't do it, I'm afraid I will end up like Yu Ge and An Wen."

Chen Sida hesitated and said: "But... have you ever thought about what would happen if Fei Yunhan and the other two people read this book after it was released, and it really awakened the memory of the previous life?"

I said sadly: "I haven't thought about it, and I don't want to think about it. If this is really the fate of their previous life, then it should be settled. Will they read my book, or what will happen after reading it? , that is beyond what I could have predicted and manipulated..."

I looked up and looked sadly at the man beside me. "Sida, I just want to live." Chen Sida hugged me without saying a word.

23

Next, we stayed in S City for a few more days.Police officer Wang from the Public Security Bureau probably conducted a series of investigations and found that there was indeed nothing wrong with us, so he called us to leave S City.Chen Sida and I immediately took the same day's plane back to our city.

Chen Sida is going back to work.I know he can't be by my side all the time.In fact, after experiencing this incident together, we seem to have become a pair of lovers.But it's a pity that we didn't order each other's clothes.Maybe it's because we've gotten used to the celibate life, or maybe this matter hasn't been finally resolved, and none of us are in the mood to do those romantic things.After Chen Sida left, I started to implement the original plan.

I contacted Luo Min and asked her to ask if her current company is interested in the second part of my "Reflection".Unexpectedly, she replied to me within 5 minutes, saying that the boss is very willing to publish, and that it is their dream to cooperate with me.I don't know if these words are sincere - maybe An Wen and Yuge are both dead, and now there is no need to worry about plagiarism?Whatever it is, as long as I get the chance to get my writing out and get it published, I've achieved my goal.

After such a long delay, it is already early October.As my life is threatened at all times, or as long as I think that those ghosts may be around, I don't dare to neglect for a moment. I write without sleep or food every day. As a result, I set a record for the completion of the manuscript so far-in just 20 days. The lower part of "Reflection" with more than [-] words.In this book, I described in detail the thought-provoking incident that happened in the feudal society, and closely connected this plot with the plot of the previous one, clearly explaining the ins and outs of the whole thing—actually The above is to write everything I know intact.I even used the original names of the three girls in the book—Swallow, Qiao Nier and Shuangfeng.

After the manuscript was sent to the new publishing company, it received even more praise than the previous one.The boss promised me to arrange publication as soon as possible.In mid-November, the second part of "Reflection" began to be released in major bookstores.

More than a week later, Luo Min happily called me and asked if there was a third volume of this book.I told her the story was over.However, Luo Min's storytelling has received a very good response, and readers are strongly looking forward to a sequel.If it was the past, I would be very happy and readily agree, but this matter—I really don’t want to have anything to do with it anymore. I just hope to get rid of this terrible shadow completely and live a peaceful life before.So, I rejected Luo Min's proposal.She was very puzzled by this and said that she hoped that I could think about it again.

If she knew the real inside story about this book, she might not dare to be the publishing editor of this book.What else can I think about?In fact, regardless of this book, I plan not to write any novels in the past six months, and I have to take a good rest for a while.

Chen Sida calls me every day.I could tell he cared about me, or my safety.When he learned that the second part of "Reflection" had been successfully published, he was as relieved as I was.We all hope this marks the end - at least for me.

But the reality always backfires.As soon as my phone rang that day, I looked at the caller ID and knew it wasn't over.

It was Fei Yunhan calling.

I hesitated for more than ten seconds whether to answer the call or not.I can't guess the purpose of Fei Yunhan's call - did he watch the second part of "Reflection"?Had he already guessed what I or the ghost was up to?How should I face him?
Finally, I pressed the answer button.I don't want to escape.What should come will always come, and it cannot be avoided.

"Hello, Mr. Fei?" I tried to keep a calm tone.

"Yes, writer Qianqiu, hello."

"Hello."

We were silent for a while.

"I only know now that I am a coward."

He said this suddenly, which made me feel very puzzled.I asked, "Mr. Fei, why did you say that?"

He was silent again, and said: "I have heard about the strange deaths of the two authors, An Wen and Yu Ge. I don't know if this incident has also brought you trouble and distress. I had already heard about it. I just wanted to call and ask about your situation, but I couldn’t muster up the courage. I’m afraid..."

He stopped.I asked, "What are you afraid of?"

He let out a long breath. "It's nothing, I'm not afraid now, I know everything."

Have you read my new book? This sentence was almost on the tip of my tongue, and I swallowed it back abruptly.I'm a cowardly person who can't even ask such a simple sentence.

"I'm calling you now because I want to say sorry to you——if this matter involves you, I'm really sorry. Please believe me. When I came to you, I would never It was unexpected that this would happen.”

Listening to what he meant, he seemed to know everything about what I was going through.I don't know how he knew this.I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say.

"Okay, Writer Qianqiu, I feel much better after telling you this. I put 1000 million on that bank card of yours. Please don't refuse, just take it as my apology." He said sincerely, "I just hope I can feel more at ease in the end...not to bother."

I felt a very ominous feeling in my heart, I think I guessed what Fei Yunhan was going to do.But at this time, I actually only held back a sentence that was neither painful nor itchy. "Mr. Fei, thank you, you... Take care."

"Okay, bye."

After hanging up the phone, I stood there blankly, unable to calm down for a long time.

What Fei Yunhan said stimulated me, he calmed his conscience at the last moment, so what about my conscience?

Suddenly, I remembered something, raised my phone, and looked at the date on it—November 11.

I quickly checked the calendar, and when I saw which day in the lunar calendar corresponds to November 11rd, I froze.

Today is the lunar calendar light snow.

24

God, Yanzi, Qiao Nier and Shuangfeng agreed to commit suicide on this day a few years ago!
I panicked, my heart was beating wildly.I checked the time, it is four o'clock in the afternoon.After Fei Yunhan finished calling me, would he just...

I don't know what's wrong with me, all of a sudden, I don't care about anything.All I can think about right now is how to save Fei Yunhan!I can't watch him commit suicide like this, indifferent.I don't want to be condemned by conscience for the rest of my life!
What to do, what to do?I was so anxious that I was at a loss, the only thing I could do was to call back Fei Yunhan's cell phone immediately.However, he turned off the phone.My heart tightened.

I pressed my forehead and ordered myself to calm down.It is not yet certain that Fei Yunhan has committed suicide.I must take measures as soon as possible, even if there is still a glimmer of hope, I cannot give up.

Suddenly, I thought of someone - Fei Yunhan's wife!She visited me in February, and Xiaoya should have her contact number in her visitor register!
I dug out my notebook and found out that Fei Yunhan's wife came to see me on February 2.I immediately called Xiaoya.

"Xiaoya, is the visitor registration book with you now?"

"No, it's in the studio. What's the matter, sister Qianqiu?"

"Hurry up to the studio, find the registration book, and check the phone numbers of the visitors on February 2. You must be quick!"

Xiaoya is very smart, she heard that this matter is extremely urgent, so she didn't ask me the reason at all, and immediately agreed: "Okay, I'll go right away!"

I paced back and forth in the living room, waiting anxiously.Xiaoya's work efficiency is extremely high. Twenty minutes later, she called: "Sister Qianqiu, I found out that there were four people visiting on February 10th. Who are you looking for?"

"A rich lady in luxurious clothes! Do you have any impression?"

Xiaoya immediately said: "Whether it is Mrs. Kuo or not, among the four names registered that day, I think there is only one that looks like a woman."

"That's great, it's her!" I exclaimed excitedly, "tell me her name and phone number!"

Xiaoya read out the name and a series of numbers from the notebook, and I wrote it down with a pen, then hung up the phone immediately and dialed the mobile phone number.

After a few rings, the other party answered the phone.I just heard her say "Hello", and I immediately knew that this was Fei Yunhan's wife.I don't know why, but I still have the impression of her voice.

"Hello, Mrs. Shangguan?"

She was stunned and didn't speak - I guess it might be because she left a fake name at the beginning, and now she can't respond.After a few seconds, she tentatively asked, "Are you...?"

"I'm Qianqiu. In February this year, you came to my studio to find me, do you remember?"

There was silence for a few seconds, as if her thoughts traveled thousands of miles away and returned to reality. "Oh, yes, I remembered. Do you have anything to do with me, Writer Qianqiu?"

I didn't have time to talk to her slowly, so I asked directly: "Mrs. Shangguan, I want to ask, is your husband—Mr. Fei Yunhan—is he with you now?"

I heard her whisper "ah", looking very surprised. "You... how do you know..."

"Sorry, I don't have time to explain to you slowly. I have something very important to tell you. Please answer my question first, okay?"

She hesitated briefly and said, "He's not with me now, what's the matter?"

I tensed up: "Do you know where he is?"

"I don't know. He said he wanted to go out for a while alone. What's the matter?"

I said anxiously, "You'd better find him right away! I guess he... might kill himself!"

"Ah..." Fei Yunhan's wife took a breath, and then yelled in fear, "God, I feel something is wrong! He really... But, how did you know?"

I didn't answer her question, but hurriedly asked: "Why, you also feel this way?"

Her voice was anxious: "For a while, he has been a little restless and in a trance. This morning, I obviously felt that something was wrong with him. He hasn't said a word since he got up, as if he lost his soul... ..."

After listening to her words, I am sure of my judgment.I hurriedly said, "Madam Shangguan, find Mr. Fei immediately! We must find a way to prevent him from committing suicide!"

"What... what should I do?" She seemed to be in a panic.It's a pity that I can't make specific suggestions, so I can only say: "Anyway... After you find him, stay by his side and never leave."

Fei Yunhan's wife said in a crying voice: "This... is this the solution? I can't always stay by his side and never leave, right?"

For some reason, a sentence popped up out of nowhere, as if it came directly from my subconscious mind. "As long as it's over tonight, you'll be fine!"

The other end of the phone was stunned for a second or two, Fei Yunhan's wife said, "Okay, I see." Then she hung up the phone.

I flopped down on the couch and thought to myself - God, there's only so much I can do.If this still doesn't change his fate, then don't blame me.

I spent the night in a state of anxiety.After waking up the next morning, I didn't know what was going on with Fei Yunhan, and I didn't have the courage to call Fei Yunhan or his wife to verify. I could only turn on the computer, open the news website carefully, and browse the latest news, for fear I saw the news that "financial tycoon Fei Yunhan hanged himself at home last night".Fortunately, I went through all the news headlines and found no such report, so I was a little relieved.

At nine fifty in the morning, my cell phone rang.I saw that it was Fei Yunhan's wife calling, so I answered the phone quickly.

"Hello, Mrs. Shangguan? How is Mr. Fei? Are you okay?"

Her words made a stone fall from my heart. "Well, he's fine. Thank you for your reminder yesterday, Writer Qianqiu."

I didn't know what she meant by "it's okay" and asked, "Did something happen last night?"

There was silence on the phone for a while before another voice came out, which was full of shock and fear. "Yes... last night, I freaked out..."

"what happened?"

She told me from the beginning: "After answering your call yesterday, I immediately called Yunhan, then went out to find him, and brought him home. His mental state is terrible, which makes me very worried But I asked him, but he refused to tell me. When I got home, I had no choice but to watch over him as you said. But at night, I suddenly realized a problem—— What if he does something stupid after I fell asleep? In desperation, I found a sleeping pill and quietly put it in his milk..."

smart woman.I thought to myself—maybe it was this act that saved my husband.I asked, "And then? Didn't Fei always sleep until dawn?"

"No..." she said in panic, "After drinking the glass of milk with sleeping pills, he fell asleep. I thought it was all right. But I didn't expect that in the middle of the night..."

Having said that, she stopped, as if being choked by great fear.

"What happened in the middle of the night?" I couldn't help but get nervous too.

Her vocal cords were trembling: "About four o'clock in the morning, he woke up suddenly, as if he had been woken up by someone. He sat up from the bed, stared straight ahead, and suddenly wailed loudly. Crying, yelling something I don't understand..."

"He... what is he calling?" My throat was also a little tight.

"He was calling the names of two people. I didn't know who they were, but I heard him crying and saying sorry for them, and he missed the appointment... I was so frightened that I couldn't tell whether he was talking in his sleep or what happened……"

I pictured this image and what it represented in my mind, and I was horrified.Fei Yunhan's wife continued: "After crying for about a minute or two, he fell asleep again. When I woke up this morning, I asked him what happened last night. He didn't seem to remember anything. .”

"How is Mr. Fei now?" I asked.

"It's much better. Although his mental state is not very good, he seems to have returned to normal."

"That would be the best."

"Miss Qianqiu, can you tell me now? Why do you know that my husband wanted to commit suicide yesterday? What did he mean by those words he said in the middle of the night? What's going on with all this?"

Faced with this series of questions, I don't know how to answer, or even where to start.I can only tell her: "Mrs. Shangguan, this matter is too complicated and weird, I'm afraid I can't explain it clearly..."

Before I could finish, she said, "I can come to you right away."

"No need." I really don't want to go back to this horrible incident.I told her the truth. "Mrs. Shangguan, if you believe me, please listen to my advice—some things, it's best not to ask the bottom line, otherwise it will only add trouble. People who have experienced this—including you— —Probably exhausted physically and mentally. Now that the matter is over, why don't we put aside our troubles and enjoy the joys of life with the lovers around us?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.Maybe she couldn't listen to what I said, and she still wanted to pursue the answer stubbornly.I sighed and said, "Mrs. Shangguan, if you really want to know what's going on, then read my newly published book. After reading it, you will probably understand."

I gave her one last reminder and hung up.What choice she will make, whether Fei Yunhan can get rid of the troubles of his previous life, whether anything will happen to him in the future - I don't want to worry about these.This matter, I hope at least for me, can completely draw a full stop.

What I want to do now is exactly what I said just now - now, I just want to throw away all the troubles and constraints, and enjoy life to the fullest with the person I like.

25

one year later.

Since Fei Yunhan generously gifted me 1000 million, I did not write for a whole year.I traveled to no less than ten countries with Chen Sida - of course, when he was free.Although we got so close, the relationship still didn't develop any further, and stayed at the stage of friends all the time - but it's okay, he and I are used to it.Just be happy.

Luo Min called several times to press for the manuscript, but she still hasn't given up on the idea of ​​letting me write a sequel to "Reflection".But I refused.But I didn't let her down, because I trained Xiaoya to be a new author with great potential.During this year, because I didn't open a studio, Xiaoya tendered my resignation to me.But I was reluctant to let her go. She helped me and was a rare good assistant.So, I taught her to write and used my connections in the publishing world to help her launch her first book, and the results were pleasantly surprised—Xiaoya's schoolyard suspense novel has a fresh taste and is very popular with student readers .Of course, this is a good thing that benefits several parties—Luo Min is happy to have found a new best-selling author, and Xiaoya has also discovered her own potential.Of course, as her teacher, I also feel relieved and joyful.

After a year of fun and rest, I'm back to work.As usual, the studio began receiving visitors who provided story material.I gradually returned to working condition.

One afternoon, after receiving two visitors, Xiaoya opened the door and came in and said to me, "Sister Qianqiu, a special guest came. He didn't have an appointment, but he insisted on seeing you right away. He said he came from far away. from the place."

My heart trembled, remembering that the last time she said something similar to me, it was Fei Yunhan who came to find me.This time, I didn't know what happened again, so I asked anxiously, "What kind of person is it?"

"A young lad in his twenties."

"What did he want from me?"

"I didn't say it, but it doesn't look like I'm here to provide story material."

I thought about it. "Ask him to come in."

Xiaoya went out, and after a while, a tall, thin young man was brought in.After he saw me, he nodded to me: "Hello, Writer Qianqiu."

"็ Hello Who are you?"

"My name is Fang Mo, and I'm from Chenzhou."

Xiaoya went out and closed the office door.I asked Fang Mo to sit down and asked, "What do you want from me?"

Fang Mo said: "I read the book "Reflection" written by you, and I really couldn't help but want to ask you some questions."

When I heard that it was about the book "Reflection", I couldn't help trembling, and suddenly had a bad premonition.I suppressed this emotion and asked as calmly as possible: "What's the matter?"

"That's right, your book has been published for more than a year, but I don't usually read books, so I didn't know about it. Recently, I heard a friend talk about the content of this book, so I asked to read it. ... found something incredible."

I look at him.

Fang Mo took out an old kraft paper notebook from a briefcase that he carried with him, it was the kind of manuscript that was only available decades ago.He handed me the notebook and said, "Look at it."

I took the manuscript in doubt and opened it carefully.I don't know which era this book is from. The paper is all yellowed and a little brittle, but the handwriting is still legible, and it is written with a pen with blue and black ink.I saw the headline written at the top of the first page - "Through the Mirror".

I asked, "What is this, who wrote the novel?"

"Yes." Fang Mo said, "You can take a rough look."

I quickly skimmed through this story, which was probably written decades ago, and after only reading a dozen pages, I was dumbfounded and froze in shock.

This book tells a story that happened in 1968. A middle-aged woman in her 40s told her husband that over the years, she often saw her face in the mirror as a teenager. A face, and a face that hanged himself!She is terrified and thinks something bad will happen in the near future.The husband thought that there was something wrong with her mentally, but unexpectedly, the wife actually hanged herself and committed suicide...

When I saw this, I was already trembling all over, and I couldn't read any more.I returned the notebook to Fang Mo, with my knuckles on my lips, my face livid.

Fang Mo saw that I was horrified, and he didn't speak for a while.After a few minutes, I asked, "Who wrote this novel?"

"It was written by my grandfather in the 60s. You read it just now. This story is extremely similar to your "Reflection"."

I remembered the plagiarism incident more than a year ago, and asked sensitively: "What do you mean?"

"Ah, no..." Fang Mo hurriedly waved his hands and explained, "I didn't mean that, and it's impossible. Because there is only one copy of this manuscript, which has been kept in my grandfather's box. Except for my father and a few editors from decades ago, no one has read it. Therefore, there is absolutely no plagiarism."

My tone softened a bit: "Is your grandfather still alive?"

"Died a few years ago."

"Do you know anything about this manuscript of his?"

Fang Mo nodded and said: "I know. My grandfather is an amateur writer. When he was free, he wrote a few novels and submitted them as hobbies. But I heard from my father that one day, I don't know where he got it. A story theme, the emotion is extremely excited, and after several days of writing overnight, the novel is completed."

"My grandfather personally brought this novel to the publishing house to discuss with the editor, but in view of the domestic situation at that time, this kind of novel with horror and supernatural color was almost not allowed to be published. My grandfather ran into walls everywhere, and finally had to give up."

"This incident became the biggest regret in my grandfather's life, and it was also a piece of his heart. Before he passed away, he confessed to me and my father on the sick bed, saying that what is recorded in this manuscript is a story adapted from real events. At that time, someone entrusted him to write the story, hoping to publish it, but he still failed to complete the entrustment of that person. My grandfather said that it doesn’t make much sense whether the book is published or not. I just hope that we can take care of this manuscript. Save it."

After listening to Fang Mo's narration, I remained silent, frowning deeply.Fang Mo couldn't help but asked: "Writer Qianqiu, I came to you because I was so curious. How could a story written by my grandfather in the 60s be so similar to the new book you wrote recently? How could it be possible in the world? What's the coincidence?"

After a long silence, I said to him, "Sorry, I have no comment."

Fang Mo seemed to believe that I knew the inside story, he pestered him: "Writer Qianqiu, I came all the way to you just to satisfy my curiosity, so just tell me."

I said coldly, "I told you, I don't know what's going on. What do you want me to tell you?"

Fang Mo opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but I had already stood up and said to him: "I'm sorry, I have to meet some guests. Are you okay?"

Fang Mo stood up full of disappointment and left angrily.

I called Xiaoya in the reception room and told her not to invite guests in for the time being.

I sat on the leather chair, put my hands together to support my forehead, closed my eyes, and took a few deep breaths.

I need to be quiet for a while.

Obviously, I don't have each other Mo to tell the truth.His instincts were right, and I did know what was going on.

My body was trembling slightly, until now, I finally understood this matter thoroughly.

Before, I always thought that Yanzi, Qiao Nier and Shuangfeng were the past lives of Fei Yunhan and the others, but now it seems that they have been reincarnated once before!But for some reason, those three people failed to commit suicide together!Therefore, the three people in the 60s (there may be one who lived for many years like the original Shuangfeng) reincarnated again, in order to continue to carry out the terrible covenant of hanging in this life!

I now understand that what Fei Yunhan sees in the reflective object is the middle-aged woman in her 40s described by Fang Mo's grandfather, and that is his previous life.And that middle-aged woman's previous life was Swallow!
This is not my conjecture, but an absolutely true fact, because I just saw clearly from Grandpa Fang Mo's manuscript that the middle-aged woman in her 40s - what she saw in the mirror was a prickly A little girl with thick eyebrows and big eyes with a red headband!

Thinking of this, I feel cold all over my body.And further associations made me even more chilled - this time, I saved Fei Yunhan, preventing him and the other two from committing suicide at the same time - causing them to fail again!Then, in the next few decades, this kind of thing will happen again - Yanzi, Qiao Nier and Shuangfeng will be reincarnated for the third time, and they will continue to carry out the terrifying covenant of hanging on the three of them!Such a picture even appeared in my mind - in the future, there will be a person who sees his face in the reflective object and sees his face change into the appearance of a strange man (Fei Yunhan)...

God, when will this matter end?

That night, I had a terrible nightmare.I woke up screaming again, drenched in sweat.

I think they haven't let me go yet.The reason for keeping my life is because they still have one thing for me to do.

I do not have choice.

Luo Min answered my phone: "Qianqiu, what's the matter?"

I said in a tired voice, "Yes. I want to tell you that I've changed my mind. There's a third part to Reflection."

(End of "The Covenant of the Hanged Neck")

After Qianqiu's story was finished, the impatient Beidou couldn't help exclaiming: "Oh my God, it's really shocking that such a horrible incident is hidden behind the book "Reflection Light". These... are true Is it?"

"I don't intend to discuss the authenticity of this story. As I said before, I have adapted this matter." Qianqiu asked, "Have you read the book "Reflection"?"

Beidou scratched his head and said, "No...but this book is very famous, I have heard of it, and I know the general content."

"I've read it. It's a fascinating book," Lake said. "But now it seems that the story behind this book is even more fascinating."

"It is indeed a very good story. When I listened to it, I was completely immersed in it. Few stories can make me so invested." Sajia also gave a high evaluation.Qian Qiu smiled lightly.

"Then, if there is no problem, let's start scoring." Arakaki said.

There was a brief silence.Everyone understands what Araki means by "no problem"—is there any similarities between Qianqiu's story and the previous stories (or events).Qianqiu also showed a slight nervousness on his face at the moment, but the silence at the scene seemed to indicate that no one saw any sign of "foul" in this story-at least it seemed that way for now.

Beidou went to the cabinet to take out paper and pens and distributed them to everyone—this matter seemed to be done by him.The 12 writers except Qianqiu scored the stories just now on paper.Nan Tian collected the papers, and as usual, together with Ryoma, counted and calculated the average score in full view.

"The Covenant of the Hanged Neck" spoken by Qianqiu finally got a high score of 9.2 points, second only to Ryoma (9.1).

This is a very sensitive score, not only because it is only 0.1 point away from the current No. [-] Ryoma, but more importantly—everyone present should have thought of this—if Ryoma is "out" due to a foul, The story of Qianqiu is currently the highest score!
This game is really exciting and wonderful. The throne of No.1 is constantly changing hands due to various factors. Every person who tells the story later is a threat and challenge to those who came before.

Qian Qiu was obviously aware of this, so she was not at all complacent about getting such a high score.There is nothing to be thankful for until the end of the game, and the ending is full of variables.

"My mission is complete, I'm going back to my room to rest." Qian Qiu smiled at everyone. "After talking for so long, I'm really tired."

"Let's take a rest too." Araki Shuk looked at his watch. "It's almost twelve o'clock." Qianqiu's story is the longest one so far.

Everyone left their seats and went upstairs.In the hall, only 14 leather chairs in a circle remained in place, controlling the fate of everyone here like a huge charm.

Nan Tian walked at the end of everyone. He witnessed Xu Wen return to the room and close the door.Thoughtful.

Xu Wen lay on his bed, thinking about it, feeling a little regretful.

Regarding Nan Tian's proposal, he thought it over for a long time and felt that it was actually feasible.It's just that the "cooperation method" he envisioned is slightly different... But no matter what kind of cooperation method is used, the key point is-it must be based on the fact that Nan Tian can fully trust-so, is Nan Tian really trustworthy?

This question troubled Xu Wen for a whole day.In the end, his intuition and judgment agreed——Nan Tian should not be the host.This conclusion is based on various observations and scrutiny, after careful consideration.The most powerful piece of evidence is——Nan Tian came to him twice, all under the watchful eyes of the public, and he did not shy away from others.If he wanted to be unfavorable to him, he should not have contacted him in the presence of so many people, causing suspicion.

Therefore, Xu Wen decided to take a gamble—choose to trust Nan Tian completely and cooperate with him.However, due to his usually cautious personality, he was never able to take the step of actively looking for Nan Tian.Now that everyone has gone back to their rooms, it is impossible to think about the cooperation plan of the facility—at least not tonight.

Thinking of this, Xu Wen felt regretful, but now he could only give up.He lay on the bed, closing his eyes with palpitations and fear.What strange things will happen in this haunted house tonight?What fear will I suffer from...

When he was about to fall asleep, Xu Wen heard a slight knock on the door.

He got off the bed, approached the door lightly, and asked, "Who?"

"It's me, Nan Tian."

Xu Wen was pleasantly surprised - Nan Tian!He guessed I'd change my mind?This is so good!He opened the door almost without hesitation.

Nan Tian who was standing outside the door quickly stepped in, and then closed the door.

"Mr. Xu Wen, I'm sorry to bother you so late. I want to ask for your opinion again - have you reconsidered my proposal this morning?" Nan Tian asked.

Sure enough.Xu Wen was secretly happy - it seemed that he and Nan Tian had already formed a tacit understanding before cooperating.He beckoned Nan Tian to sit down, then nodded and said, "To be honest, I'm thinking about this. I think... Maybe we can try to cooperate."

"So you agreed to switch rooms with me?"

"No, that's what I think." Xu Wen said in a word. "Well...you can live in my room...but I won't come to your place."

Nan Tian rolled his eyes. "You mean we both sleep here?"

"Yes. Because...you want to investigate my room; and I don't want to investigate your room, so I don't need to go there." Xu Wen was embarrassed to say what was in his heart.In fact, he is afraid of being alone, and hopes to have someone to accompany him to strengthen his courage.

Nan Tian probably noticed it.He nodded, then looked at the narrow single bed. "But, we two big men... can this small bed be squeezed?"

"Oh, it's okay. We don't have to sleep together." Xu Wen grabbed the sheet with both hands, pulled it hard, and pulled it off completely, then spread it on the floor. "Go to bed, I'll just sleep on the floor."

"This...not so good. How about I sleep on the floor?"

Xu Wen waved his hand and said, "No, that's it. Try sleeping on my bed and see if you will have nightmares or encounter those weird things."

"Okay." Nan Tian nodded, and then handed the pillow on the bed to Xu Wen. "Then you can use this."

Xu Wen didn't shirk, and took the pillow.Nan Tian turned off the lights in the room.

The two lay down one by one.It's late now, and they have nothing to talk about.After a while, they all fell asleep.

Xu Wen was not used to sleeping on this hard and cold floor, but because someone was here with him, he added some courage and courage, and he slept more peacefully than before.He originally slept with his back facing Nan Tian, ​​but in the middle of the night, he turned over.In the dark, Xu Wen glanced at Nan Tian on the bed, seeing that he was sleeping soundly and snoring slightly, he felt more at ease.Suddenly, Xu Wen found that his attitude towards Nan Tian had changed from suspicion to trust, and now it had escalated to dependence—it was absurd and ridiculous.But he had to admit it.

Just about to fall asleep again, Xu Wen glanced under the bed inadvertently—since he had slept on his back before, he didn't suddenly see something under the bed until now.

When he saw clearly what it was, his whole body seemed to be frozen stiff quickly, and the blood all over his body froze into ice.

Omg...this is absolutely terrifying.Under the dark bed, there was actually a pair of eyes staring at him!

This sudden and huge fear made Xu Wen feel dizzy for a while. He was almost suffocated by the fear, his throat seemed to be blocked, he couldn't make any sound, and his body was so stiff that he couldn't move.Oops!This strange thing happened again!I... can't control myself at all!
This horrible ordeal lasted for several minutes.During this time, Xu Wen could hardly blink his eyelids, and stared blankly at the pair of terrifying eyes under the bed.This kind of torture was several times that of the past, and it was simply killing him!At this moment, there was only one question in his mind - why did I still encounter this situation after Nan Tian moved in, and it became more serious!

Just when Xu Wen was on the verge of fainting, his body was suddenly released from the restraints. He took a deep breath, exclaimed, then sat up quickly, and shouted at Nan Tian on the bed: "Nan... Nan Tian! Under my bed, have……"

Before he could speak, he was stunned, more shocked than before.

The bed was empty, there was no one there!

What about Nantian?Where did he go?

Xu Wen's nerves are about to collapse, and he can no longer think and judge at this moment.He just wanted to find Nan Tian immediately and leave this horrible room immediately!

He struggled to get up from the ground, stumbled to the door, opened the door, and came to the corridor.He stared wide-eyed to find Nan Tian's room, then ran over like crazy.

bang bang bang! ——Xu Wen beat Nan Tian's door violently.A few seconds later, the lights in the house came on and the door opened.Nan Tian stood in the house, looked at Xu Wen in surprise, and asked, "What happened?"

"You... When did you go back to your room?!"

Nan Tian was startled: "What... Go back to my room? I've been staying here all this time."

Xu Wen stared at Nan Tian as if he was looking at someone from outside the sky. "What did you say? You've been in your own room, and you haven't been in my room?"

Nan Tian was completely confused. "Yes... No, I went to your room to look for you in the morning."

"Morning...then you didn't come to see me after you finished telling the story tonight?"

"That's right. After Qianqiu finished telling the story, didn't we all go back to our rooms to rest?" Nan Tian said.

Xu Wen stood there in a daze, dumbfounded—what's going on? Could it be that I was dreaming of everything that happened before?Or, Nan Tian didn't tell the truth?

Nan Tian asked: "Mr. Xu Wen, what happened? What happened?"

Xu Wen stared into Nan Tian's eyes, and couldn't help telling the truth: "You came to my room to find me before, and asked me if I had changed my mind, and I agreed, but it was not to exchange rooms, but to let you live in the same room. In my place. You sleep on the bed, and I sleep under the bed. As a result, in the middle of the night, I saw a pair of eyes under the bed, staring at me... I managed to get up, but found that you were not on the bed—if you were not If you lie to me, then all of this... could it be my dream?"

Looking at Xu Wen, who was pale and trembling all over, Nan Tian suddenly realized that this matter was far from simple!In Xu Wen's room, something extremely unusual must have happened again!He helped Xu Wen into his room, let him sit on the bed, and said, "Mr. Xu Wen, take a rest here and calm down. I'll go to your room to have a look now!"

Xu Wen stared with terrified eyes. "You have to be careful... there might be someone under the bed!"

"I'll be careful." Nan Tian rushed out of the house.

In front of Xu Wen's room, Nan Tian took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally.He slammed the door open and flicked the light switch.The bright light gave him a bit more confidence.He looked around the house, this small space was unobstructed, no one was here.

under the bed.Xu Wen said that he saw a pair of eyes under the bed, which meant that there was a person hiding under the bed.

Nan Tian cautiously approached the bed, the sheets were spread on the floor, and the pillows were placed on top.Did Xu Wen really sleep on the floor before?And he said he'd give me the bed—that's absurd.Nan Tian swallowed his saliva, mustered up his courage, and planned to take a look under the bed.

Although he thought in his heart that Xu Wen was probably hallucinating, Nan Tian slowly bent down to look at the bottom of the bed at this moment, still feeling very nervous.After all, weird things can happen here...

No, I didn't see anyone or eyes under the bed.Nan Tian breathed a sigh of relief.It seemed that Xu Wen was really hallucinating or having a nightmare.

However, Nan Tian thought about it again - if Xu Wen hadn't lied, then what he described before was too strange.He actually said that I came to him and slept with him in this room - and it seems that he is sure of this, because he really sleeps on the floor (hence the things under the bed ).

Nan Tian frowned—is this really a hallucination or a nightmare?Will it be so realistic?I am afraid……

After thinking about it in Xu Wen's room for a few minutes, Nan Tian felt that he should go back to his own room and ask Xu Wen more carefully.He turned off the light and left the room.

Xu Wen's room and Nan Tian's room are on the same side[9], separated by four rooms.After Nan Tian walked back to his room, he pushed open the door, and suddenly saw Xu Wen lying on the ground, his eyes wide open, his mouth wide open, the expression on his face was extremely distorted and weird, obviously caused by facial muscle spasm .

Nan Tian secretly screamed in his heart that something was wrong, he shouted: "Xu Wen!" He rushed forward to help him up, and shook him vigorously, but Xu Wen didn't respond at all.Trembling, Nan Tian put his index finger in front of Xu Wen's nose for a try—his heart went cold.

Xu Wen was no longer breathing.he died!

Nan Tian's brain suddenly exploded - Xu Wen was killed in only five or six minutes since he left here!In this short interval, who killed him?There is no doubt that this is a well-planned murder plan!The organizer finally started killing again, and Xu Wen became the second victim!
Suddenly, Nan Tian was startled, he suddenly thought - if other people know that Xu Wen died in my room, then I...

It happened exactly as Nan Tian worried, maybe it was some sounds that woke up the people in the surrounding room.At this moment, Xia Houshen, who lives next to Nantian, appeared at the door. He looked at the scene before him in surprise and asked, "What happened?"

Oops.Nan Tian's heart skipped a beat.Now, he has no choice, or even time to think, so he can only tell the truth: "Xu Wen...he is dead."

"What?!" Xia Houshen shouted and took a step back. "he died!"

This loud roar woke up more people, and soon, Ryoma, Beluga, Saka, Beidou, Araki Zhou and Chris all appeared at the gate of Nantian one by one.Nan Tian now only feels dizzy and dry mouth.He stood up and stared at Xu Wen's body without saying a word.In this case, he simply didn't say a word.

"Xu Wen is dead?! How did he die?" Beluga asked in surprise.

Xia Houshen pointed to Nan Tian and said, "Ask him, Xu Wen died in his room."

Suspicious eyes gathered in Nantian.Nan Tian knew that if he didn't speak at this time, it would be tantamount to admitting that he killed the person.He turned his gaze to the crowd, trying to make himself look confident. "Xu Wen came to me in the middle of the night and said he saw something terrible in his room. So I asked him to wait in my room, and I went to his room to have a look. Only a few minutes later, I came back, And he died in my room."

Araki asked sharply: "He saw something terrible, why did he think of coming to you instead of the rest of us?"

Nan Tian didn't speak, he didn't know how to explain this question, he was afraid that it would become darker and darker.

"What frightening thing did Xu Wen see in his room?" Long Ma asked.

"He said that he saw a pair of eyes under the bed. But when I passed by, I didn't see it." Nan Tian said.

"Ah..." Sajia covered her mouth and shrank her body in fright.Several people present showed expressions of horror.

"How do you want us to believe what you said?" Arakaki said coldly.

Nan Tian also said coldly: "If you don't believe it, then you might as well tell me what you think is going on? Why did Xu Wen appear in my room? If I were the murderer, would I still spend so much time on him?" Get it to my room and let you all see it?"

"Who knows what your plan is? Maybe you screwed up?" Araki said.

White Whale suddenly looked at Xia Houshen and asked, "Are you the first person to see this scene? Why did you open the door and come out to see it?"

"First I heard a knock on the door, and then I heard some voices. I figured something might have happened next door, so I came over to have a look. I happened to see Nan Tian holding Xu Wen's body."

"It sounds like you are trying to prove what your neighbor said is true." Arakaki said sarcastically.

"That's the truth." Xia Houshen replied neither soft nor hard.

At this time, Chris walked up to Xu Wen's body, observed it carefully for a while, and said, "Stop arguing about this, let's focus on the most important question in front of us, what exactly did Xu Wen die from?"

This sentence reminded everyone.Even Nan Tian remembered that he hadn't seen the cause of Xu Wen's death at all before, he only knew that he died.Now, everyone gathered around and looked at Xu Wen's body in amazement.

"It's really weird, he didn't have any wounds on his body, and there were no strangle marks or pinch marks on his neck-how did he die?" Beidou said.

"Looking at his terrifying expression, it's as if he saw something terrible before he died." Sajia shuddered, not daring to look at the face of the corpse.

Chris smiled. "What you're talking about is really like a plot in a horror novel, Miss Sajia. It's a pity that there is no such thing as 'being scared to death' in murder in reality."

"Then how do you think he died?" Ryoma asked Chris.

Chris squeezed the body's arms and legs and said: "His body was stiff and constricted, his face was contorted and his mouth was open - it looked very much like he died of a heart attack."

"Heart paralysis..." Sajia asked, "How can it cause heart paralysis?"

"Poisoned." Before Chris could speak, Araki Shuu said it.

"That's right." Chris said, "I don't know if you have heard of a plant called 'Arrow poison wood'. This is a tree that grows in Xishuangbanna, known as the 'Forest Poison King'. This The sap of the trees is so poisonous that a bear or a tiger can die instantly after being poisoned, and a human being can die of heart paralysis as long as a little bit of this poison is applied to the wound."

"How do you know so clearly?" Sajia asked.

"I think this is common sense that speculative novelists should know." Chris said.

"Then you mean that Xu Wen was poisoned by the poisoned arrow wood and died?" White Whale asked.

"I'm just saying that there is such a possibility. As for what kind of poison he was poisoned, I'm afraid we can't find out now-but he died of poisoning, it should be certain."

"However, we didn't see any wounds on his body." Beidou said.

"If it is the venom of poison arrow wood, you only need to dip a little bit on the tip of the needle, and then stab someone lightly, and you can kill someone. If the technique is clever, the victim may not be aware of it, or think it was just being killed. Once a mosquito bites, it will be dead." Arakaki said, it seems that he also knows this plant very well. "So, the last person who approached Xu Wen was the murderer." He added, pointing straight to the sky.

"I agree with this statement." Nan Tian said, "but I was not the one who approached him in the end."

"Then who do you think it is?" Araki asked.

"I don't know, but this man took advantage of the time I went to Xu Wen's room and killed him without anyone noticing. He was an insidious, cunning and terrifying killer."

After listening to Nan Tian's words, Chris seemed to think of something, he asked Xia Houshen: "Did you hear Xu Wen screaming or shouting before?"

Xia Houshen frowned and said, "I can't hear very clearly, I just heard knocking on the door and some voices... It seems that I didn't hear the voice of calling for help you mentioned."

Chris pinched his chin lightly with his fingers, and said thoughtfully: "This is weird, if someone breaks in to kill Xu Wen, he can't keep silent..."

"That's why I said that the last person who approached Xu Wen might be Nan Tian!" Araki Muzhou said fiercely.

Nan Tian had regained his composure at this time, and he fought back: "Senior Araki, tell me, after I pricked Xu Wen with a needle coated with poisonous arrow wood poison - let's just treat it like this - why did I leave this room?" house, run to Xu Wen's room? Why don't I lock the door of my room immediately? If that's the case, you won't be able to find out."

"Who knows if you really went to Xu Wen's room. Maybe you were discovered by Xia Houshen before you had time to close the door."

Just when Nan Tian felt unable to answer, a woman's voice suddenly sounded behind him: "I can prove that Nan Tian is telling the truth."

Everyone turned around and saw that at some point, Qian Qiu who lived across the street was already standing at the door.She walked into the house and said: "At that time, I also heard the sound from the opposite side, so I opened the door and looked out. Everything I saw was just as Nan Tian said. He really went to Xu Wen's room to stay. It took a few minutes before I returned to my room."

Nan Tian breathed a sigh of relief, it's okay - someone on the other side witnessed this process, and could prove that he was telling the truth.And she showed up in time to help her out.Nan Tian cast a grateful glance at Qian Qiu.

Araki Zhou snorted and stopped talking.

Suddenly, Moby Whale looked at Beidou and asked, "By the way, I remember you once said—after you fell asleep, the thunder would not wake you up—the commotion today is not so big, why did you Will you wake up?"

Beidou was stunned for a moment, and said, "Ah... what I said is that I won't be easily woken up after falling asleep. But today I didn't fall asleep, so I was attracted by Mr. Xiahou's shouting."

"It's already midnight, you still haven't fallen asleep?" White Whale narrowed his eyes and asked.

Beidou replied: "Yes, I have insomnia."

The white whale stared at Beidou for several seconds, but couldn't find anything to say.

There was a moment of silence in the room, and Long Ma said, "Xu Wen's body...how to deal with it?"

"What can we do now? We can't just carry it to his own room and store it." Xia Houshen said.

"We can only do this first." Chris said, "As for who killed him, I don't think we should try to figure it out now. Let's solve this mystery later."

Nan Tian bent down, raised the legs of the corpse, and turned around, "Who will help?"

Beidou and Xia Houshen stepped forward, one supported the corpse's shoulders, the other helped support the back, and the three of them carried Xu Wen's corpse to his room together.

Seeing the sheets on the floor, Xia Houshen felt a strange feeling, and said in astonishment: "He seems to know that he will die, and he has arranged all the places for the mortuary!"

Nan Tian knew in his heart that the real reason was that Xu Wen had been sleeping on the ground before.But he didn't bother to explain to them and didn't talk to them.The three put the corpse on the sheet, and because Xu Wen's death was really frightening, Nan Tian lifted the sheet to cover the face of the corpse.

Nan Tian sighed and said, "Let's go."

When leaving this room, Beidou closed the door tightly.

Seeing that Xu Wen's body had been put away, several people waiting in the corridor looked at each other. No one said anything, and went back to the room silently.

Nan Tian locked the door, lay down on the bed, and let out a long breath.

What happened that night made him very depressed and uneasy.

He repeatedly told himself that Xu Wen's death had nothing to do with him.But in the end, he found that he could not deceive himself.

The organizer just said last night that he will temporarily save the lives of those who have committed fouls. Why did he kill Xu Wen today?And Xu Wen said that the hallucinations (or dreams) he had before his death were actually related to him, why is that?After much deliberation, there is only one explanation——

The sponsor knew that I was in contact with Xu Wen, and he knew that I was going to take the initiative!So, here's a warning.He (she) used Xu Wen's death to tell me that if I dare to have secret contact with anyone again, this is what will happen to that person!

But——Nan Tian thought about it—why did he (she) kill Xu Wen?I am the one who is investigating and attacking!Why didn't he (she) kill me?
Suddenly, what Xu Wen said to himself flashed in Nan Tian's mind at this moment - "Maybe it's because you haven't told the story yet."

Is it for this reason?It's not my turn to tell the story yet, so, who will keep my life?If that's the case...then I might be able to take advantage of that and keep investigating!It's just that you need to be more cautious than before, and you can't hurt other people anymore!
Nan Tian made up his mind in his heart that it would not take a day or two to fight wits and courage with this organizer, and he could not give up easily!However, he suddenly thought again—was there another reason for the sponsor to kill Xu Wen besides giving himself a warning?
Perhaps, Xu Wen's room really hides a secret different from other rooms?So, the organizer is particularly worried about someone going to Xu Wen's room?

Chamber of Secrets.These two words flashed like lightning, which made Nan Tian wake up suddenly.

Could it be... Xu Wen's room hides a mechanism to enter the secret room?
Thinking of this, Nan Tian lost all sleepiness, and a bold and risky plan quietly rose in his heart.

The next day, Goth, Lake and Dark Fire (all living in the opposite room) who did not wake up last night learned from different sources that Xu Wen was mysteriously killed last night (actually in the early morning of that day) news.Shock, suspicion and fear hang over everyone's heart.It is now the eighth day, and the second person has finally died here, so everyone's mood has become dull and depressed.No one wanted to talk about it much, no one even wanted to move in the lobby, everyone stayed in their rooms - until the evening, when it was game time.

Moby Dick is the star of the night.He took his seat in the circle of chairs ahead of time.Waiting for everyone to sit down one after another.Judging by his appearance, it seems that he can't wait to tell this story.

All twelve had taken their seats—there were now two empty chairs in the circle.Ryoma still kept his habit and prepared paper and pen.He intends to record everyone's stories and keep them as some kind of information.

When it was 3 minutes to seven o'clock, Moby Dick spoke: "The story I'm going to tell next has actually been conceived a few days ago. I personally like this story very much and think it's a more 'special' story. ' suspense thriller story. However, because what happened last night has cast a deeper shadow on each of us, so I have temporarily changed some plots and endings of this story, hoping to make everyone more like it. The story. Of course, I have another reason for doing this—you know it, and I don’t need to explain it.”

Lake smirked. "Smart thing to do."

White Whale raised his eyebrows at him. "I learned it from you—well, I'm starting to tell the story. The name of the story is 'Guests from the Tomb'."

(End of this chapter)