A Ghost’s Farewell and a Case Unravels

Zhang Qiang’s noisy slurping echoed through the dorm room, mingling with the sounds of anime drifting from Wang Dongdong’s side.

Yet, Ming Zhong could only distinctly hear the sound of his own breathing.

“Hm?”

Receiving no reply after a prolonged silence, Miss Ghost blinked her eyes.

This was a considerably dangerous sign.

Ming Zhong understood that further delay was no longer an option.

“You’re very beautiful.”

He whispered softly.

Ever since he gained the ability to perceive these strange and bizarre entities, Ming Zhong had primarily encountered terrifying and repulsive beings.

In contrast, the Miss Ghost before him was, at least for the moment, strikingly beautiful.

Ultimately, most people are creatures of sight. Even if something beautiful poses a danger, its allure is the first thing registered, causing any inherent peril to be subconsciously overlooked.

Consequently, to a certain extent, his courage had gradually begun to swell.

He might as well just tell the truth. If she intended to reveal her true, terrifying form, then so be it!

“Then why didn’t you respond to me?” Fu Ziqing asked again.

“You are very beautiful, but you are not human.”

Ming Zhong’s candid reply made Fu Ziqing freeze.

The sheer joy of finally being seen and heard by someone had clearly overwhelmed her.

She had completely forgotten that she was not a person, but a ghost.

What normal person wouldn’t fear a ghost? Who would dare to engage with one?

Humans and ghosts exist in separate realms, separated by the chasm of life and death.

The young man’s gaze appeared calm, yet Fu Ziqing discerned the underlying fear, a desperate longing to escape.

Such an expression was truly vexing for a ghost, and Fu Ziqing’s good mood soured.

She tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, tilted her head slightly, and then suddenly chuckled.

“Hehe, my apologies, I completely forgot I was a ghost.”

Ming Zhong’s expression remained frozen for a moment.

She turned and walked towards the door, pausing just before she was about to pass through it.

As Ming Zhong watched her stand there, a sudden realization struck him: she seemed incredibly lonely.

It was a peculiar thought indeed.

Yet, Ming Zhong couldn’t shake this feeling. The phrase ‘alone with one’s shadow’ couldn’t even begin to describe the scene before his eyes.

That phrase was meant for humans; even when utterly alone, a person still had the companionship of their own shadow.

But she was not human; she was a ghost.

Ghosts cast no shadows.

“I followed you on my own accord and scared you, didn’t I? I’m sorry.”

Ming Zhong’s pupils dilated, and he parted his lips, yet no words escaped him.

By the time he regained his composure, Miss Ghost had vanished.

After that, Ming Zhong washed up and climbed into his bed.

As he lay on the bed, his body gradually relaxing, Ming Zhong recalled the words Miss Ghost had spoken before her departure.

Her voice had been like an autumn breeze—cool, yet incredibly gentle.

It was a subtle sensation, but the fear in his heart had surprisingly dissipated by more than half.

Perhaps it was because a ghost like her didn’t feel entirely cold.

Chuanbei County Hospital.

Chen Jinquan’s ears had both been bandaged, and he was currently seated on the hospital bed.

His mental state was abysmal. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were ringed with dark circles, and his pupils were bloodshot.

“Mr. Chen, please get some rest. We’ll be here, guarding you the entire time,” Li Dong said to Chen Jinquan.

“That’s right, Mr. Chen. We’re professionals, so please rest assured!” Cao Yun echoed from the other side.

Chen Jinquan gazed at the two young, robust police officers. Though a sliver of worry still lingered in his heart, he was utterly exhausted, his eyelids feeling as heavy as lead weights.

He lay down as instructed, and before closing his eyes, he earnestly pleaded with the two officers.

“If—and I mean if—I exhibit any abnormal behavior when ten o’clock arrives, please, you must restrain me. Even knocking me unconscious would be fine!”

Li Dong and Cao Yun exchanged a glance, both nodding in understanding.

Finally, Chen Jinquan drifted off to sleep.

The two officers pulled out their phones to check the time.

It was 9:55 PM.

With only five minutes remaining, they braced themselves, standing ready and vigilant.

Cao Yun meticulously switched off the room light, allowing only a faint sliver of light from the corridor to seep in through the partially ajar door.

He moved his chair next to Li Dong and sat down, both men intently watching Chen Jinquan on the bed.

Five minutes passed in a blink.

Li Dong felt enough time had passed. He pulled out his phone, only to see that it was already past ten.

Glancing at Chen Jinquan, who was sleeping soundly, even snoring loudly, the two officers exchanged a knowing smile.

They had actually taken the neurotic Chen Jinquan’s wild claims seriously.

Relaxing, they began to scroll through their phones.

What a long night ahead…

“Why are you yelling so loudly?! I’m your brother! You go…”

Suddenly, a man’s hoarse, gravelly voice echoed through the ward.

Li Dong startled.

He groggily fumbled for his phone, then saw the caller ID: Wang Decheng, Captain Wang!

“Hello, Captain Wang!”

“What are you two doing?! Didn’t I tell you to keep a close eye on Chen Jinquan?”

Captain Wang’s furious roar from the phone instantly jolted Li Dong wide awake.

Li Dong looked towards the hospital bed.

Only a messy quilt remained on the bed. Chen Jinquan was nowhere to be seen!

In the dim ward, a wave of icy dread washed over him from head to toe.

Li Dong abruptly shot to his feet, causing Cao Yun, who had been soundly asleep leaning against his shoulder, to be yanked forward and tumble from his chair to the floor.

“Mmm-mmm-mmm! What’s happening? What’s going on?”

Cao Yun scrambled to his feet in a panic, seeing Li Dong on the phone, his face contorted in terror.

Soon after, he, too, noticed the state of the hospital bed.

“Did Chen Jinquan go to the restroom?”

Cao Yun hadn’t quite grasped the situation when he heard Captain Wang’s voice emanating from Li Dong’s phone.

“You two… never mind! Chen Jinquan is here. Old Xu, let’s follow him!”

Beep, beep, beep—

The call disconnected.

Cao Yun finally processed what was happening and gasped.

“Li Dong, when did Chen Jinquan—”

Li Dong lowered his phone, seeing the time displayed on the screen.

It was 10:43 PM.

“How did we fall asleep?” Li Dong asked.

Yet, Cao Yun was clearly even more bewildered.

“How long does it take to walk from the county hospital to Jinxin Garden Estate?” Li Dong asked again.

“Roughly forty minutes,” Cao Yun replied, opening his phone’s map application.

Chen Jinquan had stated that no matter where he was, he would always head home promptly at 10 PM every night.

Now, Chen Jinquan had already appeared at Jinxin Garden Estate. A forty-minute walk perfectly aligned with what he had previously told them.

If this were true, it meant they had fallen asleep sometime between 9:55 PM and exactly 10:00 PM—a mere five minutes. They had slept so profoundly that they hadn’t even noticed Chen Jinquan’s departure.

At this realization, the two young officers exchanged another look, both seeing a mixture of confusion and terror reflected in the other’s eyes.

They were well aware of their own conditions; while not fully energized at that time, they were certainly not so exhausted as to fall asleep instantly.

“Let’s go! We need to back up Captain Wang!”

With things as they were, this was no time for hesitation. Li Dong was the first to make a decisive move.

Cao Yun nodded, and the two men rushed out of the ward.

Jinxin Garden Estate.

Wang Decheng, along with Old Xu, had initially been hiding in their car, staking out the building where Chen Jinquan resided.

He hadn’t intended to go upstairs; his primary goal was to verify whether Chen Jinquan’s claims were truly as bizarre as they sounded.

Stationing Li Dong and his team at the hospital was a precautionary measure, a two-pronged approach. Even if Chen Jinquan exhibited strange behavior at the appointed time, Wang Decheng and Old Xu felt confident they could intercept him.

In truth, he hadn’t truly believed Chen Jinquan would manage to return here.

Yet, as they waited, they actually witnessed Chen Jinquan walking into the estate from outside!

Having called Li Dong, Wang Decheng was naturally filled with a surge of anger, but there was no time to demand details. Chen Jinquan was about to enter the building.

Wang Decheng and Old Xu quickly exited their car and hastened to follow Chen Jinquan.

Chen Jinquan’s steps were steady and assured, completely devoid of the weariness and disheveled appearance he’d displayed earlier at the police station.

Wang Decheng made an immediate decision.

“Quick! Old Xu, catch up to him and stop him!”

“Understood!”

Old Xu, whose full name was Xu Hanguo, was a burly, middle-aged man. Hearing the command, he immediately broke into a powerful stride, charging towards Chen Jinquan.

“Hey! Mr. Chen…”

Xu Hanguo managed to grab Chen Jinquan just before he entered the building. As Chen Jinquan slowly turned his head, Xu Hanguo’s voice abruptly died in his throat.

Wang Decheng, who was a step behind, also witnessed it…

The faint moonlight filtered through the estate’s tree canopy, casting dappled patches of light across Chen Jinquan’s face.

These scattered patches of white light made Chen Jinquan appear as if he suffered from vitiligo.

His expression was utterly blank and rigid, his eyes rolled back, revealing only the whites.

“Mr. Chen!” Wang Decheng called out as he caught up.

Chen Jinquan offered no reply. Instead, his upward-rolled eyeballs suddenly rotated downwards, and his dark pupils abruptly dilated, completely consuming the whites of his eyes.

The moment Wang Decheng and Xu Hanguo met those eyes, a sudden, searing pain shot through their brains, and their bodies froze solid.

Chen Jinquan numbly turned his head and walked into the building.

Behind him, the distinct thud of human bodies collapsing echoed.