Escape from the Thriller World – Chapter 24
by Little PandaVolume One: The Old Corpse in the Mountain Village
Tenderness
Who would have thought Officer Shen had such an attentive side.
Ning Lan stayed up all night listening to Wei Jinye tell his history of crimes, and she roughly explained to Shen Qingyou the dragon head and snake tail [meaning complete background] of Akita Kyoko.
After listening, Shen Qingyou said: “Akita Kyoko took residence in [possessed] Lan Fang? The disappearance of their whole family must be connected to this Akita Kyoko.”
Ning Lan walked into the side bedroom and took out a notebook from her backpack. Holding a pen in her hand, she drew the connection chain linking their family to Wei Jinye, Akita Kyoko, and the ghost baby.
The relationship path was easy to understand – around 1970, Lan Fang’s family moved into the 18th floor, and Akita Kyoko targeted Jiajia from this family.
Akita Kyoko wanted to make Jiajia her own child, letting the ghost baby named Hanako possess Jiajia, making her essentially a vessel for the ghost spirit.
Shen Qingyou shook her head and said: “That’s not right, wasn’t Akita Kyoko sealed in 《Hell Scroll》? How did she get into the 18th floor?”
Ning Lan said directly: “Akita Kyoko was burned to death and was also repeatedly… by some thugs. After death, her resentful energy was overwhelming, naturally a single painting couldn’t contain her.”
At this point, Shen Qingyou understood about seventy to eighty percent.
Without hesitation, Shen Qingyou said: “You mean around 1970 she broke free from the constraints of 《Hell Scroll》, and what escaped was a strand of ghost spirit?”
Ning Lan nodded and said: “That’s right, I found that painting already has cracks, so she’s shown signs of breaking out over these years, and Lan Fang’s family was terrorized by her.”
Ning Lan then took out the evil spirit notebook from the study and continued analyzing the contents of these diary entries with Shen Qingyou.
Shen Qingyou smiled and asked when she had found these clues, as she hadn’t heard her mention them before.
Ning Lan thought for a moment and said: “Remember that night when Xie Wu ambushed you? I discovered it by accident and didn’t have time to tell you.”
After reading ten lines at a glance [quickly scanning through], Shen Qingyou said: “The first few entries are more authentic, but the last one is fake.”
Ning Lan narrowed her eyes and took out a thick stack of psychiatric treatment records, saying to Shen Qingyou: “Correct. The last entry was deliberately added by Wei Jinye, the handwriting is twisted and different from Lan Fang’s writing in the previous entries.”
Shen Qingyou continued: “Why would Wei Jinye do this? The police handwriting analysis department could easily detect it.”
Ning Lan gave her a hint: “In this game’s time period, police methods weren’t so advanced, so Wei Jinye seems to be trying to conceal but actually revealing more [trying to cover up].”
Combined with the fact that Hong Kong in the 1970s indeed didn’t have such forensic methods, Wei Jinye probably wanted to fabricate evidence to completely separate himself from any connection to Lan Fang’s family.
After a long silence, Shen Qingyou said: “He must have been afraid of police investigation, so he made backup fake evidence.”
“Right. You’ve previously analyzed that he has a paranoid personality; he must have done many pickled things [bad deeds] over these years,” Ning Lan nodded and said.
“Incompetent men always blame their mistakes on women, and he still goes unpunished – it’s a tragedy of the times,” Shen Qingyou said, shaking her head.
Wei Jinye relied on his power to cover the sky with one hand [control everything], and the police couldn’t touch him.
As the two analyzed this game side quest storyline, they felt something was missing.
Ning Lan opened the notebook and drew a circle over their family, saying: “Their disappearance is the part of the Tong Lau’s mystery we haven’t solved yet.”
“We can be certain that Lan Fang and Jiajia are dead, but where did her husband go?” Shen Qingyou said, coming back to her senses.
Lan Fang’s mysterious husband became a puzzle.
The storyline of Lan Fang’s family’s disappearance couldn’t be traced anywhere in the game’s historical background.
Was the game intentionally pushing them toward this hidden storyline to uncover the truth?
Shen Qingyou continued: “After 1973, there was no news of their family. How can we even search?”
This hidden storyline seemed to have reached a deadlock – if they couldn’t solve this thread, getting the mirror might also be futile…
Ning Lan yawned inappropriately at this moment, looking exhausted.
The dark circles under her eyes were prominent. Looking at her haggard self in the phone screen, Ning Lan said: “I can’t go on, I need to get half a day’s beauty sleep.”
Before Ning Lan could finish speaking after standing up, her body trembled and she was about to fall.
Shen Qingyou supported her arm and said: “You’re too tired, aren’t you?”
Their eyes accidentally met in the air, and Ning Lan noticed their position was somewhat intimate [literally: ambiguous, suggesting romantic undertones].
Two single women [literally: lonely woman and widowed woman] getting physically close wasn’t appropriate.
Ning Lan stepped back a few steps and said: “I’m… fine, don’t worry.”
Before she could finish speaking, her vision went black and she fainted.
Shen Qingyou held her up, placing her slender hand on her forehead, and was startled to find Ning Lan’s forehead burning hot.
She heard Shen Qingyou’s urgent voice by her ear saying: “You must have a fever.”
Ning Lan made an “mm” sound and said: “Too tired, playing this horror game nearly did me in [literally: almost sacrificed myself to it].”
Ning Lan still had the mood to joke with her, and Shen Qingyou told her to stop talking.
So even Ice Block Shen can melt – she suddenly became so gentle.
A complete change in style [literally: art style changed], Officer Shen became gentle as water?
Ning Lan said with half-closed eyes: “Are you still the Shen Qingyou I know? Transformed into a warm-hearted woman?”
“I’ll take you to the hospital,” Shen Qingyou said, lowering her gaze to look at her.
In a daze, Ning Lan watched as Shen Qingyou supported her out of the 18th floor. What happened next was Shen Qingyou asking security to help call a car to take her to the hospital.
Heaven’s way has its cycles [idiom meaning: what goes around comes around] – last time it was Shen Qingyou going to the hospital for head bandaging, this time it was Ning Lan’s turn.
Shen Qingyou’s injury had completely healed because of the game’s reset system.
Ning Lan’s situation was different – she had caught a real cold.
The doctor diagnosed Ning Lan’s condition, prescribed several medications, and had her put on IV drips.
Ning Lan lay back on the white hospital bed, and the nurse sister walked in carrying a tray.
The nurse looked at the two of them, seeming to recognize them?
“You two have such a good relationship, coming to the hospital together,” the nurse sister said with a big smile [literally: couldn’t close her mouth].
The nurse sister inserted the needle into Ning Lan, who closed her eyes, not daring to look.
Shen Qingyou laughed softly and said: “You’re afraid of pain?”
Ning Lan felt the tiny needle enter her vein, gritting her teeth to get through it.
The nurse picked up the tray and hung the IV bottle on the hook above, saying: “After three bottles are finished, just call me to remove the needle when it’s almost done.”
Shen Qingyou nodded to the nurse and said she was going out to buy some nourishing food for the patient.
Ning Lan let out a long breath and sat up, saying: “Officer Shen, are you worried about me? I’m flattered.”
Shen Qingyou seemed to have some heartstring touched by Ning Lan, and her gaze immediately shifted away from her.
Shen Qingyou’s face returned to its previous expression, and she said coldly: “I only owe you once now, Ning Lan.”
Shen Qingyou unconsciously avoided Ning Lan’s gaze, as if she was trying to escape something?
Shen Qingyou’s eyes revealed a hint of thoughts that she couldn’t understand.
She also had an indescribable feeling toward Shen Qingyou.
Shen Qingyou escaped-like avoided this topic, standing up and leaving the hospital room.
Ning Lan covered herself with the blanket and said: “No way… I couldn’t have feelings for her, could I? That’s strange.”
Impossible, absolutely impossible.
They were just friends who had only known each other for a few days.
Maybe Ning Lan was overthinking it, their relationship was just an alliance built within the game.
While Ning Lan forcefully convinced herself they were just game allies, she couldn’t help but think about the experiences they’d shared these past few days…
While Ning Lan was still peacefully looking toward the window, Shen Qingyou returned with a bag of xiaolongbao [steamed dumplings], soy milk, and some fruit.
Shen Qingyou had just walked around outside, where only a few shops were open.
Shen Qingyou looked at the time on her phone – it was only 7 AM, no wonder.
Knowing Ning Lan was afraid of pain, she bought some sweet fruit.
Eating fruit with medicine should make it less bitter.
“Make do with these, there aren’t many breakfast options outside this hospital,” Shen Qingyou said, putting the dumplings on the bedside table.
Ning Lan smiled and stuffed a dumpling in her mouth, crying out that it was hot.
Shen Qingyou found it amusing and gave her a glance [literally: scraped her a look], saying: “No one’s fighting you for them, they’re all yours.”
Ning Lan looked at Shen Qingyou’s smile and unconsciously smiled too, saying: “Officer Shen, when you’re not being cold, your smile is so pretty.”
So she did think she was cold.
Shen Qingyou glanced at her and said: “Eat your dumplings, talk less.”
Shen Qingyou was peeling an apple beside her, instructing her on how to take the medicine.
Who would have thought Officer Shen had such an attentive side.
She looked exactly like herself from a few days ago.
Ning Lan casually asked Shen Qingyou: “By the way, Officer Shen, how did you know I wrote mystery novels? Umm… that time when we ran into each other at Pawnshop No. 8.”
Shen Qingyou handed her the apple and said: “The first time, we were on the high-speed train. I saw the pen name written in your notebook. I’ve read your novels.”
She had indeed taken out her notebook to look at research materials on the high-speed train…
Ning Lan hadn’t expected Shen Qingyou to catch that small action.
Ning Lan said awkwardly: “You… have read them?”
Ning Lan felt as if her thoughts had been dug up, and her heart was intensely freaking out.
Shen Qingyou nodded and said: “I read widely, and occasionally saw your short stories on the website.”
In her memory, she had submitted several short stories to the website, but only one had been published.
Ning Lan let out a breath and said: “That’s good then, you haven’t read my other works.”
Shen Qingyou’s eyes showed interest as she said: “You saying that reminds me, Ning Lan, why did you choose to write mystery novels?”
Shen Qingyou’s question seemed to hit the nail on the head, and Ning Lan had also asked herself why she chose to write mystery novels when she could write anything else.
Until later, Ning Lan understood.
Ning Lan said without hesitation: “You know the principle when we sketch still life, right? Objects in sunlight all have a layer of shadow giving them volume. Mystery novels work the same way – they reflect the dark side of human nature.”
“You’re quite interesting, Ning Lan. It seems I underestimated you before,” Shen Qingyou said thoughtfully.
As the two chatted on and off, the liquid in the IV bottle above Ning Lan’s head was getting less and less.
Shen Qingyou looked up at it and said: “I’ll go call the nurse. Don’t move around, just lie there.”
Ning Lan obediently nodded and said: “Got it, Officer Shen.”
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