Lin Fan watched Lei Xiaojia shivering, her heart sinking. She repeated, "She killed you?" Lei Xiaojia was still immersed in fear, huddled in the corner, not speaking. Lin Fan got out of bed and squatted in front of her, "Lei Xiaojia, look at me, don't be afraid."

Lei Xiaojia looked up, her eyes filled with panic, "I don't remember how I died."

"Can you tell me about that night again?"

Lei Xiaojia buried her face in her hands. After a while, she put them down. "Nothing special happened while we were playing the game. I went to the bathroom in the middle. When I came back, they were telling ghost stories. My mom called, and it was noisy, so I went upstairs to take the call." Lei Xiaojia's facial muscles started twitching, "I saw her. She came down from the third floor—"

Lin Fan's phone rang, and Lei Xiaojia screamed and ran through the wall.

Lin Fan: "..."

She found her phone. The caller was Qin Feng. She answered, "Qin Feng."

"Awake?"

"Yeah." Lin Fan rubbed her hair and went to the bathroom, "What time did you leave?"

"A little after seven. You were still sleeping, so I didn't disturb you."

"Have they found out the cause of Lei Xiaojia's death?"

"Still at a standstill," Qin Feng sighed. "Deep-rooted beliefs think an autopsy destroys the body's integrity."

"Understandable," Lin Fan looked at herself in the mirror, dark circles under her eyes, "If I died, you wouldn't want anyone touching my body either—"

"Shut up!" Qin Feng raised his voice.

Lin Fan stuck out her tongue.

Qin Feng's voice was deep, "Nonsense."

Lin Fan was silent for a while before continuing, "But if we can't catch the killer, she might not be able to move on. A wrongful death spirit can't reincarnate. So what do we do? Oh, right, Lei Xiaojia is here with me."

"I'm heading to the crime scene now. Stay home and don't go anywhere. I'll bring you lunch."

"You're coming back at noon?"

"Yes," Qin Feng said, "Stay safe. Call me if anything happens."

"Goodbye."

After hanging up, Lin Fan was about to wash her face when a pale face squeezed in front of her. Lei Xiaojia had entered unnoticed, "Is this your house? Why are there men's things?"

"Not scared anymore?" Lin Fan looked at her. Lei Xiaojia scratched her head and hid to the side, sitting on the edge of the bathtub, curling up, "My last memory is of her coming at me, then—" Her face turned pale again, "Then I don't know."

Was Lei Xiaojia really scared to death?

"Do you know the woman in the red dress?"

"Can you not mention her? She's really scary. I don't know her, but she's very scary."

Lin Fan brushed her teeth and washed her face while Lei Xiaojia muttered nervously, trying to ease her tension, "My grades could get me into F University. Can I still live? Lin Fan, how can you see me? My parents can't see me."

Lin Fan rinsed her mouth and spat out the foam, "I can see ghosts."

She left the bathroom, and Lei Xiaojia followed her. Lin Fan heated up some milk, and Lei Xiaojia came over, "I want some too."

Lin Fan prepared an extra cup and put it on the table, "Drink."

Lei Xiaojia: "..."

Lin Fan took incense from the drawer, lit it, and placed the milk in the middle, "Pretend you drank it."

Lei Xiaojia squatted to smell the milk, while Lin Fan took her bread and milk to the dining room. It was hard to accept Lei Xiaojia's death, but now that she was around, it felt like she was still alive, as if nothing had changed. If only she were still human.

Lei Xiaojia, holding the incense, sat across from Lin Fan, watching her, "Who do you live with? There are no photos in the house."

"Qin Feng." Lin Fan finished her milk and said, "I need to go to the library later. I have to find out who that woman is and why she killed you."

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Lei Xiaojia dropped the incense and stared at Lin Fan, "You'll die."

Lin Fan swallowed her bread, "The dead can't be revived, but they can reincarnate. Lei Xiaojia, only by finding your killer can you be reborn. Understand?"

Lei Xiaojia stared blankly at Lin Fan. Lin Fan said, "Don't worry, I won't die."

Lei Xiaojia was silent for a long time before sighing, "I can't believe you're living with Uncle Qin. You're so brave."

Lin Fan: "..."

How long did it take her to realize?

Lin Fan didn't have much information about the school, and Lei Xiaojia was clueless. They spent the whole morning studying but found nothing. Qin Feng told her not to go out, so Lin Fan couldn't visit the school. At twelve thirty, Lei Xiaojia's expression changed suddenly, "I have to go."

Before Lin Fan could react, Lei Xiaojia disappeared through the wall. Soon, Lin Fan heard the sound of keys in the door. Qin Feng walked in. He put the food container down and closed the door, "What did you do this morning? There's a smell."

"I lit candles." Lin Fan stood up. Qin Feng had already entered. He put a stack of documents on the cabinet by the entrance and saw the candles on the table, realizing Lin Fan had offered them to the girl. Though he didn't understand why ghosts needed food, he said, "Come and eat first."

Lin Fan pulled out a chair and sat down. Qin Feng opened the lunch box and went to wash his hands.

"Has she left?"

"Yes." Lin Fan thought for a moment and said, "Lei Xiaojia's last memory is of the woman in the red dress."

"Did she say that?"

While unpacking the chopsticks and eating, Lin Fan opened the soup for him, "Yes. Could Lei Xiaojia be trapped in the library too? She doesn't seem to be leaving."

"Eat first. I'll show you something later. Anything is possible."

"Okay."

After quickly finishing lunch, Lin Fan cleaned up the dishes while Qin Feng opened the borrowed files in the living room. Lin Fan washed her hands and sat down beside him, "What files are these?"

"Shen Yi's."

"Who?"

"The girl who died in that library twelve years ago."

Lin Fan opened the file and immediately saw the crime scene photos. A woman was hanging from a fan, her eyes bulging, tongue out, face twisted, wearing a red down jacket.

Judging by the photo's background, it should be the third-floor platform. Lin Fan continued reading. The girl's name was Shen Yi, from Jiangcheng, aged seventeen. She was an excellent student, and the school always treated her well. She went to the library every day to study, so the school extended the library's hours for her. She entered the library at eight-thirty that night and was found dead, hanged on the third floor, at eleven. The incident occurred on December 24th, twelve years ago. Lin Fan finished reading the few pages of the file.

The autopsy proved it wasn't a homicide. Surveillance showed no one else entered the third floor during that time. Surveillance wasn't widespread back then, so only the entrance was visible. After a lengthy investigation, homicide was ruled out, and it was concluded as a suicide.

Lin Fan put down the file and looked at Qin Feng, "Isn't this too much of a coincidence? The same day?"

"I looked into the history of No. 16 High School, and there's an even bigger coincidence," Qin Feng said. "Twenty-four years ago, a girl of the same age also died here, though it wasn't a library back then." Qin Feng continued, "I'll visit the school again this afternoon."

He told Lin Fan about this because, as police, they were also helpless with supernatural events. Moreover, Lin Fan's curiosity was strong. If he didn't tell her, she might take risks on her own.

"Twenty-four years ago?"

Qin Feng handed Lin Fan an old file copy, "She was also wearing red. The police determined it was sudden death due to a congenital heart condition, so the case was quickly closed."

The case was old, and both the photos and investigation methods showed their age. In the photo, a girl lay on the ground with wide-open eyes, resembling Lei Xiaojia's death.

Thinking of Lei Xiaojia made Lin Fan's heart ache. "Is there a connection?"

"Her death was also on December 24th," Qin Feng said. "Maybe there's no connection, just a coincidence. It needs time to investigate."

It's too bizarre, a death every twelve years?

Qin Feng got up to pour water, handed Lin Fan a cup, and continued reading the case files on the sofa. "The cause of the fire has been found. Wax was discovered at the fire's origin. The same wax was found on Lei Xiaojia's hands. She might have carried a candle upstairs and accidentally knocked it over onto the abandoned bookshelf."

Lin Fan frowned, "If they're related, there could be more than one soul in the library. Let's go there later. I want to see if there's another one."

"You're not going alone. You're coming with me. We'll go later."

Lin Fan said, "But before that, I want to meet Lei Xiaojia's parents."

"For what?" Qin Feng's dark eyes were calm.

"Lei Xiaojia didn't seem to have any heart issues. Her sudden death is strange. I want to convince them to do an autopsy, for Lei Xiaojia's sake."

"They're very emotional now and might act impulsively."

"Do you trust me?" Lin Fan looked into Qin Feng's eyes.

Qin Feng was silent, his eyes deep.

"Do you trust me?" Lin Fan asked again.

Qin Feng placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb brushing her face, "Do what you can."

Lin Fan grabbed her coat and rushed out. Qin Feng had already organized the files, "I'll take you there."

"No need, I'll take a cab. I want to bring her along."

"Lei Xiaojia?"

"Yes."

Qin Feng looked at Lin Fan for a while, "Be safe. If it works, it works. If not, let it go." Lei Xiaojia's parents were at the hospital now. Qin Feng gave Lin Fan the address and seriously warned, "Call me if anything happens. Don't act rashly."

"I know."

Qin Feng pulled Lin Fan over for a kiss, brushing her lips, "I'll drop you at the subway station."

Lin Fan grabbed his fingers, nodded, and Qin Feng took her bag and left. He dropped Lin Fan at the subway station. She put on her backpack and waved, "I'm off. Drive safely."

"Okay, go ahead."

Lin Fan entered the subway station. Qin Feng watched her go before driving to his unit. This case was eerie. Were the three cases connected? The first victim was Su Weilan, aged seventeen. According to the autopsy report, she died at 1:30 AM. What was she doing in the lab at that time?

According to statements from those involved, there was an afternoon lab class, and the key was with a female student, the class monitor of Senior Three Class Six. According to her statement, she lost the key. The investigation conditions were poor back then, with no surveillance, and the girl died of a heart attack, not homicide, so the case was handled hastily.

Qin Feng parked his car and went straight to his unit. He needed to check someone's records. Lei Xiaojia's death might be related to the deaths of the two previous girls. Lei Xiaojia's body was thoroughly examined, ruling out poisoning and death by external injuries. All eleven people present were under observation with no time to commit murder. The ghost Lei Xiaojia saw might be the main cause.