"I felt something was off with Teacher Zhou when I saw her at the hospital that day. Turns out she always knew how Lei Xiaojia died. No wonder she was acting strangely."

Qin Feng looked up. "You saw Zhou Jing at the hospital?"

"Yes, yesterday."

"What was she doing there?"

"It seemed like she was visiting Lei Xiaojia's parents."

Qin Feng picked up the landline and dialed a number. Holding the receiver, his eyes fell on the documents in front of him. He knocked on the desk as the call connected.

"This is Detective Qin Feng from the municipal police." Qin Feng said, "Sorry to disturb you this late. There are some questions regarding the Lei Xiaojia case. Can I ask you a few questions?"

It was already early morning, but Lei Xiaojia's parents hadn't slept. Their beloved daughter was dead. Who could sleep after losing a child? The pain was indescribable.

"Go ahead."

"Did you attend No. 16 High School as well?"

"What does that have to do with my daughter?"

"Were you and your wife high school classmates?"

"Yes."

"Do you know a girl named Su Weilan?"

"Su Weilan?" He paused for nearly a minute before saying, "Didn't she die of a heart attack? I remember now. Does she have anything to do with our Xiaojia's death?"

"Not at the moment." Qin Feng said, "I'm just investigating some details. Was your wife close to Su Weilan?"

"I don't know. My wife isn't in a good state to answer that question right now."

"Did Lei Xiaojia's homeroom teacher visit you at the hospital yesterday?"

"Teacher Zhou?"

"Yes, Teacher Zhou Jing."

"She didn't come. She wouldn't dare!" At the mention of Zhou Jing, Lei's father became agitated, raising his voice angrily. "She failed in her duty. We entrusted our child to the school, and now that something happened, the school is just shirking responsibility—"

Qin Feng hung up the phone, stood up, and gathered the documents. "Let's go to the school again."

Lin Fan followed him. "What for?"

"To see Zhou Jing."

The two of them quickly exited. It was cold outside, and it was snowing. Snowflakes mixed with the wind stung their faces. Lin Fan shrank her neck, and Qin Feng put his arm around her, zipping up her down jacket. His rough fingers brushed against Lin Fan's face. "I'm just worried about you."

In the dark, snowy night, he stood before her, the streetlights a dim yellow. Snowflakes drifted down from above, one landing on his nose. Lin Fan's nose suddenly felt sour.

"Mm."

Qin Feng bent down and kissed her. His lips tasted of tobacco. Lin Fan looked up. "I'm afraid the target is you, Qin Feng. If it's you, what should I do?"

Qin Feng hadn't expected Lin Fan to think this. He had always protected Lin Fan, fearing for her safety. Could Mr. Chen's target be him? Qin Feng frowned. "Why would you think that?"

"You couldn't see ghosts before, and they were afraid of you. Now, why aren't they? Is it you who changed, or the ghosts?"

"Could Lei Xiaojia get close to me?"

Lin Fan blinked. Qin Feng ruffled her hair. "Let's go."

At 1:30 a.m., Qin Feng and Lin Fan arrived at the school. The gate was locked, and although the light was on in the security office, no one responded to their calls. Qin Feng looked around and then nimbly climbed over the wall. Just as he was about to tell Lin Fan to wait outside, he turned to see Lin Fan quickly climbing over.

Qin Feng raised his eyebrows and then spoke after a while, "You little rebel, always breaking the rules."

Lin Fan pretended not to hear. "Let's go."

They quickly walked to the teachers' dormitory. Zhou Jing's room was dark. They knocked on the door. There was no response. After about five minutes, Qin Feng took out a card from his pocket. The dormitory door lock was simple, and the card easily opened it.

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Lin Fan widened her eyes and whispered, "Is this okay? What if Teacher Zhou is sleeping inside?"

Qin Feng stepped aside. "Then you go in. You're a girl."

Lin Fan: "..."

Bandit. This is illegal.

She entered and turned on the light. The outer room was empty. One could see the bedroom at a glance, which was also empty. A bag was thrown on the floor, its contents scattered everywhere. Lin Fan turned around quickly. "Qin Feng, could Teacher Zhou be in trouble?"

Qin Feng checked the bedroom. The bed wasn't made, and there were no signs of disturbance in the bedroom. The living room had a bag on the floor with items scattered everywhere. He crouched down to examine the items.

"Where could she have gone without her bag?"

He looked around. The apartment wasn't big, and he soon spotted a familiar bag under the TV cabinet. He had seen this bag before; Zhou Jing was carrying it when he left the school on Sunday afternoon.

Qin Feng walked over and opened the bag, finding it filled with yellow paper and nothing else. Was the yellow paper for burning to Shen Yi? Where had Zhou Jing gone? Home?

Finding nothing more, Qin Feng stood up. "Let's go."

They left the apartment, and the security guard was now awake and opened the gate for Qin Feng. Outside, Lin Fan yawned. "Should I go back to my dorm? You—"

"Home." Qin Feng said. "I'll take you to school in the morning. Let's go home and sleep." He added, "For safety."

Lin Fan checked the time on her phone, not having the habit of wearing a watch. "Three hours until school, plus half an hour on the road. I'll be exhausted."

"If you really can't wake up, take a leave tomorrow."

Lin Fan looked at him for a few seconds. "That's a bad idea. It's too undisciplined."

On the way home, Lin Fan fell asleep. Qin Feng wondered where Zhou Jing could have gone. After parking the car downstairs, he carried Lin Fan upstairs. Lin Fan woke up, glanced at him, and closed her eyes again.

Zhou Jing also had yin-yang eyes. Who had she gone to see at the hospital? Could it be related to Mr. Chen? Qin Feng had discovered that the five victims of the past heart-gouging case all had yin-yang eyes. Could Zhou Jing be the sixth?

Qin Feng laid Lin Fan on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and called the bureau to have someone check the surveillance footage. He didn't take off his clothes and fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already eight o'clock. Lin Fan, after a brief moment of silence, jumped out of bed and rushed to the bathroom.

Qin Feng's phone rang. He answered it.

"On Sunday afternoon, Zhou Jing indeed did not visit Lei Xiaojia. She went to see an old man named Cai Lan."

"Which room is he in?"

Xiao Wang reported the address, and Qin Feng stood up and strode out the door. "Now let's go to the school to find Zhou Jing—assist with the investigation, still on Lei Xiaojia's case."

"Got it."

He hung up the phone as Lin Fan came out with a wet face. "I'm doomed. I'm late."

"I'll take you to school in a bit."

It could only be this way. Lin Fan suspected that her alarm clock must have been turned off by Qin Feng. While resetting the alarm, she asked, "What are you going to school for?"

"Zhou Jing knows Mr. Chen." Qin Feng's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Cai Lan is Mr. Chen's wife. Zhou Jing has yin-yang eyes, matching the traits of the previous six victims. She could be the sixth target."

Lin Fan's jaw dropped. "No way?"

"This is crucial. Only you and I should know."

Lin Fan was still stunned. "The sixth target?"

"I've reviewed the previous cases many times. Their only common trait is having yin-yang eyes. The person digging out hearts might need people with this trait."

"Then doesn't that mean—" Lin Fan suddenly realized. "I'm the seventh target?"

"Possibly. We're still in the speculation phase. If we see Ouyang again, we'll need to ask him clearly."

"Is Ouyang still alive? Could he be the mastermind?"

"If it's him, he would never harm you again." Qin Feng glanced at Lin Fan. "If you are indeed the seventh target, then the mastermind is Mr. Chen."

If Zhou Jing disappeared, Qin Feng wouldn't let Lin Fan out of his sight. He'd likely make her stop attending classes and stay by his side until it was safe.

Lin Fan drank half a bottle of water and then looked at the misty scenery ahead. The snow yesterday hadn't been heavy, but the ground was wet, and the sky was still gloomy, making everything feel dreary.

Qin Feng's phone rang. He answered it without using a headset, putting it on speaker.

"Zhou Jing is not at school. She might have gone home."

"Contact her family."

"Is it that serious?"

Qin Feng tapped the steering wheel. "It might be related to the heart-digging case. This case is intricately connected to the heart-digging case. Investigate it."

"What? The heart-digging case?"

"Delay the meeting a bit. First, find her."

Qin Feng dropped Lin Fan off at the school gate. "Be careful. Whatever happens, prioritize your safety."

"Okay."

Qin Feng initially wanted to investigate Su Weilan's case, the one from twenty-four years ago, but Zhou Jing's disappearance took precedence. He checked the surveillance footage at the school gate and found that Zhou Jing arrived at the gate at noon. After waiting for ten minutes, a car picked her up.

The car was a very low-profile brand, and even enlarging the image didn't reveal the license plate number clearly. With the surveillance footage in hand, Qin Feng received a call from Xiao Wang on the way back.

"Zhou Jing did not go home."

"Zhou Jing might be the sixth target of the heart-digging case mastermind," Qin Feng said. "Let's go back and have a meeting."

They reviewed the road surveillance. The car had left Jiangcheng and last appeared in Ying County. The license plate was registered to a man named Wei Shi, an orphan with no personal information.

Qin Feng watched the surveillance again and finally found a clear shot of the driver's face.

"Pause!"

"Captain Qin?"

"I've seen this person before." It was Mr. Chen's attendant, the one who always followed him. Qin Feng immediately stood up. "Xiao Wang, go to the city central hospital and find an old man named Cai Lan. Post someone to watch her and wait for Chen Xianghua. As soon as you see him, arrest him immediately."

No information on Chen Xianghua could be found in any official records.

Qin Feng quickly contacted the Ying County police, asking them to intercept the car and rescue Zhou Jing. Grabbing his car keys, he headed out. He needed to pick up Lin Fan. Having her by his side was the safest option.

Zhou Jing was indeed in trouble.

Half an hour later, Xiao Wang called from the hospital. "Captain Qin, the old man named Cai Lan was taken out by a middle-aged man this morning and hasn't returned since."

Qin Feng was already near the school. He hit the brakes. "Gone?"

"I'm checking the surveillance footage."