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CHAPTER 2
PART 2
Two weeks later in the morning, Su Xiaotong walked into the study and said to Gu Lei, who was working on a design drawing, "Do you think this is normal?"
Gu Lei stopped what he was doing and looked at his wife. "What do you mean?"
Su Xiaotong sat on the edge of the bed. "It's been over ten days since we met Li Xueli. I've noticed that almost every night, people are staying overnight at her place. They either drink until five or six in the morning, play mahjong until almost dawn, play board games, or watch movies all night."
"What's even more strange is that last night, without any planned gatherings, Li Xueli let Wang Xingxing, who already enjoys staying up late to play games, bring his laptop to her place and they stayed up all night. It's said that she even made barbecue skewers for him as a late-night snack."
"So, you think it's abnormal that Li Xueli has an extraordinary ability to stay up late, or is it about her relationship with Wang Xingxing?"
"Neither. Li Xueli purely treats Wang Xingxing like a child, and I can't see any romantic feelings between them. Besides, even if there's something going on between them, I can't interfere. As for staying up late, Li Xueli isn't someone who can stay up that easily. From what I know, many times she herself didn't stay up, she actually slept, but she strongly insists on others staying overnight at her place. Isn't that strange?"
"Maybe she's just very hospitable or afraid of being alone, so she wants someone to accompany her every day."
Su Xiaotong shook her head and said, "If that's the case, why doesn't she get married? She's only 36 years old, looks decent, has a house and a storefront, and cooks delicious food. Finding a man to get married shouldn't be difficult, right?"
"That's true... Have you asked her if she has a marital history or why she doesn't get married?"
"I'm not someone who gossips, and it's difficult for me to ask questions about other people's privacy."
"Well, it's not really privacy. It's more like showing concern for a friend."
Su Xiaotong thought about it and agreed, "Alright, I'll find a chance to ask her today."
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Su Xiaotong, as usual, took Xiaoliang and arrived at Li Xueli's house. Li Xueli said that tonight was the weekend, and she arranged for them to have Korean barbecue. She brought Su Xiaotong to the kitchen and showed her a variety of ingredients: pork belly, beef, chicken wings, bacon, tofu, rice cakes…"
"Key points for eating Korean barbecue are the dipping sauce and spicy cabbage. They all say that the Korean barbecue I make is even more delicious than the restaurants."
"That's for sure. Many of the dishes you make are tastier than those at restaurants."
"Haha, is that so?"
"It's absolutely true." Su Xiaotong found an opportunity. "Your family must also think that the food you make is delicious."
"Aren't you my family?"
"I mean your parents or your husband. By the way, Xueli, have you been married before?"
"No." Li Xueli answered decisively.
"Why didn't you get married?"
"I haven't found the right person. It's not easy to find a reliable man these days." Li Xueli changed the topic. "Let me cut the meat, can you wash the lettuce for me and peel some garlic?"
"Um..."
Such an evasive answer clearly indicated that she was hiding something. Su Xiaotong thought. Otherwise, with Li Xueli's personality, she wouldn't have ended the topic so quickly. But since the other person didn't want to discuss it further, she couldn't continue to push.
On this weekend night, in addition to arranging Korean barbecue, Li Xueli also bought two bottles of beer, indicating that tonight's gathering was going to be like a bar.
Lao Tan came again on a drinking day. However, after these few days, Su Xiaotong had already learned to interact naturally with the police officer. As Gu Lei said, this amiable police officer wouldn't investigate their past without reason, and even if he did, he wouldn't know the truth about "that incident." So, there was nothing to worry about.
The process of eating and drinking was as lively and joyful as ever. The meat grilled by Li Xueli, paired with the dipping sauce, was indeed delicious. The joyful atmosphere continued until 10 o'clock, and then the old routine began again, mahjong, with the five women taking turns to play.
While the other four women were playing cards, Fan Lin, who was replaced, went to the balcony alone to smoke. Su Xiaotong also walked to the balcony and closed the glass door. Fan Lin glanced at her and asked, "Want a cigarette?"
"No, I don't smoke." Su Xiaotong said, "Are you not drunk today? I want to talk to you."
"Hehe, now, except for baijiu, it's hard for other types of alcohol to get me drunk. Besides, I'm a mother, I can't get drunk all the time. What do you want to talk to me about?"
"There's something that has been bothering me."
"What is it?"
"I noticed that almost every night, people are playing overnight at Xueli's house. Even if she doesn't stay up late herself, she invites people to play at her house until the early morning hours. Do you know why?"
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Fan Lin leaned on the balcony railing, looked away, took a puff of her cigarette, and then said, "Xueli is just a warm, hospitable person who loves to have fun. You should have noticed that after these few days, right?"
"Yes. But I've seen people who love to have fun before. I used to have a colleague who went to nightclubs almost every night. But the difference is that after having fun, she would go home alone and sleep. To be honest, I've never seen someone who needs company 24 hours a day. It's definitely not normal."
Fan Lin stubbed out the cigarette on the wall outside the balcony, discarded the butt, and looked at Su Xiaotong for a moment. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I should tell you the truth."
"The truth? Is there really some hidden secret behind this?"
Fan Lin nodded. "But think it through. If I tell you this, it might ruin your mood and perception. Are you sure you want to know?"
Su Xiaotong thought for a few seconds and nodded.
"Alright then. The fact is... This house we're currently in is a haunted house."
"What? A haunted house?" Su Xiaotong exclaimed in surprise. Fan Lin grabbed her arm. "Keep your voice down."
Su Xiaotong glanced at the people in the living room. Gu Lei, Old Tan, Wang Xingxing, and Yuan Dong were still drinking and chatting, while Shen Fengxia was accompanying them, as if they hadn't heard the voices from the balcony. Su Xiaotong asked Fan Lin, "So, not everyone knows about this?"
"That's right. I haven't told many people about this, except for Li Xueli herself. Only Han Lei, Gong Yamei, and Xia Qi should know."
"Then how did you find out?"
"I work in the tourism industry and come into contact with a lot of people every day. I have more sources of information than you do. A friend of mine from Lishi City, who works in a real estate agency, told me. He found out that I live in this neighborhood and often gather at Li Xueli's house, so he told me."
"What exactly happened? I mean, what kind of murder took place in this house? As far as I know, only houses where 'unnatural deaths' occurred can be considered haunted houses."
"That's right. Two years ago, there was a bizarre murder that took place here. Do you really want to continue talking about this? Aren't you afraid?"
The night breeze blew, and coupled with the topic of conversation, Su Xiaotong did feel a chill running through her body. Fortunately, the living room was well-lit, and there were so many people in the house, which dispelled some of her fears. "We've come this far, let's continue."
"Alright, I'll tell you what I know. Two years ago, this house was rented to a woman from out of town. She lived alone and had little contact with others. No one knew much about her or what kind of life she led. Until one day, the landlord discovered that she hadn't paid the rent and couldn't contact her, so they called the police to investigate. And guess what they found," Fan Lin teased.
"So, the woman was killed in the house?"
"Not exactly. Initially, they couldn't find her and there were no signs of blood or anything in the house. It wasn't until the police opened the refrigerator and found that the woman had been dismembered. Just imagine, a woman living alone, brutally murdered and dismembered. What kind of person could do such a thing? Either it was someone who had a deep grudge against her, or it was a deranged serial killer."
Hearing this, Su Xiaotong truly felt a bone-chilling coldness. She tightened her body, staring with fearful eyes. After a while, she asked, "So, did the police solve the case? Who was the killer?"
"No, they didn't. In fact, that's the most terrifying part of this whole thing. The police still don't know who the killer is, let alone capturing them. I don't know the specifics of how the police investigated, but according to my friend, because the woman lived alone and had no relatives or friends here, and the police didn't find anyone who had a grudge against her, coupled with the fact that her body was discovered a considerable time after she was killed, these reasons made solving the case very difficult, turning it into an unsolved mystery."
At this point, Fan Lin paused. "The next thing I'm about to say, I don't know if I should say it or not."
"We've come this far, what else can't be said?"
"Alright, although it might make you even more frightened after hearing it, it's also a kind of warning."
Fan Lin leaned closer to Su Xiaotong and whispered, "This is something my friend reminded me of. Although the police didn't catch the killer, based on various clues, they believe that the killer may be a resident of this neighborhood. And… I'm just saying there's a possibility… this person might still be living in this neighborhood."
Su Xiaotong shivered, and her hair stood on end. Seeing Su Xiaotong turning pale with fear, Fan Lin continued, "But dear, don't worry too much. After all, this happened two years ago, there haven't been any more murders in this neighborhood since then."
"This can lead to two conclusions: first, the murderer back then wasn't a serial killer. The murder of that woman must have had a reason, which means they wouldn't harm unrelated people. Second, whether or not the killer was from this neighborhood, they left after committing the crime. If that's the case, there's even less reason to worry."
"If he hadn't left? What would we do if he still lived in this community?" Su Xiaotong worriedly said.
"As I said earlier, even if that's the case, he hasn't committed any crimes again," replied Fan Lin.
"Does Li Xueli know about this? I mean, when she originally bought this house."
"Of course not! Do you think she's crazy to buy a murder house? Besides, she's a single woman," Fan Lin said. "After such an incident occurred, the house naturally couldn't be rented out, and the landlord didn't dare to live in it either. It was only listed for sale online."
"The locals knew that there had been a murder in this neighborhood, so they didn't dare to buy houses here. Li Xueli, being an outsider and unaware, ended up being the unlucky one. I heard that she almost spent all her savings to buy this house and even invested a lot of money in renovation. After doing all that, she heard from someone that this house had a terrifying history, but it was too late."
"Why was it too late? Couldn't she just put the house back on the market and sell it again?"
"Originally, that was possible, but she did something foolish, forgive me for saying so, but it really was quite foolish."
"What foolish thing did she do?"
"After Li Xueli found out that the house was a murder house, she was furious. She caused a scene at the real estate agency and confronted the previous owner, and even took it to court. The court's ruling was that there was no law stating that a house where a murder occurred couldn't be bought or sold. And the real estate agency claimed that they didn't know it was a murder house, so Li Xueli lost the case. What's even worse is that originally, many people only knew that there was a murder in a certain unit of Yue Bay Community, but they didn't know specifically which unit. But because of her outburst, everyone found out it was Unit 1203 of Building Three."
"So you mean if she hadn't caused that scene, and instead, like the previous owner, listed the house for sale online, maybe she could have sold it."
"That's right. After losing the lawsuit, Li Xueli listed the house for sale at a low price, hoping to recoup some of her losses. But by then, everyone knew it was a murder house, so who would buy it?"
"The house remained unoccupied for a long time, and Li Xueli became disheartened. Perhaps over time, she gradually accepted the reality. In the end, she decided to live here. But it's impossible to say she's not scared, so now you understand why she enthusiastically invites everyone over, proposes to have meals at her place, and tries to find people to stay overnight and play games at her house."
"I see... But why doesn't she find a man to marry? If she had a man at home, she wouldn't be as scared, right?"
"Do you think it's easy to find a reliable man nowadays? Just think about my ex-husband."
"Li Xueli said the same... But I guess not having a suitable candidate isn't the main reason, right?"
"That's right. Since Li Xueli moved to the city, she has actually been on a few blind dates. But either the men were incompatible for various reasons, or they knew that she bought a murder house and didn't want to live with her. Nowadays, not every man is brave."
"What about you guys? You, Gong Yamei, Xia Qi, and Han Lei, you all know about the murder house, right? You come here every day, even playing mahjong overnight, don't you feel scared?"
"After all, it's not our own house, so it feels better. Besides, aren't there so many people here? With many people and a lively atmosphere, the feeling of fear naturally fades away."
"That's true."
"But to say that we don't care at all or aren't afraid, that's also impossible. Have you noticed the Buddhist prayer beads in Gong Yamei's hand? They're made of peach wood, which is said to ward off evil spirits. Ever since I told her about this incident, every time we come to Li Xueli's house, she wears this string of prayer beads."
Su Xiaotong nodded slightly and suddenly thought of something. "By the way, what about Lao Tan? He's a police officer, so he must know about this, right?"
Su Xiaotong glanced at Tan Yong in the living room through the glass. "Not only does he 'know,' he was the police officer in charge of investigating this murder case two years ago."
"Ah... So you mean the police officer who couldn't solve the case all this time is him. Does he often come here to gather because he's unsatisfied with not being able to solve it? So under the guise of the gatherings, he secretly investigates in this neighborhood, especially in this house?"
"Maybe, I don't know. No one has asked him about these sensitive questions. But honestly, I don't know what there is to 'secretly investigate.' The interior design, furniture, and appliances of this house have all been completely renovated since Li Xueli moved in. And most of the members of this 'big family' came to this neighborhood from out of town after the murder happened. So..." Fan Lin shrugged. "What is there to investigate?"
Su Xiaotong pondered for a moment. "There's another possibility, you mentioned earlier that the killer might be a resident of this neighborhood and still living here. So it could be that Lao Tan, who was in charge of the case, often comes to this neighborhood. Even if they can't capture the killer temporarily, having police officers frequently present could at least create some deterrence for the killer."
"Perhaps. Lao Tan is indeed a very serious and responsible person. Maybe he's thinking that even if they can't catch the killer, they should at least ensure the safety of other residents in the neighborhood and prevent another murder from happening."
Su Xiaotong hesitated and said, "Even if the murder hasn't happened again, the fact that this house is a murder scene cannot be changed..."
"Hey, you're not going to be scared because I told you all this and stop coming to Li Xueli's house in the future, right?"
"I have to think about it and discuss it with Gu Lei."
"Don't really stop coming, okay? I would regret telling you about this."
Seeing Su Xiaotong's silence, Fan Lin reassured her, "You really don't have to worry too much. Let me emphasize again, this happened two years ago. And with so many people together every day, what is there to be afraid of? Besides, you won't be alone in this house."
"But in the afternoon, I'll come here to help her prepare meals. At that time, it'll just be the two of us in the house, no, and my son Gu Xiaoliang."
"That should be enough, right? The three of you together, and it's daytime. If you feel scared even in that situation, then isn't Xueli even more unfortunate? After all, she's often alone at home."
Su Xiaotong nodded silently and sighed, "Ah, this neighborhood facing Yuehai, I used to think it was so beautiful, but now it's clouded with psychological shadows."
Fan Lin regretfully said, "I really regret it. I shouldn't have told you about this! Why is your mental resilience so weak? I won't tell you anything from now on!"
"Don't... I just found out about this, and I need time to accept and process it."
"Well, just don't let them know that I told you about this, and don't show any signs of fear, can you do that?"
"Okay." Su Xiaotong took a deep breath and adjusted her emotions. "I understand."
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