Li Feng’s naturally cold and tough demeanor didn’t seem out of place to the audience. In fact, when he proactively invited Li Zhi to join him, people were quite pleased. The two of them looked reliable, which also increased the entertainment value of exploring the instance.
The four of them walked up to the third floor together. This floor was cleaner than the two below, likely because more people lived here, and the public areas were regularly cleaned. Li Feng and Qiao Junyuan lived in Room 302, right next to Qu Rong, the girl Li Zhi had encountered earlier in Room 304.
At this time of day, the rooms on the third floor were locked. It was unclear whether the tenants were out working or still sleeping in. One of the doors, like those on the second floor, had couplets pasted on it. However, instead of a lantern, the doorframe was draped with red silk. In the dimly lit corridor, the vibrant red color exuded an eerie sense of death.
Earlier, Li Zhi hadn’t paid much attention to the couplets posted outside the residents’ doors on the second floor. Now, as they approached and she took a closer look, she noticed the couplet’s upper line read: “A spring breeze carries across the universe,” and the lower line said: “The spirit of ice and snow remains in the world.”
The black characters on a red background, meant to symbolize peace and celebration, now only felt ominous.
Li Zhi and Li Feng exchanged a glance. Li Zhi whispered, “This isn’t a regular couplet.”
Li Feng nodded. “It’s a funeral couplet.”
Meng Yuhan, startled, clung tightly to Li Zhi’s arm. “Does this mean someone in this household has passed away?”
But if someone had passed away, why were they using red silk instead of white mourning banners? Celebrating a death with red? What kind of logic was that?
Li Feng said, “Let’s check the second floor.”
The four of them descended to the second floor, where most of the residents had couplets pasted on their doors, and red lanterns swayed faintly in the dim corridor. The lights in the hallway were motion-activated, and Li Feng stomped his foot to trigger the faint illumination, allowing him to examine the couplets more closely.
As they moved from door to door, his expression grew darker.
“They’re all funeral couplets.”
It was broad daylight, yet Meng Yuhan felt a chill crawl up her spine. It seemed as though the entire building had been engulfed in a cold, eerie atmosphere. Had someone died in these rooms, or were the occupants already dead?
Li Zhi continued upward. “Let’s check the floors above.”
They climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and found two rooms with the same couplets there, as well as on the fifth floor. However, the sixth floor had none. The top floor seemed different, brighter, likely because it had better lighting due to its open design.
Li Feng walked to the stairwell and took a closer look. This was the spot where Xiao Bo and Qiang Zi had fallen. The stairwell in this old building was wide and lacked proper safety measures, making it indeed a bit dangerous. However, there were railings around the stairwell, and Li Feng measured the height. Falling from here wouldn’t be easy.
Li Zhi seemed to share the same thought. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “Unless they weren’t trying to escape down the stairs but were attempting to climb down to the next floor, which is why they fell into the stairwell.”
In what situation would someone not take the stairs and instead climb over the railing?
According to the man in the flowered shirt, Xiao Bo and Qiang Zi were lazy and idle in life, even daring to commit burglary. Given their reckless nature, running away after being caught shouldn’t have caused them to panic to the point of making such a dangerous escape.
“There’s only one explanation,” Li Zhi said in a low voice. “They were terrified. In their extreme fear, they must have chosen the quickest way to escape, opting to jump to the next floor by climbing over the railing.”
What had they seen on the sixth floor that night?
The sixth floor was more spacious and well-lit than the others, and at the end of the hallway, there was a small communal area. Diamond-shaped holes in the walls allowed sunlight to stream through, creating patches of light of various sizes on the ground.
This small communal space seemed to function as a shared kitchen. The floor was cluttered, and a kettle was boiling on a coal stove.
As they were observing, a door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman with curly hair wearing a red sweater stepped out carrying a basin. Upon seeing them, she quickly walked over, her tone slightly displeased. “Hey, who are you looking for? What are you doing here?”
Li Zhi turned around, a friendly smile on her face as she tried to appease the older woman. “Auntie, we’re new tenants. We just moved into Room 205 and came up to introduce ourselves to the new neighbors.”
The aunt finally dropped her guard a little. As she poured the boiling water from the kettle into the basin, she curiously observed them, her tone carrying a hint of playful mystery, “You youngsters sure are brave, daring to rent an apartment in this building.”
Li Zhi blinked innocently. “Why wouldn’t we? Did something happen in this apartment?”
The aunt seemed satisfied, her face lighting up with a touch of smugness as she waved them closer. The group complied, moving in to hear her speak in a low, secretive voice, “Just recently, two people fell to their deaths here. Word on the street is that this place is haunted! It’s really scary!”
“What?” Li Zhi feigned shock and fear. “How did they fall?”
The aunt motioned behind her with her mouth. “From there. They fell and died. Ugh, their insides spilled out.”
Meng Yuhan’s face turned pale as she heard this, trembling as she clung to Li Zhi’s arm.
“I think I heard something about that,” Li Zhi whispered, “but I don’t know the details. Auntie, were you there when it happened?”
“Of course! I’m a witness!” The aunt’s gossiping spirit was in full force now as she dragged over a small stool and plopped down.
“I was cooking in my room at the time, when I suddenly heard someone yell ‘Stop the thief!’ It was Mr. Chu from across the hall. I didn’t even have time to put down my spatula before I ran out the door. Just in time to see those two thieves dash out of Mr. Chu’s apartment, screaming like banshees as they ran downstairs.”
The aunt was so excited that spit flew as she spoke. “Both Mr. Chu and I chased after them, and then, right before my eyes, those two thieves jumped down the stairwell! Oh my!” She patted her chest, clearly still shaken. “It scared me to death! By the time we got there, Xiao Bo and Qiang Zi—oh, they used to live on the first floor—were already lying at the bottom, dead on the spot.”
It sounded very similar to what the man in the floral shirt had mentioned earlier.
Li Feng, standing by, asked, “Besides that, did you notice anything else?”
The aunt looked at him, puzzled. “What else? At the time, it was just me, Mr. Chu, and those two thieves. There was nothing else.”
Li Zhi asked, “What about Mr. Chu’s wife?”
At this question, both Li Zhi and Li Feng noticed a clear look of disdain in the aunt’s eyes. She lazily replied, “Chen Meiqian? They say she fainted from fright. Imagine that—fainting over a couple of thieves. So delicate.”
Li Zhi, with a hint of admiration, said, “We ran into Mr. Chu earlier this morning while having breakfast downstairs. He mentioned that he takes very good care of his wife, even makes sure she doesn’t have to wake up early to make breakfast. With a husband like that, it’s no wonder she’s a little spoiled.”
Hearing this, the disdain in the aunt’s eyes grew even more intense, her tone sharp and mocking. “Isn’t that right? No other woman in this building has it as good as her. Married to such a good man like Mr. Chu, she doesn’t have to lift a finger around the house. You know what?”
She lowered her voice conspiratorially, though her jealousy was evident. “Even though she can’t have kids, Mr. Chu doesn’t hold it against her.”
Li Zhi played along, her expression one of curiosity. “Really?”
The aunt nodded emphatically. “Of course it’s true! I’ve lived in this building for years, even before Mr. Chu and Chen Meiqian moved in. They were newlyweds back then, so not having kids right away wasn’t a big deal. But it’s been three years now, and still no sign of a baby. People have asked about it, and Mr. Chu always says…”
She cleared her throat, mimicking Mr. Chu’s refined and gentle tone, “‘Meiqian isn’t ready for kids yet. We’re not in a rush.’” Then she scoffed and sneered, “I live right across the hall. I can tell you, Mr. Chu definitely wants kids. It’s just that Chen Meiqian can’t have them!”
Li Zhi chuckled. “Even behind closed doors, you can hear what goes on?”
“I hear them when they argue!” The aunt rolled her eyes. “This building isn’t soundproof. You can hear everything loud and clear.”
Li Zhi and Li Feng exchanged a knowing look.
Li Zhi then glanced down the hallway and said deliberately, “After hearing what you’ve told us, Auntie, I’m really curious about Mrs. Chu. Since we’re already here, why don’t we pay her a visit?”
The aunt lazily stood up, nudging the stool aside with her foot. “Don’t bother. Chen Meiqian won’t open the door for you.”
Meng Yuhan couldn’t help but ask, “Why not?”
“She never liked to greet her neighbors. Whenever she saw people, she’d avoid them like a ghost was chasing her,” the aunt said as she finished pouring the water and picked up the basin.
She glanced at the door of Room 603, her tone sharp and critical, “In the past few months, she doesn’t even bother leaving her apartment. It’s always Mr. Chu who comes out to cook and do the laundry. If you ask me, women like her shouldn’t be spoiled! Just look at what Mr. Chu has turned Chen Meiqian into!”
After the aunt left, the group continued to explore the sixth floor but found nothing new.
As they passed by the door of Room 603, Li Zhi paused to take a look, but with the door closed, there was nothing to see. That woman named Chen Meiqian must be inside the room, right? The building wasn’t soundproof, and the aunt hadn’t exactly been quiet earlier. Did she hear what was said?
If it were anyone else, they would’ve come out and argued by now after hearing a neighbor gossiping about them.
But there wasn’t a single sound from inside 603.
Li Zhi stared at the peephole on the door.
Behind this door, was someone standing there, silently watching them through the peephole?