Li Zhi chuckled lightly, “It’s not that hard to guess, right?”
Qu Rong: “…”
Audience: “…”
They all felt a little looked down upon!
Qu Rong stared at her for a moment, confirming that there was no malice in those sincere eyes, and finally stepped aside. “Fine, come in and speak.”
She closed the door, and Li Zhi walked into the single-room apartment for the first time. On the dining table, covered with a floral cloth, a glass vase held a stalk of lily, still blooming beautifully. The tablecloth was identical to the one at Chen Meiqian’s house, probably bought by Chen Meiqian.
Chen would buy flowers for Qu Rong, gift her the same floral tablecloth, and even help her change lightbulbs. She was expressing her gratitude to the person who pulled her from the abyss, even though she knew this person might not be human.
But so what? The ones who had hurt her all along were humans, and it was a monster that saved her in her moment of despair.
When Li Zhi walked in, Chen Meiqian’s eyes showed tension, but she still stepped protectively in front of Qu Rong and gritted her teeth, saying, “It was me who killed Chu Guangyan. It has nothing to do with her.”
Li Zhi looked at her, “Did you stab him in the neck with scissors?”
Chen Meiqian froze, “How do you know…”
She paused, then gave a bitter smile, “Yes, at the time, he was beating me on the sofa. Before he got home, I was sewing buttons, and the sewing kit was just there on the sofa.”
His fists, harder than stone, fell upon her. That face, usually gentle and refined outside, twisted into something monstrous as soon as he was home.
“Did you tell them something again? Did you go out today?” He gripped her throat, pinning her on the sofa, his bloodshot eyes like a demon’s. “When I was going upstairs, those nosy women were asking about the child again. What did you say to them?”
She cried, shaking her head with difficulty. “Nothing… I didn’t say anything…”
“You want a child that badly? Then go have one with some guy outside! Or maybe you already did, huh?” His gaze, filled with malice, fell on her stomach. He then viciously slammed his knee into her abdomen as if there really was a child growing there and he wanted to kill it.
The pain was unbearable.
Even though she had done nothing wrong. He was the one with the problem; he was the one who couldn’t father a child. Yet, in the end, it was she who had to pay the price for his wounded male pride. In the midst of her cries and struggles, her hand found the scissors. Before she realized what was happening, they were already stabbed into Chu Guangyan’s neck.
Warm blood splattered, landing on her terrified face. Chu Guangyan’s eyes widened in disbelief. He clutched his neck, convulsed briefly, and then collapsed on top of her.
She had killed someone.
Suddenly, laughter rang out from the doorway. “You actually fought back and killed him, huh?”
Chen Meiqian frantically shoved the corpse off her, trembling as she crawled up to look toward the door. The reporter from the second floor, Qu Rong, was standing there with her arms crossed, leaning against the door as if she was watching a captivating show.
Chen Meiqian’s body went limp, and she collapsed back onto the sofa, sobbing in fear.
She had killed someone.
She had become a murderer.
Qu Rong clicked her tongue, walking over to her with deliberate grace. Standing in front of her, she leaned down slightly, her fingers brushing the blood on Chen Meiqian’s face, and smiled.
“How interesting. I thought you’d kill yourself. I could already smell it.”
Chen Meiqian tilted her head up, her hair disheveled, her face covered in tears and blood, staring blankly at Qu Rong.
Qu Rong tilted her head, thinking for a moment, and suddenly spoke with excitement, “How about I teach you a way to wear new skin together with me from now on?”
At that moment, a light returned to the depths of Chen Meiqian’s dark, despairing eyes.
…
“That’s how it happened.” As Chen Meiqian recounted everything, she trembled, but her gaze remained firm. “I was the one who killed him. I was the one who skinned him. She only told me how to do it.”
One was a wife who had personally killed her husband and skinned him, and the other was Qu Rong, standing to the side with a smile, instructing her on how to skin him. No wonder Chu Guangyan was too terrified to go to the sixth or second floor. In his mind, the woman who taught his wife to skin people must have been even scarier than his wife.
Li Zhi turned her gaze to the “Qu Rong” standing behind Chen Meiqian. “Is Qu Rong still alive?”
“Qu Rong” smiled and spread her arms, spinning in place as if showing herself off. “How could this not count as living?”
Li Zhi asked, “Did you skin her?”
“Qu Rong” raised her eyebrows. “We made a voluntary deal. She didn’t want to live anymore anyway. Rather than dying just like that, she figured it was better to give me her skin. I could help her do things she couldn’t—like restoring that corrupted surveillance footage that failed to capture the sexual harassment incident and bringing her boss to justice.”
Would suicide help? No, it wouldn’t.
Especially since Qu Rong had been resuscitated, the mocking and humiliating voices only grew louder.
“Putting on a suicide show to gain sympathy? If she really wanted to die, she wouldn’t have failed.”
“She’s so young and already in that position, and pretty too. Are you telling me she didn’t use some tricks to get there? I don’t believe it.”
“That boss might be trash, but this woman isn’t innocent either. They’re both to blame!”
…
Those voices were sharper than knives, each one slicing off a piece of her flesh. The doctors might have saved her life, but they couldn’t save her will to live.
When she ripped out the IV and stood once more on the rooftop of the hospital, it appeared.
It appeared beside every woman at the end of her rope, wanting to end her life, offering them a deal.
What a waste it would be to die without doing anything. Give me your skin. I’ll help you live, help you fulfill your wishes.
And so, it collected one human skin after another. It had no soul, no body of its own. It was made of countless layers of human skin. When one was shed, another took its place—endlessly. Because in this world, there would always be women experiencing the agony of despair.
“And Xiao Ke?” Li Zhi asked.
“Qu Rong” smiled again and suddenly raised her hand, starting to peel off the human skin from the wrist where there had been a scar from slashing.
Qu Rong vanished, and the shy, delicate Xiao Ke stood before her. Xiao Ke walked toward her, extending a finger and pressing it gently against Li Zhi’s forehead.
Li Zhi’s consciousness sank, and she felt as though she were being pulled into an illusion.
In the illusion, she seemed to become Xiao Ke, sitting in a small, dark study, typing on the computer. She felt an unbearable weight pressing on her chest, so heavy that she could hardly breathe.
With every sentence she typed, she had to take a deep breath, as if she wouldn’t be able to breathe at all otherwise.
Suddenly, the tightly closed door was slammed open, and Li Zhi instinctively began to tremble. The fear and resistance welling up from deep within her soul made her vision blur.
“Write, write, write! All you do is hide in your room and write! You have no social life at all! I swear, you’re useless!”
“Look around you! Who’s like you? You’re 23 and still haven’t had a boyfriend! The neighbor’s daughter already had her baby’s full-month celebration, and I don’t even have the face to go outside! All the education we paid for was a waste!”
“You’ve completely ruined the reputation of me and your father! And you tried to kill yourself! Do you know what people are saying about me, your father, and our family? Next time you want to die, do it far away from us!”
“You’re already 23! If you don’t get married now, who will want you in a few years? A woman’s prime only lasts so long, and you can’t compare to boys. Mom is only thinking of your best interests! What’s wrong with the boys I’ve introduced you to for blind dates? As long as they can live a good life with you, that’s all that matters. If you keep being picky, you’ll end up being the one no one wants!”
“Your father and I worked so hard to raise you. Do you think you’ve done right by us? It seems like you’re determined to drive us to our deaths before you’re satisfied! And you went and tried to kill yourself—how dare you! How did I end up raising such an ungrateful child!”
…
The suffocating feeling of drowning overwhelmed Li Zhi. No matter how wide she opened her mouth, she couldn’t breathe. The scene shifted, and she found herself standing by a quiet river. The cold water had already risen to her waist, and she heard a murmuring voice say, “If you die here, no one will find you.”
Behind her came a cheery voice, “I found you.”
Li Zhi turned around and saw a middle-aged woman standing on the riverbank, smiling at her. “Since you’re going to die anyway, how about making a deal with me?”
“Okay.”
Xiao Ke smiled without hesitation.
“What’s your wish?”
“I don’t really have any wishes. If I had to say, the only regret is that I never finished writing my novel. It’s the work I’m most proud of.”
“Alright,” it promised with a smile. “I can finish it for you.”
Its finger left Li Zhi’s forehead, and she broke free from the suffocating feeling.
The “Xiao Ke” in front of her was smiling warmly.
Li Zhi smiled back. “Did you finish the novel?”
“Xiao Ke” sighed, “Not yet. It’s too difficult.” She looked Li Zhi up and down, a flicker of interest crossing her face.
“I can’t give her someone else’s skin. Only the skin she peels off herself will fit.”
“Where could we find another skin for her to peel?” It grinned mischievously. “I think your skin looks just right. How about giving her yours?”
Li Zhi remained calm. “I don’t think that will work.”
“Xiao Ke” pouted, “Why not?”
Li Zhi replied, “You wouldn’t win. Before you could peel off my skin, I’d take yours off first.”
“Xiao Ke”: “…”
Li Zhi smiled. “Actually, I have a win-win solution. No one needs to lose their skin, and Miss Chen can live in the sunlight from now on.”
Chen Meiqian blurted out, “What’s the solution?”
Li Zhi pointed at “Xiao Ke.” “Let it wear Chu Guangyan’s skin and take you away from here.”
Chen Meiqian was momentarily stunned.
Li Zhi turned to “Xiao Ke.” “What do you think? Isn’t that a good plan?”
“Xiao Ke” scrunched up her nose. “Men’s skin smells terrible. I don’t want to wear it…”
She glanced at Chen Meiqian for a long time, then reluctantly sighed. “But for you, I’ll make an exception. After all, you’re my first friend.”
Tears welled up in Chen Meiqian’s eyes.
“Xiao Ke” gave Li Zhi a few more glances, then suddenly leaned in and sniffed her neck.
With a playful smile, she said, “You’ve had the scent of despair on you before too. If the day ever comes when you want to make a deal with me, I’ll be there right on time. I really like your skin.”
Li Zhi smiled gently and declined, “Thank you, but that day will never come.”
It let out a bored pout, then once again put on Qu Rong’s skin and sat down on the bed. “Alright, go fetch Chu Guangyan’s stinky skin. We’ll move out first thing in the morning.”
Once the skin is returned, this level should be cleared.
Li Zhi nodded, opened the door, and walked downstairs.
Chu Guangyan’s skin was still being guarded by other players in Room 104. By this time, the sky had already darkened, and the lanterns on the first floor were lit.
She quickened her pace, and as soon as she reached the first floor, she saw Qiao Junyuan standing at the entrance of the corridor, smiling at her.
The red glow of the lantern cast an eerie light on his youthful face, making it appear unsettlingly strange.