In an instant, four consecutive images surfaced in your mind. In the images, a fashionable woman with long black hair walked by with graceful steps, long legs, a wasp waist, and a delicate face—a beauty who would leave a deep impression with just one glance.
When you opened your eyes, Qianling Xian asked, "Did you notice anything?"
Seeing you shake your head, Qianling Xian took you straight into the elevator.
The handsome man and Zhang Zifeng also hurriedly squeezed in. He said to Qianling Xian, "Qianling, Director Zhang has ordered you to assist me with the case. How come you act like you're in charge? Before you do anything, could you at least let me know?"
Qianling Xian didn't even glance at the man. She took out her phone from her pocket, recorded a sound, and then played two words to the handsome man from her phone—"Let know."
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and Qianling Xian walked out first. You and Zhao'er followed, giving her a thumbs-up in front of her.
"Don't imitate boring people doing boring things. This case is quite tricky, and the killer specifically targets tall, glamorous young women. Do you really want to see a delicate beauty end up like that?"
Although Qianling Xian's tone was forceful, it wasn't harsh to the ears. Instead, you felt a sense of admiration for her. Girls like her were indeed rare in today's society.
Three detectives were already standing inside Room 609, and the victim lay on the floor of her bedroom, covered with a white cloth.
"The victim's name is Lin Meijiao. She was a white-collar worker and worked at Xiongfeng Group before her death..." A detective told you her relevant information. After hearing it, you reached out to touch a cellphone not far from her body.
The handsome man hurried over, slapped your hand away, and with fierce eyes, he scolded, "Are you blind? Don't you know this is crucial evidence? You don't even understand the most basic rules. What good are you? Get out!"
After wiping the spit off your face, you turned to Qianling Xian and said, "Since someone doesn't like my style, I might as well leave."
Qianling Xian's eyes widened, and she immediately shouted, "Wang Xiao, Fan Hong!"
"Present!" The two detectives responded.
"Get Hu Zhiyuan out of here!"
The two detectives exchanged glances and hesitated.
"What are you waiting for?"
Seeing the two detectives actually lifting him up, Hu Zhiyuan shouted at Qianling Xian, "Qianling Xian, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're pretty. I'm in charge of this case, and you have to listen to me!"
"What can someone like you, who only knows how to eat, drink, and fawn over others, do? You're just a burden here!" Qianling Xian coldly ordered, "Get him out!"
Regardless of how Hu Zhiyuan yelled, Qianling Xian still ignored him.
Standing at the door, Hu Zhiyuan was furious but didn't dare to overstep. Although he liked to think he had some influence at home, he knew he was no match for Qianling Xian. If he truly angered her, a simple phone call from her could send him packing.
Hu Zhiyuan kept quiet, and the room returned to calm.
Qianling Xian said to you, "When you touch items at the scene, it's best to wear gloves."
Taking the gloves handed to you by a detective, you picked up the cellphone.
As soon as you picked up the phone, a dozen images flashed through your mind, but they were all scenes from her daily life, with no trace of the killer.
Just as you were about to put down the phone, it suddenly rang!
Everyone's nerves tensed up immediately.
Seeing Qianling Xian nod at you, you answered the call and turned on the speakerphone. A "shushing" sound came from the speaker, mixed with a woman's voice, "Save me, save me!"
"Who are you? Where are you now?"
Qianling Xian asked in a deep voice.
"I'm by your side... I feel so stuffy... I can't breathe... It hurts, it hurts so much..."
The woman's voice gradually became more piercing. At that moment, everyone except Zhao'er involuntarily covered their ears, as the shrill sound from the speaker was too piercing.
Unable to bear it, you hung up the phone.
Qianling Xian said to a detective beside her, "See if you can trace the source of the call."
You immediately said to her, "No need for that trouble, she's right by your side."
With those words, everyone in the room felt a sudden drop in temperature, and even Hu Zhiyuan, standing outside, shrank back and took a few steps inside.
"Li Muyun, what do you mean by that?"
Zhang Zifeng's voice trembled as he spoke.
You put down the phone, walked over to the victim's body, and reached out to lift the white cloth.
"Wait a second." Even with her strong heart, Qianling Xian found it hard to accept for a moment, showing a hint of vulnerability, "That, that... is she still alive?"
"I'm not sure, but my intuition tells me that she was the one who spoke just now."
When you lifted the white cloth, what appeared before you was a face stripped of its skin!
The blood-red muscle texture, blood vessels, meridians, and facial features were all there, just without the skin. Just one more glance made you feel a chill in your heart.
Hu Zhiyuan only took a couple of looks before he leaned to one side and started vomiting violently.
The other detectives also looked a bit pale. Qianling Xian frowned, covering her mouth, and stared at you steadily.
Honestly, seeing it in person was much more shocking than in photos. For some reason, though, you were in a much better state than they were. To you, the victim in front of you was no different from an ordinary person, with just a bit of pity in your heart.
You turned to look at the pale-faced Zhang Zifeng behind you, pointed to a photo of the victim from her daily life next to Zhang Zifeng, and asked, "Officer Zhang, is that photo beautiful?"
Zhang Zifeng didn't know what you were up to, but he turned his head to look and nodded, "Indeed, she's beautiful."
You then turned back to the victim's body and asked Zhang Zifeng, "Why is your reaction so different just because of a layer of skin? When you pursue a girl, don't you usually say you like her for her inner qualities, not her appearance?"
"I..." Zhang Zifeng was at a loss for words.
Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
You didn't know why she was still alive either; it was just a feeling that she should be.
"How can you be sure she's still alive if her heart has stopped beating?"
As soon as Qianling Xian spoke, Zhao'er, who had been silent, slowly walked over to your side, crouched down beside you, and simply said a few words to the body in front of her, "The soul is lost."