It was Gaoyang's first time in a love hotel, and to be honest, he didn't like it.
Red lighting, red carpet, red walls, red furniture, red canopy—it all felt like a cramped spider demon's lair.
Qingling locked the door, drew the curtains, opened the metal case, studied it for a bit, then assembled the sniper rifle.
It was still early, and there was nothing to do.
Qingling sat on a strangely shaped fetish chair, while Gaoyang sat on the soft waterbed. The two stared at each other, the atmosphere delicate—though Qingling seemed quite calm, it was Gaoyang who didn't know where to put his hands.
Suddenly, Gaoyang's phone rang.
It was a call from Wang Zikai. "Bro! Impulse is the devil! Think this through!! If you take this step, there's no going back! You're dirty! A man with no self-respect is like rotten cabbage! I spit on you! Pah!"
"Women are nothing but trouble—they'll only slow down your R-flash!"
"Get out of there! Playing ranked is the true path of light!"
"I'm at 601 E-sports Café! Giant screen, high-end surround sound system, super immersive—get up here! If you're a real bro, let's rank up till dawn!"
Gaoyang hung up the phone.
"Are you lonely?" Qingling asked.
"Huh?"
"Then why are you friends with an idiot?" she asked, baffled.
"Well... it's a long story." Gaoyang gave an awkward smile.
Qingling stood up and walked into the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."
The bathroom was an enclosed space with semi-frosted glass; even though it wasn't fully transparent, one could still make out the general outline.
Soon, Qingling's jacket and skirt were hanging over the glass door, followed by her white lingerie—hung just as casually.
She really doesn't treat me like a stranger!
Gaoyang quickly looked down—only to realize that the glass below half a meter was clear. He could see Qingling's long legs and smooth ankles. With the sound of rushing water, hot water mixed with white foamy body wash streamed along her calves and ankles, before spreading across the floor.
He took out his phone and began scrolling.
Qingling finished showering quickly. When she came out, she was wrapped in nothing but a sexy towel.
She said to Gaoyang, "You should shower too."
"Do I have to?"
"To outsiders, we're a couple in a love hotel. Every trace has to fit the logic of that behavior. We can't raise any beast's suspicion."
While she spoke, Qingling opened the bedside drawer, took out a box of condoms, pulled one out, tore it open, wrapped it in tissue, and put it in her backpack—apparently planning to take it with her.
She paused, then asked, "Is one enough? How many do you usually use?"
"…"
Gaoyang was at a loss for words. "Just… one, I guess."
After creating all the "traces" that matched the narrative, the two of them rested for a bit. Of course, Gaoyang couldn't sleep. His mind was full of thoughts—serious ones.
...
At 5:30, the alarm went off. Qingling opened her eyes and got up.
Gaoyang hadn't slept at all. He sat up with her, eager to ask, "I remember you said the beasts don't have reproductive systems."
Qingling nodded. She walked to a mini-fridge in the corner, opened the door, took out two drinks, tossed one to Gaoyang, and opened the other for herself.
"I've got a question," Gaoyang said, turning the bottle in his hand. "Officer Huang… he's married, right?"
Qingling nodded, waiting for more.
"So by that one-in-ten-thousand chance, his wife is probably a beast?"
"Most likely."
"Then if they sleep together… won't something go wrong?"
Qingling took another sip. "Beasts don't have human reproductive systems, but they can imitate. There are subtle differences."
"Imitate? Differences?" Gaoyang pondered.
Qingling remained composed. "I awakened at a very young age. The first human I met was my cousin."
"Oh."
"He slept with many girls. Then one day, he slept with a human girl and realized something felt different from all the others."
"And then he awakened?" Gaoyang had mixed feelings. This implied that scumbags are doomed. If her cousin hadn't awakened, he wouldn't have died.
Qingling nodded. "He told me that if someone has never had relations with a human, then no matter how many times they sleep with beasts, they won't notice. But just once with a real human, and the difference becomes obvious."
"So… you have experience in this area?" Gaoyang swore he asked purely out of academic curiosity.
"No." Qingling shook her head. "My cousin said it's easier to distinguish males. Male beasts mimic human reproductive systems, so their reaction is instant. But a human male's reaction develops gradually."
Gaoyang recalled that "test" from the other night and blushed.
"As for female beasts, my cousin said it's something that can only be felt, not explained." Qingling suddenly looked at Gaoyang. "Want to try once? Then we'd both have experience."
Gaoyang nearly spat out his drink.
"What, is that funny?" Qingling frowned.
"N-no, if there's a chance… maybe later." Gaoyang quickly changed the subject, glancing at his phone. "It's almost six."
Qingling took a note from her pocket. A cold glint flashed in her eyes.
"Are we… killing someone?" Gaoyang had already guessed. "Who?"
Qingling handed him the note. "Read it yourself."
> 6:00 AM. The riverside scenic platform No. 2. Kill the woman beside me. Aim for the head or heart.
Gaoyang stared at the note, thinking:
"The woman beside me" implies Officer Huang will appear. The target must be his colleague, friend, or family member. He's not killing her himself but instead putting her in the line of fire—probably to create the perfect alibi and avoid suspicion. Looks like this is more complicated than it seems.
Qingling drew the curtains, pushed the fetish chair to the window, mounted the sniper rifle, tilted her head, and pressed her right eye to the scope. Honestly, a tall woman in a towel sitting on a sex chair holding a sniper rifle—that was just insane.
Soon, Qingling said, "Target in sight."
Gaoyang quickly moved closer. "Let me see."
Through the scope, Gaoyang looked at the No. 2 platform along the river.
In the soft morning sunlight stood a graceful, intellectual woman in a red dress and white shawl, gazing at the shimmering water.
Soon, Officer Huang arrived in workout clothes and sneakers, a towel draped over his shoulder. He stopped at the platform. The woman handed him a bottle of water, smiling gently.
Officer Huang took the water, and the woman naturally used the towel to wipe his sweat—intimate and familiar.
After a brief chat, Officer Huang took back the towel and jogged off again, probably to finish a couple more laps. The woman watched him go with loving eyes, then turned back to enjoy the view.
"His wife?" Gaoyang asked.
Qingling nodded, clearly thinking the same. "She probably suspects he's awakened—at least she's suspicious. Officer Huang decided to get rid of her before she can confirm it. And he wants to use us to do it."
Click—
Qingling readied the rifle. "I'll do it."
Gaoyang stayed silent, feeling conflicted.
He wasn't some saint, and he had no right to judge Officer Huang. But he imagined himself in that situation—if it were his grandma, dad, mom, or sister in the crosshairs—could he pull the trigger?
He was torn, restless.
"She hasn't moved," Qingling took a deep breath. "Three… two… one…"
Pfft— Qingling fired. Though it had a silencer, the sound wasn't quite right—muffled and short, like a misfire.
Gaoyang noticed something was off. He looked up—and froze.
Qingling's brows furrowed. She hadn't expected this.
At the moment she pulled the trigger, a shadow dropped from above, blocking the shot. The bullet struck the figure.
Soon, Gaoyang and Qingling saw who it was.
It was Wang Zikai.