Nie Xiaoqian!She hadn't lied to me—her name really was Nie Xiaoqian!But now… it was all too late.
The clock slowly struck twelve. Midnight had arrived, marking not only the end of the day but also the beginning of a new one…
I sat beside her, quietly gazing at this girl named Nie Xiaoqian—the one who had haunted my thoughts endlessly.Now, she lay lifeless before me.
So close, yet so far… like a world apart.
Suddenly, the beep of a text message shattered the silence of the night.Instinctively, I pulled out my phone. It was just a weather update.It mentioned continued heavy rain and dropping temperatures, reminding users to carry umbrellas when going out.
I shook my head absently and was about to put the phone away when I noticed something strange:A new message I hadn't seen before.
The number was unfamiliar. I'd never received anything from it.
A cold wind swept through, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
In this deathly silent rainy night, only the tapping of raindrops on the glass and the occasional moan of the wind could be heard—like someone sobbing softly in the dark.
A little dazed, I shook my head and opened the unknown message with a sense of unease.
A sudden flash of lightning ripped across the sky, flooding the room with a blinding white light.But the light didn't feel like illumination—it was heavy, sorrowful, as if it came from some mournful place beyond the living.
Because at the same time, something else lit up:The screen of my phone.
Three words appeared, clear as day:
"Help me!"
In that moment, a sharp pain tore through my chest—as if a blade had pierced straight into my heart.I couldn't even breathe.
Because…
That message was sent ten minutes before Nie Xiaoqian died.
She had remembered my phone number.She had seen me as her last hope for survival.And I… I had let that hope fade into nothing.
I couldn't forgive myself—ever.If I hadn't left my phone at the office, if I'd seen that message in time,If I had just stopped and looked inside that phone booth…Everything might have been different.
It was my fault.I killed her.I'm the murderer.A useless bastard.
If only time could turn back—if only I had one more chance…
Endless regret and pain surged within me. My head throbbed in agony, my vision went black—and I lost consciousness.
A chilly gust of wind swept through, snapping me awake.Everything around me was the same, and yet… something inside felt different—an unexplainable anxiety pressing on my chest.
I steadied myself and looked once more at the lifeless body lying before me.
Yes…In this miserable, stormy night, I'd been alone with a corpse for what felt like forever.The thought was truly terrifying.
I stood up, deciding I needed to step outside and clear my mind.
I walked toward the door.
A clap of thunder roared overhead. The lights around me flickered violently, flashing off and on as if struggling against something unseen.
My chest tightened.I knew—logically—that the storm had caused a power surge.But still, I couldn't shake the fear growing within me.
Then, almost without thinking, I turned my head.
And froze.
The corpse was gone.
The bed where she had lain… was completely empty.
She had been there, just moments ago.How could she have vanished?Had she… gotten up on her own?
I didn't dare think further.
Suddenly, I felt it—something behind me.
Someone… was standing behind me.
"Xichen, wake up! Don't sleep now!"
That voice snapped me back to reality.
God was playing a cruel joke on me.
Everything that had happened—It was just a dream.
"A nightmare," I muttered under my breath.
"You'll be in trouble if Captain Zheng catches you napping again," said Ye Rongze, flashing me a gentle smile behind his signature gold-rimmed glasses.
I glanced at my watch and smirked. "Relax, Rongze—it's already after hours."
Ye Rongze—our department's forensic expert, weaponry whiz, and all-around genius.And most importantly… my best friend.
"Off the clock! Best moment of the day." I stretched with a big grin.
"Fine, fine, go enjoy your freedom," Rongze laughed. "Pity I still have a new case to review tonight."
"Gifted people work harder, huh?" I chuckled and stood. "I'll leave you to it, Professor Ye."
As I turned to leave, I suddenly remembered something. I opened my drawer and grabbed the phone I'd left charging.
A breeze brushed my face as I stepped outside—refreshing, even comforting.The weather seemed to have cleared.No more rain tonight.
But on the way home, something made me stop.
There, in a quiet corner by the road, was a fortune-telling stall.
It looked extremely simple—almost shabby—but what truly caught my eye was the man sitting behind it.
He wore a silver suit. A silver headband tied his hair back.Seated with elegant posture, he exuded an innate nobility—his attire spotless, his aura refined.
And this noble grace stood in bizarre contrast to the worn-out stall before him.
"A fortune teller in a suit?" I chuckled and walked over, curiosity piqued.
"Young man," the silver-suited man greeted me with a soft, spring-like smile, "care to draw a lot and see what fate has in store?"
His refined demeanor clashed entirely with the profession of a street fortune-teller.
I blinked, then shook my head and smiled faintly. "I don't believe in fate."
I turned to leave.But something about him unsettled me. I didn't want to be involved.
"Since fate has brought us together," he said gently, "and you won't let me read your fortune, allow me to offer you something instead—as a keepsake, perhaps."
I paused.Despite my reluctance… something compelled me to turn back.
On the small table lay three items:A dazzlingly iridescent stone under the sunlight,An ancient bronze mirror radiating mystery,And a blue bullet tied with golden thread.
The bullet—though the most ordinary of the three—suddenly stirred something inside me.Warmth. Familiarity.A strange, unshakable sadness… that brought tears to my eyes.
Almost involuntarily, I picked it up.
I stared at it—entranced. The world faded around me.
"You're sure?" the man asked, brow briefly furrowing, though the expression vanished as quickly as it came.
I nodded slowly.I didn't want to let it go.
"Excellent choice. Pity, though," he said with a faint, unreadable smile."You were never destined to have it. Someone else already chose it before you."
Before I could respond, the bullet vanished from my hand—gone without a trace.
"Are you kidding me?!" I shouted, a wave of anger crashing over me.It felt like I'd lost something profoundly important.
"This suits you better," the man replied calmly, lifting the ancient bronze mirror from the table and offering it to me."With bronze as a mirror, you may see yourself clearly."
"Take it away," I scowled, brushing it aside.But as the mirror tilted toward me, I saw—
Her face.
I snatched the mirror from him, trembling, my eyes locked on the image inside:
Nie Xiaoqian.The woman who haunted my dreams.