The night wind was cold, the stars and moon dim, and the buildings of the medical school were shrouded in darkness, like giant monsters transformed into solid stone statues under a spell, standing grimly. Fang Yuan had never imagined that Nanjiang Medical College would be so cold and silent late at night.
This was Fang Yuan's second close encounter with Li Rong that night.
The fleeting glimpse of Li Rong in the library hadn't left much of an impression on Fang Yuan. She was stunned by the stark contrast between the image of Li Rong she had imagined and the one she had seen. Of course, the contrast was due to Xu Yan, who had described a fictitious Li Rong to her.
The few hours she had spent locked in the basement, and Xu Yan's sudden feigned madness and attempted murder, had made her realize how terrifying Li Rong was.
Li Rong's terrifying nature wasn't his ferocity; on the contrary, it was his handsome and charming face. If she hadn't experienced it herself, Fang Yuan would never have associated him with a cunning, malicious, and treacherous person.
Now, after locking eyes with her for thirty seconds, this charmingly handsome man suddenly smiled, as if suddenly realizing something: "You're the girl who borrowed books from me at the library, right?"
Fang Yuan was stunned.
She hadn't expected Li Rong to say anything like this.
What did he mean?
Is he saying their meeting was accidental?
Fang Yuan wasn't sure what Li Rong meant, so she mumbled a vague "hmm" in response.
Li Rong's expression grew even more baffling. "It's so late, and you're a girl, why aren't you going home?"
Fang Yuan was stunned again.
She stared at Li Rong, her gaze lingering on his face for a long time.
Li Rong's face was a little awkward, as if he wasn't used to Fang Yuan's direct gaze. Other than that, he didn't show any other unusual expression.
Was her guess wrong, or was he simply a natural actor?
But this was a good thing. It at least proved that Li Rong wouldn't resort to violence against her now. As for what kind of person he truly was, and whether his current attitude was a facade or his true nature, that was something to consider next.
"I'm going back now!"
Fang Yuan didn't want to stay here even a second longer. If Xu Yan hadn't found her in the Red Mansion, she might have come out looking for her. She didn't want to run into that crazy woman bent on murdering her again. If they did, she couldn't imagine what Li Rong would do. He certainly wouldn't help her subdue Xu Yan.
A gentleman wouldn't stand under a dangerous wall, and I certainly wouldn't. Fang Yuan made up her mind, and regardless of what Li Rong thought, she set out to leave the Red Mansion.
She chose a route that bypassed Li Rong. Somehow, she felt that beneath his handsome face, there was something more, something terrifying.
Perhaps his smile was too fake?
Or was it just a woman's natural intuition?
Li Rong, however, was clueless and took a step toward her. "It's so late, I'll take you home."
Fang Yuan suddenly screamed, "Stop!"
Li Rong looked bewildered. "What's wrong with you?"
Fang Yuan took a few steps back, leaning against the wall of the red building. She said mockingly, "You're taking me home? Do you know where I live?"
Li Rong laughed. "How would I know if you don't tell me? It's just a matter of which girls' dormitory it is. You can't possibly live off campus."
Fang Yuan stared at him and emphasized, "I live in girls' dormitory 4, 4, 1!"
She deliberately emphasized number 441.
If Li Rong was the mastermind behind her horrific experience tonight, he would surely know she came from girls' dormitory 441 and wouldn't be shocked by her words.
To her surprise, Li Rong's expression suddenly changed, as pale as death. His entire body shrank, as if someone had pulled out all the muscles in his body. His body became limp and swayed, unable to even stand steadily.
If this was Li Rong's deliberate disguise, then his acting was truly superb. If not, then how could she explain what had happened to her tonight?
Could it be that Li Rong hadn't locked her in the basement?
But she had clearly followed Li Rong there.
Fang Yuan was in a state of confusion. What was the truth?
It took a long time for Li Rong to speak. "You mean, you live in girls' dormitory 441?"
"Yeah." Seeing Li Rong's distressed expression, Fang Yuan couldn't bear to hit him any harder, but she couldn't help but ask, "Is there a problem?"
"No problem." Li Rong forced a smile, but it was uglier than tears. "I just find it a little strange. I heard that dormitory had been sealed off, but I didn't expect it to be occupied again."
"Then—" Fang Yuan paused deliberately. "Then I'm going back. Do you still want to see me off?"
"Yes, why not?" Li Rong's words were a little angry.
Fang Yuan stopped talking and walked away. She had wasted too much time here. If Xu Yan really escaped from the Red Mansion, it would be disastrous.
She felt something was wrong, and she stood there feeling uneasy.
But just as she took a step, she stumbled upon a dark object above Li Rong's head. It traced a graceful arc, its outline growing larger and larger as it plummeted rapidly from mid-air.
In just two or three seconds, Fang Yuan didn't have time to scream. Perhaps her subconscious didn't want her to. She simply opened her mouth, the word "careful" swirling in her throat, but no sound emanated. She vaguely hoped Li Rong would vanish from her sight, especially at this moment.
The object didn't hit Li Rong, but landed between them with a "bang," sending dust flying.
Fang Yuan heard the dull sound of breaking bones, and some spray-like liquid splashed onto her. A little even landed on her face, warm and sticky.
The falling object was a person!
Although Fang Yuan couldn't see the face clearly, the person was holding a rusty scalpel, and judging by their clothing, it must be Xu Yan!
Xu Yan! It was Xu Yan!
She had actually fallen from the Red Mansion!
Bright crimson blood quickly gushed out from every part of her body, staining the ground crimson.
Xu Yan's body suddenly twitched several times. Before she died, she turned her face towards Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan trembled with fear, her legs weak as she retreated backward, shivering against the wall.
Xu Yan was actually smiling at her!
Her smile was terrifying beyond words. Fang Yuan had never imagined a human could produce such a smile.
It was a smile, but in reality it was mockery, as if the great Creator were mocking a lowly creature.
Her entire head was deformed and crushed, half her face shattered, and the other half was twitching and convulsing.
She was clearly in agony.
And yet, she was actually smiling!
Xu Yan's smile lasted only a few seconds. After a slight crack of bone, her head sank to the ground, unable to rise again.
She's dead! Xu Yan is dead!
A crushing fear weighed heavily on Fang Yuan, overwhelming her and penetrating every pore. Her nerves could barely handle the fear, and her head pounded like it was about to explode.
Li Rong wasn't much better off. He collapsed to the ground, muttering to himself, "It's her! She's back!"
At this moment, Fang Yuan couldn't care less about what Li Rong was saying. She didn't want to analyze or speculate. She just wanted to scream and get out of here. But no sound came out. It seemed as if she had used up all her strength, but no sound came out. Her throat suddenly froze.
She tried to stand up and leave, but her feet wouldn't obey her will. They were so stiff that she couldn't even stand straight, let alone walk away.
She clearly saw a life vanish before her, a loss most likely caused by her own actions.
She had previously felt terrified when she saw her family slaughter chickens, their throats slit and blood drained, their eyes blinking as they stared at those around them. Let alone a living person, especially one she had spoken to and shared with only hours before.
She could never have imagined that Xu Yan would end up like this.
Was it suicide? Or homicide? Or perhaps some mysterious force?
Who was the "she" Li Rong was referring to?