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墨書 Inktalez
I rushed downstairs in a taxi, feeling the urgency to confront her. Suppressing my excitement, I charged up to the fourth floor! The door was open! I was surprised; it couldn't be true. Yu wasn't the type to be careless. I hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
Before I could take two steps, a voice shouted, "Stop! Who are you? What are you doing here?" To my surprise, there were two police officers in the living room. One of them, a heavyset man, was staring at me while the other, a thin one, silently moved toward my back as if to block my escape.
What was going on? I felt a surge of anger but held it back. I looked at the thin officer and said, "I'm a friend of the girl who lives here, Yu. We haven't been in touch for a while, so I came to check on her." The thin officer remained silent, still looking wary. The heavyset officer yelled at me, "Be honest! Who are you? There’s no one named Yu here! Keep an eye on him!" he commanded the thin officer.
I was even more frustrated. Ignoring the thin officer's guarded stance, I turned to the heavyset one and insisted, "I really know the resident here. She told me her name is Yu. It's been a long time since we last spoke; I'm just here to see how she's doing." The heavyset officer looked at me with suspicion, so I had no choice but to pull out my ID and show it briefly.
"Fatty, it should be fine," the thin officer finally spoke up. I turned to look at him and asked, "So now it's your turn to tell me what exactly is going on?" Where there are police, there are usually no good news; an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.
"You really don't know?" the thin officer asked with a frown. "Of course I don't! The last time I was here was a week ago!" His expression relaxed slightly. "Oh, a week ago? That makes sense; it has nothing to do with you. In fact, it's better that you don't know."
The thin officer slowly sat down on the armrest of the sofa near the door and said, "You’re quite lucky! The girl living here is named Jia Nan; she’s a murderer who has killed three men and dismembered their bodies. Based on our evidence, we suspect she lured them here and then incapacitated them with drugs before committing her crimes." He tilted his head slightly and pointed toward the locked room across from us. "That’s the first crime scene."
I turned my head and saw it—the same locked room I had noticed last time!
I was stunned; it couldn’t be true—absolutely impossible! How could Yu do such a thing? I couldn’t accept what the police were saying and walked toward that room. "There are colleagues inside collecting evidence; don’t go in!" the heavyset officer shouted behind me. I stood at the doorway and peered inside.
The room was empty except for a large cabinet in one corner with its doors wide open. Dark red fragments were scattered all over the floor as two officers cautiously collected evidence inside. I still couldn’t process what was happening and stood there dazed until Big Yellow approached me. "The cabinet was used to hide bodies; after dismembering them, they were bagged and stored inside. The last victim was confirmed to have disappeared last Friday night; you came here on Saturday. The criminal deceived you with a fake name and lured you here. For some reason, you’re unharmed; otherwise, you would have been the fourth victim."
"Officer, are you saying that on that night, I was with Yu and another dead person? Two people chatting outside while one listened inside?"
The heavyset officer shuddered at my words, his eyes wide with horror as he clearly struggled to imagine being in a room with a corpse just separated by a door.
I wasn’t scared; I felt only confusion—unable to believe that sweet girl, that fragile girl could be a murderer? It’s strange how in an instant everything you thought you understood or admired can be turned upside down, leaving you feeling like everything has been taken away from you. Weakly, I turned to Big Yellow and said, "Brother, you're in charge of this case, right? Can you please let me know what happens once you've figured it out? I'm begging you."
Big Yellow glanced at me and handed me his business card. "Call me later." I nodded and took one last look around this place—just a week ago I had seen Yu close her bedroom door here; now she had gone somewhere she shouldn’t have gone. "Last year today at this door, human-faced peach blossoms bloomed red. The human face is nowhere to be found; yet the peach blossoms still smile in spring breeze!" This line of poetry that had always puzzled me now echoed repeatedly in my mind.
I returned home in silence and calmly asked He Baisha, "Bring me today's newspapers that you organized." As I flipped through those papers, I clearly saw the news He Baisha read aloud that morning: there had been a series of gruesome murders involving dismemberment in our city; victims were all adult males who frequented bars and entertainment venues. The police had gathered relevant clues and were close to solving the case. I particularly noted the date—it was last Thursday.
I set down the newspaper and gazed out of the window absently while muttering to myself: "A murder happened Friday night; on Saturday there were too many people around so they didn’t have time to dispose of the body—it must have been that she called me over out of fear or perhaps planned to kill me too and deal with everything afterward." Remembering how often Yu went out alone dressed provocatively for nightlife made everything fit together more ominously—I sighed.
"The police must have put in considerable effort; this news was likely meant as a warning for Yu—a warning for her to stop before it got too late or even turn herself in—but unfortunately it came too late—three lives lost—what kind of hatred could lead to this?" I exhaled deeply; many things are hard for us to accept in their outcomes but faced with reality, everyone feels helpless and powerless.
I think of Old Bi. Should I thank Old Bi? If it weren't for Old Bi's call, I would have drunk that glass of water; if it weren't for Old Bi's call, I would have stayed that night. Could the water have been drugged? Would Yu really have harmed me? But that night, when I looked at Yu, I saw no malice or hatred; all I saw was a girl who needed protection and care.
As time passed, my emotions calmed down significantly. After all, any crime, regardless of the reason, should be punished. I took out my phone and called Big Yellow. The phone rang for a long time before it connected, but there was no sound. "Hello, I'm the officer who asked you for your business card last time." There was silence on the other end for a few seconds. "I remember you. I was going to look for you anyway."
Not understanding what he meant, I simply asked, "Brother, is there any news?"
"Yes, the suspect Jia Nan is indeed the perpetrator of the serial murder and dismemberment case." Big Yellow's voice barely concealed his exhaustion. I had already given up on any other hopes and quietly listened as he continued.
"The case is very bizarre. During our interrogations, we discovered that the suspect exhibits two distinct personalities: Bai and Ye. No, that's not right; they are like two different people. Bai is Jia Nan, an identity as a teacher, while Ye is the Yu you know."
What?! How could this be? I was taken aback!
"We consulted a criminal psychology expert who diagnosed the suspect with dissociative identity disorder—two personalities coexisting. Bai represents one personality while Ye represents another, existing independently without interference from each other. The two personalities are quite unique and have reached a balanced state of sharing the body; they switch around five in the morning and five in the evening."
"The expert conducted hypnosis on the suspect and discovered that her parents divorced when she was young, her mother remarried, and at seventeen she was raped by her stepfather. To spare her mother from embarrassment, she chose to endure humiliation and ran away to work. It seems her personality began to split around that time. When she came to this city to become a teacher, she also worked part-time as a waitress in a bar and had been gang-raped; it was from that moment that one of her personalities began a bloody revenge."
"At night, the suspect used her beauty to lure some unscrupulous men to her home, where she would drug their drinks to incapacitate them before killing and dismembering them, disposing of their remains in various sewers around the city."
...
I could no longer absorb what Big Yellow was saying; I mechanically held onto the phone as my previously calming emotions began to churn violently again! Was it anger? Sympathy? Helplessness? Or perhaps heartbreak? While Yu's revenge was undoubtedly fierce and brutal, how should society account for the violence inflicted upon her? If time could rewind, where would I need to go to completely save this girl? I imagined trying to push back through pivotal moments in her life but ultimately gave up helplessly because I realized there were no answers.
...
"Brother, what's the verdict?" I interrupted Big Yellow.
There was silence on the other end for a moment. "Death penalty for intentional homicide with particularly severe circumstances. Given its negative impact on society, it will be carried out in a week." As if anticipating my question, Big Yellow added an explanation: "Her case is different from typical cases of mental illness leading to murder. First, during the murders, her personality exhibited clear self-awareness and judgment—like another normal person; second, experts have already treated her condition through hypnosis therapy; she's improved significantly and has experienced fewer instances of dissociation. Additionally, this case has garnered too much public attention; therefore, it can only result in the death penalty."
"Can I see her?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible. First, during the treatment period, she is not allowed to see anyone, as it might trigger further emotional distress and affect her sentence. Second, she has been calling herself by another name less and less, but she is very aware of what her other personality has done and accepts it. You might not even get to see her, and she may not recognize you."
I knew who those different versions of her were. "Thanks, brother. Let's grab a drink sometime." Just as I was about to hang up, Big Yellow added, "Jia Nan asked me to tell you: Don't forget about Yu."
It hit me like a thunderclap; I was momentarily stunned, and the phone slipped from my hand, shattering on the ground.
I didn't know what was happening, but in a daze, memories flooded my mind since the day we met: that beautiful, stylish, lively girl who grabbed my hand and jumped into a taxi; the carefree moments at the bar where we joked and challenged each other to drink; the relaxed times at her home when I told her stories… Did Yu ever like me? I didn't know. Perhaps no one would remember her anymore, but I clearly understood that she had successfully carved out a place in my heart!
Everyone has a soft spot in their heart. When it is touched deeply, the emotional waves it creates can leave an indelible mark that is hard to articulate. It was getting darker; I stood up and watched as Myriad Lights began to illuminate one by one. In my heart, I thought about how unfortunate Yu was. I felt powerless, but there were many others worth protecting and helping. A mediocre doctor treats people; a good doctor saves lives; only a great doctor can save the world! At that moment, I suddenly entertained the idea of leaving medicine for politics.
"Squad Leader, what's wrong with you?" He Baisha picked up my phone and curiously leaned in to ask. "Nothing, just a breeze," I replied lightly as I wiped my eyes and turned away.
(Flirtation ends here)
Fellow men, will you still think of Flirtation? Yu would.
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