Being Targeted by a Female Ghost [Criminal Investigation] - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: “I Call This Letting You Go on Purpose…”

Hanging up the phone, Zhang Zhuo watched a police car drive past.

Gu Xiao had made it very clear on the phone: Zhang Zhuo was no longer qualified to participate in the investigation. The task of making the arrest had been handed over to other members of the task force.

Currently, she had two choices: go back and rest, or go see the painting.

Thinking of the latter, Zhang Zhuo gritted her teeth, started the car, and performed a U-turn.

An hour later, she arrived at the villa where Qiu Chi lived. The front gate was wide open. She drove straight into the yard and parked—or rather, vented her frustration by killing the engine before the car was even straight—and jumped out.

The moment she stepped inside, she felt it: her colleagues were casting secret glances her way. She frowned and looked back at them; they all looked away in unison.

“What’s wrong with you all?” she asked, bewildered. “Where’s Captain Gu?”

Someone pointed in a direction, still refusing to look her in the eye. Confused but unwilling to waste time asking, she ran toward the studio.

Gu Xiao was alone in the room, her back to the door. She only turned when she heard footsteps.

“Where is the painting?” Zhang Zhuo strode forward. “You said I’d understand once I saw it.”

Gu Xiao stepped aside, revealing the frame behind her.

Zhang Zhuo froze.

The person in the painting was indeed her. But the woman in the art wore a black T-shirt and had a stern expression a stark contrast to her current temperament. She walked closer, wondering when this could have been painted. Judging by the “the world owes me a debt” expression, she guessed it was from shortly after her graduation.

What the hell…

“What do you think?” Gu Xiao interrupted her thoughts.

What do I think?

Zhang Zhuo curled her lip. “It’s just a damn painting. What am I supposed to think?” She carefully put it back and turned to Gu Xiao. “You’re telling me to stop investigating because of this? Are you crazy?”

“You brat, watch your mouth!” Gu Xiao hissed. “Don’t think I don’t know—you let her go on purpose early this morning.”

Zhang Zhuo pulled back her collar and tilted her head to show the red marks on her neck. “You call this ‘letting her go on purpose’?”

Gu Xiao swatted her hand away. “Don’t give me that. I’ve already made the call—you are off this case.”

“I…” Zhang Zhuo clawed at her hair, so angry she couldn’t speak. After a long pause, she squeezed out, “On what grounds?”

“On the grounds that the suspect didn’t just paint you, she kept the portrait in a locked room,” Gu Xiao said.

“And? What does that have to do with me?” Zhang Zhuo put her hands on her hips. “She painted me; I didn’t paint her!”

Gu Xiao glanced at the door and lowered her voice. “Everyone saw it. You couldn’t explain this away with eight mouths, let alone one. Besides…”

“Besides what?” Zhang Zhuo glared at her. “Say it.”

“Besides, you’re too personally invested. Who knows if you’ll let her slip away again?” Gu Xiao said.

Zhang Zhuo spun in a circle, making her short hair even messier. “How am I personally invested?”

Gu Xiao: “Then you tell me—why did the footprints in the garden disappear?”

“I…” Zhang Zhuo was silenced.

Gu Xiao gave her a “just as I thought” look. She pointed a finger at Zhang Zhuo. “You. You’re hopeless.”

“I promise there won’t be a next time, okay?” Zhang Zhuo pleaded.

Gu Xiao waved her off. “Your promises are worth less than a fart!”

Zhang Zhuo stepped forward, blocking her path. “I’m serious!”

“Not this time. No means no,” Gu Xiao said.

“Why?” Zhang Zhuo demanded. “I’ve been on this case since the beginning.”

Gu Xiao’s brow furrowed. “Can’t you see? She’s been targeting you for a long time.”

Zhang Zhuo’s lips twitched, unsure whether to laugh or cry. “So what?” she whispered.

But Gu Xiao heard her. “Zhang Zhuo, did the electricity fry your brain? You’re a cop. Getting involved with a suspect—you ask ‘so what’?”

Zhang Zhuo looked up, meeting her gaze. “The case isn’t closed yet. Maybe she’s not the killer.”

“You…” Gu Xiao knew she was stubborn as a mule. Reasoning was useless. She simply barked, “Get the hell out of here!”

“I knew she was still alive,” Zhang Zhuo murmured.

She didn’t specify who “she” was, but Gu Xiao shook her head. “I think you’re the one who’s truly gone mad, Zhang Zhuo. I watched her self-immolate with my own eyes. You were there during the explosion. You should understand that this painting proves nothing.”

Zhang Zhuo’s voice rose instinctively. “But I never saw a body!”

Gu Xiao frowned. She scanned the technicians outside, silently shut the door, locked it, and then walked back to tell her to lower her voice.

“It was an explosion. Isn’t it normal not to have a body?” Gu Xiao whispered. “How many times have I told you? Clinging to the past like this does you no good.”

“And I’ve told you many times: she didn’t die,” Zhang Zhuo emphasized. “She’s alive.”

Gu Xiao sighed helplessly. “Fine. Even if she were alive, tell me why hasn’t she appeared once in ten years?”

“How should I know?” Zhang Zhuo lowered her head.

Gu Xiao: “And you still think this woman is Xiao Chi?”

Zhang Zhuo pointed to her eyes, then to her heart. “Because I don’t look with these. I look with this. Do you understand?”

“Zhang Zhuo.” Gu Xiao sighed. “Being too stubborn isn’t a virtue.”

Zhang Zhuo dropped her hands. “I’m stubborn?” She said coldly, “If you hadn’t stopped me back then, I could have saved her!”

Gu Xiao looked down, her eyelashes trembling.

Zhang Zhuo hissed, “It’s all because of you.”

Gu Xiao knew her temperament; once she made up her mind, ten bulls couldn’t pull her back. She didn’t argue further. Instead, she said flatly, “I think you should focus on figuring out when exactly this woman started stalking you.”

Zhang Zhuo turned away, silenced.

Gu Xiao looked at her back and added, “I’m telling you this now: if it turns out the killer really is her, I will show no mercy.”

Zhang Zhuo’s hands clenched into fists at her sides.

“Even if she is Xiao Chi, I will arrest her regardless,” Gu Xiao’s gaze darkened. “Don’t forget how your mother died.”

Zhang Zhuo took a deep breath and exhaled a shaky breath. She heard Gu Xiao turn and leave. She remained rooted to the spot until the footsteps faded, and only then did she relax her fists.

Biting her lip, she walked toward the easel in the center of the room. When she first entered, she had only glanced at it. Now that she was closer, she realized that the faceless portrait was of her mother.

She didn’t remember the clothes her mother wore, but she remembered the necklace perfectly.

I remember it.

And Qiu Chi clearly remembers it too.

She raised her hand, her trembling fingertips brushing the blank face. She whispered, “It’s fine if you forgot me… but how could you… forget her?”

As the words fell, the sadness in Zhang Zhuo’s eyes vanished, replaced instantly by loathing. She turned and ran, knocking right into Gu Xiao who was ahead of her. Gu Xiao stumbled, barely keeping herself from crashing into the wall.

“Where are you going?” she shouted at the retreating back.

Zhang Zhuo didn’t answer, disappearing from the corridor in the blink of an eye. Gu Xiao gave chase. Just as Zhang Zhuo got into the driver’s seat to start the car, Gu Xiao yanked the door open and dragged her out.

The force was considerable; Zhang Zhuo rolled several times on the grass before stopping. The moment she stopped, she scrambled back up, trying to dive back into the car.

Gu Xiao knew where she was heading and stood in front of the car door with her arms spread. “Did everything I just said go in one ear and out the other?”

“Move!” Zhang Zhuo pushed her.

Gu Xiao wobbled but immediately blocked her again. “I said you are no longer qualified to investigate.”

Zhang Zhuo ducked, trying to slip through the gap under her arm. “I’m not investigating. Can’t I just go catch her?”

“Catch my ass! Get out of here!” Gu Xiao shoved her way into the driver’s seat as well.

Zhang Zhuo was too busy trying to push her out to notice she was reaching for the keys. After finally managing to shove the older woman out, Zhang Zhuo prepared to start the car and flee—only to find the keys missing.

She turned to see Gu Xiao standing outside the car, one hand on her hip, the other dangling the keys.

“I said no. Without keys, let’s see you catch anyone.”

Zhang Zhuo was so angry she kicked her. Gu Xiao nimbly dodged, leaving the kick to land on the car door.

“Give me the keys!” Zhang Zhuo screamed, jumping out to chase her.

Gu Xiao tucked the keys into her inner jacket pocket and took a defensive stance. Zhang Zhuo’s eyes were only on the keys. As she lunged, Gu Xiao grabbed her wrist, yanked her collar with the other hand, performed a swift pivot, and slammed her onto the ground.

Zhang Zhuo fell hard, the wound on her waist tearing further. Her voice was raspy with pain: “She didn’t just steal my phone…”

Gu Xiao: “Huh?”

Zhang Zhuo rolled over, clutching her stomach, and knelt on the grass. As she stood up, she said, “She also stole my wallet and ID.”

“Your ID?” Gu Xiao was horrified. “Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

“Are you really a police officer?”

Qiu Chi blinked. “Of course.”

She reached into her bag. This small crossbody bag was a makeshift creation made from the legs of the janitor’s uniform. It was stuffed full and looked bulging completely clashing with her dress.

She moved the pack of tissues at the top and pulled out Zhang Zhuo’s ID to show the woman, her fingers artfully—and seemingly casually covering the photo. The photo looked nothing like her; she couldn’t let anyone see it.

Fortunately, the woman didn’t notice. Her tense expression visibly softened. The woman nodded, forcing a smile. “Officer Zhang, how did you get in just now?”

Before the sentence was finished, Qiu Chi had already tucked the ID back into her bag. When she looked up, she lied without blinking: “I picked the lock.”

In reality, she had used the phone to search for a photo of the housing complex. She had drawn the complex, but her malfunctioning teleportation power had dropped her directly into this room. Seeing the trash everywhere, she had worried the witness might be in trouble, so she had intended to kick the door down.

However, she was exhausted and hungry. She had no strength. After failing to break the door, she tried her power one more time. The moment the pen touched the tissue, she was inside. She hadn’t thought about it then, but now it was starting to make sense.

The trigger for her power didn’t seem directly related to the drawing itself. Instead, it was related to what she was thinking. She remembered clearly: her mind was filled with the thought of getting through this door.

She suddenly froze. Is that the real trigger?

“Oh, really?” the nurse smiled awkwardly. “I didn’t know police could pick locks.”

“I was worried something happened to you, so…” Qiu Chi said. “Sorry.”

The nurse shook her head. “It’s nothing. You meant well. But… why are you looking for me?”

Qiu Chi nodded and went straight to the point. “Can you describe the woman you saw at the time of the incident?”

The nurse froze. “You mean the ghost?”

Qiu Chi followed her lead. “Yes, the ghost. Do you remember what she looked like?”

The nurse shook her head. “I didn’t see her face.”

Qiu Chi looked around. There was no paper. She pulled out another tissue, flattened it on her palm, and asked, “What else? Describe everything you know.”

The nurse was puzzled. “Officer Zhang, is this why you’re here? I already told the police all of this.”

Qiu Chi looked at her. “That doesn’t count. Tell me again.”

The nurse grew even more suspicious, scanning her from head to toe. Suddenly, she said, “This is the first time I’ve seen a cop dressed like this.”

Qiu Chi understood the implication. She explained patiently, “I’m dressed as the suspect to lure the real killer out.”

The nurse had an epiphany. “Oh, I see!”

Qiu Chi smiled slightly. “Can we stop wasting time now?”

Looking at her smile, the nurse felt a chill. She instinctively gripped her blanket and began to recall the day of the incident.

An hour later, Qiu Chi was staring blankly at the tissue in her hand. A silhouette was drawn on the thin paper. Since she only had a black pen, the long red dress was drawn in black, making the figure a woman in a black dress.

She looked up at the nurse. “Is that all? You didn’t see anything else?”

The nurse shook her head. “Like I said, she ran as soon as she saw me. I only saw her back when I chased her.”

Qiu Chi figured this was all the information she would get. She decisively packed her things to leave. After a few steps, she turned back. “What kind of people live in the sanatorium?”

The nurse blinked. “Mostly middle-aged and elderly people.”

“Are there many young people?”

“Not many.”

Precisely because there weren’t many, the death of that young patient had left a deep impression.

Qiu Chi walked toward the door, then turned back halfway. “Aren’t you going to the hospital to get checked out?”

The nurse thought she was asking about work and shook her head. “I’m on long-term leave.”

“I mean a hospital, not the sanatorium.” Qiu Chi stared at her face for a while. “Haven’t you looked in a mirror lately?”

The nurse froze. She watched Qiu Chi walk out, but soon, the footsteps returned.

“Look at yourself.” Qiu Chi handed her a mirror she found in the living room.

The nurse indeed hadn’t looked in a mirror for a long time—probably not since witnessing the patient’s death. She thought about it, then put it down. “No thanks. It’s better this way.”

Qiu Chi looked at her exhausted face and pulled the mirror back, tucking it behind her waist. “Did you see something?” she asked.

The nurse’s breath hitched. “W-what?”

Qiu Chi leaned in, looking closely at the red veins in the woman’s eyes. After a long silence, she whispered, “The ghost came to find you, didn’t she?”

The nurse’s hair stood on end. Terrified, she kicked the blanket and scrambled backward. “How did you know?”

Qiu Chi curled her lip and slowly straightened up. “You told me.”

“When did I—”

“Just now,” Qiu Chi interrupted. “Weren’t you mistaking me for her?”

The nurse grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her head, trembling. Her eyes darted around, avoiding Qiu Chi. “I didn’t.”

Qiu Chi looked down at her. “You did.”

The nurse flailed the blanket, screaming with her head covered, “I didn’t!”

Qiu Chi shrugged and said nothing more. She pulled out the phone from her bag and dialed 120 (Emergency Services). She methodically gave the address and explained the nurse’s condition. After hanging up, she didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she said to the shivering heap under the blanket, “Don’t worry. I’ll catch her soon.”

Hearing this, the nurse’s shaking subsided slightly. She slowly lowered the blanket, but the woman was already gone.

Qiu Chi hadn’t really left; she had gone to the rooftop. From a distance, she could hear sirens. A few moments later, three police cars appeared at the intersection.

So slow.

She smiled and pulled out Zhang Zhuo’s phone. It was on “Do Not Disturb” mode, with dozens of missed calls. She didn’t even look at the names; she cleared them all and opened the photo gallery. There were multiple photos of the same crime scene locations from every angle. She scrolled for a long time without reaching the end. Below, she heard the sirens of the ambulance.

The police would find her eventually; she couldn’t stay here. She needed to find a new place to look through these. Habitually, she pulled out a pen and paper. A thought flashed through her mind from the nurse’s house.

“Right.” She curled her lip. “Imagination is the real trigger.”

She closed her eyes, picked up the pen, and began to scribble randomly on the tissue. Using the nurse’s words, she began to imagine the back of the killer.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds…

Support Being Targeted by a Female Ghost [Criminal Investigation]