Ya She

Chapter 58 Mirage

1.
"Lin Xi, you're in charge of this case." The head of the Seventh Section walked out of his office and waved to Lin Xi, who was sitting in her seat.

"Yes!" Lin Xi, whose name was called, immediately stood up and ran over to take the file folder.

"Keep it up." The section chief patted Lin Xi on the shoulder encouragingly.

After the section chief returned to the office, the colleagues swarmed around Lin Xi, looking at the file folder in her hand. Lin Xi took out the documents and spread them out on the table to show them to everyone.

"Hey, it's that museum antique theft case, it's still not solved!" a colleague exclaimed in surprise. "I remember it's been two weeks, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it was even trending on Weibo and reported in the newspapers at the time."

"I remember it too, they said it was a kingfisher feather hairpin that was lost. If I hadn't learned about it this time, I wouldn't even know what kingfisher feather hairpins are!"

Colleagues were buzzing with discussion, mainly because the cases transferred to the Seventh Division were all "difficult and complicated," and everyone except those on field assignments with existing cases was curious. Besides, since Lin Xi would be paired with someone else after taking on this case, it was natural for them to want to know more about the situation.

On the surface, their department is called the Seventh Department, but in reality, it is a special incident investigation team.

Cases that other departments can't solve, or those that are supernatural or scientifically inexplicable, are all sent to their Seventh Department. Of course, their department isn't omnipotent, but if even they can't solve a case, then it has to be shelved.

In fact, a year ago, the Seventh Division was just an inconspicuous department with a terrifyingly low case-solving rate.

This can't be blamed on them, after all, the cases they were given were increasingly difficult to solve. This situation suddenly reversed after Lin Xi was assigned to the Seventh Division.

On average, six out of ten cases handled by Lin Xi are solved. This might not sound like much at first, but don't forget that these are cases that other departments couldn't solve. Compared to the previous one or two out of ten, this is already quite alarming.

Therefore, Lin Xi was jokingly called the department's lucky charm by her colleagues in the Seventh Division. She never had a fixed partner; her colleagues would take turns partnering with her to ensure fairness.

Over the course of a year, everyone in the department had partnered with Lin Xi. To be fair, Lin Xi was just an ordinary police academy graduate. She possessed the necessary keen insight, logical thinking, and agility, but no matter how outstanding she was, she was only at the police academy level, not the kind of exceptionally talented person.

But they were just lucky!

They can easily find crucial clues at crime scenes that others have overlooked no matter how many times they search, or discover some subtle signs, or even stumble upon the moment when a suspect makes a mistake.

One or two times might be a coincidence, but for it to happen repeatedly is truly remarkable. Perhaps she was born to be a detective, which is why she had this opportunity.

Lin Xi's luck is something everyone in the Seventh Division admires. Whenever Lin Xi takes the case, there's a 60% chance it can be solved! Haven't you noticed that now, whenever Lin Xi isn't out on fieldwork, all the assigned cases go directly to her?

Lin Xi is outgoing and cheerful, with a pretty face. She looks even more dashing in her police uniform. She is not only very popular in the Seventh Division, but also a police beauty with many supporters throughout the entire police station. Countless departments are secretly vying to transfer her over!

The information in the file folder is quite detailed, but some things still require on-site investigation.

This time, her partner was Fan Ze. Fan Ze carefully reviewed the information, retrieved some reference files from his computer and transferred them to his iPad, then signaled to Lin Xi that she could leave.

Lin Xi glanced one last time at the photo frame on her desk, then grabbed the files and clothes and left with Fan Ze.

"Hey, do you think Xiaoxi is single? Xiao Wang from the next department asked me to find out! But last time I introduced Xiaoxi to someone, she changed the subject!" Colleague A from the Seventh Department stood by the window, watching Lin Xi and Fan Ze walk one after the other towards the parking lot.

"Xiaoxi's boyfriend... he was her classmate at police academy. Look, he's the handsome guy in the photo frame on her desk, the one she's taking a picture with." Colleague B gestured towards Lin Xi's desk.

"Huh? Why haven't we seen Xiaoxi bring it out? That's really not right!"

"That person... died in the line of duty when he first joined the company."

"what……"

"It's said that the case was quite tricky, so it was later assigned to our Seventh Division. Xiaoxi requested to be transferred to the Seventh Division herself, specifically to investigate that case."

"Huh? So now? Is there a result?"

"It's still not broken..."

2.
Lin Xi drove, while Fan Ze sat in the passenger seat organizing downloaded reference materials, occasionally mentioning key points of the case for the two to discuss.

Fan Ze was Lin Xi's classmate at the police academy. He, her boyfriend Du Zichun, and the other two were assigned to the same police station. Lin Xi had known him for a long time and they had developed a tacit understanding even without communicating. Sometimes, she only needed to say the first half of a sentence and he would understand the second half.

"According to the information, the other party's theft method was sophisticated and meticulous, and they should be a repeat offender," Lin Xi said with a frown.

“I’ve looked into recent cases at major museums around the world, and there are almost none similar to this one.” Fan Ze immediately understood her implication. “Every case has clues, but this one is different.”

"Tsk, if this case isn't solved, I bet a whole bunch of high-quality fake kingfisher feather hairpins will appear out of nowhere, fooling the nouveau riche into buying them as genuine." Lin Xi tapped the steering wheel with her index finger, thinking. "But kingfisher feather hairpins are made from kingfisher feathers, which are not easy to imitate. In addition, their shelf life is shorter than that of gold, jade, and porcelain, only about a hundred years, so they are not actually that popular in the antique market."

"So the question is, if the thief was so skilled, why did he only steal this kingfisher feather hairpin?"

"According to the information submitted by the museum, this kingfisher feather hairpin is nothing special, nor is it the relic of any famous person. It is just that it is well preserved and has a bright color."

"Maybe...that's just what they like?" Fan Ze shrugged and made a small joke.

Lin Xi pursed her lips, finding the joke not funny at all.

Lin Xi and Fan Ze had already contacted each other by phone before arriving at the museum.

So as soon as they parked their police car, staff members came up and took them directly to the curator's office.

The kingfisher feather hairpin was stolen, but the glass case containing it was undamaged and the alarm was not triggered, leading the police to suspect that it was an inside job at the museum. This was specifically noted in the files, and Lin Xi became extremely vigilant as soon as she entered the museum, finding everyone suspicious.

Lin Xi knew that her mindset was not good, but in order to find criminal suspects, the police needed to be aware of this, and that no one was an exception, even if the suspect was their relative or friend.

Lin Xi was originally the type of person who saw everyone as a good person and would subconsciously think of others and make excuses for them. Back then, it took a lot of effort for her to force herself to think this way during the investigation.

But the person who used to teach her so strictly is no longer by her side.

Lin Xi was distracted for only a second before she snapped back to reality. She and Fan Ze had already arrived at the curator's office, where the curator was standing up to greet them.

The museum director has been in office for many years and frequently appears on television for interviews. Even Lin Xi, who is not interested in history, is quite familiar with him.

Perhaps because several groups of police officers had arrived, the curator was not very enthusiastic when he saw them, and clearly did not have high hopes for the two young officers.

Without wasting time on pleasantries, Fan Ze began his routine inquiry.

The curator had clearly been questioned multiple times, and his speech was listless; his answers were largely identical to those entered into the files. Observing micro-expressions to determine if someone was lying was useless, because repeating something so many times would alter their micro-expressions.

After failing to obtain any useful new information from the inquiry, the two went to the scene for further investigation. Because the method of the crime was so ingenious, there were no new discoveries at the scene, so they eventually went to the monitoring room.

The surveillance footage of the day the kingfisher hairpin disappeared had already been watched countless times. But Lin Xi was afraid that other people's analysis would influence her judgment, so she watched the surveillance footage again from beginning to end.

There were two cameras pointed at the display case of the kingfisher feather hairpin. The screen was split into two sections and played the video at fast forward. As she watched, she asked the curator questions.

"Why is that woman standing here for so long? She's the one with the scratch on her right eye. And this man with glasses, he's been standing here for a while too. Curator, do you know each other?" Most visitors just walk by, so if someone stays for too long, it becomes very noticeable.

"That man is a surgeon at a nearby hospital. I've known him for years; he can't possibly be a suspect," the curator said confidently. Are you kidding me! How many rare and precious treasures has that doctor seen at the owner of the Silent Shop? Would he even be interested in what's here?

"And who is the person next to you, curator?" Lin Xi pointed to the screen again.

"She's the acting manager of an antique shop. I asked her to come and take a look at the feng shui." The curator was telling the truth, but unsurprisingly, he saw a dismissive look on the faces of the two young police officers.

Lin Xi wrote down these people in her notebook one by one. These were suspects she could identify at a glance, and her colleagues had probably already investigated them, so there was no rush to question them again.

Although this is a criminal case, as time goes by and the news coverage wanes, there has been no progress, and the curator is clearly on the verge of giving up.

After all, many famous museums in history have been visited by thieves. Some thieves have been caught, but many more remain unsolved cases to this day, which is something that can't be helped.

Lin Xi and Fan Ze discussed it and decided to first review the museum's surveillance footage. They would not only review the footage from the day of the incident, but also the footage from the days before and after the incident.

After all, it's very difficult for a lone thief to pull off this kind of crime; at the very least, someone would come and scout the location repeatedly.

The curator stayed with them for a while, and seeing that they were determined to investigate thoroughly, he stopped guarding them and specially set up an office for the two of them, with a computer for each of them to watch the surveillance video.

When they arrived at the museum after receiving the case, it was already afternoon, and by then the museum was already closed.

"Did you see anything?" Fan Ze rubbed his eyes and asked without much expectation.

"No." Lin Xi sighed, tilted her head, and rubbed her aching neck. Just then, her phone screen lit up with a new email notification. Lin Xi swiped to open it and her face lit up with joy. She couldn't even sit still and instinctively reached for the door. Fortunately, she remembered she was still investigating the case and managed to suppress her impulse.

"What happened?" Fan Ze asked curiously. Since Du Zichun's accident, Lin Xi had rarely smiled genuinely, so Fan Ze was genuinely curious about what news could have made Lin Xi so happy.

"Haven't I been investigating Zichun's case all along?" Lin Xi said, a little embarrassed, because Fan Ze had accompanied her in the investigation for more than half a year, but ultimately came up empty-handed and advised her to give up. She verbally agreed, but in reality, she was still secretly investigating.

"You actually..." Fan Ze's expression was subtle, a mixture of anger and anxiety. "You know how dangerous that case is, yet you dared to continue investigating it alone without even telling me?!"

"I'm so sorry." Lin Xi clasped her hands together and apologized, but her expression didn't really show any remorse.

"I give up." Fan Ze snorted, crossing his arms. "So, any progress so far?"

“I got a message from the forensic team. Didn’t they bring in a new American instrument? Apparently, it can recover damaged SIM cards. The report we submitted earlier has finally been approved.” Lin Xi pursed her dry lips and continued with a smile, “I still have the fragments of Zi Chun’s phone that we found at the scene. We can send them for examination tomorrow. Although the chances are slim, we should be able to recover some photos and information.”

"Xiaoxi, you've really suffered." Fan Ze sighed, his gaze towards Lin Xi filled with complex emotions. Although he wasn't the cool, handsome, or domineering type, he was still quite gentle and refined, and his eyes were brimming with sincere affection, making him impossible to ignore.

Lin Xi felt a little awkward. She knew Fan Ze had feelings for her, but since she had a boyfriend before, Fan Ze maintained a purely platonic friendship with both of them. After Du Zichun's accident, Fan Ze went out of his way to help, and Lin Xi could somewhat understand his hints, but she couldn't reciprocate, so she could only try to keep her distance. However, they worked in the same department, and even if they tried to maintain a distance, they would still see each other every day.

“Xiaoxi, Zichun has been gone for so long, you should… you should be able to move on.” Fan Ze’s words were full of pity.

Lin Xi immediately and firmly retorted, "He is not dead, he is just missing."

Fan Ze was speechless, unsure how to comfort him, and could only sigh silently before changing the subject. After an awkward silence for a while, he excused himself, saying it was lunchtime, and went out to buy a boxed lunch.

Their office was part of the museum's administration area, connected to the security room, so working through the night was no problem. Lin Xi stared blankly at the computer screen for a while, then patted her cheeks to cheer herself up. She put Du Zichun's matter aside for the time being, sorted out her thoughts, ate her boxed lunch, and then threw herself back into work.

She first fast-forwarded through the surveillance footage from the week before and after the incident, mainly to check for any trace of the three suspects. The answer was no.

She pondered for a moment, then began to watch the video again, this time at a slower speed, mainly to determine if anyone had repeatedly viewed the kingfisher feather hairpin during those few short days.

Yes, there were, and she recorded them all. But after reviewing the footage from other cameras around the same time, it seemed that these people were just wandering around the museum to kill time, and their suspicion level was not high.

Staring at the computer screen for a long time made her eyes a little sore. Lin Xi stretched and then noticed that there was a bottle of eye drops on her right side.

Wasn't this bottle of eye drops in her purse? Did Fan Ze just take it out and put it here? When did that kid become so considerate?

Lin Xi muttered to herself as she unscrewed the cap and started applying the eye drops.

A cool, minty sensation spread through her eyes, instantly clearing away the fatigue in her mind. Lin Xi blinked, and when her vision returned, she discovered that the computer screen was continuously playing a surveillance video clip. It would advance three seconds and then rewind three seconds, the same scene playing over and over again.

Lin Xi did not touch any keys on the keyboard.

Lin Xi's spirits lifted, knowing that the lucky moment she had been waiting for had finally arrived!
That's right. For some time now, supernatural events have been constantly happening around her. For example, criminals would fall right in front of her while she was investigating cases, or clues would be placed in the most conspicuous position right in front of her. That's why she has such a high case-solving rate.

Lin Xi was initially a little apprehensive, but over time she got used to it.

Perhaps, she is the lucky one favored by heaven!
She just never wins the lottery... God really wants her to focus on solving cases and being a champion of justice...

Lin Xi pursed her lips, and was about to call Fan Ze over to look at the screen, but the words got stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them.

Because the person turned their head right in the center of the video playing back and forth on the screen.

It was a face she knew very well.

Her face is visible as soon as she turns her head.

3.
It was as if she had sunk to the bottom of a dark abyss, struggling for a long time before finally surfacing and regaining her long-lost senses. Lin Xi opened her eyes with difficulty; the bright incandescent light from the ceiling was so dazzling that it took her a long time to regain her senses.

What's wrong with her? Lin Xi held her head and thought for a moment. Right, wasn't she watching the security camera footage? How did she end up lying on the floor asleep?
Even a fool could tell something was wrong. Lin Xi quickly sat up and found herself still in the museum's office, with a large pool of blood on the ground not far from her.

Lin Xi stood up in shock. Although she felt weak, she felt no pain, so it definitely wasn't her blood. Besides her, Fan Ze was the only other person in the office. Could it be that Fan Ze was injured?
The bloodstains had dried, and the time displayed on the wall showed it was already past nine o'clock. Lin Xi remembered that it was around seven o'clock in the evening before she lost consciousness, leaving a gap of more than two hours.

However, that wasn't accurate; Lin Xi felt very empty, not like she had eaten dinner. The museum office was completely enclosed with no windows, so she had no idea whether it was around nine o'clock the next morning.

Her phone was gone, her purse was gone, and her computer was shut down. Lin Xi quickly scanned the office, her gaze settling on a certain spot, which startled her so much that she took a few steps back.

The reason was simple: there was a person standing silently in that corner.

To be precise, it should be a ghost or something like a spirit standing there.

Everything in Lin Xi's field of vision was clear, except for the ghost, which was blurry and indistinct. She couldn't even make out its face; she could only vaguely make out that it was a man wearing a police uniform.

She had to admit it. Seeing a ghost without any warning was so terrifying that she almost screamed.

As if sensing Lin Xi's gaze, the ghost walked towards her.

Lin Xi's shock lasted only a moment. She immediately deduced that Fan Ze might have been murdered, and his soul was lingering here for some unknown reason, which was why she could see it.

Perhaps it was because of the frequent supernatural events around her that Lin Xi's tolerance had greatly increased. She calmed down in an instant and said to the ghost, "Fan Ze, don't worry, I will avenge you."

The ghost stopped in its tracks upon hearing this.

Lin Xi judged that the other party could hear her, so she suppressed her grief and indignation and spoke rapidly: "Fan Ze, who killed you? Since you're still here, can you give me some hints? How could this happen? Wasn't it all because of a kingfisher hairpin? And why did you keep me here? Was it to make me a suspect? Or was someone plotting to harm us all along? Is it because we're still investigating Zi Chun's case?"

The ghost took a few more steps forward, trying to touch her, but seemed afraid of something.

Lin Xi used to be terrified of ghost stories and would become suspicious of anything unusual, but now she felt no fear at all and grabbed the ghost's hand first.

She didn't grasp anything, but perhaps it was just her imagination, she felt a chill in her palm, as if she had touched the other person.

Her chaotic mind suddenly calmed down. Lin Xi took a deep breath, released the other person's hand, and walked to the table to call the police. Her eyes never left the ghost in front of her, and she pondered how to report the situation.

He reached out and grabbed at nothing.

Lin Xi paused for a moment, thinking that the estimated distance was wrong, and reached out her hand again.

This time she turned her head back, so she watched her hand pass through the phone and the table without feeling anything.

She stared at her hands in disbelief, her eyes wide open.

Just then, the office door was opened from the outside, revealing several police officers.

"This is the place. None of us have touched the crime scene!"

As the crowd filed in, not a single person looked at Lin Xi, who was standing in the center of the office.

Lin Xi felt as if struck by lightning, her whole being sinking into an ice cellar.

4.
She is...already dead?
Has it already turned into a ghost state?
Lin Xi's mind was in a mess, and for a long time it was completely blank.

Lin Xi thought of many things in an instant.

She thought about her parents, who had lost their child, and whether they could bear such a blow; she thought about how she had only lived for a little over twenty years and there were still many places in the world she hadn't been to; she thought about how there were still so many things she wanted to do but hadn't had the chance to do yet.

He realized that he hadn't found Du Zichun yet.

Lin Xi suddenly woke up.

The ghosts around her kept circling, trying to touch her with their hands, wanting to comfort her.

But how could one easily accept the fact that one is already dead?
"Fan Ze, how long can we stay in this world?" According to all folk tales, a soul's stay in the mortal realm has a limited time. Lin Xi quickly looked around but didn't see anything resembling Ox-Head, Horse-Face, or the Black and White Impermanence.

The ghost beside her stopped in its tracks, clearly unable to answer her question either.

Lin Xi gave a bitter laugh and said self-deprecatingly, "I was stupid too. How would you know? We're both fresh-faced newbies."

The officers in the room were working quietly. It was the Fourth Division, the best division in their department. Lin Xi watched them inspect the entrance, walk along the crime scene grid searching for evidence, use luminol reagent to test for wiped bloodstains, place signs to create chains of evidence, use a monochromatic light source to search for footprints, identify blood patterns, have the forensic pathologist take blood samples, collect fingerprints, and take photographs…

She had done these procedures many times before, but she never expected to witness someone else investigating her crime scene. As she watched, she suddenly felt something was amiss, as if something was missing.

Strange, if she and Fan Ze were both murdered, why wasn't there a designated area at the scene to display their bodies?

However, Lin Xi quickly understood. Perhaps this wasn't the crime scene, but rather the actual crime scene. Maybe the perpetrator knocked them unconscious and then moved them to another location where they committed the crime.

But neither she nor Fan Ze had offended anyone.

Furthermore, why choose a museum as the crime scene? Wouldn't it be easier for them to commit the crime on their way home after watching the surveillance footage?
After all, museums have much stricter surveillance and security than ordinary residences.

Or perhaps, the other party has no choice but to deal with them at this time.

Is it about that broken SIM card? Is it related to the case Du Zichun investigated back then? Perhaps the forensic team leaked the information...

As for whether he was murdered because of the stolen kingfisher hairpin, Lin Xi thought it was unlikely to be that exaggerated. If that were the case, wouldn't several of the police officers who came to investigate earlier have already died? Besides, they hadn't found anything yet!
But did they really find nothing?
Lin Xi vaguely felt that she had seen something at the end, but she couldn't remember it.

The ghost beside her moved closer, as if it wanted to say something to Lin Xi, but it didn't make a sound.

Lin Xi, disregarding whether the other person could hear her, pointed to the pool of blood and bloodstains on the ground and analyzed, "Fan Ze, this should be your blood, right? However, the pool of blood is a bit large, which may cover the previous bloodstains. But judging from the amount of blood, it should be from when you were still alive. But there are no drag marks or bloodstains. Did the perpetrator clean up the scene?"

When Lin Xi gets nervous, she tends to talk a lot. But right now, the only one who seems to be able to hear her is a stationary ghost. Lin Xi deduced this, then overturned it herself, going back and forth for a long time, so long that the officers from the Fourth Division who were collecting evidence had all left.

Almost all the evidence in the office had been taken away, even the computer and chairs. Lin Xi stood in the empty office, feeling a sense of emptiness and fear.

What should you do after you die?
Or what else can she do?
While she was feeling confused, she suddenly saw the office door open.

He is the curator of that museum.

He leaned on his cane, stood at the door for a long time, then raised his old-fashioned film camera and pressed the shutter on the empty office.

Lin Xi was stunned, her eyes flashing white from the flash, and it took her a moment to recover.

Strange, how come a ghost can still be blinded by flash photography?

However, what's even stranger is the curator.

Who would go to photograph a crime scene for no reason?
5.
The curator didn't go inside. He looked down as if to check how much film was left in his film camera, then left leaning on his cane.

Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, but her strong curiosity overcame everything, and she immediately followed.

As she stepped out of the office, she was thankful that she could still move around freely, unlike the earthbound spirits in novels who couldn't leave their designated locations.

Behind her, the ghost in the police uniform followed, and as if sensing her intention, it quickened its pace and walked half a meter to her left.

This is the marching formation protecting the side of her heart.

Lin Xi paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

When Du Zichun was still alive, he liked to protect her while walking, whether on official business or shopping with her. After Du Zichun passed away, Fan Ze often tried to imitate Du Zichun's care for her, but no matter what she did, she always felt a pang of sadness.

Even if you could make them exactly the same, so what? They would be completely different people!
Lin Xi felt a mix of emotions. She had kept her distance from Fan Ze afterward, fearing he might misunderstand, but she never expected that the two of them would end up in such a predicament.

Lin Xi followed the curator in a daze. When she came to her senses, she found that after the curator went into the office, he opened a cabinet door on the wall, and there was actually another room inside!
Sure enough, something was wrong! Lin Xi perked up, various guesses about embezzlement flashing through her mind, but after following them inside, she found that it was just a darkroom for developing film.

Film cameras use film made of photosensitive materials such as silver bromide to photograph scenes. After shooting, the film needs to be developed before it can be printed on photographic paper.

This film camera was invented more than two hundred years ago, but its life came to an end in the new century.

Digital cameras replaced the old film cameras, and Kodak stopped producing film in 2009, making film developing shops a thing of the past.

Nowadays, such darkrooms only exist in movies and TV series, or in the homes of hardcore film photography enthusiasts.

Surprisingly, the museum director was one of them. But these days, it's probably hard to even buy film within its shelf life, right? The director seemed quite interested.

Lin Xi looked at the various equipment and bottles and jars of all sizes in the darkroom. She didn't know much about them, but she knew that they were some of the chemicals used for developing photos, such as three-color developing solution and fixing solution, which are hard to buy nowadays.

After the door closed, the darkroom became completely dark. The curator turned on the red safety light and put on gloves. He was clearly an experienced photographer; his movements were extremely practiced in the dim light. Lin Xi watched for a while and then lost interest. No matter how she looked at it, the curator was developing photos in a very proper and orderly manner. It was just that the developing chemicals seemed to be used in a rather varied way; just by looking at the various labels, she could guess what kind of special chemicals they were.

This curator is clearly a seasoned film camera enthusiast. The photo he took in front of the office earlier was probably taken because he had only half a frame of film left and didn't want to waste it.

When Linxi was a child, her family also used this kind of film camera. Although it was labeled as having a capacity of 36 photos, if you rolled out the film sparingly, you could still take one or half a photo more.

The clues were wrong again.

But Lin Xi didn't know where to go next for the time being, so she could only stand in the darkroom in a daze, unconsciously listening to the rustling, clanging, or liquid pouring sounds... Huh? Why are the breathing sounds in the darkroom coming from three people?
Lin Xi has very keen senses, which was an advantage she had when she took the police academy entrance exam.

She was sure she hadn't misheard, and the darkroom was so small that you could see the end at a glance. To avoid bumping into the curator, she and the ghost had to squeeze together, their bodies pressed together.

She felt extremely uncomfortable when she discovered this, yet there was nothing she could do about it.

There was no one else in the dark room, so the breathing sound must have come from the two of them?

But if you're already dead, why are you still breathing?

Lin Xi couldn't figure it out, and there was no one to ask.

Time passed slowly. After developing the photos, the curator clipped them one by one to a rope with small clips and let them air dry. Once he had done all this, the curator took off his gloves, picked up his cane which was placed to the side, and limped out.

For some reason, Lin Xi did not follow them out, but stood in the dark room without moving an inch.

It was as if a voice inside her was telling her not to go out.

Lin Xi looked up at the photographs hanging in the darkroom. As time passed, the developing images on the photographic paper became clearer and clearer. Most of these photos were of antiques taken by the curator, illuminated by the special red safe light in the darkroom. The old film presented a texture that digital cameras could not match, and the antiques photographed on the film all possessed a sense of vicissitude and history.

There are also a few landscape photos, which were probably taken casually by the curator, and they all have a special artistic feel to them.

Lin Xi was extremely bored. She looked through the photos one by one, finally stopping at the bottom of the last one.

Half of this photo is overexposed, probably because the film roll was at its end. But you can still tell it's an empty office.

What shocked Lin Xi was that there were two figures in the photo.

In the middle of the photo, she stands blankly on a pool of blood, while beside her, a handsome face that she hasn't seen in a long time looks at her with a sorrowful expression.

How is this possible? Zichun was missing, wasn't he? How could he be in the photo?! How could he be next to her?!

A sudden pang of sadness shot through her nose, and her vision blurred instantly. Lin Xi instinctively reached for the photo, thinking she must be seeing things.

The moment her fingers touched the photo, she was a fraction of a second too late to realize that she was already dead. How could she still be touching this photo?

Behind her, a pair of arms finally couldn't resist pulling her tightly into their embrace.

"Little Stream, I've always been by your side."

Lin Xi's tears finally fell.

6.
Lin Xi felt like she was dreaming.

When she died inexplicably, she didn't feel like she was dreaming. It was only when she saw Du Zichun that she felt like she was dreaming.

She had this dream countless times.

Every time I wake up, it's an even more excruciating pain.

She didn't even dare to look back, fearing it was just another self-deceiving dream.

But strangely, the warmth from the embrace behind her soothed her unease.

Lin Xi didn't have time to analyze why her five senses had returned. She was silent for a moment, then tentatively asked, "...Zichun?"

"Yes, it's me." Du Zichun's uniquely magnetic voice sounded softly in her ear.

"Have you been by my side for over a year?"

"Well, it's me."

"Have you been helping me solve cases? Protecting me all along?"

"Well, it's me."

Lin Xi closed her eyes, feeling utterly foolish. Du Zichun had been lingering around her for so long, and she hadn't noticed a single clue!
After calming down, Du Zichun began to recount his experiences.

It turns out that a carload earlier, while investigating a case, he was ambushed and fell into a coma. When he woke up, he was in this ghostly state.

Like Lin Xi before him, he initially believed he was dead, with only his soul remaining. He never found his body and knew he was classified as a missing person.

He thought he would soon dissipate into thin air, but he remained in that state for several months.

He frequently visited his parents and Lin Xi, spending his days helping Lin Xi with cases and his evenings at home with his parents. This habit continued unabated, and no one noticed anything unusual.

He discovered that as long as he concentrated and had a strong will, he could touch some light objects. Coupled with his almost invisible perspective, he was able to solve cases with ease, so he secretly helped Lin Xi solve cases.

He wanted to protect her, even though he was already dead.

Lin Xi cried uncontrollably.

Du Zichun reached out and wiped away her tears. Knowing that ordinary comfort would not work given her personality, he only said one sentence to stop her crying.

"I know who killed us."

Lin Xi immediately perked up. Du Zichun had been secretly watching over her; he must have seen who did it. Lin Xi pondered for a moment, her memories from before she fainted returning. She sighed and said, "It must have been Fan Ze."

Du Zichun nodded: "Although we don't know his motives, our situation doesn't seem as bad as we thought."

Lin Xi was taken aback.

7.
The curator was questioned all afternoon and returned to his office in a bad mood.

How did he know where the female police officer had gone missing, and how did he know how the male police officer had been injured? Why was he being interrogated like a suspect?
However, with accidents happening one after another at the museum, isn't there a problem?
Tsk, I just had that kid Lu Zigang look at the feng shui, and young people are really unreliable. Should I try my luck at the Silent Shop again? Maybe the owner is here today?

However, at this critical juncture, if he goes straight to the Silent Shop after work, he'll definitely be followed by the police! Wouldn't that cause trouble for the boss?
As the curator hesitated and struggled with his decision, he noticed a photograph on his desk.

Strange, all the photos he developed today are hanging properly in the darkroom, I don't remember taking any out myself.

Picking up the photo, the curator adjusted his reading glasses and took a closer look; his expression immediately changed.

This photo! He remembers it was taken in an empty office! The pool of blood on the floor is still there!

The curator now realized something was wrong. Many movies and TV shows have depicted ghosts being captured by film cameras. And this photo had somehow escaped from the darkroom—could it have grown legs?

Goosebumps rose all over his body. The curator, disregarding whether it would implicate the Silent House and lead to questioning by the police, immediately drove to the commercial street.

He strode in, leaning on his cane, and the curator was pleasantly surprised to find the owner there. He quickly put down the photos and explained the whole story.

The boss glanced at the overexposed photo, his interest piqued, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "These two must have been sprayed with mirage gas by a mirage shell."

"Huh? A mirage? The mirage from the movie 'The Mirage'?" the curator asked, puzzled.

"Yes. The smaller ones are called clams, and the larger ones are called mirages. Both are shellfish, a type of clam. A mirage is actually just a larger clam. It is said that the mirage gas it exhales creates illusions, forming mirages on the sea surface." The shopkeeper closed the book in his hand and explained calmly.

"Is this just a legend? Isn't a mirage a natural phenomenon caused by the refraction of light?" The curator asked, still somewhat skeptical.

“But there are actually two interpretations of the mirage in ancient books.” The shopkeeper glanced at the curator, not wanting to talk to him about science. If science could explain it, why would he be asking for help here? “One is a mirage shell, and the other is a mirage dragon. Strangely, both of these creatures have the same ability: the mirage gas they exhale will create illusions.”

"You mean to say that these two creatures are actually the same thing?" This time, the curator understood immediately.

“That’s right. The mirage shell has always been dissatisfied with its small size and envious of the sea dragon, so it took the form of a dragon and called itself the mirage dragon. Therefore, the term mirage shell implies jealousy and the desire to take its place.” The shopkeeper pointed to the photo. “If someone gets their hands on this mirage shell, the jealousy will be amplified infinitely until it becomes unbearable. These two people are probably the victims.”

"Is there any hope?" the curator asked earnestly. The case occurred at the museum where he worked, so he couldn't simply stand by and do nothing.

"These two people didn't actually die. Although mirages are evil creatures, they're not dangerous enough to kill people. It's just that after inhaling the mirage energy, they were trapped in an illusion, creating a difference between themselves and the real world."

"Ah, I heard it but didn't understand." The curator looked puzzled.

Lu Zigang, who was standing to the side, understood and interjected, "Actually, it's a dimensional distortion. It's like a mirage on the sea surface, which might show scenery thousands of meters away, or it might show scenery from many years ago. The spacetime that these two people are in is different from our spacetime, which is why others can't see them. Only the special developing material on the film camera can capture their figures."

"Huh? Doesn't that mean it's invisible?" The curator suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "That kingfisher feather hairpin also disappeared suddenly. Could it also be a case where someone used a mirage shell to commit a crime?"

The boss didn't answer the question, but casually asked, "Did you two come with the curator? If so, please let him know."

The photo placed on the counter moved automatically, spinning around on its own without any wind.

The curator, who had witnessed everything, was horrified. He looked around suspiciously, quietly took two steps back, and distanced himself from the counter.

The boss gestured with his chin toward Lu Zigang, who understood and went to the inner room to rummage through things.

"The way to break the mirage shell is quite simple; just spray it with mirage gas again, and it will be gone. Luckily, there's still a mirage shell in the shop." The owner looked up and said calmly to a spot in the air, "Don't worry, you don't need to pay anything in return. Just take care of things a little if the shop encounters any problems in the future."

The boss spoke casually, clearly just being polite. The curator twitched his mustache, wanting to say something more, but he didn't dare and held back.

A short while later, Lu Zigang emerged again, carrying a brocade box. Inside lay a palm-sized mirage shell, its color a vibrant rainbow. It was beautiful, yet possessed a strange, eerie quality.

Lin Xi held Du Zichun's hand the whole time. Although the young man in the clothes embroidered with a red dragon spoke so casually, who knew what might happen? She subconsciously closed her eyes.

A moment later, she heard Du Zichun speaking to someone else.

"Hey bro, can I borrow your phone for a second?"

Lin Xi opened her eyes and saw Du Zichun take the young clerk's phone with one hand and dial a number. While waiting for the call to connect, he turned his head and gave her a roguish smile.

Lin Xi's eyes immediately reddened. This time, she truly saw Du Zichun, not a blurry ghost.

As Du Zichun explained his identity to his colleague on the phone, he affectionately touched Lin Xi's cheek. Heaven knows he had done this countless times over the past year, but Lin Xi had remained completely oblivious.

Lin Xi was so excited that she didn't hear what Du Zichun was saying. She stared greedily at Du Zichun's face and, mimicking him, reached out to confirm his presence.

The curator rolled his eyes, utterly speechless at the young couple's public display of affection.

Du Zichun's expression suddenly changed. After quickly confirming a couple of questions, he hung up the phone and returned it to Lu Zigang.

"What happened?" Lin Xi asked hurriedly.

Du Zichun didn't want to talk about it here, but he had personally experienced the wonder of this antique shop, so he respectfully asked the owner, "Sir, the murderer who tried to kill us stabbed himself to clear his name, but the forensic doctor who examined the bloodstains found something wrong. After that, he disappeared during the process of being taken into custody."

Lin Xi gasped, realizing that she could now deduce Fan Ze's thoughts.

He probably had a vague idea of ​​the uses of mirages before, and at most dared to use them on inanimate objects or on targets he wanted to eliminate, but wouldn't dare to use mirage energy on himself. Now that it's been exposed, he probably can't care about that anymore.

This is essentially equivalent to being invisible, so how can you catch the other party?

The boss, however, didn't seem to care and chuckled, "It's nothing. No matter how much you fantasize, a mirage is just a seashell and can't turn into a real dragon."

Du Zichun pondered those words several times, and the worry between his brows gradually turned into determination.

That's right. He survived the most difficult times, so what is there to fear in the future?

Du Zichun squeezed Lin Xi's hand. He had obtained the most precious treasure in his life and would never let go of it.

(End of this chapter)