HH Chapter 46

The girl’s eyes were filled with panic. As she saw Chen Mengyao almost inside, she tried to close the door, but the man behind them was quicker. Just before the door shut, a foot wedged it open.

The two girls struggled to shut the door, but they couldn’t overpower him…

The sound of doors shutting echoed through the hallway, which soon fell silent. In the latter half of the night, the tightly closed door finally opened a crack, allowing warm yellow light to spill out.

“Tap… tap…” Only one set of footsteps remained on the stairs.

However, the next day was sunny, with the sun blazing overhead. In the old neighborhood, a few elderly residents sat outside chatting. They mentioned hearing someone knocking on doors and crying for help the previous night, but the noise stopped within a minute.

“Probably a thief, doing it on purpose,” an old man said.

“Most likely. Better keep the doors locked tight,” others agreed.

Three days passed without Chen Mengyao showing up at school, making Gao Yuan anxious. Her phone was off, and she wasn’t replying to messages. In his growing concern, he went directly to the police station.

“My girlfriend is missing. It’s been 72 hours, and she’s not answering calls or messages,” Gao Yuan said, his hand trembling as he held his phone.

“What are the details?” the officer asked.

“After saying goodnight to her the day before yesterday, I haven’t been able to reach her. She lives in Huamian Community, Building 10, Apartment 301,” Gao Yuan explained.

“Where did you say she lives?” a voice interjected.

Jiang Fei stepped forward and asked again, “Where?”

“Huamian Community, Building 10, Apartment 301,” Gao Yuan repeated.

“Does your girlfriend know Cheng Xiaoxiao?” Jiang Fei asked.

Gao Yuan thought for a moment and shook his head. “I’ve never heard her mention that name. Let’s focus on finding my girlfriend first.”

Jiang Fei hesitated, then said, “Wait here.”

He turned and ran back, pushing open a door and calling out, “Captain Cheng!”

“What’s the rush?” Cheng Ye asked.

“Remember the report from this morning? Cheng Xiaoxiao, the university student?”

“What about it?”

Jiang Fei replied, “Someone just reported another case from Huamian Community, Building 10.”

Cheng Ye furrowed his brow and stood up. “Let’s check it out.”

Originally, they planned to have Gao Yuan wait, but he insisted on coming along, leaving them no choice but to take him.

The community mainly housed elderly residents and wasn’t very crowded. Building 10 was located at the back. As they approached, they heard a group of elderly people talking.

“The people across from me are so unsanitary, not taking out the trash for days. The smell is awful,” complained an elderly woman.

“I live next door. The stench is unbearable, and they never answer the door,” another added.

Cheng Ye stopped, sensing something was wrong, and said, “Have Yan Ya bring the equipment over.”

“Got it,” Jiang Fei nodded.

Cheng Ye stepped forward, smiling, “Which apartment is it? We’re from the Health Committee, here for an inspection.”

“It’s 509. Please go talk to them. The smell is killing us,” an elderly man replied.

“Thank you,” Cheng Ye said, exchanging a glance with Fang Yuan. Cheng Xiaoxiao lived in apartment 509.

As they reached the fourth floor, they were met with a faint but distinct odor. Experienced as they were, they knew exactly what it was. Fang Yuan called for backup, and Cheng Ye approached apartment 509, where the smell grew stronger.

“What’s going on?” Gao Yuan asked softly, following them.

Fang Yuan, having finished his call, put his phone away and said, “For the sake of your future happiness, my advice is for you to go downstairs.”

“I won’t!” Gao Yuan insisted stubbornly.

“Fine,” Fang Yuan sighed. Once everyone had gathered, he addressed Gao Yuan again, “We need to handle this. Please leave.”

“Chen Xiaonuan, take him down,” Fang Yuan ordered.

“But I want to go in too,” Chen Xiaonuan protested, “You’ve been to so many crime scenes. Let me handle this one, you take him down.”

Fang Yuan, exasperated, turned to Gao Yuan, “You can either go down yourself or I’ll make you go down.”

Seeing the determination on Fang Yuan’s face, Gao Yuan reluctantly agreed and headed downstairs.

“Open the door,” Cheng Ye ordered. He and Fang Yuan stood on either side as a technician used a wire to pick the lock. It didn’t take long before the lock gave way.

As soon as the door opened, the stench of decay and blood hit them, even through their masks. Yan Ya carefully pushed the door open, the sight and smell triggering a visceral reaction. Flies buzzed around the warm yellow light, and dark red bloodstains splattered the walls.

Two bodies lay on the floor, partially undressed and in various stages of decomposition, with maggots writhing in the exposed flesh.

After steeling herself, Yan Ya stepped inside.

“Two female victims, bodies severely decomposed,” she reported, placing a maggot in a specimen tube. “Judging by the larvae, time of death was around three days ago.”

Yan Ya looked at Cheng Ye, “These must be the missing persons.”

Cheng Ye scanned the surroundings before saying, “Let’s head back to the station. Too many eyes here.”

“Understood,” Yan Ya replied.

As the bodies were carried out, a crowd gathered, causing a commotion. Gao Yuan, anxious but unable to bear the smell, stayed back.

Fang Yuan, Jiang Fei, and Chen Xiaonuan stayed to conduct interviews while Cheng Ye and Pei Qinghuai took Gao Yuan’s keys to apartment 301. Inside, they found a cozy, child-friendly home filled with toys and decorations.

Wearing gloves, they searched the apartment. Pei Qinghuai noticed a thin layer of dust on a black table and picked up a glass bottle, examining the mark it left. “Someone’s been here since Chen Mengyao disappeared.”

Cheng Ye nodded and retrieved something from the trash. “Look at this.”

Pei Qinghuai placed the glass in an evidence bag and joined Cheng Ye, who held an old, yellowed letter. It was covered with small cut-out letters forming obscene and disturbing messages.

‘My dear Mengyao, you looked so beautiful today. I love you so much. I want to marry you and have your children.’

‘Even though you have a man, I still love you. I’m crazy about you. I want you to be mine alone.’

The letters made Cheng Ye’s skin crawl. He put them in an evidence bag and continued searching, finding four more harassing letters.

Pei Qinghuai stood by the bed, lost in thought, before speaking, “I can sense the desire of the person who wants to lie in this bed and release his desires, but he can’t because of some reason.”

“You mean he’s afraid of leaving evidence. No need to be so gross,” Cheng Ye muttered, shuddering. “Creepy as hell.”