HH Chapter 95

She tentatively asked in a low voice, her voice dry and grating like a blade sliding across glass. Yan Ya was simply treating Sun Xiaoyu’s wounds, while others came over to untie the ropes behind Sun Xiaoyu.

“It’s the police. You’re safe now.” Cheng Ye half-squatted in front of Sun Xiaoyu, partially blocking the flashlight’s beam, and said in a low voice.

Sun Xiaoyu was given a few sips of water, and her dry lips finally got some relief. As she was carried out of the cellar, suddenly, headlights from several cars approached from afar.

Perhaps it was the glare from the police cars moving at night, or maybe someone accidentally let something slip, but a swarm of reporters rushed over. At least they had some manners and did not obstruct the police investigation. The police had no choice but to turn a blind eye.

Suddenly, someone asked, “Hello, why are you the only one coming out? Where are the others? Can you tell us how you felt during these days?”

When the police looked over, the person who asked was already out of sight. Sun Xiaoyu paused, murmuring something under her breath, just loud enough for those nearby to hear.

“Don’t touch me… don’t touch me… they’re all crazy… dirty…” Abruptly, Sun Xiaoyu fixed her gaze on the crowd and pushed away a police officer. The officer stumbled and nearly fell due to the muddy ground.

“Why don’t you just die!!” Sun Xiaoyu, seemingly mentally shattered, shouted and fainted. Even in her fainted state, she murmured softly, “Help me… help me…”

The ambulance arrived a bit late, despite the police’s urgent request. The medical personnel quickly pushed through the crowd and carried Sun Xiaoyu onto the ambulance.

Back at the station, everyone wore heavy expressions. During a re-interrogation, tempers naturally flared. The two suspects, who seemed to rely on each other in their predicament, refused to speak first.

In the end, an unexpected event broke Tang Jiale’s silence. She finally confessed when confronted with evidence of Qin Nan’s infidelity.

Ironically, neither threats nor intimidation could break Tang Jiale, but a photo of infidelity did.

As for Qin Nan, the evidence was irrefutable. There was nothing more to ask or answer.

This case was not just a simple missing person case. The deceased girls were missing various organs, and the previously dead letters came back to life.

This time, not only had their methods escalated, but their previously hidden motives also began to surface, reminiscent of the last female corpse case where the internal organs were hollowed out.

This missing person case was just a prelude, indicating that those bastards were back.

Capturing the perpetrators was challenging, but the most pressing issue was dealing with the deceased girls and their families. Somehow, a video of the rescue was posted online and quickly went viral.

The shaky video showed Sun Xiaoyu pushing a police officer and yelling at him to die. The comment section was filled with people showcasing their ‘superior morality,’ tearing Sun Xiaoyu apart with dirty and vile words.

Despite the police officer stepping forward to clarify that he had lost his balance, the online abuse continued unabated. Some even found out which hospital Sun Xiaoyu was in, and if it weren’t for the police blocking the entrance, those people might have torn her apart.

“These bastards!” Fang Yuan furiously threw his phone on the table, shaking with anger.

Sun Xiaoyu’s parents had died in a car accident years ago, leaving her grandmother to care for her. Sun Xiaoyu would visit her grandmother weekly, but as time passed without seeing her, the old lady began putting up missing person notices.

This situation escalated online, and people vandalized the notices. Her grandmother, unable to take it, tried to confront them, had a heart attack, and collapsed on the roadside. When the police arrived, they found her still clutching a missing person notice for Sun Xiaoyu. In her pocket, there was a carefully wrapped snack, now moldy, but still lying quietly.

The police did not inform Sun Xiaoyu about this, but news like this can’t be hidden forever.

On the night of August 10th, Sun Xiaoyu disappeared.

The rain was heavy, and the usually sweltering summer night felt painfully oppressive. Cheng Ye, determined to find her, took a painkiller for his aching leg.

Sun Xiaoyu wasn’t hard to find. Someone spotted her at an unfinished building. When the police arrived, they found her sitting quietly at the top, the rain pouring down as if trying to wash away all the filth of the world.

As the crowd grew, including firefighters, paramedics, and police, someone finally reached the top step.

Sun Xiaoyu smiled at Cheng Ye, “I know you. I didn’t do those things.”

Cheng Ye took a few steps forward. Sun Xiaoyu didn’t stop him. “I know, we’ll help you resolve this,” he said.

She shook her head, “I know you will. I saw it. But my grandmother can’t come back.”

Her voice softened, “They killed my grandmother….”

Cheng Ye moved closer. Sun Xiaoyu sniffled, the rain blinding her eyes. “Officer, I feel safe now…”

Perhaps she was answering the question she never got to say back then.

As she finished speaking, she leaned back without hesitation. Cheng Ye’s eyes widened, reaching out to pull her back, half his body already hanging over the edge. Luckily, Pei Qinghuai was quick to react, pulling Cheng Ye back just in time.

Cheng Ye punched the ground in frustration, gritting his teeth.

---

The only surviving victim of the missing person case—died.

The rain stopped. Sun Xiaoyu lay on the rain-washed ground, surrounded by scattered onlookers, all with something to say.

Later, the full footage of that day was posted online, with every word Sun Xiaoyu said clearly audible.

The young officer indeed lost his balance, but back then, no one believed it.

Comments under the video swiftly changed from scorn to sympathy, those who once spat venom now hid in shame.

To protect the victims, the police had kept the perpetrator’s actions confidential. Now, with the victims gone, they revealed part of the truth: the girls’ foot tendons were cut, their bodies covered with scars from numerous cuts and stitches.

…

By late August, the morning breeze was still hot. Cheng Ye leaned on the railing, looking at the comments on his phone: “Now they’re pretending to be good.”

Cheng Ye’s hand was still bandaged. Pei Qinghuai knew how much strength Cheng Ye used back then, nearly falling with Sun Xiaoyu.

Lowering his gaze, Pei Qinghuai said, “Only when someone dies before their eyes do people temporarily put away their filthy words and show fake compassion, shifting the blame…”

Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Cyberbullying never stops. Even when cursing the perpetrator, we sometimes think they deserve it. But what does it do for the victims?”

Cheng Ye bitterly smiled, remaining silent. Pei Qinghuai knocked on the railing, “A long-forgotten forgiveness? I never believed in that. It’s just their guilt…”

The online world is not a lawless place, but it can drown you in words.

【The End】

Despite the case being closed, secrets buried deep remained unearthed.

After comforting the victims’ families, Cheng Ye and his team finally had a brief period of rest. As summer drew to a close and the weather cooled, the Police University invited Pei Qinghuai once again to give a lecture.

After the lecture, Pei Qinghuai met Cheng Ye at the school gate. Just as he was about to get into the car, an unknown number called his phone.

Pei Qinghuai hesitated for a second before answering.

A strange electronic voice, mixed with crackling static like the sound from a dying toy, slowly uttered a few words, pausing between each one.

“The game is about to begin!”