Chapter 974: Chapter 18: Lost (8)
It’s not just Qiao An in the white sweater and Qiao An and Agumos in hoodies.
Although the passage was desolate at this moment, there were still pedestrians — the witnesses to this event, now looking in amazement at Agumos who had fallen to the ground.
Apparently, the entry level guys did not know who Agumos was; they couldn’t even see clearly what these two women and a man looked like tangled together.
However, when suddenly one person lunged to attack and another fell to the ground, it would definitely make people want to know what exactly happened.
Seeing that pedestrians were rushing over, the expressions of the two Qiao Ans were different — the Qiao An who had attacked Agumos frowned and looked quite annoyed, while the Qiao An in the white sweater gritted her teeth and instantly turned around to run back.
Hoodie Qiao An snorted lightly at this moment, but soon her face changed slightly — because she noticed that the Eye of Horus ring on her finger was missing.
When did it happen… was it when she was pinned to the ground and choked by the neck?
Was the target actually this ring on her hand?
Hoodie Qiao An’s eyes turned cold instantly, she stepped forward directly to chase the Qiao An in the white sweater who was running away in front.
“Hey! Don’t go!!”
The two pedestrians had already rushed over, but when they looked closely at Agumos who had fallen to the ground, they discovered astonishingly that blood was gushing from his abdomen. They couldn’t even bother to chase the female assailant, hurriedly calling for help.
“Qiao An…”
Agumos lay on the ground in painful distress, in his blurry vision, both Qiao Ans were leaving one after the other, chasing something.
As if they were all chasing something.
He had never seen such a Qiao An before, when she spoke of destroying everything without emotion, yet still called him ‘dear’.
As if having lost everything, the body was just an empty shell… merely a walking, seemingly long-rotted corpse.
In a daze, Agumos slowly closed his eyes, unable to hear the calls of the pedestrians around him anymore, his vision slowly narrowing until he just saw the back of Hulu Qiao An vanishing into the distance… she was chasing something.
…
…
“The body is missing?”
The head of the criminal police squad who had just arrived at the scene was extremely surprised. He was listening to a fantastical report — after the body of the victim in the restroom disappeared from the spot, there was actually more to it.
That is, after the forensic doctor searched the area for any clues and returned later, they found that the blood traces that should have remained next to the body had disappeared.
The blood traces were not wiped away, because the forensic doctor had used a UV light for blood detection — the blood traces indeed disappeared!
Han Bingjiang hadn’t e to his senses yet, but the victim’s body and blood traces had vanished without a trace… if the body couldn’t be found, how should Han Bingjiang be charged?
The case fell into a deadlock instantly due to the disappearance of the body, with no progress.
“Who’s that? Was it Qiao An? Has she not appeared yet?” the head of the criminal police squad asked helplessly.
Because he had roughly understood the situation through the interrogator upon arrival, and among them, Han Bingjiang mentioned this Qiao An multiple times, so the police requested a broadcast to find her this time.
It might not be useful, but at least it might alert someone… if the case is really related to this female celebrity, there should be some trace or clue.
“Not Qiao An, but we just received news of a malicious assault in Zone C, where a foreign youth’s abdomen was pierced with a sharp object, and the weapon is… a western dining fork!”
“A fork!” The captain was shocked.
Because according to the report, the weapon used in the murder in the restroom could also possibly be a western dining fork — and back then, it was because Han Bingjiang was caught leaving with this fork wrapped in a blood-stained garment that he was arrested.
“Fork, body… blood traces…” The captain furrowed his brow suddenly, “Go see if the blood traces on the garment Han Bingjiang used to wrap the weapon are still there!”
“Huh?” The team members were stunned, but under the fierce gaze of the captain, they quickly plied.
The team member swiftly went out, and shortly after, the team member hurried back carrying a sealed bag, panicked, “Captain… the bloodstains on the clothes are gone!”
“What happened?”
The captain widened his mouth in surprise — because this garment used as evidence, he had seen it once upon his arrival, and it did have bloodstains on it.
He could choose not to trust his own eyes, for they can always be wrong — but were everyone’s eyes incorrect as well?
“This is too irregular…” he murmured, suddenly saying, “The person who attacked the foreign youth just now! Quickly capture them! I have a feeling the answer might be with this person! Move, move!!”
“Yes!”
…
…
Song Haoran was casually walking inside the airport, together with Song Ying.
Song Haoran, always wearing a smile, showed no signs of tension — this aspect reminded Song Ying of some similarities between Song Haoran and Luo Qiu.
Easily anxious, that always seemed to be her problem — even though she knew she had this issue, she could never change it no matter what.
Sometimes it was admirable, but sometimes it was also nerve-wracking.
“By the way, what was that kid’s name again?” Song Haoran suddenly stopped and asked Song Ying.
“You mean Paul?” Song Ying answered instinctively.
Song Haoran nodded, then instantly turned around, walking towards a staircase leading to the smoking room. Song Ying followed him helplessly, only to find that Song Haoran was heading to a place next to the smoking room selling cigarettes.
At this moment, Song Haoran was reaching for the lock behind the cigarette sale counter, forcefully twisting it — within moments, Song Haoran had broken the lock core and opened the door.
“Is it here?” Song Haoran pointed to the small room used to store clutter and cigarettes.
“How did it end up here…” Song Ying was stunned.
Because inside the small room, she saw the child named Paul — Paul was currently wrapped in a black long trench coat.
This should be the coat worn by the Qiao An who took Paul away in front of them — likewise, there was another woman in uniform in this small room.
She was probably the employee selling cigarettes here, rendered unconscious and placed in this spot as well.
“Looks like things are more plicated than they appear,” Song Haoran squinted his eyes at Paul for quite a while, “the backpack is here too.”
“So, Luo Qiu has already met Paul?” Song Ying was startled, frowning, “Did he e into contact with the Qiao An in black clothing?”
“Possibly.” Song Haoran nodded, then suddenly crouched down and opened Paul’s backpack.
“Hey, don’t rummage through others’ things, it’s unethical!” Song Ying frowned.
Song Haoran tempted, “Perhaps there’s a clue in here, don’t you want to know why there are two Qiao Ans?”
Song Ying emmmm.
But Song Haoran has already started rummaging through the contents of the backpack—some very simple items, sketchbook and a bag of crayons, a small bag of gummies, and some scattered little objects, none of which were worth researching.
Song Ying had seen this sketchbook before; Paul took it out to draw in the guard room.
Luo Qiu had picked it up once, seemingly flipped through it, but Song Ying didn’t pay much attention at the time. Seeing Song Haoran casually flipping through it now, she began to pack back the items Song Haoran took out into Paul’s backpack.
“This child… what’s going on here.” Song Haoran’s face was full of surprise.
“What happened?” Song Ying asked curiously.
Song Haoran opened one of the pages of the sketchbook and placed it in front of Song Ying.
This drawing was extremely simple, even crude in description—but seriously looking at what it depicted, it was hard not to feel an eerie chill.
Inside the black-lined room, a woman holds a knife, while another woman is lying on the ground… The ground is smeared with red crayon.
The color of blood!
“How could this child draw such a picture…” Song Ying muttered in shock as her lips parted slightly.
“Children can easily jot down what they see.”
Song Haoran said calmly: “We always feel children tend to forget things quickly. But in reality, the things children note down are often more than adults, sometimes even remembered for a lifetime.”
“Then… could this be the murder scene?” Song Ying asked in disbelief.
“Things have bee quite interesting.” Song Haoran smiled, looking at the sleeping Paul, as if contemplating something.
Suddenly, Song Haoran lifted Paul and said to Song Ying, “Let’s hide first; perhaps there’ll be a good show to watch soon… Since someone hid him here, they might return soon.”
“Huh? Wait a moment…”
Seeing Song Haoran already carrying Paul, finding a place to hide, Song Ying hurriedly grabbed the backpack, shutting the storage room door, then followed after with a sigh.
How to put it, it’s never boring around Song Haoran.
But his love for courting death can be exhausting… How did he find out that Paul was hiding inside?
The two quickly hid—in fact, simply in the rest area outside the stairs, pretending to be travelers sleeping there.
Of course, holding Paul and covering with clothes.
“Does this work?” Song Ying asked with a frown… As if this guy forgot the original purpose.
Weren’t we supposed to find Luo Qiu?
“Isn’t someone ing?” Song Haoran suddenly made a gesture to keep quiet and slightly turned his head, looking back.
“Qiao An… Two of them!”
The two sides of Qiao An are currently chasing after each other.
The one in front is wearing a white sweater, while the one at the back is wearing a hoodie—they are only seen to chase eagerly, with the one in the white sweater heading directly toward the stairs leading to the smoking room.
“Looks like the good show is about to begin!” Song Haoran smacked his lips.
“Ah, at a time like this, how can you have the mood to eat… What are you eating?”
“Gummies, found them in the backpack, would you like some? They taste pretty good.” Song Haoran spread his palm.
“You, stealing a child’s snacks! Unbelievable!” Song Ying rolled her eyes and decisively got up, walking towards the stairs, intending to see what’s happening between the two Qiao Ans.
Song Haoran shrugged, picked up Paul, and glanced at the gummies in his hand, “When did this brand e out with this flavor, I didn’t know before?”
Song Haoran curiously glanced at the production date.
July 11, 2025.
“2025?”
…
…
“Thank you.”
Qiao An suddenly said.
Thus, Luo Qiu stopped in his tracks, cast a curious glance at her.
Qiao An quickly said: “You saved me, yet I haven’t properly thanked you, it’s rather rude.”
“An actor, what kind of life is that?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.
Qiao An was surprised by the question, spaced out for a while, and then smiled wryly: “It’s never a particularly good job. Some people love it, some are already tired of it yet still persist. Everyone is just barely hanging on. Honestly, decades later, who would still remember you?”
“True.” Luo Qiu nodded, continuing: “Then let’s go, time is limited.”
Luo Qiu suddenly pointed in a direction, which wasn’t the place mentioned in the broadcast. Qiao An furrowed her brows, subconsciously asking: “Limited time… What do you mean?”
“Time left for you.” Luo Qiu thought for a moment and said: “Or rather, time left for your group… That’s my understanding now.”
“I… I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.” Qiao An looked at Luo Qiu—this young man who always seemed peculiar to her, now prompted her to raise the slight caution she had just let go.
“Do you believe everyone is unique?” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.
Qiao An just stared blankly.
“Everyone is unique, at least in the same space-time.” Luo Qiu slowly said: “So you won’t see another version of yourself, and thus the current space-time remains stable. It’s a very plex operating theory, but you can also see it as a form of stability. Each of us is a cog in this world; when these cogs stop, when they age and need replacing, when they need repair, all are determined by the world itself. Orderly and unchaotic, the world moves normally, like a clock. But if, in this rigorous clockwork, an originally absent cog emerges, and disrupts this stability, what do you think will happen to the clock?”
“I… I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”
“Haven’t you noticed yourself?” Luo Qiu whispered: “Look at your hand.”
“Hand…” Qiao An instinctively lifted her hand, “My hand!”
At that moment, what frightened her was—her hand faded away, as if transparent, she could see through her hand to the ground.
“Will be erased.” Luo Qiu said solemnly: “You can view it as a self-protective mechanism… It will erase these original non-belonging parts, and try not to leave any traces, ensuring each part’s independence, thereby restoring order to stability and allowing time to move forward… Understand?”
“I… will disappear… you mean?” Watching her faded hand, she suddenly fearfully reached out to grab Luo Qiu.
However… she couldn’t grasp his arm.
Her hand passed directly through Luo Qiu’s arm.
“So I said, time left for you all is running out.”
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