Chapter Seven: Investigation

After Lin Ran and Fan Beixiao returned to the police station, Fan Beixiao went off to develop the photographs. Later that evening, he came back holding a paper bag, his expression somewhat unsettled.

“What’s wrong? You look pale,” Lin Ran asked, noticing Fan Beixiao’s unnatural demeanor and suspecting he might be unwell.

“Ran, this time we’re in trouble,” Fan Beixiao shook his head.

“What happened?” Lin Ran frowned, looking at him.

“Ran, do you remember when I took photos in that room with the yellow talisman, right after you entered?” Fan Beixiao countered.

“Yes, I remember. What about it?” Lin Ran nodded.

“At the time, weren’t it just the two of us in that room?” Fan Beixiao’s lips trembled. To Lin Ran, he seemed like someone who had seen that hanging woman and been frightened.

“Right, just us two,” Lin Ran nodded, a sudden sense of unease creeping into his heart.

“There was another person in that room,” Fan Beixiao stared at Lin Ran for a long moment before finally speaking.

“Another person? That’s impossible. I remember clearly—it was only us,” Lin Ran said, frowning.

“Look at this photo!” Fan Beixiao took a photo from the paper bag and handed it to Lin Ran.

Lin Ran took the photograph and saw it was one taken just as he entered the room. He distinctly remembered speaking to Fan Beixiao at that moment.

“This photo seems fine. Are you being overly sensitive?” Lin Ran turned it over several times, finding nothing unusual.

“Ran, look carefully. This room is sealed; no sunlight comes in from outside. The only light source is the lamp above your head. From the angle I took the shot, your shadow should be at your feet. But look—there’s another shadow beside you,” Fan Beixiao pointed to the shadow on the wall in the photo.

Lin Ran’s heart skipped. He vaguely recalled the lamp being directly overhead and that he’d been standing in the center of the room. It didn’t quite add up.

“Look at this one! I took it when you were holding that mask. This shadow appears behind you, while your own shadow is on the right wall,” Fan Beixiao handed him another photo.

Lin Ran examined it and indeed found a shadow behind him on the wall, while his own shadow was off to the right.

“You’re sure you’re not lying, that you didn’t photoshop this?” Lin Ran scrutinized Fan Beixiao’s face for signs of deception, but his expression remained unchanged.

“Ran, do I seem like the type to do something so pointless? I just wanted a keepsake with these photos,” Fan Beixiao replied earnestly.

Lin Ran fell into a deep silence. If the shadow wasn’t edited in, then it truly defied explanation. Whose shadow could it possibly be?

“Ran, do you think what Guo Ting said about ghosts is true?” Fan Beixiao suddenly asked.

“Don’t talk nonsense! How could there be ghosts in this world? By the way, Beixiao, since you’re free, help me secretly investigate the information on the deceased in this villa, and also the first owner. Remember, keep it confidential,” Lin Ran instructed.

“There’s no problem with the deceased, but as for the first owner, the records are in the police database. I’m not sure I can access them, but I’ll try. If there’s any clue, I’ll find it. The issue is, I don’t know the database password,” Fan Beixiao said, frustrated. Hacking into someone else’s computer was easy for him, even breaking into the police database was possible, but since this was his own department’s database, he couldn’t force entry. Having the skills but no opportunity to use them left him feeling stifled.

“Just go ahead. Leave the information to me,” Lin Ran patted Fan Beixiao’s shoulder.

“Alright!” Fan Beixiao nodded and headed toward the Intelligence Division.

Lin Ran stared at the two photos in his hand, his mind replaying the scene when he entered the room. Could there really be ghosts in this world? Was this family truly killed by something supernatural?

“What is it? Something else?” Lin Ran asked as Fan Beixiao returned.

“Oh, right, Ran! The autopsy report is in—I almost forgot to tell you,” Fan Beixiao said.

“What’s the result?” Lin Ran asked, eager to know.

“Suicide is ruled out. It was murder,” Fan Beixiao replied.

“Alright, got it,” Lin Ran nodded; this matched his own suspicions.

After Fan Beixiao left, Lin Ran carefully examined the two photos again. What had really caused the victim’s death? Was the haunted villa more than just a rumor? Whose shadow was it in the photograph? Who was the hanging woman Guo Ting had seen? A string of questions surfaced in Lin Ran’s mind.