"Alright, Master."
...
Beijing City, South District, Room 107.
A faint candlelight flickered to life in a 46-square-meter basement.
A man knelt on the ground, holding incense between his hands.
Before the man was a table, upon which sat a strange stone statue of a woman.
The stone statue was palm-sized, standing over twenty centimeters tall.
The statue's face bore six eyeballs, making the entire face extremely hideous.
The man knelt on the ground, muttering strange incantations.
After finishing, the man kowtowed to the ground.
He then picked up a small knife and cut his own finger.
Enduring the pain in his finger, he dripped blood into the statue's mouth.
"Goddess Ling Ji, I have sold the items you gave me, and I have used the money to buy these things for you."
"With prices soaring, those things are simply not enough. I implore Goddess Ling Ji to bestow more blessings upon me."
As the man spoke, he kowtowed again, his hands turning from palm-down to palm-up.
His palms facing the ceiling, he kowtowed once more.
"Brother Dong!"
Hearing the voice from outside, Dong Liang raised his head, picked up the red cloth beside him, and covered the statue's head.
He got up and gently opened the basement door.
Brushing the dust off his knees, he walked out of the bedroom.
Approaching the door, he looked through the peephole and saw a twenty-two-year-old girl standing outside.
With a "click," he opened the door.
"Aren't you supposed to be in class today?" Dong Liang frowned and asked.
Qian Ling handed him the fruit basket in her hands and gently pushed Dong Liang back a few steps.
"Today is a holiday."
"A holiday? Why a holiday? It's not a statutory holiday."
"Senior Zhu Cijing from the Finance Department died. Her body was found by the river. Her parents came to the school demanding an explanation and brought many people. The teachers were worried those people would go berserk and hurt the students."
"You don't know, there were so many people, a vast expanse of them, like a battlefield."
As Qian Ling spoke, she took the fruit, handed it to Dong Liang, and said, "Hehe, Brother Dong, can you wash an apple for me?"
Dong Liang narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Brother Dong? Brother Dong?" Qian Ling called out.
Dong Liang asked, "What did you just say?"
Qian Ling rolled her eyes, speechless, "I asked you to wash an apple for me."
"Why are you spacing out?"
Dong Liang chuckled, "I was learning a new dish, and I was thinking about how to make it."
He took the apple and asked, "Are there any clues about the killer?"
Qian Ling shook her head, "Probably not. If there were, her parents would have gone to settle the score with the killer."
A smile played on Dong Liang's lips. After washing the fruit, he turned around, the smile vanishing from his face, replaced by a look of regret. "What a pity."
"Exactly! I heard that Senior was skinned, her entire body was peeled. Just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle. I really don't know what kind of pervert did it."
"Now I don't even dare to walk alone at night," Qian Ling said.
Dong Liang replied, "What are you afraid of? Don't you have me? If he dares to come, I'll punch him to death."
"Tsk, I don't believe you. With your scrawny physique, you don't even weigh 120 pounds."
Qian Ling ate the apple and turned to walk away.
Familiar with the layout, she entered Dong Liang's bedroom.
Seeing the drone by the bed, she exclaimed in surprise, "Why did you buy this? You said you didn't have money before!"
"I was even thinking of buying it for you for your birthday."
As she spoke, Qian Ling picked up the drone, examined it closely, and clicked her tongue twice. "The latest model. This drone must have cost over eight thousand yuan. Brother Dong, where did you get the money?"
Dong Liang replied, "I won the lottery. Your boyfriend's luck is very good!"
"In a few days, I'll buy you that set of dresses you like."
Qian Ling smiled and said, "Okay."
"Let's go to sleep."
"It's only 6 o'clock."
"6 o'clock is the perfect time to sleep. After sleeping, we can go to the night market later."
"Oh, you're so annoying!"
Seven forty-seven.
Dong Liang glanced at Qian Ling, confirmed she was asleep, and casually opened the basement door, heading down.
Entering the basement, he glanced around, ensuring everything was in order, and breathed a sigh of relief.
He then walked towards the basement exit.
As he pushed open the basement door, he felt it was heavier than usual.
He exerted more force to push it open, finally succeeding.
As he was climbing up, a woman was sitting on the computer chair in front of his desk, her back to him.
Seeing this woman, Dong Liang's body trembled, and he immediately knelt on the ground.
As he knelt, his eyes darted towards Qian Ling, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, and he said with a tremor.
"Goddess Ling Ji, I beg you to spare her."
The woman extended her hand, her fingers like terrifying white bones, and beckoned behind her.
Dong Liang, still kneeling, crawled towards the woman by the computer chair.
Reaching behind the woman, Dong Liang stood up.
"Goddess Ling Ji, you are truly beautiful," Dong Liang said with a smile.
In front of the woman was a mirror. In the mirror, her entire face was shriveled and burned by fire.
The flesh on her face had turned inside out, as if it had been through a meat grinder or roasted by a great fire, appearing incredibly ugly.
"That sheepskin wasn't moist enough. I tried it before, and it made my face wrinkled."
The woman's voice was extremely eerie. Although he had heard it more than once, it made his body tremble every time.
"I understand. I will find you a better one next time."
The woman looked towards Qian Ling.
Dong Liang's face turned pale with fear. "Goddess, this girl is dirty and smelly, and she rarely washes her face. Her face is often covered in cheap cosmetics, and she stays up late. Please don't let her skin touch your face."
The woman took a piece of skin and slowly began to put it on from her head downwards.
Ten minutes later, a stunningly beautiful woman appeared in the mirror.
This woman had teeth like gourds and beautiful, expressive eyes.
Her every smile and glance almost made Dong Liang lose himself.
Dong Liang placed his hands on his legs, pinched himself, and averted his gaze. He knew what the woman's true face looked like.
"What is it?"
Dong Liang replied, "Goddess, your beauty is overwhelming. This humble one dares not gaze upon you, lest his impure eyes defile your beauty."
"Comb my hair," the woman said.
"Yes, I will comb your hair for the Goddess immediately." Dong Liang replied.
He picked up the comb and began to comb the woman's hair downwards.
Her hair was extremely long, reaching the feet of the computer chair.
As Dong Liang combed her hair, he was extremely nervous, his eyes constantly fixed on Qian Ling.
"Ling Ling, please don't wake up."
The more he thought about it, the more flustered Dong Liang became.
After finishing her hair, the woman took out an exquisite small box and opened it, revealing a necklace and earrings.
Dong Liang, with great perceptiveness, took them and helped the woman put them on.
After putting on the right earring, as he was about to put on the left one.
Qian Ling, who had been lying on her right side, suddenly turned over.