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Inspector Han inquired, "What about your nightmares? Can you sleep at night? I remember that you couldn't sleep a wink because of nightmares."
Han Luo sighed. "I do still have nightmares but it has decreased a lot since I got married. The place I live, it's very secure and there are lots of people around me."
"That's good. You are improving," Inspector Han relaxed his shoulders. "Then I can assume that you are not scared of darkness."
"I was never scared of darkness," Xue Lin replied.
Afterward, both of them became quiet. Seeing the red signal, Inspector Han paused the car. He hesitated before asking her meekly, "Do you remember anything?"
Xue Lin lowered her head. "I wish I could but nothing came out no matter how much I tried. I wanted to ask a psychiatrist for help but I didn't trust anyone. I couldn't trust anyone. I think this was the first time I ever lost to someone like this. It's my biggest failure."
"However, you have begun to trust people, didn't you? I think it's your achievement," Inspector Han tried to ease her. "You should relax more. I know you can remember." He thought encouraging her was the best option.
Xue Lin didn't buy it. "That's the same thing you said to me three years go."
Inspector Han pointed out, "But, you didn't relax, did you? I bet you studied till you fainted." He started the engine seeing the green light and drove his car.
"I did whatever I could without fainting," Xue Lin defended herself.
Inspector Han sighed and reminded her, "The case was left unfinished since you couldn't remember anything that happened."
Xue Lin looked outside the window. She slowly said, "I came back so that I can reopen the case."
Inspector Han expected that much from her. However, he was against it. "You mean reopen and re-investigate? You mustn't."
Xue Lin gritted her teeth. "That animal is still out there. We can't relax. We don't know who will be its next target." Her eyes glowed in hatred and anger.
"Calm down. After your incident, everything died down. I know I may sound cruel to you but I'm telling you for your own good," he advised her. "Let it be buried deep inside and forget what happened."
"As if it's that easy," she chuckled. "I've forced myself to live because of that one goal."
Inspector Han opposed her idea. "You are married and you have a husband who can take care of you. Walk in the path of light. No need to seek darkness. Don't you understand? It's an opportunity for you. Take it before it disappears. Don't regret your decision."
Inspector Han realized that there was no point in arguing with this stubborn fool. He became quiet. Soon they reached the main house of the Fa Family.
People were still remorseful. All the laughter that took place yesterday was gone. The house was quiet and lifeless. Inspector Han and his fellow officers who followed him, entered the sealed house where the murder took place last night.
They searched for clues once again but failed. They asked the relatives and the servants if they saw anyone with the victims before they died. No one could say anything.
Xue Lin expected that much. Everyone was busy with their duties, managing guests, bride and groom.
After that, they searched for anyone in the family who would take sleeping pills but no one was found.
Many neighbors and guests were present at that time. Anyone could have sleeping pills on them. They went to nearby hospitals and pharmacies to search for anyone who bought sleeping pills recently. They got long lists and began to work with it.
The police officers sat down and checked the lists. Richard helped them to point out who was invited and who wasn't.
After shortening the lists, the police officers began to investigate them.
Xue Lin was in the eldest uncle's house. She was eating sweets and making a profile of the killer.
Richard sat down beside her and looked at what she was writing. When he couldn't understand what she wrote, he asked, "What kind of alien language are you writing?"
Xue Lin answered, "French; since no one in this family knows how to read French, I thought it would be convenient if I wrote in French. No one will find out whatever I'm writing. Now don't bother me anymore. I'm doing something important."
She needed full concentration when she had to portrait an imaginary person who killed two people.
After thinking for a while and tearing off the scribbling papers she was frustrated. She stood up and went outside.
Sensing a presence behind her, she frowned and turned around. "Why are you following me?"
Richard didn't answer her and stared at her.
Looking at his dirty beard made her disgusted. She said, "Don't be a creep and get lost. Leave me alone for a while."
Her voice was loud enough to make her eldest aunt come out along with her sister-in-law Fa Ning.
Aunt Fa Ning is the youngest daughter of Xue Lin's father's family. She lives in Shanghai.
Looking at her eldest aunt who was the wife of the eldest uncle, Xue Lin thought, 'Ah, the witch number one is here. What a drag!'
She called her eldest aunt 'witch number one', her second aunt, 'witch number two', and called her mother 'witch number three'. She called them like this because those three women made her suffer for a long time.
The eldest aunt asked, "What's wrong, Xue Lin? Why are you shouting?"
"I was telling Richard not to bother me, that's all," Xue Lin said. She looked at Richard and said, "Are you going to leave or not? I can't stand your presence when you are all dirty. Go shave your beard. Who knows how many lice are there in your dirty beard."
Richard began to say, "I don't-"
"Shut up!" Xue Lin shouted and left this place. Whenever she saw him, she would get annoyed.
The eldest aunt called out to her, "Xue Lin, come here. It's been three years since I last saw you. How are you doing?"
"I'm not feeling good after coming here. I don't know if you saw how Wanwan behaved last night. I'm super pissed," Xue Lin replied.
"Ah! Forget about it, dear. She lost her husband when she was pregnant. Karma punished her. So, you need to forgive her too," aunt Fa Ning advised her.
Xue Lin retorted, "How can this be her karma? She didn't kill anyone. Karma would never punish anyone unequally."
The eldest aunt lowered her voice and said, "I think so too. It cannot be karma. Don't you think it's a bit suspicious that those two died at the same time? The police told us. I can only think of witchcraft."
Aunt Fa Ning covered her mouth and stated, "Sister-in-law, you shouldn't say such unlucky words. What if they hear you?"
The eldest aunt didn't heed to her words. She said, "The second wife always goes to those devil worshipers. Wanwan is so arrogant. Just think the way she spread rumors about Xue Lin. She became pregnant after years of trying. Shouldn't she take more care of herself? If it's not karma, what is?"
Aunt Fa Ning shook her head. "But to kill two sons-in-law, it's a bit too much. Our Weiwei is a kind, simpleminded girl. Why should she suffer?"
"Weiwei shows that she is simpleminded but she is the one who manipulates Wanwan," the eldest aunt whispers.
Xue Lin chuckled. "I'll walk around a bit. You two chat." She couldn't stand their illogical conversation. It would give her a headache.
She went to the direction of the pond that was right behind the sealed house and sat on the ground. She took a deep breath and controlled her emotion.
'What is wrong with me? Since yesterday I've been having trouble controlling my anger. It hardly happens to me. I should leave this place as soon as possible,' while thinking, she took out her cell phone and began to text someone.
Just then, she heard a cracking noise coming right behind her.
Xue Lin felt a presence behind her and chills ran down her spine. She paused and quickly turned back to see what made that sound and who was behind her.
Unexpectedly, she saw no one. She slowly narrowed her eyes.