Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Before leaving, I asked Xiao Zhao to make a copy of the files on those missing girls for me.

By the time I returned to my apartment, it was already late. I hung my bag on the wall, the charms dangling from it jingling softly with the movement.

Next to the charms was a stuffed animal-a chubby, adorable black-and-white panda. With its pitch-black eyes and round head, it looked incredibly cute.

Looking at the little panda, I couldn’t help but smile.

It was a small souvenir Liang Xuan had brought back for me from a business trip to S City, and I’d kept it hanging there ever since.

I poked the panda’s cheek, suddenly remembering that the incense burner Liang Xuan bought for me was about to run out.

The incense burner was kept in the bathroom; I quite liked its fresh scent. I flipped on the light and walked into the bathroom to check the bottle. Sure enough, the scent had faded to almost nothing; it was empty.

I tried to open the incense burner to see how much was left, but this particular brand didn’t seem designed to be opened-the seams were sealed tight. Left with no choice, I tossed the empty bottle into the trash bag outside.

For a moment, I felt a bit unsettled without that familiar scent, so I opened an app and searched for the brand, intending to have a delivery driver bring over a few more bottles.

After placing the order, I put down my phone to make dinner.

Dinner for one was a simple affair. I whipped up a bowl of instant noodles, but when I picked up my phone again, several messages from Liang Xuan had already popped up:

[Xiaoxiao, how’s that incense burner I bought for you?]

[Do you still like the scent? Do you want me to buy you a few more?]

Incense burner?

I stared at the messages, but in my eyes, two words were magnified infinitely-

“Incense burner.”

What did this mean?

Why would Liang Xuan suddenly bring up the incense burner?

Subconsciously, I looked up toward the trash bag in the corner where I’d just thrown the bottle.

The house was silent; not a sound could be heard.

It wasn’t that I wanted to be paranoid, it was just… everything that had happened today, whether it was Liang Xuan’s so-called “fish” or the figure behind the curtain, flashed through my mind once more.

Perhaps it was because it was late, but a sinister chill washed over me, making me shudder. I rubbed my arms as goosebumps broke out again.

Was it all really just a coincidence? Was I just connecting dots that weren’t there and scaring myself?

But was it truly all a coincidence?

I looked around the room. Everything in the house was perfectly still. This small apartment had been bought by my parents a long time ago, but I had only started living here about a year ago. Many of the furniture and decorations had been picked out for me by my boyfriend, Liang Xuan; he jokingly called them “housewarming gifts.”

In truth, the longer I stayed with Liang Xuan, the more I could feel his growing need for control. There was hardly a colleague at work or a friend in my life that he didn’t know. It felt as if he understood every facet of my life more and more intimately…

Thinking of this, I let out a long, slow breath.

Even so, why did Liang Xuan mention the “incense burner” the very moment mine ran out?

Just then, Liang Xuan’s avatar lit up on my phone again:

[Oh, right. When I bought that incense burner for you, I got one for myself too. We started using them at about the same time.]

[Mine ran out today, so I remembered and wanted to ask if yours was finished yet.]

[My little skeptic, are you overthinking things again?]

Liang Xuan’s tone in the messages was perfectly natural.

Looking at the screen, I hesitated for a moment.

It was true; Liang Xuan knew me very well.

He was aware of my moods, and he understood my habits and personality-

Like my obsession with cleanliness, and my tendency to be suspicious…

But in the end, these were all just my own conjectures.

I sent a reply: [I see. I just bought another bottle. If you’re out, pick some up for me too. It’s fine to have extras in stock.]
Liang Xuan replied quickly: [Okay, I’ll bring it over next time I visit. It’s getting late, get some rest early.]

He attached an emoji with a big, happy smile.

When the delivery driver arrived, he handed me the bag with a smile. “The supermarket staff was grabbing that incense burner for you just now, and I happened to see it. Is this brand really popular lately?”

I took the bag. “My boyfriend bought it for me before. It does smell quite nice.” Thinking of its one drawback, I added, “It’s just that it gets used up too quickly. It’s gone in less than half a month.”

The delivery driver scratched his head, looking a bit puzzled. “How can that be? My wife bought the same incense burner, and it’s been nearly two and a half months! We’re still using it at home. Did your boyfriend buy a knockoff?”

I couldn’t help but freeze for a moment upon hearing his words.

“Maybe I just use it too frequently. Thank you!”

“No problem, no problem. Bye-”

Perhaps it was because of everything that happened yesterday, but I slept poorly that night. I woke up early in the morning, and a glance in the mirror revealed two dark circles under my eyes.

I let out a helpless sigh, my gaze lingering for a moment on the incense burner next to the mirror.

Recalling my boyfriend’s behavior yesterday and the delivery driver’s words, I slowly picked up the incense burner and examined it repeatedly.

It didn’t seem any different from the previous one. I gave it a twist, and it opened easily-unlike the one Liang Xuan had bought, which was sealed tight at the seams. I checked the production date; this one was quite recent. Perhaps the difference was just due to a change in the version.

After putting the incense burner down, I temporarily pushed the matter to the back of my mind and planned to clean the house.

I had just finished rinsing the mop when I heard someone ringing the doorbell.

Looking through the peephole, I saw a woman standing outside wearing sunglasses and a tracksuit, holding a gift box.

It was my good friend, Ning Shuangshuang.

“Why are you here so early?” I said with a smile as I opened the door. “What, back from your business trip? How was the location scouting?”

She took off her glasses, revealing heavy dark circles. “Look at these bags under my eyes! Didn’t I come to bring you some local specialties?” Ning Shuangshuang shoved the gift box into my hands. “Try it, the taste is pretty good.”

As she spoke, she stepped inside and poked her head around to look. “Your Liang Xuan isn’t here, is he?”

“Why would he be?” I gave her a sidelong glance.

Ning Shuangshuang giggled. “You know I can’t stand your Liang Xuan.”

It was true. Among all my friends and family, Ning Shuangshuang was the only one who didn’t like Liang Xuan.

I put down the mop and set the gift box aside. “It’s been how many years now, and you still can’t stand him?”

“It’s a matter of vibes,” she muttered, picking up an orange from the table and peeling it.

“I made breakfast. Why don’t you have some porridge instead of eating oranges?”

“I don’t want porridge… Where’s the trash can?”

I continued mopping without looking back. “I emptied the bin. Just put it in the trash bag in the corner.”

Ning Shuangshuang gave an affirmative hum.

I heard the sound of her picking up the trash bag in the corner. At the same time, accompanied by an “Ouch!”, Ning Shuangshuang, clutching the trash bag, slipped on the damp tiles and took a tumble.

Following the sound, I hurriedly turned around and saw her sprawled on the floor, her things scattered everywhere.

“Are you okay-” Before I could finish, I froze in my tracks.

My gaze was locked onto the floor, the words catching in my throat as if someone had suddenly squeezed my windpipe.

Amidst the sound of my racing heart and heavy breathing, the only piece of trash in that bag-

The incense burner my boyfriend, Liang Xuan, had bought for me-lay shattered across the floor.

Silence.

I felt as if I were suffocating, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Because there, among the shards and the ingredients of the incense, was something I never could have imagined-

At this very moment, it was emitting…

One last, faint glimmer of red light.