Rose Hotel 4

However, there was no expression on Kang Fu’s face, and his gaze did not seem to be focused on Lin Hui, who was on the ground.

Still, this was a lead. After weighing the situation for two seconds, Su Man called Kang Fu.

"I saw you in a photo in the newspaper on the day Lin Hui had her accident." She got straight to the point, not giving Kang Fu much time to deliberate. "Do you really not intend to say anything about it?"

Kang Fu remained silent for a moment before replying in a stern tone, "I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have never been to the scene you are referring to; I have no recollection of it."

He then shifted his tone. "However, you can send that photo over to me. I can have someone else look into it."

Regardless of whether Kang Fu truly intended to investigate, Su Man sent the photo. If someone intends to lie, they will eventually have to tell more lies to cover it up, and sooner or later, the falsehood will inevitably collapse.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for Kang Fu to get back to her.

"Miss Su, I had someone look into the matter you mentioned. After some reflection, I recall it now. I did indeed go to that location, but I wasn't there for Miss Lin; I was there for my girlfriend."

"Bei Jia had a performance nearby that day. I was just passing by on my way to see her and happened to get caught in the frame."

Kang Fu’s voice was steady, showing no trace of lying.

After hanging up, Su Man reclined on the lounge chair and fell into deep thought.

Assuming Kang Fu wasn't lying, then Lin Hui must have been the one being untruthful. Yet, the landlady had clearly claimed to have seen Kang Fu and had been absolutely certain that he was Lin Hui’s boyfriend.

In any case, the key to all of this remained talking to Lin Hui directly. But how could she get Lin Hui to communicate with her?

As she was pondering this, the landlady suddenly walked in from outside, holding a vegetable basket, seemingly returning from the market. She was startled to see Su Man looking at the newspaper, but once she adjusted her reading glasses and recognized who it was, her expression softened back into a kindly, smiling demeanor.

"Little girl, why are you sitting here?"

"I'm bored. I'm unemployed and don't know what to do." Su Man spouted nonsense, her mind still preoccupied with the complex connections between the people involved.

"I see," the landlady smiled and comforted her. "You’re still young and have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t be discouraged by such a small setback."

She struggled to lift the basket onto the counter, failing repeatedly. Su Man reached out to help her. Unexpectedly, this sudden gesture startled the landlady, who nearly threw out her back.

"It’s alright, it’s alright," the landlady politely demurred. "I’m old, but I always hate to admit defeat."

During the exchange, something fell out of the landlady’s clothing onto the floor. Su Man glanced down; it was a hexagram pendant, much like the skull charm Su Man had been wearing earlier. Since it was difficult for the landlady to bend down, Su Man picked it up and returned it to her.

The landlady tucked it away carefully, saying sheepishly, "It was something my daughter had when she was little. She works out of town and hardly comes back, so it’s just a keepsake."

Su Man nodded to show she understood, though she felt some doubt regarding the existence of this daughter.

"Ma'am, how old is your daughter? Where does she work? Are they still hiring? Could I go work there?" she asked, playing the part of a naive young girl.

"Oh my, that’s hard to say, but I can ask Nannan for you," the landlady hesitated for a moment before agreeing. "Whether it works out or not, I’ll let you know. It’s just that Nannan might be upset... oh, look at me, I’ve already promised you."

After some casual small talk, the landlady asked about the room change again. "Do you really not want me to switch your room? You haven’t seen anything strange again, have you?"

Su Man shook her head. "No need to trouble yourself, I'm fine."

The landlady seemed to want to say more, but ultimately just nodded kindly. "Good child. Good children will always be blessed."

As the landlady went off to attend to other things, Su Man headed upstairs. The mirror, which had been silent for some time, displayed writing the moment she appeared.

"Stop meddling!"
"Get out!"

The mirror seemed to reflect Lin Hui’s bloodied, mangled face. Su Man was not the least bit frightened; instead, she consoled Lin Hui. "Kang Fu says he doesn't know you, and he’s about to get married. If this is just a one-sided infatuation on your part, you should really stop clinging to him."

Perhaps these words stung Lin Hui, as she suddenly shrieked in a fit of rage and despair. All the glass in the vicinity shattered, and Lin Hui’s blood-stained arm reached out from the mirror as if to strangle Su Man. Su Man, however, unceremoniously sliced it off with a blade.

"It seems you are capable of communicating, so why won't you talk to me? I’m here to help you." Su Man’s expression remained unchanged. "If you don't tell me what happened, how can I help?"

It seemed her words struck a chord. The out-of-control Lin Hui gradually quieted down and retracted back into the mirror. A delicate face emerged, slowly shedding tears of blood.

The writing on the mirror changed.

"I love him."
"He loves me too."

Su Man shook her head. "He doesn't love you. If he loved you, he wouldn't be marrying someone else."

Inside the mirror, Lin Hui’s face looked even more heartbroken. She didn't argue with Su Man, but pointed from behind the glass toward the bed.

"You're saying there's something inside the bed?" Su Man guessed at her meaning.

Lin Hui nodded.

Su Man searched the bed, rummaging through every corner until she even hoisted the frame up. Finally, she found several yellowed letters tucked into the bed frame. The paper was curled at the edges, but it had been well-preserved, showing just how much the owner had cherished them.

Su Man opened one of the letters and began to read. Most of it was sappy romantic talk, so she carefully sifted through them for mentions of Kang Fu.

[Kang Fu, how have you been lately? I miss you so much. Do you miss me while you're abroad?]
[Kang Fu, I love you so much. Seeing the clouds in the sky and the water on the earth, I think of you.]
[Kang Fu, when are you coming back? When you return, shall we get married?]

If these had only been written by Lin Hui, one might argue it was just a one-sided infatuation, but Su Man also found Kang Fu’s replies.

Yes, Kang Fu had replied to every single letter.

[My dear, I miss you too. I think of you every single day. I truly wish I could return soon.]
[My dear, don't be too anxious. In two years I will be back. We have been seeing each other all along, haven't we?]
[Alright, when I return, we will get married.]