Fang Qingzhou’s head was killing her.
She sat barefoot on the edge of the bed. Beneath her feet was a pale blue carpet, and in front of her stretched an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.
Through the glass, she could see the neatly planned buildings below and the crisscrossing streets. The dense traffic moved rapidly through the city’s grid like clusters of pixels.
Fang Qingzhou pulled herself together from the daze of waking and realized that something was seriously wrong with her condition.
She lowered her eyes to her right hand.
The wounds had already scabbed over. Judging by their shape, the several narrow cuts along the web between her thumb and forefinger and the side of her index finger appeared to have been caused by a sharp object. The small wounds running from her palm to her fingertips looked more like abrasions from gripping something too tightly.
When she clenched her fingers, her arm still trembled faintly from muscular strain.
Fang Qingzhou couldn’t remember why she was in a hotel, nor could she recall anything that had happened over the past few days.
She unscrewed the bottle of water on the table and forced herself to drink two mouthfuls, trying to remain calm. Her gaze then fell on the desk not far away.
A sheet of white paper, torn from somewhere, was held down by a phone. A hurried line of notes had been scrawled across it:
“Mobile payment made at 9:21 a.m. Applied to view the hotel’s surveillance footage. Registered as a single occupant and responded normally during the stay. Carried one piece of luggage. Hand wounds received basic treatment; no signs of inflammation or infection. Examination of the rest of the body suggests possible physical altercation with another person. Woke at 12:32 a.m. the following day; room mirror was smashed. All related memories missing. Tentative options: 1. Call the police (observe for now); 2. Contact Sanyao (not recommended until important information is obtained).
“—August 24”
“Severe headache. Left at 8:13 a.m. Time of return not recorded. Hotel front desk confirmed that she returned at 9:19 p.m. Phone data had been erased. Searched recent news around the city; found no suspicious incidents. Suspected impairment in the ability to form short-term memories. Do not call the police for now.
“—August 25”
“I am Fang Qingzhou.”
“Fell asleep at 4:32 a.m. Woke at 9:41 p.m. Sleep duration: sixteen hours and nine minutes. Still mentally exhausted. Something must have happened to me. Sent an inquiry email to the studio; no response received.
“—August 26”
“Unable to contact Zhou Suirong. Something may have happened to him as well. Severe headache. Once it’s light, go directly to Sanyao Affiliated Hospital.
“—August 27”
“I am Fang Qingzhou.”
Every word was in her handwriting.
The two declarations of identity, one in the middle and one at the end, seemed inexplicable, yet they sent a chill down Fang Qingzhou’s spine. She had a vague idea of what they might mean.
She picked up her phone. The date displayed on the screen was August 28.
After unlocking it with facial recognition, the phone automatically opened to the home screen. Fang Qingzhou skillfully opened the call log and tapped one of a whole series of identical outgoing calls at random.
The line rang several times. As expected, no one answered, and the call was redirected to voicemail.
Fang Qingzhou parted her lips, her throat dry and rough. “Zhou Suirong, call me back, okay?”
As she said the words, she suddenly felt dazed. For no apparent reason, they seemed strangely familiar. After a long silence, she ended the call.
Fang Qingzhou stared blankly as she lowered the phone, then walked over to the open suitcase by the entrance.
The suitcase had clearly been searched many times. Apart from a charger, it contained only a few pieces of clothing, now heaped together in disarray.
Fang Qingzhou looked down at it for a moment, then crouched and folded the clothes one by one. She packed them back into the suitcase according to their size and color. Once she had finished, she intended to follow her own instructions and go to the hospital.
She tried her best to suppress the strange feeling in her heart and calm the restless unease inside her, but a powerful sense of danger continued to loom over her. It made her movements hesitant and sluggish.
Just as she closed the suitcase and reached for the zipper on its side, several rhythmic knocks sounded from outside the door.
“Miss Fang, we’re here to deliver your freshly laundered clothes.”
Every nerve in Fang Qingzhou’s body was already stretched taut. At the sudden sound of an unfamiliar voice, she couldn’t help but flinch. Holding her breath, she took two steps forward and peered outside through the peephole.
A hotel attendant in uniform stood outside. His head was slightly lowered and his body turned to the side, keeping his expression out of view. After waiting quietly for a moment, he repeated himself in a low voice. As he spoke, he unconsciously turned his head toward the corner and glanced over in haste before deliberately looking away.
Fang Qingzhou’s body reacted before her mind could. Its first instinct was to run.
Something had really happened. They were here to capture her.
Why?
Fang Qingzhou retreated warily, slipped into the bathroom, turned on the shower, then closed the door and came back out.
She opened the phone’s front-facing camera and propped it up at an angle with a bottle of mineral water, aiming it at the bathroom door. She rapidly scanned the room, grabbed the glass and lighter from the bedside table, and hid in the blind spot beside the entrance.
She had barely settled into position when the door gave a beep and the attendant swiped it open.
The footsteps approaching from the other side were deliberately light, but it was clear that more than one person was entering.
The phone camera captured the lower halves of two adult men as they came in. Following the sound of the running water, they stopped outside the bathroom.
There was no latch on the hotel bathroom door; it could be pushed open with minimal force. The two men took up positions on either side and waved toward the entrance.
The attendant stopped a short distance away and raised his voice. “Miss Fang, I’ve brought your clothes…”
Fang Qingzhou endured the stabbing pain in her head and sprang out, hurling the glass toward the doorway.
The men reacted quickly. One of them caught sight of her from the corner of his eye and immediately ducked, pulling his companion down with him.
The glass smashed against the wall. Ignoring the shards scattering across the floor, the two men lunged at her.
With her left hand, Fang Qingzhou casually tossed the lit lighter onto the bed. She had intended to use the confusion to break through the doorway, but after a quick glance upward, she realized that several more people were standing outside besides the two men. The heat in her chest immediately faded. She pressed her back against the wall and obediently raised both hands.
“Damn it!”
The young man who had been about to grab her cursed and rushed past her to put out the fire on the bed.
Fang Qingzhou closed her eyes as the pain in her head intensified. Her thin clothes were quickly soaked through with cold sweat. When someone seized her by the shoulder, she could barely remain standing. Her body weakened and slid downward until she was half kneeling on the floor.
The young man restraining her bent with her, pressing one hand against the back of her neck while wrenching her left arm behind her, forcing her head down.
A crowd surrounded her, bombarding her with questions, most of which she couldn’t understand.
The pain began to dull. A hazy mist spread across her vision. Sweat trickled from her temple over her eyelid, and her blood seemed to be racing beyond its limits. Her consciousness grew increasingly murky. She could no longer tell how many people were in the room, and the dizziness was so intense that she felt the entire building swaying.
Then she heard a steady woman’s voice speak coldly from outside the room.
“Be gentle. She can’t escape, but she looks like she’s about to collapse.”
Fang Qingzhou struggled to lift her head and look toward the speaker, but all she could see was the woman’s black shoe.
The cold needle pierced her skin from behind. Fang Qingzhou exhaled and closed her eyes. Before the drug could take full effect and plunge her into unconsciousness, a jumble of phantom voices rang in her ears, echoes lingering from a nightmare.
“Call me, okay? I want to talk to you.”
“I didn’t expect you to be doing so well now. You seem almost normal.”
“Don’t look at me like that. No normal child would be like you.”
“You grant her peace and tranquility, give her a new life—but you can’t take away her pain.”
“Fang Qingzhou, you’re no different from us, really. We’re all nothing but dried-up skeletons wandering in search of new flesh. But that’s only decoration. At your core, you’re nothing but coldness.”
“I hope that when you wake up next time, you’ll be able to walk through that door.”
“…”
Those bizarre, disjointed fragments of memory flashed past for a brief moment before being swallowed by darkness.
·
“Thunk.”
A faint sound came from somewhere nearby.
Fang Qingzhou jerked awake at the small disturbance. She opened her eyes and instinctively tugged at her hands, only to feel that both wrists were secured to the bed frame with restraint straps. Her breathing grew heavy as she shifted her gaze around the room.
There was very little to see.
The room’s only window had been welded shut behind iron bars. Numerous black scratches marred the white walls. It looked like a single-occupancy hospital room, and an oppressive atmosphere permeated every corner.
Before she could speak, someone else spoke first.
“Awake?”
It was a voice she had heard not long ago.
“She’s awake. Come in. And bring me a cup of coffee while you’re at it.”
Only then did Fang Qingzhou realize that the earlier sound had been the bottom of a cup striking the tabletop.
“You’re sick. Very seriously sick. As a concerned citizen, I volunteered to take you to the hospital.” The woman’s tone was flat, but her words carried a hint of irreverent flirtation. “Feeling any better now?”
Fang Qingzhou looked toward the IV bag hanging above her and narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the writing on it. The moment she focused her attention, the headache that had eased somewhat threatened to flare up again.
Her voice hoarse, she asked, “What did you inject me with?”
The door’s keypad lock released, and a nurse pushed a cart inside.
When Fang Qingzhou saw her approach, she could not help struggling.
The nurse stopped uneasily and made a calming gesture. Then she took the initiative to undo the restraints around Fang Qingzhou’s hands, removed the needle from the back of her right hand, and helped her sit up.
They were letting her go just like that?
Fang Qingzhou rubbed her wrists in bewilderment and looked up at the person across from her. Only then did she get a clear look at the speaker.
The woman had a neat short haircut. One hand rested on the table while she held a tablet at an angle in the other, her cheek propped against her palm. She sat lazily in the chair, stretching both legs out in a casual sprawl. Noticing Fang Qingzhou’s scrutiny, she spared her a glance.
A young man was seated beside her. Compared with the woman’s relaxed manner, he was markedly more vigilant. His expression was stern, and he said nothing, watching Fang Qingzhou with undisguised wariness.
“Don’t be nervous. We just want to have a proper talk with you. Try to understand—this was a necessary precaution, not an attempt to imprison you.” The woman’s face was unnaturally pale, her expression indifferent, but her features were sharp and well defined. Her presence was as cutting as her choice of words. “Your reaction was too extreme, after all, and you pack quite a punch. That cup you threw when we first met was pretty accurate. It nearly cracked one of my colleague’s skulls.”
The nurse arranged the meal tray on the table against the wall, then hurried out.
Only belatedly did Fang Qingzhou notice the enticing smell of food.
When the woman saw that she was not moving, she set down the tablet and urged her, “You can stand, right? Don’t tell me you need the nurse to feed you.”
Fang Qingzhou flexed her stiff hands and feet, then walked over and sat down at the table.
The man beside the woman stared fixedly at her. Though he remained silent, his presence was impossible to ignore.
Fang Qingzhou turned her head and stared right back. When he did not react, she simply lowered her eyes and ate with an expressionless face.
The room was unnaturally quiet. The only sound was the harsh drone of the air conditioner.
The woman browsed the information on her tablet for a while. When Fang Qingzhou had nearly finished eating, she shifted her posture to face her directly, adopted a serious expression, and asked in a calm, emotionless voice, “Name.”
Fang Qingzhou raised her eyelids and glanced at her without answering.
The woman tapped her fingers against the table. Fatigue made her gaze seem especially cold and severe. Her tone was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried a clear warning. “It’s a boring question, I know, but I hope you’ll answer honestly. It won’t do you any good, but at least it won’t do you any harm. Appreciate the treatment you’re receiving.”
Fang Qingzhou asked suspiciously, “Are you police?”
The woman gave her a bright, mocking smile. “What do you think?”
Fang Qingzhou frowned. “Your credentials?”
The woman remained completely composed. “If I showed them to you, would you believe me?”
Her evasive answer only made Fang Qingzhou more irritated. She had no desire to trade verbal blows with the woman and lowered her head to continue eating.
The woman tossed an employee ID card onto the table and said, “We found this in your room. Are you sure it belongs to you?”
The photograph on the card was somewhat distorted and clearly six or seven years old. The conspicuous logo of Sanyaō was printed above it, with her name clearly displayed below.
Fang Qingzhou swallowed. Her thoughts scattered as she tried to remember when the photo had been taken.
Perhaps it had been at school. Or perhaps in the Sanyaō building.
The inability to find an answer sparked a faint, indescribable panic within her. A sense of unease began spreading like a web, tightening around her.
The woman interrupted her at just the right moment. “What are you thinking about?”
Fang Qingzhou pulled herself away from the inappropriate emotions and asked cautiously, “Why did you arrest me?”
The woman replied with little warmth, “You attacked us before you even saw who we were. You should be telling us what you’re hiding from.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Fang Qingzhou answered honestly, “Instinct.”
Her voice was still hoarse, and the altered tone of her trailing syllables sounded almost like a choked, submissive sob. Unfortunately, her expression did not match the impression.
The woman drew out an “Hmm,” then sneered, “Instinct? A violent instinct cultivated by a law-abiding society?”
Fang Qingzhou used her chopsticks to pick up the last few grains of rice stuck to the bowl. Ignoring the chill in the woman’s attitude, she patiently explained, “Whether you believe me or not, I truly don’t remember what happened over the past few days. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stayed alone in the hotel the entire time. I’m even more confused than you are.”
Unexpectedly, the woman answered without hesitation, “I believe you.”
Fang Qingzhou’s eyelid twitched. She set down her chopsticks and pushed the tray away.
The woman curled her lips and dropped a thunderbolt in an otherwise level voice.
“Because you killed someone.”
Fang Qingzhou froze, then let out a derisive laugh.
The two of them met each other’s gaze without yielding.
Fang Qingzhou could see the seriousness in the woman’s eyes. She had clearly decided to pin the crime on her no matter what. The absurdity of it overwhelmed reason, and Fang Qingzhou followed the thread of the conversation with a single question:
“Who?”
The woman answered, “Lu Jiancheng. He used to be a lawyer.”
Fang Qingzhou thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t remember him. How did we meet?”
The woman watched her without blinking. Once again, she evaded the question and said meaningfully, “Think about it. How do you suppose you met?”
Fang Qingzhou distractedly glanced at the work badge on the table. Several seconds later, she nodded as though she had suddenly understood and said, “Work?”
The woman’s sharp gaze fell on her like something tangible, silently expressing her disappointment at Fang Qingzhou’s lack of cooperation.
Fang Qingzhou pressed down one corner of the badge and slid it in front of herself. She stared at it unfocused for a long while. When the other woman still failed to respond, a nameless anger began to flare within her. In a mocking tone, she said, “And then? If I have to guess everything myself, isn’t that a waste of time? Why don’t you just tell me what crime you’ve decided I’m guilty of?”
“Fang Qingzhou, why aren’t you thinking? Thinking is what keeps you lucid.” The woman sighed helplessly and turned the tablet around, angling the screen toward Fang Qingzhou. “You should know the cause of your cognitive confusion. After all, you were the one who called off this project three years ago.”
A cold blue light assembled itself into four large characters, filling the entire screen.
—[Anomaly Assessment]
In an instant, through the pounding in her ears, Fang Qingzhou heard her own heartbeat accelerating again and again, as though fear and anxiety had finally settled into a single resonant note.
“Then let’s start over with the first question.” The woman clasped her hands together and rested them on the table. Her intensely oppressive gaze weighed heavily upon Fang Qingzhou. “Do you really know your own name?”
