Discovery

The night hung low, and the corridor was dim and silent. Yun Xian held her breath, quietly turning the doorknob, and slowly pushed the door open.

As a sliver of light escaped through the gap, she sensed a figure standing outside. Instinctively, she froze, her fingertips tightening imperceptibly.

After a moment of silence, she pushed the door open a little further, and the dim light spilled in.

A little girl stood quietly before the door, clutching a doll, her pitch-black eyes staring at her in silence. She made no sound and wore no expression.

Yun Xian’s throat moved slightly. Just as she was about to speak, the little girl suddenly raised her hand and held out a key.

The cold metallic luster glimmered in the gloomy light.

Yun Xian’s gaze fell upon the key, and her heartbeat seemed to skip a beat.

She looked up at the girl’s expression, only to find it calm and unruffled. There was no emotion in those dark eyes; she seemed to be waiting for her to reach out, or perhaps observing her reaction.

After a moment of hesitation, she reached out and took the key. The icy touch of the metal seeped through her fingertips, carrying the chill of the night.

The little girl said nothing, simply hugging her doll tighter and turning to walk down the corridor. Her steps were impossibly light, as if she might vanish into the night at any moment.

Watching her slender back, Yun Xian felt a sudden, inexplicable tightness in her chest. She softly closed the door and followed close behind.

The dim light of the corridor cast a blurred shadow of the little girl on the floor. After a few steps, she stopped before Zhang Jingyi’s door and turned to look at Yun Xian.

Yun Xian paused, her gaze lingering between the girl and the door for an instant before she tightened her grip on the key. Drawing a deep breath, she stepped forward and inserted the key into the lock.

"Click."

The lock turned with a soft sound. The door was pushed open cautiously. The room was pitch black, and the air was filled with a faint medicinal scent.

The light from the corridor filtered in, vaguely outlining the figure lying still on the bed.

The little girl went into the room first, stood on tiptoe, and turned on the bedside lamp.

The dim, yellow light instantly flooded the room, revealing the contours of the space and the figure wrapped tightly in the quilt on the bed.

Yun Xian stood at the doorway, slowly closing the door, her gaze fixed on the bed.

She hesitated for a second, then walked over and reached out to pull back the quilt. In an instant, her movements stiffened, and her pupils contracted sharply.

The person on the bed... was Zhang Jingyi. Yet, it did not look like Zhang Jingyi.

Her hair had been shaved clean,