For several days in a row, I went to the teahouse but couldn't find any useful clues. Du Ruoyi also couldn't find any important people or objects.

It wasn't until that day when Jiang Xiaoyu and I came out of the building and met an acquaintance.

"Miss Hao?"

I uncertainly called out to a woman with golden curls standing in front of me.

When she turned her head, "It really is you. I thought I had mistaken you for someone else."

"Lawyer Zhao, you came here for tea too?"

"Yes, Miss Hao looks so beautiful. I almost didn't recognize you just now."

She smiled subtly.

"Miss Hao, let's have a meal together. It’s such a coincidence to run into you here."

Jiang Xiaoyu and I exchanged glances, and I saw a knowing expression in his eyes.

We were on the same page.

The doubts surrounding Hao Mei were increasing.

We found a nearby place to sit down.

It was very quiet here, and the diners around us hardly made any noticeable noise. Everyone seemed to come in with a built-in mute switch.

What was unexpected was that the waiter turned out to be an acquaintance too.

"Lawyer Zhao."

I heard someone call me and looked up; it was Wang Yu.

Her voice was light, and she held a piece of paper in her hand, which seemed to be similar to the store’s rules. It read—

Handle gently and speak softly!

No wonder everyone here was so quiet. But this did not make the customers dislike it; instead, its uniqueness attracted many who preferred quietness.

I signaled Wang Yu to hand a menu to Hao Mei. She lifted her head, her pupils slightly enlarged, and hesitated while handing over the menu.

All this happened in an instant; ordinary people might think nothing of it, but since Jiang Xiaoyu and I had just listed Hao Mei as a primary suspect, we naturally paid special attention to any abnormalities related to her.

The meal was fraught with hidden thoughts.

That night, I received a WeChat message from Wang Yu.

"Lawyer Zhao, I’ve thought about it for a long time, and I've decided to tell you that the woman who was with you today is the same person who had sought me out before."

I looked at the words sent to me on WeChat and felt a bit dazed. Suddenly, I remembered Jiang Xiaoyu mentioning that although Hao Mei's house was very clean, there was a man's toothbrush under the bathroom sink.

Connecting all these events together, a not-so-clear truth unfolded before me.

Perhaps Hao Mei and Leng Fei weren't that good together, perhaps...

At that moment, my WeChat phone rang. It was Wang Yu.

"Hello..."

There was a long silence on the other side.

"Hello, Wang Yu, are you there?"

"Help... huh... help me..."

From the sounds on the other end, Wang Yu seemed to be in danger. I forced myself to stay calm.

I first called Fang Yao and found out Wang Yu's address.

While rushing over, I called Jiang Xiaoyu, hoping he could get there quickly as I might not manage alone.

This is it, 304.

"Wang Yu, open the door. Wang Yu."

I couldn't afford to wait any longer. With urgency taking precedence, I kicked the door open.

It was quiet inside, with all the lights on. The living room was empty, but a glass bowl with fruit was smashed on the carpet, with some yogurt residue on it.

A red trail of dragon fruit juice extended directly from the living room to the bedroom. I carefully opened the door.

Inside...

A man holding a fruit knife sat in front of the bed. Wang Yu was lying on the ground, her condition unknown.

The knife had some purple-red liquid on the handle, which should be dragon fruit juice.

The blade had a thin layer of something that looked like blood.

When he saw me come in, he grinned at me.

His sinister and eerie fangs looked like they wanted to devour me, causing me to step back involuntarily.

Then, an even more horrifying scene unfolded. He smeared the blood from the knife onto his hand.

With dragon fruit juice mixed in, the fleshy skin reflected the dark purple liquid. I watched as he extended his tongue, greedily licking those liquids.

His manner was devout and serious.

"Do you want a taste too?"

A deep, hoarse voice seemed to ring in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.