The first time I rode in a police car was quite an experience, though I was the one in handcuffs.
The interrogation room was harshly lit, and I closed my eyes, hearing that familiar voice again.
"What role did you play in this case?" The restrained anger was palpable.
"I was just a bystander."
With a loud bang, the enamel cup on the interrogation table rattled violently.
"She’s dead! She was only 21!"
"Do you realize you’re an accomplice? Hurry up and reveal the suspect!"
I didn’t open my eyes, my voice cold as I replied, "Officer, we all had a chance to save her."
The person across from me lunged forward, and just before his grip could crush my throat, a female officer intervened.
After 24 hours without evidence, I was released, which was expected.
Back at the cat café—I owned one, by the way.
My phone was flooded with local news: "Shocking! A female student from Jinshi University Town has been raped and murdered!" "Police are conducting thorough investigations."
Feeling overwhelmed, I shut off my phone.
I knew that girl; she was a sophomore named Zhang Yi. She often came to the café and was beautiful, with two dimples when she smiled.
Fei Fei nudged my leg. Fei Fei was a chubby Golden Shaded and Zhang Yi's favorite cat.
I gave her two pieces of freeze-dried treats, and she continued to nudge my leg.
I looked up—oh, a customer had arrived.
"What would you like to drink?"
"Anything is fine." Xing Yishen's gaze lingered on my neck for a moment, perhaps feeling guilty. He placed a tube of ointment on the counter and said, "I'm sorry."
I didn't hold it against him; after all, I might have reacted the same way.
After I served the coffee, he took a sip and made a strange face. "Did you add vinegar? It's so sour!"
"It's an Americano. If you don't understand, don't make wild guesses."
I hadn't added vinegar; I had just put in extra tart lemon juice.
Yes, it was intentional.
"I checked the police reports from last month. You mentioned Zhang Yi's name three times. What is your relationship with her?"
"And on June 9th at 10 PM, how did you know she would be in danger?"
The suspect had deliberately chosen a location without surveillance to commit the crime, and with the media frenzy surrounding the case lately, he was likely under a lot of pressure.
"This isn't an interrogation room; I have no obligation to answer your questions."
He remained silent, simply staring at me.
A corner of his police badge peeked out from his pocket, and I sighed.
"Actually..."
He continued to look at me.
"I can see when people are going to die. It sounds a bit mystical..."
"I rarely see it. The report last month wasn't a false alarm; I could see that she would be in trouble within 24 hours, so I said she was stealing and asked you to keep an eye on her."
"On the 9th, she came to my shop. I saw her. At 10 o'clock in the evening, she will die." Fei Fei leisurely brushed my calf with his tail. I looked up at him. He didn't believe it. "Song Yu, when will you change your habit of telling lies with your eyes open?" I understand. This matter does sound unbelievable. Nodding, "Three hundred for coffee." He was surprised for a moment, and without saying anything more, he threw three Three Hundred Dollar Bills. After passing them through the money detector, he casually asked, "How much can you make in a day?" "Three hundred." "Just one cup?" "No." I locked the money in the drawer. "Usually it's thirty per cup, but I guess you're the only customer today, so I'll sell it to you for three hundred." "Ha, all businessmen are dishonest." He sneered. "Thank you." I can see the death date of dying people. It's true. It started from the day of my 18th birthday ceremony.
Perhaps it could be called a superpower, but I don’t like it at all; it feels like a cruel curse.
Last month, I called the police for the first time, breaking the cycle of Zhang Yi's first death. I thought that if I saved her, I could lift this curse.
The result was that every time she returned to the cat café, I could see her date of death, which was always that very day.
The 9th felt even more like a nightmare; I saw the exact time.
The murder case in the university town was still under investigation, an unresolved case that had also led to a significant drop in customers at the cat café.
The owner of the flower shop next door gave me a voucher for a newly opened bar in the east alley of the university town. I hadn’t planned on going, but the voucher promised ten free cocktails for female guests.
Alright then, bar, here I come.
The flower shop owner is a young man who moved in next door not long ago. His name is Shenh Wei, and he helped me fix a light bulb in my shop; he’s very helpful.
The bar was quite lively, dimly lit with colorful lights. The DJ was coolly bouncing on stage while a group of college students danced below.
I reasonably suspected that their claim of not daring to go out because of the murder case was false; they just didn’t want to come to the cat café.
"What do you want to drink?" The music was loud, and Shenh Wei’s voice was barely audible.
I smacked my lips. "That pink one."
"This is called Pink Lady; it symbolizes bringing love to ladies."
I had only heard of flowers having meanings; it was my first time hearing about cocktails having meanings—quite intriguing.
The drink was good, slightly sweet and mildly spicy.
At a nearby table, a figure looked somewhat familiar. I stared for a moment until the man turned his head.
Oh, Xing Yishen.
The police also work nine to five.
Next to me was a female officer, the one who had stopped me that day and hit me. Her surname was Li.
There was also a male officer who looked quite a bit like Xiong Er.
"Boss, don't be anxious. We're just here to conduct a sweep today. There are plenty of people around; we’re bound to make some progress," he said.
Officer Li rolled her eyes at him. "Xiong Er, do you even have a brain? Do you think the suspect would come back to the university town to commit another crime?"
Wait, his name is really Xiong Er?
Perhaps my gaze was too obvious, as Xing Yishen suddenly turned his head. Upon seeing me, he took a deep gulp of his drink.
He didn’t greet me.
Well, that made sense; we weren’t really acquainted.
"Do you know him?" Shenh Wei's voice came from beside me.
"I’ve just seen him around."
"Your drink is finished."
I looked down at my wine glass; it was indeed empty and not very strong. "Get me another one of those."
The waiter started to mix a drink but was stopped by Shenh Wei.
"This is Irish Mist, commonly known as the 'Girl Killer.' It’s easy to get drunk on this; you shouldn’t—"
I slammed my keys on the table. "I’m staying above the cat café. Just take me in through the back door later."
I was determined to finish these ten drinks today.
I can't quite explain why I’m not afraid of Shen Wei's reckless behavior; perhaps it's because he always brings flowers to my shop, giving off the impression of a good-natured person.
I think my kidneys might not be in great shape. After a few drinks, I constantly feel the urge to use the restroom.
I said goodbye to Shen Wei and headed toward the back door of the bar.
This so-called "girl killer" truly lives up to his reputation; after drinking, my whole body felt light and airy.
Suddenly, I was bumped into. "Are you not watching where you're going?"
"Where are you headed, classmate?"
"Is the pretty girl a bit too tipsy?"
I shook my head vigorously, but the faces of the people in front of me began to distort, and the path twisted and turned.
Oh no, I've really had too much to drink!
Just as my body was about to collapse, I was caught. A familiar voice came from beside me, sounding a bit anxious. "Song Yu?"
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