Chapter 1: The Corpse Room (1)  

“Achoo!”  

A police van rumbled down a dilapidated dirt road, its wheels kicking up clouds of yellow dust before finally coming to a stop in front of a rundown courtyard gate. Ye Zhu had been standing by the base of the wall, having just pulled down her mask to take a breath of fresh air when she accidentally inhaled a lungful of dust-laden air—prompting a loud sneeze.  

That single sneeze made her already foggy head feel even dizzier. She scrunched up her face, rubbing her nose absentmindedly.  

Just then, several uniformed officers stepped out of the van. The lead forensic investigator, carrying a toolbox, couldn’t help but chuckle at her pitiful state. “Ye Zhu, what are you doing? Standing guard like a door god?”  

“Door god? More like the driver,” she replied with a bright smile, greeting everyone before responding with a hint of sarcasm.  

The colleagues exchanged knowing glances and chuckled before filing through the rusted, creaky iron gate, heading straight for the abandoned house that looked like it had seen better days. The single-story building had brick walls with patches of missing or chipped sections, and the windows were coated in thick layers of dust—some even cracked, swaying precariously in the wind.  

After a moment’s hesitation, Ye Zhu pulled her mask back up and trudged slowly after the group.  

The cramped courtyard was already buzzing with noise, dominated by the shrill, piercing voice of a woman. As Ye Zhu passed by, she caught a glimpse of two boys, around eight or nine years old, each being shielded protectively by their parents. A man she didn’t recognize was crouched down, questioning them. It didn’t seem to be going well—the children appeared terrified, and the parents were visibly frustrated with the repeated questioning, their emotions boiling over.  

This whole mess had started two months ago, when Fenghe City was hit by a string of four disappearances. The Fenghe Public Security Bureau’s Major Case Unit had been working tirelessly to crack the case, but progress had been minimal. Then, after the fourth disappearance, the victims’ families and friends teamed up with a local online media outlet to expose the serial disappearances to the public. The scathing report quickly went viral, sparking widespread attention and outrage. The pressure on the Fenghe police, from top to bottom, was immense.  

In a desperate bid to redirect public scrutiny and meet the provincial bureau’s demand to solve the case within seven days, the Fenghe police had no choice but to call in the Special Investigation Unit. This unit was a unique entity within law enforcement—small in number but formidable in reputation. Directly under the Ministry of Public Security and boasting an impeccable solve rate, no one dared underestimate them.

The Special Investigation Unit was highly efficient, quickly disembarking at Fenghe Airport. Their arrival was met with strong resistance within the Fenghe Public Security Bureau, especially from the Major Case Team. However, before they could put up any meaningful opposition, the bureau received a report: a deceased individual had been discovered in Wenzhuang Village on the city outskirts, and the victim’s clothing matched the description in the missing persons alert issued earlier.  

Since the serial disappearance case had already been handed over to the Special Investigation Unit by the bureau, all subsequent investigations naturally fell under their jurisdiction. Citing a shortage of personnel, the bureau ordered the Major Case Team to assign dedicated officers to assist throughout the investigation. And so…  

Ye Zhu, who had just been reborn, barely had time to open her eyes or warm her bed before a phone call sent her straight to the Special Investigation Unit… as a driver.  

Yes, a driver. Team Leader Zhang of the Major Case Team had unceremoniously loaned her—a rookie with only a few months on the force and currently on sick leave—to the investigation team. His intentions were as transparent as they could be, not even bothering to maintain a facade of harmony.  

When Yan Yu, the head of the Special Investigation Unit, first laid eyes on her, his strikingly young and handsome face remained expressionless. After a brief once-over, he tossed the car keys into her hands and calmly uttered two words: “Drive.”  

Recalling this, Ye Zhu stole another glance at the man now speaking with the children who had discovered the body. She sighed inwardly. A driver it was, then. After all, she was still reeling from the shock of her own resurrection and had no energy to spare for such trivialities.  

Turning away, she peered through a half-open window into the house. The air carried a musty odor mixed with a faint stench. Forensic and technical teams were currently gathering evidence inside.  

The body was mostly obscured by the crouching medical examiner, making it difficult for Ye Zhu to see clearly. Still, she could vaguely make out the unnatural rigidity of the limbs, the entire corpse stiff and unyielding.  

Sure enough, the medical examiner soon spoke up. “The cause of death remains undetermined, but there are signs of freezing post-mortem. Estimated time since being dumped here is no more than five hours… The freezing occurred after death. Based on the brow structure and forehead height, this is likely the second victim in the serial disappearance case. However, for confirmation, I’ll send DNA samples to the technical team for further analysis.”  

With that, he shifted slightly, tilting the body to pry open the mouth for closer inspection.  

At last, Ye Zhu got a clear look at the corpse’s deathly pale face. The body was remarkably well-preserved, with no signs of decay or deformation. Though the victim’s appearance didn’t immediately match the photo in the police files, a closer examination revealed the same facial features.  

According to the villagers, the house had been abandoned for years, rarely visited by anyone. But for curious children, it was the perfect spot for adventure. The two boys who found the body had come here after lunch, drawn by the thrill of exploration.

Never did they expect that a long-vacant house would suddenly have an ‘uninvited guest.’ The two children were nearly scared out of their wits, scrambling out the door and running home in a panic. Their tear-streaked, snot-covered faces quickly caught the attention of the other villagers. When the adults came to investigate, they immediately called the police.

“Tsk…”

After the forensic examiner completed the preliminary autopsy and instructed others to bag and seal the body, Ye Zhu withdrew her gaze. Her eyes briefly swept past the head of the Special Investigation Unit, who had quietly approached the house at some point to observe the scene inside. Exhausted, she raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.

From the moment she realized she had been reborn to standing here in Wenzhuang Village, barely three hours had passed. Her mind was still a chaotic mess, and her memories of how she had died in her previous life remained frustratingly unclear. No matter how hard she tried to recall, all she got was confusion and a splitting headache.

Yet, in the very next second, she seemed to sense something. Her slightly lowered head snapped up as she narrowed her eyes toward the southwestern corner of the yard.

A faint shadow flickered over the courtyard wall—so fleeting that anyone not paying attention might dismiss it as a trick of the eye.

“Who’s there?!” Ye Zhu suddenly called out, instinctively taking large strides toward the gate outside the courtyard.

“Who?!” Almost simultaneously, a rough, masculine shout echoed from an SUV parked on the road outside. A tall, burly figure leaped out of the vehicle and sprinted toward where the shadow had vanished with astonishing speed.

Though Ye Zhu had reacted swiftly and spotted the anomaly before the person in the car, the distance was against her. By the time she dashed out, she could only trail behind the other pursuer.

The agile, bald man was also a member of the Special Investigation Unit, someone she recognized—after all, they had ridden in the same car earlier. However, she hadn’t exchanged much conversation with the team members on the way here. All she knew was that despite his fierce appearance, he had a surprisingly gentle name: Jiang Bing.

With their speed, it didn’t take long for them to spot a panicked figure running desperately about a hundred meters ahead, occasionally glancing back to check if anyone was following. Upon realizing they were being chased—and hearing shouts of “Fenghe City Public Security Bureau”—the fugitive’s steps grew even more frantic.

But the person clearly knew the village’s layout well. After abruptly turning a few corners and darting through a couple of unnamed alleys, they vanished without a trace.

Ye Zhu and Jiang Bing reached a fork in the road, pausing to catch their breath as they scanned their surroundings warily.

Suddenly, Ye Zhu’s ears twitched. She swiftly turned her sharp gaze toward a dark, narrow alley to the left. Without hesitation, she charged into the dimly lit passage, disappearing from sight in an instant.

Jiang Bing hesitated for a couple of seconds but then hurried after her. Soon, they resumed their chase, with the slender figure maintaining a slight lead. The cramped alley echoed with their faint panting and the scattered sound of footsteps.

Rustle—!

Caught off guard, countless bamboo poles came crashing down from the shadows less than a meter ahead. Fortunately, Ye Zhu reacted swiftly, stopping in her tracks just in time to avoid being hit. The sudden turn of events left Jiang Bing momentarily stunned, standing behind her with a lingering sense of dread, his eyes narrowing reflexively.

In the span of a breath, Ye Zhu quickly regained her composure. She leaped over the scattered bamboo poles and landed squarely on the back of the man attempting to flee from the shadows. With practiced precision, she tightened her grip around his neck and hissed through clenched teeth, “Why are you running?!”

“Watch out!” Jiang Bing suddenly shouted, rushing forward in a panic.

At that very moment, a chill ran down Ye Zhu’s spine, and the next instant, a heavy blow struck her back. A metallic taste of blood surged uncontrollably in her throat. The suspect she had restrained with her arm exerted just enough force to throw her to the ground.

Ugh…

The impact sent a jolt through her entire body, as if her organs had been rearranged. Gritting her teeth, she twisted her head with difficulty and realized there had been two people hiding in the shadows. The other had seized the opportunity to swing a shovel at her back with all his might. Now that she was temporarily incapacitated, the two quickly fled together.

Thankfully, Jiang Bing didn’t linger to check on her injuries. Instead, he charged straight at the suspect she had momentarily caught, tackling him to the ground again in a few quick strides. The man, seemingly fueled by adrenaline in this critical moment, wrestled fiercely despite his slight build. The two rolled across the ground, locked in a struggle that seemed unlikely to resolve anytime soon.

“…” Jiang Bing struggled to pin down the thrashing suspect beneath him while stealing glances at the other fleeing figure about to escape the alley, his anxiety mounting.

Just as he turned to see if any police backup had arrived, a blur flashed past him. Within seconds, the slender figure that had been lying half-dead on the ground moments ago was now sprinting after the escaping suspect. She reached out, grabbing the back of his collar, and slammed him forcefully against the nearby brick wall.

Facing the terrified gaze of Suspect No. 2, Ye Zhu curled her lips into a sinister smirk, her right eyebrow arching high. “Surprise, surprise! Didn’t see that coming, did you?”

As she spoke, she felt the sharp pain in her back gradually subsiding, suppressing the storm of emotions raging inside her.

“Assaulting an officer?” She instinctively reached for her waist but found the handcuffs that should have been there missing. The awkward silence stretched for a moment. In the end, she twisted Suspect No. 2’s arms behind his back and shoved the grimacing man forward, preparing to head back.

After taking a few steps, Ye Zhu lifted her gaze, intending to say something to Jiang Bing, but instead spotted Yan Yu standing not far away. The tall, lean man’s striking features were partially obscured by the tousled hair falling over his forehead, his breathing slightly labored from the chase. Behind him, several colleagues from the city bureau were catching up.

Under his scrutinizing gaze, she used her free left hand—the one not restraining the suspect—to adjust the mask that had stayed firmly in place throughout the ordeal. She coughed lightly a few times.

“Um… could someone come up and give me a hand? I haven’t fully recovered from my cold yet, so I’m still pretty weak and don’t have much strength.”

Jiang Bing: …

Suspect No. 1 and No. 2: …

Author’s Note:

This story is set in an alternate universe with many, many original settings. Don’t argue about it—if you do, you’re right. Love you~