9:00 AM, Academic Affairs Office.
"Take a seat."
Officer Huang sat in the dean's swivel chair, leaning back slightly with his legs crossed and hands clasped over his stomach. His relaxed demeanor carried an unspoken authority, as if he were in his own interrogation room.
Gao Yang sat obediently across from him, silent.
Officer Huang smiled. "Don't be nervous. It's just the two of us here—just a few casual questions."
"Mm…" Gao Yang thought to himself: That's exactly why I'm nervous!
"Is your face injured?"
"Oh, just a bug bite." Gao Yang casually touched his cheek.
"Alright, let's begin." Officer Huang pulled out a notepad. "Gao Yang, what was your relationship with the deceased, Li Weiwei?"
"We've known each other since kindergarten. We were close—you could say childhood friends."
Officer Huang jotted notes as he asked, "Were you with Li Weiwei all afternoon yesterday?"
"Yes. We watched a movie at the Da Wan Mall, had dinner, and stayed out pretty late. We didn't head home until nighttime."
"What time did you part ways?"
"Around 11, I think." Gao Yang knew being too precise would seem suspicious.
"That's quite late. Didn't you walk her home?"
"I did for part of the way, but she said she didn't need me to go further, so I didn't."
Gao Yang was aware that the surveillance footage for the last stretch had been destroyed by Qing Ling. He deliberately added, "Officer Huang, you can check the cameras. They'll confirm it."
Officer Huang paused, his eyes flickering slightly. "To be honest, the cameras on that stretch were malfunctioning."
"What? How?" Gao Yang feigned surprise.
"This suggests premeditation." Officer Huang studied Gao Yang's face, searching for cracks in his composure. "It might've been someone she knew, but that's just speculation for now. No leads—no weapon, no witnesses."
"No clues at all?" Gao Yang asked.
Officer Huang uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "Did Li Weiwei have any conflicts with classmates? Or anyone who might've held a grudge?"
Gao Yang shook his head. "She was kind. Everyone in class liked her. I can't think of anyone who'd want to hurt her."
"What about someone jealous of her? Or anything else?"
After a moment's thought, Gao Yang shook his head again. "Nothing comes to mind."
Officer Huang nodded, his gaze never leaving Gao Yang's face. "You liked Li Weiwei, didn't you?"
Gao Yang hesitated. "I did… yeah."
"For the investigation, I reviewed her WeChat logs. You confessed to her, and she accepted…"
"Yes. Yesterday was our first date. I never thought it'd be our last…" Gao Yang lowered his head, his grief genuine.
Officer Huang stood up, ending the interrogation. He patted Gao Yang's shoulder, his tone oddly weighted. "My condolences."
The questioning was over. Gao Yang exhaled in relief—a close call.
As he left the office and headed to class, someone called out to him.
"Gao Yang!"
Before he could turn, a muscular arm hooked around his neck in a tight chokehold.
Gao Yang gasped. "Cough… cough…"
"Hahaha! Weakling!"
The arm released him. The culprit was a boy with dyed blond hair and a lip piercing—Wang Zikai.
Wang Zikai had been Gao Yang's classmate until a week ago, when he was expelled after smashing a rival student's head open—again. His reason? The guy had "looked at him funny."
Wang Zikai was rich, arriving at school in a sports car every day, and undeniably handsome—a textbook high school heartthrob. Yet he'd squandered it all, becoming the school's most notorious bully.
For some inexplicable reason, this bully had taken a special liking to Gao Yang since freshman year. Wang Zikai often declared that Gao Yang was his best—and only—friend.
Gao Yang was flattered but baffled. Under Wang Zikai's intimidating charm, he reluctantly played the role of friend, only to discover that beneath the violent tendencies and occasional idiocy, Wang Zikai wasn't so bad.
Today, Wang Zikai seemed in high spirits—probably here to finalize his expulsion.
"What's with the face? You look like you ate crap," Wang Zikai said.
"Li Weiwei's dead," Gao Yang replied.
"What?!" Wang Zikai's eyes widened. "How?"
"Robbery gone wrong. She was killed…"
"Damn. That's messed up." Wang Zikai clicked his tongue. "I even helped you confess to her a few days ago. Wait, did she say yes? Bet she rejected you—hahaha! Like any girl would want you!"
Gao Yang rolled his eyes. This idiot never gets the point.
"Chin up, bro." Wang Zikai slapped Gao Yang's back. "Look on the bright side—now you don't have to worry about someone stealing her."
"…" Gao Yang resisted the urge to punch him.
"After school, I'll pick you up. Let's duo queue! Turn that grief into rage—we're hitting Silver this season!"
"Can't. I've got Li Weiwei's funeral tonight."
"Seriously?" Wang Zikai recoiled in mock horror. "Don't tell me you're into ghost girls now…"
"Get lost!"
Gao Yang was done. He wanted to kick him. But that was Wang Zikai—never a single normal sentence.
"Catch ya later!" Wang Zikai waved and sauntered off.
7:00 PM. Shanqing District. Funeral Home.
Gao Yang and a dozen classmates attended Li Weiwei's memorial service with their homeroom teacher.
On one hand, Gao Yang had genuine feelings for Li Weiwei. Despite her monstrous transformation, he wanted to say goodbye. On the other, he was curious—why hadn't her body been cremated immediately? That didn't align with what he knew of this world.
The hall was dim and solemn. Li Weiwei's portrait smiled radiantly from the altar. Her body lay in a refrigerated glass casket, surrounded by white flowers.
Her parents, dressed in black, stood beside the casket, bowing to mourners.
The teacher led the students in offering incense, shaking hands with the parents, and circling the casket for a final farewell.
As Gao Yang approached, he studied Li Weiwei's body. Dressed in black burial clothes, her face made up, she looked peaceful—as if asleep.
But remembering how this same girl had nearly crushed his skull yesterday, a primal fear slithered up his spine.
While the teacher spoke with Li Weiwei's parents, Gao Yang's throat went dry. He slipped away to the side room for water.
Pushing the door open, he found Qing Ling inside.
Gao Yang avoided her gaze and poured himself a cup.
Qing Ling stepped closer. "What did the police ask you?"
"Nothing much."
"Tell me everything." Her tone left no room for refusal.
Gao Yang checked that they were alone. "Why drop the act now?"
Qing Ling frowned. "What act?"
"This morning—you were playing your part perfectly."
Her eyes sharpened. "You met her?"
"Who?"
"My other personality."
Gao Yang froze. "You mean… you have dissociative identity disorder?"
"Yes."
Gao Yang stayed silent.
Qing Ling shut the door softly. "To survive in this world, you have to lie to yourself. Over time, I developed an alter. She's my younger sister, Qing Ling. Most of the time, I'm in control, but sometimes she takes over. Li Weiwei's death… shook her badly."
Gao Yang eyed her warily. "How do I know what's real anymore?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Give me a reason to trust you."
"A reason?" Qing Ling's fingers twitched. A razor-thin blade flew from her pocket, pressing against Gao Yang's throat.
"Killing you would be easier than it was for Li Weiwei. Good enough?"
"…Good enough."
Live to fight another day.
Gao Yang recounted his conversation with Officer Huang.
Qing Ling listened, then nodded. "You're clever. No obvious slips."
"It's just a cop. How much trouble could it be?"
Qing Ling smirked coldly. "You still don't get it. Do you know how many beasts are in this city?"
"How many?"
"The ratio is one in ten thousand."
"One beast per 10,000 people? That's high."
"No. One human per 10,000 beasts."
"What?!" Gao Yang nearly choked. "You're… joking?"
"No."
"That's impossible!" His scalp prickled with disbelief.
"It's the truth. Now you understand?"
Gao Yang's hands trembled.
"For our school to have two humans—you and me—is already a statistical miracle." Qing Ling stepped closer, her voice icy. "Your family, your friends, your neighbors… 99.99% of the people you've ever met? All beasts. Every kind of beast."
Gao Yang stood rooted, fear coiling around him like a venomous snake.
His grandmother, parents, little sister, teachers, classmates, friends—all of them, possibly beasts. And for twelve years since his transmigration, he'd lived among them.
His stomach twisted. He wanted to vomit.
"Let me be clear: you're only the third human I've ever met. The other two were stronger than me. They're dead now."
Gao Yang clung to one last shred of hope. "If everyone around me was a beast… I'd be dead already."
"Because you never noticed them before. Beasts don't harm unawakened humans. They only kill awakened ones—people like us."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Qing Ling shook her head. "They seem to follow their own rules. I only know fragments…"
"What are you two talking about?"
Gao Yang and Qing Ling stiffened.
The door creaked open. Officer Huang stood there, smiling.
"What's this about beasts?"