False evidence

Chapter 97 The Initial Split
"Are you sure you saw it clearly?"

Yan Fengwei confirmed this with me.

I took the phone again. The video ended, freezing on the image that had first appeared when he handed it to me.

"Did you film this video?"

Yan Fengwei nodded: "We can't stay in the new house, and the old house was just rented out, so we can only stay in a hotel. You guys say I'm sleepwalking, right? This time I was careful and removed one of the security cameras from the shop and installed it in the hotel."

"What about the rest?" Of course, I didn't think he only kept these few minutes of video.

Yan Fengwei smiled wryly: "I'm already embarrassed enough, do I really need to see the whole thing?"

The monkey, wiping away cold sweat, said, "This is the most unusual 'film' I've ever seen. I really don't want to watch it a second time."

I asked, "Is this the only part that has a problem?"

“This part is the most obvious. But that’s not the scariest part.” Yan Fengwei slapped his bald head twice, grimacing as he said, “This whole segment of the video… this whole process takes almost half an hour. I swear, since I turned forty, I’ve never been this intense, no matter what drugs I took. The key point is, if I hadn’t seen the video, I wouldn’t have known what happened before!”
All I know is that when I opened my eyes, I was leaning against the headboard, sitting in bed. Xiao Zhen was leaning against me, looking up at me! Don't laugh, but we're usually quite affectionate in private. But when I opened my eyes in the middle of the night and looked down, I saw her looking up at me with her big eyes wide open, smiling! I was so scared I screamed!

"and then?"

"Then Xiao Zhen seemed to be frightened by me, her whole body trembled, and she also screamed. And then...and then neither of us dared to sleep anymore, we just hugged each other, shivering until dawn."

He suddenly seemed to sense something and turned to face the door.

A soft sob came from outside the door. Meng Zhen staggered out from the side, "Why didn't you tell me... God, we haven't done anything wrong, what happened..."

She clearly heard what Yan Fengwei said, and threw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

Yan Fengwei held her tightly, gritting his teeth, his eyes red.

I checked the time, picked up my bag, and said, "Stop dawdling, time is limited, let's go now!"

The monkey was definitely going to come along, and seeing Pidan rubbing his hands together eagerly, I was at my wit's end.

"Can you stop messing around?" I winked at the monkey.

I thought the monkey would handle her for me, but to my surprise, the monkey hesitated for a moment and then said, "Let her come along."

I looked at the monkey in surprise. He shook his head slightly at me, took the bag, and pulled me outside.

Five people and a dog had just gotten into the van when it started to rain.

By the time they arrived at Yan Fengwei's new home, it was already completely dark.

Yan Fengwei coughed and asked me, "Should we call your expert friend again?"

I got angry as soon as I heard that. Last time he told me there was no signal in the kitchen, so I cut off my call with Lü Xin, and almost lost my life.

Today, Pidan reminded me that my relationship with Lü Xin was merely a matter of using the phone as a medium. More than anything, I was using the phone to create the illusion of a vast distance between us. Lü Xin's consciousness resides within my mind; I don't even need a signal to 'call' him!

I asked Yan Fengwei where the vase was.

"It's in the basement, I'll take you there."

"Don't go! Just tell me where the vase is, and I'll go find it myself."

I say this because ever since he and Meng Zhen re-entered this house, things have become very strange.

When we met, I clearly saw that the dark aura above their heads had become much thicker, but as soon as we entered the living room, not only did the dark aura disappear, but the couple also looked radiant and full of energy. I didn't think this was a good omen; instead, I couldn't help but think of the phrase "a final burst of energy before death."

"Fine!"

Yan Fengwei was really going all out, actually revealing the true location of his 'treasure trove' in front of so many people.

I said half-jokingly, "There must be more than one vase in the safe. Should we make a list first, so we can explain if something is missing?"

Yan Fengwei chuckled dryly, "Why did I work so hard to make money before? Wasn't it to live a comfortable life? Now, brother, let me tell you this: as long as I can get through this, whatever you want, if I have it, I'll give it to you! As long as my wife is alive and well, I can start all over again!"

"I never would have guessed you were such a man, bald guy," Pidan praised.

I said, "Let's not delay, let's go to the attic on the top floor."

Yan Fengwei asked me again, "Are you sure you don't need to call your friend?"

"Need not."

I have my own suffering to share.

The preserved egg not only reminded me that I didn't need a signal to talk to Lü Xin, but it also gave me a chilling feeling.

Lü Xin has been dead for decades; in other words, he doesn't even exist anymore.

Bai Jing said that his residual consciousness had invaded my body, but I just couldn't imagine what kind of existence that was.

Tong Xiangnan caused me to develop a split personality. Although I didn't follow his methods completely, I should be considered to have successfully isolated myself from this consciousness that didn't belong to me.

But when I heard Pidan say it, it suddenly occurred to me that I had indeed 'succeeded,' but when I was talking to Lü Xin, I was completely absorbed in it.

Assuming that ghosts truly exist, consciousness and ghosts are equally invisible, yet I live in reality.

Compared to that, I am more worried about—if I really split into two personalities, wouldn't that be the same as being mentally ill?
Tong Xiangnan has now been transferred to prison, so I can't see him easily.

It seems that all I can do is proceed cautiously, and avoid provoking someone if possible.

……

In the attic, when Pidan saw me taking things out of my bag, he couldn't help but ask, "Where did you find all this junk? Why are there even roof tiles?"

Yan Fengwei said, "Girl, these aren't junk. These tiles, the oldest of them, are from the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Just these ten tiles, if they find a discerning buyer, they'll sell for at least 20,000!"

"Alright, stop bragging. If someone's gone, even if they have two hundred million in assets, it'll belong to someone else!"

As I spoke, I took out a measuring tape from my bag, measured it close to the ground, and marked it with chalk.

After a while, I stood up, pointed to the frame marked on the ground, and said to Yan Fengwei and Meng Zhen:

"You'd better go to the restroom first and take care of everything. Once you're in this circle, even if everything goes smoothly, you won't be able to get out until after dawn. If things don't go smoothly..."

"Pah, pah, pah! It will definitely go smoothly!" Yan Fengwei rubbed his bald head vigorously. "I haven't eaten or drunk anything since I got up today, I've only smoked, and I haven't needed to go to the toilet."

Meng Zhen said with a sob in her voice, "I have to go, I can't hold my pee anymore..."

(End of this chapter)