Hearing Zhang Yihan's plan, Officer Li and I were stunned.
"Officer Zhang, I can't go along with this. I'm still young and want to live a few more years..." Officer Li turned and ran.
"How did he become a police officer?" Zhang Yihan sneered, then turned to me, "What about you? Do you also want to live longer?"
"Of course," I thought, but I said seriously, "Senior Officer, if you tell me to climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of flames, I won't hesitate." Internally, I was thinking, "If I don't go with you, I'll probably die faster."
We informed Old Ge of our plan and began preparing.
As night fell, Zhang Yihan and I changed into black sportswear and hid in a patch of weeds in front of Xiaohong's house.
Soon, it grew dark. The moonlight was poor, and visibility was low.
In the countryside, nightfall brought almost complete darkness, with only a few scattered lights. Xiaohong's house was pitch black; we saw her come out with a basin of water earlier, confirming she was home.
We knew from our earlier investigation that her husband worked outside the village, leaving only her and a bedridden mother-in-law at home.
Based on Officer Li's information, we surmised that Xiaohong was unaware of the pattern of deaths following ghost sightings; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so calm, even humming a tune while fetching water.
We waited quietly, our pistols loaded, believing something would happen tonight. We didn't believe in ghosts but wanted to catch whoever was faking these supernatural events.
Waiting felt endless, but after three or four hours, we finally heard movement from Xiaohong's house.
At eleven o'clock, the door creaked open, and a long-haired woman stepped out.
She wore a black dress that trailed on the ground, making it look like she was floating. Though it was eerie, her physique identified her as Xiaohong.
I guessed she was taking small, quick steps, giving the illusion of gliding.
"So it's her playing ghost!" Zhang Yihan whispered. We watched as Xiaohong headed toward the Guo family yard.
"She's going to the Guo family yard," I said.
"Follow her!" Zhang Yihan pushed me.
"What about you?" I asked, sensing she wanted me to go alone.
"I'll stay here to see if anything else happens. Follow her and see what she's up to," Zhang Yihan replied.
"Alright," I said reluctantly, but I dared not disobey her. Crouching low, I followed Xiaohong.
Our soft-soled shoes made almost no sound, allowing me to follow smoothly.
I expected Xiaohong to head directly to the Guo family yard to scare people but was surprised when she turned northwest at a crossroads near the yard, heading into a deserted field.
My heart pounded. During the day, I had surveyed the area and knew that direction led to a small hill, which, according to Officer Li, was a burial ground used by the villagers.
I didn't understand why Xiaohong was heading there, but I continued following her.
Fortunately, the path was lined with weeds, allowing me to stay hidden. Xiaohong didn't notice me, maintaining her pace without looking back.
Her dark figure and disheveled hair made me increasingly uneasy.
When we reached the hill's base, Xiaohong suddenly disappeared.
Her sudden vanishing act made my blood run cold. It felt like she had slipped into a grave.
I couldn't stay calm. Rushing to where she vanished, I saw an old grave where she had stood, as if she had entered it.
Feeling a chill down my spine and sweat on my forehead, I sensed someone breathing down my neck.
I turned slowly to see a pale-faced woman standing inches from me. It was Xiaohong.
"Ah..." I screamed, falling backward. When I got up, she was gone again, like a ghost.
I pulled out a flashlight, scanning the area, but the sight of weeds and graves only increased my fear.
Despite my disbelief in ghosts, standing alone in a graveyard at midnight was terrifying.
Realizing Xiaohong was behind the ghost stories, I decided to return to Zhang Yihan.
However, back at Xiaohong's house, Zhang Yihan was missing.
I didn't dare shout, so I lay in the weeds, waiting.
Soon, I heard a scream from the Guo family yard: "Help!"
"Senior Officer!" I recognized Zhang Yihan's voice and ran to the yard.
There, I saw Zhang Yihan struggling in the well with a woman in black. Shining my flashlight, I saw the water was red with blood.
Frozen in shock, I didn't know what to do until Zhang Yihan shouted, "Get a rope!"
I rushed to get a static rope from the Guo family house and threw it into the well.
When Zhang Yihan tied the woman, I pulled her up, realizing it was Xiaohong, now lifeless with deep cuts on her neck and wrist.
I pulled Zhang Yihan up next.
"Where were you? I told you to follow her!" Zhang Yihan yelled.
"Senior Officer, I..." I felt guilty, knowing my failure had led to this.
"Why did she kill herself?" Zhang Yihan muttered.
"She killed herself?" I was shocked.
"Of course! Do you think I killed her?" Zhang Yihan snapped.
"Why would she kill herself?" I wondered, remembering her cheerful mood earlier.