At the time of her death, Gu Ling was a first-year university student, admired for her stunning voice, graceful dancing, and natural beauty. Her performances at the orientation gala captivated the audience, making her an undeniable candidate for the title of the university's next campus queen.
Among her admirers was Xia Yichu, a wealthy senior in his final year. Despite already having a girlfriend, Shen Ting—a headstrong and possessive woman from an influential military family—Xia Yichu fell deeply in love with Gu Ling.
Shen Ting had been Xia Yichu's girlfriend since high school. Their relationship was less about love and more about familial alliances. Strong-willed and cunning, Shen Ting had orchestrated their engagement, forcing Xia Yichu into a future marriage he didn't want. Despite his reluctance, he complied, fearing the consequences of defying his family and Shen Ting's domineering nature.
Gu Ling's arrival shattered the uneasy balance in their relationship. Unlike the fleeting infatuations Xia Yichu had experienced with other girls, his feelings for Gu Ling were passionate and consuming. He pursued her relentlessly, showering her with flowers and intercepting her on campus.
However, Gu Ling wanted nothing to do with him. She knew he was a playboy and was aware of his engagement to Shen Ting. She avoided his advances, refused his gifts, and even redirected the flowers to her classmates.
Despite her rejection, rumors of a love triangle between Gu Ling, Xia Yichu, and Shen Ting spread across the campus. Gossip spiraled out of control, with fabricated stories about Gu Ling riding in Xia Yichu's sports car and spending nights with him in hotels.
The rumors enraged Gu Ling, but she was powerless to stop them. The relentless gossip weighed on her, turning her once cheerful demeanor into one of quiet despair.
Shen Ting, believing the rumors, was furious. One night, she violently confronted Xia Yichu in their hotel room, accusing him of betrayal. Though Xia Yichu initially denied the accusations, he eventually fell silent, knowing any argument would only worsen the situation. His silence further convinced Shen Ting of his guilt.
Unable to risk her relationship with Xia Yichu, Shen Ting turned her anger toward Gu Ling.
Late one evening, Shen Ting learned from her informants that Gu Ling was studying in Building 10's fifth-floor classroom. Accompanied by a few loyal followers, Shen Ting arrived at the building and dragged Gu Ling out of her class. Cornering her in the hallway, Shen Ting demanded answers about her "affair" with Xia Yichu. Gu Ling, outraged, denied everything.
But Shen Ting didn't believe her. Fueled by rage, Shen Ting and her accomplices dragged Gu Ling into the women's restroom. There, they unleashed a brutal assault on her, using cruel and violent methods that lasted for hours.
By the time Shen Ting realized her actions had gone too far, it was too late—Gu Ling had died from her injuries.
Panicked, Shen Ting called Xia Yichu, who rushed to the scene. Overwhelmed by fear and guilt, Xia Yichu insisted on calling for help, but Shen Ting called her father, Shen Hanqing, instead. A high-ranking official, Shen Hanqing arrived at the university with his men to "clean up" the situation. They staged Gu Ling's death as a suicide by hanging, complete with falsified evidence.
Shen Hanqing's influence extended to the Cangnan Police Department, where the chief, Hu Jidong, was both Xia Yichu's uncle and Shen Hanqing's protégé. Together, they altered key evidence and silenced witnesses. Gu Ling's family—her weak father and greedy stepmother—was coerced into accepting a settlement of 800,000 yuan in exchange for dropping their claims. They quickly cremated Gu Ling's body, erasing the last traces of the crime.
Rumors spread that Gu Ling had committed suicide out of unrequited love for Xia Yichu, and the case was closed.
In Derek's ghost domain, Xia Yichu, hanging on to the "Nightmare Flying Chair" for dear life, sobbed as he recounted the events to the ghostly apparition of Gu Ling.
"Xiao Ling, I truly loved you! Shen Ting is a monster! I tried to resist, but I couldn't…" Xia Yichu cried, his words barely coherent through his panic.
"Resisted? All you did was help her cover up the crime!" Derek, speaking as Gu Ling, accused him sharply.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to harm you… I was too weak, too afraid…" Xia Yichu's voice broke as he clutched at the chair, trembling uncontrollably.
"You call yourself weak? You helped fabricate lies, destroy evidence, and tarnish my reputation! You are complicit in my death!" Derek's ghostly voice thundered. At the same time, two more steel cables securing the chair snapped with a loud crack!
"No! I admit my guilt! Please, spare me!" Xia Yichu wailed, pale as a sheet, as the swaying chair seemed ready to collapse.
The truth of Gu Ling's tragic demise was far more complex and dark than Derek had initially imagined. What had seemed like a straightforward case of unrequited love and suicide was, in reality, a heinous crime hidden behind a web of lies, fear, and manipulation.