Chapter 5
Wen Zhiyu gripped the rolling pin with his left hand.
Qin Jianling said he has paranoia, but many strange signs cannot be ignored.
After light footsteps, a fluffy head appeared at the corner of the living room TV wall. The ends of the chestnut brown hair just covered the collar of the light blue shirt, and the bangs above the eyebrows curled freely in three directions, making it look a little playful, but the pair of round almond eyes were as gloomy as a typhoon day.
Han Shu glanced at him casually, then straightened her back and walked into the kitchen.
Wen Zhiyu: ?
What's going on? What's causing this strange feeling?
Soon, the sounds of running water, the microwave opening and closing, and the notification chime indicating that heating was complete came from the kitchen. Accompanied by the aroma of hot milk, Han Shu went straight to the seat opposite Wen Zhiyu, sat down, and began to wolf down his food, completely ignoring him.
What's going on? They ran away a moment ago, but now they're acting all high and mighty. What's going on?
Wen Zhiyu racked his brains, drawing on his limited social experience, and pushed the plate of beef ribs with one finger. "Want some?"
The irresistible aroma of the beef short ribs was enough to make her resist. He would probe her naturally, observing details that most people would miss, such as her facial expressions and tone of voice, and using his Sherlock Holmes-like expertise to deduce her truest desires.
After she finishes her first bite, he will talk about how to cook short ribs, what part of the body short ribs belong to, and then casually mention the hardness of human ribs and the difficulty of dismembering a person.
If she shows disgust, that's a normal reaction. But if she's overly calm or overly terrified, then that means—
Han Shu didn't even lift his eyelids. "I won't eat."
"..."
Wen Zhiyu slowly pulled the plate back.
Why has she become so unfriendly? Now that her evil motives have been exposed, she's completely abandoning her pretense, isn't she?
He took a bite of his favorite garlic beef ribs, but found them tasteless and had to put down his chopsticks in frustration.
“The fourth question,” he said.
The spoon lightly tapped against the rim of the bowl. Han Shu pursed her lips and finally met his gaze.
Wen Zhiyu gripped the rolling pin even tighter.
How could such a petite woman with an innocent smile possess such terrifying eyes? Her dark pupils stared at him intently, like two dark sniper rifle muzzles, foreshadowing the most deadly attack.
He will turn the attack into a game of strategy. A game where the cards are out in the air.
Wen Zhiyu tapped the table lightly with his knuckles. "If you were to kill me, what method would you choose?"
Look how calm and collected he is, talking about methods of killing without batting an eye, as if killing someone is as simple as crushing an ant. Look at the way he puts one hand in his pocket—even though he's holding a rolling pin, how nonchalant it is; his simple sitting posture exudes an overwhelming confidence.
As expected, the sharp edge in Han Shu's eyes faltered. Instead of answering, she asked, "Why would I kill you?"
Wen Zhiyu leaned back in his chair. "You can give yourself a reasonable explanation."
Han Shu unconsciously licked his lips.
Feeling guilty? Nervous?
Wen Zhiyu's lips curled up slightly. "Perhaps it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, or perhaps it was premeditated."
As they were talking, a slender blue plumbago in the backyard was uprooted. Its cluster of flowers first hit the glass of the dining room, then fell into the mud. After rolling around a few times, its original color was no longer visible, and its once vibrant life came to an end.
How fitting for the occasion.
Han Shu looked at it as if he were looking at himself.
What? She killed him? She made him choose his own way to die! That's insane!
To put pressure on a psychopath through their aura, you have to be even more psychopathic than them!
Han Shu subtly gripped the stick behind his back and asked with a forced smile, "Do you have a preferred method?"
She actually wanted to imitate the sassy smile of a villain, but her facial muscles were a bit uncooperative due to nervousness. But it's okay, it's a low-budget version, as long as it works.
Wen Zhiyu frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "I like it a little bloody."
OMG! Bloody!
Han Shu took a deep breath, his smile a little stiff. "What a coincidence, me too. Crushed into meat patties, dismembered—oh, do you know about corpse-dissolving water?"
"Hydrogen peroxide mixed with concentrated sulfuric acid*." Wen Zhiyu nodded. "I've heard of that."
Have you heard a little about it? You know it like the back of your hand!
Han Shu looked Wen Zhiyu up and down, still finding it hard to believe. Wealthy family background, outstanding looks, and an aloof, exceptional demeanor—ignoring the jumping pole incident, even the section of arm peeking out from the sleeve had clearly defined bones and smooth lines. How could such a person be a pervert?!
I made up my mind to leave the room, partly because I was worried that I might actually be delusional and had wronged him, and partly because I wanted to get back at him and show him that I wasn't someone to be trifled with either, and that he should think twice before doing anything wrong.
Now it's confirmed, the landlord is a freak.
But it's not enough for her to know alone; she needs evidence to call the police.
Han Shu subtly touched his phone; the recording function was running.
“Why do your questions always involve murder?” she asked.
Wen Zhiyu calmly reminded him, "The fourth question. The room rate."
Han Shu gritted his teeth, "I choose to poison."
— You can prevent it by not eating or drinking.
"Where to get off?" Wen Zhiyu raised his chin slightly. "The short ribs?"
"Toothbrush." Han Shu replied without hesitation.
She suddenly realized what she had just said! Was she providing a psychopath with ideas for murder?!
Sure enough, Wen Zhiyu raised the corner of his eye slightly, and a strong emotion flashed in his dark eyes.
Han Shu, annoyed, raised his chin even higher than him. "Now it's your turn to answer. Why do you keep asking about murder? Do you want to put it into practice?"
Wen Zhiyu rested one elbow on the edge of the table, leaning forward. "A problem is just a problem. I just don't know if an answer is just an answer?"
Hint! Another hint!
Han Shu found him extremely annoying. He spoke coldly and indirectly, and what did he want?!
Han Shu couldn't take it anymore and decided to flip the table.
"You collect brains?"
"Yes," Wen Zhiyu replied calmly.
"...What kind of brains do you collect?"
"You're doing this—"
Han Shu jumped up, accompanied by the screeching sound of chair legs scraping against the ground, and drew his gunmetal gray aluminum rod.
Wen Zhiyu's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he stretched out his long legs, sliding the chair backward.
"Bang!"
The rolling pin and the aluminum rod met, sparks flying in the air.
Han Shu's hands were trembling slightly, so he quickly gripped the cue stick with both hands, saying, "You, you, you, don't do anything reckless!"
Wen Zhiyu remained seated, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "It's you who should stop messing around."
"You put down the stick first, then I'll put down the pole!"
"You go first."
"Then, then, then, three, two, one, release them all at once!"
The man thought for a moment, then said, "Okay."
Han Shu shifted his weight back and forth between his two feet, forcibly suppressing the trembling of his skeletal muscles.
“Three—” she said, her voice trembling.
The stick and the pole both fell two centimeters at the same time.
“Two—” Wen Zhiyu responded.
The stick and the pole both dropped another two centimeters at the same time.
"one!"
The stick and pole were simultaneously raised four centimeters, aimed at the other person's face.
Han Shu: "..."
Wen Zhiyu: "..."
They're like actors in a spy movie, only it's broadcast on a children's channel.
Han Shu was speechless; neither her four years of undergraduate education nor her three years of work experience had taught her how to handle this situation.
Wen Zhiyu remained silent, pursing his lips as well.
Outside, it's "the end of the world"; inside, it's "a terrifying experience with a rolling pin".
what to do?
Han Shu began to estimate the probability of running from the restaurant to the front door without being caught. The route from the restaurant to the living room required going around the TV wall and one end of the sofa, then quickly turning left and running five meters across the doorway. However, Wen Zhiyu was closer to the direction of escape.
Her mind raced, and she scanned her surroundings to eliminate any potential risks. Then, without warning, she spotted two dark figures on the roof moving towards the dining table.
Upon closer inspection—
"Aaaaaahh ...
There were two geckos, one big and one small!
Han Shu screamed and backed away, her mind instantly flashing back to a post she'd seen online asking what to do if there was a gecko on the roof. Some comments said it was fine, there were no mosquitoes if there were geckos, and others said it wouldn't come down. But! Someone said they'd experienced it firsthand—it did fall down! And it even landed on someone! There was photographic evidence!
Two geckos hung upside down from the ceiling, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings, freely crawling around the chandelier.
Han Shu kept backing away until his back hit the corner of the wall, surrounded by obstacles on three sides.
With nowhere to retreat, she prayed in despair.
Don't come any closer!
Finally, the gecko, understanding her distress across species, stopped less than a meter above her head.
They didn't move, and Han Shu still didn't dare to move.
Suddenly, she sensed that something was wrong.
Three sides? Why three sides?
Han Shu turned his head inch by inch and met a pair of eyes that were close at hand, also filled with helplessness and confusion.
The two gazes collided and then moved downwards simultaneously, revealing two arms pressed tightly together without any gap.
One belongs to her, and the other to Wen Zhiyu.
Han Shu: ? ?
Wen Zhiyu: ! !
The two of them swiftly moved a step in opposite directions, and upon seeing the weapons in each other's hands, they simultaneously slid two meters away along the walls on either side.
"Put the stick down!" Han Shu held up the aluminum rod, keeping an eye on Wen Zhiyu and the gecko at the same time. His eyes darted back and forth so frequently that sparks flew from his eye sockets.
Wen Zhiyu, also holding a stick and with the same darting gaze, said, "You go first."
Everything returned to its starting point, plus two gray, sticky-looking reptiles.
In a three-way standoff, the gecko was the first to tip the scales.
The one that approached Han Shu seemed to have radar installed, rushing straight towards her head. She instinctively shrank into a corner, but then realized that after getting close to Wen Zhiyu, she moved in the opposite direction, which would bring her closer to the gecko.
In the time it took to jump sideways, the gecko had already climbed from the ceiling to the wall behind it.
Han Shu frantically tried to back away, but tripped over a stool leg. After futilely waving his arms, he finally fell to the ground.
In that instant, the camel of emotions was broken by the last straw, collapsing completely. Flight canceled, setbacks everywhere, struggling alone in the storm, threats from the landlord, and those two damned geckos…
Wen Zhiyu watched helplessly as she fell in a comical manner, and then watched as she began to sob. Her large, beady eyes slid down her round face as if their strings had broken, quickly casting a deep shadow on the front of her light blue shirt.
He glanced quickly at the location of the two geckos, and after confirming he was safe, tentatively asked, "Are you really crying, or—"
To lower my guard.
He was met with a woman's fiery gaze and increasingly torrential tears.
"..." Wen Zhiyu was speechless.
No, she clearly had ulterior motives, so why is she crying so sadly?
He decided not to believe her show of weakness for the time being and said coldly, "The police station is just steps away from here, and I know the officers there, so whatever plan you have is doomed to fail. As long as you behave yourself, I won't kick you out until the typhoon is over, and we'll pretend none of this ever happened—"
The aluminum rod flew straight towards Wen Zhiyu. He dodged it, a hint of anger already showing between his brows.
"You pervert, you're turning the tables on me!" Han Shu wiped away her tears fiercely. "You brain-collecting pervert! You think you can easily kill me and eat my brains just because I'm behaving myself? Let me tell you, I've already sent my location to my friend. If I don't reply to her messages within an hour, she'll call the police!"
“…Huh?” Wen Zhiyu’s face went blank at first, then turned into a kaleidoscope of colors.
Eating brains? Who said he eats brains? Why would anyone believe someone eats brains? How is this woman's brain structured? How can her thinking be so unpredictable?
Han Shu was sobbing and panting heavily, his eyes filled with hatred as if he wanted to devour him alive.
This time, Wen Zhiyu decided to believe that she was really crying and slowly put down the rolling pin.
Does he have paranoia? Does she have paranoia too? What do we do now? How should he explain? Will she believe him? No, she should explain too, explain why she thinks he eats brains! But will she cooperate with her crying so hard? Oh, and there are geckos, two creepy geckos above our heads.
"It seems there's some misunderstanding between us." Wen Zhiyu tried his best to soften his tone, even forcing a friendly smile. "Perhaps you could deal with those two geckos first, and then we can talk?"
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