"Then...why do you still come to me wearing this? Are you not afraid of death?"
I raised my head and asked her very puzzledly.
She couldn't help but smile bitterly when she heard my question, and said leisurely: "It's not that I'm not afraid of death, it's that I was forced to do this because of my experience, so I took this step."
"Tell me, tell me your experience. This will help me put down my guard against you."
I gently raised my hand and made a gesture of invitation, and then spoke slowly.
"All this happened because I was an orphan and was abandoned by my parents in the trash can since I was a child. Some kind people heard the cry and sent me to an orphanage."
[I'm so familiar with this plot... Generally speaking, it wouldn't be another bloody plot.]
After hearing what she said, I couldn't help but complain secretly in my heart.
"There were many books donated by well-wishers. At that time, I saw whalebone skirts from the books. That series of European ladies' dresses were noble, elegant and very beautiful. So at that time, I suddenly fell in love with them.
I was obsessed with the dress in front of me and from then on I had a dream.”
After saying this, she raised her head and stared at the ceiling in a daze, with tears flashing in the corners of her eyes, as if she was contemplating her indescribable childhood.
"and after?"
I looked at her who was lost in memories, reached out and shook her gently, trying to bring her thoughts back to the present.
"Ah! Sorry, sorry... I was distracted for a moment. I'm really sorry..."
When she heard my soft shouts and my shaking right hand, her thoughts were suddenly brought back to reality. Realizing that she was losing her composure, she couldn't help but take a deep breath and said to me apologetically.
"It's okay, keep talking."
I continued to make a gesture of invitation and said calmly to her.
"My dream at that time was to open a specialty store selling whalebone skirts. Later, as an adult, I walked out of the orphanage and started working hard to save money for my dream. Finally, two years later, I appeared in a series of
After saving money and living frugally, I had my first start-up capital. At that time, I decided to apply for a loan from a bank. Although I experienced various difficulties in the process, I persisted and realized my dream."
Speaking of this, there was a slight twinkle in her eyes, as if she was recalling those happy moments when she opened the store.
"Then what?"
I couldn't help but sigh softly when I heard half of her words, and then asked with some doubts.
"In this store at that time, in addition to all the best-selling clothes on the market, you could also see many types of whalebone skirts that I personally made. This kind of store has a huge initial investment. If it lasts for several months,
When the income is low, it will close down. Although my monthly income was not high at that time, I could still barely pay off the loan, not to mention that I also made a group of friends with similar interests. That was my happiest time."
The words stopped abruptly, and she gently raised her hands to cover her cheeks, as if she wanted to cover up the haggardness and pain on her cheeks.
"Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Not long after I opened the store, something like this happened, and there were many urban rumors. These things caused a huge loss in my income for a while, and the store, which was already struggling, has not yet improved.
I simply couldn’t hold on any longer.”
Having said this, she couldn't help but smile, and gave me a helpless smile.
"It's nothing if the store can't sustain itself. What I can't bear the most is that my good sisters also passed away at that time, at the hands of urban legends. At the same time, I was flooded with text messages demanding payment.
Then, I really couldn't stand the pressure, so I finally decided to come to this place and give it a try."
"Give it a try?"
I couldn't help but feel nervous when I heard this.
"Um."
She nodded to me expressionlessly.
[Actually, it’s easier to deal with her death-seeking and confused expression. After all, I can roughly guess what she is thinking. But the calmer her expression is, the creepier I feel. Because I can completely guess.
It's unclear what she wants to do at this time.
Isn’t this guy going to suddenly turn into a ghost and kill him in a plot like the old plot? 〕
Looking at her appearance, my mind started to have random thoughts.
"so you……"
I raised my head, squinted my eyes, and asked cautiously.
"So, I...I can't actually repay the debt. Rather than living on the street and losing my dream, I would rather die in an urban legend and leave my name in history."
She said this with a calm and determined look on her face, and with that look in her eyes, it seemed as if every word, every movement, and every expression she made here were planned in advance.
Seeing her expression like this, I slowly calmed down.
[If you think about it carefully, all the questions she asked at the beginning were testing my reaction ability and thinking.
If I couldn't even solve such a small problem at that time, then let alone solving a big problem involving a murder case such as urban legend.
Although I personally do not agree with this kind of testing method. After all, some people can only deal with big problems, while some people can only deal with small problems. Such a test is simply unreasonable. But since she can be careful to this point, then it is
This shows that at this time, she was really desperate and had no choice but to do so.
Even though I said that, the feeling of being threatened is still very unpleasant.〕
"Are you threatening me?"
I raised my head and asked angrily.
"No, I'm just telling you a choice. If you are willing and can solve this urban legend, maybe my store can take this opportunity to become famous in one fell swoop, and there is hope of continuing to open it. But if you don't want to
Help me, or you may not be able to solve this matter. Then I will die anyway, so I might as well die with dignity and save myself from being said to be a woman with extremely bad credit after my death."
When the woman said this, she couldn't help but raise her head with a wry smile. Her words were full of helplessness and collapse.
I couldn't help but be a little surprised when I heard her. I opened and closed my mouth in surprise for a long time. I didn't know what to say to express my feelings. But after hesitating for a long time, I opened my mouth and said calmly: "You said it."
It is indeed pitiful, and I do feel sorry for you, but I really hate being threatened by others. So..."
Before I finished speaking, she stood up with red cheeks, stretched out her hand to cover my mouth, and then said to me with a painful look on her face: "I know it's expensive for you to solve the problem, and I also know
No one is willing to help others in vain. I am willing to dedicate my body to you, as long as you are willing...willing to help me..."
Having said this, she bit her lip gently and stared directly into my eyes, seeming to be looking for my answer.
"well......"
Seeing the reluctant expression on her face and the somewhat painful look on her face, I couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Yes...who would be willing to do such a thing if they weren't forced into desperation by life?
If she is not really helpless and can't think of any other way, which girl is willing to dedicate herself to
Where is the body?
"well……"
Thinking of this, I sighed again. For a moment, I didn't know what to say to express my mood at this time.
"You... don't worry, my... my body is very clean. So far... I haven't been touched by any man."
She looked at the way I sighed and hesitated, thinking that I was disgusted with her body. Even though she was very shy, she still explained it to me reluctantly.
"That was not what I meant……"
I looked at her shy look and listened to her words, and couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake my head.
"Then what do you mean?"
She asked me softly while trying to take off the frame of her whalebone skirt.
Seeing her white and tender skin appearing before my eyes, my face inevitably turned rosy.
"Stop! Stop!"
I shouted stop twice, trying to get her to stop what she was doing.
"What's wrong? Detective?"
When she heard my voice, she gently stopped what she was doing and asked a little strangely.
"Actually, you just need to make an IOU with me. As long as you pay back the money later, I don't need you to sacrifice your body. Do you understand?"
I waved my hand vigorously at her and said with a wry smile.
"Thank you very much for your willingness to help me, Inspector Yang."
When the woman said this, she bowed deeply to me and expressed her insignificant gratitude to me.
"Okay, please sit down first and don't get so close to me."
As I spoke, I raised my head slightly and put a certain distance away from her in front of me.
"Okay, I will listen to you."
She nodded and sat back on the chair.
"By the way, I don't know what to call you yet?"
I stretched out my hand and made a sit-down gesture towards her, and then slowly asked.
"Um...Inspector Yang, my name is Chen Mengting, you can just call me Mengting."
She gently sat back down in her original position, first showed me a grateful smile, and then answered.
"Then I will call you Miss Mengting."
I lowered my head slightly and said to her with great respect.
"Um……"
When Meng Ting heard this, her cheeks couldn't help but turn rosy.
"Miss Mengting... I have a question to ask you."
The moment I saw her sitting on the chair in her whalebone skirt, I seemed to realize something and hurriedly asked.
"what is the problem?"
Chen Mengting raised her head and looked at me with some confusion.
"Why can you sit on a chair while wearing a whalebone skirt? Doesn't the whalebone skirt have whale bones supporting the skirt?"
I asked the most critical question in determining the shape of human beings in this world. After all, if you have a little knowledge, you can know that it is extremely difficult for her to enter the door wearing this skirt, let alone sit on a chair.
"I removed it because it was very inconvenient to wear it. I improved it and added a mechanism to adjust the tightness. Although it doesn't look as good as the original whalebone skirt, it is much more convenient for me to wear it this way than before.
.”
At this point, she suddenly smiled at me, a little shy, and asked me proudly: "How are you doing? Am I good?"
"awesome!"
I shrugged my shoulders and answered very perfunctorily.