Days went by. On a rainy night, neon lights shone on the wet streets. Pan Jie stood outside a hotel, watching police bustling at the scene, while Lin Yuan stood beside her, arms crossed and deep in thought.
"The last person I contacted before my death was that reporter," Lin Yuan murmured. "If he was silenced, it means what we've uncovered is threatening someone's interests."
Pan Jie frowned. "Ugh, it's so frustrating that you can't remember your past life. We would've found clues already if you could."
Lin Yuan shrugged. "It's not like I had any say in the matter."
In truth, after days of living together, Pan Jie no longer feared Lin Yuan as she had at first. Though he was an evil ghost, he had principles and wouldn't harm others arbitrarily. Apart from forcing her to investigate his death every night, he was almost like another family member during the day.
Once, when she came home from work, she found Lin Yuan curled up on the sofa with her mother, engrossed in a cheesy romance drama. Her mother even complained, "This female lead is such a love fool."
Lin Yuan solemnly nodded. "So stupid."
Pan Jie was left speechless. What was this... oh right, he was a ghost.
Now, she couldn't be bothered to dwell on such trivialities.
"Let's go take a look," Lin Yuan said, his gaze sharpening. "Let me possess you."
Pan Jie frowned. "Again?"
"Some things are easier for ghosts to handle than humans," Lin Yuan stated matter-of-factly. "Don't worry, I won't go overboard."
After a moment's hesitation, Pan Jie agreed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then felt her body tremble slightly. As her consciousness faded to the side, her body came under Lin Yuan's control.
As Lin Yuan—inhabiting Pan Jie's body—she walked into the police station near the apartment and went straight to a policeman handling cases. "Hello, I'm here to see Uncle Wei."
The policeman looked up, recognizing her as the college student who'd come to inquire about the case days earlier. He nodded. "Captain Wei is in his office. Go ahead."
She walked down the station's corridor and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
In the office, a middle-aged man in his 40s with a crew cut, silver hair, and glasses sat at a desk, a cup of steaming coffee before him.
Uncle Wei looked up, frowning. "Xiao Jie, why are you here again?"
Pan Jie cleared her throat. "Uncle Wei, any progress in Teacher Lin's case?"
Uncle Wei set down his files and adjusted his glasses. "Xiao Jie, you can't keep coming here like this. Our work is confidential and can't be disclosed casually."
He'd previously suspected Pan Jie's motives. Why would an ordinary neighbor care so much about a murder case unrelated to her? If it weren't for her solid alibi, he'd have considered her a suspect.
Just then, "Clatter!"
The coffee cup on the desk suddenly overturned without warning, scalding coffee spilling across the table. Uncle Wei leaped to his feet, staring in shock.
Then, a pencil on the desk began to move slowly, as if held by an invisible hand, writing several lines on a document:
"Thank you for working around the clock to track down my killer."
Uncle Wei's breath hitched, his pupils dilating. He nearly fell off his chair.
"You..." He spun to face Pan Jie, his face pale. "Is that... thing with you?"
Pan Jie smirked. "It's me."
Uncle Wei: ???!!
"Don't pass out," Lin Yuan said through Pan Jie's body. "The reporter murdered at Q Restaurant was the last person I saw alive. You can check the surveillance from my home to Q Restaurant that night."
Uncle Wei's fingers tapped the desk involuntarily, his expression grave.
"...We've already noticed this," he said in a low voice. "But the specifics are still under investigation."
Lin Yuan pressed on, "This isn't an ordinary case, and my death wasn't an accident—I'm certain."
Uncle Wei stared at "Pan Jie," his thoughts in turmoil. Logic screamed this was impossible, yet having seen a ghost move objects with his own eyes, he couldn't dismiss it.
After a long silence, he sighed. "Xiao Jie, or rather, Mr. Lin, police investigations follow procedures."
"Of course," Lin Yuan said calmly. "But at least... can you check the surveillance from that night? There might be unexpected discoveries."
Uncle Wei nodded. "I'll arrange it as soon as possible."
After leaving the station, Lin Yuan withdrew from Pan Jie's body. She gasped, clutching her forehead and leaning against the wall, pale-faced.
"Hey, must you possess me so long every time?" she snapped.
"Can't help it, your constitution's too weak," Lin Yuan chuckled. "Boost your yang energy."
Pan Jie rolled her eyes. "Why don't you tell me how?"
"Sunlight, glutinous rice, even beef or mutton," Lin Yuan said casually. "But don't worry too much. With me around, other ghosts won't bother you for now."
Pan Jie snorted. "Easy for you to say."
They fell silent, glancing back at the police station.
"Uncle Wei agreed to review the surveillance. Now we'll just have to wait and see if we find any clues," Pan Jie murmured.
"EMn." Lin Yuan squinted, his eyes darkening. "I hope this doesn't get too complicated."
====================
几天时间过去了,夜晚的街道上,霓虹灯光映照在湿漉漉的地面上.潘洁站在酒店外,看着警察们在现场忙碌着,而林远就站在她旁边,双手抱胸,一脸若有所思.
"这几天我们得到的线索里,我最后一次接触的人是那名记者." 林远低声说道,"如果真是他被灭口了,那说明我们查到的东西,已经触及到某些人的利益."
潘洁皱了皱眉:"唉,你没有生前记忆真是麻烦,要不然我们早就能找到线索了."
林远耸耸肩:"这可不是我能决定的."
其实这几天相处下来,潘洁已经没有最初那种对林远的恐惧了.尽管这家伙是个恶鬼,但至少有原则,不会随意害人.除了每晚强行拉她出去调查他的死因之外,白天的时候简直就像是她家里的另一名成员.
有一次她下班回家,竟然看到林远和她妈一起窝在沙发上,津津有味地追着一部狗血爱情剧.她妈还一边看一边吐槽:"这女主真是恋爱脑."
林远也深以为然地点头:"对,太蠢了."
潘洁当场无语,这是什么鬼东西... 哦不对,这家伙本来就是鬼.
现在,她已经懒得去纠结这些无关紧要的事了.
"走吧,我们去看看." 林远说着,眼神闪过一丝认真,"让我附身一下."
潘洁皱眉:"又来?"
"有些事情,鬼比人更方便." 林远理直气壮地说,"放心,我不会乱来的."
潘洁犹豫了一下,但还是答应了,闭上眼深吸了一口气,然后感觉身体微微一颤,意识仿佛被挤到了一旁,身体由林远掌控.
潘洁,也就是此刻被林远附身的她,走进了公寓附近的警局,径直找到一名正在处理案件的警察:"你好,我找伟叔."
那名警察抬头看了她一眼,认出她是几天前来打听案情的大学生,便点头道:"伟队在办公室,你去找他吧."
她顺着警局的走廊走去,敲了敲门.
"进."
推门而入,办公室里,一个四十多岁,满头白发的平头眼镜大叔,正坐在桌前,桌上摆着一杯刚泡好的咖啡,热气氤氲.
伟叔抬起头,皱眉道:"小洁啊,你怎么又来了?"
潘洁轻咳了一声:"伟叔,想问一下林教师的案件有没有进展啊?"
伟叔放下手里的文件,扶了扶眼镜:"小洁,你一直往我这边跑也不是个事儿啊.而且我们的工作是保密的,不能随便透露."
他之前也对潘洁的举动产生过怀疑,哪有一个普通邻居,会对一桩跟自己毫无关系的命案这么感兴趣?要不是查清楚潘洁当天确实有不在场证明,他都怀疑她是嫌疑人之一了.
然而,就在他话音落下的瞬间.
"啪嗒!"
放在桌上的咖啡杯忽然无缘无故地倒了,滚烫的咖啡洒了一桌,伟叔猛地站起来,惊愕地看着这一幕.
紧接着,桌上的一支铅笔缓缓地动了起来,像是有一只看不见的手握住了它,在文件纸上写下几行字:
"辛苦你们不分昼夜地,追查杀死我的人."
伟叔呼吸一滞,瞳孔微缩,连椅子都差点坐不稳了.
"你..." 他猛地看向潘洁,脸色有些发白, "那位... 是不是在你身边?"
潘洁的嘴角微微勾起,语气带着一丝戏谑:"我就是."
伟叔:???!!!
"别晕." 林远控制着潘洁的身体继续说道,"在Q饭店被谋杀的记者,是我生前最后一个见到的人.你们可以去调查那天晚上我家附近,一直到Q饭店的监控."
伟叔的手指不自觉地在桌上敲了敲,脸色凝重.
"...这件事,我们确实已经注意到了." 他低声道,"但具体情况还在调查之中."
林远闻言,继续说道:"这不是普通的案件,我的死也不是意外,我可以肯定."
伟叔看着眼前的 "潘洁",心中翻江倒海,理智告诉他,眼前这人说的事情匪夷所思,可是亲眼看到鬼魂控物的这一幕,他又不得不信.
沉默了一会儿,他叹了口气:"小洁,哦不对,林先生,我们警方查案是有流程的."
"当然." 林远语气平静,"但至少,能否查查那天晚上的监控?说不定会有意想不到的发现."
伟叔点点头:"我尽量安排."
离开警局后,林远从潘洁体内退了出来,潘洁猛地深吸一口气,捂着额头,靠在墙上,脸色有些苍白.
"喂,你这家伙,每次附身都要搞这么久吗?" 她没好气地问道.
"谁让你身体这么虚." 林远笑了笑,"你以后多补补阳气吧."
潘洁翻了个白眼:"你倒是给我指条明路啊?"
"阳光,糯米,甚至吃点牛羊肉都行." 林远随口说道,"不过也不用太担心,有我在,别的鬼暂时不会来找你."
潘洁哼了一声:"你倒是说得轻巧."
两人沉默了一会儿,回头看了看警局的方向.
"伟叔答应查监控了,接下来,我们就等着看能不能发现什么线索吧." 潘洁低声说道.
"嗯." 林远眯了眯眼,目光幽深,"希望这一切,不会牵扯得太深."