Chapter 316: The Midnight Search For A Corpse (2/2)

”Shut up!” I shouted.

Rendered speechless, Li Meijing stared wide-eyed at me. The irritating buzzing in my ear was gone and the world was at peace again.

”Can we start from the road again?” asked Ding Xu.

”No problem,” I nodded. “We’ll keep searching until we find your body, even if it takes all night!”

Ding Xu walked to the side of the road and scanned the area as if looking for something. Then, he picked a direction and walked for a short distance before crouching with his head sandwiched between his hands. ”I can't remember! I can't remember!”

”There isn’t a dead body, is there?!” scoffed Dali.

”I know I died here!” retorted Ding Xu. “I'm 100% sure there was a signpost that read 50 kilometers from Yishan County. It’s the one in front.”

There was obstinacy in his eyes, but it wasn’t enough to convince me.

I sat down beside him and asked, ”Do you remember what you saw, heard or smelled at the time? Any little detail matters.”

”There were dogs barking in the distance, many dogs.” Ding Xu bit his lip, “And the stench of excrement, like cow dung. There were several birch trees beside the place I was buried.”

There were indeed birch trees nearby and dogs barking in the distance. Li Meijing couldn’t help but interject, ”He’s making it up as he goes. Why didn't he say this before?”

”Let’s look along the edge of the woods,” I said, sweeping a solemn gaze across Ding Xu.

Li Meijing and Zhang Cheng were beginning to show impatience, casting reproachful glances in Ding Xu’s direction. We spread out and searched for some time, walking from the middle to the end of the woods, yet we came up empty. When I turned around, I found Ding Xu crouching again.

”Have you found something?” I asked.

I was startled to see tears streaming down his face. When the sobbing eventually ceased, his tone had returned to normal. ”I'm sorry, Song Yang. I lied to you. I’m not possessed at all!”

On the contrary, his confession disappointed me. I called the others back, and as soon as Li Meijing joined us, she gave Ding Xu a good scolding.

”It's alright,” Dali comforted. “You’re probably suffering from psychological problems due to too much pressure from the exam.”

”Let's go back then!” I said.

As we walked out of the woods, Luo Youyou tugged at my shirt and whispered, ”Song Yang, don't you think Ding Xu's actions are a bit strange?”

”What do you mean?” I asked.

”Look at the way he’s walking!” she pointed at him.

I looked in front, only to notice that Ding Xu's gait was rather coquettish. He unconsciously lifted his heel which was a habit that only women used to wearing high heels would have. Obviously, a stout young man like Ding Xu couldn’t have picked it up.

The realization dawned upon me–perhaps he found something but deliberately feigned ignorance.

”Qiu Wanxia!” I shouted.

Ding Xu stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at me out of reflex, though he quickly looked away. Indeed, things weren’t as simple as they appeared, and Ding Xu still retained Qiu Wanxia’s consciousness. But no matter how careful a person, reacting to their name was a spontaneous action hard to get rid of.

I immediately called for a U-turn back to the place where Ding Xu was crouching earlier.

”I already admitted I was lying,” said Ding Xu, his expression turning ugly. “Why don't you believe me? Haven’t I already apologized?”

”It's past 9 o'clock, let's hurry back,” Li Meijing chimed in. “Otherwise, we won’t make it back in time before they shut the dormitory.”

”I need to be sure there’s nothing,” I persisted. “Give me five minutes!”