Stepping out of the Muzha Line MRT station, Qin Jiayun was greeted by the pitch-black night and the bustling streets. Fresh from her cram school session on Nanyang Street, she carried her school bag, ready to head home, her face clearly showing signs of joy as if she had just experienced something delightful.
"Good luck with next week's performance," she cheerfully said to her classmate on the phone. Today's exam results were out, and Qin Jiayun had surprisingly just passed the combinatorics section. Now, she could finally focus on preparing for the club's performance without worry. "It's already the second semester of our sophomore year; we should make the most of our last bit of youth."
Watching the pedestrian signal start to blink, Qin Jiayun hurried across the crosswalk, brushing past a middle-aged man with a crew cut and a strange expression, who appeared to be in his forties.
The man was accompanied by a girl wearing denim hot pants and a spaghetti strap top, boldly revealing her shoulders and the fair skin of her back. She wore large earrings and light black-blue eyeshadow, with a few glittering sequins stuck to her face. Despite looking only about high school age, her heavy makeup gave her an unnaturally mature and seductive appearance, which inadvertently gave Qin Jiayun the impression of a call girl.
The man stared at Qin Jiayun with the disgusting grin often seen in Japanese adult films, letting out a loud whistle and lewd laughter. This sudden behavior made Qin Jiayun extremely uncomfortable, and her rare good mood vanished instantly.
Qin Jiayun was quite pretty, with adorable big eyes and deep dimples that appeared when she smiled, always leaving her admirers spellbound. She often wore her hair in a high ponytail, and her delicate, well-proportioned features frequently displayed a friendly smile. Her fair skin had a faint blush, and her sweet voice was the reason she became the lead singer in the school's music club. Moreover, she was a student at Taipei First Girls' High School.
Although she enjoyed being the center of attention, Qin Jiayun deeply despised boys who took liberties with her. She remembered an incident shortly after starting her sophomore year when she stayed late at the McDonald's near Hezhe to discuss a joint welcome event with a friend's club from Jianzhong High School. On her way home, she was harassed by a pervert.
"I'm going to hang up now, bye-bye," Qin Jiayun gave the creepy man an unhappy look and quickened her pace towards the park at the end of the alley.
A poster on the road warning 'Be careful when returning home at night' caught Qin Jiayun's attention, reminding her of the famous beauty from the school dance club, Zhang Ruiyu, who was suspected of being assaulted and then kidnapped on New Year's Eve while returning home. The incident caused a stir for several weeks, leaving nothing behind except signs of a struggle and a lost backpack. Since then, such posters have been plastered all over near the MRT station exits.
A student from Success High School stood quietly under a streetlight at the corner, memorizing English vocabulary. It was Qin Jiayun's neighbor, Lai Weijie. Lai was tall and quite handsome, though sometimes a bit effeminate in personality. His permed bangs covered his forehead, and his lips were adorned with slightly dark fuzz, giving him a profound appearance. It was said he had recently broken up with his girlfriend, so he must not be feeling too great.
Qin Jiayun met him while preparing for the Basic Competency Test at a cram school. The memories of studying together for the test still brought Qin Jiayun a sweet feeling. However, after entering high school, their lives gradually lost overlap, and they slowly drifted apart.
She still remembered that rainy night when she stood at the MRT station entrance, sighing at the sky. The umbrella that appeared over her head was like a safe shield protecting her. It was that sudden night rain that gave them the chance to meet. Otherwise, in this concrete jungle, would she ever have had the opportunity to know the friend living across the hall?
After exchanging polite greetings, Qin Jiayun walked into the alley to head home. Looking at the old apartments around and the dim yellow streetlights, she thought this place could be considered Taipei's slum. Even though the material conditions weren't that affluent, Qin Jiayun was quite satisfied with her current life.
Just as she took out her keys to open the front door, a strong hand suddenly covered her mouth and nose from behind. The pungent smell of anesthesia came from the cloth in that hand. Feeling dizzy, Qin Jiayun struggled to turn her head to see who was attacking her.
It was that annoying buzz-cut uncle from earlier. Qin Jiayun quickly raised her head and struggled, hitting his chin hard with her head. A crisp sound of teeth breaking reached her ears. She twisted her body forcefully to escape his grasp and ran towards the park at the alley's entrance.
"Wei Jie, help!" she shouted the name that suddenly flashed through her mind.
"What's happening, what's wrong?" Lai Wei Jie heard the cry for help and noticed Qin Jiayun, who was trembling in fear with tears streaming down her face. He ran over, grabbed her shoulders, and asked nervously.
Before Qin Jiayun could catch her breath to speak, she caught a glimpse of a black-clad figure standing behind Lai Wei Jie, wielding a club. Before she could react, the figure struck Lai Wei Jie's head hard with the club. Qin Jiayun heard a mournful cry, then felt Lai Wei Jie collapse weakly into her arms. Staring in shock, her pupils dilated rapidly from fear.
Qin Jiayun opened her mouth wide to scream, but then the anesthetic gas reached her nose again. Suddenly, her whole body felt limp, and despite her efforts to stay focused, she couldn't resist the overwhelming drowsiness. Her wide-open eyes gradually lost their strength, and she slowly lost consciousness...