Chapter 1: The Ownerless Garment

"Yes," Lin Hua said nervously as he looked at his boss

At this time, it has been a full twenty days since the day the clothes were to be delivered

Therefore, the woman named Wu Yun was murdered in the early hours of Christmas Eve, and the snow-white garment was delivered the following day on Christmas Day

Lin Hua clearly remembers this date, not only because the clothing owner has long been coming to collect clothes, but also because this day happens to be Christmas

Although Lin Hua felt that Mo Xian's words had some merit, she still found many illogical aspects. She gazed at the snow jacket on the shelf and suddenly thought of something: "We just need to find out who sent this jacket. Unfortunately, I wasn't here to work on Christmas Day."

No longer in this world! The owner of the snow attire, the woman Lin Hua had imagined countless times, has actually passed away

Hello. To Lin Hua's surprise, it was a man's voice.

Lin Hua hurriedly explained: "Sir, you have misunderstood my meaning. The laundry fee for this garment was already paid at the time of delivery. I just wanted to remind her to pick up the clothes in a timely manner. Perhaps she is busy and has forgotten about this matter."

The victim, a young girl named Wu Yun, is 19 years old. The perpetrator has not yet been found. The police hereby advise single young women who are engrossed in the internet to return home early at night to avoid being followed and harmed by criminals.

When Lin Hua thought of this, his face turned pale, resembling that snow-white garment

Since I started working as a front desk receptionist at this laundry called "Green Water" half a month ago, this piece of clothing has been hanging on the pickup rack. Its snow-white cashmere texture and simple, smooth design make this coat appear like an ethereal lotus, perpetually blooming and never fading in this small laundry.

Mo first entered his office and soon after brought back a local newspaper. He handed the newspaper to Lin Hua, who took it with confusion. After quickly scanning the pages, his gaze landed on a brief news item: Title: A Peaceful Night is Not Peaceful, Content: On Christmas Eve, while citizens were immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the night, a girl from Zero Hour Internet Cafe left the cafe after surfing the internet until the early hours. As she reached the entrance of her nearby home, she encountered a robber who strangled her to death. Content: On Christmas Eve, while citizens were immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the night, a girl from Zero Hour Internet Cafe left the cafe after surfing the internet until the early hours. As she reached the entrance of her nearby home, she encountered a robber who strangled her to death

Mo Xian looked around the store. Two laundry workers were busy washing and ironing clothes in the back workroom, while Lin Hua sat alone behind the receiving counter, lost in thought

Mo Xian listened, as if suddenly recalling something: "Are you saying that the owner's name is Wu Yun?"

These lines of the song are sung for the second time when the call finally connects

Before Lin Hua, another staff member, Xiao Le, was responsible for the front desk reception duties

The man said: "Since the laundry fee has already been paid, please dispose of the clothes, either by throwing them away or burning them. Just get rid of them. I don't want to see her things anymore, do you understand what I mean?"

Mo glanced at Lin Hua, feeling dissatisfied, yet casually said: "Xiao Lin, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? You look quite pale."

Before he finished speaking, the man interrupted: "You are here to ask for the laundry fee, right? Just give me an address, and I will go pay it."

Is it a ghost? Lin Hua often reads ghost stories online, which mainly tell about how some people continue to do many things after they die

Lin Hua suddenly remembered that the weather forecast said there would be snow in the next couple of days. This would be the second snowfall of this winter. Thinking of the snow, Lin Hua couldn't help but look up at the snow-white garment. She wondered what a captivating scene it would be to walk gracefully in a white dress amidst a world blanketed in white snow. The prerequisite is that the woman wearing the dress must have a slender and elegant figure, with a serene and beautiful face.

Lin Hua finished reading the news and felt that something was amiss. What was it? Her gaze suddenly fixed on the - image - book in the laundry records

As Lin Hua once again retrieved the laundry record for this "snow coat," it was afternoon. At this time, there were no customers present. Looking out through the spotless glass door that he had polished himself, the weather outside was not pleasant; the bare trees on the street swayed silently, creating a stark contrast with the warm, heated laundry shop.

Lin Hua recounted the phone call that had just taken place

Lin Hua responded in a confused manner, and the other party simply said "thank you" before hanging up

The date for sending clothes is clearly written as "December 25"

An hour later, the owner of the laundromat, Mo Xian, arrived. Mo Xian is a middle-aged man in his forties, but due to his good maintenance, he appears to be just in his early thirties

Hello, sir, I am from the Green Water Laundry. May I ask if Ms. Wu Yun is available? Lin Hua inquired in as gentle a voice as possible

Mo Xian nodded slightly to Lin Hua, indicating appreciation. He then went to dial Xiao Le's phone. After a moment, his brow furrowed: "Her phone has been disconnected. She resigned and returned to her hometown, Yangcheng. We can no longer reach her."

Lin Hua has been paying attention to that white cashmere coat for half a month now

Mo Xian understood this point and pondered for a moment before saying: "Perhaps things are not as they seem. First, it is possible that Wu Yun has the same name as someone else, and it cannot be ruled out that he used a pseudonym in *Tu* newspapers and magazines. The man who answered the phone did not tell you how Wu Yun died, did he? So, it is possible that they share the same name; it is merely a coincidence.

Secondly, to take a step back, this Wu Yun is indeed the same Wu Yun, and this piece of clothing also belongs to her. We received this clothing on the day after Wu Yun was murdered. This raises the possibility that it was delivered by the murderer

Thinking of this, Lin Hua finally decided to dial the phone number left by the owner of the clothes. Missing this snow and wearing this garment again would be regrettable. Moreover, when the owner comes to retrieve the clothes, he will be able to catch a glimpse of her elegance.

The caller's ringtone is precisely "Snowman" by Fan Xiaoxuan: "Snowflakes fall one by one, piecing together the fate between you and me. My love is born because of you, your hand touches my heartache..."

Lin Hua checked the laundry record for this piece of clothing, which is branded with only the character "Xue." The owner's name is filled in as "Wu Yun," and the contact number is a mobile phone number. The owner had already paid when the clothes were sent for cleaning—such pure white garments must be washed separately, which is why the charge is significantly higher than that for ordinary clothing.

Mo Xian was slightly taken aback: "How did you know?"

Lin Hua shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this: "This is impossible! Could the murderer be insane? Generally, after committing murder, a murderer will do everything possible to destroy the victim's clothing. How could this murderer be so foolish as to send the victim's clothes to the laundry? Not only that, but they also left the victim's information with the laundry? Moreover, how could the murderer know so much about the victim's situation?"

Whenever Lin Hua's gaze fell upon this garment, she could not help but imagine what kind of woman its owner would be. Only a woman as beautiful as Snow White would be worthy of such a snow-white attire.

Lin Hua looked at the boss and said: "Manager, the owner of that white coat has passed away"

The man was silent for a moment before replying: "She is not here. What do you want to say to me?"

The man fell silent for a moment, his originally indifferent voice now even more subdued: "Thank you, it is no longer needed. Wu Yun, she is no longer in this world."

Lin Hua was completely stunned in an instant, his mouth forming an 'O' shape, and words were stuck in his throat

However, the date for collecting the clothing has long passed, and this garment has remained unclaimed.

Mo then took over the conversation: "This indicates that the murderer is an acquaintance of the deceased. That Wu Yun is fond of going online, isn't she? It is highly likely that the murderer is one of her online friends. This further explains why the murderer would follow the victim in an internet café"

Oh, it is like this. Ms. Wu Yun had her clothes washed at our store, but she has not come to pick them up for a long time