Chapter 9: The Nonexistent Person

"Are you a police officer?" I was taken aback, stood up from the ground, and glanced up and down at Liu Cheng: "What does the police want in my dormitory? You even followed me all the way from Fortune Teller Street! Are you out of your mind?"

As soon as I noticed that this girl was following me, I felt invigorated. Just as I was about to say something, she seemed to realize something and repeatedly waved her hand at me, saying: "Alright, alright, let's not talk about that for now. I have a few questions to ask you. Is your hometown in the Fuyang area of Jiangsu? Are you 24 years old this year? Are there a total of five people in your family? Did you graduate from high school?"

Did I fight with a rich second generation? Or was it something that happened around this time last year

Even so, I still cannot trust my own judgment. If she is not a ghost, what is her background? What is she doing standing at my window in the dead of night

Little did I know, Liu Cheng's next words left me utterly speechless: "Zheng Yan, you are a person who has already died... Indeed, you have already died..."

Do you still dare to shout for help? It is you who has been pretending and playing tricks all along

This is impossible! I clearly saw it with my own eyes... No, no, you are not Zheng Yan; you must be someone else...

Grass! Is this person in front of me not a ghost

I hurriedly pushed Liu Cheng aside, just about to complain a few words, when I saw her eyes widen in shock, her face displaying a look of astonishment: "How could this be? You... you are really Zheng Yan..."

At this moment, the woman had almost wiped away the black smudges and the remnants of the graphic novel from her face, and surprisingly, her features still revealed some beauty. The woman's facial structure was quite good, but her gaze was as sharp and piercing as a pitchfork.

Help! Help! There is a ghost!

I instinctively wanted to struggle, but this girl was clearly trained, pinning me down without allowing any resistance: "Ah? Indeed, there is a mole, what... what is going on? This is too incredible..."

Both individuals were severely injured with multiple cuts on their bodies, and the wounds were bleeding profusely. My master and I quickly contacted someone to take them to the hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, both individuals died due to excessive blood loss and ineffective medical intervention. I remember their names very clearly: one was a wealthy second-generation heir from the city, named Zhang Chen, and the other was a worker from outside Shanghai, named Zheng Yan.

I am a non-existent person

You... you... you are not a ghost...

I was suddenly struck with a shock akin to being hit by five thunders, and within me surged towering waves of astonishment. I momentarily doubted whether this Liu Cheng before me was truly a police officer or if he had simply escaped from a mental institution.

Zheng Yan, do you still remember what happened around this time last year? The details of your fight with the rich second generation?

I haven't settled the score with you yet! Why did you suddenly splash something on me for no reason? And it smells so bad... Liu Cheng stood up and took off her long sleeves, revealing a dark, short, and graphic short-sleeved shirt, with a high and prominent chest and a perfect curve

Even if I were to be foolish, I know that ghosts do not speak, nor do they have shadows, yet the person before me...

Under the light of the dormitory, I could clearly see the shadow of the female ghost swaying in my line of sight

What Zhang Chen? Which Zhang Chen? I don't know him! Don't ask these useless questions! Tell me what you want from me

I rubbed my eyes and took a closer look at the female ghost in my line of sight. Indeed, there was a shadow...

The woman stared at me for a full minute, took a few tissues from the table, and wiped around her forehead: "Are you Zheng Yan?"

A jolt ran through me; another person who knew me inside out had arrived. I had never met this Liu Cheng before, and by all accounts, this girl could be considered a beauty. I had no reason not to have an impression of her

My mind gradually regained its clarity, and I said, "What business do you have sneaking around? This is my dormitory. Who the hell are you?"

I was momentarily taken aback, turned around to take a glance, and to my astonishment, the female ghost actually spoke

"Wait, wait, wait! Don't say anything yet! I don't even understand what you're talking about. First, tell me why you came to find me?" I interrupted Liu Cheng's questioning; if this continued, my mind would surely be left in a daze by her.

Liu Cheng muttered to himself, saying: "I know it's hard for you to accept this fact all at once. I only stumbled upon this coincidence while going through some materials. Yesterday, we were investigating a suicide case, and I saw your figure in the surveillance footage from that store. I recognized you at first glance... You are the first case I handled in my investigation, and I will never forget your appearance for the rest of my life"

I have no idea what Liu Cheng is talking about. I only came to Shanghai six months ago. When did I ever get into a fight with a rich second generation? Last year? At this time last year, I was still working in a factory back in my hometown

I said how fresh it is, if I am not Zheng Yan, who else could I be? What exactly do you want to do? Is this how you act as a police officer? Scaring people for no reason and even beating me up.

My name is Liu Cheng, and I am a police officer at the Nanchao District Public Security Bureau. The woman wiped her hands clean and took out an identification card from her pocket

Go to hell! I think you are the ghost! When I see you, I feel you are being sneaky; you must be hiding some big secret here, right?

"Let me take another look at your neck," Liu Cheng said as he walked straight up to me, attempting to lift my collar to see something.

It seems that you cannot remember anything at all; something must have happened in between. Let me put it this way, Zheng Yan, you are actually a non-existent person. Liu Cheng thought for a moment and cautiously summarized.

Hearing this sentence left me dumbfounded; if I do not exist, then where did I come from? Am I perhaps sprung from the cracks of a stone?

I stood up, turned around, and faced the *picture* book, gripping the window and thinking that if this female ghost were to chase me, I would jump down from the second floor

The woman immediately shouted at me, further validating my judgment

Alright, alright, stop talking! Officer Liu, right? You should just leave. Am I a dead person? Are you implying that I, Zheng Yan, am a ghost? Why don't you say that I am the reincarnation of the Jade Emperor? Just hurry up and leave! You won't have to compensate for any losses here; you've driven me completely mad!

This is not my fault either! This woman pressed her face against my window and stared at me for at least ten minutes. What normal woman would do such a thing in the middle of the night?

My mind is in a state of chaos, and I cannot tell whether it is my nerves that are malfunctioning or if I have encountered a neurotic police officer

This punch left me feeling light-headed and unsteady, my head hitting the corner of the wall and causing stars to burst in my vision. I couldn't care less about anything else and shouted for help. My colleagues next door should still be awake at this hour.

Liu Cheng held her head in deep contemplation, her delicate brows furrowing into a knot. It seemed as if she thought I was an imposter of Zheng Yan. However, on the other hand, I do have a birthmark the size of a thumb on my neck, a mark I have carried since birth, known only to a few people in my family. Outsiders could not possibly know this. So how did Liu Cheng come to know this particular detail?

... ...

I am currently at a loss as to how to report this incident to * the * book; it is all too incredible for me. This time last year, specifically on September 28, I had just recently joined the police force. We received a call reporting a brawl at a barbecue restaurant in the city center. When we arrived at the scene, it was extremely chaotic, and we saw two individuals lying on the ground, covered in blood and severely injured

Indeed, this is definitely a person. Not only does she have a shadow, but she has also wiped off the black dog blood on her face, revealing the cheek of a beautiful woman. After all this time, it turns out I was mistaken; the dog blood had splashed onto this woman's face.

Liu Cheng shot me a glare: "What are you so smug about! Not only you, but even I can't believe that all of this is real! You don't remember anything, which is why you think this way, but I saw you die with my own eyes! How can this be? How can someone who was clearly dead still be alive?"

Another person came to know me, and I was instantly bewildered: "Yes, I am Zheng Yan, and who are you?"

Do you remember Zhang Chen

Uh... how do you know me so well?

This situation is not right! Is there a shadow?

To be honest, my temper has always been manageable, and I have never taken the initiative to lose my temper with a girl. However, Liu Cheng has gone too far. The shadow she cast on the window just now nearly scared me to death, and I even took a punch from her for no reason. My jaw is now burning with pain.