I was simply dumbstruck. The feeling was indescribable; if I had to articulate it, it would be akin to the sensation of standing over a dismembered ogre—my head was roaring, and there was a crushing sense of collapse in my heart.

“What do you want?” As I spoke, I handed him back my phone.

“The police will come tomorrow to take your statement. All you have to do is confirm that you took that stamp album from my place. As for how you got in or out, just say you don't remember. The police won’t dig any deeper. All I need is for you to retrieve that album from the Public Security Bureau.” He said this while retrieving his phone, leaning back with his legs crossed in a smug manner.

Suddenly, I remembered what Li Xiaoshu B had said that day. This Li Xiaoshu, who had so desperately wanted the album, must be his twin brother. The long-standing cloud of suspicion in my mind began to stir once more.

“That day, you intended to use me as a sacrifice?”

“You could put it that way. I never expected you to be so resilient; running off even after being stabbed in the hand with a dagger. That has never happened before.”

All the speculation, thought, and doubt I’d held onto finally had an answer. Just as Li Xiaoshu B had claimed, I should thank heaven I got my life back. Then came the bigger questions: were those two people human or ghosts?

“What about Hou Dayong and Bai Huajian? The school says there are no such people.”

“Do you want to see them? If you do, perhaps I can arrange a meeting for you both one of these days?”

A meeting? I had no idea what that would entail. I certainly didn't want a repeat of what happened before. My biggest concern right now was my older sister. Wait, perhaps a trade would work: “How about a deal? You let me out of here first. I’ll give my statement to the police, you get the stamp album, and I go take care of my sister.”

“Hahahaha,” he burst out laughing. “You want to make a deal with me? I have your sister. What do you have?”

“I met your twin brother, and he doesn’t want you to get the album! That’s what I offer to trade with you!” At these words, Li Xiaoshu A immediately dropped his smile. It seemed this sentence had hit the mark.

“Fine. You can be discharged tomorrow morning. The police will come for your statement tomorrow afternoon.” With that, Li Xiaoshu A stood up and strode out of the reception room. I remained seated on the sofa, watching his retreating figure, knowing that this time, I was truly entangled in a thorny situation.

Sure enough, in the afternoon, Wenshu rushed in, excitedly sharing the good news. Waiting for this day had been exhausting. Watching Wenshu cheerfully pack my things, I recalled the nervousness of our first meeting and suddenly felt I had matured significantly. After everything I had endured, there was a sense of complete transformation; I knew exactly what needed to be done, what needed protecting, and whom I needed to deal with. The bewildered Ming Xiaoyu, drifting without direction through the long nights in the psychiatric hospital, was gone. Now, the man standing here, tempered by storms, was determined to pursue and protect the ones he loved.

The next morning, I received my discharge papers right on schedule. Wenshu took a day off and called a taxi to take me home.

Pushing open the door, I was hit by the stale, musty smell of a room long unventilated. The room itself was tidy, but a thin layer of dust covered the furniture, suggesting my sister hadn't been back in a long while. Wenshu immediately opened the windows and meticulously wiped down every piece of furniture with a rag. While she did the housework, I stood quietly beside her, watching her busy silhouette. Her posture in those moments strongly resembled our mother’s, and even the way she wiped the table evoked a feeling of deep warmth.