"Met this morning?" I was stunned, ticking off everyone I’d seen today on my fingers: "Wang Jue, Old He, Hua Gu, you, me, the security guard... Could it be a ghost infant?"

Xiao Shu neither confirmed nor denied, settling down in a spot that seemed marginally cleaner than the rest.

In truth, there wasn't a truly clean spot in this room. But having frequented so many dreadful locations lately, my standard for 'clean' had naturally dropped. For me, as long as there were no bloodstains, insects, or cobwebs, it qualified. Dust was unavoidable, but at least it wouldn't cling to one's clothes like gore or insect carcasses. The only area in the present room meeting this requirement was a small patch right in the center. Everywhere else was either draped in tangled webs or spattered with darkened bloodstains.

I made do, sitting down on the floor next to Xiao Shu. He then launched into his story: "A family of three used to live here: the woman was called Fangfang, the man Wuding, and they had a two-year-old daughter named Mengmeng. Fangfang and Wuding had known each other since childhood, sweethearts from the cradle. They started dating in university, got married two years after starting work. This home was originally very happy; the couple had a harmonious relationship, and their life was peaceful. Soon, Fangfang became pregnant with their daughter, Mengmeng. But the good times didn't last. While Fangfang was pregnant, Wuding started messing around with another woman and often didn't come home until dawn."

"At first, Fangfang assumed her husband was extremely busy and couldn't care for her while pregnant, so she managed her job, all the housework, and prepared for childbirth all by herself. When Mengmeng was born, Wuding was, as usual, 'working overtime' and couldn't come to the hospital to look after Fangfang. Fangfang just thought Wuding treated the office like home, working to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep, so she diligently raised the newborn Mengmeng alone. This continued until Mengmeng was a hundred days old; Wuding rarely came home during this period, and when he did, he’d only hold Mengmeng for a moment before rushing off again. Finally, Fangfang couldn't take it anymore and decided to talk to Wuding, hoping he would change his job to spend more time at home."

"However, the negotiation yielded not her husband's remorse and self-reflection, but a bolt from the blue. Wuding confessed everything about the other woman, stating he no longer wished to remain in this family. Fangfang was overwhelmed with grief and anger, cursing Wuding as less than a beast. Wuding, however, self-righteously began listing all of Fangfang's faults. In a fit of rage, Fangfang grabbed a kitchen knife and swung it at Wuding. Wuding dodged quickly to the side, simultaneously grabbing the fruit knife from the table and lunging at his wife. Wuding had practiced Taekwondo as a child, his movements were extremely swift. Fangfang’s cleaver swing missed its mark, and before her second strike could fall, his fruit knife had already plunged into her chest. Hot blood sprayed out amidst Mengmeng’s cries, and Fangfang immediately collapsed onto the floor."

"Afterward, Wuding packed his belongings, left the infant Mengmeng wailing from hunger, and fled alone in a hurry. That night, I had a dream. I saw Fangfang, covered in blood, kneeling on the ground begging me to save her child. When I woke up, I followed the dream’s instructions, found Fangfang’s house, and knocked on this door. No one answered, but the baby's crying was clearly audible. I called the police. The officers arrived quickly, broke down the door, and discovered Fangfang’s body, already drained of blood, and Mengmeng lying in the crib, nearly dead from starvation."