The Unsent Letter

Molly panted heavily, recounting every detail she had seen in the memories to Luoxi without leaving out a single word.

From the sweetness of the two falling in love in high school, to the boy's indifference after they entered a long-distance relationship, then his ruthless breakup, and finally, that devastating betrayal.

She even clearly repeated the boy's final words: "I was just having some fun."

After listening, Luoxi frowned deeply:

"That is indeed abnormal."

"Even if he had fallen out of love, there was no need to go that far. Ruining her reputation and posting the video—this was no longer just being a scumbag. It was pure evil."

"But judging from how they used to get along, that boy didn't seem like that kind of person."

Molly said:

"I think something's wrong too."

"If he really hated that girl so much, he wouldn't have blushed when handing her a love letter back then, much less treated her so well throughout their four years of college."

"There must be something more to this."

She added:

"I remember the boy mentioned in those memories that his hometown was Clear Creek Town, two hundred kilometers away, in the direction of the outskirts."

"Let's go to his hometown and take a look. Maybe we'll find some clues."

Luoxi nodded.

"Alright. No time to waste. Let's go now."

She took out her phone and quickly made a call, her tone concise.

"Send a car to the entrance of XX Alley immediately."

After hanging up, the two undid their transformations in the alley.

Less than ten minutes later, a discreet black sedan pulled up at the alley entrance. The female driver respectfully opened the door.

"Miss Luoxi, please get in."

Molly looked at the expensive luxury car and couldn't help clicking her tongue.

Luoxi's family really was incredibly well-off!

The car sped all the way toward Clear Creek Town.

Molly leaned against the window, watching the scenery flash backward outside, her thoughts a tangled mess.

It was not only because of their defeat and escape this time, but also because she had a persistent feeling that what had happened to that girl was inseparable from the Yin-Soul Monster.

But she had no evidence. It was all speculation.

Two hours later, the car entered Clear Creek Town.

Following the vague impressions from the memories, Molly led Luoxi through winding streets and alleys until they finally found a house with a small courtyard at the eastern end of town.

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar, and an old person's coughing could be heard inside.

Molly took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gently knocked on the door.

"Is anyone home?"

A moment later, a middle-aged woman opened the door. Seeing two beautiful unfamiliar girls, she looked somewhat puzzled.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Hello."

Molly gave her a gentle smile.

"We're friends of Lin Chen. Is he home?"

Lin Chen was the boy's name.

At the mention of that name, the woman's eyes instantly reddened. A middle-aged man beside her also came out and sighed.

"You're Xiaocheng's friends... Come in and have a seat."

The two followed the man into the courtyard. Several osmanthus trees had been planted there. Though it was not their blooming season, the courtyard still carried a quiet, secluded air.

The furnishings in the living room were simple. Photos of Lin Chen and his certificates of merit still hung on the wall, and the boy in the photographs wore a radiant smile.

"Xiaocheng... hasn't contacted us for a long time."

The woman wiped away tears, her voice choked with emotion.

"A few months ago, he called and said he wasn't feeling well. We told him to come back and get checked, but he said he was too busy with work and had no time."

The older man sighed as well.

"This child had always been sensible. When he passed the civil service exam, we thought he'd finally made something of himself, but who would have thought..."

Molly and Luoxi exchanged a glance, the doubts in their hearts growing deeper.

Molly carefully chose her words.

"Uncle, Auntie, we actually came looking for Lin Chen too. He told us before that he'd run into some trouble recently."

"Could we take a look at his room? Maybe we can find some clues."

The man and woman looked at each other. After hesitating for a moment, they finally nodded.

"Alright. Go ahead and take a look. We haven't touched his room at all."

Lin Chen's room was on the second floor. When they pushed open the door, a faint smell of dust washed over them.

The room was very tidy.

Several civil service exam prep books still sat on the desk, and the clothes in the wardrobe were folded neatly.

Molly and Luoxi immediately began searching.

Luoxi checked the bookshelf while Molly searched through the desk drawers.

Inside the drawers were some old photographs, notebooks, and a stack of unfinished drafts.

"Hm... what's this?"

Molly's fingers suddenly brushed against a hard envelope.

She pulled it out and saw that there was no address written on it and no stamp attached. It was clearly an unsent letter.

She eagerly opened the envelope. Inside was a sheet of letter paper covered in elegant handwriting—it was Lin Chen's handwriting.

[Xiaoxiao, I hope this letter finds you well.

Work has been a little busy lately, and the pressure has been high. I've often had to work overtime until late at night, so I may have replied to your messages slowly. Don't be angry.

I wanted to send these words to you online, but that wouldn't be enough to convey how I feel, and I was afraid you'd think it wasn't romantic enough.

Let me tell you some good news. I might get promoted soon. Once things settle down, I'll come back to find you and give you a huge surprise.

For our wedding, I want to hold it by the sea. Haven't you always loved the ocean?

When the time comes, you in a wedding dress will definitely be the most beautiful bride in the world...]

The letter was not long, but every line was filled with deep love and anticipation.

Molly stared at the letter, and her heart skipped a beat.

The contents of this letter made Lin Chen seem like a completely different person from the cold, heartless boy in the memories.

She continued searching and found a crumpled ball of draft paper at the very bottom of the drawer.

She carefully unfolded it. The handwriting was messy, even distorted in places. It was obvious that Lin Chen had been extremely emotional when he wrote it.

[Today, I got the medical examination report. Late-stage liver cancer. Heh, late-stage liver cancer... Why? Why me? Why is this damned fate so unfair? I still haven't married Xiaoxiao, haven't taken her to see the sea, haven't given her a happy life...]

[Treatment... I have to undergo treatment first. I can't keep working anymore. As long as I can recover, I'll still marry Xiaoxiao.]

[...My condition has worsened. I don't have enough money.]

[I can't tell Xiaoxiao. Absolutely not. She's so kind, so soft-hearted. If she finds out, she'll definitely stay with me until the end, definitely cry and suffer for me. I can't be so selfish. I can't let her waste her whole life on someone who's about to die.]

[This is the only way. I'll pretend I've changed my heart, pretend I don't love her anymore, and break up with her. She'll be sad for a while, but one day, she'll meet someone better than me, forget me, and live happily.]

[I'm sorry, Xiaoxiao. Forgive my selfishness. Forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. If there is another life, I'll stay by your side forever.]

A few long-dried tear stains marked the edges of the draft paper, blurring some of the words.

Molly held the letter and draft paper, her hands trembling slightly.

So this was the truth!

Luoxi came over as well. After reading the letter and draft paper, her expression became incomparably grim.

She turned toward the downstairs and called out to the elderly couple.

"Uncle, Auntie, please come upstairs. We have something we'd like to ask you."

The elderly couple hurried upstairs.

Luoxi took a deep breath and asked in a low voice:

"Uncle, Auntie, did Lin Chen have cancer? Late-stage liver cancer?"

The man's whole body shook. He nodded, his voice hoarse.

"Yes. He came back once a few months ago with the medical examination report. He was completely crushed."

"His mother and I urged him to continue treatment in the hospital, but he said he didn't want treatment anymore. He said it would be a waste of money."

"Not long after that, he said he wanted to break up with the girl named Xiaoxiao. No matter how we tried to persuade him, we couldn't stop him."

"The strangest thing was..."

Wiping her tears, the woman added:

"One night, he was completely groggy and lay in bed sleeping for almost the entire day."

"But when we got up the next morning, he was gone! His room was empty. He hadn't taken anything with him. It was as if... he had vanished into thin air."

Luoxi's gaze sharpened. She turned to Molly, lowered her voice, and spoke so only the two of them could hear.

"Do you remember? Back at the residential complex plaza, the Yin-Soul Monster could control the corpses of the Black Defectors. He has the ability to control dead bodies."

Molly's pupils contracted. It was as though lightning flashed through her mind, and she understood everything in an instant.

Lin Chen had never fallen out of love. He had deliberately proposed breaking up because he did not want to drag Xiaoxiao down with him.

And on the day he disappeared, he had not left on his own at all. He had been taken away by the Yin-Soul Monster!

Perhaps the Yin-Soul Monster had set his sights on Lin Chen long ago and secretly killed him.

Then, using his ability to control corpses, he controlled Lin Chen's body and led a group of hooligans back to A City, where they did those inhuman things to Xiaoxiao!

His goal had been to drive Xiaoxiao into complete despair, push her resentment to its peak, and turn her into the perfect material for refining a Red-Clothed Vengeful Soul!

What a vicious heart! What a poisonous scheme!

Molly felt a chill shoot from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head. It felt as though the blood throughout her body was about to freeze.

Luoxi patted her shoulder, signaling for her to calm down.

Then she said to the elderly couple:

"Uncle, Auntie, we have a rough idea of what happened to Lin Chen."

"We'll take this letter and draft paper with us for now. Once we find out where Lin Chen is, we'll tell you immediately."

Though reluctant to part with them, the elderly couple knew these were their only clues. They could only nod through their tears.

The two said goodbye to the elderly couple and got into the car back to A City.

In the car, Molly clenched the letter and draft paper tightly, her eyes icy cold.

"I'm going to let that Red-Clothed Vengeful Soul learn the truth. I'm going to make the Yin-Soul Monster pay for his blood debt with blood!"

Luoxi nodded.

"Alright. This time, we'll definitely deal with him."