"Don't try to scare me! I wasn't born yesterday!" This was the first time Bi Shenghua had heard of anyone sleepwalking for seven days.
Xiao Qi suddenly said, "Sister Hua, I think Brother Qingmu might be telling the truth. When I was little, someone in our village sleepwalked for several days. He worked normally every day, ate and drank normally, and could even make babies with his wife normally. The only change was that he took to climbing trees. Whenever he had nothing to do, he'd climb up and raid birds' nests for eggs. Then there was a downpour, too, and a bolt of lightning blasted him out of a tree. Only then did he wake up. After waking up, he still thought he was sleeping on his wife's kang."
"That really happened?" Bi Shenghua was still dubious. "So according to you, someone used some method to control her? What are they controlling her for?"
Qingmu said, "That I don't know."
"Is she awake now?" Xiao Qi asked.
Qingmu said, "Half dreaming, half awake. Right now, she can remember what happened before she started sleepwalking, but she has no idea what she went through. Once she sleeps and wakes up again, she'll return to her sleepwalking state. Besides, whoever performed the technique will probably keep strengthening their mental control over her. Do you remember her saying earlier that she'd die if she didn't go back before midnight?"
Bi Shenghua and Xiao Qi both remembered and nodded repeatedly.
Qingmu continued, "That fits. The problem lies in the thirteenth face she saw."
"Then what do we do?" Bi Shenghua and Xiao Qi asked together.
Qingmu pondered for a while, then asked solemnly, "Do you want to help her?"
Bi Shenghua said, "Yes, of course we do. Everyone who comes into my bar is a brother. How could I stand by when something happens to them?"
Xiao Qi chimed in, "Exactly, exactly. We're all brothers and sisters. We have to help."
Qingmu said, "Think this through. There could be something very complicated behind this, and we might end up inviting trouble. Anyone capable of using this kind of mind-control technique is no ordinary person."
Bi Shenghua slapped her flat chest. "Fuck! When have I ever been afraid of trouble?"
Xiao Qi straightened up too. "I'm not afraid. Tell me what needs doing. I'll do it!"
Qingmu sighed softly and paced back and forth in the studio, seemingly thinking about something. The clacking of his slippers echoed through the room.
After a while, Qingmu slowly walked behind Mo Yu and asked, "Was the thirteenth face you saw this one in the mirror?"
Mo Yu began trembling all over, as though she had seen something that terrified her.
"Yes." Mo Yu's voice trembled too.
Xiao Qi looked toward the mirror. Mo Yu's likeness appeared on its hazy surface. Though indistinct, it was only a normal reflection. Qingmu stood behind Mo Yu, and at some point, the crow had perched on his head. The bird was looking into the mirror, as though curious about what might appear there too.
Bi Shenghua saw Qingmu flick a finger lightly, then heard a crack. The mirror shattered, scattering glass across the floor.
Mo Yu let out a sharp, brief "Ah!" and fell backward.
Qingmu stepped aside behind her. Xiao Qi hurried forward, caught the limp girl as she fell, and helped her onto the sofa.
Qingmu said, "She'll be fine after some sleep. As for what happened to her, how you tell her is up to you."
Xiao Qi said, "I understand. We need to tell her slowly, without upsetting her."
Qingmu nodded and added, "It's best not to let her go out for the next few days. I'll give her some counseling when I have time. If anyone calls her phone looking for her, don't answer."
There were some things Qingmu left unsaid. Telling Mo Yu about her sleepwalking would not be difficult, nor would getting her to accept the fact that she had sleepwalked for seven days. The difficult part was getting her to forget the face of her own corpse that she had seen in the mirror.
Who could see what they would look like after death and still go on living well?
There was also a more important question: what exactly had she done during those seven days?
Qingmu had not planned to come into contact with anyone who might possess the same abilities as him this soon. At least until he confirmed his identity and his organization found him, he did not want to expose himself.
Living lazily like this was pretty good, too.
But this girl's situation was clearly no simple matter!
After Xiao Qi and the proprietress left with the unconscious Mo Yu, Qingmu sat in the studio's executive chair, smoking. Cigarette butts littered the floor. Only when Boss Coal beside him began complaining, "You're smoking this crow to death! Smoking this crow to death!" did he put out his cigarette.
With a rollerball pen, he drew two equilateral triangles on a sheet of paper, their tips touching, forming a figure eight with a flat top and bottom. Then he drew a short vertical line at the point where the triangles met. This made the symbol look like an hourglass.
Who was that alluring woman whose face he could not make out?
He photographed the symbol on the paper with his phone and sent it to Professor Mei Yiqiu at Three Wu University. Right now, only Professor Mei deserved his trust, and only someone as learned as Professor Mei might be able to help him.
As for Mo Yu, the young girl who had started sleepwalking after playing a mirror game...
He toyed with the lighter in his hand and muttered to himself, "When you're in trouble, go to the police."
The next morning, Qingmu was just about to head to the police station to find Shi Dazhuang or Hu Xing when he received a call from Hu Xing before he could leave.
"There really is a case involving a headless female corpse, in Lu County. You brought this trouble to me, so come take a look with me," Hu Xing said over the phone.
"That far?" Qingmu remembered that Lu County was more than an hour's drive from downtown Wuzhong.
"It's not like I'm making you take a coach. I'll drive over and pick you up," Hu Xing said.
Something suddenly occurred to Qingmu. "I don't have your number. How come you have mine?"
Hu Xing laughed on the other end. "I didn't abuse my authority to snoop into your private affairs! Did you forget? You gave me your business card yourself."
Mo Yu was still sound asleep when Hu Xing picked Qingmu up. Bi Shenghua came out with dark circles around her eyes. At the sight of Hu Xing, she scowled at Qingmu. "Off gallivanting again! Remember to come home early!"
Qingmu gave a murmured assent and got into Hu Xing's car.
As she drove, Hu Xing said, "That tomboy of yours keeps you on a pretty tight leash!"
Qingmu changed the subject. "Why did you switch cars?"
Hu Xing said, "Last time, I was taking you home, so I used my own car. This time, I'm going to Lu County on official business, so of course I'm driving an official vehicle. Didn't you see the white license plate? Hey-stop picking at that! An official car is still a car, you know!"
Qingmu said, "I thought it was bulletproof!"
"There aren't that many bulletproof cars around. I'm not some high-ranking official. Even our bureau chief doesn't get a bulletproof car." Hu Xing saw Qingmu withdraw his hand. "Hey, your nails look pretty clean, like you trim them every day. Why's your hair such a mess? You should get it cut. Also, you wear the same outfit every day. Don't you get sick of it? Don't tell me you never shower or brush your teeth?"
Qingmu pretended to ponder. "Ah, how many days has it been since I showered? Let me think..."
Hu Xing laughed. "No way! Wouldn't you stink?"
Qingmu said, "Not showering doesn't mean you'll stink. I smell lovely. Take a sniff if you don't believe me."
As he spoke, he leaned toward the driver's seat. Hu Xing gave him a shove. "Keep running your mouth!"
Qingmu said, "You shower and brush your teeth because you're dirty. If you aren't dirty, naturally, there's no need to do any of that."
Hu Xing asked in surprise, "Everyone gets dirty. Unless you aren't human."
Qingmu chuckled and simply lounged lazily against the seat, wearing a shameless look that said, That's right, I'm not human.