Chapter 3: Truth in the Shadows

The morning sunlight spilled into the hotel room where Song Ye was staying, mingling with the damp scent in the air. Outside the window, the city's bustle was gradually growing louder, but his heart remained quiet. That message from an unknown sender echoed in his mind again and again:

“You said you never went inside, but your shadow stayed behind.”

The sender's name didn’t appear—just an unsaved number. Song Ye stared at the message, the sound of his heartbeat nearly drowning out the noise around him. Who could know such details? He hadn’t told anyone about what had happened between him and Lin Yin—except the police. But what if… what if this was something he himself wasn’t even fully aware of? Could someone have foreseen all of this?

He stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the distant high-rises. People hurried along the streets below like headless ants, completely disconnected from his world. Yet he felt as though he was being pulled deeper into a whirlpool—one that was invisible but growing stronger with every unseen clue.

“This isn’t just a coincidence,” he muttered.

His phone vibrated. It was a call from Lin Ce.

“Mr. Song, what have you been up to lately?”Lin Ce's tone was calm as always, but there was an unmistakable weight behind his words.

“I’ve just been thinking about some things,” Song Ye replied, his voice slightly hoarse.

“You’re still not telling me the truth, are you?” Lin Ce didn’t respond to his answer directly. “Why are you hiding something? Your relationship with Lin Yin wasn’t as simple as what our investigation uncovered.”

“I already told you—there was nothing special between us,”Song Ye said, not realizing the panic creeping into his tone, though he knew full well that one sentence wasn’t enough to make this go away.

“Really? Then why was the last call she ever made… to you?” Lin Ce’s voice suddenly sharpened, like a string pulled too tight. “Can you explain that?”

There was a moment of silence. Song Ye’s heart pounded, and cold sweat began to seep down his back.

“Mr. Song, we’ve confirmed that her final call wasn’t answered by anyone else. It was you. She seemed like she wanted to tell you something… but unfortunately, she never got the chance,”Lin Ce’s voice lowered. “You didn’t tell me that. Why?”

“I… I don’t know.”Song Ye was almost choking on his words, trying to force himself to stay calm. “I really did go to her place, but I left shortly after.”

Lin Ce didn’t push further—instead, he changed the topic abruptly.

“Where were you last night?”

“I…”Song Ye hesitated. He hadn’t told the police about staying at the hotel. He hadn’t gone home that day—he had changed locations at the last minute.

“Nowhere important.”

“Are you running from something, Mr. Song?” Lin Ce’s voice turned cold, and carried a veiled threat. “I understand the psychological pressure people face in situations like this. But hiding the truth… only makes things worse for you.”

Song Ye remained silent. The tension inside him tightened like a drawn bowstring. He knew he couldn’t deny everything much longer—but right now, he couldn’t bring himself to reveal more. Especially not the message from the unknown sender.

“I’ll cooperate with the investigation,” he finally said.

After hanging up, Song Ye began sorting through his scattered thoughts. This was no longer a coincidence or misunderstanding—it was tied to something deeper. A truth even he hadn’t fully seen yet was creeping toward him.

He reminded himself again and again: Don’t panic. Don’t slip. Don’t expose anything.

But why, in Lin Yin’s final moments, had her voice not carried fear, but rather… comfort?

“You should go. I can handle this on my own,”she had said.

Had she already sensed something then?

He wasn’t sure how he got through the next few hours. The day wove itself into a tangle of questions, and when night came, his anxiety robbed him of sleep.

It was 3 a.m. when the phone rang again.

Another unknown number.

He hesitated, then answered.

“You finally picked up,” came a calm voice on the other end. “I know you’ll call the police. But you’ll never guess who’s been watching you.”

“Who are you?”Song Ye’s voice was low, barely holding back his fear.

“I know what you did, Song Ye,” the voice was laced with mockery. “Don’t think you can run. This is already starting to affect your life—and you have no idea what the other side of the truth looks like.”

The call ended in a cold silence. Song Ye felt his heart nearly stop. In that moment, it was as if he were caught in an inescapable web—one with no way out.

He sat on the bed, frozen.

That’s when it truly hit him—Lin Yin’s death wasn’t just a tragic incident.

There were secrets buried beneath the surface, truths twisted in shadows.

And perhaps, he was the only one who could uncover them.

But he also knew—what one person could do was limited. And this shadow… it would continue to loom over his life, until he tore away the deepest, darkest veil.