After Hua Wuyou and Qin Shi came out of the basement, Xiao Han was checking on Yu Jiaojiao.
"Sister Xiao Han, how is my sister?" Yu Yifan asked anxiously.
Xiao Han had brought a medicine box with her when she came. She examined Yu Jiaojiao and fed her some medicine.
"Don't worry, she won't die. She's just very weak."
The old man selling masks was also quite surprised. "How did this young lady end up in Qin Shi's home?"
"Old man, how long has Qin Shi been here?" Hua Wuyou walked over and asked.
The old man thought for a moment and said, "He came about a year ago. Although he doesn't like to socialize with people, our village has a good impression of him. He would occasionally teach the children here how to read and paint."
The old man looked at Yu Jiaojiao lying on the bed, still unable to believe that Qin Shi had tortured the young lady like this and kept her locked up in his home.
In their eyes, Qin Shi had always been kind-hearted and helpful, although his face was burned. From his gestures, he was clearly a very cultured person.
Hua Wuyou looked around the room and suddenly noticed a portrait of a woman on the desk, with striking bright red lips.
Hua Wuyou picked up the painting, and Xia Miaomiao immediately walked over.
"This painting must have a big connection to Qin Shi, but I don't know who the woman in the painting is."
"There are a few more here!" At this time, Su Mo found a few more paintings in a box in the corner.
Sang Li walked over and took a look. "These girls look a little familiar. They seem to be... the girls who were killed before."
When Bai Yunhan had shown them information about the murdered girls, there were simple portraits of them.
These paintings were identical to the one just now, with only the lips painted red.
"It looks like for every person he killed, he would use the victim's blood to paint the red lips." The memory of Qin Shi yesterday still gave Xia Miaomiao chills.
"This is too perverted!" Su Mo frowned.
"But who is that girl? She doesn't seem to be on the list of victims." Sang Li looked at the painting in Hua Wuyou's hand.
Hua Wuyou's expression darkened. "This person is not from Lan City, but Chu City. She is probably the girl named Lou Xue that Qin Shi mentioned."
"Lou Xue? Who is she?" Su Mo asked subconsciously.
"She was his former lover..." Hua Wuyou said.
Hua Wuyou had hypnotized Qin Shi for half an hour and asked some classified information from him.
That experience was probably the reason why Qin Shi became a deranged serial killer.
Qin Shi was from a well-off family in Chu City and was considered a handsome scholar. He excelled in both literary and martial arts, and attracted the admiration of many young ladies.
However, Qin Shi had been betrothed to Lou Xue, the eldest daughter of the Lou Family, since childhood. Lou Xue was a talented lady skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. They were a good match and had genuine feelings for each other.
Qin Shi was very fond of Lou Xue, so he rejected the admiration of many other young ladies.
The marriage between the two families was set to happen naturally once they came of age.
But life often dashes hopes to the ground. An accident happened in Qin Shi's family.
The Qin family was raided for smuggling salt and their home was burned down in one night.
In order to save his parents, Qin Shi was disfigured in the fire, and his parents still died unfortunately.
Qin Shi knew his family did not smuggle salt, but was framed.
He kept looking for evidence to prove the injustice done to the Qin family.
With the downfall of the Qin family, the Lou family naturally no longer agreed to marry Lou Xue to Qin Shi.
Qin Shi became deeply insecure after his disfigurement and loss of family status. He felt unworthy of Lou Xue, and agreed to cancel the engagement so as not to drag Lou Xue down.
When canceling the engagement, Lou Xue cried bitterly while holding Qin Shi.
She said she did not want to break off the engagement, and was willing to elope with him.
Hearing her words, Qin Shi's heart ached. He did not want to drag her down even more, so he said:
"Xue, I'm sorry, I've let you down."
Qin Shi resolutely left, and secretly kept investigating what happened to the Qin family.
A month later, the news of Lou Xue's impending marriage reached Qin Shi's ears. Shockingly, her groom-to-be was the County Magistrate's son.
Through his investigation over this period, Qin Shi found that the raid on his family and the framing were related to the County Magistrate's son.
It was the County Magistrate's son who got people to falsely accuse them of smuggling salt. Even the fire that burned down the Qin family was related to him.
Although Qin Shi no longer had the right to interfere with who Lou Xue married, he still could not help but go to Lou Xue and ask why she was marrying the County Magistrate's son.
Lou Xue cried pitifully, "Do you think I want to marry him? He's the County Magistrate's son. He took a liking to me, and my parents forced me to marry him. Do I even have a choice?"
Lou Xue wept so sadly, looking completely despairing. "Qin Shi, when I asked you to elope with me you refused. Now, do you still care who I marry?"
Qin Shi hugged her tightly as tears flowed down his cheeks. "Xue, it wasn't that I didn't want to! You are the only one in my heart. But like this, I don't want to drag you down!"
Lou Xue pushed him away harshly, choking back sobs. "Go now, don't come looking for me again! Qin Shi... there is no more love between us."
Qin Shi's heart turned to ashes. He knew he could not give Lou Xue happiness, and did not want to continue pestering her.
But that County Magistrate's son was involved in the downfall of his family. Before they got married, Qin Shi secretly sneaked into the Magistrate's Residence.
On the roof, he saw the County Magistrate's son passionately making love to a young lady.
Qin Shi instantly felt indignant on Lou Xue's behalf. A playboy like this would surely make Lou Xue suffer if she married him.
Just as he was feeling injustice for Lou Xue, he suddenly saw the satisfied expression on the young lady's face.
She was hugging the man's waist tightly, actively matching his movements.
Qin Shi stared wide-eyed, thinking he was mistaken. He rubbed his eyes and looked carefully again.
Indeed, it was Lou Xue!
A suffocating feeling welled up in his chest. Qin Shi stared at the entwined figures, instantly feeling his hands and feet turn icy cold.
Then, the conversation between the two after they finished made Qin Shi feel like ten thousand knives were being stabbed into his heart.
"That Qin Shi isn't bothering you anymore, right?"
Lou Xue giggled. "Don't worry, he won't come again."
The man also laughed. "If he still dares to pester you, I'll kill him together with you!"
"Why go so far? He's now destitute with a ruined reputation, and has become an ugly monster, too self-abasing to show his face."
The man pinched Lou Xue's waist. "Baby, I haven't gone as far as you. I only raided his family, while you heartlessly burned his whole family! If Qin Shi knew this was your idea, what would he do to you?"
Lou Xue hugged him and said coquettishly, "Didn't I do this for you? To stop him from pestering me stubbornly!"
...
Qin Shi clenched his fists tightly, eyes bloodshot, nails digging into his palms till blood flowed down his hands.
So Lou Xue had been secretly intimate with the County Magistrate's son long ago, yet always pretended to be deeply in love with Qin Shi.
She had played him like a fiddle, while he kept feeling that he was the one who wronged Lou Xue!
The two of them were accomplices, scheming to harm the Qin family!
Qin Shi was emotionally devastated. In that moment, the love he had for Lou Xue instantly turned into consuming hatred.
On Lou Xue's wedding day, taking advantage of the crowd, Qin Shi slipped into the Magistrate's Residence and hid early in Lou Xue's bridal chamber.
That rainy wedding night, the County Magistrate's son met his end, and Lou Xue disappeared without a trace.