Chapter 378: Tu Yunmeng’s Confession

Chen Shi glanced out of the projection window. A romantic film was playing, and the characters were crying, indicating a climactic moment. The theater was tiny, with only ten rows of seats, sparsely occupied.

“How did you meet her?” Chen Shi asked.

“Last month, she came to see a late-night movie. It was a really boring art film, but she watched it intently. Even after the credits rolled, she kept watching. Since our cinema is small, I’m both the projectionist and the cleaner. When I went to clean up, I told her, ‘Miss, the movie is over. This was the last show for today.’ She asked, ‘When’s the earliest I can watch tomorrow?’ I told her ten in the morning, and she seemed disappointed.”

“She only came once?”

“Yeah… just that one time.”

Chen Shi showed him the movie tickets. “She came four times, the last time was two days ago!”

Xiao Zhou awkwardly said, “Maybe I didn’t notice. Or it wasn’t my shift.”

Chen Shi pointed at the projection window. “How long has this movie been playing?”

“About an hour.”

“It’s been raining for forty minutes. You went outside during the movie and got your clothes wet. Did you pick someone up? Is Tu Yunmeng here?”

Xiao Zhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. Suddenly, he bolted for the door but was blocked by Chen Shi. Lin Dongxue took out her phone, but Chen Shi stopped her. “Leave the handcuffs for her… Take us to her!”

“You must be mistaken. She’s such a gentle girl; she couldn’t have killed anyone!” Xiao Zhou argued anxiously.

“It seems you know her well. Take us to her!” Lin Dongxue warned, “Harboring a criminal can get you arrested too.”

Xiao Zhou looked conflicted but finally sighed and led them to his dormitory. He knocked on the door. Tu Yunmeng, wearing a man’s jacket, opened it with a happy expression like a girl in love. Her face fell when she saw the two behind Xiao Zhou.

“I’m sorry…” Xiao Zhou said dejectedly.

Chen Shi noticed Tu Yunmeng’s large, bright eyes and a nearly healed cut on her right lip. “Come with us,” he said.

Back at the station, Lin Qiupu said enthusiastically, “Great, we finally cracked the case!”

Chen Shi said, “Let Dongxue and I interrogate her.”

“Fine, just don’t say anything crazy during the interrogation.”

Sitting across from Tu Yunmeng, her eyes seemed dull, her pupils unable to focus. Chen Shi asked, “You can’t see again, can you?”

Tu Yunmeng nodded. “I lost my sight as soon as I got into the police car.”

“When you killed the second victim, your DNA was found under the victim’s nails. In the June 13 case, the victim drugged you. A female officer took you for a urine test just now. The results will be out soon. Plus, we’ll find more evidence at your place… So there’s no point in hiding anything.”

“Will I get the death penalty?” Tu Yunmeng asked blankly.

“I can’t say for sure, but it’s very likely.”

Tu Yunmeng smiled. “I wonder if I’ll regain my sight when I’m executed. I’m a bit curious about that!”

“So it’s true that your sight comes back after you kill. Tell us about it.”

After a moment of silence, she slowly began, “The first time I killed was a year ago. That day, as I was closing the store, a man burst in and pinned me down, trying to tear off my clothes. I grabbed a fruit knife that had fallen to the ground and stabbed him in the neck. When his artery was cut, the blood sprayed out like a whistle, warm and wet on my face and eyes… Miraculously, I could see! I stayed calm. I knew I’d go to jail if the body was found, so I quickly closed the door, cleaned up the scene, chopped the body into small pieces, and disposed of them in the neighborhood trash bins overnight.”

“Which neighborhood?” Chen Shi interrupted.

“Near Wuyang Road, I forget the exact place.”

“So you were behind the 4.22 dismemberment case?” Chen Shi asked.

“The police couldn’t solve it. They even questioned me but never suspected that a blind woman could be the killer. My vision lasted for two days. As the thrill of the kill faded, my sight gradually dimmed. I’d adapted to the darkness, but once you’ve seen the light, the darkness becomes unbearable. I yearned for the light… I started meticulously planning my next kill. Being blind made it difficult. I couldn’t gauge the height or strength of my target, couldn’t be sure if there were other people around or if the lights were on… Every time a child came into my bookstore alone, I’d feel the urge, but I couldn’t do it. It had to be a man so I wouldn’t feel guilty.

“Eventually, I decided the target had to be someone who lived alone, had to be a man alone with me in a room, and had to be a stranger. The only place to find such strangers was online. I tried to give up, but the lure of seeing again was too strong. The moment my eyes regained sight, the vibrant world flooded in. Knowing I could do it again, I couldn’t stop!

“After many attempts, I found the right target. The man didn’t mind that I was blind and invited me to his home. When he got intimate, I felt his heartbeat and stabbed him in the heart. My eyes opened to everything. I screamed in delight. It felt like gaining a superpower… Once I confirmed he was dead, I cleaned up the scene. I had planned many activities for my regained sight. Unfortunately, it was nighttime, so I went to see a movie.

“At the cinema, I met Xiao Zhou. He’s a clean, shy guy. We talked about movies. Seeing another guy smile at me made me so happy, but I didn’t know how long this sight would last. I thought I could stop after that, but I couldn’t. The next day, when my vision faded again, I started looking for new prey online… I knew that by killing again, I could watch another movie, talk to Xiao Zhou… Such joy is something you can’t understand!”

As she spoke, Tu Yunmeng wore a strange smile.