chapter 2

The sun was setting, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink, making the quiet village look peaceful as always. People were walking home, children were playing, and everyone felt safe—just like any other ordinary day.

Walking slowly along the road was a young woman named Li Jianjian. She wore a simple light-colored dress, her hair neatly tied back, and she carried a small flower basket in her hands. Her face was soft and gentle, her eyes bright, and she always had a sweet smile on her lips that made everyone who saw her think she was the kindest person they had ever met.

"Good evening, Auntie," she said in a soft, sweet voice as she passed by an old woman carrying a heavy sack of vegetables. She immediately walked closer and offered her help. "Let me carry that for you, it looks very heavy."

The old woman smiled warmly. "Oh thank you, my dear! You really are such a nice girl. Everyone says how good and helpful you are."

Li Jianjian just smiled back, but deep inside her eyes, there was no kindness—only coldness and hidden plans. "It is nothing, I am just happy to help," she replied sweetly. But as she walked beside the old woman, her mind was already thinking of what she wanted to do next. This old woman knew a little too much about something Li Jianjian did not want anyone to find out, and she had already decided what needed to be done.

They reached the edge of the village, near the deep forest where very few people went.

"Thank you very much, child. You can leave it right here," the old woman said, turning around to face her.

That was when the sweet smile slowly faded away from Li Jianjian’s face. Her eyes changed—no longer warm and bright, but dark, sharp, and full of evil. The gentle look was gone completely, replaced by a cold and terrifying expression that no one had ever seen before.

"You really should have kept what you knew to yourself," she said, and her voice was no longer soft and sweet. It was low, cold, and sent shivers down anyone’s spine who would hear it.

The old woman’s face turned pale, and she took a step back in fear. "Jianjian... what do you mean? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I mean that you know things you should never have learned," Li Jianjian answered, taking one slow step forward, then another. "And people who know too much... they cannot stay alive."

Before the old woman could even call for help, Li Jianjian moved fast and silent like a shadow. No sound was heard, and no one saw what happened deep between the trees.

Minutes later, Li Jianjian walked out from the forest again. The cold look was gone, and the sweet, innocent smile was back on her face. She fixed her clothes, arranged her hair properly, and held her flower basket just like before. She looked like she had done nothing at all—just a kind young woman going home after helping someone.

She walked back into the village, greeting everyone she met with her soft voice and lovely smile, while the truth of what she had done remained hidden in the quiet trees. No one suspected her. No one even imagined that the person they trusted the most was the very one bringing death wherever she went.

And this was only the beginning.

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