Chapter 46

"Sending a message in a dream!" Xu Mo almost couldn't believe his ears; Luo Ci's words were completely beyond his comprehension.

Luo Ci continued, "I know it sounds strange, but I have been dreaming about my sister frequently over the past month."

"Frequently?" Xu Mo countered, then added, "Is it because you think about her during the day, so you dream about her at night?"

Luo Ci replied, "At first, I thought so too, but last night, my sister gave me this bank card."

She then added, "This bank card was issued two years ago when I was still living with her, so I remember it. After my sister went missing, the bank card disappeared with her. I checked, and it is indeed my sister's card, with over 20,000 yuan in it, which she saved over the past two years."

Xu Mo asked, "Can you be more specific? How did it appear?"

Luo Ci said, "In the dream, my sister handed it to me."

Xu Mo continued, "Did she hand it directly to you?"

Luo Ci shook her head and said, "She placed it on the table." She turned to look at the table by the window and added, "In the dream, my sister told me she put the bank card on the table. When I woke up, I indeed saw the bank card there."

Xu Mo stood up from the sofa, walked to the table, and examined it closely. It was a simple, long table with four legs and a tabletop. Opposite the table, by the window, was a clean mirror.

On the table were a few simple daily cosmetics, indicating that Luo Ci's life was not luxurious, and everything was practical and inexpensive. Under the table, a shelf made of cardboard boxes held some packaged snacks.

By the window was a small door leading to the kitchen and bathroom, which were separated by a half-wall and a curtain. The kitchen had a rice cooker, a wok, flour, rice, and other items, showing that Luo Ci sometimes cooked for herself.

The kitchen faced an outer window without a balcony or even a railing. Opening the window, one could jump down from it. Next to the window was a large downspout that almost reached the ground.

Seeing this, Xu Mo couldn't help but nod, feeling a bit more understanding and a chill running down his spine.

Luo Ci followed him, standing by his side and looking out, though she didn't know what he was looking at. She asked softly, "Big Brother Xu, what are you looking at?"

Xu Mo turned around but didn't answer. Instead, he looked straight at Luo Ci and asked, "What else did your sister say in your dream?"

Luo Ci thought for a moment and said, "She said a lot, telling me not to look for her and to treat her as if she were dead. She also said she regretted not listening to you, which is why she fell for those people's tricks."

The last two sentences matched what Luo Shi had said on the phone, and Xu Mo couldn't help but frown. He then asked, "Are you sure she said to treat her as if she were dead?"

Luo Ci said, "I'm certain, because I've dreamed about her saying this more than once."

Xu Mo was puzzled, "Don't you find it strange? If your sister says to treat her as if she were dead, it means she's not dead. If she's not dead, how can she send a message in a dream?"

Luo Ci's voice was gentle, but her tone was firm, "I find it strange too, but that's what she said."

Xu Mo asked, "What else did she say?"

Luo Ci said, "I asked her where she went before she disappeared."

"Did she answer you?" Xu Mo pressed, nodding to himself, thinking: As expected, if she didn't say where Luo Shi went, all the previous efforts would be in vain.

Luo Ci nodded and said, "At first, she wouldn't tell me, but every time I dreamed about her, I asked her. Eventually, she told me."

"Where?" Xu Mo asked, thinking: Luo Shi once told me 'deep mountains.' The place Luo Ci 'dreamed' about should also be some 'deep mountains.' They have no reason to deceive Luo Ci, so the place might be real.

Luo Ci said, word by word, "Dongshan Temple."

Xu Mo frowned, having never heard of this place. It seemed unfamiliar, but from the name, it was likely in the eastern mountains of Huai City. He asked, "In the eastern mountains?"

Luo Ci nodded and added, "I looked it up online. It's indeed a place located on a hill in the eastern mountains of Huai City. It's an ancient temple from over 200 years ago, dedicated to Nüwa. However, it caught fire a few decades ago, burning down most of it. Due to its remote location, few people visit."

Xu Mo thought for a moment and asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Luo Ci said, "I want to go and see if I can find any clues."

Xu Mo sighed and said seriously, "I suggest you don't go, at least not alone."

"Why?" Luo Ci asked, then guessed his thoughts, "You're worried the people who kidnapped my sister are still there?"

Xu Mo said, "Not worried, but certain."

Luo Ci shook her head, disagreeing with Xu Mo's view. She said gently, "Big Brother Xu, I think you misunderstood me. I said the temple is remote and rarely visited, but it's not completely deserted. People occasionally visit. It's just not a formal tourist attraction."

"Besides, those people's initial goal was my sister. Now that they've kidnapped her, why would they stay at the temple? If they stayed, wouldn't visitors notice them?"

Xu Mo sighed, looking at Luo Ci with a hint of pity. She seemed even more innocent than her sister, easily deceived. He explained gently, "Those people don't have 'bad guys' written on their faces. As long as they don't reveal their intentions, how can others tell if they are good or bad?"

Luo Ci widened her eyes, confused, "If they don't do anything bad, why would they stay there?"

"Of course, it's for you. They've already kidnapped your sister and now have their sights on you. They've set a trap, waiting for you to fall into it. Although I don't know their exact intentions, I'm sure they've been watching you, especially since you've been investigating 13 Qiuxia Road and the courtyard."

Xu Mo thought this and sighed again, then warned, "Do you know that if someone speaks to you while you're deeply asleep, you might feel like you're dreaming and hearing that person?"

Luo Ci didn't react immediately, looking at Xu Mo in confusion.

Xu Mo had to prompt her again, "Think about yourself."

Luo Ci thought for a moment, then widened her eyes, her mouth open, and her voice trembling in fear, "Big Brother Xu, you... you mean... someone spoke to me while I was sleeping?"

Xu Mo corrected, "They impersonated your sister's voice and spoke to you."

Luo Ci's expression was panicked, and she said helplessly, "Big Brother Xu, don't scare me."

Xu Mo said seriously, "Is there any other explanation? Sending a message in a dream! It's only in books; no one has ever really seen it, let alone receiving something in a dream."

Luo Ci said, "But... my door is always locked when I sleep, and it's not damaged. How did they get in?"

Xu Mo sighed, "Not the door, but through the window."

Luo Ci still couldn't believe it, "But... but I live on the fourth floor. How could they climb up?"

Xu Mo explained again, "Next to your window is a downspout. They must have climbed up using it."

Luo Ci imagined the scene and felt even more terrified. Someone had climbed through her window while she was asleep, impersonating her sister and speaking to her.

She felt almost faint.

Looking at Xu Mo, she took several deep breaths to calm down, then thought for a moment and said, "I have a question, Big Brother Xu. If someone really impersonated my sister and spoke to me, what was their purpose?"

Xu Mo answered without hesitation, "To deceive you, just like they deceived your sister, and then use the same methods to deal with you."

"But... but..." Luo Ci was puzzled, "In the dream, my sister told me not to look for her. If it wasn't my sister but someone else impersonating her, why would they say that? They should try to persuade me to look for her."

"That's exactly why it makes sense. If they're impersonating your sister, they need to make it convincing, matching your sister's identity and way of speaking."

Xu Mo explained, "Think about it. If they impersonated your sister and urged you to go to Dongshan Temple, and you knew it was dangerous, wouldn't you be suspicious? Besides, if it was really your sister, why would she tell you about the place if she didn't want you to go? She could have just kept it a secret."

Luo Ci thought about it and found the explanation reasonable. But then she thought deeper and asked, "If someone really climbed through my window while I was sleeping and impersonated my sister, and they wanted to harm me, they could have done it while I was asleep. Even if they killed me, I wouldn't have resisted. Why go to such lengths to trick me into going to Dongshan Temple?"