C17 Grandma's Shoe

Due to the lack of surveillance cameras in the male dormitory corridor, it was impossible to track where the prankster went after leaving the area. With no additional leads, they were left to repeatedly analyze the video of the confrontation between the female ghost and Lu Wangshu.

Despite watching it over and over, Lin Xiangyi couldn't discern any new clues or points of suspicion. Feeling somewhat deflated and bored, she stood up, intending to grab a glass of water.

In her haste, she failed to notice Lu Wangshu on the floor and stepped on him. Her foot came down with considerable force as she pushed herself up, causing him to wince and sharply inhale from the pain.

Lin Xiangyi quickly offered an apology, "I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

It was an accident, and what could Lu Wangshu do but offer a pained smile and a dismissive wave of his hand? "I'm fine," he assured her.

Qiao Liang glanced over at them, and his eyes landed on Lin Xiangyi's shoes. "Hey, Xiangyi, nice shoes," he remarked with surprise.

Lin Xiangyi looked down at her shoes and nodded with satisfaction, "Of course, I always pick well, don't I?"

Lu Wangshu joined in the observation and saw a pair of very common flats, the kind that were easy to slip on and off and could be found everywhere. The distinctive feature was a ring of pleats around the shoe, which gave them a unique, albeit somewhat dated, look.

Qiao Liang nodded as if to affirm Lin Xiangyi's statement. "Indeed. They remind me of a similar pair my grandmother has."

Unable to contain himself, Lu Wangshu chuckled. It seemed Qiao Liang was on the same wavelength as him. He knew Qiao Liang, his longtime buddy, couldn't have lost his sense of style—it had to be intentional.

Lin Xiangyi, catching the tail end of Qiao Liang's comment, shot a glare at the instigator and then at Lu Wangshu, who was now joining in the teasing. With a scowl, she retorted, "What do you two know about fashion anyway? These are the trendy 'granny shoes' of the season."

"Granny shoes?" Qiao Liang hadn't expected that not only did the shoes look like something an elderly person would wear, but they were actually called that too. It was quite unusual.

Lin Xiangyi gave Qiao Liang a look that said, "You clearly don't get it, do you?" and began to explain, "These shoes are actually a throwback style, resembling something an older person might wear, hence the name."

Qiao Liang shook his head, clearly baffled, and said, "Women are truly peculiar. Even though you admit these shoes resemble something an elderly person would wear, they still become fashionable."

"You just don't understand. These shoes don't have any laces, so they're incredibly easy to slip on. Plus, they're light and comfortable to walk in. But the most important thing is that they have a familiar, comforting look that makes them popular," Lin Xiangyi elaborated.

Qiao Liang pursed his lips, signaling he still couldn't grasp the logic of women's fashion. Meanwhile, Lu Wangshu, standing beside Qiao Liang, was lost in thought.

This pair of shoes... Why do they look so familiar? It's as if I've seen them somewhere before. But where exactly?

Lu Wangshu was deep in thought when suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head. He quickly pulled up the surveillance video footage to the moment when the ghostly figure was nearest to the camera and zoomed in on the image.

Indeed, just as Lu Wangshu remembered, the ghostly figure was wearing a pair of shoes similar to Lin Xiangyi's granny shoes.

How could a boy possibly wear such effeminate shoes? Therefore, the person masquerading as a ghost must not be a boy.

But if this person were a female student, that didn't seem likely either.

Firstly, as previously mentioned, according to the rules of Yongzhou No.1 Middle School, girls are not allowed in the boys' dormitory except for special circumstances, such as a dorm check by the student union. But the incident occurred well after ten o'clock, past lights out. How could anyone from the student union be there at that time?

Secondly, let's consider a far-fetched scenario: a female student from the student council hides in the boys' dormitory during a room check, only to run out later and scare people. But if this girl was hiding there, wouldn't the dorm supervisor, the auntie in charge, notice her?

That's why this scenario is absolutely implausible.

If it wasn't a man or a female student, that leaves us with only one other possibility.

Could the prankster be none other than the dormitory hostess, Mrs. Zhang?

Lu Wangshu had just pieced this together when Qiao Liang's phone began to ring. He glanced at the screen and saw it was a call from a colleague at the Identification Department, so he answered.

"Hello, Mr. Qiao, the bag of powder you sent for analysis this morning—the results are in," the voice on the other end informed him.

"Is that so?" Qiao Liang was surprised by the swift response from the Identification Department.

"Yes. I was going to email you, but then I figured a call would suffice. That white powder is actually a common over-the-counter cold medicine," the colleague explained.

"What? Are you saying the powder you tested, the one I sent, is just cold medicine?" Qiao Liang repeated, to make sure he hadn't misunderstood.

"That's correct. We found the components of cold medicine in it, no doubt about it," the officer confirmed.

"Okay, I understand. Thanks for the quick work," Qiao Liang said before ending the call.

Having repeated the Identification Department officer's words, Lu Wangshu and Lin Xiangyi were also privy to the call's content. They exchanged a glance and said, "So, it wasn't flour at all, but actually cold medicine?"

Qiao Liang nodded in confirmation, "Exactly."

Lu Wangshu grinned, "I think I've figured out who's behind the ghost act."

Lin Xiangyi, puzzled, couldn't grasp how Lu Wangshu had come to his conclusion so quickly. She asked, "Who is it, then?"

Lu Wangshu was being coy, and instead of answering her question, he simply stated, "Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. Let's head to Yongzhou No.1 Middle School first."

"Now?" Lin Xiangyi gave a wry smile. "But it's mealtime. Aren't we going to eat?"

"We'll skip it for now. Once we've caught the person behind all this mystery, I'm sure Officer Qiao won't hesitate to treat us. Let's hold off on eating so we can really enjoy a feast later," Lu Wangshu said as he strode out the door.

Qiao Liang couldn't help but smile at Lu Wangshu's confident planning.

After all, Lu Wangshu had been tirelessly staking out the boys' dormitory at Yongzhou No.1 Middle School for several days to assist with the investigation. Regardless of whether they uncovered the identity of the mysterious individual today, Lu Wangshu deserved a hearty meal for his efforts.

Without any objections, Qiao Liang followed Lu Wangshu out of the office.

The trio drove to Yongzhou No.1 Middle School and, as they had done that morning, made a beeline for the principal's office.

The principal was surprised to see them again so soon and asked, "What's the matter? Have you discovered something?"

Lu Wangshu nodded, this time getting straight to the point.

There was no need for evasions with the principal – it would only waste time. So, he said directly, "Yes, we've identified the person who's been causing trouble at the school."

The principal looked astonished and exclaimed, "Oh, you've figured out who it is already?"

With a calm smile and full confidence, Lu Wangshu replied, "Please take us to the rooftop of the boys' dormitory. If I'm not mistaken, that's where the culprit has stashed his equipment and props."

"Let's not waste any time, then," the principal said, rising from his seat with urgency.

Acknowledging the principal, Lu Wangshu and the group filed out of the office, one after the other.

Upon reaching the boys' dormitory building, Mrs. Zhang was having her meal at the dormitory station. Spotting the principal, she immediately set her chopsticks aside and stepped forward. Before she could greet him, her eyes fell upon Lu Wangshu trailing behind, and she faltered, stammering, "You, you, you're not, aren't you the, the one..."

"Mrs. Zhang, is something the matter?" The principal asked, eyeing her with curiosity.

Unbeknownst to the principal, Lu Wangshu had been staking out the boys' dormitory for several days, and he was unaware of the previous night's encounter between Lu Wangshu and Mrs. Zhang, which explained his confusion.

Mrs. Zhang glanced between the principal and Lu Wangshu, at a loss for words. Though she felt a torrent of thoughts rushing to her lips, she couldn't manage to utter a single one.

Finally, Lu Wangshu broke the silence. "Mrs. Zhang, would you mind leading us up to the dormitory rooftop?"

At his request, Mrs. Zhang's face turned ashen, and her eyes darted around warily. Despite her discomfort, with the principal present, she couldn't let her true feelings show. She forced a strained laugh and replied, "Why on earth would we need to go up to the rooftop?"

"It's just that I have some matters to attend to," Lu Wangshu retorted with a sardonic edge. "Otherwise, as you said, why would anyone go to the rooftop for no good reason?"

To the uninformed, Lu Wangshu's words might suggest he had a legitimate reason for the visit. But Mrs. Zhang understood the subtext all too well; Lu Wangshu was privy to something, his words a veiled reference to her own secretive rooftop visit.

With Mrs. Zhang frozen in place, the principal, growing impatient, prodded her, "Mrs. Zhang, what's on your mind? Let's not dawdle—please, take us to the rooftop."