I originally thought that coming up with a poison that would be hard for a hospital to detect would be very difficult, but I didn’t expect that the actual execution would be the hardest part. It’s like Grace Nelson in "Dream of the Red Chamber," who tried to poison Shirley Miller but ended up harming herself instead—if that happened, it would be just too foolish. But I bet you’re laughing at my stupidity right now, aren’t you? Knowing is easy, doing is hard. That’s why I’m even more impressed by your skill, since you’ve already succeeded several times, haven’t you? Can you tell me how you did it? Are there any good methods that are hard to detect? Please share some of your experience.

Also, although this desk isn’t used often, it’s still right here in the classroom, facing that last little whiteboard where all sorts of club activities are posted. There are often students hanging around nearby, using it as a mailbox—can it really be safe? I’m really worried.

May Susan Wright rest in peace soon.

A classmate

When Susan Wright put this letter into the “mailbox,” there was no one in the self-study classroom. She stuck the envelope under the desk and glanced at the desk a few more times. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she didn’t like this desk—it gave her a strong sense of insecurity. Just like she said in the letter. Honestly, she hoped that person would choose a safer place. Why change it to a spot where students could pass by at any time, instead of the secluded pine grove? She really couldn’t understand his thinking.

With the risk of exposure increased, Susan Wright thought, and quickly left the classroom. In those last few glances, she seemed to see some symbols carved on the desk, but she didn’t get a good look, and didn’t plan to go back just to check.

If she kept watch nearby, could she possibly catch the other person coming to pick up or drop off a letter? It’s a public place, and there are plenty of reasonable excuses to linger nearby. This idea tempted Susan Wright like a bright red apple—it was a shortcut to directly finding out the poisoner’s identity. But she knew this was definitely a dangerous idea. The change in the letter drop-off method was suggested by the other party. Would a poisoner really be so reckless as to only consider convenience? Was he really as stubborn and arrogant as he seemed in the letters? Not necessarily. Maybe he just wanted to see if she would try to be clever and wait nearby. After all, he also wanted to know her identity.

So, pick up the letter, drop off the letter, but don’t linger. And be twice as careful every single time.

This letter was sent out the day after the water bottle incident. The day before, Susan Wright had been held up by Fiona Bennett all day, wandering around Sichuan Road in the afternoon. That evening, they discussed how to find the poisoner. Fiona Bennett was full of righteous indignation and passion, coming up with all sorts of plans, most of which Susan Wright rejected. But there was one simple “wait and see” method that could be tried. Honestly, Susan Wright didn’t have much hope.

But Susan Wright didn’t expect that not only did they not catch the poisoner, but something completely unexpected happened. Every time she thought she had everything under control, a cold, mocking laugh seemed to echo from hell. When she and Fiona Bennett returned to the dorm and opened the lunchbox they’d used as bait, gently digging with an enamel spoon to reveal that “eye,” fear was dredged up from the depths of her heart, wet and chilling. At a moment like this, she felt so glad to have Fiona Bennett facing it all with her. Fiona Bennett was no longer a dispensable pawn, but someone she wanted to hold onto tightly.

7

Fiona Bennett was so frightened that she actually called the police. When she saw the uniform appear at the classroom door, Susan Wright’s face changed. No, no, no, no—how could things have gone down this path? This absolutely wouldn’t do. She turned it over and over in her mind, resenting Fiona Bennett’s weakness—how could she make such a decision without discussing it with her? When Harold Rogers came to tell her to meet with the police, Susan Wright was in a daze, thinking, “This is bad, this is bad.” She stood outside the door, trying to calm herself, and then overheard a few lines of conversation between the police and Fiona Bennett. Suddenly, she realized things weren’t as bad as she’d imagined. She listened a bit longer, figured out what to do, and then knocked and went in.

She saw the encouraging look in Fiona Bennett’s eyes and silently apologized to her. She knew very well what denying everything would mean for Fiona Bennett, but Susan Wright had no choice.

I can only betray you, she thought. Because I can’t betray myself.

The police began to ask: “Your classmate just called the police and said someone tried to poison you. Is that true?”

“No, not at all,” Susan Wright answered without hesitation. She knew Fiona Bennett hadn’t left yet—she could even hear the sound of Fiona Bennett’s heart breaking.

This pawn can’t be used anymore, can it? Maybe that’s for the best, Fiona Bennett, maybe that’s for the best.

That day, Susan Wright apologized to Fiona Bennett many times, but the rift between them wasn’t so easily repaired. And the impact of Fiona Bennett’s call to the police continued to spread. Over the weekend, Fiona Bennett didn’t go home, and neither did Susan Wright. She still felt guilty—at a time like this, with Fiona Bennett becoming the target of everyone’s criticism, it was best to have someone by her side for comfort.

Susan Wright never expected that a performance of "Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute" would make Fiona Bennett forgive her. After all the turmoil, she hadn’t played the xiao in a long time. This time, as she played, she felt only heaviness and difficulty. In the bamboo flute, it was as if there were countless twists and turns, one obstacle after another. When she saw Fiona Bennett coming toward her, drawn by the sound, she’d thought of acting a bit weaker to gain sympathy, but then realized—she was already playing so poorly, did she need to act even more fragile? So she stopped overthinking and put her whole heart into the music. The sadness in her heart grew stronger and stronger, and several faces floated before her eyes. Until a basketball flew by, grazing her face, and pulled Susan Wright out of her near-trance.

For the next two days, Susan Wright didn’t discuss any concrete plans with Fiona Bennett. The main reason she’d brought Fiona Bennett into this was to help divert attention. In this respect, Fiona Bennett had done her best—because of her call to the police, the poisoner was probably still on edge. On Sunday, after a satisfying bike ride, Susan Wright went to check the mailbox. She’d planned to wait until Monday, but since there were fewer people in the teaching building on Sunday, she went anyway—and there was a reply. She didn’t know which day it had been put there. This time, she took a closer look at the desk. It was covered in carvings, taking up almost half the surface, densely packed. Could they be special symbols for cheating on exams? But this wobbly desk shouldn’t be used by anyone. Judging by the marks, they weren’t old—maybe carved this semester. Susan Wright couldn’t figure it out, and since she couldn’t stay there to study them, she let it go.

Your nerves are terrible. You get so anxious just using a desk to communicate—it’s no wonder you slipped up. I can poison people anytime, anywhere. It’s not hard at all! I’ve never read "Dream of the Red Chamber"—that’s a book for women. Of course, you must be a woman, right? Haha, that’s why you’re so hesitant and indecisive. Have you read "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer"? There’s a Five Poison Cult leader, Phoebe Blue, whose poisoning methods are impossible to guard against. Or, to be more down-to-earth, there’s Victor Mitchell in "The Deer and the Cauldron"—his methods are easier to learn. Drinking water, eating meals, having snacks, taking medicine—any time is an opportunity. Just be quick and seize the right moment. This kind of thing takes talent, but actually, it’s a lot like being a doctor: when it’s time to act, you have to act, and when you do, your hand must be steady.

If you’re not confident, don’t do it. Like I said before, having just me is enough.

Another classmate

Susan Wright had originally thought the letter would be full of ridicule for her failure, but surprisingly, it wasn’t. It seemed her repeated shows of weakness had worked. As a strong person, a “boss,” it’s only natural to tolerate a subordinate’s occasional mistake—it only makes you look more capable.

Also, the letter speculated about her gender. When he used the word “woman,” it clearly meant he was presenting himself as male. But before confirming the other person’s information, would he really reveal his own? This person was still writing with his left hand, so maybe the information he revealed was intentional. Susan Wright had originally guessed he was a man, but now, she wasn’t so sure.

Susan Wright spent a long time thinking about how to reply. She felt this was a critical moment. The other party had released some information—whether true or not, at least he wasn’t rejecting further communication. What should she do next to get to the heart of the matter more quickly? In the letter, he said that poisoning could be done anytime—drinking water, eating, snacking, taking medicine—but Susan Wright knew very well that was impossible. She was watching too closely. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a chill.

On Monday, Fiona Bennett started talking to classmates one by one. She seemed to have thrown caution to the wind—after calling the police, she decided to use this direct approach to find the poisoner. Susan Wright thought there was no way she’d succeed, and that it was actually very dangerous. She tried to persuade Fiona Bennett not to be so aggressive, but Fiona Bennett was determined. In the few months Susan Wright had known her, she’d never seen such resolve in the girl’s eyes.

It was bound to cause a huge stir, Susan Wright thought.

On Monday night, Susan Wright finished her letter and found a moment on Tuesday to send it out.