Chapter 51.1 Where can I find female ghosts who are all good sisters?
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Qin Ruanruan: “Yes, my name is Qin Ruanruan. Are you really here for the ritual?”
A’Yao: “Yes, we are.”
“I can tell you where Building 13 is,” Qin Ruanruan said, “but you have to help us with something. One of the dorm room locks is broken, and we can’t open it. My friend is stuck inside. Can you help us open it?”
A’Yao asked in surprise, “The door won’t open?”
Qin Ruanruan: “Yes, all of a sudden, it just won’t budge.”
A’Yao looked at Lin Zhaohe with a questioning look. Lin Zhaohe asked, “Which floor is the dormitory on?”
Qin Ruanruan: “Upstairs, follow me.” And she started going up the stairs.
“This is the girls’ dorm, right? It’s not convenient for us guys to go up,” Lin Zhaohe expressed his concerns.
“It’s okay,” Qin Ruanruan said casually. “Most of the students are on vacation, and only a few of my friends are here. Besides, you’re not here to cause trouble.”
Lin Zhaohe thought that kids these days were reckless. They allowed a few men into the dormitory with just a few words. What if they had encountered bad people? Luckily, they weren’t bad people themselves.
The group entered the elevator and when they got out, they reached the fifteenth floor. At the entrance of the fifteenth floor, there was a circle of girls in school uniforms. They looked like the girls from the “School Festival” game, but they all had scared expressions, as if they had encountered something terrifying.
Lin Zhaohe guessed that it was because they had merged with the “The Twisted Path” game, so they were facing some strange situations.
“The door still won’t open?” Qin Ruanruan asked quietly.
“No, it won’t. Mengmeng has been stuck inside for a while. Sister Ruanruan, who are these people?”
“They are mages invited by the school,” Qin Ruanruan answered. “I asked them to help us open the door.”
“Oh,” the girl said, “the school is really nice…”
“Where is the room then?” Lin Zhaohe asked.
“It’s at the end,” the girl replied.
Lin Zhaohe nodded to indicate that he understood.
Qi Ming walked beside Lin Zhaohe and murmured that he had thought this girl might be a ghost or something, but it seemed he was overthinking. With so many girls around, the fusion intensity of “School Festival” was probably higher in this area. As they reached the door of the room, Lin Zhaohe felt a chilling presence emanating from inside the dormitory even before entering.
Lin Zhaohe exerted a great deal of force, pushing the door several times, but it seemed like the door was welded to the wall and wouldn’t budge.
“Let me try,” Zhuang Lao said. He stepped forward and kicked the door frame with both feet. With a creaking sound, the door couldn’t bear the force and was kicked open by Zhuang Lao.
As the door swung open, they saw a girl in school uniform sitting by the wide-open window, seemingly ready to jump down at any moment.
“Mengmeng!!” Qin Ruanruan exclaimed in fear. “Come down quickly!”
Mengmeng turned her head, her pale face devoid of expression. She didn’t speak, but her body slowly moved forward, almost reaching the edge of the window.
“Mengmeng!” A’Yao shouted loudly. “If you die, Xiaobai will be left homeless!”
Lin Zhaohe remembered that Xiaobai was a stray dog Mengmeng had found. Mengmeng was very fond of Xiaobai in the “School Festival” game.
Mengmeng paused, a hint of confusion appearing on her face. It seemed like she was struggling against something. “Xia-Xiaobai…”
“Xiaobai loves you so much. Are you willing to make it sad? It finally found a home, and you want to leave it like this?” A’Yao unleashed his verbal skills. “If you die, no one will take care of it. It will go back to scavenging garbage. Its injured leg hasn’t even fully healed yet…”
Mengmeng froze in her movements as A’Yao spoke. Lin Zhaohe had been steadily moving towards the window and seized the opportunity. He lunged forward and grabbed Mengmeng from the window sill, pulling her down.
Mengmeng burst into loud sobs, clinging to Qin Ruanruan. She said she didn’t want to die and had no idea why she was acting like this.
A’Yao watched the two girls with relief and spoke gently, “It’s alright. Everyone faces difficulties, but they will pass.”
Once it was confirmed that the girl was safe, Qin Ruanruan informed them of the way to Building 13 and enthusiastically offered to guide them there.
By now, it was dark outside, and it seemed unsafe for the girls to accompany them. Lin Zhaohe politely declined their offer, and as they were about to leave, A’Yao suddenly exclaimed, “Oh no, I have a stomachache… Can I use the restroom first?”
His face turned pale, and large beads of sweat formed on his forehead. It didn’t appear as if he was pretending. He genuinely seemed to be experiencing stomach pain.
“You can use the restroom in our dormitory,” one of the girls kindly offered. “There’s no one there.”
“Thank you so much. Sorry for the inconvenience, I’ll be quick,” A’Yao said, clutching his stomach as he rushed into the restroom.
“Why does he look so unwell?” Lin Zhaohe expressed concern. “Did he eat something wrong?”
“Maybe it’s those two sausages he had at the entrance,” Qi Ming said. “I admire him. He’s willing to eat anything… It’s like he thinks he’s really participating in the ‘School Festival’.”
Lin Zhaohe nodded in agreement.
A’Yao felt as if something alive was churning in his stomach, the pain making him weak all over. He finally managed to sit on the toilet, feeling slightly better. He took a few heavy breaths and suddenly realized that he hadn’t brought any tissue with him and his phone was outside. His face darkened considerably.
“Why am I so unlucky?” A’Yao muttered to himself. “What should I do now?”
His gaze wandered around the cramped restroom until it finally fell on a newspaper placed in the corner. After hesitating for a moment, he reached out and took it.
The newspaper was recent, emitting a strong smell of ink. A’Yao glanced at it and decided to use it. However, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention, freezing his movements.
“What is this?” A’Yao unfolded the newspaper and looked at the enormous headline on the front page: “Severe Fire Breaks Out at Huai Shi High School, Forty-Three Students and Teachers Tragically Killed.”
Below the headline was a picture of the building and a long string of names that had been obscured. A’Yao’s hand trembled increasingly, and his gaze slowly moved down. Among the list of victims, he saw a name: Qin * Ruan.
A’Yao: “…”
“Knock, knock, knock.” A gentle knocking sound came from outside the door, and Qin Ruanruan’s voice was just as soft and warm as when they first met. She said, “What’s the matter? Why haven’t you come out yet? Your friends are asking for you.”
A’Yao swallowed hard and whispered, “I-I’ll be out soon.”
Qin Ruanruan fell silent for a moment. “What are you doing in there?”
A’Yao: “I…”
Qin Ruanruan: “I suddenly remembered, you didn’t see something you shouldn’t have, did you?”
Her face slowly pressed against the glass of the restroom door, appearing blurry, but A’Yao could see clearly. It wasn’t Qin Ruanruan’s original face but a charred, blackened one. The smell of burnt flesh seeped through the crack in the door, reaching A’Yao’s nostrils, and he almost cried.
Qin Ruanruan: “Why haven’t you come out yet?” She began forcefully shaking the door, her strength frighteningly strong. The glass door rattled under her shaking, as if it would shatter at any moment.
A’Yao broke down, crying, “Stop shaking, I’m not refusing to come out!”
Qin Ruanruan: “Then why? Are you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid either,” A’Yao said. “I just had diarrhea and forgot to bring tissue!”
Qin Ruanruan: “…”
The atmosphere froze for about three seconds.
A’Yao heard his own weak voice, “So, did you bring any?”
Qin Ruanruan remained silent. One minute later, a package of toilet paper was squeezed through the crack in the door, relieving A’Yao’s urgent need. He was moved to tears and thought, even if his sister had passed away, she was still a good sister. Why had he been so fixated on appearances? He realized he had been shallow. He then wiped himself, stood up, washed his hands, and calmly opened the restroom door.
Qin Ruanruan stood outside the door, tilting her head and staring at him. She smiled and said, “You saw it just now, didn’t you?”
A’Yao: “Yes.”
The smile vanished from Qin Ruanruan’s face, and her pristine skin began to transform. It seemed as if she was ignited from within, flames flickering around her. She was about to say something, but A’Yao didn’t give her a chance. He swiftly pulled out a candy from his pocket, peeled off the thin wrapper, and stuffed it into Qin Ruanruan’s mouth.
It was a candy that A’Yao had prepared specifically. It was a peach-flavored fruit candy, Qin Ruanruan’s favorite in the “School Festival.” When Qin Ruanruan tasted the candy, her eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know I like this flavor?”
“I didn’t know,” A’Yao said. “I just happen to like this flavor too.”
Qin Ruanruan: “…”
“If you like it too, then it couldn’t be better,” A’Yao’s handsome face beamed with a sunny smile. He paid no attention to the fact that the person before him had turned into a charred corpse. He even reached out and helped Qin Ruanruan tidy her hair. “I told you not to press against the door earlier. Your hair got all messed up.”
If Lin Zhaohe were here to witness this scene, he would probably applaud A’Yao’s impressive skills. Regardless of how a woman looked, as long as she fitted his preferred type, he could see beyond the surface and into the soul. He could work as a diligent central air conditioner, and it must be said that although this guy may be flirtatious, his skills were truly unmatched.
Qin Ruanruan blushed and retorted, “Hmph! You men are all about sweet talk. Why are you still standing here? Are you reluctant to leave the girls’ dormitory?”
A’Yao scratched his head and said he would leave now. Then, he hesitantly walked out of the room—though he didn’t really seem afraid of her.
Over on Lin Zhaohe’s side, luck wasn’t as good for him. They stood at the staircase, surrounded by a group of young girls, creating a somewhat delicate atmosphere.
As an expert immersed in horror movies year-round, Qi Ming clearly noticed something amiss. He tugged on Lin Zhaohe’s sleeve and whispered, “What if we don’t wait for him and just leave?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Why?”
“Something’s not right,” Qi Ming said. “Don’t you feel that these girls are acting strange?”
Lin Zhaohe felt a bit puzzled. He hadn’t sensed anything amiss. These girls surrounding them, chattering away, seemed lively and normal to him. He had no idea what was wrong. “What’s wrong with them?”
“Lin Zhaohe,” Qi Ming lamented, pained. “No wonder you’re still a virg¡n. Haven’t you noticed that they haven’t even looked at you while speaking?”
Lin Zhaohe: “Isn’t that… normal?”
Qi Ming: “……”
Lin Zhaohe: “Isn’t it strange for them to stare at you while talking?”
Qi Ming felt the urge to knock his head against something. He wondered how much of a recluse Lin Zhaohe had become to end up like this. Qi Ming had been surprised by Lin Zhaohe’s handsome appearance, the kind that girls nowadays adored—refined, upright, and with a good temperament. How could someone in their mid-twenties still not have a girlfriend? Today, the mystery was solved. If someone were to give Lin Zhaohe a flirtatious look, he would probably think they had something in their eye. Truly clueless about romance.
Zhuang Lao: “The temperature is rising.”
Lin Zhaohe: “You’re right, I’m feeling a bit hot. Something’s off.”
Qi Ming was utterly speechless, wondering how he hadn’t noticed before that the boss and Lin Zhaohe made a compatible pair.
The three of them were considering whether or not to leave when A’Yao, who had been in the restroom, finally emerged. His face was covered in sweat as he said, “Let’s go quickly.”
They hurriedly entered the elevator.
Fortunately, there were no unexpected incidents while descending in the elevator, and they successfully reached the ground floor.
While passing by the duty room of the dormitory’s cleaning lady on the ground floor, Lin Zhaohe noticed something and exclaimed, “Look inside, they are actually ghosts.”
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