Chapter Twenty-Six: School Ghost Stories 26

He had just woken up, his eyes still heavy with sleep, his eyelids red and swollen, his eyelashes frizzy, and his lips dark in color—the result of his overexertion the night before.

His chest and abdomen were a complete mess.

Overnight, Lu Cen broke out in a sweat, and his symptoms improved considerably. Xie Lin brought him medicine, but Lu Cen was very particular about it, so he brushed his teeth before drinking it. It was very bitter, but he didn't change his expression. He had drunk too much of it in his previous life and was used to it. Xie Lin patted his head, and Lu Cen hissed in pain, his back tensing up.

"Stay put."

Xie Lin dressed impeccably, transforming back into the refined and cultured Teacher Xie.

After everyone left, Lu Cen thought to himself that he only needed to stay here for half a day, and he could complete his mission and leave by noon. These three days had felt like an eternity.

"Are you sure Xie Lin is gone?"

"Was I wrong to watch him leave?"

"I've been keeping watch all night, intending to make my move last night, but it's all your fault for arriving too late."

"No rush, it's not too late now."

Lu Cen listened to the vague discussion and was startled. These were the people who wanted revenge last night. The chaotic voices quickly reached the door.

Lu Cen quickly jumped off the bed, blocked the door with furniture, and then headed in one direction. Coincidentally, last night when he was fussing about going to the toilet, he accidentally discovered that there was a hollow wall in the toilet. After opening the wall, there was a door behind it, with a large black padlock tightly hanging on the door.

It's strange to see such old objects in such a modern setting.

Lu Cen didn't pay attention at the time, but now it has become his hiding place.

The lock is rusty.

This indicates that it has existed for quite some time.

Lu Cen looked at the lock, puzzled. How was he supposed to get in?

Her delicate fingers gripped the lock, fiddling with it back and forth to examine it. Lu Cen tugged at it a few times; it was very tight, almost impossible for it to break. "Where's the key?"

As he rummaged through the room, he tried to recall where Xie Lin might have hidden the item. He definitely wouldn't have it on his person; Xie Lin wouldn't wear it all the time. So, the only possibilities were this place and the office. Since Xie Lin didn't use the office alone, and people came and went, it was more likely that he had hidden it here. The banging outside the door grew louder and louder.

Lu Cen searched every corner and found several keys, but none of them were the right ones.

He slumped onto the carpet, utterly exhausted.

Where could he be hiding?

"I think there might be something hidden on top of the cabinet."

Lu Cen looked up and saw a small gap between the wardrobe and the ceiling, just big enough to slip something in: "How come I didn't notice this before?"

"Because you're short."

Lu Cen retorted, "I'm short down there."

He moved a chair over and tried to reach it, but it wasn't tall enough.

2244: "Who's shorter?"

Lu Cen awkwardly moved a desk over and then placed a chair on it.

The top was covered in dust, and there were two very flat boxes at the deepest part. Lu Cen carefully took them out, but still stirred up a layer of dust. He turned his head and coughed a few times before quickly leaving.

There were two boxes, one black and one white. The white box contained a key, while the black box contained only two photos. Due to the passage of time, the photos had yellowed and had deep creases.

Upon seeing the contents, Lu Cen's blood froze.

It was a six-story building with loose railings and peeling paint on the walls. Two sparrows perched on the power lines, their tiny figures the only living creatures in the photo. A person lay on the floor tiles, face up, eyes closed, face pale, blood gushing from beneath him, forming a large bloodstain, yet a smile played on his lips.

This is Su Yi'an.

Lu Cen recognized him at a glance.

Su Yi'an is dead!!!

Who was the person he met?

Who was the person he was eating ice cream with?

Who was the person sleeping in the same dormitory as him?

Lu Cen's blood froze as he stared intently at the photo. How could Su Yi'an be dead?!

That's impossible!

“The Su Yi’an I saw…” Lu Cen found it more and more unbelievable and frightening, but when she thought of Lu Cen, she felt that nothing was impossible and her emotions gradually stabilized: “So, he is the same as Lu Cen, dead but able to live like a living person.”

Lu Cen then thought of the monster that had been roaring outside the door on the first night. It kept saying that it was Su Yi'an, but he just thought it was a clumsy lie. He never expected it to be true!

So, is Xie Lin really just an ordinary teacher?

The second photo also shows a building, facing upwards. The only difference is that Su Yi'an's face has been replaced by Xie Lin's face. The two photos are eerily overlapping, even the expressions are exactly the same. Blood flows beneath him, meandering downwards. Lu Cen feels as if he has been plunged into icy seawater, his breath sealed by the water.

It was a sunny day, but Lu Cen felt cold.

The person he was cuddling with in bed yesterday is already dead. Xie Lin is a ghost!

They are all ghosts!

Lu Cen took out the key from the black box. The key was old-fashioned and had patterns on it. He tried several times before he was able to get it in.

Lu Cen turned the key, and with a "click," the long-sealed door was pushed open, and a musty smell and various other unpleasant odors hit her. Lu Cen hid to the side for a long time before daring to go in.

The four walls are white, and there are no extra objects inside, not even furniture. The room is just a box about the height of a person.

Lu Cen slowly approached, his heart pounding. He circled the box once and realized it was just an ordinary box, nothing special.

He gripped the edge of the box lid, bent down to try and see what was inside, but he only wanted to hide for a moment. Once he couldn't see what was inside, he gave up.

As he hesitated, a figure appeared out of nowhere beside Lu Cen. He opened his mouth wide and stared blankly at the newcomer. Su Yi'an looked haggard, and his injuries were even more severe than yesterday. When he saw Lu Cen, he relaxed, but when he saw Lu Cen's appearance, he could hardly suppress his anger.

When Xie Lin left today, he prepared clothes and shorts for him. Now, his straight and fair legs were covered with small marks. Even more noticeable was the back of Lu Cen's neck, which was covered with bruises. Last night, whenever Xie Lin was in the mood, he would bite Lu Cen, which resulted in the current state of his body.

"You... how did you get here?"

Su Yi'an looked at him: "What, can't I come? Do you know how long I've been looking for you? Your phone was off, don't you know how worried I was?"

Lu Cen was still thinking about how he was dead, but now he was standing in front of him. The fact and what he saw with his own eyes were pulling at each other, causing Lu Cen to feel a strong sense of separation.

"Where did these come from? Did Xie Lin do them?"

"He took advantage of you and you didn't know how to resist? He wanted you and you just gave in?"

"He kissed you?" Su Yi'an's tone was incredibly sarcastic: "Did you let him kiss you? Don't you know he has ulterior motives? I told you before to stay away from him, why didn't you listen!"

Lu Cen was so startled by the shout that she took a step back, her misty eyes glistening with tears.

Doesn't he want to refuse?

But could he refuse?

Lu Cen said in a hoarse voice, "Why are you being so fierce!"