The woman, who looked to be in her forties, was wearing a black down jacket even in the scorching summer heat.
But she didn't seem to feel hot at all; in fact, she looked quite cold, her body trembling uncontrollably.
As she spoke, she kept exhaling white breaths, as if it were truly winter.
The woman's overall attire was very simple, and her hair had clearly turned gray, tied into a ponytail with a black hair tie.
Her face was covered with obvious wrinkles, and she looked very old.
She was rather short and slightly overweight, the kind of middle-aged woman you'd see anywhere on the street.
If you put her in a crowd, you probably wouldn't be able to find her.
She doesn't leave a deep impression, but she gives people a kind and approachable feeling.
The woman's gaze followed the children playing on the playground, her brow furrowed and her eyes filled with worry.
As soon as she sees a child running, she starts babbling on and on:
"Don't run! Don't run! You'll fall if you run!"
"Don't chase or play roughly! Don't chase or play roughly! It's too dangerous! You'll fall and get seriously injured!"
She desperately wanted to rush over and stop the children who were running and chasing each other, but as soon as she took a step, she seemed to remember something and quickly pulled her foot back.
Then, helplessly, he looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh.
She seems to be very afraid of sunlight...
Xiao Yanbao was staring intently at the aunt, unaware that Jiang Miaomiao had already walked up to her.
Jiang Miaomiao gently patted her shoulder, successfully startling the little girl.
"Yan Yan, what are you looking at?"
Jiang Miaomiao frowned slightly, puzzled, wondering what Xiao Yanbao was looking at so intently.
"Huh?" Xiao Yanbao's reaction was noticeably slow.
Before she could answer, Jiang Miaomiao said with a smile:
"Yanyan, you play here for a while, I'll go ask the teacher for two bottles of water."
Xiao Yanbao nodded quickly: "Okay, go ahead!"
After watching Jiang Miaomiao walk away, Xiao Yanbao jumped off the swing and walked towards the aunt.
The aunt didn't notice the little boy approaching; her gaze remained fixed on the children on the playground, filled with worry.
"Auntie, why are you wearing so many layers? Aren't you hot?"
The woman was startled when a crisp, childlike voice suddenly entered her ears.
She turned her neck stiffly to look at the little dumpling that had come close to her.
As she turned her head, Xiao Yanbao frowned slightly, as if she heard a "click-clack" sound.
The woman stared wide-eyed at Xiao Yanbao, her gaze empty and devoid of any spirit, yet filled with astonishment.
She seemed surprised that anyone could see her...
Little Yanbao continued to look up at the woman with his little face, and asked in his childish voice:
"Auntie, why are you standing here watching everyone? Are you worried they might fall?"
As he spoke, the little boy kindly reassured the worried aunt, "Don't worry! Everyone will be careful, you usually won't fall!"
The teachers had taught them all about safety precautions in great detail.
Hearing Xiao Yanbao's words, the woman finally reacted, "No... we can't take any chances! It would be terrible if I fell!"
Her tone became noticeably agitated, and her eyes widened even further, as if her glass-like pupils were about to pop out of their sockets at any moment.
Why?
Xiao Yanbao frowned in confusion and tilted his head slightly to look at the woman.
Falling down might hurt so much you cry, but how bad can it be?
The woman's expression suddenly turned strange. Her face, full of vicissitudes, was deathly pale, as if all the blood in her body had been drained, devoid of any color or vitality.
She moved closer to Xiao Yanbao, lowered her voice, and said in an increasingly hoarse tone:
"Because falling down can kill a person."
As she spoke, the woman stiffly raised her head again and looked towards the stairwell.
Her lips slowly curved upwards, revealing a smile that made people feel very uncomfortable.
Following her gaze, Xiao Yanbao also glanced towards the stairwell.
Although it was broad daylight, the stairwell seemed completely dark and gloomy, exuding an atmosphere of desolation and decay.
This stairwell looks like it hasn't been used in a long time; it's covered in dust, and even the handrails are covered in a thick layer of cobwebs.
A gust of wind rose from the ground and blew into the stairwell, making a mournful sound, like the wailing of a ghost filled with resentment.
Xiao Yanbao's expression unconsciously became serious; she had probably confirmed her inner suspicions.
The woman in front of me is definitely not an ordinary human being who continues to live in this world.
"Auntie, what are you looking at?" Xiao Yanbao turned his gaze away from the stairwell and back to the woman.
This time, however, a hint of wariness crept into the little boy's eyes.
"Judging from your young age, you must be a kindergarten student who has just started kindergarten, right?"
The woman's gaze softened slightly as she looked at Xiao Yanbao. She said with great certainty, "You definitely don't know about the accident that happened at this school!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yanbao couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of accident?"
A strange smile crept onto the woman's lips again. "Auntie is going to tell you something. Listen carefully..."
It turns out that this place was not the prestigious academy it is today, but another private school with poor management. Due to inadequate facilities, a very serious stampede occurred at that private school.
The accident occurred shortly after the school was established; at that time, this was not a playground, but a dormitory building.
The stampede occurred on the stairs of the dormitory building.
The children rushed out of the dormitory to do morning exercises. One student mischievously pushed forward, causing many students to fall. The children fell down the stairs like dominoes.
It resulted in very serious casualties, and the accident scene that year was extremely tragic.
The worst off was one of the dormitory supervisors in the building.
To save the children who fell down the stairs, she didn't hesitate to use her own body as a human cushion, and was crushed to death at the bottom.
It was during the coldest winter in the capital. By the time rescuers pulled the dormitory supervisor from under the children, her body was already frozen stiff.
Her black down jacket, which she had worn for many years, was covered in blood...
(End of this chapter)
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