Late-night "visitor"
When Lu Ye got home, the first thing he did was to take off all his clothes and throw them into the washing machine. Then he rushed into the bathroom and showered with hot water for half an hour. Even with the hot water pouring over his body, he still felt cold, especially his ankles, which felt like something was wrapped around them, making them feel cold.
He looked at the wound on his knee in the mirror—it was deep, scabbed over, a dark red scab, and slightly swollen around it. He grimaced in pain as he disinfected it with iodine, but the image of the secret room kept replaying in his mind: the pale face, the pupilless eyes, the tangled hair, and Qi Chen standing in the darkness.
"It must be a special effect," he muttered to himself in the mirror. "These days, escape rooms are all about immersive experiences. They must be using some high-tech technology, like holographic projection or something. Otherwise, how could it be so realistic?"
Even so, he still took off the silver chain his grandmother had given him, wrapped it twice with red string, and put it back on his wrist. The silver chain was cool against his skin, which made him feel a little relieved.
Lying in bed, Lu Ye tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His phone sat on the bedside table, the screen still on. He opened Xiaohongshu and searched for "Shenyuan Secret Room Lin Xiao," but found nothing. He then searched for "Old Town Republican-era Western-style Building Ghost Stories," and a bunch of posts popped up. Most of them described the old town's many abandoned Republican-era buildings and the frequent occurrence of paranormal activity, but none mentioned "Shenyuan Secret Room" or "Lin Xiao."
He opened the map again and searched for "Shenyuan Secret Room," but the address wasn't even on the map. Only the alley in the old city remained, with the address at the end marked "Abandoned Building" without any name.
Lu Ye felt even more uneasy - why did this secret room seem to not exist?
Just then, a slight rustling sound came from outside the window, as if someone was scratching the window. Lu Ye's room was on the second floor, and the window faced the green belt of the community, so few people came here normally.
He held his breath, slowly walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain and looked out. It was pitch black outside, with only the light from the street lamps casting long shadows on the ground. The trees in the green belt were swaying in the wind, and the shadows of their branches were reflected on the window, like countless hands grasping the glass.
"It must have been the wind." Lu Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to lower the curtains, he saw something on the windowsill - a folded piece of paper, the same as the test paper he saw in the secret room.
Lu Ye's heartbeat quickened instantly. He stared at the paper, hesitating for a long time before finally opening the window. The wind blew in, carrying with it a damp, musty smell, exactly the same as in the secret room.
He reached out and picked up the paper. It was cold, as if it had just been pulled out of water. He unfolded it and saw that it was indeed a math test. The name at the top of the paper was "Lin Xiao," and the score "58" was written in large red ink. Next to it was a line of small words: "Mom, I didn't do poorly on purpose. Don't be angry."
On the back of the test paper, there was a picture of a small house. Next to the house stood a girl, holding a full-score test paper in her hand, with the words "I want to get 100 points to make my mother happy" written next to it.
Lu Ye's hands began to tremble, and he quickly crumpled up the test paper and threw it into the trash can. Just as he was about to close the window, he saw someone standing under the streetlight downstairs. She was wearing a washed-out blue and white school uniform, with long hair draped over her shoulders. It was the girl in the secret room.
The girl raised her head and met Lu Ye's gaze. Her face glowed bluish-white under the streetlight, and the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, as if she was smiling.
"Ah!" Lu Ye screamed in fear, quickly closing the window, drawing the curtains, and pushing the table against the windowsill. He leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, cold sweat streaming down his back.
It's her! She really followed me back!
Lu Ye didn't dare go near the window or turn off the lights. He just sat on the bed, staring at the door, tightly clutching the silver chain his grandmother had given him. The silver chain was cold, but it helped him calm down a little.
I don’t know how long it took, but there was a slight "knock knock" sound outside the door, as if someone was knocking on the door.
Lu Ye's body froze instantly.
He lived in an old neighborhood with poor soundproofing, but it was almost midnight. Who would knock on the door? Was it Zhou Ming? He had been frightened just now, so he wouldn't come so late.
"Knock-knock-knock-" The knocking sound started again, very light but very rhythmic, as if knocking with fingernails.
Lu Ye didn't dare to say anything, just staring at the door. He heard a very light breathing sound outside the door, and the sound of fabric rubbing against each other, as if someone was walking back and forth at the door.
"Lu Ye..." A girl's voice came from outside the door, very soft and with a tearful tone, "I know you are in there... Can you help me return the test paper to Mom?"
It’s Lin Xiao’s voice!
Lu Ye was trembling with fear. He wanted to shout, "Get out of here!" but no sound came out. He saw the doorknob slowly turning. It wasn't being turned by anyone, but by itself, as if operated by an invisible hand.
With a "click", the door lock opened.
The door slowly opened a crack, and outside was pitch black. Only a bluish-white shadow could be seen standing at the door. The shadow slowly moved in, getting closer and closer. Lu Ye could smell the familiar musty smell and the faint smell of blood.
"My test paper..." Lin Xiao's voice rang out at the door, "If you throw it away... Mom will be angry..."
Lu Ye suddenly remembered what his grandmother had said—if you encounter something unclean, use your yang energy to suppress it. He stood up abruptly, grabbed the table lamp, and shouted at the door, "Don't come over here! I'm not afraid of you!"
The shadow stopped and didn't move in. After a few seconds, there was a sobbing sound outside the door, and then the shadow slowly retreated, and the door slowly closed, returning to its original state, as if nothing had happened.
Lu Ye collapsed on the ground, the lamp in his hand falling to the ground with a "bang", and the bulb shattered. He looked at the door and couldn't help but shed tears - not because of fear, but because of grievance and a little inexplicable heartache.
It seemed that the girl just wanted to return the test paper to her mother and she didn't want to hurt herself.
Lu Ye took a long time to recover before getting up, relocking the door, and even propping a cabinet behind it. He didn't dare stay in the bedroom any longer, so he sat on the sofa in the living room, turning on all the lights, and didn't fall asleep until almost dawn.
The next morning, Lu Ye was woken by the ringing of his cell phone. It was Zhou Ming, his voice still trembling: "Lu Ye, are you...are you okay? I dreamed about that girl last night. She chased me for the test paper..."
"I'm fine," Lu Ye rubbed his swollen temples, "Don't think about it, it's just a nightmare."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Ye walked to the trash can. The test paper he had crumpled up yesterday was still inside. He picked it up and carefully unfolded it. The test paper was still cold, and the red score and handwriting on it were still there, not stained by the dirt in the trash can.
He stared at the words "Lin Xiao" on the test paper, and a thought suddenly occurred to him: Does this girl really have some unfulfilled wish? When Qi Chen said he was helping her, was he helping her find her mother?
After Lu Ye washed up, he changed into a loose-fitting sweatshirt, covered the wound on his knee with a Band-Aid, and then, carrying the test paper, headed straight for the "Chenyuan Secret Room." He wanted to know who Lin Xiao was, what Qi Chen was doing for her, and whether Qi Chen was a human or a ghost.
Arriving at the alley in the old city, Lu Ye spotted Qi Chen standing at the entrance of a western-style building from a distance, sweeping fallen leaves with a broom. He was wearing black trousers, the legs rolled up to his ankles, revealing a small section of his fair calf, which had a faint scar on it, as if it had been scratched by something.
Lu Ye's heartbeat quickened instantly, he slowed down his pace and walked over slowly. Qi Chen heard the footsteps, raised his head, saw it was him, his eyes showed no emotion, just continued to sweep the floor.
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye stood in front of him and handed him the test paper. "This, is it from the girl in the secret room yesterday?"
Qi Chen's gaze fell on the test paper, and he paused. He put down the broom, took the test paper, and gently brushed his fingers over the writing on it, his movements very light, as if he was caressing something precious.
"It's hers." His voice was a little softer than yesterday. "Her name is Lin Xiao. She went to a middle school nearby three years ago. She jumped off the school rooftop because she was bullied by her classmates."
Lu Ye was stunned - it turned out that it was not a special effect, there was really a ghost.
"Her obsession was to let her mother know that she didn't do poorly on the test on purpose," Qi Chen folded the test paper and put it in his shirt pocket. "That was the test paper she was clutching before she died."
"Then you..." Lu Ye looked at him, "Are you helping her find her mother?"
Qi Chen nodded, said nothing, and continued sweeping. The fallen leaves were swept into a pile, and the wind blew them away again. He didn't get angry, but just swept them again, moving slowly and patiently.
"Why are you helping her?" Lu Ye asked again, "Who are you?"
Qi Chen stopped and looked at him, his eyes filled with a complex emotion: "I am a ghost man, I can see these obsessed souls, and help them to resolve their obsessions, so that they can go to reincarnation."
"Tongyouren?" Lu Ye had never heard of this term. "What is it? A Taoist priest?"
"Almost," Qi Chen said in a calm tone, "It's a family tradition, and every generation has to do this."
Lu Ye looked at him and suddenly remembered what happened last night: "Did she follow me home last night? She knocked on my door and wanted to return the test paper."
Qi Chen frowned: "She has no ill intentions, she just wants to find her mother too much."
"I know she means no harm," Lu Ye said, "I just want to ask, have you found her mother? Can I help?"
Qi Chen glanced at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, as if he didn't expect him to say that. He was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Not yet. Her mother moved away after she died. I don't know where she went."
"Then we can look for her!" Lu Ye said immediately. "I'm a freelance illustrator and I know a lot of friends in the media. We can post a missing person notice or ask around in the old town. We should be able to find her."
Qi Chen looked at him without saying anything, just picked up the broom and continued sweeping the floor.
"Don't be silent," Lu Ye said anxiously. "I know you might think I'm meddling, but I really want to help, and..." He paused, a little embarrassed, "I was so scared yesterday, I want to do something to save face."
Qi Chen's mouth curled up slightly, then quickly returned to normal. He put down the broom, walked over to Lu Ye, and touched his forehead.
Lu Ye's heartbeat suddenly quickened - Qi Chen's hand was still cold, but it felt very comfortable against his forehead.
"No fever." Qi Chen withdrew his hand, his tone very calm, "If you want to help, please help me organize the test papers in the secret room. Those are Lin Xiao's, and she doesn't like others touching her things."
"Okay!" Lu Ye agreed immediately, his heart beaming with joy - no matter what, Qi Chen agreed to let him help, which meant that he was one step closer to Qi Chen.
Qi Chen opened the door to the secret room. This time, he didn't let Lu Ye go through the entrance, but instead took a small door next to it, leading directly to the "Campus Ghost Story" themed secret room. The lights inside were on, illuminating the entire space with a pale glow. The test papers on the wall were still there, but they had been sorted and neatly nailed to the wall. Each test paper had the name "Lin Xiao" written on it, and the scores were all "58" or "59".
"She almost passed every exam," Qi Chen walked over to a test paper and pointed at the comments on it. "The teacher always said she was stupid, and her classmates bullied her. Only her mother believed her and said she just didn't perform well."
Lu Ye walked over to him and looked at the comments on the test paper - "Careless, be more careful next time" and "This question has been explained many times, but you still don't know how to do it." The red handwriting was like a whip, lashing the paper.
"She wrote all these annotations herself, didn't she?" Lu Ye asked. "I saw a house drawn on the back of her test paper yesterday, and even a perfect score paper. She really wanted to do well."
Qi Chen nodded: "She studied until very late every day, just wanting to get a perfect score on the test and make her mother happy. Unfortunately, before that day came,..."
He didn't say anything else, but just reached out and touched the test paper gently, as if to comfort Lin Xiao.
Lu Ye looked at his profile, and suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart. This seemingly cold man was actually very soft-hearted, otherwise he wouldn't have spent so much time helping a stranger.
"We will definitely find her mother," Lu Ye patted Qi Chen's shoulder, "Don't worry, I have a wide network of contacts, I will definitely find her."
Qi Chen turned his head and looked at him with a hint of warmth in his eyes: "Thank you."
This was the first time Lu Ye heard Qi Chen say "thank you". His heartbeat instantly quickened and his face turned red. He quickly looked away: "What are you thanking me for? I just wanted to help Lin Xiao."
Over the next few days, Lu Ye came to the secret room every day to help. He helped Qi Chen sort through Lin Xiao's test papers, copying down the handwriting on each one, hoping to find clues about Lin Xiao's mother. He also mobilized his friends to post missing person notices on social media in an effort to find Lin Xiao's mother.
Qi Chen was also busy, using his ability to communicate with Lin Xiao and search for clues in her memory. Lin Xiao's memory was very vague, she only remembered that her mother liked to wear blue dresses, liked to plant roses on the balcony, and that there was an old noodle shop near her home, whose owner was surnamed Wang.
Following these clues, Lu Ye and Qi Chen began to inquire in the old town. They visited noodle shops one after another, asked residents one after another, and finally found someone who knew Lin Xiao's mother in an old noodle shop that was about to be demolished.
"You're talking about Ms. Lin, right?" The noodle shop owner, a man in his sixties, wiped the table with a rag in his hand. "She used to come here often for noodles, always ordering a bowl of plain noodles with two poached eggs. After her daughter's accident, she moved away. I heard she went to work at a nursing home in the south of the city."
"The nursing home in the south of the city?" Lu Ye asked immediately, "Do you know which one it is?"
"It seems to be called 'Sunset Red Nursing Home,'" the old man thought for a moment. "I can't remember the exact address. You can go to the south of the city and ask."
Lu Ye and Qi Chen looked at each other and saw hope in each other's eyes. They thanked the old man and immediately headed south of the city.
There are not many nursing homes in the south of the city, only three. They searched one by one and finally found Lin Xiao's mother in the "Sunset Red Nursing Home".
Mother Lin, a woman in her fifties with gray hair and a slightly hunched back, was clipping an elderly man's nails in the yard. She was wearing a blue dress that, though faded from washing, was clean and exactly the same as Lin Xiao remembered.
"Aunt Lin," Lu Ye walked up to her, a little nervous, "We are...we are Lin Xiao's friends, and we want to tell you something."
Mother Lin paused for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Lu Ye and Qi Chen with a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Xiaoxiao's friends? Why haven't I seen you before?"
Qi Chen took out the test paper from his pocket and handed it to Mother Lin: "Auntie Lin, this is Lin Xiao's test paper. She wants to tell you something."
When Mother Lin saw the name on the test paper, her body trembled violently and tears immediately flowed down her face. She took the test paper and gently brushed her fingers over the handwriting on it, as if caressing her daughter's face.
"Xiaoxiao..." Her voice was choked with sobs, "Mom misses you so much..."
At this moment, a gust of wind blew over, and the roses in the yard swayed gently, and petals fell on Mother Lin's shoulders. Lin Xiao's figure slowly appeared beside Mother Lin. She was wearing a clean school uniform, holding a perfect test paper in her hand, and a smile on her face.
"Mom," Lin Xiao said softly, "I got full marks on the test. Are you happy?"
Mother Lin raised her head. Although she couldn't see Lin Xiao, she seemed to be able to sense her presence. She stretched out her hand and felt in the air: "Xiaoxiao, is that you? Mom knows you didn't do poorly on the test on purpose. Mom has never blamed you..."
"Mom, I'm sorry," Lin Xiao's tears flowed down, "I shouldn't have left you alone..."
"I don't blame you, Xiaoxiao," Mother Lin cried like a child while holding the test paper. "It's my fault that I didn't protect you well..."
Lin Xiao looked at her mother and smiled, her figure slowly becoming transparent. The perfect test paper in her hand floated in front of her mother, with the words written on it: "Mom, I am going to reincarnate. You must take good care of yourself. I will watch over you from heaven."
The test paper slowly floated up, turned into tiny starlight, and disappeared into the air. Mother Lin held the test paper, a relieved smile on her face.
Lu Ye and Qi Chen stood by, watching this scene, feeling a little sad. Lu Ye secretly glanced at Qi Chen and found that the corners of his eyes were a little red, but there was a faint smile on the corners of his mouth.
"She has gotten rid of her obsession." Qi Chen's voice was soft, with a hint of relief.
"Well," Lu Ye nodded, "She can finally go to reincarnation with peace of mind."
Walking out of the nursing home, the sun was setting, and the golden sunlight shone on my body, making me feel warm. Lu Ye looked at Qi Chen's profile and suddenly felt that this cold and secluded person was not that difficult to approach.
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye stopped and looked at him, "If something like this happens again in the future, can I still help you?"
Qi Chen turned his head and looked at him with a hint of warmth in his eyes: "Okay."
Lu Ye smiled, revealing his two small canine teeth, which looked particularly dazzling in the sunset. He knew that his story with Qi Chen had just begun.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
