Chapter 227 Evil Spirit 23
During the days of forced leave, Jiang Chunmian strictly followed her study plan. The only obstacle was that as the weather got warmer, she became sleepy easily. Sometimes she brought breakfast to Zhang Yan's house, and sometimes Zhang Yan came back to her house. After breakfast, she would take a nap and then get up to study.
Sleeping took up most of the morning, forcing her to postpone her study schedule. Zhang Yanhui naturally followed her lead. When Jiang Chunmian slept, he'd just lie down casually, then get up once she fell asleep, resting his hand on her cheek and gazing at her sleeping face.
After getting enough sleep, Jiang Chunmian did a set of papers and corrected the wrong ones. Zhang Yanhui's speed was almost the same as hers. He went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, stewing yam and pork ribs soup.
Jiang Chunmian received living expenses from both his parents every month, while Zhang Yanhui had money saved during his lifetime. He was hardworking and did all kinds of dirty and tiring work in his spare time. He lived a frugal life in his daily life. Together with the monthly rent, he had a lot of free money. Together with Jiang Chunmian's living expenses, it was enough for the two of them to eat and drink well before the college entrance examination.
Jiang Chunmian finished the last piece of spareribs in his bowl, drank half a bowl of soup, patted his round belly, and said, "I want to eat fried chicken forks tomorrow. The fried food shop on the front street fried delicious food, but unfortunately they were sold out when I went there at noon! I didn't get to eat it."
Zhang Yanhui: "Then I will line up early tomorrow." After saying that, he asked her: "Are you full?" Jiang Chunmian nodded, lying on the chair with her eyes squinted. Zhang Yanhui took the pork rib soup in front of her, drank the rest, and then took the bowl to the kitchen. Jiang Chunmian hurriedly stood up and followed him. Zhang Yanhui washed the dishes, and she took them, wiped them clean and put them away.
"How much do we have left for this month's living expenses?"
The two of them set aside a fixed amount each month for daily expenses. On Jiang Chunmian's side, both of her parents had long had lovers, and after a falling out, they were no longer shy about it. Neither of them had children yet. Rumor has it that her father's new wife was pregnant, and her mother hadn't contacted her in a while. They were clearly no longer Jiang Chunmian's support, and she needed to make adequate preparations for tuition and living expenses after college.
Zhang Yanhui wiped his hands and took the paper box under the bed. Inside was neatly stacked banknotes. He counted out the amount and told her, "Enough." Jiang Chunmian looked at him suspiciously, "Did you secretly put money in there?" Zhang Yanhui naturally shook his head.
Jiang Chunmian didn't believe him and began calculating her expenses from the beginning of the month to the present moment. After adding and subtracting, she found that there was indeed extra money in the paper box. She took out the extra money and told him righteously, "I know you've saved a lot of money! But you have to pay for tuition and living expenses in the future. Of course, you can earn more money later, but we have to prepare for a rainy day now and not spend lavishly. No more fried chicken forks tomorrow! Let's have vegetables."
Zhang Yanhui's protest was in vain, so he could only buy vegetables in different ways and eat them for several days. When the two of them were taking a walk to digest the food at noon, they passed by the fried food shop with the fragrant smell, and Jiang Chunmian felt hungry again.
Zhang Yanhui: "I'll treat you to a meal, no living expenses required." Jiang Chunmian refused: "That won't work!" Zhang Yanhui was about to say something else, but Jiang Chunmian rolled his eyes and said, "We must use living expenses! After this meal, we can save money tomorrow." Zhang Yanhui pursed his lips and smiled, reached out to touch Jiang Chunmian's head, and turned to queue.
Zhang Yanhui carried the plastic bag, and the two of them walked to the small square, where there were various fitness equipment. Jiang Chunmian sat at one end of the seesaw, and Zhang Yanhui stood beside her, took out disposable gloves and handed them to her. After Jiang Chunmian finished eating, Zhang Yanhui put the plastic bag to her mouth and spit the bones into it.
"Aren't you greedy?" Jiang Chunmian carefully peeled off the crispy outer skin of the freshly fried chicken, revealing the tender chicken meat inside. Zhang Yanhui bent down to wipe the crumbs from her mouth and said, "I'll eat after you finish."
"No!" Jiang Chunmian took out a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. "Since eating doesn't make you fat, then eat more."
She said she was greedy, but in fact she got tired of it after eating two or three pieces. There were still a few purple sweet potato balls in the bag. She ate two of them, and the rest were finished by Zhang Yanhui.
Ever since Zhang Yanhui climbed onto the bed that night and slept in Jiang Chunmian's arms, something seemed to be changing. Yet, the two of them continued to get along as usual. Although Zhang Yanhui had long since died and was now a demon, he was no different from when he was alive. In fact, he lived a happier life than before.
When he was alive, he worked hard to earn money and study, never having a moment of peace. Now that he had Jiang Chunmian by his side, he wanted to spend every penny he earned on her. As she calculated their living expenses, he improved his cooking skills, rushing to the market early in the morning to buy fresh pork, stewing it with vegetables, and the meaty aroma overflowed.
He sent Jiang Chunmian home that night. The resentment in Tanhua Town could not be dispelled. It was beyond Zhang Yanhui's control. There were always some people who were inspired by their inner malice and ignored the law to commit crimes. He felt at ease only when he was by her side.
In front of the unit door.
Jiang Chunmian waved goodbye to Zhang Yanhui, turned around and ran into the man next door.
The man's name is Zhao Qiang. He works in decoration. Recently, he was cheated into gambling and lost all his fortune. His wife left with the children, but he didn't care and just drank every day until he was drunk.
Jiang Chunmian could hear noisy noises coming from the corridor recently. She looked through the peephole to see what was happening next door. He often brought a bunch of men to her house to drink until late at night. The old house was inhabited by old people, children, and ordinary people, and no one dared to mess with them.
Jiang Chunmian tried his best to avoid him, but he didn't expect to meet him face to face today.
Zhao Qiang was drunk and saw someone blocking the door. He became furious, but before he could lash out, he saw the face of the person in front of him clearly.
The lights inside the unit were off, letting in the streetlight outside. The young girl's cheeks were fair and rosy, her eyes sparkling, and her long black hair was tied up high, the ends swaying in the wind, full of charm. But her clothes didn't suit him. The loose coat obscured her figure, obscuring her contours. Zhao Qiang frowned, then raised his lips, and the smell of alcohol surged out.
"Little sister, why are you back so late? I remember you live across from me. It's so unsafe for a pretty girl like you at this late hour. Uncle will take you upstairs..."
As he said this, he was about to pull Jiang Chunmian's arm.
Jiang Chunmian stepped back to avoid his hand, frowning. The corridor of the old house was narrow, and Zhao Qiang standing there occupied almost all the space. If she forced herself to run up, she would inevitably brush past him. He didn't look like a good person, and it would be even more difficult if he stopped her halfway.
She compared the two men's figures. Zhao Qiang was not from the school. Both the crazy classmate and Li De were very weak. Zhao Qiang had been working in decoration for many years and had a strong and sturdy figure. He looked like the kind of person who could punch through a wall with one fist.
Jiang Chunmian suppressed his anger and thought about leaving for a while to avoid the limelight nearby and then going home after Zhao Qiang left.
"My friend is waiting for me at the door, no need to bother!" After saying that, he turned around and ran. But his arm was suddenly grabbed.
The smell of alcohol approached, and Zhao Qiang leaned close to her and said with a smile: "Little sister, don't be so timid. We are neighbors and live so close. What's wrong with helping each other from time to time? Come on, follow me up!"
He had long noticed the girl next door. She was young and full of youthful energy. She lived alone at home. No one had come to her house in a few days, except for a boy around her age. They didn't know what they were doing behind closed doors! This girl looked innocent, but who knew what she was like inside?
Zhao Qiang licked his lips, grabbed Jiang Chunmian's arm and walked up.
Jiang Chunmian knew very well that going upstairs would not be as simple as going home. Zhao Qiang was drunk now, and the hand holding her arm seemed to be able to break her. She struggled hard but failed to break free. She put all her strength into pinching his eyes, pressing her fingers hard. Zhao Qiang screamed and covered his eyes. Jiang Chunmian only felt her fingertips touching a wet and sticky place. She let out a breath of anger and immediately ran towards the door of the unit. Before she had run a few steps, she was caught by Zhao Qiang.
She shouted loudly: "Help..." Her life was choked in her throat. She widened her eyes and looked at Zhang Yanhui who jumped out of the air conditioner outdoor unit.
Am I seeing this right? How did he get up there? One, two, three, four... That seems to be her window...
There was a bright streetlight outside the unit door. One of Zhao Qiang's eyes was bloodshot from Jiang Chunmian's fingernails, and he was so furious he wanted to break her wrist. With his other eye still able to see, he cursed, "Don't meddle in other people's business!" and then dragged Jiang Chunmian toward the corridor.
Before he had taken a few steps, someone grabbed his shoulder and he cursed fiercely: "A good dog doesn't block the road! Get out of my way..." Before he could finish his words, the rest of his thoughts retreated back into his stomach, followed by a trembling feeling in his heart.
"Let her go!" Zhang Yanhui's eyes were bloodshot with hatred. Jiang Chunmian's wrist was pinched red, and his eyes were filled with tears involuntarily. He stared at him with wide eyes, puzzled and bewildered, but more of a sense of relief.
He clenched his fist and punched Zhao Qiang in the face. The powerful punch knocked Zhao Qiang to the ground. Then he looked at Jiang Chunmian, held her face and wiped her tears: "Don't be afraid!" Then he turned around and hit Zhao Qiang again.
Jiang Chunmian had nothing to fear when Zhang Yanhui appeared. She stared closely at the two people at the door, with her eyes more focused on Zhang Yanhui.
Just now, Zhao Qiang suddenly froze. She knew the reason only when she saw Zhang Yanhui. His face was very pale, as pale as if all the blood had been drained out. The veins on his forehead bulged out one by one, and dark red blood flowed from his eye sockets... The two men quickly decided the winner. Even though Zhao Qiang was a decorator and had a strong physique, he was no match for Zhang Yanhui, who had long since transcended the human category.
Calculating that the time was almost up, Jiang Chunmian stepped forward and grabbed Zhang Yanhui's arm: "Stop fighting, or someone will die."
Zhang Yan replied: "He deserves to die!"
Jiang Chunmian pulled out a tissue from his pocket and pressed it against his eyes, wiping his face clean. He said again, "Okay, come home with me."
Pulling Zhang Yanhui back home, Jiang Chunmian turned on the light. Zhang Yanhui followed her closely, his pupils dark and his eye sockets slightly red. She took him to sit on the sofa and stared at his face seriously.
After waiting for a while, Zhang Yanhui blinked his eyes and gradually returned to normal.
Jiang Chunmian asked, "Does the state just now appear from time to time?"
It's a bit scary, but barely bearable.
"...Yeah." Zhang Yanhui pursed his lips, revealing his two dimples, looking very well behaved. He moved to Jiang Chunmian's side, secretly shortening the distance between them, and said, "When my emotions fluctuate greatly, I will be like that, but I can control it."
"I can control you just like that!"
"I just wanted to scare him."
Jiang Chunmian had nothing to say and continued to pull out a tissue and press it on his face: "If you can control it, then try your best. It's okay here, there are fewer surveillance cameras. If we leave here and go to school in a big city, there will be surveillance cameras everywhere. What if we get caught on camera? We can't expose ourselves."
"I know."
Zhang Yan replied: "The surveillance camera probably can't capture it."
"Uh-huh?"
"Surveillance cameras can't pick up any unnatural phenomena. If they could, they would have been exposed at school."
Jiang Chunmian felt that what he said made sense, so she didn't mention it again. Zhang Yanhui moved closer to her and let her wipe her face. His dark eyes stared at her intently, his eyelashes like two small fans. Her heart trembled, and she threw the tissue into the trash can as if nothing had happened. She said, "Stay here tonight. You sleep in the guest room."
Zhang Yan replied with a hum.
Back in the room, Jiang Chunmian lay on the bed with the quilt covering her face. There were some things she felt unnecessary to ask, so she didn't ask.
For example, his behavior of climbing through the window, and Fang Zhengxiang's whereabouts.
Dark clouds covered the sky, its gloomy color reminiscent of Zhang Yanhui's eyes, occasionally tinged with a hue that could cause one to sink, like a bottomless whirlpool. The past few days of spending time together had nearly made her forget Zhang Yanhui's identity, until she saw him lose control and reveal his demonic side.
At that time, she went to the school with the police to watch the video. The video covered the scene where she and Zhang Yanhui met Fang Zhengxiang in the carport and Zhang Yanhui blocked the knife for her. The scene after that was white spots like blood, which lasted for more than ten minutes. The video returned to normal and she lifted the car and took away Zhang Yanhui, who was covered in blood.
What happened in the blank ten minutes?
Jiang Chunmian had a guess.
She pulled the quilt tightly over her head, unable to sleep, tossing and turning. She got up and turned on the light. There was a glass of boiled water on the bedside table. She would take a few sips to moisten her lips before going to bed. She picked up the quilt and drank most of it.
My heart is still beating wildly with speculation, and when I close my eyes, I see a chaotic and noisy picture.
There were two knocks on the door.
Zhang Yanhui asked at the door: "Are you not asleep yet?"
Jiang Chunmian nodded.
Zhang Yan replied: "Then I come in?"
"Come in."
With a click, the door opened. Jiang Chunmian did not lock the door, and Zhang Yanhui easily entered her bedroom.
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