Dong Ruiming's face instantly lost all color. He glared at the woman in front of him and stepped back violently. He stumbled and fell to the ground, even dropping his cell phone in shock.
His scream had already reached his throat, but Qi Wei on the other end of the phone still kept yelling at him.
"Hey, Dong Ruiming, what exactly is this rule? Can you at least say something—"
Dong Ruiming was interrupted by Qi Wei's voice and was distracted. He saw "Xiao Qi" in front of him turned around and walked lightly into a narrow alley with her head hanging down.
A gust of wind blew, rolling up several pieces of tattered waste paper and hitting Dong Ruiming. The empty firework tubes left by someone who had set off fireworks here during the New Year rolled several times on the ground. The whole street looked particularly lonely and dilapidated.
Dong Ruiming sat on the ground for a long time before he finally came to his senses.
Was I just... possessed by some evil spirit?
The man thought in panic and reached out to grab the phone tremblingly.
"Bah, you bastard, you rotten bastard, you came out in broad daylight to scare people? Do you think I was raised to be scared? Next time you come in front of me, be careful or I'll pee on you to death—"
The next second, Dong Ruiming yelled at the top of his lungs, cursing at the entrance of the alley where "Xiao Qi" had disappeared.
Because he vaguely remembered that the old people said that if you encounter such unclean things in your daily life, the way to resolve it is to swear and urinate.
Thinking of this, he glanced around and saw that there was no one around. He leaned against the wall fearfully and urinated with great effort.
After doing all this, he finally felt a little relieved. He picked up his phone and called Qi Wei, asking about his and Xiaoqi's current location, and then hurried over.
The coffee shop Xiaoqi randomly found was actually not far from Dong Ruiming's community.
However, the shop looked a little unfamiliar to Dong Ruiming. He guessed that it had just opened recently because the Spring Festival had just passed. Xiaoqi and Qi Wei were the only table in the coffee shop.
Before Dong Ruiming even entered the store, he saw his girlfriend sitting by the window through the glass. Xiaoqi seemed to be venting her anger, with her head slightly lowered, eating the snacks on the plate in big mouthfuls.
Seeing that scene, Dong Ruiming was shocked. Just like Qi Wei said, Ruan Qi must have been crying just now. Her nose and eyes were red, and her hair was a little messy.
Therefore, the way she lowered her head... was actually 70% similar to the "female ghost" that Dong Ruiming had just glimpsed.
Dong Ruiming suddenly felt a chill on his back.
Fortunately, the next second, Dong Ruiming caught a glimpse of Xiaoqi's cousin, Qi Wei, sitting across from him. Previously, Dong Ruiming had somewhat looked down on Qi Wei. After all, compared to himself, a white-collar worker with a university degree, Qi Wei had gone to work straight out of middle school. He'd allegedly fallen in with a lot of shady friends and gambled away a lot of the family's money. But at that moment, Dong Ruiming felt somewhat fortunate that Qi Wei was a member of society. Qi Wei had a fiery temper and a strong aura, and being with him always made him feel safer than being alone.
After a brief hesitation, Dong Ruiming calmed himself down, gathered himself together and rushed into the store.
"Brother, Xiaoqi——"
As soon as he entered the store, Dong Ruiming walked towards the two of them.
"Oh, you're finally here?"
Qi Wei looked at Dong Ruiming and responded in a neutral tone.
However, Ruan Qi was obviously angry. After seeing Dong Ruiming, she said nothing and continued to eat with her head down.
Dong Ruiming couldn't help but exchange a glance with Qi Wei.
"What's wrong?"
He mouthed the question.
"She said she cooked a whole table of food at home but didn't eat a single bite, so she was hungry."
Qi Wei explained in a low voice.
Dong Ruiming curled his lips, sat next to Ruan Qi, and coaxed her with a few dry words.
"It's not that I don't want to talk to you, I just encountered something... Really, it's very scary..."
He vividly recounted what had just happened to him.
As a result, Ruan Qi ignored him the whole time while talking, and just kept poking the strawberry cake on the plate with the metal fork in her hand.
The bright red jam filling squeezed out of the cake and dripped onto half the plate.
After Dong Ruiming finished speaking, he was silent for a few seconds.
He took a deep breath and looked at Xiaoqi's expressionless profile, and inexplicably felt a surge of anger in his heart.
"Fuck, are you done yet? How long are you going to keep losing your temper? It's not like I haven't stood up for you before—"
Dong Ruiming stroked his forehead and spoke with a somewhat harsh tone.
God knows he is still feeling the dull pain in his chest, and his heart is pounding so hard from being frightened by the ghost that he hasn't recovered yet.
He couldn't help but look at Qi Wei again, expecting Qi Wei to say a few words. However, when Qi Wei saw him coming, he seemed to have unloaded a burden. He also lowered his head, as if he was concentrating on looking at the mobile phone under the table.
"Ka--"
"Crack—"
Ruan Qi's fork rubbed against the dessert plate hard, making a harsh friction sound.
The more Dong Ruiming listened, the more upset he became, and he uttered a low curse.
"Alright, I won't serve you anymore..."
The man pushed the chair away and walked straight to the toilet.
But at this moment, his cell phone rang again.
The caller ID flashing on the screen was still "Qi Wei".
What's going on?
Dong Ruiming looked at his phone in confusion and subconsciously pressed the call button.
"Damn, Dong Ruiming, what the hell are you dawdling about? Where are you..."
A familiar male voice came from the microphone.
Dong Ruiming opened his eyes wide in shock.
"Brother, don't make such a silly joke." He frowned and said irritably, "Didn't you see what happened just now? I encountered that kind of thing, and that woman was still there, losing her temper -"
Before he could finish his words, Dong Ruiming was interrupted by Qi Wei.
"Who the hell is kidding you? I've been waiting for you for over half an hour and you're still nowhere to be found. I don't have time to be here with your girlfriend. I have something urgent to do later. You can take care of this woman by yourself. I'll give you ten minutes. If you don't show up, I'll really leave."
This kind of joke is really boring——
Dong Ruiming just wanted to complain, so he walked out of the bathroom while answering the phone.
Huh? How did this shabby cafe suddenly get so dark in just a few minutes?
He thought a little puzzled.
The high booth blocked Dong Ruiming's view, and he could only hear the continuous "clicking" sound coming from where Xiaoqi and Qi Wei had been sitting.
"Brother, if it doesn't work, just help me to stop talking nonsense here——"
After returning to his original seat, Dong Ruiming's voice suddenly got stuck in his throat.
"Ka--"
The harsh sound rubbed the man's eardrum.
But his body was completely frozen in place.
The headless woman who had just disappeared not long ago was sitting upright in her seat.
Her hands were full of blue veins, and she was tightly gripping a dull knife and fork.
She was concentrating on cutting her neck, which was stretched so long that only a layer of skin was left.
Scarlet blood continued to seep out from the wound, soaking the entire coffee table in blood red.
From Dong Ruiming's perspective, he could just see the woman's profile revealed from beneath her messy hair.
It was a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. It was Xiaoqi's face, but now the face had turned a strange purple-red color.
"Wow... my neck... my neck hurts so much..."
Dong Ruiming heard a soft whimper coming from her mouth.
"I can't do anything... wuwuwu... Ruiming... can you... can you help me..."
She cried, then held her head and turned to Dong Ruiming.
*
The seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
Room 1401.
Co-tenant Dong Ruiming has not returned.
*
the tenth day of the Lunar New Year
Two o'clock in the morning——
"I'll find a way... Really, if you give me a little more time, I'll definitely be able to get the money together for you... Brother Xiong, just give me a little more time, just give me some face..."
Qi Wei tilted his head and held the phone between his ear and shoulder. The flattering tone in his mouth formed a sharp contrast with the ferocious and irritable look on his face.
In front of the rental house, Qi Wei finally hung up the phone.
"Fucking bastard!"
Then, he stared at his phone and checked several loan apps one by one. He couldn't help but curse.
The door lock made a sharp grinding sound as the key turned.
As soon as I opened the door, the renovated partitioned room was pitch black.
Qi Wei turned on the light while cursing, and the next second, he was frightened by the figure standing in the small living room and staggered.
"Wow grass——"
His body trembled, and when he saw clearly that the person standing there was Qiao Liang, he almost burst into curses.
"Why are you still up in the middle of the night pretending to be a ghost and scaring people?!"
Qiao Liang's body suddenly shook, as if he had just woken up, and he turned around in surprise to look at Qi Wei.
He was standing facing the freezer in the corner, holding a broom in his hand.
"Oh, sorry, sorry." After being stunned for a few seconds, the timid man apologized repeatedly, "I, I didn't mean to. I was just afraid that turning on the light would make them hide, and then I wouldn't be able to locate them..."
"They? What are they?"
Qi Wei asked unhappily.
Qiao Liang pursed his lips, his expression looking a little weird.
"...mouse."
He said.
Now Qi Wei frowned.
"Rats? Damn, there are rats in the house?"
"That should be it."
It was Qiao Liang himself who first mentioned the mouse, but at this moment the thin man looked uncertain.
"Have you heard that? There's always that 'click, click' sound in the house."
Qi Wei rolled his eyes.
"I didn't hear it."
Qiao Liang's face turned pale.
"But, but that sound is really loud..."
"Tsk, these shabby houses have poor sound insulation these days. You might have heard the noise coming from next door."
Qi Wei said a little unhappy.
He was already in a bad mood, and as the sub-landlord, he became instantly annoyed when he heard Qiao Liang yelling that there were mice in the house.
"No, that sound is at home. It's always at home. I hear it every day..."
Qiao Liang's shoulders shook and his voice sounded a little strange.
...Yeah, he hears it every day.
I originally thought it was my own illusion.
However, gradually, the sound became more and more obvious and harsh.
"Crack."
"Ka."
Maybe it's the mouse grinding its teeth?
However, the sound that sounded like scratching something was really worrying.
For several nights in a row, every time Qiao Liang was about to fall asleep, he would be suddenly awakened by that subtle sound.
Sometimes, he even felt that the sound seemed to be near his pillow...
"It's really noisy."
Qiao Liang murmured.
Qi Wei couldn't help but look at Qiao Liang a few more times, and then he noticed that the man had two dark circles under his eyes, and it looked like he hadn't rested well.
Why are they all so nervous...
Before, it was Gu Hezhi who was crazy, and now Qiao Liang is too.
By the way, Gu Hezhi——
Thinking of Gu Hezhi, Qi Wei immediately stopped paying attention to Qiao Liang. He glanced at Gu Hezhi's room, his eyes rolled, and he came up with a plan. He didn't care about the time and went straight to Gu Hezhi's door and knocked hard.
Sure enough, after a while, the door opened.
Gu Hezhi's pale face appeared behind the crack in the door, looking at him with dull eyes.
"...More than that. Well, it's so late, so I'll cut to the chase. Didn't you just smash the coffee table a few days ago? I talked to the landlord, and he asked for compensation."
"oh."
Gu Hezhi nodded slowly.
Qi Wei was delighted, knowing that he was right to knock on the door so late at night when no one was in the mood to argue. He quickly added, "Although the coffee table looks worn, it's actually a branded product. I don't want you to pay too much. It's just 2,800."
Qiao Liang was behind him and couldn't help frowning when he heard Qi Wei's offer.
It was true that Gu Hedu almost knocked over the coffee table a few days ago, but the coffee table placed by the landlord in the rental house was obviously a second-hand item. It was wobbly and could fall apart at any time. No matter what, it couldn't be so expensive.
He immediately felt something was wrong.
"Um, that coffee table..."
Qi Wei suddenly turned around and glared at Qiao Liang with a gloomy expression.
"What's wrong? What's the problem?"
Qiao Liang swallowed and fell silent the moment he met Qi Wei's gaze.
Tsk, he's really a wimp.
Qi Wei spat in his heart, then turned his head to face Gu Hezhi.
Gu Hezhi looked very dazed. Qi Wei raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"Wow, no way, you're not the only one who's rich, but you wouldn't be so slow to even compensate for a coffee table—"
He said.
Qi Wei had noticed Gu Hezhi a long time ago. Although he had very little luggage when he moved in, and the young man had been hiding in his room since they started sharing the apartment, rarely even going to work, everything he owned was very valuable. Qi Wei was very confident in his judgment.
There was no way this guy Gu Hezhi was the ordinary freelancer Dong Ruiming mentioned.
Either Gu Hezhi himself is a young master, or this guy is supported by someone.
Qi Wei could smell the luxurious and noble smell brought about by money even from eight hundred meters away.
So he spoke to Gu Hezhishi without any burden in his heart.
Sure enough, after a brief silence, Qi Wei heard Gu Hezhi respond softly.
"good."
Gu Hezhi transferred money to Qi Wei on the spot.
After receiving the transfer, Qi Wei stared at the account and his expression suddenly relaxed.
Just when he was feeling happy, he noticed that Gu Hezhi was staring at him.
Qi Wei was stunned.
"What's wrong?"
He is a little nervous.
"sorry."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry... It's all my fault..."
Unexpectedly, the voice that fell into my ears was Gu Hezhi's series of apologies.
Gu Hezhi's voice was hoarse, and his apology was filled with endless panic.
As Qi Wei listened, he vaguely felt that something seemed a little strange.
After all, it was just a second-hand coffee table. There was really no need for Gu Hezhi to apologize like this, right? However, since the other party had already made such a gesture, he couldn't get angry. After being stunned for a moment, Qi Wei said with a forced smile: "Alright, this matter is over."
After a pause, Qi Wei looked at Gu Hezhi next door again.
"Oh, by the way, when Mingrui comes back, you can treat us to a meal."
Ever since that day when Gu Hezhi overturned the table and Xiaoqi left home in anger, Dong Ruiming never came back.
Qi Wei later called his cousin several times, but Dong Ruiming seemed absent-minded and even his replies were vague and incoherent.
Qi Wei also had a mess of his own, so he thought Dong Ruiming was focusing on coaxing his girlfriend and didn't take it too seriously.
I just happened to think of it at this time and mentioned it.
After saying that, Qi Wei didn't care about anything else. He grabbed his phone and hurried out the door.
"…"
When the door closed, there was a brief silence in Room 1401.
Qiao Liang looked at the tightly closed security door, then looked at Gu Hezhi, his face full of discomfort.
"Gu, Gu Shen, that... I think... that coffee table..."
He hesitated for a long time but still didn't dare to say the obvious fact.
Qi Wei is deliberately trying to cheat people out of money.
Qi Wei had done similar things before, but never as blatantly as he did recently. Even someone as obtuse as Qiao Liang could sense that Qi Wei seemed to be in some trouble and was desperately short of money.
only...
However, he had always been a coward, and in college he was even bullied to the point of nearly jumping off a building, only to be saved by Gu Hezhi. However, ever since then, Qiao Liang has had a psychological trauma against people like Qi Wei. Normally, he was fine, but if Qi Wei showed even the slightest bit of ferocity, Qiao Liang would be so frightened that his legs would go weak and he would be speechless.
Just like just now.
"Yeah, I know." Unexpectedly, Gu Hezhi just murmured to him hollowly, "But it doesn't matter... It was my fault in the first place..."
"Gu Shen?"
Qiao Liang felt that Gu Hezhi's eyes looking at him were a little strange.
However, he couldn't tell what was strange about it.
Thinking of his previous cowardice, Qiao Liang felt a little embarrassed and didn't know how to get along with Gu Hezhi. He hurriedly greeted him and hid in the room.
Gu Hezhi stayed in the living room.
"Crack—"
Behind him, the door suddenly opened a little.
Gu Hezhi's body trembled and his face turned even paler in an instant.
He closed his collar with his hands and stood there motionless, not daring to look back at his room.
When Qi Wei knocked on the door, Gu Hezhi was suffering from sleep paralysis.
A hug so sticky it's almost suffocating.
Cold breath.
And that gloomy aura that was unique to Que Bai...
If it weren't for the knock on the door, Gu Hezhi even felt that as long as he opened his eyes, he would be able to see that nightmarish face again in the darkness.
Gu Hezhi didn't know whether the accident a few days ago had irritated his nerves and turned him into a madman.
He even felt that Que Bai was returning to him little by little.
"Hmm…"
Gu Hezhi covered his face with his hands, a cold despair rising in his heart.
"Shh, stop crying."
"If I die at Azhi's hands, I'll be very happy."
"After becoming a ghost, I can stay by Azhi's side day and night... No one will be able to stop us from being together anymore. Aren't you happy?"
Could it be that that person really doesn't want to let me go even if he becomes a ghost?
"Ka--"
At this moment, a slight friction sound suddenly came from the direction of the freezer.
Gu Hezhi's body trembled, and he looked at the freezer with great fear.
"Crack."
Almost as if in response to his gaze, the strange scratching sound grew more intense.
Gu Hezhi even felt that the lid of the freezer was shaking.
It was as if something was trying to crawl out from inside.
"No, don't… don't…"
Gu Hezhi couldn't help but murmur.
He stumbled over and pressed hard on the freezer lid.
"Don't come out."
He muttered hurriedly to the freezer.
"I don't want to see you, I don't want to, don't come out, please don't come out... Don't bother me..."
"Crack—"
The next second, the security door of the rental house suddenly opened.
Gu Hezhi's heart trembled and he looked towards the door in horror.
A chill came from outside the door, and a swaying, cold shadow stood motionless at the door.
After a few seconds, Gu Hezhi realized that it was actually Dong Ruiming.
The former university classmate stood there for a few seconds with his eyes downcast before walking step by step into the house.
I don't know if it's because the temperature has dropped outside, but he feels a heavy chill all over his body.
"Old Dong..."
Gu Hezhi greeted him in a hoarse voice.
It was the first time they met after the incident a few days ago, and Gu Hezhi still remembered how angry Dong Ruiming was with him. However, when Dong Ruiming saw him, his face was indifferent.
"You, you're back. I'm sorry about what happened that day."
Gu Hezhi tried to apologize to him incoherently.
"Oh...that...never mind...it's okay."
Dong Ruiming looked a little absent-minded, as if he was very tired, with his head down the whole time.
"I'm going back to my room first."
"Oh." Gu Hezhi replied stiffly. Looking at Dong Ruiming's pale face, he felt very uneasy. "You and Xiaoqi..."
Have you reconciled with Xiaoqi?
Just as Gu Hezhi was about to ask this, Dong Ruiming's figure shook, revealing the woman who was clinging to him from behind.
Xiaoqi was leaning against the man's back with her head down, looking extremely intimate.
Gu Hezhi fell silent immediately.
Apparently, the two of them have reconciled.
Dong Ruiming stayed close to Xiaoqi and walked past Gu Hezhi towards his room.
When passing by Xiaoqi, Gu Hezhi vaguely felt that the other party seemed to glance at him.
But when he looked back, he could only see the other person's messy long hair.
With a "bang", Dong Ruiming's door was slammed shut.
The author has something to say:
What Gu Hezhi always felt sorry about was that all his roommates ate meat.
But he didn't dare say anything.
Because he's going crazy...