Xiao Shiyi finished speaking and allowed the students who
wanted to participate to go back and take a nap. After all, it was late at
night, and they might not be able to return to their dormitories all night, so
it was better to rest and gather their energy.
He looked at Ruan Qing and suggested, “Brother Su, your
dormitory hasn’t had anyone staying in it, so it might not be suitable for
resting. Do you want to come to my dormitory and take a rest?”
“I live alone in my dormitory, and there are extra beds available.”
Ruan Qing thought for a moment and agreed.
Returning to his dormitory alone would obviously leave him
vulnerable, and no one could say what might happen. Even if nothing happened,
he wouldn’t be able to relax his guard and would easily become mentally
fatigued.
He had no idea what would happen tonight, and if he wasn’t in
good spirits, it would certainly affect his judgment.
Fortunately, Ruan Qing had just seen several players raise
their hands when asked who would participate, in addition to Xiao Shiyi, so it
shouldn’t be that dangerous.
Moreover, even if the candle really went out, it didn’t
necessarily mean he would die that night. There should still be time for
planning.
Ruan Qing suppressed the slight unease in his heart and
followed Xiao Shiyi to his dormitory.
Xiao Shiyi’s dormitory was similar to his own, a luxurious
single room independent of the school dormitories, but it had a much warmer
atmosphere, indicating that the owner often stayed here.
Although the room was a single room, it had two beds, so they
didn’t need to squeeze together.
Xiao Shiyi walked to the neatly folded bed near the window,
pulled back the covers, tidied up the bed, and then turned to look at Ruan
Qing. “Brother Su, can you sleep here?”
Ruan Qing had no objections and walked over, sitting on the
bed.
The bed, whether it was the sheets or the duvet, was pure
white and looked very clean.
Ruan Qing lifted his foot to take off his shoes, but
unexpectedly, Xiao Shiyi squatted in front of him and reached out to lift his
foot, untying his shoelaces and slowly taking off his shoes.
As the eldest young master of the Xiao family, Xiao Shiyi
always maintained an air of a noble son, calm and composed. He interacted with
people with a certain level of detachment, including the original owner.
He claimed to be the number one lackey of the original owner,
but it was only a superficial act of flattering the original owner and giving
him some face.
In reality, apart from meeting during the ten-minute smoking
break, they didn’t see each other much. Most of the time, he stayed in Class
1-1.
So Ruan Qing didn’t expect him to help him take off his
shoes.
This considerate care didn’t create a favorable impression on
Ruan Qing; it only made him more wary of him.
After all, someone who willingly lowered themselves to do
everything for him, someone who was superior and willingly acted as his lackey,
never had pure intentions of just being his follower.
When Ruan Qing saw Xiao Shiyi trying to take off his socks,
he immediately pulled his foot back, placed it on the bed, and pulled the
blanket over himself.
Xiao Shiyi didn’t say anything upon seeing this. After
arranging Ruan Qing’s shoes, he softly said, “Brother Su, have a good rest,”
then walked to the nearby bed and lay down.
The room instantly fell silent, with only the sound of their
breathing remaining.
Ruan Qing covered himself with the blanket, turned his back
to Xiao Shiyi, and closed his eyes. However, he didn’t fall asleep immediately.
The first thing he noticed when he entered Xiao Shiyi’s room
was the absence of mirrors. There wasn’t even anything that could reflect
clearly, not even the windows, which were made of non-reflective frosted glass.
Xiao Shiyi and Mo Ran probably knew what exactly was in this
school.
Moreover, Xiao Shiyi’s attempt to stop him from exploring at
midnight might also be because he knew the danger of doing so.
But Xiao Shiyi didn’t appear too panicked, and he even
suggested going together, indicating that he might have some confidence.
It seemed best to stick close to Xiao Shiyi at night.
Ruan Qing relaxed his guard slightly and drifted off to
sleep.
After Ruan Qing’s breathing stabilized, Xiao Shiyi slowly
opened his eyes, showing no signs of sleepiness.
He was already lying diagonally, facing the person on the bed
beside the window. With just one glance, he could see the person on the bed
clearly.
In reality, from his angle, he couldn’t see much. After all,
the person on the bed was covered up quite well, and he could only see the
bulge of the blanket and the head on the pillow.
Perhaps because only the head was visible, the arrogant and
domineering demeanor of the person in bed had diminished quite a bit, replaced
by a sense of docility.
It made people want to embrace the teenager, to hold him and
indulge in reckless behavior.
But Xiao Shiyi only watched silently without any action. If
it weren’t for his open eyes, one might have thought he was asleep.
***
Ruan Qing had slept for quite a while. When he woke up, it
was already afternoon. Xiao Shiyi had already been awake and was sitting by the
table, writing something.
Xiao Shiyi heard the rustling sound behind him and stopped
writing, turning to look at the person sitting up on the bed. After a brief
pause, he spoke, “Brother Su, you’re awake? Are you hungry? I just sent a text
message to have food delivered. It should be arriving soon.”
Ruan Qing was still a bit sleepy, and a mist of sleepiness
still lingered in his eyes. He nodded slightly.
It was still early, only around five or six in the afternoon,
and Ruan Qing had no intention of going out. After eating, he opened his mobile
game.
Xiao Shiyi also stayed indoors, working on his homework at
the nearby desk. Occasionally, he would pick up reference books and read them,
appearing very diligent.
Time quickly passed, and it was soon half-past eleven.
Xiao Shiyi glanced at the time and stopped writing, turning
to Ruan Qing. “Brother Su, it’s half-past eleven. Shall we go now?”
Ruan Qing’s hand, which was playing with his phone, paused.
Although he didn’t want to go in his heart, he could only respond
indifferently, “Let’s go.”
***
When Ruan Qing and Xiao Shiyi arrived, there were already
quite a few people in the classroom. In addition to the players, there were a
few ordinary students who had come to join in the fun.
Even Mo Ran was there.
“Brother Su, good evening.” Mo Ran saw Ruan Qing walking in
and approached with a flattering expression, seemingly completely forgetting
what had happened during the day.
Ruan Qing gave him a cold glance and ignored him completely.
Mo Ran didn’t mind. After all, not being directly driven away
was already the best outcome.
However, he didn’t approach him again, maintaining a distance
neither too close nor too far.
Xia Baiyi and Li Shuyang quickly caught up. “Brother Su Qing,
good evening.”
Ruan Qing nodded as a form of greeting.
Usually, high school evening self-study ends at nine o’clock.
Some students would still stay in the classroom to study after evening
self-study, but generally not later than eleven o’clock.
This was because the dormitory lights would go out and the
doors would close at eleven o’clock, and students usually tried to return
before then because they wouldn’t be able to enter the dormitory if it’s past
eleven.
So, apart from Class 1 of the first year, the whole school
was almost dark.
Moreover, there was no moon tonight, and the entire school
was enveloped in darkness. Only the safety signs emitted a faint green glow,
which seemed eerie. In the darkness, it appeared as if something was swaying,
giving a sense of oppression and fear.
Only the incandescent lights in the classrooms provided some
comfort to those present.
Under such an atmosphere, even the initially courageous
students started to feel nervous and uneasy, and the chatting voices became
significantly quieter.
The time gradually approached 11:55, and the classroom fell
into complete silence. Everyone anxiously awaited the stroke of midnight.
There were only five minutes left until midnight, and the
lighter and white candles were already prepared.
Under everyone’s gaze, Xiao Shiyi turned off the classroom
lights, and Class 1-1 was plunged into darkness.
The rule of turning off the lights before lighting the white
candles was also a well-known tradition.
Legend had it that if the candles were lit without turning off
the lights, it would attract some impure entities.
Therefore, no one in the classroom had any objections to Xiao
Shiyi turning off the lights, nor did they dare to object.
Once the lights went off in the classroom, it felt as if the
whole world had fallen into a quietude.
However, upon closer listening, it seemed as if there were
faint sounds.
Rustling, scattered noises, as if something in the darkness
was approaching, giving an eerie sensation that sent shivers down one’s spine.
But after listening carefully, there were no other sounds
except for the sound of the classmates’ breathing in the classroom.
It became dark, and their eyes took some time to adjust.
Nothing could be seen inside the classroom. The darkness was thick, filled with
countless shadows, as if there were no boundaries, giving a sense of endless
danger and oppression.
Moreover, darkness always brought fear and dread. Many
classmates didn’t dare to stay far away from others and huddled together, even
subconsciously softening their breathing.
The courage they had during the day had completely
dissipated.
Mo Ran took out a lighter and lit a white candle. He then
walked over to Ruan Qing and handed it to him, whispering in a low voice,
“Brother Su, be careful. Don’t let the candle go out.”
The light of the white candle illuminated the darkness,
making everyone feel much better. At least, they weren’t as uneasy as before.
After Ruan Qing took the candle from Mo Ran, the other
proceeded to light one for himself as well. However, he didn’t hold it in his
hand; instead, he casually placed it on the desk.
He seemed indifferent to whether the candle would go out or
not, which was completely different from the warning he just gave Ruan Qing.
After Xiao Shiyi turned off the lights and walked over, he lit
a candle for himself too.
Ruan Qing held the white candle and casually found a spot to
sit that wasn’t near the wall or the window.
Seeing this, both Mo Ran and Xiao Shiyi walked over with
their own candles and sat beside Ruan Qing.
To be precise, they sat on either side of Ruan Qing.
Ruan Qing glanced casually at the two of them, didn’t say
anything, and didn’t even chase Mo Ran away.
Mo Ran was well aware that he was disliked by Ruan Qing now,
so he sat quietly beside him without engaging in any conversation as he used to
do.
As for Xiao Shiyi, no one knew what he was thinking. He sat
quietly, playing with the candle in his hand.
His attitude toward the white candle was also as casual as Mo
Ran’s.
Xia Baiyi and Li Shuyang were a step behind. By the time they
lit their candles, there were already people sitting on both sides of Ruan
Qing, so the two of them could only sit in front of him.
Other classmates also picked up white candles and lit them,
holding them in their hands. Their attitude was completely different from Mo
Ran and Xiao Shiyi, who seemed casual.
The windows in the classroom had been closed for a long time,
so there was no risk of the candles being blown out by the wind. However,
everyone still held them cautiously, as if afraid that the wind might
extinguish them.
It was no longer a matter of believing or not believing the
legend. In this tense atmosphere, everyone subconsciously did so.
All the white candles in the classroom were lit, illuminating
the otherwise dark room considerably. Only the corners of the classroom
remained relatively dim.
The light emitted by the white candles was not dazzling; its
soft yellow color exuded a gentle glow. However, the flickering and swaying
flames added a touch of mystery and unease.
Someone in the classroom unintentionally glanced at Ruan
Qing, who was surrounded by four people, and immediately froze in place.
The flickering light of the white candle shone on his face,
creating a fluctuating sense of brightness and darkness, making him look
ethereal, almost unreal.
Although he was simply sitting there quietly, he made people
willingly devote themselves to him, even if it meant being like moths to a
flame.
However, the next moment, that classmate slowly lowered their
head under the cold gaze of the person next to Ruan Qing.
Ruan Qing didn’t notice the attention of others. He looked
around.
The light from the white candles was still not bright enough;
it only illuminated the surrounding area. The surrounding walls seemed to
absorb the light, leaving the entire classroom dim, not to mention the area
outside the classroom.
Ruan Qing felt somewhat uneasy, and he subconsciously pressed
his lips together.
Mo Ran seemed to have noticed Ruan Qing’s uneasiness and
tension. He opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
Time passed second by second, gradually reaching... midnight.
At this moment, the classroom was terrifyingly quiet, with
only the crackling sound of burning white candles. There was no trace of light
visible outside the windows.
In the concealment of darkness, it felt as if a monster could
rush out at any moment, mercilessly tearing people apart.
The thin layer of windows provided little sense of security
for the people inside the classroom. Many classmates already regretted their
decision, but now it was too late to regret.
The white candle had already been lit.
Apart from the legend that one could receive blessings at
midnight, there was another legend in the First High School. Once a white
candle was lit at night, one must not casually leave the classroom or
dormitory.
Someone looked anxiously towards the classroom door. The door
was still open, as if something could enter from there at any moment.
Other students noticed as well. One of them nervously stood
up, holding their own candle, and walked towards the door, seemingly intending
to close it.
A few players huddled together. They looked up at the student
but did not speak to stop them.
The student reached the door, closed it, and even locked it
directly.
Ruan Qing felt something was not right. If it was locked,
they wouldn’t be able to open the door immediately if they needed to go out.
After all, nobody knew if the monsters were coming from
outside or already inside the classroom.
However, Ruan Qing couldn’t say anything to stop the student;
he could only watch as the door was locked.
In the next moment, an unexpected incident occurred.
After the student locked the door, they prepared to turn
around and come back. However, just as they turned halfway, the candle in their
hand... went out...
Everyone was stunned because they witnessed the white candle
in the student’s hand being extinguished.
Before it went out, the flame of the white candle tilted
slightly to one side and then went out.
Even though the window was closed and the door was locked, it
seemed as if the white candle was blown out by the wind.
The student was also dumbfounded. After reacting, they slowly
turned around and looked at the others in the classroom, a hint of fear in
their eyes.
Stammering, their voice trembling, the student said, “My...
my candle... went out...”
Their voice became smaller and even carried a hint of a
crying tone, as if they were extremely frightened. “Just now, I felt... a gust
of wind beside me, as if... as if someone was next to me, blowing out my... my
candle...”
