The Mingya Building was located in the most bustling area of the city center, yet it stood in stark contrast to the surrounding noise and vibrancy. It felt more like an isolated island, untouched by the light around it. Even the moonlight failed to penetrate its eerie atmosphere, giving it an unsettling and mysterious aura.
At that moment, the complex was eerily silent. The slightest sound was amplified, tugging at one's nerves.
Hidden under the bed, Ruan Qing tightly gripped the dagger left by Lan Xu, holding his breath as he listened intently to the sounds outside the room.
The footsteps and faint rustling noises that had been present earlier had now completely disappeared. Both inside and outside the room, there was absolute silence, an unnerving quiet.
Had they... left?
Ruan Qing's fingers ached from gripping the dagger too tightly. He loosened his hold slightly, allowing himself to relax a bit.
It was only then that he noticed the temperature in the room had dropped significantly—so much so that it felt abnormal, as if summer had abruptly turned into winter.
The current time in that scenario was early summer, and even the nights were not particularly cold. Yet, Ruan Qing felt a chill, especially... behind him.
A sudden realization struck Ruan Qing, causing his heart to skip a beat. His body trembled slightly, his muscles tensed, and with the dagger in hand, he slowly, shakily turned around.
In the next moment, his eyes widened, his pupils dilated, and his heart felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand. Breathing became difficult.
Because at the edge of the bed behind him, there was a pair of feet.
A pair of feet stained with fresh blood.
These were not the feet of a human being, and whatever stood before the bed was certainly not human.
Stimulated by fear, a layer of moisture formed in Ruan Qing's beautiful eyes, blurring his vision.
Yet, no matter how blurred his sight, he could still see those bloodied feet—terrifying and horrifying, sending chills down his spine and filling him with an uncontrollable sense of dread.
The blood on those feet looked fresh, as if the owner had just stepped through a pool of it. But the owner seemed indifferent to the blood staining their feet, standing silently and motionlessly by the bed.
How long had they been standing there?
Ruan Qing tried to calm himself, but he couldn't control his trembling. His body tensed with unease, his expression fragile, tears welling up in his eyes as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
But he clamped a hand over his mouth, not daring to make a sound or move even an inch.
Because once he was discovered, it would all be over.
However, it seemed as though the owner of the feet knew Ruan Qing was watching. In the next second, a head appeared by the bedside, its eyes staring directly at Ruan Qing.
The face belonged to none other than Xu He, who had just been outside the room.
When Ruan Qing saw this, his heart almost stopped. His delicate face turned pale, and fear left his mind completely blank.
He had been discovered.
Ruan Qing could no longer think about anything else. Instinctively, he used all his strength to roll to the other side of the bed, trying to escape from underneath it.
But as soon as he rolled out from under the bed, he collided with something and was forced to stop.
The bed in the room was positioned in the center of the bedroom. Except for the headboard against the wall, there was nothing blocking the other three sides, so it was impossible to collide with anything.
What Ruan Qing had bumped into was self-evident.
Realizing this, Ruan Qing froze completely, his heart even skipping a beat.
In the past, Ruan Qing would have fainted from the sheer terror, but perhaps because he had already become a ghost or because he had experienced too much to be as afraid as before, he didn’t faint this time.
Yet, at this moment, Ruan Qing wished he had fainted. The coldness he had felt earlier intensified, almost completely enveloping him. It was like a bone-chilling parasite, making every cell in his body scream to run away.
But he couldn’t escape. There was nowhere to run.
Because the ghost was right beside him.
“Switch.” The voice of ‘Ruan Qing’ sounded in his mind, trembling slightly, as if he too was afraid.
Hearing this, Ruan Qing didn’t have time to think. He instinctively followed the voice in his head, his trembling hands reaching for the small mirror he carried with him.
To return to the mirror, he needed to either touch it or see his reflection in it.
But the moment Ruan Qing’s hand touched the small mirror, it shattered into pieces, turning into a pile of dust.
It wasn’t just the small mirror in his hand. All the mirrors in the room, including the reflective glass windows, shattered into dust in an instant.
There was nothing left to reflect his image, and the voice in his mind vanished abruptly.
He… couldn’t go back.
Only after the mirror shattered did Xu He lower his gaze. He looked down at the person on the ground with an air of superiority, then revealed a gentle smile. He extended his hand toward Ruan Qing in a gentlemanly manner. "Do you need help?"
Xu He's tone was exceedingly mild, as if he had merely encountered someone in need of assistance and was kindly offering his aid. However, his eyes remained locked on Ruan Qing, filled with danger and dominance.
Even his smile sent a chilling sensation down one's spine.
This was a question with no choice. Xu He gave Ruan Qing no room for refusal. The entire space seemed to be permeated with an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.
Ruan Qing's face had long since turned deathly pale. His body trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and his mind went completely blank.
He slightly parted his lips, as if trying to answer Xu He's question, but no sound came out. He curled up on the ground, looking utterly pitiful. His slender, trembling figure made one want to pull him into their arms and comfort him, shielding him from any harm.
Seeing this, Xu He let out a soft chuckle. He slowly crouched down in front of Ruan Qing and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Ruan Qing's eyes. "The floor is dirty."
After wiping, he held his finger in front of Ruan Qing. "See? You've gotten yourself all dirty."
What was on Xu He's hand wasn't tears, but bright red blood. The blood trickled down his finger, a horrifying sight.
Ruan Qing stared at the blood-stained finger before him, the fear in his eyes deepening. Tears welled up even more in his eyes.
Moreover, Xu He's finger was icy cold, so cold that it sent Ruan Qing's fear and terror to their peak. His tears could no longer be held back, streaming down his delicate cheeks like broken pearls, scattering and falling.
"Why are you crying?" Xu He gently wiped Ruan Qing's tears again, his movements tender, almost like a lover's caress. "Am I that scary?"
Xu He's voice was soft, yet it carried an inexplicable sense of terror and danger, sending chills down one's spine. It was as if something dreadful would happen if Ruan Qing's answer failed to satisfy him.
Ruan Qing wanted to avoid Xu He's hand, but the overwhelming fear left his mind blank and his body weak, devoid of any strength.
He didn't even have the energy to speak.
In the end, Ruan Qing could only shake his head helplessly. But in his current state, his response held no conviction. Instead, he appeared even more broken and pitiful.
