Although Jiang Xiaofen had a nasty fall, it was just superficial injuries. After a check-up and simple bandaging, she returned to the company the next morning with a haggard face.
She didn't tell anyone about this incident, not even Chu Xuelin, who was away on a business trip.
As soon as she arrived at the office, she hurriedly looked for her phone that had fallen on the ground the previous night.
Although she was usually timid, her breakdown last night was due to the accumulated fatigue and stress of recent days. Now, after resting last night, her mind was gradually clearing.
She was sure that the MMS message from last night was a prank by Li Tian, and she was determined to find that number and confront Li Tian.
She easily found her phone under the desk. The phone was of good quality and hadn't been damaged. She found the MMS message again and looked at it – a new grave, a tombstone, blood-red characters, a hanged ghost, eerie laughter... It all seemed so real, but now it didn't seem so scary.
Why did I lose control like that last night? She wondered.
She extracted the phone number that sent the MMS and dialed it, only to hear an automated voice saying that the number had been deactivated.
Okay, she thought, I admit, I was too sensitive and weak last night. But if you want to play this game with me, so be it... Li Tian, your methods are still as naive as a child's from seven years ago...
A look of disdain appeared on her face. She tossed her phone aside and plunged back into her busy work.
Because she hadn't finished some tasks the previous night, she found it difficult to work today. Time flew by quickly, and before she knew it, it was time to leave work again.
As the employees gradually left, the office building quieted down again.
Then, her daughter Chu Chu, who had just finished school, called, saying she was starving and asked her mother to treat her to Beef Noodles. Jiang Xiaofen agreed with a smile, as she was also hungry. They decided to meet at the entrance of the noodle restaurant.
Jiang Xiaofen worked a bit longer, then when it was about time, she tidied up her clothes and headed out to the California Noodle House.
The noodle house wasn't far away, so she didn't drive. She walked among the crowd, moving her numb joints from sitting too long.
I'm so tired... When Chu Xuelin comes back, I must hire more staff, she thought.
It was rush hour, and the streets were bustling with people. Jiang Xiaofen tried to walk in the shadows of the buildings to avoid the still dazzling sunlight.
Suddenly, she saw someone not far ahead, walking leisurely. This person caught her attention because his back looked very much like Li Tian. Tall, in ragged clothes, with messy long hair – this figure was almost identical to Li Tian she saw at the villa's entrance that day.
Her heart tightened, and after observing for a while, curiosity got the better of her. She quickened her pace, determined to overtake this person and see his true face.
Closer and closer, right behind him, about to be shoulder to shoulder...
Just then, the person in front turned around abruptly, facing Jiang Xiaofen!
It was the face of a hanged ghost – pale, ghastly white, eyes bulging out, tongue hanging down to the chin, and a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth!
Hehehe... The hanged ghost let out a sinister laugh, eerily similar to the sound from last night's MMS.
"Ahh!" Jiang Xiaofen screamed in fright, stepping back several steps, almost falling to the ground.
Then, the hanged ghost turned around and ran off.
No... This must be Li Tian in disguise. I have to catch him!
Jiang Xiaofen gritted her teeth and chased after him...
Thus, the pedestrians on the street witnessed an interesting scene: a ragged man with a hanged ghost mask, after playing a prank on a woman, was chased by the furious woman, and a hot pursuit ensued.
The man didn't run very fast, allowing Jiang Xiaofen to keep up but not catch him.
They quickly passed an intersection, and the man suddenly turned into a residential area on the left. Jiang Xiaofen followed closely.
"Li Tian! If you're a man, stop running..." Jiang Xiaofen shouted while chasing, gasping for air.
The man didn't respond and quickly dashed into the staircase of a residential building. When Jiang Xiaofen followed, he had disappeared, with only the sound of his footsteps echoing from the upper floors.
Jiang Xiaofen caught her breath and chased up the stairs.
By the time she reached the sixth floor, she was exhausted and drenched in sweat. She hesitated, then climbed up to the rooftop.
The rooftop was empty, no one in sight.
Jiang Xiaofen sat there, panting heavily.
Then, her gaze inadvertently caught sight of a white piece of paper not far from her. She picked it up and was instantly stunned, her expression turning incredibly strange.
It was a photo, a very familiar one to her, showing her, Li Tian, and Chu Xuelin together. The three were smiling brightly in the photo, with the words "Friendship Lasts Forever" above their heads.
Seeing this old photo, she didn't feel nostalgic. Instead, holding the photo was like holding a bomb with a lit fuse. Her hands and entire body trembled uncontrollably.
On the photo, all three had blood-red marks at their necks, as if their throats had been slit, a shocking sight.
On her and Chu Xuelin's faces, there were large red cross marks, and above the words "Friendship Lasts Forever," there was one big word: "Death!"
Jiang Xiaofen screamed again, throwing the photo away, then scrambled to her feet and ran down from the rooftop, heading downstairs.
Despite knowing this was definitely Li Tian's revenge, at that moment, she felt like a frightened bird, sick of this torment...
In the California Noodle House, Chu Chu, while eating noodles, looked worriedly at her mother, who seemed deep in thought and troubled. "Mom, you look really tired. How about we don't work overtime tonight? Let's just have dinner and go home to rest, okay?"
Jiang Xiaofen slowly nodded, then shook her head, "No, I must finish some work today."
"Mom, your life is more important, okay?" Chu Chu put down her chopsticks, pouting at Jiang Xiaofen. "If you collapse early, who will take care of your underage daughter?"
A warm smile slowly appeared on Jiang Xiaofen's face. She sighed and suddenly, as if struck by an idea, said to her daughter, "Chu Chu, how about you stay with me for a little overtime tonight?"