"...!"
When Lin Xingjie climbed the stairs, a sudden intense wave of dizziness nearly made her lose her footing.
The girl gripped the staircase, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked ahead.
...She saw nothing.
The corridor covered in darkness and dust, the walls, the windows—all were ordinary household sights, no different from what she had anticipated.
But Lin Xingjie instinctively felt a wave of discomfort—the atmosphere on the second floor was notably different from the first, and the unease inside her was like a hazy veil or falling cobwebs, covering the girl's skin, causing goosebumps to rise.
Lin Xingjie cautiously walked a few more steps forward.
All of the doors along the hand were wide open. She had no desire to step inside and see. From one of the bedrooms came indistinct sounds, a man's panting and a woman's moans intermingled, making one's heart race.
She pretended not to hear it, checked the door panel, and quickly walked past that place.
Though Lin Xingjie didn't quite believe in rumors of haunted houses, thinking them nonsense, seeking out a spooky place for thrills or something... was still somewhat unbearable for her.
Even if not afraid of ghosts, one should be wary of dirt, right? Really unhygienic.
"Hey, is anyone else there?"
She deliberately shouted loudly.
The only one left was Shi Hui. This guy was somewhat of a leader among them.
Lin Xingjie reached the end of the corridor and glanced at the stairs above, which were still pitch-black, with nothing visible.
There was only a strong feeling of discomfort lingering beside her.
No one was upstairs.
"If no one answers, I'm leaving, okay? I'll wait outside, keep a lookout for you guys. It'll be bad if someone comes."
Lin Xingjie hesitated no longer, making up an excuse on the spot. She didn't expect a response and turned to leave.
Continuing to stay in such a boring place had no meaning, and the only reason she came along was to avoid getting on bad terms with this group and having to deal with their troubles afterwards.
The reason she entered the house was because of a sense as if it were calling her, but after touring the place she couldn't find the source—likely just her own misperception... Most importantly, the place really made her uncomfortable. She didn't know if it was due to the stale air inside the enclosed space of an abandoned house or the influence of the rumors Wang Nana had mentioned before entering. Did those people not feel it at all? To be in the mood to do that kind of thing.
As she furrowed her brow in thought, she suddenly heard what seemed like a faint noise close to her ear.
"Drip-drop."
The sound echoed as a liquid fell on the ground; it was very faint, yet so conspicuous in the dead silence.
Lin Xingjie reflexively raised her head.
The ceiling above seemed boundless, surrounded by the desolation and quiet of a ruin. The walls and ceiling were covered in shadows that spread out in all directions, even staining the nearby floor with black. The dark color eroded the concrete, extending from the columns into the depths of the shadow.
Between the second and third floors, there was a massive hole.
Lin Xingjie happened to be standing right under that gap, unable to see clearly what was inside, only feeling the "black" within growing denser and richer, so dense that it formed a thick liquid. Thus, that hole in the ceiling looked simply...
Simply like a black hole.
The girl gazed blankly at the hole, her mind unable to function normally, her vision completely drawn into the vortex, unable to escape.
"Hey, what are you doing standing here?"
Only when a boy's voice came from behind her did she finally snap back to reality.
"…Nothing."
The dizzy feeling struck her once more. Lin Xingjie furrowed her brow, cupped her forehead with her hand, and spoke in a low voice.
Affected by the dizziness, the girl had no energy to hide her true feelings. The blatant coldness and resistance made Shi Hui involuntarily narrow his eyes.
"I'm heading out."
Lin Xingjie walked a few steps forward, trying to pass by Shi Hui, but he stepped to the side, blocking her way.
The girl with black hair immediately stopped in her tracks, looking at the other person with full alertness, while Shi Hui merely smiled and said:
"Have you finished looking around this place?"
"Not yet, but it's pretty boring; there's nothing interesting, right?"
"You're not wrong there. So, the key isn't the place, but rather what people do. You saw what those two were doing just now, didn't you?"
Shi Hui raised a finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.
"Shh, remember not to disturb them."
"...I know."
Lin Xingjie looked at his face for a while before replying. She silently walked past Shi Hui, and he did not block her path like he had before.
Just as she quickly approached the door of one of the open rooms, and was quietly sighing in relief, she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps "thump thump thump" from behind. Before Lin Xingjie could turn around, her arm was grabbed.
"You...!"
"What's up?"
Shi Hui's face was all smiles, but the hand that held the girl's slender wrist would not let go and instead gripped tighter. Lin Xingjie frowned in pain.
"We're all friends here, don't you want to get closer to me?"
Lin Xingjie opened her mouth, having a lot to say, but in the end, she couldn't make a sound.
These days, the influence of the infamous "Gu Huo Zi" was on the rise throughout Jiangnan, and she knew that there were actually a number of girls in school who secretly liked people like Shi Hui. They would think these "bad boys" were unique, not only exciting but also apparently providing a sense of security. But anyone who fell for such people was bound to suffer.
To believe that these hooligans would protect a girl and not harm her was pure naivety due to lack of experience. It was impossible for a girl to have a good ending with a hooligan as a boyfriend, unless she was willing to degrade herself, or else it was just fictional plot found in those youth romance novels often sold at the bookstalls by the school. Because these people were scum when they were young, and when they grew up, they would only become bigger scum, utterly untrustworthy.
...Even being friends was a foolish mistake.
Am I too tired? She thought to herself, to have reached a point where she had to pin her hopes on such people.
Lin Xingjie didn't believe she couldn't extricate herself, for she was quite adept at escaping.
Only, even if she could escape this time, after totally offending him, life at school would probably become even more unbearable in the future. And Lin Xingjie, unlike others, couldn't seek help or complain to her parents; on the contrary, that home was the biggest threat to her—
At least until she found a way to deal with "that person."
The only good news was that Lin Xingjie had already grown accustomed to a difficult and anxious life.
It was simply a matter of starting over, finding another way.
"Go to hell, scram!"
While saying "scram," Lin Xingjie had already swung her wrist with the force to break it, fiercely shaking off his hand.
Shi Hui didn't seem to take it seriously, maintaining his grinning expression, and not only pursed his lips, moving his face closer, but also stretched out both hands trying to control her by grabbing her shoulders and pushing her into the room behind him.
In that instant, Lin Xingjie threw a punch at the man's neck, her actions sharp and decisive.
But Shi Hui was not someone easily dealt with; it was as if he had training, his reaction time was incredibly fast, instinctively tilting his head, while his hands vigorously attempted to restrain her.
The punch landed on the man's shoulder, the fist feeling the sting of the rebound. The girl with black hair furrowed her brows, quickly preparing her next move.
"Slap!"
Accompanied by the loud sound, a slap landed squarely and heavily on his face, clean and without holding back any force.
Shi Hui's eyes widened, because of the unexpected response, and he paused for a moment.
After delivering the slap, Lin Xingjie still frowned, cursed "Such thick skin!" shook her hand, and quickly turned to run away.
...
Finally, Shi Hui snapped out of it, his face contorted with the fresh red slap mark on it, and he roared through clenched teeth:
"Don't let her get away!"