"Do you think Haitao might blame me?" Pan Linkai asked, his voice trembling with anxiety. "When we got to his house, I didn't even dare go in at first. But then I thought, if I didn't, wouldn't he resent me even more?"
Wang Feng thought for a moment and said, "Linkai, I think you're overthinking this. Haitao might have been suffering from some kind of mental illness, causing hallucinations. Maybe he thought he had a new girlfriend, but it wasn't real."
As the class monitor, Wang Feng had always been a firm believer in science, dismissing superstitions as nonsense.
"Then why did he jump off the dorm, of all places?" Pan Linkai pressed.
"People with mental illnesses don't think logically. Sometimes, their actions are completely unpredictable. I've heard of cases where schizophrenic patients do things like this when they're having an episode." Wang Feng tried to reassure him.
"Exactly! If ghosts were real, why would they only haunt Haitao and leave the rest of you alone?" Huang Junkun scoffed. He leaned toward Xia Yiyi, trying to place his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Yiyi, don't pay attention to their nonsense."
Xia Yiyi stepped aside, frowning. "That's not necessarily true. My mom once told me that when I was little, I got a fever after visiting my ancestral graves. The hospital couldn't figure out what was wrong, but after getting a protective talisman from a temple, I recovered. What do you think, Lu Fei? You seem to know a lot about this stuff."
"There's a lot in this world we don't understand. Just because we haven't seen something doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Lu Fei said calmly. He had no interest in debating the existence of ghosts or spirits with his classmates.
He was more concerned about Guo Haitao's phone. The device was tainted with a faint aura of yin energy—likely from the ghost dorm. If the phone had become a cursed object, it could be dangerous for Guo's mother to keep it. Fortunately, he had left her a protective talisman before leaving.
"I agree with Lu Fei. There's so much we don't know about this world. Humans are small and insignificant compared to the vast unknown. A little respect and caution never hurt anyone," Xia Yiyi said, nodding.
"True. Whether or not ghosts are real, bad energy or negative vibes certainly exist. Staying away is just common sense," Wang Feng added.
Huang Junkun looked increasingly annoyed.
He had no interest in comforting a grieving family—he had only come to impress Xia Yiyi. But now, she was paying more attention to Lu Fei than to him.
Back in school, Xia Yiyi had always seemed to have a quiet crush on Lu Fei, though she never openly admitted it. Now, Huang Junkun couldn't understand what she saw in him.
"Lu Fei, who are you trying to fool? It's the modern age! Who believes in ghosts and spirits anymore?"
"Watch your words," Lu Fei said, glancing at him. "It's best not to talk about people during the day or ghosts at night. Let's end this topic here."
"You're just pretending to be all mysterious!" Huang Junkun sneered. "If ghosts are real, I'll eat my own—"
Lu Fei interrupted, looking genuinely shocked. "Huang, your taste is... unique."
"You—"
Huang Junkun was furious, but seeing Xia Yiyi's disapproving expression, he swallowed his anger. Instead, he excused himself to use the restroom.
Stepping into a quiet corner with his phone, he intended to call some friends to teach Lu Fei a lesson.
As he pulled out his phone, he felt something brush against his feet.
Looking down, he saw several large, fat black rats scurrying past.
"Damn rats!"
Cursing under his breath, he kicked at the rodents. But when he turned around, he froze.
An old woman with a sharp, narrow face stood silently in the shadows, her cloudy eyes fixed on him.
"Sh—ghost!"
Huang Junkun felt his scalp tingle, and he staggered back, terrified.
"Young man, no need to be scared," the woman said, her voice raspy. Her dried, wrinkled face twisted into a smile that only made her look more horrifying.
Huang Junkun was so frightened he nearly wet himself. He turned to run but found his path blocked by more large black rats.
Their beady eyes glinted menacingly, pinning him in place.
When he turned back, the old woman was right in front of him, her face inches from his own.
"Help! Somebody, help me!"
Huang Junkun's back hit the wall as his legs trembled uncontrollably.
"I'm not a ghost," the woman said, her sinister smile growing wider.
Seeing her shadow on the ground, Huang Junkun finally managed to calm down a little.
"Crazy old hag! Hiding in a corner like that, you scared the hell out of me!" he snapped, his fear quickly turning into anger.
"Young man, don't be so rude. I'm here to help you."
The woman's sharp face and twisted smile were framed by the cluster of black rats at her feet, their unblinking eyes fixed on Huang Junkun.
"What do you mean?" he asked, swallowing hard.
"You like that girl, don't you?" The old woman pointed toward Xia Yiyi.
Huang Junkun stiffened. "Who are you? How do you know that?"
"It's obvious," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "But with that Lu kid around, do you really think you have a chance? Here, take this—it'll help you deal with him."
The woman's bony hand grabbed his, shoving something into his palm.
Five minutes later, Huang Junkun returned to the table, looking pale and uneasy.
"Junkun, what happened? You don't look well," Wang Feng asked, frowning.
"N-nothing," Huang Junkun stammered, taking a sip of water to hide his nerves.
"I thought you saw a ghost," Wang Feng joked.
Huang Junkun nearly choked on his drink.
But no one paid him much attention, as they were already preparing to leave.
The meal had been an uncomfortable one, leaving everyone feeling uneasy.
Lu Fei stood to settle the bill.
"I'll take care of it!" Huang Junkun interrupted, suddenly insistent.
"Alright, go ahead."
Lu Fei didn't argue. He didn't mind paying, but if Huang Junkun wanted to play the generous host, so be it.
Caught off guard by Lu Fei's easy acquiescence, Huang Junkun hesitated for a moment.
"Lu Fei, we're all classmates. Don't take what I said earlier to heart."
He clapped Lu Fei on the back, feigning camaraderie.