Ich bin von Natur aus schön und unübertroffen

Kapitel 3

Duan Lin found an old T-shirt to use as a rag, but his sharp eyes spotted a worn-out basin under a bed. After thinking for a moment, Duan Lin bent down, took out the basin, and went to the water room.

This dormitory is probably the oldest building in Qilan. It doesn't look like a building from this era at all. There are no toilets in the rooms, so you have to go outside to use them. The same goes for the sink. There is a large room next to the public toilet, which is the water room.

After filling a basin with water, Duan Lin began to scrub and wash the room thoroughly. Even though he couldn't sleep in six beds, the clean-loving Duan Lin still wiped down each bed and the floor, cleaning every corner.

Whenever Duan Lin arrives in a new place, the first thing he does is clean. Cleaning isn't just about washing; it's also about putting his mind at ease. His grandfather told him many ghost stories, most of which he can't remember, but one story in particular—the hand that reached out from under the bed and grabbed the protagonist's feet and neck—remained etched in Duan Lin's memory. From then on, Duan Lin always checks under the bed before going to sleep, and he does the same when he arrives in a new place. He only feels at ease after confirming there's nothing under the bed. Cleaning is essentially for the same reason.

Many things are actually not a big deal, but if doing them makes you feel at ease, then of course you should do them.

The house hadn't been lived in for a long time and was very dirty. The clean water quickly turned dirty. After glancing at the dirty water in the basin, Duan Lin decided to change the water.

Before leaving, Duan Lin glanced at the door with the broken lock, left it open, and went out.

The students hadn't returned yet; it was still quiet, and the sound of someone washing a rag in the washroom was particularly jarring.

While the tap was running, Duan Lin was lost in thought. Then, snapping back to reality, he turned off the tap and heard a sudden, startling sound. Had someone come in without him noticing? Looking around and listening to the direction of the water, Duan Lin looked across the street… long hair—a girl was washing her hair.

Her slender, white hand ran through her jet-black hair, making it appear even whiter and more delicate.

Long hair floated in the basin of water, obscuring the girl's face; from his angle, he could only see the top of her head.

Relieved, Duan Lin was about to leave when suddenly...

"Could you add some cold water for me?" the girl suddenly asked.

Duan Lin looked around: he was all alone.

"Could you add some cold water for me?" the girl asked again, placing a cup in front of her.

Duan Lin was in the cold water section, while the girl was in the hot water section. It was normal for her to want cold water. After thinking for a moment, Duan Lin took the cup, filled it with water, and handed it over. After going back and forth three times, Duan Lin asked softly if she needed more. The girl gently shook her head. Duan Lin said softly, "Goodbye, remember to turn off the tap when you leave," and then left.

After carrying the basin of water for quite a distance, Duan Lin's eyes suddenly widened!

Are there women here? Is it even possible for women to be here?

Standing on the first floor of the Wisteria Apartment, the student dormitory at Qilan, an all-boys school, Duan Lin's face turned pale.

Duan Lin suddenly remembered the story the old folks told him when he was a child, about a ghost washing his hair. If you encountered someone with their head down asking you to add water, you must run away, because that might be a ghost. What the ghost wanted to borrow from you wasn't water, but your blood.

One hand supported the basin of water, while the other hand moved slightly away—it was the hand that had just received the cup from the woman. Duan Lin clearly saw the bright red color on the spot where he had touched the cup!

Blood!? The water in the basin jolted violently due to Duan Lin's sudden trembling. Duan Lin then clenched his trembling fists, maintained his original pace, and steadily walked towards his bedroom.

Chapter Two: Is the Dormitory Haunted?

Once inside, Duan Lin could no longer hold on. He put down the basin and began to wash his hands, the red stain spreading in the water like red paint. After washing, Duan Lin poured the pale red water into the potted plants outside, closed the door, and sat on the bed.

I saw something bad again...

With his palms pressed tightly against his face, Duan Lin shook his head, opened his palms, and stared at his own hands.

On his fair palm, three clear lines were said to indicate a very fortunate life, one destined for a carefree existence. Duan Lin's palm lines were just like that—three distinct lines, clear and deep, as if carved by a knife. Yes, carved by a knife…

Looking closely at the long line at the bottom... a bitter smile appeared on Duan Lin's lips.

This long lifeline... was carved with a knife.

Duan Lin was born without this third palm line, in other words, Duan Lin has no life line.

Before the age of six, Duan Lin was in very poor health. His condition only improved after his grandfather carved this line on his palm.

After that, he grew up normally. Duan Lin was no different from any other young man. His grades were average, his appearance was average, and he was a somewhat taciturn young man.

However, this ordinary happiness was gradually shattering from the moment he arrived in the city.

Looking at his palm, Duan Lin noticed that the mark his grandfather had carved was gradually fading.

What does this signify?

Duan Lin frowned. And what exactly did his grandfather say to him in that dream before he passed away…?

Touching his own hand, Duan Lin slowly relaxed his brows.

It's not a big deal, is it?

Forcing himself to calm down, Duan Lin began to prepare the suit he would wear tomorrow. In fact, it was the suit he was wearing today, since it was the only formal suit he owned.

As I reached for my shirt pocket, suddenly…

Duan Lin stretched out his hand and quietly looked at the ring in his palm.

The ring. The ring I found this morning; I would have almost forgotten it was there if I hadn't reached into my pocket.

Duan Lin carefully took out the ring and wiped it with the cloth in his hand. It had an antique design and seemed to be a silver ring with a small red stone set on it. Judging from its size, it was not a ring that a woman would wear, but rather a ring that was worn on the little finger.

The stain on the inside of the ring suddenly caught Duan Lin's attention. The color... He threw the ring into the water, and the originally black stain spread out, revealing a faint red color...

A bad feeling!

Duan Lin took the ring out of the water and placed it on the table. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Looking at the darkening sky, and realizing that there was no light in the room and he would soon be unable to see anything, Duan Lin stood up, took out sheets and other items from the bag, tidied up briefly, and then lay down fully clothed.

It was very cold in his dream. All night long, Duan Lin could only hear the sound of people walking back and forth, and the sound of doors rattling.

In his dream, Duan Lin found himself in a forest. It was night, very dark, and the grass under his feet rustled against his shoes. There was no one else around...

Duan Lin found himself lying face down on the ground, with...

Is it a manhole cover?

Yes, it was a manhole cover, hidden by grass. In my dream, I was uncontrollably drawn to that manhole cover and was reaching my hand into it...

No...no...why did I put my hand in there? Take it out! Get out of here!

A fine layer of cold sweat broke out on Duan Lin's forehead. He desperately reminded himself to leave, but in his dream, he still reached his hand inside...

He'd been caught! A hand suddenly reached out from the manhole and grabbed him tightly! The hand gripped so tightly that Duan Lin winced in pain, but then he suddenly saw the ring on the little finger: an antique silver ring with a small red stone on it—the very same one he'd found that afternoon…

Just as Duan Lin was at a loss for what to do, suddenly! Someone was behind him!

Duan Lin turned around abruptly, only to find a figure standing behind him. It was too dark for him to make out the person's face, but Duan Lin still tried his best to see the person's features. Just as he was worried about what the person might do to him, he saw the person step over him, stick out a foot, and forcefully... stomp on the manhole cover!

Duan Lin then realized that the hand had reached out from under a manhole cover. The cover slammed shut with a "clang," and after a scream, Duan Lin watched helplessly as the hand disappeared, leaving only a dull ache in his hand and...

Duan Lin woke up.

Frowning, Duan Lin rubbed his hand, which had been gripped painfully in his dream. The pain felt so real, and it was still hurting... Just as he was thinking this, the hard object his left hand suddenly touched made Duan Lin open his mouth wide.

In disbelief, I moved my right hand, which had been aching in my dream, towards my eyes. The silver object lying in my palm—wasn't it the ring I'd picked up yesterday?!

Duan Lin broke out in a cold sweat.

Even though his face was a little pale, Duan Lin still stood at the classroom door during the second English class. After the bell rang, Duan Lin straightened his collar, walked to the podium, put down his book, and looked up.

"Hello everyone, my name is Duan Lin. From today onwards... from today onwards I will be your English teacher. I hope we can get along well." Halfway through his sentence, Duan Lin was so surprised to see the people sitting at the back of the classroom that he forgot to speak. However, he quickly came to his senses and finished his self-introduction.

The person at the back of the classroom smiled at me approvingly, that familiar smile…

Mu Zi!

"What are you doing here?" After class, when no one was around, Duan Lin walked up to Mu Zi and asked quietly.

"Going to school, huh?" Mu Zi looked at Duan Lin with a half-smile.

Looking at the man, Duan Lin frowned. "You...did you know something was here before you came? I understand, that resume was something you planned in advance, wasn't it?"

"What could it be? A ghost?" Mu Zi said calmly.

Duan Lin was startled and was about to speak when suddenly a scream came from the side!

"Ah—who said there were ghosts? Let me tell you, this school is haunted! I've finally figured it out!" A short boy shouted, jumping onto the chair next to Duan Lin, his round eyes staring at Duan Lin as he excitedly spoke.

"Teacher, you heard this place is haunted and you still dared to come? You're really brave! Heaven knows, you've scared away several people..."

"Huh? What ghost story?" Duan Lin was stumped by the boy's inexplicable question and didn't understand at all.

"Oh? Teacher, were you also tricked into coming here? Teacher, you're not a local, are you?"

"Huh? No..."

"Come on! Teacher, you've been tricked. The school must have brought you here because you're from out of town. Everyone here knows that, and nobody dares to come." The boy spoke quickly, but Duan Lin's expression grew increasingly grim.

"What... happened here?" Duan Lin asked, his face turning cold.

"...Here..." Before the boy could finish speaking, some students around him started jeering. "Monkey, what are you saying about Qi Lan's Wisteria Apartment being haunted again? You coward! You've lived in Wisteria for two years, have you seen a ghost? At least see one before you talk."

“You bunch of guys! I saw you! I went to the washroom that day…”

"Oh, so that day you went to the water room and saw a female ghost in white asking to borrow water, right?" The classmate next to him chuckled and chimed in.

Seeing his classmates' dismissive attitude, the boy nicknamed "Monkey" got a little angry.

"You're such a coward! Maybe someone was washing their hair and you didn't look up and saw wrong. You must not have checked up close, right? You didn't even check it yourself, and you're just scaring yourself, haha—" The boy who spoke seemed to be from a small group in the class. He was sitting on the table laughing with his friends, and suddenly the class burst into laughter.

"It's not just that. I encountered something even stranger yesterday." Suddenly, Monkey's face turned serious, and seeing him like this, the boys reluctantly suppressed their laughter.

We'll see what he has to say!

“Yesterday… there was movement in ‘that’ room, the door to that room opened.”

“‘That’… ah? Is it really ‘that’ room?!” A boy next to him suddenly spoke up, and Duan Lin noticed that the expressions on the children’s faces changed.

“That’s right, it’s that room… ‘143’.” The monkey said, his gaze meeting that of the tall boy who had led the laughter at him earlier.

Suddenly, the classroom fell silent.

After a moment, Duan Lin coughed, "Um... I wanted to clarify, the room you mentioned is 143? Um... I moved in yesterday... the voice you heard was probably mine..."

Suddenly, all eyes in the class turned to Duan Lin!

"Um...is something wrong?" Duan Lin asked, his smile a little stiff.

The students looked at Duan Lin with strange expressions, as if they had seen a ghost.

"Teacher, don't you know? 143 is haunted by Qi Lan..." The monkey was about to speak when...

"Ahem!" A cough came from ahead; it was the math teacher coming to start or end class.

The conversation was abruptly stopped. Looking at the elderly teacher on the podium, Duan Lin apologetically walked forward, hurriedly gathered his things, and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he hastily apologized, "I'm so sorry, I..."

"It's a good thing that Teacher Duan is close to the students, but you should just listen to what he says and not take it seriously. Those naughty kids are only happy when they scare the teachers away and stop teaching." Patting Duan Lin on the shoulder, the math teacher gave him a serious smile.

Duan Lin nodded and then went out. The work of a high school teacher is quite demanding. Even though Duan Lin had a decent foundation and wasn't very familiar with the teaching materials, he still felt somewhat tired after a day's work.

Loosening his tie, Duan Lin walked towards his temporary dormitory. He turned on the light switch and found the room still dimly lit. He then realized he hadn't changed the light bulb. Located in a remote area, buying light bulbs was difficult. With no other option, Duan Lin went to the dormitory supervisor, and under the supervisor's strange gaze, asked for a bulb. Just as he was about to leave, suddenly…

"Did you...sleep well?" The dormitory supervisor's thin, old face had an unusually strange expression.

"Thank you, I slept well, it's just..." Suddenly remembering something, Duan Lin swallowed the words he was about to say, nodded slightly, and then went out.