Nachtpuppe

Kapitel 3

This is getting more and more outrageous. Zhong Lei never expected that there would be such a childish person among his classmates. "They're all teenagers, aren't they ashamed!" Zhong Lei muttered to himself.

Zhong Lei's surprise didn't end there. Lin Wei, usually quite reclusive, rarely spoke more than ten words a day unless asked. But now, he seemed like a completely different person, eagerly interjecting with his opinion:

"If I see a ghost, I'll be terrified (that's the truth), but once I calm down, I'll kick it with all my might until it disappears..."

Su Shengwen couldn't resist any longer. He adjusted his glasses and joined in the boasting:

"I bite the ghost when I see it; I haven't eaten meat in ages!"

His words caused the other three to burst into laughter.

Bi Bin pointed at Su Shengwen's nose:

"Good! You've blown the most classic line! I declare the winner of the bragging contest to be—Su Shengwen!"

Zhong Lei's mouth gaped open. What was wrong with his classmates tonight? They were all possessed by ghosts! He looked up at the moon, its plump figure appearing and disappearing behind the dark clouds. The wind picked up, howling towards the five people who had been boasting in front of the dormitory. The chill was growing stronger, and Zhong Lei instinctively pulled his short-sleeved shirt tighter. This wind seemed to be blowing from the underworld, the restless evil spirits punishing these five arrogant brats for their disrespect for ghosts and gods! No! It should be four. Zhong Lei didn't join them, not because he was superstitious, but because he believed that if ghosts truly existed, they were the spirits of the dead, and one shouldn't be so disrespectful to the deceased—it was basic etiquette!

On a dark and stormy night, Zhong Lei and his four companions set off to explore a mysterious, dilapidated house. Four of them got so engrossed in their boasting that they stopped in front of the dormitory building and continued their tale.

Zhong Lei was drawn to the small, dilapidated house for several reasons: firstly, he was very interested in it; secondly, he was fed up with the nonsense they were spouting; and thirdly, the flashlight was much dimmer, and he didn't want to visit the mysterious little house by "candlelight."

Based on the above three reasons, he roared:

"Are you guys going or not?!"

Chapter One: Embarking on a Deadly Path (Part Two)

Five

Zhong Lei's loud shout had an effect; the four men immediately shut their mouths and reassembled into a "2-1-2" formation, advancing towards the dilapidated house. Their synchronized movements left Zhong Lei speechless for a long time.

They walked along the dormitory building, swaying from side to side, and then turned right at the top of the building.

Between the dormitory building and the school wall, there was a narrow passage, more than a meter wide. Due to the principal's ban, no one had passed through here for many years, so it was overgrown with knee-high weeds. The weeds looked very strange, and none of the five people could identify their species. Each weed had only two leaves, which were thin and narrow, like children with outstretched arms, or like messengers from hell lining up to welcome the five people to hell.

Lin Wei was pushed by Bi Bin, but he still walked in front with a blank expression, and the other four people consciously walked in a row behind him.

After the five people filed into the alley, a chilly wind blew by, and the weeds rustled in the wind.

As he watched his legs disappear deep into the grass, Liu Dong's voice trembled slightly:

"Could there be snakes in this grass? I'm terrified of snakes!"

"Who knows! You can ask the ghost when you see one!"

Bi Bin, who was right behind him, shoved him.

Clearly, Liu Dong wasn't telling the truth. What he feared most wasn't snakes, but imaginary ghosts, because his body trembled more violently with every step he took.

Zhong Lei walked at the back of the group, remaining silent throughout. He often boasted that his sixth sense was stronger than a woman's, a claim scoffed at by most. But it was true; Zhong Lei possessed a perception dozens of times sharper than the average person. He frequently sensed someone watching him from behind, and when he turned around, nine times out of ten, a young woman would be gazing at him with admiration. This was thanks to his tall stature, well-proportioned physique, and, most importantly, a face that could charm anyone. As a result, Zhong Lei had become somewhat desensitized to these feelings as he walked.

However, it was 3 a.m., so there was no way a girl would hide near the boys' dormitory and secretly watch him!

If that's not the case, then what exactly is it that Zhong Lei feels so strongly about?

Zhong Lei slowly turned his head back, and there stood a man in white at the entrance of the alleyway!

Zhong Lei was startled and stumbled, falling onto Bi Bin in front of him. Bi Bin felt the impact, turned around, and yelled irritably:

"Zhong Lei, what are you doing leaning on my shoulder? If you're scared, don't go! Don't embarrass yourself here!"

Zhong Lei mumbled incoherently:

"The place we just came in from... that stairwell... no! No! There's a person in white standing there!"

Bi Bin was also startled, and then reflexively looked in the direction Zhong Lei was pointing. After looking for more than ten seconds, he rudely shoved Zhong Lei.

"What nonsense are you talking about! There's no one in white there! It's just clothes hanging out to dry!"

Zhong Lei nervously turned his head back, and upon closer inspection, he saw that it really was clothes hanging there. He felt a sense of relief, but the other half of his heart remained uneasy. He had clearly seen someone standing there! They even seemed to have short hair; he had clearly seen the hair, so how could it just be clothes?! He shook his head and continued walking forward helplessly.

6

Finally, the group of five arrived at the back of their dormitory building and saw the legendary "mysterious" little shack up close for the first time.

The hut was indeed very dilapidated; the walls on all four sides were incomplete, and the thatched roof was rotten beyond recognition. From the broken window frames and the style of the roof, one could roughly guess the age of the hut, and Su Shengwen began to speak at length:

"This small house is clearly a Ming Dynasty building because its architectural style is very simple. You see, there are almost no patterns on the window frames, and the roof doesn't have much elaborate decoration on the rafters. The architectural styles of the Ming and Qing dynasties are basically inherited from each other. To a large extent, the Qing dynasty inherited the architectural style of the Ming dynasty, but the two styles are not entirely similar. The Ming dynasty was more refined in its craftsmanship, and the Qing dynasty also imitated it, but its ancient buildings also had some changes. The differences between the two are often reflected in inconspicuous details. Relatively speaking, Ming dynasty architecture appears simple, while Qing dynasty architecture appears more ornate. Therefore, I conclude that this is a Ming dynasty building!"

After this long, rambling introduction, everyone was a little dizzy. Bi Bin, rubbing his large head, said:

"Damn, what's the point of knowing so much? What's the use? Are you still going to work on a construction team?"

Su Shengwen glanced at Bi Bin with disdain and said:

"Tch, at least you have more to remember, which is better than having an empty head!"

Ten seconds later, Bi Bin reacted and raised his fist:

"Damn it, are you looking for a beating?!"

Su Shengwen didn't speak, but he raised his head and stared directly at Bi Bin's fist, showing no fear whatsoever.

At this moment, Zhong Lei jumped in to act as a peacemaker:

"Hey! We didn't come here to argue! Let's go check out that house!"

Upon hearing this, the two seemed to snap out of their daze and turned to head towards the dilapidated house.

Zhong Lei shook his head helplessly. These two were always the two people he dreaded dealing with most. One was arrogant and conceited, the other a fierce fighter; neither was easy to deal with. Associating with them would result in both intellectual and physical humiliation. Su Shengwen was the top student in the entire grade, while Bi Bin was a dominant force on the sports field; both had reason to be proud.

"Sigh!" Zhong Lei sighed softly. Then he walked towards the dilapidated house.

Suddenly, a sliver of pale moonlight slowly shone through a hole in the roof, dimly illuminating the room and revealing the vague outlines of the objects inside. However, none of the five people noticed this change.

As Zhong Lei approached the house, he could vaguely see a chair in the center of the room. A beam of light fell on the chair, making it seem to glow under the moonlight. The five of them found it extremely eerie, feeling that if they had braids, they would be sticking them up right now.

The five people stopped again at the door of the house.

At this moment, Bi Bin shoved Liu Dong hard from behind with his arm, which was as strong as a pig's kick:

"Go in and take a look!"

Liu Dong stumbled from the push, falling forward before quickly pulling himself back a step, his legs trembling as he said:

"Okay, okay, let's go in together..."

Bi Bin cursed:

"Damn it! You coward! I knew you wouldn't dare go in, I shouldn't have called you in the first place! You're a disgrace! Watch me!"

Even so, Bi Bin's feet remained stationary, his body still hidden behind Zhong Lei.

Zhong Lei chuckled to himself a few times, then strode towards the door.

After taking a couple of steps, he felt no movement behind him. He turned around and saw that the others were still standing there, staring at him expectantly.

"Come on! What's wrong? Are you scared?"

Zhong Lei's words were laced with sarcasm.

Bi Bin was very concerned about his image, so he shouted:

“What’s there to be afraid of! I’m right behind you!” He then turned to the other three, yelling, “You three cowards!”

After saying that, he followed Zhong Lei towards the hut, but his walking posture was a little abnormal.

Seeing that Bi Bin had caught up, Liu Dong, fearing that Bi Bin would laugh at him later, forced himself to keep up as well.

Su Shengwen didn't move, but turned to look at Lin Wei, who hadn't said a word from beginning to end.

Lin Wei has now maintained his original style, remaining silent and expressionless. He stands stiffly in the pale moonlight, his arms seemingly pressed tightly against his body, like a Qing Dynasty zombie.

Su Shengwen felt a chill run down his spine after reading this and quickly caught up with the three people ahead.

After running a few steps, he looked back and saw that Lin Wei was still in the same place, motionless. Only the moonlight shining on his face flickered, deepening the eerie feeling.

7

Zhong Lei was the first to enter the small, dilapidated house, followed by Bi Bin, who was visibly nervous. Behind him, Liu Dong, who was even more nervous, was hiding. Su Shengwen pretended to be calm, but his slightly trembling legs betrayed him.

The moment their feet touched the floor, dust billowed up and quickly enveloped their shoes. Then, all four of them simultaneously felt a strange oppression in their chests, and some found it difficult to breathe. Liu Dong even considered turning and running away, but seeing that Zhong Lei and Bi Bin seemed unresponsive, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue walking inside, lest he be laughed at and unable to hold his head high later.

Zhong Lei, the leader, was casually scanning the small room with a flashlight when Bi Bin shoved him again and cursed:

"Damn it! What are you sweeping around for! Hold it properly! What if you spot something..."

Before he could finish speaking, he shut his mouth as if he had violated some taboo.

Zhong Lei pursed his lips. How ridiculous! He really had a lot of nerve! But then he thought about it again and realized it made sense. At least it was a way of showing respect to the people who used to live here! So he held the flashlight level.

The four of them peered out from under the flashlight beam, craning their necks as if hoping for something to appear, yet also fearing that something might be about to appear.

A quick glance around revealed nothing unusual, only the walls riddled with holes and the dense spiderwebs in the corners.

Finally, the beam of light from the scanner stopped on the chair, and all four people gathered around it. Zhong Lei spoke:

"Do you think this chair might hold a story?"

The other three shook their heads, indicating they couldn't guess. Bi Bin kept shaking his huge head around, as if someone was calling him, but he couldn't see anyone. He must have been terrified, and he stopped trying to be brave.

Liu Dong didn't even dare to move his head, standing there stiffly.

Su Shengwen could no longer hide his emotions and clearly appeared completely bewildered.

Seeing this atmosphere, Zhong Lei looked quite smug, and then began to fabricate a story based on the many ghost stories he had read:

"I know, let me tell you! Right after liberation, this room belonged to an old landlord. Back then, when they were criticizing and denouncing landlords, that landlord was whipped to death with a leather belt right here in this chair, you know?"

Su Shengwen then asked, trembling:

"Why do you always talk about landlords? Do you really hate the landlord class that much?"

Zhong Lei cleared his throat and said:

"Actually, what I'm talking about is the same landlord. That landlord was actually whipped to death before being burned!"

"Wasn't that done by bandits? How did it become the Cultural Revolution?"