Nachtpuppe

Kapitel 18

Zhong Lei answered truthfully:

"Bi Bin, isn't he at his uncle's house downstairs?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Yonghong turned pale and exclaimed in shock:

"What!?"

Zhong Lei repeated it again.

Sun Yonghong's tears flowed uncontrollably again:

"Binzi is dead!"

Zhong Lei felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. It was happening again! People who were clearly dead were reappearing, while those he thought were alive were dying again! What was going on?!

Chapter Eight: The Uninvited Guest (Part Five)

Five

Zhong Lei's face turned ashen, and he said:

"Uncle, Auntie, we're sorry! We have to go now! Goodbye!"

After saying that, she pulled Yu Kai away.

As they descended the stairs, Zhong Lei remained silent. This time, Yu Kai didn't join in the silence; he couldn't understand whether Bi Bin was alive or dead, and asked:

"Lei Zi, this is so strange! We just saw Bi Bin, and your aunt and uncle don't seem to be playing a trick on us. Which one is right? Is Bi Bin dead or alive?!"

After hearing this, Zhong Lei stopped and turned around, giving Yu Kai a strange look.

What do you think?

Yu Kai was somewhat puzzled.

"I don't know?"

"I think Bi Bin is dead, but I don't know why he reappeared."

"Why do you think he's already dead?" Yu Kai was completely confused again.

Zhong Lei turned and smiled at him.

"You're the one who told me this!"

Yu Kai was completely baffled by what Zhong Lei was talking about. "When did I ever say such a thing?"

"Really?" he asked in surprise.

"When I was hospitalized, you came to see me and told me the tragic outcome of the whole incident. Lin Wei died, Bi Bin died, and Su Shengwen was sent to a mental hospital, becoming neither human nor ghost. You told me all of this. As for Liu Dong, we saw him being hacked to death together. Although he kept appearing afterward, I still believe he died sometime later. And Bi Bin, that dead man, is coming back; they're all haunting us!" After Zhong Lei finished speaking, he sighed with great emotion.

Yu Kai felt as if he were listening to a fairy tale. He simply couldn't believe that ghosts existed in the world, and he truly had no recollection of what Zhong Lei had said about what he had mentioned before.

“But I didn’t visit you at all while you were in the hospital! I only went to pick you up after you were discharged. I swear I didn’t go before that.”

This time, it was Zhong Lei's turn to be surprised.

"If you didn't go, then who told me all this? Could it be a ghost? Li Xue seemed to be there too."

Yu Kai said sincerely:

“I really haven’t been there. Li Xue should be able to vouch for me.”

"Then go back and ask Li Xue! Did you know before that Bi Bin was dead?"

"I don't know! If I knew something, wouldn't I be the first to tell you?"

"…………"

The two people were talking at the top of the stairs, one after the other, completely unaware that the door to room 202 had been slightly opened and then gently closed again.

"Alright, let's stop talking now. It's getting dark, let's go home and have dinner!" Zhong Lei felt this wasn't the place to talk, so he suggested leaving.

Yu Kai had actually had the same idea, and when Zhong Lei brought it up, he immediately expressed his approval:

“Okay! Let’s have dinner at our house first!” He knew Zhong Lei couldn’t refuse, because although he often went back to his old family house to stay, he knew very well that Zhong Lei couldn’t cook.

“Alright,” the two of them said, already heading downstairs. “Anyway, I can’t cook, so we’ll just have to trouble your aunt and uncle!”

“What are you saying! It’s only right. Besides, you’ve eaten at my house quite a few times since you were a child, haven’t you? Hehe!” Yu Kai asked with a sly smile.

“Hehe, that’s true. But you’re coming to stay at my house after dinner tonight. I want to go back to my old house for another day. School starts the day after tomorrow.” Zhong Lei chuckled.

Yu Kai nodded and remained silent. He knew that Zhong Lei wanted to go back and "see" his parents again.

Chapter Eight: The Uninvited Guest (Part Six)

6

At nine o'clock in the evening, after leaving Yu Kai's house, Zhong Lei immediately sighed:

"My aunt and uncle are so good to me! They're just like my own parents!"

Yu Kai chuckled beside him and said:

"That's right! It depends on whose parents they are!"

Suddenly, I felt that saying it that way wasn't quite right, so I added another sentence:

"Like parents, like son!"

Then, the two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

When Zhong Lei was three years old, his mother passed away due to illness. The city's orphanage took Zhong Lei in because he had no relatives left. Nothing in his home had changed, so Zhong Lei could go home whenever he wanted.

This situation has continued until now. After junior high school, Zhong Lei moved out of the orphanage and returned to his own home. During his schooling, the orphanage found him a family to support him, namely Li Xue's family. Therefore, Zhong Lei was able to attend high school thanks to Li Xue's family's financial assistance.

Li Xue's father, Li Wenmao, was a real estate developer with a good family background. They had no problem sending their two children to school. In addition, Li Wenmao and his wife came from poor backgrounds. They loved and cared for Zhong Lei, treating him like their own son. Zhong Lei felt very at home and was extremely grateful to Li Wenmao and Aunt Li. He made a vow more than once in his heart to repay the two elders in the future.

Usually after the monthly break, Zhong Lei would go to Li Xue's house first before returning home. This time was no exception. Li Xue hadn't spoken more than three sentences to Zhong Lei since the breakup, and all of them were after the monthly break. When he arrived at her house, she first said, "Come in," then "Sit down," and then "Goodbye!" This made Zhong Lei feel both pained and relieved. The farther Li Xue was from him, the farther away she was from this incident, the safer she would be.

After leaving Li Xue's house, Zhong Lei went to find Yu Kai across the hall. Li Xue and Yu Kai lived very close by. Then, the two of them went to find Bi Bin together.

Two tall men were strolling down the street:

"Lei Zi, how's it going with you and Li Xue?" Yu Kai asked.

"What else can we do? We broke up!" Zhong Lei said calmly.

"What? Who brought it up first?" Yu Kai was unaware of this.

“It’s me,” Zhong Lei said calmly, as if he had just mentioned something as mundane as a fly flying by.

"How could you do this?!" Yu Kai was even more surprised. He hadn't expected Zhong Lei to dump Li Xue. "Aren't you hurting Li Xue? As far as I know, this is her first love. I've lived across the hall from her for so many years, and I've never seen her fall for any other boy, except you! You! You've gone too far!"

Yu Kai couldn't accept this cruel reality and felt very disappointed in Zhong Lei.

Zhong Lei sighed softly, and said in the same calm tone:

"I broke up with her because I liked her."

Yu Kai shook his head.

“Sigh, boys often use this as an excuse when they change their minds. I often do that myself.” After saying this, his deep face seemed to be unable to suppress a bit of seriousness. He could never really get angry with this good friend. He looked at Zhong Lei with a hint of helplessness.

Zhong Lei looked at him with a smile.

"Get lost! Don't compare yourself to me, I'm much more innocent than you!"

Then, Zhong Lei sighed again and said:

“I really broke up with her for her sake. I don’t know how dangerous this matter is, but so far, three people have died, one has gone insane, and I’m the only one left. I don’t know what’s wrong with me now, and I seem to be waiting to die as well. What if Li Xue gets involved in this matter and gets into danger as well? I really like her, so I hope she’s okay.”

Yu Kai was speechless for a moment, then raised his hand and patted Zhong Lei on the shoulder.

Chapter Eight: The Uninvited Guest (Part Seven)

7

At 9:15, the two entered the residential area where Zhong Lei lived. A main road ran through it, with dilapidated four-story buildings on both sides, all products of the 1950s. The old and dim walls looked somewhat eerie in the hazy moonlight. Many elderly people lived in this community because their children were all adults and had their own houses elsewhere. However, as people get older, they tend to be nostalgic and can't let go of their old friends. Therefore, most of the residents were elderly.

As people get older, they need less sleep, but they all tend to go to bed very early. As a result, there are almost no lights in the neighborhood now, and the entire residential area falls asleep along with the breathing of the elderly.

Yu Kai walked diagonally behind Zhong Lei, glancing around as he went:

"Lei Zi, the atmosphere around your place is so gloomy. Every time I come here, I feel anxious walking down this street!"

Zhong Lei smiled softly, offering no reply. He looked around at the houses, searching for places where his mother's shadow lingered—his favorite thing to do every time he returned home. Although he was only three when his mother passed away, he deeply remembered every happy moment they shared. Whenever he saw places where they had played together, he would unconsciously whisper "Mom," then look at the empty space before him, a profound sense of loss washing over him.

Yu Kai followed quietly, knowing that Zhong Lei was thinking about the past again, so he consciously kept silent.

Unbeknownst to him, Zhong Lei had already arrived at his doorstep, following the path of his childhood memories. This house held so many memories that Zhong Lei suddenly lost the courage to open the door. Although he had just returned here a month ago and had once paid his respects here, enjoying a happiness he had never felt before in a daze.

However, so much has happened in the past month, and he has once again faced death. The memories his mother left him also involve death, but they are things Zhong Lei tries his best to avoid. Recently, the stimulation of the atmosphere of death has made Zhong Lei's mind complicated and disordered, and his emotions are also unpredictable. If he were to enter the house now and see the scene that has remained unchanged from back then, he would definitely not be able to help but burst into tears!

After hesitating for a moment at the door, Zhong Lei shook his head and said:

"Kai, I suddenly don't want to go home today. Can I stay at your place tonight?"

Yu Kai was overjoyed upon hearing this. This was something he had never wanted to do before. Firstly, he considered Zhong Lei like a brother and really hoped Zhong Lei could stay at his house. Secondly, he was extremely afraid of this place. So, he nodded eagerly and said:

"Okay! Okay! No problem. Didn't I already invite you to stay at our house? If you really miss home, you can come over tomorrow during the day!"

Zhong Lei glanced gratefully at Yu Kai without saying a word, but gestured with his eyes towards the exit of the building. Yu Kai understood, picked up his backpack, and went out first, followed by Zhong Lei. This was the usual routine every time they came out of Zhong Lei's house.

On the way back, Yu Kai suddenly became curious. Why had Zhong Lei, who had insisted on going home during the day, suddenly changed his mind? Unable to contain himself, he asked Zhong Lei this question. Zhong Lei looked at Yu Kai, smiled wickedly, and then said:

"I'd rather not tell you the reason! Otherwise you'll get scared and your aunt and uncle will come after me."

Yu Kai gave a nasal "humph" and said: