Exorzismus - Kapitel 29
Once inside the subway car, she dared not look at the window anymore, keeping her head down until she reached her destination.
Back at school, Chunyu was still thinking about what happened on the subway. Last night, in the "Hell" game, she chose the person she most wanted to see—her father.
And she really did see it today. Could this really be an arrangement from hell? That her father, who had been dead for ten years, was released from hell to meet his daughter in the dark subway?
No! Don't think about it anymore, or you'll go crazy like Xu Wenya—Chunyu silently warned herself. She opened the dormitory window, letting the biting cold wind mess up her hair, and finally gradually calmed down.
Wrapped in the cold wind, she recalled everything that had happened in the past few days, especially her encounter with Yang Yafei yesterday, where she heard the hidden story for the first time—Chuchu's suicide was caused by Qingyou's jealousy, and Qingyou died in the same place where Chuchu had died. If what Yang Yafei said was true, it meant that someone had also died in the Ghost Building two years ago.
Regarding Chu Chu's death two years ago, there must be a record in the school archives; only the archives can corroborate Yang Yafei's words. Perhaps other things can be found, such as what else happened in the "haunted building" in the past?
Chunyu had been to the school archives before and helped organize some student files; perhaps the archives administrator could help.
She immediately ran out of her dormitory, head down, across the campus in the winter afternoon, and quietly entered the school's administration building. The archives room was in the most inconspicuous place on the fourth floor; she gently knocked on the door.
The female administrator opened the door, not recognizing Chunyu at first, and asked blankly, "Who are you looking for?" After Chunyu explained her purpose, the administrator scoffed and said, "What right do you, a student, have to check files?"
Chunyu was thus kicked out of the archives. Although she felt bad, she wouldn't give up easily, because she suddenly thought of someone—Gao Xuan.
In the corridor outside the archives, she sent Gao Xuan a text message without explaining why, simply asking him to come to the school archives.
Half an hour later, Gao Xuan arrived here in a hurry.
As soon as he saw Chunyu, he said in a low voice, "Why did you make me come here? Luckily I was in the art studio in the art department. If I had been outside, I wouldn't have been able to get here."
Chunyu could only purse her lips and say, "I'm sorry, could you please knock on the door of the archives room for me and tell them you need to look up some files?"
Then, she told Gao Xuan why she had come here to check the records.
Gao Xuan rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment, then said, "We can definitely find the files from two years ago, maybe even earlier." "What do you mean?" "Don't ask yet, let's talk about it after we go in." Gao Xuan smoothed his hair and knocked on the door.
The female manager opened the door, about to snap, but then noticed a handsome man standing before her. Her expression softened instantly; she knew Gao Xuan. "What brings you here today?" the manager asked in a coquettish voice, quickly fixing her hair. "It's been so long since I've seen you, I wanted to chat," Gao Xuan replied shamelessly, making Chunyu, who was behind him, feel uncomfortable. "Come on in," the manager practically dragged Gao Xuan inside, not expecting a girl to follow behind.
Gao Xuan could only explain, "She is my student. She came with me today to investigate something."
The administrator's expression immediately shifted from sunny to cloudy, and he said awkwardly, "Alright then, just don't take too long." Hearing that he needed to check the information about the incident in the haunted building, the administrator hesitated for a while. But after Gao Xuan's sweet talk, he still took out all the files.
Finally, Chunyu saw the file from two years ago—the investigation report on Chuchu's suicide. The report detailed the circumstances of Chuchu's suicide in the haunted building, along with Yang Yafei's later explanation and testimony, and even a copy of Qingyou's self-criticism. Yang Yafei's account was all true, and everything was clearly stated in the file.
Gao Xuan also read the report, and he said softly, "This is the first level of hell?"
Chunyu didn't answer, because she noticed there were other files behind her, a thick stack with a date printed on the cover that appeared to be about eight years ago. She carefully opened it and discovered that these files recorded another tragedy that had occurred eight years prior in the haunted building—the protagonist of this tragedy was named Yunhan, who, on a cold winter night eight years ago, ran into a school building and committed suicide. Afterwards, the building became known as the "haunted building" due to its haunting. As for the reason for the suicide, the report at the time was vague, seemingly related to a romantic relationship. On the last page of the materials, she found a photograph of Yunhan from her life.
Chunyu was stunned when she saw the photo of the girl who died eight years ago.
The photograph reveals a pair of captivating eyes, coldly watching Chunyu and Gaoxuan across the boundary between life and death. Chunyu, on the other hand, freezes like a statue, as if she has witnessed another hidden part of her own life.
This was a fatal discovery—the girl in the photo looked a lot like Chunyu, especially her alluring eyes.
Chunyu's heart raced. She adjusted her breathing and carefully compared herself with Yunhan. Although their eyes were very similar, their facial features were quite different. Yunhan looked more "classical".
Suddenly, she turned her gaze to Gao Xuan and noticed that Gao Xuan's expression was also not quite right.
She immediately realized something: "You know her, don't you?"
Gao Xuan took a step back, paused for a long time before speaking, "Yes, I know Yunhan. In fact, all the students knew her back then because she was the most beautiful girl in our art department." "The most beautiful girl in the department?" "Yes, but unfortunately she committed suicide later. Actually, I already told you about this in the haunted building last time." Gao Xuan turned around and looked at the administrator behind him, and said in a low voice, "It's not convenient to talk here, let's go outside to talk."
Gao Xuan then returned the file, forced a smile, chatted with the administrator for a few words, and then hurriedly left.
They walked out of the school administration building and ran to the tree-lined path on campus. But the small pavilion was already occupied by a boy and a girl, so Chunyu could only ask as they walked, "Don't you think I look a lot like Yunhan?" "Yes, I don't deny it. But you are still different from her, you can tell the difference at a glance."
But Chunyu asked a more pointed question: "Is this the reason you intentionally approached me?"
Gao Xuan stopped in the tree-lined path, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I don't know. But you can think back, our first meeting was purely coincidental, and later you came to deliver the book. How can you say that I deliberately approached you? I think the more important reason is that we both entered the Hell Game." At this point, Chunyu's tone softened. She knew she had no right to accuse Gao Xuan, and could only say softly, "When you first saw me, did you immediately think of Yunhan?" "I can't say for sure—but Chunyu, you have to believe in yourself. You are a unique girl, no one can replace you, and you can't become someone else's substitute."
Hearing these words, Chunyu felt a mix of emotions. She thought of her childhood, of that snowy afternoon when she felt responsible for her father's death. From the age of eleven until now, she had never truly felt confident. But these past few days, after meeting Gao Xuan, she felt for the first time that she could be a princess, yet now she felt like she was still Cinderella.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Gao Xuan continued, "Chunyu, look into my eyes. Now let me tell you—you are you, a girl named Chunyu. You don't belong to anyone, you belong only to your own soul." "Alright, stop talking." Chunyu lowered her head, paced back and forth a few steps, looking at the withered branches above the tree-lined path, and said, "Thank you, Gao Xuan. It's been a long time since anyone has said these things to me." "Chunyu, I just want to tell you not to care about what other people think, the key is your own feelings."
But Chunyu didn't answer, only continuing to walk forward in contemplation. Gao Xuan followed closely behind, and the two walked in silence for a long time under the quiet tree-lined path. "Let's talk about something else," Chunyu finally composed herself and said calmly, "Now we know that Qingyou died in the Ghost Tower because two years ago, she ruined the relationship between Yang Yafei and Chuchu, leading to Chuchu's suicide in the Ghost Tower. And Qingyou's method of suicide by biting her tongue is exactly the same as the first level of hell, the Tongue-Pulling Hell." "So, this is an inevitable result with inherent logic?" "Yes, and manipulating this logic is a ghost hidden deep in hell." "Qingyou alone isn't enough to prove it, so what about the others?"
By this time, Chunyu had almost figured it all out. She nodded and said, "My roommate, Xu Wenya, went through something very terrible—"
Then, she recounted Xu Wenya's experience with the monkey to Gao Xuan in its entirety, concluding that Xu Wenya's madness was caused by that monkey. As a result, she was sent to the hellish level of animal cruelty.
Furthermore, Nan Xiaoqin once hit an elderly person with her car, and the bizarre car accident she later encountered was likely caused by her own actions, thus descending into the hell of those who abandon those in distress.
As for Su Lan, something must have happened, but no one knows yet, and it may forever remain a mystery. Gao Xuan shook his head and said, "According to you, don't they deserve what they got?" "No, they did make mistakes, but they shouldn't have ended up like this." Chun Yu felt her mind was in turmoil again, and she just said blankly, "We should all live well, live well." "Chun Yu, you'll be alright."
But she gave a wry smile: "Forget it, I know you're just trying to comfort me."
They walked along the tree-lined path for a while longer. Chunyu didn't tell anyone what had happened on the subway that morning; she figured no one would believe her anyway. Suddenly, she said she was getting cold, so she hurriedly said goodbye to Gao Xuan and ran back to her dorm room.
It was nearly midnight, but the lights in the girls' dormitory were still on.
Another long night to endure alone. Chunyu sat blankly by the window, staring at her Samsung phone, waiting for the hellish text message ringtone to sound—she had already seen her deceased father, what wish could she possibly have now been granted?
It's exactly twelve o'clock.
The text message ringtone sounded on time, from that same hellish number. Chunyu opened the message: "You have entered the 13th level of hell. You will choose: 1. The person you hate the most; 2. Your worst nightmare; 3. The place you most want to go."
Chunyu held her breath and thought calmly for a while. Suddenly, her eyes became terrifying, seemingly filled with murderous intent. She slowly pressed "1: The person you hate the most".
In an instant, a face appeared like smoke. Chunyu knew it was just an illusion. She coldly recalled that face and those terrible nights.
The answer from hell came—"Who is the person you hate the most? You will have the chance to take your revenge."
Chunyu's eyes were still so terrifying, as if she had become a different person. Like carving words on a puppet, she pressed her thumb hard a few times, and two words appeared on the phone screen—Stepfather.