Home of Psychics

Chapter 8

This sleep was like death.

The city's slow pace is itself a kind of hypnotic drug.

The glow of the setting sun gently paints the window; why do the years of youth leave such a trace?

Xiao Yan had already gone to work and changed her clothes. Qin Chuan went downstairs and walked aimlessly.

One stop north was a public square, where people strolled leisurely. A white, long-haired poodle came bounding over and rubbed against his leg. Qin Chuan reached into his pocket, touched something, and took it out. The letters on the inside were gilded by the light: YUNER. He bought an evening newspaper, looked at the classified ads, and suddenly felt a headache, so bad he saw stars. He could only stare at the setting sun until it disappeared completely, leaving countless spheres of light still visible before his eyes.

Why does it get dark so quickly?

Qin Chuan stood up to leave, but when he turned around, he was startled to find a girl standing silently behind him.

She was tall and slender, only a head shorter than him. Her bones were delicate, yet her skin was remarkably smooth. She wore only a bright red bodice with a swastika symbol in the center, its waves undulating, tied at the back with a thin red string. Her entire back was snow-white, exuding an alluring aura. Her hair reached her waist, fluffy and swaying gently in the wind. Below her waist were white trousers that trailed to the ground, embroidered with flowing cloud patterns matching the bodice, covering her shoes with only a small wooden toe peeking out.

He swore it was a face as pure as an angel's.

Her eyes and brows lifted as she whispered something, her eyes brimming with starlight, and her delicate lips slightly pouting.

She lowered her head slightly and took something out of the small bag in her hand.

With a soft pop, the flame stood upright, the cigarette butt was red, the lips were red, and the nail polish on the fingers was also red.

Incredibly beautiful.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [20]: The girl took two steps, completely ignoring that no one was around, and quietly looked into the distance. After a while, a tall and handsome boy ran over, wearing a yellow T-shirt. Qin Chuan thought the pattern on it was very interesting.

The girl called softly, "Xiao Fei."

The boy stopped abruptly, his expression somewhat embarrassed. After a long pause, he said awkwardly, "I'm not Xiaofei."

The girl extinguished her cigarette, gave him a pure smile, and instantly melted everything away.

As Qin Chuan watched them walk away, he suddenly felt hungry and realized that he hadn't eaten a single grain of rice in 12 hours.

After dinner, he returned home with a few cans of beer. When he opened the door, he saw Xiao Yan sitting there in a daze, her face pale.

"What's the matter?"

He asked the question while tossing a can of wine over.

Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, then the wine rolled to the edge of the bed. He reached out to see it, and Qin Chuan saw it and trembled slightly.

"Someone has died again where we are."

Xiao Yan swallowed several large mouthfuls of wine in succession and then said.

"No wonder that lobby manager was sent to the emergency room. I saw it with my own eyes today. It was terrifying. He fell from such a height, his brains were splattered, and his face was unrecognizable."

As Qin Chuan listened to his rambling, he thought about the girl he had just met, which helped to lessen the severity of the news.

“My colleagues all say it’s the lingering spirit of the girl who died last time.” Xiao Yan finally finished her drink and let out a long sigh.

Qin Chuan blurted out, "Uh..."

The next day, Qin Chuan got up at the usual time and, following Xiao Yan's directions, went to the job market. The overwhelming crowds immediately intimidated him. He wandered around for a while, but all he had to do was fill out two forms; there was nothing particularly noteworthy. Once outside, he remembered he hadn't called Fang Qingyan yet, so he took out his phone and dialed, while leisurely strolling around.

"I've arrived."

"Oh? You just arrived?"

"No, it's been two days."

"Oh. It's alright."

"Um, it's nothing."

As they were talking, they unknowingly walked onto the street where the First Hotel was located.

"It's hot, isn't it?"

"fine."

Qin Chuan answered, looking up at the not-so-bright sky. A black dot appeared in his field of vision, then expanded and descended at an astonishing speed.

A deafening sound stunned the entire street, and then all sorts of sounds merged into a mighty torrent.

"Hello? What's wrong? What's wrong??"

Fang Qingyan kept asking on the phone, but Qin Chuan couldn't answer. All he could see was a T-shirt, a yellow T-shirt, a yellow T-shirt stained with blood. His once handsome and cheerful face had become utterly hideous and terrifying.

After giving his statement at the police station, it was already dark. There were no stars, no wind, and even the air felt shorter. He felt suffocated and hurriedly tried to take out a cigarette from his pocket, but the more he tried, the less he could get it out. After groping around for a while, he could only hold a lighter in his hand. At this moment, a soft voice behind him said, "Could I borrow a light?"

Qin Chuan turned around, and a faint jasmine fragrance wafted over, a tender green cigarette between his slender fingers.

She smiled slightly at him.

Qin Chuan gently pressed the lighter, and the flame stood straight up.

The girl lowered her head slightly and came closer, holding the cigarette to the fire. A gust of wind blew by, and a few strands of hair fell down. Qin Chuan brushed them aside with his hand, but it was too late; a lot of his hair had been swallowed by the fire. Strangely, there was no burnt smell; instead, there was a fresh scent of grass and trees.

The girl looked up and smiled again.

She then naturally took his arm.

Turning around again, the street suddenly became deserted, appearing incredibly spacious.

The girl nestled her head against him, her hair tickling him.

The road seems to have no end.

The distinctive mint flavor of Saint Laurent permeated the air, and Qin Chuan remembered that he was the one who was about to smoke.

So I touched it again, and it seemed like I touched it correctly this time.

A flurry of footsteps, heavy breathing, and the smell of cheap floral water.

The appearance of two women made him gasp.

A tall woman exerts a much stronger sense of pressure on a man than a man exerts on a woman.

One old and one young.

The younger one was prettier, but the murderous intent in her eyes was chilling.

The older one's eyelids twitched, and a layer of water covered them.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [21]: The girl beside him squinted her eyes, forcefully exhaled a puff of smoke, which lingered among the people.

With a crisp snap, the cigarette, now half its original length, fell to the ground.

Qin Chuan was startled and turned to look. The girl's neat and beautiful hair was now disheveled, and several finger marks on her fair face were shocking. There was a little bit of crimson on her lips.

He was at a loss for what to do.

The girl tilted her head back, swept her hair back, and tightened her grip on him, saying defiantly, "Yan, what can you do about it?"

The woman named Yan paused for a moment, her face twitched a few times, and said, "You killed Xiaofei."

The girl burst into laughter, her voice like a silver bell that had accidentally fallen, echoing throughout the entire street.

"I killed Xiaofei, but you killed him too, didn't you?"

Yan Julie trembled as if he had been struck by a heavy blow, and his once handsome face contorted. "You, you nonsense..." Before he could finish speaking, his words were abruptly cut off.

The elderly woman plopped down on the ground and burst into tears.

Yan bent down to help her up, but she too burst into tears.

Qin Chuan grabbed the girl's camera and ran away, making the already unfamiliar road even more chaotic, until they had to stop in a dead end.

Qin Chuan stopped, panting heavily, as if his chest was being squeezed.

The girl hugged him from behind, her head gently resting against his spine, which seemed a little strange.

He pulled her hand down and looked back; the girl was already in tears.

Just stand there,

that's all

At once

The time between dawn and daybreak is a desolate moment, when all the sadness, all the vulnerability, and all the untouchable parts of the heart are fully revealed.

The girl gently let go, saying, "I'll come again."

As the faint scent of jasmine dissipated, Qin Chuan realized that his back and legs were sore and weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Xiao Yan was fast asleep; the sun had already risen halfway up the bed, but he still hadn't woken up. Qin Chuan sat to the side, his face and eyes bruised.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yan finally stretched, opened her eyes, glanced at Qin Chuan groggily, and said in a dry voice, "Big brother, you're back. That's great. The nightmare at work is finally over."

"Hmm," Qin Chuan replied vaguely, "It will end."

Xiao Yan turned over and remained silent for a long time before drifting off into a daze again.

The night air is cool.

The touch, penetrating the clothes and directly against the skin, sent a shiver down one's spine.

The streets were empty and damp, and people walking in the night were like lost souls.

Qin Chuan's chest felt deep, his heart plummeting to an endless place, where that figure might be hiding behind every tree and in the shadow of every building.

But where is she now?

His fingers twirled the small ring in his pocket, and an inexplicable emotion welled up inside him, making him feel lost, weary, and exhausted.

Turn the corner, and there she is.

Restless and distracted.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that she was wearing a thin nightgown, through which the pink floral patterns and delicate curves were clearly visible.

His hair was dry and there were bloodstains on his face.

Qin Chuan reached out and gently stroked it.

The girl smiled and said, "Let's get a room."

Qin Chuan was stunned and remained bewildered for a long time.

The girl continued laughing, "I ran away." Then she hung around his neck.