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Capítulo 7

Section 39: Chapter Four - Xiao Chuhan's Curse (7)

It was probably close to noon when Zuo Feifei finally spoke, weakly saying, "Muxiang, I'm hungry. Could you go buy me something to eat?"

Tao Hua's eyes lit up immediately, and she quickly stepped forward, cheerfully saying, "Feifei, you're awake! I'll go buy you some, your favorite braised pork ribs. Wait for me!"

Zuo Feifei tried her best to avoid her gaze, only nodding slightly.

Mu Xiang casually said, "Let's also buy some food for Jia Si; she'll probably be hungry when she wakes up."

Tao Hua nodded eagerly and ran out of the hospital excitedly. Seeing that Zuo Feifei's mood had improved somewhat, Mu Xiang tentatively asked, "Feifei, are you feeling better now?"

"I..." Zuo Feifei threw herself into Mu Xiang's arms, crying, "Mu Xiang, Xiao Chuhan is back. Yesterday in the art studio, she grabbed my neck and said she would kill everyone who laughed at her. We...you all need to find somewhere to hide..."

As she spoke, Zuo Feifei's emotions became erratic again, her fingers seemingly digging into Mu Xiang's flesh. Mu Xiang finally couldn't bear the pain any longer, shoving the struggling woman away and calling out towards the door, "Doctor, doctor, come quickly and check on the patient!"

After the doctor arrived and administered a sedative to Zuo Feifei, he scolded Mu Xiang, saying, "The patient's condition has just improved; how could you agitate her like that? Let her rest for a while; if this continues, no one can save her!"

Mu Xiang lowered her head in shame, blaming herself for making things worse and forcing Zuo Feifei into this state.

Before anyone knew it, Li Sixia appeared at the ward door and said gently, "Don't be too anxious. Ask her again when she's feeling better."

Mu Xiang always harbored a strange hostility towards Li Sixia. She ignored him and silently walked back to Zuo Feifei's ward. Li Sixia was quite embarrassed by her indifference, shook his head in confusion, and then turned and hurried to Zhuo Jiasi's ward.

Zhuo Jiasi was still unconscious, her pure face filled with fear. Li Sixia tenderly brushed the hair from her forehead, looking at her clear and flawless face, and suddenly felt an urge to protect this girl. He couldn't help but reach out to stroke her face, but unexpectedly she opened her eyes and looked at him with panic.

The two faced a difficult and awkward situation at such a distance, and both carefully avoided it.

Li Sixia broke the silence, asking with concern, "How are you? Does your lower abdomen still hurt?"

Zhuo Jiasi gave a bitter smile, propped herself up, and shook her head, saying, "The physical pain is a minor matter, but I'm afraid this fear might haunt me for the rest of my life."

At this point, Li Sixia asked in confusion, "What happened to you two last night? I saw the power was out, so I ran to the classroom to find a flashlight, and when I got back to the art studio, I heard you two screaming inside."

Zhuo Jiasi's thoughts were in complete disarray. She scratched her messy hair and said in a daze, "I don't know what happened. The studio door was locked inexplicably, and then a stranger appeared in the darkness, grabbed Zuo Feifei by the neck and wouldn't let go, and even kicked me a few times."

"Really?" Li Sixia exclaimed immediately. "When I went in, the door opened with a gentle push. And after I went in, I didn't see anyone else inside."

Nobody's here? Zhuo Jiasi felt even stranger. There was no other exit from the studio. Even if that person escaped through the door, Li Sixia would have seen them. Was it another hallucination by Zuo Feifei? But Zhuo Jiasi clearly remembered that she had grabbed the hem of that person's clothes, and even the fabric felt very familiar.

Section 40: Chapter Four - Xiao Chuhan's Curse (8)

The more she thought about it, the more her head ached. Zhuo Jiasi unconsciously hugged her head, buried her face in her knees, and burst into tears.

Seeing Zhuo Jiasi in such pain, Li Sixia felt even more heartache and immediately pulled her into her arms, gently comforting her, "Jiasi, don't be afraid. With me here, all your fears will disappear."

Nestled in Li Sixia's embrace, Zhuo Jiasi felt an unprecedented warmth. It was as if she had been adrift at sea for a very, very long time, and Li Sixia was a safe haven that had fallen from the sky. She closed her eyes, feeling the tears fall onto her collarbone, and her fear was truly slowly disappearing.

"What are you doing?" It was Mu Xiang's voice. She grabbed Li Sixia and said fiercely, "Don't take advantage of Jia Si while she's sick!"

"Muxiang..." Zhuo Jiasi said weakly, not understanding why Muxiang always disliked Li Sixia so much, "He's the one who saved me..."

But Mu Xiang completely ignored her, handed Zhuo Jiasi the food, and said coldly, "Li Sixia, you can go now. I'll take care of Jiasi here; you don't need to worry about her."

Li Sixia shook her head helplessly, spread her hands, and said with a wry smile, "Jiasi, it seems your friend has misunderstood me. Take good care of yourself. I'll be going now, but I'll come see you again when I have time!"

Watching Li Sixia's retreating figure, Zhuo Jiasi felt a pang of reluctance and tentatively asked, "Muxiang, why do you always seem so unfriendly to Li Sixia...?"

"Jia Si," Mu Xiang stated directly, "I think your being trapped is definitely related to Li Sixia. Think about it, what are the chances that he just happens to be in the art building? Besides, his reputation is already terrible..."

Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt that Mu Xiang wasn't as reasonable as before, seemingly filled with extremism and stubbornness. However, she didn't argue further, simply eating her meal quietly, reminiscing about Li Sixia's gentleness…

26

After resting until the afternoon, Zhuo Jiasi felt much better and asked to be discharged from the hospital.

Mu Xiang stared at her for a long time, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating, before quietly going to the side to pack her things. Zhuo Jiasi got out of bed and casually said, "I'll go see Zuo Feifei first; I haven't visited her since I woke up."

Mu Xiang didn't object and nodded obediently. But as soon as she reached the ward door, she saw Tao Hua standing outside alone. Tao Hua leaned closer to the door and said mysteriously, "Guess who came to see Zuo Feifei?"

Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang stared at Tao Hua in confusion, unable to figure it out for a long time. Dormitory 514 was a taboo subject; almost no one in the entire school was willing to approach them, so who would risk coming to see Zuo Feifei?

Seeing the two looking bewildered, Tao Hua snapped her fingers in mid-air and said triumphantly, "It's Lu Shiliu."

Lu Shiliu? This name struck Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang like a bombshell, leaving them speechless. A kind and outstanding young man, his face radiating unforgettable sincerity; this silent man had once sheltered Xiao Chuhan from the rain in the darkness. But after Xiao Chuhan's death, he vanished without a trace. They never imagined they would meet again under such circumstances years later.

The door to the ward was slightly ajar, and there was no sound coming from inside. The three people lay prone in the doorway, silently observing everything, not daring to even breathe. The two seemed to be in a stalemate, while Zuo Feifei's fearful expression had completely disappeared. The adult Lu Shiliu had lost his former naivety; his brows were filled with an uneasy aura, and even the smile on his lips carried a hint of restlessness.

Section 41: Chapter Four - Xiao Chuhan's Curse (9)

After a long while, when the three of them were almost numb from standing, Zuo Feifei finally spoke slowly, asking, "So much time has passed, I never thought... we'd meet again."

Lu Shiliu's emotions seemed to erupt at the slightest provocation. He quickly grabbed Zuo Feifei's hand and said, "Feifei, Xiao Chuhan's departure was too sudden back then. I couldn't accept reality, so I chose to run away. But after so many years of longing, I've realized that I've never forgotten you!"

Zuo Feifei struggled to free her hands, saying desperately, "Lu Shiliu, it's too late. You were wrong from the start. How could you use her to get close to me? We killed Xiao Chuhan, do you know that? She comes to me every night. Every night she whispers in my ear, 'Zuo Feifei, why did you do this to me?' She will definitely come for revenge, she will definitely come for revenge!"

Seeing that Zuo Feifei was about to become agitated again, Mu Xiang immediately rushed into the ward, pointed at Lu Shiliu, and scolded, "Get out of here right now! Don't delay Feifei's treatment..."

Zhuo Jiasi knew that Mu Xiang was now pinning all the blame on Lu Shiliu. Mu Xiang had always been resentful about Xiao Chuhan's death, but she hadn't expected Lu Shiliu to be the real culprit. She was starting to hate Lu Shiliu; how could he use someone else's feelings to gain his own love? If she were Xiao Chuhan, she might also have collapsed in the face of the truth.

Lu Shiliu was heartbroken and reluctantly left the ward, saying with tears in his eyes, "Feifei, you should rest well first. But now that I've found you, I will never give up again."

Despair and sorrow were intertwined on Zuo Feifei's face as she stared at him intently. Finally, she lost control of her emotions and burst into tears.

Watching Lu Shiliu's figure gradually disappear at the hospital stairwell, Zhuo Jiasi suddenly remembered something and chased after him out of the hospital. Only Tao Hua remained, calling after him, "Jiasi, why did you chase after him?"

Lu Shiliu didn't leave. Instead, he stood at the hospital entrance, looking up at Zuo Feifei's ward. If he could stand on tiptoe, he could vaguely see Zuo Feifei's tearful profile. His face was filled with sorrow, and his eyes were brimming with tears he couldn't hold back.

Zhuo Jiasi quickly followed, struggling to control her hatred for him, and coldly asked, "Lu Shiliu, please tell me, how did you know Zuo Feifei was here?"

Lu Shiliu smiled helplessly at her, took out a slip of paper and said, "I'm a university student in Lincheng. I received this slip of paper this morning, so I came here on a whim."

Zhuo Jiasi took the note, her eyes widening as she read: "Lu Shiliu, do you want to win back your love? Then remember to go to Chujiang University." Even more coincidentally, the handwriting was exactly the same as the letter "Su Mu" had given her! She couldn't help but tremble with fear. Who could it be? In the quiet hospital surroundings, all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.

"Jia Si, Jia Si..." Lu Shiliu waved his hand in front of her and called for a long time before she reacted, as if she had just returned from a fantasy world to cruel reality. Zhuo Jia Si casually stuffed the note into her pocket, forcing a smile, and said, "You should go back first! Fei Fei is being taken care of by us, so you don't need to worry."

Lu Shiliu nodded firmly and said, "Thank you for taking care of Zuo Feifei. I used Xiao Chuhan back then, which hurt the feelings of both girls. But please believe me, I will never let Zuo Feifei down again."

Lu Shiliu left. Zhuo Jiasi felt a sense of loss; her mind was filled with Li Sixia's image. A strange longing rose within her—could Li Sixia fall in love with her?

Section 42: Chapter Five - An Irreversible Darkness (1)

Chapter Five: The Darkness of Irreversible Destruction

27

Because Zuo Feifei was very weak, someone needed to stay overnight to take care of her. So Mu Xiang stayed behind, while Zhuo Jiasi and Tao Hua were responsible for helping Zuo Feifei bring back some daily necessities to her dormitory.

Walking through the dark campus, Tao Hua became unusually saddened. She sighed, "Jia Si, perhaps I've ruined you all. Knowing full well how cursed dormitory 514 was, I still arranged for you all to move in. I thought it would ease Dad's worries, but instead, it's dragged even more people into this mess. Should I ask Dad to seal off dormitory 514?"

Zhuo Jiasi had never seen Tao Hua like this before, as if she had grown up in an instant. So, she immediately took Tao Hua's hand and said with a smile, "When did you become such a silly girl? There's no such thing as ghosts or curses in this world; maybe it's all just a coincidence!"

Tao Hua remained lost in her gloomy mood, muttering to herself, "Really? Is it just a coincidence? Is it...?"

As soon as the two reached the dormitory entrance, Aunt Luo came out to greet them, asking with concern, "How is Zuo Feifei's health? Why can't she go back to the dormitory yet?"

Zhuo Jiasi replied with a smile, "The doctor said she might need to stay in the hospital for observation for a few more days. We're back to pack some daily necessities for her. Thank you for your concern, Aunt Luo. We'll go upstairs now."

Zhuo Jiasi ran into Yao Xiaomo again on the first floor. Yao Xiaomo acted as if she hadn't seen Zhuo Jiasi, her face contorted in a grimace, and walked past her coldly. Zhuo Jiasi couldn't help but ask loudly, "Xiaomo, what's wrong with you?" Then she saw several of her former dorm roommates peek out. Yao Xiaomo turned around and glanced at her in alarm before hurriedly returning to her dorm.

Zhuo Jiasi felt a pang of disappointment. Tao Hua, holding her arm, pouted and said, "Jiasi, with so much happening now, these people will be even less likely to talk to us anymore."

Zhuo Jiasi didn't answer, only feeling a surge of sadness in her heart, so she pulled Tao Hua back to the dormitory.

Wu Qiuyang was still not in the dormitory; only her black cat lay in front of the painting of a girl committing suicide in the bathtub, staring at the girl in the painting. The eyes of the black cat and the girl seemed to have an unusual similarity, repeatedly overlapping and replicating each other in their gazes.

Having not returned to the dormitory all night, Zhuo Jiasi sensed an increased eeriness within, and her body trembled slightly involuntarily. Tao Hua, while helping Zuo Feifei find clothes, asked, "Jiasi, Muxiang will be at the hospital with Feifei tonight. Should we bring some clothes for Muxiang too?"

Zhuo Jiasi was looking for Zuo Feifei's towel in the bathroom when she casually replied, "Of course, find some clothes for Muxiang too."

Having finally gathered all her toiletries, Zhuo Jiasi was about to step out of the bathroom when she heard Tao Hua excitedly shout, "Haha, Jiasi, come out and see! It turns out our Muxiang wasn't afraid of men, but had been hiding her sweetheart all along!"

Zhuo Jiasi curiously leaned closer to take a look. It was the wooden box that Mu Xiang had forbidden her to open last time, filled with old photos and books. Upon closer inspection, she was stunned. Everything was related to Su Mu: Su Mu's poetry collection, Su Mu's documents, Su Mu's photos, and most strangely, a piece of Su Mu's school badge, showing a still somewhat childlike Su Mu with a clean smile behind a yellowed photograph. A wave of hurt and confusion washed over her. So Mu Xiang had known Su Mu all along, but why had she lied to her?

Tao Hua, completely oblivious to Zhuo Jiasi's unusual behavior, waved Su Mu's school badge and said, "That girl Mu Xiang has been pretending to reject all men in front of us. Watch me confront her with this, hehe."

Section 43: Chapter Five - An Irreversible Darkness (2)

"Put it back!" Zhuo Jiasi suddenly roared, "Don't tell her about this!"

Tao Hua was startled; Zhuo Jiasi was known for her good temper. Her hands trembled as she closed the wooden box again, clutching her packed belongings, and whispered, "Jiasi, let's hurry to the hospital."

Zhuo Jiasi took a deep breath, finally controlling her emotions, and said calmly, "Tao Hua, I'm so sorry, I was just afraid Mu Xiang would be upset if we went through her things. Let's go."

The moment the dormitory door closed, there seemed to be a cat's pitiful cry coming from inside. Zhuo Jiasi wondered if she should go back and check, but Tao Hua stopped her, saying with disgust, "That ugly, stinky cat is so annoying. Let's just ignore it."

Zhuo Jiasi had a terrible premonition, but Mu Xiang's matter occupied her mind, leaving her with no energy to think about anything else. Tao Hua chattered incessantly the whole way, but she seemed to have lost her hearing, trapped in her own world of speculation. Mu Xiang clearly knew Su Mu, so why did she lie to her?

28

Tao Hua was always talkative, rambling on and on for a long time on the way. Zhuo Jiasi, however, was preoccupied with too many strange things, most angry because Mu Xiang had deceived her. How could people who outwardly loved each other deceive each other? She didn't know how to face Mu Xiang anymore, only feeling that a chasm would forever separate their future relationship.

The two finally arrived at the hospital and gently pushed open the door to the ward, only to find Mu Xiang sleeping alone by the bedside. Where was Zuo Feifei? Zhuo Jiasi had a bad feeling and quickly ran in to wake Mu Xiang, anxiously asking, "Mu Xiang, where's Feifei? Where did she go? I can't see her anywhere!"

Clearly, Mu Xiang didn't know what had happened either. Looking at the empty hospital bed, she said blankly, "Feifei? I don't know, she was just here. Oh dear, how did I fall asleep?"

"You..." Zhuo Jiasi was so angry she couldn't speak, but instead of blaming her, she said to Tao Hua, "Let's search everywhere quickly. Feifei's emotions are very unstable right now; she might do something foolish!"

The three of them frantically searched the hospital, but couldn't find Zuo Feifei anywhere. Just as Zhuo Jiasi was getting anxious and at a loss, Li Sixia came over carrying a large basket of fruit, seemingly to visit Zuo Feifei. But seeing her pale face, she tactfully put the fruit away and asked with concern, "Jiasi, what happened?"

"Feifei..." Zhuo Jiasi said breathlessly, "She...she's gone."

Li Sixia laughed loudly, patted her head, and said, "I saw Zuo Feifei in the garden downstairs just now. But she was with a boy, and she told me to take the fruit to her ward myself first."

Hearing this, Tao Hua, who was exhausted and out of breath, finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her sweat and saying, "Oh dear, Zhuo Jiasi, what a scare! It must be her classmate or her relative coming to see her!"

Mu Xiang still looked nervous and said worriedly, "No one at school will pay attention to us. Fei Fei's home is a day and a night's train ride from school. It's impossible for anyone to come see her so soon, is it?"

Lu Shiliu! These three words flashed through the hearts of all three simultaneously, and they began to panic again. Zuo Feifei's emotions were so chaotic; she might do something harmful to Lu Shiliu. Thinking this, the three of them ran downstairs to the garden. Li Sixia didn't know what had happened, but sensing the seriousness of the situation, she threw down her fruit and followed.

Section 44: Chapter Five - An Irreversible Darkness (3)

As expected, Zuo Feifei and Lu Shiliu were sitting on the lawn in the garden. However, things didn't seem as bad as they had imagined. They sat quietly at the end of the lawn, the breeze making their hair dance. Moonlight shone on the lawn, highlighting their intertwined silhouettes, creating a beautiful scene.

Tao Hua finally plopped down on the lawn, relieved, and said, "Thank goodness nothing happened. Mom, I'm exhausted."

However, Mu Xiang frowned and said, "But I'm just not at ease with Zuo Feifei being with Lu Shiliu..."

Seemingly preoccupied with Su Mu's matter, Zhuo Jiasi suddenly felt an urge to antagonize Mu Xiang, saying irritably, "What's there to worry about? Although Lu Shiliu's approach to pursuing her was somewhat flawed, he does love Zuo Feifei after all. Unlike some people, who do it secretly."

Mu Xiang was speechless for a moment, staring at Zhuo Jiasi in surprise, with something glistening in her eyes.

Even Tao Hua looked up and stared straight at them, knowing that Zhuo Jiasi and Mu Xiang had never argued before.

Zhuo Jiasi realized she had also lost her composure, turned her head away, and said, suppressing her tears, "I'm sorry, Muxiang. So much has happened lately, and I've lost control of my emotions."

Just as the three of them found themselves in an awkward situation, Li Sixia suddenly cried out in panic, "Look... Zuo Feifei is doing... doing what to Lu Shiliu?"

The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zuo Feifei smiling as she poked a knife at Lu Shiliu's wrist, the moonlight dancing eerily on the blade. But Lu Shiliu seemed completely unconcerned, his eyes even shimmering with affection as he gazed tenderly at Zuo Feifei's face, unresponsive to her attempts to manipulate him.