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Capítulo 27

Li Hong didn't speak. She turned around to find the hand soap bottle on the sink, intending to throw it again, but suddenly noticed that thin streams of red blood were flowing from the three faucets. She was shocked. Was it not over yet? Was she hallucinating again?

"They're here again! Let's go!" Zheng Zhihao shouted.

Li Hong finally realized the seriousness of the problem. It seemed she was no match for this thing in this bathroom. Although she had broken the illusion earlier, new illusions would continue to appear. Only by leaving this place could she eliminate the hallucinations. Who knew what other hallucinations would appear later?

While she was still in a daze, Li Hong noticed that her reflection in the mirror was changing. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes were rumpled, but she was smiling eerily at the person outside the mirror. She had never seen herself smile like that before; it felt like it wasn't her at all, but another person wearing her mask. This smile sent a shiver down Li Hong's spine, raising goosebumps all over her body. She commanded herself not to stare at those eyes anymore, or to turn her head away, but she couldn't. She could only stare blankly at her reflection in the mirror.

"Close your eyes!" Zheng Zhihao's words rang out just in time, sounding like heavenly music to Li Hong. Only then could she close her eyes. Although the "self" in the mirror seemed to be trying to peek through her eyelids into her mind, she was now free from that captivating gaze and could move freely. She groped her way towards the door.

"Yes, that's right, a little more to the right, okay, open the door," Zheng Zhihao instructed.

Li Hong finally managed to grab the doorknob firmly, and then she twisted the door open with a jolt.

"Alright, you're finally free. Open your eyes."

Li Hong opened her eyes and saw several waiters standing at the door, staring at her with wide eyes in surprise. Li Hong glanced at them, then looked back at the perfectly normal restroom behind her and let out a long sigh…

2.24 Entanglement

Li Hong practically ran out of the bar. After dropping 200 yuan, she grabbed her things and ran towards the door. She didn't want to stay there for another minute; she even felt like she shouldn't have come.

Before they even reached the door, Zheng Zhihao's voice rang out: "We'll have to come back here during the day, tomorrow, or... any day."

“I don’t want to come anymore,” Li Hong said. Because she had walked very fast, she was out of breath when she spoke. “I don’t want to step into that bathroom again, no matter what Liu Yun left in there.”

"Don't be so impulsive," Zheng Zhihao said. "Actually, we could have completely avoided the hallucination just now. If you had just listened to me and left earlier, everything would have been fine."

"How do I know it's an illusion?!" Li Hong shouted, her voice so loud that everyone in the bar could hear her.

“Hey, relax, relax,” Zheng Zhihao said softly. “It’s all over now, we’re safe now.”

Li Hong climbed the stairs and came outside the bar. She slowed her pace, carrying her bag in one hand and covering her face with the other, leaning against the wall by the door. She wanted to cry; she felt she had never suffered such injustice or been so frightened.

"Baby, don't cry, be strong." Zheng Zhihao's tone was still so gentle; Li Hong rarely heard him speak in such a voice before. But as soon as she heard him say that, Li Hong's tears began to flow freely.

"Ouch..." Zheng Zhihao was at a loss.

Li Hong cried silently; only the trembling of her shoulders revealed the immense emotional turmoil she was experiencing. She covered her face, tears streaming down her face through her fingers. How she longed for someone to be by her side at that moment! Just a shoulder to cry on would be enough for her to be grateful for a lifetime. But apart from the ghostly Zheng Zhihao, there was no one else around.

“Zheng Zhihao, you bastard…” Li Hong squeezed out these words between sobs, “How could you die…” Her voice, accompanied by her sobs, was heartbreaking.

Zheng Zhihao didn't answer. He seemed to be quietly waiting for Li Hong to calm down on her own. There was nothing he could do now; without a physical body, he could only watch her cry her heart out, unable to even offer her a tissue.

"It's all my fault..." Zheng Zhihao said after a moment of silence, "I shouldn't have let you go into danger alone."

“What’s the point of saying this now!” Li Hong said curtly. She seemed to get angry again, stopped crying, and strode out of the alley, taking out tissues from her bag as she went.

Zheng Zhihao fell silent again. He didn't know how to answer that question. He felt their relationship was incredibly delicate. If Zheng Zhihao hadn't died, both he and Li Hong were independent individuals with their own freedom and lives. If something like this happened, Zheng Zhihao would have chosen to leave temporarily, letting Li Hong calm down. But now, he could only rely on Li Hong for existence, living what he considered a life of dependence. This unintentionally created a peculiar relationship that seemed equal but actually had a hierarchy. Perhaps staying in her heart was a mistake in the first place, even though his initial intentions were selfless, and regardless of how novel and eager she was when she accepted him. After all, this relationship was too special, and they had each lived completely independent lives before. He didn't know how long he or Li Hong could tolerate each other.

It seemed quite late; walking through the alley, the sounds of the outside world were completely drowned out, even though the alley wasn't far from the bustling main street. The streetlights mounted on the utility poles shone forlornly, emitting a hazy white light. The buildings on both sides of the road offered no hint of urban life; all around were the silent darkness and Li Hong's solitary footsteps.

Perhaps the sound of footsteps reminded Li Hong, because after walking for a while, she stopped and said, as if talking to herself, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

She initially wanted to say, "You shouldn't get angry at a dead person," but felt that those words would be too hurtful. Perhaps she herself hadn't realized many times that Zheng Zhihao was already dead; she increasingly treated him as a tool, rather than the handsome and composed Zheng Zhihao she once knew. She remembered the first time she encountered him in the stairwell, remembered his concerned expression, but she couldn't recall what she felt for Zheng Zhihao at that time. Perhaps there was a slight stirring of emotion, but probably more of a sense of doubt and speculation.

Everything is completely different now. Zheng Zhihao has become a part of her, an inseparable part. She can yell at him, shout, or even curse at him at any time without any resistance. She knows this is very unfair to him, very unfair to someone who was once independent and dignified, but since Zheng Zhihao has chosen this path, it seems he has tacitly accepted the consequences.

She stood there, waiting for him to accept her apology. But she never received a reply from Zheng Zhihao.

"Are you angry?" Li Hong said. "I know you don't like to talk when you're angry, because you're afraid that everyone will start arguing when they're angry, but I don't blame you now. I did all of this willingly."

Li Hong started walking again. Perhaps it was the silence and darkness around her, or the decreasing temperature of the summer night, that made her feel cold. She wanted to leave and get a good night's sleep, to stop thinking about everything that had just happened.

“I know this is very unfair to you,” Li Hong said as she walked. She walked slowly, stepping on the shadows cast by the streetlights, like a naughty child insisting on walking on railway tracks. “I also know that you used to be a strong and upright man, but now you can only be nestled in a woman’s palm. I don’t know if you have adapted to this life, and I don’t know if you will feel psychologically disappointed, but I believe that you are still a man, and you will not be truly angry with a woman.”

Zheng Zhihao still did not answer.

“I know you’re listening, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t answer,” Li Hong said, her footsteps slowly starting again. “I’m not like you. I’ve never been in a relationship, and I’ve never been this close to a man. My methods might have been wrong many times, but I think you won’t be angry anymore, right?”

They were almost at the intersection. After turning the corner, they would enter a small alley without streetlights. Li Hong hoped that Zheng Zhihao could come out and keep her company, so she was trying her best to comfort him.

However, Zheng Zhihao still didn't answer her. Li Hong wondered if he was testing her patience.

"Don't be angry, okay? I don't blame you. I didn't mean anything by what I said earlier," Li Hong said again. She stood at the intersection, looking at the dark entrance, and a sudden feeling of unease washed over her.

It was eerily quiet all around. The road, devoid of streetlights, was utterly black in the night, as if someone had blindfolded her or painted it with a thick layer of black paint, making it impossible to see even a few meters ahead. She stopped, fell silent, and carefully observed her surroundings. Li Hong didn't know why she had stopped. If she had followed the train of thought she had taken earlier, she wouldn't have cared so much about the darkness and would have plunged right in. But now, once she stopped, she felt she couldn't take another step.

“What’s wrong with me…” Li Hong muttered to herself.

"Don't go in yet," Zheng Zhihao suddenly said, startling Li Hong.

"Is there...something inside?" She composed herself and asked cautiously. In an instant, their relationship returned to normal, and they faced the unknown danger together.

“Hmm, there’s something strange going on inside,” Zheng Zhihao said. “I’m not sure of the exact location, but…” He paused.

"But what?" Li Hong asked anxiously.

“But this scent is familiar; it’s the same guy from the bathroom just now. It chased after us,” Zheng Zhihao said.

"What?!" Li Hong was suddenly at a loss, regretting that she hadn't brought any lighting equipment.

“Don’t move now, observe for a while,” Zheng Zhihao said, his calm and confident tone reassuring Li Hong. “You might see something, but whatever you do, don’t scream.”

"Tell me, what exactly is that thing in the bathroom?" Li Hong wasn't so scared anymore and asked softly, "If I knew what it was, I wouldn't be afraid."

"Didn't you notice?" Zheng Zhihao's voice sounded a little surprised. "You should have noticed it at a glance."

"What did I see?" Li Hong said. "How many ghosts do I even know!"

“Then you should recognize it!” Zheng Zhihao said. “That’s the guy Liu Yun skinned.”

"Huh?!" Li Hong exclaimed in surprise, "Wasn't it absorbed by Liu Yun...?"

"Yes, but after Liu Yun died, it became a wandering ghost. Perhaps there was something in the bathroom that it couldn't get rid of and didn't want to leave, and then your appearance drew it out."

"There were so many people in that bar, how come I was the one who lured them out?" Li Hong asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s because we came into contact with Liu Yun’s finger bones,” Zheng Zhihao said. “Now it’s got you all over it. It almost killed me in the bathroom just now because that’s its energy field. It kept absorbing my energy. Otherwise, I would have made you close your eyes long ago.”

Li Hong suddenly remembered Zheng Zhihao's weak tone in the bathroom earlier and couldn't help but feel guilty. "But I..."

Shh! Look!

Li Hong fell silent. She nervously stared down the dark path, unsure where to look. Her eyes widened until she saw a blurry red halo appear near the wall not far away. Then she saw a pair of legs—just a pair of legs—moving unsteadily across the path. Though unsteady, the legs moved quickly, and Li Hong could discern from the red color that they were exposed muscles. Before Li Hong could get a better look, the legs vanished.

"Gone?" Li Hong asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's gone, and its aura has disappeared too." Zheng Zhihao's tone was hesitant.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Hong suddenly felt a chill run through her body; that long-absent feeling of dread returned. She felt a gaze coming from behind her. In an instant, it was as if Li Hong had become that gaze, seeing her own lonely figure with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Something appeared behind her...

February 25th arrives

The air seemed to freeze. Li Hong stood there motionless, not wanting to, and not daring to, turn around without being prompted by Zheng Zhihao. Something unsettling must have appeared behind her, even startling Zheng Zhihao into not issuing a warning.

"Don't talk to me, just follow my instructions. Now slowly squat down and take off your high heels..." Zheng Zhihao's voice rang out very softly, as if he were whispering to Li Hong.

She nodded subconsciously, then slowly squatted down. Li Hong really wanted to turn around and see what was there, and she also wanted to ask Zheng Zhihao, but she held back. At that moment, the image of herself squatting down reappeared in her mind, like footage captured by a camera following her. Li Hong noticed that this "camera" was now closer to her than before.

The high heels were easy to take off; she held them in her hands, one in each, her ears perked up, listening intently to any sounds behind her.

“Now, get ready…” Zheng Zhihao’s voice rang out again.

Li Hong was unsure of what to do; she felt somewhat lost.

"Run!!!" Zheng Zhihao suddenly shouted. Li Hong tensed up in shock, as if she had been electrocuted, and immediately rushed out. Wearing only stockings, her feet hurt, but she couldn't care less and plunged into the darkness.

Based on her memory, Li Hong knew that this dark alley wasn't very long, only about 100 meters long, and ended at a T-junction. One side of the intersection was a dead end, while the other side was a side road leading to the main street. She carefully recalled the route she had taken and then determined that she should turn right.

She ran with all her might, panting heavily. Her eyes seemed to have lost their function in the darkness, only the gray walls appearing intermittently. She tried to listen for anything chasing her, but it was all in vain. She could only hear her own rapid breathing and the sound of her handbag hitting her.

100 meters isn't a long distance, but to Li Hong, it felt like an eternity. After running for a while, she finally saw the lights at the intersection ahead, a weight lifted from her heart, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

To her surprise, a clear human figure, emitting a blue light, appeared under the streetlights, blocking her path. She couldn't make out the figure's features clearly, but something felt off. Before she could get a better look, the figure slowly turned and walked away, disappearing behind the wall on the left side of the intersection.

Li Hongyou gradually slowed down, carefully checking the intersection ahead to be wary of the strange figure she had just seen. Suddenly, her heart tightened, and she finally realized what was wrong with what she had just seen. It turned out that the figure was standing under the streetlight, but it had no shadow.

Thinking of this, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Don’t stop, keep going,” Zheng Zhihao said. “Don’t be afraid. We’re back in the same place now.”

"What do you mean?" Li Hong asked.

As she approached and saw the streetlights, the intersection, and the wall surrounding it, she immediately understood what Zheng Zhihao meant by "coming back in circles." She was now back where she had seen the "legs." Li Hong broke out in a cold sweat. She looked around in disbelief, then turned back. Behind her was complete darkness. She couldn't believe she had run from there and ended up back where she started.

"Was it that humanoid figure that did this?" Li Hong asked softly. She was now standing under a streetlamp, trying to find the figure she had just seen, but there was no one on the quiet street.

“That was Liu Yun,” Zheng Zhihao said in a deep voice, “but she’s gone now.”

"It really was her!" Li Hong said breathlessly. "I knew it."

“She found me,” Zheng Zhihao said. “She noticed that you resembled me, and then she left.”

"There's no danger now, right? Why did she leave? What is she going to do?" Li Hong was very surprised.

“There’s no danger now, let’s get out of here quickly. Keep moving forward, don’t look back, stay in the middle of the road, don’t stay close to the wall,” Zheng Zhihao said.

Li Hong was full of questions, but decided to go back to the street first.

When the car headlights and orange streetlights shone on Li Hong, she finally felt relieved. The running had exhausted her; one high heel after another slipped from her hands and fell to the ground, her handbag sliding off her shoulder and rolling to the side. She plopped down on the curb, panting heavily.

"We're safe now," Zheng Zhihao said. "Go and get some rest."

"I'm full of questions right now, could you... explain them to me first?" Li Hong said breathlessly, supporting herself on the ground with her hands behind her back.

"Hmm, what do you want to know?"

"The thing you see behind me, is that Liu Yun?"

"Yes, I saw her. But I definitely can't defeat her now. You didn't bring the Soul Bottle."

"Why is she there?" Li Hong asked. "I mean, she's never shown herself before, so why is she here now?"

“I think one possibility is that we discovered something she hid in the bathroom, which caused her to appear. Another possibility is that you saw her afterimage, which means that you and she are compatible in some way, such as some kind of bio-waves, so she could sense you. She appeared behind you to check you out, and if you are a threat to her, she will kill you.”

“I think what you’re saying is a bit far-fetched.” Li Hong pondered for a moment and then said, “If she thinks I’m a threat, she could just cause an accident and kill me. Why bother showing herself? There’s no need for that.”

"What do you think?" Zheng Zhihao asked with great interest. "I also want to know why she showed up."

"I don't know. If I knew, why would I be asking you?" Li Hong said as she picked up the shoes beside her and started putting them on.

"Sigh, I never understood her from the very beginning, and now that she's dead, I understand her even less," Zheng Zhihao sighed.

"By the way, when I was running, I was going in circles. Was that her doing? What was she trying to do?" Li Hong asked again.

"It's a trick, a little scheme. I guess she wanted to lure you to a ditch or sewer so you would either fall to your death or drown. But then she realized she saw my shadow in you and knew she wouldn't succeed, so she gave up."