K - El siguiente eres tú

Capítulo 1

one

From a distance, the ancient city of C looks like a forest, with lush green trees and winding paths everywhere.

Ningzhong University is located in the suburbs of City C. Many internationally renowned biology experts graduated from its biology department, which makes Ningzhong University famous throughout the country. Being admitted to the biology department of this university is a great honor.

To the east of the campus are the dormitory buildings, with large flowerbeds lying in front of and behind each building. These flowerbeds are planted with lush green turf, roses, weeping locust trees, magnolias, wisteria, and various other flowers. After spring, all kinds of flowers in every color and size, red, white, blue, and purple, bloom in a dazzling display, like waves of blossoms. Around each flowerbed are exquisite stone tables and benches, where couples often sit on them when the sky is clear and the moon is full.

Male students in the Biology Department live on the East 5th floor, while female students in the Biology Department live on the East 11th floor.

Since the freshmen of the Biology Department in 1996 moved into Building 5 of the East Campus, Zhu Zhi has always noticed a faint cloud of mist above the flower bed in front of the dormitory building. Although it has no evil aura, it is definitely not a good omen, because on rainy days, one can see the resentment emanating from the mist.

Zhu Zhi had investigated and found no source nearby, but judging from its location, the source shouldn't be far. From a Feng Shui perspective, different floors have different orientations; the saying "the house's energy shifts with each room" illustrates that the energy of a building changes once the inhabitants are different. Among the freshmen of the Class of '96, there must have been individuals whose energy nourished this "cloud of mist," which has grown slowly with the help of this energy. More than a year has passed, and the mist seems to be getting thicker.

Saturday was a sunny and refreshing day. Golden sunlight slanted across the flowerbeds between the dormitory buildings. Dewdrops from the previous night clung to the petals of the blooming roses and hibiscus. A gentle, cool breeze caressed the scene. The sky was a clear, crystalline blue. It was a beautiful morning, much like Zhang Li's mood at that moment.

Because he had a date with his beloved girl, Liyan, Zhang Li deliberately dressed up today: white sneakers, light blue jeans, and a white T-shirt—simple yet stylish! Just like Zhang Li himself. He quickly arrived at the bottom of Building 11, East Wing.

Chen Jie was standing on the balcony looking at the flower bed. Lately, every morning, she could vaguely see a woman in ancient costume under the wisteria vine in the center of the flower bed. But when she looked more closely, she could no longer see anything. Although it was strange, she did not tell anyone. She absolutely did not believe in the existence of anything anti-scientific except life itself!

Today, she saw that woman in ancient costume again. She stood in the shadows of the bamboo grove, seemingly there and not there, like a ghost, a light and fleeting ghost! When Chen Jie tried to look more closely, as usual, she couldn't see anything. Just as she was wondering, she saw Zhang Li standing downstairs and turned to Li Yan, who was getting ready, and smiled, "Hey! Li Yan, your handsome guy is downstairs!"

Liyan rushed to the balcony while combing her hair: "Honestly, we agreed on 8:30, it's only 8:15 now, why are you here so early!"

Wen Xin, lying on the top bunk, tilted her head and said, "You rascal, people came early to wait for you, and you still scold them! Didn't you get up at 7:30 too?..."

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going downstairs." Liyan chuckled and ran out, leaving Wenxin, who was still nagging, behind.

"What are you looking at there every morning?! Let's go downstairs, it's time for breakfast," Wenxin called out to Chen Jie, who was standing on the balcony.

Liyan's appearance stirred Zhang Li's heart: Today she was wearing a white silk-trimmed top, a red short skirt with a white belt around her waist, and white short leather boots; her medium-length hair fell naturally on both sides, and beneath her slightly thick, arched eyebrows, her eyes were smiling directly at him... She was just like a pure dewdrop!

Seeing Zhang Li staring intently at her, Li Yan felt a mix of sweetness and shyness: "What are you looking at, you pighead?"

"You pighead's looking at a pretty girl!" Zhang Li laughed, but still stared into Li Yan's eyes. Her black eyes were always so clear and playful! Like two stars immersed in a deep, black pool, they shone with a dreamlike light, making people unconsciously fall into them.

Reaching out, Zhang Li naturally and as if he had been planning this all along, he took Li Yan's hand: "Look, the weather is really nice today."

Suddenly, a large hand grasped hers, and Liyan could almost hear her own heartbeat. Following Zhang Li's gaze, she saw a few wispy clouds drifting slowly across the clear blue sky. Sunlight cast soft shadows of the clouds onto the grass. Under such a sky, amidst such green grass, with such a boy, Liyan felt a deep sense of happiness.

"Hey Pighead Li, Wang Hongbing from your dorm is really introverted! I always see him coming and going alone." Liyan started a conversation.

"Oh, him! He's like that." Zhang Li shook his head. "His family isn't well-off. You should talk to Chen Jie and suggest she help Wang Hongbing apply for a work-study position at the school. That's what the Youth League branch secretary should do!"

“You don’t need to tell me, Chen Jie already thought of that. You guys should help him more. I often see him buying steamed buns outside the school. He’s about your height, right? How can his body take eating steamed buns every day?” Liyan replied.

“I’ll do my best to help him. Let’s not talk about him, okay?” Zhang Li didn’t want to waste time on other people. “How about we go to Yonghe Garden to see the lotus flowers?”

"Okay!" Liyan was about to go see the lotus flowers. She let Zhang Li hold her hand and ran towards Yonghe Garden with a light laugh. Her laughter drowned out the sighs coming from the wisteria behind them, sighs that were tinged with a hint of melancholy and fragility.

Analog circuits was boring. To make matters worse, he had an elective class scheduled for Saturday, and by the time get out of class finally ended, it was already noon. As soon as the professor left the classroom, Wang Hongbing slipped out. He hadn't eaten breakfast and was starving. Although he kept his head down, he walked quickly and soon reached the school gate. The steamed buns outside the school were twice the size of those in the school cafeteria! The old woman selling steamed buns had been watching the gate, waiting for him.

"Child, are you hungry?" The old woman said with a smile as she watched Wang Hongbing walk over.

Wang Hongbing's thick eyebrows relaxed, and he smiled shyly: "Yes, Grandma."

The old man smiled slightly, lifted the thick cloth, took four steamed buns from the basket, put them in a bag, and handed them to Wang Hongbing, not forgetting to say, "You're like a little girl."

"Hehe..." Wang Hongbing chuckled and scratched his head, took the steamed bun, paid with a coin, and walked into the school with his head down.

As soon as Wang Hongbing left, Chen Jie, carrying several bottles of water, also walked up to the old woman.

The old woman's face lit up with a smile as soon as she saw a customer: "Girl, want to buy some steamed buns?"

Chen Jie nodded: "Yes, Grandma, buy two steamed buns."

The old woman deftly packed the steamed buns and handed them to Chen Jie. Chen Jie took out a coin and said, "Grandma, keep the change." After taking the buns, she casually asked, "Grandma, does that person come to buy your steamed buns every day?"

The old woman took the money and thanked her repeatedly: "Thank you, thank you! You asked about that kid from earlier? Yes, he comes to buy every day. Sigh, kids from the mountain village are poor, they don't talk much, but we're quite familiar with each other, we're practically from the same village."

"Really? No wonder you two seem to know each other so well. I have to go back now, Grandma." Chen Jie smiled slightly, turned around, and hurriedly chased after Wang Hongbing.

She soon caught up with him and followed him into the Lotus Pond Garden. A fragrant aroma wafted towards her, and many lotus flowers were already in full bloom. The pure white blossoms were like jade carvings, crystal clear and delicate. Dragonflies were actually "hanging their feet" on the lotus buds that were about to open. And the emerald green lotus leaves were like little green umbrellas. Although it was lunchtime, some students were still admiring the flowers.

He walked so fast that Chen Jie was distracted for a moment, and when she looked for him again, he had already left Yonghe Garden.

"Chen Jie!" Zhang Li and Li Yan shouted mischievously from behind Chen Jie.

Chen Jie was startled!

"It's you two?" Turning around and seeing them, Chen Jie patted her chest. "You scared me! I have to go find someone now. I won't disturb you while you're admiring the lotus flowers." With that, she hurriedly left Yonghe Garden.

Not long after leaving Yonghe Garden, Wang Hongbing arrived at a unique artificial hill deep within the campus. Near the hill was a large pond, filled entirely with lotus flowers. Each lotus blossom stood gracefully, its pink petals unfurling, emitting a delicate fragrance—seemingly no less beautiful than those in Yonghe Garden. Irregularly arranged wildflowers of various colors bloomed along the edge of the hill, a breathtaking sight. Beside the hill stood an old locust tree, very, very old, said to be several hundred years old, yet still providing ample shade. Through the gaps in the branches, one could see the abandoned laboratory building not far away.

Wang Hongbing also saw Zhang Li and Li Yan in Yonghe Garden, so he turned around and ran here. He leaned against the trunk of the old locust tree and started eating lunch—a steamed bun.

It was a bit hot, and seeing that no one was around, he unbuttoned the first button of his shirt (this was the first time he had unbuttoned his shirt outside since arriving at Ningzhong University), revealing a piece of lustrous jade: the jade was teardrop-shaped, emerald green, and had a small yellow ring on top, secured by a delicate brass lock to a yellow collar. Because of this lock, this collar, and this piece of jade, he had always been hesitant to wear T-shirts, and when wearing a shirt, he would button up the first button to cover these things.

This jade stone is said to ward off illness and bring peace. My father said it's a family heirloom, passed down only to the eldest son.

His parents were nearly forty when they had him, their only son. When he was just a month old, his father put the family heirloom jade around his neck, saying it could only be removed when he turned twenty (the villagers believed that a man's life only became strong at twenty, able to withstand evil spirits). But when he went to university, his parents said he had to go to another city and could only have it removed after finishing his studies. Wang Hongbing argued with his parents about this, saying they were superstitious, but in the end, his mother hid behind the haystack behind the house and cried; his father smoked in the yard, and the jade remained hanging around his neck.

Back in high school, because we were poor, and with this antique-looking necklace—a brass lock and a piece of jade—the two pieces looked mismatched and ridiculous, making me look incredibly tacky. My classmates laughed at me a lot. Now that I'm in university, in a new environment, I absolutely can't let my classmates see this antique-looking "necklace."

Touching the jade, Wang Hongbing couldn't help but think of his parents, who were nearly sixty years old, and his impoverished home, and a wave of sadness washed over him...

Just then, the old locust tree suddenly emitted a rustling sound of its leaves, like an excited person humming or a happy person shaking their head! It also sounded like many small birds hopping on the branches. Wang Hongbing looked up, but there were no birds, only swaying branches and leaves!

"Wang Hongbing!" a soft female voice called out.

Upon hearing someone call him, he hurriedly buttoned up his shirt, stuffed the half-eaten steamed bun into his mouth, chewed it haphazardly, forced it down, and then turned around. Of course, none of these actions escaped Chen Jie's eyes.

When Wang Hongbing saw that it was Chen Jie, his face turned red again as usual: "Yes, yes... is there something you need?" Wang Hongbing asked with his head down. He didn't dare to look Chen Jie in the eye. He was most afraid of talking to girls, especially since Chen Jie was the class's Youth League Secretary and the recognized beauty of the Biology Department.

"It's nothing. I just bought some steamed buns at the school gate and was heading back to my dorm. I was just passing by when I ran into you. What a coincidence!" Chen Jie said with a smile. "Are you thirsty? I just bought two bottles of water. Let's each have one. I'm dying of thirst." As she spoke, she opened the bottles and handed one to Wang Hongbing.

He took the water Chen Jie offered, feeling a little embarrassed to drink it despite being very thirsty. Chen Jie seemed to understand his meaning and smiled gently, "I have to go now, Wen Xin is still waiting for me over there."

Watching Chen Jie walk away, Wang Hongbing couldn't wait to gulp down water; he was really dying of thirst.

After eating four steamed buns, he felt no hunger at all. Leaning against the trunk of the old locust tree, he drifted off to sleep. In his dream, he seemed to be lying beside a circular river, the water flowing in a cycle, splashing against the rocks at the edge with a rhythmic sound. A young and beautiful woman in ancient costume was watching him, unbuttoning his shirt and touching the jade around his neck, but that hand was clearly a fleshless skeleton! Yet, it slowly, very slowly touched the jade, as if touching a rare treasure. With each touch, he felt a little short of breath, and soon he felt suffocated. He desperately tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't...

Halfway there, Chen Jie suddenly remembered she should ask Wang Hongbing about his work-study program, so she turned back and saw him leaning against a tree trunk, fast asleep. However, his brows were furrowed, his mouth was half-open, and his chest was heaving, as if he were having a nightmare. She quickly nudged him, "Wang Hongbing, Wang Hongbing, wake up! Wake up!" But Wang Hongbing seemed to still be dreaming.

Seeing his face growing increasingly sallow, yet he remained unconscious, she poured the purified water in her hand onto his face, while pinching his philtrum hard with her other hand. Perhaps from the pain, Wang Hongbing sat bolt upright, his eyes wide with terror, yet devoid of any light. His open shirt collar revealed a copper lock and a black jade stone, utterly out of place in this era. A layer of black mist seemed to surround the jade stone, giving it an eerie appearance.

"Wang Hongbing, Wang Hongbing, what's wrong with you?" Chen Jie looked at the jade stone strangely and waved a hand in front of his face. "What's wrong? Are you sick? Having a nightmare? Say something!"

About a minute later, Wang Hongbing finally came to his senses. He looked at Chen Jie as if he had only just noticed her presence.

When he saw Chen Jie's gaze lingering on his neck, he hurriedly touched it. Oh no! The shirt button was indeed undone! He looked down sharply, and the emerald green jade had turned black! More importantly, it was exposed! A feeling of unease quickly spread throughout his body.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Chen Jie asked quickly when she saw him start to space out again.

Wang Hongbing stared at Chen Jie as if she were a monster, protecting his neck and backing away. Then, he turned and ran away like the wind, leaving Chen Jie stamping her feet under the tree.

Neither of them noticed the wisp of white smoke rising gently from the branches of the old locust tree next to the artificial hill.

Finally reaching the fifth floor, Wang Hongbing opened the dormitory door and felt dizzy—the consequences of malnutrition! After closing the door, he leaned weakly against it. Thankfully, no one was in the dormitory.

"How could the shirt buttons be open? Chen Jie must have seen the brass lock and the jade! That damned stone! That damned brass lock!" Thinking this, he quickly looked for a mirror; he was determined to open that darn lock! Although he had tried to remove the jade and lock hundreds of times since childhood without success, he was determined to try again this time. He found a mirror, a knife, and borrowed a pair of pliers from the dormitory supervisor on the first floor. After struggling for about an hour, he still hadn't succeeded, and finally, exhausted, he lay down on a lower bunk.

This was the first time he had skipped class since he entered the Biology Department of Ningzhong University more than a year ago.

As he touched the jade, he suddenly remembered its color at noon. He got up and picked up a mirror. The jade in the mirror was still the familiar emerald green, without a trace of black.

The dream I had at noon was terrifying. Thinking about it, Chen Jie's face flashed through my mind again. I wondered if she saw this. Chen Jie was the class's Youth League secretary, a very pretty girl, and the object of many boys' secret crushes. But he didn't feel the same way, because she was so far away from him; while she cared about him a lot, but he was too introverted. Even in his second year of university, he had barely spoken to her.

Wang Hongbing lay back down on the bed, stroking the jade stone with his hand, staring blankly at the ceiling. He noticed a layer of white mist floating on the ceiling, indistinct and ethereal. As he stared, his consciousness began to blur again, unable to distinguish between dream and reality. In his hazy state, one moment a stunningly beautiful woman was looking at him with resentment… the next moment a pale, skeletal hand reached out towards him…

Outside the dormitory, the afternoon sun shone brightly on the campus. Zhang Li skipped and hopped towards the dormitory. The path was lined with cat's face flowers, each bloom displaying its beautiful petals in various colors. The old trees, each large enough to encircle, stood motionless. Gazing at the trees, he couldn't help but jump up, sometimes mimicking a basketball shot, sometimes plucking a green leaf from a branch.

Looking at the green leaf in his hand, he thought of Liyan's refreshing smile, and excitement and joy spread from every part of his body. So, he hummed a song: "Sweet, sweet, your smile is so sweet..."

Taking two steps at a time, Zhang Li "jumped" to the 5th floor in no time.

"Hey, what are you doing lying on Zeng Hai's bed! Get up!" He had just opened the dormitory door when he saw Wang Hongbing half-lying on Zeng Hai's bed, so he started shouting, "Wang Hongbing, get up! Come sleep on my bed, Zeng Hai will yell at you again when he gets back!"

Zhang Li gets a headache just thinking about Zeng Hai. That guy seems too selfish and doesn't get along well with the people in the dormitory. If Zeng Hai sees this, Wang Hongbing will definitely get a scolding from him again.

Wang Hongbing didn't react at all to Zhang Li's shouts. Normally, he would wake up at the slightest noise. Seeing that Wang Hongbing didn't move, Zhang Li leaned down, his mouth close to Wang Hongbing's ear, intending to call out. Just then, he saw a collar around Wang Hongbing's neck, the kind you only see in period movies. The collar had a copper lock on it, locking a dark, shadowy object. The object seemed to be surrounded by a black mist, which was very eerie. Zhang Li reached out to touch it, but just as he was about to touch the dark object, a black lightning bolt flashed from it and disappeared in the doorway.

Immediately afterwards, with a "thud!", the jade Buddha around Zhang Li's neck fell to the ground.

Before Zhang Li could even finish his astonishment, he quickly bent down to pick up the jade Buddha, only to find a crack in the otherwise perfect piece. This jade Buddha was a gift from Li Yan; it was, after all, a token of their love! Zhang Li held the jade Buddha, heartbroken.

Wang Hongbing slowly opened his eyes and subconsciously touched his neck. When he touched his open shirt collar, he saw Zhang Li standing beside him. A wave of nervousness washed over him. He hurriedly buttoned up his shirt, got up without saying a word, and rushed out the door.

Zhang Li frowned: Why are you running? I'm not a tiger!

After leaving the dormitory building, Wang Hongbing didn't know where to go. He walked through the flower bed and strolled towards the school gate.

After leaving the school gate, walking alone on the road outside, Wang Hongbing felt a bit lonely. Zhang Li and Chen Jie must have seen his "necklace." He hoped he wouldn't be constantly laughed at by his classmates like he was in high school. He touched his neck; he was probably too afraid of being teased by his classmates, because he had two nightmares that day. Thinking of the woman in ancient costume and the skeletal hand in his dream, he couldn't help but get goosebumps, but he couldn't remember what the woman looked like at all.

He looked up at the boundless blue sky and the clouds edged with gold by the setting sun, and sighed deeply. Summer was here, and tuition fees were due soon.

two

Inside Hengsheng Jade Shop, the plump owner squinted his rat-like eyes at the jade and copper lock around Wang Hongbing's neck.

"You're only selling this piece of jade? But the color isn't very good; it's not top-quality jade." The shopkeeper looked Wang Hongbing over and tentatively said, "The most troublesome thing is that we need to open the lock. This isn't an ordinary lock; it's not easy to open. How about this..." He paused, "I'll give you five thousand yuan for this jade. I'm offering an astronomical price!"

Five thousand yuan! That's enough for a year's tuition and living expenses. After hesitating for a moment, Wang Hongbing finally nodded, and the deal was done.

About an hour later, Wang Hongbing left the jade shop with the necklace, the copper lock, and the cash. He felt much lighter in his neck, but the heaviness in his heart made him feel a little suffocated: his parents had told him that the copper lock and the jade were family heirlooms, but he had sold the jade. How could he explain this to his parents?

Reluctant to spend the money on the bus, he walked towards the school in a daze. The streetlights gradually came on, and the city's neon lights began to flash. The colorful lights made him feel that he was very far away from the city...

It was past 11 p.m. when I got back to school.

The dormitory lights were already off. Reaching the fifth floor, he felt dizzy again. During his last physical exam, the doctor told him to pay attention to nutrition. Nutrition? Nutrition costs money. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, he rested for a while, felt the money in his pocket, and secretly made a decision: tomorrow I'll splurge and buy two steamed buns and a stir-fry at the cafeteria! He seemed to smell the aroma of the dish and swallowed hard.

As the moonlight streamed through the corridor windows, he slowly walked toward room 501. In the darkness, he could see what appeared to be a blurry figure at the dormitory entrance.

"Is that you? It's good to be back~" Before he could react, the figure and the voice began to approach him.

Although the voice was soft and alluring, it echoed in the darkness, giving it a somewhat eerie feel.

"Who are you?" Wang Hongbing felt a chill run down his spine. How could there be a woman in the boys' dormitory? And this woman's voice was so unfamiliar! So cold!

The figure didn't answer, quickly brushing past Wang Hongbing. A musty smell mixed with fragrance wafted over, and in that instant, Wang Hongbing clearly saw two eerie green lights in the shadow.

"Who are you?" Wang Hongbing turned around abruptly and shouted.

"Hey! It really is you~", the voice echoed in the stairwell, but there was no other sound.

Wang Hongbing was stunned for a while before taking out his key to open the dormitory door. Liu Li's snoring stopped, and Jiang Bing turned over. He must have disturbed others. Wang Hongbing felt a little embarrassed, so he held the key and gently pulled it out, afraid that the sound of the key would wake others up again.