Calculer

Chapitre 3

"Ah, Brother Gu Xing! What's up?" Yang Yi seemed very happy.

"Where are you now?" Gu Xing asked.

"Me? I'm in Hainan. Didn't you already know I went there with my friends? Didn't my brother tell you?"

Gu Xing didn't know what to say, so he could only tell Yang Yi, "Your brother has had an accident and is in the hospital."

"Oh! Is it some kind of illness?" Yang Yi asked anxiously.

Gu Xing comforted her, saying, "He's fine for now. If it's convenient for you, please come back soon."

"Okay, I'll be back as soon as possible, that's all." The phone hung up as soon as the other end finished speaking.

Gu Xing returned to the ward, and Li Xu said to him, "The doctor just said that he won't wake up so soon, let's go back first."

Gu Xing nodded, and the four of them went back to school together.

That evening, Gu Xing and Zhang Da went to the hospital again and saw that Yang Mian had woken up and the doctor was beside him. Gu Xing went over to him. Yang Mian smiled and said, "You've come."

The doctor pulled Gu Xing out of the ward and said, "He seems to be too frightened and doesn't remember anything about last night. Don't provoke him by bringing up last night. Let him rest for a few days and then take him for psychological counseling."

Gu Xing nodded and was about to return to his ward when the doctor pulled him back, saying, "There's still his hospitalization fee." Gu Xing replied, "I'll pay you when he's discharged." He then went back to his ward. Zhang Da and Yang Mian were talking. Yang Mian saw Gu Xing and asked, "What did the doctor say?"

He told you to rest for a few days.

Yang Mian scratched his head and said, "I can't remember what happened last night..."

"I'll think about it later."

Before Yang Mian could say anything more, Gu Xing immediately said, "Rest for a few days first, and we'll talk about it later."

Afterwards, Gu Xing and Zhang Da chatted with Yang Mian in the ward for a while. Gu Xing told Yang Mian to rest well, and then he and Zhang Da left the hospital.

Gu Xing and his friends didn't go straight back to school. They stopped to eat something halfway there. When they got back to school, it was already 11 o'clock and the gates were closed. They had no choice but to climb over the wall to get in.

The boys' dormitory is located inside the school. You have to walk through a tree-lined path for about five minutes to get back to the dormitory.

Gu Xing and Zhang Da walked along the tree-lined path.

"Tell me, what did Yang Mian see last night?" Zhang Da asked.

“I don’t know either, but he said Yang Yi is back. But when I called her today, she was in Hainan and only started coming back today.”

"Didn't you say that he came to the school yesterday and said he saw his sister?" Zhang Da asked.

“Yesterday afternoon he said he was having hallucinations, which might be related to his sister.”

Zhang Da exclaimed "Ah!" and continued, "It might be related to space. It must be a spatial misalignment that caused this strange phenomenon. There are precedents all over the world. Yang Mian saw Yang Yi who did not belong to this time, so he was so frightened that he was unrecognizable."

Gu Xing gave a wry smile, didn't answer, and just kept walking forward.

...

Gu Xing asked Zhang Da, "Are you planning to take the postgraduate entrance exam?"

Upon hearing his name mentioned, Zhang Da exclaimed happily, "Damn, I'm also planning to form a research group on strange events with some other people..."

Seeing that he was talking non-stop again, Gu Xing regretted the topic he had started and fell silent again.

...

Gu Xing suddenly stopped, looked in front, then behind, and then at Zhang Da, who was also looking at him.

Gu Xing said in a low voice, "We've been walking on this road for ten minutes, haven't we? Why can't we see the end? There are no lights behind us either, but thankfully, there are still streetlights."

Zhang Da said, "Normally it only takes me four or five minutes to walk to the dormitory, but today it feels like the walk is endless."

Gu Xing dragged Zhang Da along, saying, "Quick, forget about it, let's go."

The two of them kept rushing forward, running continuously. Suddenly, Zhang Da stopped and looked ahead. Gu Xing followed his gaze and saw a girl running towards them. She looked very anxious.

"It can't be that kind of thing, can it?" Zhang Da said in a low voice.

Gu Xing instructed Zhang Da to keep his head down and walk forward, but the girl kept walking towards them.

"You two," the girl said politely, blocking his way.

Gu Xing and Zhang Da had no choice but to stop and take a few steps back, looking at the girl. She had ashen skin, short hair, and a high nose; she was quite pretty. But at this moment, the prettier she was, the more afraid they became. Gu Xing calmed himself down and asked, "Is there something you need?"

The girl said, "I'm a first-year student. The school is so big that I got lost. Could you tell me how to get to the girls' dormitory?"

Gu Xing pointed behind him and said, "Keep walking straight here, turn right when you see the cafeteria, and you'll be there after passing Xiaolin Garden."

The girl politely thanked them and walked away. Gu Xing and Zhang Da watched her retreating figure, feeling a slight sense of calm. After a long pause, Zhang Da finally said, "My goodness, I thought it was..." He didn't dare finish the sentence. The two continued walking.

They hadn't walked far when they heard heavy footsteps ahead. Another girl approached, wearing a floral long skirt, a white shirt, and flat shoes. She had short, choppy hair and skin as white as snow. The girl smiled at them as she walked up to them, and the two of them, whether it was just their imagination or not, suddenly felt a chill run down their spines. The girl said, "Excuse me, gentlemen, how do I get to the girls' dormitory?"

Gu Xing stood there frozen, not daring to utter a sound. Zhang Da said repeatedly, "Keep going straight here. When you see the cafeteria, turn right and keep going."

Without waiting for her to thank them, the two of them scrambled forward, and a voice came from behind: "Th-thank you!"

They kept running forward, eager to reach the dormitory, when suddenly they heard the rapid sound of high heels ahead. Looking ahead, they saw another girl walking towards them. They froze, involuntarily. The girl approaching had skin so white it was almost translucent, the veins visible beneath. She had long hair, a slender figure, and wore a red dress; she looked more like a ghost than Wang Zuxian (a famous Chinese actress known for her striking beauty). She stopped in front of them, blocking their way, and asked the same question again: "Excuse me, gentlemen, how do I get to the girls' dormitory?"

Gu Xing turned to look at Zhang Da in fear. Zhang Da simply closed his eyes and pointed behind him, saying, "Go straight, turn right, then go straight again." Gu Xing then imitated Zhang Da and closed his eyes as well.

There was no thank you.

There was no breathing sound.

No footsteps.

They opened their eyes together—no one was there.

The two stayed for a while, then followed Gu Xing and started running first, with Zhang Da catching up from behind. The two ran wildly on the seemingly endless road.

We've finally arrived at the dorm.

Gu Xing dashed upstairs like an arrow. Zhang Da was terrified. He walked to the dormitory building entrance and started climbing up the drainpipe. He couldn't climb more than two meters, and realizing it was impossible to reach the third floor like that, he jumped down and ran up the stairs. Gu Xing pushed open the dormitory door, plopped down on the bed, and panted heavily. Da Kai and Li Xu were still awake.

Just as Da Kai was about to ask what was wrong, Zhang Da rushed back and lay down on the ground.

Da Kai grabbed Zhang Da and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Da stammered, "There...there...a ghost."

He opened his eyes wide and said, "Don't talk nonsense."

Gu Xing then said, "Really, when we came back and walked along the tree-lined path, we walked for a long time and still couldn't see the end. Then two, no, three girls came to ask for directions, all asking the same question. Can you believe it? Isn't that scary?"

Li Xu then got excited and said, "You don't need to panic. I have a copy of the Diamond Sutra. Tomorrow morning I will print two copies and give them to you two gentlemen. They will surely turn bad luck into good and keep away from evil spirits."

Da Kai threw the lifeless Zhang Da onto the bed, pointed at Li Xu and cursed, "What nonsense are you spouting here? I'm going to go for a walk along the tree-lined path now. If there are any, I'll catch a few to serve as your maids." With that, he went out.

Li Xu stuck his head out of the window and soon shouted, "He really went out, look!"

Zhang Da and Gu Xing looked out the window and saw Da Kai rush into the dark, tree-lined path like a gust of wind. Li Xu was laughing beside them, but Gu Xing and Zhang Da couldn't laugh, because they had indeed witnessed strange things. After laughing for a while, Li Xu asked Gu Xing, "By the way, what happened to Yang Mian?"

The three men returned to their beds from the window and sat down. Gu Xing then answered, "He said he was too frightened and doesn't remember anything about last night." Gu Xing didn't want to say more because everything was so strange. Li Xu wanted to ask more, but seeing Gu Xing lie down on the bed, he didn't. Zhang Da then looked at his watch; it was past eleven.

The three waited for more than ten minutes before Da Kai rushed back in a flurry of activity, shirtless and panting heavily. Gu Xing wondered, "Could he have really run into him?" Just as he was about to ask him, Da Kai caught his breath and pointed at Gu Xing and Zhang Da, yelling, "You two bastards! I ran back and forth more than ten times, and there wasn't a single ghost in sight! Damn it, I'm exhausted!" The three burst into laughter, and Da Kai rushed over to start a playful fight. The dormitory was filled with a constant cacophony of noise and laughter.

A moment later, a person stood by the dormitory door—the school supervisor.

The next day, the dormitory bulletin board read: "Last night, room 202 was noisy late at night. One disciplinary action has been taken."

At lunchtime, Li Xu and Zhang Da were eating in the cafeteria. Li Xu complained, "They all turn on the loudspeaker. He was the loudest last night, really." Upon hearing this, Zhang Da remembered what happened last night and spat out his food. Li Xu jumped up and dodged, shouting, "Hey, you're wasting food like this. You'll definitely be reborn as a hungry ghost after you die!"

After Zhang Da finished laughing, Li Xu finally sat down, relieved. Seeing Fang Lei sitting behind Zhang Da, and the girl from last time beside him, Li Xu nudged Zhang Da and whispered, "Look, it's those two again." Zhang Da followed his gaze and looked back, then turned to Li Xu and said, "Yeah, what's wrong?"

Li Xu added, "The man's name is Fang Lei, and he's a playboy."

Zhang Da replied impatiently, "You already said that last time."

Li Xu then asked, "What did you say the woman's name was last time?"

Zhang Da got angry, took out a pen and paper, wrote: Chen Lan, then shoved the paper into Li Xu's hand and said, "Call me Chen Lan, Chen Lan, stop bothering me." After saying that, he lowered his head and started eating, ignoring Li Xu. Li Xu snorted and started eating as well.

In the afternoon, everyone in Room 202 handed their self-criticisms to the school supervisor. Then they went to the hospital to pick up Yang Mian from the hospital and paid the outstanding hospital fees. Since the doctor said he should rest well, Gu Xing and the others didn't say much to avoid making him think too much. They ate dinner at Yang Mian's house and returned to the dormitory at seven o'clock.

The four of them took turns bathing. Da Kai went first, and Li Xu went second. As soon as he finished bathing, he pulled out a wooden fish from somewhere and started striking it. Da Kai immediately shouted, "What's all the noise about? Striking a wooden fish? If you've got the guts, then don't get married in the future."

Zhang Da also shouted, "White Bone Demon, you're making so much noise I can't read my book!"

Li Xu was just playing with the wooden fish for fun. Seeing that Da Kai and Zhang Da had objections, and knowing he was in the wrong, and feeling a bit stuffy in the dorm, he said, "Okay, I'll go up to the roof and play it." He then went out the door. Actually, the roof was cool, and there was a large light up there; he went up there to read a novel.

The large lights on the roof were installed on the side, curving into the air and shining down onto the open space in front of the dormitory. There was also an abandoned water storage tank in the center of the roof. Although the lights were bright, they only illuminated the outside; the roof was actually quite dark. Li Xu found that he couldn't read a novel at all when he got up there, so he could only lean against the water storage tank and enjoy the cool breeze.

He sat there alone, his mind wandering: "I'm twenty years old and still don't have a girlfriend. It's so embarrassing. I'm not exactly good-looking, but I'm not bad either. I'm educated and kind-hearted, so why do bad men like Fang Lei have so many girlfriends? It's so unfair!"

Moved by the moment, Li Xu began to sing softly: "I'm ugly, but I'm also..."

A sound came from the stairwell door. Li Xu stopped making noise and secretly peered over the edge of the water tank. He saw a man and a woman walk from the stairwell door to the roof railing. Because of the water tank, they couldn't see Li Xu. Li Xu thought it wasn't the right time to show himself, so he quietly watched from the side.

Gradually, Li Xu recognized them; it was Fang Lei and Chen Lan. They were confiding in each other. Li Xu wanted to hear what they were saying, but they were speaking too softly for him to hear. Soon, Fang Lei became restless. His right hand gently circled Chen Lan's waist, while his left hand excessively caressed her breasts. Chen Lan gently pushed him away, but to no avail. Fang Lei's lips were already pressed against hers, kissing her small lips. Then, with a forceful movement of his right hand, he pressed her against the railing, leaving no space between their bodies. Fang Lei had her lean against the railing, and the two kissed passionately.

Li Xu now lay half-prone, watching them without moving, like a cougar hunting. They kissed for a while, and Fang Lei's left hand also began to move, gently unbuttoning Chen Lan's shirt. Chen Lan gently held Fang Lei's hands, but did not stop him.

"That despicable couple," Li Xu thought bitterly.

Fang Lei's hands were now hanging down, touching Chen Lan's thighs. After touching her for a while, he suddenly picked her up, and they were still kissing.

Suddenly, Fang Lei pushed forward with both hands, and their lips parted instantly. Chen Lan's body arched backward, flipped over the railing, and fell into the air. For a moment, Chen Lan's face showed panic, confusion, and then grief and indignation as she looked at Fang Lei. Fang Lei, however, stood there expressionless, adopting a detached, indifferent attitude. Only when Chen Lan had fallen to her last and disappeared from Fang Lei's sight did he breathe a sigh of relief, turn around, and walk down the stairs, a relaxed smile on his face as he went.

After a long while, Li Xu recovered from his panic, walked to the railing and looked down. He saw a person lying in a pool of blood below. Under the light, the bright red blood looked like a red flower, and Chen Lan, lying in the middle of the "flower", looked even more cold and beautiful.

Li Xu slowly sat down, holding onto the railing, not daring to look any further. After sitting for a while, he climbed the stairs again, reaching the third floor before slowly standing up and walking back to room 202 step by step.

When he returned to the dormitory, Da Kai was already asleep, Zhang Da was taking a shower, Gu Xing was reading a book, and Li Xu was sitting quietly on his bed with a frightened look on his face. Gu Xing looked at him and asked, "What's wrong with you? Weren't you supposed to go upstairs to strike the wooden fish?" After saying that, he smiled.

Li Xu stared wide-eyed at Gu Xing without saying a word. Gu Xing also looked at him strangely. Just then, Zhang Da came out after taking a shower and saw the two of them looking at each other. He said, "Are you comparing willpower? I'll be the witness."

Only then did Li Xu murmur, "Murder, murder..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Da said, "What murder? Did you kill someone?"

Gu Xing was also startled. He stood up and bumped his head on the upper bunk with a "bang". Gu Xing touched his head and looked at the two of them. Da Kai then turned over and went back to sleep.

Li Xu continued, "I saw someone else commit murder."

Gu Xing hurriedly asked, "Where...where...?"

Li Xu said, "On the rooftop."

Just as Gu Xing and Zhang Da were about to go up to the roof to take a look, Li Xucai said, "But the body is downstairs."

Gu Xing pulled Li Xu and asked him to lead the way. They went downstairs and ran around the dormitory. They didn't see a single dead person, let alone a dead rat.

Gu Xing and Zhang Da looked at Li Xu, their eyes conveying the message: Where is the corpse you mentioned?