Цветы персика

Глава 24

“I promise,” I said, raising one hand above my head, “that I will tell you everything when I get back.”

She shook her head: "I must have owed you something in my past life. Last time you left without saying goodbye, I almost lost my soul. And you're doing this again..."

I silently carried the basin to the washroom, intending to wash Apple's sheets and duvet cover before leaving. However, she didn't seem to appreciate it, sighing indifferently.

The washroom was quiet. I scrubbed the sheets vigorously when I suddenly noticed that the water flowing down the drain had turned a bright red, blood-red color, slowly spreading...

I looked up at the tree shadows in the bright sunlight outside; behind the swaying branches was the bathhouse. Suddenly, I remembered someone saying that the drainage pipes of our dormitory building and the bathhouse behind it were connected.

A chill ran down my spine, and I felt a sinking feeling.

The bathhouse opens at 9:00 AM on Saturday mornings.

Weekends are the best time to catch up on sleep. Apple was still asleep, so I went alone. The bathhouse was unusually quiet. I handed my ticket to the security guard, who smiled at me and said, "You're here really early; you're the first one."

The changing room was bathed in a warm yellow light from the sunlight streaming in through the window. I took off my clothes and stepped into the shower. The large bathroom was empty; there wasn't even the sound of water. The shower walls were a bluish-gray, the white plaster corroded and mottled, the whole space immersed in a dark and cold hue. I chose a corner spot, turned on the tap, and waited for the cold water to run off before the hot water came out.

With a "creak,"

What was that sound? A strange tone mingled with the splashing water. I looked up and saw the wooden window above the wall was flipping open. It was an old, yellow-painted wooden window with hinged hinges. Due to the angle, sunlight couldn't get in, but it could release the moisture from the bathroom. A gust of wind blew in, and I shivered; my spine felt a little cold, and my hair flew up as if from static electricity.

Section 60: Imminent (2)

I glanced to the side and caught a glimpse of a white shadow drifting past behind me...

"who?"

Go back and look.

It was empty.

Turning around to test the water temperature, I had a strange feeling, as if there was always a sticky shadow clinging to me.

With a "whoosh".

Suddenly, a water pipe next to me was turned on, and I was so startled that I stepped back and bumped against the wall.

"It's so cold." The wall plaster was icy cold, so I quickly left.

In the blink of an eye, when I looked at the tap I had just turned on, there was another person underneath. It was a girl washing her long hair, water cascading down her jet-black hair, obscuring her entire face.

A sense of unease crept into my heart. I retreated beneath my own spray, yet couldn't help but observe her. She… was so strange. Faint, bluish-green markings appeared on her back, washed by the water, as if she had been abused. Lost in my gaze, I failed to notice the changes in my own body. As I wiped my face, I discovered that the towel, where the water had splashed, was stained bright red. I turned the towel over in surprise; wherever the water had touched, it was a patch of red, spreading outwards. Looking down at myself, I saw that the water flowing over my body had turned into a pool of blood.

"Oh--"

I screamed.

The girl showering across from me didn't move an inch.

I suddenly noticed that her hair was very long, and it was getting longer and longer. It seemed that every time she combed it, her hair would grow an inch longer. The more she combed it, the longer it grew, and it never stopped, eventually dragging on the ground.

I panicked and tried to run, but it was too late...

The hair at her feet seemed to have eyes, crawling towards me like countless black snakes, already coiling around my ankles from bottom to top. I was terrified, desperately jumping and trying to get over those obstacles, but they only tightened their grip, giving me no chance to escape. Until I cried out in a hoarse voice, "Who are you? I don't know you, why are you making trouble for me?"

The girl turned to me, looking at me with a dreamy expression, and asked, "Why do you all have faces, but I don't?"

I gasped – her face was completely white, devoid of any features.

She reached out, slowly approaching. I retreated into the water, the current choking me. Her fingers brushed against my face through the curtain of water, but there was no physical contact; they groped towards me like a wisp of air.

I held my breath and tried my best to stop myself from screaming.

She—indeed, has no face.

Her black hair was wrapped around her entire face, but it was surrounded by a white light that flickered and was eerily unpredictable.

"Your face...it's really nice!" she said, touching it and laughing strangely, as if she were about to cry.

"I know who you are." I think I guessed it.

I should have guessed it long ago.

"Who is it?" This time, he heard it clearly; she was indeed crying.

"You're so stupid! You committed suicide for a man who wasn't worth it. Your parents must be heartbroken."

She trembled all over, as if touched.

“Don’t punish yourself for other people’s mistakes,” I said. “Your pain to your loved ones will have no effect on the person who hurt you.”

“But I’m so ashamed,” she sobbed, unable to swallow, “I can’t face my parents anymore.”

"Is saving face more important, or is life more important?"

She froze, then withdrew her hand.

"Even those who have done wrong can repent, let alone those who did not do wrong. Time will heal all wounds, as long as you are alive."

“But I can’t stand it, I can’t stand those weird looks around me,” she suddenly screamed hysterically, making the walls of the entire shower room tremble. “I can’t stand it! Every time I see someone walk past me and glance at me, or hear people whispering to each other… I can’t stand it! I’m going crazy!”

I emerged from the water and took a deep breath: "That's not people talking about you; it's your own mindset. Only when you despise yourself can others hurt you. Those who glanced at you as they passed by must be admiring you because you're beautiful, perhaps even secretly thrilled. And those whispering people aren't discussing you at all; they're probably just missing something in their homework, not understanding a lesson, or following some political gossip. It has nothing to do with you!"

She stood there, frozen like a stone, for a long time.

Gradually, her face began to change. In this dark corner, her eyebrows and eyes gradually revealed clear outlines, her eyes were long and charming, and her lips were full and plump.

"Actually, you're very beautiful," I complimented her.

“What’s the use of being pretty?” she said with a bitter smile. “That person still abandoned me when I was in danger.”

"You hate him? Is that why his vengeful spirit lingers for so long?"

Section 61: Imminent (3)

“I just want to see what he’ll become.” She sneered. “If you have a clear conscience, you won’t be afraid of a knock on the door in the middle of the night. Retribution, it’s all retribution! Three days ago, he was diagnosed with sepsis. He was brutally beaten on the city wall that time, and the external injuries caused a blood bacterial infection. By the time it was discovered, the virus had already spread.”

"Ha ha……"

It was hysterical laughter again, followed by crying, crying uncontrollably.

"Do you love him or hate him?" I asked her.

"I should be happy, but I can't be happy at all." It turns out that ghosts also have troubles.

"Human existence is not only for oneself, but also for the joy and sorrow of those in one's heart. Whether you love or hate, all kinds of emotions give you a reason to exist. When everything comes to an end, all regrets and expectations are gone, the heart is empty, and your existence becomes meaningless."

Tears welled in her dark eyes: "But I... I'm not reconciled." Was she begging me?

"what do you want to do?"

"Can you help me catch the murderers? The three hooligans on the ancient city tower outside the East Gate."

This is indeed a difficult question. "Without police involvement, are there any witnesses besides you?"

"Yes! That person is still alive." She became excited again. "Those three thugs had accents from out of town, dressed like migrant workers, and had cement slurry on their trouser legs."

Suddenly, the image of the three thugs I encountered on the ancient city tower that day flashed into my mind. Was it really them?

"Pat-pat—"

The sound of slippers stomping on the concrete floor.

People started arriving, in small groups, and more and more people came to bathe. Some hummed tunes, some shouted loudly, and the sound of the rushing water immediately amplified tenfold...

I turned around, but the strange phenomenon in front of me had vanished. My back felt as cold as frozen tofu, and a chill ran through me… I still had something to ask her: were the two deaths in this bathhouse related to her?

There's a small shop downstairs in the girls' dormitory, fully stocked with all sorts of goods. The business owner is quite shrewd; he's set up a wok outside the shop, where he can make fried rice and eggs, as well as the famous campus hamburgers—steamed buns with fried eggs, nutritious and with plenty of fillings, including a variety of sweet, savory, spicy, and numbing sauces to choose from according to personal preference.

When I pushed open the door and came in, Apple was sleeping with her head turned to the side.

"Stop pretending," I shook her. "Get up! Look what I bought! There's your favorite fish-flavored fried rice, and a hamburger with two eggs. Get up!"

She snorted and didn't turn over.

I turned her around by the shoulder and was horrified when I saw her: "Apple! What's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"

Her face was ashen, and her hands and forehead were icy cold. As soon as she raised her upper body, she vomited violently, bringing up some yellowish, bitter liquid, and then she vomited blood…

"Apple..." I dropped what I was holding and rushed to the gatehouse to make a phone call: "Big Jeep! Come quick! Something's happened to Apple!"

The person on the other end of the phone panicked, dropped the receiver, and went to a busy signal.

I ran back to the dorm to watch over her. What happened? I was caught completely off guard!

The school hospital's medical equipment was relatively outdated, so when the Jeep arrived, we immediately decided: take it to the city hospital! Hurry up! He picked up the apple and ran, and I grabbed my shoulder bag and followed.

On the road, the jeep kept urging the taxi driver to speed up while angrily telling him not to bump around.

I held Apple's head in my arms, my heart aching. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and her voice, calling my name, was barely a whisper. I couldn't help but burst into tears: "What happened to you? Please, nothing bad can happen! Please! Please!"

The jeep turned to me and shouted, "Talk to her! Don't stop! Don't let her fall asleep!"

The hospital smelled strongly of disinfectant.

Thankfully, the doctor reassured us: it was acute gastroenteritis. We were lucky to have been brought in in time; otherwise, it could have been dangerous.

Big Jeep's eyes reddened, and he guiltily held her small hand, nestling her against the bedside: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have taken you to eat steak. If I had known you would feel this bad, we would never have gone to eat Western food..."

I patted him on the shoulder, quietly slipped out, and closed the door behind me. Suddenly, I heard someone crying at the end of the corridor. I went over and saw a middle-aged couple in blue mechanic's uniforms, weeping and patting each other's shoulders.

I stood on tiptoe and looked through the glass window of the hematology ward. Inside, a young man was lying on the bed wiping away tears, clutching a crumpled photograph in his hand.

Perhaps he's another unfortunate person...

I sighed and prepared to leave. Suddenly, I overheard the passing nurses whispering among themselves: "I heard that this patient was seriously injured because he was on a date with his girlfriend tonight."

Section 62: Imminent (4)

The tall nurse said, "Oh, that's terrible! Why has his girlfriend never come to see him?"

The nurse with the ponytail said, "Girls these days are so materialistic... He's in the late stages of sepsis, what girl would want him?"

The nurse with big eyes said, "You're wrong! I heard that this man took his girlfriend to the ancient city wall, encountered some thugs, and his girlfriend was raped in front of him. He didn't dare to utter a sound, got beaten up, and ran away..."

The tall nurse said, "Oh, is that so?"

The nurse with the big eyes said, "That's right, otherwise how could he have gotten sepsis later? It's all karma!"

The nurse with the ponytail said, "Oh! You can't blame the girl then, it's the guy's own fault—he deserves it!"

The nurses left, muttering to themselves.

I stood there, stunned, unable to calm down for a long time...

After dinner.

The big jeep was asleep, lying on its stomach beside Apple's hospital bed. I quietly left and went back to the end of the corridor. Only one of the middle-aged couple in blue mechanic's clothes remained; he was dozing in a chair in the ward. I walked to the bedside of the man with sepsis and picked up the photo from his hand to look at it.