Куры и собаки летают в хаосе и возрождении

Глава 57

"I want you dead!"

After a loud shout, Xiao Rou pounced on her.

"Ah!" Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong screamed.

Luo Shimin frantically swung her hands and slapped, but a hand landed on her shoulder. Luo Shimin burst into tears, struggling and waving her hands, subconsciously wanting only to knock Xiaorou away.

"Okay, stop fooling around."

Suddenly, a gentle voice entered Luo Shimin's ears.

Startled, Luo Shimin looked up and saw Xiao Rou smilingly placing her hand on her shoulder. Xiao Rou's smile was sweet, just like the smile they usually gave her when they greeted her.

Hu Rongrong, who was standing to the side, was already crying loudly in fright. When Xiao Rou saw Luo Shimin's pale face and Hu Rongrong's wailing, she burst into laughter.

“You two are so useless. Hey, am I that scary?” Xiaorou said.

Luo Shimin immediately stepped back and hugged Hu Rongrong in her arms. The two stared wide-eyed at Xiao Rou.

Under the bright white light of the dormitory, Xiaorou wore a gentle smile. She nodded to the two of them and said calmly, "Alright, I'm done joking around. Don't be scared, I'm not dead!"

"Huh?" Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong exclaimed in unison.

Xiao Rou hugged the two of them with a big smile. She looked closely at their faces, as if they were long-lost friends finally meeting again.

"Oh my, it feels like a lifetime ago. I'm only now realizing how good it is to be alive. Looks like I need to work hard and try to go to America as soon as possible," Xiaorou said with a smile.

Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong's faces turned pale with fright. Luo Shimin's pretty face was completely bloodless, deathly pale, which was quite frightening.

Hu Rongrong's condition wasn't much better than hers. What could be more terrifying than witnessing a dismembered person return to life?

Hu Rongrong trembled as she pushed Xiao Rou's hand away; she still couldn't believe that Xiao Rou was still alive.

Xiao Rou smiled and patted Hu Rongrong's shoulder again, then said with a smile, "You guys are overthinking it, I'm really not dead."

Xiao Rou immediately explained, "I was attacked in the laboratory building last night, but I was injured. Look, my wound is still bandaged."

Xiao Rou finished laughing and then raised her arm. Sure enough, there was a long bandage wrapped around her arm.

Hu Rongrong took a step back, a little worried, and said, "Didn't they say something strange happened in the laboratory building? It wasn't about you," Hu Rongrong hesitated, then said awkwardly, "the medical school is spreading rumors that a female corpse was found in the laboratory building a while ago, completely mangled. They say the corpse looked like it had been shredded in a meat grinder." As she spoke, Hu Rongrong secretly glanced at Xiao Rou, swallowing the rest of her words.

Xiao Rou burst into laughter, laughing so hard she almost cried. Rubbing her eyes, she explained, "You guys have really misunderstood! That guy from medical school was just trying to scare us. How could I be alive and well after being dismembered?"

Luo Shimin's face changed. How could this be?

The whole school already knew about Xiaorou's death. Although the school wanted to hide the news, it was still the subject of gossip. Students are usually the most gossipy people, and the news spread quickly.

According to the testimony of the cleaning lady who went to the lab that morning, Xiao Rou was dismembered, and reportedly in a particularly gruesome manner. The cleaning lady saw Xiao Rou's face with her own eyes, because Xiao Rou was a lab fanatic who sometimes worked through the night, and the cleaning lady would encounter Xiao Rou in the morning. Furthermore, Xiao Rou had a unique aura, so the cleaning lady naturally remembered her face.

This information couldn't be wrong. Thinking of this, Luo Shimin's worries intensified, and she took a step back. She was almost certain that the person in front of her was a ghost.

Seeing that Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong didn't believe her, Xiaorou helplessly spread her hands and said, "I'm really not dead! Oh, why don't you believe me? Actually, I was injured. Okay, okay, there are many stories in this world that can't be explained. For example, my grandma, she borrowed her life from a cat in the past, so she lived to be over a hundred years old."

"Borrowing the cat's life?" Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong said in unison.

Xiao Rou nodded and smiled.

“Yes, by borrowing the cat’s life,” she said.

Hu Rongrong and Luo Shimin exchanged glances, then turned to look at Xiaorou with a puzzled expression.

Xiao Rou smiled slightly and said, "Alright, let me tell you a story first."

"Legend has it that cats have nine lives and are therefore not easily killed. It is also said that a cat's first litter is auspicious, a second litter is foolish, and a third litter is lowly. If dark clouds obscure the moon when a mother cat is giving birth, the remaining cats will be imbued with a strange, eerie aura. When I was little, my grandmother kept three or four cats. My mother was always worried I would be scratched by them, so she never let me get too close. I was only four or five years old then, but I have a particularly deep memory of one black cat. That black cat was as smooth as satin, and when it arched its back, it looked like a leopard, with a pair of yellow-green eyes and an indescribable bewitching aura." One night, I was sleeping in my great-grandmother's bed when I woke up in the middle of the night. Suddenly, I saw a dark shadow flash past the windowsill. Immediately afterward, two eerie green lights appeared at the window. Those two lights, like will-o'-the-wisps in a graveyard, rose and fell, flickering and undulating. My gaze was drawn in astonishment to the corner of the wall by those two lights. Then, I saw that besides my great-grandmother and me, there was another uncle on the kang (heated brick bed). I didn't recognize him; he was covered in blood and smiled at me. Then, I saw those two will-o'-the-wisps fly into his eyes…”

"Ah..." Hu Rongrong screamed in agony.

"The next morning, while I was playing in the courtyard, I saw an uncle. He was strange; he was wearing unusual red clothes. He smiled at me, and I was horrified to realize that he was the same uncle who had appeared on my great-grandmother's kang (heated brick bed) the night before! My great-grandmother told me that perhaps what I saw that night was indeed the uncle's ghost. As for the black cat, I never saw it again. Later, someone told me that cats can actually prolong life. Perhaps what happened that night was the black cat giving its soul to that uncle."

Xiao Rou blinked as she spoke, revealing a sweet smile.

"The reason I'm telling you this story is to tell you that I'm not a ghost. Because I raised several cats when I was little, my grandma was afraid something would happen to me, so she borrowed the cats to give me life and protect me. Cats have nine lives, and although I don't have nine lives, I won't die if I encounter ordinary dangers," Xiaorou said with a smile.

Hu Rongrong and Luo Shimin looked at Xiaorou suspiciously, while Xiaorou had a sweet smile on her face.

"You mean, like in the stories, a cat can save your life?" Hu Rongrong asked suspiciously.

"Yes, after I was taken to the hospital, I was almost dead, but then a cat appeared out of nowhere. They said the cat kissed me and I came back to life. I had all sorts of tests done at the hospital, and there was nothing wrong with my body. So, they let me go home. I think it must be that I had a cat's life inside me from the beginning, and then the cat came to extend my life, which is why I survived," Xiaorou said casually.

Hu Rongrong grabbed Luo Shimin's hand and noticed it was covered in cold sweat. Hu Rongrong glanced at Luo Shimin and saw that her pupils had contracted sharply, as if she had witnessed something extremely terrifying.

Xiao Rou, however, acted as if nothing had happened. She even spun around in front of Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong.

“Look, I have a shadow under the lamp, I’m not a ghost!” Xiaorou explained.

Luo Shimin looked at Xiao Rou, and sure enough, she could see her shadow under the light. But for some reason, Luo Shimin felt that Xiao Rou was very strange. She couldn't quite put her finger on what kind of strangeness it was, but whenever she got close to Xiao Rou, the hairs on Luo Shimin's body would stand on end.

Xiao Rou seemed to come from another world; anyone who approached her felt a chill run down their spine. However, Xiao Rou had a sweet smile on her face, like a flower.

"Look, do you believe me now?" Xiao Rou said, stepping forward and gently patting Luo Shimin. Luo Shimin involuntarily took a step back, seemingly trying to avoid Xiao Rou.

"I told you, I'm not a ghost," Xiaorou said with a grin.

Hu Rongrong quickly asked, "Senior, did you inform the teacher?"

"Of course I have! I've already told the teacher, but she said the dorm was sealed off after my accident. I have nowhere to stay right now, so I'll have to stay here tonight," Xiaorou said.

Xiao Rou then smiled slightly at the two of them and said, "You two don't look down on me, do you?"

"No, no," Luo Shimin said.

Hu Rongrong secretly rolled her eyes at Luo Shimin. How could she let a dead person live in her dormitory? She wanted to stop Luo Shimin, but it was too late. To be honest, she didn't quite believe Xiao Rou's words.

She hadn't seen the legend of cats possessing lives, but she knew that if a dead person was kissed by a cat, they might come back to life. Could it be... could Xiaorou be a zombie?

Probably not. Do zombies that come back to life talk?

Hu Rongrong glanced again and saw Xiao Rou's shadow on the ground. Hu Rongrong breathed a sigh of relief; if there was a shadow, it probably wasn't a ghost. Furthermore, Xiao Rou could talk and remembered who they were, so the possibility of her coming back to life was also ruled out.

Perhaps it's true, as she herself said, that her cats are keeping her alive!

As lights out time approached, Xiaorou borrowed Luo Shimin's face wash to wash her face. Hu Rongrong secretly pulled Luo Shimin aside and whispered, "What are you doing? Why are you keeping her here?"

Luo Shimin secretly glanced into the washroom, then whispered, "Of course, of course I'll stay."

Hu Rongrong rolled her eyes and whispered, "Are you stupid? What if she's a ghost?"

"You're the one who's stupid! What if she's a ghost? We'll be in luck!" Luo Shimin said.

Hu Rongrong's eyes widened, and she made an even more exaggerated expression of surprise than Stephen Chow, staring at Luo Shimin in astonishment.

Luo Shimin peeked into the bathroom and saw Xiao Rou still washing up. She took Hu Rongrong's hand and whispered, "Are you crazy? Think about it. If she really is a ghost, we can keep her here and tell Xia Chen about it tomorrow morning. Maybe, maybe we can even help Xia Chen!"

Hu Rongrong's eyes widened again. She looked Luo Shimin up and down and whispered, "Are you crazy?!"

Luo Shimin immediately rolled her eyes at Hu Rongrong and said in a low voice, "Are you crazy? I just want to figure out these strange things happening at our school as soon as possible. Hey, hey, hey, think about it carefully, Xiaorou is the person involved!" "Have you considered what if she really is a ghost and comes to attack us?" Hu Rongrong said coldly.

These words left Luo Shimin speechless; she really hadn't expected that.

Hu Rongrong shook her head helplessly and let out a long sigh.

"I don't know if knowing someone like you is a blessing or a tragedy," Hu Rongrong said.

Luo Shimin put her hand on Hu Rongrong's shoulder shyly, then smiled and said, "Okay, okay, don't worry, I'll protect you."

Just then, footsteps sounded from behind. Hu Rongrong and Luo Shimin turned around and saw Xiao Rou walking over.

"What are you saying?" Xiaorou asked.

Luo Shimin smiled and said, "It's nothing."

"By the way, can I borrow your skincare products?" Xiaorou said.

Luo Shimin pointed to her desk and said, "Use it."

Xiao Rou reached out to take it but suddenly pulled her hand back. She smiled and said, "It's Sekkisei? I'm not used to it; it causes an allergic reaction. Never mind, I'll just sleep like this."

Hu Rongrong had been watching Xiao Rou's every move. Was she really having a skin allergy because she didn't take Luo Shimin's skincare products? Or was it because she saw the blessed Kunlun stone on Luo Shimin's desk?

After they finished tidying up, they all lay down on their beds.

The lights went out, plunging the dormitory into darkness. Luo Shimin stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, her eyes as kind as stars.

Xiao Rou turned over, and at that moment, Luo Shimin said to her, "Senior, you're not asleep yet, are you?"

Xiao Rou turned over again, stretched, and said to Luo Shimin, "You guessed right. You probably couldn't sleep because you were too frightened."

Luo Shimin's eyes darted around, and she immediately asked with a smile, "Senior, what exactly attacked you?"

"I didn't see it clearly," Xiaorou replied.

Luo Shimin immediately said, "No way? Didn't you see clearly? How could that be!"

"It's true. I heard strange noises and then I fainted from fright. Then, I vaguely felt someone pressing something against my face. When I opened my eyes, I saw someone pressing an oxygen mask against my face. After that, I felt excruciating pain all over my body. I thought I was definitely going to die. I was so desperate. You have no idea. I thought to myself, I'll never be Marie Curie this time. Then a cat jumped on me. It stared at me for a long time, and then it kissed me. After a while, I felt less pain, and after a while, I felt stronger. After a while, I sat up. The nurse told me I was seriously injured. That's when I realized what had happened. I think it was all thanks to that cat," Xiaorou said.

In the darkness, Luo Shimin blinked.

“But it seems like you’re at a disadvantage since you didn’t see anything,” Luo Shimin said.

“Yes, several police officers came to ask me for a statement, but I could only tell them that I didn’t see anything. Because I really didn’t see anything, I thought they were going to catch me,” Xiaorou said.

"By the way, senior, could you tell us more about the cat's life-saving story?" Hu Rongrong suddenly asked.

"Oh, you're not asleep either!" Luo Shimin said with a smile.

Hu Rongrong thought to herself, "A ghost who can sleep in his own dormitory must be a god."

Xiao Rou replied generously, "What's the big deal? As long as you're willing to listen. By the way, let me tell you a true story."

“Ah, that’s great,” Luo Shimin said.

In the darkness, Hu Rongrong pulled the blanket up.

Xiaorou said, "This story is true, it happened in my hometown. To be precise, it's related to a distant cousin of mine. My cousin works as a salesman for a real estate company. He's mainly responsible for demolition compensation. As you know, there are many holdouts now. They don't want to move. My cousin is mainly responsible for persuading them. Once, his company was renovating the worst area in the city. The houses in that area were all very old and dilapidated bungalows. My cousin tried to persuade these people to move according to the normal procedures, but one old lady, Grandma Sun, absolutely refused to open the door. This almost drove my cousin crazy. Because she was the only one who wouldn't move. And I heard that this old lady had been a widow for many years, and she lived alone with her cat."

After a pause, Xiaorou continued, "My cousin tried to find a way, and eventually he found the old lady's great-granddaughter through connections. My cousin is quite clever, and he promised to give the old lady's great-granddaughter some money as a thank-you gift, which she readily agreed to."

"Later, they arrived at the old lady's door and knocked. After a short while, the door opened. There stood an old lady with white hair and a youthful face. She was startled to see my cousin. My cousin glanced at her and felt that something was off about her. Her hair was so white that she looked at least seventy years old, but her face had no wrinkles. The strangest thing was that the summer sun was very hot, but the old lady was wearing a winter sweater. The strangest thing was that the old lady's eyes were... well, they were a deep green, like the eyes of a black cat."

Xiao Rou paused for a moment, then continued, "My cousin quickly seized the opportunity to explain his purpose to the old lady. Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. Where was the old lady? My cousin asked her to sign the demolition agreement, and suddenly, a huge black shadow darted out. My cousin stepped back and saw that it was a large black cat. The cat was enormous, with a pair of emerald eyes that gave off a chilling aura. Its fur was as smooth as satin, yet it possessed an indescribable eeriness. The black cat seemed to have come from hell, exuding a creepy, sinister aura. Looking at their yard, it was spotless, without a single blade of grass. I've heard that only places with extremely heavy yin energy are barren."

"And then?" Luo Shimin couldn't help but ask.

Xiaorou continued, "The moment the old lady opened the door, the black cat suddenly let out a fierce howl at the doorway. The howl pierced eardrums and went straight to the brain, like steel needles stabbing at the head, causing excruciating pain. My cousin immediately covered his ears, and a violent headache almost made him lose consciousness. The cat's howls grew more and more painful, as if it were desperate, hissing fiercely. Old Mrs. Sun's face changed, and she hurriedly tried to close the door. My cousin, with one hand covering his ears, quickly blocked the door with his hand. He still wanted to explain to Old Mrs. Sun."

"He was afraid of losing this opportunity, so he wanted to communicate well with the old lady," Xiaorou explained.

After explaining, she continued, "The black cat suddenly darted out and bumped into my cousin, causing him to stumble and almost fall. Grandma Sun was horrified and took a few steps back. Then, she saw that the black cat had vomited blood and died! My cousin was shocked; the blood the cat vomited was strange—when the wind blew, the deep red blood turned black. When my cousin looked up at the old lady in astonishment, he noticed that Grandma Sun's face had turned ashen!"