Chapter 35: His Corpse Beckons to Me

I am a person who forgets things easily, especially those I deem unpleasant; I tend to wipe them from my memory entirely. Although I dream of the sky turning blood-red almost every day, I never pay it any mind—it is merely a passing shadow in my mind.

For the past two days, my focus has been on Jin Yuan, waiting for his return. I haven't sought out Liu Sui, nor have I run into him on campus. I have, however, encountered Cheng Keyan a few times. Because of what happened last time, there remains a thorn in my side regarding her, and every time I see her, I steer clear. Yet, despite my deliberate efforts to avoid her, our paths keep crossing.

This afternoon, after finishing the final self-study session, I sauntered lazily out of the classroom. Just as I descended the stairs of the academic building, I saw a familiar figure heading my way. Cheng Keyan was clutching a stack of folders, hurrying up the stairs. She was looking down and, distracted for a moment, slipped, sending the folders scattering in front of me.

She paused, looking annoyed. When she saw me, the awkwardness on her face shifted instantly. I felt even more uncomfortable, but seeing the folders strewn across the floor, I knelt to help her gather them. Just as I reached for the very last one, Cheng Keyan suddenly stepped on it. At that moment, my face was level with her legs, and I could faintly smell the fragrance emanating from her.

I froze, looking up at her, and she stared back down at me. Seeing her foot on the folder, I said, "Teacher, you're stepping on it. Could you please move your foot?" After a long pause, she finally shifted her weight. I picked up the folder, handed it to her, and bolted from the building. Faintly, I heard her call my name, but I did not look back.

I was breathless by the time I reached the dormitory. Inside, Hu Tou was sitting at his computer playing a game, and Li Xiang was shouting about something. It took me a moment to realize Li Xiang was actually talking to Hu Tou. Hu Tou remained hunched over his screen, responding only with perfunctory mumbles: "Oh, I know," or "Yeah, I'm aware."

Li Xiang was flushed with anger. "Game, game, game! You don't know a thing! All you do is play games all day—why don't you just die in that game?"

I watched Hu Tou silently. When Li Xiang uttered those words, a flicker of imperceptible sorrow crossed Hu Tou's face. Though he was obsessed with gaming, he had his own dreams. I once asked him, "You spend every waking moment on games—have you never thought about your life? For instance, do you have a dream?"

Hu Tou turned to look at me, pausing. "A dream? Of course I have a dream."

"What is it?"

He pointed at the screen. "It's this game, League of Legends. It’s incredibly popular now, with large tournaments being held everywhere, all over the world. My dream is that one day, I’ll be able to stand on the podium at a major championship."

His expression was filled with intense fervor when he said this. I could tell he wasn't joking. From that day on, I stopped viewing his gaming as a waste of time. He had a dream—everyone has dreams, but how many truly persist? Hu Tou, at least, was doing so.

Time slipped into the night. Li Xiang kept hollering in the dorm, competing with himself in volume. I lay on my bed, played on my phone for a while, and eventually drifted into a deep sleep. Ever since Liu Sui took away the phone ghost that night, I had been sleeping soundly. Even when I had nightmares, I would sleep straight through until dawn.

But tonight felt wrong. I couldn't seem to fall asleep. Soon, the dorm lights were turned off, plunging the room into darkness. I tossed and turned, restless, until I ended up facing the direction of the door. I blinked, peering toward it, and noticed that the doorway looked unnaturally dark.

How dark? Our door was painted purple, and even in the pitch black, one could usually make out its outline. But now, it looked like a void, as if the entire door had been painted over with ink. It felt as though the door were standing wide open, and I was staring directly into the corridor beyond. A chill ran down my spine, and my anxiety spiked.

I refused to retreat, however, and decided to get up to investigate. I climbed out of bed and switched on my rechargeable desk lamp. As the light hit the doorway, I shuddered. My suspicion was correct—the door was indeed wide open. I distinctly remembered closing it before going to bed.

Trembling, I walked toward the door, glancing warily to both sides. Everything seemed normal. I pulled the door shut and, feeling a bit relieved, turned off the lamp and climbed back into bed.

But no sooner had I closed my eyes than I felt a gust of wind against my face. I opened my eyes and looked toward the door again. My heart went cold: the door was wide open once more, and I was looking out at the dark hallway.

I sat up abruptly and switched on the lamp. The door was definitely open. This time, I could not remain calm. I grabbed the lamp and walked, step by step, toward the doorway and out into the corridor.

Suddenly, I leaned out to look down the hall, and the lamp nearly fell from my hand. The corridor was pitch black, but not far from our door, a figure stood perfectly still. As the light from my lamp hit his face, I clearly saw that it was the deceased Ren Yunwen. His face was deathly pale, and he was dressed in funeral shrouds from the mortuary.

I stumbled back, horrified, my heart pounding uncontrollably. Just then, I saw Ren Yunwen’s corpse move. It wasn't his body shifting, but his hand. He raised it, waving it back and forth.

He was beckoning to me.