Chapter 20: The Leg Held by a Dog's Jaws

During dinner, the ten of us only drank a few bottles of beer in total, yet Li Yun offered to feed me more than ten times. The meal was tough to get through, but finally finished, we set off for the bar.

The bar was called "One A.M." To be honest, it was my first time at a bar; I had been to karaoke before, but never a bar. Upon entering, the glaring lights made my head spin, and the deafening music was almost unbearable from the start.

Looking around, all the women there were like Li Yun—confident and bold. Chen Yuming and the others were right at home, quickly pulling me to the side to find a seat.

“How do you like this place?” the group leader patted my chest with a grin.

“Too loud!” Huang Ying was still tucked away in my backpack behind me.

“You’ll get used to it,” he assured me.

As soon as the four girls arrived, three of them immediately melted into the crowd, leaving only Li Yun trailing behind us.

“Why don’t you go with them?” I asked, worried she might cling to me like she did at dinner.

“I don’t want to,” Li Yun said, plopping down beside me again. I was puzzled—what was going on with her today, being so clingy? I wasn’t so vain as to think she liked me; if that were the case, she’d have dozens of admirers.

“Oh.” I shifted a little away from her.

We had barely settled when Chen Yuming came back with a basket of canned beers and some popcorn.

“You didn’t drink properly earlier. This is where you really drink!” He tossed me a beer and handed one to Li Yun.

“Help yourselves if you want more!” After giving us two bottles, he set the basket down.

“Cheers...” After a few sips, Chen Yuming sat beside me. “We’re going dancing. You coming?”

“No.”

“Alright, then just stay here. Don’t wander off; I’m going to pick up some girls.” He gave the others a knowing look, and they all got up and left.

It was just Li Yun and me now.

“You should come too!” I urged.

“I told you, I don’t want to. Let’s just drink.”

I watched her for a moment. “Do you come here often?”

“No, just about once a week.”

Once a week wasn’t considered often to her—I had no idea what ‘often’ meant in her eyes. I realized there was really no common ground between us. If only Huang Ying were here; watching a movie with her would be so much better.

“You’re too conservative,” she said, taking a sip of beer. “You need to be more open, or it’ll be hard to survive in society later.”

“I’m fine the way I am.” I glanced at her low-cut top and felt no interest whatsoever.

“Come on, let’s dance!” She put down her beer and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me into the crowd.

“No, no, no—I don’t know how to dance!”

“Oh, okay.” She let go, disappointed.

“You should come here less often,” I warned, eyeing the shirtless men in the crowd. Although I wasn’t fond of her, I didn’t want her getting into trouble—this place was a mix of all kinds.

“Heh, I’m fine.”

I didn’t know what she meant by ‘fine.’

“Where are the others? I’m leaving!” I didn’t want to stay another moment—not because I was putting on airs, but the noise was overwhelming, and I worried about Huang Ying.

“You’ve only been here a little while!” Li Yun said, setting down her beer.

It was rare to see her so serious. Were it not for her revealing outfit, I might have thought she’d suddenly become virtuous.

“No one’s home, and I think I forgot to lock the door!” I made up a reason on the spot.

Hearing this, Li Yun immediately stood, smiling. “Have you heard Qiao Yang’s song?”

“What song?”

“Your lame excuse!” She put her hands on her hips and raised her voice. “You just don’t want to be with me! If you don’t like me, just say so—I had to pretend to be all ladylike just now!”

I thought she was mad and quickly explained, “No, really, something’s going on at home.”

To my surprise, she immediately smiled again. “Good. Drink a couple more cans with me. Don’t leave until the others are back.”

“Uh... okay.” I sat back down to wait.

This time, her earlier enthusiasm had faded; she just sat quietly, watching the crowd and ignoring me.

I admit, I had no feelings for her, but I really wasn’t rejecting her before.

The atmosphere turned awkward. I kept my head down, nursing my beer. After a while, Chen Yuming and the others—eight people in total—returned.

The group leader gave Li Yun a meaningful look, then glanced at me.

“You’re all here. I have something to do, so I’m heading out.”

“Don’t go! Don’t be such a downer!”

No matter how they tried to persuade me, I left resolutely. Huang Ying had been in the box all day—I still didn’t know how she was doing.

Carrying my backpack, I stepped out of the bar, feeling the world suddenly quieter.

At this hour, there were no buses, and taxis were scarce. I waited a long time by the roadside but didn’t see a single one.

With no other choice, I began walking home. It would take about forty minutes on foot.

Since returning from the countryside, I’d been on high alert at night.

The route home included a long stone staircase. Our teacher often warned us not to use it after dark, as there had been several robberies targeting students there.

Taking the road instead would be much farther, so I chose the staircase.

On either side of the stairs stood dense woods. As I climbed, my eyes scanned the surroundings.

Halfway up, I heard rustling in the trees beside me.

I looked toward the sound and sighed in relief—it was just a dog.

But the next moment, my nerves snapped taut.

I hurriedly dialed the police. This wasn’t a ghost, but even if it were, I wasn’t confident enough to handle it.

After the call, I hurried away, regretting taking this path.

Once home at night, I immediately let Huang Ying out. She was the only ghost I’d ever met who wasn’t frightening.

Huang Ying no longer held any hostility toward me, though she wasn’t as dependent as before. With time, everything would settle.

“I’m going to take a shower. You should rest first,” I said. I’d been running all the way back, drenched in sweat.

She nodded. “I want to sit for a while.”

I skipped the shower and sat beside her.

“Huang Ying.”

“Hmm.” She turned to look at me.

“Do you know? You almost lost your soul trying to save me!”

“I think I remember a little now.”

I blinked, then, for a brief two seconds, felt fully alert and said excitedly, “You remember? That’s great!”

“I remember some things,” Huang Ying said, uncertain.

Grandpa had said her amnesia would fade with time. I thought it would take long, but after just two days, she recalled some memories. It seemed she’d soon regain all of them.

“Was what you told me yesterday true?” she asked.

“Of course. Every detail was accurate,” though I excluded the parts I’d embellished.

“I don’t know why, but since I saw you yesterday, you felt so familiar. When I saw you, I almost cried,” Huang Ying said, staring at the corner of her clothes.

Hearing her mention tears, I recalled how she had cried on my chest trying to save me. It always made me ache inside.

“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll never let you cry again.” That was the first promise I made to her face to face. Though simple, I meant it sincerely. She had protected me before; now it was my turn.

It’s hard enough to meet someone you truly care for in this world. Even harder if they care for you back. I had that rare luck—I couldn’t squander it.

I kept Huang Ying company, recounting old stories, even how she was afraid of roller coasters.

She smiled faintly.

I didn’t talk long, fearing it might disrupt her recovery. If she dreamed and suddenly remembered everything, though unlikely, it could happen. I couldn’t ignore even the smallest chance—that’s how people win lotteries after all.

After Huang Ying went to her room, I finally took a shower.

After great sorrow, even small improvements were huge blessings. There had been many good signs these past few days.

Humming softly, I stepped into the bathroom, lathered shampoo, and leaned under the showerhead.

The water was still cold. Tomorrow, I’d ask the landlord to fix the heater.

For now, I made do. After wetting my hair, I rubbed it, creating foam all over my head and face.

Suddenly, the light went out. Though my eyes were closed, I guessed the bathroom light had died.

I snapped my eyes open, but the foam ran into them, sending a sharp pain that forced me shut again.

I quickly moved my head back under the shower to wash away the foam and see what was happening in the bedroom.

At first, the water felt cool, but then it seemed eerie.

I hurriedly wiped the foam off my head. The sound of water muffled everything outside.

In that moment, I felt ice-cold all over. A chill like a ghostly breeze brushed my back. I shivered and opened my eyes wide.

Darkness surrounded me. The living room lights were off; the bathroom was pitch black.

I rushed for the door, but my first step landed on something unknown.

At first, it was soft underfoot, but pressing harder made it feel solid.

I cautiously tested with my foot—it felt like a human leg, not a whole body.

I didn’t dare breathe. Because of Huang Ying, I wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but I still feared the dead. I’d never been this close to a corpse.

I couldn’t stay in the bathroom. Even if I knew powerful exorcisms, being alone in the dark was no place to confront it.

I reached the door in what felt like an eternity but was only a second or two.

I flung it open and ran to the living room, turning on the light—nothing was there.

Slowly, I crept back to the bathroom door to see what was inside.

Just as I approached, Huang Ying emerged from her room.

I was wearing only my underwear. She glanced at me for a split second, then froze. After that instant, she tightly shut her eyes, lowered her head, stood rigid, and her face flushed as red as an apple.

“Wait, I’ll put on my pants.” My underwear was wet and clung tightly, revealing every contour. My pants were on the sofa.

I saw the dog holding something in its mouth. The night was dark, but from the shape, it was a leg—a human leg!