Chapter 9: All the Demons and Ghosts Have Emerged

Lin Buwan had barely stepped inside when she heard the plaintive cries of the little puppy, sounding quite pitiful. The moment someone approached the box, it stopped, already so clingy at such a young age—what would it be like when it grew up?

She glanced at the breeding box, where the speckled hens were restlessly pacing, clucking anxiously. Animals are more sensitive than humans; they could sense disaster looming. Outside, the wind howled even fiercer, driving rain to pelt the glass with sharp, pounding sounds, as if someone were knocking at the window. The swaying of the tall building was growing more pronounced, almost like an earthquake.

Lin Buwan pushed the living room sofa against the balcony door to barricade it, then turned and carried the cardboard box with the little puppy into the bathroom. With a snap, the door closed behind her, shutting out the terrifying storm. The bathroom was small, perhaps five square meters, equipped with a bathtub, a sink, and a toilet. Lin Buwan rarely used the tub—it wasted water and was troublesome to clean.

She found a small blanket to lay in the tub and placed the puppy inside, giving it space to move around. Settling herself on a cushion by the edge of the tub, Lin Buwan couldn't quite describe her feelings. In her previous life, she too had spent a night in the bathroom, and when she emerged, the world had changed. This time was different—she had stockpiled supplies, Hua Xiao was next door, and there was a little puppy in the tub.

Her phone vibrated in her hand, pulling her back to the present.

Hua Xiao: How are you holding up?
Hua Xiao: Do you want us to come over and keep you company?
Lin Buwan: No need, I'm in the bathroom, very safe. What about you?
Hua Xiao: Same here! Oh my god, this typhoon feels like the end of the world!!!

Lin Buwan: …

Just then, a little avatar with a “1” appeared on WeChat. Who would have the appetite to add her in a time like this?

She tapped the screen and saw an unfamiliar name—Strawberry Jam. Clicking in, she read the request: “Xiao Wan, this is Qin Wei. I have something to tell you. Please accept.”

With nothing better to do in the bathroom, Lin Buwan was genuinely curious what Qin Wei wanted. She clicked “accept.”

Lin Buwan: ?
Strawberry Jam: Xiao Wan, about what happened in the elevator earlier, I didn’t mean it. I’m just a bit afraid of dogs…

A torrent of pointless words followed. Lin Buwan couldn’t fathom why this person insisted on adding her. Couldn’t she read the mood? Lin Buwan practically wore her dislike on her face.

Lin Buwan: If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, I’ll block you.
Strawberry Jam: Did you misunderstand me and Ji Dong? I only see him as a brother, there’s nothing between us.
Strawberry Jam: Ji Dong is upset that you blocked him. He’s drinking alone and told me he planned to confess to you today. Please give him a chance.
Strawberry Jam: If you can, could you come downstairs and talk to him?

Lin Buwan almost laughed, but suspicion crept in. Qin Wei kept trying to ingratiate herself. Thinking back to her previous life, when that jade pendant fell into her hands, Lin Buwan wondered if Qin Wei was also someone who had been reborn.

Not just in this life, but the last as well.

Twice reborn?

Or perhaps, she was just a character in a book, and the other had entered the story from outside? Otherwise, it was hard to explain this woman’s actions.

Qin Wei kept messaging, always with the same objective—to lure Lin Buwan downstairs.

Lin Buwan: You’ve already ended up in bed together, yet claim innocence? A whore and a dog, may you last forever—congratulations on your 99 years.

After sending this, Lin Buwan didn’t wait for a reply. She blocked and deleted her in one go.

The screen went dark. Lin Buwan propped her chin in her hands, lost in memories of her past life. Why had she chased Ji Dong so relentlessly? Now, it seemed absurd. Hua Xiao had tried to talk sense into her countless times, yet Lin Buwan had been bewitched, as if an invisible thread was always pulling her toward Ji Dong.

Suddenly, a thunderous crash rocked the building, and the light overhead flickered out.

The bathroom plunged into darkness. Startled, Lin Buwan quickly turned on her flashlight. The puppy in the tub whimpered in fright, shrinking into the corner.

Lin Buwan recalled that in her previous life, the power hadn’t gone out so quickly.

The blackout had come two days later. She stood up, flicked the light switch twice—nothing.

She cracked open the bathroom door and took a few steps out, just enough to see outside. Rain streamed down the glass, blurring the world, but across the way, the neighboring building’s lights still shone.

Only her building had lost power?

Lin Buwan grew wary, gripping a baseball bat as she hurried to the door just as someone knocked.

A stormy night, a lone woman, a blackout, a knock at the door…

Lin Buwan pressed her eye to the peephole—nothing but darkness. She switched on her phone’s flashlight and sent a message to Hua Xiao.

Lin Buwan: Is your power out?
Hua Xiao: No, is yours?
Lin Buwan: Yes. I think it was deliberate—call me.

The phone vibrated instantly. As Lin Buwan answered, she saw a palm covering the peephole, followed by another knock.

While she spoke, the people next door appeared, one holding a fruit knife, and yanked someone aside. Through the phone, Hua Xiao could hear the commotion as Lin Buwan yanked the door open.

Outside stood a figure dressed in black, cap pulled low, face obscured. He froze for half a second, then bolted. Lin Buwan swung the bat, landing a solid blow to his back. He stumbled but, ignoring the pain, dashed for the stairwell.

“I was being stalked,” Lin Buwan said, her eyes dark.

Hua Xiao was baffled. “Shouldn’t we call the police? Dressed like that, it’s obvious he came prepared. And he cut your power—his intentions are clear.”

Lin Buwan had already recognized the figure—it was the man from the nineteenth floor, right below her apartment.

“I know him,” Lin Buwan said. “Calling the police is useless. We have no evidence.”

Hua Xiao gasped, realization dawning. “Isn’t that the pervert from downstairs?”

Lin Buwan nodded. The downstairs neighbor was a single man in his thirties who had come up several times before, complaining that Lin Buwan’s footsteps at night disturbed him. He’d insisted on adding her on WeChat, claiming he would message her if she was too loud.

After adding him, he began to harass her with inappropriate messages. Lin Buwan had called the police then, and he had quieted down, never coming up again. She hadn’t expected that, after being reborn, all sorts of monsters and demons would resurface.

“What a creep!” Hua Xiao swore. “Where’s your circuit breaker? Let Yu Su go reset it.”

The breaker was flipped, and the apartment filled with light once more.