Chapter 35: The Room Where Someone Died

Zhang Xiaofan glanced around him and, as expected, the light in the area remained ever bright.

“I’ve got it,” Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes lit up. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around Su Qianqian and gave her a kiss, exclaiming, “The light—yes, that’s it! It’s the light!”

“What’s wrong, Xiaofan? You’re not losing your mind, are you? Oh, poor thing,” Su Qianqian comforted him.

Holding her close, Zhang Xiaofan explained, “Exactly, it’s the light. Besides dulling our senses, the ghost is also manipulating the light, causing us to see things incorrectly. That’s why we keep thinking the way ahead is wrong. Since that’s the case, let’s get rid of the light.”

Su Qianqian touched his forehead, “No fever…”

Zhang Xiaofan brushed her hand away, “I’m serious.”

“But how do we get rid of the light?”

“It’s simple. We close our eyes.”

With that, Zhang Xiaofan instructed Su Qianqian to close her eyes as well, then took her hand and began to move forward. As they walked, Zhang Xiaofan kept one hand on the wall to avoid falling. “Qianqian, keep your eyes tightly shut and follow me. Be careful with your steps. We can’t see the path now, but this is the most reliable way.”

“Will we really be able to get out if we just keep going like this?”

“Yes. The ghost’s power is strong; it blocks our hearing and sight and even makes us think we’re still on the second floor. But none of it is real. We can’t trust our eyes anymore.”

Zhang Xiaofan’s voice was cool as they continued climbing three more flights of stairs. Su Qianqian, out of breath, said, “I’m so tired.”

“That’s a good sign. All that wandering before didn't tire us out as much as these few minutes. That’s because now, we’re actually climbing the stairs for real. Climbing up takes more effort than going down, after all.”

Suddenly, they bumped into a wall. Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath. “We’re finally here.”

He opened his eyes to see a heavy iron door before him, with the words: “Emergency Exit” written above.

“We’ve finally reached the corridor. Let’s go in.” Zhang Xiaofan wiped the sweat from his brow, took Su Qianqian by the hand, and pushed open the door. Before them stretched rows of hotel rooms, each tightly closed, devoid of any sign of life. The air was thick with a chilly, ghostly presence.

“Xiaofan, where could everyone have gone?” Su Qianqian asked.

Zhang Xiaofan shook his head. “Maybe they’re still running up and down the stairs. But there’s nothing we can do now. It’s almost dark. We shouldn’t keep running around. Let’s find a room to stay in.”

Su Qianqian nodded. It was already past seven; wandering through the pitch-black hotel at night was clearly unwise.

Zhang Xiaofan found Room 808. He twisted the handle and discovered it was unlocked.

Entering the room, they found it fully equipped, if not luxurious. Everything they needed was there, even a stash of snacks and bottled water on the cabinet.

“Qianqian, have something to eat.” Zhang Xiaofan handed her a bag of chips, opening a packet of biscuits for himself. After so long wandering the stairs, he was famished.

“I can’t eat,” Su Qianqian shook her head bitterly. “I heard people say these rooms are haunted. Will we be all right staying here?”

“We’re together. Don’t be afraid,” Zhang Xiaofan reassured her. He’d seen ghosts before and wasn’t frightened by the prospect of seeing another.

“I need to use the bathroom,” Su Qianqian said, and walked toward it. When she came out, suddenly, music drifted from the next room.

Both froze. Su Qianqian clung to Zhang Xiaofan, her voice tense, “What’s that sound?”

“Someone’s singing next door.”

The haunting melody sent chills down their spines.

“No, something’s wrong. That sound isn’t from the next room,” Zhang Xiaofan shook his head, his gaze snapping to the bathroom. “It’s coming from in there.”

Su Qianqian swallowed. “That can’t be. I just came from there. Don’t scare me.”

“Why would I do that?” Zhang Xiaofan thought to himself. There was no time for jokes.

The bathroom door was slightly ajar. Leaning together, they approached. “When you went in, did you notice anything strange?”

“It was dark. I didn’t pay attention. Wait—there’s a curtain. I don’t know what’s behind it,” Su Qianqian said nervously.

“Damn, it might be the ghost singing. Isn’t your assignment to catch ghosts? Let’s take a look.”

While speaking, Zhang Xiaofan took out two talismans, handing one to Su Qianqian. “I bought these from the Underworld’s online shop. They work for catching ghosts—just stick it on, and it’ll subdue them.”

“Oh, I see,” Su Qianqian nodded but didn’t take it.

Zhang Xiaofan thought to himself that she was timid, then said, “Just stay close to me.”

He gently pushed open the bathroom door. Sure enough, there was a translucent curtain, and behind it, the silhouette of a person.

With a swish, Zhang Xiaofan flung the curtain aside—and was stunned. Su Qianqian stood there, her eyes vacant.

“What the—!”

Zhang Xiaofan was genuinely startled. Right before him was Su Qianqian—so who was behind him?

He twisted his neck with difficulty. No one!

“Su Qianqian?”

He called out, turning to look at the Su Qianqian in the bathroom. To his shock, a woman with heavy makeup, dressed in white, was glaring at him with wide, bloodshot eyes.

Thump, thump, thump!

Zhang Xiaofan leapt backward. The woman’s tongue lolled grotesquely from her mouth, black mist swirling around her. She howled, “I’ll kill you—!”

She lunged. Zhang Xiaofan hurriedly threw a talisman at her, which sparked briefly on her body before vanishing.

The ghost woman only paused for a second before sneering at him again.

“I think I bought a fake product,” Zhang Xiaofan’s scalp tingled. Counterfeit goods could cost lives.

He threw the remaining talismans without a second glance. He could sense this ghost wasn’t easy to deal with.

“Su Qianqian, run!” He dashed into the bathroom. Su Qianqian stood there, dazed, but snapped out of it when he shouted. The two of them bolted, only to find the ghost woman waiting in the corridor.

“Die!”

Zhang Xiaofan hurled a blast of fire from his arm. The ghost vanished again.

“We can’t stay in this room,” Zhang Xiaofan said, pulling Su Qianqian with him as they fled.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Just then, violent knocking erupted from a distant room.

“Someone’s in there?” Zhang Xiaofan approached the door, his expression grave. “There’s actually someone inside?”