Chapter 49

Chapter 49

I don't have a wife, this is not my memory

Cen Sheng didn't know when the noisy voices stopped, nor their pattern of appearance.

He lay on the bed for a long time, in the pitch-black room 302, faintly hearing the sound of car horns outside.

After reopening the simulator and checking on the status of Rong Ye and Ji Meng, Cen Sheng closed his eyes, relaxed his body, and started to organize his thoughts.

Ji Meng disappeared in room 302, so did Rong Ye. Right when Brother Rong vanished, Cen Sheng instinctively felt that it was the room that was devouring people.

But after carefully recalling the clues collected so far, the problem might not lie with room 302.

Unlike rental houses, room 302 is part of a hotel. Located near a university town, it has a high occupancy rate. Before Ji Meng moved in, room 302 must have accommodated countless guests.

If this room really had ghostly rumors, it's impossible that there would be no relevant information on the nearby university's campus forums.

Even if every person who encountered a ghost, like Ji Meng, disappeared and had their existence erased.

Then how to explain Ji Meng's earlier experiences.

The first time she encountered a ghost was at a friend's house.

Some time later, Ji Meng had a falling out with her friend and moved out in a huff.

She didn't directly come to the hotel then, but wandered for a long time in places like dark internet cafes, park benches, and fast-food restaurants.

During this time, she was still harassed by the fierce ghost.

Cen Sheng thought of several possibilities.

First, there's nothing wrong with room 302 itself; it started being haunted only after the fierce ghost followed Ji Meng in.

Second, room 302 does indeed have something strange about it, and the reason there’s no information online is that everyone who had an incident in room 302 has been completely forgotten.

After Ji Meng moved in, the room housed both the ghost she brought and other unknown beings already residing there.

The ghostly shadows she often saw were created by the fierce ghost haunting her. The noisy voices she heard were emanating from the room itself.

As for why Ji Meng had lived there for two months unharmed, only to suddenly disappear today, Cen Sheng had a theory.

Previously, Ji Meng lived with her, her friend, and a sleazy man. The fierce ghost didn’t bother others, only haunting her.

When she stayed overnight in the dark internet cafe, only she clung to the Goddess statue. The fierce ghost, despite the oppressive presence of the Prominent Holy Goddess, continued to torment her.

Ji Meng was the prey chosen by the fierce ghost, and she constantly offered incense to the Goddess statue, which protected her.

The three formed a delicate balance.

The powers of the fierce ghost and the Goddess statue suppressed the monster in room 302.

This balance was broken when Ji Meng left Yangbei City for the old industrial city in the north.

Without her in the hotel and no incense offered to the Goddess statue for days, the statue, protecting only her, didn’t care about others.

Without the statue's intervention, the fierce ghost that haunted Ji Meng was no match and got devoured by room 302.

After consuming a ghost, the room’s power grew. A single Goddess statue couldn’t stop it from continuing to devour.

Thus, when Ji Meng, Xiao Jiejie, and He Junye re-entered the room, Ji Meng was consumed by room 302.

Apart from counteracting, room 302 might have also collaborated with the fierce ghost haunting Ji Meng. These two theories aren’t far apart and can be considered as one.

The third possibility, Cen Sheng still hadn't figured out.

Room 302 was too cramped and lacked windows. Without the lights on, the room was pitch black, day or night.

Ironically, it was a standard rectangular room, which felt incredibly oppressive, like living in a completely sealed little box.

Cen Sheng wondered if room 302 was indeed fine, but after Ji Meng moved in, the room and the things she brought caused some special reaction.

For example, the fierce ghost, incense, consecrated prayer beads, the Prominent Holy Goddess statue…

Or perhaps the room mutated after certain conditions were met.

The more Cen Sheng thought, the more his head ached. With so little information, he had only found a way to ‘disappear’ himself.

He wasn’t clear on the exact circumstances of Ji Meng's disappearance, but when Brother Rong vanished, there were always noisy sounds in the room.

Before checking the walls and the floor, Cen Sheng had seen Rong Ye crawling out from under the bed.

There was a shadow under the bed; he hadn’t disappeared.

This indicated that ‘shadows’ weren’t the condition for disappearing.

He must have been devoured by the room in the seconds when Cen Sheng turned off the lights.

Considering Ji Meng had stayed in more than one hotel, and the unique environment of room 302, Cen Sheng had a bold hypothesis.

Inside room 302, the conditions were either complete darkness or only faint light.

The musty smell emerged, and noisy sounds came from all directions.

Satisfying these two conditions, the people in the room would disappear.

As for the order and criteria of disappearance when multiple people were in the room, Cen Sheng hadn’t figured it out yet.

Cen Sheng is usually a cautious and careful person, but this time, with Brother Rong's life at stake, he just can't calm down.

Actually, there's a secret in Cen Sheng's heart that he has never spoken of.

After discovering that Brother Rong had become a ghost, aside from feeling heartache and anger, he also felt a sense of relief.

Thankfully, Bai Yujing hadn't completely killed Rong Ye, giving them a chance to meet again.

Cen Sheng had already decided that if he couldn't return alive this time, he would do everything to ensure Ji Meng's safety.

Then, he would perish along with Brother Rong, living happily together forever.

————

After waiting a long time, the noisy voices never appeared. Instead, there were rustling sounds coming from the bedding.

It didn’t sound like a ghost, and it was unclear what it was.

Cen Sheng turned on his phone's flashlight and shone it into the bedding.

A toy electronic dog was lying on the bed, gazing at him with eager eyes.

"Xiao Bai? How did you get here?"

After being mocked by Rong Ye, Xiao Bai seemed a bit displeased with its name and no longer wagged its tail when called.

"I sneaked in while you were comforting Xiao Jiejie. Sheng brother, I don't feel good about leaving you alone."

"There's nothing to worry about, I can handle it myself."

Cen Sheng grabbed the electronic dog, preparing to take it out of the room.

A white shadow emerged from the toy dog, “If you were sure, you wouldn’t have sent them away. I’m not like them; I worry about you, but I also worry about myself!”

“I am a ghost that escaped from your illusionary world. If you disappear, will I also vanish?”

“No, you don’t need to worry,” Cen Sheng gently patted the electronic dog. “That force will find a way to rationalize your existence.”

“But all of Ji Meng's luggage and daily necessities disappeared. I’m connected to you; if you're gone, I’m certain I’ll be gone too!”

Cen Sheng touched his chest, speaking softly to explain.

“I’m a living dead, surviving by protecting my heart with Rong Ye’s power. According to your logic, if Rong Ye disappears and I lose his protection, I should also die. But I’m still alive, my heartbeat strong.”

“Don’t worry, Xiao Bai, I swear I'll come back. It's nothing to do with you, go and play. In a few days, I'll give you a nicer name.”

Xiao Bai had just managed to come into the real world and was very concerned about his own life. He clung tightly to Cen Sheng, insisting on staying.

Cen Sheng, with a soft heart, couldn’t resist him. He also thought that keeping a ghost with him might be safer.

He bowed to the Goddess statue, praying for her help to look after Xiao Bai.

He placed the electronic dog with Bai Yujing's jade bracelet in front of the Goddess statue.

Everyone's memories were altered, except for Cen Sheng, who still remembered Ji Meng and Rong Ye.

At first, he thought the Saintly Father Simulator had protected him.

However, the Lucky Coin, always kept in the simulator's storage, couldn’t answer any questions related to Ji Meng.

This indicates that the simulator doesn’t block that force.

Just like when Cen Sheng was trapped in the illusionary world, no matter what kind of mental attack he suffered, the simulator wouldn’t intervene.

They were merely in a partnership; the simulator wouldn’t offer him any protection. Everything depended on him to resolve.

Since it wasn’t related to the simulator, the only thing different about him compared to others was Bai Yujing's jade bracelet.

He wasn't sure if it was the bracelet that protected him or if that force didn't attack those wearing the bracelet.

In any case, with the double protection of the jade bracelet and the Goddess statue, Xiao Bai would be safe.

After devoutly bowing to the statue again, Cen Sheng reassured the anxious electronic dog, “I will come back safely, don’t be afraid.”

————

Lying back on the bed, Cen Sheng closed his eyes and emptied his mind.

After an indeterminate amount of time, a faint musty smell began to permeate the air.

As the musty odor grew stronger, the surrounding noises became more chaotic again.

From the next room came the sounds of a heated argument; it seemed like a man was smashing things while yelling loudly. What he was saying, Cen Sheng couldn't make out.

“Thud, thud, thud—”

A child upstairs was running back and forth. He seemed to enjoy running, and his parents appeared to like it too. The sound of footsteps moved incessantly across the ceiling, causing great annoyance.

Outside, there was a thunderous noise, as if a massive creature was passing by, interspersed with bursts of laughter from both adults and children.

A strange dragging sound echoed in the corridor, moving from distant to near, eventually stopping right outside his door.

Cen Sheng had never encountered such a situation before and couldn't imagine what would happen next.

He recorded all the clues he had gathered so far in the simulator's built-in memo. He tried to find new ideas by repeatedly reviewing the information.

The musty smell in the room grew more intense, becoming suffocating.

The chaotic noises grew louder, as if the small room was crowded with people.

The rustling sounds made by Xiao Bai had disappeared at some unknown point.

Lying alone on the bed, Cen Sheng felt as if people were standing around his bed, staring at him in the darkness.

Cold sweat soaked his clothes, and Cen Sheng's body was tense, his heart pounding violently.

He was uncertain whether those shadows would attack him or how he might vanish.

Cen Sheng wasn't actually very brave; encountering unfamiliar supernatural events often triggered his stress response.

As time ticked away, the cacophony gradually subsided, and the room seemed to undergo some sort of change.

Clutching the small stone, Cen Sheng braced himself for a potential fight.

The moment the noises ceased, a breath brushed against the left side of Cen Sheng's face.

Cen Sheng turned his head sharply, coming face to face with a shadow.

The shadow was right beside him, almost close enough to touch!

He was on a single bed; how could there possibly be room for a second person!

Cen Sheng jolted and quickly scooted backwards.

“Hmm—”

In the darkness, a woman's muffled voice sounded, “What are you trembling for in the middle of the night! Stop shaking your leg on the bed, I need to sleep!”

Despite having experienced many paranormal events, Cen Sheng was bewildered by the current situation.

Not daring to wait any longer, he reached for the light switch on the wall but only felt the cold wall.

With a click, a table lamp nearby was turned on.

The dim light illuminated the head of the bed, casting light on a woman’s face.

Her hair was disheveled, and she looked sleepy, “Ugh, what are you up to now?”

Cen Sheng looked at her in confusion, “Who are you?”

“I'm your ancestor, you lunatic! The manager mentioned several times that the security would be patrolling tonight. Told us not to stay up late and go to sleep early. I'm sleeping; don't make such a racket again!”

The woman wrapped herself in the blanket, “Marrying you was the unluckiest thing in my life!”

“...Marrying me?”

“What are you talking about, make yourself clear!” Cen Sheng sat up and grabbed the woman's arm.

The long-haired woman irritably pushed him, “Keep your voice down!” Yan Shan Ting

Footsteps could faintly be heard in the corridor, and Cen Sheng instinctively tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand.

It was only when his fingernails dug into his palm that he snapped back to reality.

He had nothing in his hand; what was he gripping just now?

Cen Sheng sat on the bed, staring blankly at his hands.

The room quieted down, and the noises outside the door had disappeared at some point.

Looking at the familiar yet strange room, Cen Sheng gradually recalled the events that had transpired.

The manager sent a notice, informing all the residents of the building to sleep before 9 PM. It was a special period, and security would patrol the building at night.

He was so engrossed in wood carving that he accidentally missed the bedtime.

His wife, Xiao Rou, had a big argument with him, leaving him feeling down and drinking some alcohol. He went to bed without changing his clothes.

Drinking alcohol?

Wasn’t he always following doctor's orders to abstain from alcohol?

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Cen Sheng suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen a doctor recently.

In his memory, he hadn't left this building for five consecutive years.

————

After eating barbecue last night, Xiao Jiejie woke up feeling like she was covered in the smell of barbecue.

She vaguely remembered that something important happened yesterday. Afraid of forgetting, she even wrote it on her arm with a marker pen.

Xiao Jiejie looked down at her arms, which were fair and smooth, with nothing on them.

Out of caution, she still called He Junye. They had been together all of last night; even if she had forgotten, he should remember something.

The phone connected, and a man’s yawn came through the speaker.

“It's only 5 AM, why are you calling me so early?”

“I didn’t sleep well, I keep feeling like there’s something important I need to do today.”

“It is important, but you don’t need to be so anxious.”

Xiao Jiejie’s heart leaped with hope, “You remember what it is?”

“Isn’t it just going to hotel room 302 to take out the Prominent Holy Goddess statue?”

“Not that!”

“Then what is it? Are you taking side jobs behind my back?”

Xiao Jiejie opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

“Xiao Jie, when you joined the detective agency, I told you, no private jobs. You're just a new detective assistant, inexperienced. Detective work is high-risk; many assignments seem simple but can be deadly.”

He Junye yawned again, “After a few more years, I won’t stop you from taking jobs. Let’s meet downstairs at 8. I’m going back to sleep.”

Xiao Jiejie sat on the bed with the phone that had been hung up, staring blankly.

She remembered everything that happened yesterday very clearly.

He Junye has a detective agency in Xinan City and was recently planning to expand to the old industrial city in the north. She, being unemployed, took a job there as a detective assistant.

Last night, a mysterious client transferred 50,000 yuan to each of them, instructing them to retrieve a Prominent Holy Goddess statue from room 302 of a hotel near the university town.

Once the task was completed, they would receive another 50,000.

Simply collecting a statue and placing it at a designated location for 100,000 yuan seemed like an easy job, so they readily accepted it.

Xiao Jiejie had a lot of trust in He Junye's integrity.

Once there, he would first make sure the statue wasn’t concealing drugs, illegal substances, or smuggled firearms. If it was clean, then the money was theirs to earn.

At nine in the morning, the two took a ride to the small hotel.

He Junye showed his detective credentials, intending to book room 302.

The receptionist looked perplexed, “Does it have to be room 302?”

He Junye nodded.

“A man booked room 302 this morning.”

“What time did this happen?”

“Around six or seven in the morning. The guy had a big backpack, seemed like he was from out of town.”

The receptionist muttered while typing on the computer: “That room has been unoccupied for over two months. What’s with today? Everyone suddenly wants to stay in that room.”

As she spoke, the elevator doors suddenly opened.

A man carrying a travel bag stepped out and asked in a deep voice, “Did anyone stay in room 302 last night?”

“No.”

The man raised his hand to press his Bluetooth earpiece, the green bracelet on his wrist standing out.

Xiao Jiejie, standing closest to him, heard him muttering softly, “Did I get the location wrong?”

“...I just finished checking.”

“The Goddess isn’t there.”

————

Cen Sheng suspected that he might be ill.

He was clearly just staying in his own home, so why was he always so paranoid?

It had been two days since he had an argument with his wife, Xiao Rou.

He and Xiao Rou lived in apartment number 302.

The room was very small, with just one tiny bedroom and a separated bathroom. Without a single window, it felt very oppressive to live in.

Compared to a normal room, it was more like a cheap motel.

It seemed they lived here because housing was too expensive and this was all they could afford.

In his memory, Xiao Rou was gentle and shy, always showing him a sweet smile. They were childhood sweethearts, married straight after college, and were now planning to have a cute child.

But the Xiao Rou he interacted with seemed to despise him every day.

This morning Cen Sheng wanted to cook, but after wandering around the apartment, he realized there was no kitchen.

When he prepared to go out for breakfast, Xiao Rou, as if provoked, sat on the bed and furiously scolded him.

Cen Sheng was completely baffled by the scolding.

At 8 o'clock, Xiao Rou took him to the canteen at the end of the corridor, where they had breakfast together.

In his memory, they ate at this canteen every day.

Besides them, several other families were also dining in the shared canteen.

Cen Sheng ate thoughtfully.

The place they lived, although called 'Happy Apartment', didn't differ much from a residential building.

Why was there a shared canteen here?

Cen Sheng couldn’t recall when exactly his relationship with his wife started to deteriorate.

There were many photos of the two of them in the album on the bedside table.

Their wedding photo hung on the wall, showing them both smiling happily.

Both the various details at home and Cen Sheng's memories conveyed the same message.

He loved his wife dearly, and Xiao Rou loved him too; they were a loving couple.

Room 302 was so small that a large bed nearly filled the entire bedroom.

Cen Sheng stood close to the wall, staring at the yellowed wall. Xiao Rou lay on the other side of the bed, flipping through a romance novel.

Between the two of them, there was enough space to fit another slightly overweight adult.

The room was quiet, with only the sound of Xiao Rou flipping through the pages of her book.

Cen Sheng looked at his tightly buttoned clothes and then at Xiao Rou, who was also wrapped up tightly.

What normal couple interacts like this at home?

And yet this was supposedly a loving relationship.

This was completely different from the way he remembered interacting.

After pondering for a while, Cen Sheng, while observing Xiao Rou's reaction out of the corner of his eye, pretended to lift his shirt as if he was going to undress.

The sound of flipping pages abruptly stopped, and Xiao Rou looked at him coldly, “If you want to change, go to the bathroom. Don't disgust me here!”

Cen Sheng lowered his hand.

He was even worried that Xiao Rou might stab him with a knife while sleeping.

Fearing she might actually start a fight, Cen Sheng retreated to the bathroom and washed his face.

Looking at the man in the mirror, he felt somewhat dazed.

His long hair tied back in a low ponytail, his facial features soft and delicate, with light brown eyes and a small mole under the right eye, wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

This was indeed him.

"But why was the life in his memory so different from what he had experienced?"

"Cen Sheng felt that he needed to have a serious talk with Xiao Rou."

"Perhaps the love had faded, or maybe there was never any love to begin with. Facing Xiao Rou, he felt no flutter of the heart."

"Affection or lack thereof didn't concern Cen Sheng. His only wish was that Xiao Rou wouldn't curse at him so often."

"Back in the bedroom, Cen Sheng sat cross-legged on the bed, trying to think of a more affectionate name to use."

"The words 'my wife' lingered on his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them."

"It was as if they had never used such terms of endearment between them."

"Cen Sheng sighed, 'Xiao Rou, you can't keep hitting me. Even if you miss, it still upsets me. If you throw a book at me again just because my breathing is too loud, next time I’ll definitely retaliate.'"

"‘You also can’t keep scolding me for no reason. I’ve been patient for two days, but now I’m getting angry.'"

"The curly-haired woman's eyes widened in disgust, 'I don’t like you. Isn’t that reason enough?'"

"'Why?'"

"'It's just that I find you displeasing, living under the same roof with you disgusts me!'"

"'Calm down, Xiao Rou, let's talk this through...'"

"'Get out! Stay away from me, leave this room!'"

"After a brief talk, the woman started cursing him again. She even picked up pillows and slippers, throwing them at him."

Xiao Rou must have been traumatized to have become like this. Cen Sheng, concerned she might hurt herself, hid in the shadows near the door, silently observing her.

The curly-haired woman flailed and screamed for a while, then suddenly covered her face and broke down in tears.

“I don’t want to live with you, I don’t! I’m scared!!!”

“I’ll be good, please don’t torment me anymore! I beg you!”

“I won’t bring up divorce anymore, I really won’t! Please don’t squeeze my head, I won’t resist, I’ll be good!!!”

Cen Sheng couldn’t make out or understand what she said next.

Xiao Rou sat alone in the room, repeatedly crying out, “I’m scared, save me!”

She had lost her mind, on the brink of a mental breakdown. Cen Sheng, pitying her, couldn’t bring himself to be angry.

He wanted to calm her down, but whenever he got close, Xiao Rou would throw things at him, seemingly terrified of him too.

After being hit by a pillow, Cen Sheng had no choice but to leave room 302.

The building’s manager had announced over the loudspeaker that everyone should be in bed by 9 PM. It was only 7 PM, still early.

With Xiao Rou having locked the room door, Cen Sheng went to the communal dining hall alone, planning to take a meal back for her.

Dinner wasn’t ready yet, and Cen Sheng stared at the dining table, deep in thought.

He didn’t love Xiao Rou, and she didn’t like him. Any slight physical contact would quickly lead them to separate.

It felt like two strangers accidentally touching on a bus. Even knowing it was unintentional, it still felt awkward.

Cen Sheng rubbed his temples, vaguely recalling something. But when he tried to remember it, all that came to mind were loving memories of him and Xiao Rou.

There might be a problem with his memory.

The noisy chatter of people interrupted Cen Sheng's contemplation.

Dinner started at 8 PM, and residents of the apartment gradually came in for their meal.

A teenage girl with dyed green hair, cursing under her breath, sat opposite Cen Sheng.

Her arms were covered in scars, as if she had been abused by her parents.

Cen Sheng recognized her; the girl’s name was Ji Meng, living in the apartment below his.

He tried to strike up a conversation, but Ji Meng glanced at him and moved away with her tray.

Her unusual behavior made Cen Sheng want to follow and ask her directly.

Before long, another resident sat across from him.

It was a mixed-race man with delicate features, incredibly handsome. He was tall, with chestnut-colored slightly curly short hair, and beautiful deep blue eyes.

His skin was covered in dense, blood-red lines, resembling numerous stitched wounds, appearing quite gruesome and terrifying.

As the thought crossed his mind, Cen Sheng laughed at himself in self-derision.

Only a body that has been dismembered and then reassembled would have so many stitched marks.

A person who had been dismembered couldn't possibly be sitting across from him eating.

They were separated by a table, not too close. Cen Sheng wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but his heart seemed to beat faster since the man appeared.

“Rong Ye, room 402.”

The mixed-race man initiated conversation, his voice cool and indifferent, tinged with an unmistakable arrogance.

“Cen Sheng, room 302.”

“Is there another woman in that room with you? She’s been very noisy lately. It can’t be that loud.”

“Sorry for disturbing you…”

“It’s not a disturbance, but it mustn’t be so noisy.”

The mixed-race man interrupted him, extending his hand.

As they shook hands, Cen Sheng’s eyelid twitched.

Rong Ye, using the cover of their palms, stealthily slipped a small paper ball into Cen Sheng’s hand.

Author's note:

Here I am!

Seeking comments and support! Thanks to all the angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrients from 2023-09-22 21:34:21 to 2023-09-23 21:40:25~

Special thanks to the angels who nourished me: Shou Zhu Dai Tu with 30 bottles; Utsukushii Kare, Cha Li with 10 bottles; Fu Yi, Mi Mi · Ruo, Jiang Yu with 5 bottles; Lien with 2 bottles; Lovely Tuoluo Acid, Yue Bai with 1 bottle each;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!