Chapter 24

Chapter 24

◎The Long-Haired Girl◎

There was no Chinese class in the afternoon, but there was a self-study session in the evening with the homeroom teacher. Since there would be a monthly exam the next day, the self-study session was directly used to review the previously completed problem sets.

Halfway through the self-study session, Ji Nanxing said, "Teacher, I need to go to the restroom."

The homeroom teacher nodded, "Go ahead."

Xiao Ye moved aside to let Ji Nanxing pass.

All the classes were having evening self-study, so the restroom was empty. The dim lighting cast a pale, cold glow on the restroom tiles.

Ji Nanxing stood in the empty restroom, lit a small red incense stick, and pulled out a talisman paper. He tore off the blank edges along the intricate cinnabar patterns.

In the mirror in front of him, his reflection flickered with the incense, giving off an eerie, intimidating aura. The torn talisman strips grew longer until the last piece fell to the ground. What he held in his hand was a small paper figure covered in intricate cinnabar patterns.

Ji Nanxing placed the small paper figure on his palm, formed a hand gesture with his other hand, and whispered, "With the lamp as your soul, with the incense as your spirit, I grant you life, obey my command!"

The restroom lights flickered the moment his words ended. Ji Nanxing then lightly tapped the faucet, dipped his finger in water, and smeared it on the glowing red incense. His middle finger turned cinnabar-red, and he pressed it onto the forehead of the small paper figure.

In the next second, the small paper figure in his palm trembled, stood up, and flew out of his hand with a soft whoosh.

Ji Nanxing gathered the torn talisman strips from the floor and tossed them into the trash. He then extinguished the red incense, washed his hands, and left the restroom.

By the time he returned to the classroom, the small talisman figure had already latched onto the homeroom teacher. Ji Nanxing glanced at it briefly before looking away and returning to his seat.

Xiao Ye observed Ji Nanxing's expression and leaned over to ask, "Why did it take so long? Did the iced milk tea mixed with spicy snacks upset your stomach?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head, "No, the classroom was a bit stuffy, so I stayed outside for some fresh air before coming back in."

Hearing this, Xiao Ye felt a bit relieved. If Ji Nanxing hadn't returned soon, he would have gone to the restroom to check on him.

Finally, when school ended, everyone bolted out as if fleeing from ghosts. Along the way, Xiao Ye blocked several people who almost bumped into Ji Nanxing. Only after they exited the school gate did Xiao Ye ask again, "Are you sure you don't want to come to my place? My aunt makes the best wontons, which you can't find anywhere else, and there are also soup dumplings with thin skin and lots of filling. You'll surely love them after just one bite. Come home with me, have wontons for supper, and soup dumplings for breakfast tomorrow."

Ji Nanxing shook his head and glanced toward his own residential area, "I'd rather sleep an extra ten minutes. I'm heading back, bye."

Only after watching Ji Nanxing enter the building did Xiao Ye chuckle, "Little lazy pig."

With the students gone, the campus quickly quieted down, leaving only the tireless chirping of insects hidden in the bushes. The custodians, keys in hand, made their final rounds, checking if any students were still around and ensuring all classroom and lab doors were locked.

The last lights to go out on campus were in the faculty building. Teachers, worn out from a day's work, rushed to catch the subway, buses, or hurry home.

As the custodian checked the faculty building, he noticed someone still there and greeted with a smile, "Teacher Liang, not going home yet?"

Facing the custodian, Liang Zhongyi softened her usual stern demeanor and smiled, "I'll leave soon. I'll lock up and turn off the lights."

The custodian nodded with a smile, "Alright, head home early. It's not safe to be out late."

Only after grading the students' homework and compiling a few high-error-rate questions did Liang Zhongyi finally pack up and head home.

Her home wasn't far from the school, situated in an old residential area behind the campus. The entire neighborhood was made up of low-rise buildings, the tallest being seven stories, all without elevators. Recently, the area had been undergoing renovation, with scaffolding erected outside and water pipes exposed, making the path quite treacherous.

After navigating the obstacles along the way, Liang Zhongyi's shoes were caked with mud by the time she reached home.

She washed her shoes in the bathroom, took a quick shower, and towel-dried her short hair. She then cooked a bowl of noodles and brought it to her study, eating while organizing her upcoming lessons and teaching plans.

The living room light clicked off, and the light from the study extended just enough to illuminate a photo by the sofa.

The photo showed a family of three against the backdrop of an amusement park. The two adults were in the shadows, while the child's bright smile stood out in the light.

Liang Zhongyi had just turned forty. Her parents were no longer around, and she had been married once, with a child—a lively, adorable little girl who loved to dance.

At two years old, she would drape a small blanket over herself, imitating Elsa from Frozen. By three, she had joined a children's dance class and performed on stage several times, becoming the family's little joy.

Liang Zhongyi's husband was introduced to her by a mutual acquaintance. He was a local of Yulan City, with a car, a house, and a stable job with regular hours and weekends off. Together, they managed a simple, harmonious household.

However, such seemingly simple happiness was hard to come by. When Liang Zhongyi's daughter, Little Apple, was four, she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. A girl who loved to dance could no longer dance.

The family sold everything they had, including their house and car, to raise money for her treatment. But despite their efforts, they couldn't save their little angel. After battling the illness for three years, Little Apple passed away shortly after her seventh birthday. That same year, Liang Zhongyi and her husband divorced.

This rare disease was an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, meaning if they wanted another child, there was a chance it could inherit the same condition.

Liang Zhongyi's husband couldn't accept the idea of not having children in the future, but it was clear that he and Liang Zhongyi weren't suited to have another child together. So, he proposed a divorce, which Liang Zhongyi agreed to without hesitation. They parted amicably.

After the divorce, Liang Zhongyi lived alone. Over a decade had passed, and she had grown accustomed to her solitary life. Though she was alone, her life was filled with busyness. Watching batches of students graduate and move on to new lives, Liang Zhongyi occasionally felt tired, but she had grown used to this kind of fatigue.

After finishing her teaching plans, Liang Zhongyi prepared some test papers based on her students' performance. These papers would likely be their weekend homework after the monthly exam.

Liang Zhongyi often worked late into the night like this. She didn't have much of a personal life, her days revolving between school and home. Her greatest concern was her students' academic progress. It wasn't that she was particularly devoted to her teaching role, but rather, she had grown accustomed to this solitary lifestyle.

The clock ticked steadily, and the study light remained on. The sound of the pen scratching on paper and the rustling of textbooks occasionally broke the silence, making the night feel even more serene.

Unbeknownst to Liang Zhongyi, a girl had been sitting on her sofa all along.

She had long hair and was very beautiful, around sixteen or seventeen years old. She sat quietly in the living room, hidden in the shadows, but her gaze was fixed on Liang Zhongyi in the study.

The small paper figure tucked in Liang Zhongyi's coat pocket flew out and landed lightly on the floor. Though it had no eyes or facial features, only cinnabar patterns, the girl seemed to see a serious expression on the paper figure's face.

The girl stared at the paper figure, then looked up at Liang Zhongyi, who was busy at her desk in the study. A hint of confusion appeared in her eyes. As the paper figure slowly approached her, the glowing patterns on it flickered, and the spirit-repelling symbols made her uncomfortable.

When the paper figure got close enough to cause a burning pain, the girl finally couldn't withstand it and disappeared from the room.

The paper figure hovered around the room, dispersing the lingering ghostly aura, before flying back into the coat pocket.

Early in the morning, some students had already arrived at school. The sports team had even started their morning training. Ji Nanxing was still brushing his teeth at home. After washing his face and changing into his school uniform, his phone on the bed lit up.

Ji Nanxing picked it up and saw a message from Xiao Ye, telling him not to eat breakfast because he had brought some special soup dumplings from home.

Ji Nanxing smiled and replied with a nodding emoji, then turned to pack his schoolbag.

Xiao Ye, already in the car and nearing the school, couldn't help but smile at the emoji.

His deskmate, though not an expressionless cold boy, didn't show much emotion. Perhaps due to his health, he always seemed calm and quiet. It was unexpected to see him using cute cat emojis online.

As soon as the car stopped at the school gate, Xiao Ye saw Ji Nanxing walking across the street. Among the crowd of high school students, Ji Nanxing's fair complexion stood out, making him easily noticeable.

Xiao Ye stood by the roadside with a thermal lunchbox, ignoring the glances from passersby. His eyes were fixed on his deskmate, who was getting closer as he crossed the zebra crossing.

When Ji Nanxing was right in front of him, Xiao Ye lifted the lunchbox, "Besides the soup dumplings, there are also some shrimp dumplings, all homemade."

Ji Nanxing reached out to take the lunchbox, but Xiao Ye dodged and skillfully slung his arm over Ji Nanxing's shoulder, "I'll carry it, it's a bit heavy."

Ji Nanxing glanced at the hand on his shoulder, "And then transfer the weight onto me?"

Without thinking, Xiao Ye, still with his arm around Ji Nanxing, gently pinched his cheek, "Do you feel guilty saying that? Do you really think I'd put any weight on you? I'm holding back, you know. With your small frame, you'd collapse under any real pressure."

Ji Nanxing slapped away the hand pinching his cheek, "Stop messing around."

Zhang Yuan passed by them: "In public, can you pay attention to your behavior?"

Whether to suppress or not, that's not something to be discussed openly.

Xiao Ye released Ji Nanxing and then chased after Zhang Yuan, playfully kicking and roughhousing all the way to the classroom.

Knowing Ji Nanxing has a big appetite, the food box had soup dumplings, shrimp dumplings, and even a bowl of fermented glutinous rice with osmanthus paste at the bottom. Then, like a magician, Xiao Ye pulled out a bottle of yogurt from his bag. He had seen Ji Nanxing drink it before, so he must like it.

Ji Nanxing was already hungry. The little paper man could move because it was powered by his energy, so creating a little paper man and making it move also consumed a lot of energy.

Now, enticed by the aroma, he didn't hesitate to dig in.

The soup dumplings were small. The food box kept them warm, but since it was a bit of a trip from Xiao's house, they were just the right temperature—not too hot or cold.

Ji Nanxing took a cautious bite to check the temperature, and once he confirmed it wasn't too hot, he practically inhaled the rest.

The shrimp dumplings were perfectly sized, with plump, tender shrimp that had a natural sweetness. The skin was thin, and each one looked translucent when picked up. A small box of chili sauce on the side added a spicy kick to the shrimp dumplings.

Xiao Ye watched Ji Nanxing eat with focus. Each bite made his thin cheeks puff out adorably, and Xiao Ye found himself absentmindedly rubbing his fingers. The hand that had just pinched Ji Nanxing's cheek still remembered the warm, smooth, and soft touch.

It wasn't until Ji Nanxing finished all the breakfast Xiao Ye had brought that Xiao Ye finally snapped out of his daze. Then, his eyes glanced at Ji Nanxing's stomach. Where did all that food go? He'd packed enough for two, but Ji Nanxing devoured it without gaining an ounce.

Unaware he'd eaten Xiao Ye's share too, Ji Nanxing neatly stacked the food box and said, "I'll wash it later."

Xiao Ye shut the food box and tucked it under his chair. "No need to wash it. I'll take it back, and someone else can handle it. So, how was it? Did you like my aunt's cooking? If you do, I can bring it for you more often."

Ji Nanxing nodded at first. "It was delicious." Then he shook his head. "But no need to bring it often. It's too much trouble."

Xiao Ye: "What's troublesome about it? If you like it, it's not troublesome."

From behind them, Zhang Yuan piped up, "I like it too!"

Xiao Ye shot back, "Go find someone else to bother."

Because of the monthly exams, there was no morning study session today. The homeroom teacher arrived early to have them rearrange the desks into single rows and switch classrooms.

Since Ji Nanxing and Chen Shiyi's exam room was in their own classroom, they didn't have to move. Just before the exam began, Chen Shiyi rushed over to Ji Nanxing and asked, "How's it going?"

Ji Nanxing: "It's resolved."

Chen Shiyi whispered, "So Teacher Liang really encountered a ghost?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "Not exactly."

The matter wasn't fully resolved because he discovered the lingering ghost in the homeroom teacher's house wasn't hostile. But it didn't seem to have any ill intentions toward the teacher either. The specifics might require further investigation, but there was no need to go into detail with Chen Shiyi, so he just said, "She had some residual ghostly energy on her, but it's been cleared. It's nothing major."

Chen Shiyi nodded, curious but with no time to ask before the exam, so he let it go for now.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ye, whose exam was on the second floor, made a quick stop at the small supermarket before the test. Zhang Yuan thought Xiao Ye was buying water, but when he saw him grab a few buns and wolf them down, he burst out laughing. "Did Ji Nanxing eat the breakfast you brought for two people all by himself?"

Xiao Ye took a sip of water to swallow the bread in his mouth: "I thought he wouldn't finish it, so I planned to eat the rest if he didn't. That kid's skinny, but he sure can pack it away."

Zhang Yuan couldn't stop laughing: "He's not much younger than you, and from eating together these past few days, it's clear he has a big appetite."

Xiao Ye opened another bag of bread: "Guess I underestimated him. Next time, I'll bring extra."

"Next time? What's going on with you? Why are you so eager to please him?"

Xiao Ye glanced at him sideways: "What do you mean eager? Didn't I say our families used to be close? My brother and his brother were childhood friends. Now his younger brother is in the same class as me, and he's not in good health. If it were you, wouldn't you take care of him?"

Zhang Yuan thought about it and realized he would definitely take care of him, but he still felt that Xiao Ye was going a bit overboard. But then again, considering it was Ji Nanxing, well, he deserved even more care.

The bell rang, and the entire school fell silent. Besides the high school freshmen, the sophomores and seniors were also taking their monthly exams. However, for the sophomores and seniors, the monthly exams were routine, and once the results were out, it was over. For the freshmen, after the results were out, there would also be a parent-teacher meeting.

The parent-teacher meeting was scheduled for Friday afternoon. After the meeting, school would end directly. Whether they would relax or face punishment after school depended on their individual abilities.

After two days of exams, as soon as the bell rang, everyone rushed out of the exam rooms. By the time Xiao Ye and Zhang Yuan returned from other classrooms, their classmates were already enthusiastically comparing answers.

Xiao Ye, while restoring his desk, took out a bag of jam-filled bread from his pocket and handed it to Ji Nanxing: "How did you do on the exam?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Not bad. Is this for me?"

Xiao Ye smiled: "I saw it when I went to buy water, and it was rare to find, so I bought it. There's still half an hour before school ends in the afternoon, so eat it quickly before the teacher comes."

Ji Nanxing tore open the bread bag and casually said, "I'll transfer you the money on WeChat later."

Xiao Ye clicked his tongue: "What's there to transfer for such a small amount? What do you want to eat later? You must be hungry after the exam. Want to go out to eat?"

Ji Nanxing didn't mind; he could eat anything.

Zhang Yuan, sitting behind them, suggested, "How about some dishes? Or maybe that small restaurant?"

Xiao Ye and Ji Nanxing had no objections, so they poked Chen Shiyi in their small group chat. Nowadays, for lunch and dinner, it was usually the four of them together.

The classroom was buzzing with chatter when the homeroom teacher walked in and knocked on the podium: "Did you all do well on the exam? Did you all get full marks? I could hear you from far away. Your voices are the loudest on the entire third floor!"

The homeroom teacher's scolding made everyone quiet down obediently, even though every class was noisy after the exam.

Once everyone was quiet, the homeroom teacher had them restore their chairs: "Tonight's self-study session will be used to go over the exam papers. You can estimate your scores, so you'll have an idea for tomorrow afternoon's parent-teacher meeting."

Hearing this, everyone groaned. The exam just ended today, and the results would be out tomorrow. Wasn't that too fast? They thought they could at least drag it out over the weekend.

As the sky grew darker, a car driving on the road carried a family of three. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy was leaning back in the car seat, playing a game on his phone.

The husband was driving, and the wife sitting in the passenger seat had a sharp and mean look: "This is what she owes us! Getting our son into Yulan through her connections is nothing! If she dares to refuse, I can make sure the whole school knows she's a murderer!"

The man driving said, "Don't be so aggressive from the start. Talk to her properly first. If it doesn't work out, then we'll see."

The woman snorted coldly: "Whether our son will have a future or not depends on you."

The boy in the back seat irritably rolled his eyes at his parents and then lowered his head to focus on his game again.

On the other side of the back seat sat a long-haired girl they couldn't see. As the couple planned how to coax, threaten, and scheme, the black aura in the car grew thicker and thicker.

During the second self-study session in the evening, Ji Nanxing sensed something unusual. The mark he had left on the female ghost at the homeroom teacher's house was disappearing.

The female ghost had unresolved grievances, but she was conscious and hadn't harmed anyone, so Ji Nanxing hadn't directly captured her. He had only left a mark, which could prevent her from losing control and hurting someone. Now that the mark was triggered, it meant the female ghost had used her ghostly energy. For a ghost to use her ghostly energy, it was either to protect herself against something stronger or to harm someone.

Realizing that the mark wasn't too far from him, Ji Nanxing glanced at the teacher explaining the exam papers above and then put down his pen, clutching his chest.

Xiao Ye, sitting beside him, immediately noticed his action and quickly reached out to support him: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ji Nanxing frowned and nodded.

Xiao Ye stood up anxiously: "Where's your medicine? Where do you keep it?"

Ji Nanxing reached for his bag, but Xiao Ye, worried that moving around would make him feel worse, took the bag from him and found the medicine bottle in a small compartment. He had read the information his sister-in-law gave him and knew that some heart medicines needed to be placed under the tongue. He quickly took out a pill: "Is this to be swallowed or placed under the tongue?"

Ji Nanxing took the white pill from his hand and put it in his mouth.

The commotion had already drawn the attention of everyone nearby. The math teacher overseeing their evening self-study session came over and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Ye explained the situation. The math teacher, a small woman, couldn't carry the student on her own, so she said, "Is he really not feeling well? Let's get two classmates to help take him to the nurse's office. Class monitor, go get your homeroom teacher and call his parents to come."

Heart problems are serious; we need to call his parents right away.

So, Ji Nanxing was taken to the nurse's office, and soon after, his family came to pick him up.

Worried, Xiao Ye wanted to follow to make sure Ji Nanxing was alright, but the homeroom teacher wouldn't allow it and firmly stopped him. Unable to do anything, Xiao Ye could only watch as Ji Nanxing was helped into the car.

As soon as the car left the school, Ji Nanxing, who had seemed weak and sick, suddenly sat up and said to the male assistant driving, "Head towards the Minhuai Road area."

The assistant quickly changed direction and followed Ji Nanxing's instructions.

Around eight, on a quiet road, there weren't many cars around. A small car that had been driving normally suddenly swerved and started going the wrong way. Other drivers panicked and swerved to avoid it, some even sticking their heads out the window to yell curses.

But the small car's driver kept going the wrong way until a big truck came from the opposite direction.

The truck driver didn't seem to notice the small car and kept driving at the same speed.

Just as the two cars were about to crash, Ji Nanxing, who had already reached the intersection, threw out a talisman and made a hand sign. The car, which had been steady, suddenly swerved back and forth like a snake.

The driver seemed to yank the wheel hard, avoiding the truck, but the car, now out of control, slammed into the guardrail. The front of the car was smashed, the body wrecked, and the three people inside were bloody and unconscious, their condition unclear.