Chapter 43

Chapter 43

◎All Girls, Easier to Talk To◎

As soon as the words "ghost possession" were uttered, Chen Zhi and Wang Yiye instantly felt a chilling gust sweep past them, making their skin crawl.

Having lived for over twenty years, they had never experienced anything like this before. The thought of sharing a room with a ghost for several days left them completely freaked out.

Chen Zhi tightly held onto Wang Yiye's arm and looked at Ji Nanxing: "So, what's the plan? Is it just a matter of getting the ghost out of her body?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head.

The two were confused: "What do you mean? Can't we get it out?"

Ji Nanxing: "We can forcibly remove the ghost from her body, but since the ghost was able to possess your friend, it means their energies are in sync. Forcibly separating them would do some damage to your friend. Moreover, even if the ghost is dealt with, your friend will still be influenced by the ghost's lingering obsessions for a while, and it'll take a while to recover."

Chen Zhi: "We can't just let her stay possessed."

Ji Nanxing: "Alternatively, we could first resolve the lingering thoughts, allowing the ghost to leave on its own."

If it had just been a recent possession, a quick slap could've knocked the ghost right out. But since it had been over a week, forcibly separating them would do a number on both the living person and the ghost.

Wang Yiye asked: "So, what should we do now?"

Ji Nanxing: "We need to figure out what's keeping the ghost hanging on."

Chen Zhi frowned: "It's gotta be about her weight. She's always saying she's fat and needs to lose weight."

But their good friend Ying Youyou was very thin, not fat at all. So, the ghost must be the one who's overweight.

At that moment, Ji Nanxing's phone buzzed. He took it out and saw that his assistant had found the buyer of the clothing: "Yang Xuan, 22 years old, address at the Chinese Department of Lan University."

The two girls were stunned: "Our school?"

Ji Nanxing sent them a copy of the buyer's information: "You guys look into this person first. I'll go back and get some things."

The two girls' eyes lit up: "Are you grabbing some ghost-busting gear?"

Ji Nanxing smiled: "No, I'm gonna bring in another ghost."

After keeping Xie Paner around for so long, it was time for her to step up.

As the last word fell, Xie Paner cheered, threw down her pen, and stretched. High school homework was a real pain. Just a freshman, the weekend assignments from all subjects combined left students with zero downtime. Thankfully, she was a ghost. When she got tired, she'd just take a whiff of incense, otherwise, she might not have been able to finish all that homework.

After finishing up her chores, Xie Paner floated to the sofa, picked up her charging tablet, and was about to watch some variety shows when she heard the door open.

Xie Paner glanced at the person who had returned and snorted: "Out all night, huh? Kids these days, tsk tsk."

Ji Nanxing: "I need your help with something."

Hearing this, Xie Paner immediately became interested: "What is it? You want me to scare someone?"

Ji Nanxing: "A girl is possessed by a ghost. I need you to communicate with her."

Xie Paner, who had just floated up from the sofa, immediately retreated back: "No, I won't go. I'm scared of ghosts!"

Ji Nanxing reminded her: "You are a ghost yourself."

Xie Paner pouted: "So what? Who says ghosts can't be spooked by other ghosts? Even living people have social anxiety."

Ji Nanxing said, "The girl who was possessed was the one who bought the second-hand clothes that day. The ghost possessing her is also a female ghost, who has always felt too fat and desperately starved herself to lose weight. If we don’t get the female ghost out of that girl, the girl might starve to death."

Xie Paner, having been dead for so many years, had never seen another ghost. Now, being asked to find another ghost, she was genuinely scared. But thinking about the girl they encountered that day, she felt a bit reluctant: "So they didn’t return that piece of clothing, and there’s still a problem?"

Ji Nanxing nodded.

Xie Paner hesitated for a while: "Didn’t you say that ghosts can enhance their own strength by eating other ghosts? What if I get eaten?"

She didn’t care if she was alive or dead; even if her soul scattered, she just wanted to rest in peace. But that didn’t mean she was willing to be eaten by another ghost.

Ji Nanxing: "No ghost can eat you. You have my golden bell seal on you. If another ghost attacks you, they’ll suffer a backlash directly."

Xie Paner sat up straight in surprise: "Really?"

She thought the mark the Young Celestial Master gave her was a leash, but turns out it’s a shield!

After struggling for a while, Xie Paner leaned on the armrest of the sofa and looked at him: "Then what should I do? I have no experience. Aren’t you a Taoist? Can’t you just slap her and force the female ghost out of her body? You were so awesome when you caught me."

Ji Nanxing: "If we can handle it peacefully, why resort to force? Just talk to her and find out what’s keeping her stuck."

Xie Paner sighed, never seen a ghost being worked like this. But she couldn’t work for free, so she bargained: "Then I want three sticks of that special ancestral offering incense! Whether this succeeds or not."

That incense cost five hundred yuan per stick. Asking for three sticks for helping out didn’t seem too much.

Ji Nanxing nodded without hesitation: "Deal."

Xie Paner gasped, seeing him agree so quickly, and instantly felt she’d undersold herself.

Bringing Xie Paner back to the school, the sky had just turned gloomy, with the sun hiding behind the clouds.

Xie Paner emerged from the wooden plaque, looking around curiously: "So this is what a university looks like."

She had only seen it on TV and had never actually set foot in a university.

Ji Nanxing, wearing headphones, said: "The female ghost is in the dormitory now. Later, go in and try to connect with her. If you can communicate, just do your thing. If you can’t, then come out."

Chen Zhi and Wang Yiye were already waiting at the playground. Even with talismans, they were too scared to go back to the dorm with a ghost inside.

Seeing Ji Nanxing approach, they immediately went up to him: "We asked around in the Chinese department and found out some things about Yang Xuan."

Chen Zhi: "Yang Xuan passed away last month. She died from anorexia caused by extreme dieting, which led to organ failure and a massive stomach bleed."

Ji Nanxing listened calmly, barely reacting, while Xie Paner covered her mouth and hissed softly: "That must have been so painful."

Ji Nanxing: "Was she very fat?"

Wang Yiye, standing beside, shook her head: "Not at all. She was about 5’3”, weighing around 120 pounds, and looked like a healthy, lively girl. But in less than six months, she wasted away. It’s said that when she died, she was only about 60 to 70 pounds."

Ji Nanxing looked at Xie Paner: "Go in, she’s in there."

Xie Paner exclaimed, struggling: "Do I have to? Is she going to be scary? I’m so scared of ghosts, wuwuwu."

Chen Zhi and Wang Yiye saw Ji Nanxing talking to thin air and got the creeps, backing away instinctively.

Ji Nanxing: "She’s not that scary. Talk to her and figure out what’s keeping her stuck here. If you can convince her to leave on her own and let the girl go, it’ll count as a good deed for you."

Xie Paner snorted; she was a ghost ready to scatter her soul—what did she care about good deeds? Would good deeds even make scattering her soul less painful?

Grumbling to herself, she floated obediently toward the dorm window.

Seeing Xie Paner go in, Ji Nanxing turned to the two girls and said, "Let them talk first. If they can't come to an agreement, we'll see."

Chen Zhi swallowed hard, "Them?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "A ghost staying at my house. Both are girls, so it's easier to talk."

The two girls: "..." This isn't quite what they imagined a spooky encounter would be like.

As the three stood downstairs waiting, Xie Paner floated through the window into the room. She first looked around the dormitory, "So this is what a girls' dormitory looks like. What a pity."

She died in high school and never got to attend university.

Regular people can't hear ghosts, but ghosts can hear them. The curtain that had been closed was pulled aside by a pale hand, and a girl with a sinister expression peeked out with half her face.

Xie Paner was almost scared into flying away. The Young Celestial Master really wasn't honest at all. He said it wouldn't be scary, but this isn't scary? Really? With that 'don't mess with me' look and the spooky vibe, it's really scary for a ghost!

Xie Paner took half a step back and then waved at her, "Hello?"

Yang Xuan, who was possessing Ying Youyou, stayed silent, just staring at the new ghost in the room.

Xie Paner cautiously took a few steps closer, "So, we're both ghosts, want to be friends?"

Yang Xuan tilted her head and looked at her for a while, then straightened the white wig on her knees, "Do you want this body as well?"

Xie Paner quickly waved her hands, "No, no, what would I do with a body? I finally became a ghost; I can go wherever I want, pass through walls anytime, float in mid-air without walking, and most importantly, I can scare anyone I don't like. It's so much fun. Having a body would just be a hassle."

Yang Xuan paused her hand on her hair, blinked, because she had been dieting to lose weight, her cheeks were slightly sunken, making her eyes appear unusually large. At this moment, there was less of the sinister look in her eyes and more confusion.

Xie Paner smiled at her, "I've been dead for years and haven't met any other ghosts, you're the first one I've met. Do you want to go play with me? I tell you, being a ghost is so much fun. Look, there's no sun outside now, actually ghosts aren't afraid of the day, just don't get exposed to the sun. It's such a perfect overcast day; staying in the dorm is so boring, come on, let's go play together."

Yang Xuan looked out the window, going out to play, it seemed like a long time since she had gone out to play, because she was too hungry, had no strength to walk, like now, she was so hungry she could only stay in bed.

Seeing that she seemed somewhat tempted, Xie Paner pressed on, "Do you have any friends you'd like to see, or anyone you dislike? Let me tell you, scaring people is a blast, the people I dislike have all been scared into nervous breakdowns and hospitalized."

Yang Xuan murmured, "People I dislike..."

Xie Paner nodded, "People you dislike or like, we can be their shadow spirits, you know what shadow spirits are, right? Just following them around, do you have any favorite celebrities? We can be their shadow spirits too, peek into their private lives."

Yang Xuan looked down at her dress, at the wig, "People I like..."

Xie Paner scratched her head in frustration, "Is this female ghost even in her right mind? She seems out of it; maybe she should ask Ji Nanxing first and come back later?"

Just as she was about to back out, Yang Xuan said, "Yes, there are people I like, want to see."

Xie Paner's eyes lit up, "Then let's go! Where is he? But you should come out first; we'll float there, so the person you like won't see us."

Yang Xuan let go of the wig, a glimmer of light in her eyes, "Can we really go?"

Xie Paner nodded eagerly, "Of course, look, I came to play with you, where is the person you like, is he at this school? I'll go with you, okay?"

Yang Xuan nodded, "Okay."

As soon as she spoke, Ying Youyou's body suddenly shook, a skeletal girl flew out of her, and Ying Youyou collapsed in a faint.

Xie Paner had never seen anyone as thin as that in her life, Yang Xuan, now free from Ying Youyou's body, was still wearing the game cosplay outfit, but because she was so thin, it was just skin and bones, the already small clothes hung loosely on her, looking even more terrifying than a ghost.

Xie Paner reached out her hand to her, "Let's go, where is the person you like, I'll go with you to find him."

Yang Xuan took Xie Paner's outstretched hand, a smile spreading across her gaunt face, "Yes, let's go find him."

The two female ghosts flew out of the window, and Ji Nanxing smiled. He had originally intended to let Xie Paner test the situation first, but he didn’t expect her to coax the ghost out directly.

"Go up. The ghost has left Ying Youyou’s body. You call 120 first, and I’ll place a mark on her. Once the mark is made, the female ghost won’t be able to return to her body."

Chen Zhi and Wang Yiye were surprised that the issue was resolved so quickly. After hearing Ji Nanxing’s words, they hurried upstairs. When they entered the dorm room, they saw Ying Youyou lying unconscious on the bed, completely unaware.

Ji Nanxing made a hand gesture and cast a golden bell mark on Ying Youyou’s forehead. He then burned a talisman to disperse the ghostly energy surrounding her: "She should be okay once she wakes up."

Chen Zhi had already called 120, and together with Wang Yiye, they helped Ying Youyou down from the bed. Earlier, when the female ghost was possessing her, they were too afraid to look directly at her due to the eerie coldness. Now that the ghost was gone, they noticed how much thinner Ying Youyou had become, her face was pale and frightening.

Wang Yiye busied herself packing Ying Youyou’s belongings, as documents and such would be needed for the hospital. Chen Zhi held her and sat on a chair, asking Ji Nanxing, "Will she remember what happened during this time when she wakes up?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "She will remember."

Chen Zhi sighed: "I hope she won’t be too scared."

The ambulance arrived quickly, and the dorm supervisor was stunned. She followed the ambulance upstairs and was startled by Ying Youyou’s condition. She immediately contacted their counselor, and in the midst of the chaos, they sent her to the hospital.

Ji Nanxing casually placed a triangular talisman on the window and door. With the talisman in place, the female ghost wouldn’t be able to enter.

Meanwhile, the two female ghosts floated to the male dormitory building, but not the undergraduate dormitory—it was the graduate student dormitory.

The living conditions in the graduate student dormitory were a bit better, with two people sharing a room. Each had a bed and a desk, separated by a walkway. Although it was a male dormitory, the room was relatively clean. The beds were a bit untidy, but there was no clutter of clothes or socks.

After Xie Paner followed Yang Xuan into the room, she saw Yang Xuan staring intently at one of the desks, even reaching out to touch it. Unfortunately, as a ghost, she couldn’t touch anything belonging to the living.

Xie Paner, no longer as scared of Yang Xuan as before, leaned over and asked, "Is this your boyfriend’s?"

Yang Xuan nodded.

At that moment, the dormitory door opened, and a somewhat handsome young man walked in. Yang Xuan turned to look at him, instinctively wanting to hug him, but as a ghost, she couldn’t touch him.

Seeing the couple now separated by life and death, Xie Paner sighed softly: "Take a good look at him while you still can. Ghosts can’t stay with humans for too long. The ghostly energy from ghosts is harmful to humans. Staying together for too long would harm him."

It was unclear whether Yang Xuan heard Xie Paner’s words. She just stared at the young man without blinking, her ghostly eyes full of longing.

What was supposed to be a bittersweet farewell between life and death took an unexpected twist. After the young man entered, he carefully placed a gift bag on the table, sat down on the chair, spun around leisurely, and opened WeChat to click on a chat window: "I’ve booked a restaurant. I’ll pick you up later."

Soon, a reply came through, a sweet female voice: "Okay, I can leave by 5:30."

The young man smiled and said, "Alright, wait for me, love you."

Xie Paner couldn’t help but glance at Yang Xuan. So, he already had a girlfriend? Was Yang Xuan just secretly in love with him?

Just as Xie Paner was imagining Yang Xuan’s unrequited love and her obsessive weight loss for her crush, Yang Xuan’s ghostly energy began to fluctuate.

Xie Paner was startled and quickly urged, "Calm down! If he already has a girlfriend, you can’t force your feelings on him, right?"

Yang Xuan looked heartbroken, seemingly unable to accept the situation.

But things were about to take a turn for the worse.

Just as Zhang Yan finished his WeChat conversation with the girl, his phone dinged—a notification from a second-hand marketplace. Xie Paner, standing behind him, could clearly see the chat window on his phone.

Zhang Yan was the seller, and the buyer was inquiring about a branded second-hand bag, specifically a women’s bag.

It seemed they had already discussed it earlier. After confirming the details again, the buyer decided to purchase it and asked when it could be shipped once the order was placed.

Zhang Yan replied, "Today," and the second-hand bag was quickly sold.

After closing another sale, Zhang Yan's mood clearly improved, his smile growing brighter: "Another one sold!"

Zhang Yan stood up from his chair and opened one of the wardrobes, which was filled with a woman's belongings—various branded bags, elaborate cosplay costumes, bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories.

Looking at the full wardrobe, Zhang Yan's eyes showed a hint of disdain, as if he were looking at something filthy, but his mind was focused on selling everything, thinking he could make back at least a hundred thousand yuan. He sighed, "I should have bought her insurance."

The bracelets and necklaces were placed in a separate box by Zhang Yan. He didn't plan to sell these as secondhand. Unlike clothing and bags, accessories could be cleaned and repackaged to appear as good as new, whereas clothes and bags, once used, always bore the marks of wear and couldn't be given as gifts, so they had to be resold.

Watching him take a large bag from the wardrobe and pack it, Xie Paner, unfamiliar with luxury goods, recognized the brand's high value. A bag this size would cost at least tens of thousands of yuan. She had just seen him list it for twenty-eight thousand yuan on a secondhand platform.

At that moment, she was completely baffled. What was going on here? Why did this man have so many women's belongings, and what was his relationship with Yang Xuan?

Thinking of Yang Xuan, Xie Paner cautiously turned to look at her expression, but the next second, she was so frightened that she jumped on the spot.

Yang Xuan, who had previously appeared somewhat human, was now completely enveloped in ghostly energy. Her eyes no longer held any reluctance but were filled with resentment. Her skin was slowly being overtaken by ghostly streaks, making her appear even more terrifying than the day she wished death upon her entire family.

Xie Paner was terrified, fearing that the out-of-control Yang Xuan might devour her. She hurriedly flew out the window to seek help from the Young Celestial Master.

Yang Xuan paid no attention to the female ghost beside her. Her focus was entirely on the man before her, the man she had been with for four years. She had supported him during his postgraduate studies, taken care of every detail of his life, and even moved out of the dormitory, sacrificing her chance to make friends during her four years of university.

Because of a single comment from him, she had desperately tried to lose weight. Because of his occasional offhand criticisms, she began to loathe herself, constantly seeking his approval, willing to sacrifice everything just to please him.

And what was the outcome?

She died, and after her death, he sold her belongings to buy gifts for another girl.

In the four years they were together, even on Valentine's Day, the most she received was a single rose.

Yang Xuan looked at the gift box on the table, which contained a laptop, even tied with a beautiful ribbon.

He had never shown her such generosity.

And the money for the gift came entirely from selling her things.

Yang Xuan stared fixedly at the man in front of her. All her love and resentment turned into hatred. Why did he treat her this way? She didn't even ask for his love for a lifetime, but she had only been dead for less than a month. Why did he treat her like this? Why!!

Hatred overwhelmed Yang Xuan's remaining rationality, and her ghostly energy surged wildly in an instant. A sudden wind blew through the room, even though the windows were closed.

The lights above flickered, and the papers on the desk were swept to the ground by the wind.

Zhang Yan glanced at the closed windows, feeling an inexplicable chill. His intuition told him something was wrong, so he grabbed the gift box on the table and tried to leave the dormitory.

But as soon as he opened the door, a powerful force slammed it shut again.

Zhang Yan's face turned pale. Despite never having believed in ghosts, his first thought was that she had returned.