Chapter 311

Chapter 311

◎Letting the Wolf in the Door◎

When Ji Nanxing and the others arrived at the hospital, it was already swarming with people. Some were patients in hospital gowns, others were family members who had accompanied them, while some simply strained to see the commotion, and a few were filming with their phones.

After getting out of the car, Ji Nanxing and his companions followed the crowd’s gaze upward.

Peng Cheng squinted as he looked up. "What’s going on up there? Is someone trying to jump?"

The inpatient building was tall—not just seven or eight stories, but over twenty stories high. Even when looking up, his normal eyesight couldn’t make out the details on the rooftop.

Some bystanders, who had been watching for a while, shared what they knew: "Yeah, there's a woman who seems ready to jump. She’s still hesitating up there."

"I heard she broke down the rooftop door. The hospital has locked all the windows on every floor now, leaving only a tiny gap for ventilation. Who knows what’s driving her to go this far just to jump."

"They say she’s a con artist who scammed people out of a lot of money. She’s facing arrest after discharge—probably can’t bear the idea of prison."

"Prison isn’t the end of the world. A few years for fraud is better than dying and losing everything."

Ji Nanxing looked up, but what he saw was different from the others.

The wind on the rooftop was fierce. A woman in a hospital gown stood at the edge of the railing, her face twisted in an eerie grin. As she paced back and forth, a faint, shifting shadow trailed behind her—clearly, she was possessed by a ghost.

Peng Cheng showed his work badge and waved at Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye. "This way, hurry!"

Xiao Ye and Ji Nanxing followed Peng Cheng into the elevator. When they reached the rooftop, it was already packed—police, firefighters, even the hospital director. A negotiator was reportedly on the way.

The ledge was barely wide enough to stand on with feet together. At twenty-six floors up, even peering over the railing would make most people’s legs weak. Yet Tian Xin was playfully walking back and forth, occasionally teetering at the edge.

One misstep, one stumble, and she’d plummet to her death—a sight that made everyone’s blood run cold.

The building was too tall, with locked windows all the way down and no lower balconies for rescue attempts. Even with inflatable mats below, a fall from this height would likely be fatal.

Many tried to coax her down, assuming she feared prison. Some even promised reduced sentences, but she remained unmoved, spinning on her tiptoes instead.

The hospital director, an elderly man, couldn’t take the stress. Every move she made felt like a stab to his heart, threatening to trigger a heart attack.

When Peng Cheng arrived, he showed his badge. "What’s the situation?"

An officer briefed him: "The woman’s name is Tian Xin, 26, a con artist involved in a scam worth millions. That’s at least ten years in prison. Three days ago, her accomplice was murdered, and she was injured. Somehow, she slipped past her guards today and made it up here to kill herself."

‘Tian Xin’ giggled. The rooftop wind whipped her hair into disarray, and her oversized hospital gown fluttered like she’d be swept off at any moment.

People tried reasoning with her from a distance, and a female officer cautiously stepped forward. But no matter what they said, ‘Tian Xin’ remained silent at the edge, refusing to engage.

Negotiation requires dialogue. Without an opening, there was no way to persuade her down.

Ji Nanxing turned to Peng Cheng. "Can you get everyone to back off? This isn’t working. That’s not Tian Xin—it’s a ghost possessing her. Let me talk to her."

Peng Cheng held considerable authority, but this wasn’t his jurisdiction or responsibility. Without his team or official orders, interfering would be improper. Still, to save a life, he approached the lead officer to discuss.

Meanwhile, Ji Nanxing called out to ‘Tian Xin,’ "If you jump, who’ll feel the pain—you or her?"

Nearby officers tensed, fearing careless remarks might escalate things. "Hey—!"

Xiao Ye blocked them. "Relax. He knows what he’s doing."

The officer was about to ask what kind of professional when the girl—who had ignored all pleas—glanced over.

Her smile faded as she stood still, her jet-black eyes staring straight at Ji Nanxing through the crowd.

Ji Nanxing made his way through the crowd, and this time no one stopped him, only whispering a reminder, "Be careful. Don’t provoke her."

He stopped at a safe distance and said, "You’re inside her body. She knows nothing, feels no pain, no fear. I know you want her dead, but if she jumps now, it’ll be a senseless death. Is that really enough revenge?"

The bystanders were left completely baffled by phrases like "you’re inside her" and "senseless death."

But ‘Tian Xin’ understood. She turned to face Ji Nanxing, the wind from behind tossing her tangled hair across half her face, leaving only a ghostly half-face visible as she looked down at him. "What do you know?" she demanded.

Ji Nanxing replied, "I don’t know much. Only that you’re someone long dead. You’ve taken over her body for a reason, right? Why don’t you tell me—what did she do to you? If you jump with her now, her crime will only be recorded as a fraudster's suicide. But what about you? Who are you? What happened to you? No one will ever know."

‘Tian Xin’ scoffed. "What good would knowing do me now? Will it bring me back to life?"

Ji Nanxing countered, "No, it won’t. But you should know that death isn’t the finale. Are you planning to kill her and consume her spirit, just like you did with Cao Zhen?"

‘Tian Xin’ stopped laughing, her gaze sharpening as she glared at him. "Who are you?"

Ji Nanxing answered, "Someone who helps wronged souls find peace."

‘Tian Xin’ sneered, "Wronged souls? Ha! How many wronged souls would willingly find peace? Don’t waste your breath. Even if I die, I’ll drag them all to hell with me!"

Ji Nanxing asked calmly, "Then do you know how hell’s rules work?"

The ghost, who hadn’t yet been to the underworld, hesitated. "What rules?"

Ji Nanxing explained, "The living world has laws; the underworld has retribution. You sought them out because they harmed you. You’re the victim, and your revenge is their punishment. But if you kill them before their time, their untimely deaths make them wrongful deaths. The remaining years they should’ve lived will offset part of their sins—essentially, shortening their punishment in hell."

‘Tian Xin’ pressed her lips together, silent. She understood, but it rankled her. Why should good people suffer while evil ones got lighter punishments just because they were killed in revenge?

Ji Nanxing continued, "If you jump with her, she’ll only feel the pain of impact for a second. I know you were murdered, and this revenge is fleeting. But haven’t you heard? Sometimes, living is worse than dying. Let her face the law in this world, then suffer her due punishment in the underworld. Or, if you want it even more painful, linger by her side. Remind her daily of the evil she’s done, the lives she’s ruined. Torment her day and night. Isn’t that better than a quick death?"

‘Tian Xin’ froze. As a ghost, she was being lectured by a mortal on how to truly be vengeful—and it made sense. This was how revenge should be.

She wavered. Before, she’d only wanted to kill them, to end their lives. But aside from following them, she could do nothing—unable to touch them or interact with the physical world. Until that day, when she encountered the young man Cao Zhen had brought back.

That boy’s luck was weak, his vitality low. After being beaten by Cao Zhen and his gang, he was filled with rage, making him easy to possess. Seizing the chance, she took control, intending to kill Cao Zhen first.

But when she tried to kill Tian Xin, the police arrived. Their intense yang energy forced her out of the boy’s body. The possession had weakened her, her ghostly form nearly scattering. Then she noticed Cao Zhen’s wandering soul in the room. Instinctively, she knew consuming it would strengthen her.

Before she could finish consuming Cao Zhen, someone else arrived—their yang energy even stronger than the police, searing her spectral form. Without even seeing who it was, she fled. She knew her time was running short. This was her last opportunity to kill Tian Xin and get her revenge.

Ji Nanxing pressed on, "Tian Xin’s fraud involves over a million, which carries at least ten years in prison—and that’s just what’s been uncovered. There’s more, like how you died and your connection to them. If they murdered you, the sentence could be even harsher—maybe even the death penalty. Do you know how executions work?"

‘Tian Xin’ asked reflexively, "How?"

Ji Nanxing explained, "After sentencing, it’s not immediate. A date is set. She’ll dread each passing day, knowing exactly how long she has left. On execution day, she’ll be led to the site, fully aware she’s about to die. Every second will stretch endlessly in fear. That torment lasts months. Compare that to jumping—just one moment of pain. Which is worse? If her crimes don’t warrant execution, her sentence will still be extended—ten, twenty years. By the time she’s out, she’ll be middle-aged, an ex-con with no future but poverty. Too afraid to live, too scared to die. And when her time comes, she’ll face yet more punishment in the underworld."

The ghost stood silently, suddenly realizing jumping would be giving them too easy an out. If she’d known, she wouldn’t have killed Cao Zhen either. Stabbing him had felt good, but it had also freed him too quickly.

Ji Nanxing asked, "Tell me—who are you? How did you die? How did they kill you?"

The observing officers and medics were stunned. The conversation sounded straight out of a ghost story. They wanted to believe the girl was mentally ill and the young man was humoring her delusions.

But the two spoke as if it were all real. Could ghosts truly exist? Was this a spirit seeking revenge?

At that moment, a cold wind blew past, sending shivers down the spines of many who had just entertained such thoughts. Weird things happen every year, but this year seems extra creepy.

The female ghost remained silent for a while before speaking: "My name is Zhao Yitong. I was murdered during a home robbery."

Ji Nanxing: "By them?"

Zhao Yitong shook her head: "No. The guy who killed me got caught, but they're still to blame!"

"My parents divorced, and custody was given to my father. But he soon remarried. I didn’t get along with my stepmother or their new child, so I went to live with my grandfather. He was a retired teacher, quite old but still in good health. However, as I grew older, many things became inconvenient, so the family hired a nanny."

Zhao Yitong looked at Ji Nanxing and continued: "Back then, Tian Xin wasn’t even twenty yet. She had just arrived from a small town, had no schooling, and couldn’t find work. Someone introduced her to our household. My grandfather thought she was only a few years older than me, well-behaved, good-tempered, and hardworking, so he kept her around to keep me company."

To Tian Xin, she was nominally a nanny, but in reality, my grandfather never treated her as just an employee. They ate together, lived together—whatever I got, my grandfather would prepare a share for Tian Xin too. He even enrolled her in night school so she could study more and earn a diploma, so she could make something of herself in the city.

I also treated Tian Xin like an older sister, sharing everything with her—food, clothes, almost everything. Back then, I thought that one day, my grandfather would pass away. I wasn’t close to my father or mother, so perhaps in the future, I could regard Tian Xin as family. Even if we weren’t extremely close, at least she’d be someone I knew and could stay in touch with, even after she got married.

We lived together for two years. Then, Tian Xin started dating—her boyfriend was Cao Zhen, that worthless loser.

Zhao Yitong: "They started pilfering stuff from our place to sell. My grandfather’s students often sent health supplements as gifts, especially during holidays. There were so many that neither my grandfather nor I kept track. They were piled up in the room, and you'd notice if even one went missing. Later, they started stealing my jewelry. Every year on my birthday, my grandfather would give me zodiac-themed jewelry. There was a lot of it, and though it looked messy, you'd notice if even one went missing. When we found out it was Tian Xin, we were crushed but just let her go."

The ghost girl's face contorted with rage again: "That day, I came home from school to find my grandfather lying on the floor, his body already cold. All the jewelry and cash were stolen, but there was no sign of a break-in. It was clearly someone familiar with the house. I couldn’t think of anyone else but Tian Xin."

Ji Nanxing: "What happened next?"

Zhao Yitong: "Next, of course, was investigating the cause of death. My grandfather had epilepsy—that’s why we had a nanny in the first place, in case he had a seizure and no one was around to help. This time, he had a seizure and didn’t get help in time. He suffocated. We had to find the thief who broke in and killed my grandfather, arrange the funeral, and divide his inheritance."

That period was the most chaotic time of her life. After her grandfather’s death, there was money involved—she didn’t even understand what kind of money it was, like a hundred grand. Her stepmother fought with her father, claiming a kid had no right to inherit an old man’s money—it should go to the adults.

She was only sixteen that year, still two years away from adulthood and independence.

But she absolutely refused to live with her stepmother, so she decided to stay in her grandfather’s house, living as she always had—even though she was alone now.

Later, whether by sheer bad luck or because someone found out a young girl was living alone, somebody broke in. In the scuffle, she got stabbed and died. They caught the killer fast.

But compared to the murderer who killed her, she resented Tian Xin way more. If Tian Xin hadn’t caused her grandfather’s death, she wouldn’t have died either. They'd brought her in meaning well, never realizing they were letting a snake into their nest.

She hated them—how could she not? She hated them so much that even after death, she refused to let them go!

Peng Cheng, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly spoke: "Was your grandfather named Zhao Mian?"

Zhao Yitong turned to Peng Cheng and nodded: "Yes, my grandfather was Zhao Mian."

Ji Nanxing also looked at Peng Cheng.

Peng Cheng said: "The money Cao Zhen and Tian Xin scammed was eventually deposited into Zhao Mian’s account. That’s how they withdrew the funds."

The onlookers: "Holy shit. Ghosts are for real."