Translator: CinderTL
"The boss walked over and found that the warehouse door wasn't locked either, just slightly ajar. He slowly pushed it open, and the ringing sound was coming from the very back of the warehouse."
"He walked in bit by bit, and behind the last row of shelves, he found Xiaoyou. She was facing the wall, crouching with her back to him."
"The ringing sound was coming from her."
"At that moment, the boss already felt something was off because Xiaoyou was usually very well-behaved and didn't seem like the type to pull such a prank."
"So, as he walked over, he called her name, but Xiaoyou didn't respond at all. It wasn't until the boss gently tapped her shoulder..." At this point, the woman's face turned pale, as if all the color had drained from it. "Xiaoyou... Xiaoyou was dead!" The woman's breathing became rapid. "Her eyes were wide open, and her mouth, nostrils—everywhere was stuffed full of hair!"
"You mean hair?!" Banana Wolf's breathing suddenly quickened. He immediately thought of the ghost Chu Jiu had encountered in Building 1.
That ghost's method of attack was hair.
Fortunately, the woman just assumed they were scared and continued, "Yes, hair. Xiaoyou's face had turned a bluish-purple. The owner of the wig shop screamed in terror and fell to the ground. It took him a long time before he thought to call the police."
"Was there any news after that?" Hua Luo asked after sorting through his thoughts.
"Later, I heard from someone with connections at the police station that after the autopsy, the forensic examiner found large clumps of hair in Xiaoyou's stomach, trachea, nostrils, and mouth. They were all tightly packed together, leaving no gaps." She paused, lowering her voice. "She was suffocated to death."
"Tell me, who in their right mind could do something like this?" The woman asked breathlessly, clearly still shaken from the tense memory.
Normally, such a thing wouldn't happen, so it was obvious that this wasn't normal.
It had to be related to a ghost.
And everyone secretly speculated that if Chu Jiu had been in trouble last night, her death would likely have been similar to this girl, Song Xiaoyou.
In other words, the ghost haunting them was probably the same one.
According to Jiang Cheng's classification, it was called the Long-Haired Ghost.
"Was there anything unusual about Xiaoyou before the incident?" Wan Yuanning asked. Her calm eyes gave off a sense of reassurance.
The woman from the nail art shop felt slightly more at ease and, after thinking, said, "Now that you mention it, there was something a little strange."
"What was it?"
"It was about a week before the incident," the woman recalled. "She came to me to borrow money, asking for a month's salary all at once. She seemed very anxious and kept looking over her shoulder, as if someone was chasing her."
"I thought someone was giving her trouble, so I told her not to be afraid. I even went out to check, but I didn't see anyone following her."
"Did she say what she needed the money for?"
"Yes," the woman nodded, looking at Hua Luo. "She said she needed to move."
"Move..." Banana Wolf quickly asked, "Do you know where she used to live?"
"Peace Apartment, Building 2, Room 404," the woman said in an uncertain tone. "If I remember correctly, that's it."
Banana Wolf's expression changed slightly. It seemed the ghost in his room was definitely this Song Xiaoyou.
"Why are you asking this?" The woman frowned, belatedly realizing something was off.
"Nothing, just—"
"Zzzzt—"
The lights above them went out without warning, plunging the area into darkness. "Damn it!" Banana Wolf cursed. "My flashlight won't turn on!"
"Same here!"
"Me too!"
"Don't be scared, it's probably just a circuit issue," the woman's voice rang out, though she sounded even more frightened herself. "I'll... I'll go check."
There was a sound of fumbling as the woman seemed to be feeling around for something. The sound gradually faded away. Moments later, Wan Yuanning's voice sounded, "Huh?"
Then, Hua Luo's voice came from behind. "Are you... all here?" His voice sounded strange, as if he'd discovered something.
"Yu Lan?" Banana Wolf asked.
"Yu Lan?"
A few seconds later, everyone's hearts sank. Yu Lan was gone.
"Where is she?"
A question like that didn't need an answer because it was clear something had happened. Otherwise, given that girl's timid nature, she wouldn't have dared to go off alone even if she had ten times the courage.
This wasn't about hiding or revealing strength anymore.
"Gather close," Banana Wolf whispered. "Back to back."
Soon, the three of them came together, backs pressed against each other, forming a defensive formation. At this moment, they couldn't see each other's faces, but they could hear each other's breathing, even their heartbeats.
"Follow me," Wan Yuanning said softly. "Let's get out of here first."
"Do you know the way?" Banana Wolf asked.
"Yes."
Following Wan Yuanning's guidance, they actually managed to leave the room and return to the outside. To their slight relief, their flashlights could now be turned on.
"I'm planning to go to that wig shop," Wan Yuanning said. "There might be clues there."
She looked at the two of them, leaving one thing unspoken: Yu Lan might also be there, though whether she was still alive was another matter.
The woman from earlier had also vanished.
"Alright."
The moment Wan Yuanning turned around, Hua Luo and Banana Wolf exchanged a glance, then both acted simultaneously, instantly restraining the unsuspecting Wan Yuanning.
By the time she realized what was happening, Banana Wolf's 30-centimeter blade was already pressed against her neck.
"Who are you, really?" Hua Luo seemed like a completely different person, his sharp gaze like a knife aimed at Wan Yuanning's forehead.
Wan Yuanning didn't dare move. Banana Wolf's blade was ready to draw blood at any moment. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"It was so dark just now. How did you get out?" Banana Wolf demanded. "There were so many bottles, jars, tables, and chairs around, yet you didn't bump into a single one. Why?"
After a moment, Wan Yuanning exhaled and said, "It's because of my eyes. I can see in the dark where normal people can't."
Hearing her mention her eyes, Hua Luo immediately shone his flashlight at Wan Yuanning's face. In the next moment, Wan Yuanning seemed to be greatly stimulated, her pupils contracting instantly.
She pursed her lips, saying nothing.
Her irises, under the strong light, actually showed a faint, deep blue, like a translucent aquamarine.
Though it looked beautiful, at this moment, the other two felt more unease than anything.
Slowly, Banana Wolf lowered his blade, and Hua Luo released his grip. Wan Yuanning stood up, facing her two teammates with the same calm expression as before, as if nothing had just happened.
"By the way," Banana Wolf suddenly asked, "Since you can see in the dark, what did you see just now?"
At this, Wan Yuanning's expression immediately changed.
(End of the Chapter)
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