Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Cheng's expression shifted abruptly upon hearing those words.
"He's been following us the whole way." The phrase immediately made Jiang Cheng think of the puddle they had seen earlier. Whatever had left that puddle had clearly been trailing them all the way from their dormitory.
It seemed Wang Qi had noticed this too, but the others remained oblivious. Gao Yan turned to Wen Liangshan, demanding, "Which way did Wang Qi go?"
Wen Liangshan pointed without hesitation. "The last time I saw him, he was heading that way."
Following Wen Liangshan's gesture, Jiang Cheng deduced that Wang Qi must have circled around to the front gate of the Activity Center.
But Jiang Cheng was certain Wang Qi wouldn't dare enter the Activity Center alone. He must have sought refuge nearby, in one of the neatly arranged dormitory buildings they had passed on their way to Jiangtan University.
"What did you find inside?" Wen Liangshan asked, his keen eye noticing the group's tense and disturbed expressions.
Neither Gao Yan nor Jiang Cheng answered. Only Shen Mengyun paused, offering a dismissive reply, "This isn't the time for that. Finding him is our priority."
Hearing that they still had to look for Wang Qi, Huai Yi couldn't contain himself. "If you ask me, we should just forget about him. Someone like him would be more of a hindrance than a help."
"Huai Yi's right," Fatty agreed after a moment's thought. "He'd only put us in danger and cause more trouble."
They had been out for quite some time, and any further delay risked alerting the old man who guarded the dormitory. The old man was a light sleeper, retiring early and waking up even earlier. Jiang Cheng once had a client who was in bed before 8 PM every night and reliably up at 4 AM for breakfast.
Jiang Cheng was inclined to abandon the search. Looking for someone on campus in the dead of night? It would be more like hunting for ghosts.
Most importantly, Jiang Cheng worried that whatever had followed them from the dormitory might still be lurking nearby, ready to tail them back.
After a moment's hesitation, Shen Mengyun finally spoke up. "Here's what we'll do: we'll circle around to the front gate and take a quick look. If Wang Qi's nearby, we'll bring him back with us. If not, we won't go out of our way to search for him. Sound good?"
"Agreed."
It was a reasonable compromise.
The group arrived at the front gate of the Activity Center. Wen Liangshan glanced around nervously, then flinched as a sudden gust of wind blew past. He instinctively hunched his shoulders, tucking his neck into his collar, and mumbled in a muffled voice, "Wang Qi's not here. Could he have gone back already?"
Gao Yan shot him a sharp look, and Wen Liangshan guiltily averted his gaze.
They all knew the dormitories were a long way off, requiring a lengthy detour. No sane person would walk back alone through the dark. Wen Liangshan's suggestion was born of fear, a desperate attempt to return early. He couldn't care less about Wang Qi's fate.
Jiangtan University at night felt like a stagnant pond, utterly devoid of life. Even the student dormitories in the distance had only a few lights burning dutifully, yet after all this time, they hadn't heard a single sound. This was beyond mere strangeness.
"Could everyone in this school be ghosts?" Fatty muttered under his breath.
Fatty's words sent a fresh wave of fear through the timid Wen Liangshan and Shi Xiaoya, their faces paling. Even Shen Mengyun frowned slightly.
"Don't talk nonsense," Gao Yan said irritably. "How could everyone in the school be ghosts? How would we ever complete the mission? We might as well just wait here to die."
Feeling guilty, Fatty hung his head and fell silent.
"This place doesn't feel safe. Let's head back," Gao Yan said less than a minute later. Whether Fatty's words had influenced him or not, he was eager to leave.
No one objected this time.
But just as they had walked less than thirty meters, the sound of light footsteps approached from behind. Shen Mengyun's shoulders trembled, her first thought being that something from the Activity Center had chased them.
Fortunately, it wasn't that. Wang Qi's irritatingly cheerful face appeared behind them.
Before anyone could confront him, Wang Qi squinted and asked with a cheerful smile, "So you're here! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"You were looking for us?" Huai Yi demanded fiercely.
"Yep. I checked the back windows earlier and couldn't find you. That's why I circled around here. I didn't expect to catch you just as you were heading back," Wang Qi replied casually, hands in his pockets.
"Why wouldn't we be heading back?" Fatty snapped angrily. "Are we supposed to wait for an invitation to your funeral feast?!"
Shen Mengyun's expression turned frosty as she interrupted, "Enough! Stop arguing." She turned back to Wang Qi, her gaze scrutinizing him. "I asked you, where did you go?"
Wang Qi lazily pointed to the student dormitory building nearby. "I was bored, so I took a stroll and handled some personal matters."
Wen Liangshan glanced nervously at the lifeless dormitory building, his voice trembling with anxiety. "You actually went inside the dorm?"
"Not exactly," Wang Qi replied casually. "I just wandered around the area. Though I must say, those dorms are rather peculiar." He paused, a teasing glint in his eyes, as if daring them to press him for more details.
But to his surprise,
"Good to see you're not dead," Jiang Cheng said indifferently, turning away. "Let's scatter and head back."
Fatty and Huai Yi followed Jiang Cheng without hesitation. After a moment's thought, Shen Mengyun and Gao Yan also left.
Wen Liangshan and Shi Xiaoya, their curiosity piqued, initially hesitated, but seeing the others leave, they quickly hurried after the group.
Wang Qi remained unperturbed, trailing behind the departing crowd with his usual enigmatic nonchalance.
Back in the dormitory, Fatty immediately locked the door, his curiosity piqued. "Doctor, why didn't you let Wang Qi finish talking?"
Even if they weren't planning to investigate the student dormitories, gathering more information about the school—especially Jiangtan University after midnight—would be invaluable for their next move.
Jiang Cheng picked up the thermos from the floor, shook it, and poured himself a cup of lukewarm water. "There's no point in questioning him. Whatever he says will be a lie anyway."
"Brother Jiang, there's definitely something off about Wang Qi," Huai Yi said after a moment's thought, his tone cautious. "But whether he's the ghost you suspect... I think we need to observe him further."
Jiang Cheng held his cup, slowly sipping the lukewarm water. "You're right. Wang Qi isn't as simple as he seems. I bet he never even went to the student dormitories."
"Then where did he go?" Fatty pressed, recalling that Wang Qi had left alone shortly after Jiang Cheng and the others entered.
Jiang Cheng sighed and glanced at Fatty. "Just like us, he went to the Activity Center. But while we snuck in through the back window, he walked right through the front door."
Fatty and Huai Yi froze, stunned.
(End of the Chapter)
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