" Brother Zeren!" She run towards them and tried to grab Zeren's hands but was stopped by his glare.
She laughed awkwardly and instead walked beside Zeren completely Xinyi.
All three entered the building in silence.
Knowing that Zeren wasn't going to pay her any attention,she turned to Xinyi instead.
"Hi Big brother, my name is Liu Xue" the young girl said.
Xinyi had half a mind to ignore her but he decided against it.
" I am Luo Xinyi. Do you live here?"he asked.
" Yes. I live on the fourth floor" Liu Xue said.
" You live alone? You look quiet young"Xinyi asked
" Oh, I am 19 years. I am studying robotic engineering at Jinghe University. I am not a local that's why I live alone." she said.
" Why didn't you live in the school dormitory?"
" The fees is expensive. My family can't afford it." Liu Xue said. " Oh we are already on the fourth floor. I will head to my room now. Nice meeting you big brother Xinyi. See you around" Liu Xue said, glanced at Zeren before entering the corridor of the fourth floor.
Zeren and Xinyi continued up the stairs in silent.
When they entered Zeren's room, Xinyi poured himself a cup of water and turned to Zeren who dropped his bag on this desk.
" So, how did you and Liu Xue meet?"Xinyi curiously asked.
" Bus station. Twisted her ankle,couldn't walk. So I helped her."Zeren said.
" She seems to like you"
" Not Interested" Zeren said and Xinyi just shrug.
" It is too late to cook. I will order a takeout for us and then you tell me what happened in your room."Zeren said.
After asking Xinyi what he wants and placing their orders,Zeren sat opposite Xinyi and waited for him to start talking.
" So...this dawn, I did not check the time so I do't really know when. But I was woken and scared shitless by the ghost I saw in the mirror. So I tried to run out of the room, but at the door... I suddenly felt dizzy and I found myself inside someone else's body, like I was possessing the body."
" Inside who?"Zeren asked.
" Zhao Mei"Zeren didn't look or act confused at the name. Yo be frank,Zeren isn't supposed to know Zhao Mei because no one knew Zhao Bei was a twin except people close to them.
Xinyi was confused with the lack of reaction from Zeren but continued.
" I could feel everything. Her pain,when she was hit.."he paused and breath in." It wasn't like a memory at all. It felt real,like it was happening to me."
" What happened to her?"Zeren asked.
Xinyi let out a bitter chuckle.
" What didn't happen?"Xinyi asked. " Her own sister killed her. She didn't even hesitate.She was smiling. Talking like it was nothing..like she didn't just take someone's life. Her sister's life. And Xue Chen...helped her. They gagged her mouth. And dismembered her."Xinyi turned to look out the window.
" The little girl stood,watched as his mother got killed by her father and aunt. I wanted to cover her eyes,I...this isn't a scene a child should be seeing. But I was helpless and useless. They took her body away. Xue Chen did, and Zhao Bei stayed back to clean the mess." Luo Xinyi paused, last in thought.
" And what happened next?"
" I came out of the memory lane, I came to you to spend the night at your place but realized halfway that it wasn't you. I took off down the stairs ...but the scariest thing is that it took longer to get to the stairs. Like the corridor have been stretched out..like a long corrido-"Xinyi paused.
" Wait! Is that what you were drawing? A long corridor. Your drawing when we first met that was it right?"
" Mn"
" What does it mean?"Xinyi asked. Zeren shrug," No one knows, it occurs at noon 3:03. No one knows when it returns to normal but it does every morning." Zeren said and continued " So what happened when you got to the stairs?"
" I run down, my aim was outside. I didn't want to be in this busted apartment anymore. But I saw a shadow on the stairs of the second floor. So I hand no choice but to enter the third corridor and I realized that the door to room 303 was different. It was red. Well, I was scared but decided to take the risk and entered room 303. And I was met with another memory. A memory of Xue Chen hiding the body. So I came up, found the body and the rest is history" Xinyi said.
Zeren remained silent after Xinyi finished,gazing out the window. Xinyi didn't know what was wrong with him but he just thought maybe Zeren was processing all what he said.
" You know you were saved that day"Zeren finally said.
" I am sorry what?"Xinyi asked baffled
" I don't know the intention of the shadow, but it saved you from getting lost. When you run out of the apartment at 3:03 and walk back I, there is a high chance that you may end up in another time line."Zeren said.
" That's impossible. Which time line exactly?"Xinyi asked which earned a shrug from Zeren.
" Nobody knows, it can be the present,the future or the past... who knows"
" Have such a thing ever happened before?"Xinyi asked
" Where do you think or the missing people went went to? They either were tricked by a ghost to enter a wrong room like your case, or they left the apartment"Zeren said.
" Does everyone in the apartment like...I don 't know...Do they know the happenings in the apartment?"
" Apart from what the news gives them. No. Most of them believe Yuehua is just unlucky to be involved in soo many accidents. Some later on find out and curiosity gets the better of the best of them and poof... they are gone. Those who don't find out, just leave their life, but leaving the apartment means bad luck."Zeren said.
" What about the memory lane?"Xinyi asked. Zeren stared at him without replying for a minute.
" No one has ever been able to see through a memory in this apartment Xinyi, you are the first"Zeren said.
" What? What do you mean?"
" Exactly what you think I mean Xinyi"Zeren said.
" But, a lot of people have been into this apartment and so someone might have definitely been down a memory lane before."Xinyi said.
" No one has"
" How sure are you?"
"100% sure."Zeren said.
Xinyi narrowed his eyes at his eyes at Zeren.
" You sure know a lot of things"
" I don't know what you mean"Zeren said
" Whatever"Xinyi muttered.
Remembering something, Xinyi turned to face Zeren again.
" What about Liu Xue?"
" She doesn't know. She just sees the apartment as a normal building"Zeren said.
" Okay"
Just then Zeren's phone rang to inform him that their food had arrived.
After eating, Xinyi realized they had a problem.
" um.. Zeren, Where am I to sleep?"Xinyi asked.
" On the bed" Zeren replied.
" And you?"
" One Bed"
" One the same bed?"Xinyi asked.
" Yes, do you see an extra bed somewhere?"
" I will take the couch" Xinyi said.
" No, the bed is big, we are sharing"Zeren said.
" But the-"
" No, We. Are. Sharing. It."Zeren said.
" Fine"Xinyi said and entered the bathroom to freshen up.
Xinyi laid on one side of the bed waiting for Zeren who was in the bathroom. Zeren came out wearing only a sweat pant while drying his hair with a towel. Showing off his abs and V line which got Xinyi shamelessly staring.
" Zeren," Xinyi called out.
"Mn"
" Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"Xinyi asked.
" Because I don't want to. This is how I sleep."Zeren said.
" Wear a shirt Zeren"Xinyi said.
" No."Zeren said and threw the towel in the arms of a chair.
" Zeren"
" What? You can't handle it?"Zeren asked.
" It's not that!"Xinyi protested.
" Then what?"
" You know what? forget it . I am going to sleep"
" Mn. Goodnight" Zeren said and laid down on the other side of the bed, turning off the light.
" Sweet dreams"
Xinyi was pulled out of his sleep by his alarm. He groaned and nuzzled into his warm, solid pillow. Wait...Solid? Xinyi opened his eyes and realized he was lying on Zeren's chest with Zeren's hands around his waist.
'How did we get in this position?' Xinyi asked himself.
He tried to move away after the realization that he was hard but Zeren's hand tightened around him. He knew it was normal but that didn't stop the embarrassment.
Zeren stirred.
"You are moving too much " Zeren said.
Xinyi raised his head to look at Zeren embarrassed.
His face flushed.
" What's the matter?"Zeren asked but got no response.
" You are embarrassed"Zeren stated the obvious.
" Is it because you are hard?"He continued
Now Xinyi wished the bed would split open and the earth would wallow him.
" It's okay. I am hard too, it's just the body's natural reaction in-"
That was it, before Zeren could complete his sentence, Xinyi bolted out of the bed and into the bathroom.
'Gosh that was so embarrassing' Xinyi thought to himself.
Behind the door..
" As I was saying," Zeren continued calmly, "It is the body's natural reaction in the morning. That's why it is called morning wood."
"FOR FUCK'S SAKE ZEREN,I KNOW THAT! "Xinyi snapped.
" ...Then why did you run?"Zeren curiously asked.
" Zeren, please just shut up."