Chapter 22: Someone Makes a Move

This sudden turn of events made me gasp, and I shuddered with fright.

For a brief moment, the little girl and I stared at each other in shock. She was undeniably adorable, with a petite nose, a delicate face, and skin that was fair with a rosy flush. Yet, as I looked at her, I felt a distinct sense of dread. I couldn't tell if this was Zhao Yong’s girlfriend or the little girl who had finally regained her senses.

I instinctively stepped back, but to my surprise, the girl suddenly burst into tears.

"Where am I? Who are you?" she cried out. Passersby began to gather around us.

Hearing her wails, I snapped back to reality. It was obvious enough that she couldn't possibly be Zhao Yong’s girlfriend. I hurried over to her, saying awkwardly, "Little one, don't cry. Uncle will take you home."

"You're a bad uncle! Don't touch me! I want to go home!" she continued to sob.

The crowd around us began pointing fingers and shouting, with some even accusing me of being a child trafficker. I turned beet red, wishing I could find a hole to crawl into.

"Little one, please stop crying. Let’s go home now, okay? Tell Uncle where you live."

"You're a bad person! I don't want you!"

As she spoke, I reached out to grab her arm, but she struggled and cried even louder. Feeling utterly mortified, I quickly scooped her up into my arms and sprinted toward a taxi as if my life depended on it.

I finally managed to send the little ancestor off; she was truly a handful. Drenched in sweat, I let out a sigh of relief as I watched the taxi drive away.

However, my thoughts immediately drifted to another matter.

It was strange—very strange. The girl had been possessed by a ghost yesterday. By all accounts, something should have happened to her last night, or she might have even died. Yet, today, she was perfectly fine. Moreover, I had observed her closely just now, and there wasn't a single trace of possession left.

That is to say, had Zhao Yong’s girlfriend been driven out of the girl’s body?

This left me puzzled. Who could have intervened in the shadows?

Thinking back, the girl was still possessed right before I passed out yesterday. Then I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, she was completely fine. Could the spirit have been expelled while we were out cold?

The thought gave me a headache. I couldn't fathom who would be so kind as to offer help.

I checked my phone and saw five missed calls, all from the Old Man of the Lake. I called him back immediately, and his voice came through the line: "You brat, I called you all night long and you never picked up. What exactly is going on?"

I hurriedly recounted everything that had happened. Upon hearing it, the old man replied hesitantly, "You were knocked out, and when you woke up, the girl was already fine?"

"Yes," I said.

The old man paused for a moment before saying, "Could it be that the person who knocked you out helped? Don't worry about it anymore. It's good that she's safe."

I hadn't expected Zhao Yong’s affair to end so vaguely. When I hung up, I felt as dazed as if I’d been struck on the head with a club. But there was no point in overthinking it, so I decided to let it go.

This summer vacation was truly astonishing. With university starting soon, I returned home and stayed put, refusing to go anywhere.

I had a feeling that every time I stepped out, trouble followed. The first time, I ran into the Ghost Maiden; the next, the Old Man of the Lake; then came the Zhao Yong incident. It was safer to just stay home; that way, nothing could go wrong.

But I was born restless, and staying cooped up every day was impossible. I didn't have many friends from high school who I still kept in touch with after graduation. The only one left was Zhao Yong, but he was in prison.

Before university started, I visited Zhao Yong in prison a few times. His complexion looked much better than before, no longer so deathly pale. In fact, the kid had even gained some weight.

During my last visit, I gave some money to the prison guard for his meals and saw him one last time through the visitation window. He looked ruddy and had filled out quite a bit; I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"It seems prison life suits you," I said.

Zhao Yong didn't laugh. Instead, he said coldly, "It’s actually quite nice. At least it's peaceful in here."

"I'm off to school. I might not have the chance to pick you up when you're released. Take care of yourself."

Zhao Yong nodded without a word. I continued, "I'm sorry about your girlfriend. I couldn't let you see her one last time. Maybe you should just forget her and start a new life."

As I left the prison, I looked back one last time. Zhao Yong had turned away, his hands and feet shackled by the guards. I walked out of the prison, feeling oddly at ease.

Ten days later, fully prepared, I was on my way to university. After a full day of travel, I arrived at the campus I had longed for, starting a new chapter of my life.

Upon entering the dormitory, I quickly met my roommates. Each had their own quirks, from their appearance and personality to names so memorable you’d never forget them.

There were three of them. One was named Li Xiang. He was a complete goofball; he would sometimes head to classrooms on weekends just to attend lectures, and once, while flirting by the lake, he got so excited that he accidentally hugged the girl and fell into the water with her.

Another was Jin Yuan, a wealthy second-generation kid who was fairly loyal but had one annoying habit: he loved to show off. I recall once when Li Xiang was rejected by a girl because he couldn't afford an iPhone, Jin Yuan dragged Li Xiang to find her, bought a whole crate of iPhones, and smashed them one by one right in front of her. In our dorm, his nickname was "The Spendthrift."

The last one was a chubby guy named Hu Tou. He didn't have many distinct traits, except for playing video games day and night. Once, he got so lost in a game that he didn't even realize the National Day holiday had arrived. When we returned from the break, he was still sitting on his bed, gaming.

And so, my story began in that very dormitory.

Not long after starting school, an incident occurred that nearly cost all four of us our lives.