Chapter 1
A short-haired woman in white was sitting at the desk with her back facing him .
It was midnight, and the moon shone with a wispy light . The woman’s hands were on the table, and she was motionless .
There was no light or sound .
The night just seemed so still .
Lin Sheng was lying in bed, peering at the woman by the table from under his quilt .
He began to wonder as he remembered that he had gone to bed at 9 . 30 p . m . Now, judging from the darkness outside, it was 4 . 00 a . m . at most .
When he woke up in his bedroom, the woman was already there at his desk .
Where did the woman come from?
Lin Sheng squinted, but he had -5D shortsightedness and could only make out that she was a young woman in a white dress .
The weird thing was, he had no idea where the woman in white had come from . His mother never wore white, and his elder sister never did too . His sister was always in a uniform, plus she had gone to college far away from home .
It was terrifyingly quiet .
Lin Sheng’s brows were knitted together . He blinked to clear his vision, wanting to know who the woman was .
However, it was too dark; there was not much he could see .
What made it more terrifying was the fact that he could not move his body right then .
In a trance, he seemed to hear someone talking . The voice was coming from right behind him by the bedside . It was out of his field of vision .
The voice was very close, as though the person was staring at him while talking to his back .
He seemed to be able to sense that there were two people . Pairs of strange and cold eyes were staring at him as the indistinct chattering continued . Goosebumps formed all over his skin .
Then, there was a clicking sound like someone had opened the door and walked in .
Suddenly, all the other sounds went dead . Lin Sheng snapped out of his trance only to find that the woman in white at the desk was getting to her feet slowly and quietly . But her back was still facing him .
Sponsored Content
Her long white sleeves were loose and empty like a long skirt, while the movements of her body were stiff and unnatural like a robot’s .
“I…” Lin Sheng wanted to say something, but he was horrified to find that he could not even make a sound .
He was trembling like he had a cramp . All his muscles tensed up, and his teeth chattered . Cold sweat drenched his undershirt .
*Tack, tack, tack, tack . *
Again, footsteps were heard at the doorway . The entity that made those footsteps walked right up to the tail end of the bed and stopped .
Lin Sheng was terrified . He tried to pull himself under the quilt and relax his body so that he could lie as flat as possible on the bed . That way, no one would know he was there .
He thought that as long as he lay flat, whoever it was may believe that it was just a thick quilt on the bed .
Yet, he could not even move a muscle . His legs and back were experiencing a horrible cramp—it was so bad that he had to use all his might to overcome the trembling and pain .
*Tack, tack, tack…*
The footsteps were approaching the head of his bed .
Lin Sheng’s heart was in his mouth . He tried to close his eyes so that he would not see what was coming, but the inexplicable sense of horror made even blinking impossible .
Suddenly, a pair of cold hands slipped under the quilt and grabbed his feet .
“Aah!” Lin Sheng screamed and bounced up from his bed . He was doused in sweat . His face was pale, and his bloodshot eyes were wide open .
“Huff, huff, huff, huff…”
He gasped with his head lowered, drawing as much fresh air into his lungs as possible .
“I… I had the same dream again . ” He bent his leg and reached out to touch the spot where the pair of cold hands had grabbed him earlier .
There was nothing there, as usual . There was no scar, and Lin Sheng felt no pain .
Despite that, the feeling was so vivid and real .
Sponsored Content
The sun had risen; it was now morning .
Lin Sheng climbed out of bed when someone knocked on the door .
“Why were you screaming earlier?” The worried voice of his elder sister traveled from behind the door .
With both hands, Lin Sheng rubbed his forehead, which had a copious amount of sweat . He took a deep breath . “I’m fine . Just had a nightmare . ”
“You’d better be . Did anything happen in school? You’ve been very jumpy recently,” said his elder sister .
“I’m fine, really . Just had a nightmare,” Lin Sheng replied after a pause .
“Breakfast is ready . Get yourself out of bed and drink some warm milk, you’ll feel better,” his elder sister urged with concern before she walked away .
Lin Sheng sat by the bed, the dream still lingering in his head .
It was not his first encounter with that dream . He had been getting the same dream for three consecutive days . Each time, the dream would end with him not being able to move and someone grabbing his feet .
He subconsciously reached down to touch his feet, then he got up . He went to his desk and pulled the curtains open .
The blazing sun suddenly lit up the bedroom; he could even see the dust particles that were floating in the air .
Lin Sheng was an ordinary high school student . After spending three years in Hui An High School, he was about to take the college entrance exam .
His dad ran a grocery store, and his mom was a kindergarten teacher . Their combined annual income was no more than ¥100,000 .
His elder sister was still in college, which was a distance away from home . She had returned home for a short stay and would go back to college in a few days . So, he was alone at home most of the time .
Lin Sheng opened the door and remained silent . Outside was a clean corridor filled with sunlight .
He heard the clinking of dishes; his elder sister was cleaning up in the kitchen .
Lin Sheng entered the kitchen, picked up a glass of warm milk from the countertop, and gulped it down at once .
His elder sister, Lin Xiao never liked to dress up . She was always in a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans—not the tight-fitting type but the loose-fitting ones .
Sponsored Content
The only things that were unique about her were her grace and poise, as well as her dark hair that cascaded down to her waist .
Lin Sheng put down the glass, grabbed a piece of hot bread, and nibbled it .
“Dad and Mom aren’t home today . I’ll take care of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner . But I’m leaving tomorrow . You have to take care of yourself and not make me worry about you . ”
His elder sister turned and took off her apron before she sat on a high stool by the countertop . She was also holding a glass of milk in her hand, and she took a sip as she babbled on .
“Mhm . ” Lin Sheng did not know what to say .
“Do you have enough pocket money? I’ve been doing some part-time work, and I earned quite a bit during the holidays . Let me know if you need any money . ” Lin Xiao was always worried about this and that; it was in her blood .
“I have enough,” Lin Sheng said .
Lin Xiao thought for a moment . “What specialty products do you like? There’s a trade fair near my college . I’ve been there . They feature Kongxi specialties, and it’s said that they make fine porcelain dolls . I could post you one if you’d like . Many of my classmates like it . ”
Lin Xiao started to babble again .
Lin Sheng listened to her silently . It was only ten minutes later that he obligingly responded, “There’s nothing that I want . ”
“Okay, but don’t always lock yourself in your room . Get out there and meet people . No girl likes a nerd . ” Lin Xiao sounded helpless . Like her best friends in her dorm, she was family-oriented, and her boring younger brother was her biggest concern . Whenever her best friend’s elder brother—who was dull and unmarried at forty—came to mind, she would feel a sense of urgency .
“I got it . ” But, Lin Sheng had always been that way .
There was silence for a while as the two just bowed their heads and ate their breakfast . They quickly polished off all the slices of bread on the plate and the milk in the glasses .
His elder sister put her hand down and looked up at Lin Sheng . “Sheng Sheng, I work during my free time in college, and I have enough money . If you’re ever in need, call me . ”
“Got it . ” Lin Sheng bowed his head .
“Sheng Sheng . ” Lin Xiao suddenly reached out and pressed her hand on Lin Sheng’s left shoulder . “Sheng Sheng” was Lin Sheng’s nickname at home, and only those who were closest to him called him that .
“You’re a man now . Please help Dad and Mom when I’m not around . They’re having problems of their own . A child has gone missing from the kindergarten where mom works in, and the child’s from mom’s class . So, she has to deal with the problem . Although mom’s fine, she has to bear some of the responsibility; her pay’s been cut . ”
Lin Sheng nodded . “Don’t worry about me, Sis . I’m fine . ”
“But why do you look so ill?” Lin Xiao was worried .
“Really?” Lin Sheng was stunned .
“Go see for yourself in the mirror . ” Lin Xiao released his shoulder helplessly .
Lin Sheng hurriedly left the kitchen and went into the bathroom .
He saw his face in the mirror as soon as he looked up . It was pale, and his lips were gray .
“Did you have insomnia last night? Why don’t you go and sleep again?” Lin Xiao was heard saying outside the bathroom .
Lin Sheng touched his lips; they were dry and starting to peel .
“I-I just had a nightmare last night . I’ll be fine after a while . ” Lin Sheng played down her concern because he did not want his family to worry about him even though the nightmare seemed real .
“Fine then . I’ve got stuff to do so I’m leaving now . When you get back from school, reheat the food . Don’t worry about me . Dad and Mom will be at Grandpa’s place today . That means you’ll be alone . Don’t forget the key when you go out . ”
“Got it,” Lin Sheng calmly responded . He then heard the sound of the door closing, and the house returned to silence .
Lin Sheng stood in front of the mirror alone, looking at his face . He suddenly had a gut feeling that his nightmare would not simply go away . “I hope it’s just an ordinary dream . ”
Lin Sheng exited the bathroom and walked into the living room, where there were two ¥100 bills on a long wooden table . The green bills changed colors and had different lusters depending on the viewing angle .
Lin Sheng reached out and took the money without a word . He would have to live on this money for the next two months .
Previously, his pocket money was ¥100 a month with school-provided meals . Now, it was ¥200 for two months . That was ¥25 a week, and slightly over ¥3 a day .
“With only ¥3 a day, I must live frugally . ” Lin Sheng got to his feet and entered his room .
He then changed into his school uniform . On the left chest of his blue-and-white uniform was a school badge with a rooster pattern and the word “Hui An . ”
Lin Sheng packed his school bag, changed into a pair of color-matching blue-and-white sneakers, and hurried out the door .
He walked out of the housing area, passing by some vegetable sellers before hopping on an old bus at the bus stop next to the neighborhood’s gate .
The bus rocked all the way for more than ten minutes . He finally reached his destination, squeezed himself out of the crowded bus, and ran straight into school . The school bell rang as soon as he stepped into his classroom .