The Haunted House - Chapter 3

Bai Qingqing lay on the bed of her new house, staring at the large white lampshade hanging from the ceiling. Just one month left-if she couldn’t finish writing her book in time, she would have to fulfill her promise to her father and return to that detested home. She wouldn’t even be able to stay in this beautiful house anymore. Looking at the current situation, it seemed that writing a book was proving to be an incredibly difficult task. She had no ideas at all and no clue where to even begin. If she failed to secure a publishing deal, did Wang Chenxi perhaps have some feelings for her? Otherwise, why did he call her “darling”? With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Bai Qingqing gradually drifted into a dream.

In her dream, a gentle stream of water flowed across her face. Bai Qingqing relished the cool, refreshing sensation. She reached out to play with the chill of the water, only to find that it wasn’t water-it was a long strand of hair wrapped around her face! Terrified, she tried to pull the strand of hair away, but more hair kept wrapping around her face. Desperately, she yanked at the hair, only to uncover a decayed woman’s face beneath it!

Bai Qingqing jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat that had soaked through her pajamas.

It must have been the ghost stories she’d heard earlier in the day about the haunted house that caused this nightmare. But she had never had such a vivid dream before. The sensation of hair coldly and ticklishly brushing against her face still lingered. Bai Qingqing couldn’t help but reach up to her face and swipe at it, only to find an actual thick strand of hair!

Her heart pounding, Bai Qingqing shot up and fumbled in the darkness for the light switch. It took her a while, but she finally turned the lights on.

The bed was empty.

The strand of hair she’d felt earlier was nowhere to be seen. The only hair on her face was her own short hair, damp with sweat and stuck to her forehead. The bed was spotless.

Had she imagined it in her sleep?

Bai Qingqing clutched her chest, her heart still pounding furiously. Had she just been overthinking everything? Even so, the vivid sensation of hair was still lingering at her fingertips-it had been icy cold, impossibly long hair!

Could this house really be haunted?

Bai Qingqing didn’t dare think further. She couldn’t leave this house, no matter the reason. Even if a female ghost with unkempt hair were lying across from her right now, she would have to stay and share the bed with her. There simply wasn’t another place in the world for Bai Qingqing, her childish hopes, and her unfinished manuscript. With that thought, Bai Qingqing angrily slammed the quilt onto the bed and laid back down to sleep.

Bai Qingqing was abruptly woken by a knock at the door. When she opened her eyes, the pale light of dawn was just starting to seep through her window. Who could it be this early? She shuffled to the door, groggily opened it, and was stunned to find Wang Chenxi standing there. To her surprise, he was dressed in cartoon-themed pajamas, his face lit up with anticipation as he looked at her.

“Is something wrong?” Bai Qingqing asked, puzzled.

The moment those words left her mouth, it was as if she’d struck Wang Chenxi with lightning. His bright, animated expression instantly crumbled into disappointment and flustered confusion, leaving him looking utterly defeated.

“N-no, nothing. I must still be half-asleep. Sorry about that,” he stammered before turning on his heel and retreating down the hall.

Bai Qingqing stood frozen in her doorway, watching his hurried, awkward figure disappear. It wasn’t until she caught sight of her own reflection in the window-still sporting a messy, just-rolled-out-of-bed look-that she snapped out of her daze. Embarrassment rushed over her like a flood. Without a second thought, she slammed the door shut and pressed her back against it, suddenly all too aware of her disheveled appearance. Her heart was pounding with the self-consciousness only a girl in her twenties could feel.

After hurriedly tidying herself up, Bai Qingqing sat down at her desk, ready to start writing. But her mind felt like a tangled mess of weeds-chaotic, unfocused. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t calm herself down. Wang Chenxi’s pale, disappointed face kept floating to the forefront of her thoughts. She couldn’t understand why he acted so… strange around her. Was it possible he had feelings for her after such a short time? That would be absurd, wouldn’t it? Or could he be… a weirdo?

Life in this apartment had been calm, so calm in fact that Bai Qingqing’s restless, anxious heart was gradually settling. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she could focus on her writing. But there were still two things that nagged at her, pulling her out of her newfound peace of mind.

First, the dreams-they were too vivid, too unusual. They always came to her in the dead of night, wrapping themselves around her like a mist she couldn’t shake. Then there was the noise. Just as Wang Chenxi had mentioned, the racket from upstairs was unnervingly loud. On several occasions, the thumping and crashing had been so strong that she thought an earthquake was happening. Still, for someone in Bai Qingqing’s position-holding on to the last sliver of hope for her dreams-these disturbances were nothing she couldn’t deal with.

That night, Bai Qingqing sat at her old, nearly battered laptop under the glow of her desk lamp. Outside, the darkness was suffocating, and the harsh northern wind howled through the skeletons of trees, sending dry leaves racing past her window. Everything seemed normal, and yet it didn’t. It was impossible to pinpoint, but there was something-just a thread-of something off in the air. Something just different enough to scrape at the edges of her awareness.

Feeling the fatigue of the day settle into her bones, Bai Qingqing turned off her laptop, stretched lazily, and collapsed onto her bed. She let her body sink into the mattress as her tired eyes fluttered closed. Bit by bit, she drifted into sleep, surrendering herself to the embrace of her dreams once more.

That vivid, tangible sensation jolted Bai Qingqing awake from her sleep once again. But unlike before, it didn’t fade with her waking. It was still there, right in front of her! She couldn’t see its entirety, just a mass of long, jet-black hair, obscuring everything. The hair floated in the air, flickering between presence and absence. Bai Qingqing was so terrified that she felt like her soul had left her body. She shivered uncontrollably as cold sweat drenched her soft pajamas. Frozen in fear, she stared at the apparition until, unexpectedly, it spoke.

Its voice was so gentle that it carried no trace of malice, and yet it was unnervingly distant-like it came from a far-off place while simultaneously echoing right beside her.

“Don’t be afraid. My name is Li Xian. I’m here to help you.”

Though Bai Qingqing was still shaken, her sense of reason began to return. Trembling, she stammered, “W-who are you? Is… is this place really haunted?” She blurted out a string of disjointed, foolish questions.

Li Xian, however, didn’t seem to lose patience with her. Her voice remained soft and hollow, carrying a strange calmness. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t know who I am. What matters is that I’m the only one who can save you. Without me, you have no other options.”

Bai Qingqing was finally starting to calm down, though her voice was still shaky. She asked cautiously, “Why do you want to help me? Is it because you want something in return? My soul, perhaps?”

The female ghost hovering in front of her let out a bitter smile. “Writers really do have boundless imaginations. But what you’re imagining is just fiction. I want to help you, purely and simply-no strings attached.”

At last, Bai Qingqing found herself starting to believe that this apartment was, in fact, haunted. The realization made her body tremble again, and she was rendered speechless with fear. She didn’t know whether she should trust this ghost, even though she did seem sincere. After all, she was a ghost-something that belonged to another world entirely.

The ghost, Li Xian, seemed to sense Bai Qingqing’s mistrust. She spoke again, her voice calm and unhurried. “Alright, to ease your doubts, I’ll prove my sincerity. But keep in mind, what I show you might change the way you see the world.”

Before Bai Qingqing could respond, Li Xian’s form dissolved into a wisp of shadow, flickering briefly before vanishing completely.

The moment the ghost disappeared, everything around Bai Qingqing returned to normal. The biting wind outside continued to howl, ruthlessly tearing the withered leaves from the trees and flinging them harshly onto the asphalt road. Yet, despite the unchanged scenery, the air was different, as if this fleeting moment of tranquility was just a facade. Before long, that fragile sense of peace dissipated entirely, leaving Bai Qingqing feeling as though everything she’d experienced had been nothing more than an illusion, a surreal dream.

Bai Qingqing gazed at the vast expanse before her. The lush green grass swayed gently in the breeze, the crystal-clear stream meandered lazily across the land, and the endless field of cherry blossoms radiated breathtaking brilliance. Everything seemed to pulse with life and vitality. Bai Qingqing was certain that even someone teetering on the edge of despair would have their weary heart soothed by such a scene.

But like an ill-timed bell shattering a moment of silence, that ethereal, hollow voice rang out again: “I apologize for interrupting your peace, but I must tell you-a reality as beautiful as this is a mere illusion. If you are ready, I can open the door to an entirely new world for you.”

“Li Xian, right? Go ahead. I think I’m ready now.”

Bai Qingqing no longer feared her. Perhaps it was this radiant landscape, so full of beauty, that gave her a strange sense of courage. She thought to herself that even if she were to meet her end in a place as stunning as this, it would still feel worthwhile.

Her response didn’t seem to surprise Li Xian in the slightest. The ghostly voice remained calm, yet oddly hesitant, as if unsure where to begin. For the first time, it seemed that even Li Xian, who spoke of vast and otherworldly truths, needed a moment to collect her thoughts. Bai Qingqing waited, silent and patient, but the familiar voice failed to come. Just as she was about to say something, Li Xian’s voice echoed again.

“Do you see those radiant cherry blossoms?” Li Xian’s tone was as cool and even as ever. “They are mesmerizing, aren’t they? Yet have you ever wondered why they bloom now, when it’s not supposed to be their season? Cherry blossoms shouldn’t flourish in winter, for this is a time for barrenness and frost. But tell me, do you feel cold? No-you don’t. All you feel is the beauty that takes your breath away.”

Bai Qingqing nodded slightly, her heart caught in a subtle unease as Li Xian continued.

“I love cherry blossoms too. I love the way their fleeting bloom bursts with fiery energy. But I also admire their fall-a poignant, heroic descent to the ground. However…” Her voice took on a chilling edge. “Cherry blossoms are, in truth, quite a cruel flower. They cycle through life and death by consuming their own fallen petals as nourishment. The more they absorb, the more brilliant their bloom in the following season. A relentless, unyielding repetition.”

Bai Qingqing felt a faint chill crawl up her spine, but Li Xian didn’t let up.

“Yet here, these cherry blossoms never wither. They don’t need to feed on their own remains-or the remains of their fallen kind-to sustain themselves. That’s because they have a different source of nourishment: blood.”

The word hit Bai Qingqing like a jolt of icy wind. For a moment, the beauty of the cherry blossom forest seemed to dim, shadowed by the words’ ominous weight. She hadn’t expected something so exquisite to harbor something so sinister.

But before she could process it further, Li Xian’s voice struck again. “Go ahead. Step closer. See for yourself. Among those enchanting cherry trees, you’ll find rotting corpses everywhere, their putrid stench filling the air. Their faces are mutilated beyond recognition. Once you see that, you won’t believe this place is so beautiful anymore.”

A wave of fear seized Bai Qingqing, freezing her in place. Yet, despite the terror creeping up her spine, curiosity gnawed at her with an irresistible force. Gritting her teeth, she began to inch forward, step by hesitant step, toward the endless cherry blossom forest.

She was getting closer, ever closer, when suddenly she saw an abandoned right hand! Although it looked like it had been there for a long time, and emitted an unbearable stench, it seemed to still be slowly oozing fresh blood! This fresh blood further stained the already vividly red soil, making it appear even more enchanting. The fingers of the hand seemed to still be twitching in pain. In an instant, Bai Qingqing was filled with fear and disgust, and she started to run back as hard as she could, only wanting to get as far away from that place as possible, until it was completely out of sight. However, no matter how hard she tried to run, the intensely enchanting cherry blossom forest was just a stone’s throw away, right behind her.

“You don’t need to run; nothing can hurt you, so you don’t have to be afraid,” said Li Xian. But Bai Qingqing seemed as if she hadn’t heard Li Xian’s words, or rather, she simply didn’t believe her at that moment. Nevertheless, Li Xian did not try to stop Bai Qingqing, letting her continue to run tirelessly. It wasn’t until Bai Qingqing had exhausted her last bit of energy and collapsed on the grass, gasping for breath, that Li Xian spoke again: “I told you it was useless, but you wouldn’t listen to me. I think now we should at least have some basic trust between us, right?” Bai Qingqing, still panting, no longer had the mood to be afraid. Now, she felt that she might have been overly worried, because if Li Xian had wanted to harm her, it likely wouldn’t have required so much effort. So, Bai Qingqing said, “Alright, from now on I’ll try to trust you, no matter what your intentions toward me might be. Is there anything else you want to say to me?”