Looking at Ye Manman's appearance, my heart filled with anger. I gritted my teeth and said:
"Manman, I must save you!
That bastard Yang Lei!
Even if I have to risk my life, I'll get revenge on him for you!
Tell me, how can I save you?"
Ye Manman's eyes glistened with tears as she looked at me and smiled.
She shook her head, about to say something, when her expression suddenly changed:
"You need to leave, quick—they're coming…"
Before her words faded, at the end of the crossroads,
A burst of black fog suddenly rose.
Immediately after, a dozen male figures emerged from it.
They were clearly ghosts too.
One of them, a ghost with a face covered in scars, spoke in a strange tone:
"0217… Those who run away must be punished."
As he spoke, they charged toward Ye Manman!
The security guard had said Ye Manman's ghost was still suffering.
These must be the ghosts tormenting her!
On instinct, I grabbed Ye Manman's hand: "Run!"
Her wrist was ice-cold.
Ye Manman let me pull her as we sprinted together.
The scar-faced ghost behind us shouted in that eerie voice:
"0217, you actually found help! Brothers, take that living human too."
At his words, Ye Manman immediately shook off my hand and pushed me away: "Go! Don't let them target you!
Zhou Yi, you can't save me.
Live well! For me… live well!"
Her push sent me stumbling backward,
Falling hard to the ground.
When I looked up, Ye Manman had already been caught by the group.
They tied a rope around her neck like a dog's leash,
Dragging her toward the crossroads.
"Manman!" I shouted.
Once they had her, the ghosts lost interest in me.
They dragged Ye Manman into the black fog at the intersection.
Ye Manman's eyes stayed fixed on me, filled with sorrow.
Her lips moved, as if she were saying something to me.
But the distance was too great—I couldn't hear.
In the next second, they all vanished into the fog.
I pounded the ground furiously,
Angry at my own powerlessness.
How on earth could I save her?
She was such a good person.
She didn't deserve to suffer even after death!
Just as I was drowning in grief, a wind blew through.
A faint stench of rot suddenly filled the air.
My heart skipped a beat.
I followed the smell,
And at the dark intersection,there it was—a flash of red!
A woman with disheveled hair, wearing a red dress, was slowly floating toward me…
It was the fierce ghost in red from last night!
She'd really latched onto me!
Terrified, I set aside my sorrow,
Hastily fumbling in my backpack for Ma Xiaohu's jacket—
A thin, gray sun-protection coat.
Following the old man's instructions, I draped it over my head like a veil.
By the streetlight, the coat hung like a thin screen in front of my eyes.
I held my breath, backing under the streetlight, too afraid to make a sound.
Through the fabric, I could see the red figure floating very close now—
Only three or five meters away.
Then I heard her mutter: "You were just here… where did you go? Zhou Yi, where are you hiding?"
Her voice was shrill and hoarse, as if her vocal cords had been slit.
Of course, I didn't dare answer.
But then, she started moving closer to me.
The stench of rot grew stronger.
She was getting closer…
What was happening?
Was the jacket not working?
She was almost face-to-face with me.
Then she spoke to herself, her tone laced with a sinister laugh:
"I can hear your heartbeat… heh heh…"
I felt like I'd been struck by lightning,
My heart racing even faster.
At that moment, the female ghost suddenly bent down,
Her head level with my chest.
Slowly, She raised her face,meeting my gaze through a gap in the jacket.
If I lowered my head, I'd be staring at her face covered in corpse spots.
The putrid smell hit me, making me nauseous.
My scalp tingled, and I barely resisted the urge to run.
But she spoke slowly: "What's your name?"
Wait!
She didn't recognize me?
So the jacket was working.
Following the old man's advice, I replied: "My name is Ma Xiaohu."
The ghost hummed, then asked: "Are you a fool?"
I said: "I'm a fool."
She fell silent, tilting her head slightly before asking again: "Have you seen Zhou Yi? He looks like this…"
As she spoke, her face began to shift—
It actually turned into my face!
The feeling was utterly bizarre.
Staring at the corpse-spotted "me" in front of me, I forced myself to stay calm: "No, I haven't."
The red-cloaked ghost hummed again.
Then she stopped looking at me, straightening up.
Through the fabric, I watched her wander around, searching.
"Zhou Yi, I can hear your heartbeat.
You can't hide. I need you.
Come out… heh heh… I'll catch you…"
Her eerie tone made my hair stand on end.
I silently prayed she'd leave soon.
But minutes passed,
And the red-cloaked ghost showed no sign of leaving.
Just then, I heard movement at the intersection.
Through the jacket, I vaguely saw someone riding a bike toward me.
An old, creaky voice called out:
"Roasted sweet potatoes! Hot roasted sweet potatoes! Young man, want to buy one?"
As he shouted, the tricycle pulled up beside me.
I froze.
Who sells roasted sweet potatoes in the middle of the night?
Could this be another ghost?
I stepped back quickly, lifting a corner of the jacket to check.
A few meters away,
An old man around sixty had just parked his rickety tricycle.
By the streetlight, both he and the tricycle cast shadows.
I let out a breath.
Thankfully, a living person.
The old man smiled at me, pointing to his oven:
"Young man, want a taste? Only a few left—I'll sell them cheap."
His commotion drew the wandering red-cloaked ghost over.
She stood in front of his tricycle,
Staring at him with lifeless eyes.
But the old man, clearly unable to see her, kept talking to me:
"Young man, why are you wearing a kid's jacket on your head?"
Upon hearing this, the female ghost suddenly turned around,
Her eyes locking onto me.
She tiptoed "toward" me—
Appearing right in front of me in an instant.
I shivered with cold fear.
The female ghost spoke in a gloomy voice: "Ma Xiaohu, take off your veil."
My mind raced. "I can't. My mom said no."
She sounded angry: "Who is your mom?"
I said: "My mom is my mom."
A strange expression twisted her stiff face:
"I don't understand. Just take off the veil…"
As she spoke, she suddenly raised her hand, lunging for my face—
Clearly trying to tear off the jacket.
I dodged sideways, clamping a hand on the jacket to keep it from falling.
The ghost noticed my reaction,
And a wide smile spread across her face, her lips stretching almost to her ears.
"You're not a fool… heh heh… you're Zhou Yi…"
It was over.
She'd seen through my disguise!