Su Zimo hurried up while going upstairs. When he and the other trainers caught up with Du Lei at the front, they saw a red door appear, and the stairs that had been going upward had ended.
They had reached the top. Going up was the right choice.
[Bangâ Bangâ]
A very light bang surrounded Su Zimoâs and the other trainersâ ears. He looked at the dark red door in front of him. He felt like he was inside of Zhang Xiaoqingâs heart chambers, and this door was also beating like a heart.
The red door didnât have a handle, so Su Zimo could only reach out and push on it.
It felt familiar. Su Zimo could feel the heartbeat, as if the building was alive from beginning to end.
It seemed ironic to Su Zimo.
Zhang Xiaoqing had already jumped from the top of the building, and the building she built after her death was filled with the various influences she left in the world after her short life of barely over ten years ended so suddenly.
The body lying frozen in the room, the cold chatting of strangers.
A prankster who started to panic because of her actions.
Classmates who, after having studied in the same classroom for so long, arenât sad at all., only treating the whole thing as a conversation piece.
Parents who are sad but still bending over to apologize to the prankster.
The faceless images of the pranksters and those classmates seem to be Zhang Xiaoqing shouting out to the world â
I have lived too!
And now, Su Zimo felt that after they opened the door in front of them, they would walk into the deepest part of Zhang Xiaoqingâs heart. Maybe itâs sad, maybe scary⊠After all, Zhang Xiaoqing was different from the elderly ghost who had successfully avenged himself in the past nightmare world. The three pranksters she resented are still living well.
Just like the apartment from the beginning of the nightmare world, the real-world Hua Xiaowan, Wen Xiaoyu, and Lin Zhe may have deliberately forgotten their high school days, leaving behind the three words âZhang Xiaoqing,â and moving forward.
Only Zhang Xiaoqing was left behind. She was full of resentment and stayed here, unable to leave.
How would such a ghost not be strong?!
Su Zimo returned the ghost umbrella to his backpack and held the metal pen in his hand again. The next thing they had to face was the real ghost, no longer those fakes created by Zhang Xiaoqing. Naturally, the metal pen would be easier to use.
As for the ghost umbrella that needed to possess him, Su Zimo clenched his still sore muscles and felt that he had entered quickly enough anyway. He would simply wait until the most critical time to use him.
The door wasnât locked at all, and Su Zimo opened it without exerting any force, as if an unnoticeable wing had blown the door open.
Then what appeared in front of them was a very ordinary school rooftop.
Yes. It wasnât the roof of the apartment, but the roof of the school. Because everyone was accustomed to the confusion of the apartment, no one was surprised, and even felt relieved after leaving the red hallway.
The sky above the rooftop was still that night with the rolling clouds, and the moon that hung in the sky had turned into a bright red full moon, indicating that this is the last stop in the nightmare world.
The wind on the rooftop was so strong that even Su Zimo and the others, who hadnât walked any further, could feel the wind blowing through the door. It was bitterly cold, different from summer.
Such a rooftop, if you ignored the full moon hanging in the sky, looked a bit ordinary.
Seeing the established fate of the trainers outside the door, Su Zimo played with the metal pen in his hand, and walked forward without hesitation. The wind on the roof blew on Su Zimo, who was in thin clothes and felt chilled, but at the edge of the roof stood another figure in a thin white dress.
The wind on the roof was very strong, and the long, loose white dress was blown forcefully by the wind. Her scattered long hair was flying in the air.
Perhaps hearing the movement behind her, the malicious spirit standing on the rooftop turned around. There were two bloody tears flowing down her face, and the red traces on the white dress were like Su Zimo had seen earlier in the apartment.
[Youâre here.]
The malicious spiritâs head tilted instantly, and the corner of her mouth arched as she spoke to Su Zimo and the others. [Iâve been waiting for you to reach me. Even if you apologize in front of my cold grave, itâs okay. But Iâve still waited.]
âWe arenât the ones youâre waiting for. Iâm not Lin Zhe, nor are they Hua Xiaowan or Wen Xiaoyu.â Su Zimo heard Zhang Xiaoqingâs words and knew that she still hadnât recovered from the illusion. She still thought they were the three pranksters.
[Is there any difference?] The malicious spirit was still smiling. [What is the difference between you and them. Havenât you hurt those who look up to you?]
Su Zimo was stunned when he heard the malicious spiritâs rhetorical question, then said, âI donât know if there are such people, but if Iâm aware of them, I would at least reject them completely and not give them false hope.â
âI share no similarities with that school flower, okay?!â Xu Yingying had long been dissatisfied about that, and now she stood angrily far away from the malicious spirit. âIâm just an ordinary student who likes acting. Iâll reject and stay away from people I donât like. Although some people always say I have a bad personality, I only need to be able to show a good side of myself in front of the camera.â
âIâm just not accustomed to talking to people. Iâm not a coward, or the school flowerâs follower.â Zhu Zhu, who was wearing glasses, was still holding the white cloth. Although her voice was still so soft, her cheeks were flushed. Her flustered gestures showed off her anxiety. âIâm a screenwriter, and I like writing things. I also like to write things down that I donât dare say in articles.â
âI⊠IâŠâ Zhu Zhu seemed to hesitate. After a long pause, she raised her voice and shouted at the malicious spirit on the edge of the rooftop. âI want to write down your story and turn it into a script! I want to let more people hear your story, so that the three people who pranked you will know that their secrets are no longer secrets! Is that okay?!â
[âŠâŠ] Zhang Xiaoqing tilted her head on the edge of the roof to look at Zhu Zhu and the others. It took her a long time to straighten her head again, and then she turned her back. [Do whatever.]
âSo I was ignored?â Du Lei, who was guarding the two female trainers, looked at the people behind him helplessly, with an inexplicable expression on his face.
âZhang Xiaoqing, is the way out of this world here?â Su Zimo felt that Zhang Xiaoqing could communicate with them.
[There is only one path here.] Zhang Xiaoqing walked a few steps to the side and cleared the middle of the roof. [Iâve walked it once, and I felt very uncomfortable.]
âBut if we jump from here, we can clear the task and leave this nightmare world, right?!â Du Lei looked a little anxious, but even took a few steps forward eagerly.
But what Du Lei didnât expect was that Zhang Xiaoqing, who was bleeding through her tears, arched the corner of her mouth in an odd smile. [Who knows? I only jumped once, and I died.]
Su Zimo and Du Lei walked to the edge of the roof against the wind, and looked down.
Perhaps it was Zhang Xiaoqingâs deliberate action. The height of the roof wasnât the five or six floors of an ordinary school teaching building, but a dozen or so tall floors that were shudder-inducing when they looked down!
Even Du Lei, who thought he was brave, couldnât help but step back several steps to make sure he was safely out of range.
âIf you step back, Iâll despise you.â Xu Yingying and Zhu Zhu also walked forward. âExcept for this path, weâve tried the others, havenât we?â
âThere are over a dozen stories here. If we lose this gamble, weâll fall to pieces on the ground.â Du Lei took a deep breath as if he was building himself up. âDonât think that if you have nightmare points, you can die with peace of mind. I heard that someone begged to die in a nightmare world for some reason, but because they died too tragically, even after using the nightmare points to resurrect, they still suffered mental damage. The entire person became abnormal!â
âThere are very few ways to die that are worse than jumping from a dozen stories up.â Du Lei let out a small sigh.
âThen you take the stairs!â Xu Yingying grit her teeth. âI donât even have ten nightmare points, but I need to hurry back to get my beauty sleep!â
With that said, Xu Yingying and Zhu Zhu walked to the edge of the roof. When she was blown by the strong wind, she had to retreat several steps.
The group of people didnât know what to think. They all looked at Su Zimo with help-seeking eyes, as if they hoped Mr. âA-Yuâ could do something, although they didnât know what.
Su Zimo stood motionless at the very edge of the rooftop.
No way. Su Zimo wasnât a trainer.
If jumping from the rooftop was the way out of the nightmare world, itâs possible that trainers just jumped and gradually disappeared into nothing as they returned to the real world.
But if Su Zimo jumped off the rooftop, he might just âsplatter.â
So after the other trainers leave, he can leave directly through the door.
[What happened? You canât make a decision?] Zhang Xiaoqing suddenly said, diverting the trainersâ attention away from Su Zimo. [This panic looks like the three people who rushed to shirk responsibility after the accident.]
Obviously she had an ordinary face, but under the reflection of blood and tears and red moonlight, she looked cold.
Seeing the three people whose expressions changed in an instant, Su Zimo couldnât help but compliment Zhang Xiaoqing from the bottom of his heart. He felt that the trick was beautifully used, and she had also said something he wanted to say but couldnât.
âDonât confuse us with people who arenât even as good as a ghost.â Xu Yingying looked at each other, held hands, and walked one again to the edge of the rooftop, smiling bitterly. âPig, our relationship doesnât seem to be so good that we can jump together.â <sup>1</sup>
âDonât you dare jump from here without me. Weâre best friends.â Zhu Zhu also took a deep breath as she spoke.
âIt makes sense.â
âMe too.â Du Lei, who was next to them, also walked to the edge of the roof. His face had a small blush. âI wonât hold hands, but you have to tell me your phone number. Weâve lived and died together.â
âDu Lei, do you really want to chase me? Iâm staying single for now.â Xu Yingying really refused like before.
âHey, donât worry. Youâre not the best-looking person Iâve ever seen.â Du Lei dodged her eyes. âWhen I see better, I get picky. I just want to show off to my dorm buddies.â
âThatâs okay.â Xu Yingying readily agreed and reported her phone number.
ButâŠ
Just when the three relaxed and prepared to take the leap, they suddenly found that the wind on the edge of the rooftop was getting stronger and stronger. It made them retreat again and again, and they couldnât get close to the edge of the rooftop!
âAh!â When Zhu Zhu turned around, she found that the malicious spirit Zhang Xiaoqingâs cold arm had grasped her arm. The little screenwriter trembled with fright. Even the white cloth strip she had been holding fell to the ground on the roof.
[Are you fools?] The malicious spirit Zhang Xiaoqingâs eyes looked a little scary. [Jump down and youâll die!]
âWhat?â
The three trainers who felt that jumping off the roof was the way out were completely stunned.
[Enough. I admit youâre different from them.] Zhang Xiaoqing lowered her head and let her hair cover her eyes. [But remember one thing. No matter when, jumping like this will kill you! At that moment, there will be no miracles, no spiritual events, no superhero flying from the sky. No hope. Donât do stupid things in the future.]
Hearing what Zhang Xiaoqing said, Su Zimo suddenly realized that to clear this nightmare worldâs task, there was no need to jump off the roof.
It seemed that as long as the ghosts of this world see such determination, it was enough.
âWhy?â Su Zimo felt a little strange. âFrom the very beginning, based on the design of this building and what you told us, the only way out of this building was through the rooftop. If they donât jump from here, they still canât leave the building.â
[Thatâs enough.] Zhang Xiaoqing said again, then looked up at Su Zimo. [I jumped once, so I would never ask others to jump from here. This building is a product of my consciousness, so I can let them leave this building at any time.]
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the three trainers disappeared from the rooftop!
It wasnât the same kind of gradual disappearance after task clearance. They just disappeared. Su Zimo felt that the three trainers may have been directly removed out of the building, and then they would clear the task.
ButâŠ
âWhy do you want me to stay?â Su Zimo half-squinted his eyes. âDid you notice something?â
Su Zimo couldnât help but wonder if Zhang Xiaoqing knew that he wasnât a trainer.
But facing Su Zimoâs question Zhang Xiaoqing just tilted her head with a thoughtful expression, then appeared in front of Su Zimo with a smile and said: [I just think it wouldâve been fine if the person I liked at the beginning was you. Nothing bad wouldâve happened.]
âThank you, but I have to leave.â
Su Zimo thought about that, then stretched his hand back, trying to grasp the door handle behind him.
But just when Su Zimo was about to hold the handleâŠ
The entire rooftop tilted sixty degrees, and Su Zimoâs unprepared body fell directly to the ground and instantly slid all the way to the edge of the rooftop. Only the malicious spirit Zhang Xiaoqing could stand straight up on the rooftop and smile at him from the strange angle.
Smiling, the malicious spirit Zhang Xiaoqing cried again.
[Sorry, I just canât find a way out.]
âThis is the world you created. You should know where the exit is.â Su Zimo picked up the metal pen that he had accidentally dropped and placed it directly in his backpack. He then took out the black umbrella and stuck it between himself and the edge of the roof.
He was about to try and open the door behind him again, but the roof suddenly tilted to the other side. He hit the opposite edge of the roof and was in pain for a while.
That kind of feeling⊠As long as Su Zimoâs hand moved, the entire roof would tilt.
[Not the way out of the building.] Zhang Xiaoqing cried and shook her head. [I just think of the three of them still walking happily down their own paths, while I can only stay in such a world alone. It feels so painful. I think Iâm going crazy! Can you stay with me?! Youâre so smart, you must know what I should do.]
Su Zimo tried to leave several times, but couldnât find the door because of the roof tilting. No matter where he slipped, Zhang Xiaoqingâs ghost would appear instantly in front of him.
[Why not let me possess you?] The ghost umbrellaâs voice rang in Su Zimoâs ears after a long time. [There arenât any other humans here, and itâs definitely possible to eat this girl.]
âWhen I say you can, you can.â Su Zimo spoke softly, no longer trying to grasp the door. Holding onto the edge, he carefully moved to Zhang Xiaoqingâs position, and tried to hold onto Zhang Xiaoqing.
Acording to Su Zimoâs understanding of ghosts like Peng Peng, they can be turned into entities that can be touched by other people, or they could remain ghosts that canât be touched by people. This is why itâs difficult for ordinary weapons and fists to harm them.
When Su Zimo tried to stretch his fingers out to Zhang Xiaoqing, they flicked through her ghost.
Zhang Xiaoqing just stood there, quietly watching Su Zimoâs movements.
At that time, Su Zimo suddenly saw a white cloth strip on the ground. This was the two star ghost tool that Zhu Zhu had dropped on the ground when she was flustered. Because itâs a ghost tool, it could come in to contact with ghosts⊠With that realization, Su Zimo placed the ghost umbrella into his backpack, then directly picked up the ghost tool âGhost Eyes of the Blindâ from the ground. He quickly tied up Zhang Xiaoqing with one of his wrists, then held the knot in the palm of his hand.
Before Zhang Xiaoqing could come back to her senses, Su Zimo fell straight back along the inclined roof.
[What are you doing!?] A ghost such as Zhang Xiaoqing unexpectedly showed panic at that moment and lost her advantage.
So far, Zhang Xiaoqing was still afraid of the feeling of falling.
âIf you stay there, youâll never find a way out.â Su Zimo looked at Zhang Xiaoqingâs surprised and horrified eyes with a smile. âI donât know what you were feeling last time you jumped from here, but I can tell you now, Iâm taking you out of this cage!â
âIâll take you away to find Hua Xiaowan, Wen Xiaoyu, and Lin Zhe!â
Su Zimoâs center of gravity had left the roof. He wouldnât miss again because of the tilting roof, so he didnât wait for Zhang Xiaoqing to agree of refuse.
Su Zimo looked up at the surging sky and slowly fell down, and when his toes hadnât left the edge of the roof, his other hand had reached behind him and firmly grasped the handle of the door as he pulled it away!
The door has always been behind Su Zimo.
Even the moment when he fell backwards!
So he took Zhang Xiaoqing, the ghost of this nightmare world, and fell into the door to An Yu Yi Yu!
âBang!â
Maybe itâs because the way to enter An Yu Yi Yu was a bit special. Su Zimo, who had grabbed Zhang XIaoqing, fell into the brightly lit An Yu Yi Yu after his huge dive, and hit Shelf No. 1 closest to the side door. It was sturdy enough to hurt!
âSsss-â
Su Zimo tried his best to resist the pain in his back, and turned to look at the ghost who was tightly wrapped in the white cloth strip, only to find that the ghost was completely gone. She left only a white cell phone wrapped tightly in the cloth. Around the phone, there was a long string of text boxes displayed, but Su Zimo decided to rest his mind for a while. He closed his eyes and leaned on the shelf, breathing a long sigh of relief.
He left the nightmare world and took the ghost along the way.
Itâs not that he particularly wanted to do anything extra, but as an ordinary person, it seemed like he didnât want Zhang Xiaoqing to continue to wander, hopeless and resentful, until she went crazy.
Whatâs more, this must be an extremely precious collection for An Yu Yi Yuâs shopkeeper.
If it was really eaten by the ghost umbrella, it would be gone.
âDing Ling Lingââ
Before Su Zimo recovered, he suddenly heard a cell phone ringing. He looked at the cell phone that belonged to Zhang Xiaoqing, then realized that the cell phone that was ringing should belong to him.
He shifted the backpack out from behind him, then took out his unused cell phone that he had put in it, and saw an unfamiliar number displayed on the screen.
âHello?â Because there was no hint of any scam, Su Zimo answered the phone.
âItâs connected! Itâs connected! Itâs really connected!â An excited female voice came from the other side of the phone. âOh my god, are you Su Zimo? You really didnât change your phone number?!â
âExcuse meâŠâ Su Zimo looked blank.
âIâm Wan Yu!â The voice on the other end seemed to confirm that Su Zimo remembered her.
But to be honest, Su Zimo had experienced a lot of nightmare worlds during that time. Every time he entered a nightmare world, he had to learn many people and remember their names. The names were entaangled like threads, and even Su Zimo had to sort them out for a while.
âSorry, may I ask youâŠâ Su Zimo was really bad at remembering names.
ââŠYour high school classmate! Your class leaderâŠâ The voice on the other end of the phone fell slightly.
âSorry, whatâs the matter?â Su Zimo vaguely remembered that there was indeed such a person. All the activities in the class seemed to be planned by the class leader.
âAre you in Shoushan City right now? We have a class reunion tomorrow⊠I just wanted to try calling you⊠I didnât expect your number to be the one on the school list⊠WeâŠâ
"
"
Su Zimo listened to the voice on the other end of the phone in a dizzy manner. He vaguely remembered someone who had talked about classmates gathering.
Footnotes
<ol>Here, Xu Yingying says çȘçȘ (Zhu zhu), but this zhu zhu has different accents than Zhu Zhuâs name (which uses bead and pearl), and means pig instead.</ol>