Chapter 23: Brainless and Unhappy
The red filter in the hallway had disappeared, and the stench of decay and burnt things was gone, leaving only a strong smell of disinfectant that seemed to have seeped into the walls, refusing to dissipate.
The fifth-floor corridor was equipped with motion-sensor lights, but they were dim and flickered randomly, perhaps due to aging wiring, which made the already eerie corridor even scarier. Those lights certainly didn’t give off any feeling of safety.
In this creepy setting, Zhao Mingyue was guffawing around Bai Yu, completely ignoring the horrifying atmosphere surrounding her.
In comparison, the corridor now felt like child’s play compared to how it had been when she first came up. Zhao Mingyue was definitely not scared.
She tucked her magic wand away and rubbed her little hands together. “Bai Yu, Sister Bai, don’t you think so? Even though you’re no longer alive, you can still choose to enjoy life and be a bit happier! My mom used to tell me, life is so short, no matter how you live, it’s still just one life. The important thing is to learn to live happily, even through suffering.”
“This isn’t some cheesy self-help quote! I’ve firmly believed in this for years because I think just going with the flow doesn’t solve anything. Keeping an optimistic mindset makes my heart strong, and I won’t crumble easily!”
“I don’t know what it’s like to be a ghost, but I’m sure it’s not great. I mean, just think about it—loneliness must be a big part of it, right?”
“But today—no, since yesterday—we’re friends now! If you’re willing to listen to me and give it a shot, I promise I’ll make you happy!”
Zhao Mingyue’s personality was a bit all over the place. Life had been tough for her without family or friends, yet she remained cheerful. Bai Yu could only see this happiness as silly, but she had to admit that the girl definitely had a good mindset.
Just like she said, that silly happiness made her inner self strong.
Frowning every day wouldn’t change a thing. Because of one’s mindset, life would only get worse, and when life got worse, your mood sank even lower—a vicious cycle.
After participating in the sc*m Game, she no longer trusted anyone. To her, everyone who got close had ulterior motives, which turned out to be true; nine out of ten wanted to take her out, and the other one just wanted to use her.
Over time, she learned the most important skill: to be constantly vigilant and trust no one.
However, at this moment, Bai Yu really couldn’t see any ulterior motives in Zhao Mingyue. Her eyes were so clear and pure that it confused Bai Yu.
It was contradictory—she instinctively kept her guard up against Zhao Mingyue, yet her subconscious told her this girl was sincere.
Bai Yu always trusted her instincts because they had saved her many times.
She wondered if Zhao Mingyue was trying to befriend her out of a desire to gain favor due to her impressive powers. But if Mingyue did have those thoughts, her acting skills were off the charts—she could even “fool” with her eyes!
As Zhao Mingyue was caught up in her thoughts, she nervously stared into Bai Yu’s eyes, knowing that Bai Yu had a cold personality and that her sudden outburst might annoy her.
But she couldn’t help it; she believed that because Bai Yu was emotionally distant, she needed to risk trying to reach her heart. Only by doing so could she slowly change her and make her happier.
Bai Yu had already suffered enough in life. Her only family, her sister, had been cruelly murdered, and now to become a ghost was certainly another form of torment.
“I…” Bai Yu finally spoke, causing Zhao Mingyue’s eyes to light up. That small expression made Bai Yu feel a bit helpless, “I’ll give it a try.”
“Oh, yay!” Zhao Mingyue reached out to grab Bai Yu’s hand. Instead of passing through her, she actually felt something—an odd sensation like “tangible” smoke, soft and delicate as if it could shatter with a squeeze.
At the same time, the cold aura from Bai Yu made Zhao Mingyue shiver; it felt colder than touching ice.
“Cold, right? That’s how a ghost’s body is. I recommend you let go; bathing is better if we do it separately.”
Bai Yu felt a bit helpless, not because she had let her guard down. With her many years of killing experience, she was certain this girl had no depth; she was simply clueless, both naive and straightforward, yet there was a hint of cleverness mixed in.
“Come on, the more you say that, the more I wanna hold on!” Zhao Mingyue insisted, “It’s summer, and this feels nice!”
“Well, suit yourself.”
When they reached the fourth floor, Raincoat Man was nowhere to be found, but the Female Ghost remained. Since she had died in this building, she wouldn’t have let Raincoat Man bring her back otherwise; dying here meant she could only find solace by having a living person take her place.
Sensing Zhao Mingyue’s presence, the Female Ghost stood up and looked back, only to see Bai Yu beside Zhao Mingyue. She froze for a moment and then vanished without a trace.
Zhao Mingyue didn’t notice her, glancing around to confirm the corridor was empty before returning to her room. She shined her flashlight and saw the hairpin still in the keyhole, meaning no one had entered.
Opening the door, she stepped inside and switched on the light. The time displayed was one-thirty a.m.
Unconsciously, a lot of time had passed without her noticing, and with the task still incomplete, Zhao Mingyue tossed her backpack onto the sofa and yawned. “I’m so tired! Can I sleep after taking a bath? It won’t affect the task, right?”
“No, it won’t.”
“Great! Let’s go, time for a bath together, Miss Bai Yu!” Zhao Mingyue moved closer again.
Suddenly, she reached out to tuck a strand of Bai Yu’s hair behind her ear and whispered, “A nice hot bath might help ease the cold a bit.”
After just a light touch, Zhao Mingyue felt how icy Bai Yu was, so Bai Yu’s own experience had to be even worse.
“Trying can’t hurt! By the way, do you need to change clothes? I’m sure my clothes will fit you.”
“No need, I can handle clothes myself,” Bai Yu shook her head.
“Alright then, wait here for me. I’ll go draw some hot water—I’ve got a big enough bathtub!”
In the bathroom, Zhao Mingyue couldn’t help but think of the Female Ghost’s corpse on the fifth floor as she stared at the large bathtub.
“If I get the chance, I’ll have Bai Yu help her find peace. This is too cruel.”
As she ran the hot water, Zhao Mingyue went back to her bedroom to grab a change of clothes and returned to the living room, waving at Bai Yu, who was standing by the window. “Let’s go! The water’s ready!”
