Chapter 15 Despair

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Pressed against the safety door, Chu Jiu's eyes were filled with despair.

Even with her tough facade, the college girl couldn't help but be terrified as she watched the darkness slowly engulf her.

Her body trembled. She couldn't see the figure, but she could feel the chilling coldness.

In the darkness, a pair of bloodthirsty eyes stared at her, ready to end her life.

Her fate was sealed the moment she closed the safety door. She couldn't explain why she made that decision.

But after watching Sister Xu Yi, Hua Luo, and Wan Yuanning's lives bloom like fireworks before fading into silence, she couldn't bear to abandon anyone else.

Perhaps... she just didn't want to face her cowardly self again.

She was tired.

The painting carried too much weight. She chose to escape, leaving the painting with Jiao Tai Lang. It was best to get rid of such tormenting things as soon as possible.

The moment she passed on the painting, she reverted to her true self, the girl who was afraid, terrified, and prone to tears.

Scenes from the mission flashed through her mind like a movie.

Sister Xu Yi’s last smile before she jumped out of the car, clinging tightly to the ghost's legs, shouting for her to run into the darkness and not look back, Hua Luo.

The quiet Wan Yuanning, who even blushed when making eye contact.

Who would have guessed she was so skilled? The image of her rushing towards Wei Jinting to buy time for them was like a moth drawn to a flame.

Jiao Tai Lang was a gentle person, too, evident from his attitude towards Weng Qing.

Chu Jiu smiled.

When he returned and was being interrogated by everyone, his hands were clasped nervously together, like a boy caught having an early romance.

That chubby man named Jiang Fugui, Chu Jiu felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with him.

She didn't know why, maybe... he just didn't look like a bad person, making her trust him for some reason.

After Sister Xu Yi left, he kept repeating his so-called survival secrets, oblivious to the fact that they were the most basic things.

She not only understood them but knew even more than he did.

But looking at his earnest eyes, Chu Jiu couldn't bear to interrupt him. She patiently listened to him, occasionally adding a few words of agreement.

This made the fatty even more excited, repeatedly praising her great comprehension.

Finally... a man appeared in Chu Jiu's mind.

He lived up to his name.

Hao Shuai (Handsome Hao).

He seemed unreliable. Despite having a face as bright and clean as the moon after a rain, Sister Xu Yi said he was doing something shameful.

How to put it?

She couldn't see through this person. His expressions were far richer than his inner thoughts. Sometimes, even when standing next to him, she felt a distance between them.

His indifference stemmed from the depths of his heart.

He seemed not to care about anything.

At the beginning of the mission, he would leer at her or Wan Yuanning, but after Sister Xu Yi's death, his entire demeanor changed.

She still remembered the way he looked after the car rushed out of the tunnel, his hand frozen in mid-air, the fear in his eyes.

Like a child whose beloved toy had been stolen.

At least for that moment, Chu Jiu was certain he wanted to save Sister Xu Yi.

But using the word "love" to describe it was presumptuous. She had a feeling she couldn't quite put into words.

At that moment, what he truly wanted to save might not have been Sister Xu Yi, but himself.

And upon realizing that Sister Xu Yi was gone forever, the fear in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by an irrepressible rage.

"Creak—"

Chu Jiu's body stiffened. Then a hand tightly gripped her arm, dragging her into the darkness.

The door closed very, very softly.

Chu Jiu could feel another person beside her, hearing their breathing.

But she couldn't tell if it was a person or a ghost, so she huddled in the corner, covering her mouth, afraid to make a sound.

The person seemed to listen at the door for a moment, then slowly walked towards her. "It's me," the voice said, very low.

The danger outside hadn't been eliminated.

Chu Jiu almost jumped for joy at the sound. It was Jiang Fugui!

"Keep your voice down!" Fatty quickly covered her mouth. "That thing's still outside. You want to die?"

Then Fatty pulled Chu Jiu to the balcony, far from the door. "What are you doing here?" Chu Jiu asked in surprise.

Fatty shook his large head, seemingly puzzled by the situation as well. "I don't know. I remember being with Hao Shuai and Jiao Tai Lang, but when I turned around, they were gone."

"Dead?" Chu Jiu was shocked. She had just passed the painting to Jiao Tai Lang. He couldn't have died so quickly.

She should have let him stay behind to cover their escape.

"No, no," Fatty quickly explained. After briefly recounting their experiences, they finally figured out the order of events.

Jiao Tai Lang had met her after separating from them.

It was just that the time was too short when she bumped into Jiao Tai Lang, and there wasn't time to say much.

The chilling feeling outside persisted, but for some reason, it stayed outside and didn't try to break in.

After all, a ghost wouldn't be stopped by an ordinary door.

Seeming to realize something, Chu Jiu's expression changed instantly. She mustered her courage, tiptoed to the door, and then crouched down, carefully examining the door frame.

After a while, she returned, relieved, and said, "It's not the painting frame. This room shouldn't be a new Weird Tale. The painting isn't in our hands, so the guy outside isn't in a hurry to kill us. He just needs to trap us here."

Chu Jiu's suggestion was highly approved by Fatty.

"Let's look for a rope or something first," Chu Jiu whispered. "If we can't find anything, we'll tear up the curtains and make a rope, then lower the rope from the balcony. We can climb down to the floor below and maybe escape."

Fatty pondered for two seconds, then said in a deep voice, "That's the only way. I actually thought of it too, but I didn't say anything."

"Because I didn't think it was perfect," Fatty added.

"Brother Fugui, you're the smartest," Chu Jiu gave him a way out. After all, the ghost was still guarding the door, and might attack at any moment without warning.

Chu Jiu gave the flashlight to Fatty and took the phone that Hua Luo had given her, and the two slowly searched the room.

The flashlight beam swept across the wall, and the middle position of the wall attracted Fatty's attention. There hung a very large photo.

A man and a woman.

Like wedding photos taken by newlyweds.