This class felt even longer than yesterday’s. For a moment, both of them forgot the impending dread they were supposed to feel.
Once the bell signifying the end of the class rang, the teacher promptly left. But not a single student in the classroom moved. Every gaze was locked onto their phones, and then it struck them — it was time for the counselor to choose the students for the next task.
Every morning, at the end of the class, the guidance counselor would send them a group message, announcing the two students who were selected to prepare for that afternoon’s anatomy lesson. Today’s message was punctual as always.
Guidance Counselor: [Today, it’s Meng Tianyou and Zhong Xin’s turn to prepare for the lesson.]
Upon seeing the names in the group chat, Meng Qing almost collapsed.
Regaining her balance, she hurried over to Meng Tianyou, gripping his hand tightly. Her voice trembled with an anxious fear, “Son, don’t worry. Let me go in your place. I’ll go instead…”
Meng Tianyou said nothing, just furrowed his brows deeply.
Meng Qing seemed to be reassuring herself as much as her son, “It’ll be okay, won’t it? Didn’t Song Mingliang come out just fine yesterday?”
“Should we tell her?” Lin Xiang asked Hua Haoming while they were having lunch.
Meng Qing thought Song Mingliang was okay, unaware that the two who prepared for the anatomy lesson yesterday were now behaving oddly. At that moment, Song Mingliang was still covertly glancing around, his eyes concealed beneath thick bangs.
Perhaps due to the dark and frenzied fluctuations in his eyes, they looked different than before, as though a ghost lurked behind his eyeballs, peering through them at its prey.
And it had only been a day.
Hua Haoming shook his head, “If we tell her now, it’ll only make her more frantic and more prone to incidents.”
Just like yesterday, they didn’t return to the dorms after lunch but followed Meng Qing to the Anatomy Building.
On the way, Hua Haoming cautioned Meng Qing, “Make sure you wear your gloves and mask at all times. Don’t take them off. And don’t let your gaze wander. Finish your preparations quickly and get out.”
During their morning discussion, Lin Xiang had suggested two possibilities: contamination or possession by a ghost.
Hua Haoming found the former unlikely, but the latter, considering Dai Liangyuan’s madness, seemed plausible. He might have truly seen a ghost, or experienced some sort of mental contamination.
All they could rely on for protection against physical contamination were the gloves and masks. As for the mental aspect, the only solution was to avoid looking.
Meng Qing nodded repeatedly. She trusted Hua Haoming, knowing he had survived through previous games before.
After spending some time with her son and dragging things out a little, she entered the building with Zhong Xin.
Meng Tianyou stood still, watching her frail figure recede into the distance, fists clenched inside his pockets.
Xia Bai watched the whole scene unfold.
In Xia Bai’s eyes, Lin Xiang saw envy. A pang of sympathy surged within him.
He knew Xia Bai had no parents and had lived with his grandfather. Unfortunately, Grandpa Xia had passed away during Xia Bai’s senior year of high school, leaving him completely alone.
Seeing a mother willing to risk it all for her son must have stirred feelings of longing.
Lin Xiang said, “Xia Bai, I’m here for you. You can consider me your real brother.”
A look of confusion crossed Xia Bai’s face.
Hua Haoming: “…”
Did he enter this game just to watch this drama?
Meng Qing returned from the Anatomy Building in less than half an hour.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The always-silent Meng Tianyou, upon seeing her figure, finally moved, rushing to meet her.
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Had they been wrong all along?
Wen Qiu observed Meng Qing, then turned her gaze to Song Mingliang. She noticed him staring deeply at Meng Qing.
She furrowed her brows, thinking that this was not a look Song Mingliang typically had.
But since Song Qiang hadn’t volunteered to go for him yesterday and Meng Qing had taken the place of her son today, perhaps it was only natural for Song Mingliang to look envious?
Xia Bai and the others didn’t relax even a bit despite Meng Qing’s words. Song Mingliang had said the same thing yesterday.
Hua Haoming asked Meng Qing for some details, and her reply was consistent with Song Mingliang’s story. Moreover, due to Hua Haoming’s reminder not to stray her gaze, she couldn’t provide as clear an account as Song Mingliang did.
An impatient Lin Xiang exclaimed, “What the heck is in there? I’m so curious I might just go in myself.”
Xia Bai looked at him, his eyes gleaming.
Lin Xiang chuckled sheepishly, “Don’t idolize me. I was just spouting nonsense.”
“…”
The afternoon anatomy class went off without a hitch, with Xia Bai once again being the star of the show.
Now, not only had Xia Bai become the favorite among the students of Clinical Medicine Class 2, but he was also Professor Liu’s most treasured pupil. Judging by the way Professor Liu acted, one might think he wished to take Xia Bai under his wing as his last direct disciple.
After the anatomy class concluded, marking the end of the day’s lessons, they planned to explore the morgue, as discussed the previous night.
However, before they could put that into action, Hua Haoming stopped them. The morgue was just too eerie. The two individuals who had ventured in last night were now acting far from normal. Without understanding what was happening, they couldn’t all just head in; they might be walking into a trap.
“Let’s head to the library and look for clues first,” he suggested. “We’re still in the dark about this medical college and its background. Typically, libraries have newspapers and magazines that could give us some insights. Who knows, we might stumble upon unexpected discoveries.”
Those genuinely terrified of that place naturally agreed, although Xia Bai felt a tinge of regret.
The medical college’s library was a four-story circular building. One could tell it had been meticulously designed back in its prime. But now, signs of decay marred its structure. The building’s facade was chipped and weathered, standing eerily silent in the darkness of the night.
They split up. Some searched for magazines, some for newspapers, and others browsed the campus forum, starting from when the first campus urban legend began last year.
The newspapers in the library were orderly arranged by date, making them easy to locate.
Xia Bai indeed found a report on the incident from back then: the first student who had taken his own life after being chosen to prepare for anatomy class.
The official statement was suicide. A particular newspaper had reported it, though the details were rather vague, attributing the cause to the immense pressures faced by medical students.
With the newspaper in hand, Xia Bai approached Lin Xiang, who was researching on a computer. Together, they found more related content on the campus website.
One image stood out. The student might indeed have taken his own life by jumping into the school’s artificial lake. The picture was of his body being retrieved from the lake.
The photo was taken from quite a distance. All they could make out was the green algae from the lake bed, tightly wrapped around the student’s body. From afar, it almost looked as though it was growing directly from his skin.
Images of how the algae in the artificial lake had drifted eerily in its depths surfaced in Xia Bai’s mind.
Lin Xiang commented, “Back then, the rumors were that he had been possessed by a ghost in the morgue, which led him to jump into the lake in a manic state.”
“Sadly, we can’t find more details about it.”
Their investigation could only go so far. No other newspapers reported on subsequent deaths. It was likely that the news was suppressed by the school.
Yet Xia Bai tirelessly scoured newspapers, both from after and before the incident, not just for suicides but anything that caught his attention.
About a week before the student’s suicide, Xia Bai found a small article in a newspaper which intrigued him, discussing perverse hobbies.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Lin Xiang remarked, seemingly astonished, “Even in a medical school, huh? They’ve got these types of posts too.”
Xia Bai looked up, “What post?”
Lin Xiang said, “It’s titled ‘The Secrets of the Most Beautiful Counselor’. It’s dodgy at first glance.”
Looking puzzled, Xia Bai approached, “What’s dodgy about it?”
Seeing Xia Bai’s stunning face and pure eyes, Lin Xiang scratched his nose and quickly closed the gossip-filled post he hadn’t really read, “Nothing… it’s just… they’re privately discussing the counselor’s looks behind her back.”
“We should head out; they’re about to turn off the lights,” Hua Haoming announced from the door.
Glancing at the clock, it was already half-past eleven. Time seemed to fly when they were engrossed in newspaper gossip in the safe haven of the library.
Before meeting up with the others, Hua Haoming suggested, “Let’s not sleep tonight. We need to observe Song Mingliang and figure out his real situation.”
Xia Bai objected, “The dorm supervisor said we shouldn’t be out after lights out. You all should stay back. I’ll lie in bed and watch. If anything happens, I’ll text you.”
After a moment’s thought, Hua Haoming agreed. None of them had any idea whether leaving their dorms after lights-out was a deadly rule.
“Fine, just keep us posted.”
Lin Xiang chimed in, “I’ll stay up with you. Don’t be scared.”
The other players were already waiting for them at the entrance. They exchanged information on their way back.
The library would naturally contain medical journals. Meng Tianyou and Wen Qiu managed to find some clues.
Meng Tianyou revealed, “One journal discussed the ethical use of cadavers across medical colleges. Some officials were reportedly selling bodies and organs on the side. Our school, Heping Medical College, was on that list. Though, they were only criticized for their vague documentation regarding the source and usage of their cadavers.”
Lin Xiang was horrified, “Like Hua Haoming suspected, are they trafficking bodies?”
Hua Haoming curiously asked, “Did it say what the bodies were sold for?”
“What else could they be used for?” Song Qiang joined in, “Things like ghost marriages, perhaps. And there are those with… unique tastes. Trust me, there are plenty of superstitious and twisted people out there.”
A realization hit Xia Bai, and he snapped his head up.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Wen Dong pointed out, “If they were selling the bodies, the buyers should be the ones in trouble, right? Why are all the deaths happening on campus?”
“Didn’t they say the sources of the cadavers of this school were also unclear?”
Lin Xiang abruptly exclaimed in horror, “Oh my God! What if, just like I said, someone at the school is killing students or faculty to turn them into cadavers? And those victims become vengeful spirits in the morgue, retaliating against the students who are using their bodies?”
Surprisingly, his argument made sense.
Their intense discussion made time fly by. They soon arrived at the dorms. Lights-out was just right around the corner, so the players parted ways without much ado, each heading to their own rooms.
Before leaving, Hua Haoming gave Xia Bai’s shoulder a reassuring pat, signaling him to keep an eye on Song Mingliang tonight.
Back in his room, Xia Bai lay in bed, clutching his family register, fighting off sleep.
The night grew colder, and the air became increasingly damp. It was as humid as the inside of a steamy bathroom.
Wen Qiu wasn’t sure whether she was awakened by the sound of running water or by the uncomfortable humidity. However, after turning over, she soon heard the sound of water splashing on the bathroom floor.
In the near-complete darkness, she instinctively looked towards the opposite bunk.
Even in the dim light, she could clearly see it was empty.
Only she and Meng Qing shared this room. If Meng Qing wasn’t in her bed and there was water running, she must be in the bathroom.
But hadn’t Meng Qing already showered before bed?
Wen Qiu checked her phone: 02:09.
Why would Meng Qing be showering at 2 in the morning?
The sound of running water was relentless, and in the silent dormitory, the constant splashing seemed eerily loud.
Growing more tense, Wen Qiu cautiously sat up.
She tried to reassure herself: Meng Qing liked to be clean. When they’d returned to the dorm earlier, it was almost lights-out, so they’d both taken hasty showers. It was perfectly normal for someone that meticulous about cleanliness to take another shower if she felt uncomfortable.
Still, Wen Qiu couldn’t shake her unease.
Earlier that day, Meng Qing had just come back from the morgue.
Recalling the look in Song Mingliang’s eyes when Meng Qing had left the morgue, a chill crept over Wen Qiu, spreading over her clammy skin.
Quietly, she climbed down from her bed, barefoot, and slowly approached the bathroom.
At this hour, when the night was at its darkest and the school lights were out, visibility in the dorm was almost nil. Using her hands and feet to guide her, she moved forward.
Her hand touched damp clothes folded over a chair, while her feet bumped into the chair’s legs.
Then, her feet came into contact with something wet.
Every fiber of her being wanted to get away from the bathroom. Bathrooms had always been filthy and damp places, especially so in dorms like this where the bath and toilet were combined. These were the places most likely to harbor horrific things.
Yet, she felt compelled to check. What was Meng Qing doing inside? What had happened to her?
The bathroom door wasn’t shut tight. There was a gap just wide enough for her to peer through.
Meng Qiu carefully crouched down, eyes drawn close to the crack.
A faint yet sharp smell wafted out to her together with the damp air.
It was pitch-black inside. Water vapor swirled thickly in the air, thick and swirling. With no window to let in any light, all Wen Qiu could make out was a crouched silhouette.
After much hesitation, Wen Qiu cautiously tapped the phone she’d hidden behind her, creating a faint illumination. The next second, she froze on the spot.
Perhaps the bathroom drain was clogged, or perhaps the water had been left on for too long. It had now seeped out from under the door.
Wen Qiu had stepped on some of that liquid – bright crimson under the light of her phone.
The author has something to say:
Lin Xiang: I have some self-guided strategies for friendship
Thanks for the chapter!! 🩷💖
thanks for the chapter!!! ❤️❤️❤️
welp she’s dead? i’m very curious about how this story will go on..
thank you for the chapter!~
Actually I feel bad for Meng Qi, she loves her son so much that she sacrificed herself for him, it’s funny how the author made the parents behave here.
Song Qiang don’t love his son so he lost him, but Meng Qi who absolutely adores her son and lost herself.
She coddling her son to much that it became unreasonable tho. He’s a grown up now, yet she still treat him like a baby and pander to his every little need. Remember that she is most likely the one who changed Xia Bai’s dormitory bed.
yes I do agree with you, but reading later on and knowing that her son was like, her literal only hope (if she really didn’t use him to try and get his father) she loved him quite a fair bit but he only thinks she’s using him and that she doesn’t care about him at all, btw ripping your own organs out to clean it is absolutely disgusting 💀
Dang, they could’ve at least gave her a heads up