Chapter 064: Hello.
"I think you might want to try cooking for yourself," the shadow, adjusting its glasses, whispered from behind Chi Shen.
Chi Shen nodded, "Once I can persuade the roommate in the kitchen to leave. She’s always hiding under the gas stove in the cupboard, so I can't even ignite the burner."
Ji Xingchen pondered for a moment, "Let me try talking to her."
Chi Shen encouraged, "Good luck."
Upon arriving home, Chi Shen first inquired about the progress of Gui Lian's transcendence. As always, he received a non-committal response. Picking up the remote, he shut off the repetitive drowning scene, patting the red-clothed female ghost and gesturing for her to release Gui Lian.
With a deep exhale, Gui Lian cried out in relief, "Have you finally given up?!"
Chi Shen responded, "Even high school seniors get breaks. Take some time off."
Gui Lian wailed, "No... please!"
Chi Shen then headed to the small balcony. He had already chosen a reclining chair and wanted to spruce up the place, also remembering the flowers Ji Xingchen had mentioned.
After tidying up the balcony for a while, Chi Shen started playing a game on his phone.
He was revisiting the pixelated horror game that Li Xu had created. He wanted to discern what messages or feelings Li Xu might have embedded in the game.
When he first played it, he was deeply moved by the storyline. Now, it seemed the narrative was based on Li Xu’s personal experiences. Every line was imbued with emotion, resonating with the player.
After playing through it again, it was almost midnight. With a more investigative approach this time, Chi Shen discovered many nuances he had missed before. In the game, the BOSS character was Li Xu, while the protagonist was Li Xu's girlfriend.
Throughout the game, it appeared as if the protagonist was redeeming the BOSS. In essence, Li Xu's girlfriend was trying to save Li Xu. But in reality, the one who died was Li Xu's girlfriend, not Li Xu himself.
This role reversal hinted that Li Xu might have wished he had been the one to die instead.
Chi Shen wasn't sure what had transpired between the two, but recalling how Li Xul was tormented in his dreams by the ghost of a drowned woman holding him under the water in a bathtub, he surmised that this somehow brought redemption to the real-life Li Xul. Chi Shen speculated that Li Xul might be carrying guilt over his girlfriend's death.
Now, Li Xul no longer sees the "girlfriend" ghost, and with no one attempting to drown him anymore, his agony has deepened. This has led to his insomnia, making him increasingly haggard and even affecting his work performance.
"I believe that as employees, we should consider the company's future," Chi Shen suddenly remarked.
Ji Xingchen, having just appeased a ghost in the kitchen and preparing to return to Chi Shen's shadow, replied, "Indeed."
"Our boss has encountered some issues. For the sake of future progress, I think it's imperative that I assist him," Chi Shen stated.
Ji Xingchen: "...Alright."
After pondering for a moment, Chi Shen said with a sense of relief, "It's my passion for this job and my desire to create a great game that drives me."
Ji Xingchen warned, "Don't resort to extreme measures."
Chi Shen replied, "I'll be careful."
Having decided, Chi Shen set down his phone and went to freshen up before bed.
Before going to sleep, Chi Shen turned off the lights and sat on his bed, gazing at Ji Xingchen 2.0 on the opposite wall. Even though he wasn't sure why Ji Xingchen no longer accompanied him at night, Chi Shen took this opportunity to engage in other activities.
If Ji Xingchen wished to know how he died, consulting Ji Xingchen's corpse seemed the most direct approach.
The light from the window outside cast a pale white glow on Ji Xingchen 2.0 and the red thread on him. Due to his handsome face, it appeared eerily beautiful.
"No desire to communicate today?"
"Then, good night."
As the sunlight streamed through the window onto Chi Shen's eyelids, he felt a cold sensation again. Calmly, he got up, wrestled his blanket back from the red-clothed female ghost, and glanced at the door, asking, "Where's Ji Xingchen?"
The red-clothed female ghost snatched the blanket back, folding it joyfully, "He said he needed to avoid any impropriety!"
Chi Shen asked, "So he let you in and stayed out himself because he wanted to avoid impropriety?"
The red-clothed female ghost, after neatly folding the blanket, cheerfully replied, "He told me to go out as well, and not to peek while you're changing!"
True to her words, after folding the blanket, the red-clothed female ghost left, even thoughtfully closing Chi Shen's bedroom door for him. Chi Shen looked at Ji Xingchen 2.0 thoughtfully, "Isn't he here watching every day anyway?"
Chi Shen didn't dwell on these issues for too long, for after changing and freshening up, he still had work to attend to.
As he entered the living room, he noticed Ji Xingchen in the kitchen conversing with a female ghost, her figure drenched in tears of blood.
Upon seeing Chi Shen emerge, the ghost immediately retreated beneath the kitchen cabinet.
Only then did Ji Xingchen turn towards Chi Shen, maintaining his usual composed demeanor, "You need to leave by 8:30 to ensure you don't miss breakfast."
Chi Shen nodded in acknowledgment. With one hand, he hoisted the red-clothed female ghost and with the other, grabbed Gui Lian (Ghost Face), "Both of you will accompany me out today."
Gui Lian's face lit up immediately, "I don't have to study... wait, aren't I supposed to be exorcised?"
"It's a monthly day off today, let's go."
Gui Lian, with tears streaming down, exclaimed, "Do senior high students get monthly breaks too? That's amazing!"
Being someone passionate about his job, whenever there was an issue at his company, Chi Shen naturally took the initiative. That day at work, he proactively approached Li Xul, identifying himself as a folklore enthusiast, offering a unique method to assist Li Xul in sleeping.
Li Xul, somewhat skeptical, responded, "Really?"
"Rest assured, I've researched this method multiple times and have used it on numerous individuals. All reviews have been positive; everyone said they fell asleep instantly!" Chi Shen confidently declared.
Li Xul, clearly showing signs of a headache due to insomnia, pressed his temples, "Let's give it a try."
"First, take a sip of warm water, then close your eyes," instructed Chi Shen.
Watching Li Xul comply, Chi Shen began in a soft tone, "Imagine yourself floating in the vast ocean..."
From that moment on, Li Xul was unaware of what transpired. He merely felt a cold sensation around his head and promptly lost consciousness.
Observing the unconscious Li Xul, Gui Lian remarked in a skeptical tone, "Fell asleep in a second?"
Ji Xingchen emerged from Chi Shen's shadow, "Being knocked out can also count as falling asleep instantly."
Chi Shen responded with a smile, "How can you say he was knocked out? I didn't lay a finger on him. If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance. He simply fell asleep on his own."
Gui Lian conceded, "...Fair enough."
"Open the door," Chi Shen ordered as he grasped the red-clothed female ghost.
With a slight motion from Gui Lian, the portal to Li Xul's dream realm was once again unveiled.
Returning to this place, Chi Shen once again confirmed that it indeed bore the same aura as the one from the death game.
As soon as they arrived, a torrential downpour began. Chi Shen held both the red-clad female ghost and the terrified Gui Lian in his grasp. Above, storm clouds formed into wailing faces, and as the rain hit him, each drop transformed into crying ghostly faces trying to burrow into his clothes.
However, those ghostly faces recoiled halfway through, retreating in horror. The dark mist emanating from Chi Shen seized the slower raindrops, tearing and shredding them apart.
With rain pouring down on him, Chi Shen continued forward. Upon reaching a bridge, he noticed a solitary black umbrella resting there.
On the bridge stood a woman in a floral dress, holding a floral-patterned umbrella. She cast a glance at Chi Shen and then turned, walking to the other side of the bridge.
"Thank you," Chi Shen voiced, approaching to pick up the black umbrella.
Crossing the bridge, Chi Shen once again found himself in Li Xul's residential complex. The walls here were coated with translucent wailing faces, each sobbing at any newcomer.
The woman in the floral dress stood at the entrance of the complex, while a little girl named Huang Lingling stood at the security room, clad in a duck-patterned raincoat, watching Chi Shen enter.
At the base of the apartment building, Chi Shen again spotted the shadowy figure that always guarded the hallway. The figure bared its white teeth, attempting to smile at Chi Shen. Perhaps it had been ages since its last smile, making this attempt quite ghastly. Nonetheless, Chi Shen appreciated the sentiment.
Chi Shen returned the gesture with a polite smile.
"We... all wish... for the... rain! To stop!"
A disjointed and faint voice echoed from behind, but Chi Shen understood it clearly.
"I'll do my best," replied Chi Shen.
He was unsure of the origins of this emotional specter and could not predict what would happen once it vanished, so he couldn't make any promises.
The shadowy figure bowed to Chi Shen, watching him ascend the staircase.
This time, Chi Shen chose the front entrance. Placing the red-clad female ghost behind him and signaling her to remain silent, he knocked on Li Xul's door.
The exterior of Li Xul's apartment lacked the water stains from before, appearing indistinguishable from the neighboring units, everything seemed perfectly normal.
Soon someone answered the door. Li Xul, upon seeing Chi Shen, expressed visible shock, murmuring, "Chi Shen? What are you doing here?"
"Just passing by. May I use your restroom?" Chi Shen responded with an impeccable smile.
Li Xul still appeared puzzled, seemingly unaware of how Chi Shen knew where he lived. Nevertheless, he stepped aside, letting Chi Shen in and pointed out the direction to the bathroom.
Chi Shen subtly glanced back, directing his gaze to Gui Lian perched on his shoulder.
Gui Lian swiftly slapped the red-clad female ghost with its own face, whispering rapidly, "Stick to the plan!"
Chi Shen followed Li Xul into his home, swiftly shutting the door behind him.
"You're the first colleague to visit my home," Li Xul remarked, a fleeting smile crossing his gaunt, weary face. "It's been a while since someone last—"
His words were abruptly cut off as he felt a strong force grabbing him, dragging him straight into the bathroom.
Despite the terrifying and bizarre circumstances, there was no trace of panic on his face. Instead, a relieved smile emerged.
"You're finally back."
*
Author's note:
My apologies for the delay today. I had issues with my computer and it took me half the day to get it running again (:з」∠)
Chapter 064: Hello.
"I think you might want to try cooking for yourself," the shadow, adjusting its glasses, whispered from behind Chi Shen.
Chi Shen nodded, "Once I can persuade the roommate in the kitchen to leave. She’s always hiding under the gas stove in the cupboard, so I can't even ignite the burner."
Ji Xingchen pondered for a moment, "Let me try talking to her."
Chi Shen encouraged, "Good luck."
Upon arriving home, Chi Shen first inquired about the progress of Gui Lian's transcendence. As always, he received a non-committal response. Picking up the remote, he shut off the repetitive drowning scene, patting the red-clothed female ghost and gesturing for her to release Gui Lian.
With a deep exhale, Gui Lian cried out in relief, "Have you finally given up?!"
Chi Shen responded, "Even high school seniors get breaks. Take some time off."
Gui Lian wailed, "No... please!"
Chi Shen then headed to the small balcony. He had already chosen a reclining chair and wanted to spruce up the place, also remembering the flowers Ji Xingchen had mentioned.
After tidying up the balcony for a while, Chi Shen started playing a game on his phone.
He was revisiting the pixelated horror game that Li Xu had created. He wanted to discern what messages or feelings Li Xu might have embedded in the game.
When he first played it, he was deeply moved by the storyline. Now, it seemed the narrative was based on Li Xu’s personal experiences. Every line was imbued with emotion, resonating with the player.
After playing through it again, it was almost midnight. With a more investigative approach this time, Chi Shen discovered many nuances he had missed before. In the game, the BOSS character was Li Xu, while the protagonist was Li Xu's girlfriend.
Throughout the game, it appeared as if the protagonist was redeeming the BOSS. In essence, Li Xu's girlfriend was trying to save Li Xu. But in reality, the one who died was Li Xu's girlfriend, not Li Xu himself.
This role reversal hinted that Li Xu might have wished he had been the one to die instead.
Chi Shen wasn't sure what had transpired between the two, but recalling how Li Xul was tormented in his dreams by the ghost of a drowned woman holding him under the water in a bathtub, he surmised that this somehow brought redemption to the real-life Li Xul. Chi Shen speculated that Li Xul might be carrying guilt over his girlfriend's death.
Now, Li Xul no longer sees the "girlfriend" ghost, and with no one attempting to drown him anymore, his agony has deepened. This has led to his insomnia, making him increasingly haggard and even affecting his work performance.
"I believe that as employees, we should consider the company's future," Chi Shen suddenly remarked.
Ji Xingchen, having just appeased a ghost in the kitchen and preparing to return to Chi Shen's shadow, replied, "Indeed."
"Our boss has encountered some issues. For the sake of future progress, I think it's imperative that I assist him," Chi Shen stated.
Ji Xingchen: "...Alright."
After pondering for a moment, Chi Shen said with a sense of relief, "It's my passion for this job and my desire to create a great game that drives me."
Ji Xingchen warned, "Don't resort to extreme measures."
Chi Shen replied, "I'll be careful."
Having decided, Chi Shen set down his phone and went to freshen up before bed.
Before going to sleep, Chi Shen turned off the lights and sat on his bed, gazing at Ji Xingchen 2.0 on the opposite wall. Even though he wasn't sure why Ji Xingchen no longer accompanied him at night, Chi Shen took this opportunity to engage in other activities.
If Ji Xingchen wished to know how he died, consulting Ji Xingchen's corpse seemed the most direct approach.
The light from the window outside cast a pale white glow on Ji Xingchen 2.0 and the red thread on him. Due to his handsome face, it appeared eerily beautiful.
"No desire to communicate today?"
"Then, good night."
As the sunlight streamed through the window onto Chi Shen's eyelids, he felt a cold sensation again. Calmly, he got up, wrestled his blanket back from the red-clothed female ghost, and glanced at the door, asking, "Where's Ji Xingchen?"
The red-clothed female ghost snatched the blanket back, folding it joyfully, "He said he needed to avoid any impropriety!"
Chi Shen asked, "So he let you in and stayed out himself because he wanted to avoid impropriety?"
The red-clothed female ghost, after neatly folding the blanket, cheerfully replied, "He told me to go out as well, and not to peek while you're changing!"
True to her words, after folding the blanket, the red-clothed female ghost left, even thoughtfully closing Chi Shen's bedroom door for him. Chi Shen looked at Ji Xingchen 2.0 thoughtfully, "Isn't he here watching every day anyway?"
Chi Shen didn't dwell on these issues for too long, for after changing and freshening up, he still had work to attend to.
As he entered the living room, he noticed Ji Xingchen in the kitchen conversing with a female ghost, her figure drenched in tears of blood.
Upon seeing Chi Shen emerge, the ghost immediately retreated beneath the kitchen cabinet.
Only then did Ji Xingchen turn towards Chi Shen, maintaining his usual composed demeanor, "You need to leave by 8:30 to ensure you don't miss breakfast."
Chi Shen nodded in acknowledgment. With one hand, he hoisted the red-clothed female ghost and with the other, grabbed Gui Lian (Ghost Face), "Both of you will accompany me out today."
Gui Lian's face lit up immediately, "I don't have to study... wait, aren't I supposed to be exorcised?"
"It's a monthly day off today, let's go."
Gui Lian, with tears streaming down, exclaimed, "Do senior high students get monthly breaks too? That's amazing!"
Being someone passionate about his job, whenever there was an issue at his company, Chi Shen naturally took the initiative. That day at work, he proactively approached Li Xul, identifying himself as a folklore enthusiast, offering a unique method to assist Li Xul in sleeping.
Li Xul, somewhat skeptical, responded, "Really?"
"Rest assured, I've researched this method multiple times and have used it on numerous individuals. All reviews have been positive; everyone said they fell asleep instantly!" Chi Shen confidently declared.
Li Xul, clearly showing signs of a headache due to insomnia, pressed his temples, "Let's give it a try."
"First, take a sip of warm water, then close your eyes," instructed Chi Shen.
Watching Li Xul comply, Chi Shen began in a soft tone, "Imagine yourself floating in the vast ocean..."
From that moment on, Li Xul was unaware of what transpired. He merely felt a cold sensation around his head and promptly lost consciousness.
Observing the unconscious Li Xul, Gui Lian remarked in a skeptical tone, "Fell asleep in a second?"
Ji Xingchen emerged from Chi Shen's shadow, "Being knocked out can also count as falling asleep instantly."
Chi Shen responded with a smile, "How can you say he was knocked out? I didn't lay a finger on him. If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance. He simply fell asleep on his own."
Gui Lian conceded, "...Fair enough."
"Open the door," Chi Shen ordered as he grasped the red-clothed female ghost.
With a slight motion from Gui Lian, the portal to Li Xul's dream realm was once again unveiled.
Returning to this place, Chi Shen once again confirmed that it indeed bore the same aura as the one from the death game.
As soon as they arrived, a torrential downpour began. Chi Shen held both the red-clad female ghost and the terrified Gui Lian in his grasp. Above, storm clouds formed into wailing faces, and as the rain hit him, each drop transformed into crying ghostly faces trying to burrow into his clothes.
However, those ghostly faces recoiled halfway through, retreating in horror. The dark mist emanating from Chi Shen seized the slower raindrops, tearing and shredding them apart.
With rain pouring down on him, Chi Shen continued forward. Upon reaching a bridge, he noticed a solitary black umbrella resting there.
On the bridge stood a woman in a floral dress, holding a floral-patterned umbrella. She cast a glance at Chi Shen and then turned, walking to the other side of the bridge.
"Thank you," Chi Shen voiced, approaching to pick up the black umbrella.
Crossing the bridge, Chi Shen once again found himself in Li Xul's residential complex. The walls here were coated with translucent wailing faces, each sobbing at any newcomer.
The woman in the floral dress stood at the entrance of the complex, while a little girl named Huang Lingling stood at the security room, clad in a duck-patterned raincoat, watching Chi Shen enter.
At the base of the apartment building, Chi Shen again spotted the shadowy figure that always guarded the hallway. The figure bared its white teeth, attempting to smile at Chi Shen. Perhaps it had been ages since its last smile, making this attempt quite ghastly. Nonetheless, Chi Shen appreciated the sentiment.
Chi Shen returned the gesture with a polite smile.
"We... all wish... for the... rain! To stop!"
A disjointed and faint voice echoed from behind, but Chi Shen understood it clearly.
"I'll do my best," replied Chi Shen.
He was unsure of the origins of this emotional specter and could not predict what would happen once it vanished, so he couldn't make any promises.
The shadowy figure bowed to Chi Shen, watching him ascend the staircase.
This time, Chi Shen chose the front entrance. Placing the red-clad female ghost behind him and signaling her to remain silent, he knocked on Li Xul's door.
The exterior of Li Xul's apartment lacked the water stains from before, appearing indistinguishable from the neighboring units, everything seemed perfectly normal.
Soon someone answered the door. Li Xul, upon seeing Chi Shen, expressed visible shock, murmuring, "Chi Shen? What are you doing here?"
"Just passing by. May I use your restroom?" Chi Shen responded with an impeccable smile.
Li Xul still appeared puzzled, seemingly unaware of how Chi Shen knew where he lived. Nevertheless, he stepped aside, letting Chi Shen in and pointed out the direction to the bathroom.
Chi Shen subtly glanced back, directing his gaze to Gui Lian perched on his shoulder.
Gui Lian swiftly slapped the red-clad female ghost with its own face, whispering rapidly, "Stick to the plan!"
Chi Shen followed Li Xul into his home, swiftly shutting the door behind him.
"You're the first colleague to visit my home," Li Xul remarked, a fleeting smile crossing his gaunt, weary face. "It's been a while since someone last—"
His words were abruptly cut off as he felt a strong force grabbing him, dragging him straight into the bathroom.
Despite the terrifying and bizarre circumstances, there was no trace of panic on his face. Instead, a relieved smile emerged.
"You're finally back."
*
Author's note:
My apologies for the delay today. I had issues with my computer and it took me half the day to get it running again (:з」∠)
