Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After bidding farewell to the female ghost, I hurried back to the dormitory, not wanting to encounter anything else along the way.
As I reached the dormitory entrance, I paused in surprise.
How strange, the lights in our dorm were on.
I took out my keys and pushed the door open.
“Liu Tian, you’re back!”
As soon as I entered, I heard an excited voice; it was my dorm mate, Yuan Yuan.
When Yuan Yuan saw me, her expression instantly fell.
Our university dorm was a standard four-person room.
Yuan Yuan, Liu Tian, myself, and another girl named Lin Fei.
Though the four of us came from different parts of the country, we shared a major and spent time together in classes and outings, so we got along quite well.
I was a bit surprised by Yuan Yuan's reaction and teased her, “Yuan Yuan, what’s wrong? Do you dislike me that much?”
Yuan Yuan weakly replied, “No, it’s just that why are you back? Isn’t there still some time before school starts?”
“I was bored at home with nothing to do, so I thought I’d come back early to read at the library.”
Four girls, and I was the only one from the countryside. Yuan Yuan and Liu Tian came from relatively well-off families, while Lin Fei's family was quite wealthy.
Fortunately, they didn't treat me any differently, and we all had fun together.
“Yuan Yuan, why are you back so early? And did you just call for Liu Tian? Is she back too?”
At my question, Yuan Yuan's eyes suddenly turned red.
I sensed something was off and immediately pressed her, “Yuan Yuan, what happened?”
“Yan Xi, Liu Tian hasn't come back.”
As soon as she finished speaking, I let out a sigh of relief; I thought something urgent had occurred.
I comforted her, saying, “Maybe Liu Tian went to find a friend? Also, why did both of you come back to the dorm early?”
“I came back with Liu Tian. She didn't go home at all during the summer vacation; she stayed here to work. Last night she had to work overtime and then went out. She hasn't returned since.”
The school kept the dorms open during the summer vacation to facilitate internships for the senior students.
I hadn't expected Liu Tian to be gone all night; it wasn't safe for a girl to be out alone. I quickly said, “Yuan Yuan, don't worry. It's too late now; we'll go to where Liu Tian works first thing in the morning. You know where she works, right?”
Yuan Yuan hesitantly nodded.
"Alright, we'll go together tomorrow morning."
...
In the afternoon, when Yuan Yuan brought me to the place where Liu Tian worked, I finally understood why she hesitated when answering me last night.
Because Liu Tian's workplace was a nightclub called Wanhui.
"Yuan Yuan, Liu Tian actually works here?" I exclaimed in shock.
Yuan Yuan averted her gaze, unable to respond.
Looking at the lavishly decorated nightclub, I frowned and asked, "Yuan Yuan, do you know which floor Tian Tian works on? It's so big here; it won't be easy to find her."
Yuan Yuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I know a supervisor here on the fourth floor. I'll take you to ask."
I followed Yuan Yuan to the fourth floor. The supervisor she mentioned was a woman in her thirties. With heavy makeup that could probably shake off three pounds of powder, she looked as if she had just woken up even though it was already five in the afternoon.
The supervisor looked at Yuan Yuan and flashed a bright red smile, saying, "Yuan'er, you're here for work today. Oh, you've brought a friend along!"
I was stunned.
It turned out that Yuan Yuan also worked here.
After being exposed by the Supervisor, Yuan Yuan lowered her head, too afraid to speak or look at me.
Seeing her like this, I knew I couldn't rely on her anymore. I turned to the Supervisor and asked, "Hello, Supervisor. I'm not here for a job; I just want to know where my friend Liu Tian is. She hasn't come back since she started work."
Upon hearing Liu Tian's sweet name, the Supervisor's expression changed noticeably.
A bad feeling rose within me.
It seemed there was something fishy going on here.
At that moment, the once-smiling Supervisor's face turned fierce as she said, "What are you doing here if you're not working? Get out! What do I care about Liu Tian? If she's with someone else, how would I know where she is? Security! Security! Come here and take these people out!"
As soon as she finished speaking, several burly men rushed out from another room, their faces fierce and looking ready to devour us.
Seeing this, Yuan Yuan immediately softened and pulled me away.
A wise man doesn't take unnecessary risks; these Menacing Brutes were not to be trifled with, so I naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to confront them head-on.
Once outside Wanhui, I took Yuan Yuan to a nearby café.
"Yuan Yuan, what's going on?" I asked straightforwardly, but she just kept her head down, trying to avoid the question.
I felt a sense of urgency rising within me.
Time waits for no one. Liu Tian had disappeared for a night in a place like this, and with the Supervisor's attitude, things were looking grim.
“Yuan Yuan, aren’t you worried about Liu Tian? If she’s missing in a place like this, it’ll be a hassle when the police come knocking.”
After hearing my words, Yuan Yuan finally looked up at me.
With a hint of fear in her voice, she said, “I don’t want the police to come. Yan Xi, you have to help me.”
Seeing her like this made me sad too; after all, we were friends. I reassured her, “Okay, I’ll help you. But you need to tell me everything. Otherwise, I won’t be able to assist you.”
From Yuan Yuan, I learned that Liu Tian had gone to Wanhui to work as a hostess in order to make quick money. She had then introduced Yuan Yuan to take on part-time work as well. Liu Tian hadn’t returned home all summer and had been working at Wanhui.
I cursed Liu Tian inwardly for being so reckless, but since she was my friend, I pressed on, “Yuan Yuan, did Liu Tian seem different last night? Or did she say anything before she went out?”
“She mentioned that a customer wanted to meet her and was willing to pay extra,” Yuan Yuan trembled as she spoke. “She looked really happy at the time and even asked if I wanted to go with her. But since I wasn’t feeling well, I didn’t go.”
From what Yuan Yuan said, it seemed the most likely reason for Liu Tian’s disappearance was that customer.
At eight o'clock in the evening, I decided to head back to Wanhui to investigate further. Since Yuan Yuan would be recognized if she showed up, she waited outside for me.
Standing at the entrance of Wanhui, I saw a parade of flamboyantly dressed hostesses and various wealthy men coming and going.
I waited patiently, hoping for an opportunity to slip inside.
A black Mercedes slowly approached the entrance, catching my attention as the group of security guards there stood up to greet it.
The car door was respectfully opened by a guard, and out stepped someone in a robe.
I was somewhat surprised to see a Taoist priestess in a place like this. As I got closer and recognized her, my heart raced with excitement; it seemed an opportunity had arrived. From behind, she looked like a Taoist priest, but as I saw her face, I realized she was indeed a Taoist Priestess.
Seizing the moment, I rushed over and grabbed the Taoist Priestess's hand, my face beaming with a bright smile. "You finally came! I've been waiting for so long."
I dared not look up for fear of revealing myself, so I quietly leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "Help me. I want to get in."
The reason I had the courage to approach her was that I recognized this Taoist Priestess as the woman who had gotten out of the car with me to use the restroom yesterday. She was my only way into that place.
Noticing the strange looks from the surrounding security guards, I quickly pinched the woman discreetly and threatened her softly, "If you don't help me, I'll expose you."
She smirked at me and then turned to the nearby guards. "This is my assistant; he's just being noisy. Please take me inside."
Seeing that she acknowledged me, the guards' attitudes shifted to one of respect, and I successfully followed them into the eighth floor.
The person leading us went to fetch the boss and left us in a private room.
As soon as he left, I opened the door to sneak out and check the situation.
Just as I reached the doorway, the woman pulled me back. "Sister, your ability to burn bridges is getting better and better. First, you didn't thank me for saving your life, and now you're trying to use me to escape."
Seeing how respectful those people were towards her, I hesitated to offend her. I took a deep breath and explained, "My friend is missing here, a girl. I'm worried about her, so I came to look for her."
"Is that how you're going to search?" The woman looked at me incredulously, as if she had just heard the biggest joke.
I didn't understand what she meant and stared at her in confusion.
To my surprise, she gave me a look of exasperation and said, "You're really clueless. There are cameras everywhere outside. Do you dare to search for someone in a place like this without any cover? I can guarantee that the moment you step out that door, you'll be thrown out."
I hadn't considered that at all. Although I was more mature than them, I still hadn't entered society yet. I looked at the woman with a troubled expression.
She gave me a look that said "you've defeated me," then said, "Alright, follow me while I finish my business, and I'll help you look for her afterward. By the way, what's your name?"
I nodded; it seemed like there was no other option for now. I replied, "Gu Yanxi."
"Remember, my name is Shangguan Mingyue. Don't slip up later," she said seriously.
"Okay."
Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a middle-aged man walked in. He immediately asked, "Which one of you is the closed-door disciple of Jade Sun True Person, Shangguan Daozhang?"
The expression on Shangguan Mingyue's face changed instantly; she became serious and stood up straight. She approached the man and said, "That's me. Where did the incident happen? Take me there."
The man's gaze towards Shangguan Mingyue was filled with doubt; after all, who would expect a girl in her teens to be involved?
Shangguan Mingyue looked at him and coldly smiled, "You had quite a few nightmares last night, didn't you? Your face still shows that you're haunted."
Upon hearing Shangguan Mingyue's words, the man's face turned pale, and he clasped his hands in a bow, saying, "Master, you have great skills."
Since he had already revealed his hand, the man confidently led us out of the private room.
I followed behind Shangguan Mingyue and quietly tugged at her sleeve, asking, "What exactly are we doing? Why are you wearing a robe? Are we here to catch ghosts?"
Shangguan Mingyue looked at me and smiled teasingly, "Not bad, you can be taught."
Thinking about how Liu Daozhang wanted me to avoid unnecessary trouble, I knew I couldn't fall into a trap. I continued to pull at her and asked, "Is this place haunted?"
"Three people died in a row, each in a tragic state, all within one night. Don't you think that's eerie?"
Comment 0 Comment Count