Translator: Shewee
Chapter 6: Room 1303 (Part 6)
After the woman appeared, both Liu Xi and Lin Banxia felt guilty and didn’t dare to breathe too loudly as they stood to the side. Luckily, the woman didn’t seem to want to trouble them further; after saying those few words, she turned and left. This left Wang Jinqiao standing there in a daze, and after a long moment, he whispered, “What’s going on here? Is this woman mentally unstable?”
“How would I know?” Liu Xi was almost in tears. He wiped his face, only to realize his nose was covered in cold sweat. “This whole thing is way too creepy.”
Lin Banxia nodded silently beside him.
“Also, Brother Lin, did you really see a rat in the compartment?” After calming down, Liu Xi began to sense something strange and turned to Lin Banxia with suspicion.
Lin Banxia, without flinching, replied, “Yes, I saw it.”
“Really?” Liu Xi still seemed doubtful.
“Really,” Lin Banxia confirmed.
Seeing Lin Banxia’s firm attitude, Liu Xi had no choice but to drop the matter. However, on the way back, Liu Xi smoked with a troubled expression the entire time. Lin Banxia rested next to him, and it wasn’t until they were almost back at the station that Liu Xi spoke up, “Brother Lin, in a few days, I’m planning to visit a temple for a protection charm. Do you want me to get one for you too?”
“No need,” Lin Banxia said, “I don’t believe in that stuff.”
“You really don’t?” Liu Xi replied. “But tonight was just too bizarre… Especially that woman. Her smile gave me the creeps.”
Lin Banxia said, “She… was a bit strange.”
Yes, at first, she’d been crying with such grief, but who would have thought that after just a few hours, she would look at her family member’s body and start smiling? Could it be that she’d suddenly come to some sort of realization amidst her grief?
They chatted as they entered the station, planning to take a shower, change, and go home. For their line of work, unless it was a special situation, each person typically only had to take on one task per night, so after they finished, they could go home.
Lin Banxia also took a shower and changed into his own clothes, drying his hair as he called Ji Leshui.
But even though the call went through, no one answered, which made him worry even more.
After his shift ended, Lin Banxia decided to pack Ji Leshui’s belongings and deliver them personally, hoping to check on him in the process.
He took the late-night bus, the only one running at this hour, and got off at the bus stop near his apartment complex. Walking for about five or six minutes, he finally reached his doorstep.
Previously, he hadn’t paid much attention when Ji Leshui mentioned it, but after observing for a few days, he realized that there really weren’t many residents in his complex. Apart from the streetlights, there was almost no other lighting. Walking alone, all he could hear was the echo of his own footsteps.
At that moment, rather than fearing silence, Lin Banxia was actually more afraid of hearing something. He entered the elevator, went straight to his apartment door, and was about to pull out his keys to unlock it when he noticed that the door number plaque was askew.
The door number was black, with “1303” in gold lettering, hanging crookedly on the door and looking quite out of place. Lin Banxia reached out, intending to straighten it, but as soon as his fingertips touched the edge of the plaque, he sensed something was wrong and pulled his hand back.
The plaque, which should have been made of cool metal, felt warm, like human skin. The sensation reminded Lin Banxia of the black box from his neighbor’s apartment…
Lin Banxia glanced at the plaque for a moment, then ignored it, pulled out his keys, and opened the door.
After entering, he closed the door behind him and went to grab Ji Leshui’s suitcase from the bedroom. He then started packing up the clothes in the wardrobe. Ji Leshui’s wardrobe was divided into two sections. The upper part, which was smaller, held bedding, while the lower part held most of his everyday clothes. The suitcase wasn’t big enough, so Lin Banxia could only fit most of the clothes. Looking at the remaining items, he was at a loss. He thought for a moment, then took out his phone to call Ji Leshui again to ask about his situation.
As soon as his call connected, he heard a familiar ringtone echoing nearby. At first, he thought he was mistaken, but as the ringtone grew louder, he raised his head in disbelief.
The ringtone was coming from the wardrobe above him.
And the call that Lin Banxia had been unable to reach was now connected, though it was silent on the other end. He softly said, “Hello?” Then, he heard his own voice echoing from inside the wardrobe.
Lin Banxia stood silent for a moment, swallowing as he processed what was happening. After about half a minute, he made a move, slowly climbing onto the bed beside him, took a deep breath, and opened the top compartment of the wardrobe.
With a soft creak, the door opened, and Lin Banxia saw Ji Leshui curled up inside.
Ji Leshui was 1.73 meters tall, a normal adult male, and logically, he shouldn’t be able to fit inside the wardrobe. However, the current situation defied all reason. Ji Leshui’s eyes were open, his pupils slightly dilated, staring blankly at Lin Banxia, while his entire body trembled slightly.
“Leshui, Leshui!” Lin Banxia, genuinely alarmed this time, reached in and painstakingly pulled Ji Leshui out of the wardrobe.
Ji Leshui didn’t move, as stiff as a puppet, allowing Lin Banxia to pull him out. Only after he was fully pulled out did he begin to whimper softly, like a frightened child. Lin Banxia held his shoulders, anxiously checking for injuries.
Fortunately, aside from shock, his body was uninjured.
“When did you come back? Why were you in there?” Lin Banxia helped him to the living room. He wanted to get him a cup of hot water to calm him down, but Ji Leshui, scared out of his wits, clung tightly to him, refusing to let go. Lin Banxia had no choice but to stay by his side.
“I don’t know, I don’t know.” Ji Leshui cried desperately. “I don’t know when I came back… When I became aware, I was already in the wardrobe, and I couldn’t move, I couldn’t move…”
“Don’t rush. Take it slow and explain,” Lin Banxia said, trying to calm him.
With a trembling voice, Ji Leshui recounted his ordeal in detail.
After having a nightmare, he’d gone to work in a daze. But due to his poor mental state, he made several mistakes and was scolded by his supervisor before being sent home. Lost in thought, he returned to his new rental apartment, but when he opened the door, he found himself in Lin Banxia’s living room.
At that moment, he was so terrified that he turned and ran. He ran and ran, seemingly entering a twisted tunnel filled with the wailing cries of women. He kept running, not daring to stop. Just as he thought he’d collapse from exhaustion, he finally saw the door to his new apartment. This time, when he opened the door, he finally reached his new home.
Overjoyed, he rushed in and slammed the door shut. But no sooner had he closed the door than he heard knocking, and then a woman began screaming outside.
He was so scared he nearly lost his soul, stumbling into the bedroom. After that, he remembered little, only vaguely feeling himself trapped in a dark, narrow space, unable to move.
Then, the sound of a piercing suona filled his ears, and he could hear people talking, crying loudly, until a man’s voice shouted, “Seal the coffin—”
Instantly, he felt as though he couldn’t breathe. He tried to call for help but couldn’t utter a single word. From above, he heard the sound of something being shoveled, as if someone were burying him, shovel after shovel, intending to completely seal him in endless darkness.
At this, Ji Leshui broke down, crying, clinging to Lin Banxia like a child who’d been terribly wronged. “What do I do, what do I do, Banxia? I can’t move out, I can’t move out!”
Lin Banxia tried to comfort him, but he knew his words would only provide a little comfort. His friend’s spirit was already on the verge of collapse; one more scare, and he might lose his sanity. After all, this situation had started because of Lin Banxia’s invitation. If he hadn’t invited Ji Leshui to stay here, his friend wouldn’t have been so frightened.
Lin Banxia recalled his neighbor’s warning. He knew that man must know something. He continued to soothe Ji Leshui and decided he would visit his neighbor again.
By now, Ji Leshui had already been drained of most of his strength by fear, and after crying and shouting for so long, he quickly became utterly exhausted. Even when his eyes grew too heavy to stay open, he refused to let go of Lin Banxia’s sleeve, terrified he might return to that horrifying “coffin.”
Lin Banxia had no choice but to stay with him. He watched Ji Leshui’s pale face and his tightly furrowed brows, even in sleep.
The sky was overcast, and the wind howled outside the window. The light in the room was dim, and only the faint sound from the TV filled the silence.
Lin Banxia leaned back on the sofa, with Ji Leshui lying beside him. Having worked through the night, he was a bit weary himself, and as dawn approached, he too drifted off into a hazy dream.
He dreamed of his university days when a classmate often tried to startle him but never succeeded. One night, this classmate snuck up and tapped him on the back, hoping to finally get a reaction. Lin, as usual, didn’t react. The classmate looked disappointed, sighed, and said, “Still didn’t scare you, huh?” Lin had laughed it off at the time. But the next day, the class president suddenly informed him that the classmate had died in a car accident early that morning…
Died? But clearly, just last night, they’d been joking together…
Lin Banxia startled awake from his dream. His first instinct was to check for Ji Leshui by his side, and when he saw him sleeping there, he sighed with relief. After a moment’s thought, he gently woke Ji Leshui and told him he was planning to visit the neighbor next door.
Ji Leshui, still groggy, asked in confusion, “Why are you going to see the neighbor?”
Lin Banxia replied, “The neighbor might know something.”
“Know what?” Ji Leshui asked, not quite understanding.
“Something about this place,” Lin Banxia said. “He seems odd—not like a regular person.”
“How odd?” Ji Leshui asked.
“Odder than me,” Lin Banxia replied.
Ji Leshui hesitated for a few seconds, then gave up. “Then he must be pretty strange.”
Lin Banxia sighed, patting his friend’s shoulder.
After a night’s rest, Ji Leshui’s spirits had improved a bit, and he even managed to joke with Lin Banxia. Although Lin originally intended to visit the neighbor alone, Ji Leshui insisted on not staying alone in the apartment. With no other option, the two of them went together.
When Lin Banxia reached the neighbor’s door, he knocked cautiously.
After a brief wait, the door creaked open, and Song Qingluo’s face appeared through the crack. He seemed to have just woken up, his slightly long black hair was disheveled, and his face was as pale as unglazed porcelain.
“Mr. Song,” Lin Banxia said, “I have some questions I’d like to ask you.”
Song Qingluo’s gaze shifted to Ji Leshui beside Lin Banxia. He asked, “Is this your roommate?”
Lin Banxia nodded, concerned that Song Qingluo might refuse. He was about to say a few more polite words when, unexpectedly, Song Qingluo gave Ji Leshui a critical once-over, pushed aside a stray strand of hair, and softly said, “Come in.”
The two of them carefully stepped inside, one after the other.
Like Lin Banxia the first time he entered, Ji Leshui was stunned by the numerous boxes scattered around the room. He didn’t know what they contained, but an inexplicable sense of dread made him keep his distance, stopping at a spot far from any boxes.
“Sit,” Song Qingluo gestured toward the sofa.
Lin Banxia sat on the sofa and gestured for Ji Leshui to join him. Reluctantly, Ji Leshui sidled over and whispered, “Mr. Song, what’s in all these boxes?”
Song Qingluo cast a cold glance at him, not answering.
Ji Leshui immediately felt awkward and apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just…” He wanted to say the boxes made him uneasy, but realizing that would be more offensive, he changed his words, “It just seems like they take up a lot of space.”
Song Qingluo stood up, walked over to the sofa, and casually picked up one of the boxes, about the size of a human head. He placed it on the table in front of them, raised his chin slightly at Ji Leshui, and said, “Didn’t you want to know what’s inside? Why don’t you open it?”
Ji Leshui’s face froze.
Lin Banxia was about to intervene, but Song Qingluo gestured for silence.
The box wasn’t large, nor was it locked; it was held shut by an easily opened latch. A simple touch would open it. Ji Leshui was indeed curious about its contents, but for some reason, as his hand neared the box, he felt a bone-chilling cold seep into his bones, as if he were being watched by some fearsome beast.
Ji Leshui tried several times, but he simply couldn’t open the box. Some instinct held him back, stopping him mid-action. His fingertips brushed over the soft surface of the box, lingering at the clasp without daring to touch it, as if the box was not just a box but a Pandora’s box—one that, if opened, would doom him to a fate he could never escape.
Unknowingly, cold sweat had already spread across Ji Leshui’s face. Finally giving up, he looked to Lin Banxia for help, his gaze pleading.
Lin Banxia asked in confusion, “Leshui? Are you alright?”
Ji Leshui forced a smile, “I… I’d rather not open it. After all, it’s Mr. Song’s personal belonging. Opening it just like this…”
Song Qingluo remarked, “Your name is Lin Banxia, correct? Do you dare to open it?”
Lin Banxia responded, “Open? This box?” As he spoke, he reached toward the box, but just as his hand touched the clasp, a terrified scream came from Ji Leshui, who immediately grabbed Lin Banxia’s hand, stopping him from unlocking it. “No, no, don’t open it, Banxia. You can’t open it—”
Lin Banxia was startled by Ji Leshui’s reaction.
However, Song Qingluo’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated Ji Leshui’s reaction. He took something from his pocket and handed it to Ji Leshui. “Want to roll the dice?”
Ji Leshui was slightly disoriented. As he accepted the items from Song Qingluo, he realized they were two peculiar dice, different from typical six-sided ones. These dice had ten sides—one black and one white—resting quietly in Ji Leshui’s palm like a pair of eyes.
Ji Leshui asked, “How… how do I roll them?”
Song Qingluo instructed, “Throw them on the table.”
Ji Leshui gulped and then carefully tossed the dice onto the table. The dice spun in circles, tumbling across the surface before finally coming to a stop in the center. The black die showed a 6, and the white die showed a 9.
Song Qingluo said, “Once more.” He handed the dice back to Ji Leshui.
Ji Leshui was a bit dazed but followed Song Qingluo’s instructions, rolling the dice again. To his surprise, the outcome was exactly the same as before—black 6 and white 9.
Dumbfounded, Ji Leshui stammered, “Mr. Song, is there something wrong with your dice?”
Without answering, Song Qingluo gestured toward Lin Banxia, signaling him to try as well.
Lin Banxia made a sound of acknowledgment and rolled the dice just as Ji Leshui had. But in Lin Banxia’s hands, the dice behaved strangely. It was as if they defied gravity, endlessly spinning without ever seeming to stop.
As Ji Leshui watched, goosebumps spread over his arms, and he looked at Song Qingluo with a mixture of fear and disbelief.
Song Qingluo, however, casually retrieved the dice and said to Ji Leshui, “At least it’s not a 100.”
“One hundred? What does that mean?” Ji Leshui asked, clearly confused.
“The black die represents the units, and the white die the tens. This number reflects your current level of mental contamination,” Song Qingluo explained, pocketing the dice. “For a normal person, exposure to incomprehensible phenomena can cause mental disorientation. The higher the number, the more severe the disorientation. Yours is at 96—you’re just four points from the maximum.”
Ji Leshui asked, “Then what about him? What’s his situation?” He pointed at his friend, Lin Banxia.
Lin Banxia, sitting quietly with his hands on his knees, gave an innocent look in response to Ji Leshui’s gesture.
Glancing at Lin Banxia, Song Qingluo said, “There are also certain individuals who, despite seeing strange phenomena, remain unaffected. Actually, there are quite a few of these people. We usually call them…”
Ji Leshui eagerly asked, “Call them what?”
“People with intellectual disabilities,” Song Qingluo replied.
Ji Leshui: “…”
Song Qingluo: “Commonly known as idiots.”
Ji Leshui: “…”
Lin Banxia: “…” This was going too far. Just because he reacted a bit slowly, how did that make him an idiot?
“The higher a person’s sensitivity, the more they’re able to perceive strange phenomena. The more they perceive, the easier it is for them to go mad.” The two dice rolled fluidly between Song Qingluo’s long fingers, as if they were a part of him. “In general, sensitivity is linked to intelligence. So…” He glanced at Lin Banxia, and for some reason, Lin Banxia thought he saw a hint of pity and mischievous amusement in Song Qingluo’s eyes.
Ji Leshui immediately looked at his friend in feigned sorrow and exclaimed, “Lin Banxia, you’ve hidden it from me so well. We’ve lived together for so many years, and you’ve been keeping the fact that you’re an idiot from me.”
Lin Banxia, forced to laugh awkwardly, replied, “That’s enough, alright?”
Ji Leshui coughed a few times, barely holding back his laughter.
Lin Banxia said, “Mr. Song, alright, now we know my friend is severely contaminated, and my identity as an idiot is exposed. Can you tell us the solution?”
Song Qingluo said, “There is indeed a solution.”
Lin Banxia asked, “Such as?”
Song Qingluo replied, “Moving out.”
“But didn’t you say we can’t move out?” Lin Banxia asked, recalling Song Qingluo’s initial advice when he first visited.
Song Qingluo explained, “Simply moving isn’t an option.”
Lin Banxia asked, “Then where should we move?”
Song Qingluo pointed to his own room.
Upon hearing this, Ji Leshui cried out, “What, live with you? But I have a girlfriend.”
Lin Banxia: “What? You have a girlfriend?? Since when??”
Ji Leshui: “Oh, so it’s fine for you to be an idiot, but I can’t have a girlfriend?”
In exasperation, Lin Banxia rolled up his sleeves and threatened, “Ji Leshui, you brat, I’m going to bash your head in—”
Ji Leshui quickly apologized sincerely, explaining that he hadn’t found the right time to tell him. Then, turning shyly to Song Qingluo, he asked if living together wasn’t a bit sudden.
Song Qingluo replied with exasperation, “Who said anything about living together? I merely mentioned a solution; I didn’t invite you to move in.”
Ji Leshui: “What? How could you do this?” But thinking quickly, he put on an earnest smile and pleaded, “Mr. Song, Mr. Song, saving a life is a noble deed. Look at how much I’ve suffered these days—I’m practically on the brink of insanity. Please have mercy and save me. I’ll agree to any condition you have. Look at my friend, finally graduated and spent all his savings to buy a place, only to face such an ordeal. If he were normal, he could try to cope, but you know, he has this issue.” He gestured to his head.
Lin Banxia: “…” Ji Leshui, you traitorous jerk, why are you so practiced in selling out your friend?
Author’s Note:
Ji Leshui: Help, Boss! I’m going to be scared to death!!
Song Qingluo: = =
Ji Leshui: I’m going to die of fright!!!
Song Qingluo: = =
Ji Leshui: Your wife’s house is about to be repossessed by the bank!!
Song Qingluo: Come, come, let’s move somewhere else.
Ji Leshui: You two damned lovebirds!!!!
Lin Banxia: We’re not lovebirds; we’re just poor.
