Translator: Shewee
Chapter 2: Room 1303 (Part 2)
Since witnessing someone jump out of the window with his own eyes, Ji Leshui’s mental state had been poor for some time.
Lin Banxia noticed that his friend was shaken and, over the next few days, adjusted his schedule to leave work early. To comfort Ji Leshui, he even prepared several meals featuring his favorite foods.
Their new neighbor in the adjacent apartment had been around for a few days. Lin Banxia originally wanted to greet him, but the neighbor seemed to come and go like a shadow, never appearing long enough for a proper introduction, so Lin Banxia eventually gave up.
Tonight, Lin Banxia had to work the night shift again. Despite his concern, he had no choice but to leave Ji Leshui home alone.
As soon as Lin Banxia left, Ji Leshui turned the TV volume up to its maximum, curling up on the sofa, too nervous to move.
Outside, the night had already descended, thick clouds covering the moonlight and stars, leaving a suffocating darkness that seemed to swallow everything.
The cold wind howled, striking against the window panes. Listening closely, one could faintly hear a mournful sound in the wind, like the anguished cries of a person near death.
Ji Leshui began feeling cold again. This chill had been with him ever since he moved in, a persistent, eerie sensation that clung to him. At first, he thought he was being paranoid, but as the days passed, the chill only grew more intense.
Pulling the blanket tighter around himself, Ji Leshui glanced cautiously around the dimly lit living room. Since they had just moved in, the apartment wasn’t furnished with many of their belongings; most items were left by the previous tenant.
The living room held only a television, a table, and a sofa—simple enough. But what made Ji Leshui uncomfortable was a painting hanging in the corner of the living room.
The painting was unusual, featuring a woman in a red dress that took up the entire canvas. At first glance, she appeared to be smiling and staring ahead, but if one looked closer, her face seemed blurred, like watercolor smeared beyond recognition.
Ji Leshui had always disliked this painting, but since it was Lin Banxia’s place and he was just a guest, he had refrained from voicing his discomfort and tried to suppress his unease.
Time ticked by slowly as Ji Leshui huddled under the blanket, the sound of the wind outside becoming more chilling. Eventually, he fell asleep on the sofa, though it was not a peaceful sleep. His dreams were punctuated by whispers, like hushed voices around him, and he felt a coldness seep into his body, as though he were lying in an ice cellar.
Knock, knock.
Suddenly, two faint knocks echoed through the quiet apartment, jarring him awake. Gasping for breath, he looked at the television, only to see the screen filled with static.
The knocking came again. This time, Ji Leshui could tell it was coming from the door. Warily, he asked, “Who is it?”
No answer.
“Who’s out there?” Feeling uneasy but determined, Ji Leshui got up, grabbed a mop from behind the bathroom door, and approached the entrance.
Knock, knock, knock—a series of soft taps, as if someone were gently rapping on the door. Ji Leshui pressed his face against the door and looked through the peephole. He saw an empty corridor.
“Who’s there? Stop messing around!” Normally, he might have opened the door right away, but recent events had made him cautious. Instead, he stepped back, kicked the door in frustration, and shouted, “Who’s out there?!”
The knocking stopped.
He muttered angrily, “If I catch you, you’re done for!” Grumbling, he turned back towards the living room, but after just a few steps, something caught his eye, making him freeze in fear.
The living room looked the same as before, but one thing was missing—the painting in the corner. The woman in the red dress, with her blurred, melted face, had vanished.
Had she disappeared, or had she left? Where was she now? Trembling, Ji Leshui turned his head toward the door as the knocking resumed, louder this time.
“Who… who is it?” he croaked, his voice hoarse with fear. He felt as if his body had turned to stone, rendering even the simplest movements excruciatingly difficult. Gathering what little strength he had, he shuffled to the door and peered through the peephole once again.
“It’s me,” a familiar voice called from outside. Through the peephole, he saw Lin Banxia’s face. Lin Banxia smiled and said, “I forgot my keys. Let me in.”
“Banxia?” Ji Leshui asked, uncertain.
“It’s me,” Lin Banxia replied, still smiling. “I’ve been knocking for ages. Why didn’t you answer?”
“Are you really Banxia?” Ji Leshui’s voice quivered as he placed his hand on the doorknob, a creeping realization halting him. “Lin… Lin Banxia never forgets his keys. You’re not him. Who are you?”
The smile faded from “Lin Banxia’s” face. His gaze turned cold, staring at Ji Leshui with an intensity that was both fierce and menacing. His features began to distort, melting like wax, his voice twisting into a sharp, menacing screech. “Let me out!”
Ji Leshui screamed, stumbling backward. He tripped over the mop, collapsing to the floor. Desperately, he crawled toward the sofa, his trembling hands dialing a number.
“Help! Help! Banxia, save me!” he sobbed, like a terrified child clinging to his phone as a lifeline. “This place is haunted—save me! There’s something here!”
Lin Banxia, still at work, was startled when he received the frantic call from Ji Leshui. Sensing something was seriously wrong, he quickly informed his coworker and prepared to leave.
Noticing Lin Banxia’s rare look of panic, his colleague asked what was going on.
“My friend at home… something’s happened,” Lin Banxia replied quietly, taking off his gloves.
“Something happened?” the colleague chuckled. “Did he say it’s haunted?”
Lin Banxia gave him a look.
The coworker shrugged. “Not that I was eavesdropping—he was just that loud.”
“His nerves haven’t been good lately,” Lin Banxia explained.
“Come on, ghosts aren’t real,” the coworker laughed. “If they were, we’d be out of a job.”
Lin Banxia forced a smile, didn’t reply, and headed to the changing room. After switching to his regular clothes, he left, quickly hailing a cab. The journey back to his apartment complex took just over ten minutes when traffic was light. The whole way, he tried calling Ji Leshui, but the line was always busy.
Lin Banxia felt a gnawing concern. Since moving in, Ji Leshui’s mood had been increasingly troubled. Just a few days ago, he’d even experienced hallucinations of someone jumping out of a window. Although he thought things had calmed down, tonight’s call suggested otherwise.
When the taxi finally arrived, Lin Banxia rushed toward his building. Pausing only briefly to catch his breath, he pressed the elevator button for his floor. Just as the doors were about to close, he noticed a man stepping in, carrying a large black suitcase.
The man was strikingly handsome, dressed entirely in black. Under the dim lights, his pale skin looked almost translucent, devoid of any color. His hair was a bit long, obscuring part of his face, and on his right hand, he wore a black glove as he held the suitcase.
The man glanced at Lin Banxia without much expression and stepped into the elevator. However, as soon as he entered, the elevator gave a jarring, high-pitched beep, signaling that it was overloaded.
“Overloaded already?” Lin Banxia was slightly stunned. There were only two of them, after all. Could the weight of the box the man was holding really be equivalent to several people?
Before Lin Banxia could process this, the man impatiently reached up, brushed the hair off his forehead, and turned to walk out.
As soon as he left, the warning sound immediately stopped. Standing outside the elevator, he and Lin Banxia stared at each other, creating an awkward moment.
“Um… I’ll go first?” Lin Banxia broke the silence.
The man nodded.
Lin Banxia pressed his floor button, and the elevator doors slowly closed between them.
The thirteenth floor arrived quickly. Lin Banxia hurried out of the elevator and rushed home. As he unlocked the door, he immediately heard the sound of sorrowful sobbing from inside.
“Leshui, Leshui?” Lin Banxia called out, looking around until he finally found Ji Leshui, almost collapsing, huddled in a corner behind the bedroom curtains. “Are you okay?”
Ji Leshui, sobbing and shivering, managed to choke out, “There’s a ghost… there’s a ghost—”
“What happened?” Lin Banxia asked.
“Someone knocked on the door,” Ji Leshui said, his words jumbled in panic, “I went to open it, but no one was there… Then, when I came back, the person in the painting was gone. That painting, Banxia, Banxia, let’s throw that painting away, okay? It’s too scary!!!”
Lin Banxia froze on the spot.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Ji Leshui assumed he was unwilling to part with the painting and screamed, “I’m begging you, just throw that painting in the living room away! Ever since I got here, I’ve felt there’s something wrong with it. The woman in the painting ran out—who knows where she is now—Why are you so attached to that painting? Has it bewitched you too?”
“But, Leshui,” Lin Banxia hesitantly looked at his friend, who was on the verge of a breakdown, and awkwardly replied, “We don’t… have a painting in the living room.”
Ji Leshui was silent for a long time before he whispered, “In the corner of the living room, isn’t there a painting?” He stood up shakily, went to the living room, and pointed at a wall.
Lin Banxia replied, “That… that’s not a painting; it’s a window.”
Ji Leshui let out a wretched scream and, right there in front of Lin Banxia, fainted.
Translator’s Note:
Guys I’ve been translating this novel for about a month now, since the original translator decided to take off their translation due to some issues. I’ve waited for a while and since there doesn’t seem to be any update from their side I will picking this up and since I have a LOT of chapters in stkk I will be posting 2 chapters per day. I will take off this note after I’ve submitted successfully posted 50 chapters. Thank you.
