The Special Room 1046

By Qin Cabbage

Do you really think the world is exactly as you see it? You are sorely mistaken if you do. All those unresolved mysteries—don't you want to know more about them?

A young man, anxious due to unemployment, stumbles upon a janitorial job at a large hotel while browsing online. He is overjoyed about this new job, but little does he know, this position conceals eerie and secretive elements.

His main task is to clean a specific room—Room 1046. This room not only has very particular cleaning requirements, such as specific cleaning times and precautions, but it also seems to harbor some unspeakable secrets...
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zhou Yan
• Release date: Apr 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224757817

Book preview

Chapter 2: Sister Wang and Midnight Oddities

I screamed in terror, closed my eyes, and wiped the air conditioner haphazardly before rushing out.

As I ran to the door, I noticed that I hadn’t picked up the high heels, so I bent down to straighten them and then hurried out of the room.

Dragging my supplies, I ran to the cleaning room and threw everything down, collapsing onto the ground.

Oh my goodness, what’s wrong? The woman immediately stood up and asked. I waved my hand and said I was fine.

Sister, can I ask you how much your monthly salary is? I got up and patted my backside, asking.

The woman looked at me with vigilance and asked, What do you want?

I quickly explained, No, no, does your salary exceed five thousand yuan?

The woman laughed loudly. Five thousand? I don’t even make two thousand a month, how could it be five thousand!

Then why don’t you come and clean room 1046? Moreover, it doesn’t interfere with your current job, and you’d get a monthly salary of five thousand! I asked the woman in surprise.

The woman’s expression changed again when she heard my question.

I... I don’t want to clean it, it’s tiring... The woman stammered.

Sister, tell me the truth, is there something strange about that room? I grabbed the woman’s arm and asked.

Oh! It’s not really strange, it’s just that the cleaning staff for that room has to be male, not female. I’d love to go, too! The woman continued.

She didn’t want to say anything, so I couldn’t do anything but let go of her.

If you don’t mind, you can call me Sister Wang from now on, the woman said to me. I hummed in response and said okay. With that, I turned and was about to leave.

Coming down from the tenth floor, I went to Li Kai’s office. When I entered, he was sitting there upright, smoking a cigarette.

Finished cleaning? He asked when he saw me come down. I nodded and said, Yes, finished. Where’s the dorm?

Li Kai smiled mysteriously and said, Since you’re new, I’ll give you special treatment. You can sleep in room 1046.

I was stunned and asked, 1046? Isn’t that room occupied?

Li Kai’s expression changed, and he said, Oh, don’t worry, the owner of that room isn’t here. You can just sleep there.

But... even if the owner isn’t there, you can’t just let people stay in someone else’s house, right? Just put me in a regular room. Honestly, that room is so creepy, only a fool would want to stay there.

People were constantly coming and going in the hallway. Looking at them, I couldn’t help but feel envious.

Li Kai’s face changed again, and he said, This is the only room available, take it or leave it!

Hearing his words, I also got a little angry. I almost threw my things and walked out, but I had experienced the pain of not having food to eat, so I compromised.

Maybe it’s because the air conditioner is on a timer, I comforted myself. Maybe they avoid that room because the guest is difficult to get along with?

Thinking about it this way, I felt much better and less scared.

So I turned and was about to go back to room 1046. At this moment, Li Kai suddenly pulled me back and handed me a cigarette, saying, Hey, don’t be in such a hurry, let’s chat for a while.

Although I was a little disgusted by his attitude, I also had many questions I wanted to ask him. Plus, he was my superior, so I smiled and agreed.

He gestured for me to sit down and then asked some personal questions: How old are you this year? Do you have a girlfriend?

I smiled and said, I’m 25, single, no money, how can I find a girlfriend?

Li Kai then laughed loudly and said, Work hard, and Brother Li will introduce you to a girlfriend!

I smiled but didn’t respond. At this moment, Li Kai leaned closer and said, Let me tell you, there are a few things you need to pay attention to when living in room 1046.

What things? I looked up and asked.

Every day, between eleven thirty and twelve thirty, you can’t stay inside. In other words, you have to be out of room 1046 before eleven thirty and you can’t go back in until after twelve thirty. The ten minutes you spend cleaning the room are excluded, regardless of day or night. Understand? Li Kai said mysteriously.

Brother Li, what’s so strange about room 1046? Why are there so many demands for that room? And why is it so creepy? I couldn’t help but ask.

Li Kai waved his hand and said, Just do as I say, and you’ll be absolutely fine. And I promise you’ll get promoted, get a raise, and live a good life! Ha ha!

Faced with the temptation of promotion and a raise, I decided to try staying there for a while. If there was really anything strange, then to hell with it, I’d just quit!

After chatting with Li Kai for a while, it was finally twelve thirty. I walked out of his office and went to the elevator.

I took the elevator to the tenth floor and walked all the way to the door of room 1046. I took out the key tied with a red string and slowly opened the door.

My eyes swept to the side of the hallway and I happened to see Sister Wang. She seemed to be talking to someone at this moment, her lips moving, hands gesturing, but there was no one in front of her, not a single person!

I’ve never been a brave person. Seeing this, I didn’t have the guts to ask. Instead, I ran into room 1046 as if I were escaping.

However, the sight before me startled me again. The window was open again! The wind was whistling in from outside! The picture on the wall looked at me with a half-smile, as if it were mocking me.

Is... is anyone there? I asked with trembling voice. There was nothing in the room but the sound of the wind.

Is anyone there? I shouted again with more courage, but the room was still quiet.

I gritted my teeth and thought to myself, to hell with ghosts or humans, I’d rather enjoy myself before I die than go hungry every day! So, with great courage, I walked to the window and closed it shut.

After I closed the window, the whole room became deathly silent. Except for the sound of my own breathing, there was no other sound.

I didn’t dare to think about it any further. I quickly took off my clothes and ran to my bed without even taking a shower.

As soon as I lay down, my whole body went numb. Damn, this bed is really comfortable! As expected of a big hotel!

I took out a cigarette and wanted to smoke one, but unfortunately, I didn’t bring my lighter! Feeling very depressed, I opened the drawer of the bedside table, thinking that hotels usually put matches there.

After opening the drawer, there was indeed a box of matches quietly placed inside. I hurriedly took it out, wanting to light a cigarette.

Just as I lit the match, my hand suddenly trembled. That’s not right, this match is a Bohai match! This kind of match was discontinued years ago!

Could it be that Dongfeng Hotel likes to collect this kind of match? This kind of match doesn’t seem to be able to be preserved for a long time!

Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed in my mind, and my scalp exploded! Why is this room so strange? All the rooms in this era use key cards, but this room is a key tied with a red string! Now, this kind of match has appeared inexplicably. Is it really a coincidence?

I didn’t dare to think too much, and I didn’t bother to smoke anymore. I quickly lay down in the quilt and covered my head with the quilt, not daring to move a muscle.

Damn it, go to sleep, as long as I fall asleep, everything will be fine. So, I hid under the quilt and closed my eyes.

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door outside.

Bang bang bang!

Hearing a knock on the door in the middle of the night is a very scary thing. I don’t know if you guys have that feeling! Anyway, I’m scared to pee now. I don’t even have the courage to ask, but just hug the quilt tightly, not daring to move.

The knocking on the door outside continued, loud and soft, as if there was a pattern, which made me feel even more strange!

The knocking on the door outside lasted for a full hour and still didn’t stop! I couldn’t bear it anymore, and besides, hiding in the quilt was almost suffocating me to death! So, I stuck my head out and shouted, Who... who is it!?

No one responded outside the door. It was still bang bang bang.

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I stood up and walked to the door, pulling it open with a jerk.

The person standing outside the door was actually Sister Wang from the tool room! I was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise, Wang... Sister Wang? Why is it you?

Chapter 3: Mysterious High Heels

Sister Wang had an expressionless face, completely different from the warm-hearted older sister I met earlier. She coldly said, This is my dormitory.

Then, she walked in and lay motionless on the bed.

I was both angry and happy at the same time. Angry because Li Kai had lied to me, making me share a bed with a woman in her fifties! Happy because at least there was someone there to keep me company, so I wouldn’t be so scared.

However, I was too naive. This Sister Wang before me was completely different from the one I had met earlier.

After lying down, she wouldn’t say anything and just curled up her body like a cocoon. For a fifty-year-old woman, it was indeed terrifying to be like this in front of me!

I slowly walked to the bedside and asked softly, Sister Wang, are you asleep?

Sister Wang didn’t answer, just lay there motionlessly. I took a deep breath and asked again softly, Si-Sister Wang, are you asleep?

Still no response from Sister Wang. I started to feel a little uneasy. How could someone fall asleep so quickly and so soundly! Even after I called her so loudly, she didn’t react at all!

However, I soon comforted myself. Maybe she’s tired. After all, she was still guarding the tool room in the middle of the night, so how could she not be tired? So, I lay down on the bed and prepared to go to sleep.

As soon as I closed my eyes, I suddenly felt something was wrong again.

The room was too quiet.

Even if a person is very tired, their breathing will definitely change. But at this moment, there wasn’t even a sound of breathing in the whole room! Sister Wang was lying there as if she were dead!

I was terrified, and something kept rising up my throat, but I couldn’t shout.

Why wasn’t Sister Wang breathing? How could a normal living person have no breathing? Unless she was already dead!

But today, when I went to get tools, Sister Wang was completely normal, no issues at all! Why is it like this now?

I took a deep breath, stretched out my hand, and slowly moved towards Sister Wang’s nostrils to check if she was still breathing. Just as my hand was about to reach her nose, her hand shot up in a flash and quickly grasped my arm!

I let out a loud yell, but Sister Wang didn’t seem to care about my screaming. She just said lifelessly, What are you doing?

I... I wasn’t doing anything... I stammered. Then, by the moonlight, I saw Sister Wang’s numb expression on her face, like that of a zombie. Her two white eyeballs were especially large, completely different from before! I was afraid she might suddenly change into something else.

Go to sleep, she said coldly, and then she lay down again, just like before.

I didn’t dare to touch her anymore and lay on the bed with my eyes closed.

The next day when I woke up, Sister Wang was already gone. I sat up on the bed and looked at the clock; it was just after nine o’clock, a long time before eleven thirty.

So, I put on my clothes and got up from the bed, but as soon as I did, I felt sore and achy all over, as if I had been working hard all night. I cursed under my breath and hurried out of room 1046.

After coming out, my eyes involuntarily glanced towards Sister Wang’s tool room.

Sister Wang had reverted to her usual self, sitting there messing with something, her face bearing a slightly kind smile.

I thought for a moment and headed towards the tool room.

As soon as I entered, Sister Wang slapped her thigh and said, Oh, why have you come?

Frowning, I asked, Sister Wang, there’s something wrong with room 1046, you should know about it, right?

When Sister Wang heard this, her expression changed again. This time, however, she did not make any excuses and let out a sigh, saying, Ah, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, just do as Li Kai says.

Sister Wang saying that confirmed for me that there was indeed something wrong with room 1046, and she must know something!

I grabbed Sister Wang’s arm anxiously and said, Sister Wang, please tell me, what’s going on? My life is at stake here!

Sister Wang sighed and said, It’s all fate, destiny. There’s indeed a problem with room 1046. Anyone who enters room 1046 will be cursed, and I can’t help you with this curse.

Hearing the word ‘curse,’ I plopped down on the floor in shock, and Sister Wang quickly helped me up.

Is it still possible for me to resign now? I asked Sister Wang with a sobbing tone. She shook her head and said it was no longer possible; I could only continue working, or the curse would manifest even sooner.

Her words ignited an inexplicable rage in me. I turned and stormed down the stairs to find Li Kai.

I had been brimming with fury, but upon seeing Li Kai, I suddenly lost my nerve.

Little Zhou, what’s up? Li Kai asked with a smile. I stammered, Brother Li... I don’t want to work here anymore...

Li Kai’s face darkened, and he said, What’s the matter? You think the salary is too low?

I made up an excuse on the spot, I’m not feeling well; I can’t handle working at midnight.

Li Kai laughed and said, It’s normal not to feel comfortable at the beginning, but you’ll get used to it. Besides, we’ve signed a labor contract, haven’t we?

Bastard! I couldn’t help but curse inwardly, resentful that he was using the labor contract to corner me! But I had no plans to resign, as Sister Wang had said the curse would come sooner if I stopped working.

I said nothing and turned to leave Li Kai’s office. It was only ten o’clock, with some time left before midnight, so I walked out of Dongfeng Hotel. Just as I stepped out, a man in front of me suddenly grabbed my arm and leaned in to say, Room 1046 is dangerous. I advise you to leave as soon as possible, or your life will be in jeopardy!

After letting go of me, he continued to walk ahead. I was stunned and hurried after him.

Excuse me, sir, what did you mean by what you just said? I caught up and asked. The man glanced at me and replied, Haven’t you noticed something strange about room 1046? Isn’t it right to leave as soon as possible?

After saying that, he let go of me and quickly walked forward.

His words left me conflicted. Sister Wang said there was no point in leaving room 1046 now since I was already cursed, while the man just now said to leave as soon as possible. Whom should I believe?

Whom should I trust between the two of them? Sister Wang? Or this man in front of me?

I should trust Sister Wang, but her strange behavior last night made me doubt her. However, I couldn’t believe the man either. He was a stranger who suddenly appeared and said those things to me. How could I trust him?

After much deliberation, I decided to stay at Dongfeng Hotel for now. I had a contract with the hotel, so I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to. I could only take things one step at a time and ignore Sister Wang’s oddities for the time being. After all, she hadn’t hurt me, and maybe she had dissociative identity disorder.

It was getting late, so I returned to Dongfeng Hotel. After going up to the tenth floor, I waited in the tool room.

I waited for about twenty minutes until it was twelve o’clock. I took the tools and went to room 1046. Thankfully, the room wasn’t as strange as it was yesterday; only the high heels were knocked over. I cleaned it roughly and left.

As I was cleaning in the evening, the portrait on the wall suddenly tilted. I jumped in shock, but after thinking carefully, I realized there was nothing strange about it; it was normal for a picture hanging for a long time to fall off.

I went to hang the picture back and then left. As soon as I stepped out and closed the door, an ominous feeling suddenly washed over me! Crap! I forgot to readjust the high heels!

Brother Li had emphasized countless times that I must reposition the high heels. I had only done the job two or three times, and already there was a problem!

I picked up my watch and checked the time. It was already eleven minutes past eleven; there was no way I could go back in!

I didn’t know what would happen, but my heart kept pounding! After much deliberation, I went downstairs to Brother Li’s office.

When I entered, Li Kai was drinking tea, looking quite relaxed.

Brother Li, I... I forgot to readjust the high heels, what should I do? I stammered. After hearing my words, Li Kai spat out a mouthful of tea.

What?! His expression seemed panicked.

Chapter 4: The Uninhabitable Room 1046

I thought to myself, since I’ve already made a mistake, I might as well go all the way. So, I braced myself and said, Yes, I forgot.

Li Kai was initially startled, but then he gradually calmed down. He smiled and said, It’s okay, it’s okay, you can continue working. One or two mistakes are nothing, your salary will still be paid as usual.

I was surprised, I didn’t expect Li Kai to be so easygoing!

I thanked him and left his office.

After wandering around for half an hour, I returned to room 1046.

As soon as I stepped into room 1046, my heart suddenly skipped a beat, and the ominous feeling intensified. But since I had already made a decision, I could only walk in with my head held high.

The red high heels were still lying on the floor. I sighed, walked over, picked them up, sat on the bed, and started smoking a cigarette.

After finishing a cigarette, nothing strange happened in the room. It was even calmer than last night, everything was functioning as usual.

The more normal it seemed, the more unease it brought me. I extinguished the cigarette and prepared to sleep. At that moment, the eyes of the woman in the portrait on the wall suddenly moved!

I jumped and rubbed my eyes, but the eyeballs didn’t move. They were still in the same position.

Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead as I kept reassuring myself that I was seeing things, that those were all fake, and that ghosts and gods didn’t exist in the world!

Just then, the phone in the living room suddenly rang!

Buzz buzz...

The eerie sound was particularly terrifying in this room! I screamed and covered my head with the blanket. However, the phone’s ringtone seemed to have a demonic quality, piercing my ears.

I couldn’t bear it anymore. I stood up and ran to the phone, grabbing the receiver and shouting furiously, Hello, I’m gonna f*** your mom, who are you?

There was no sound on the other end; it was completely silent. I said hello twice, but still, no one answered. I hung up the phone directly, thinking it might be a prank call.

However, as soon as I hung up the phone, it rang again.

Buzz buzz...

The phone kept ringing. I looked down to see the caller ID. The number was 150XXXXXXXX!

The caller was actually my own phone number!

I couldn’t imagine how it could be my phone number calling me! I turned back and went into the bedroom to find my phone was indeed ringing!

Holy f**k, who the hell is it! I yelled uncontrollably. But there was only the ringing sound in the room besides my voice.

Furious, I directly switched off my phone. Finally, the phone stopped ringing.

The room was pitch black, moonlight shone through, making the entire room feel like a haunted house.

I lay on the bed and drifted to sleep in a daze. To my surprise, Sister Wang didn’t come to sleep tonight.

The next day, as soon as I got up, I went out, wanting to take a walk to clear my mind. If this continued, I would definitely go crazy.

However, as soon as I walked out of Dongfeng Hotel, I bumped into the man from yesterday.

As soon as he saw me, he pulled me aside and said coldly, I told you to leave that room, why didn’t you go?

I felt embarrassed and stood there speechless.

Seeing that I didn’t respond, he continued, You can’t enter room 1046! No one who has entered that room has ever had a good ending. You can ask around yourself if you don’t believe me!

With that, he hurried away.

I watched his back, my mind racing. From what I could tell, there really was something wrong with room 1046.

Nothing happened while cleaning the room at noon, and everything was normal when cleaning in the evening. I relaxed a little.

As I lay down in bed to sleep at night in room 1046, just as I closed my eyes, a hand reached out and gently touched my face. I jolted awake and instantly jumped out of bed, shouting, Who is it?!

While speaking, I also turned on the desk lamp.

However, when I saw the person in front of me, I was completely stunned. Because the person standing before me was the woman from the portrait on the wall!

I didn’t scream, I didn’t call out, I just stared blankly at her.

It’s not that I wasn’t scared, it’s just that I was so scared that I was numb, and I couldn’t feel anything at all.

What are you looking at? The woman asked with a smile. I still didn’t speak, just staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

Hey! The woman waved her hand in front of my face. Only then did I come to my senses and screamed, Ah!.

The woman seemed to be startled by me too, and she screamed along with me.

Y-y-you... Are you a human or a ghost? I stammered.

Of course I’m human, don’t believe me? Go ahead and touch me! After saying that, she grabbed my hand and put it on her body.

The moment I touched her hand, I felt a warm current flowing through me. I breathed a sigh of relief. If she was a ghost, she wouldn’t have a temperature.

Then... how did you get in? I asked her. She twirled a lock of her hair around her fingers and said thoughtfully, This is the place I rented, of course I can get in. And I came in before you did.

I glanced at her and noticed that she was wearing the same red high heels.

What’s going on? Who is lying to me? Is there really something wrong with this room? Or am I just scaring myself?

If I’m really just scaring myself, then that means Sister Wang lied to me, including the man I met during the day and Li Kai! But what is their purpose in lying to me? I have nothing, why would they want to lie to me?

This woman in front of me is incredibly beautiful, and she dares to be alone with me in the same room. Is that normal?

I heard that room 1046 is haunted, why do you still dare to come and stay here? I asked the woman in front of me. The woman smiled lightly and said, How could that be? They’re all lying to you! Come on, let’s go to sleep!

After saying this, she lay down.

I was startled again, because the way she lay down was exactly the same as Sister Wang!

How could this be? Why does this woman’s way of lying down exactly resemble Sister Wang’s? So in that case... Sister Wang isn’t schizophrenic, but there really is something wrong with this room! There’s definitely something wrong!

I didn’t dare to speak and quietly lay down. Although there was a beautiful woman lying next to me, imagine this, in the middle of the night, it’s just you and a woman lying in bed, and someone could stand up next to your bed and kill you at any moment. How terrifying is that feeling?

The photo on the bedside table seemed to have rolled its eyes again, and the smile on the corners of its mouth seemed to have gotten bigger. I didn’t dare to look at it anymore and lay there with my eyes tightly closed.

When I woke up the next morning, the woman next to me had already left. There was a piece of paper on the bedside table. I picked it up curiously and glanced at it. A graceful script appeared before my eyes: Leave 1046 as soon as possible, this is not a place you can stay.

Seeing these words, I felt my mind was about to explode. This note must have been left by her. In that case, her words and the man’s words coincide perfectly, which means that either Sister Wang is lying to me, or this couple is lying to me, who should I believe?

After getting up, I went to the tool room and asked Sister Wang, Sister Wang, why haven’t you slept in room 1046 these past few days?

Sister Wang’s face changed and she slapped her thigh, Oh my god, who would dare to sleep there? I don’t even go in there normally!

What?! You didn’t go in there that night? I asked her in horror. Sister Wang hurriedly said, I never go into that room!

Seeing that I didn’t believe her, Sister Wang explained again, To tell you the truth, in the entire Dongfeng Hotel, besides you, no one dares to go in!

Why?

Why? You should go and ask the previous cleaners who stayed in 1046! Sister Wang sighed.

At this moment, a bold thought suddenly popped into my head: Could there be a ghost or some kind of strange creature that keeps changing its appearance and going to room 1046?

But if that’s the case, what does the note from this morning mean? Could it be that the ghost wants me to leave 1046?

In that case, Sister Wang’s words are probably true! She said that leaving 1046 would make the curse come true faster, and the ghost, in order to kill me as quickly as possible, wants me to leave 1046 as soon as possible!

Thinking of this, I felt a deep sense of unease. I felt like I was being drawn into a whirlpool.

Chapter 5: Mysterious Woman Su Xiaoru

After going downstairs, I left Dongfeng Hotel and wandered around outside. The air outside was so good, if only I could keep walking like this.

There was nothing to do during the day, but at night, everything became strange again.

At midnight, I went to clean room 1046. As soon as I opened the door, I found that room 1046 was in a mess. The sheets were all over the floor, the windows were open as usual, and the stools were lying around. How could I clean it up in ten minutes? It’s impossible!

I cursed under my breath, thinking that I’ve already experienced so much, whether I can finish cleaning or not, it doesn’t matter. So, I just put the sheets and everything in order, put the high heels in place, and then prepared to go out. I close the window every day, but it opens by itself every day. Today, I simply won’t close it and let it be open.

After cleaning, I went out. I went downstairs to eat something, and by the time I came up, it was already past 12:30.

At the door of 1046, I couldn’t help but take another look at Sister Wang. Sister Wang was, like the last time, talking to someone that I couldn’t see. However, just as I was about to turn my head away, Sister Wang suddenly looked at me, then grinned and gave a creepy laugh. Her smile was incredibly strange, her facial expression stiff, like a puppet.

I didn’t dare to speak, and hurriedly opened the door of room 1046 and went inside.

Room 1046 was unusually cold today, the temperature must have been below zero! I was wearing thin summer clothes, and as soon as I entered, I couldn’t stand it!

I quickly walked to the bed, thinking to open the window to let in some heat.

Just as I thought of this, my heart skipped a beat.

I clearly remembered that the window was open when I left, but now... now how come it’s not a window anymore?

Where the window was supposed to be, there was now just a blank wall! How could this be?!

That sense of dread surged through me slowly, and finally erupted in a violent burst!

Ah!!! I couldn’t take it anymore, I wanted to escape, I wanted to run away!

In an instant, I was like a bomb, flying out of room 1046. As soon as I opened the door, I ran downstairs for my life!

I didn’t dare take the elevator, because that’s where ghosts are most likely to appear!

I don’t know how long I ran, but I sat down panting at the corner of the stairs.

It should be the first or second floor now, I thought to myself, so I stood up and walked out from the corner. I thought I would be in the lobby, but the big number ten in front of me almost made me faint.

I ran for so long, and I’m still on the tenth floor!

What are you doing? At this moment, Sister Wang appeared silently behind me. I was startled, and I quickly jumped aside, trembling and saying, I... I went out to buy some food.

Sister Wang just ohed and returned to the tool room expressionlessly. However, as soon as she went in, she looked up and gave me a creepy smile.

Driven by fear, I started running again. This time, I didn’t encounter anything like before, and I successfully ran out of Dongfeng Hotel.

At this moment, I felt how wonderful the outside world is, how happy it is to be alive!

But... I ran out of Dongfeng Hotel, but where do I live? I already gave up my previous rented house, do I have to live on the streets?

Forget it, I’ll find a hotel to stay in for one night. I thought to myself.

Zhou Lu? What are you doing here? Suddenly, someone patted me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw that it was my old classmate, Wang Shilin.

Why are you here? Seeing an old classmate, I instantly felt less terrified. How friendly this person is!

Oh, I came out for a drink. What are you doing here? Wang Shilin said.

This Wang Shilin had a very good relationship with me when we were in school, but we gradually lost contact later.

I told Wang Shilin about all my recent experiences. After listening, Wang Shilin was silent for a moment, then said to me, Look, you can stay at my place for one night, and we’ll figure something out tomorrow.

I thought about it, and now I could only do this. So, I nodded and agreed.

The two of us hailed a taxi, and Wang Shilin told the driver to head to Yongtai Homestead. With that, the driver started the engine and drove towards Yongtai Homestead.

After arriving at Yongtai Homestead, Wang Shilin invited me upstairs. Just as we were walking up, I suddenly realized something!

During our sophomore year at university, there was a fire at Wang Shilin’s home, and afterward, he disappeared. The place where he lived at that time was Yongtai Homestead!

Yongtai Homestead? I muttered to myself, Wasn’t this complex demolished?

I was greatly alarmed, and at that moment, Wang Shilin and I arrived at the door of his home!

Who... who are you really? I asked, as I started to back away. A strange smile emerged on Wang Shilin’s face, identical to Sister Wang’s!

I’m your old classmate! Heh heh... he said with a cold laugh.

Ah! I screamed and once again set off on a flight for my life.

Come here! Suddenly someone grabbed me.

I was truly startled and almost cried out. He covered my mouth with his hand and then made a shush gesture.

I calmed down a bit, looked up, and it was the man from earlier in the day. For some reason, seeing him made me feel a lot more settled inside.

Didn’t I tell you to stay away from room 1046? the man said coldly, looking at me.

I stammered, not knowing quite what to say. He snorted and said, Suit yourself. Anyway, you’ve already seen what that room is really like.

With that, he turned to leave.

Hey... what’s your name? I don’t know why I blurted out that question.

He turned his head to look at me and then said, Zhao Ziyun.

After he finished, he walked away. I originally wanted to follow him up, but when I realized that the Wang Shilin hadn’t chased me, my heart relaxed a little.

Now I was really struggling, the words of Zhao Ziyun and Sister Wang, whose should I believe? If I hadn’t asked Sister Wang yesterday, I might have believed Zhao Ziyun, but yesterday Sister Wang had said that she had never entered room 1046!

Could it be that Zhao Ziyun is the one who really wants to take my life?

I really didn’t know whether I should stay in room 1046 or leave.

After thinking it over and over, I had nowhere to go now. I didn’t have the courage to go back to room 1046, so I decided to go and find Li Kai and ask him to get to the bottom of it!

So I immediately took a taxi back to Dongfeng Hotel and went straight to Li Kai’s office.

When I went in, Li Kai was sitting there as usual drinking tea and smoking. As soon as I sat down, he asked, Little Zhou, why aren’t you asleep yet?

I looked at him angrily and asked, I can’t handle room 1046 anymore! I almost died in there tonight!

Then I told him about what happened earlier.

Li Kai was silent for a moment after I finished speaking, then he said, Actually, that room isn’t what you think it is, including everything you experienced today.

That’s it? I looked at Li Kai suspiciously. Li Kai sighed and said, Anyway, I can’t tell you now. You’ll find out later. Anyway, I won’t harm you.

I thought about it, and it made sense. Li Kai and I had no previous grudges, and he wouldn’t harm me. Besides, a salary of 5,000 yuan a month, where else could I find such a job?

Well, I was planning to give you a raise to 10,000 yuan after you worked for two months. I’ll give you a raise early. How’s that? Li Kai said again.

Hearing this, I threw all the fear of last night out the window and quickly said to Li Kai, Thank you, Brother Li!

Li Kai waved his hand and didn’t say anything else.

Nothing strange happened in the following days. In the blink of an eye, I had been working at Dongfeng Hotel for a month.

That day, Li Kai stuffed the cash into my hand. I counted it, it was eleven thousand yuan, one thousand yuan more than I was owed.

Li Kai gave me a big smile and patted me on the shoulder, saying, The extra thousand yuan is for you to adapt to the job. Go buy yourself something good to eat.

I quickly thanked him and stuffed the money into my pocket as I ran out of Dongfeng Hotel.

This was the most money I had ever seen at once! Eleven thousand yuan, I instantly felt like a rich man!

I went out and bought a lot of stuff that day, and also went out for a big meal. By the time I returned to Dongfeng Hotel, it was already past ten o’clock at night.

I had drunk a lot that day, and my head was a little fuzzy. As the saying goes, alcohol emboldens the timid, which was my state at that moment. Even if there was a real female ghost standing in front of me, I wouldn’t hesitate to throw her onto the bed.

After standing downstairs for a while, I went upstairs with a cigarette in my mouth. Sister Wang smiled at me as usual, as if none of the previous events had ever happened.

I took my tools and went outside room 1046, opening the door. Those red high-heeled shoes were lying there on the bed!

In the dim light bathed by the moonbeam, the blood-red shoes seemed to be pulsating, constantly tantalizing my eyes.

You’re back? Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from inside the room. She walked slowly out of the bathroom in her bathrobe, and stepped slowly up to the bed.

You...I...I came to clean the room. I lowered my head and started sweeping the floor, my previous spirit and ambition vanishing in an instant.

She chuckled softly, then walked over and said, No need to clean, what are you cleaning after I have just cleaned it?

No, I have to. It’s my job. I blurted out nonsensically.

After saying that, I hurriedly continued sweeping the floor. The strange woman was in no hurry. Instead, she sat still and watched my sweep the floor for a while. When I finished cleaning up the floor, I walked toward the bed, intending to pick up the pair of red high heels.

A wider grin appeared. You have a foot fetish?, she said, Wanting to steal a lady’s high heels?

My face flushed red, and I quickly explained to her, No...no, it’s my job...

Oh! She snatched the high heels from my hands and threw them on the floor. Alright, you don’t have to touch the high heels anymore. I haven’t eaten yet. Why don’t you accompany me to grab a bite to eat?

Uh... I’ve already eaten... I thought to myself, Dude, I don’t even know you. Whether you’re a human or a ghost, what if you trick me into being sold somewhere?

No wonder you’re single! The woman said with a laugh.

My face flushed red again.

My name is Su Xiaoru, what’s yours? She asked suddenly.

I told her my name was Zhou Lu. Su Xiaoru reached out and took my hand, saying, Come on, let’s go grab a bite to eat.

Before I could put my tools back in the toolroom, she pulled me out of Dongfeng Hotel.

If the problem was with room 1046, then Su Xiaoru shouldn’t be a problem. But could Su Xiaoru be a part of room 1046? I dared not think further.

It was already late at night, so I could only accompany her to eat barbecue at a street stall.

Su Xiaoru was very thin, but she ate a lot. After eating more than a hundred skewers, she still didn’t seem full. I was sleepy on the side, but I could only accompany her.

At this moment, I suddenly thought of Zhao Ziyun. What she said was the same as what Zhao Ziyun had said, both of them wanted me to leave room 1046 as soon as possible. So I asked her, Do you know Zhao Ziyun?

Su Xiaoru looked up and said naturally, Zhao Ziyun? Who is that?

I was stunned and quickly said, You don’t know him?

I’ve never even heard of him, what’s wrong? Su Xiaoru asked. I looked up and stared at her. Her eyes seemed sincere, so she shouldn’t be lying.

Damn it, things got complicated again. If Su Xiaoru didn’t know him, then the two of them definitely weren’t in cahoots. Since they weren’t in cahoots, then why did they both want me to leave room 1046? Could it be that what they both said was true? That I could only avoid disaster by leaving room 1046?

There was another possibility! That was that Su Xiaoru and Zhao Ziyun knew each other, and Su Xiaoru deliberately said this to make me believe that leaving 1046 was the right thing to do. In that case, Su Xiaoru and Zhao Ziyun would definitely have a problem!

Chapter 6 The Mysterious Beggar!

Uhm... why did you want me to leave 1046 as soon as possible? I asked Su Xiaoru. And also, everyone says that 1046 is off-limits, so how dare you stay there...

Su Xiaoru was stunned, and said with a look of surprise, When did I tell you to leave 1046 as soon as possible?

Wasn’t that note left by you? I was also stunned.

What note? I didn’t leave any note. Su Xiaoru said. I responded with an oh and didn’t say anything else, but my mind was racing.

Alright, I’m full, let’s go back. Su Xiaoru stood up, wiped her mouth, and then reached out to put her arm around my shoulder, just like a couple.

I gently broke free and said, You go back first, I still have something to do.

Su Xiaoru was stunned for a moment, then responded with an oh and walked back by herself.

My head felt like it was about to explode. If the note wasn’t left by Su Xiaoru, then who could it be? Could it be Li Kai? No way, he kept telling me not to quit, so how could he leave a note telling me to leave?

Could it be Zhao Ziyun? Did he sneak in and leave the note while I was sleeping? But where did he get the key?

At this moment, a flash of inspiration struck me! I had actually ruled out Li Kai and Sister Wang!

There were a lot of suspicious things about Li Kai and Sister Wang. First, I had never seen them sleep. Second, what they said was almost exactly the same! And Sister Wang told me that she had never entered room 1046, could it be that what she said was true? If she really wanted to hurt me, would she still tell me the truth?

I staggered back to Dongfeng Hotel and went straight to Li Kai’s office.

As soon as I entered his office, he was still there, smoking and drinking water as usual.

What’s wrong, Little Zhou? Haven’t been getting much rest these days? Li Kai said in a leader-like manner.

I smiled and said, Brother Li, is there anyone staying in room 1046?

If Li Kai says someone is staying there, then things would be straightforward; Su Xiaoru is probably in cahoots with them, but whether they are humans or ghosts, I have no idea.

But if Li Kai says no one is staying there, things would become complicated again.

With a sigh, Li Kai said, The very reason room 1046 is so terrifying is to prevent people from staying there. How could there possibly be anyone living in it?

Damn it! This made things even more troublesome!

And who is in that painting hanging on the wall? I asked Li Kai. Li Kai said it was just a random painting hung up like any other picture in a big hotel.

Hearing his response, I sneered inside. As the manager of Dongfeng Hotel, Li Kai couldn’t possibly be ignorant of the painting’s origins. Besides, I had seen Su Xiaoru in person. He was obviously lying!

However, this made things clearer. Li Kai, Sister Wang, and Su Xiaoru were not on the same team, and Zhao Ziyun was not with Li Kai and Sister Wang.

I didn’t say anything more and turned to leave his office.

After arriving at room 1046, Su Xiaoru was indeed still there, but she seemed to be in a bad mood, sitting silently. I went over to ask her, What’s wrong?

Su Xiaoru replied unhappily, In the middle of the night, you just let me come back alone? No wonder you’re always single.

Her words made me feel a bit embarrassed; I thought about it and she was right. Su Xiaoru was beautiful, and it really wasn’t safe for her to walk back alone at one or two in the morning.

I quickly apologized, saying sorry. Su Xiaoru snorted and didn’t say much else.

After speaking, she went to lie down. As soon as she lay down, I started to feel scared, reminded of the events of the past few days. Moreover, the high heels hadn’t been properly placed today, which made me even more uneasy.

However, nothing strange happened that night, and the next morning, Su Xiaoru had disappeared again.

Half a month went by like this, and I gradually got used to it. The eerie events didn’t happen again.

On one such afternoon, just after I finished cleaning room 1046, my phone suddenly rang with an unknown number. I picked up and found out it was Zhao Ziyun on the line.

Before I could even wonder how Zhao Ziyun had gotten my contact information, he was already asking me to come out; he had something to discuss with me.

Without thinking much, I walked out of the Dongfeng Hotel.

As soon as I stepped out, I saw Zhao Ziyun standing at the entrance.

Have you ever met a woman? Zhao Ziyun pulled me aside as soon as he saw me.

Who hasn’t seen a woman? I work in a hotel and see women all the time. Which woman are you talking about? I said, slightly speechless.

I mean, have you seen a woman in room 1046? Zhao Ziyun remained calm and asked me in a very composed manner.

I nodded and said yes.

Then Zhao Ziyun pulled out a newspaper from his pocket; it looked a bit old, the paper had turned yellow. He pointed at a picture on the newspaper and asked, Look, what is this?

I followed his finger to a picture of a car crash. There was also some news next to it. It seemed like something that happened ten years ago.

What’s the meaning of this? I asked Zhao Ziyun with a puzzled look. Zhao Ziyun chuckled and said, Look, who is this person in the car accident?

I stared at the picture for a long time. It looked vaguely familiar, but the picture was in black and white, and I couldn’t tell who it was. So I asked, Who is it?

Zhao Ziyun let out a cold laugh and said, Su Xiaoru!

The moment he said those words, my back went cold, my scalp tingled, and goosebumps erupted all over me! I wouldn’t have noticed it before he said it. But now that he mentioned it, the person in the photo really was Su Xiaoru! The car crash was extremely gruesome, with her body severed. Her head had rolled to the side of the car!

And her eyes were wide open, as if she was unwilling to accept her fate. My heart tightened, and I quickly turned my head away, stammering, Wh-what... what?

Zhao Ziyun said with a sarcastic smile, Su Xiaoru! In other words, the woman you met in room 1046!

Although I had already recognized her, hearing it from Zhao Ziyun’s mouth still made it hard to accept. After screaming, I desperately ran back to the Dongfeng Hotel.

I jogged back to room 1046. Glancing at my watch, it was just after ten o’clock. A bold idea suddenly popped into my head: Li Kai had always cautioned me not to enter room 1046 between 12:10 am and 12:30 am. What would happen if I entered during that time? Would I see something I shouldn’t?

So, I decided to stay inside after finishing the cleaning and wait.

Turning my head, I stepped out of the Dongfeng Hotel. I had barely walked a few steps when a disheveled and haggard person suddenly grabbed my leg. Thinking he was begging, I pulled out ten yuan and gave it to him. Unexpectedly, he clung to me tightly, mumbling, Young man, you’re surrounded by a heavy aura of Yin. You must have encountered something you shouldn’t have.

Hearing this, I quickly pulled him up and said, Elder, what have you noticed?

The beggar chuckled and said, Do you think it’s appropriate to ask me here?

Upon hearing that, I quickly offered, Elder, haven’t you eaten yet? Let me take you to get some food, and we can talk while we eat!

After leading him to a small restaurant and ordering a few dishes along with a bottle of aged yellow wine, the beggar slowly started to speak, Your brow is darkened, Yin overpowers Yang. It’s either kidney deficiency or you’ve strayed.

I thought to myself that this beggar was right; not having a girlfriend was surely what he meant by strayed!

Consequently, I spilled everything about my experiences to him like an open book.

After listening, the beggar laughed, patted my shoulder, and said, There is definitely a ghost among these people! But as to who it is, I’m not sure. As for the matter of room 1046 that you mentioned, I’ve never heard of it.

If he didn’t know, then I was even more in the dark. I desperately grabbed his arm, pleading, Master, you have to help me!

The beggar waved his hand and said, You young man, you have fate with me, and you’re quite on track. Okay, I’ll give you a hand.

He then pointed to my clothes and instructed, Take off your coat.

Not daring to doubt, I quickly did as he said.

He put on my coat that I had taken off and then fumbled for something on his person, placing it on the table.

I looked closely and was shocked to see a piece of joss paper! In the center of the yellow joss paper was a blood-red dot, startlingly vivid!

Chapter 7: Returning to my hometown with Su Xiaoru

At this moment, he took off his clothes and swapped them with mine. Honestly, I wasn’t too keen on wearing his clothes after him, but I pretended to take them, planning to throw them away as soon as he left.

However, he seemed to see through my intentions. He said, You must wear this coat. It’s the only way to avoid this calamity. Hehe.

I uttered an oh and quickly put on the coat.

Also, take this yellow joss paper and place it in room 1046. If it burns on its own, it means there really is a ghost. If it doesn’t burn, then there’s nothing wrong with room 1046, the beggar continued.

I hurriedly stood up and thanked him. He waved his hand, saying it was nothing.

At noon, I wore the beggar’s clothes and took his joss paper to clean room 1046. I was afraid the joss paper would be blown away by the wind, so I tucked it under the pillow.

After tidying up, I left the room. At 12:30 pm, I returned with the key to open the door. However, to my surprise, I couldn’t open the door at all! The key turned, but the door wouldn’t budge!

I cursed under my breath and had no choice but to turn around and head downstairs.

If there really was a ghost in room 1046, then the ghost was most likely Su Xiaoru. And the newspaper Zhao Ziyun showed me must be real.

When I went back to clean the room in the evening, I found the pair of red high heels had moved to the top of the pillow! They were neatly placed there! Was this done by human hands, or by a ghost?

I shivered, picked up the high heels, and lifted the pillow.

The joss paper under the pillow was still intact, exactly as before. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but laugh twice. It seemed like everything was a trick. There was no ghost at all!

With that thought, I became bolder and even deliberately knocked the pair of red high heels to the ground.

After thinking about it, I decided to press the joss paper under the red high heels.

After doing all this, I walked out of room 1046 without noticing anything strange about the mural.

Seeing that the joss paper hadn’t burned, I was in a great mood. Whenever I saw a guest on the tenth floor, I would greet them, but they all ignored me. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, assuming they thought I was crazy.

Apart from room 1046, all the other rooms on the tenth floor were cleaned by Sister Wang. As a result, I rarely saw any other staff members. Not many people stayed on the tenth floor either. The Dongfeng Hotel was expensive, so the guests were either rich kids looking for hookups or wealthy men seeking mistresses. Even if someone did come to the tenth floor, they typically kept their heads down.

At night, I went back to room 1046 to sleep. I noticed that the yellow joss paper still hadn’t burned, and I was overjoyed. Just as I was about to cheer, Su Xiaoru slowly walked out of the living room. The moment she appeared, my face turned pale. That’s because after she walked out, the joss paper under the red high heels spontaneously combusted.

My mind went blank. Was Su Xiaoru really a ghost? Was the newspaper Zhao Ziyun showed me real? I took two steps backward in disbelief. At some point, the high heels had moved behind me, and I suddenly tripped over them and fell to the ground.

Su Xiaoru also noticed something was wrong. She muttered, What’s going on? Why is there joss paper here? Why is it burning by itself?

I couldn’t answer, my mouth trembling uncontrollably. I was terrified that Su Xiaoru would transform into a terrifying ghost face and kill me.

What’s wrong? Su Xiaoru asked innocently.

I... I’m fine... I stammered.

Su Xiaoru chuckled and returned to the living room. Then she came out with a bag.

She walked up to me grinning and pulled out a thin jacket from the bag. I bought this for you while I was shopping today. Take it off and try it on, she said.

I was touched instantly. No one had ever bought me clothes before. The fact that a girl would think of me while shopping really warmed my heart. I even forgot about the self-igniting joss paper.

I nodded and stood up, preparing to take off my jacket and change into the one Su Xiaoru had bought me. Suddenly, something occurred to me!

That beggar had told me that I had to keep wearing this jacket to avoid the calamity! He had barely finished speaking when Su Xiaoru bought me a jacket and asked me to try it on! Was this really just a coincidence?!

I hurriedly threw the clothes on the ground and took a few steps back. Just as I was about to speak, the lights in the room suddenly went out, plunging the entire room into darkness!

I screamed, Ah! Su Xiaoru didn’t make a sound, but she threw herself into my arms.

Wow, what are you shouting for? It’s just a power outage. Are you scared of the dark, big man? Su Xiaoru laughed in my arms.

I didn’t dare move, and cold sweat was dripping down my body. Honestly, if Su Xiaoru wasn’t a ghost, I would definitely fall in love with her. But the moment she appeared, the joss paper spontaneously combusted. The problem must be with her!

Xiao Lu, do you think I’m a ghost? As soon as Su Xiaoru finished speaking, the lights in the room came back on. The electricity must have come back on.

I nodded, then quickly shook my head, saying no.

Su Xiaoru stared at me for a few seconds and suddenly said, Don’t wear these clothes anymore.

Wh... why? I stared at her with wide eyes. She then continued, very seriously, word for word, Because these clothes have been worn by a ghost!

Wh... what? I looked at Su Xiaoru in astonishment. She actually said these clothes had been worn by a ghost? The only other person who had worn them besides me was that beggar! Which one of them was telling the truth?

Don’t ever wear these clothes again, or something bad will happen! Su Xiaoru said.

Hey, do you not believe me? Su Xiaoru asked anxiously when she saw that I wasn’t speaking.

I nodded and said yes. Su Xiaoru blinked her eyes and said, Well, ghosts can only be seen by you and not by others. Would you like me to go out with you tomorrow and spend the whole day with you?

I said that would be great. If you really go out with me, I’ll believe you.

Su Xiaoru held out her little finger and said, Okay, let’s make a deal.

I hummed in agreement, stretched out my finger, and intertwined it with hers.

As soon as we linked fingers, Su Xiaoru lay down. She curled up like a cocoon, just like the other day. I was afraid she would do the same thing again, so I didn’t dare say anything more and closed my eyes as I lay there.

After closing my eyes, I thought to myself that Zhao Ziyun’s newspaper could have been completely fabricated. As for the beggar, I didn’t know him. Why would he help me? And why should I believe him? Maybe he’s the one who wants to hurt me!

The next morning, Su Xiaoru didn’t leave. She lay there playing with her phone. When she saw that I was awake, she grabbed my arm and said, Let’s go out.

I nodded, just as I was about to agree, my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up and saw that it was my dad calling.

As soon