The Lonely Shadow Boy

By Ping Zuo

My name is Long Xiyi, and I am eighteen years old. From a young age, I was overlooked by my family. Once, I overheard the elders in my family saying that I was some kind of cursed birth, doomed not to live past twenty. Despite this, I have steadfastly faced my imminent fate.

In my eighteenth year, everything changed drastically in an instant, and I felt as though I had fallen into a dark and endless abyss! A cat-headed humanoid with nine lives, a spirit corpse crawling out of a white coffin, and a ghost child who always calls me "Blood Soul Brother"... My mysteriously disappearing family members—are all these things fated or orchestrated by someone?

• Language: English
• Publisher: He Qiao Qiao
• Release date: Apr 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224855575

Book preview

Chapter 1 About Me

My name is Long Xiyan. I turned 18 this year. I’d say that ever since I can remember, my life has been different from ordinary people’s, one-of-a-kind. Maybe even strange. And it’s been a real pain in the ass.

I remember once overhearing my grandfathers talking. They said I was some kind of ghost fetus and that there was no way I’d make it past 20...

Honestly, at the time, I didn’t even understand what they meant. All I knew was that I wanted to be the best, the best kid I could be. So at 8 years old, I started learning how to cook. By 9, I was whipping up meals like it was nothing. On Sunday mornings, I’d go tend to the cows before coming home for breakfast.

On weekdays, I’d cook my own breakfast before heading off to school with whatever I could scrounge up.

Around the age of 9, I had countless impulses to commit suicide. Or rather, I failed to kill myself countless times. As for why I wanted to do it, well, that’s a story for another time.

I remember smashing my head with a brick. All I know is that my head bled, but I still didn’t die. I tried jumping off a cliff, but every time I was about to leap, a strange voice would echo from below, and that voice would stop me from taking the plunge.

I also tried jumping into the river – there’s a small stream near my house – but when I plunged into the deep water, the murky depths terrified me so much that I scrambled back up. I didn’t know how to swim, but somehow I managed to flail my way out. Ever since then, I’ve been scared of water. Any body of water where I can’t see the bottom fills me with fear... After that, I don’t even know how many more times I tried to kill myself, but the result was always the same.

Maybe because I was still young, I didn’t know many ways to kill myself, and the ones I did know didn’t work, or maybe I just didn’t have the courage...

The reason why I wanted to kill myself is actually pretty simple: I was bad at school and terrified of it, so I often got whipped with a switch or even tied up and beaten with a rope by my dad. That’s it.

Well, maybe it’s not that simple after all. As I mentioned before, I’m maybe different from everyone else. In my memories, I’ve never had a single friend, never truly been happy. It’s always been just me, by myself – in class, after class, on my way home, and at home, too.

The most unforgettable incident for me happened when I was in the first grade. The teacher had given us some exercises to do, saying that we could ask older students to help us.

After class, the classroom was packed with people. Apart from our classmates, there were a bunch of kids from the third and fourth grades. They were all there to help their younger friends with their homework. I remember that almost every student had someone helping them, but I was all alone, sitting there watching everyone else. I didn’t know how to do any of the problems, and it made me feel terrible.

And who would understand? Later, when the teacher checked our homework, she slapped me several times and then shoved me around by my hair. I felt so awful at that moment, my face burning with shame, wanting to cry but not daring to.

You have to understand that teachers back then were very strict. They never held back when it came to punishing students, and if you didn’t get 60 points or higher on your exams, you had to repeat the grade.

I was the only one in the entire class who got beaten, because I was also the only one who didn’t write even a single word.

Another time, the teacher asked us to bring small sticks to class for a lesson. So everyone went out of school to whittle them down, but most of them were accompanied by older students, or they went in groups of three or five. And then, there was me, still all alone.

Because of all these things, I became afraid of school, afraid of seeing my classmates, afraid of the teachers, afraid of going to class. In the first grade, I practically had to be forced to school every day by my dad, who used a stick to get me moving. Even today, I still have countless scars on my body from those beatings. But I’ve never held any resentment towards him, because I know that he was just trying to help me.

That’s the backstory. Ever since I was little, I’ve had suicidal tendencies. Actually, it’s not so much suicidal as self-abusive. I’ve repeatedly banged my head against the wall, strangled myself with a rope, and even scratched my legs raw with my fingernails until they bled. I practically tore off my skin. It wasn’t suicide, but a way to vent, to punish myself. But whether it was intentional or accidental, I still wanted to die, but each time I only ended up in agonizing pain and still alive.

The most bizarre incident, the one I still can’t believe, defied all logic. Falling from a tree that high, three stories up, landing headfirst – I should have either died or been seriously injured.

But believe it or not, all I got was a tiny cut on my scalp. It was an accident, not intentional. I saw these big, red peaches on my neighbor’s tree and climbed up to steal them. The tree was growing on a slope, and there was a deep pit below the slope.

I was lucky that it was raining, the tree was slippery, and I fell down. I landed right in that pit full of rocks. At that moment, I only felt my body spinning in the air, and then my head hit something soft and squishy. Only then did my body hit the ground, my butt landing hard on a rock. It felt like my whole backside had exploded.

But when I sat up, clutching my head, I was surprised to find a head of cabbage, flattened completely flat by my fall!

At that moment, I didn’t know whether to be terrified or happy. I’ve never been afraid of death, but I was just surprised that there was a cabbage in that pit of rocks, and that I landed right on top of it. I had walked past that spot countless times, but I had never noticed any vegetables in there, maybe I just didn’t pay attention...

Honestly, at that time, I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized how strange it was.

But the strangest thing that happened to me wasn’t that. The most puzzling thing was that I had a memory from when I was very, very little, when I was just learning to talk. I can’t remember exactly how old I was.

I remember that night, someone was holding me in their arms, my mom I think, and I was crying uncontrollably, pointing out the window, almost hysterically. Then my mom seemed to say something about old blood master, young blood master, debts have owners, grudges have targets... I only remember that one sentence vaguely. My mom was trying to soothe me while waving her pants around the room.

Now that I think about it, a lot of you might be wondering what I saw. Maybe my answer will disappoint you... But the truth is, I didn’t see anything at all. I don’t know why I was crying so hard, why I was pointing out the window. It was as if I was just an observer, not actually experiencing it myself.

If my mom hadn’t told me about that night later when I was older, I wouldn’t have believed that it was a memory from my childhood. But I didn’t tell my mom that I remembered it. I kept it all to myself.

Inherited dreams, dreams can be passed down, you might not believe it if I told you, but it’s true. It was a nightmare from hell... I often woke up in the middle of the night from that dream, scared to death. As for the dream itself, how terrible, how horrifying it was, I can only say that it’s impossible to describe. Words simply fail me. I can only give you a rough idea of the scene.

In the dream: It was dark, but not completely black, and not exactly not black either. I should say it was black, but in the darkness, I could see things, but not clearly. The surroundings were like a time tunnel from a movie, but incredibly wide. I was on a moving surface, not really a surface, because I couldn’t see it clearly. There was always a black circle or something blood-red that kept growing bigger and smaller, chasing after me. When it got bigger, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I can only describe it as suffocating. When it got smaller, I felt a little better. Then the world would spin, and I felt like the whole world was turning, and I felt like my surroundings were constantly changing. The scene itself is indescribable, like hell. In the dream, my family was also there, they were all watching me, watching me.

Chapter 2: White Coffin

The constantly growing and shrinking things around me tormented me, and my family, who I was facing, were all sighing at me, Ai~ ai~, each word like a knife stabbing me. And then there was that scene. I can only say that the scene is indescribable, sometimes when I wake up it feels like I’m drowning, like I’m gasping for air.

Every time I would wake up from the dream feeling so bad, every time I would be covered in sweat, my body even scratched by my own nails. There were even a few times when I seemed to have sweated blood, red sweat, but the next morning that sweat would coagulate and turn black.

As a child, I once overheard my mom describe the scene like that, although it wasn’t very clear, I was sure that the dream she described was exactly the same as mine. But ever since my mom mysteriously disappeared when I was 12, I haven’t had that dream much.

Because of my mom’s disappearance, I dropped out of school before I finished middle school. Then it was my grandpa, my grandma...

Hehe~ hehe~ The past is always unbearable to look back on, but at least my dad didn’t disappear. But my life took a turn when I was 18.

Everything, everything was unbelievable. When I wanted to die, I couldn’t die no matter what. When I wanted to love, I couldn’t love no matter what. When I didn’t want to die, I was forced to walk on the edge of life. When I didn’t want to love, I fell in love helplessly, but I couldn’t love, I shouldn’t love.

What I’m about to tell you is the story of my life, so painfully shitty that it makes me want to shit. But I still have to tell it. This story, believe it or not.

My dad went out to work, leaving me the only one at home, me, Long Xiyan, the one who idles around all day. I don’t know what the meaning of my name is, but I always feel like I don’t deserve it.

During the day, I roam around, mooching off of others for meals. At night, well, at least I have a knockoff iPhone.

I go on QQ, chat a little. Actually, I don’t have many friends on QQ. The only one I could consider a real friend is Bai Yaxi, whom I’ve known for two years now. I don’t know what our relationship is, we’ve never admitted it, but it’s pretty much like a couple. But I never believe in true love, it’s all just for fun.

Bai Yaxi is indeed very beautiful, just her photos alone are too much for one to handle. I don’t know if those photos were taken specifically for me, but every time, what catches the eye the most is her chest, which makes you want to reach out and touch it. She has a mushroom haircut and a super cute, delicate melon seed-shaped face that is simply irresistible. And then there’s her voice, so adorable, it always makes my heart itch. She often coos and hums to me, those sounds, I guess, are her being affectionate... I usually respond as she wishes, sending her some photos. To be honest, I don’t really know if I’m handsome or not, but she always says, Xiyan, you’re so adorable. But what I really want to say is, You’re the adorable one, so cute that I want to... I couldn’t say those words at the time.

She seems to be in high school now, but I can’t remember which year. That night, after chatting with her on QQ for a while, I logged off and went to bed.

But just a short while after lying down, my phone rang. It was Gu Zi, of all people. Gu Zi, whose full name is Gu Ming, but since his surname is Gu, many people call him Gu Zi. Despite being three years older than me, he’s quite the womanizer, though also incredibly handsome. I don’t know how many girls have willingly had one-night stands with him... As for how handsome he is, I can’t describe it well since I’m a guy and can’t really appreciate the beauty of another man. All I know is that he’s over 1.8 meters tall, often sports a side-swept fringe, and flirts with every woman he sees, the opposite of my introverted self.

I pressed answer and greeted him, to which he replied excitedly, like a firecracker going off. Xiyan, long time no see. How have you been? Hooked up with any girls recently? Planning on doing something? Why don’t you join me in...

I listened to him ramble on with my eyes closed, half-asleep, before I replied, Can we talk about this tomorrow? I’m really tired today, big brother, I was just sleeping...

After hearing this, he went Oh, oh, oh... for a while, then hung up.

Speaking of Gu Zi, he’s quite something. A bit ostentatious, but he makes money fast.

Mortician, a job many people are aware of, involves applying makeup to the deceased, frequently dealing with the dead. As for the benefits, needless to say, he often works for a few months, then takes a few months or even half a year off, because the guy is a pro. Every funeral home wants him, probably because there are few people in this line of work. Not entirely, though; it seems his makeup skills are top-notch. He’s told me about applying makeup to various corpses, some that ordinary morticians couldn’t handle, only the veteran masters. But I really admire him for becoming a master at such a young age, though he’s not old.

Just as I was about to fall asleep again, I heard a lot of noise from the neighbors across, like something had happened. But it was none of my business, and I was too lazy to check. As I listened to the commotion, there was a knock on the door... Too lazy to put on pants, I just went to open the door in my underwear.

Upon opening the door, I saw, Hey, Gu Ming, what brings you here in the dead of night? I asked as I opened the door.

He chuckled with a hehe and then entered, saying, I missed you, man. Haven’t we not seen each other for a few months?

I replied, Damn, can you not make it sound so disgusting?

Gu Zi continued, Uncle Zhao has passed away, man. It’s such a pity!

What? I nearly exclaimed aloud before saying, No wonder there was all that crying and shouting just now. How did the old man die?

Gu Zi looked surprised and said, You lazy bum, you don’t even know...

So that’s why Gu Zi came over in the middle of the night. After chatting with him at the door for a bit, I went back to my room to get dressed, while Gu Zi headed over to Uncle Zhao’s place, telling me to hurry up and come over there as well.

Uncle Zhao, Uncle Zhao, what a pity. He was once the village head, respected by everyone in the village, a man of loyalty and fairness, truly a good person. And he died before even turning 60.

By the time I got dressed and went over, Uncle Zhao’s doorstep was already packed with people, though some were starting to leave. It seemed they were changing his clothes for the wake, so I didn’t plan on going inside. I walked to the nearby pond to relieve myself by a tree, and just as I was about to finish, someone shouted from behind, startling me so much I almost burst my bladder.

Turning around, I saw it was Dawei, another neighbor. He shone his flashlight at me, nearly blinding me. He jokingly said, Be careful not to fall into the water... and then walked away laughing. That son of a gun is always so cunning and wicked, always enjoying pranking people.

Clink, clink – the sound of my wristband with a little bell caught my attention as I was zipping up my pants. This shabby bracelet wasn’t made of gold or silver, but I’ve been wearing it since I was little, and it’s quite annoying because it isn’t a fixed clasp and can be bent open. I took it off with three fingers.

Chapter 3: Temptation (1)

Clink, clink, the damn bell was still jingling. Someone has died, yet that damn bell still dared to laugh. In a fit of anger, I flung it into the pond before me.

The wristband created a small ripple in the center of the pond, which then gradually expanded under the faint moonlight.

But just then, there was a loud boom in the sky, followed by a flash of lightning that illuminated the entire night sky, nearly scaring me to pee. Thankfully, I had already emptied my bladder, or else it would have definitely exploded from fright.

The flash of lightning and the thunderclap caused the people who were still at Uncle Zhao’s door to cry out in surprise, various sounds of wow and whew carried over.

It was indeed impressive though, even without explanation. It was strange for such lightning and thunder to occur with just some clouds in the sky. Perhaps it should be called thunder-lightning. With this shock, I seemed to forget why I had come out. Returning home, I just collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep.

It wasn’t until the morning, when the sun was warming my backside, that the loud noises outside woke me up. Only then did I remember that Uncle Zhao had died last night, and I had forgotten to go to his house. As I was changing clothes, my phone rang. Looking at the screen, it was Gu Zi again. Although I hadn’t saved his number, I recognized it by sight.

As soon as I picked up, he yelled, Where the hell were you last night? Why didn’t you go to Uncle Zhao’s house? I even knocked on your door earlier but you didn’t answer, I thought you were dead too... Hey hey hey, Gu Zi, don’t curse me to death so early in the morning. Someone just died over there, how can I die too... I couldn’t help but burst out laughing, and he also let out a chuckle, although it was a bitter one.

Of course, he was feeling terrible because Uncle Zhao had died. That guy had a good heart, and Uncle Zhao was also a good man, so he must be feeling bad. After talking for a bit, I finished dressing and went out. Gu Zi told me to go offer incense to Uncle Zhao, and of course, I would have done so even if he hadn’t asked.

But when I walked into Uncle Zhao’s house, I was momentarily stunned. A white coffin, a white coffin was placed in the room. Aunt Zhao had red-rimmed eyes and simply greeted me without saying anything. However, this white coffin, wasn’t it a bit too... Anyway, I first paid my respects and burned incense, then came out. Since it was a funeral, there were basically no unnecessary sounds in the room.

Walking out the door, I bumped into Dawei. He smiled slightly at me and then entered the room, the so-called mourning hall.

In the countryside, it’s customary to place the coffin at home after someone dies and then find a master to chant sutras. The master is actually a kind of shaman, specifically someone in the countryside who chants sutras for the dead.

In the countryside, when someone dies, their body might have to remain in the house for many days, during which the master would chant sutras. Often there are cases where, during transport, blood and water seep from the coffin, or even before the body is moved, it decomposes and leaks fluids. However, with the Zhao family, I don’t understand why they opted for a white coffin; it’s quite unnerving.

After a while, Dawei came out from the house, and I immediately asked him about the white coffin. He gave a wry smile before explaining that Uncle Zhao’s death had been so sudden that the family hadn’t prepared a coffin, so they had to buy an unpainted one.

It’s a rural tradition to have a coffin ready before a person dies.

Some people even purchase their own coffins, and there are those who have their graves built before they pass away. The wealthy ones construct large, concrete tombs while they’re still alive, so that when they die, they are simply placed inside and sealed.

Such tombs are not common among average families in the countryside, where graves are usually just a hole dug in the ground. The coffin is placed inside, buried, and then a mound of dirt is piled up, with stones arranged around it.

It seems that Uncle Zhao will have his ‘paper outing’ tomorrow, which means he’ll be carried up the mountain.

Today was quite a sad day, spent busily assisting at Zhao’s house. The stark white coffin was especially conspicuous, giving off an eerie feeling. Gu Zi, though, that guy who works as a mortician, was nowhere to be seen.

Around 5 in the evening, I tried calling him, but no one answered. Needless to say, he must have gone off to sleep with some girl again.

Since I was really tired from today’s hustle, I went to bed early. It was tough, spending the whole day at Zhao’s house dealing with various tasks and facing that white coffin.

In a daze, not knowing what time it was, and with the sky not yet fully dark, a text message woke me up. A single text wouldn’t usually disturb me, except I was a bit on edge because of Uncle Zhao’s white coffin.

Half-asleep, I glanced at the message and saw Gu Ming’s name on it. He was asking me to come over to his place for a bit, as he had something to discuss. I had no idea what he wanted and it was getting dark; truth be told, I didn’t feel like going or asking. I just wanted to get a good night’s sleep.

However, a bit of the noisy lamentation from outside kept reaching my ears, making it impossible to fall asleep. There was nothing else to do anyway, so I figured I might as well go see what Gu Zi wanted. But it was a 20 minute walk minimum from my place to his, and the night had already fallen deep, the sky almost bereft of light.

On the way, I honestly started feeling scared, my thoughts constantly returning to Uncle Zhao’s white coffin... Thankfully, there was some moonlight, so I didn’t need to use the flashlight on my phone to navigate.

But when I reached a small mountain gully, I felt something wasn’t right. Why was it so cold? Gu Zi lived in the Fifth Village, while I resided in the Sixth, with the two villages separated by a hill, and this gully right in between.

The place had an eerie vibe. It felt like something was watching me, yet when I turned, there wasn’t anything there. Maybe it was my imagination playing tricks on me. As the saying goes, fear comes from within. I felt a wave of chills run down my spine, making me incredibly uneasy. I thought of sending a text to Gu Zi just to ask about the matter, and maybe to bolster my courage.

However... however... the moment I picked up my phone, a realization hit me. I had never saved Gu Zi’s number, so how was it showing his name on the text but no number? Something was wrong, very wrong. When I reread the message, I was flooded with a wave of cold that made me feel as if every single hair on my body stood on end. I didn’t dare continue walking.

But as I trembled, checking the message again on my phone, I found that it had inexplicably disappeared.

I didn’t know whether to keep going. Could this all be a prank? But when I looked around at my surroundings, my scalp tingled.

The place I was standing at was where someone had died last year. It was Zhao Zhimin, Uncle Zhao’s daughter. I had witnessed her death myself. It seemed she had overdosed on sleeping pills, and died here as peacefully as if asleep. Initially, I had intended to carry her back, but just a few steps into the walk - to where I was standing at that very moment - she had stopped breathing completely.

But what was happening now? Should I turn back or keep going? Could it be someone playing a trick? No, that wasn’t possible, then how could the message have vanished...

I could feel my body shaking involuntarily, a chilling coldness spreading through me. As I was about to lift my feet to continue walking, a figure emerged in front of me.

It was Zhao Min. I remembered she had been wearing a blue T-shirt and summer shorts when she died. At that instant, I almost screamed. My legs wanted to run back, but when I tried to move, I couldn’t, as if my feet were held by an unseen force. Zhao Zhimin was slowly walking closer, becoming more and more distinct. Though I couldn’t see her face clearly, I was certain it was her. It couldn’t be a human, because she wasn’t walking, she was floating.

Chapter 4: Temptation (2)

As Zhao Zhimin approached slowly, I was at a loss about what she intended to do. I wanted to shout, but no sound would come out. My voice seemed to be trapped in my throat, and my body was completely paralyzed. The thought of death crossed my mind as the possibility of encountering a ghost became all too real.

She drew ever closer, and sweat soaked through my clothes, with large beads dripping down my forehead. I wanted to wipe them away but couldn’t move. I didn’t know what the next moment would bring, and there was nothing I could do to change the inevitable. I had thought it was all a hallucination, but she stopped when she was nearly a meter away from me.

Now I could see her clearly. She looked the same as before, only paler in the moonlight. Everything else was just as it had been in life: her slender waist, her long legs, and the prominent curves of her chest. She had been considered beautiful when she was alive, but for some reason, she had taken her own life. What did she want now?

I wanted to ask, to call out, but I couldn’t speak. She smiled at me, a smile that once signified the end of the day and possessed a natural charm. Now, it was a deadly grin, eerie in its essence. My sweat dripped into my eyes, but I dared not blink.

What did she want? I felt like crying; my heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might stop, and my head was spinning.

She floated right in front of me, and I struggled with all my might to move, to shout, but it was futile. She reached out and stopped me, and at that moment, I felt as if my soul had left my body. Suddenly, I found the strength to move my head.

With a hoarse voice, I tilted my head back and said, Sister Min, Sister Min, please... spare me...

Unexpectedly, she gripped me tightly, and I felt like I was suffocating. She tilted her head towards mine, which was now leaning back, and in that moment, I understood her intentions: she wanted to kiss me!

Her soft chest pressed against mine, her legs wrapped around me, but I had no inappropriate thoughts about this ghostly beauty. If she were not a ghost, maybe, but she was, indeed, a ghost. While calling out to Sister Min, begging her to spare me, I leaned my head back as far as I could to avoid her kiss.

I’d seen it many times in movies, ghosts sucking out Yang Energy, and although I wasn’t sure if this was the same thing, I was determined not to let her kiss me.

She kept trying to reach me with her head, but after a while, she seemed ready to give up. Still, I kept repeating my plea, Sister Min, Sister Min, please spare me.

Now my consciousness was fading, my thoughts growing blurry, but then I felt an itch down there. It was her moving; her lower body was writhing continuously, clearly trying to seduce me.

My mind was a blur, and my throat could only manage a single raspy sentence. I had no idea what to do next, but as for her seduction, it failed to stir any desire in me.

She undressed herself with one hand, leaving only a bra that exposed half of her pale flesh. I sensed trouble as my consciousness was almost gone.

Just as she was about to take off my clothes, a loud crowing sound startled us—cock-a-doodle-doo! In an instant, she vanished. When I came to my senses, I realized it was my phone ringing; the cock-a-doodle-doo was my ringtone.

I didn’t bother with anything else; now that I could move, I ran towards Gu Zi’s house. My only thought was to run, run, without even the inclination to scream for help.

It wasn’t until I burst out of the gully and stopped at Gu Zi’s doorstep that I relaxed slightly. The mountain wasn’t even in sight anymore. The phone was still ringing, and trembling, I looked at the caller ID: Bai Yaxi. Her call had saved me.

I quickly answered the call, and immediately, a complaining voice came through, seemingly quite upset: You... you... why didn’t you answer my call? She sounded almost on the verge of tears, and it had to be said that this was the longest it had ever taken me to answer her call.

I tried to explain: That... Yaxi, I was... I had something going on, so... so... I didn’t answer... She picked up on my tone right away and asked anxiously, What’s wrong? What happened to you?...

I replied, It’s nothing, it’s all good now... At this moment, Gu Zi’s mother opened the door, looking surprised: Hey, Xiyan, it’s so late, are you looking for Xiao Ming?

I quickly spoke a word to Bai Yaxi and ended the call: Auntie, is Gu Zi home?

Gu Zi’s mother responded: Yes, yes, he is. You look like you’re in a hurry, what’s the matter?

I hurriedly said, Oh, it’s nothing, nothing. I just wanted to come over and stay with Gu Zi for the night. We haven’t seen each other in a long time, and I wanted to catch up with him...

Gu Zi’s mother smiled and beckoned me in while saying, Child, did something happen to you? You look so pale. Tell Auntie, maybe I can help?

I’ll just talk to Gu Zi, it’s a minor issue, I said. At that moment, Gu Zi emerged from his room in a pair of baggy shorts. After his mother exchanged a few words with him and me, she went off to sleep in the annex.

Gu Zi looked at me, puzzled, and asked, What’s going on? What’s the matter? Can’t you tell my mom?

As we walked towards his room, I replied that we’d talk once we were inside.

After entering his room, I closed the window behind us, which startled him as if he thought I was about to assault him.

Gu Zi was the only person I could really trust at this point, and probably no one else would believe me anyway.

I first asked him if he had sent me any messages, which he denied.

So I recounted the whole incident to Gu Zi. He was so shocked that his jaw dropped and his eyes were fixed on me, which gave me a start. He then exclaimed, How come I never encounter such things?

... Gu Zi, do you think I’d lie to you? Don’t you believe me? I said, getting a bit angry.

He quickly reassured me, No, no, how could I not believe you? It’s just a ghost, nothing to be afraid of. I deal with the dead every day at the funeral parlor and I’m not scared. Besides, I’d actually like to find out what ghosts are really like...

His words finally brought me some relief. I trusted his courage, and since he dealt with the deceased daily, he surely knew ways to handle ghosts. That gave me some comfort. He then promised that as long as he was around, no ghost would dare come near me. Seeing his earnest oath, I felt much better. He also shared some of his own supernatural encounters from the funeral parlor, claiming none of them scared him.

That night, I ended up squeezing in for a sleepover at Gu Zi’s place. Despite my fear when I saw Zhao Zhimin, she herself didn’t seem that frightening, just menacing for the first time. But she was quite tempting, and I worried Gu Zi, the lecher that he is, might be unable to resist.

However, I couldn’t understand why she would do that. Gu Zi once said that Zhao Zhimin must have taken a liking to me, but...

I found it impossible. She’d been dead for such a long time, and if she hadn’t been interested in me while alive, why would she be after all this time, and specifically after her father’s death? What was really going on?

Chapter 5: Zhao Laotou’s Funeral

One puzzle after another troubled my mind, even invading my dreams, where she appeared as well.

I was paralyzed, unable to move as she embraced me again, bringing her lips closer to mine. I desperately tilted my head back to avoid her kiss, and then she started to strip, both herself and me. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed my shoulder, and it wasn’t Zhao Zhimin.

Opening my eyes, I saw Gu Zi shaking me frantically, yelling, Xiyan, Xiyan, are you alright? Don’t scare me like this...

I abruptly opened my eyes, startling him. I quickly said, Oh, oh, it’s nothing, just a dream, just a dream...

He grabbed my shoulders again, shaking me as he asked, Xiyan, Xiyan, are you really okay? Why are you sweating all over?

Shaken by him a few more times, I managed to come back to my senses and took a deep breath before replying, It’s fine now, really, it’s fine...

However, Gu Zi seemed to be spooked by me, looking somewhat panicky. But seeing that I was alright, his expression reluctantly eased.

Gu Zi’s parents had gone to Zhao’s house, as today was the day of Zhao Laotou’s funeral procession, or as we call it, going up the mountain. Gu Zi was urging me to get up quickly and go to Zhao’s house; since they were heading up the mountain today, we had to lend a hand.

It went without saying that we’d carry the coffin. If we didn’t help carry it, we would certainly be the talk of the town.

This seemed to be my first time preparing to carry a coffin. Those under 18 weren’t allowed to, but once you’re 18, if you don’t help, you’re likely to be drowned in spit and scorn.

Moreover, since Zhao Laotou was such a renowned and respected figure, people from several villages were attending. I had no excuse not to go, but I truly didn’t want to, especially after nearly being... I don’t even know how to put it, whether it could be considered an attempted rape. And I don’t know if that’s the right way to describe it. But if something had happened between me and Zhao Zhimin’s ghostly daughter last night, the consequences would surely be unimaginable, as any smart person would know.

Yet now, having to carry his father’s coffin, I was really unnerved and at a loss, only to be dragged there by Gu Zi who reassured me that everything would be fine as long as he was with me. His words brought me some comfort; at least I had some confidence knowing I had a brother who was an expert in these matters. So, off to the Zhao family we went...

By the time Gu Zi and I arrived at the Zhao residence, the sun had already risen, but we made it in time for the meal as everyone was eating.

There were so many people that we had to eat in shifts because there weren’t enough tables. It looked like we were in the third and final round; spotting a few empty seats, I sat down with Gu Zi.

We were outside, so the chirping of birds accompanied our meal.

Due to the crowd and the presence of the coffin inside, it was common in the countryside to eat outside in the open fields during funerals. Many people preferred not to enter the yard to eat.

The proximity to the coffin made it hard for anyone to have an appetite, except, perhaps, for his family members.

Since the men who could exert strength had to help later, we refrained from drinking alcohol. However, aside from me and Gu Zi, our table was mostly occupied by women.

It was a bit awkward. True to his nature, Gu Zi, the wolf, couldn’t help but sneak glances while talking to them, and I worried he might accidentally spit out his food during the conversation.

After the meal, around 10 o’clock, the women began clearing the tables and washing dishes, while the men prepared to lift the coffin. The coordinator seemed to be some secretary; everyone called him Old Zhang, Secretary Zhang. I had planned to beat the drums, gong, or set off firecrackers because those tasks were easier, but they had all been taken by others. In our region, funerals are accompanied by drumming, gong striking, and firecracker lighting. After eating, Gu Zi stayed close to Secretary Zhang, no doubt trying to avoid carrying the coffin by helping the coordinator instead.

As for me, resigned to my fate, I decided, so be it, I’ll help carry! The coffin was already bound; eight people were needed to lift it, but I especially didn’t want to see that white coffin, feeling there was something wrong about it. Gu Zi shouted, Lift!

Eight of us lifted the coffin, the drummers drummed, the gong players struck, and firecrackers exploded thunderously at the moment of the lift, while the money chicken atop the coffin stood utterly still and quiet.

Out the door and up the mountain, Zhao Laotou’s burial site was far away, with all uphill roads. I was mixed with a few others around my age, waiting to take over when those ahead tired out. However, they were all older than me; I was the youngest among them.

The coffin couldn’t be turned around. It was attached to a particularly long hemp rope, which we called the apology rope, used specifically for pulling the coffin. Some women, even more men, pulled the rope. Those who didn’t want to carry the coffin pulled the apology rope, forming a long line, dragging the coffin along. The bearers relied on the pulling force of the rope to navigate steeper sections, but the coffin could never be turned.

Beside the apology rope were the mourners, Zhao Laotou’s close family members. Gu Zi roared, Mourners, kowtow and rise! The mourners then kowtowed towards the coffin. Zhao Laotou’s son, however, was carrying the coffin, as it would be lighter with a mourner among the bearers. That meant one of the mourners had to take his place.

I ended up replacing Zhao Laotou’s son. He initially wanted to continue carrying, insisting he was alright and not tired. But replacing a mourner was truly inappropriate. Nevertheless, there was no choice. Everyone else had already been swapped, leaving only Zhao’s son waiting for me. Many looked on helplessly as I forcefully replaced him.

The moment I lifted the coffin, the money chicken that had been quietly perched on top suddenly started squawking, not the crowing kind, but a distressed cry as if in danger. Many were startled, and I nearly collapsed under the weight. The coffin had become unbelievably heavy as I lifted it. Dawei, at the front, shouted, One, two, three, one, two, three, and everyone joined in the chant, finally getting the coffin up a steep incline.

I don’t know if it was because I was too weak or what, but my shoulders felt like they were about to break, and I could barely walk. I paused for a moment, and the coffin almost toppled over. Someone in front yelled, Who is it? Why aren’t you moving? Put some effort into it!

But I really felt like I was about to be crushed, it was so heavy. Yet, Liu Yubin next to me seemed to be taking it very easily. Suddenly, Gu Zi roared, Xiyan, cheer up!

Unexpectedly, with that shout, I felt much lighter, and I joined the others in the chant, One, two, three, lift!

However, after walking a short distance, my shoulders became heavy again. By now, my entire body was soaked in sweat. Liu Yubin, panting, asked if I was okay. I casually replied, No... I’m fine. And I continued to carry it with all my strength.

But then, Zhao Yubin cried out, Who will replace Long Xiyan? Quickly! Perhaps he saw that my legs were trembling and my sweat had soaked through my clothes. They didn’t seem as exhausted as me, and another man replaced me at that moment.

And when I was swapped out, the previously agitated chicken on the coffin stopped squawking, becoming as quiet as it was at the start.

Gu Zi called out for the mourners to kowtow and rise, the drummers and gong players chanted One, two, three, three, two, one, and firecrackers were set off almost continuously, though kept a distance from the coffin. Nevertheless, the shouts of the crowd were louder than the firecrackers. The men and women pulling the apology rope also chanted, One, two, three, three, three, two, one, pull.

Chapter 6: Who’s Touching Me? (1)

The mourners continued to kowtow at Gu Zi’s shouts, bowing nearly every few minutes. They also helped pull the apology rope but lined up to kowtow when it was time. After finishing the kowtows quickly, they returned to pulling the rope. I, however, did nothing. They wouldn’t let me carry, perhaps because they sensed something was wrong with me.

After carrying for almost half an hour, maybe closer to an hour, we finally arrived at the burial site.

Everyone was drenched in sweat from the exertion. Those who were waiting at the site had already dug the grave.

The group untied the ropes and poles from the coffin in preparation for lowering it into the ground.

The poles, or rather, the wooden sticks used to carry the coffin, we called ganzi.

However, the two longest vertical poles on the coffin couldn’t be removed as they were needed to slide it down the slope.

Gu Zi bellowed, Lower! Then everyone slowly slid the coffin down. But it was eerily silent now. The money chicken had already been taken off, though strangely, it twitched a few times and died as soon as it was removed.

At this point, almost no one dared to make unnecessary noise, for the death of the money chicken was an omen that something was about to happen. But nobody dared to say anything, pretending they didn’t see it.

After the coffin was lowered, the soul had to be released, a process of letting his family see him one last time and freeing his spirit. However, anyone who shared the same zodiac animal as the deceased had to leave and avoid the scene. So, Gu Zi shouted again, Those belonging to the rat, step aside, those belonging to the rat, step aside!

Everyone then scurried to hide behind things. In reality, most people left, only those who opened the coffin and the deceased’s family remained.

Many people found it bad luck, so they avoided it, especially those with children who scurried away as if escaping for their lives. I stayed, however. While I didn’t know my own zodiac, I was sure I couldn’t be a rat by such a strange coincidence.

So, I also went over to help open the coffin. Honestly, I was extremely reluctant to stay for the opening, but I had only carried the coffin for a while and hadn’t done anything else, so it would be too embarrassing to run away now.

The officiant mumbled some incantations around the coffin and then declared it good.

Gu Zi shouted again, Open the coffin! Several of us simultaneously crouched down and pulled open the coffin. As it opened, my heart pounded. After all, it was my first time witnessing an open coffin.

Zhao Laotou looked peaceful, though, not much different from how he appeared when alive, except for his pale complexion. At that moment, I prayed silently, Uncle Zhao, please watch over your daughter after you leave. Please don’t let her come after me...

Perhaps that was the true reason I stayed for the opening, hoping that Zhao Laotou, in his afterlife, would keep his daughter in check and stop her from bothering me.

After Zhao Laotou’s family had viewed his remains, Gu Zi bellowed again, Out! I followed everyone else in lifting the coffin lid, shouting in unison, Out... out... out... for three times, almost letting out a fourth. Although I had previously followed other funeral processions up the mountain and avoided the scene, I had never witnessed the releasing the soul part before, only hearing others shout out, out, out.

After the three shouts, we closed the coffin lid. The people who had previously stepped aside slowly returned. Now it was time to bury the coffin. Many stones needed to be placed around it, so everyone was busy carrying stones, while some filled the grave with dirt in front of the coffin.

After the burial, both Gu Zi and Dawei questioned me about what had happened while I was carrying the coffin. I shook my head and said it was nothing, it was nothing!

Of course, Gu Zi didn’t believe me, but he didn’t ask further.

Since we were the last ones left, the last ones indeed, everyone else had already left except Zhao Laotou’s family. We stayed to accompany them until they finished offering incense and burning paper money before leaving.

The sky had darkened by then. We decided to take a shortcut, avoiding the main path and instead walking through the grassy slopes and gullies where there were no roads. This way, we wouldn’t have to take the long way around.

However, I kept feeling a chill behind me, as if a pair of eyes were watching me. It didn’t matter whether I walked between them or behind them, the feeling persisted, making me want to look back.

Gu Zi knew some things, so he told me not to look. Dawei was also startled by my behavior and rushed to the front alone. Gu Zi walked behind me, occasionally talking to me. By now, it was almost completely dark, and Dawei, probably also feeling a little scared, gradually slowed down and walked with us, constantly trying to find topics to talk about.

At the moment, I didn’t want to say anything; Gu Zi and him were chatting away loudly.

Their voices filled the entire ravine. It was particularly steep here, but we needed to descend this way. Dawei went down first, using the assorted weeds on the mountain for support. At that moment, I turned around for another look, a move that nearly sent me tumbling down the ravine in fright.

Fortunately, Gu Zi quickly grabbed hold of me. I saw a shadowy figure not far away and pointed it out to Gu Zi, but he scolded me for pointing and urged me to hurry down, asking if I didn’t want to go home. That’s when I said, I thought I saw something just behind us, not far away...

But now it was gone. Gu Zi stubbornly refused to look back, insisting that I was seeing things and urging me to hurry, complaining about the darkness and his hunger.

Suddenly, Gu Zi shuddered as if jabbed by something, his body shaking with a large motion. I was about to ask what was wrong when Dawei, who had already reached the bottom of the ravine, called out to us. Gu Zi then pushed me, urging me to hurry down. This action immediately set me on edge, my heart shifting from trembling to constant vibration.

Looking around, I made a dash down the steep slope of the ravine, half-sliding, half-jumping. Unexpectedly, Gu Zi leapt over my head in a flying jump, and I thought I heard him shout Run!

My body shivering, I intended to grab him, but not only did I fail to catch him, I also threw myself forward, flying down from the steep slope several meters high. I let out a cry, then the grass I clutched broke and I followed Gu Zi down...

We fell to the bottom of the ravine with a rustling sound, then slid down the slope, scattering many small stones and creating a large rattling noise.

Dawei seemed to reach out to grab me, but failed to hold on. Instead, I dragged him down with me while he shouted, Hold on, hold on, grab on. But there was nothing to hold onto on the slope covered with loose stones, and I nearly lost my breath when I hit the ground.

More precisely, for two or three seconds, I couldn’t breathe, was winded, as we would say.

The slide down wasn’t long, perhaps just over ten seconds, before I crashed into a tree and came to a stop.

Gu Zi was sprawled in front of the tree roots, and as I tried to stand up with force, I ended up kneeling on his head, while Dawei seemed to be lying in front of the tree, holding onto Gu Zi’s feet.

When the three of us came to a halt, almost simultaneously, we all groaned in pain. I felt like my rear was about to bloom, and my back ached. I struggled to stand firm behind Gu Zi and pulled him up; by then, Dawei had already let go of Gu Zi’s feet and was holding onto the tree in front of us.

Chapter 7: Who’s Touching Me (2)

Gu Zi slowly stood up by leaning against the tree, with one hand on the tree and the other supporting him.

However, Gu Zi seemed to be seriously hurt, groaning in pain, but thankfully not yelling.

Then he let go of the tree, steadying himself on his feet in front of the roots. Dawei asked from the front, Are you okay?

Gu Zi clutched at his crotch with both hands and slowly sat back down. He then turned to look behind him and up at the sky. We all understood; Gu Zi had hit himself in that sensitive spot. I was genuinely worried if his privates had been flattened...

I asked again, Gu Zi, are you okay? Is it serious...?

He took a moment to catch his breath and only when Dawei asked again did he reply, I’m okay, I’m not okay, I don’t know, let’s just go...

Dawei and I were both stunned. What exactly was going on with him, and why did Gu Zi jump down like that?

Dawei and I asked almost simultaneously. Dawei questioned, Why did you guys jump like that? I asked, Gu Zi, what did you see?

Gu Zi kept rubbing his injured part and scanning our surroundings and the sky, which made me feel edgy all over, breaking out in a cold sweat. I followed his gaze, and Dawei did the same, but then Gu Zi urged us to move quickly.

After that, we didn’t dare to ask more questions. I was especially close to a mental breakdown, feeling a vague pain on my back, as if my butt had bloomed with pain. It looked as though Dawei had a gash on his chest; by the moonlight, I could see his clothes were torn.

Gu Zi had injuries on his back and seemed to have hurt his legs too. His privates were also injured, and the extent of that injury was still unclear.

Dawei cursed under his breath about our bad luck as he slowly continued to slide down. I held onto Gu Zi, and the two of us looked back at the same time, because I felt there were eyes behind us. As for what Gu Zi saw, I couldn’t tell.

But I guessed that Gu Zi must have seen a dark shadow too. The puzzling part was he hadn’t turned around; perhaps he saw something at the very moment I descended.

The three of us slid down the small ravine for a while before finally reaching the road below. Although it was a rural area, the mountain roads around here were generally well-constructed.

On the road, we took a short break to rest. However, Gu Zi kept telling us not to look back, even though he was looking back himself.

Dawei asked him what happened earlier, but he didn’t say anything. When he asked me, I didn’t say anything either. Although I could guess what Gu Zi must have seen, I was afraid of scaring Dawei if I told him, and Gu Zi didn’t seem to want to tell him either. He simply said it was nothing, that he had accidentally slipped.

But who would believe that? Can one really fly from slipping? And for both of them to slip in the same way, and fly so high? But Dawei was also a smart guy, and seeing that we weren’t going to say anything, he didn’t ask further.

It was already eight o’clock when we got back home. Dawei went back to his place. Gu Zi followed me to my house because it was so late, and I couldn’t let Gu Zi go back in his condition, especially with his injuries still unclear.

The first thing Gu Zi did when he entered the house was to take off his pants, and after looking at his equipment, he breathed a sigh of relief. His little brother seemed to be okay.

He laughed and said it was just a bump, nothing to worry about.

Then he continued, ... It’s been through a hundred battles, a little bump like that won’t hurt it...

A true lecher, a lecher’s nature is just like that, not only lecherous, but also boasting about how good he is after the act.

However, his legs seemed to be the ones that were hurt more seriously, they were slightly swollen. I helped him pull them a few times, they were probably dislocated, and pulling them down would fix it.

As for me, I was relatively okay. Although my butt was very sore, I didn’t say anything. I’m not like Gu Zi, whose skin is thicker than a pig’s.

It was just that my back had many scratches, and Gu Zi had scratches on his back as well. I wanted to ask him what he saw, but at this point, I didn’t want to know. It’s better not to know about those things, even if I had guessed, I didn’t want to ask him to repeat it.

Just as we were tending to our wounds, my phone started ringing.

Gu Zi heard it and said, Are you craving chicken? Your ringtone sounds like a chicken.

I took a look and saw it was Bai Yaxi calling. This put me in a difficult position. Should I answer or not? This guy next to me isn’t a good person, and Bai Yaxi’s voice is so cute and sweet, I really don’t know how Gu Zi would react or what he would say!

As I was hesitating with the phone in my hand, Gu Zi chuckled from the side, What? Your girlfriend? Too embarrassed to answer?

Tch, who’s too embarrassed to answer? I said as I pressed the answer button. As soon as the call connected, Bai Yaxi’s sweet voice came through.

Since I was using a knock-off phone, it was so loud that I didn’t even need to press the speakerphone button.

Bai Yaxi said, Where have you been these past few days? Why haven’t you been paying attention to me? You didn’t answer my call just now...

I said, It’s just a little something, I’m with friends right now...

She said again, Humph, you’re lying...

Her little humph really made my heart melt, as if I had forgotten everything. However, I hadn’t forgotten that there was a lecherous wolf next to me.

So I made up a random excuse to appease her, but she still reluctantly refused to hang up.

She said, Oh, please stay and chat with me for a while? Okay? It’s just talking, nothing embarrassing, okay? Okay?

Listening to Bai Yaxi’s voice was indeed a bit unbearable; as soon as I heard her voice, I thought of her chest, which felt like it was about to burst out of her clothes, and her small, rosy face, I really wanted to kiss and touch her, then tear off her clothes, ... However, this really wasn’t the time to think about those things, the lecher next to me was still listening, so I told Bai Yaxi that I had something to do again and hung up the phone.

But as soon as I turned around after hanging up the phone, I was startled. Gu Zi’s ear was really close to my head. He had heard everything without leaving anything out. At this time, he grinned wickedly and said, This little girl is your girlfriend? If not... hehe...

Damn it, I almost cursed out loud. This guy is so shameless. I quickly nodded and said yes, only then did he put away his wicked smile and say, Don’t forget to invite me to your wedding...

He finally said something decent, but