The Ghostly Encounter on the Shortcut

It was half past nine in the evening. A melodious and stirring symphony marked the end of the senior students’ evening study session.

This practice of using symphonies as the school bells was a reform introduced five years prior, when Zhang Hanchi, then the youngest principal of Chuanbei Middle School, took office.

This truly novel “reform” had even made it onto Jiangzhou City television news. Reporters had randomly interviewed several students, all of whom claimed that listening to the impassioned symphonies made them more eager for classes.

They also reported feeling more enthusiastic and focused during lessons, resulting in a noticeable improvement in their grades over the semester.

Consequently, Principal Zhang Hanchi received commendation from the Municipal Education Committee.

What the true situation was, however, remained unknown.

Nevertheless, when it came to the symphony signaling the end of class, the senior students’ enthusiasm was undeniably genuine.

Some students dashed towards the cafeteria for an extra meal, while others rushed to the dormitories, eager to claim the first shower.

A small contingent, of course, remained in the classrooms, intending to tackle a few more minutes of practice problems.

Ming Zhong and his dorm mates belonged to yet another group. They typically organized a rotation, whether by drawing lots or playing a finger-guessing game, to decide which one of them would fetch provisions from the cafeteria for everyone each day.

The rest would then leisurely return to their dorms.

Tonight, it was Ming Zhong’s turn to go to the cafeteria.

After spending more than ten minutes waiting in line, Ming Zhong bought a large bag of snacks, including instant noodles and sausages. By the time he headed back to his dormitory, there were already few pedestrians on the road.

Ming Zhong hurried along, his head bowed, hoping to avoid seeing anything peculiar.

As he took a shortcut through a dimly lit alley, Ming Zhong encountered someone.

He had intended to simply continue on his way, but the alley was too narrow. So, he instinctively moved to the side, planning to let the other person pass first.

However, the other person seemed to have had the same thought, also standing still by the side of the path.

Ming Zhong subconsciously glanced up, only to realize there were actually two people.

One was a man in a hoodie, his face obscured by the shadows of his hood. He was carrying another man on his back, a man in a suit with black-rimmed glasses.

Ming Zhong froze.

He recognized the man being carried.

Principal Zhang!

What in the world?

Night, a narrow alley, two men.

What could they have possibly gone through, for Principal Zhang to be so exhausted that he needed another man to carry him?

A profound unease began to settle over Ming Zhong.

It seems I’ve stumbled upon Principal Zhang’s secret!

Just then, the other party acknowledged Ming Zhong’s unspoken gesture. The hooded man, still carrying Principal Zhang, began to walk towards him.

As they reached Ming Zhong, the hooded man gave a slight nod. Ming Zhong responded with an awkward yet polite smile.

They passed each other, and the hooded man, with Principal Zhang on his back, continued on his way. Ming Zhong, in turn, resumed his path.

Suddenly, Ming Zhong halted.

Ahead, beneath the dim yellow glow of a streetlamp, a girl in a white dress stood with her hands clasped behind her back.

She appeared to be gazing towards the far end of the road, and Ming Zhong could only discern her back.

No beautiful or romantic notions crossed his mind; instead, a shiver of dread ran down his spine.

Fu Ziqing, too, was currently in a state of bewilderment.

She had been absorbed by that eerie little book, her consciousness a chaotic mess within a dark, void-like space. After drifting aimlessly for a time, she suddenly perceived a glimmer of light.

She drifted towards that light, which grew steadily larger until it completely enveloped her. With a sudden jolt, she realized she had returned to her usual “resting” space.

She felt exceptionally weary, as the book had inflicted considerable damage upon her. Just as she intended to recuperate within the space, she was abruptly expelled from it.

Yes, although a hyper-dimensional entity like “the space” shouldn’t possess consciousness, Fu Ziqing felt as though she had been unilaterally kicked out.

Perhaps retrieving her from The Book of Spirit Sealing had caused “the space” significant losses. It was almost as if an old father had paid a hefty price to bail his prodigal son out of jail, only to grow increasingly furious the more he thought about it, and then, in a fit of pique, kicked the unfilial child out of the house.

This caused a flicker of panic in Fu Ziqing, but it was swiftly overshadowed by the delightful surprise before her eyes.

Dim yellow streetlights illuminated a long, secluded path, flanked by low, lush green bushes. If one listened closely, the occasional chirp of an insect could be heard.

Such a sight could certainly not be the old, monotonous dormitory building!

Twenty years! Twenty long years!

Fu Ziqing wanted to scream to the heavens; she had finally escaped that damned place!

If ghosts were capable of tears, Fu Ziqing would undoubtedly be weeping profusely at this very moment.

Although she wasn’t entirely sure of the underlying principles, Fu Ziqing surmised that it must be largely connected to The Book of Spirit Sealing.

All things considered, it was a blessing in disguise!

Fu Ziqing had absolutely no desire to return to Huai Xiang Yuan. Turning around, she spotted a young man in a Chuanbei Middle School uniform on the path ahead, illuminated by the dim streetlamp.

Ming Zhong was just about to abandon his shortcut. He had already pivoted his feet, on the verge of turning around and leaving the alley entirely.

But he was a step too late!

The girl in the white dress under the dim streetlamp had, at some unknown moment, already turned around. Subconsciously, he found himself looking at her face.

Their eyes met.

It wasn’t the disgusting or terrifying face he had imagined; instead, it was unexpectedly beautiful.

Her face possessed perfect contours, her features delicate and exquisite. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, yet under the dim light, it appeared perfectly ethereal.

Everything about her was flawless, yet her grayish-white, lifeless eyes seemed utterly discordant.

This unsettling detail served as a stark reminder: she was clearly not alive!

Lowering his head, Ming Zhong tried his utmost to make his turning motion appear natural.

Yet, the hand holding the plastic bag unconsciously clenched, then clenched again.

Don’t be nervous! Keep walking!

Stepping forward, Ming Zhong continued on the path he had originally taken.

His footsteps, despite his efforts, felt unnaturally light and airy.

“Hey!”

“You saw me, didn’t you?”

A soft, pleasant female voice drifted into his ears—surprisingly, it wasn’t the eerie, shrill sound one would expect from a horror film.

It’s all an illusion!

Absolutely! I absolutely cannot stop!

Ming Zhong continuously gave himself mental reassurances, his steps growing longer and faster.

“You saw me!”

Damn it! This voice is truly persistent!

Don’t acknowledge her! Absolutely do not acknowledge her!

“There’s no mistake, you definitely saw me!”

Why does that voice sound somewhat pleased?

For a ghost, is being seen by a human actually a cause for joy?

However, for a normal person, seeing a ghost is absolutely not a happy occasion!

I am a normal person, so I will not be happy. Even if this ghost is beautiful, who knows if she might suddenly contort her face and scare me out of my wits!

That’s how it always happens in horror movies.

“You absolutely saw me!”

“Young man, your actions have already betrayed you!”

Ming Zhong simply kept his head down and pressed on.

“Stop!”

“You, stop right there!”

“I’m going to get angry!”

Suddenly, on the stone slabs of the alley where Ming Zhong had been intently staring, a swathe of pure white skirt appeared. The hem swayed gently, occasionally revealing a smooth, fair calf, and further down, a pair of delicate, bare feet.

A chill seized his heart. When did she get ahead of me?

But with a moment’s thought, he realized that since she wasn’t human, teleporting was perfectly normal.

She’s blocked my path. What should I do?

Ming Zhong’s palms were sweating from nervousness, yet he steeled his heart. Without a single pause, he continued walking forward, his head still bowed.

Under the warm yellow streetlamp, the young man walked directly towards the Miss Ghost in front of him.

The young man and the Miss Ghost drew closer, intersected, overlapped, and finally, he passed right through her.

The young man did not stop, continuing to walk further and further away.

Fu Ziqing remained standing, then turned to watch the young man’s figure recede into the distance.

Tilting her head, Fu Ziqing chuckled:

“What a bold young man! Daring to ignore me! You’ve got quite some nerve!”

She then followed far behind the young man.

Under the streetlamp, in the night wind, a Miss Ghost began to hum a tune.