A Nightmare’s Embrace

Happy times, as always, were fleeting.

After finishing one episode of the anime, it was already past one o’clock, time for lunch break.

Zhang Qiang and Wu Daqing had long since fallen asleep, their soft snores already filling the air. Wang Dongdong climbed onto his bed, continuing to play on his phone with headphones on.

Fu Ziqing told Ming Zhong to take a nap as well. He then climbed onto his bed, instinctively pressing close to the wall as he pondered a few things. However, having woken up early that day and not getting enough sleep the previous night, he gradually drifted off to sleep within minutes.

At some unknown point, Ming Zhong groggily opened his eyes.

Then, he suddenly jolted awake.

Someone was lying beside him!

Ming Zhong subtly turned his head, just enough to glimpse the side profile of the person next to him.

He instantly let out a sigh of relief. So it’s not a person after all… it’s Senior Sister, the Miss Ghost.

Her raven-black hair spread out, making Senior Sister’s fair face appear even paler. Her eyes were closed, sparing Ming Zhong the sight of her lifeless, grey pupils. The occasional flutter of her eyelashes made her seem like nothing more than a serene girl in a deep slumber.

Why is Senior Sister sleeping next to me?

This question lingered for only a second.

Ming Zhong’s gaze drifted from Fu Ziqing’s forehead to her small, delicate nose, then to her slightly pale but gracefully curved lips.

His eyes lingered there for a few extra seconds.

Then his gaze continued its descent.

Suddenly, his eyes felt as if they were glued to something, unable to move even an inch.

Ming Zhong’s face slowly flushed.

She… she’s not wearing anything…!

Ming Zhong’s entire body grew feverish.

Just then, Senior Sister suddenly turned over, lying on her side and facing Ming Zhong.

Ming Zhong quickly averted his gaze, closing his eyes to feign sleep, yet his heart hammered against his ribs.

“Hey, you’re awake, aren’t you?”

Senior Sister’s soft voice echoed in his ear.

Ming Zhong stubbornly continued to pretend to be asleep.

“You’re awake, I know.”

Senior Sister’s voice remained gentle, seemingly oblivious to his transgression.

However, Senior Sister’s next words shattered his fleeting hope.

“You saw it, didn’t you?”

In an instant, Ming Zhong’s entire body stiffened.

“Was it pretty?”

Another question sent Ming Zhong plunging into an icy abyss.

As he stood there, utterly bewildered, a cool hand gently caressed his cheek.

“Come on, open your eyes and look at me.”

Senior Sister’s voice seemed to possess a strange magic, causing Ming Zhong to relax instantly.

He finally opened his eyes, turning onto his side to face Senior Sister.

His gaze met Senior Sister’s eyes, and Ming Zhong froze.

They were bright, distinct eyes, shimmering with an inner light—eyes that seemed to speak volumes. Though she remained silent, the gentle undulations within them conveyed a profound tenderness and acceptance towards him.

“Senior Sister, I—”

He began to speak, but Senior Sister placed a slender, jade-like index finger to her lips.

“Shh…”

“Don’t speak. Do what you desire.”

Senior Sister’s voice was soft and alluring, and a captivating blush bloomed on her cheeks.

In that moment, Ming Zhong’s throat bobbed, and his mind went utterly blank.

Then, his body grew feverish once more.

He took Senior Sister’s hand, which had been resting by her lips.

Thump, thump, thump!

His heart felt as though it might leap from his chest.

Slowly, he leaned closer to her enchanting, beautiful face.

Ming Zhong somewhat clumsily embraced Senior Sister’s soft waist.

But then, suddenly…

Senior Sister began to cry.

She made no sound, yet tears welled in her expressive eyes.

Ming Zhong’s heart seized with panic, and he clumsily tried to wipe away Senior Sister’s tears.

Strangely, however, the tears seemed endless. Despite Senior Sister lying on her side, the water defied gravity, flowing down her cheeks, past the corners of her mouth and chin, over her neck, and towards her chest.

At some point, the space around them seemed to undergo a peculiar transformation. They were lying on their sides, yet somehow also appeared to be standing upright.

Soon, Ming Zhong realized it wasn’t tears at all!

The water was actually pouring from the top of Senior Sister’s head, steadily increasing until it thoroughly drenched her.

She looked like someone just rescued from drowning… No, that wasn’t right!

The deluge from her head showed no sign of stopping; instead, it grew even more violent.

It was as if they were caught in a torrential downpour.

Ming Zhong grew even more frantic. He didn’t know what to do, only that he had to continuously wipe the cold water from Senior Sister’s face; if one hand wasn’t enough, he used both.

At this moment, a faint red liquid began to seep from Senior Sister’s eyes.

The crimson liquid seeped out more and more, growing progressively darker.

Ming Zhong’s hands became stained a vivid red.

He stared blankly at his own hands.

“My face feels sticky and awful.”

Senior Sister let out a low moan.

“I’ll wipe it off for you, I’ll wipe it all off!”

Ming Zhong quickly used both hands again, frantically wiping Senior Sister’s cheeks.

Then, in a sudden, horrifying moment, Senior Sister’s expressive eyes detached from their sockets.

They landed squarely in Ming Zhong’s hands.

He cupped the pair of eyeballs in his hands, his face utterly blank.

“It’s so dark… Where am I? Why can’t I see anything?”

Senior Sister cried out, her voice filled with terror and confusion.

Ming Zhong stared at Senior Sister’s empty eye sockets, at her face drenched in fresh blood.

An uncontrollable fear began to sprout in his heart.

Nevertheless, with trembling arms, Ming Zhong carefully pressed the eyeballs back into Senior Sister’s hollow sockets.

“Senior Sister, can you see now?”

He asked urgently.

Yet, as his words faded, the eyeballs slipped out of Senior Sister’s eye sockets once more.

Ming Zhong frantically caught them, then reattached them for Senior Sister again.

However, the moment his hand left her eye sockets, the eyeballs would slide right back out.

So, he patiently reattached them, over and over again.

After countless attempts, Ming Zhong finally covered Senior Sister’s eyes tightly with his palms.

“Please don’t fall out again, I beg you, don’t fall out again!”

He prayed incessantly.

After an unknown period, Ming Zhong slowly and cautiously released his palms.

“They’re gone?!”

Ming Zhong’s face was etched with terror.

“Why are they gone!?”

He had clearly put the eyeballs back and even covered them with his hands, so why were Senior Sister’s eye sockets completely empty now!?

“I’m sorry! Senior Sister, I’m so sorry!”

Ming Zhong apologized repeatedly.

“It’s alright.”

Senior Sister’s voice was hoarse and weak, yet still remarkably gentle.

“It feels like there’s something on my face; could you please help me remove it?”

Senior Sister spoke with polite entreaty.

Ming Zhong, naturally, could not refuse.

He saw that the water stains on Senior Sister’s body had long since dried. Now, she appeared as though she had endured scorching sunlight, her hair brittle, her lips cracked, and her face covered in numerous dry, hardened blood scabs.

Ming Zhong reached out, gently and carefully grasping a blood scab on Senior Sister’s face. Then, with utmost caution, he slowly peeled it away.

The moment Ming Zhong tore away a piece of the blood scab, his hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

Beneath the scab lay rotting, putrid flesh!

It was like a pebble dropped into still water, with ripples spreading outwards.

From where he had peeled back the scab, the decay began to spread.

In mere seconds, the beautiful and charming Senior Sister before Ming Zhong was gone, replaced by a highly decomposed corpse.

“I’m so cold. Can you hug me?”

Senior Sister’s voice was no longer gentle and melodious.

It was like the shriek of an owl or the wail of a ghost, chilling and terrifying.

The fear that had been suppressed deep within his heart erupted completely at this moment.

How could Ming Zhong possibly dare to embrace her now? He only wanted to retreat, but found himself unable to move.

“Why won’t you hug me!”

Senior Sister shrieked, lunging towards Ming Zhong.

“I’m sorry…”

Ming Zhong whispered softly, closing his eyes.

“Hey!”

“Ming Zhong! Wake up! Hey!”

“Were you having a nightmare?”

Hearing these voices, Ming Zhong abruptly opened his eyes.

He was drenched in sweat, his expression still tinged with horror.

Sitting bolt upright, Ming Zhong gasped for air, his chest heaving.

He remained in a daze for a while, until he heard a familiar, gentle voice.

“Were you having a nightmare?”

Fu Ziqing was leaning over the edge of the bed, looking at him, and asked again.

Ming Zhong glanced at Fu Ziqing, then immediately averted his gaze, instinctively trying to shrink back further. However, he couldn’t move; he was already pressed against the wall.

Ming Zhong’s evasive eyes struck Fu Ziqing as odd, but she still chuckled.

“The weather is gradually getting warmer, yet you’re still buried under such a thick quilt. It’s no wonder you had a nightmare.”

At her words, Ming Zhong hastily threw off the heavy quilt. The rush of air instantly sent a chill through him, making him shiver.

“Your exam is at three o’clock, right?”

Ming Zhong again glanced at her before looking away, then nodded somewhat dejectedly.

It seems I still overestimated my courage, he thought. It’s only been half a day, and I’m already having nightmares.

Fu Ziqing said thoughtfully:

“It’s only a little past two o’clock now, so you still have plenty of time. My suggestion is for you to take a shower and change your clothes, or you might catch a cold.”

As she spoke, her expression shifted to one of mild disgust.

“Of course, the main reason is that you reek of sweat—it’s disgusting!”

Before she could finish, she pointed at the various items on Ming Zhong’s bed.

“You’ve sweated so much that all these quilts, sheets, and pillowcases need to be washed. Otherwise, they’ll turn yellow and start smelling in a couple of days, and they’ll be much harder to get clean. Your clothes are mostly white, so it’s even more important to wash them promptly…”

Unconsciously, she adopted the lecturing stance of someone scolding a child in a past life.

Somehow, hearing Senior Sister’s nagging actually invigorated Ming Zhong. Her ceaseless chatter seemed to chase away his lingering fear.

“Mhm, got it!”

Ming Zhong responded softly, already moving to strip the pillowcases, duvet covers, and sheets from his bed.

“Excellent initiative! Much better than my old child.”

Ming Zhong initially offered a humble smile, then suddenly noticed the peculiar phrase Senior Sister had used.

“Child?”

He looked astonished. Senior Sister actually had a child?! he wondered. She was still underage when she died, right? Could her death be tied to some melodramatic circumstances?

Ming Zhong couldn’t help but entertain some strange conjectures.

The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt.

Gradually, a suffocating sensation began to creep over him.