Chapter 8 - File (1/2)

Su Min’s night vision was strong enough for him to clearly see the faces of the heads above.

On the left was Liu Lili; to the right was Zhang Yuan. As they were once classmates, Su Min had their appearances stored in his memory.

Between them, with bloodstains dyeing the corner of her lips, was a girl who looked like a student.

The three ghosts stared at him with fixed eyes.

Su Min, who had long been prepared for this sight, turned away. “A ghost had hit a wall1, everyone close your eyes.”

One of the most common way to deal with a ghost’s illusion was to close your eyes and go straight.

As it was, they were on the stairs. If they were to walk in a straight line, they would definitely collide right into a wall. So, to not be confused, they could only use the railings as a guide.

“Okay,” Lin Xiao Yan obeyed.

“I’ll be in the back while Su Min leads,” Lin Yiri said on his own initiative.

Girls always had to be cared for. Besides, he was a big and grown man, albeit one who was scared and miserable.

Su Min turned around. “Hold onto each other’s clothes and don’t let go no matter what,” he exhorted. “I’ll walk very slowly.”

He waited for them to get ready. Then, he closed his eyes.

At the moment, Su Min didn’t know which floor they were on and only hoped that this method was correct. Otherwise, he was afraid that they were going to be stuck here for the night.

With the feeling of Lin Xiao Yan tugging at his clothes, Su Min placed his hands on the railings and began to walk down the stairs one step at a time.

In such an environment, closing your eyes could make you feel even more nervous.

All of Su Min’s senses concentrated at his ears. He was afraid that he would hear something he shouldn’t have.

They had only walked a few steps when a loud noise suddenly echoed from outside.

It sounded like something fell down from high above, but it was unclear from which direction.

“Su…Su Min, did you hear that?” Lin Xiao Yan stuttered.

Su Min moved his hand from side to side. “Don’t think about it. We have to get out first, don’t worry about anything else.”

He was the one who called them over, so he’d be the one to bring them back.

In this horror movie, Lin Xiao Yan and Lin Yiri trusted him enough to follow him.

Su Min silently mouthed the number of steps he’d descended. When he reached 12, he carefully stepped onto the flat platform.

With eyes closed, he felt around and discovered that there was another flight of stairs. They had not reached the first floor.

Su Min slowly turned the corner, preparing to continue down.

Suddenly, his fingertips came into contact with an ice-cold hand.

Su Min jumped, startled. He subconsciously tried to open his eyes but stopped when he felt another hand settled over them, cold yet as gentle as silk.

“Don’t open your eyes.”

It was a familiar voice.

Even though he had only heard it once, Su Min remembered it clearly.

It was the most pleasant voice he had ever heard. Even the countless dubbings online couldn’t hold a candle to Jing Xian’s voice.

He felt the loud and quick thumping of his heart pound in his ears.

“Su Min, why aren’t you going? Have we arrived?” Lin Xiao Yan asked.

“No, I was going to turn a corner–just feeling my way around. Don’t worry, and don’t open your eyes.” Su Min hastily replied.

Icy fingertips captured his hands, taking them away from the handrails and into a world of ice and snow.

Su Min knew that the other man wanted to pull him along.

He licked his lips, wondering if he should claim back his hands or let Jing Xian guide him down the stairs.

Thinking carefully, Jing Xian had never once hurt him. In fact, every time the ghost appeared, he would turn peril into safety.

Su Min lifted his foot.

Without an inkling to this exchange, Lin Xiao Yan and Lin Yiri trailed behind him.

Hand in hand, step by step, Su Min blindly followed Jing Xian.

His senses, with the exception of his ears, were all focused on his hands. It felt…odd.

Only after he walked a certain distance did he realized that he forgot to count the steps.

Su Min shook his head, trying to shake off his unusual thoughts. He wondered how he should thank Jing Xian the next time he sees the ghost.

Should he burn some paper money? What would be a good thing to burn?

Due to all these chaotic thoughts in his mind, Su Min almost didn’t feel Jing Xian stopping.

“Fortunately, I have not let you down2.” Su Min heard the ghost say.

Without warning, he felt a touch of ice brush against his lips. When he opened his eyes, there was nothing in front of him.

The coldness faded until it completely disappeared.

The three of them were now standing on the first floor of the office building. Behind them was the staircase they didn’t know whether or not had an ending.

Lin Yiri got in front of Su Min, asking, “What are you looking at? We came out already, let’s get out of here.”

“I’m not looking at anything.” Su Min retracted his gaze.

He buried the thoughts in his heart.

Lin Xiao Yan hugged her arms. “Quickly go or else, even if we jump into the Yellow River tomorrow, we won’t be washed clean. I don’t know if the cameras caught us.”

“That’s unlikely,” Su Min said. “When ghosts appear, the surveillance will be faulty.”

–Just like in the daytime when the two rode on the elevator.

However, they really ought to leave; staying here any longer was pointless. They had to get out before the security guards discovered that someone broke the door to the office building.

Outside, the moon hung high in sky.

Su Min abruptly stopped. “Wait, I heard something fell down before. Let’s go and take a look.”

“Okay,” Lin Yiri agreed, having also heard the sound.

The office building was encircled by a lawn, and surrounding that lawn were shrubs and bushes. Besides the greenery, there was nothing to see.

Not even a big stone.

Su Min was a bit confused.