Possession (1)

Lin Banxia was still a bit fuzzy about the specific details of the job Song Qingluo had mentioned, but the one thing he knew was that it probably wasn't anything good. Otherwise, Song Qingluo wouldn't be pitifully renting an apartment next to him just to get by. As for Song Qingluo's claim that the job paid well, Lin Banxia didn't take it to heart. After all, don't pyramid schemes tell their recruits every day that they'll earn fifty million in three years? Words like that, you just listen and let them pass.

According to Song Qingluo, some of the things placed in his room happened to counteract the effect of Lin Banxia's doorplate, giving Ji Leshui's mental state time to recuperate. As long as his mental state improved, he would no longer see those terrifying, tangible illusions, and Ji Leshui would be able to move out normally.

When Ji Leshui learned of this, he was in high spirits and invited Lin Banxia out for a celebratory meal. Lin Banxia asked if Song Qingluo was going, but Song Qingluo declined, saying he had some matters to attend to.

Lin Banxia said "oh," changed his clothes, and went to meet him.

The weather had been gloomy for nearly a week, but it had finally cleared up now. Lin Banxia walked down the road, enjoying the last rays of the setting sun.

The place Ji Leshui had chosen was a barbecue restaurant not far from where Lin Banxia worked. The food was good and the prices were reasonable; they often met there for meals.

Lin Banxia wasn't working today, so he went over early, ordered the food, and heated up the grill while waiting for Ji Leshui.

Ji Leshui arrived around six o'clock. Compared to a few days ago, he was full of vigor today, with no trace of his haggard appearance. His face was flushed with health; it seemed his recovery was going quite well.

"Banxia, what's up, the big shot didn't come?" Ji Leshui asked as he sat down.

"He said he had something to do, so he's not coming." Lin Banxia said, "You got off work so early today?"

Ji Leshui said, "I slipped out early. Quick, put the meat on the grill."

Lin Banxia nodded, picked up a large piece of pork belly, and placed it on the grill pan.

The price of pork had been skyrocketing recently, and pork belly was now over thirty yuan per jin. Eating meat had actually become a luxury. As the marbled meat sizzled on the grill, its unique, fatty aroma filled their nostrils. Once the meat was grilled to a golden brown on both sides, coated in a rich dipping sauce, and wrapped in lettuce, taking a satisfyingly large bite was a flavor so delicious it felt like one's soul was ascending to heaven.

Ji Leshui was moved to tears as he ate. "My god, how long has it been since we had a proper meal like this?"

Lin Banxia glanced at him. "Didn't we just come here the night we finished moving a week ago?"

Ji Leshui: "Oh."

Lin Banxia said, "You're just greedy."

Ji Leshui: "I thought I could live a happy life with you after moving, but who knew that waves would rise from a calm sea, and our relationship would actually suffer such a severe crisis..."

Lin Banxia gave him the side-eye.

Ji Leshui said, "Sigh, it's quite miraculous, really. Ever since I moved into that big shot's place, I haven't seen those things. What's going on? Could it be that he's an expert at subduing demons and has captured the monsters? ...Why are you ignoring me?"

With his mouth still full of meat, Lin Banxia mumbled, "Keep talking."

Ji Leshui observed him for three seconds, finally understood Lin Banxia's sinister intentions, and slammed the table in anger, saying, "Are you even human? Taking the chance to eat meat while I'm talking, right? I'm not talking anymore!"

Lin Banxia continued to stuff his face.

The two sat at the barbecue table, feasting heartily. Halfway through the meal, Ji Leshui went out to buy a pack of cigarettes, telling Lin Banxia to take it easy and save some for him.

Unexpectedly, less than a minute after Ji Leshui went out, he returned with a flustered expression. Seeing his look, Lin Banxia reacted instinctively, "What's with that expression? Did you see a ghost?"

Hearing this, Ji Leshui's face turned ashen, and he didn't refute it.

Stunned by his reaction, Lin Banxia softened his voice a little, "What did you see?"

"I saw your colleague," Ji Leshui said.

Lin Banxia said, "Colleague? Which colleague?"

Ji Leshui said, "That one, named Liu Xi or something?"

It dawned on Lin Banxia. "Oh, him. What about him?"

Ji Leshui said, "He was talking to a woman." His voice grew quieter and quieter, finally taking on an involuntary tremor. "That woman... seemed to have... a strange thing on her back..."

Lin Banxia froze on the spot. He, of course, immediately recalled the terrifying woman he had seen at work before, but why would she and Liu Xi be meeting? Did they know each other? Lin Banxia asked Ji Leshui where they were. Ji Leshui said they were just outside, not far away. Lin Banxia quickly got up and ran out, but by the time he got there, Liu Xi and the woman were nowhere to be seen.

After returning to the barbecue restaurant, neither of them had any appetite, so they ended the meal hastily and went home.

Ji Leshui had thought he was completely free from the influence of that building, but the moment he saw that strange thing, he was reminded of the terrifying sights he had witnessed those nights. Although he was thick-skinned, he couldn't withstand such constant torment; sooner or later, he would develop a nervous breakdown.

On the way back, Lin Banxia sent a message to Liu Xi, asking where he was.

Liu Xi replied quickly, saying he was at home with his girlfriend.

Lin Banxia continued: Oh, I just happened to be having dinner near the office and saw a figure that looked like you from behind. I thought you were here too.

After a while, Liu Xi finally replied: Hahaha, I'm at home.

Within those three "hahaha"s, one could always sense a hint of perfunctoriness. Lin Banxia pondered this as he followed Ji Leshui into the residential complex.

Walking behind Lin Banxia, Ji Leshui whispered, "Banxia, do you think ghosts exist in this world?"

Lin Banxia said, "Maybe? Maybe not?"

Ji Leshui said, "Didn't the big shot next door say there are no ghosts? By the way, what does the big shot do, anyway? Don't tell me he's actually a spirit medium..."

Muttering to himself, Ji Leshui followed behind Lin Banxia. As they walked, Lin Banxia in front of him suddenly stopped. Caught off guard, Ji Leshui bumped his head into Lin Banxia's shoulder and hissed, "Banxia, what are you doing?"

Lin Banxia didn't speak.

Ji Leshui said, "Banxia?" He noticed Lin Banxia had his head tilted as if he were looking at something, so he followed Lin Banxia's gaze. It would have been better if he hadn't looked, but one glance made goosebumps pop up all over his body. He saw that the window—the very window from which a woman had jumped in front of him a few days ago—was, unexpectedly, lit up again.

"What the fuck!!" Ji Leshui was so scared he took a step back.

Lin Banxia said, "Is this the same window you saw?" When he had returned that day, he had only found a terrified-out-of-his-wits Ji Leshui and wasn't sure of the window's exact location.

Ji Leshui nodded like a woodpecker. "Yes, yes!!" He suddenly realized. "'Too'? Why did you say 'too'??"

Lin Banxia said in a low voice, "Because I saw it too."

Ji Leshui's eyes widened.

The window still emitted a faint light, like a candle flame in the darkness, attracting moths to their doom. Ji Leshui recalled what had happened that day and didn't dare to take another step forward, while Lin Banxia, as if deep in thought, also stopped on the path.

Silence spread between the two. Ji Leshui felt something cold on his forehead and reached up to wipe it, only to realize it was a raindrop. It had been sunny in the afternoon, so why was it raining now?

Just as Ji Leshui was in a daze, a tall, thin black shadow appeared in front of the window. From the outside, the shadow looked like a woman with long hair and a long dress, the very same shadow the two of them had seen a few days ago.

The shadow swayed, as if walking unsteadily, and finally stopped in front of the window. Then it slowly grew taller, as if the owner of the shadow had stood on a stool.

Lin Banxia was still wondering what she was going to do, until the owner of the shadow used a rope in her hands to form a circular loop above her head. Only then did Lin Banxia understand.

The black shadow began to sway, perhaps because the light source in the room was unstable, but this did not affect her movements. She stood on her tiptoes and hung her neck on the rope—

The next moment, under the illumination of the light, the tall, thin shadow began to struggle and thrash about continuously, until its movements finally ceased.

Ji Leshui was so stunned by this scene that he was trembling violently. He cried out, "Run, Banxia—" As he shouted, he tried to pull Lin Banxia and run, but his movements were too big. The moment he grabbed Lin Banxia, he tripped over his own feet, pulling Lin Banxia down to the ground with him.

Lin Banxia didn't have time to react and fell in a heap with Ji Leshui.

"Ah!!" Ji Leshui let out a blood-curdling scream. Lin Banxia quickly said, "Leshui, are you okay?"

"Don't, don't worry about me, that window, the window's open!!!" Ji Leshui's voice trembled like a leaf in the wind. "She's going to jump again! Banxia, don't worry about me, just run!!"

Lin Banxia looked toward the window and sure enough, he saw that the previously closed window was now open. The light inside flickered, and a moment later, a snow-white face slowly peeked out.

Ji Leshui closed his eyes in despair. "Ahhhhhhh, here it comes, here it comes!!!"

Lin Banxia: "?!"

Ji Leshui: "Ahhhhhhh, it's jumping, it's jumping!!"

Lin Banxia: "..."

"Stop screaming." The owner of the snow-white face, probably also a bit annoyed by the screaming, casually threw down a ball of paper. It didn't hit Ji Leshui, but instead landed on Lin Banxia's head.

Lin Banxia felt a bit wronged by being hit and slapped Ji Leshui on the back. "Open your eyes, what are you howling about."

Ji Leshui was still screaming. Lin Banxia casually stuffed the paper ball into his mouth, finally silencing the extremely mentally polluting noise.

Seeing this, the person above gave Lin Banxia a thumbs-up.

Ji Leshui opened his eyes with tears in them, only to see Lin Banxia's exasperated expression. He seemed to recall that the voice from above was a bit familiar. He looked up blankly and, in that window, saw Song Qingluo's face.

Ji Leshui: "???? Big shot, instead of sleeping, you're out here fighting ghosts at night?"

Lin Banxia: "Are you done screaming?"

Ji Leshui nodded tearfully.

Lin Banxia: "If you're done, then get up and let's go. Your butt will get cold if you sit for too long."

Ji Leshui slowly stood up, took one step forward, and howled again.

Lin Banxia got angry. "Still screaming?"

Ji Leshui cried like a two-hundred-pound child. "Bro, I twisted my ankle—"

Lin Banxia: "..." "You really are good for nothing, but number one in screaming."

The author has something to say:

Lin Banxia: Ji Leshui, male, twenty-five, specializes in screaming, known as the Screaming Chicken.

Ji Leshui: Lin Banxia, male, twenty-five, specializes in being single, known as the single dog.

Song Qingluo: Can you two be any more hopeless?