The Woman Hunting Lake

Water splashed violently against the wooden sides of the boat as Gu Liang yanked the unconscious Gu Chen up from the lake, his soaked body limp in his arms.

"Faster! Faster!" Gu Liang shouted, urgency rising in his voice.

Responding to the command, Gu Bo and Gu Ho dug their oars into the water, rowing with every ounce of strength they had. The boat jolted forward, skimming the surface of the lake.

Gu Liang turned and looked back at the dark water.

And then he saw her.

A woman in a white dress, submerged just beneath the surface. Her long black hair floated like seaweed, and her pale arms stretched upward, reaching for them. Her body moved unnaturally, like she was walking through the lake itself.

Within moments, her head broke through the water.

Her lifeless, haunting eyes locked onto them.

"Damn it!" Gu Liang cursed, grabbing a long wooden pole from the boat and swinging it at her.

The pole smacked against her—but it passed right through, as if she were smoke in water.

"She's not real!" he hissed. "Bo, Ho! Keep your eyes on Chen!"

Then, without waiting, Gu Liang dropped the stick, grabbed the remaining oar, and began rowing himself—his arms straining, sweat pouring down his face. Every muscle in his body screamed as he fought the water and the fear crawling up his spine.

The ghostly woman remained in the lake, but her presence lingered in their minds like a shadow that clung even to sunlight.

It felt like an eternity, but finally, the boat hit the edge of the shore with a hard thud.

Gu Liang collapsed forward, his arms numb. His breath came in ragged gasps. Sweat rolled from his brow, one drop falling into his eye and burning sharply. He blinked through the pain and forced himself to keep going.

Grunting, he lifted Gu Chen in his arms and staggered off the boat. His legs gave out for a moment, dropping him to his knees, but he pushed back up, ignoring the burning in his thighs.

"Come on… not now," he muttered, teeth clenched.

Behind him, Gu Bo and Gu Ho jumped off the boat, panting and running to catch up.

By the time they reached the house, Gu Liang didn't even knock—he slammed the door open and hurried inside, placing Gu Chen gently on the wooden floor.

A woman rushed from the hallway at the noise.

"Hey—what happened?" she asked, eyes wide.

It was Mu Ring. She froze in place when she saw the boy lying motionless. "Chen?!"

She dropped to her knees, cradling Gu Chen, panic rising in her voice. "Chen! What happened to him?"

Gu Bo and Gu Ho bent over, hands on their knees, gasping for air. They tried to speak but could only wheeze.

After a few deep breaths, they finally managed to choke out the words: "There was a ghost… in the lake… she pulled Chen down… white dress… long black hair—"

"Shut up!" Gu Liang snapped, silencing them instantly. His face was pale, but his eyes were hard. "Don't speak nonsense. Not now."

He glanced around the room, then hurried to a shelf where he kept a small pouch of coins. He pulled out a few and tossed them to the boys.

"Bo, go call Doctor Ling. Ho, go get Miss Yue. Now!"

Despite their usual laziness, neither Bo nor Ho hesitated this time. They caught the coins and dashed out the door without a word.

Mu Ring was still holding Gu Chen, her hands trembling. "What happened out there? Is Chen okay?" she asked.

Gu Liang knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He's alive. That's what matters. Don't worry. He'll be fine."

He handed her the remaining coins. "Give one coin to Doctor Ling. Two to Miss Yue when they arrive."

Mu Ring nodded quietly, clutching the coins with one hand while her other continued to hold Gu Chen protectively.

Gu Liang stood up, his voice low. "I'm going out to find Suzhong."

Mu Ring's eyes widened in fear, her lips parting slightly as her hands gripped Gu Chen tighter.

That name, Suzhong was rarely spoken. And when it was, it meant something serious had happened. Something beyond a normal explanation.

Gu Liang opened the door and stepped out into the night.

As the door closed behind him, Mu Ring shivered. She understood now. What Gu Bo and Gu Ho had said wasn't just superstition or fear.

It was real.

She looked down at the boy in her arms, brushing his wet hair back from his forehead. "Please… please be okay," she whispered. Then she noticed he was in wet clothes, she called Gu Xueyue to change his clothes and dry him with towel.