shoes

Chen Xiaomeng's eyes widened in shock. "Humans?" she asked.

"That's right," Warm Sister said, clutching her collar tightly as lingering fear gripped her. "Sometimes they can be more terrifying than ghosts."

The fireplace blazed, illuminating half the living room. Brooding in front of it, Fan Li occasionally tossed in more logs, his face gloomy. He clearly understood why Warm Sister had insisted he come out - the ghost in this villa had been killed by two men, so its targets for revenge were also men, as evidenced by the gruesome deaths of the middle-aged man and Xie Yu. 

Thinking of this, Fan Li grabbed two more thick logs with his large hands and threw them into the fireplace, stoking the flames higher as if trying to dispel the chill in his heart. With the situation now clear and the task nearing its end, the ghost would only grow more frenzied. Something was sure to happen tonight - it was just a question of who would die.

It was precisely because he had realized this that he refused Fatty's suggestion for everyone to sleep together. Alone, his odds of encountering the ghost were one in three. Together, it would be 100%. And the consequences of being targeted by the ghost...a flash of fear surged through his eyes. The ghost rarely killed multiple people at once, but it wasn't unheard of. Besides, he had his own plans. He was confident that by staying here, he could survive until dawn. His gaze gradually shifted to the fireplace. Evidence suggested the ghost had likely been drowned while alive, and before him...roared a blazing fire.

In the study, Fatty squatted in the darkness, not daring to breathe. Unable to bear it, he stretched his neck towards where Jiang Cheng sat and asked in the lightest of whispers, "Do you think the ghost will know we're hiding here?"

"I don't know," Jiang Cheng replied.

Fatty relaxed slightly. "Well, that's good then."

"I said I don't know," Jiang Cheng repeated in a singsong tone. 

Having spent time with Jiang Cheng, Fatty's mental resilience had improved. This time he only shuddered for less than 5 seconds before he could converse normally again.

"Seriously bro," Fatty stared at Jiang Cheng, swallowing. "I don't think you're an ordinary person. When that ghost appeared yesterday, I was scared stiff, but you actually remembered what shoes she was wearing."

"You're definitely not a model. You're a cop, right?" Fatty grew more excited as he felt his guess was plausible.

To his surprise, Jiang Cheng glanced at him. "You think me being a cop means you'll survive, or that showing a police badge will stop the ghost from killing us?"

Fatty's newly kindled hope was extinguished. With a hint of despair, he asked, "So you're saying we're doomed?"

Just as Jiang Cheng was about to speak, Fatty waved his hand to interrupt, his face bitter. "Let me guess, you're going to say only I will die, not both of us, right?"

Jiang Cheng shut his mouth in chagrin. After a while, he spoke again. "But Fatty, you don't need to be so pessimistic. There might still be a turning point."

As Fatty lifted his head, about to say more, Jiang Cheng suddenly gestured for him to be quiet. Fatty immediately closed his mouth. 

1 minute...2 minutes...5 minutes... About 10 minutes passed without Fatty hearing anything or seeing anything appear in the room. He was on high alert, ears pricked. 

Jiang Cheng stood up from the chair, his eyes quickly glancing towards the desk as Fatty heard him mutter something about no movement. 

"Bro," Fatty's voice changed in fright, "you're not waiting for the ghost here, are you?"

"Don't talk," Jiang Cheng frowned as he walked to the door. "Stay here, I'm going out to check."

Fatty scurried after him with a patter of footsteps. "No, let's go together."

Jiang Cheng and Fatty arrived in the corridor, the overhead light still emitting a half-dead glow. Without hesitation, Jiang Cheng went straight to the main bedroom door and gently knocked. 

After a few seconds, a wary female voice responded, "Who is it?"

"It's me," Jiang Cheng answered, "Hao Shuai."

"What are you here for?" 

Jiang Cheng said seriously, "I think something has happened to Fan Li."

Hearing this, the door opened slightly, just a crack, with only half of Warm Sister's eye visible as she spoke. "How do you know?" 

Jiang Cheng glanced quickly at the end of the corridor by the stairs, then turned back and said rapidly, "Let's talk inside, it's not safe out here."

Warm Sister observed Jiang Cheng and Fatty for a few moments through the door crack before finally nodding. "Okay." The door opened. Warm Sister stood behind it. They didn't dare turn on the lights, leaving the room pitch black.

Upon hearing Jiang Cheng say that something had happened to Fan Li, Fatty suddenly grew nervous. He wasn't sure how Jiang Cheng had reached that conclusion but strangely chose to believe him. Jiang Cheng entered first, with Fatty following close behind. 

But just as he was about to step through the door, Jiang Cheng's body abruptly paused. He stopped at the entrance, causing Fatty, who was right on his heels, to bump into him. Before Fatty could ask what was wrong, Jiang Cheng quickly retreated back into the corridor, simultaneously grabbing Fatty's shoulder and pulling him back as well.

Warm Sister had already made way for them to enter. "Come in quickly, what are you dawdling for!" she urged, glancing anxiously towards the other end of the corridor from time to time as if something might appear there soon.

"I forgot something very important in my room," Jiang Cheng suddenly said. "Wait for me to go back and get it." Without waiting for Warm Sister's response, he turned with one hand on Fatty's shoulder and the two of them strode quickly towards the other end of the corridor. 

Fatty didn't expect Jiang Cheng, who looked thin, to be so strong. He was practically being led by Jiang Cheng. His mind was a complete blank, but at this moment, he wisely refrained from voicing any opinions. 

They reached the corner by the stairs and Jiang Cheng swiftly pulled him around it. "What did you notice?" Fatty asked, panting. He saw a few beads of cold sweat running down Jiang Cheng's face.

Jiang Cheng signaled for him to stay quiet, then leaned close to the corridor wall as if listening for something. A few minutes later, his complexion returned to normal. "That Warm Sister is off," he said in a low voice. 

Fatty's face wobbled. "What's off about her?"

"She's wearing slippers."

"Slippers?"

"Yes," Jiang Cheng nodded. "I noticed by chance as I entered."

He continued, "We all know how dangerous this villa is. We could face the ghost's attack at any moment. How could she take off her shoes and change into a pair of slippers that hinder movement?"