Chapter 8: Midnight Horror

That weekend, it was already past ten when she suddenly sent me a WeChat message asking for a favor.

I asked her what she needed, and Xu Nuo said she was going home that night but had forgotten her keys in the dorm. She asked if I could bring them to her. I told her that school regulations didn't allow me to enter the female dormitory, but she said it was fine—her roommate would bring the keys down.

It was just past ten, and since we had been chatting for a while, I hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. Xu Nuo told me she was at a barbecue restaurant near Building Four and asked me to meet her there. I said okay.

About five minutes later, her roommate brought the keys down. I took a cab and arrived at the barbecue restaurant, where I spotted a few girls sitting in the farthest corner. One of them looked like Xu Nuo. I walked over, and sure enough, it was her. She was laughing loudly, grinning from ear to ear, and waving at me as I entered.

I handed her the keys, and her friends immediately started teasing, "Xu Nuo, is this your boyfriend?"

Xu Nuo turned to me with a playful smirk and asked, "Are you my boyfriend?"

She was clearly drunk, and I didn't feel like entertaining her nonsense, so I just replied, "I'm your dad."

Xu Nuo got up and started playfully hitting me while her friends burst into laughter. Then, they insisted that I sit down and have a drink with them.

I was in a hurry to leave, but those girls were way too enthusiastic, refusing to let me go. I had no choice but to sit down and chat with them for a while.

Xu Nuo drank at least seven or eight bottles of beer, while I had two or three. By the time the gathering was winding down, she was already slumped over the table, completely unconscious. After settling the bill, her friends tried waking her up, but she didn't respond. Then, they all turned to look at me.

I immediately understood what they meant. I told them to head home first, but the problem was—I didn't know where she lived. Left with no other choice, I carried her to a nearby hotel, booked a room with my ID, tossed her onto the bed, and left.

After everything was taken care of, I checked the time—half an hour to midnight. I thought I could still make it back in time.

But as soon as I stepped out, I realized how naive I had been.

I tried hailing several cabs, but as soon as they heard I was going to the medical school, none of them were willing to take me.

After much pleading, one driver finally agreed but only drove me to the entrance of Hubin Road. He refused to go any further, no matter how much extra money I offered.

Honestly, I understood why. The medical school was in a remote area. Not only did people frequently drown in the reservoir nearby, but there were also reports of taxi drivers being lured there and robbed. It made sense that they didn't want to take the risk. I had no other choice but to accept the ride.

At 11:50 PM, I arrived at the Hubin Road entrance. As soon as I got out of the car, I sprinted towards the medical school, breaking into a sweat. But as I ran, something started to feel off.

The way back to school was quite far—I had to pass through a small forest. Before the forest was the reservoir gate, and after passing through another small forest, I would reach the school.

Recalling what Principal Wang had said about locking the gates at midnight, I ran like my life depended on it. But just as I passed the reservoir gate and emerged from the second forest, I was stunned—because right in front of me was still the reservoir!

I was dumbfounded, shaking my head in disbelief. Had I drunk too much? Had I somehow wandered onto the wrong path?

It seemed possible. I usually took a taxi to school and had never walked this route before, let alone at night.

I checked my watch—five minutes to midnight. No time to think. I kept running.

But when I came out of the forest again and saw the words "Reservoir No. 5" in front of me, a chill ran down my spine.

I forced myself to stay calm, scanning both sides of the road to confirm I wasn't lost. But no matter how many times I ran, after passing through the forest, I would always find myself standing in front of the same reservoir sign under the eerie moonlight.

Suddenly, I understood why Principal Wang had warned that no one should be outside after midnight, no matter what.

I was trapped in a "ghost wall"—something I had only heard about in ghost stories but was now experiencing firsthand.

There were no streetlights. The trees on both sides cast eerie shadows in the moonlight. I could hear a rustling sound behind me.

I reached into my jacket pocket, but the old man's packet was gone.

I checked my watch. The minute hand pointed straight up. A wave of despair washed over me.

Standing there, I had the creeping sensation that something behind me was slowly drawing closer. My heart pounded wildly, and my whole body trembled.

I started screaming, running as fast as I could, not daring to look back or stop. I was terrified of what might happen if I did.

At that moment, I cursed Xu Nuo in my heart. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have encountered such a terrifying situation.

Just as I passed the reservoir again, I suddenly heard a woman's voice behind me:

"Why are you running?"

Holy shit.

The moment I heard that voice, my bladder almost gave out.

It was the exact same voice as Yingying's—the one I had met later. That pure yet seductive tone, carrying a hint of temptation.

But right now, that voice sounded like death itself.

I wanted to shout, to ask if she was really Yingying, to ask why she was trying to harm me.

But I suddenly realized—I had lost my voice.

It felt like an invisible hand was strangling my throat. I couldn't make a sound. Even breathing felt impossible.

Then, I heard the voice behind me again:

"Aren't you tired? Stay with me, okay?"

At that moment, terror filled every inch of my being. All I could think about was escaping.

But strangely, as soon as she said those words, I suddenly didn't want to run anymore.

Like a movie playing in my head, I started reminiscing about my life—

The confusion I felt after losing my job,

The despair of being rejected when looking for work,

The classmates at reunions who seemed so successful,

And then looking at myself now, living like neither a human nor a ghost—working nights, sleeping days.

On some nights, I lay in bed, unable to sleep no matter how hard I tried.

I started wondering—what's the point of being alive?

Was I here to enjoy life, or was I just here to suffer?

I looked at the reservoir.

Suddenly, it felt like that was where I truly belonged.

I felt an overwhelming sense of despair, as if life had completely lost its meaning.

I slowly walked toward the lake, a voice in my head whispering—

Just close your eyes and dive in.

Once you do, you'll be free.

Step by step, I waded into the water. Soon, it reached my waist.

At that moment, I realized something—

When a person is about to die, under the rush of adrenaline, they don't feel fear.

Instead, there's a strange sense of exhilaration.

But just then, I suddenly heard a voice behind me—

"Haven't I told you not to wander around at night?"