Chapter 10 (The Knocking Sound)

His big face startled me so much that I almost dropped my phone on the ground.

I quickly shook my head and said it was nothing, just that my phone wouldn't turn on for some reason. But the old man clearly didn't believe me—he stared at me for a long time without saying anything, his sharp gaze making cold sweat run down my back, and my legs were trembling uncontrollably.

Thinking about the way he smiled earlier, I started to feel that something was off. Something about this old man seemed suspicious. I was even debating whether I should run, but just then, he suddenly spoke, asking, "Do you have a restroom here?"

I let out a sigh of relief and quickly nodded. The old man said, "Then go use the restroom now. Come back in ten minutes."

I was confused and asked why. He replied that he needed to perform a ritual, and no one could be nearby while he did it. He even asked if I wanted to see something I wasn't supposed to.

Even though I was reluctant, I couldn't find a reason to argue with him. So, I slowly walked toward the restroom, but I had a really bad feeling about this. As I was finishing up, a realization suddenly hit me.

Something wasn't right—the old man was lying.

I didn't believe that he had sent me away just to perform some kind of ritual. After all, performing a ritual usually required certain tools like charms or incense, but the old man had come empty-handed.

Besides, he had been very focused on asking if there was anything in my room that had been consecrated. He had also insisted that I get rid of the pendant before entering the room. Even I, an ordinary person, didn't think the pendant was a big deal—so why would a supposedly skilled person react that way?

It hit me then—his reaction wasn't about avoiding bad luck. He was afraid of it!

Thinking deeper, maybe the reason I hadn't encountered anything supernatural at school lately was because I had found that pendant. What if it was actually protecting me?

Realizing this, I quickly pulled up my pants, planning to retrieve the pendant and keep it on me. The old man had been acting way too suspiciously tonight, and I was feeling increasingly uneasy.

But before I could step out, the restroom light suddenly went out. Then, I heard a knocking sound at the door.

At that moment, every hair on my body stood on end. I had been working here for months, and no one had ever knocked on the door while I was using the restroom—especially since this area was off-limits to students.

I pressed my ear to the door and cautiously asked, "Grandpa, is that you?"

No response. The knocking continued, rhythmic and deliberate. Three knocks—thud, thud, thud—a five-second pause, then three more knocks…

The knocking repeated three times in total. My entire body went numb. I could faintly hear footsteps outside, but I still didn't dare to open the door. I pulled out my phone, wanting to call Principal Wang, but there was no signal inside the restroom!

Clutching my phone, I crouched on the toilet, shivering all over. The fear inside me kept growing, and the enclosed, pitch-black space only made it worse.

After a few minutes, I couldn't take it anymore. I figured that even if something supernatural got me outside, it would be better than being scared to death inside a restroom. Gritting my teeth, I clutched the item in my pocket tightly and decided to take my chances.

But the moment I opened the door, I was utterly stunned.

The hallway outside was completely dark, and I could vaguely make out the silhouette of a female ghost.

I screamed, "Mom!" and turned to run.

Then I heard the figure ask, "Why are you hiding in there?"

I took a closer look—it was Yingying. My heart sank instantly.

Cautiously, I took a few steps back and stammered, "I don't know what I did to offend you, but if you're going to kill me, just do it quickly. Don't torture me, okay?"

Even as I spoke, I secretly reached into my pocket, planning to throw something at her. But I was so terrified that when I pulled it out, a bunch of the rice spilled all over the floor.

She glanced down at the mess, then looked up at me expressionlessly and asked, "Were you planning to throw that at me?"

I was completely frozen, unable to respond. Cold sweat trickled down my back as I stared at her, not daring to move.

At that moment, all I could think about was where the old man had gone. If he was really a human, he could help me. And if he was something else, maybe he could at least fight Yingying, giving me a chance to escape.

I wanted to call for the old man, but the second I opened my mouth, Yingying pressed a cold finger to my lips.

She locked eyes with me and shook her head. "Don't make a sound," she whispered.

Her fingertip was icy cold, the chill seeping into my very bones. My adrenaline surged, making me shiver even more.

Then she reached out her hand toward me. I was too afraid to move, so I just kept staring at her as her hand got closer and closer. Eventually, I shut my eyes, bracing myself.

I thought, Fine, if I have to die, then so be it. If I become a ghost, I'll make sure to haunt people too—no more being bullied by ghosts as a human!

But instead of hurting me, she suddenly grabbed my hand and pressed it against something soft.

I opened my eyes in shock and realized that she had placed my hand on her chest.

Then I heard her ask, "Can you feel my heartbeat?"

I was stunned. I looked up at her. Her body was freezing cold, but I could indeed feel her slow, steady heartbeat. She met my gaze, and the sadness in her eyes at that moment was something I would never forget.

For some reason, my fear began to fade.

I asked her, "Are you human or a ghost?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she glanced at the hand I had been holding onto the protective items, then looked back at me and said, "Go ahead and throw it."

Then she closed her eyes and lowered her head, as if waiting for me to strike.

Seeing her like that gave me a strange sense of déjà vu—like I had seen this moment somewhere before. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember.

I hesitated for a moment. I genuinely didn't want to hurt her. But fear and curiosity won out in the end.

I yelled, "Screw you! Stop trying to trick me!" and threw the stuff at her.

I didn't know what effect the old man's items had on ghosts, but they definitely hurt when thrown at people. Yingying flinched slightly, and when she opened her eyes again, tears began streaming down her face.

I tried to wipe her tears away, but they wouldn't stop. The more I wiped, the more she cried.

She started hitting my chest with her small fists, sobbing as she did.

It wasn't that late yet, so some girls from the dormitory came out to see what was happening, making me feel incredibly awkward.

At that moment, I figured—since I had thrown the items at her and she was still fine, plus she had a heartbeat and other people could see her—she must be human. I was just scaring myself.

I told Yingying, "Come back to the security room with me if you want to cry. If you wake everyone up, they might get the wrong idea about us."

She didn't respond, so I just grabbed her hand and led her back.

But when we got there, I realized something terrifying—the old man was gone.

I was sure I had locked the door, and the key was still in my pocket.

How had he left?

And more importantly, the door had never been opened—so how had Yingying gotten in? And how did she know I was in the restroom?