Chapter 7 Coincidence

Do I look like I'm joking? I let out a bitter laugh

Ah, that wooden fish is broken. Nie Huayu poured a glass of water and walked over, handing me the warm water: "This wooden fish has been here since before I moved in, perhaps my uncle hasn't noticed that it is broken."

"What’s the big deal! Just say you are my distant cousin, and that’s it! Besides, no one would think anything of it; what era are we living in?" Nie Huayu said casually, "I have an extra room here; why don’t you just move in? Consider it as me renting it to you, how about that?"

On either side of Nie Huayu's door are two portraits.

Using a fierce beast to subdue another fierce beast, it is unclear whether her uncle has a unique perspective or ulterior motives

You are too shy and too reserved; how will you ever find a girlfriend like this in the future? She was joking with me

Nie Huayu finally opened the door, pulled me inside, hurriedly closed the door, locked it, and the fearful expression on her face did not fade: "Um, Bai Ling, could you help me check if there is anything strange at my home..."

Nie Huayu's home is not large, but it is kept very clean and tidy. Indeed, the homes of girls and boys are quite different, as everything is spotless. In a wall cabinet, I saw a small wooden fish that a monk would use to strike. Out of curiosity, I picked it up to take a look, only to find a hole at the bottom of the small wooden fish

I glanced at the wooden fish again, and without thinking much more, I followed her to the sofa and sat down. She sat down next to me, her big eyes rolling around: "Bai Ling, are there any... unclean things in my house?"

I am in a difficult position: "Xiaoyu, it's not that I am unwilling to stay, but if I do stay, it would not be good for you to be seen by your neighbors."

Nie Huayu has relaxed considerably compared to before, leaning against the sofa while holding a plush teddy bear: "My parents... My father died in an accident on the way to the hospital when my mother was giving birth to me. Because of my father's death, my mother entrusted me to relatives and disappeared for several years. When my mother reappeared in front of me, I was already ten years old. She took me away, saying she wanted to fulfill her duties as a mother, but in that vast house, it was just me. Later, my mother brought back a man and asked me to call him 'Dad,' and then I had a younger brother." Nie Huayu gently recounted his experiences: "It was around the time I was fifteen when our family went on a trip. A collapse occurred on the mountain path, and everyone except me died, leaving me only with my mother's inheritance."

No. I shook my head: "Don't scare yourself; your home is very clean, there is nothing there"

Nie Huayu was trembling as she tried to insert the key into the lock, failing several times. I stood behind her and asked, "Who gave you these two paintings at home..."

She started to feel nervous again, and I quickly said, "No, I was just curious and asked casually"

These four great ferocious beasts are indeed a scourge that everyone seeks to eliminate, so why does the Nie Huayu family use a ferocious beast as their guardian beast at the entrance

The children in our mountains do not lie. It is also for this reason that I have no friends. When I was young in the mountains, the other children called me a monster, and the elders always restricted my activities in terms of time and range. Over time, I stopped speaking up, but when I do speak, it is the truth. I turned my gaze to other parts of the room and spoke casually.

"Oh, Bai Ling, please stay over tonight, just stay at my house," Nie Huayu began to persuade me. "If you stay tonight, who knows what strange things might happen in the neighborhood? You can't leave me home alone, I can't handle it!"

I trust you. Perhaps these four words are insignificant to others, but for me, they are invaluable

I don't know," Nie Huayu replied to me, "This house was left to me by a distant uncle. These two paintings have been here for a long time. I used to ask my uncle about them, wondering why such eerie paintings were still hanging up; they are quite terrifying. My uncle said that the more eerie the painting, the better it can scare away demons and monsters. I thought that made some sense, so I didn't ask further. What's wrong? Is there something strange about these two paintings?"

Bai Ling, I, I, I, we... Nie Huayu noticed something was off in my eyes, and her speech began to tremble as well: "How about we, we, we... let's go back to my house first and talk about it there!"

Nie Huayu was taken aback: "Why are you being so serious? It's making me feel quite nervous."

My uncle said that he wants to take this house back in the future, and basically, I shouldn't move the things inside the house. After all, they are just sitting there and don't bother me at all, so I didn't throw them away. Nie Huayu pouted and said, "My uncle is really quite particular about these things."

Who just said that this community is strangely clean? I really want to give myself two big slaps on the face

On the left is a creature resembling a cow, but covered in hedgehog quills and possessing wings, its appearance is terrifying; on the right is a body of a sheep, with eyes located in its armpits, teeth as sharp as a tiger's, yet its claws resemble those of a human, lingering in the painting, its visage is horrifying

"I see, why do you still keep it even though it's broken?" I placed the wooden fish back in its original position, and as I was putting it down, I noticed there was also a hole on the table. When I set the wooden fish down, it perfectly aligned with the hole on the wooden fish. Is it a coincidence? ... It should be ... right

I nodded and walked into her living room

I thought the same way, nodding my head. Nie Huayu led me into the apartment building, and we kept running without stopping until we reached the fourth floor. Only then did she, while gasping for breath, shiver as she searched for the keys in her bag

Ah! Nie Huayu screamed, throwing the candy to the ground, her face turning pale: "Bai Ling, you are not joking with me, are you?"

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up something that makes you sad." Nie Huayu tugged at my sleeve, and I looked back at her. She flashed me a smile and said, "I believe in you, Bai Ling."

I furrowed my brow; is this not the creature recorded in the "Shan Hai Jing," known as Qiongqi and Taotie, two of the Four Great Beasts? Qiongqi is capable of devouring humans, symbolizing brutality. Taotie is gluttonous and cunning, symbolizing greed.

I smiled and said nothing, having probably assessed her home thoroughly. It was indeed clean, with nothing particularly strange about it. I asked her, "Where are your parents? How come you live here alone?"

I chuckled, gazing into her eyes, and then said: "I never lie"

"You are not comforting me, are you?" Her small face was scrunched up.

I did not respond to her; I am merely an outsider and do not have the qualifications to comment on matters concerning her family

I returned her smile and said, "Thank you"

I have never encountered a place where so many ghosts gather together! Even at night, I have never seen so many ghosts at once, let alone now during the broad daylight, under the blazing sun! They are so openly wandering here, visible to the eyes of ordinary people