Chapter 1

The elderly men and women selling vegetables walked out of the community and boarded the old bus at the bus stop by the gate

Previously, his allowance was 100 yuan per month, and his meals and other necessities were arranged by the school.

I had a nightmare last night. It's nothing, I will be fine in a moment

Unconsciously touching his foot, Lin Sheng stood up and walked to the desk, swiftly pulling open the curtains

This is his bedroom. Upon waking up, he saw a woman sitting in front of his desk

My sister is currently studying at university in another city. She will be leaving in a few days and is just temporarily back home for a few days.

After a bumpy ride of more than ten minutes, I finally squeezed my way through a large crowd of office workers, jumped off the bus, and rushed into the school just in time for the class bell to ring as I entered the classroom

"Breakfast is ready, get up and have some hot milk, it will make you feel better," my sister comforted me before turning to leave

Sister lowered her hand and raised her eyes to look at Lin Sheng

On the long rectangular wooden table in the living room, there are two one-hundred-yuan banknotes

Lin Sheng lay on the bed, his head wrapped in the quilt, glancing sideways at the woman in front of the desk

Sister Lin Xiao has never liked to dress up, always wearing a white T-shirt paired with jeans, which are not of the tight-fitting type, but simply ordinary loose-fitting long pants

Lin Sheng turned around and exited the restroom, walking into the living room

Lin Sheng touched his forehead with both hands, his head covered in sweat. He took a deep breath

And now these two hundred yuan need to last for two months... This means twenty-five yuan per week, which averages out to just over three yuan a day

Knock knock knock

"Is my complexion very poor?" Lin Sheng was taken aback.

Lin Sheng stood alone in front of the mirror, gazing at his own face. For some reason, he suddenly felt that the nightmare from last night would not simply pass.

The voice was so close, as if the person speaking was staring at him while whispering against the books pressed tightly against his back

The sound of my sister busily washing things in the kitchen resonates, clinking and clanging, crisp and pleasant.

In the evening, the moonlight is like silk, and a woman rests her hands on the table, motionless

Lin Sheng tidied up his backpack, changed into a pair of ordinary blue and white sports shoes, and then hurriedly left the house

Chen Chen, I am in university and have a part-time job, so I have enough money. If you are in difficulty, you can call me

So, most of the time, I am still the only one at home

A pale, bloodless face with gray lips, looking haggard.

Lin Sheng furrowed his brow, making an effort to blink his eyes, trying to discern who the woman sitting there was

Where could a woman in white come from at home? My mother never wears white, and my sister is studying at university out of town, always wearing her school uniform.

The sound of crisp footsteps echoed again at the door, and the footsteps stopped at the foot of the bed, as if the person had come to a standstill.

The bread in the plate quickly reached the bottom, and the milk cup was also emptied rapidly

"Hmm." Lin Sheng nodded, unsure of what to say.

He seemed to be able to envision two individuals conversing, both staring at him with strange and cold eyes while chatting about things that were inaudible to him

Lin Xiao has started to ramble again

"It's fine as long as nothing is wrong. You've been so jumpy lately, is there something going on at school?" asked my sister again

Alright... don't be so gloomy all the time. Make sure to go out and socialize with people when you have the chance. Being like this won't attract any girls.

Lin Sheng walked into the kitchen, picked up a cup of hot milk from the counter, and drank it all in one go

The sound of a door closing soon came from behind.

Tap, tap, tap

The blazing sunlight instantly illuminated the entire bedroom, making even the dust in the air visible

Chenchen is the nickname of Lin Sheng at home, and only those closest to him would call him that

The surroundings are silent and still

Whenever she thinks of her friend's older brother, who, due to his introverted personality, has not found a wife even at the age of forty, she feels a sense of urgency in her heart

Lin Sheng got out of bed just as someone was knocking at the door outside

A woman dressed in white, with short hair, is sitting at the writing desk with her back to him

Lin Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Do you want any local specialties? There was a trade fair at the school before, and I went to take a look. It was quite good, featuring the specialties from Kongxi. If you like, I can send you a porcelain doll. It is said that the porcelain dolls from that area are finely crafted, and many of my classmates like them..."

Lin Sheng nodded

Moreover, what terrified him even more was that his body could not move!

Lin Sheng quickly turned and left the kitchen, walking into the bathroom

Sister, rest assured, everything is fine on my end

It's nothing, just had a nightmare

Like her friends in other dormitories, she is also a person who values family greatly, and her younger brother, who has always had a gloomy personality, has become her greatest source of concern

His body felt as if it were cramping all over, uncontrollably tense and trembling. Large beads of cold sweat seeped through his shirt, and he felt his jaw clenching involuntarily in a violent tremor

Today, both my parents are not at home, and I am responsible for cooking. However, I will be leaving tomorrow, so you should manage your life well and not always make others worry.

Lin Sheng touched his lips, which felt only dry, hard, and flaky

"Heavy." Lin Xiao suddenly reached out and placed a hand on Lin Sheng's left shoulder

"You can go to the restroom and see for yourself," Lin Xiao said helplessly, releasing his shoulder

Sister turned around, took off her apron, and sat on the high stool by the cabinet. She also picked up a glass of milk and took a sip, muttering to herself.

There is nothing desired

Lin Sheng wanted to speak, but he was horrified to find that he could not produce even a whisper.

Enough

Where did this woman come from

"Did you not rest well last night? Why not go back to sleep for a while?" Lin Xiao's concerned voice came from the bathroom door.

He heard footsteps approaching the head of the bed

Alright, I am heading out first, I have some matters to attend to. When you come back from school later, heat up some food for yourself at noon, don't worry about me. Mom and Dad have also gone to Grandpa's today, so you will be home alone. Remember to take the keys when you go out

In an instant, all sounds vanished. Lin Sheng came to his senses and saw the woman in white at the table slowly standing up silently, motionless with her back turned to him

He squinted his eyes, and at nearly five hundred degrees of vision, he could only see that it was a woman in white, seemingly very young

He is just an ordinary high school student, having spent three years at Huian High School, and is about to face the college entrance examination.

He did not want to worry his family, even though the nightmare was quite real. However, his tone still seemed to downplay the situation

Is the pocket money still enough? I earned a bit from my part-time job during the previous holiday, and it should be sufficient. If it's not enough, remember to ask me for more. My sister Lin Xiao has always been the worrying type, concerned about this and that; she has been like this since childhood.

However, his body was unable to move. His legs and back were cramping severely, to the extent that he had to exert all his strength to suppress the trembling and pain

I understand. Lin Sheng has always had this character

Lin Sheng listened quietly until his sister had been talking for more than ten minutes, before finally responding softly.

When I am not around, you must be a man and help your parents more; they are also going through a tough time. Previously, there was an incident at the kindergarten where a child went missing, and it happened to be in the class that your mother was responsible for. They are still dealing with the situation there. Although your mother is fine, she has also taken on some responsibility and has had her salary deducted

Because this is the allowance for the next two months

"It's nothing... really, I just had a nightmare," Lin Sheng replied after a moment of silence.

Tap, tap, tap, tap

It is too dark at night, and nothing can be seen clearly

Hope is just an ordinary dream

He found it somewhat strange; he remembered going to bed at 9:30, and now, looking at the sky, it was at most 3 or 4 in the morning

It seems that the door has been opened and someone has entered

Lin Sheng's fear reached its peak

There is nothing there, just as usual, without scars, without pain

Lin Sheng held the money tightly in his hand, remaining silent

Lin Sheng suddenly shouted loudly, sitting upright in bed. He was drenched in sweat, his face pale, his eyes wide open, with the whites of his eyes filled with blood vessels

Lin Sheng sat by the bed, continuously recalling the dream he had just experienced

No light, no sound

Click

Understood, sister. Lin Sheng replied with his head lowered

Once again, a crisp sound resonated.

For three consecutive days, he had the same dream. The ending was always the same. He was caught by the foot and could not move.

The two sat in silence for a moment, simply bowing their heads and quietly having breakfast

Lin Sheng put down the milk cup, reached out to take a slice of hot bread, and took small bites to eat.

I... I had that dream again..." He bent his legs and touched the spot where he had just been grabbed by the cold hand.

Suddenly, a pair of icy hands abruptly reached into the blanket, seizing his feet

The morning light outside the window is bright and has already illuminated everything

In the room, I changed into a school uniform, which had a blue background with white patterns. On the left chest, there was a school badge featuring a simple design of a rooster standing independently, with the two large characters "Hui'an" written below.

He wanted to close his eyes, not allowing himself to see the impending scene, but that inexplicable terror rendered him unable to even blink

Yet the feeling from just now remains vivid and exceptionally clear

Hoo hoo hoo hoo ... ...

"One can only spend a little over three yuan a day... must be careful with the expenses." Lin Sheng stood up and walked towards his room

Were you just calling out?

Lin Sheng felt goosebumps suddenly rise all over his body

Ah ! ! ! ! !

Lin Sheng remained silent as he reached out to open the door.

I

The entire house suddenly fell silent

He believes that as long as he tries to lie flat, perhaps they will think that the bed is merely a thicker quilt.

The green paper exhibits different colorful lusters from various angles

He lowered his head, gasping for breath, inhaling the fresh air

My father runs a grocery store, and my mother works as a kindergarten teacher. The total family income does not exceed 100,000 a year.

In a daze, he seemed to hear someone talking, chatting. The voice was right behind him, at the edge of his bed where he could not see.

Understood. Lin Sheng replied calmly.

As he looked up, the mirror perfectly reflected his current appearance

The surroundings are eerily quiet

Lin Sheng was extremely terrified. He tried hard to shrink his body into the quilt, making an effort to relax as much as possible, wanting to lie flat, attempting to make it so that neither the visitor nor the woman in white could detect that someone was in the bed

My sister's voice, filled with concern, came from outside the door

"Then why does your complexion look so poor?" Lin Xiao asked with concern

What is somewhat unique is that she has waist-length black hair and a gentle, serene demeanor.

Puff ! ! !

This is not the first time he has had this dream

Her white long sleeves resembled the sleeves of a long dress, loose and empty. The movements of her body were stiff and precise, akin to a machine.

Outside is a corridor bathed in sunlight, pure and white