Chapter 8, The Ghost's Veil
Pierced by the wire, the pain jolted Xiao Fei awake. The hand that blocked his view was suddenly pushed aside. The street was still filled with a continuous flow of vehicles, yet Xiao Fei had already taken a step. The wire had just pricked him, causing him to halt in a moment of danger; otherwise, had he taken two more steps, he could have been struck by the passing vehicles. Fortunately, the little girl’s wire had awakened him; otherwise, he would have likely turned into a vengeful spirit beneath the wheels after just two more steps. Xiao Fei was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat, and his clothes were instantly soaked.
The female ghost has come to find Xiao Fei. After a long silence, Li Qiang finally spoke up, his voice trembling and somewhat hoarse. Once the words were out, he felt a sense of weakness wash over him, as if all his strength had been drained away.
Having run several miles along Lakeside Road, Xiao Fei turned back to take a glance. He was unsure whether he had managed to shake off the female ghost, but he indeed could not see any trace of her, which gave him a slight sense of relief.
Cheng Dong, you bastard, I am really angry!" The girl screamed, somewhat hysterical. Cheng Dong's actions, his complete disregard for her, truly infuriated her. However, this anger went unanswered, and the only response was the sound of the door slamming shut. Cheng Dong had already disappeared from the house.
In the eyes of the little girl, her mother, who loves her dearly, is walking beside her with a serene smile, gently humming a nursery rhyme, guiding her towards home. There are no rushing vehicles in sight; a straight road extends into the distance, and a warm home lies ahead
Taking a deep breath, Li Qiang tried to calm himself down. He wanted to speak, but it felt as if something was lodged in his throat, rendering him momentarily speechless. He gasped for air, and his throat echoed with a sound reminiscent of "赫赫 https://www.hetushu.com.com", yet in the end, he still could not utter a word
"Let her go!" Xiao Fei shouted hoarsely, his heart filled with an indescribable anger. Why would anyone target such a lovely young girl? At that moment, Xiao Fei could no longer care for himself; he charged out fiercely, determined to rescue the young girl
Cheng Dong nodded, yet at that moment, he did not feel afraid; perhaps he had not even thought of fear. In his mind, the concept of a female ghost was similar to that of a rogue, and he did not find it particularly terrifying. He casually pushed aside the girl who had just stood up in front of him, disregarding her, and walked straight outside. His heart raced, completely occupied by the danger posed by Xiao Fei. While pulling out his car keys from his pocket, he called out loudly to Li Qiang, "Brother Qiang, you go ahead first; I will be there shortly. No matter what, we cannot let Da Bold face danger alone." He casually pushed aside the girl who had just stood up in front of him, disregarding her, and walked straight outside. His heart raced, completely occupied by the danger posed by Xiao Fei. While pulling out his car keys from his pocket, he called out loudly to Li Qiang, "Brother Qiang, you go ahead first; I will be there shortly. No matter what, we cannot let Da Bold face danger alone."
There is a woman in her thirties nearby, talking on the phone, accompanied by a little girl, presumably her daughter. Perhaps due to Xiao Fei's unusual expression, the little girl keeps glancing at him, her clear eyes reflecting a hint of curiosity. No matter how tense Xiao Fei feels at the moment, he still has a fondness for this little girl. Seeing her continuously looking his way, he forces a smile and nods at her, but does not speak, lacking the mood to play with her.
The aunt in the red dress made Xiao Fei's body stiffen. Without needing to turn around, he could guess which female ghost the little girl was referring to. After all, during his time in the military, he had trained extensively and had a certain sensitivity to whether someone was behind him. Xiao Fei felt no one was behind him, but the little girl would never lie. This could only mean one thing: the female ghost had already followed him, right behind him, but he could not see her. The female ghost did not want him to see her.
Just as Xiao Fei took a step forward, the little girl suddenly reached out and grabbed the leg of Xiao Fei's pants. However, she forgot that she was still holding a newly bought toy car, which had a piece of iron wire sticking out of it. As the girl extended her hand to pull Xiao Fei, the iron wire happened to jab into Xiao Fei's thigh. The little girl then said, "Uncle, why aren't you following traffic rules?"
Cheng Dong, who had been smiling, was startled by the loud sound emitted by Li Qiang. Although they had only known each other for a few days, Cheng Dong could tell that Li Qiang was not one to joke around; he was a very honest person. At that moment, the strange noise coming from the phone truly startled Cheng Dong. He swallowed hard and anxiously said, "Qiang Ge, what’s wrong? Speak quickly, what’s the matter?"
Li Qiang could not help but let his mind wander, stopping the car by the roadside. He was well aware of what Xiao Fei referred to as the female ghost, as he had also been involved in this matter. However, even so, hearing from Xiao Fei that the female ghost had reappeared still left him in shock, as if a heavy hammer had struck his heart. In an instant, his face turned pale, cold sweat poured down, and although his eyes were fixed ahead, there was no focus whatsoever. His mind was in turmoil, as if a ferocious female ghost was pouncing towards him, claws outstretched, with a ghastly white face, a long tongue lolling out, and eyes glowing with a sinister light, ready to devour him.
Cheng Dong was momentarily stunned, then suddenly startled, and abruptly stood up, almost knocking the girl beside him over in his haste. However, he could not afford to pay attention to the furious beauty next to him. The ghost had come to find Xiao Fei; this thought struck Cheng Dong like a heavy hammer, leaving him profoundly shaken. Yet, it was only for an instant. Cheng Dong and Xiao Fei shared a bond of life and death, and given Cheng Dong's impulsive nature, his concern for Xiao Fei outweighed his fear. He shouted into the phone, "Where is Xiao Fei now? Tell me." This thought struck Cheng Dong like a heavy hammer, leaving him profoundly shaken. Yet, it was only for an instant. Cheng Dong and Xiao Fei shared a bond of life and death, and given Cheng Dong's impulsive nature, his concern for Xiao Fei outweighed his fear. He shouted into the phone, "Where is Xiao Fei now? Tell me."
In just a moment, a chill spread throughout Xiao Fei's body, leaving him stiff as if he were half rusted. It was merely the blink of an eye, yet when Xiao Fei regained his senses, the road before him was already devoid of vehicles. The traffic light across the street had turned green. Almost instinctively, without a second thought, Xiao Fei took a step forward, ready to rush across to the other side.
Taking a deep breath, the smoke lingered between his chest and lungs. Perhaps he had inhaled too deeply, as Li Qiang coughed heavily a few times. However, this irritation also completely restored his clarity of thought. Although he still did not know what to do, he was no longer filled with fear. Suddenly, a person came to mind; perhaps this person could offer some ideas.
Hello, Qiang, what made you think of calling your brother? Are you planning to treat me to a drink? Hehe. Cheng Dong, on the other end of the line, was winking at the girl beside him while his hands were mischievously wandering over her, yet he was still smiling and chatting with Li Qiang.
However, in the eyes of the little girl, it was quite perplexing why that lady would cover the uncle's eyes with her hand. Moreover, that lady was truly frightening; just a glance from her sent chills down the little girl's spine. At that moment, she saw the uncle suddenly lift his leg to step out, but the traffic light was still red, with countless vehicles flowing in and out. Wouldn't the uncle get hit by a car stepping out like that? Furthermore, this was against traffic regulations. The little girl was unwilling to accept it; why did this uncle, being so grown up, still not know the traffic rules?
Perhaps it was Cheng Dong's anxiety and concern that stimulated Li Qiang. Originally fearful, he became calm after Cheng Dong's shout. Taking a deep breath, he said softly: "Xiao Fei just called and said that his car is parked on Hubin Road. I think it shouldn't be too far away, it should be over there."
Although the time I have known Li Qiang is not long, in this matter, despite Li Qiang being somewhat timid, he gives the impression of being very righteous. Cheng Dong is quite willing to be friends with him. Over the past few days, they have occasionally contacted each other by phone. Although they are still not very familiar, Cheng Dong naturally has a friendly disposition, so he does not keep his distance from Li Qiang.
Should I go help Xiao Fei? Deep down, Li Qiang is still willing to assist Xiao Fei, as Xiao Fei has treated him quite well. However, the thought of the terrifying female ghost leaves Li Qiang feeling helpless. He has no means to deal with ghosts; even if he wants to help Xiao Fei, what can he do? Should he really take a knife and confront the female ghost? He would first need to be able to reach the ghost.
A sudden shock coursed through me; it was thanks to the little girl that I was not run over by a car. In the midst of surprise and joy, I turned to look at her, wanting to express my gratitude. However, to my astonishment, I found that the little girl, with a beaming smile, was holding hands with a female ghost. The ghost extended her other hand to cover the little girl's eyes, leading her step by step towards the rushing traffic. I looked over, and the ghost was also casting a sinister glance in my direction, her eyes filled with mockery. A phrase echoed in my ears: "No matter who it is, anyone who dares to help him will be buried alongside Xiao Fei." I did not know when it happened, but the little girl, with a smile on her face, was holding hands with the female ghost, who was covering her eyes and leading her into the torrent of cars.
"Uncle, is that lady in the red dress behind you your girlfriend and a book?" The curious little girl couldn't help but take a few glances. With her pure, big eyes blinking, she asked in a crisp voice, and when she smiled, a pair of dimples appeared on her face
Standing at the intersection of Tianhua Road and Hubin Road, Xiao Fei had to stop. The red light was on, and vehicles were constantly passing by on the street. Xiao Fei dared not recklessly rush across; he could not afford to lose his life at the hands of a female ghost, only to become a vengeful spirit under the wheels of a car. As a driver, Xiao Fei understood better than anyone that there were certain boundaries that must not be crossed.
A female ghost lunged at him in his mind, startling Li Qiang into a sudden gasp. When he awoke, he found himself drenched in sweat, breathing heavily and in a state of disarray. Unsure of what to do, Li Qiang felt a deep sense of fear, for what he faced was not a thug or a rogue, but an invisible and intangible ghost.
He took out his phone, and with trembling eyes, he found Cheng Dong's number and dialed it. As the phone rang with a 'beep beep' sound, Li Qiang felt increasingly calm, at least feeling that he was not alone.
Feeling the sweat trickle down, his eyes blurred for a moment. He reached up to wipe his sweat and fished out a cigarette from the pocket of his shirt. Trembling, he managed to take one out and, after much effort, placed it between his lips. As the smoke curled upward, amidst the flickering of the cigarette, Li Qiang finally felt a slight sense of calm in his heart. Cigarettes are not a good thing, and Li Qiang usually does not smoke, but they can indeed provide a sense of tranquility.
Ignoring Cheng Dong and Li Qiang for the moment, Xiao Fei was still running for his life. Although he could not see the female ghost behind him, the very absence of her presence made him even more anxious. He was uncertain about where the ghost might appear next and in what manner. What terrified Xiao Fei the most was his lack of knowledge about where to escape, where he could free himself from the ghost's threat. That constant sense of danger left him feeling lost and helpless.