Chapter 4, There is a dead person under the bed

A corpse, although already decayed, still reveals that it was a woman of perfect proportions. Among the mottled patches covering her body, a red maple leaf birthmark stands out prominently

How she wished she had been mistaken, but she had seen with her own eyes that on the flat brick floor, there was a raised area approximately the length of the bed, and the raised part was at least one foot high, even more prominent than what she had seen earlier

Beneath the soil layer, a corner of plastic was exposed. The shop owner was taken aback by this unexpected sight, his mind going blank. Without thinking, he instinctively reached out and lifted it, revealing a pile of white objects in front of everyone.

Linglong finally let out a breath, having confirmed that the torment she experienced was merely a nightmare. She felt quite foolish, but just as she intended to straighten her body and stop her wandering thoughts, the light inadvertently swept across a patch of floor beneath the bed, then seemed to pause there as if it had a mind of its own

"Miss Cheng, what happened?" the shopkeeper asked. Seeing Linglong's face covered in cold sweat, her complexion as pale as a sheet, it was evident that she was greatly frightened.

Her wife hasn't replied yet, and Linglong said: "No, I was fine before going to bed"

The light swept inch by inch from left to right across the dark area beneath the bed, empty; then it swept back from right to left, still empty

The soil layer appears very loose, as if it has been casually scattered

Silence and the library lasted for a few seconds, then a series of screams erupted simultaneously, causing everyone to flee in panic, scrambling out in a hurry

Linglong jumped onto the bed in fright, curling up into the corner! It is true! It is true! A headless woman really crawled under her bed!

It is not -- it is real! That under the bed --

He gave his wife a glance, and the boss's wife immediately ran to the corner to fetch two shovels. With the help of Qian Heming and another male colleague who had been sulking in the room, they moved the large wooden bed aside. Instantly, the protruding part beneath the bed was revealed to everyone.

She made an effort to express some sympathy, yet could not conceal the smugness of her scheming success. Meanwhile, Linglong was completely too preoccupied to pay attention to her and those Song faction lackeys who were straining to hold back their laughter; she simply grasped the shopkeeper's arm with both hands and exclaimed, "Really, I saw a woman crawling under my bed!"

"Is that a precursor to an earthquake?" Zhu Minse shuddered.

"I wouldn't dare say that," the shop owner's wife interjected, somewhat displeased. "If this gets out, no one will come to stay at our place again"

The shop owner held the emergency light that had been lying on the ground in his left hand, while in his right hand he gripped a large flashlight that shone brightly. Following Linglong's instructions, he bent down to look under the bed. After just a glance, he immediately straightened up, looking at his wife in astonishment. The expression on his face clearly conveyed that Linglong was not fabricating anything, nor was she having a nightmare

I think it would be better this way. Miss Cheng, please share a room with someone else and do not sleep in that room anymore, as it is not suitable for a young lady. The shopkeeper could see that these people were bullying Linglong in collusion; although he felt sympathy for her, he preferred to keep the peace.

From the coccyx to the vertebrae, a chill rapidly ascended, as if that delicate hand was no longer exploring the door frame, but had instead shifted to caress her back, seemingly intent on entering her body. This caused Linglong to disregard everything else, and in a state of panic, she ran out, desperately pounding on the main door.

The other bricks all have an old feel to them, but the bricks here are clearly newly laid

Is it her eyes playing tricks? Or is it an illusion caused by the moonlight and the shadows of the lamps? Perhaps she should take another look

Let us go and see what has frightened Xiao Cheng to such an extent. Song Xin deliberately wanted to enjoy the spectacle, and with a single command, a large group of people followed suit. Thus, Linglong dared not stay alone in the main house any longer. Although she was reluctant to return to that storage room, she had no choice but to do so

Linglong climbed to the edge of the bed, trembling as she lifted the bed sheet, leaning over to look down under the bed

"Alright, alright, I'll go take a look now." The shopkeeper sighed, knowing that if he did not do so, Linglong's heart would not settle down. He firmly believed that it was just a dream that had frightened Linglong, so he was not afraid. He went back to the house, took a flashlight, exchanged a glance with his wife, and the two of them walked outside.

She repeatedly told herself this and engaged in mental preparation, then gritted her teeth and slowly crouched down, ignoring the tingling on her scalp and the terror that made every hair on her body stand on end, shining the light under the bed.

The body had no head on its neck; instead, it was placed at the feet. However, it was a man's head, with a grotesque face covered in a beard, and the lifeless eyes were staring intently at Linglong

No, absolutely not, everything is merely a dream! What could possibly be under the bed? It must be the story that Qian Heming told that has caused her subconscious to fabricate this dream, along with that story about the Canadian child who sleepwalked, which also provided her with a strong psychological suggestion. The people at the company are waiting to see her make a fool of herself; she cannot afford to lose and must solve the problem herself. If she just takes a look under the bed, just one glance to prove that there is nothing underneath, she can then sleep peacefully and tomorrow go hiking with renewed vigor, shattering all of Song Xin's schemes. The people at the company are waiting to see her make a fool of herself; she cannot afford to lose and must solve the problem herself. If she just takes a look under the bed, just one glance to prove that there is nothing underneath, she can then sleep peacefully and tomorrow go hiking with renewed vigor, shattering all of Song Xin's schemes

Though delicate, she still held onto him tightly, "If you don't believe me, go take a look; the bricks under the bed have bulged up quite a large area. Really, I can see it clearly."

Linglong was unexpectedly pushed by someone and fell to the ground, where she saw something buried in the dirt up close: m.hetushu.com.com

At this moment, the shop owner appeared somewhat suspicious, glancing around at the people as if seeking support. Noticing that no one else had left the room, yet each person wore a tense expression, he realized he had to rely on himself and could only brace himself to crouch down.

She was trembling all over in fear, lacking even the courage to scream. The room was deathly silent, with only her uncontrollable heavy breathing and the sound of her chattering teeth. She dared not move, waiting in terror, not knowing what she was waiting for, merely supported by an instinct to hide. However, after waiting for a long time, there was still no movement in the room.

I no longer live in that house, there -- there are problems! Linglong squeezed into the room, feeling that standing in the courtyard was also unsafe; only among the crowd did the chill on her back begin to dissipate

It cannot be that the omen appears only here, besides, Xiao Cheng said, there is a woman --" Zhou Liwen blurted out in a moment of tension, but immediately fell silent.

The lamp is still thrown on the ground

There, a section of the flat brick pavement inexplicably bulged up, with the dampness of fresh soil seeping between the cracks of the bricks, and surrounding that raised area, there were a pair of women's bare footprints

"You see, it was still those two stories that caused it," Qian Heming chuckled, "I really should be damned for scaring Xiao Cheng like that. How about this, tomorrow I will treat you to some delicacies as an apology"

"Listening to ghost stories on hetushu.com is frightening, isn't it?" Song Xin took over the conversation, her earlier annoyance at being disturbed from sleep now replaced by the appreciation of the exquisite outcome of her torment. "It's all Old Qian and Little Zhou's fault for telling such terrifying stories late at night!"

He understands that these few are merely outsiders. Even if he manages to muddle through ambiguously, it would still be detrimental to his small shop. As the saying goes, good news travels slowly while bad news spreads like wildfire; if just one person speaks out, his business could be ruined

"Move it aside and take a look." The shop owner gritted his teeth and decided to get to the bottom of the matter

The bricks were very loose; with just a pull, they came off easily, making a shovel unnecessary. He removed the bricks one by one, gradually revealing the soil layer beneath.

A large crowd of people huddled together, causing the room to become instantly crowded, and the feeling of fear slightly diminished

The shop owner swallowed hard, a strong sense of foreboding making it difficult for him to breathe, feeling as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest. He looked up at the crowd once more, seeing that they were not looking at him, but rather staring at the exposed layer of soil. Reluctantly, he extended his trembling hand and brushed aside that layer of obstruction

"What’s going on? Is it too humid?" the shop owner asked.

In the dead of night, her commotion startled everyone awake, including the shop owner and his wife, as well as Song Xin and the others who rushed out.

The proprietress, upon seeing this, hurriedly crouched down to the ground, and together with the shop owner, they took another look. Then, the two of them stood up and exchanged glances at each other.