Chapter 5, Nightmares in Bed
Fang Liping came out with a dry towel. By the time I went in to finish washing up, brushing my teeth, and washing my face, she had already removed her facial mask and was drying her hair at the door of her room. With a heart-shaped face, big eyes, and fair, tender skin, she was in her early twenties, at the prime of her youth. Even without a facial mask, she was not unattractive by any means, and her figure was also quite good. The way she tilted her head while drying her hair was very charming.
We sat in the car, anxiously waiting near the teahouse. Xu Guangli was very nervous, constantly touching his jade ring, while I chain-smoked one cigarette after another. Around nine o'clock in the evening, Xu Guangli's phone rang. His hand trembled slightly as he picked up the phone, and his voice quivered as he asked, "How is it?"
"I mean, I’m sorry for disturbing you last night..." she said while drying her hair, her hands raised and moving, the area in front of her chest swaying gently, creating a captivating and alluring sight
I am certain that there is a woman with long hair standing by the bed looking at me. I want to see her face clearly, but no matter how hard I try, I cannot make it out. The less I can see, the more I want to see, yet I am also afraid that what I will see is a face with a ghastly appearance or one that is bloodied and mangled. This contradiction and fear are very strange.
I was filled with extreme fear, struggling desperately, yet I found myself powerless, unable to break free no matter what. I thought of that talisman, placing it in the pocket of my shorts, and I tried hard to take it out. However, as soon as I held it in my hand, it turned into a handful of powder and flew away through my fingers
Help... Help...
At noon, I went out to lunch with Xu Guangli. I had little appetite, feeling down and distracted, while Xu Guangli was full of energy, chatting and laughing, his small eyes occasionally sparkling with light. By the time we finished eating, it was already 2 PM. Xu Guangli took me to a teahouse in the library to have tea, where there were already quite a few people, most of whom were acquainted with Xu Guangli. Some were holding albums, nodding their heads and reciting verses, others were writing or drawing on paper, and some were studying the patterns on the small newspapers with magnifying glasses. There was even a man with a goatee who was using a laptop to arrange a divination chart, counting on his fingers and looking quite enigmatic.
My shock was extraordinary; I jumped back in fright and nearly fell against the half-open door. The creature was also startled by me and then approached, speaking in human language: "What is wrong with you?"
Zhou Jian is working on Saturday, so she is not at home. Although I am quite familiar with her, I rarely go to her room when she is not there. Given her current attire, it would be inappropriate for me to engage in conversation, so I simply nodded slightly to her and walked into my own room
"Who?" I asked tremulously, but that pair of eyes had vanished. I rubbed my eyes and realized that the room was not too dark; there were no eyes, and no one was present. Instead, the curtains fluttered with the night breeze.
Xu Guangli was overjoyed for a while and then began to scold me: "Cousin, you should buy more. In this day and age, the bold thrive while the timid starve. Making a fortune is that simple. As the ancients wisely said, wealth and honor are sought through risk; how can one earn money without taking risks..."
The salted fish has turned over, so of course I must celebrate properly. It was only after eleven o'clock at night that I managed to lean against the wall and return to my residence. As soon as I fell onto the bed, I lost consciousness. I do not know how long it had been, but I felt a wave of coldness, and once again found myself in that half-awake, half-dazed state, unable to move or call out.
I waved my hand: "Forget it, next time it's best to turn on the light for this thing... Aren't you working?"
The bet was placed in the inner room of the teahouse. I did not go in with the book, and it was Xu Guangli who helped me make the purchase. He said that if both of us went all in, it would easily raise others' suspicions, so we pooled our resources together. I do not know how much he bought; he is a shrewd businessman and has always been tight-lipped about matters related to business and investment. Even if I asked him, he would not disclose anything.
A rogue businessman is just a rogue businessman, full of schemes and tricks. When he says to go out at night, there must be a reason for it. As long as he puts his mind to it, I can't be bothered to inquire further. Outside, the sun is shining brightly, and the indoors is also filled with light. The darkness and fear experienced last night have become distant memories. My mood has greatly improved, and I jumped out of bed, running barefoot to the bathroom
I feel a chill throughout my body, fatigue weighing me down, and I find it difficult to muster any strength. When I touch my arm, I realize I am particularly cold. There is no doubt that I am being haunted by a female ghost, but what does she want from me? The one practicing dark arts is Xu Guangli, and it is also Xu Guangli who made the promise. I am not the main character!
You... you want to scare someone to death! I held back my curses, after all, swearing in such a situation would be undignified and would make me seem too easily frightened
Ah? Fang Liping was taken aback for a moment, touched her face, and said, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were home, nor did I expect you to come out suddenly"
I struggled desperately, calling out, and felt a lightness in my body. I sat up straight, only then realizing that I had been having a nightmare. Before me was a pitch-black void, and in the darkness, a pair of eyes was watching me. I did not understand how I could see in the dark, but I did see. Those were particularly dark eyes, so dark that they seemed to be shrouded in a layer of black mist, filled with profound resentment and obsession, causing deep heartache.
I took a towel. Fang Liping smiled at me, but through the facial mask, it felt quite strange. Was she really smiling? Was it really her beneath the mask? How could I have dreamed of her walking into my room last night? I suddenly realized that this thing, the facial mask, is particularly terrifying, even more so than facing a skull.
Oh, oh... I responded as I walked towards the bathroom door. There are three urgent matters in life, and this is not the time for chatting. Unexpectedly, Fang Liping was also heading towards the bathroom, and we nearly bumped into each other.
Ah, no problem, no problem! Xu Guangli said excitedly. Then the other party mentioned that the banker was wealthy and would definitely be able to gather the funds, but it would just take a little time. He could also use his assets as collateral, assuring that there would absolutely be no issues. Xu Guangli repeatedly agreed, hung up the phone, and let out a howl, resembling that of a wolf.
As I spoke, I took out that talisman, but to my surprise, I was instantly stunned upon looking at it. The talisman paper had turned dark yellow, and the symbols on it were almost invisible. I wanted to unfold it to take a look, but with little effort, the talisman paper shattered; it had become brittle.
I feel an inexplicable restlessness, unable to pinpoint a specific reason. This girl deliberately shouted loudly at night, and now she is dressed so provocatively to come and "apologize" to me. Is she harboring ill intentions to seduce me? What a shameless person; she wants to entrap me in wrongdoing. Have you not heard that one should not deceive a friend's wife? I would never engage in such actions
I actually won the bet. We placed a bet on a single special number, which has odds of 1:40. Suddenly, I have four hundred thousand! I don't know whether to be happy or angry. My ambition should be a bit larger; if I had bet an additional one hundred thousand, I would now have four million. I might not earn that much money in my entire life! Don't talk about being content and happy. If a person has no greed, then they are not normal. Otherwise, why do those billionaires still work so hard to make money?
I was initially quite frustrated, but his words helped me see things differently. At least I already have 400,000, and I have learned the method. If necessary, I can always try again and invest 100,000 to make a fortune. In the future, I won't have to endure his sarcastic demeanor.
I know that Xu Guangli is trying to "draw on the strengths of a hundred schools" to ensure absolute certainty. After spending two to three hours in the teahouse, everyone was engaged in lively discussions, each presenting their own reasoning, yet no conclusion was reached, and very few people paid attention to No. 22
Congratulations. A middle-aged man said in a deep Cantonese voice, "You have won... the number you bought is relatively large, the dealer has incurred a loss, and they are currently gathering funds. You will be able to receive it by tomorrow morning, is that alright?"
I was taken aback, my heart racing wildly. The female ghost was incredibly powerful, even destroying the talisman. What if it comes back again
This lottery is illegal, and the winning numbers are based on the Hong Kong Mark Six lottery, yet the operators are major bosses from the mainland. No one knows who the house is; establishments like this teahouse are merely one of the betting points, frequented by regular customers or those brought in by acquaintances, and they do not accept bets from strangers. The money and numbers collected at each betting point are layered and concentrated upwards, and after the draw, the prize money is distributed downwards in layers. The communication is extremely discreet, leaving even the police in a state of great frustration
I flung open the door and rushed out, nearly colliding with someone. The living room had no windows and no lights were on, making the lighting quite dim. I could only see that person's wet, long hair and a face as white as snow, with no visible nose or eyebrows, just two black eyes and blood-red lips, more terrifying than Fang Liping from my dream last night
Uh... I really don't know whether to say there is something or not. If I say there is nothing, she will just call out louder later; if I say there is something, wouldn't that be quite awkward? Fortunately, she smiled and turned to leave
It was Fang Liping's voice, and after adjusting to the light, I saw that she had a white facial mask on her face, her hair freshly washed and not yet dried, with some water stains on her chest. The white thin T-shirt was wet and clung to her body, underneath it was bare, and the outlines of two peaks were clearly visible. She was holding a set of underwear, seemingly about to go into the bathroom to take a shower.
I turned on the light, steadied my mind, and whispered to the window: "You have the wrong person. Go find whoever made the wish; I owe you nothing. Do not come to bother me again, or do not blame me for being rude!"
It's nothing, it's nothing
Fang Liping walked to my door, smiled sweetly, her face slightly flushed: "I am sorry."
She leaned onto me, her face against mine, yet I still could not see her clearly. I only felt cold lips blocking my mouth, allowing me to exhale but not inhale. That icy sensation extended from my lips to my chest, then spread throughout my entire body, as if even my marrow had turned cold
Today is Saturday, and I am resting
I withdrew all my money, which amounted to just over 2,000 yuan. This amount is insufficient to turn my situation around, and I apologize for the risk we took. Therefore, I borrowed 10,000 yuan from Xu Guangli. I am rational and have thought this through carefully. If I win, I will have 400,000 yuan, which would allow me to start a small business; if I do not win, I will only owe 10,000 yuan, which I can repay.
I slept very restlessly and woke up just before noon, still feeling somewhat unwell. There are a few text messages on my phone. Xu Guangli knocked on my door this morning but couldn't get in and has already left. The second message invites me to lunch together. The third message says that the plan has changed and to place the bet again in the evening