Xu Yan wasn't dead. She was still recuperating at Qingshan Mental Hospital. Her eyes could still express all sorts of human emotions—albeit somewhat disorganized and incomprehensible to normal people.
Qin Yanping knew nothing of what had happened in girls' dormitory 441. Initially, she was fascinated by the appearances of Cheng Li and Xu Yan, slowly scrolling through the posts. Beneath their photos, many curious netizens recounted the events of that night, exaggerating them to the utmost. One even posted a photo of Cheng Li falling to her death. In the photo, Cheng Li was shattered, her blood happily flowing from her, staining the concrete pavement red. Her body was twisted and deformed from the fall, her once beautiful face pale and convulsed. She lay on her side on the pavement, one eye socket empty, presumably knocked out by the violent impact. The other eye, still intact, gazed up at the vast, sea-like sky with a strange smile.
What did she see?
Why was she laughing?
Qin Yanping hadn't expected to see such a disgusting photo. She screamed, her whole body trembling. She clung to Fang Yuan, burying her head in her arms like a frightened ostrich.
Fang Yuan's limbs were already weak, and Qin Yanping's sudden scream wasn't enough. She clung to her like a drowning duck, nearly choking her breath and losing her balance. The two of them swayed and nearly fell—if Xu Zhaodi hadn't reached out to steady them.
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just a picture of a dead body!" Xu Zhaodi glanced at the computer, not daring to look at it properly, and turned off the monitor.
"Yeah, don't be afraid. Zhaodi turned off the monitor. There's nothing to be afraid of," Fang Yuan said softly, patting Qin Yanping's head.
Qin Yanping poked her head out, a fine layer of cold sweat dripping down her forehead. Her face was the pale gray of a dead fish's belly. Her gaze wandered, her body trembling.
"But... yes... but... she committed suicide in this dormitory," Qin Yanping said haltingly, finally finishing her sentence.
"So what? Does a house become uninhabitable after someone dies?"
"I don't know, I'm just scared! There seems to be some evil spirit here, it's making me break out in cold sweats," Qin Yanping argued softly.
Fang Yuan smoothed things over: "Forget it, stop arguing, let's not dwell on this. Qin Yanping, don't be afraid either, we're both here with you!"
"The thing is, I feel like there are more than just the three of us in this dormitory!" Qin Yanping said, hugging Fang Yuan tightly again, refusing to let go.
"Nonsense! There are only three of us in the dorm, and Suya hasn't returned yet, so how could there be someone else?" Fang Yuan said this, feeling a little panicked. She thought she heard someone stirring in the bedroom. Could Suya be fast asleep in there?
Fang Yuan wanted to go over and check, but Qin Yanping's hold was too tight, making it impossible for her to move. She turned to call Xu Zhaodi, but she saw her staring blankly at the dormitory door.
"Xu Zhaodi!"
Fang Yuan called out, but there was no response.
"Xu Zhaodi! What's wrong with you?"
Fang Yuan, anxious, reached out to pull her, nearly pulling her down with such force that she nearly fell.
"Ah! Fang Yuan, what are you doing?" Xu Zhaodi awoke as if from a dream.
"I'm asking you a question, why are you daydreaming?"
"I..." Xu Zhaodi's voice trembled. "Did you see anything?"
"See? What did you see?" Fang Yuan was puzzled. Could it be that she saw that vague, terrifying figure she'd seen during the day? But why couldn't she see it this time?
Xu Zhaodi's lips moved for a long time before finally speaking: "I saw something on the iron gate, smiling at me."
Fang Yuan squinted, still unable to see anything on the iron gate. "No way, I didn't see anything."
"I can't explain it. Anyway, I just felt like something was smiling at me, with malicious intent, and it gave me the creeps."
Xu Zhaodi's expression was strained. What was she hiding? Fang Yuan could see that she had been genuinely frightened. What had frightened her so much?
"It's okay. I'll go check. Let go, Qin Yanping!" Now, of the three girls, she was the calmest. Although she was also frightened, she wasn't as frightened as the other two. Qin Yanping refused to let go, leaving Fang Yuan helpless, so she slowly pulled her toward the dormitory's iron gate. Fang Yuan was only four or five meters away, but it felt like a long walk.
Finally reaching the gate, Fang Yuan reached out to push and pull. There was nothing in front of it, only a few deep and shallow scars. Behind it, there was nothing either, except for a duty roster posted there.
The duty roster had been there for some time, tattered and yellowed, but the writing was still legible. In the dim light, Fang Yuan saw the duty schedule and the bed assignments. Bed number 8 had the name "Xu Yan" written on it, and bed number 7 had the name "Cheng Li." The beds of the suicidal girl and the insane girl had just happened to be chosen by Fang Yuan and Su Ya.
Fang Yuan was stunned. What a coincidence?
At this moment, Xu Zhaodi finally mustered the courage to approach, staring at the iron gate with suspicion.
"There's nothing there. Could it be the duty roster you saw?"
"Maybe," Xu Zhaodi said, unsure.
"It's nothing. It's just the duty roster reflecting the light," Fang Yuan said casually.
Xu Zhaodi glanced at the duty roster, her expression growing increasingly serious. "But, Fang Yuan, look, you and Su Ya's beds..."
"Beds? What's wrong?"
"Yours happens to be Cheng Li's. Do you want to switch?"
Fang Yuan pondered for a moment, then smiled. "No, I don't believe that at all. Didn't you also say that a dead body in a house is normal and nothing to be afraid of?"
"That's what you said, but..."
"Okay, that's it. I don't want to switch. Stop talking. Go check on Qin Yanping. She's terrified."
After so long, Qin Yanping seemed less frightened than she had been at the beginning. Although she still held Fang Yuan tightly, she raised her head and hid behind her, breathing deeply, trying to steady her racing heartbeat.
Just then, a strange sound emanated from the bedroom again: "creak, creak," as if the bed was being turned over. The three girls heard it clearly; it was definitely coming from the bedroom.
Who was in the bedroom?
Fang Yuan bravely called out, "Is that Suya?"
No one answered.
"Suya, are you in there?" Fang Yuan raised her voice slightly, so the people inside would have heard.
Still no one answered.
Could it be that no one was in there? But what was that voice? Was Suya deliberately ignoring Fang Yuan's words? Given her personality, that wasn't impossible.
"Let's go and take a look."
Hand in hand, the three girls tiptoed cautiously towards the bedroom. Dormitory 441 was completely silent; everyone could hear each other's heartbeats.
Suddenly, the iron door slammed against the wall with a sharp, piercing clang. The girls, their hearts hanging in the air, were startled by the sudden bang and shuddered.