Chapter 23 : Chapter 23
Chapter 23: The Fool and the Sulker
The corridor no longer had that red filter. The rotten stench and the burnt smell in the air had also disappeared. The only thing left was the strong scent of disinfectant, as if it had seeped deep into the walls and would never fade.
The fifth-floor hallway had motion-sensor lights installed, but the light was extremely dim. Perhaps the wiring had aged. The lights flickered occasionally, making the already gloomy corridor feel even more terrifying. Those faint lights brought no sense of safety at all.
Yet in such an environment, Zhao Mingyue walked beside Bai Yu with a foolish grin, completely ignoring the creepy surroundings.
Compared with the hallway she had walked through earlier, the current one felt like child’s play. Naturally, Zhao Mingyue was not afraid.
She put away her magic staff and rubbed her hands together.
“Bai Yu, Sister Bai Yu, don’t you think so? Even though you’re no longer alive, you can still choose to enjoy life and live happily. My mother once told me that a person’s life is short. No matter how you live, it’s still one lifetime. What matters is learning how to live happily—even if it means finding joy in hardship.”
“This isn’t some poisonous motivational nonsense. I’ve believed in those words for years. I think simply accepting hardship won’t solve anything. If you keep an optimistic mindset, then at least your spirit will be strong enough not to collapse so easily.”
“I don’t know what it feels like to become a ghost, but I imagine it can’t be pleasant. If nothing else, it must be very lonely.”
“But starting today—no, starting yesterday—we’re friends. If you’re willing to listen to me and give it a try, I promise I’ll make you happy!”
That was Zhao Mingyue’s personality. She was a bit absent-minded and carefree. Her life had been difficult—she had no family and hardly any friends—but she still lived happily.
In Bai Yu’s eyes, Zhao Mingyue’s happiness looked a bit foolish.
But she had to admit that the girl’s mindset was truly strong.
Just like Zhao Mingyue said, her silly happiness made her mentally resilient.
Constantly wearing a bitter expression would never change anything. When your mindset is bad, life only gets worse. And when life gets worse, your mood sinks even further. It becomes a vicious cycle.
After entering the Scumbag Game, Bai Yu stopped trusting anyone.
She believed that anyone who approached her had ulterior motives.
And in truth, that had proven correct.
Out of ten people who approached her, nine wanted to kill her, and the remaining one wanted to use her.
After so long, the most important skill she had learned was to remain vigilant at all times and never trust anyone.
Yet at this moment, looking at Zhao Mingyue, Bai Yu truly could not detect any ulterior motive.
The girl’s eyes were clear.
That kind of purity was something Bai Yu found difficult to understand.
And so she felt conflicted.
Instinctively, she kept her guard up around Zhao Mingyue. Yet deep down, her subconscious told her that the girl was sincere.
Bai Yu had always trusted her instincts.
That instinct had saved her many times before.
She even wondered whether Zhao Mingyue was trying to curry favor because she had seen Bai Yu’s strength.
But if Zhao Mingyue really had such intentions, then her acting would be terrifyingly good—so good that even her eyes could deceive others.
As Zhao Mingyue spoke, she nervously watched Bai Yu’s eyes.
She knew Bai Yu’s personality was somewhat cold and distant. Saying such things so suddenly might make her feel uncomfortable.
But precisely because Bai Yu’s heart was cold, Zhao Mingyue felt she had to say it.
Only by trying to reach her heart could she slowly change her and make her happier.
Bai Yu had already lived a tragic life. Her only sister had been brutally murdered, and now she had become a ghost. Was that not another form of suffering?
“I…”
Bai Yu finally spoke.
Zhao Mingyue’s eyes instantly lit up. Seeing that expression made Bai Yu feel somewhat helpless.
“I’ll… try.”
“Oh! Great!”
Zhao Mingyue reached out to grab Bai Yu’s hand.
Her hand did not pass through Bai Yu’s body. Instead, she actually touched her.
The sensation was strange—like touching “solidified” smoke. Smooth and soft, as if squeezing too hard would crush it.
At the same time, Bai Yu’s body was unbelievably cold. Zhao Mingyue shivered.
It was even colder than touching ice.
“Cold, isn’t it?” Bai Yu said calmly. “A ghost’s body is like this. So I suggest you let go. As for bathing… it’s better if we do that separately.”
Bai Yu felt rather helpless.
It wasn’t that she had lowered her guard out of carelessness. Based on her years of experience killing people, she was willing to bet that Zhao Mingyue was not scheming at all.
The girl was simply naive.
Naive, straightforward, and with just a hint of cleverness.
Sure enough, Zhao Mingyue tightened her grip instead.
“No way. It’s summer right now, so it actually feels pretty nice.”
“…Sigh. Do whatever you want.”
When they reached the fourth floor, the Raincoat Man had disappeared, but the female ghost remained.
The ghost had died in this building. Otherwise, she would never have allowed the Raincoat Man to bring her back here.
She had died here, and only here could she find release—by finding a living person to take her place.
Sensing Zhao Mingyue’s presence, the ghost stood up.
But the moment she turned around and saw Bai Yu standing beside Zhao Mingyue, she froze and instantly vanished.
Zhao Mingyue did not notice her at all. She looked around to make sure no one was in the hallway, then returned to her room.
She shined her flashlight briefly and checked the strand of hair she had placed in the keyhole. It was still there, which meant no one had entered the room.
She opened the door, walked inside, and turned on the light.
Glancing at the time, she saw it was already 1:30 in the morning.
So much time had passed without her realizing it, yet the task was still not finished.
Zhao Mingyue placed her backpack on the sofa and yawned.
“I’m so sleepy. After taking a bath, can I go to sleep? It won’t affect the task, right?”
“It won’t.”
“That’s good.”
She leaned closer again.
“Come on, let’s take a bath together, Miss Bai Yu.”
Suddenly, Zhao Mingyue reached out and tucked a strand of Bai Yu’s long hair behind her ear.
“A hot bath might help relieve some of the cold,” she said softly.
Just touching Bai Yu earlier had felt unbearably cold.
Bai Yu herself must feel it even more intensely.
“It doesn’t hurt to try. Oh right—do you need a change of clothes? You should be able to wear mine.”
“No need. I can handle the clothes myself,” Bai Yu replied, shaking her head.
“Alright then. Wait here while I run the hot water. My bathtub is pretty big.”
Inside the bathroom, Zhao Mingyue looked at the large bathtub and could not help thinking of the female ghost’s corpse on the fifth floor.
“If there’s a chance, maybe Bai Yu can help her find peace. Being trapped like that is just too cruel.”
As she filled the tub with hot water, Zhao Mingyue went to the bedroom to grab a change of clothes.
She returned to the living room and waved to Bai Yu, who was standing by the window.
“Come on, the water’s ready.”