Xu Wen’s brows furrowed. She stopped to stare at Feng Lan, “What did you say?” Being stared at by Xu Wen, Feng Lan became awkward. She instinctually thought that she had said something to annoy Miss Xu. Afraid of being misunderstood, she shook her hands embarrassedly. “It’s nothing, Miss Xu. We… we should move faster. It’ll be troublesome when it’s dark.”
Perhaps it was still in the day. The entire Block C had no lights on. This caused Feng Lan to trip on the stairs as she led the way in the dimness. If Xu Wen hadn’t moved fast to help her, she might have fallen.
“Thank… you, Miss Xu.” Feng Lan held Xu Wen’s arm. Her cheeks flushed as she gripped Xu Wen’s hands harder.
“Be careful,” Xu Wen reminded her.
The meaningless conversation between the two irritated Zhou Taifu. After they reached Block C, something had been bothering him. It made him short-tempered. He pulled out the dagger and slid it into his sleeve. He pressed it under his wrist. He looked around, ready to deal with any situation.
They came to the fourth floor of Block C. The music classroom was on this floor. Out of safety concerns, Xu Wen decided to take the long detour. This meant that they had to take two more turns and a longer walk to reach the music classroom. The corridor that led to the classroom gave them the impression that it would go on forever. The corridor seemed to end in a blurry mist. And… they were slowly walking into the mist.
“I’m sorry.” Feng Lan apologised softly. She looked at the toilet beside them and looked fidgety.
Zhou Taifu’s expression darkened. “We’ll go to the classroom and leave after we find the lens. We’ll be out soon. Then, you can…”
Zhou Taifu lowered his voice, “What should we do now?” The human mind wandered in extreme silence. The anxiety festered, corroding their minds.
Xu Wen looked around. “Come in first.” They entered the female toilet. This toilet wasn’t where Long Tao died. This toilet was at the intersection of two corridors. The amenities were better kept. The sinks were clean. Bottles of hand sanitiser were provided. A black leather rope was dropped at the corner. It was not unusual, but it stood out from the pure white sinks. Xu Wen believed some girls accidentally left it there.
A giant mirror sat on the wall. The mirror had a gilded edge. A frame was built around the edge and then fitted with a layer of wooden varnish. It gave off a comfortable feeling. The floor was laid with marble tiles. It was so clean that people could see their reflections in them. There were two rows of cubicles inside. There were around ten cubicles, and they were painted deep blue. They looked clean. The doors of the cubicles were raised around 15 centimetres off the ground. A perfume of jasmine lingered in the air. Compared to the male toilet where Long Tai died, this toilet was better in size, cleanliness and decoration.
However… Xu Wen and Zhou Taifu didn’t look relaxed. They kept the toilet door open and stood to the right of the sinks. They could see the entire interior from their vantage point. If there were any danger, they could run at a moment’s notice.
“Miss Feng,” Xu Wen called out at the rows of cubicles. Every cubicle door was closed. Therefore, she couldn’t confirm Feng Lan’s exact location. Especially since… she hadn’t heard any sound after she entered the toilet. This was very abnormal.
“What’s going on?” Zhou Taifu stared down the toilet, and his tone became nervous. Xu Wen took a step towards the cubicles. She slowly bent down, tilted her head and looked into the cubicles through the gap under the doors. Normally, she should be able to see the legs of the person inside the cubicle. To her left, she only saw the toilet seat. She turned her head to the right. The first cubicle, second cubicle… She made her way down the rows… Until she came to the last cubicle…
Feng Lan seemed to have completely disappeared!
Feng Lan jumped up instantly. Just as she was about to use her hands to signal her partner to run…
The door of the cubicle on her right suddenly creaked open. Then, there was the sound of the toilet flushing. Feng Lan walked out on tip-toe. This almost scared Xu Wen to her death.
Zhou Taifu was confused. He asked in an accusatory tone, “Why didn’t you answer when we called you earlier?”
Xu Wen was too late. In their initial hypothesis, they believed the condition for the ghost to kill was for her victim to make some noises. Just as Xu Wen covered her mouth and was saddened to see her lover’s imminent death, Feng Lan bowed at her. Then, she lifted her head with shyness, “I’m sorry. I knew Miss Xu came in to look for me out of concern. However, it’s impolite to communicate while on the toilet, so…”
“Is that why you didn’t say anything?” Zhou Taifu was stunned. He felt like something was wrong with this woman’s head.
“Hmm.” Feng Lan nodded. Then, she realised Zhou Taifu was in the toilet with them. Her expression turned embarrassed. “Mr. Zhou, why…” She looked at the toilet door with confusion. The door was open, so she could see the sign on the door. They were in the female toilet.
“I…” Zhou Taifu didn’t know what to say.
In the end, it was Xu Wen who cut in. She calmed herself down and said lightly, “I was the one who told him to come in to help me.” Xu Wen looked into Feng Lan’s eyes, “I called your name so many times, but you didn’t answer. I was worried…” She didn’t continue, but a trace of concern poured out of her eyes.
Even though it was fleeting, Feng Lan caught it. Stars lit up in her eyes.