Chapter 2 Appetizer (2)
After listening to Li Xiuya’s account, Zhu Ming handed her the slightly cooled teacup. Li Xiuya drained it in one gulp, the warmth restoring some color to her pale, cold hands.
“I think I understand the situation,” Zhu Ming said, scratching her head, her hair tousled from sleep. “But I have two more questions.”
“What questions?” Li Xiuya asked anxiously, fearing the worst.
“First, have you reported this to the police?”
“Yes,” Li Xiuya replied. “But when they arrived, everything was normal. They didn’t find anything.”
Zhu Ming held up a second finger, her smile widening. “Excellent. Then, second, before we solve your problem, we need to clarify the fees.”
With a slap, Zhu Ming placed a contract on the table. “Our Small Fire God Supernatural Studio is known for its transparent pricing, responsible work ethic, excellent service, and booming clientele. Just recently, we had clients lining up to thank us…”
Yun Zouchuan, the sole employee, raised an eyebrow.
If she remembered correctly, their last client, an elderly woman from two months ago, had been persuaded by her family to renege on their agreement. Not only had she demanded a refund, but she had also called the police, accusing them of being con artists.
Fortunately, their studio had a legitimate business license and was registered with the Public Security Bureau, otherwise, things could have gotten messy.
Yun Zouchuan remained silent, not contradicting her boss’s embellishment. After all, if they didn’t get any business soon, her salary would be in jeopardy.
Li Xiuya’s head spun as she scanned the contract, her eyes glazing over at the lines for night-time travel expenses, mental distress compensation, physical exertion fees…
Zhu Ming scribbled a number in a blank space: 50,000.
“Based on your description, the danger level of this anomaly isn’t too high, so the service fee is only 50,000 yuan. Plus an additional 3,200 yuan for other expenses, totaling 53,200 yuan. We require a 50% deposit upfront, which is 26,600 yuan. The remaining balance is due upon completion. If that’s acceptable, please sign and transfer the deposit.”
In reality, the price was based on the faint residual aura Zhu Ming sensed from Li Xiuya, indicating a low level of danger.
Li Xiuya took the pen and signed without hesitation. “As long as the problem is solved, I’ll pay immediately.”
Fifty thousand yuan wasn’t a small sum for an average person, but when it came to supernatural threats and her life, it didn’t seem so expensive. She just hoped these two young, pretty girls knew what they were doing. In her mind, people in this line of work were either old men with white beards or shamanistic women.
Zhu Ming glanced at her signature, her enthusiasm unwavering. “Don’t worry, Ms. Li. We take our work seriously. We’ll make sure you’re satisfied. Just give us a moment to change.”
Coincidentally, having been woken up suddenly, all three of them were in their pajamas.
Zhu Ming quickly reappeared in an all-black ensemble: black shirt, black pants, and Doc Martens. Her hair, now neatly combed, framed her face, the strands swept aside to reveal her smooth forehead. Even in the early hours, she looked alert and energetic.
Seeing her like this, Li Xiuya felt a surge of reassurance. However…
“Are we leaving now?” The thought of returning to that terrifying house filled her with dread.
Zhu Ming’s attitude towards paying clients was always summery and warm. “It’s best to deal with these things quickly. Don’t worry, we’ll protect you.”
As she opened the door, the waiting night rushed in, bringing with it a gust of wind and rain. The cold air ruffled Zhu Ming’s freshly combed hair, adding to her untamed aura. She grabbed a cloth-wrapped stick leaning against the door. “Let’s go.”
Li Xiuya eyed the object in Zhu Ming’s hand with awe. “Is that a… ghost-catching tool?”
Zhu Ming hesitated. “You could say that. It’s handy.”
Yun Zouchuan, also changed into practical sportswear, flanked Li Xiuya on either side as they got into the car. In her haste, Li Xiuya had only grabbed her keys, leaving everything else behind, including proper shoes; she was wearing slippers.
Zhu Ming took the wheel, set the navigation, and drove through the pouring rain.
About half an hour later, they arrived at Li Xiuya’s apartment building.
The Peony Residential Complex? The property values here were high. It seemed their client was well-off.
“My apartment is on the twelfth floor.” The elevator light was on, the red arrow on the display slowly changing. With a ding, the elevator arrived.
The door to apartment 1201 was tightly shut. Li Xiuya fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking so badly she couldn’t get them into the lock.
“Let me.”
Zhu Ming took the keys, positioning Li Xiuya behind her, sandwiched between herself and Yun Zouchuan.
Li Xiuya withdrew her hand, touching her fingers thoughtfully. She had brushed against Zhu Ming’s hand and been surprised by its alarming heat.
The door creaked open, scraping against the floor.
…
Zhu Ming had a feeling she should have charged more.
The moment they stepped through the doorway, she was abruptly pulled back to a specific point seven years ago: her high school, an ordinary local school.
Zhu Ming was eighteen again, wearing an ill-fitting, outdated school uniform, standing in the empty corridor of the teaching building.
Late at night, the school was deserted. The classroom lights were off, only the motion-sensor lights in the hallway still illuminated.
Zhu Ming looked around. The school was as silent as a tomb.
Her thoughts felt sluggish. She looked down at the blood on her hands, taking a moment to remember what she was doing.
Right. She was going to the bathroom to wash off the blood from her nosebleed.
Zhu Ming walked towards the restroom, her head drooping, her face numb with a sleep-like weariness.
Tap, tap, tap…
Her footsteps echoed in the corridor, the lights behind her clicking off one by one. She entered the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and started washing her face. The water quickly rinsed away the rusty-smelling blood.
Then, with a bang, Zhu Ming looked up to see the bathroom door slam shut and lock from the outside.
No one was there. The last of the hallway lights went out.
Zhu Ming turned off the faucet, shaking her hands, not at all surprised. Memories buried deep within her mind surfaced. If she remembered correctly, she had been transported back to a night in her senior year when she had been bullied.
The shadowy, ghostly night held no fear for her. Even reliving it again wasn’t terrifying. Back then, her reactions had been slow, her mind numb. The fear that would have been overwhelming for others barely caused a ripple within her. This was why she had been ostracized, why she couldn’t understand normal emotions.
But she wasn’t a robot. Even the smallest ripple left a mark.
She just felt disappointed, bored. Zhu Ming leaned against the sink in silence.
What would happen next?
She would…
In the darkness, Zhu Ming’s eyes gradually brightened. Right. She was coming. The most beautiful, gentle light in her life was coming to save her.
Creak—
The locked door opened, and a woman in a white lab coat appeared.
She was like a pear blossom in spring, elegant and gentle. She looked at Zhu Ming, her eyes filled with the care the young girl had longed for. “Mingming.”
“Yin Yu,” Zhu Ming whispered her name, feeling a wave of relief wash over her.
“Are you alright?” Yin Yu stepped closer, enveloping Zhu Ming in a hug, her slender fingers caressing her wet cheeks.
Zhu Ming felt a strange surge rise within her. Had they ever been this close back then?
But she couldn’t think clearly. Those fingertips traced her cheek, her earlobe, then settled on her lips. The woman’s light fragrance wrapped around her like a serpent, igniting a shameful desire within her.
“Mingming…”
In a moment she couldn’t quite place, Zhu Ming found herself clutching Yin Yu’s long, silky hair, as smooth as water, engulfing her like the darkness of the night.
Their faces were almost touching. Yin Yu’s eyes, hazy like the morning mist, threatened to drown Zhu Ming in their depths, drown her in their gaze, in their breath.
It was unclear who initiated it, but their soft lips met. Zhu Ming wrapped her arms around Yin Yu’s neck, lost in the kiss.
She couldn’t see the menacing darkness anymore, nor feel the sting of others’ disdain. She had light, love, and warmth. Her lover would give her happiness.
The burning desire seemed to consume her will. A cat curled up by a warm winter stove never wants to get up. A person lost in desire and pleasure never wants to wake.
The kiss deepened. Yin Yu’s white coat fell to the floor. Her usually cool hands grew warm. A serpent gliding through water, a butterfly kissing a flower, they clung to each other for warmth.
“Yin Yu, do you love me?” Zhu Ming asked breathlessly.
“I love you,” Yin Yu murmured submissively, as if hopelessly in love. “Mingming, will you stay with me forever?”
Wrong.
Zhu Ming’s back hit the cold marble of the sink. Her eyes snapped open.
She pushed the woman away.
Wrong!
Awareness flooded back. Looking at the woman before her, cheeks flushed and alluring, Zhu Ming felt a mixture of shame and anger that threatened to explode.
Wrong, wrong, wrong! Yin Yu hadn’t done this with her back then. She had opened the door, expressed concern, and left. This passionate scene was nothing more than a manifestation of Zhu Ming’s hidden desires and admiration.
Besides, Yin Yu had never said those three words.
And most importantly… they had broken up long ago!
This wasn’t real. It was an illusion, a fabrication. She didn’t love Yin Yu anymore… Zhu Ming’s hands trembled as she zipped up her uniform.
But Yin Yu, the other participant in this illusion, wasn’t letting her go.
She looked at Zhu Ming with seductive eyes, licking her luscious lips. She continued to advance, her voice husky and alluring. “Mingming, don’t you want to touch me… don’t you love me anymore?”
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