Chapter 9: The Old Building (Patreon)

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When Guanhai saw the caller ID displaying "Wang Qing," his gaze shifted to Yang Haoran, seeking his opinion.

Taking a drag of his cigarette, Yang Haoran spoke up, "Answer it. Just say we're still on our way back to the countryside, won't be able to make it back tonight for sure."

Reluctant though he was, Guanhai still answered the call, and on the other end, Wang Qing's enticing voice filled the air.

"Brother Guan, have you arrived yet?"

"Not yet, still on the road. Yang's hometown is a bit out of the way, will take some time to get there. Have you left the bar already?" Guanhai chuckled, his tone casual.

"How did you know, Brother Guan, you're amazing. Did the waitress tell you?"

"I could hear the sound of passing cars on your end. My little bar isn't exactly suitable for horseback riding or driving." Guanhai laughed.

"Oh! Brother Guan, you're so mean, but I like it! How about I go grab some late-night snacks, get some for you too, and you drop off your guest and hurry back? I'll be waiting for you to come back and enjoy them slowly." There was an underlying message in Wang Qing's words, and how could Guanhai, a seasoned player in matters of the heart, not pick up on it? He suddenly seemed a bit excited.

However, seeing Yang Haoran shake his head gently, Guanhai felt a sense of urgency. After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately chose to trust Yang Haoran.

"Maybe another time. Tonight, I definitely won't make it back. Save the food for me, I'll come to taste it another day." Guanhai's tone was filled with regret and reluctance, not an act, but genuine.

A tempting laughter came through the phone, and Wang Qing responded, "Okay, I'll be waiting for your call anytime, don't stand me up, Brother Guan."

After hanging up the phone, Guanhai looked disappointed, as if he had lost something precious. Just by looking at his expression, Yang Haoran could feel a pang of regret.

"Hai, although I'm not sure how to explain this to you, I just feel that woman is not right. And I genuinely sensed that eerie coldness emanating from her, and I'm sure it's coming from her," Yang Haoran began, but Guanhai interrupted him with a hand gesture.

"Yang, I trust you. We're brothers, and I can feel your sincerity. I know you're genuinely worried about me getting into trouble, so you don't need to explain. Even if you misjudged her, it's okay. At least I know you didn't misjudge." Guanhai's words made Yang Haoran feel embarrassed. He felt Wang Qing was suspicious based purely on intuition, without evidence. That's why he wanted to explain to Guanhai, but didn't know how.

"Yang, you just said there's a chill about her. By your account, is she a ghost? Can you really see ghosts?" Guanhai asked curiously.

This question left Yang Haoran even more puzzled about how to explain. He waved his hand, somewhat helpless, and said, "Just go back and rest. I'll explain when I have time. But remember what I said, it's best to avoid contact with her."

Finishing his cigarette, Yang Haoran walked away alone, leaving Guanhai behind. Seeing him leave, Guanhai quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

"Obviously home to sleep. You're not suggesting I go to the crematorium, are you?" Yang Haoran replied without turning his head, a bit irritated.

"Even if you're going home, you should call a taxi. Are you planning to walk back?" Guanhai's voice came from behind.

"It's not that far. Walking back can clear my head and sober me up."

Under the cold moonlight, Yang Haoran adjusted his coat and gradually disappeared from Guanhai's sight.

Once Yang Haoran's figure completely vanished, Guanhai took out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and paused at Wang Qing's number.

Yes, this seasoned player wasn't giving up yet. Despite his inner turmoil, he hesitated for a long time, glanced at where Yang Haoran disappeared, and ultimately didn't dial the number. He pocketed his phone and walked into the residential area.

Walking alone on the way home, Yang Haoran's mind was in disarray, partly due to the excessive drinking and partly due to Wang Qing.

There was definitely something off about Wang Qing. He was sure of it. The reason for his certainty was the peculiar chill emanating from her.

It was winter now, and approaching midnight. The outside weather was undoubtedly cold enough, yet Yang Haoran, dressed warmly, didn't feel much of the chill.

However, the coldness radiating from Wang Qing was different. It seemed to bypass clothing and penetrate directly into one's bones, a sensation fundamentally different from the cold brought by the weather.

From what Yang Haoran understood and learned, the chill emanating from Wang Qing should be Yin energy, or one could say, ghostly energy. His so-called "sensing Yin" referred to detecting this phenomenon. However, whether this so-called Yin energy, ghostly energy, was truly related to ghosts, he couldn't be sure. After all, he was just a charlatan, and online information could be true or false.

Nevertheless, he still felt it was right to keep Guanhai away from this woman. Regardless of whether the chill Wang Qing emitted was ghostly or not, getting close to her certainly wouldn't lead to anything good. He didn't want to get involved in Guanhai's affairs at some point. That would indeed be interesting.

Lost in his thoughts, Yang Haoran suddenly felt a chilling sensation at his back, spreading from his feet to his head. He shuddered, his body stiffening in place, his hair almost standing on end!

Familiar! It feels so familiar!

Whenever Yang Haoran approached Wang Qing, he had this chilling sensation. It hadn't been long since then, so naturally, he wouldn't forget that feeling!

However, the chill he felt now was much stronger than what Wang Qing had caused him. It was much more intense, on an entirely different level!

The fear in his heart made him dare not even glance back, as if at this moment there was something standing behind him, staring at him with a cold, sinister gaze, regarding him as prey.

His stiff body trembled slightly, and it was then that Yang Haoran suddenly realized he had unconsciously arrived in front of a dilapidated old building.

Under the moonlight, the decrepit old building looked like a ferocious ghost, struggling to crawl out of hell, its bloodthirsty mouth wide open as if to devour him whole!

Yang Haoran's heart sank as he cursed himself for ending up here. He still dared not turn back, and with a surge of inexplicable strength from somewhere within, he sprinted away as if his life depended on it, wanting nothing but to escape this alleyway.

The alley wasn't long, but Yang Haoran ran with all his might. It took about two minutes, but he finally managed to flee from that alleyway.

As soon as he dashed out of the alley, the chilling sensation disappeared. He stopped in his tracks, gasping for breath, his feet trembling, his heart pounding. He was exhausted and frightened.

Glancing back, he could still vaguely see the old building in the moonlight. In the cold moonlight, the old building appeared eerie. Even just a glance sent shivers down his spine.

Yang Haoran was familiar with this old building. Passing through the alley in front of it would lead to the street where he was. During the daytime, few people and vehicles passed by this alley, and only two types of people dared to take this shortcut to his street.

The first were outsiders who didn't know about the terrifying stories surrounding the old building. Ignorance breeds fearlessness. The second were the bold ones who had heard about the supernatural events associated with the old building but, being fearless and skeptical of the supernatural, dared to pass by the alley.

However, this was only during the daytime. Once it was nighttime, not only did the old building appear more sinister and terrifying, even the alley outside became filled with an eerie atmosphere. No ordinary person, let alone the aforementioned two types, would dare to pass through this alley at night. Even those who had passed through once at night wouldn't dare to do so again, because anyone who passed through this alley would feel a deep-seated fear and chill emanating from their soul. No matter how brave or skeptical one was, the environment and the chilling sensation would still startle them.

Over time, once it was nighttime, apart from the very few outsiders who passed by, no one would dare to pass through the alley in front of the old building.

Yang Haoran wouldn't normally pass through this alley either, even during the daytime. He would rather take a detour than pass through here. As for nighttime, it goes without saying; even if he died, he wouldn't want to come near this place.

Tonight, due to drinking too much and being heavily burdened with worries, he somehow ended up here. If it weren't for the sudden chill from the depths of his soul that awakened him, he wouldn't have even noticed that he had come to such a terrifying place.

As he gasped for breath, Yang Haoran dared not linger here any longer. He took out a cigarette from his pocket, trembling, and hastily walked towards the location of his storefront. The sound of his footsteps, his heavy breathing, and the clicking of his lighter echoed in the street, sounding hollow.

His trembling hands tried to ignite the lighter several times, but it failed to light the cigarette. Yang Haoran felt nervous and irritated. However, just then, a dark figure suddenly dashed out from in front of him, startling him into a scream!

"Ah!!!"

Yang Haoran's body trembled, and instinctively, he leaped backward, paying no attention to the cigarette falling from his mouth. He turned his fearful gaze towards the black shadow.

Under the streetlight, the figure that had suddenly shot past him turned out to be a chubby big black cat!

Sensing Yang Haoran's gaze, the big black cat stopped in its tracks, looked at him, and let out a meow.

Yang Haoran was furious, nearly scared out of his wits by this creature. In his anger, he threw the lighter in his hand at the black cat.

"What are you meowing for?! You scared the hell out of me!"

The lighter exploded as it hit the ground, startling the black cat, which meowed in fright before quickly running off.

At that moment, a window in the apartment above where the black cat had emerged suddenly opened, and a heavily made-up middle-aged woman began shouting curses in Yang Haoran's direction.

"What the hell are you yelling about in the middle of the night?! Do you want to ruin my business?! You drunken fool, go to sleep! If a car hits you, serves you right!"

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Next Chapter ->Chapter 10: My House is Haunted!