Chapter Seventy-Six: Three Years Later

In the days that followed, I dutifully slung my backpack over my shoulder and hurried to school, living through day after day. During this time, countless eerie incidents occurred, both large and small, each one shaping me, making me grow.

On this particular evening, in apartment 4201 of a residential building, a group of young people gathered around a table. The power was out, which brought them together, and, bored with nothing to do, they actually suggested telling ghost stories. The two girls nearby were both frightened and intrigued, so after some discussion, the host of the house fetched a white candle from the cupboard, lit it, and placed it in the center of the table.

One of the girls, unsettled by the white candle, said, “He Peng, why did you bring out a white candle? It’s rather creepy. Don’t you have something more festive?”

"Sister Chen Siqi, what are you afraid of? There are so many of us here. You need this kind of atmosphere for ghost stories, right?" replied He Peng, the boy in question.

The others nodded in agreement. Another girl hugged Chen Siqi’s shoulders and comforted her. He Peng then remarked, “Hey, Qi Feng, where did that guy Hai Chao go?”

“Oh, him? Lazy folks always need more bathroom breaks,” Qi Feng answered.

Just then, the sound of a toilet flushing came from the bathroom, and a boy dashed out, laughing, “Here I am! Didn’t you say we’re telling ghost stories? I had to go first or I wouldn’t dare later, ha!”

Everyone burst out laughing. He Peng continued, “Alright, let’s begin. Everyone has to tell a story. Skip the old, clichéd ones—those are boring. The scarier the better, right?”

He Peng glanced at Qi Feng and Hai Chao, who both caught his meaning and grinned mischievously, their eyes flickering toward the girls.

The two girls rolled their eyes and said, “We’re not afraid of ghosts, let alone your silly stories. Just don’t bore us.”

“Fine. Who’s going first?”

“I’ll go,” Hai Chao volunteered eagerly. “Let me tell you a story from my hometown. Don’t be scared!”

Everyone nodded and fell silent. Hai Chao cleared his throat and began in a storyteller’s tone, “I remember my fourth great-uncle once told me something. I was small then, more curious than afraid. One time, my aunt came over to visit and didn’t leave until evening. It was getting dark—you know how country roads in the mountains are, just dirt paths and no streetlights—so she borrowed a flashlight for the walk home.”

The others nodded, listening intently. Hai Chao went on, “My aunt grew up in the countryside, so she wasn’t afraid of those dark mountain roads. Everything was peaceful, and just as she was about to reach her house, my fourth great-uncle happened to be sitting outside, cooling off. When he saw her return, he asked, ‘Hey, where’s your friend?’ My aunt thought, what friend? I’m alone. But my fourth great-uncle insisted there was someone behind her. Later, when he told us about it, he said he saw a woman in a red dress following her, head bowed, face hidden. We kids were so scared we couldn’t sleep for days. Terrifying, isn’t it?”

When Hai Chao finished, He Peng, Qi Feng, and the other girl didn’t show much reaction, but Chen Siqi, who had complained about the candle earlier, looked genuinely frightened, hugging herself and glancing around nervously. He Peng noticed and said, “Siqi, don’t be scared. We’re here. Hai Chao, how old is that story? Could you tell something less boring?”

Throwing the spotlight back to Hai Chao, He Peng smirked. Hai Chao snorted, folding his arms in mock annoyance, signaling the others to continue. At that moment, Qi Feng, who had been listening intently, let out a long sigh, straightened up, and said, “Let me go next—let me tell you something about a funeral home. My uncle works there.”

At the mention of the funeral home, everyone perked up. He Peng urged, “Go on, then. That’s bound to be creepy.”

Qi Feng nodded, and Chen Siqi edged closer to the other girl, clutching her arm. Then Qi Feng began, “My uncle’s been known for his courage since he was a kid—they even call him ‘Bold Qi’ in the village. He once bet someone he could walk to a grave in the old forest at midnight, circle it three times, and record a video with his phone. At first, no one believed him, but when he came back and showed the video, people started to. I remember as a kid, I was in the crowd when someone suddenly said in surprise, ‘There’s a white shadow in the background!’ Everyone crowded around, and many agreed there was a white shadow. But my uncle, Bold Qi, didn’t believe in that stuff. He took the phone and said it was just a white plastic bag blowing by. People didn’t believe him, but seeing how brave he was, they let it go.”

“Later on, my uncle had nothing to do at home, so an acquaintance suggested he work at a funeral home in the city. Somewhere nearby, I forget exactly where. Anyway, when my uncle heard about the good pay, he agreed immediately. A few days later, he packed up and left for the city. Everything went smoothly—the staff liked him because he was brave and willing to work nights, so he started right away. Listen closely, now, because here’s where it gets interesting.”

Qi Feng leaned closer to the table. He Peng interrupted, “Are you saying what you just told us wasn’t the main point?”

“Don’t interrupt, just listen.”

He Peng shrugged and nodded, letting Qi Feng continue.

“My uncle was hired on his first day. After they gave him his uniform and badge, someone showed him the ropes—basic stuff, like don’t touch this, don’t move that, don’t wander around at night. My uncle wasn’t afraid, just nodded along. Everything went fine until the afternoon, when a newly deceased body was delivered. My uncle was taken to help out. It was his first day, and when he saw the corpse, he covered his nose in disgust. The senior worker scolded him, saying, ‘Don’t make faces at the dead or they’ll come find you at night.’ My uncle, young and brash, didn’t believe any of it and was annoyed at the scolding. But the pay was good, so he stuck with it. After they moved the body to the mortuary, the senior worker left with him. Come evening, the already chilly temperature seemed to drop even further. My uncle had to put on a thick coat to patrol the funeral home.”

“Around midnight, bored, he went to the break room to sleep. Just as he lay down, the phone on the table suddenly rang, blaring through the eerie silence. It startled him. The atmosphere was creepy enough, and then this ear-splitting ring! Annoyed, he picked up the phone—but he’d forgotten one very important rule.”

Hai Chao suddenly interrupted, raising his hand, “I know, I know! You’re not supposed to answer phones in the middle of the night, right?”

Qi Feng paused, puzzled. Hai Chao grinned sheepishly, “Sorry, you mentioned it earlier and I just couldn’t help myself. Go on, go on!”

Qi Feng nodded, lowered his voice, and continued, “My uncle answered the call. Luckily, it was just from the makeup room—the place where they prepare the bodies. They told him to bring the body delivered that afternoon over for preparation, since the family was holding the funeral the next day and they were working overnight. My uncle hung up, grabbed a flashlight, and went to the mortuary to wheel out the corpse. Imagine: alone in a vast, empty hall, pushing a body. It's enough to give anyone chills. But my uncle? He wasn’t fazed. He even started whistling a tune. The whole way, it was quiet as could be. But just as he wheeled the corpse into the elevator and was about to press the button for the third floor—suddenly!”

Qi Feng shouted at this point, startling everyone who’d been listening so closely. He Peng clutched his chest, frowning, “Qi Feng, what’s wrong with you? Just tell the story, don’t yell like that!”

Qi Feng chuckled, looking at the startled group, “Just setting the mood!”

They all rolled their eyes and motioned for him to continue. Qi Feng nodded and said, “Just as my uncle was about to press the button for the third floor, he suddenly heard an elderly voice behind him say, ‘Young man, I want to go to the first floor. Can you press the button for me?’ The unexpected voice made my uncle jump. He whipped around, but there was no one there—just the corpse on the gurney. He lifted the sheet to check, but the body was exactly as it had been. He told himself he must have been hearing things from lack of sleep. After a moment, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. He steadied himself and pushed the corpse out, heading to the makeup room, which was still lit. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He knocked again—still silence. Now my uncle was truly puzzled. He turned the handle and pushed the door open…”