Chapter 57: Chapter 57: She’s Also a Pitiful... Ghost

"I thought some girl had dropped it by accident, so I waited for a while. I only left when no one showed up." Zhao Yu was clearly embarrassed talking about it.

’But thinking about how things have turned out, could it be that I’m being haunted?’

As an internet worker, after all, he’d read plenty of novels and watched a lot of web series. This was exactly how they always went. So what was he supposed to do now?

He could only ask an expert for help!

And the only one who fit the image of an expert was, obviously, Wen Ying.

"Doctor Wen, what should I do? She’s not going to haunt me forever, is she?"

"Doctor Wen, you have to save me!"

Wen Ying sighed. "The medicine... didn’t I already give it to you?"

Zhao Yu hurriedly pulled the lighter from his pocket. "B-b-but... is this lighter really going to work?"

"Don’t worry. I’m a professional psychologist. If I say it’s fine, it’s fine. Just remember to use it and keep the flame lit. This delusion won’t be able to get near you again."

Zhao Yu felt much more relieved, but his legs were still shaking. The road back to the inn wasn’t very long, but the thought of walking it alone terrified him.

He could only look at Wen Ying with pleading eyes.

Zhao Yu felt like he had lost more face today than in his entire life combined.

When Wen Ying didn’t respond, Zhao Yu had no choice but to continue, "Doctor Wen, I think my psychological problem is really quite serious. Do you think you could give me some more medicine? The thousand-yuan kind?"

As he spoke, Zhao Yu scanned her QR code and transferred a thousand yuan.

Wen Ying’s eyes lit up. She immediately pulled a sheet of Yellow Paper from a drawer, took the ballpoint pen from her hair, and got to work in one smooth motion.

"Take this. You’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep tonight."

This scene felt familiar. Zhao Yu felt like he’d seen it on the trending topics before—something about a person in a car accident who said they were saved because they wore a peace charm. ’So is this a peace charm, too?’

Zhao Yu took the talisman paper with both hands. He remembered that person saying the peace charm was supposed to have a sheep on it.

He looked down. ’An axe?’

’The lighter has an axe on it, and now this... Shouldn’t a peace charm have a small animal on it or something?’

’Why is it an axe again?’

’Was he fated to be with axes?’

’Should he quit his job at the big tech company and go chop firewood with an axe?’

’Why is it still an axe?’

As if sensing the emotion in Zhao Yu’s silence, Wen Ying’s voice held a hint of a chuckle. "Don’t you feel like you have a special connection with this axe? A single axe is more than enough to keep you safe. This is extra-strength medicine, you know."

Of course, the real reason was that Wen Ying had suddenly felt like drawing an axe. An axe could be used for both offense and defense. Wasn’t it a perfect fit?

"I’ll listen to you, Doctor Wen." Zhao Yu put the talisman paper in his pocket, feeling much calmer now.

He couldn’t keep bothering Wen Ying at her clinic and prevent her from resting, so he could only muster up his courage and head back to the inn. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Doctor Wen, you should get some rest."

"Hold on. Aren’t you afraid someone’s waiting for you outside?"

Zhao Yu froze. The courage he had just summoned up suddenly popped like a balloon and deflated completely.

"I’ll walk you back."

’This must be my luck finally turning around!’ Zhao Yu thought.

He walked beside Wen Ying, feeling incredibly safe. Before today, he never would have thought, never would have imagined, that a woman could make him feel such a profound sense of security.

The two walked down the street. Wen Ying looked around and couldn’t help but remark, "You know, I’ve never actually been out at night. I didn’t realize the night view on this street was so nice. If it weren’t for the person following you—"

Before Wen Ying could finish, Zhao Yu grabbed her arm, his teeth chattering.

"Doctor Wen, please don’t say any more."

"Relax. You have the medicine on you, so she won’t get close. There’s a safe distance of over a meter between you two."

It would have been better if she’d said nothing. Now that she had, Zhao Yu felt his legs go even weaker.

"Actually, she’s just an unfortunate child. She’s only following you because this is the first time she’s been able to stay by someone’s side. Nothing like this has ever happened to her before you."

Listening to this, Zhao Yu started trembling not just physically, but mentally as well.

He’d seen this type of novel and TV series before. ’Don’t tell me I have to marry a... a ghost? No way!’

’I’m so young! I’ve only just started to explore this wonderful world. I haven’t met enough interesting people or seen enough fun things yet. How could I... with her...’

Thankfully, the walk wasn’t long, and they soon arrived at the inn.

The landlady was still up. When she saw Zhao Yu, she teased, "So you came all this way to find Little Ying, huh? Have you had a late-night snack? Want me to cook you a bowl of something?"

Zhao Yu immediately refused. Two meals a day were plenty.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the landlady, Wen Ying left as well.

Zhao Yu clutched the talisman paper tightly in his hand and walked up the stairs, one step at a time.

The inn wasn’t large, but it did have two floors.

The landlady lived on the first floor, which also had the lobby and kitchen. The second floor had four guest rooms, and only four.

After getting inside his room, Zhao Yu slammed the door shut and gasped for air.

The talisman paper in his hand was fine, and the axe on it hadn’t moved. Zhao Yu took out the lighter again and lit it.

A faint sigh reached Zhao Yu’s ears. He looked around the room. "Is that you? Why are you following me? Please go away. I don’t want to hurt you. We’re just strangers. Please stop haunting me, okay?"

Zhao Yu hadn’t been able to see the girl since leaving the clinic, but he knew in his heart it had to be her.

’She’s probably hiding because Doctor Wen is so powerful.’

At that thought, he squeezed the talisman paper even tighter.

He was so scared that he didn’t even take a shower. He just washed his face and feet before shrinking under the covers.

He expected to be too terrified to sleep all night, but to his surprise, he fell asleep after just a little while.

*

He seemed to be at the spot where he had gotten off the bus. Zhao Yu stood a short distance away, looking at the scene. Under two trees sat a young woman who looked to be less than twenty years old. Her face was identical to the one he had seen on his way back from the Ancient Street.

But she looked a bit more gentle, and her face seemed to hold a trace of fear.

Beside her were two men who looked to be in their thirties. They were staring intently at the young woman. Just as Zhao Yu was trying to figure out if they were family, one of the men grabbed her arm and swung his hand, slapping her across the face.

"If you dare scream again, we’ll break your legs and tear out your tongue!"

After the blow, the young woman’s body began to tremble, but she tried hard to appear calm, because she knew she would only get hit more otherwise.

She didn’t know where this place was. When someone had gotten out of the vehicle, her back was already being held, a knife pressed against it.

She didn’t dare make a sound, but she was terrified they would actually sell her off to some remote mountainous region. She had seen news reports about it—it was too horrible, a life not fit for a human being.

When she tried to resist, one of her pretty shoes fell off.

She ran and ran without stopping!

In this strange place, she couldn’t tell if there were accomplices of these men around, or if there were any good people, or if everyone was like them. She didn’t dare to take the risk.

That was why, in her desperate flight, she didn’t see the steep cliff and leaped right off it.