Whether to obey or rebel was a crucial question.
The fate awaiting them might be new discoveries, or it could be the key to their demise.
Everyone looked at Ning Wei, awaiting her decision.
Their complete trust in her was a tacit understanding long established among teammates.
Ning Wei walked out, inspecting every room where people resided.
Without exception, each door outside had a similar notice.
With ten minutes remaining, Ning Wei's final decision was: "Let's obey. Tonight, no matter what sounds you hear, do not open the door and go out. Wait until dawn to discuss it!"
"You mean something strange will happen tonight?" Yuanyuan looked around fearfully.
Ning Wei nodded. "Since they specifically notified us, it means tonight they will force us to leave our rooms."
"It's like gambling. The rules are stated in advance. Whether you win or lose depends on your individual choice," Teacher Mei began his lesson again.
She hadn't expected Teacher Mei to use gambling to explain this. It was undeniably simple and easy to understand, though it didn't quite fit his usual persona.
Teacher Mei later explained that his wife was from Shancheng, where people enjoyed playing mahjong or cards, and he had picked up a few things from them.
With only a few minutes left, Ning Wei reiterated her instructions one last time, then watched everyone safely return to their rooms.
In the final minute, she and Li Ye closed their own door.
"I hope they don't forget my instructions."
"You don't seem to fully trust them?" Li Ye raised an eyebrow at her.
Ning Wei sighed. "No matter what sounds or events occur outside, I'm confident they won't come out."
"Then what are you worried about?" Li Ye looked confused.
"I'm worried about what might be *inside* the rooms," Ning Wei's voice was distant, as if she had foreseen what would happen tonight.
If a ghost, or two ghosts, suddenly appeared in their rooms…
It was possible that this group of people would be so scared they'd open the door and run out.
It wasn't a lack of trust in them, but rather an intimate understanding of this group of people.
Because of this possibility, Ning Wei had been talking until her throat was dry before they returned to their respective rooms.
She could only hope they would hold their ground.
Nine o'clock arrived quickly. Each room had a vintage clock, and Ning Wei and Li Ye sat on the sofa, watching the minute hand tick by.
As soon as it struck nine, Ning Wei's ears perked up.
She approached the mirror ghost. The blood-stained towel was still there. With a gentle pull, the female ghost was gone.
"It seems she's gone out to harm someone," Li Ye said, leaning against the doorway.
"So, as soon as nine o'clock hits, any ghost, no matter where they are, gathers together, like attending a meeting, to go out and harm people, right?"
Ning Wei's summary was spot on; that was precisely how it was.
She carefully refolded the towel and placed it aside, so the mirror ghost could hang it up again upon her return.
Neither Ning Wei nor Li Ye were afraid of ghosts. The reason she had used the towel to trap the ghost was simply because she didn't want Li Ye to see the female ghost posing seductively.
A pure-hearted boy like Li Ye needed to be protected.
If one were to ask if Ning Wei had her own little schemes, then naturally... she had a few.
Ning Wei also simply didn't want Li Ye to see such an immodestly dressed female ghost.
As the two of them walked out of the bathroom, they heard the sound of footsteps – the clatter of leather shoes and the clicking of high heels – a symphony of crisp and dull sounds, accompanied by laughter and chatter as they walked along the corridor.
Upon reaching their door, they likely saw the notice. However, they paid it no mind, casually tore it down, tossed it onto the carpet, and entered the room.
Something followed them in. Less than two minutes later, piercing screams and cries for help could be heard.
Ning Wei and Li Ye stood at their doorway. There was a smart screen by the door, which Ning Wei had activated to monitor the situation outside.
This screen's camera could rotate 360 degrees, offering a clear view of everything happening in the entire corridor.
The first thing that caught their eye was the discarded notice, upon which a bizarre red smiley face had materialized.
The screams grew weaker. Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a blood-covered hand.
The owner of this hand slowly crawled out. Other sounds could be heard from inside, but they were indistinct.
Upon closer inspection, this pair of bloody hands had rhinestones on the fingernails, suggesting they belonged to a woman.
Her hands clawed at the carpet with great difficulty, inching outwards like a snail, while she emitted helpless cries for help.
As the sounds from inside faded, a powerful force seemed to be pulling her back, like a tug-of-war.
She managed to crawl out halfway, her body covered in bloody wounds, as if she had bathed in blood.
The force gripped her legs, and with a faint "Ah," she was dragged back into the room.
With a "bang," the door shut again, and all sounds of screams and pleas for help vanished.
Ning Wei glanced at the time. It was already 9:30.
Only half an hour had passed, and these ghosts were already unable to restrain themselves and were out "doing business."
It could only be said that those two individuals were incredibly unlucky, having returned just a little too late.
However, this time the killing took ten minutes. For Ning Wei, this duration was somewhat long, and she couldn't rule out the possibility of deliberate torture.
This was merely an appetizer; a greater storm awaited them.
Looking at the screen, a gust of cold wind blew past, and all traces outside the room were swept away by this eerie wind, as if nothing had happened.
Ning Wei watched intently. Suddenly, a grey-eyed female ghost descended from the screen, her head inverted, and her black hair instantly covered the entire screen.
Soon, the hair obscured all the edges of the screen, and everything happening outside became invisible.
The sound also shifted from silence to a rustling, as if something was approaching them.
Ning Wei's fingers twitched; she was ready.
A strand of hair snuck out. Ning Wei, with her sharp eyes, spotted it immediately.
Her blood bead flew onto this strand of hair. To her surprise, a large mass of hair surged out.
Ning Wei stepped back. Li Ye immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, while his other hand grabbed the hair and pulled with all his might.
Originally, this hair intended to emerge and harm, but now, being forcibly pulled by Li Ye's hand, the sensation was different.
The hair struggled desperately, but Li Ye wouldn't let go.
With waves of white smoke, all the hair was yanked in and fell to the ground, turning into ashes.
The female ghost who had been hanging upside down in front of the screen was now a bald female ghost. She let out a scream and quickly vanished from Ning Wei and Li Ye's sight.
Ning Wei was still immersed in the sensation of Li Ye's hands on her waist. However, after dealing with the female ghost, Li Ye quickly withdrew, without a hint of lingering attachment.