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Ziya recoiled at the sight of Sun Meng, unwilling to approach. She shook her head, unable to pull Sun Meng along, and resigned herself to venturing into the bushes alone.
Ziya moved in the direction indicated by Sun Meng, her heart racing as she searched anxiously. Before she knew it, she found herself near Pomelo Grove, not far from Yellow Crane Tower. Before her stood a row of water pools, and looking up, she could vaguely glimpse the dark windows of Yellow Crane Tower. For some reason, it felt as if someone was peering down at her from those shadowy openings. A chill ran down her spine, and she raised her hand to shield her eyes, trying hard to see if anyone was indeed there.
As Ziya focused intently on the window, she saw nothing but the endless darkness and the dilapidated window frame swaying slightly in the wind.
The campus was eerily quiet; even the birds perched on the branches had ceased their chirping. A gentle breeze brushed against her bangs. Pulling her gaze away from the window of Yellow Crane Tower, she continued to scan her surroundings. All she could see were neatly trimmed bushes—there wasn't even a ghostly shadow in sight. Perhaps Sun Meng had made a mistake? With that thought, she decided not to look back.
As night fell, Ziya turned around and noticed that Sun Meng was gone. She thought maybe she had returned to the dormitory. Shaking her head, she reflected on how Sun Meng had been in a state of tension and depression ever since her mother’s incident; it was possible that what she saw was merely a figment of her imagination.
A streak of vibrant red adorned the western sky, like a blood-red orb gradually sinking behind a line of dark clouds. The shadows of Huangguoshu grew heavier over the campus. Rarely did anyone appear around Huangguoshu before nightfall; not seeing Sun Meng, Ziya had no choice but to head back. She looked up at the two massive Huangguoshu trees—they truly resembled the legendary couple trees, tightly entwined with branches overlapping so much that they nearly blocked out all light beneath them.
The thickness of the two trees obscured her view of what lay beyond them, acting as a barrier. Suddenly, a wisp of blue smoke curled up from behind one of the branches, startling Ziya. She jumped back, fearing something strange was happening again. Her hair stood on end as cold sweat prickled her skin; she dared not look directly but cautiously moved around Huangguoshu to observe from a distance. There, she spotted several candles placed at the roots of Huangguoshu and a small pile of unburned Ghost Money ashes emitting wisps of smoke. It was terrifying… Ziya gently patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief.
Who would come here at dusk to burn Ghost Money? Just moments ago with Sun Meng, it seemed they hadn’t noticed anything unusual. So it must have been after Sun Meng left that someone came here to burn these items typically used during Ghost Festival. But it had only been less than half an hour since then; this person couldn’t have gone far.
Ziya stepped down another level toward Huangguoshu's roots and picked up a twig to poke at the still-smoking paper money ashes. Most of it hadn’t completely burned away yet; it appeared that this person had hurriedly left upon noticing Ziya approaching. Given that today wasn’t Ghost Festival nor any special occasion, why would someone come here to burn Ghost Money?
Ziya considered going to ask at the Guard Room; if this person had entered through the gate, they should know who allowed them in. With that thought in mind, she hurried toward the entrance.
Upon reaching the Guard Room, Ziya found an elderly man with white hair eating his meal. Peering through the window, she estimated he looked to be in his fifties or sixties—certainly old enough to be retired yet still working here as a guard.
"Young lady, do you need something?" he asked in a thick local accent. As he spoke, Ziya noticed he was missing a front tooth and his face glistened with beads of sweat from his meal.
"I want to ask if you saw anyone enter the school just now."
"No, I didn't see anyone. I've been right here the whole time," he replied firmly. He even glanced behind Ziya and, seeing no one there, shook his head more decisively before plopping back down heavily into the bamboo chair, which creaked loudly under his weight.
If no one came in, then was that true? He was the only one at the school gate. Could it be that someone sneaked in while he was away getting food and then slipped out through the Side Door?
"You went to get food just now; didn't anyone come in?" Ziya felt a premonition that this person who came to burn Ghost Money must have some unfinished business at Huangguoshu, meaning this person definitely believed in the Demon God. Was this person male or female?
"Miss, if you have nothing to do, just go rest! Studying is tiring enough without prying into irrelevant matters. I don't know anything," the old man bluntly dismissed her, seemingly annoyed as he slammed the door shut, ignoring Ziya.
Feeling somewhat awkward, Ziya had no choice but to leave quietly. As she walked away, she glanced back at the closed door of the Guard Room. A wave of unease washed over her as she kicked at the fallen leaves on the ground, her lips pressed tightly together while her thoughts lingered on the swirling blue smoke. There was always a vague figure dancing in front of her eyes within that smoke—who could it be?
As she passed by Huangguoshu, she couldn't help but glance casually… Suddenly, she caught sight of a fleeting white shadow near Huangguoshu. Was it a person? In a moment of shock and disbelief, she rubbed her eyes. An idea sparked in Ziya's mind as she instinctively reached out to steady herself against a nearby pillar, leaning forward to get a better look at that fleeting white shadow by Huangguoshu.
The leaves of Huangguoshu trembled slightly, and the leaves on the ground rustled with the wind. Once the breeze left the branches, everything fell still. Had she just imagined it? Or was it an illusion caused by the lingering ashes of Ghost Money? Huangguoshu remained unchanged; there was no white shadow. Nothing at all. When Ziya closed her eyes and opened them again, all she saw were two silent branches.
With questions swirling in her mind, Ziya turned back frequently as she walked toward her dormitory. Just before reaching the door, she saw Sun Meng approaching her. A complex expression flickered in her deep-set eyes; her fingers trembled slightly as she parted her lips.
"Ziya, did I see something dirty? I got so scared that I ran off without thinking. You’re not mad at me, are you?"
Ziya took hold of Sun Meng's hand and felt how cold it was; her body was shaking too. "It's okay. What's wrong? What are you afraid of?"
"I'm scared that something happened to Wang Yuan," Sun Meng said, tears shimmering in her eyes as she focused intently on Ziya, her lips trembling as she spoke.
"How could you have such thoughts? What exactly did you see? Please tell me."
"I saw Wang Yuan... his back, but I couldn't see his face. I don't know why, but seeing his back felt so lonely and heavy. Why can't you all see it? I'm really scared," Sun Meng said, her voice choked with sobs as she spoke to Ziya.
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