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Ziya resolutely chose the path leading to the road, though she couldn't understand why, on the surface, the shadow seemed to have no direct connection to Wang Yuan's disappearance. There was no evidence indicating that anything had happened to him, but Sun Meng's heartfelt fear and sense of helplessness made Ziya sense a certain link between the shadow and Wang Yuan.
Ziya quickly ran toward the road. On one side of the narrow path was the school, and on the other was the back entrance of a hospital. A long row of garbage bins lined the back entrance, and as she passed by, a wave of foul odor assaulted her nostrils, making her feel nauseous. When she reached the end of the road, all she could see was the dark, desolate street littered with scraps of paper and a few pieces of trash; there were no signs of anyone passing by.
As Ziya approached the road, she caught sight of a Moso Bamboo Forest nearby. Flickering lights could be seen deep within it, twinkling like stars. Why were there lights on at this hour, nearly two in the morning? Taking a step back, Ziya hesitated about whether to go in and take a look. Sun Meng had told her that there was a small workshop run by a family processing Western Pants here, and if others were working late, it would be reckless for her to go in alone.
Despite her thoughts, Ziya felt an inexplicable urge pulling her into the Moso Bamboo Forest. The dense foliage obscured her path as she stepped onto a thick layer of Mao Bamboo leaves that crunched underfoot. Visibility within the forest was low; it was almost pitch black. As Ziya blended into the Moso Bamboo Forest, she also sank deeper into darkness.
The chill in the Moso Bamboo Forest made Ziya shiver uncontrollably. She instinctively hugged her arms tightly around herself as a cold breeze swept up from her feet and enveloped her body. In May's weather, this forest felt unusually frigid; the dark Mao Bamboo stood still like death itself. All of this sent waves of goosebumps across Ziya's skin, intensifying an overwhelming sense of fear that welled up from deep within her.
Suddenly, a two-story house appeared before Ziya's eyes. The orange-yellow light spilled weakly from its windows. Just then, a dog barked from behind a low door, startling Ziya so much that her heart raced violently in her chest. She wanted to run back but found her legs weak and unable to move. Covering her mouth, she silently cursed herself for being so reckless; she hadn’t realized this family had a dog.
Hiding in the Moso Bamboo Forest, Ziya remained completely still, afraid to step out from its cover as droplets of dew slid off the Mao Bamboo leaves onto her hair and clothes. It was so cold that her teeth chattered against each other. She stared intently at the silhouette reflected in the window curtains of the house; it looked strikingly similar to the shadow she had seen earlier at Huangguoshu.
The barking eventually ceased under a woman's scolding voice. Ziya thought about retreating back to the Side Door at school to wait for Zhiqing before making any decisions. She carefully turned around to leave... just then, a dark figure loomed behind her, descending with claws outstretched... With a dull thud, Ziya felt everything go black as she collapsed onto the ground, losing consciousness.
………………………………
Zhiqing received Ziya's call and jumped out of bed in a panic. However, just as he was about to leave, his mother stopped him, causing him to stomp his feet in frustration.
"Where do you think you're going at this hour? At your age, you should be studying! Get back to bed!" His mother's tone was firm with no hint of compromise.
"Mom... I'm trying to save someone! It's an emergency; I need to go check it out!"
"What on earth could make you run out in the middle of the night? Did I raise you just to be a handful?" Mom said, her voice rising as she pulled out her usual weapon, tears welling up in her eyes, hoping to soften her son's stubbornness.
"Mom... what are you talking about? How could I not study well? All the other kids are playing in the arcade all day. When have I ever gone? Only when you promised I could play for a bit did I go." Zhiqing felt a knot of frustration in his chest. Hearing his mother scold him like this made him furious.
"Anyway, you're not going out tonight. My eyelids have been twitching, and that's not a good sign. Plus, there's bad energy coming from the northwest tonight. You have to listen to me, whether you want to or not." Mom said as she pushed Zhiqing back into the house.
"Mom... since you're a believer, you know the saying: saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Come with me to save someone!"
"Who are we saving?" Zhiqing's mom, who was naturally a helpful person, paused when she heard her son speak so seriously. It seemed he wasn't lying after all. She quickly stopped pulling him and held onto his hand, asking.
"My classmate. I don't know where she is now, but another classmate called me in a panic."
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"A girl. Mom... let's go! If we wait too long, it might be too late."
"Alright! Oh dear! Kids these days really think they're royalty; they just run off and ignore their parents' words. Let me put on some clothes..."
Zhiqing's dad worked far away and only came home every ten days or so. With the door locked behind them, the two hurried toward the school. As they approached the side door of the school, they suddenly heard barking coming from the Moso Bamboo Forest nearby.
…………………………
Ziya was startled awake by the commotion outside, only hearing...
“Heavens, please stop doing foolish things and just avoid them! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?” A woman's sorrowful voice cried out as she struggled with someone.
The other person seemed unable to speak, breathing heavily as they pinned the woman to the ground, their strong hands gripping her neck tightly. The woman gasped for breath, making desperate sounds as she fought back, clawing at the person's face, causing them to scream in pain.
Ziya struggled to open her eyes and noticed a curled-up figure beside her that looked human. The dim light from a hanging bulb barely illuminated the chaotic room. It took Ziya some time to adjust to her surroundings and see the mess of torn fabric scattered everywhere. As she regained her breath, she inhaled a cloud of musty dust.
The woman who had been shouting was still grappling with a disheveled man, rolling around in the scraps of fabric, their bodies covered in blue rags.
Taking advantage of their distraction, Ziya kicked the still figure nearby. The person stirred slightly and slowly sat up, dazedly looking around.
Ziya immediately recognized the person who had sat up… it was Sun Meng. “Sun Meng…”
“Ziya…” The two girls rushed towards each other, their hands clasping tightly together. Just then, a siren blared suddenly as two police cars with flashing blue and white lights drove into Moso Bamboo Forest.
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