Chapter Eleven: Midnight Terror

After parting ways with Hu Xiao, Feng Yuan returned to the study across from his own bedroom. He lit a candle, spread out some paper, and prepared his ink, ready to write tomorrow’s chapter of his novel.

Just as he dipped his brush in ink and was about to begin, he suddenly heard a noise coming from the wall behind him.

Slap!

Slap, slap!

It sounded as if someone was striking the wall with their palm. Feng Yuan immediately stopped, set down his brush, and turned to look at the wall, frowning deeply.

Behind the study was the courtyard of the second house. No one lived in the second house—who could possibly be in the courtyard, slapping the wall of his study?

While Feng Yuan was pondering this, the knocking abruptly stopped. He figured it must have been something blown by the wind, striking the wall and making such a noise. After all, the back of the house was deserted and messy, and when the wind blew, it was normal for a loose board or something similar to bang against the wall.

Feng Yuan was intent on making money from his writing and didn’t give it much more thought. He turned back, picked up his brush, and prepared to start writing.

Slap!

Slap, slap!

Once again, the sound of slapping against the wall started up behind him. Feng Yuan ignored it and began to write.

Slap, slap, slap!

Slap, slap!

The noises grew louder, so persistent that Feng Yuan couldn’t focus. He put down his brush and glared at the wall behind him.

As soon as he did, the slapping noises stopped again, as if someone was playing a prank to distract him and keep him from writing.

Feng Yuan stared at the wall for several minutes, but no further sound came. He reasoned that the wind must have died down; there should be no more disturbances. Feeling reassured, he turned and picked up his brush once more.

Slap, slap, slap…!

The slapping resumed, even more urgent than before.

“Damn it, what is that?” Feng Yuan couldn’t help but curse. He set down his brush and went outside, grabbing a lantern to see what was making those noises against the wall.

As soon as he stepped outside, he bumped into Hu Xiao, who was just coming in. They nearly crashed into each other.

“Xiao Xiao, why aren’t you asleep yet?” Feng Yuan asked. “Was it you behind the wall just now, playing a prank?”

“It wasn’t me, sir. I just came over—I couldn’t sleep and got a bit scared, so I came to find you to talk,” Hu Xiao replied, looking at Feng Yuan.

Feng Yuan studied her face; she didn’t seem to be lying. “Wait here, then. I’ll go take a look out back.”

“Sir, I want to go with you. I’m scared to stay here by myself!” Hu Xiao clutched Feng Yuan’s sleeve, looking at him with pitiful, pleading eyes.

Seeing her like that, Feng Yuan nodded. “Alright, then.”

The two of them headed toward the second house. This area had been neglected for years—far more overgrown and wild than even the first house had been before it was cleaned up. The grass was waist-high, obscuring the path, so they had to feel their way forward, inch by inch, wary of what might be lurking in the undergrowth.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a cold wind swept over from the direction of the second house, chilling them both to the bone. They couldn’t help but shudder.

But it was summer—where could such a cold wind come from? Even if there were a breeze, it should be warm, not cold like this. It didn’t make sense.

The thought unsettled Feng Yuan. He glanced at the looming darkness of the second house and suddenly remembered what the old caretaker had warned him: this place was haunted, cursed, and no one should ever go into the back courtyard.

He’d been so preoccupied with his writing that he’d forgotten all about that warning. Now, the memory sent a chill creeping up his spine. Though he prided himself on his courage and was curious enough to want to investigate, he couldn’t deny that a sense of fear was taking hold—especially after that strange, icy wind. It was all a bit too uncanny.

“Sir, what’s wrong? Why did you stop?” Hu Xiao tugged at his sleeve, pulling him out of his reverie.

“It’s nothing. Let’s keep going.”

Together, they walked on, making their way to the wall behind the study. There was nothing at the base of the wall—no wood, no branches, nothing that could have made that noise. So what could have caused it?

Perplexed, Feng Yuan turned to look around. As he glanced toward the main building of the second house, he caught sight of two red lights, each the size of a ping-pong ball, glowing in the darkness like a pair of eyes.

But in the blink of an eye, the red lights vanished.

Feng Yuan frowned. The same thing had happened yesterday—he’d seen two glowing red spots on his bed, and they’d disappeared just as suddenly. He’d thought it was his imagination, but now it had happened again. He began to feel uneasy. It couldn’t just be a trick of the eyes, could it? Were there ghosts inside? But ghost lights were supposed to be green, not red.

Curiosity got the better of him. “Let’s go inside and take a look,” he said to Hu Xiao.

“No, sir, I feel like there’s something terrible over there. I’m really scared!” Hu Xiao clung to his sleeve, shaking her head.

“It’s fine. If you’re scared, you can go back—I’ll go look by myself.”

“Then I’ll go with you!”

So together, they made their way to the entrance of the second house. The doors were thick with dust and cobwebs, barely closed. Feng Yuan pushed gently, and with a faint creak, the door swung open. A wave of musty, damp air hit them; the place must have been locked up and growing moldy for years.

Feng Yuan looked down and stepped carefully inside. Hu Xiao gripped his sleeve tightly and followed, her face tense as she glanced around nervously.

Inside, the temperature seemed to drop instantly, as if the place were air-conditioned—though that was obviously impossible.

“Could there really be a ghost?” Feng Yuan wondered, his nerves prickling. He held the lantern high, peering into the gloom.

As they moved forward, Feng Yuan raised the lantern higher for a better look.

Suddenly—

A pale woman’s face appeared right in front of him, smiling eerily.

In that split second, Feng Yuan felt the blood freeze in his veins, his entire body going rigid where he stood…