Ghost Says - Chapter 5.2

He wasn’t sure if it was just his nerves, but while in the house, he constantly felt like someone was following him. If he had stayed any longer, he felt he might have rushed out.

Back home, Lin Xian didn’t say anything more about the person Qiao Gang had met today, only telling him to wash up and sleep, saying they’d discuss everything tomorrow.

Qiao Gang was tired too, so he just took a quick shower and went to bed.

But lying in bed, sleep eluded him. His mind was filled with images of his time with Song Yao today.

What was real, and what was illusion?

A person who had never appeared in his memories before was now, after so many years, deeply affecting his life. This was something high school Qiao Gang could never have imagined.

Song Yuan, what kind of person was he really?

In his memory, he was always so dim, like a shadow in the sunlight. Never remembered, rarely noticed.

Why was someone who had disappeared from this world now reappearing in his life?

Those faintly blue eyes kept appearing before him.

Eyes he once found beautiful now terrified him.

Meanwhile, in another room, Lin Xian had just finished his shower and dried his hair. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he took out a sketch he had casually taken from the book earlier.

It was a close-up of Qiao Gang’s face.

The artist’s strokes were delicate, carefully capturing even the subject’s eyelashes and the fine lines on his lips.

It was truly lifelike. The person who drew this must have mentally traced his features many times.

He didn’t think Song Yuan had drawn this in front of Qiao Gang, it seemed unlikely for the introverted and quiet Song Yuan. To draw so many pictures, all from memory, and with such accuracy, how much effort must he have put in?

What kind of intense, burning emotion would drive someone to go to such lengths for another person?

Song Yuan, what kind of person was he really?

Qiao Gang didn’t sleep well that night. He was woken up in the morning by Lin Xian, who said he had come in after hearing Qiao Gang’s cries.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Qiao Gang woke up looking unwell, his pale face revealing eyes filled with fear.

This was rare. Living with him for some time, Lin Xian had come to understand that Qiao Gang wasn’t a fragile person.

“…I had a nightmare.”

“What kind of nightmare?”

“I dreamed…” Qiao Gang seemed dazed, stopping mid-sentence.

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s nothing, I was just scared. I can’t remember the details clearly.”

Lin Xian looked at Qiao Gang, whose long, straight eyelashes, like those in the painting, half-covered his eyes, making them hard to read.

“It’s okay. You can tell me when you remember.”

Qiao Gang nodded slowly, tiredly pinching the bridge of his nose. The dark circles under his eyes showed he indeed hadn’t slept well.

“You can sleep a bit more.”

“No, I won’t be able to fall asleep again anyway.”

“What do you plan to do today?”

“Hmm, I plan to look for a job.”

“Why?” Lin Xian was somewhat surprised.

Qiao Gang scratched his head, “I can’t keep living here forever, right? I’ll have to move out eventually, and rent won’t be cheap. People need to eat and drink, and that all costs money.”

He had secretly transferred all his previous savings to Xiaoyu’s parents, leaving him with little. Living with Lin Xian saved him a lot of money, but it wasn’t a long-term solution. Xiaoyu’s situation couldn’t be resolved quickly, so he needed to consider his own livelihood.

He had some skills and planned to look for work at an auto repair shop or something similar.

Lin Xian didn’t comment on his decision. After breakfast, he left for work at 8 AM as usual.

At this point, neither of them knew that the nightmare was just beginning.

After a few days of searching, Qiao Gang managed to find a job at another auto repair shop.

However, this shop was quite far from where they lived, requiring a two-hour round trip. He often had to get up when it was barely light outside.

Whether due to the early starts or not, Lin Xian noticed that Qiao Gang’s spirits had been low recently. His dark circles were getting worse, and he looked much more haggard.

Despite usually having a regular sleep schedule, he had been going to bed unusually late these past few days, yet still getting up early the next morning. This went on for several days straight. Even an iron constitution couldn’t handle it. He seemed dazed all day, sometimes even zoning out while eating.

Once, when Lin Xian tapped him on the shoulder from behind, Qiao Gang’s eyes showed clear fear when startled.

Seeing Qiao Gang like this, Lin Xian began to feel something was wrong.

After repeated questioning, Qiao Gang finally spoke about what had been troubling him these past few days.

The inescapable nightmare—

After Xiaoyu’s death, Qiao Gang was devastated, finding only occasional comfort in dreams where she appeared.

In those dreams, Xiaoyu always maintained her pure and tranquil appearance from before.

The bloodshed and ugliness didn’t suit her at all.

In Qiao Gang’s heart, she would always remain beautiful and pure.

But his perception was shattered that night.

When Xiaoyu’s figure appeared in his dream again, Qiao Gang was delighted.

He knew it was a dream, that Xiaoyu was already dead.

But being able to see his deceased lover again, even if just in a dream, offered him some comfort.

Xiaoyu wore a white lace-trimmed spaghetti strap dress, smiling and waving at him from across the way.

Qiao Gang went over and embraced her.

In his arms was the scent of a young woman, that familiar smell making him smile.

His Xiaoyu, his angel.

He felt something wet and sticky under his hands. Was it Xiaoyu’s sweat from the heat?

Qiao Gang looked down, about to ask the person in his arms, but saw his hands were covered in bright red.

Xiaoyu’s snow-white dress had been dyed red, with blood drops still falling from the hem.

“Xiaoyu…”

“Gang, am I beautiful?”

The person in his arms raised her head, looking up at him—

Qiao Gang pushed her away in the next moment!

Xiaoyu swayed unsteadily, seeming not to understand why he did this.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you always say I was beautiful? I even wore the dress you like most.”

She pulled at her skirt, twirling in front of him, just like an ordinary girl trying to attract her boyfriend’s attention.

Qiao Gang didn’t know how to describe the scene before him. Without skin covering, the red muscles and faintly visible white tendons were exposed. As she spun, her long hair, no longer connected to her scalp, fell off, but she seemed unaware.

Those bloodshot eyes, without eyelids to cover them, came close to his face, and stark white teeth opened and closed—

“Do you think I’m beautiful?”

“Am I beautiful or not?”

“Say it, Gang.”

…

Qiao Gang didn’t remember his reaction, he was woken up by Lin Xian.

This kind of dream appeared more than once. Every night when he closed his eyes, he would see Xiaoyu’s skinless face constantly asking him—

“Am I beautiful or not?”

Qiao Gang became afraid to sleep, fearing dreams. He tried to accept that version of Xiaoyu, but he simply couldn’t.

He couldn’t regard the one in his dreams as her, even though their voices and movements were the same. But that terrifyingly horrific appearance and the constant, neurotic questioning frightened him.

Her face, angelic one moment, would without warning become a bloody mess the next. Such a stark contrast would be unbearable for anyone.

Was that really Xiaoyu? Why would she do this?

Eventually, Qiao Gang couldn’t even bear to look at her photos.

The photo of the two of them that used to be on his bedside table was put away in a drawer.

After listening, Lin Xian thought for a long time before telling him not to overthink it. If needed, he suggested seeing a psychologist.

For an ordinary person to witness their loved one being so cruelly murdered would inevitably have some psychological impact. Perhaps the long-suppressed emotions that couldn’t be released in reality were manifesting in his dreams.

Finding some sense in this, Qiao Gang did end up seeing a psychologist a few times.

Whether due to the doctor’s skill or not, it was indeed very effective. After a few days, he no longer had nightmares. But from then on, Qiao Gang rarely mentioned Xiaoyu again.

That horrifying image of Xiaoyu would perhaps be forever difficult to erase from his heart.