Chapter 2 Coincidences Abound
One person and one ghost continued to stare at each other. Qin Liu remained silent. Liu Haoyu also remained silent. At this moment, the two were very close, so close that Liu Haoyu could have kissed Qin Liu’s face with a slight bow of his head. However, the question was whether this was truly Qin Liu, and that remained to be seen. Although the Black Book insisted there was only one guide, the Qin Liu before him gave off a completely different feeling. Cold, dead, her hollow eyes devoid of any emotion. At this moment, the faint light of the lantern illuminated the small, dark space. It also fully illuminated the predicament of the two. Liu Haoyu could see the girl before him. She wasn’t wearing a red wedding dress, but the JK sailor uniform he had given her. Although this emotionless Qin Liu exuded an extremely eerie aura, her demeanor was rather dazed and adorable. She tilted her head, her hollow eyes seeming to hold a hint of confusion. “Why… why are you hugging me?” Liu Haoyu was also bewildered by this question. He didn’t know either. The moment he opened his eyes, he found himself embracing this girl. If he were hugging a normal girl, she might have already yelled, “Pervert!” But the girl before him was not human. She felt more like an exquisite doll. Her expression was somewhat vacant as she asked, “So why are you hugging me?” “Can I say that I don’t know?” Liu Haoyu sighed helplessly. However, upon hearing Liu Haoyu’s answer, Qin Liu simply responded faintly, “Oh…” After saying this, she didn’t resist, continuing to lie quietly in Liu Haoyu’s arms. She even seemed to find it not comfortable enough and snuggled closer, until she found a comfortable position and stopped moving. Liu Haoyu, however, took this opportunity to observe his surroundings. The space around him was very cramped, and the faint light from the lantern couldn’t reveal what was around them. After feeling around, Liu Haoyu discovered… that whether it was up, down, left, or right, it was all wooden. Could it be… he was inside a coffin? And upon closer inspection, it wasn’t that the lantern couldn’t illuminate the surroundings, but rather that the wooden boards were entirely black, making it appear as a patch of darkness. In reality, the lantern had already lit up everything it could. Confirming his situation, Liu Haoyu took a deep breath and asked the girl in his arms, “Are you really Qin Liu?” “…” Hearing this, Qin Liu immediately turned over and pulled open her collar again. With that pull, Liu Haoyu saw a vast expanse of white, including a black mole. “I am Qin Liu.” As expected, she was still her usual dazed and cute self. “Did you see clearly?” “Sigh… I can’t determine your identity by a mole.” Liu Haoyu was getting a bit bold, but Qin Liu didn’t get angry. She pulled her collar back, and after thinking for a moment… she gave up thinking. Seeing the girl unresponsive, Liu Haoyu sighed. Indeed, this was how a ghost should be. Difficult to communicate with, impossible to interact with… Although she looked exactly like Qin Liu. Her body, her scent, and even her small feet were identical to Qin Liu’s. She shouldn’t be Qin Liu. But the Black Book said she was Qin Liu, and there was only one guide. Thinking of this, Liu Haoyu felt a headache coming on. He tried to stand up, but the narrow coffin restricted his movement. Perhaps sensing he wanted to stand up, Qin Liu’s small hand grabbed him. The girl’s vacant yet clear eyes gazed at Liu Haoyu. “Don’t go.” Her voice was very soft, but her attitude was exceptionally firm. “If you leave, it will just be me alone.” “Don’t leave…” Qin Liu’s voice began to fade and become more ethereal, causing Liu Haoyu’s consciousness to become muddled. It was as if he had fallen into a whirlpool, and the entire world began to spin. Immediately after, Liu Haoyu woke up from his dream. He clutched his chest, his expression a little pained. Liu Haoyu’s heart felt like it was going to explode, his thoughts were muddled, and he couldn’t even think. In that instant… Liu Haoyu could clearly feel that the emotionless Qin Liu in his dream had grasped his soul. Fortunately, he had woken up, or he might have truly died in his dream. What was going on? Liu Haoyu took a few breaths, and then he saw… Qin Liu was lying beside him, his hand gently embracing her body. Just like in his dream… Realizing this, Liu Haoyu was immediately startled. Looking at Qin Liu’s delicate sleeping face, Liu Haoyu’s mood gradually calmed down. This was Qin Liu… the real Qin Liu. The Qin Liu who appeared slow-witted and adorable, and unlike a ghost. Seeing her meant that Liu Haoyu had once again walked back from the gates of hell. At this moment, the girl was drooling and muttering nonsensical dream phrases. “Fries… burgers… hehe…” Crystal clear saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth onto Liu Haoyu’s arm, feeling a bit cold and sticky. Liu Haoyu gently pulled his arm out of her embrace and wiped it clean. At the same time, he began to observe Qin Liu’s appearance. He had to admit, the real Qin Liu was almost a mirror image of the Qin Liu in his dream. Even the clothes she wore were identical, both being JK sailor uniforms. Since she was going to sleep, Qin Liu wasn’t wearing white stockings, which was also the same as in his dream. The only possible difference was that Qin Liu slept soundly in reality, whereas the Qin Liu in his dream was more eerie and strange. However… did Qin Liu really have a mole on her chest? The Qin Liu in his dream kept emphasizing her identity with this feature. But in reality, he had never seen it. If that was an illusion, then according to reason, illusions should be based on existing knowledge. And in reality, he hadn’t seen that mole. Did it really exist? Thinking of this, Liu Haoyu’s gaze fell upon Qin Liu. Having just returned from the brink of death, he could now clearly see Qin Liu’s appearance. And unlike others, Liu Haoyu could always touch Qin Liu. So, in this situation… wasn’t it also okay to investigate the truthfulness of what the Qin Liu in his dream said? Thus, Liu Haoyu’s sinful hand slowly reached towards Qin Liu’s collar. The collar of a JK sailor uniform usually had buttons, and these buttons weren’t difficult to undo. After undoing them, a large expanse of white could be seen. In less than five seconds, Liu Haoyu had undone the buttons. It’s about to happen… Liu Haoyu took a deep breath and slowly pulled down Qin Liu’s collar. At this moment, he felt a gaze of death upon him. Looking up, Liu Haoyu saw the sleep-dazed Qin Liu was looking at him. Seeing this, Liu Haoyu calmly re-buttoned his clothes, then rested his left hand on his head and said in a very proper and handsome manner, “Yo~ Good morning.” “Good morning… what nonsense!” Qin Liu instantly sprang up from the bed, covering her collar, and said in shock, “Don’t think I don’t know you unbuttoned my shirt!” Imagine waking up and your good friend unzipping you… that thought alone is terrifying, right? “I think I can explain.” “Speak, and I’ll try my best to get you a death sentence.” Qin Liu looked at him with vigilant eyes. Fortunately, she was a ghost, otherwise, the police would likely have already arrived at the door. Given this, Liu Haoyu took a deep breath and said, “I had a very strange dream about you. She was expressionless, dazed, with hollow eyes, so I suspected she was fake. But she kept insisting she was Qin Liu and showed me her chest, where there was a mole, so I wanted to verify if what she said was true.” “Oh~” Qin Liu snapped her fingers and then her expression turned hostile, saying, “Do you think the police will believe your ghost stories?” The girl’s blushing face spoke volumes, but Qin Liu wasn’t merely shy; it was more akin to “overheating.” In just this short while, this shrimp-head had clearly seen her chest, and he even knew there was a mole on it. Who could she complain to about such a thing? Is there no justice in the underworld? Please, judge, bestow justice! While they were talking, footsteps could be heard from outside the door, and they seemed to stop right at the doorway. With the presence of an outsider, both of them tacitly fell silent. Qin Liu hid and pointed at the door, whispering, “Someone’s knocking.” “Got it.” Liu Haoyu checked the time. It was only 5 AM, and he had only slept for two hours? And at 5 AM, who would come looking for him? Liu Haoyu put on his slippers and went to the door. Through the peephole, Liu Haoyu saw the middle-aged woman from the hotel reception standing upright at the door. She was holding a spare room key card and was motionless, doing who knows what. And this middle-aged woman seemed to want to use that spare room key card to open his room! What did she want? Liu Haoyu beat her to it and opened the door. The middle-aged woman also hadn’t expected the door to be opened. A narrow door crack separated them, and their eyes met, the atmosphere suddenly becoming very heavy. Liu Haoyu asked, “Is there something?” “This… guest, do you need any services?” The middle-aged woman’s expression was a bit awkward, but she quickly retracted her hand holding the key card and bared her yellowish teeth, saying with a professional smile, “Guanyin Sitting Meditation 399, Fierce Man Pushing Cart 299… Fast food is 100 for one session, fifteen minutes.” The woman’s smile was a bit bleak, and combined with the dim light in the aisle, her expression looked inexplicably strange. Looking at this woman, Liu Haoyu narrowed his eyes. He felt something was wrong, but he didn’t say much. Instead, he crossed his arms and said, “Sorry, I prefer younger ones.” Liu Haoyu’s words made Qin Liu, who was not far away, perk up and even straighten her back a little, looking somewhat scared. After speaking, Liu Haoyu waved his hand, dismissing the middle-aged woman. The latter paused for a moment, looking at Liu Haoyu, and said, “Then it’s nothing. Guest, you should rest early. It’s already 5 AM, and if you don’t sleep, the sun will be up.” With that, she turned and left. Liu Haoyu watched her retreating back and then slowly closed the door. After closing the door, Liu Haoyu smiled. This person clearly wanted to open the door and come in. At this hour of the morning, she was definitely not a good person. “Who was outside?” “The hotel receptionist.” “What did she come for?” Qin Liu was a bit perplexed. Liu Haoyu, however, narrowed his eyes. He seemed to have thought of something and then said to Qin Liu, “I don’t know why she came… I’m going out for a bit. Do you want to come?” Facing Liu Haoyu’s invitation, Qin Liu thought for a moment and then shook her head. Although she was a ghost, she retained human habits. From yesterday until now, she had only slept for those two hours, so she was habitually a bit tired. “What are you going to do?” “I’m going out for some fresh air and to stroll around the hotel.” “Huh?” Qin Liu was stunned. “What’s so good about this place to stroll around?” “To watch the sunrise, enjoy life?” “Alright…” Although she couldn’t understand why Liu Haoyu had such leisure, Qin Liu just wanted to lie on the bed and relax. Liu Haoyu left the room, and Qin Liu lay idly on the bed. However, for some unknown reason, Qin Liu was still a bit drowsy. But the moment she lay on the bed, the entire ghost felt much more spirited. “I wonder what’s so good about watching the sunrise…” Qin Liu muttered as she lay on the bed. Although she had been distracted earlier, Qin Liu hadn’t forgotten about Liu Haoyu unbuttoning her shirt. “Tsk… that’s really strange.” After falling asleep, she dreamed that for some unknown reason, she had undone her buttons without realizing it. The reason was unknown, perhaps because she was a bit hot? Qin Liu couldn’t figure it out, as she had never been one to use her brain. If she could lie down, she would never bother to get up. Moreover, this was most likely just an ordinary dream, with a few coincidences. So Qin Liu couldn’t be bothered to think about it further. She lay on the bed, wanting to rest, when she spotted a black touchscreen mobile phone on the bedside table. Whose phone this was, was obvious. “Huh? This guy isn’t even bringing his phone to watch the sunrise?” Qin Liu muttered and picked up the phone. Although Qin Liu was a ghost, she could still touch some things. The phone was among them. Picking up Liu Haoyu’s phone, Qin Liu suddenly thought of the horror story Liu Haoyu had told at Panwang Temple. If this had really happened, there should be news about it. Driven by curiosity, Qin Liu searched for keywords like “Panwang Temple Murder Case” on Baidu. Soon, she found what she was looking for. It was a video of an expert explaining the case. Qin Liu first read the synopsis and then couldn’t help but sigh. “You know what, this case doesn’t seem that simple. The victims weren’t just one person, and there was also a female receptionist among them. There really are a lot of coincidences in this world.”
