Chapter 73: The Girl Holding a Lantern (4000 words)
Liu Haoyu, who originally thought he had encountered Qin Liu, immediately raised an alarm in his mind upon hearing this.
Although this young girl looked exactly like Qin Liu, she was undoubtedly not Qin Liu.
She exuded a strong deathly aura.
Her eyes were hollow and lifeless, her expression blank, and her voice devoid of any inflection.
Based on Liu Haoyu’s professional experience as a ghost exorcist, these were basically the characteristics of a ghost.
After losing a part of their soul and consciousness, most ghosts would become like this.
Or they would only react to a specific obsession.
The former was similar to Qin Liu’s current appearance, while the latter was similar to the situation with Zhu Xingxue’s son.
But regardless of which category it fell into, it was a ghost.
As Liu Haoyu vigilantly watched the young girl in front of him, his tone did not reveal any fear or apprehension.
The man calmly said,
“What is your name? Why are you here?”
“Hmm?”
The girl in the red wedding dress tilted her head.
“My name is Qin Liu. As for why I’m here… I’m sorry, I can’t say.”
“Qin Liu?”
Liu Haoyu confirmed again, if judging by physical characteristics.
Her figure, voice, face, and those feet that made one want to play with them.
She was indeed identical to Qin Liu.
However, in terms of feeling, she was not like Qin Liu.
But to tell the truth, this “Qin Liu” in front of him was more like a ghost.
The Qin Liu he had met did not seem like a ghost at all; she seemed more like someone pretending to be a ghost.
The young girl looked at Liu Haoyu indifferently and gently pulled down her collar slightly.
Beneath the collar was a expanse of white hills.
Although he couldn’t see the true face of Mount Lu, with just a slight tug, Liu Haoyu could see most of it clearly.
And amidst this white expanse, Liu Haoyu saw a black mole?
“I am Qin Liu.”
Without any evidence or explanation, this girl in the red wedding dress displayed her features, her vacant eyes particularly clear.
She was simply proving her identity.
Liu Haoyu looked at the mole on her chest and was momentarily perplexed.
Logically speaking, illusions created by supernatural events were usually based on what one already knew.
It was like a wet dream, waking up at the critical moment.
If you haven’t experienced it, you wouldn’t know about it.
So, could it be that this young girl in front of him was actually Qin Liu?
But why had she become like this?
Liu Haoyu couldn’t figure it out and looked at the girl in front of him with suspicion.
“If you are really Qin Liu, please tell me what color underwear Qin Liu was wearing.”
“…”
The girl in the red wedding dress remained silent for a long time.
She seemed to have not kept up with Liu Haoyu’s line of thought.
But even so, she still replied,
“I wasn’t wearing any.”
“…”
Now it was Liu Haoyu’s turn to be silent.
The man had not anticipated such an answer at all.
As expected, supernatural events were unpredictable.
Liu Haoyu bent over slightly, showing respect to the fierce ghost before him.
In this situation, even if she were fake, he had to believe her.
Otherwise, he would be letting down his good brother.
Moreover, he had to admit that with Qin Liu’s extraordinary appearance, even in this expressionless, dazed state, she could give people a very captivating feeling.
Especially when she uttered those two words just now, it could spark endless imagination.
If Qin Liu in reality was also not wearing any…
Then wouldn’t his clothes be like sending charcoal in the snow?
But the problem remained: if the Qin Liu in front of him was real, why was she in this state?
Liu Haoyu pondered and looked towards Qin Liu.
At this moment, the girl in the red wedding dress was still examining the clothes in her hands, seemingly not understanding what they were.
Seeing her like this, Liu Haoyu thought of something.
When he had given Qin Liu stockings before, the little ghost recognized them and knew how to wear them.
But this Qin Liu in front of him seemed a bit naive.
Not only did she not recognize the white stockings, but she also stuck her hand inside, her vacant little eyes seeming to wonder why the gloves were so long and had no fingers.
After failing to understand, the young girl turned her head and asked Liu Haoyu again.
“What is this?”
Facing the girl’s question, Liu Haoyu had a faint answer in his heart.
The young girl in front of him might truly be Qin Liu.
But perhaps she wasn’t the current Qin Liu, but the Qin Liu from the past?
If that were the case, then looking at the relatively new grave nearby, everything seemed to fall into place.
“These are called stockings, you wear them on your feet.”
“Huh?”
The young girl tilted her head, took off the red embroidered shoes on her feet, and then, as if wearing short socks, tried to put the entire stocking onto her fair feet.
However, the correct way to wear stockings was to roll them up and then pull them up little by little.
It seemed this was indeed the Qin Liu from the past; her innocent and naive appearance truly indicated that she had no idea what stockings were.
“So hard to put on…”
After trying several times, the young girl couldn’t get the stockings on.
Seeing this, Liu Haoyu, holding onto the spirit of a five-star good citizen who helps others, said,
“Do you need my help?”
Upon hearing this, Qin Liu’s confused little eyes paused for a moment.
Then, she extended her little feet and placed them in front of Liu Haoyu.
Even though she said nothing, the answer was obvious.
Liu Haoyu stepped forward and gently grabbed Qin Liu’s feet.
They felt very smooth and cool, which was quite comfortable.
And upon closer inspection at such a close distance, they were like a rare work of art.
Combined with the feel of the stockings, Liu Haoyu couldn’t help but feel a longing.
“Watch carefully, this is how you wear stockings.”
Liu Haoyu patiently explained the process of wearing stockings and personally helped this Qin Liu from the old era put them on.
He had to admit, they looked really good.
Unfortunately, the stockings didn’t quite match the red wedding dress.
But helping her put on stockings was enough. Even if Liu Haoyu were more thick-skinned, he wouldn’t ask this Qin Liu from the old era to change her clothes in front of him, right?
“It feels so strange… but… comfortable…”
Qin Liu looked at her legs, her vacant eyes seeming to not quite understand what material the stockings were made of to feel so comfortable.
“My aesthetic taste is indeed not wrong,” Liu Haoyu’s gaze fell on Qin Liu’s legs. “White stockings really suit your leg shape.”
He had to say, if Qin Liu in reality were willing to wear white stockings so obediently, how great would that be?
After all, no matter how good-looking she was now, it was just a fleeting illusion in a dream…
Perhaps she had had enough, Qin Liu placed her hand on the stockings.
As her fingers slid down, the smooth white stockings slid off her flawless legs.
Liu Haoyu silently took in this scene with a critical gaze.
He had to say that with her stunning appearance, every move Qin Liu made was captivating.
Especially this seemingly intentional or unintentional act of taking off stockings, as if to bewitch someone.
Qin Liu took off the stockings and put on the red embroidered shoes again.
Then she stood up and picked up the lantern from the ground.
The faint light dispelled the darkness of the night, and the radiance enveloped the two of them.
Liu Haoyu looked at the lantern in Qin Liu’s hand. The light from this lantern gave him an inexplicable sense of fear.
It was as if there was some magic within it, constantly attracting his soul.
Soon, he shook his head and snapped back to reality.
Liu Haoyu seemed to have never seen Qin Liu in reality holding this lantern.
What was it for?
“I should be leaving.”
Qin Liu’s vacant gaze fixed on Liu Haoyu.
“Thank you for the clothes.”
“Wait a moment,” seeing that she was about to leave, Liu Haoyu immediately stopped her and said, “Since you’ve accepted the gift, could you answer me one question?”
“…Sure.”
The dazed Qin Liu waited for Liu Haoyu’s question.
“That blood-red iron door, what exactly is it, and what is your relationship with it?”
To this, Qin Liu remained silent for a moment.
“I am merely a guide for the Yellow Springs; I cannot answer your question.”
With that said, the young girl, holding the lantern, turned and left.
Seeing her leave, Liu Haoyu tried to chase after her, but no matter how he tried, the distance between them grew, until she completely disappeared.
The dream returned to normal. Both the red iron door and the girl with the lantern turned into a chaotic darkness.
—
Time rewinded a bit. Qin Liu sat outside, looking at the moon in the sky.
For some reason, just by sitting there, she felt a constant chill down her spine.
It was as if someone had sold her out, and she was unaware of it.
“This shrimp head… tsk, how should I deal with these clothes now?”
Qin Liu looked at the shrine not far away and the ashes in front of it, understanding that these clothes had all been burned and offered to her by Liu Haoyu.
Therefore, it was unrealistic to pass them on to Deng Xiaolin.
Perhaps planning something, the little ghost, as if guilty, looked around, making sure no one was there, and then focused her gaze back on the clothes.
“He can’t see anyway, how about… I try wearing them.”
This thought appeared in Qin Liu’s mind and couldn’t be stopped.
Everyone has a love for beauty, and Qin Liu was no exception.
So, she peeked around stealthily and then went into the restroom.
The red wedding dress was taken off, and the inner lining of the top was also removed. She only had these two pieces of clothing on her.
So, it didn’t take much effort to take them off.
Then, she began to put on all the clothes, one by one, from the inside out.
After putting on the clothes, she felt a slight chill from her lower body and suddenly thought of something.
“Oh right, when wearing a skirt, I should wear underwear.”
So, the young girl lifted her small feet, put the underwear past her ankles, and gently pulled them up.
Now she was fully equipped.
“Wow~” After putting on the modern clothes, Qin Liu couldn’t help but exclaim, “Girls’ clothes are really comfortable to wear.”
If there was anything she didn’t like, it was that even after wearing underwear, her lower half still felt a bit chilly, lacking a sense of security.
At this moment, Qin Liu’s gaze fell upon the white stockings…
After a while.
Qin Liu looked at the stockings on her legs, feeling much more at ease in her heart.
Although these things were like stockings, wearing them felt like wearing very tight pants.
They weren’t too constricting and were also very comfortable.
“This is actually quite good…”
Qin Liu sprinkled some water on the ground, and under the influence of resentment, she was able to see her reflection.
If she wasn’t floating, perhaps someone might have mistaken her for a very cute Japanese schoolgirl.
Qin Liu looked at herself in the water and couldn’t help but feel a little narcissistic.
With this kind of appearance, if it were posted online, many people would probably think it was photoshopped.
After admiring herself for a while, Qin Liu didn’t bother to change clothes anymore, after all, no one would be able to see her.
Thus, the little ghost walked out wearing the JK sailor uniform.
The moonlight illuminated the courtyard silver-bright, adding to the retro decor, giving it a picturesque beauty.
Qin Liu, having changed into new clothes, was clearly in a very good mood.
Just as she was about to return to her room, she noticed a young girl tiptoeing along the aisle.
“Deng Xiaolin?”
Upon seeing the other person’s appearance, Qin Liu hid herself.
“It’s three in the morning, why isn’t she sleeping? What is she doing here?”
Under Qin Liu’s watchful eyes, Deng Xiaolin carefully unlocked the guest room door with a key.
Liu Haoyu was sleeping inside. Looking at the situation, could it be…
A reverse surprise attack?
Qin Liu was greatly surprised. Although Deng Xiaolin appeared boisterous, she didn’t expect her to be so bold.
Now there was gossip to witness.
After Deng Xiaolin entered the room and locked the door, Qin Liu passed through the wall and entered the guest room.
At this moment, Deng Xiaolin’s heart was pounding.
Her face was a little flushed, but she wasn’t planning a surprise attack on Liu Haoyu.
Even though her relationship with Liu Haoyu was very good, like childhood sweethearts, a surprise attack like this…
Deng Xiaolin truly couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Then what was she doing here?
Purely because she had a nightmare and was too scared to sleep, wanting to find some sense of security here.
“It’s all grandpa’s fault…” Deng Xiaolin carefully lay down beside Liu Haoyu and quietly complained, “The stories he told were too scary…”
If Liu Haoyu were awake, he would definitely tell her that it was meant to be scary, otherwise, he wouldn’t have to deal with this girl constantly thinking about catching ghosts.
But unfortunately, the man was currently in a dream, diligently helping a young girl put on white stockings, and was completely unaware of this.
“I wish Hao-ge would stay here.”
A hint of sadness appeared in Deng Xiaolin’s eyes.
She leaned against Liu Haoyu’s back, lying quietly on the bed, preparing to close her eyes and sleep.
A strange voice appeared in her mind.
“Girl, look over here.”
Upon hearing this voice, Deng Xiaolin immediately opened her eyes.
For this girl with extremely strong spiritual sight and the ability to communicate with ghosts, she immediately recognized that a ghost must be calling her.
Could there be a ghost in this room?
Deng Xiaolin looked around.
“Not over there,” the voice sounded again. “I’m on the table.”
Following the sound, Deng Xiaolin finally discovered that the black book on the table was speaking to her.
