Chapter 6

In the next few days, Jiang Hao really accompanied Lin Huijun as he had promised. She was really frightened that night. Constantly anxious and suspicious that the ghost was following her. She would frequently wake up from nightmares in the middle of the night. In just a few days, she looked much thinner and haggard. Lin Huijun’s parents had passed away early in life. She had no one to trust except Jiang Hao. Although both of Jiang Hao’s parents were alive, they were already very old. Considering that old people shouldn’t needlessly be frightened, they didn’t tell them these things.

Jiang Hao saw that Lin Huijun’s mental condition was deteriorating day by day and wanted to accompany her at all times. However, the wedding was approaching closer. Although their parents were there to help out, some things must still be done by him. Seeing that nothing unusual happened these past few days, he didn’t worry much. Originally, he also wanted Lin Huijun to accompany him, but she was feeling well and was even almost hit by a car on the way. Seeing her in such a state, he had to let her stay at home and deal with all matters by herself. However, he was worried about her, so he would go and return quickly every time to check if she was safe.

Their wedding would be held in two days. In the afternoon, the hotel that was supposed to hold the banquet suddenly called to say that something was wrong with the banquet arrangement, so he had to go there to negotiate. He wasn’t able to get home until nightfall.

Jiang Hao’s parents lived in a different place, so Lin Huijun was the only one at home tonight. She was sitting in the living room with a magazine on her lap, her eyes gazing at the pages of the book, but her mind was elsewhere. These days, the face of the woman in yellow had been drifting in front of her eyes, and she couldn’t forget it. Whenever she was idle, she could not help but scour through her memory for similar faces, but even this was to no avail.

Currently, she was doing just that. As she was thinking hard, she felt a stabbing pain course through her. She gently massaged her temples to relieve the pain a little. At this moment, a light whisper resounded through the quiet room.

Hearing this, instead of feeling fear, she thought to herself, “It’s coming as expected.” The ceiling lamp and the lamp beside the sofa flickered ominously. They turned on and off for a while and finally turned off, plunging the room into darkness. Her eyes couldn’t adapt to the sudden darkness and she couldn’t see anything. A sorrowful cry seemed to be endlessly echoing, and it seemed to be moving closer to her. The sound became more distinct as time passed by.

As the cry approached closer and closer to her, Lin Huijun wanted to escape, but she was one step too late. She felt a piercing cold plastered to her body. It was as if she was frozen in place and couldn’t move. The female ghost seemed to be nearby her, but she could only sit there and feel the ice-cold chill creeping closer.

The faint grief-stricken sobs were ringing in Lin Huijun’s ears. She was crying in such anguish as if she was suffering endless sorrows and grievances.

She didn’t know whether it was because of fear or because of being infected by her (ghost’s) sad cry, Lin Huijun also started to shed tears.

A cold hand was gently put on Lin Huijun’s hand. It was stiff, sticky and a strong smell of blood assaulted her nose. Then, she felt something wet flowing slowly from that ghost’s hand to her hand. Was it corpse water(1) or blood?

With tears in her eyes, Lin Huijun squeezed out from her throat a low, trembling voice, “What….What do you want…? “

The crying stopped, and Lin Huijun heard the ghost speak, “Promised….You promised… Why can’t you do it?…. I hate…. I hate it… ” The cold hands gradually tightened, her nails dug deep into the back of Lin Huijun’s hands. She felt very painful and terrified.

”

”

“What promise? What have I promised you? I don’t know you at all…!” Lin Huijun was in tears.

The ghost did not answer for a while but suddenly shrieked, “You promised –” the lights in the room suddenly turned on and off, flickering. For a moment, Lin Huijun saw the ghost’s face. She was glaring at herself (Lin Huijun). Two lines of bloody tears rolled down her cheeks. Her pretty face quickly began to rot, the whole face became ferocious.

As the lights flickered, one could see two women sitting side by side on the sofa. No one could even imagine that one was a person and the other one, a ghost. One’s face full of fear, tears, shaking all over and the other face that could only be described as the embodiment of terror. Bloody tears streaming down her cheeks and eyes filled with hate. The female ghost cried out, “Yes, you have promised…”

There was a picture frame on the lower cabinet next to the sofa. The ghost suddenly stopped shouting and looked at the picture frame. She loosened her grip on Lin Huijun’s hand and walked slowly to the side of the cabinet with a stiff and strange posture to pick up the photo frame. She looked at the photo frame in her hand, her eyes seemed to show endless attachment, and her voice became gentle, “Promised… you promised…”

Looking at the ghost’s strange behaviour, Lin Huijun forgot her fear for a moment. Inside the frame was a solo photograph of Jiang Hao. Why did the ghost suddenly make such a move? “Give it back to me….You promised me… ” She thought of the words that the ghost had said, and a vague feeling entered her heart.

The ghost took the photo frame and stretched out her bleeding hand to gently stroke the photo while repeating the same sentence. Gradually, the blood on her body disappeared, and her rotten hands and face were restored. Her figure became transparent, and in a short time, she could not be seen at all. The lights in the room no longer flickered, and they shine steadily.

Lin Huijun was still staring at the place where the ghost had disappeared and did not move. She was in the same posture until Jiang Hao came home. He opened the door and came into the room. When he saw Lin Huijun’s red and swollen eyes, he was worried and anxious. He went to squat in front of Lin Huijun and asked softly, “Huijun, what’s the matter with you? Are you sick?”

Only when he asked this several times in a row did she have a reaction. She looked at Jiang Hao with a worried face and looked down at her hand. The hand had been held by the ghost and the stinking blood had stained them. At this time, there was no blood, but there were several blue and purple finger marks on the back of her pale white hand, which proved that what just happened was real.

Lin Huijun looked at his hand for a while, then moved his eyes to Jiang Hao and asked in a flat voice, “What kind of person was your ex-girlfriend?” She knew that Jiang Hao once had a girlfriend, but she didn’t know what kind of person she was and had never met her.

Jiang Hao was stunned and said, “Why did you suddenly ask about this? It’s been a long time…”

Lin Huijun insisted, “Just tell me.”

Jiang Hao stood up and sat down beside her. After thinking for a while, he said, “I met her through a friend’s introduction. At the beginning of contact, I felt that she was gentle and good-looking, so we got along well. However, after being together for a while, I gradually found that she was actually a very stubborn person, possessive and strong-willed. We had very different personalities and would often quarrel. I couldn’t stand her nervousness and exclusive desire which was increasing day by day. Every time I made a phone call, she would question me. Whenever I went out, she would follow me. If I didn’t take her with me, she would secretly follow me… ” At this point, Jiang Hao heaved a long sigh, and said: “Finally, it came to the point of being unbearable, I proposed to break up with her.”

“So she agreed?” Lin Huijun asked.

“It was not that easy.” Jiang Hao gave a wry smile and said, “She cried and made a big fuss and threatened me that she would commit suicide. After I completely ignored her actions, she began to follow me every day. In those days… ” He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and sighed a few more times, “I really don’t know how I survived those days. No matter where I went, there was always a crazy woman following me.”

“Later, why did she give up?” Lin Huijun asked.

“Later, her parents came and took her back to her hometown, and I was finally relieved.” Jiang Hao seems to have fallen into the memory. He closed his eyes and stopped talking.

“Now, do you know anything about her?”

Jiang Hao shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t want to know anything about her.”

Afterwards, Lin Huijun no longer spoke and the room fell into silence. After a long time, Jiang Hao got up again and asked Lin Huijun if something had happened and why she suddenly asked about his ex-girlfriend. Lin Huijun pondered for a while, then said, “I just casually asked. We’re about to get married, I was suddenly worried about your past.” She laughed and said, “Nothing happened.”

Tomorrow was Lin Huijun and Jiang Hao’s wedding day. According to local custom, the bride and groom need to be in two places. So, Lin Huijun returned home.

The night was long and dark, but she couldn’t rest. Not because she was too excited to sleep, but because she was waiting for a person, no, a ghost.

She knew that the other party would not let them hold a wedding, she would definitely come.

Yesterday, she had called the home phone number of Jiang Hao’s ex-girlfriend. After calling and asking, she found out what she needed to know. That woman, some time ago, had committed suicide by driving off the mountain.

That woman’s name was Mo Chou. It was said that after she had returned to her hometown, she never had another boyfriend.

Lin Huijun went to the place where Mo Chou had worked and tried to find a way to see her picture. Fortunately, the unit kept her file all this time. When Lin Huijun saw Mo Chou’s photo, she immediately found that it was the same person as the female ghost in yellow, who had been pestering her. It was Mo Chou all along.

Lin Huijun finally understood the meaning of Mo Chou’s two words, ‘Give it back to me’. It was really to herself, but the ‘You promised’ part was to Jiang Hao.

Tomorrow was the wedding day for herself and Jiang Hao. This time, she will not let her go easily.

Lin Huijun sat upright on the sofa, waiting quietly. Her expression was calm, but her heart was filled with mixed feelings.

The time passed by quietly and finally, the lights in the room flickered, and she saw Mo Chou’s figure.

Mo Chou still looked like she did last time, but different from previous times, her clothes were no longer yellow but had become blood red. Mo Chou who was dressed in red stretched out her sharp, blade-like fingernails.

She approached Lin Huijun slowly. Her nails traced her throat. The sharp nails cut the skin on her neck, leaving a bloody trail. Feeling that the nails were about to cut her throat, Lin Huijun looked at Mo Chou’s blood-red eyes and suddenly cried out, “I’ll give him back to you!”

The fingernails slightly retracted, Lin Huijun gasped and continued to shout, “I’ll give him back to you, I’ll give Jiang Hao back to you, you can take him away!” As soon as the words fell, she burst into tears.

Sorry, my love. I love you, but I love myself more. [T/N: lol]

Soon after, a new grave was added to the cemetery where Han Susu was buried. On the marble tombstone, the picture of a young man with a bright smile was displayed. There was a young woman standing in front of the grave, smoke curled in the air as she burnt paper money.