Something had been watching them all along.

Unlike the classroom buildings, where stepping out allowed a view of the corridor and the world outside, the dormitory building was constructed with a central corridor, flanked on both sides by doors facing doors, so no light penetrated within. The dormitory doors had been painted a deep green, but after years of wear, flecks of red rust showed beneath the fading paint.

Standing at the entrance, they could see the shadowy corridor stretching endlessly ahead, seeming to have no terminus at all. The lack of ventilation filled the air with a stench that defied description. Emotions are shaped by their surroundings; confronted with such an environment, more than one person found themselves wanting to turn back. After all, these young men had come seeking amusement, not danger.

They had originally planned to explore this campus, cross to the other side, spend a night at a hotel, and leave by car the next day. If they were to turn back now, they would have to retrace their steps—through the classroom building, across the school sports field, and along ten minutes of mountain road—to reach their parked cars. They glanced at the deepening darkness outside, the mountain road looming menacingly in the night, then back at the endless dormitory corridor before them.

Regret began to set in, for they now found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. The one who had put this plan together was the youngest son of the Lin family—a rising star in Hang City. Though not as prominent as the Chen or Wen families, they had gained considerable influence in recent years. Lin Yunqing himself was adept at managing relationships, well-liked within their circle; otherwise, Chen and Wen would never have agreed to come along.

Now, as the situation became precarious, Lin Yunqing, as the organizer, stepped forward with a suggestion: “In that case, let’s skip the dormitory. Earlier, we saw that the building isn’t large. Let’s just cross through it and exit from the other side—it’ll bring us right to where we’re staying.”

The thought of stumbling through the dark classroom building and trekking the mountain road by night made the corridor before them seem the better option. They had seen from outside that the dormitory was indeed small; a straight path through would take only five minutes if they did not wander. Moreover, once through, a few more minutes would see them on a populated road.

After a brief discussion, they decided not to turn back but to quickly traverse the dormitory building.

As they entered, Chen Yiming instinctively tightened his grip on the talisman he kept in his pocket. He and Wen Ruji walked side by side, eyes fixed ahead, wishing they could cover the ground in a single stride.

The dormitory was built in a square layout, and as they walked, their footsteps echoed, as though someone else’s steps were following theirs from the distance. In such an environment, nerves grew taut; the group that had just been laughing and joking in the classroom building fell silent in the corridor.

Perhaps because they were closer to the mountain’s back, Chen Yiming felt the dormitory was much colder than the classroom building, and an inexplicable, rotten stench hung in the air. Fortunately, their outdoor flashlights were powerful, and the strong beams made the darkness less terrifying.

Passing by the restroom and bathroom doors, Chen Yiming faintly heard the sound of dripping water, as if a faucet hadn’t been fully closed. He forced himself not to dwell on how, in a building abandoned for so long, there could still be the sound of water dripping, consoling himself with the thought that perhaps rainwater had leaked inside.

Aside from the gloomy and frightening environment, nothing happened along the way. But just as they were about to reach the end of the corridor and see the exit ahead, the door to a dormitory in front of them suddenly gave a piercing creak.

Everyone looked toward the noise; the tightly shut door, as if pushed from within, slowly opened toward them.

The already tense group was startled. Wen Ruji forced calm and reassured them, “It’s alright, probably just the wind. The exit is right ahead—let’s hurry and get through.”

Yet both Chen Yiming and Wen Ruji knew the truth: the dormitory doors were made of iron—wind alone could never open them. Besides, the movement was just like someone slowly pulling the door open from inside. But with nerves stretched to breaking point, saying as much would only frighten everyone further. It was better to feign ignorance and leave as quickly as possible.

So, with urgent shoves and quick steps, they hurried toward the exit. As Chen Yiming passed the open dormitory door, he felt his palm grow warm, as if the yellow talisman was activating. But he dared not examine it now, only keeping pace with those in front.

Once outside the dormitory, the oppressive atmosphere vanished instantly. The group seemed to collectively exhale, returning to conversation, though all subconsciously avoided mentioning the building they had just passed through.

Chen Yiming walked not too far behind the others when Wen Ruji, who had been silent all along, suddenly tugged lightly at his sleeve. Puzzled, he turned, and Wen Ruji gestured with his gaze toward the second floor.

Following Wen Ruji’s eyes, Chen Yiming vaguely saw a white shadow standing by the window, silently watching them. He could not make out the figure, yet he felt its gaze upon them.

A chill swept over him, and the talisman in his palm grew even hotter. Wen Ruji whispered, “Pretend you didn’t see it—let’s leave straight away.”

Chen Yiming nodded stiffly, and the two of them hurried after the group, quickly leaving the dormitory’s range.

Once on the main road, both felt more exhausted than ever before. When they reached a populated area, they did not even bother to look for lodging, but simply called a car and returned to Hang City.

After leaving the boundaries of Jing Tai Mountain, Chen Yiming took the talisman from his pocket and found that it had already burned halfway. This confirmed what they suspected: they had indeed encountered something unclean in that dormitory.

What followed was as Ji Ningzhao knew: Wen Ruji, troubled by the incident, struggled to sleep, sought company to distract himself, and then the matter with Kong Xi occurred.

And this memory, due to some nameless force, gradually faded from their minds.