(1)
The rain and mist drifted lightly, and with just a slight breeze, it would slam diagonally into her face.
It made her feel like her whole body was damp, like a flower sprinkled with a watering can.
Zhu Ying stood in front of a store that had already closed. A faint green light emanated from outside the display window. She opened her mouth, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, but her face was unclear, and her eye sockets had turned into bottomless abysses.
“Xiao Jing, how does this look?”
“What do you mean, how does it look?”
“Is it scary or not?”
“Not really… I think it makes you look more like an idiot.”
“Tch, you’re the idiot!”
“Speaking of which, what kind of store is this? Why is the lighting green?”
“Hmm—” Zhu Ying turned around and pressed her small face against the window, peering inside with the faint light from the street. “Looks like a jewelry store? I can see jade on the shelves.”
“A jewelry store… There’s actually a jewelry store here? Does anyone really come?”
“Maybe it’s because it’s a jewelry store that it’s tucked away in here? Cheaper rent?”
“Really…” An Jing shrugged and gave the door a few more glances. “There’s a notice on it about being closed for the New Year.”
“It really is, how long has it been?”
“Half a year… No, the date on it says 2002.”
“Has it never been torn down?”
“Probably not…” An Jing shivered and rubbed her arms. “It feels really creepy. Has this store been closed for a long time?”
“It shouldn’t be. There’s no dust on the glass.” Zhu Ying ran her pale fingers over the window. “See, my hand isn’t dirty.”
“Anyway… let’s keep moving. Don’t keep stopping here. Why are all the stores on this street lit up with such weird-colored lights?”
“To attract customers during the day.”
“Can you really see any lights during the day?”
“Hmm—” Zhu Ying thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with an explanation, so she lightly shrugged. “Who knows?”
(2)
To Zhu Ying, the rain-soaked night streets were full of attraction everywhere, and the scarier a place looked, the more interested she became. She even stood on an old arched bridge for a long time, staring down at the pitch-black river water until An Jing started to feel creeped out. Then she suddenly looked up. “Xiao Jing, do you think there are drowned people in this river?”
“W-Who knows…”
“If there are, would there be water ghosts?”
“Then you’d better be careful. If there really is a water ghost, it might already be grabbing your hand!” An Jing deliberately scared her.
“Then I’ll kick it right back! I don’t want anyone other than Xiao Jing grabbing my hand.”
An Jing blinked blankly. “I’m not a water ghost…”
“Pfft, how silly. I meant something else!”
“Come on, let’s go. Don’t keep standing on this broken bridge. It feels weird.”
“Okay! Let’s go over there!”
“Is there anything left over there?”
“Looks like a market!”
At night, Zhu Ying seemed completely tireless. She dragged An Jing forward until they arrived at a market made up of a row of low, flat houses.
The iron gate of the market had collapsed onto the ground. The stalls inside were either empty or piled high with unwanted junk and trash. On the walls were red-letter slogans promoting the family planning policy, along with a banner about the 2003 SARS outbreak hanging high.
This seemed to prove that at least as late as 2003, this place was still a functioning market, though no one knew exactly when it had been abandoned.
Except for the area near the entrance, the inside of the market was pitch-black, filled with a unsettling depth.
“Wow~ There’s actually a place like this here.”
“You’re not thinking of going in to take a look, are you?”
“Yeah, don’t you want to, Xiao Jing?”
“Hey hey, it’s pitch dark, and I didn’t bring a flashlight…”
“Is Xiao Jing that afraid of ghosts~?”
“It’s not that. Even if there aren’t any ghosts or monsters, there might be stray cats or dogs. What if I get scratched or bitten? And even if there’s nothing alive inside, what if there’s broken glass or nails on the ground? If I step on one and it punctures my shoe, it’ll hurt, and I’ll have to go to the hospital.”
“Is it really that dangerous?”
“Of course… Even when we used to sneak up the mountain at night, we brought flashlights. And we went in a group, so if anything happened, we could look out for each other.”
“Huh—Is it really because you’re scared?”
“E-Even if I am scared, that’s not a bad thing! People who aren’t scared are the weird ones!” An Jing pouted. “It’s normal to avoid danger! Don’t go on adventures that might get you hurt. Walking around the old streets tonight has been fun enough, hasn’t it?”
“Xiao Jing didn’t try to act tough for once.” Zhu Ying blinked with a fresh look.
“I don’t usually act tough that much!”
“Alright, alright~ You’re being all clingy inside, honestly.”
“Hey hey, are you thirsty just because it’s raining? Don’t use your mind reading recklessly!”
“Hehe, I only used it once. But I am a bit thirsty. How about we look up ahead to see if there’s something to drink?”
“Even if there’s a small shop around, it would be closed by now. As for 24-hour convenience stores, you’d have to go to the new district. It’s at least half an hour’s walk from here.”
“Let’s just see. What if there is one? Ah-choo!”
“Your cold hasn’t cleared up and you’re out in the cool wind. I think you should head back early.”
“It’s rare to be out this late. Let’s walk a few more steps. See, Xiao Jing, I listened to you and didn’t go inside. You should stick with me a little longer~”
“How could I not go with you…” An Jing muttered, then proactively hugged Zhu Ying’s arm, pressing their bodies close together. She used her forehead to push against the umbrella and tilted it down a little. “This way, less rain will get on us.”
“Pfft, but then we can’t see the road.”
“True… Then I’ll lift it a bit…”
(3)
The small city was not only by the sea, but it also had many rivers running through it.
Walking through the streets and alleys, you would always encounter rivers of different shapes and arched bridges of different designs.
They were like the city’s blood vessels, flowing everywhere.
And many times, after crossing a small river, the scenery ahead would completely change. It might go from a crowded urban village to an open field, or from an open field to a rundown street lined with high walls, or—
Like now, they arrived in front of an elementary school.
Unlike most schools that stood alone by the roadside, this one was squeezed in among a bunch of residential buildings of various shapes. The road at the main entrance was just an alley. Forget two cars side by side—even a large car would probably have trouble passing through.
The school only had one four-story teaching building. The rubber playground behind it looked almost miniature.
“That track can’t be more than a hundred meters long, can it…?” An Jing couldn’t help smacking her lips.
“So small and cute.”
“Speaking of which, I didn’t know there was an elementary school here.”
“Maybe it’s closed?”
“Impossible. Look, the security guard uncle is still sleeping inside.”
“Ugh, the scary atmosphere was completely ruined!”
“What level of scary are you even trying to experience…” An Jing sighed helplessly, then felt her arm being tugged hard. “What is it?”
“Xiao Jing, look, look. Isn’t there a vending machine at the entrance of the teaching building?”
“There is…”
“We can buy a drink!”
“You want to climb in?”
“Xiao Jing~ I’m so thirsty~ I want a drink~” Zhu Ying exaggeratedly whined.
“…You could just open your mouth and catch some rainwater. That’ll probably quench your thirst too.”
“Hmph! Xiao Jing is not cute!”
“I don’t want to climb the fence. I’ll get my clothes dirty.”
“But I’m thirsty!”
“Let me see if the small gate is unlocked. If it is, we’ll go in and buy something.”
“Mm… Is it open?”
“It’s locked.”
“What do we do?”
“Tough luck.”
“Pfft, you really won’t climb in to buy something? Going in to buy a drink in the middle of the night and coming back out? That would be exciting!”
“I don’t want that kind of excitement.” An Jing pouted. “Let’s check the main road. Maybe there’s another vending machine.”
“But then it won’t be exciting… Ah-choo!”
“What’s wrong with you today? You’ve got a cold and you’re still chasing excitement…” An Jing helplessly pinched Zhu Ying’s cheek.
“Hey, hey, how can you pinch mine!”
“You pinch mine all the time. Why can’t I pinch yours?”
“Ugh, it’s a complete role reversal!”
“Eep—”
“I read a novel today. It said that if you have the chance, you should create as many memorable memories as possible so you won’t regret it when you’re old.”
“You don’t have to go out of your way to chase excitement like that…”
“I know, I know. Then let’s go to the main road to buy something. Usually at this hour, the barbecue joints that are still open sell drinks, right?”
“At this hour, yeah, it’s usually just the barbecue joints that are open.” An Jing nodded lightly. “Hey, stop staring. Let’s go.”
“I’m imagining what it would feel like to climb over. Hmm—”
“Done imagining?”
“Done. Already feels satisfying.”
“You’re easy to please…”
Zhu Ying tilted her head. Her pearl-like eyes faintly reflected the streetlight. She smiled lightly and touched An Jing’s cheek. “Xiao Jing’s face is all wet.”
“It’s the rain. It’s blown onto my face.”
“How about we find a place to sit for a bit and enjoy the night view?”
“Although I don’t know what night view there is to enjoy here…” An Jing wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “But if you want to sit, we can find a spot outside later. Maybe some store has a bench out front for people to rest.”
“Like—in front of McDonald’s?”
“I don’t want to sit next to that clown statue. It’s creepy in the middle of the night.”
“What about the KFC colonel?”
“In front of KFC… there usually aren’t any benches, right?”