Chapter 106: The Old Teaching Building: A Confrontation with the Unknown

In that instant, all eyes converged on Su Mian.

Su Mian felt her cheeks flush, her heart skipping several beats as her mind reeled in a chaotic blur.

Though it was late at night, the campus wasn’t entirely deserted.

But what if someone saw them?

More critically, her appearance in women’s clothing had been photographed, circulated across the campus network and forums, and was now inextricably linked to “Xiao Moyuan’s mysterious girlfriend!”

If she were to don women’s attire now and proceed with Xue Li, Hua Liang and Xue Li would instantly recognize her as the person from those photographs.

Once the news spread, and the equation ‘Su Mian = Xiao Moyuan’s Girlfriend = Cross-dressing Master’ was established, she would face complete social annihilation at N University!

She might as well return to Xiao Moyuan’s side and simply be a quiet spirit pet!

Qin Xuan seemed to perceive the worry and reluctance in her eyes. His gaze behind his spectacles remained calm and unruffled as he added in a level tone:

“Don’t worry. Hua Liang and Xue Li are exchange students who just transferred to N University last week.”

Su Mian blinked, a little dazed.

Last week?

What a coincidence.

The “Supernatural Phenomena Research Society” had only been established this week.

These two transfer students had joined Qin Xuan’s newly formed, seemingly “unconventional” club immediately upon arriving at N University.

And this timing happened to coincide with her full awakening as a demon, when her leaked demonic energy caused the anomalies in N City…

Was there some connection between these events?

This thought flashed through her mind, but Su Mian quickly dismissed it, believing she was overthinking.

A coincidence, perhaps?

She shook her head, suppressing the flicker of doubt.

The more immediate problem was that she truly didn’t want to wear women’s clothes!

She had expended so much effort, consuming her precious demonic energy to suppress her feminine features, finally managing to disguise herself as a “boy.” Now, she was expected to willingly switch back to women’s attire?

This was utterly ridiculous!

Moreover, maintaining the disguise itself continuously drained her demonic power, and she wasn’t sure how long she could sustain it.

“Old Qin, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”

Lu Yang also spoke up. He observed Su Mian’s troubled expression, then glanced at the cool-tempered Xue Li, a sincere concern etched on his face.

“It’s too dangerous to have Xue Li, a girl, investigate a rumored haunted place like the old teaching building in the middle of the night!”

“Mianzi is a guy, after all. Even if he accompanies her, if something really happens, it… it wouldn’t be convenient, would it?”

He spoke these words aloud, but a little imp in his heart was excitedly rubbing its hands.

‘What an opportunity!

I get to see Mianzi’s divine beauty in women’s clothing again!

Even if he’s my brother, that face is truly a sight for sore eyes!

It’s worth seeing a few more times!’

Xue Li looked at Su Mian, and seeing the clear reluctance etched on her face, she gently shook her head. Her voice was cool and calm.

“It’s fine. I’m not afraid.”

“I can go alone. There’s no need to trouble Su Mian. Let them provide support from the periphery.”

Her expression remained unchanged as she spoke, as if she were merely stating the simplest of facts.

Su Mian was speechless.

The more Xue Li spoke this way, the calmer and more fearless she appeared, the stronger Su Mian’s awkwardness and embarrassment grew.

Strictly speaking, she was… a girl now.

Though forced, though still striving to maintain her disguise, physiologically, she could no longer deny it.

Since she had joined the club activity and was a member of the “investigation team,” letting Xue Li go into danger alone while she retreated due to fear of exposure seemed… truly indefensible.

Moreover, deep down, she was filled with curiosity about the “possibly existing ghost” Qin Xuan spoke of, or rather, about other “non-human entities.”

Aside from herself and the known Xia and Shen Zhixia, she had yet to truly encounter other demons or spirits.

What if Xue Li really encountered danger?

Various thoughts clashed in her mind. Finally, Su Mian bit her lower lip, as if making a huge decision, and her voice came out muffled:

“I’ll go.”

She looked up, finding another practical problem to struggle with.

“But it’s so late now, the drama club must be closed. I don’t have any women’s clothes to change into, nor can I do my makeup.”

Qin Xuan pushed up his glasses, stood, and walked to a pile of old wooden crates in the corner of the activity room. He bent down and rummaged through them.

Soon, he pulled out two neatly folded, old-fashioned dark blue girls’ uniforms—a small blazer and a shirt for the top, and a knee-length pleated skirt for the bottom. The fabric looked a bit stiff, and the style was decades old.

“As for clothes, we have them here.”

Qin Xuan handed one set to Su Mian and the other to Xue Li.

“This activity room might have stored old supplies before. These were the school uniforms N University required students to wear many years ago, before the system was abolished. The size should be about right for you two; just make do.”

Su Mian took the old school uniform, momentarily speechless.

It was so coincidental, she didn’t know what to say.

‘These are “antique” school uniforms from decades ago. If someone sees me wearing them, they’ll probably just think it’s a retro cosplay or some special event, and won’t immediately connect it to the elegant dress in the campus network photos, right?’

“Then… what about makeup?” Su Mian clung to a final sliver of hope.

Qin Xuan’s gaze swept over her face meticulously, the scrutinizing look making Su Mian a little uncomfortable.

A moment later, he said seriously:

“Your face… is perfect, and your skin condition is excellent.”

“You don’t need extra makeup. No one should immediately recognize you as a boy.”

Lu Yang immediately nodded enthusiastically beside him.

“Right, right! Mianzi, you don’t need any of those bottles and jars for that face! Your bare face is already stunning! Last time… *cough*, I mean, you have a naturally good base!”

Su Mian’s ears burned from their compliments. Just as she was about to lower her head, she suddenly felt a coolness on her face—her heavy black-framed glasses had been gently removed.

It was Xue Li.

She had approached without Su Mian noticing.

Xue Li’s usually expressionless face showed a subtle change for the first time. Her pupils appeared exceptionally clear in the dim light as she intently scrutinized Su Mian’s face without her glasses, up close.

Xue Li’s voice remained cool, but it seemed to hold a hint of almost imperceptible surprise and admiration.

“No need for makeup.”

Her breath carried a coolness, like air after a snowfall.

Su Mian’s face instantly flushed crimson. She instinctively wanted to retreat but felt too embarrassed to do so.

“Tsk, tsk,”

Hua Liang said, arms crossed, a teasing smile on his face.

“Su Mian, your charm is considerable. Xue Li and I have known each other for so long, and you’re the first… *boy*… she’s ever actively approached and openly complimented.”

He deliberately paused slightly on the word “boy,” but his tone held only pure teasing and admiration, no malice. “But seriously, your face really is beautiful.”

Su Mian was flustered by this barrage of direct compliments. She could only lower her head, clutching the old school uniform, wishing she could bury her face in it.

Next, Xue Li took her clothes and went into the makeshift changing room, partitioned off by an old screen in the activity room.

After a few minutes, she emerged.

The decades-old dark blue blazer and skirt, worn on her tall, slender frame, fit her strangely well, even exuding the aura of a retro model.

Her expression remained calm, as if she had merely changed into ordinary clothes.

“Your turn,” Xue Li said, looking at Su Mian.

Su Mian, steeling herself, clutched her clothes and ducked into the changing room.

She shed her baggy hoodie and jeans, then put on the somewhat stiff shirt and pleated skirt.

The shirt was a bit tight, but the skirt’s waist fit well, and its length reached just above her knees.

She awkwardly adjusted her collar and hem, mentally preparing herself, then slowly and hesitantly emerged.

The activity room fell silent for a moment.

Several gazes fixed upon her simultaneously.

Su Mian lowered her head uncomfortably, her fingers tugging at the skirt’s hem.

“I… I’m not wearing a wig… isn’t it strange? And my hair color…”

Her hair wasn’t particularly short, and paired with this retro school uniform, it possessed a unique charm.

Lu Yang’s eyes were wide. He chuckled twice, trying to make his tone sound normal:

“Not strange at all!”

“Su Mian, your hair length is perfect right now; you look like a particularly beautiful short-haired junior! Really, with this outfit, it’s absolutely stunning!”

Xue Li also nodded gently, Su Mian’s reflection shimmering in her eyes.

She stepped forward, producing a simple cherry-blossom pink hair clip from seemingly nowhere. Her cool fingertips gently tucked Su Mian’s slightly messy strands of hair behind her ear, then carefully clipped the accessory to her temple.

“Beautiful.”

Xue Li remarked, pausing before adding two more words, “Cute.”

Her movements were natural, her tone calm, yet Su Mian’s face flushed even deeper. She stood frozen, unsure how to react.

‘Is this Xue Li… a bit too familiar?’

***

Around eleven o’clock at night, the five arrived at the old teaching building.

It was a building with a considerable history, only five stories tall, with mostly old-fashioned wooden-framed glass windows. Many panes were broken, hastily sealed with wooden boards or plastic sheeting.

The streetlights on the small path in front of the building were dim, casting long, swaying tree shadows.

Most of the building’s windows were dark, making it seem especially desolate at this hour.

Standing before the building, Su Mian’s heart sank sharply.

She could clearly “see” it—what might appear as an ordinary night to regular people, but in her awakened demon eyes, a faint yet undeniably present demonic energy coiled above this old teaching building.

The demonic energy wasn’t dense; its most concentrated spot was precisely… on the east side of the third floor.

Indeed, there really was something unsettling here.

Not just a rumor, not a delusion.

Qin Xuan switched on a powerful flashlight, its beam piercing the darkness.

He maintained his calm, analytical demeanor, beginning to assign tasks:

“We can’t rule out the possibility of someone deliberately creating trouble using the rumors, or other possibilities. Safety first.”

His voice was exceptionally clear in the silent night.

“The three of us guys will be responsible for perimeter support and vigilance. I’ll guard the main entrance on the first floor, observing who comes and goes, and serve as the central contact point. Lu Yang, you’ll guard the west staircase on the third floor; Hua Liang, you’ll guard the east staircase. Pay attention to any unusual movements and keep communications open.”

He looked at Su Mian and Xue Li, who were now in school uniforms:

“Su Mian, Xue Li, you two go directly to the women’s restroom on the east side of the third floor. According to current eyewitness reports, anomalous phenomena occur most frequently there.

Once inside, remain vigilant, focusing on observation and recording. Unless absolutely necessary, do not actively engage or provoke anything that might be present.

Should anything happen, call us immediately via walkie-talkie, and we will rush up.”

Qin Xuan handed over two small ear-hook walkie-talkies and gave Su Mian a portable camera with night vision. “Try to record everything.”

With assignments complete, the five quietly entered the teaching building.

Qin Xuan remained inside the main door on the first floor, his figure merging with the shadows.

Lu Yang and Hua Liang followed Su Mian and Xue Li up to the third floor, then split off at the stairwell, heading to their respective positions.

The third-floor corridor was long, with classroom doors tightly shut on both sides. The windowpanes reflected the pale moonlight from outside.

Most of the old fluorescent light tubes were broken; the few that still worked cast a dim, yellowish light, buzzing and flickering intermittently, stretching and shrinking their shadows.

Dust, old wood, and a faint, musty smell permeated the air.

Some parts of the floor were cracked, and their footsteps echoed loudly in the empty corridor.

Su Mian’s heart involuntarily quickened.

Even knowing that she was, in some ways, a “non-human” entity, the primal human fear of darkness, the unknown, and “ghost stories” scenarios did not completely disappear.

Especially since she was now certain that there truly was “something” present here.

In contrast, Xue Li, walking beside her, maintained a steady pace, her expression completely normal.

Unchanged, she walked directly towards the women’s restroom on the east side of the corridor, as if merely going to a regular toilet.

Su Mian couldn’t help but ask in a low voice:

“Xue Li, aren’t you scared?”

Her voice trembled slightly in the silent corridor.

Xue Li shook her head, her icy blue hair swaying faintly in the dim yellow light.

“No.”

‘Is it truly the fearless ignorance of the uninitiated?’ Su Mian wondered.

She asked again:

“Xue Li, you don’t believe in these things, so you’re not afraid?”

She thought, perhaps Xue Li was a staunch atheist, treating this expedition as merely an exciting adventure.

Xue Li shook her head once more, her profile appearing somewhat indistinct in the light and shadow.

“No. I believe there are demons, ghosts, and existences that science temporarily cannot explain in this world.”

Su Mian was taken aback.

Believes?

Then why so calm?

“Then… you’re not nervous at all? Not excited?”

Su Mian found it truly difficult to comprehend.

Joining a supernatural research society, facing potentially real paranormal events, a normal person would surely experience some adrenaline rush, right?

Yet, from Xue Li’s face, apart from placidity, she truly saw no trace of excitement or nervousness.

Xue Li didn’t answer immediately.

The two had reached the end of the corridor, with the women’s restroom sign just ahead.

The old green-painted wooden door was ajar, and inside, it was pitch black.

Just as Su Mian was about to ask something else—

“Whoosh—”

A distinct sound of a flushing toilet suddenly echoed from within the women’s restroom!

It was startlingly abrupt and loud in the dead silent corridor!

Su Mian froze, her hairs instantly standing on end. She instinctively grabbed Xue Li’s sleeve beside her.

Xue Li’s arm, through the shirt fabric, conveyed a coolness lower than a normal person’s.

“Xue, Xue Li! You heard that, right? There’s… there’s really a flushing sound inside!”

Su Mian’s voice was very low, tinged with a clear tremor.

No sooner had she finished speaking—

“Wuu… wuu…”

A faint, intermittent sound of a woman crying drifted out from inside the women’s restroom.

The crying was soft, yet it seemed to carry endless grievance and sorrow, seeping into one’s ears, burrowing directly into the heart.

This time, Su Mian was genuinely afraid.

It wasn’t a hypothetical fear of the unknown, but an instinctual terror of a clearly present “anomaly.”

Sensory perception and actual auditory evidence doubly confirmed it: there was absolutely “something” inside!

“Xue Li, inside here… there really is… that…”

Su Mian’s voice trembled even more severely, and her grip on Xue Li’s sleeve tightened involuntarily.

“How about, we… we go back first, discuss it with Qin Xuan and the others, and make a long-term plan?”

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt her arm empty.

Xue Li gently but firmly pulled her arm away.

She turned her head, her neck quietly observing Su Mian in the dim light. Her gaze remained calm, even… a little too calm.

Then, to Su Mian’s astonishment, Xue Li said not a word. She simply turned around, reached out, and pushed open the slightly ajar, green wooden door that seemed to lead to another world.

“Creak—”

The old door hinges emitted a grating, teeth-aching friction sound.

The darkness behind the door instantly swallowed Xue Li.

Su Mian stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding, her hands and feet icy cold.

She stared at the open, pitch-black doorway, from which a faint chill and a barely audible crying sound vaguely emanated.

Should she go in?

Or… run away?

…

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