Chapter 8: The Ghost Infant

Tan Xueci’s breath hitched, but the thing vanished in an instant, as if it had been nothing more than a hallucination.

Zhai Fang frowned, looking at Tan Xueci with bewilderment. He didn’t know what the boy was playing at, but his face had suddenly turned as white as a sheet.

Zhai Fang moved his shoulders slightly. Perhaps it was because of the continuous rain in Beijing lately combined with the busy filming schedule, but his shoulders always felt heavy and pressed down, quite uncomfortable.

He rolled his eyes at Tan Xueci without hiding his disdain, didn’t bother to respond, and picked up his jacket to leave.

Tan Xueci couldn’t help but steal a glance at Zhai Fang’s back. The man’s shoulders were clean; there was nothing there. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

How do I always forget that I’m sick?

Don’t scare yourself.

“What are you looking at?” Lu Xi urged him to sit down for makeup. While the makeup artist went to fetch some supplies, he lowered his voice and said, “Don’t you dare get into a conflict with Zhai Fang. Do you know who’s behind him? Mr. Xu from Jinyao Entertainment. Even He Sui has to give him some face. Blacklisting a little lamb like you wouldn’t take more than a flick of his finger. Just accept your fate, Xiao Ci.”

“…I know. I won’t provoke him.”

The third male lead Tan Xueci played was named Zhou Xia. His parents had died in an accident, and he lived with his grandmother. Fearing something might happen to him as well, she raised him with strict discipline, which resulted in Zhou Xia’s cowardly personality. Coupled with his poor background, he was a long-term victim of school bullying.

The only person who had ever reached out to help him was the female lead.

Tonight’s scene was a bullying sequence: Zhou Xia is cornered in an empty classroom by several boys and beaten, just as the second male lead and the female lead pass by. The female lead wants to save him, but the second lead disagrees.

The second lead is the class president and knows Zhou Xia’s situation better. He knows that while Zhou Xia seems cowardly on the surface, he has actually stolen money from classmates and frequently writes anonymous letters to the homeroom teacher to snitch. His personality is dark and unlikable; if the female lead tries to save him, she might be dragged down with him.

But the female lead has been bullied herself and cannot stand to see others being mistreated. She insists on saving Zhou Xia, and the two friends part on bad terms.

Of course, the second lead is fundamentally a good person; he’s just afraid of the heroine being implicated and doesn’t actually intend to leave a classmate to die. After parting with the heroine, he immediately heads to the infirmary.

Then, he unexpectedly runs into the heroine again at the classroom door.

Zhou Xia, beaten half to death, looks up to see this scene. Intense jealousy and resentment burn like fire in his heart. He truly wants them all to die—if only the people who don’t love him or treat him well would just die.

Tan Xueci had a good base; the makeup artist finished his look in less than half an hour and sent him to change into the school uniform.

Tan Xueci was naturally thin; the oversized uniform hung loosely on his frame, making him look frail and weak. The boy’s profile was snowy white, and the shadows under his eyes had been deepened slightly, giving him a weary, gloomy air. He truly looked like a cold little psychopath.

He hesitated for a moment but didn’t dare remove the talisman bag hanging from his chest. It just so happened that Zhou Xia’s grandmother had given him a red string to wear every day, so Tan Xueci threaded the bag onto it and tucked it inside his clothes.

The scene was to be filmed in a classroom on the third floor. Once Tan Xueci was ready, Lu Xi led him over.

He wasn’t worried about Tan Xueci’s acting. Before coming, he had read the script to him. Tan Xueci was slow at writing, but his memory was actually quite good; he could basically memorize the lines after hearing them once.

The director filmed the beating scene first. Tan Xueci lay on the ground, curled up and protecting his head with his arms as several extras kicked and punched him. Then, the female lead and the second lead arrived to save him.

In the desolate night, Zhou Xia lay on the dusty, cold floor of the infirmary, thinking he was truly going to be beaten to death this time. When he looked up and saw the female lead, it was like seeing a merciful angel.

The actress playing the lead was named Meng Zhi. She was a semi-newcomer, currently a junior in college. She had only played a few minor roles before. She had large eyes and a look that was both stubborn and sweet.

Tan Xueci lay on the ground. At this point, he was supposed to say, “Why did you come?” with great self-deprecation. However, his dilated pupils widened, and he couldn’t stop himself from looking behind Meng Zhi.

Zhai Fang was standing diagonally behind Meng Zhi. Crouched on his shoulder was a little ghost. Unlike the fleeting glimpse from before, Tan Xueci finally saw the creature clearly this time.

The little ghost’s skin was pitted and lumpy, revealing red flesh covered in a bloody film beneath. Several fingers were dripping blood. Its head was large and its body small, like a little red monkey that had been skinned alive.

It opened its mouth, revealing rows of dense, greenish-black sharp teeth, and reached out to pull Meng Zhi’s hair.

“Watch out…” Tan Xueci blurted out instinctively.

“Cut!” the director yelled furiously. He stood up and barked, “Tan Xueci! What the hell are you doing?! We only have a few shots left before we wrap for the night. What kind of lines are those!”

He turned and pointed at Meng Zhi, raging, “Are you making the actress stay here in the cold with you?”

The director’s resentment was heavier than a ghost’s. The little ghost was startled and withdrew its hand before touching Meng Zhi’s hair. It hugged Zhai Fang’s neck, its crimson mouth opening to let out a spiteful cry that made one’s scalp tingle. Listening closely, it sounded like it was calling for “Mommy.”

Meng Zhi felt it was particularly cold tonight; the back of her neck had been chilly all evening, and the closer she got to Zhai Fang, the colder it became. Goosebumps broke out on her arms, and she wanted nothing more than to finish filming and return to the hotel.

But Tan Xueci had been looking at her when he said “watch out.” She felt… she felt as if he were trying to warn her about something.

“Director He,” Meng Zhi said good-naturedly, “It’s fine, I’m not cold. We’ll just do it one more time.”

Seeing her say this, the director couldn’t stay angry. He impatiently signaled the crew to reset.

The little ghost hadn’t left. Tan Xueci reminded himself over and over that it was a hallucination and to ignore it, and they finally finished the scene.

This was the last scene of the night. After finishing, the crew began packing up to leave. Lu Xi was called away by the director, and before leaving, he told Tan Xueci to wait for him at the school gate.

“Hey,” Zhai Fang, trailing at the back, frowned and stared at Tan Xueci. “What were you looking at me for just now?”

He hadn’t failed to notice that Tan Xueci had looked at him first before looking at Meng Zhi. That gaze made him very uncomfortable, as if Tan Xueci had seen something filthy.

“You…” Tan Xueci didn’t want to say anything, but Zhai Fang wouldn’t let him go. He had no choice but to say, “There seems to be something on your shoulder…”

The wind was very cold tonight in Beijing. Zhai Fang shivered involuntarily. He looked up, meeting Tan Xueci’s ghastly pale and gloomy face, and his heart began to race.

He did feel like his shoulder was heavy, as if he were carrying something, but hearing it from Tan Xueci’s mouth felt incredibly eerie.

Zhai Fang’s face darkened immediately. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Trying to play ghost with me?!”

He was annoyed whenever he saw Tan Xueci. In this industry, whoever has the strongest backing has the loudest voice. Tan Xueci was incompetent and couldn’t please Young Master He, so his role was snatched—could he blame anyone else?

Zhai Fang grit his teeth. Tan Xueci was miserable? The internet had been calling him a piece of shit earlier—wasn’t he the unlucky one?

He had been called a big piece of shit!

He was so angry his double eyelids had collapsed, and he had to go to the hospital overnight for stitches.

Tan Xueci bit his lip. He wanted to go around Zhai Fang to get out, but just as he reached the classroom door, Zhai Fang shoved him back inside. Tan Xueci stumbled, nearly losing his footing.

“I heard schools are built on graveyards,” Zhai Fang said. He was slightly taller than Tan Xueci. He looked down, his gaze entangling Tan Xueci like cold spider silk, his lips curled into a half-smile. “If there really is something dirty here, will it come looking for you in a bit?”

He didn’t intend to keep Tan Xueci locked in here forever; after all, once Lu Xi noticed he was missing, he would definitely come looking. But he had heard Mr. Xu from Jinyao mention the Tan family—apparently, Tan Xueci had mental issues.

He didn’t know if it was true, but if he could lock him in for half an hour and trigger a mental breakdown, maybe the kid would just get out of the industry for good.

Zhai Fang gave a low sneer, locked the door, and turned to leave.

Tan Xueci wasn’t afraid of enclosed spaces; after all, he had lived in an attic for over ten years. But a graveyard… Tan Xueci bit his lip. He was indeed a little afraid.

He went over and rattled the window, trying to see if he could get out.

The lights in the classroom were also broken, leaving it pitch black. Just as Tan Xueci was shaking the window, a very light giggle came from behind him. His scalp tingled instantly, and he instinctively turned around.

Sitting on a desk in the middle of the classroom was a child.

It was the ghost infant from before!

It hadn’t left with Zhai Fang. It had even dressed itself in a deep blue embroidered jacket that didn’t fit the era, with black trousers and black embroidered cloth shoes. It wore a black skullcap that hid the bloody, sticky flesh on its body, but its blue-white skin, jet-black teeth, and ghastly red lips still made it look non-human.

Tan Xueci didn’t understand much, but anyone seeing such an outfit would immediately think of burial clothes.

Tan Xueci’s breath tightened. He put his hands behind his back and tentatively pushed at the window again; it still wouldn’t open.

In the blink of an eye, the ghost infant had vanished from the desk. It was standing in the aisle, less than three meters away from Tan Xueci. Suddenly, it dropped to all fours and crawled toward him at high speed.

Tan Xueci had no time to react. The creature was too fast. He could only stumble toward the back door of the classroom, pushing at the side windows along the way without giving up hope, but every single one was shut tight.

Even the back door was locked.

Tan Xueci shook the door handle violently several times, but it wouldn’t open. The ghost infant had already crawled over, its cold little hands gripping his leg.

Tan Xueci’s legs went weak instantly. He didn’t even dare to look down. While shaking the handle, he pounded on the door, his voice trembling. “Is anyone there? Anyone? Director He? Brother Lu?”

The entire school was as silent as a tomb; there was no response.

The ghost infant’s hands were very damp, its palms covered in blood, sticking to Tan Xueci’s skin with an icy chill.

Tan Xueci’s face was pale. He didn’t even have the presence of mind to worry about the infant, because he had suddenly discovered something even more hopeless.

He had just realized that there was something frigid covering the back of his hand—as if a large hand, a size wider than his own palm, was gripping his hand and shaking the door along with him.

Tan Xueci held his breath. He slowly let go of the door handle, but the handle continued to shake, once, twice.

The thing was mimicking him shaking the door.

In this place, there was more than one ghost.

Tan Xueci lost all his strength and finally slumped down. The ghost infant crawled in front of him, its greenish-black little hands pressing against his neck. Its rows of sharp teeth parted, and the red-black depths of its eyes were filled with the undisguised greed and salivation of a malevolent spirit.

Tan Xueci’s vision was blurred by tears. Clutching the talisman bag at his chest, he suddenly thought of the manager’s words—that He Xunye might be able to bless him. But in truth, he knew the hope was slim.

He had no real relationship with He Xunye. Even if they were joined in a ghost marriage, there was no rule saying the ghost had to protect his wife.

If there were really ghosts in this world, the other would likely prefer him dead to keep him company in the grave; after all, spirits were devoid of humanity.

But he had no other way. He could only mumble in a trembling voice, sobbing a low plea for help. “Mr… Mr. He. Mr. He, He Xunye! Save me, please… I want to go out, I want to go home…”

The boy lay miserably on the floor, his face as white as snow, with only his eyes and nose showing a flush of red. His face was soaked from crying, and at the end, he could barely make a sound for his plea. He could only watch as the ghost infant opened its crimson mouth toward him.

Is this how it ends? Tan Xueci thought.

He admitted he had always lived in pain. Even… even if he was stupid, a little fool, it didn’t change things; few people could bear the pain of being hated by their mother since childhood.

Upstairs, he would hear his mother picking A-Yan up from school and coming home, her voice so gentle when she spoke to A-Yan. He would wonder when his mother would call him by his nickname; he hadn’t heard it in many years.

When he was sent to the hospital for two hours of electric shock therapy every day, he wanted so badly to tell his mother how much it hurt.

He felt sorrow too. He didn’t like being locked in the attic alone every day. He really knew he was wrong; he would never say he could “see” things again. Could they please forgive him?

He thought he could at least live until this winter. Why was he being haunted? Why was he being kept in constant pain?

If only there were even one person, no matter who… save him.

Tears flowed uncontrollably from Tan Xueci’s eyes, leaving only numbness on his face. He waited for a long time before realizing he wasn’t dead; the ghost infant had never bitten down.

He blinked, raising his hand to wipe away his tears.

The door in front of him had opened at some point. The rain had stopped, and it was a clear night outside.

He didn’t have time to think. Trembling, he climbed up and ran out. Behind him, the ghost infant suddenly let out an agonizingly sharp scream.

Tan Xueci’s heart hammered wildly, but he couldn’t resist taking one look back. In the pitch-black classroom, there was a tall, dark mass of a shadow—he couldn’t tell what it was.

It wrapped around the ghost infant and crushed it, as if its entire body were covered in countless tiny, dense sharp teeth. The infant screamed in malice as it was ground into shredded meat, thick red-black blood flooding the floor.

The black mist made a crunch-crunch chewing sound. Tan Xueci had the inexplicable feeling of being watched. Terrified, he turned and ran.

He didn’t know how long he ran, but the deathly silence vanished. It turned out there were still a dozen staff members left at the school.

His manager, Lu Xi, was pacing anxiously in place. Seeing him, Lu Xi froze for a moment before rushing over. He opened his mouth to scold him, but seeing Tan Xueci’s deathly pale face, he said hesitantly, “What happened to you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Tan Xueci felt weak all over. He looked up at the school building not far away, his hand still tightly clutching the talisman bag on his chest.

The terror just now was too real. Even if it were a nightmare, he felt he could very well have died in that dream.

The door had only opened after he pleaded with He Xunye for help. Could it be… could Mr. He really be protecting him?