C13 No Results!

After a considerable amount of time had passed, a cool night breeze swept through, prompting Lu Wangshu to stifle a sneeze. He managed to suppress the urge and glanced at the corridor, which remained as deserted as Qiao Liang had described. There was no sign of a ghost, not even a cockroach in sight.

As the night wore on, the wee hours approached, and Wangshu felt the tug of sleepiness. He fought to keep his eyes open, vigilant as he watched the corridor for any hint of movement.

Gradually, the darkness gave way to the first light of dawn. The sun peeked over the horizon, its golden rays piercing through the clouds. Wangshu rubbed his eyes and stretched languidly.

He didn't rush out immediately. Instead, he waited until all the students had risen before blending in with the crowd and exiting the male dormitory.

Once outside, Wangshu checked to ensure no one was around before scaling the wall and leaving the school grounds behind.

The walk from the school to the office was not a short one, and Wangshu was contemplating hailing a taxi when he spotted a familiar car parked nearby.

Approaching the vehicle, he saw Lin Xiangyi inside, looking as charming as ever, which sent a warm feeling through him.

"Why are you here?" Wangshu inquired.

"You were on watch all night; you must be exhausted. I came especially to pick you up," Xiangyi replied, pressing the button to unlock the passenger door. "Get in, I'll drive you to the office."

Wangshu nodded appreciatively, opened the car door, and climbed in without further ado.

Xiangyi reached into the back seat, retrieved a paper bag, and handed it to Wangshu.

He opened the bag to find a bowl of porridge and a small burger. He didn't need to look closely to know it contained his favorites: a succulent roast meat burger and century egg lean meat porridge.

"I thought you might be hungry, so I picked these up for you on the way," Xiangyi said nonchalantly.

"Thanks," Wangshu responded, pulling the roast meat burger from the bag and taking a bite.

Eating porridge in the car was impractical; a sudden stop could send it flying everywhere. That's why Lu Wangshu opted to finish off his Roast Meat Burger first.

The Roast Meat Burger had a strong aroma, so Lu Wangshu cracked the window to let the smell dissipate.

Lin Xiangyi watched Lu Wangshu devour his meal and realized he must be famished and exhausted. She felt a pang of sympathy for him.

"Did you encounter that female ghost last night?" Lin Xiangyi inquired. Lu Wangshu shook his head, "No, she didn't show up."

"She didn't?" Lin Xiangyi frowned, concerned. "What do we do now?"

"What can we do but play it cool? If she doesn't want to show herself, I'll keep watch until she does," Lu Wangshu replied nonchalantly.

"What if she never shows up? Are you planning to wait for her for ten or twenty years?" Lin Xiangyi asked, her anxiety evident.

"That won't happen. She hasn't achieved her goal yet, so she's bound to reappear. As long as I keep watch, she'll definitely show up," Lu Wangshu assured her confidently.

Lin Xiangyi was puzzled by his certainty. "How can you be so sure she'll come back? And if you say her goal isn't met yet, what is it?"

Lu Wangshu shook his head, "I don't know her exact aim yet, but consider this: aside from making every student in the school feel at risk, what else has she accomplished?"

After some thought, Lin Xiangyi had to agree there seemed to be no other consequences. Yet, she pressed on, "But what if her goal is precisely to instill fear in the students?"

"That's not likely," Lu Wangshu dismissed the idea instantly. "If her aim were that simple, if this were just a prank out of boredom, showing up once or twice would suffice. Appearing repeatedly only risks leaving incriminating evidence. Unless she's foolish, she wouldn't risk it."

Lin Xiangyi and her companion quickly arrived at the office. After parking the car, they exited one after the other. Lu Wangshu headed straight upstairs upon returning to the office. Lin Xiangyi understood he was off to catch up on sleep and didn't call out to him.

After thoroughly cleaning the office, Lin Xiangyi was just finishing up when she heard a knock at the door. She went to see who it was and, recognizing Qiao Liang, she let him in.

"Where's Wangshu?" Qiao Liang entered the office, scanning the area for Lu Wangshu, and not finding him, inquired about his whereabouts.

Lin Xiangyi gestured towards the staircase and explained, "He's upstairs. He spent the entire night at Yongzhou No.1 Middle School and only got back to the office this morning. You've come at an inconvenient time; he's probably deep in sleep right now."

Lin Xiangyi's tone was somewhat cool as she spoke. Qiao Liang, aware of her feelings for Lu Wangshu, could tell she was a bit resentful towards him.

With a wry smile, Qiao Liang made his way to the sofa and asked, "So, did Wangshu encounter that ghost girl last night?"

"No," Lin Xiangyi replied, handing Qiao Liang a cup of tea. "Wangshu mentioned the person masquerading as a ghost didn't show up. He plans to go back again tonight. He won't give up until the person is found."

Her voice carried a hint of resignation. Qiao Liang, having known Lu Wangshu for years, was familiar with his stubbornness and wasn't taken aback by his resolve.

After sitting in the office for a bit and seeing no sign of Lu Wangshu waking, Qiao Liang, mindful of his duties at the police station, reluctantly stood to leave.

Before departing, Qiao Liang advised Lin Xiangyi, "Please remind Wangshu to be mindful of his limits and not overexert himself. His health will certainly suffer if he continues to reverse his days and nights like this. It would be ironic if he collapsed before the actual ghost is caught."

Lin Xiangyi let out a sigh and said with resignation, "He's not the type to take orders from anyone."

Qiao Liang pondered for a moment, realizing that she was right, and without further comment, he strode out of the office.

That evening, Lu Wangshu made another visit to Yongzhou No.1 Middle School. Lin Xiangyi drove him to the perimeter wall. Before getting out of the car, Wangshu listened as Xiangyi relayed the conversation she had with Qiao Liang earlier that day.

He nodded nonchalantly and reassured her, "Don't worry, I've got it under control. You should head back soon."