C8 Chapter 8

“Get in there.” I gave her a shove, pushed her straight inside, then slipped in right after her.

When I came during the day, I already thought it was way too cold in here. Turns out it was because of this thing called air conditioning. At night, the moment I stepped in, it felt even clearer. The vibe in this cafeteria was heavy—too heavy. I scanned the room, on guard, and whispered to Liang Jing, “Don’t wander off. Stay with me...”

Like hell she listened. She didn’t take me seriously at all—just looked around on her own and bolted straight for the kitchen.

I panicked and grabbed her. “What are you doing? That’s dangerous!”

She shot me a look. “Oh, please, Mr. Psychic. Cut the act and get over here—help me do something that actually matters.”

I blinked. “Do what?”

“I did my homework before I came. This cafeteria’s been using vegetables from shady, highly contaminated sources. I’m here to collect evidence and report them.”

“So you’re basically some fired-up activist?”

“For the long-term health of every student here, I have to.” With that, she tried to squeeze into the kitchen.

“Wait!” I yanked her back. “There are actually ghosts here!”

“Ghosts, my ass.” Liang Jing rolled her eyes. “This isn’t your backwoods hometown, kid. I’m educated.” And with that, she stopped listening and marched right in.

Me: “........”

So she wasn’t here to hunt ghosts at all—she was here to crack a case.

But... but... there really were ghosts here!

Damn it. This was bad...

I’d brought dead weight to a ghost hunt—and the dead weight didn’t even realize what kind of trouble she was in...

As Liang Jing headed into the kitchen, I kept my eyes peeled around the room. Then, all of a sudden, a massive wave of cold, oppressive energy surged from the back.

Crap. Of course. I whipped my head around—Liang Jing was gone.

Seriously?! I sprinted for the kitchen. And there she was—Liang Jing with a pale-faced boy clamped around her throat. The boy stared straight at me.

“Let her go!” I shouted.

The boy glanced at me, then at Liang Jing in his hands, and shook his head in confusion.

Damn it—this ghost had died without ever understanding what happened. He was the worst kind: completely lost, to the point he’d forgotten who he was before he died. All that was left in his head was rage. One wrong move and Liang Jing would be strangled… or bitten…

I shot a look at Liang Jing, who was frozen in shock, and inside I was losing it. *Serves you right for not listening to me—now you get it, huh?* But panic was creeping in, too. How was I supposed to make a move here? A vengeful spirit that hadn’t been dead long didn’t scare me, but he was holding Liang Jing. If I messed up even a little, she was done.

So the boy and I stayed locked in a standoff, neither of us daring to act first.

Then Liang Jing spoke.

“Bro… is that you?”

The moment she said it, the ghost gripping her throat froze—like his mind slipped for a second.

I seized the opening. In one quick move, I was right in front of him. I knocked his hand aside, yanked Liang Jing out of his grip, and pulled her back fast, retreating several steps to put distance between us.

But this girl actually shook off my hand and ran right back in front of me again, shouting, “Bro! Is that you?”

You’ve got to be kidding me. What is this?

Wait—she was calling this vengeful ghost her brother? Then the freshman who’d died here last year… was her brother? That would also explain why she’d risked coming here for evidence.

So she was trying to clear her brother’s name.

But like I said, the rage in this spirit was too heavy. He didn’t remember who he was before he died. So even if Liang Jing’s voice stirred something deep down, there was no way he’d actually recognize her.

Except I was here today.

I grabbed Liang Jing’s arm. “Back up. I can make him remember you.”

Liang Jing stood there with her eyes wide, watching me without a word as I moved her behind me.

Honestly, without Liang Jing as a hostage, this ghost—dead barely a year—wouldn’t have stood a chance against me. But my goal wasn’t to destroy him. It was to break up his resentment and bring his past-life memories back.

I seized the moment, recalling the incantation my father had taught me. I fired off streak after streak of golden light, each one striking his energy channel. A cloud of black smoke spilled out of his body. The filth in his eyes finally cleared, leaving a hint of brightness.

“Liang Jing?” he said slowly.

“Bro! You remember me!” Liang Jing immediately shoved past me—so much for loyalty.

“Liang Jing… me?” The boy looked down at his own body, then gave a bitter smile. “I’m dead, aren’t I? Been dead a while, huh?”

“Bro. I won’t let you die for nothing. I’ll find the proof. I’ll make them pay,” Liang Jing sobbed.

“Liang Jing, listen to me. None of that matters. Take care of Mom and Dad. And… go after your dream,” he said with a smile.

Liang Jing burst into tears again. I wiped at my own eyes too. “Man… this is killing me.”

“Bro—tell me. Who did it?” Liang Jing cried out.