Chapter 13: Can’t Afford It

Midnight.

The drizzle that had stopped for a moment began to fall again, pattering on the bluestone streets of Peony Street. The air was cool and fresh.

Huacheng Folk Culture Research Administration

Sitting in front of the computer, the soft sound of the rain slapped on the leaves of the plant outside. The repeated pattering made Jiangli considerably frustrated, so much so that she lost several Mahjong games in a row.

Indeed, it was a risky decision to let Yibei be the bait.

However, she had no choice.

It was easy for urban legends and rumours to hide in the city and evade capture.

Besides, there are too few psychic users in Huacheng, and all of them specialize in something. It would be great if there was a psychic user who could track down urban legends and rumours.

Yibei seemed to have potential in this area, however. If only…

Jiangli brushed that idea out of her mind. The process of becoming a psychic user is too painful and dangerous. Forcing him to become a psychic is like asking someone to die.

And all psychic users die miserably.

Jiangli didn’t want to hurt an innocent person.

“Jesus Christ.”

Yibei fell onto his bed and let out a nasty groan.

The reality of the situation just hit him—all the ghost stories and urban legends online, the far-fetched and eerily realistic stories of mysterious events—it was all real.

Laying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep.

It wasn’t that quiet in his apartment—sounds of water dripping in his bathroom, glass balls bouncing on the unit above him, sighing in the living room—it was as if he wasn’t living alone.

‘Those doctors were right. It wasn’t my eyesight after all, but these… strange things were happening!’

Now that he was sure that these things were real, he figured that he wasn’t going to get into trouble anymore.

However, he was sure that he was bound to die one day.

He thought about the girl in his dream and wondered about her identity. He pondered whether he should report to the [Dreams, Nightmares, and What-Not Administration] or whatever they called themselves.

Thinking about them, he guesses that this mysterious organization seemed to be on the good side of things. Perhaps he could help them out?

‘I could become a part-time worker for them! And I get to sleep on the job too!’

He thought that it was way better than doing odd jobs to support himself. Being outside meant that he was at risk of dying.

Time passed slowly, and Yibei was accompanied by his own thoughts. Unconsciously, his eyelids began to droop. Just as he was about to accept the warm embrace of sleep, he could hear a knock coming from downstairs.

Knock, knock, knock!

Lu Yibei was in a daze as he was forcibly ripped from his limbo. Hearing the knocks, he got up and prepared himself to open the door. However, the words that came soon after made his drowsiness vanish in an instant.

“Anyone home? If there isn’t anyone, I’ll let myself in!” A hoarse and guttural voice could be heard outside.

‘W-wait, isn’t that the same exact thing Mr Rabbit said before he broke into that woman’s house?’

Lu Yibei fell back on his bed, clutching the statue of Acala, the Immovable, tightly. His legs felt weak.

Something strange happened in his room, too. The water droplets in his bathroom, the sighs in the living room, the glass marbles upstairs…

These strange things started to make him feel uneasy, as if they were fearing his existence outside his door. Soon, the room fell into a dead silence.

And Lu Yibei was all alone.

He sat in silence for a few seconds, grateful that he had barricaded the door before sleeping. Mr Rabbit had some trouble entering the house.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“I’ll let myself in!”

Lu Yibei took deep breaths, attempting to calm his racing heart that was trying to jump out of his throat.

‘I can’t just wait and die like this. Right, I need to call for help.’

He rushed to his bedside table and scrambled for his phone. Turning on his security camera app, he looked at the scene outside his…

It was pitch black,

The screen flickered, and a rabbit’s head was staring directly into the camera.

“F*ck!”

Lu Yibei threw his phone out of fright but flew towards it again.

“Aha! You are home! I’ll be coming in now!”

‘Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t, Sh*t.’

He could hear the rabbit twist the doorknob, but the doorknob emitted electrical shocks, and violent knocking could be heard once again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The door shook violently, making its sawdust fall from the door frame.

Amidst the violent knocking, Lu Yibei crouched in a corner as his phone beeped in the darkness.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Lu Yibei’s eyes began to water, and they burned.

When he opened his eyes, he saw something surge in the dark room, approaching quietly. The ceiling seemed to collapse upon itself, and he felt claustrophobic.

The phone connected, and everything returned to normal.

“H-h-hello? Police? There’s s-s-s-something outside my door. My name is Lu Yibei. I am living on the 9th floor of the 3rd building of Jingyi Apartment, and…”

Only static could be heard.

“Hehe!”

The static gradually shifted into a giggle, and it was clear that it was the voice of Mr Rabbit.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Lu Yibei gulped as he heard his living room window being pried open downstairs.

His face turned pale, and he continued dialling every single emergency number he knew.

Public Security, Firefighters, the security downstairs, his regular take-out place…

Crack! Crack! Crack!

After calling everybody he knew, he stumbled upon Shui’s blocked contact, and he hurriedly unblocked him and called him.

Beep! Beep! Be-

“Hello? Yibei? I-ah! I’m doing escort work now! Let me guess, do you want in on the fun too? There’s everything here, men, women, and…”

“I’m going to die. D-door… monster… outside my window…”

Clink!

His window was open, and he could hear that eerie breeze rushing into his living room.