Chapter 10: Who's Behind Me?

"The host's smile has so much depth; is he hinting at the girl?"

"Run, girl! The streamer is trying to trick you!"

"The longest road I've ever walked in my life is the streamer's string of tricks! The blood and tears of countless viewers bear witness!"

Through our conversation, I learned that the woman before me was called Xiaofeng, the adopted daughter of the elderly couple.According to her, the adoption wasn't for a simple reason. When the inn was being built, a feng shui master—half monk, half taoist—had told the owners that this was a place of great misfortune. For safety, they needed to balance yin and yang.At the time, the elderly couple only had a biological son, so they adopted a daughter to bring harmony between yin and yang.There was something strange, though. When it came to the missing toddler, a girl around two or three years old, Xiaofeng wouldn't say a word. That name seemed to be taboo in the inn.As our conversation deepened, my questions only multiplied.I observed Xiaofeng carefully; it seemed like she was trying to tell me something but was too scared to speak openly. I had already searched her thoroughly—there wasn't any surveillance device on her—and I'd inspected the room earlier. The most technologically advanced thing here was the lightbulb above our heads."What's she afraid of? Why does she keep hesitating? Could it be that there's someone else in this room besides me?" My mind flashed to the talisman paper under the bed. There's a saying: "Three feet above the head resides a deity." Could it be she was afraid of some unseen presence?A strange place, strange people.It was late. The outside world was pitch black, the moon hidden behind thick clouds. Realizing the time, I lightly patted Xiaofeng on the shoulder. "It's getting late. You should head back, or your adoptive parents might get the wrong idea."I pulled out my phone. "What's your WeChat ID? I tore your dress earlier—let me send you a red envelope to apologize. My ID is 'Peak of Happiness.'""You're a grown man, and you call yourself 'Peak of Happiness'? That's way too revealing of your personality.""'Peak of Happiness' is the name of my shop. Feel free to follow it. I'll give you a 20% discount if you ever need anything."Having gained little useful information, I massaged my temples in frustration. None of the clues I'd hoped for had surfaced. I felt stuck.Xiaofeng sat up, letting the sheet slip down her shoulders. "I don't have a phone. My adoptive parents don't like me communicating with the outside world.""Oh." This girl seemed like someone raised in captivity. At such a blossoming age, she carried secrets too heavy to bear."Can I stay here tonight?""Of course... Wait, what?!" Her question startled me."They'd be pleased if I stayed here," she said."What do you mean? What's the relationship between you and your adoptive parents?" I couldn't figure it out and glanced out at the heavy darkness of the night. "Forget it. If you want to stay, go ahead. At least we'll keep each other company."I made space on the bed, rolling up my pant leg to check my burn."Don't move, or it'll get infected," Xiaofeng said as she sat beside me, still wearing her simple outfit. She placed my leg on her lap. "Your pants are stuck to the burn. If you roll them up, you'll burst the blisters."She seemed familiar with Room 203, reaching for scissors in the nightstand drawer. She carefully cut my pant leg, then fetched a towel from the bathroom, rinsing it with cold water to clean the wound.Her movements were gentle and skillful, the kind of woman accustomed to doing housework. "What a pity," she murmured."What did you say?""I said, get some rest. I'll handle it."By the time she finished tending to the burn, it was 1:30 a.m. Xiaofeng lay with her back to me on the bed. Watching the subtle rise and fall of her breathing, I could tell she wasn't asleep."I'd better not mention the talisman paper under the bed," I thought. Checking my phone, I noticed that the lack of ghostly activity had slowed the growth of my stream's audience."Let's promote civil live-streaming. The host has remained composed—kudos to him!"

"Hello, 911? There's a host doing inappropriate live content here."

"Sorry, wrong number. This is KFC."

The chat was all over the place, and I lit a cigarette, amused.By 2:00 a.m., sleepiness overwhelmed me. The stream had quieted down. After tucking a light blanket over Xiaofeng, I lay down on the other side. My eyelids grew heavy.One comment caught my attention before I dozed off:"The streamer just wants us all to fall asleep so he can have the girl all to himself. Nice try—won't happen."I fell asleep.My dreams felt disturbingly familiar—a desolate village inn where I was trapped by a faceless ghost."This dream... I had it this morning. The same buildings, the same floor, the same walls..." Outside, the neon sign for the Peaceful Inn glowed faintly red."So the place in my dream is this inn."My consciousness flickered between clarity and confusion as I fled frantically, unsure of what pursued me.I wanted to look back but couldn't control my body. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out."Who's behind me? Who's behind me?!"I tried desperately to wake myself, biting my tongue hard, veins bulging on my forehead. But all I could do was slightly move my head.My narrow field of vision slowly turned crimson. Blood seeped from the inn's every corner. At the edge of my vision, I caught sight of a woman's shadow."Who... is she?"Suddenly, my chest burned as if set aflame. I awoke with a start, drenched in sweat, my clothes clinging to my body."What a terrifying dream," I muttered, looking down at my chest. Right where the burning sensation had been was the talisman paper from under the bed."Damn, this thing is no ordinary item." I carefully put it away, glancing at the girl beside me. She lay motionless, fast asleep."Good thing she didn't notice. She's a heavy sleeper.""But then again, staring at someone while they sleep isn't exactly polite." I wiped the sweat from my forehead, turning to the other side of the bed. There lay a girl, covered by a thin blanket, breathing steadily in deep sleep."Wait... if the girl in front of me is Xiaofeng, then who... who was that behind me just now?!"Terror coursed through me. My heart pounded, hands and feet turned ice cold, my body frozen as if plunged into an icy cavern.I couldn't bring myself to turn around. My eyes stared straight ahead, cold sweat dripping from my brow. All my cries for help were stuck in my throat."Who's behind me? Who's behind me!"A chilling breeze passed over me, cutting through my clothes like a dagger at my waist. It felt as if unseen hands were pressing against my spine, slowly creeping toward my neck."What is this thing? What's happening?" I was fully awake, certain I wasn't dreaming. Everything happening now was in the real world—the world I'd lived in for 25 years.My limited vision caught strands of black hair—dirty and tangled, interwoven with sand and bloodstains. This wasn't hair that belonged to a living person.Something gripped my neck, cold and unrelenting. That filthy black hair slithered up my body as my head was forcibly turned bit by bit.My pupils were bloodshot, my vision filled with fear as the strength on my neck increased. I would die if this continued."The talisman! That talisman!" I thought. Summoning all my willpower, I bit my tongue and forced my fingers to move, grabbing the talisman from my chest.A warm current surged through me. With a burst of strength, I jumped up, wielding the talisman like a flame and striking behind me.In that fleeting moment, I saw half a blurry face reflected in my bloodshot eyes. But when the talisman struck, there was nothing there."Impossible..." The pain in my neck reminded me that what happened was no illusion.Standing by the bed, I was still trembling. "Could there really be a ghost?"I grabbed my camera and phone. If the Hell Show equipment could capture spirits, then everything should have been recorded.That meant the viewers in the live stream must have seen a real ghost!