Chapter 41: Resurrection

Watching Felix's departing figure, Chu Cheng was momentarily unsure whether or not to make a comment.

"You could say he's in the wrong, but attending classes does seem to be a student's duty, and in principle, we don't encourage skipping classes."

But if we say there's no problem, that doesn't seem entirely accurate either. Chu Cheng pondered over the fact that Felix had skipped class and come all the way to the rooftop just to hear his senior mention attending class.

Furthermore, his senior was already in his third year. Aren't third-year students supposed to be like the legendary hidden dragons, rarely seen and only showing up in the dormitories to watch movies and play games, or gallivanting around the mountains and waters without a trace?

Chu Cheng didn't have any classes in the afternoon. After finishing his meal, he returned to his residence with the documents and proceeded to examine the general situation.

Yesterday afternoon, a fellow student named Xu Wenhao, from the same school as Chu Cheng, came to the Jiangdu Public Security Bureau seeking help. According to the description given by the public security officer at the bureau, Xu Wenhao's complexion was as pale as freshly painted walls, and his expression was so grim that it made people feel uneasy.

His breathing was erratic, as if he had just finished running a kilometer, drenched in sweat but trembling like a sieve. When he first arrived at the security bureau, he couldn't even articulate his words. A security officer guided him to a room with the heating on and helped him sit down, pouring him a cup of hot water. After a considerable amount of soothing, Xu Wenhao was finally able to explain the whole story.

From Xu Wenhao's account, the security officers learned that he was a student in Jiangdu and discovered that over ten days ago, he and his girlfriend Guo Xiaoyun were involved in a disaster.

It was supposed to be a long-planned trip to a snowy mountain, a journey they had anticipated for a while. It was meant to be a memorable adventure, but an unexpected snowstorm turned their trip into a catastrophe.

They underestimated the harsh conditions of the mountain and mistakenly assessed the impact of the weather. The meteorological department's mistake led to a delayed alarm, and the storm triggered a rare avalanche, trapping them in the treacherous environment.

Several hours later, a rescue team arrived at the scene, and both of them were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Xu Wenhao suffered minor injuries and quickly recovered without significant issues. However, his girlfriend was not as fortunate.

After the doctors declared the rescue efforts ineffective, the young man sat by her bedside, alone, and wept for a long, long time.

He couldn't remember exactly how much time had passed. In his memory, time had become a blurry concept, or perhaps it was the entire world that had become blurred.

He couldn't hear the doctor's voice or the bustling of people. It felt as if the whole world had narrowed down to just him and the girl on the sickbed.

She remained as beautiful as he remembered. Long eyelashes and a pale face that seemed even paler than usual. The breeze rustled the blinds, and the dappled sunlight danced on her lovely face.

It was as if she was merely sleeping, and at any moment, she could wake up from any unusual sound.

Then, at a certain moment, her long eyelashes fluttered.

The boy's pupils contracted, his eyes widened, and he held his breath, staring at the girl on the sickbed as if he was afraid to believe that his innermost wish was coming true.

But it wasn't an illusion.

The girl's eyelids loosened, and then with some effort, she opened her eyes. Her gaze was somewhat clouded, giving her the appearance of drowsiness, like someone who had just woken up in the early morning.

Xu Wenhao was overwhelmed with joy and immediately embraced his girlfriend, crying uncontrollably.

Dr. Li, who was responsible, was also quite astonished when he learned about the situation. He returned to the ward and conducted another examination on Guo Xiaoyun, who had regained consciousness. Afterwards, he displayed a somewhat peculiar expression.

"How is she, doctor?" Xu Wenhao anxiously asked, holding the girl tightly.

Dr. Li's initial reaction was to glance at the girl in his arms, as if hesitating to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.

"She's doing well," Dr. Li finally said, "She can be discharged today."

Although he said this verbally, the doctor's eyes at the time clearly indicated that there was something more he wanted to say.

However, according to Xu Wenhao's account, he only realized all of this later when recalling the events. At that time, he was immersed in the joy of his girlfriend being safe and sound, oblivious to anything else.

On the day she returned, the girl was still very weak. Her complexion was still poor, devoid of any color, and her skin felt cold to the touch. Although she still had the softness typical of a girl, the sensation was somewhat uncomfortable.

But at that time, Xu Wenhao considered it normal for her to be in a poor state given what they had just experienced. Dr. Li also mentioned that she was still recovering from a serious illness and her body was a bit weak. With some rest, nourishing food, and a couple of days of recuperation, she would be fine.

Xu Wenhao brought Guo Xiaoyun back to their shared apartment, and she appeared sickly, resembling a frail and thin reed, which deeply pained him. That day, he bought a variety of ingredients and personally cooked a sumptuous meal for her.

However, during dinner, she only took a few bites before pushing the bowl aside, expressing regret that she had no appetite and couldn't eat.

At that time, Xu Wenhao didn't think much of it.

It wasn't until that night when he was half asleep and turned over, reaching out to embrace her, that he realized there was no one beside him.

It took him a few seconds to fully wake up, sitting up in the empty bed. He tentatively called out his girlfriend's name.

His voice echoed through the dark apartment, like a small stone thrown into a vast abyss, without even a ripple to be seen.

Xu Wenhao started to feel anxious. He stood up, walked out of the bedroom, and faintly heard some sounds within the apartment.

It sounded like laughter.

The sound seemed distant yet echoed around him as if it was right beside his ear. Within the chilling laughter, there was a buzzing sound, swirling around his head, creating a deeply unsettling feeling.

He followed the direction of the sound, groping his way along the corridor until he reached the kitchen.

He was almost certain that the sound came from the kitchen, but it still had a vague sense of being both far away and close at hand.

He took a deep breath and abruptly opened the door.

The girl was barefoot, wearing a white lace-trimmed nightgown, with long black hair cascading over her shoulders. She stood by the open refrigerator door, slightly stiff, and turned her head to look at him.

"I'm hungry," she said. "I'm looking for something to eat."

"Oh, I see," Xu Wenhao sighed in relief and walked closer. The girl closed the refrigerator door.

He lovingly ruffled his girlfriend's hair. "I told you to eat more during dinner, so you wouldn't be hungry."

Upon realizing that Guo Xiaoyun didn't speak, Xu Wenhao asked her if she was still hungry and offered to make her something to eat. She shook her head, indicating that she was no longer hungry. So, they turned off the lights and returned to the bedroom.

Xu Wenhao suddenly noticed that the laughter in his ears seemed to have disappeared without him realizing it.

However, from that moment on, Xu Wenhao began to feel increasingly uneasy.

This uneasiness intensified when a package arrived two days later.

The package had no sender information, and Xu Wenhao's name was listed as the recipient. It was a tightly sealed square package with a rough exterior that revealed no information about its contents, yet it inexplicably gave off a sense of eeriness.

With a strong sense of foreboding, Xu Wenhao opened the package.

Upon seeing what was inside, his hands trembled uncontrollably, causing the package and its contents to fall to the ground as he let out a horrified scream.

It was a hand.