Chapter 6: The Night’s Deception
My thoughts drifted further, but my stomach growled at the worst possible moment.
I sighed.
I hadn’t eaten breakfast, barely touched lunch, and dinner was out of the question—night had fallen before I could even finish my midday meal.
I was starving. Parched.
But Mom had warned me—once it was dark, I had to lock the door and stay inside.
Knock, knock, knock.
I flinched. Someone was at the door. Was it Grandma?
"Nuan Nuan, I made you some midnight snacks. You barely ate anything tonight—you must be starving."
The scent of chicken soup wafted through the gap under the door, rich and savory.
My mouth watered.
Without realizing it, I slid out of bed, moving toward the door.
But the moment my fingers brushed the cold doorknob, a jolt of clarity shot through me.
"Grandma… I’m not hungry. I was almost asleep," I lied, forcing a yawn.
"Then I’ll leave the soup on the table. Come out and eat if you get hungry later."
"Okay."
I listened as her footsteps faded away, followed by the sound of her bedroom door closing.
Just try to sleep. Survive one day at a time.
If I could make it through tonight, only two more days remained.
I closed the curtains and crawled back into bed. For some reason, my eyelids grew heavier and heavier…
"Nuan Nuan, Nuan Nuan, open the door!"
I woke to sunlight streaming into the room, harsh and bright.
The knocking at the front door had roused me, and out of habit, I shuffled toward it.
"Who is it? So early in the morning…"
"Mom and Dad are back from their business trip. We came home early just for you."
Mom’s voice echoed from the other side.
Mom’s back? My heart leaped with joy, and I hurried to the door.
But then—something felt off.
Where was Grandma? She had come yesterday, hadn’t she?
Instead of opening the door, I rushed to the guest room.
It was empty. The bed was neatly made, untouched—as if no one had stayed there at all.
Did I imagine it?
A sharp pain throbbed in my head, and fragmented memories flashed through my mind—
The rules. The ghost. Luo Ping. Grandma.
Had everything from yesterday just been a dream?
"Nuan Nuan, open the door!" Mom called again.
"Coming," I mumbled, still half-asleep, and reached for the handle.
Mom and Dad stood at the doorstep, suitcases beside them.
"What’s wrong with you? We’ve been knocking forever!" Mom scolded, stepping forward to drag the luggage inside.
SLAM.
I shoved the door shut with all my strength.
My instincts screamed—these weren’t my parents.
Something was wrong.
I retraced my steps since waking up.
The sunlight was too bright—but I remembered closing the curtains last night.
Mom and Dad never made me open the door for them—they always had their keys.
And where had Grandma gone?
"Nuan Nuan, what are you doing? Open the door!" Dad’s voice joined in, growing louder, angrier.
"Open up! Open the damn door!"
His knocking turned into pounding.
His rough, deep voice twisted into something shrill—
Like nails on a chalkboard.
A shudder ran through me, and I clamped my hands over my ears.
Legs weak, I stumbled back to my bedroom and locked the door behind me.
Ding-dong.
My phone chimed. I grabbed it from the bedside table.
A new message:
[No strangers (or ghosts) will visit this house. If a stranger (or ghost) knocks, politely ask them to leave.]