The floor was too hard. She woke up with a full-body ache.

  Li Li yawned and struggled to her feet. Her first task was to check the peach-wood figurine sealing Xiao Mei.

  Xiao Xie seemed to sense the figurine was dangerous. It was lying motionless on the yellow talisman paper as if guarding the seal.

  “Good work,” Li Li said, gently coaxing the scorpion off the figurine. After feeding it a drop of blood, she tapped the wood carving. “Xiao Mei?”

  Xiao Mei’s presence was faint during the day. After a long pause, she replied, “Could you ask your pet not to sit on my face?”

  *Opening your eyes to a scorpion’s body stretched across your field of vision is startling, even for a ghost.*

  Li Li pouted, affectionately stroked Xiao Xie’s glossy shell, then lifted the scorpion to her cheek for a nuzzle. “Xiao Xie goes where Xiao Xie wants.”

  Xiao Mei: “…”

  So she was the only one who couldn’t move. Great.

  Seeing both her “pets” were fine, Li Li hurried through her morning rituals. After a quick wash, she grabbed her backpack with her enrollment papers, took Xiao Xie, and headed to campus.

  She’d checked the route—only two bus stops from her apartment. At the stop, she waited briefly, boarded, and paid with the local cash she’d exchanged back home.

  On the bus, she called Agent Wang.

  He answered on the first ring, as if waiting. “Li Li? Hey, don’t cry, don’t cry! Last night must’ve been terrifying, right? It’s okay! I have several other places near your school. I’ll prioritize showing them to you—”

  Li Li, who hadn’t said a word: “…”

  *He’s really running with this script.*

  “I’m fine. The place is great,” Li Li cut in quickly. If she let him continue, she’d be apartment hunting by noon.

  “It’s normal, lots of people have your reaction… Huh?” Wang stammered. “It’s… great?”

  “Yeah. Just needs furniture,” Li Li said. “Uncle, didn’t you mention a secondhand group chat for students? Can you add me? I need to buy some stuff.”

  “Oh… the group. Right, yes… I’ll add you…” His voice trailed off into silence. After a moment, he couldn’t help asking, “You really didn’t encounter anything… strange?”

  “Nope,” Li Li said breezily.

  It was just some ghost-catching, spirit-money burning, Reaper-summoning, discovering a soul fragment was missing, and realizing last year’s murder case had hidden depths.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  None of that compared to the damage of sleeping without a mattress.

  “Oh…” Wang was at a loss. Finally, he said dryly, “Well, you must have a strong constitution.”

  “Haha, I guess.” Li Li was actually pleased. A strong life force was good—essential in her line of work.

  After some small talk, once Wang was convinced she was genuinely happy with the apartment, he sent her a WeChat group invite.

  Li Li replied with a sticker of a little Taoist bowing in thanks, then joined the chat.

  **【Lily】:** *ISO used mattress, pots/pans/kitchenware, etc. Send offers.*

  Soon, someone replied. Li Li quickly connected with a graduating senior who lived nearby and was returning home. They agreed on a time and place. The senior kindly offered to help move the items with her car. Li Li was touched.

  The first day of orientation was uneventful. After checking in, Li Li wandered around campus with Xiao Xie. Many freshmen like her were around, some with parents, some alone, all radiating excitement about university life.

  Li Li should have felt the same, but being alone abroad in a completely unfamiliar place added a layer of melancholy. She took a selfie in front of the main academic building and posted it in the family WeChat group.

  **【Lily】:** *All checked in! ~*

  **【Lily】:** *[Image]*

  No immediate replies.

  Sighing, the melancholy deepening, she put her phone away and headed toward the club fair on the main quad.

  University clubs here were more varied than back home. It was prime recruitment season. After one loop, Li Li held seven or eight hand-drawn flyers.

  Debate Club, Rowing Club, Swim Team, Sororities… Unfortunately, none interested her.

  *Too Western. I prefer something more traditional.*

  Suddenly, her eye caught a booth themed in black. She turned and squinted at the sign written in gothic font.

  ***Paranormal Investigation Society***

  Her eyes lit up. *Perfect! My specialty!* She walked over and picked up a brochure.

  It was a niche club. Only three people were at the booth—two women and one man, all in full gothic style. Their hair styled into aggressive spikes, faces powdered deathly white, with smoky eye makeup, heavy eyeliner, and deep, dark lipstick. Each had at least three visible piercings—lip, nose, eyebrow—the works.

  All three were extremely thin, bones prominent, chewing gum in unison. Unlike other clubs’ energetic recruitment, they slumped in their chairs, exuding a faint weariness with existence itself.

  They glanced at Li Li but didn’t pay her much mind. This fresh-faced Asian girl belonged in the Math Olympiad Club, not theirs. She was probably just here for kicks.

  Li Li ignored them and examined the brochure.

  It was surprisingly well-made and stylish. It listed the area’s “Top 10 Haunted Locations”—typical horror movie settings: an abandoned asylum, a wilderness resort, an old schoolhouse…

  Number ten was her newly rented apartment!

  Li Li grinned. *Okay, this guide has some credibility.*

  She pointed at the apartment’s picture in the booklet. “What happened here?”

  The trio looked at each other, surprised she’d ask. Finally, the girl on the left pulled a newspaper from under the table and slid it over.

  The paper was from a year ago but well-preserved, slightly yellowed but legible.

  Li Li picked it up. The front-page headline covered the murder Agent Wang had described. The cover photo was a bright, smiling candid of Xiao Mei in life—truly a rare beauty.

  The article detailed her background: age, family, education, career, and the circumstances of her death.

  Li Li read it over and over, her frown deepening. Something felt off. “How much for this paper?”

  They exchanged glances again.

  The same girl produced an identical copy from under the table. “Free.”

  *Do you people communicate telepathically?*

  “Thanks,” Li Li said, taking it without fuss. She then dug three protection charms from her pocket and placed them on the table. “If you go exploring haunted places, take these.”

  She walked away quickly with the newspaper.

  The trio stared at each other.

  ? Slept on the floor

  ? Fed her Gu scorpion

  ? Negotiated with a ghost roommate

  ? Found the one club that's actually useful

  ? Got ancient newspaper evidence

  Drop a comment if you're enjoying the chaos! ??

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