Chapter 171: Surrounded by Ghosts
Chapter 171: Surrounded by Ghosts
“Doctor, I’m really not lying, I’m going crazy…”
In a narrow office bearing the sign “Psychological Counseling,” located in an old building, Li Mengmeng, looking haggard, faced the psychologist across the desk. The doctor wore a White Lab Coat and Glasses. Li Mengmeng trembled nervously: “Ever since that day, I haven’t dared to see my best friend. It’s true… I feel like something is watching me. That person, he…”
“It’s too horrible, really, too horrible.”
“……”
“Haha, don’t be nervous. Your condition is quite common.”
The psychologist smiled, pushing his Glasses up as he looked at the file before him. “You’re about to graduate, right?”
Li Mengmeng nodded: “Yes, but…”
“That explains it then…”
The psychologist smiled: “You’ve just graduated, looking for a job, thinking about settling down… it’s normal to feel stressed. But don’t worry too much, there are still plenty of job opportunities. Focus on managing your Emotions, don’t put too much pressure on yourself…”
“No, really, it’s not that…”
Li Mengmeng interrupted the Doctor, biting her lip hard.
She couldn’t help but recall the bizarre things that had been happening to her over the past couple of days.
After she ran out of her best friend’s house that night, she hadn’t dared to see her again.
But the very next day, her best friend called as if nothing was wrong, asking what happened and saying she wanted to come see her.
Terrified, Li Mengmeng had hung up. Her best friend then called her parents, seeming almost annoyed.
It felt like a nightmare, leaving her drained all day.
At dinner that evening, she had no appetite at all. Her Father had specially bought and stewed pork ribs for her, but she still couldn’t eat.
“Oh come on, quarrels between good friends happen; you still need to eat…”
Her Father scooped her a full bowl, insisting on handing it to her.
“I really don’t want any, you have it please…”
Li Mengmeng said, planning to go back to her room to lie down.
Smash!
Before she could react, the bowl slammed heavily onto the dining table. The broth and ribs splashed over her.
Li Mengmeng looked up in terror to see her usually kind and cheerful Father staring at her with a dark expression, saying coldly:
“Refusing me has serious consequences…”
“……”
Cold sweat broke out on Li Mengmeng; her body slid limply to the floor.
She ran a high fever, aching and weak, slept fitfully all day, waking startled several times, too scared to even see her Father. Luckily, her Mother took care of her, cooling her with a damp towel while scolding her Father for his worsening temper, and cooking congee for her.
“Why does it smell a little sourish?”
While feeding her the congee, her Mother suddenly sniffed and smiled. “Haven’t you changed your clothes for several days?”
Li Mengmeng then realized she hadn’t changed clothes in two days.
Blushing deeply, she begged her Mother to fetch her fresh underwear.
Her Mother rummaged through some drawers, found them, held them out stretched in both hands, and smilingly offered to help her change.
“Please step out for a moment; I’ll do it myself.”
Li Mengmeng begged. But her Mother just grinned: “There’s nothing to be shy about in front of your Mom. Take it off…”
The more she said that, the more embarrassed Li Mengmeng became, pushing her Mother insistently to leave.
But as she whined and pleaded, she failed to notice her Mother’s expression had darkened unsettlingly.
Slap!
She flung the underwear at Li Mengmeng, then grabbed her hair fiercely, pulling her face close. Her eyes were unnervingly red, filled with Blood Threads, her gaze indescribably greedy, angry, and cruelly playful like a cat toying with a mouse.
“You know…”
Her voice carried a sinister smirk. “Refusing me has serious consequences…”
At that moment, Li Mengmeng’s mind went blank; her Heart almost seemed to stop.
Staring at her Mother’s darkened face, she suddenly thought of the man she had rejected in the coffee shop earlier.
Finally, a scream she couldn’t hold back tore free.
Her Father barged in, only to find the spilt congee bowl and her bewildered Mother.
……
……
“Doctor, please help me. Now my whole family thinks I’m insane…”
“But… but I truly saw it…”
Li Mengmeng grew more tense as she thought, unconsciously grabbing the Psychologist’s sleeve.
“Oh dear, no need to be nervous…”
The Psychologist glanced down at Li Mengmeng’s hand and smiled.
“I already told you, your psychological pressure was simply too great, your mental exhaustion far too severe.
You just need a professional to give you some counseling.
How about this…”
His gaze fell upon Li Mengmeng.
Slowly moving downward, it swept over her figure, a faint smile appearing on his face:
“This evening, I’ll first treat you to dinner, then…”
“…”
“No…”
Li Mengmeng shuddered in fright, violently snatching back her hand.
She regarded the Psychologist with some surprise, a sense of foreboding rising within her, though she wasn’t entirely certain.
“No?”
The Psychologist calmly straightened his White Lab Coat, his eyes slowly fixing on Li Mengmeng. “Are you sure?”
“Refusing me will have very serious consequences…”
“…”
“Ah…”
Li Mengmeng let out a scream filled with panic and despair.
She dashed downstairs, hands pressed hard over her ears, feeling as if the entire world had gone mad.
She rushed onto the street, into the thickest crowd, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face.
She dared not go home.
She dared not contact her best friend.
Her heart was flooded with terror, yet she had no idea where to go.
Through the haze of tears, she saw one pedestrian after another circling around her from a distance, as though looking at a Maniac.
“Hello…”
A voice sounded from behind. It was a kind little girl, looking at her with concern.
Li Mengmeng felt a surge of gratitude, but then the little girl’s smile abruptly changed, gazing at her with a sinister look:
“Do you understand now, the consequences of refusing me?”
“…”
“Ah… stay away from me…”
Li Mengmeng screamed again, backing away frantically.
Then, the movements of the people passing around her suddenly became uncanny.
Most remained indifferent, swerving quickly past, yet others would occasionally lunge close, whispering:
“Refuse me, and the consequences will be severe…”
After uttering this, they would already be moving away, but another person would abruptly draw near:
“Do you understand what happens if you refuse me?”
“…”
Li Mengmeng screamed, collapsing as she saw completely different faces all wearing the same expression.
Through different mouths, they maliciously hissed at her: “Stupid woman, still don’t get it?”
“You can’t refuse me. From the moment I set my eyes on you, you belonged to me…”
“I want you to submit to me…”
“I want you to wipe that disgusting look off your face, kneel on the ground, and beg me…”
“…”
“Who are you…”
“Please let me go…”
Li Mengmeng’s voice grew hoarse, enveloped in a suffocating coating of Fear.
Her hair was disheveled, her body weak. Crouching on the street, she bawled desperately, crying and screaming.
If reason were a thread, that thread was being relentlessly battered, fragile to the breaking point. She could no longer form coherent words, just squatting on the ground, sobbing, endlessly pleading: “Spare me, please spare me…”
Onlookers watched her from afar, none daring to approach.
Only occasionally, within the crowd, a cold, vicious face would flicker into view, then quickly vanish.
Li Mengmeng’s sobs weakened; complete collapse seemed imminent.
But just at that moment, a hand rested on Li Mengmeng’s shoulder.
Li Mengmeng screamed in fright, falling backward onto the sidewalk. Scrabbling backwards away from the figure.
It was a young man astride a Motorcycle, one foot planted on the ground. He looked quite ordinary, like the kind of office worker you see everywhere in this Satellite City. He watched her quietly, a tissue in his hand, offering it toward her.
Li Mengmeng feared everyone, utterly unwilling to go close.
But a smile appeared on the young man’s face. He kicked down the Motorcycle’s stand, leaned forward, and gently placed the tissue in front of Li Mengmeng.
“Don’t worry, I’ve come to help!”
His smile was warm as he softly reassured her.
“Everything will be okay now.”