Chapter Ten: Shadows of Ghosts

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Late at night, Lin Ran waited until everyone in the police station had left before packing up his things and stepping outside. He had barely walked a few steps when he noticed a dark figure standing at the entrance. Lin Ran wondered, Who would still be here at this hour? Filled with suspicion, he approached the shadow.

"Guo Ting? Why are you here? It's so late, aren't you going home?" Only when he got closer did Lin Ran realize the shadow belonged to Guo Ting, who had just been discharged from the hospital.

"I was waiting for you," Guo Ting replied, looking at him.

"For me? Is something wrong? Are you still shaken by what happened the other day? Don't worry, try not to think about it too much." Lin Ran assumed she was afraid to go home alone and tried to comfort her.

"No, that's not it! Actually..." Guo Ting shook her head, speaking hesitantly, as if there was something she wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to.

"What's wrong? If there's something, just tell me." Lin Ran looked at this former academy beauty, now so uncertain, and asked gently.

"Lin Ran, are you planning to go to that villa tonight?" Guo Ting suddenly blurted out.

"Why are you asking that out of the blue?" Lin Ran frowned slightly, puzzled that Guo Ting knew his intentions for the evening.

"Don't worry about that. The point is, you cannot go! If you must, wait until daytime!" Guo Ting suddenly grabbed Lin Ran's arm, her tone agitated.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Ran looked at Guo Ting with concern, sensing her hand trembling as she held his arm.

"No, but no matter what, you just can't go tonight!" Guo Ting's grip tightened so much that her fingers turned pale.

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"Alright, alright! I won't go!" Lin Ran realized that if he didn't agree, she wouldn't let him leave.

"Mm," Guo Ting relaxed her tense face as Lin Ran agreed.

"But you have to tell me why you don't want me to go," Lin Ran insisted.

"I don't know, I just feel uneasy! I know your nature—once you set your sights on something, you'll dig until you get to the bottom of it! I know even if I stop you tonight, you'll find another time to go. I can't stop you, but I can't just watch you walk into danger! That place is terrifying!" As she spoke, Guo Ting suddenly crouched down and began to cry, her shoulders trembling.

Lin Ran was at a loss for how to respond; how had things come to tears so unexpectedly? He wondered just what Guo Ting had seen that night to frighten her so much.

He sighed helplessly, gently patting her shoulder, but the touch only made Guo Ting cry harder. Seeing her sobbing, Lin Ran gave up any thought of investigating the villa that night. He wrapped his arms around her back, hoping to comfort her; clearly, the past few days had been a lot for her.

Gradually, Guo Ting's crying faded, replaced by the steady sound of breathing from her chest. Lin Ran, puzzled, looked down to find Guo Ting asleep in his arms. He couldn't help but smile wryly; was this really a policewoman? She seemed more like an immature little sister—crying herself to sleep!

Lin Ran sighed and, not wanting to wake her, gently picked her up and carried her home. When they arrived, he placed Guo Ting on the bed and saw she was still deeply asleep, tears lingering at the corners of her eyes, making her look heartbreakingly delicate.

In her sleep, Guo Ting's brows furrowed, and she muttered incoherently, as if plagued by nightmares. Lin Ran took her hand, and perhaps finding comfort in his touch, her furrowed brow relaxed and she slept peacefully.

Watching Guo Ting sleep, Lin Ran was lost in thought. Her behavior today was so out of character; what could have frightened her so badly? What had happened?

No matter how much he pondered, Lin Ran couldn't figure it out. He decided to stop worrying and planned to ask for leave from Officer Wang tomorrow to visit the villa in daylight and see what was really going on. Lin Ran refused to believe in ghosts.

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At dawn, Lin Ran woke up. He glanced at the clock—it was already five-thirty in the morning. He sat up on the sofa; he hadn't slept well all night, his dreams filled with strange, chaotic images, leaving his mind still foggy.

Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Guo Ting, fully dressed, walked out.

"Awake? How did you sleep?" Lin Ran looked at her, noticing her face was much better than yesterday—not nearly as pale.

"I'm fine. Thank you," Guo Ting replied, a surprising blush rising on her cheeks, probably embarrassed by her breakdown the night before.

"The bathroom's over there," Lin Ran said, not pressing her further, and went downstairs to buy breakfast.

When he returned, Guo Ting had finished washing up. Lin Ran set the wontons he'd bought on the table, and Guo Ting made no protest and sat down to eat with him. They ate in silence; Guo Ting was likely too embarrassed to mention her emotional outburst.

After breakfast, the two took a cab to the police station.