Wu Duola immediately raised a finger to her lips, lowering her voice, her eyes sparkling with excitement: “Shh! It’s appeared. Let’s sneak up quietly. Our movements must be gentle—don’t startle it.”
Zhou Qianqian nodded vigorously, tightly holding onto a still-dazed Su Nuannuan’s hand, crouching slightly as she followed Wu Duola.
Lin Wei stretched her still-aching arm and looked at Su Nuannuan, who was being led by Zhou Qianqian. There was an unspoken grievance in her eyes—one even she hadn’t noticed—but she quickly caught up.
The four of them held their breath, moving lightly up the stairs.
The intermittent piano notes echoed through the empty hallway, sounding somewhat eerie.
Finally, they reached the third floor. The corridor was pitch black, and at the far end was the music room from which the piano sound was coming.
The closer they got to the music room, the clearer the piano music became.
Lin Wei frowned slightly. The music was broken and hesitant, sounding unfamiliar yet strangely familiar.
Su Nuannuan felt dizzy and her nose grew itchier. She couldn’t help but rub it, trying hard to suppress the urge to sneeze.
They were just about to reach the music room door! Wu Duola and Zhou Qianqian’s palms were sweating with nervousness.
At that moment—
“Achoo!!!”
Su Nuannuan couldn’t hold it in any longer. A loud sneeze suddenly exploded out, ringing through the silent corridor like thunder!
Zhou Qianqian, standing right beside her, was so startled by the sudden loud noise that she nearly screamed!
Wu Duola’s heart sank, silently cursing, “It’s over!”
Sure enough, the piano music abruptly stopped!
Immediately, a flurry of rustling sounds and chairs being moved came from inside the music room!
“Stop right there!” Lin Wei reacted fastest, shouting sharply as she dashed forward in a single stride!
A blurry black figure suddenly burst out from the music room. Judging by the shape, it seemed small and slender, but moved with incredible agility, running madly toward the other end of the corridor without looking back!
Wu Duola and Zhou Qianqian finally snapped out of it. Wu Duola shouted, “Don’t run!” and gave chase, while Zhou Qianqian hurriedly pulled along the stunned Su Nuannuan.
Lin Wei ran fast and kept close, but the black figure was clearly very familiar with the layout, disappearing into the darkness around a corner.
Lin Wei stopped, breathing lightly, her brows furrowed as she surveyed the now-empty corridor.
Wu Duola ran up beside her, anxiously asking, “Gone?”
Lin Wei nodded, her tone tinged with regret and thoughtfulness. “Yeah, it got away.”
That figure… kind of looked human?
Wu Duola stomped her foot in frustration. “Damn it, we were so close to catching that Piano Spirit!”
Zhou Qianqian, holding the dejected Su Nuannuan, also caught up.
Su Nuannuan’s cheeks flushed bright red, caught between fear and guilt.
She walked over to Wu Duola, timidly reaching out and gently tugging on her hand.
Feeling the cool softness of Su Nuannuan’s small hand, Wu Duola turned her head and saw Su Nuannuan’s reddened eyes looking pitifully at her.
“I-I’m sorry, Duola… I didn’t mean to…” Su Nuannuan’s voice quivered with tears.
Lin Wei watched the scene, unconsciously frowning. She instinctively reached out, pulling Su Nuannuan close to her side, then raised her eyes with a look that silently warned Wu Duola to watch her words.
Wu Duola was momentarily stunned by Su Nuannuan’s pitiful expression. So… cute.
Her irritation over the failed attempt instantly vanished, replaced by a bit of awkwardness as she stammered, “It’s… it’s okay… It’s not your fault…” She really didn’t know what else to say.
Zhou Qianqian quickly eased the tension, laughing awkwardly: “Ahaha… yeah, how could this be your fault, Nuannuan? It’s that guy who’s way too sneaky, faster than a rabbit!”
Su Nuannuan’s heart still felt heavy. Boohoo, why did she always mess up at the most critical moments… but her nose was itching again…
Then—
“Achoo!” She sneezed again, this time quieter, but even more pitiful.
Zhou Qianqian touched her forehead: “Nuannuan, are you okay? Your forehead feels kind of hot. Could you be catching a cold?”
Lin Wei, hearing this, also pressed the back of her hand to Su Nuannuan’s forehead. It was indeed a bit warm.
Her expression darkened.
Wu Duola looked at Su Nuannuan’s sickly appearance, and her frustration completely turned into guilt. “Sigh, it’s all my fault… It’s so cold at night, and you caught a cold…”
Zhou Qianqian checked the time. It was almost one in the morning. “President, maybe… we should head back for today?”
Everyone nodded. Lin Wei took out her phone and messaged the Su family driver.
The four of them quietly slipped out of the school. While waiting for the car, Zhou Qianqian asked Wu Duola, “President, it’s so late, how are you getting home?”
Wu Duola waved it off. “It’s fine. My home’s not far—I can just walk. You guys take care of Nuannuan.”
Lin Wei glanced at the pitch-dark street. Although she found Wu Duola somewhat troublesome, she still said, “It’s not safe at night. Get in the car with us. Let the driver take you home first.” Her tone left no room for refusal.
Wu Duola wanted to refuse but when she met Lin Wei’s impassive face, which carried a subtle pressure, she swallowed her words and nodded: “…Okay, thanks.”
Su Nuannuan felt her head spinning, her steps unsteady. Instinctively, she leaned gently against Lin Wei.
Lin Wei’s body stiffened slightly but didn’t push her away.
When the Su family car arrived, Lin Wei helped Su Nuannuan into the car first, then sat down herself. Zhou Qianqian and Wu Duola also got in.
In the car, Wu Duola was still sulking over the earlier incident, angrily saying, “So annoying! If I catch that Piano Spirit next time, I’ll make it pay! It made us wait so long!”
Zhou Qianqian curiously asked, “By the way, did any of you get a good look at it? What does the Piano Spirit really look like? Male or female? Scary?”
She looked at Wu Duola first, who shook her head: “Too fast, and it was all black. Didn’t get a good look.”
Then Zhou Qianqian looked at Lin Wei, who was turned sideways watching Su Nuannuan, who was slumped over in the seat from feeling unwell and had fallen asleep, her soft little hand still lightly grasped in Lin Wei’s.
Lin Wei turned her head at the question, recalling the scene, then shook her head. “I didn’t see clearly either. Probably… humanoid? Didn’t seem very tall.”
She thought about the broken piano music and had a vague guess: it sounded more like someone secretly practicing piano.
Wu Duola remained optimistic: “But it’s not a total loss. At least we proved the legend of the midnight piano music is real!”
The car first stopped near the entrance of a residential complex close to Wu Duola’s home.
Wu Duola got out, waved at the car, and after watching it drive away, she ran into the complex.
After dropping off Wu Duola, Lin Wei suddenly remembered something and looked at Zhou Qianqian in the back seat: “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”
Zhou Qianqian shook her head vigorously like a rattle: “No way! I already told my dad I’m staying over at Nuannuan’s tonight. If I go back now, he’ll definitely punish me!”
Lin Wei: “……” Then you can sleep on the sofa!
The car headed back to the Su family estate. When they got out, Zhou Qianqian wanted to wake the sleeping Su Nuannuan.
Lin Wei instinctively stopped her: “Hey…”
She hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “Don’t wake her. Let her sleep.”
With that, she bent down and awkwardly carried Su Nuannuan horizontally out of the car.
Su Nuannuan was very light, soft and limp in her arms. Her little head unconsciously rested against Lin Wei’s neck, her breath warm to the touch.
Zhou Qianqian stood nearby, stunned, scratching her head as she thought: When did these two sisters become so close?
Ignoring Zhou Qianqian’s surprised look, Lin Wei held Su Nuannuan steadily and walked toward the villa’s main gate.