Chapter 3: Bathroom

Why are there water plants here, too?

Looks like there might be something like a pond in this courtyard.

If we have time, we can go take a look.

She shook her hand, but the water plant clung to her like an octopus, stuck to her skin, unmoving.

Is it because of the moisture?

Hua Qi’an immediately grasped the root of the problem.

Unlike the dried water plant that had wrapped around her leg last night, this one was clearly full of moisture, brimming with vitality.

It was as if it hadn’t left its own waters, still growing freely underwater.

Hua Qi’an looked around, trying to see where the pond that kept “harassing” her was.

But obviously, there was no such thing in her line of sight.

Still, with so many water plants and such a heavy smell in the air, there must be a body of water in this courtyard.

Rich people must really like making ornamental ponds in their own yards.

She decided to look for it later.

Since she needed one hand to hold her phone, it was troublesome to remove the water plant from her hand right now.

So Hua Qi’an stopped worrying about the water plant draped over her hand, planning to climb in through the window first, find a place to fix her phone, and then clean up.

Even though her body was weak, she was still fairly nimble.

Even with one hand, she could support herself and flip straight into the room.

The room looked just the same as when she’d left.

The dust on the floor had scattered.

Because she’d come here to open the windows and air it out in the morning, most of the floor was now covered with her own footprints.

There was a table against the wall in the room.

Hua Qi’an propped her phone against it, freeing up one hand.

The water plant was long.

Longer than the one from last night.

At the moment, it was wet and cool, making Hua Qi’an’s entire arm tingle with a strange sensation.

It felt just like the touch that had entangled her leg in her dream.

“……”

Thinking about it that way, it felt kind of gross.

Hua Qi’an broke out in goosebumps and brushed the water plant onto the table.

Was that just her imagination?

It seemed like the water plant moved a little.

Hua Qi’an closed her eyes, counted down a few seconds, then opened them again, staring intently at the water plant now stuck to the table.

The water plant looked completely wilted, as if it had left the water.

No sign of movement at all.

Hua Qi’an even suspected that the vibrant appearance she’d seen when it clung to her hand was all an illusion.

“Let’s look for the bathroom while we’re at it.”

She needed to wash her hands.

Hua Qi’an picked up her phone from where it was propped against the wall and casually filmed the surroundings.

She couldn’t even tell what this room was for.

It was spacious, with a few tables and chairs.

Maybe it was some kind of reception room.

With her poor imagination, she couldn’t make anything up.

So she simply shot a video, took a few shots, and left the room.

Seeing the scene outside, Hua Qi’an paused.

The room led straight to the living room, the main passage to all the rooms in the house.

She’d been here both last night and this morning.

But right now, the entire living room was filled with an eerie, dark atmosphere.

A thick layer of dust covered the tables and floor.

The particles floated in the air, giving the whole place a gray haze.

Maybe because the door was tightly shut, there was little source of light.

So the living room was shrouded in gloom.

At a glance, it was enough to give anyone a fright.

Now it really had the flavor of a “haunted house.”

Hua Qi’an glanced at her phone, still recording.

In fact, she wasn’t really afraid of places like this.

That was why she dared to take this part-time job.

“Let’s see if I can open the door from inside.”

The house had been abandoned for so long, there was definitely no one paying the electricity bill.

So turning on the lights probably wasn’t realistic.

She’d have to rely on natural light.

Hua Qi’an turned on her flashlight and headed straight for the door.

Unlike outside, where it hadn’t budged, she only gave it a test push and the door creaked open a crack.

Hua Qi’an frowned.

This house really was strange.

When she opened the door, sunlight streamed into the living room, illuminating the furnishings.

Although the room was large and not all of it was lit, it was still much brighter than before.

“This sofa looks expensive.”

“This coffee table probably isn’t cheap either.”

“This painting, hmm… not bad.”

Hua Qi’an quickly filmed each piece of furniture, giving brief, pointless “introductions” since she couldn’t think of anything more creative.

At least the video would look somewhat like a “vlog”…

Though she doubted it.

She just hoped HR wouldn’t regret it when they saw her work.

She went from room to room, giving the same short introductions.

Finally, she found the bathroom she’d been looking for.

“I wonder if there’s still water in this place.”

Hua Qi’an propped her phone against the mirror.

That way, it was easier to wash her hands.

The phone captured everything below her neck, the faucet, and most of the bathroom behind her.

She’d thought the mirror would be covered in dust.

The bedroom wardrobe had a mirror, and it was so thick with dust it was impossible to see anything.

But for some reason, the bathroom mirror was spotless and gleaming.

Standing in the old, abandoned house, it looked almost too out of place.

Hua Qi’an thought about it but couldn’t figure it out.

So she stopped thinking.

In the mirror, the girl had long dark hair and was about 1.6 meters tall.

Her clothes looked loose on her, clearly thin and malnourished.

Her features were delicate, her skin pale—a true beauty.

But maybe because of her physical condition, her face lacked healthy color, pale with a sickly look.

She pursed her pale lips and moved her gaze away from the mirror.

Hua Qi’an reached out and turned the faucet.

The sound of water came from inside the walls.

Probably through the water pipes.

Hua Qi’an’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

She hadn’t expected there to really be water.

But maybe because the place had been abandoned so long, even with water, it wasn’t coming out immediately.

A little bored, Hua Qi’an glanced at her phone screen.

It showed she’d been recording for over an hour.

She was only responsible for recording footage; editing and posting were handled by others.

So she didn’t need to worry about post-production.

“Hmm?”

A white box flashed across the screen.

Hua Qi’an blinked.

She realized it wasn’t her imagination.

The white box started flickering from the bathroom doorway, moving closer behind her.

She remembered…

Wasn’t this box used to frame people’s heads?

“Swish—”

At the same time, water burst from the faucet.

It was an abnormal shade of red.