Chapter 35

This joke wasn’t easy to respond to.
Gu Yi'an looked up at the empty road with no passing vehicles, then glanced at the sparsely populated bus stop.
She lowered her head to look at the notebook and deliberately asked, "So, should I become the notebook? And you become me? Do you want to become a woman?"
The notebook seemed not to have expected Gu Yi'an to ask this, as it immediately displayed new text to correct her misunderstanding.
"It’s not what you think."
Gu Yi'an, of course, knew that wasn’t what the notebook meant.
She then asked, "How did you know I wanted to give him a protective talisman? Did you hear? Were you at the counselor’s office?"
The notebook didn’t even know about her rejecting the student council member, so how did it know she intended to give a protective talisman?
Thinking about it, the notebook might have been at the counselor’s office and overheard her phone call about wanting to buy a protective talisman, thus deducing her plan to give it as a thank-you gift.
The notebook remained silent.
Gu Yi'an looked at it suspiciously and asserted, "Did you cause trouble?"
Earlier, when she asked where the notebook had been, it had avoided the question. Only now did she realize it had gone to the counselor’s office.
Gu Yi'an had a strong intuition that the notebook had definitely stirred up trouble again.
Faced with Gu Yi'an’s relentless questioning, the notebook silently closed itself.
It vividly conveyed one message to Gu Yi'an: it had shut down.
Confronted with the notebook’s feigned ignorance, Gu Yi'an thought for a moment and decided to let it off.
The notebook had protected her in secret so many times; it wasn’t right for her to constantly doubt it.
Gu Yi'an placed the notebook into her backpack, adding a reminder, "If I manage to buy a protective talisman later, stay away from it."
If the talisman she bought lost its effectiveness because of the notebook, she’d have to buy another one.
The notebook showed no reaction, but the small charm on her phone, tucked in her pocket, trembled slightly, as if making a promise to Gu Yi'an.
Unaware of the movement from her phone, Gu Yi'an shouldered her backpack, stood up while holding her parasol, and looked into the distance.
The counselor had arrived.
"Teacher Huang."
Gu Yi'an greeted her first.
The counselor, who always wore a warm and friendly smile, said, "Yi'an, sorry to keep you waiting. I ran into a little issue earlier."
Gu Yi'an immediately replied that it was no problem.
She was someone who tended to arrive early; it was her own doing.
She didn’t press for details about what had delayed the counselor, everyone had emergencies.
The counselor took the initiative to start a conversation with Gu Yi'an.
"Approximately when did your protective talisman lose its effect?"
Gu Yi'an fabricated an answer, "I’m not sure, maybe around nine in the evening. I was at my rented place. I didn’t sense any danger at the time."
The counselor nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject, asking, "Do you know about the recent incident where someone summoned the pen spirit again?"
Was the counselor intentionally sharing information with her?
Gu Yi’an pondered briefly and said, "I've heard about this."
The counselor remarked, "It might be that Zhou Yaling and the others have returned."
She looked at Gu Yi’an with concern, "Yi’an, you might be in danger."
Gu Yi’an had anticipated this long ago, so her expression remained calm.
Seeing Gu Yi’an's composed demeanor, the counselor thought she didn't grasp the severity of the situation.
She sighed and said, "You don't understand, they complained about you to me many times while they were alive."
The counselor began to slowly recount the comments she was aware of.
Gu Yi’an listened attentively.
About ten minutes later, the bus they had been waiting for arrived and picked them up.
At the restaurant, due to the death, all the original customers had fled.
The police had cordoned off the scene, and the restaurant owner was taken in for questioning.
Brother Zhang, along with the male player and two female players, wandered around the area for a while. After confirming that no one recognized them as the companions of the deceased, they headed to a small internet cafe that allowed customers to use fake IDs to get online.
Brother Zhang chose the innermost row of computers and noticed a closed side door nearby.
There were four of them, so they took four seats. The male player cheerfully went to start his computer.
One of the female players, observing his carefree attitude, couldn't help but say, "Aren't you worried that you might have encountered a ghost back at the restaurant too?"
It was possible that the male player was the first one to see the ghost.
The male player replied, "But I didn't run into one, did I? Even ghosts wouldn't have the heart to kill someone as handsome as me."
He showed no trace of the cowardice he had displayed when he saw the ghost the previous night.
Brother Zhang glanced at him, thinking to himself that fools have fortune.
Only one female player remained silent, clutching something in her arms.
It was an item she had taken from the kitchen during the chaos when the body was discovered at the restaurant. At the time, the place was crowded and chaotic, and now that the restaurant was sealed off, it was unlikely anyone would notice the missing item anytime soon.
She had hidden it under her clothes, so Brother Zhang couldn't tell what she had taken.
Brother Zhang recalled this female player's name, Han Qiu. She had previously suggested to him that they all team up to kill Little Gu, but Brother Zhang had refused.
The hints from the deity most likely indicated that the ghost held a grudge against Little Gu.
Moreover, there was something strange about Little Gu, perhaps someone was secretly protecting her.
Brother Zhang had no intention of seeking his own demise. If the female player wanted to go after her, she could do it alone.
Brother Zhang turned on the computer and quickly opened a browser to search for the information he wanted.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the female player named Han Qiu had been sitting motionless, staring blankly at the computer monitor in front of her.
"Han Qiu, you should also look up Huang Qiao's information. Don't just sit there doing nothing," Brother Zhang casually remarked.
Upon hearing Brother Zhang's voice, the female player named Han Qiu suddenly seemed to regain a spark of life in her eyes.
Her voice trembling, she said, "Brother Zhang, I saw a pair of eyes staring at me."
Finally, an expression appeared on her face, but it was one of terror.
Hearing this, Brother Zhang immediately became alert. In this world, ghosts and monsters existed, and they could kill even in broad daylight. They had already been targeted by a ghost, and it was highly likely the ghost would strike again.
Brother Zhang slipped a hand into his pocket, gripping a talisman, and cautiously asked Han Qiu, "Where?"
They were seated in front of a row of monitors, with only the computer screens in front of them and the CPUs below.
Brother Zhang glanced around and realized Han Qiu's gaze was fixed on the monitor.
His mind raced, and he was about to say something, but then he took another look at Han Qiu's eyes.
Pretending not to have noticed anything, Brother Zhang said impatiently, "Your computer isn't even on. What you're seeing is your own reflection."
Although the lighting in the internet cafe was dim, the monitor screen still reflected light, allowing one to see their own face.
Brother Zhang's implication was that Han Qiu was seeing herself.
Another female player, hearing the commotion, turned to look at Brother Zhang and Han Qiu.
Brother Zhang raised his voice and said, "Focus on your own task. Han Qiu just scared herself."
Upon hearing this, the other female player comforted Han Qiu beside her before turning to scold the male player next to her, who was shouting and making noise while playing games.
Han Qiu sat in her seat, with the argument between the male and female players on her left and Brother Zhang diligently searching for information on her right.
She stared blankly at her own eyes reflected in the monitor.
Those eyes were fixed directly on her, filled with greed, malice, and murderous intent.
"I'm not mistaken. Someone is staring at me."
Because the ghost was in her eyes!
With trembling hands, Han Qiu pulled out something she had been hiding. Though her hands shook, her movements were resolute.
She swung it directly at the monitor.
She didn't want to see the ghost!
A sharp, piercing noise instantly assaulted everyone's ears.
Brother Zhang immediately turned to look at Han Qiu beside him.
He saw what she was holding in her hand.
The girl was holding a kitchen knife!
How had she managed to hide it?
Shocked, Brother Zhang forcibly grabbed Han Qiu's arm and shouted to the other female player, "Let's go!"
Taking advantage of the fact that the internet cafe attendant was still some distance away, Brother Zhang pulled himself up from his seat, decisively grabbed the male player who was engrossed in his game, and rushed out through the side door, beginning their escape.
Meanwhile, Gu Yi'an and her counselor arrived at the Taoist temple.
It was a small temple.
At the entrance, a chubby middle-aged man wearing a white tank top and sunglasses had set up a simple stall with peace charms that looked familiar to Gu Yi'an.
Beside the man stood a bamboo pole with a makeshift cloth banner tied to it, reading, "Five hundred each. Take it or leave it."
Gu Yi'an glanced at it and said to her counselor, "Last time, I made you spend too much."
Her counselor had previously told her the charms were only a few yuan each and had given one to Gu Yi'an.
Gu Yi'an added, "Teacher Huang, I'll buy one for you later."
The counselor smiled and shook her head, saying, "I still have mine. You go ahead and buy one."
Gu Yi'an walked up to the stall and handed over the cash she had prepared.
"Boss, I’ll take three."
The chubby uncle studied Gu Yi’an through his sunglasses for a moment, as if trying to confirm something. Then he took off his sunglasses, revealing his small eyes, and scrutinized her again.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, the chubby uncle asked in surprise, "Why do you need protective talismans if you’re raising a ghost? Aren’t you afraid of hurting it?"
Was he referring to the notebook?
Could it be that easily detected by others?
Gu Yi’an thought it shouldn’t be possible.
She replied, "I’m not raising anything."
The chubby uncle said, "Little lady, since you’re so pretty, I’ll let it slide that you’re lying to me. But the ghostly aura around you is so strong. If you say you’re not raising anything, I don’t believe it."
The counselor, who had overheard the conversation, spoke up in Gu Yi’an’s defense, "She’s not raising anything. She’s just been targeted by a few ghosts and managed to escape by chance."
The chubby uncle gave a fake smile. "How many are we talking about?"
The counselor said, "At least seven."
She didn’t even mention the notebook that claimed to be a demon.
"Seven?" The chubby uncle’s fake smile froze.
"Seven ghosts, and she’s still alive?"
He found it utterly unbelievable.
His small eyes gleamed with intensity as he scrutinized Gu Yi’an’s clothes, shoes, and backpack.
They were brands he didn’t recognize, well-made with stylish designs, clearly, she came from a well-off family.
And then he remembered how the girl had handed over 1,500 without even haggling.
This was a big client!
Instantly shedding his earlier lethargy, the chubby uncle declared with righteous fervor, "Little lady, are you here to hire me to exorcise the ghosts? My skills in ghost extermination far surpass my talisman-making abilities. It’s 100,000 per ghost, and I guarantee you’ll have no lingering worries."
After he finished speaking, Gu Yi’an said, "Three protective talismans."
With the notebook around, it wasn’t her who feared ghosts, it was the ghosts who feared her.
All Gu Yi’an needed were the protective talismans.
The chubby uncle looked disappointed. He glanced at Gu Yi’an, then reluctantly handed her an extra talisman.
"Here’s one on the house. It might buy you a little more time when you’re about to die. And when that happens, remember to call me, since I gave you this talisman. My appearance fee isn’t expensive, just 200,000. But if you bargain a bit, 100,000 might work too."
He spoke as if Gu Yi’an were already on the brink of death.
Gu Yi'an took the protective talisman and asked lightly, "What's your phone number?"
The portly man slapped his forehead and pulled out a crumpled business card from his jacket.
"Just call this number."
He glanced at the intact talisman in Gu Yi'an's hand and seemed to believe a bit more that she wasn't someone who kept malicious spirits. The smile on his face grew warmer.
The portly man then looked at the counselor standing beside Gu Yi'an.
"It's you. I gave you one last time too. Malicious spirits are hard to handle... you'd better be careful."
He didn't elaborate further.
Hearing his words, the counselor smiled and said, "It's not what you think, Taoist Priest. I came into contact with it unintentionally."
"Understood, understood." The portly man put on his sunglasses and returned to his small stool.
Seeing this, the counselor shook her head with a smile and said to Gu Yi'an, "Let's head back."
As Gu Yi'an turned to follow, she organized her thoughts and asked, "Ms. Huang, have you encountered any danger?"
She took out a protective talisman and firmly handed it to the counselor. "Teacher, please take this."
The counselor sighed helplessly, "The one I gave you is being returned to me now."
After handing it over, Gu Yi'an deliberately fell half a step behind, making it clear she didn't want the counselor to give it back. She had been observing the talisman, it hadn't burned, which meant there was nothing wrong with the counselor at the moment.
A more genuine smile appeared in the counselor's eyes as she said, "My younger sister... she was a lot like you. Young, beautiful, and very popular with the boys."
Mentioning her sister, the counselor's mood visibly dipped.
"She was even more resilient than Qiaoqiao. My sister was crushed by rumors and gossip."
When she spoke the words "rumors and gossip," her expression became somewhat evasive, like someone who had made a mistake and didn't want to revisit it.
This was exactly what Gu Yi'an wanted to hear, the counselor talking about her sister, Huang Qiao.
They walked along the quiet, nearly empty alley.
Gu Yi'an asked casually, "Teacher, how is your sister now? Has she recovered?"
"She passed away."
Seeing the slight surprise on Gu Yi'an's face, the counselor smiled faintly and said, "There's no need to comfort me. Back then, this school didn't have counselors to mediate conflicts among students. She couldn't withstand the public opinion and... took her own life."
The counselor looked at Gu Yi'an, her gaze carrying a hint of something deeper. "Yi'an, not everyone can face rumors and gossip as fearlessly as you do."
In response to the praise, Gu Yi'an offered a slight smile but remained silent.
On their way to the temple, the counselor had mentioned the things Zhou Yaling and the others had said while they were alive, mainly that they found Gu Yi'an aloof, eccentric, too unsociable, and generally unlikable.
To Gu Yi'an, it didn't mean much. It hardly counted as malicious gossip, especially compared to the lies her roommates spread after becoming ghosts to deceive the players.
Most importantly, during the time when Zhou Yaling and the others were still alive, Gu Yi'an had never actually heard any negative comments about herself.
So, the truthfulness of the counselor's words was questionable.
The counselor's intention in bringing up what Zhou Yaling and the others had said might have been well-meaning, to urge Gu Yi'an to take the Ouija board incident seriously, as Zhou Yaling and the others might harm her upon their return.
But Gu Yi'an had begun to form another suspicion.
They arrived at the bus stop.
There weren’t many people waiting there. Soon, those who had been waiting earlier boarded their buses, leaving only Gu Yi’an and the counselor at the station.
It was almost evening, and the sun wasn’t as scorching as before. Both Gu Yi’an and the counselor put away their parasols.
Gu Yi’an said, “Ms. Huang, may I ask you a question?”
The counselor smiled at her. “Go ahead.”
Gu Yi’an continued, “Teacher, you mentioned that they had come to you to talk before. Do you know when they first got the idea to play the pen spirit game?”
Gu Yi’an stared into the counselor’s eyes, waiting for her answer.
Upon hearing this, the counselor looked slightly surprised.
“I’m not sure about that.”
She looked at Gu Yi’an and said in a teasing tone, “Yi’an, you’re not suspecting me, are you?”
Gu Yi’an nodded.
She replied very frankly, “Ms. Huang, I do suspect you.”
The counselor responded with a mix of amusement and exasperation, “Why would you suspect me? I’m just a counselor.”
Gu Yi’an said, “But before you came here, you told me that when you talked with them, they spoke ill of me.”
The counselor asked, puzzled, “What’s the problem with that?”
A bus stopped in front of them, but neither of them moved. The driver started the bus again and drove off.
Gu Yi’an said, “You know all their troubles. They trust you and tell you what they think of others. Teacher, I trusted you at first too. You were very kind to me and to them. But precisely because of that, I can no longer trust you.”
The counselor found it strange. “What does that have to do with whether you can trust me or not? You can still trust me.”
She seemed to treat Gu Yi’an as a child throwing a tantrum and said indulgently, “Yi’an, don’t overthink it. I’m your teacher, your counselor. My job is to care about your studies, your life, your interpersonal relationships, and every aspect of your well-being.”
The last person who had acted like the counselor was Lu Zize, a big liar who never spoke a word of truth.
Gu Yi’an would not take the counselor’s word at face value.
She said, “Teacher, why didn’t you mention that your younger sister passed away in our dormitory building? The spirit that Yaling and the others summoned, it was your sister, wasn’t it?”
The word “sister” was the counselor’s sore spot. This time, she could no longer maintain her smile.
The counselor looked at Gu Yi’an, feeling quite helpless. “Yi’an, I don’t know. I’m afraid of that possibility too. When Qiaoqiao was alive, she wouldn’t even say a harsh word to anyone.”
The counselor didn't dwell too much on the past.
After calming her emotions, she smiled at Gu Yi'an and said, "You're just using your teacher and then discarding me. After I took you to buy the protective charm, you started suspecting me."
Gu Yi'an didn't feel embarrassed. She replied, "Because you've been hiding some things from me."
The counselor said, "Those are unimportant matters."
"No, they're very important."
Gu Yi'an spoke seriously, "When Yaling and the others died, you were the first person who believed me."
Gu Yi'an had been touched by the counselor's trust before, but that didn't include trust built upon lies about others' deaths.
"Because you knew that the spirit they summoned might be your sister."
Gu Yi'an watched the counselor's expression closely.
Noticing the change in the counselor's expression, Gu Yi'an changed her wording.
"No, the spirit was your sister."
The counselor didn't refute this.