Chapter Thirty-Eight Exploration

  "Do you have an older brother?"

  "Yes, my brother's name is Chu Bu Fan. Seven years ago, he was driven out of the house by my father for some reason. However, he actually killed someone, and my father didn't save him, so he escaped from prison."

  Su Jin'er frowned: "What happened later?"

  "Five years ago he was found dead on the mountain, it's that same mountain where we had our military training."

  "A lot has happened on that mountain, hasn't it!" She paused for a moment before continuing, "Five years ago? Again five years ago, it seems like everything that's happened in our school has basically all occurred within these five years. So what could have happened to make the school replace all of its teachers?"

  At this time, Liu Li came in from outside and said with a smile: "Lunch is ready, everyone is ready to go downstairs for dinner!"

  "Oh dear! I didn't realize I was hungry until you mentioned it! After lying down for so long, I'm almost starving!" Now that I'm finally at home and can rest, I'll make sure to get a good rest!"

  "Yes! After drinking porridge for so many days, you must be starving. Mom has cooked a lot of your favorite dishes."

  "Thanks, Mom! Let's all have dinner together! I'll explain it to Uncle and Aunt later."

  Everyone's face was filled with warm and happy smiles, especially Chu Fei Fan, who seemed happier than ever before. He told joke after joke, making everyone laugh, and they saw things today that they never would have seen in school.

  Li Yi-qian lowered her head and slowly ate the rice in her bowl, tears falling into the bowl and disappearing among the grains of rice.

  "Qianqian, what's wrong? Is the food not good or are you uncomfortable somewhere?" Liu Li asked with concern.

  "No, Auntie, I'm fine, the dishes are delicious too, it's been three years since I've felt this happy."

  "Which one of you is older, you or Jin'er?" Liu Li asked gently, stroking Li Yi Qian's hair.

  "I'm fine."

  "Jin'er, Mommy will find a sister for you, okay?"

  Su Jiner looked at Li Yiqian, first in surprise, then she smiled and said: "Great, I finally have a sister. Qianqian, from now on, as long as I have food to eat, I won't let you go hungry."

  Looking at Su Jiner's adorable appearance, Li Yiqian burst into laughter and then nodded.

  "It's all over, from now on Jin'er won't love me anymore." Lin Yuan said dejectedly.

  "Dead girl!" Su Jiner tapped her forehead with her index finger.

  They won't know this meal will be their last team member dinner.

  Then Liu Li told Su Jiner about the phone call from Li Jing, and then Su Jiner called back. Li Jing told her that Zhang Yang had been caught, which was another exciting news they got for this new year.

  Happy times are always hard to stay, one day, when we open our eyes and find that the traffic on the road has increased again, the footsteps of office workers have quickened, we know that the new year has passed, a new year has begun.

  Su Jin'er and they packed their luggage again and set foot on the road to school, returning to that school shrouded in eerie and deathly atmosphere.

  Back at school, back in her dormitory, Su Jin'er suddenly remembered that she had forgotten someone - Du Xiaonan, who was still stuck in that maddening mental hospital.

  "Oh heavens! How could I have forgotten something so important?!" Su Jiner pointed at Du Xiaonan's bed and said.

  "Oh! My god, Xiaonan must be hating us to death." Lin Yuan suddenly fell onto the bed and said.

  "How could Xiao Nan be in a mental hospital? Why didn't you tell me?" Li Yi Qian asked in confusion.

  "I've forgotten, completely forgotten." Lin Yuan sat up and said helplessly.

  "Let's go, we'll go pick her up now." Su Jin'er grabbed her coat and headed out.

  It wasn't until they arrived at the mental hospital that they found out Du Xiaonan had been diagnosed and cured years ago, and was taken back home by her parents. They breathed a sigh of relief, but still prayed that Xiaonan wouldn't hate them.

  Two days later, Du Xiaonan also returned to school. She seemed thinner than before, her face pale and her eyes dark-circled.

  "Xiao Nan, I'm so sorry, we didn't come to pick you up." Su Jin'er said apologetically.

  Du Xiaonan waved her hand: "I don't blame you, but, Jiner, help me, I'm going crazy."

  "What's wrong? You look like you're really tired."

  "Yes, since I woke up in the mental hospital, I haven't slept well. I just want to have a good sleep, why is it so difficult?" As she spoke, Du Xiaonan's tears flowed down.

  "What's wrong? Didn't you sleep well after going home?"

  "Yes, I thought that once I returned home, I would be able to sleep well, but from the night I returned home, I have been having dreams every day. As soon as I close my eyes, the dream appears. That terrifying dream is driving me crazy."

  Su Jiner didn't expect that they would run into trouble as soon as they returned to school, Du Xiaonan was implicated by them, so they couldn't ignore her.

  "What's the dream?" Lin Yuan asked.

  "Black, all black, I couldn't see or feel anything, it was as if my eyes were blind and my ears were deaf, the sound had disappeared. My body felt like it was floating in the air, without gravity. The fear and oppression were indescribable." Du Xiaonan's body kept trembling like a leaf in the wind: "Until something like a monster roared, I could wake up, no other sound could wake me up in between."

  "How could this happen?"

  "I don't know, if I have to live with this fear for the rest of my life, I'd rather die."

  "Do your parents know?"

  She shook her head.

  "Have you encountered anything strange in the hospital?" Lin Yuan asked.

  "No, I was waiting for you guys to pick me up, but you didn't go. Later, my dad and mom went."

  Li Yi-qian pulled Du Xiao-nan's hand and said, "Xiao-nan, I'm sorry. It was my fault that hurt you. I shouldn't have knocked you out. If I had taken you with me, this wouldn't have happened."

  "Was it you who knocked me out that day?"

  "Hmm!"

  "Did you see anything before I passed out?"

  "No! I was just afraid you'd be in danger so I knocked you out, but I really didn't mean to."

  "No, I'm not blaming you, I just want to know why I keep having this dream, I just want to get rid of it."

  Su Jiner called Chu Feifan, they need to discuss what to do next.

  "I think it's better if we split up and act separately." Chu Fei Fan said as several people gathered in the small pavilion.

  "I agree with this approach." Su Jiner expressed her approval.

  "I have no opinion either." Zuo Yi said with a spread of his hands.

  Others nodded too.

  "Then I and Jin'er will go to the mountain to find clues, Xiao Yi and Xiao Yuan will be responsible for finding clues from five years ago and three years ago. As for Qianqian, she'll accompany Xiaonan back to rest." Chu Feifan said.

  "Why should we go back and rest?" Du Xiaonan said.

  "It's because you're too tired," Zuo Yi replied.

  Du Xiaonan's face turned pale and her dark circles deepened, she really needed rest.

  "But I simply didn't dare sleep, that dream was just too terrifying."

  "If you don't rest, you won't be driven mad by your dreams, you're already dead tired." Chu Feifan took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Li Yiqian, saying: "Take her to see this doctor, the address is on it, maybe he can help her."

  Li Yi Qian took the business card and nodded, after that experience she knew very clearly that relying on her own ability was no way to find out the cause of her sister's death, and would also put her own life at risk.

  "And another thing, no matter what happens, don't take any action on your own, if there's danger, escape, got it?" Su Jiner said firmly.

  Everyone nodded, facing the unknown things, we always have a strong curiosity and fear of psychology, although very afraid, but that mysterious feeling continues to attract us forward, despite the fear that makes us tremble and want to escape.

  "Chu Fei Fan, why did your brother kill someone?"

  Because the snow is melting, the weather is especially cold, and the road up the mountain becomes more difficult to walk, every step needs to be more careful.

  Chu Fei Fan bent down and used a branch to scrape off the mud stuck on his shoes.

  "I don't know either. By the time I knew, my brother was already dead. To be honest, even now I still don't know why dad wanted to drive my brother out of the house, nor do I know who he killed."

  "So this matter has been suppressed all along?"

  "Yes, my dad won't tell me."

  "What about your mom? I've never heard you mention her."

  "She passed away when I was five years old."

  "Sorry!"

  "It's nothing, it's been so many years. This is where I met those two people with Zuo Yi." He said, pointing to that flat area.

  They walked over there, and that place wasn't very big. There were many small stones on the ground, very smooth, like the kind you'd find by the sea.

  "Then where did they go?"

  "Over there."

  Chu Fei pointed ahead and said.

  They walked slowly over, and it wasn't until they got close that they discovered a small path there, which wouldn't be easily noticed if one didn't look carefully.

  "Let's go take a look."

  Su Jin'er was about to step onto the small path when Chu Fei Fan pulled her back: "I'll go first."

  Chu Fei held Su Jiner's hand, walking cautiously. Every step they took was very difficult. On one side of the narrow path was a mountain, and on the other side was a steep cliff. Their palms were sweating, and Su Jiner felt like her heart was going to jump out.

  When she was a child, she climbed mountains at her grandmother's house, but she had never walked on such a dangerous road. She could only hold Chu Fei Fan's hand tightly, hold her breath, and move her feet slowly.

  "Don't look down, hold me tightly, I won't let you go."

  Chu Fei Fan's voice came from the front, like warm sunshine on a winter day. Su Jin Er took a deep breath and let Chu Fei Fan lead her, although this couldn't make her completely unafraid, but she believed he wouldn't let go of her.

  She didn't know how long they had walked, but she felt that they had circled around one side of the mountain. She looked down at the precipice beneath her feet and found it wasn't very high.

  "We're safe." Chu Fei Fan exclaimed in surprise.

  If they just walk a little further forward, they can leave this small road.

  Fans of Jin Er Shu, join the group: 227369011.