Chapter 22: Er Liang (3)

  "The "da da" sound echoed in the empty corridor with a strange rhythm, I had already started to feel my legs go weak, Xiao Hua was tightly grabbing onto my clothes, it was clear that she was just as scared as me, but her eyes were fixed on the lower part of the corridor, after a while, she said: "The sound is coming from downstairs."

  My heart immediately calmed down by more than half, after all, the letter said that the "da da" sound came from above, and since the source of the sound is now downstairs, it's very likely that some children are playing, as for whether there are any children who would really sneak out to this place at midnight, it's not something my brain can think about right now, I just want to take Xiaohua and leave here quickly.

  Regardless of whether it would stir up dust or not, I pulled Xiao Hua's hand and ran downstairs. The "dada" sound grew louder, as if urging our footsteps to quicken. Xiao Hua's hand was icy cold; she must be even more frightened than me, I thought. Soon we reached the first floor and came to an abrupt stop. Xiao Hua almost collided with me, but she didn't say a word because there was someone sitting at the foot of the stairs on the first floor.

  The corridor lights didn't turn on, and in the darkness, we couldn't see that person's face. With only the faint light from the street lamps outside the residential area, all we could see was that person smoking. The entire corridor was filled with the smell of cigarettes, which also made it harder for us to see that person's face. The only thing we could vaguely make out was that he was sitting on the stairs, one hand holding a cigarette, and the red tip of the cigarette had an eerie glow in the dark corridor. His other hand seemed to be holding a glass marble, because I saw him raise his hand high and then release it, after which we heard the sound "ding ding ding ding".

  There was once a person who also sat in this place, that migrant worker. I no longer care about the person sitting here now, pulling Xiao Rui's hand to leave, but Xiao Rui stubbornly pulled her hand out and stood there motionless.

  I pulled her again and said: "Hurry up."

  I was so scared that I didn't care if the person was a ghost or not, I was just plain terrified. It was a fear that came from deep within my heart, so I desperately hoped that Xiaorui could leave with me as soon as possible. Xiaorui looked at me and her long hair fell down on both sides of her face, covering most of it. Her complexion turned even paler, and she asked: "Why aren't we leaving yet?"

  Xiaohui looked at me with a hint of faint sadness in her eyes and said: "Can't leave, he's smiling at me again."

  I stared at Xiaorui in surprise, not knowing why she said that. The person sitting at the stairs was shrouded in smoke from his mouth and couldn't be seen clearly. How did Xiaorui see him smiling at her?

  Xiaoyu looked at me and said: "Sorry, I really dragged you down."

  I held her hand tightly, even though it was as cold as ice, and I didn't want to let go. "What did you see?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I suddenly froze, and an even greater terror enveloped my entire body. I remembered that in that letter, everyone would ask Old Chu a sentence: "What did you see?"

  Just now, I inadvertently said the same sentence, I opened my mouth and stared foolishly at Xiaohui, she said: "That boy, he is smiling at me."

  I turned my head towards the stairs and saw only a man smoking there, no little boy, but Xiaorui's face told me she really saw something.

  That man sat there smoking, even when I and Xiaorui talked for a while he didn't look at us once. I don't know what to say to Xiaorui next, but I just want to leave this place quickly. Just then, the sitting man slowly stood up and walked towards us. With the light from the street lamp and the red glow of the cigarette, as well as the increasingly close distance, I saw a face that was frighteningly thin. And the owner of this face is someone I would recognize even if I were to die, it's Erlang.

  I suddenly felt relieved in my heart, and then it was unspeakable heartache. How did Er Lang become like this? I held him tightly and said, "Let's go back quickly."

  Er Lang's eyes stared straight at me and said, "What did you see?"

  What did I see? My good friend Erliang now looks haggard and has become a ghostly figure. I never thought that in just a few days, a person could change so much. I put my arm around Erliang's shoulder, patted him gently, and said: "Let's go back, you're too tired."

  Er Liang slowly turned around, mechanically walking forward as if in a trance. I turned my head back and saw Xiao Hua still standing there motionless, her eyes fixed tightly on Er Liang's side. I took a look, but there was nothing there. However, Xiao Hua's face looked increasingly uncomfortable. I said, "Let's go," but Xiao Hua remained motionless, softly saying, "He's still smiling at me."

  If the person standing in front of me wasn't Erliang, I might have been as scared as Xiaoxuan, but now the one standing in front of me is my good friend Ye Erlang. I let out a sigh and said: "Xiaoxuan, maybe you're too tired today, let's both go back."

  Xiaoyu stubbornly refused to budge, I stood in the middle, torn between left and right. Erliang suddenly turned his head and said softly to me: "There must be a way, I will definitely think of a solution."

  After returning from the old house in the deep mountains, Jiro once said such a sentence to me in the inn. I knew it was related to his ideals, but I didn't expect that Jiro would become like this for the sake of finding a solution that I didn't know about. My heart felt a pang, and I said: "Jiro, I've thought of a way to help you. Let's go home together, and I'll show you something."

  I've decided to stop hiding the truth about that painting from Erlang. Maybe if I had given it to him in the first place, he wouldn't have ended up like this. It's all my fault for putting him in this state.

  Er Lang seemed to wake up suddenly from a dream, turned around and hugged my shoulder, saying: "Let's go home together, I have something to show you."

  "I said: 'Okay, let's go back together.' I turned around and looked at Xiaorui, she nodded to me and said: 'He left. But I won't walk with you guys, I'll go back to my own home.'"

  I don't know what's wrong with Xiaorui today, did I offend her somehow? But I don't have time to explain anything to her now, I need to send Erlang home.

  Three people walked out of the residential area and waited for a long time before a car passed by. Originally, I wanted to ask the driver to take Xiaohui home first, but she refused my kindness and got off at the park where Lao Chu had an accident. I always felt that Xiaohui was acting strange today, but now I couldn't care about these things anymore. I reminded her to send me a text message when she arrived home, then asked the driver to take the car to Erliang's house.

  Of course, I went to Erliang's new home. I sent him upstairs, and Erliang looked distracted again. I asked: "What do you want to show me?"

  Er Lang stared blankly at me and said, "A Lei, I'm so tired."

  I held him tightly and said: "I know, no need to say anything, you just sleep well tonight, we'll talk about it tomorrow, I have something to show you tomorrow too."

  Er Liang nodded and lay down on the bed obediently. I fetched water for him to wash his face and feet, turned on the light for him, and then retreated from his room and went downstairs. I thought that as long as we clarified everything tomorrow and didn't hide anything, nothing would go wrong.

  As I walked and thought, I soon arrived at the 3rd floor. At that moment, a middle-aged woman came walking up from below, wearing a red long dress with her hair draped over one shoulder. At first, I thought it was Xiao Hua, but when I looked at her face, I realized it wasn't. It's just that most middle-aged women rarely dress like this; after all, their youth is gone, and dressing too gorgeously can sometimes make them look tacky, no matter how much powder they put on their faces. So, I couldn't help but take a few more glances at her. The woman saw me looking at her and gave me a slight smile as a greeting before continuing to walk upstairs.

  As she walked past me, I suddenly felt an inexplicable chill and couldn't help but shiver. I rubbed my arms and continued walking, taking out my phone from my pocket to send a text message to Xiaorui. It was at that moment that I suddenly understood why I felt cold - it was the instant when she smiled faintly at me, revealing her blood-red teeth between her thin lips.

  Yes, it was definitely red, but at the time they just passed each other by, and she was in the dark, so I didn't see very clearly, but in that instant I finally remembered.

  My first reaction was that Er Liang was still upstairs, and I rushed up to the top floor. I also had the key to Er Liang's new home, so I opened the door and found the light still on. Er Liang was lying in bed, and I let out a sigh of relief as I approached him to help pull up the thin blanket to cover his body. But just as I reached his side, I suddenly let out a loud cry - Er Liang's appearance was too strange.

  His eyes were wide open, his mouth was completely agape, and his eyes were filled with a fearful color, his face was iron-green. My heart sank, but I still held on to a glimmer of hope, softly calling out: "Erlang, Erlang."

  But Erliang didn't answer me, and I knew the thing I least wanted to see had finally happened - Erliang was gone. I didn't wail or cry loudly, but immediately called the police and checked every room including upstairs and downstairs, but there was no sign of the woman in the red dress.

  I sat beside Erlang, my best friend just like that left, I don't know what he saw in his last moments that made him so fearful and afraid, my tears finally couldn't help but flow down, I wanted to reach out and close Erlang's eyes, but still didn't stretch out my hand, everything will wait until the police arrive, this is what Erlang taught me.

  I looked at Er Lang, and my mind didn't know what to think, I just knew that I was silently crying. I stretched out my hand to hold his, and at this moment, I suddenly discovered that the palm of his hand was tightly clenched around a piece of paper.

  I hastily pulled out the paper, which seemed to have been torn from somewhere else. On it were written two characters "Er Liang" vertically, but the "Er" was much shorter than usual. I furrowed my brow and thought for a moment, still unable to figure out what it meant. So I tried to feel Er Liang's other hand, and indeed found another piece of paper there.

  I took out the paper and spread it out, this time it was just a small piece, seemingly torn from another sheet of paper. I carefully matched the two pieces together, and then I finally understood what those two characters on the paper meant.

  "Second daughter!"

  That was the name of my second elder sister who died young.