Chapter Twenty-Four: Diary (Two)

  "What if this isn't a lie, but the truth?"

  My heart gradually cooled down, and I finally understood the meaning of what Er Liang said to me at that time. Because when I was young, my mother had seen a woman wearing a red skirt with blood-red teeth once before, and later my mother mysteriously died on the mountain behind our house. Wang Qiang in the letter also saw a woman wearing a red skirt with blood-red teeth, and he also died. Just recently, I saw such a woman walking into Er Liang's building, and finally Er Liang also died. Apart from these, they had one more thing in common - their facial expressions when they died were all the same, as if they had seen something extremely terrifying.

  My mouth felt a bit bitter, I wanted to say something to my mother, but after opening my mouth, I couldn't say anything. My mother looked at me and said: "A Rui, you are Er Liang's best brother, everything left by Er Liang will be handled by you, I trust you."

  I looked into her eyes, and what flowed out of there was not just trust, but more fear. What is she afraid of? This was the conclusion I came to in an instant.

  The girl may have seen that I had already discovered her thoughts, and her face turned red, she lowered her head to avoid my eyes, saying: "I won't go up anymore, tomorrow I will go find a lawyer to write a letter of attorney, you can handle everything left by Er Liang."

  At that moment, I felt an intense anger towards my mother: Is this what they call family ties? Is this what they call a loved one? I coldly told her, "Don't worry, Erlang is my brother, and I will take care of everything by myself."

  One of the girls noticed my anger, opened her mouth to tell me something, but sighed and didn't say anything. She just said: "Tomorrow you come with me to see a lawyer, I'll leave first."

  I watched as the figure of a woman turned and walked away, and I couldn't hold back any longer. I let out a loud cry to the sky. This cry was a tribute to Erliang's memory, a refusal to accept the coldness of human nature, and a lament for Erliang's worthlessness.

  One of the girls heard my loud cry and stopped in her tracks, turning around to say to me: "Alei, I know you look down on me, but... Alas!"

  She never told me what it was, but one person left the neighborhood, her brother's house was just upstairs, and she didn't dare to go up and sit for a while because of some inexplicable fear. Is this human nature? I feel like there is a fire burning in my heart, but I don't know how to vent it.

  Just then, my phone rang. It was a text message from Xiaorui. I had been busy dealing with Erlang's affairs for the past two days and hadn't made plans to meet up with her. Now that I saw her message asking where I was and saying she wanted to come over and keep me company.

  Actually I really want someone to accompany me now, but looking at the time it's already very late, so I politely declined her request. Xiaorui immediately sent another text message: "Do you still consider me your girlfriend?"

  I suddenly felt a warmth in my heart, and my eyes became moist. I immediately turned back and said: "Haven't I written something scary enough to move you yet?"

  Xiao Rui said: "You will be able to write it out soon, believe me!"

  In the end, Xiao Rui still came out to find me. She saw that my mood wasn't good and told me to take her to Er Liang's room to take a look. I felt somewhat surprised - usually when people hear that someone has died somewhere, they would avoid it as much as possible, but not Xiao Rui.

  Xiao Wei noticed my surprise and simply said: "Because he is your friend."

  I tightly hugged her, actually I knew she was still afraid, when she said to go to Erliang's room and take a look, I saw that she was afraid, I know what she is afraid of, not because of Erliang, but the little boy who always grinned at her with his mouth open beside Erliang.

  I also tried to persuade Xiaorui, but she insisted on going, so I had no choice but to accompany her up the stairs. I said, "Xiaorui, if Erliang is still here, he will definitely like you, you are more approachable than his sister."

  Xiao Wei suddenly stopped in her tracks, looked up at me and asked: "Then do you know what Yiniang is really afraid of?"

  I shook my head, I had already told Xiaorui everything about what happened between Yiniang and me, including the diary. Seeing my confused expression, Xiaorui sighed and said: "Yiniang has one thing she didn't tell you."

  "What's going on?"

  Xiao Rui looked into my eyes and said word by word: "What did Erniang write in the middle of that night?!"

  As we walked up the stairs, I thought about what Erniang had written that midnight. Yiniang must have known, because her father had seen those notes before. Since he kept Erniang's diary until now, he should also keep those few pieces of paper, but I don't know why Yiniang refused to tell me.

  I thought so, and gradually walked to the third floor. Last time I saw that woman in a red dress here. Now it's Xiaohui accompanying me, but I always feel like that strange woman is standing at the entrance of the corridor watching me. Yes, that strange feeling of being watched again returned to my body. I quickly walked up to the fourth floor, still feeling as if there was a thorn stuck in my back. Turning around and looking back, under the slightly pale light, there was only one staircase extending upwards, and there was nothing else in the corridor.

  Xiaohui walked beside me all along, and suddenly asked me a question: "Are you very scared now?"

  I was stunned for a moment, unsure why she would ask me that, but I nodded anyway. Xiaorui looked into my eyes and said, "What are you afraid of?"

  I was at a loss for words when faced with Xiaorui's question, but she immediately followed up with another one: "What is Mother afraid of again?"

  My head suddenly became messy, but Xiaorui obviously didn't want my answer, instead she stared tightly at my eyes and said: "Remember this feeling, you can write a moving one."

  Originally, Xiaorui was just thinking of me, but I felt that her simple questions just now made my body even colder, and even the way she looked at me had a strange chill. At this moment, a person who was almost forgotten suddenly appeared in my mind. She had once helped another man achieve his career with great enthusiasm, but in the end, the man killed her with his own hands, and then he mysteriously died in the house, but in fact, no one saw that woman's existence.

  Xiaohui was not wearing a red skirt today, but a white one. The light in the corridor seemed to have a pale tone as well. I stopped in my tracks and tried to ask in a calm tone: "Xiaohui, did you have any nickname when you were little?"

  Xiaoyu's body obviously shook and stopped in her tracks, but she didn't turn around. Instead, she lightly asked: "Why ask this?"

  Her tone was as calm as mine, but I clearly heard a slight tremble in her voice. I said: "Tell me, did you have a milk name when you were a child?"

  Xiao Wei didn't say a word, but slowly turned around, I saw her smiling at me, then said: "Very good, you can think of so many things, you're finally close to writing something that can move many people."

  Before I could speak up, Xiaohui continued: "You go ahead by yourself, I have something to attend to and will leave first." I stretched out my hand wanting to hold her back, but halfway through, I finally withdrew it.

  Xiao Rui didn't turn on the light, and instead walked step by step towards the dark staircase that seemed to have no end. The only sound in the empty hallway was the "click click" of her high heels hitting the ground. At this moment, I suddenly thought of the rooftop of Old Chu's house again.

  I wanted to call out to Xiaorui, but a huge sense of fear made my throat hoarse and I couldn't speak. Just then, I heard Xiaorui's voice from downstairs: "I'll help you write more good books." After a while, another sentence came: "But I'm not called Hei Niangzi."

  There were no more sounds coming from downstairs, I rushed downstairs desperately, but Xiaohui was nowhere to be found. The phone call showed that it was turned off. Xiaohui said she wasn't a black belly, and she already knew what I was thinking at the time. I slapped my own head hard, blaming myself for being suspicious. Xiaohui sincerely hoped that I could write a good book, but I was still indulging in wild thoughts.

  I don't know where Xiaorui lives or works now, and I'm unable to contact her, but I know she'll come back one day because she said she'd continue helping me write more good books. I think as long as I work hard, for example, if I win the top prize in this Tianya Community Original Works Competition, she'll definitely be very happy when she returns.

  With a plan in mind, I didn't seem so flustered anymore. Xiaorui sometimes spoke to me in a mysterious tone, now that I think about it, she was trying to get me into the state of mind necessary for writing. Nevermind, let's not worry about it for now, let's go take a look at Erlang's room first.

  When I think of Er Lang, I also recall the woman in a red skirt. Actually, it's not Er Lang that I'm afraid of, but her. If anyone were to see such a long-haired woman standing silently behind them in the dark, no, even just thinking about it would make all the hairs on their body stand up. This is what I'm really afraid of. Perhaps, it's also what Yi Niang is afraid of.

  But now, no matter what, I have to go up because Erliang said something was going to show me before the accident, I don't know what he wants to show me, but I think at this time he must want to show me something very important, maybe it's related to his ideal that has been puzzling me all the time.

  If it's really like that, I'll help you fulfill your ideals. I told myself this, and also told Er Lang the same thing. Just as I was thinking this, that strange feeling came again, and I felt someone watching me from behind. It wasn't the woman in the red skirt from before, but another person. I couldn't express this feeling - even though there was clearly no one to be seen, I just felt that the person watching me this time was different from before.

  I still couldn't help but turn my head to take a look, and my eyes widened instantly, because this time I finally saw the person standing behind me. No, I didn't see clearly either, I just caught a glimpse of a flash of red at the corner of the corridor, which should be a child wearing a red dress.

  I followed for a few steps, but saw nothing. I gritted my teeth and didn't retreat. If I left like this, what's the difference between me and my mother? If people really have ghosts after death, Erliang will also protect me. Thinking so, I don't know if it counts as self-comfort. Taking a deep breath, I still opened Erliang's door with the key.

  Everything is the same as before, only one person less inside. As long as this person is missing, nothing can be exactly the same again. Looking at all these familiar things, I sit on the bed where Er Lang last lay, and tears flow down again.

  I calmed down and got up to start searching for what Er Lang wanted me to see in his room. If this was really related to his ideals, then fulfilling his unfinished ideals would be the best way for me to remember him.

  I'm familiar with Erlian's every living habit, familiar with the placement of every place in his room, but I've searched for a long time and can't find anything that might be what he wants to give me, because those things are all too familiar to me.

  I sat in the room, dazed for a while, unable to understand what Erliang wanted me to see. The things in the office had already been handed over, and there were few personal items left. So, what was it in this room that I couldn't usually see? My eyes fixed on Erliang's desk.

  A girl told me that since they were young, her brother was forced by their father to keep a diary. I believe this will become a habit. If there's anything about Erlang that I don't know, it must be his diary.

  I easily opened the lock on the desk drawer. As I unlocked it, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness again, because this technique was taught to me by Er Lang.

  There were several notebooks in the drawer, I picked one up at random, and they were all Er Lang's diaries from previous years. After checking the date, I picked up the one on the far right, which should be the most recent diary. Just as I opened it, a piece of paper fell out from inside. I picked it up, and it was a piece of paper stuck together with transparent glue because the original paper had been torn into several small pieces. The childish handwriting on the paper was very familiar to me, because not long ago I had just read an article written by its owner.

  Auntie said that she will come and find me tomorrow to play, and bring many people wearing red clothes to accompany me.