Chapter 11: Subway Station Nightmare

  "Okay, I'll come over right now." As I was about to hang up the phone, "Don't get off at Luting Station, get off at Feihu Road," Nagu Yun said. "Why?" I asked, puzzled. The Luting Road subway station is just a stone's throw away from Nagu Yun's home address! Why did she have to make me ride one more stop?

  "Don't ask why, just listen to what I have to say!" Nagu Yun'er said before hanging up the phone. I sighed and was about to head downstairs when Zheng Mei Mei asked me with a mischievous grin: "Where are you off to again? Not coming home tonight?" I nodded in response: "Isn't it Friday today? I'm going to a friend's place." As we headed downstairs, Zhao Yu excitedly said to Zheng Mei Mei: "Let's walk together! I'll teach you math problems!" Zheng Mei Mei rolled her eyes and said: "No way! I have dance practice at the studio today to prepare for our school competition!" After that, Zheng Mei Mei ran off in the direction of the dance studio, with Zhao Yu shouting "wait up" as he chased after her.

  Watching them being playful, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Are you heading to Fei Hu Road?" Yuan Nuo's voice came from behind me, and I nodded. "Let's take the subway together! I also live around that area." Yuan Nuo said, "Okay then!" I replied with a nod. As I looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky, wondering if it would rain, Yuan Nuo suddenly asked: "I heard you went to the cram school for training last time, how was it?" "Ah, it wasn't great! It's basically a waste of money." I quickly changed the subject and said: "What's the story behind Luding Road?!"

  Yuan Nuo Yi's face changed slightly, saying: "What's up? Why are you suddenly asking about this?" "I'm just casually asking." The sky was drizzling at that moment, and Yuan Nuo Yi and I rushed into the subway station. A subway train happened to arrive, and it was quite crowded. I felt like I couldn't breathe. "Do you have an umbrella?" Yuan Nuo Yi asked. "Yes, I always carry one in my backpack!" Then we stopped talking. During this time, Na Gu Yun called me and asked where I was going, and I told her the truth.

  "Luding Road has arrived, please get off the train from the left door." The announcement woke me up a bit as I was dozing off. Luding Road, wasn't that the stop Nagu Yun'er told me not to get off at? The subway doors opened, but no one got off, instead everyone moved further into the train. Before I could even react, I was accidentally pushed out by someone, and before I could even process what happened, the subway doors closed.

  Compared to other subway stations, this place is obviously darker and gives people a very uncomfortable feeling. A little boy flashed in front of his eyes and ran to the conspicuous sign that said "Under construction, danger!" "Don't go! Wait!" Afraid that the child would get hurt, I followed closely behind him and chased after him.

  Finally, halfway up the stairs, I saw him with his back to me, sobbing away. I let out a sigh and walked towards him step by step: "Didn't I tell you not to run around?! This place is very dangerous, sister will take you home." I reached out my hand and patted his back, "Sister, are you really going to...take me home?" He suddenly turned his head around, a pair of eyes with only the whites showing, staring at me innocently.

  "Is my sister cheating on me?!" Seeing that I didn't respond, the corners of his mouth curled up into a cold smile, and he lightly pushed me, causing me to tumble down. As I fell down the stairs, my eyes remained fixed on him standing in the middle of the staircase, still with an innocent expression, but with a mischievous grin at the corner of his mouth.

  I was in so much pain that I couldn't get up, lying on the ground and looking at him sitting on the steps looking at me saying: "Sister, take me home!" After he finished speaking, he took slow steps towards me. No! I have to get up, I slowly crawled up, retreated a few steps back and asked: "Who are you? You're not human, are you?"

  A steel plate on the top suddenly fell off, and a hand quickly pulled me away from where the steel plate had fallen. With a loud crash, the steel plate hit the ground, making the road surface uneven, I stared at the steel plate in shock, then looked at where the little boy was standing, he said word by word: "Sister, if you don't take me home, then stay and accompany me." His eyes flowed with bloody tears, slowly his whole body surged out like a flood of blood, soon becoming a pool of blood water, flowing down the stairs slowly, almost reaching my feet.

  "Don't!" I screamed, hastily retreating backward, and for a moment, forgot that Yuan No. 1 was standing beside me. "What's wrong?!" Yuan No. 1 asked, looking at my flustered appearance, as blood followed his voice. "Let's go quickly!" I whispered loudly, "What's going on with you? Did you see something?!" Blood accompanied the sound, and it seemed like we were about to be surrounded by blood. I covered Yuan No. 1's mouth, signaling for us to hurry up. He nodded in confusion and followed me towards another exit of the subway station. The puddle of blood behind us seemed to follow us like a small stream. When we walked out of the subway station, I turned back to look, but there was nothing, as if everything that had just happened was just my illusion.

  "What's wrong with you just now, you haven't told me yet!" Yuan Nu asked. I took a deep breath and replied: "Nothing, I was just startled by the sudden falling of the steel plate." A umbrella was held above my head, Yuan Nu said expressionlessly: "It's raining, didn't you bring an umbrella?" I touched my backpack, took out the umbrella and prepared to open it. Yuan Nu put my umbrella back into my backpack: "Forget it, one umbrella is enough. I'll send you!"

  When I was about to say no, a familiar eerie voice sounded from behind: "Sister, you forgot to take me away!" I turned around and saw the little boy in the subway station standing in the rain, staring at me with his eyes wide open. I subconsciously took a step back. "Ning Lie, why have you been acting strange since just now?!" Yuan Nu asked. "Sister, if you won't take me away, then I'll go with this brother!" He stretched out his hand and pointed directly at Yuan Nu. The smile on the corner of his mouth emitted a chill in the dim rainy day that made me shiver uncontrollably. What to do? My mind was all messed up.

  "Are you cold?!" Yuan Nu asked me, I forced a smile and said: "No, then let's go to that aunt's house together!" I pulled up Yuan Nu's hand and quickly walked towards Na Gu Yun'er's house. Yuan Nu continued to ask in confusion: "What's wrong with you?!" I glanced back at the little boy who was following us and said: "Nothing! Today is my birthday, let me treat you to cake!" I knew my reason was absurd, but Yuan Nu surprisingly responded with a weird sentence: "What an honor! You only invited me alone!"

  "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you." The boy's voice was ethereal and seemed to come from behind me, yet it felt like he was singing right in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

  "Yuan Nuo Yi, shut up from now on!" I said coldly. Yuan Nuo Yi saw that my emotions were not right and could only stop talking. The little boy behind me, however, continued to lurk around until I reached the door of Na Gu Yun Er's house. He then sat down at a distance, still staring straight at me: "Brother or sister, you must leave one person to accompany me." Upon hearing this sentence, I started frantically knocking on Na Gu Yun Er's door. Na Gu Yun Er opened the door, seemed to sense something, and welcomed us in before slamming the door shut.

  "What did you bring over? Didn't I tell you not to get off at Luting Road again?" Nagu Yun'er looked out the window at the little boy and asked me. Before I could respond, Yuan Nu snatched the conversation: "She was squeezed out at Luting Road." Nagu Yun'er glanced at Yuan Nu and said: "You'll be staying here for the night today!"

  "Ah?!" Yuan Nuo looked at me with a puzzled expression, "I'm afraid you won't be able to go home even if you want to. You must know about the Luding Road incident, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't know that I didn't let Ning Xue get off the bus on Luding Road." Na Gu Yun'er drank a cup of hot water, her eyes fixed on the window as she spoke. Yuan Nuo followed her gaze and took a step back, asking hesitantly, "Is the rumor true?" I pulled up the curtains and said softly, "Sorry, Yuan Nuo, if you didn't follow me, you wouldn't be dragged into this." Yuan Nuo plopped down on the sofa, saying, "If you're not afraid, why should I be?" Na Gu Yun'er let out a cold laugh, looking at Yuan Nuo as she said, "Little brother, don't faint when you really see it." After that, Na Gu Yun'er went upstairs. Yuan Nuo and I sat facing each other, not saying a word, only hearing the rain outside getting heavier.