Mysterious Revival

Inside the female dormitory of a well-known university in the city.

Miao Xiaoshan didn't want to call Yang Jian originally, not that she didn't want to contact him—for they had known each other since middle school in Dachang City and were very close—but because she didn't want to trouble him. She understood that Yang Jian was no longer the classmate who used to pester her for homework answers.

Yang Jian had more important things to do now.

However, the mysterious disappearance of her roommate, coupled with an uneasy hunch in her heart, ultimately pushed Miao Xiaoshan to muster the courage to make the call.

Yang Jian had once promised her that she should call him if she ever needed help.

"So what happened? What did your high school acquaintance, Yang Jian, say?" A curious girl from the upper bunk asked inside the dorm, "I don't see the point in calling. He's just here to work; what would he know? I think it's better to report it tomorrow. Besides, it's so late that even if you call, it's useless. He definitely won't come."

"Yeah, just go to sleep for now. Maybe things aren't as bad as we imagine. Perhaps Zhang Xia has gone out on a date, and by tomorrow she'll surely be back. Always suspecting the supernatural, that's an illness, and I think it's curable," another roommate named Sun Yujia said with a smile. Read chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

"Maybe Xiao Shan just misses that old high school classmate and is using this as an excuse to call. She normally wouldn't have the guts to do it."

"Heh, that makes sense." A few girls teased each other, not believing that a roommate had truly disappeared.

The security at this school was so good, with regular patrols—how could someone possibly disappear mysteriously.

"Can't you all just stop the nonsense for now? Let Miao Xiaoshan finish her call first," another girl named Liu Zi said impatiently. She was a local and had some authority in the dorm like an elder sister; her words carried weight.

Sure enough, the other teasing girls immediately fell silent.

Liu Zi wasn't in a good mood today; she even felt a bit uneasy because she'd already learned about the identity of this high school classmate of Miao Xiaoshan's named Yang Jian from her boyfriend.

He was quite special.

Special enough that even her rich second generation boyfriend didn't qualify to mingle with such people.

So ever since that day, she had been especially courteous to Miao Xiaoshan.

The phone call didn't last long.

Soon, the call ended, and Miao Xiaoshan lowered her phone from her ear. After hanging up, her face turned slightly pale, and a look of terror flashed in her eyes as she unconsciously glanced towards her roommate Zhang Xia's bed.

The bed was very tidy, with no extra clutter, but there was an old oil painting with a historical vibe placed against the wall.

Yang Jian had mentioned that there was something wrong with that oil painting.

"Miao Xiaoshan, what's wrong? Why do you look so pale?" Liu Zi inquired.

Miao Xiaoshan shivered, snapping back to reality with a hint of panic in her voice, "Quick, we need to leave, get out of the dorm, leave this place now."

As she spoke, she quickly started to get dressed in a hurry, as if running for her life.

"What's happened all of a sudden, and where do you want to go in the middle of the night when it's so cold outside?"

Miao Xiaoshan's abnormal behavior confused her roommates.

"Anywhere is fine, just not here. Stop looking at me and get dressed quickly, follow me," she urged.

Miao Xiaoshan became even more anxious when she saw that none of her roommates were taking action. She tried to pull her roommates from their beds, but instead of being grateful, they shook her off.

"Miao Xiaoshan, calm down. What are you freaking out about all of a sudden? You weren't stimulated by something, were you?" the roommate named Sun Yujia said, trying to comfort her.

Liu Zi also hurried over and asked, "Did that high school classmate of yours named Yang Jian say something to you over the phone? Tell us, and we can offer our advice. Don't panic yet."

"Yang Jian said there's something wrong with that painting. Zhang Xia's disappearance might be related to a paranormal event. Don't waste any more time; listen to my advice and leave this place for now. I'll explain everything to you later," she explained.

Although Miao Xiaoshan was ready to flee the dormitory, she could not bear to leave her roommates behind.

But the roommates did not believe her words and had no intention of leaving the dormitory.

After all, who would want to run out into the cold night just because of one's groundless words?

And besides, it wasn't even allowed to go out at this time.

"A paranormal event? You mean our dormitory is haunted?" Liu Zi reacted, her voice filled with disbelief.

"I don't know. I just know Yang Jian said there is something wrong with the painting and told us to leave this place," she said.

Miao Xiaoshan stamped her feet anxiously, "Why are you still lying in bed? Hurry up and go."

One of the roommates laughed immediately, "Miao Xiaoshan, you must have been fooled by your high school classmate. A paranormal event, really? I've never seen a ghost in all my life. What era do you think this is? Do you still believe in this stuff? I think you're just too naive, believing everything that's told to you. If there really were ghosts, then I'd like to see what a ghost looks like."

"Yeah, Miao Xiaoshan, that Yang Jian is definitely trying to scare you. He's too bad, knowing you're scared of ghost stories yet deliberately telling you such things. Don't be so jumpy; just go to sleep already. I guarantee nothing will happen tonight," Sun Yujia said earnestly.

But the more they said this, the more anxious and unsettled Miao Xiaoshan became.

They had no idea what she and Yang Jian, along with their other classmates, had experienced back at No. 7 Middle School in Dachang City.

In their entire class, nearly fifty students, only seven were alive to leave the school by the end of the night.

That day's experience was the nightmare of her life.

Seeing Miao Xiaoshan so emotionally stirred up, Liu Zi started to waver as well.

The idea of the dormitory being haunted by ghosts and encountering supernatural events seemed like a far-fetched tale, even laughable.

But what if, just what if, it were true?

After all, Yang Jian was someone even her boyfriend was extremely wary of; maybe he did know some inside information.

After some thought, Liu Zi said, "Let's listen to Miao Xiaoshan for now and leave the dorm first. We can discuss everything else tomorrow."

"You've got to be kidding, Liu Zi. Do you really believe what Miao Xiaoshan says? If you want to go, then go, but I'm not joining your madness. I'm going to sleep; I have to attend classes tomorrow," that roommate said before lying back and wrapping herself in the quilt, ignoring everyone else.

"All of this is so confusing. I can't wrap my head around it. Ah, I can't be bothered with all this, ghosts or no ghosts. I don't believe in that stuff. Miao Xiaoshan, stop dragging me, I'm really sleepy. I'm going to bed too. You have something to say, tell it to Liu Zi, she believes you anyway," said Sun Yujia, retreating back under her covers helplessly.

Miao Xiaoshan was anxious and at a loss, with her roommates completely disbelieving her. It was too difficult to pull them out of their beds in the middle of the night.

But if we don't leave now, and something really happens, then we won't be able to escape at all.

Back in No. 7 Middle School, she had witnessed a ghost appear right before her eyes, and if they had been just one step slower at that time, everyone would have died in the school.

So time is precious.

Maybe I should go alone?

Such a thought flashed across Miao Xiaoshan's mind, but she couldn't bear to expose her roommates to danger.

Seeing that they had no intention of leaving the dormitory, Liu Zi also began to hesitate.

After all, it's quite shameful to run out in the middle of the night because of a ghost rumor, as if behaving like an imbecile.

However, just at that moment.

Crackle!

The lights in the dorm suddenly flickered unnaturally.

Immediately, everyone looked up at the light on the ceiling.

"There couldn't really be a ghost, could there?" Liu Zi thought to herself.

But the next moment, a loud bang resounded, and the dormitory door was forcefully kicked open with tremendous force.

Everyone was startled by the noise.

Turning quickly, they found a stranger standing at the door.

It was a young man, about twenty years old, with a handsome appearance and overly pale complexion, looking like a somewhat attractive, fair-faced young man; but his whole being exuded an unsettlingly cold demeanor, especially those piercing eyes, so sharp they felt like needles on one's back, utterly unnerving.

"Didn't I tell you over the phone to leave the dormitory? Why are you still here?" The man frowned slightly and spoke directly, his tone revealing dissatisfaction and reproach.

This person was not pleasant to deal with.

At first glance, including Liu Zi, all the girls had this thought pop into their heads.

And the second thought was, could this person be Yang Jian, the high school classmate Miao Xiaoshan had mentioned?

"Yang Jian, I..." Miao Xiaoshan, as if she had done something wrong, wanted to explain, yet didn't know what to say.

Yang Jian, observing Miao Xiaoshan who was ready to leave, and the other roommates still lying in their beds, roughly guessed what was going on.

"If some people don't want to leave, then let them stay here. You remember how Qian Wanhao died, right?"

As he spoke, he walked in.

His ghostly eye had already reacted; the Ghost Domain could only extend outside the dormitory, which was enough proof that this painting was identical to the one he had encountered in that apartment complex.

The curse of the ghost painting.

"Hey, this is the girls' dormitory; boys are not allowed to stay. Didn't you see we were all sleeping? If you're looking for Miao Xiaoshan, you should wait outside," a roommate chided, raising her head.

Yang Jian just glanced at her briefly, "Do you have a death wish, woman?"

The roommate immediately silenced herself. She had never seen anyone with such eyes before: dismissive, cold-blooded, devoid of any emotion, as if she was just a corpse in his eyes, suggesting that any further words would bring about severe consequences.

"Yang Jian, don't be like this," Miao Xiaoshan said nervously, grabbing his hand.

Yet from his hand, she could not feel any warmth that a living person should have, but she still did not let go.

It wasn't Yang Jian's choice to become like this; it was an inevitability from their time at No. 7 Middle School.

"Having unreliable teammates once is enough; if some people want to die, you can't accompany them."

Yang Jian grabbed her hand firmly, "Close your eyes, don't look at anything you shouldn't, follow me and leave this place."

Miao Xiaoshan had no resistance and immediately closed her eyes.

Yang Jian led her, striding out of the dormitory.

"But, my roommates..." Miao Xiaoshan said quietly.

"They are not my roommates, and I have no duty to care for them. If it really comes down to it, you can just change roommates later; anyway, you haven't been getting along with them for long," Yang Jian said, his tone still indifferent.

Miao Xiaoshan didn't know how to respond and fell silent.

The rest watched the scene in astonishment.

"No way, Miao Xiaoshan just got carried out by that Yang Jian? Can he be any more forceful? Kick the door and take her away, am I watching a drama here?" exclaimed the roommate named Sun Yujia.

"That's not the point here," Liu Zi's unease quickly magnified.

Because she realized from the time Miao Xiaoshan made the phone call until now, it had been less than five minutes, and within these few minutes, Yang Jian had appeared outside their dormitory.

It's important to note that Yang Jian isn't a student at this school, and even if he lived nearby, it would be impossible to arrive at the dormitory so accurately and quickly in such a short time.

This was completely unscientific.

"I, I'm going out too," Liu Zi suddenly panicked, quickly putting on her shoes and grabbing a jacket before rushing out.

But once outside, she was stunned.

The empty corridor was eerily silent, with no one in sight.

Where was Yang Jian, who had carried out Miao Xiaoshan earlier?

Connecting this to the earlier talk of the dormitory being haunted, Liu Zi now felt it could very well be true.

The fear in her heart grew boundlessly, and she couldn't worry about anything else, running madly outside.