"We had the same dream."
Though surprised to hear that someone else had shared her dream, she remained calm as she spoke.
"How could that be?"
Su Jiner shook her head. "This forest gives me an indescribable feeling—something strange, like an inexplicable sense of dread. Logically, I shouldn't have been able to fall asleep in such a situation, but I did. And I even had such a bizarre dream."
Chu Feifan gazed at her beautiful face and said, "We've been wandering here all day. It's only natural to feel tired and fall asleep."
"I wonder if the others dreamed anything," Su Jiner murmured, leaning against a tree, exhaustion creeping into her voice. The tension and terror from the dream still clung to her heart.
"Let's not mention this dream to the others. After all, it concerns his life."
"That's what I was thinking too."
By the time everyone else woke up, the sky was no longer as dark, and the temperature seemed to have risen slightly.
Despite the rest, the group seemed even more listless, each lost in their own thoughts as they silently packed their belongings. Even Xu Lingling, who had been paralyzed with fear earlier, now followed closely beside Chu Feifan, her brow furrowed, though she no longer clung to him like before.
Perhaps because it was daylight, they quickly found their way back. The entire journey was eerily quiet, everyone keeping their heads down as they followed Chu Feifan and Zuo Yi. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they ran into the instructors and teachers who had come searching for them. Though resentment simmered in their hearts—why hadn't the teachers come looking for them last night? Why only now?—they swallowed their complaints and silently followed them back to school.
Because of their ordeal, the school had no choice but to abandon the idea of mountain training. The plan had already been controversial, with many students refusing to participate, and now, even fewer were willing to go.
Before they knew it, November arrived. The trees on campus began shedding their leaves, and the ground was soon buried under a thick layer of dry foliage that the janitors struggled to keep up with.
Su Jiner hugged her pathology textbook to her chest as she walked to class. The early autumn morning was veiled in a thin mist. Lin Yuan, ever the lazybones, had chosen to sleep in for a few extra minutes, leaving Su Jiner to save her a seat—a common occurrence since they'd started at the medical school. Each time, Su Jiner would shake her head in amusement but oblige. Unlike Lin Yuan, who often dashed into the classroom at the last minute, breakfast in hand, drawing everyone's attention, Su Jiner preferred to study quietly and avoid the spotlight. Her only goal was to learn diligently and become a skilled doctor like her parents.
Since the military training, she and Lin Yuan had become friends with Chu Feifan and Zuo Yi.
"Hey, morning!"
"Morning!"
Su Jiner smiled as she greeted them. Chu Feifan and Zuo Yi had been childhood friends, much like her and Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan still sleeping?" Zuo Yi asked with a grin.
At first, Su Jiner had assumed Zuo Yi was as cool and aloof as Chu Feifan, but over time, she discovered he was actually lively and cheerful—a sunny presence. Naturally, the two of them had become the school's heartthrobs. But they weren't high schoolers anymore; no one was going to squeal and swoon over them in public.
"Yeah," she replied.
They fell into step beside her, flanking her on either side, which made her slightly uncomfortable. But she said nothing, keeping her eyes down as they walked. Zuo Yi, on her left, had his hands laced behind his head, whistling as he strolled.
"Feifan!"
A clear, delicate voice called from behind. None of them needed to look to know who it was.
"Your devoted little princess has arrived," Zuo Yi teased, his tone making it clear he wasn't fond of Xu Lingling.
Chu Feifan glanced at Su Jiner and scowled at Zuo Yi. "Cut it out, will you?"
"Hmph."
Zuo Yi resumed whistling as they walked.
Suddenly, Su Jiner shuddered, her face paling.
"Jiner, what's wrong? Are you cold?" Zuo Yi asked, noticing her discomfort.
"No..." she managed to say, her voice strained. It wasn't the cold—it was fear. A sudden, overwhelming dread gripped her, making it hard to speak.
She turned to see Xu Lingling hurrying toward them, her face twisted in panic.
"Xu Mengguang... he's dead."
The words hit Su Jiner like a physical blow. She nearly collapsed.
"How did he die?"
"I don't know. It might have been suicide. It was horrible—his hands were clamped around his own throat. Even after he died, they couldn't pry them loose."
"Where is he now?"
"The old lab building."
The old lab building?
Why there? That place had been sealed off for years. Ever since arriving at the medical school, Su Jiner had heard rumors about the old lab—mostly ghost stories and urban legends. She didn't believe in spirits or the supernatural, so she'd always dismissed them as just stories.
The old lab was on the opposite side of campus. The school now used newly constructed buildings for classes, labs, and dorms—effectively creating a second campus. The old lab, part of the original campus, stood beyond a rusted iron gate. These days, it was reserved for graduate students and faculty, strictly off-limits to freshmen. So how had Xu Mengguang ended up there? And how had he died?
As they drew closer to the lab, Su Jiner's sense of dread intensified, stronger even than during the military training. Darkness swam at the edges of her vision, and a suffocating pressure bore down on her skull.
"Jiner, what's wrong?" Chu Feifan asked, concerned.
Her vision slowly cleared, but the crushing weight in her chest remained. She shook her head, her face still pale.
"If you're not feeling well, don't push yourself," he said, a hint of frustration in his voice. He hated how she always acted so strong, as if nothing could faze her. Part of him wished she'd let herself be scared—let herself lean on him.
"I'm fine," she insisted, shrugging off his supporting arm and striding toward the lab.
Xu Lingling watched the exchange, a flicker of resentment in her eyes. She despised this woman.
Chu Feifan stared after Su Jiner's retreating figure, his expression conflicted. He knew now wasn't the time for romance, but he couldn't help being drawn to her. Even the faintest smile from her could light up his entire week.
"Hey, she's already gone. No use standing around," Zuo Yi said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Chu Feifan shot him an annoyed look before heading into the lab. Zuo Yi sighed and shook his head before following.
Inside, the lab was unnaturally dark, with only a sliver of light spilling through the open door, illuminating a small patch of the entrance. The wooden stairs creaked underfoot, groaning with each step despite not being completely rotten. The four of them moved cautiously upward.
"Why is it so quiet here? If someone really died, shouldn't the police be here?" Chu Feifan asked, frowning at Xu Lingling.
"I was the first one to find him. I didn't know what to do—I was too scared to call the police, so I came to you," she said, her voice trembling with feigned vulnerability.
"Feifan isn't a cop. What good would telling him do? And if this is real, we should've reported it to the school first, right?" Zuo Yi snapped, his patience with Xu Lingling wearing thin.
"I was just so scared, so I—"
"Don't blame her. It's natural for girls to be afraid of these things," Su Jiner interjected, not wanting Xu Lingling to feel attacked. "Which floor is the body on?"
Perhaps because Su Jiner had defended her, Xu Lingling answered meekly, "Third floor."
Guided by Xu Lingling, they reached a small room on the third floor. It was cramped, filled with lab equipment that left little space to move. But there was no sign of Xu Mengguang's body.
"No way! I saw him right here, his hands around his throat! How is he gone?" Xu Lingling gasped, staring at the empty floor. There wasn't even a trace of a body—just a thin layer of dust.
"Are you messing with us?" Zuo Yi growled. Today's morning class was his favorite, and now this woman had ruined it.
"No, she's not lying. Something's off here," Chu Feifan said, pointing at a faint footprint barely visible on the floor.
"There's a stain here—still wet," Su Jiner said, dipping her finger into a reddish smear. She brought it to her nose. "Not blood. Ketchup."
She almost laughed at herself for being so paranoid. The oppressive feeling in her chest had faded, but the lab still unsettled her. Part of her wanted to run, yet something inexplicable kept pulling her in.
"Let's go. The air in here is making me sick." The stifling atmosphere was becoming unbearable.
Seeing how pale she was, Chu Feifan said, "If you're unwell, go to the infirmary. Stop forcing yourself."
"I'm not forcing anything. It's just too stuffy in here. I can't breathe."
"Fine. Let's leave."
Just as they turned to descend the stairs, faint footsteps echoed from the far end of the hallway—slow, deliberate, and moving toward them. Xu Lingling shrank against Chu Feifan in fear.
In the dim silence of the lab, the sound was unnerving. They froze at the top of the stairs, none daring to look back.
Despite her skepticism about ghosts—and despite being surrounded by friends—Su Jiner wasn't fearless. Yet an overwhelming curiosity compelled her to turn around.
Finally, she slowly looked back.
The footsteps stopped the instant she turned.
And then she saw a familiar figure.
"Oh, it's just you! You scared us," Zuo Yi said, recognizing the person.
"Yeah, I was working in one of the labs and heard voices, so I came out to check."