Lin Banxia was actually a little confused about the specific content of the job Song Qingluo was talking about, but the only thing he knew was that the job was probably not that good, otherwise Song Qingluo wouldn’t be pitiful. He rented a house next to him to make ends meet. As for Song Qingluo’s remarks that the salary in this job was good, Lin Banxia didn’t take it to heart. After all, don’t MLM people tell students that they can earn 50 million in three years? Just listen to this kind of words.
According to Song Qingluo, some of the things placed in his house just offset the effect of Lin Banxia’s house number, allowing Ji Leshui’s mental state to take a breather. As long as his mental state improved, he would no longer see those terrifying physical illusions, and Ji Leshui could move out normally.
After Ji Leshui learned about this, he was in a good mood and invited Lin Banxia to come out for a meal to celebrate. Lin Banxia asked Song Qingluo if he was going, but Song Qingluo refused, saying that he had some things to deal with.
Lin Banxia said, “Oh, changed his clothes, and went to the appointment.”
The weather had been cloudy for almost a week, and it had finally cleared up. Lin Banxia was walking on the road, enjoying the last sunset.
The place where Ji Leshui made the dinner reservations was a barbecue restaurant not far from Lin Banxia’s workplace. It tasted good and was reasonably priced. They often made dinner reservations there.
Lin Banxia didn’t need to go to work today, so he went over to order food in advance, heated up a pot and waited for Ji Leshui.
At about six o’clock, Ji Leshui came. Compared with a few days ago, he was in high spirits today, and he didn’t look haggard at all. His face was red, and he seemed to be recovering quite well.
“Banxia, what’s wrong, the big guy didn’t come?” Ji Leshui sat down and asked.
“He said he had something to do and wouldn’t come.” Lin Banxia said, “Why did you get off work so early today?”
Ji Leshui said: “Slipped away early. Grill the meat quickly.”
Lin Banxia nodded, picked up a large piece of pork belly, and placed it on the baking sheet.
The price of pork has been soaring during this period. Pork belly was now almost 30 yuan per pound. Eating meat had actually become a luxury. The fat and meat made a sizzling sound on the baking pan, accompanied by the unique aroma of oil filling people’s nostrils. When the meat is grilled and browned on both sides, wrap it in rich dipping sauce, serve it with lettuce, and take a satisfying bite. The delicious taste would make your soul ascend to heaven.
Ji Leshui’s eyes filled with tears after eating, and he said, “Oh my god, it’s been a long time since we had such a serious meal.”
Lin Banxia glanced at him: “Didn’t you just come here to eat the night after moving a week ago?”
Ji Leshui: “Oh.”
Lin Banxia said: “You are just greedy.”
Ji Leshui: “I thought I could live a happy life with you after we moved. Who knew that our relationship would suffer such a serious crisis…”
Lin Banxia gave him an eye roll.
Ji Leshui said: “Oh, it’s magical to say the least. I haven’t seen those things since I moved to the big boss’s house. What’s going on? Could it be that he is a master of subjugating demons and has collected the monsters? …Why are you ignoring me?”
Lin Banxia’s mouth was still filled with meat so he said vaguely: “Keep talking.”
Ji Leshui observed for three seconds and finally understood Lin Banxia’s sinister intentions. He slapped the table angrily and said, “Are you a human? You just eat meat while I’m talking, right? I won’t say anything anymore!”
Lin Banxia continued to complain.
The two sat at the barbecue table and feasted. Halfway through the meal, Ji Leshui went out to buy a pack of cigarettes and asked Lin Banxia to take it easy and leave him a bite.
Unexpectedly, Ji Leshui came back in a panic less than a minute after he left. Seeing his appearance, Lin Banxia reflexively said: “What is this expression? What the hell?”
When Ji Leshui heard this, his face was ashen, and he did not say anything.
Lin Banxia was stunned when he saw this, and his voice became softer: “What did you see?”
“I saw your colleague.” Ji Leshui said.
Lin Banxia said: “Colleague? Which colleague?”
Ji Leshui said: “The one named Liu Xi or something?”
Lin Banxia suddenly said: “Oh, what’s wrong with him?”
Ji Leshui said: “He was talking to a woman.” His voice became smaller and smaller, and finally there was a hint of a quiver in his voice, “That woman… seems to be… carrying a strange thing on her back…”
Lin Banxia froze on the spot. Of course, he immediately remembered the terrifying woman he had seen in the work unit before, but why did she and Liu Xi meet? Do they know each other? Lin Banxia asked Ji Leshui where they were, and Ji Leshui said they were not far outside. Lin Banxia quickly got up and ran out, but when he came out, Liu Xi and the woman were already gone.
When they returned to the barbecue restaurant, neither of them was interested anymore, so they finished hastily and went home.
Ji Leshui originally thought that he had completely escaped the influence of that house, but the first time he saw the strange thing, it reminded him of the horrific scenes he saw those nights. Although he was very nervous, he couldn’t withstand such constant torture and would suffer from mental breakdown sooner or later.
On the way back, Lin Banxia sent Liu Xi a message and asked where he was.
Liu Xi quickly replied and said that he was at home with his girlfriend.
Lin Banxia continued: Oh, I happened to come to eat near my work and saw a figure that looked like you from behind, so I thought you were there too.
After a while, Liu Xi replied: Hahaha, I’m at home.
There is always a sense of perfunctoriness in the words ‘hahaha’. Lin Banxia was thinking about this as he followed Ji Leshui into the community.
Ji Leshui followed Lin Banxia and whispered: “Banxia, do you think there are ghosts in this world?”
Lin Banxia said: “Maybe? Maybe not?”
Ji Leshui said: “Didn’t the boss next door say there are no ghosts? Speaking of which, what does the boss do? Could it be that he is actually a master dancer…”
While Ji Leshui was thinking casually, he followed Lin Banxia forward. As he walked, Lin Banxia in front suddenly stopped. Without noticing, he bumped his head on Lin Banxia’s shoulder, hissed and said: “Banxia, what are you doing?”
Lin Banxia said nothing.
Ji Leshui said: “Banxia?” He noticed that Lin Banxia tilted his head and seemed to be looking at something, so he followed Lin Banxia’s gaze and looked over. It was okay not to look at it. Goosebumps erupted all over his body when he saw it. He saw that the window where a woman had jumped out in front of him a few days ago was actually lit up again.
“F*ck!!” Ji Leshui took a step back in fright.
Lin Banxia asked, “Is this the window you saw?” When he came back previously, he only found Ji Leshui, who was frightened out of his mind, and he didn’t know the specific location of the window.
Ji Leshui nodded like a fool and said, “Yes, yes!!” He suddenly realized, “Yes? Why did you ask?”
Lin Banxia whispered: “Because I saw it too.”
Ji Leshui’s eyes widened.
The window still emitted a faint light, like a candle in the darkness, attracting moths that fled to the fire. Ji Leshui thought of what happened that day and did not dare to take another step forward, while Lin Banxia, as if thinking about something, also stopped on the trail.
Silence spread between the two of them. Ji Leshui’s forehead felt cold, and he stretched out his hand to wipe it, only to find that it was raindrops. It was clearly sunny in the afternoon, but now it was raining.
Just when Ji Leshui was stunned, a slender black figure appeared in front of the window. From the outside, the black figure was a woman with long hair and a long dress. She was the same figure they saw a few days ago.
The shadow staggered, as if it was not walking very steadily, and finally stopped in front of the window, and then slowly grew taller. It seemed that the owner of the shadow was standing on a bench.
Lin Banxia was still wondering what she was going to do, but it wasn’t until the owner of the shadow used the rope in her hand to put a noose over the top of her head that Lin Banxia understood.
The black shadow began to shake, as if the light source in the room was a little unstable, but this did not affect her movements. She stood on tiptoe and hung her neck on the rope.
The next moment, the slender shadow began to struggle and sway under the light, and finally stopped.
Ji Leshui was stunned by this scene, trembling all over, and shouted: “Run, Banxia.” He shouted, trying to pull Lin Banxia forward, but his movements was so big that as soon as he grabbed Lin Banxia, he tripped over his own feet and pulled Lin Banxia to the ground.
Lin Banxia didn’t react and fell into a ball with Ji Leshui.
“Ah!!” Ji Leshui screamed, and Lin Banxia hurriedly said: “Leshui, are you okay?”
“Don’t, leave me alone, that window, the window is open!!!” Ji Leshui’s voice shook like sieve chaff, “She’s going to jump out of the building again, Banxia, leave me here, run away!!”
Lin Banxia looked toward the window, and sure enough, he saw the window that had been closed just now opened. The lights flickered inside the window. After a moment, a snow-white face slowly appeared.
Ji Leshui closed his eyes in despair: “Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah, it’s coming, it’s coming!!!”
Lin Banxia: “?!”
Ji Leshui: “Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah, jumping, jumping!!”
Lin Banxia: “…”
“Stop yelling.” The owner of the snow-white face was probably a little upset about being yelled at. He threw down a ball of paper, but it didn’t hit Ji Leshui. Instead, it was thrown on Lin Banxia’s head.
Lin Banxia felt a little aggrieved by being hit, and hit Ji Leshui on the back: “Open your eyes, what are you screaming for?”
Ji Leshui was still screaming, and Lin Banxia stuffed the paper ball into his mouth, finally stopping the extremely grating scream.
When the people above saw this, they gave Lin Banxia a thumbs up.
Ji Leshui opened his eyes with tears in his eyes but saw Lin Banxia’s unhappy expression. He seemed to remember that the voice above his head was familiar. He looked up blankly and saw Song Qingluo in that window.
Ji Leshui: “????” Boss, why are you out fighting ghosts at night if you don’t sleep?
Lin Banxia: “Have you finished screaming?”
Ji Leshui nodded with tears in his eyes.
Lin Banxia: “Get up and walk after you finish shouting. Your butt will get cold after sitting for a long time.”
Ji Leshui stood up slowly, took a step forward, and howled again.
Lin Banxia was angry: “Are you still screaming?”
Ji Leshui cried like a 200-pound child: “Brother, my foot is sprained.”
Lin Banxia: “…” You are so incapable of doing anything that you scream for everything.
The author has something to say:
Lin Banxia: Ji Leshui, male, twenty-five years old, good at screaming, known as the Screaming Chicken.
Ji Leshui: Lin Banxia, male, twenty-five years old, good at being single, known as single dog.
Song Qingluo: Are you two, okay?
Translator’s comments:
Hey guys, I’m the translator for this novel. If you have any questions or thoughts feel free to comment and I’ll do my best to answer everything. If you notice any inconsistencies or errors, drop a comment and I will fix it. I am new to this, but I want to learn and give the best translation that I can to the readers. Thanks so much for reading Phantom Skeleton Painting, I hope that everyone enjoys the novel.
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