Chapter 62: Extraordinary
Inside the silent Tianhai Hotel, it was nearly midnight.
Tongguan and Chang Nian had long since gone to bed, exhausted from the day's lengthy missions. Fang Shenyan lay flat on his bed, eyes wide open, occasionally glancing toward the door, seemingly both wary and annoyed.
The ghosts on the second floor remained extremely quiet. Since the arrival of the new resident, no unusual activity had occurred.
Only by the rounded office desk on the first floor did two figures sit facing each other in silence, engaged in a subtle, unspoken negotiation.
Ji Li studied Yu Guo for a long moment. Seeing that he still hadn't spoken, Ji Li picked up a pack of cigarettes from the table, pulled out two, and handed them over casually.
Yu Guo's expression darkened slightly, his body mostly hidden in the shadows, yet a small part of him remained visible, reflecting his current unease and urgency.
Seeing Ji Li's gesture, he sighed, let go of his burdens, and stepped out of the shadows to take the cigarette.
Ji Li sat back in his seat. He wasn't truly tired; his mind had been restless from earlier events, but after hours of quiet, he had regained his peak focus.
He smoked while observing Yu Guo, who hesitated as if he had something to request.
A faint smile crossed Ji Li's face—he had never seen Yu Guo so indecisive about anything.
Yu Guo held significant weight in Ji Li's mind. He was even-tempered, friendly, unrestrained by formalities, bold yet meticulous.
In the hotel, everyone carried secrets, but Yu Guo's were simple and straightforward. He was arguably the simplest in background and character among them.
Ji Li thought for a moment before asking, "What is it that you want from me?"
Yu Guo said nothing, but his behavior indicated he had a request.
After a long internal struggle, he stubbed out the cigarette he hadn't finished and said, "Would you come out with me?"
Ji Li nodded, asking casually, "Is it dangerous?"
"Maybe… maybe not."
A flicker of conflict crossed Yu Guo's face, as if he couldn't discern what lay ahead, leaving only an ambiguous answer.
"Sounds like it involves a ghost…" Ji Li remained outwardly calm, weighing the risks in his mind.
Yu Guo was capable. Tasks most dared not attempt could be entrusted to him—perfect as a gunman. And having shared life-and-death experiences with Ji Li, he was somewhat trustworthy.
Considering his own situation—second persona nearly dormant, third persona unreliable, fourth hidden—and the gray soul hovering like a blade ready to strike, Yu Li had few options. Yu Guo seemed the only choice.
Ji Li glanced at Yu Guo, heavy-hearted, predicting danger if he accompanied him.
Yu Guo clenched his teeth, staring at Ji Li's unreadable expression, unable to guess his thoughts.
As he hesitated to make a promise, Ji Li's action interrupted him.
Ji Li stubbed out his cigarette, wrapped his trench coat tighter, and walked toward the hotel door, stating simply, "Let's go."
Yu Guo froze, astonished. He hadn't expected Ji Li to agree so abruptly, without knowing the circumstances. Yet an unfamiliar warmth began to stir in him.
Ji Li pushed open the hotel doors, the heavy footsteps of Yu Guo following behind, a faint smile on his face.
Normally, Ji Li would have demanded a guarantee—that Yu Guo would follow his lead and fully align with him. This unspoken condition was clear to both.
But voicing it would make it a 'transaction'. Ji Li didn't want a cold deal; he sought something more secure: emotion.
Human connection, complex and sincere, was stronger than any contractual bond.
Before Yu Guo could offer terms, Ji Li's actions eliminated the transactional nature entirely, planting a sense of indebtedness in Yu Guo's heart.
From then on, Yu Guo would face Ji Li with gratitude, and unconsciously, they would become true companions. Emotional bonds would prove far more reliable than any formal agreement.
By the river's edge, the two men stood side by side, the sharp wind ruffling their hair as they gazed southward.
"Tiannan Drama Academy… my former fiancée, A-Lian, worked at that university. One year ago today, on an ordinary day, she went to work as usual—and never returned.
She died on October 27, 2014, inside that university. I never saw her one last time."
Yu Guo shed his usual playful demeanor, replacing it with deep, lingering sorrow. He gently touched the wedding ring on his left hand, his eyes filled with grief Ji Li had never seen.
Ji Li had never mourned anyone; he could not empathize, yet he sensed Yu Guo's profound loss.
"So, you want me to go with you to Tiannan Drama Academy to pay respects to A-Lian?"
Yu Guo's gaze shifted from the south to Ji Li. Looking at his face, he said softly, "It's not about paying respects—it's about finding A-Lian's ghost!"
Ji Li's eyes narrowed slightly as he gestured for Yu Guo to continue.
"One year ago today, after A-Lian went to work, she never returned. Her phone was unreachable, and searching the academy yielded nothing.
At first, I realized something had happened but didn't think in supernatural terms. When I finally contacted the academy's administrators, they told me that A-Lian had never been employed there!
Even then, I didn't fully grasp the severity. I reported it to the police and tried to contact A-Lian's parents.
The result was shocking: the police found no records of A-Lian, and her parents insisted they never had a daughter.
In a single day, all traces of A-Lian's existence in this world were erased—only I still remembered her!"
Yu Guo's voice was carried lightly by the cold wind, but the resentment in his words spread freely.
Ji Li felt a chill. He could roughly guess that A-Lian's death likely involved an extremely powerful ghost.
This ghost could erase and alter all memories and traces connected to its victim.
Watching Yu Guo lost in such tragic memories, Ji Li's heart tightened. He suddenly felt that Yu Guo's arrival at the hotel might not have been a coincidence.
Like Fang Shenyan, his fate seemed to have led him here—a person destined to enter this place.
Ji Li's gaze drifted southward, and a strange feeling crept over him.
A-Lian's death was not something he could intervene in, not now.
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