Qin Yue quickly moved in despite Xu Wei's worries and nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Except that the house was alot more humid than one would expect with how cold it got at night.
He stood in the middle of the living room, hands resting loosely at his sides as he took in the quiet.
He hadn't noticed it before but for a house in a family neighborhood, this place was too quiet.
And it was a kind of oppressive silence that pressed in from all sides.
He exhaled slowly and walked toward the window, pulling the curtain aside. Outside, the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow over the road.
A few neighbors were still out, chatting in low voices while sneaking a few glances his way. He had gotten used to it over the past few days.
That night, the cold came once again. He was caught off guard even though he expected it.
It seemed even colder than usual. Qin Yue frowned slightly as he lay in bed, pulling the thick blanket closer.
He turned onto his side, adjusting the pillow.
After a while, he sat up shivering.
Not believing in evil, he got out of bed and walked to the thermostat, tapping it lightly.
The display showed normal temperature. He let out a quiet breath and went back to bed muttering under his breath.
"One of the perks of getting this place at that price I suppose."
Not able to get used to the chill, he tossed until daybreak.
First thing in the morning, he stopped by a store and bought two new blankets. He didn't believe this wouldn't be enough.
Afterwards, he had breakfast and sat by the window, sketching out the scene in front of him.
He then took a walk around the neighbourhood and completed a piece he had been putting off for a while after getting back.
Before going to bed, he unpacked the blankets and layered them on the bed, testing their weight with his hand.
"Should be enough"
That night, he wrapped himself up like a bun. The warmth was almost suffocating but the chill remained.
In his sleep, he felt it on his skin through the layers.
Qin Yue rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.
"..Annoying"
He turned onto his side again and forced his eyes shut.
Then he heard a small drip. The sound was magnified, almost as if it was right by his ear.
He sat up to listen more carefully . The sound was coming from the bathroom.
He swung his legs off the bed and walked over, pushing the door open and saw the tap was running.
Qin Yue knew for a fact that he didn't leave it on. He walked over and turned it off.
He raised his head, catching sight of his tired face in the mirror. He pursed his lips and ran a hand over his face.
He turned off the light and went back to bed.
A sharp slam echoes through the house and Qin Yue sat up.
He got up again and walked to the hallway. The door leading to the spare room turned studio was now shut.
He distinctly remembered leaving it open.
Qin Yue stood there for a moment, his expression unreadable.
Then he walked over, pushed it open and looked inside. It was empty just how he had left it.
When he was about to close the door, the windows shook and he walked over, pinning it shut.
He let out a breath through his nose. It was only the wind.
He closed the door and returned to his room.
Qin Yue sat at the edge of his bed, fingers loosely interlocked, thinking.
Fatigue.
That was the most logical answer.
He had been moving, house hunting, adjusting to a new routine. His sleep schedule had been irregular.
His mind, already prone to overthinking, was likely filling in gaps.
He leaned back and lay down again and closed his eyes.
Sleep came slowly. When it finally did, it was shallow.
Something cold brushed against the back of his neck.
Qin Yue's eyes snapped open and his entire body went rigid.
The house wasn't really haunted was it? His luck couldn't be that bad.
He stared into the darkness for a long time, waiting for something else to happen.
Nothing did.
The silence returned, thick and suffocating.
Qin Yue exhaled slowly and closed his eyes again.
His breathing gradually evened out.
But the tension in his body didn't fade.
It coiled tighter instead, stretching his nerves to their limit.
His vision suddenly went black.
His body slumped forward without warning, consciousness slipping away before he could react.