Chapter 3 : The Restroom

Why was there waterweed here too?

“It seems this courtyard must have some kind of pond or water feature; we can check it out later when there’s time.”

She shook her hand, but the waterweed clung to it like an octopus, refusing to budge.

Was it because of the moisture?

Hua Qi’an quickly pinpointed the issue.

Unlike the dried-out waterweed that had tangled around her leg last night, this one was clearly saturated with water, brimming with vitality.

It was as if it hadn’t left its aquatic home at all, still growing freely underwater.

Hua Qi’an glanced around, trying to spot the pond that kept “harassing” her.

But obviously, nothing like that was in view.

Still, with so much waterweed around and the air so thick with that scent, there had to be a body of water somewhere in the courtyard.

Rich folks probably loved setting up ornamental ponds in their estates like this.

She’d look for it later in the evening.

With one hand occupied holding the phone, getting the waterweed off was a hassle right now.

So Hua Qi’an ignored the strand draped over her hand for the moment, planning to climb through the window into the house first, prop the phone somewhere stable, and then deal with it.

Though her constitution was frail, her agility was decent.

Even with just one hand, she managed to brace herself and vault right into the room.

The space looked much the same as when she’d left it.

The dust on the floor had settled.

Thanks to her morning trip here to open the windows for ventilation, most of the footprints on the ground were hers now.

There was a table against the wall in the room.

Hua Qi’an propped her phone against the wall beside it, freeing up one hand.

The waterweed was quite long.

A bit longer than the one from last night, even.

Right now, it felt damp and cool against her skin, making her entire arm tingle with an unwelcome sensation.

It was eerily like the slithering touch that had entangled her leg in the dream.

“…”

Thinking about it that way, it was downright creepy.

Hua Qi’an shivered all over, goosebumps rising, and flicked the waterweed onto the table.

Had that just been her imagination?

It seemed like the waterweed had twitched.

Hua Qi’an closed her eyes, counted down a few seconds, then opened them again, staring intently at the strand now adhered to the table.

The waterweed looked utterly wilted, as if starved of its watery domain.

No sign of movement anywhere.

Hua Qi’an even wondered if the vibrant, lively appearance it had while clinging to her hand earlier had been a hallucination.

“Let’s look around while we search for the bathroom.”

She needed to wash her hands.

Hua Qi’an picked up the phone propped against the wall and casually filmed the surroundings.

She couldn’t really tell what this room was for.

It was spacious, with just a few tables and chairs.

Maybe some kind of reception area?

Her imagination was too limited to guess; if she couldn’t picture it, she couldn’t fabricate it either.

So she just gave the room a quick sweep with the camera before stepping out the door.

At the sight outside, Hua Qi’an paused.

The room opened directly into the living room, the central hub connecting to all the other rooms in the house.

She’d passed through it both last night and this morning.

But now, the entire living room exuded an eerie, shadowy gloom.

The dust on the tables and floor was thick; those particles now danced in the air, turning the whole space a hazy gray when you looked across it.

And perhaps because the front door was shut tight.

There were few sources of light for the living room.

The result was a pervasive dimness enveloping everything.

At first glance, it was enough to startle anyone.

Well, now it had that proper “haunted house” vibe.

Hua Qi’an glanced at her phone, still recording.

Personally, she didn’t feel much fear in places like this.

That was part of why she’d dared to take the gig.

“Let’s see if we can push the front door open from inside.”

The house had been abandoned for so long, there was no way anyone was paying the electric bill.

Turning on lights probably wasn’t an option.

She’d have to rely on natural light.

Hua Qi’an switched on her flashlight and headed straight for the front door.

Unlike the stubborn resistance from outside, a tentative push swung it open a crack.

Hua Qi’an frowned.

This house was full of inexplicable quirks.

Once the door was open, sunlight poured straight into the living room, illuminating the furnishings inside.

Though the room was so vast that it didn’t light up everything.

Still, the brightness now was a vast improvement over before.

“This sofa looks pretty expensive.”

“This coffee table seems valuable too.”

“This painting, well… not bad.”

Hua Qi’an quickly panned the camera over the room’s decor, blurting out bland “introductions” since she couldn’t think of anything clever to say.

At least make the video feel a bit like a “vlog”…

Though right now, it probably didn’t.

She just hoped the HR wouldn’t back out once they got her submission.

Room by room, she breezed through with these short, perfunctory comments.

Finally, she found the bathroom she’d been hunting for.

“Not sure if this house still has running water.”

Hua Qi’an propped her phone against the mirror, facing backward.

This way, it’d be easier for her to wash up.

The camera captured everything from her neck down, the faucet, and the large expanse of the bathroom behind her.

She’d assumed the mirror would be caked in dust too.

The wardrobe mirror in the bedroom had been so grimy it was useless for reflection.

But this bathroom mirror, for some reason.

It was spotless, pristine as if brand new.

In the midst of this long-abandoned mansion, it stood out a tad too sharply.

Hua Qi’an pondered it for a moment but couldn’t come up with an explanation.

So she let it drop.

The girl in the mirror had long, ink-black hair and stood at an average height of about 1.6 meters.

Her clothes hung loosely on her frame, hinting at a slender, undernourished build.

Her features were delicate and refined, her skin fair—a real beauty in the making.

But likely due to her health, her complexion wasn’t great.

It lacked the healthy flush of vitality, instead pale in a sickly way that made her look somewhat haggard.

Pressing her pale lips together, Hua Qi’an averted her gaze from the mirror.

She reached out and twisted the faucet.

The sound of rushing water echoed from within the walls.

Probably traveling through the pipes.

Hua Qi’an’s brows lifted in delighted surprise.

She hadn’t expected there to actually be water.

But perhaps from years of disuse, even though it was coming, it wasn’t flowing out of the tap just yet.

Growing bored with the wait, Hua Qi’an glanced at her phone screen.

It showed she’d been recording for over an hour now.

She was only responsible for the raw footage; editing and uploading were someone else’s job.

So she didn’t need to worry about whether the post-production would be tricky.

“Hm?”

A white frame had just flashed across the screen.

Hua Qi’an blinked.

It wasn’t her imagination.

The white frame began flickering from the bathroom doorway, inching its way toward her from behind.

She remembered…

This frame was for outlining people’s heads, right?

“Swish—”

At the same moment, water burst from the faucet.

An unnaturally vivid crimson.