Exorcising Ghosts Tomorrow

Perhaps their conversation woke Ye Ming up, for Ye Ming suddenly opened his eyes and stared at them blankly.

"Big brother...?"

Ye Ming seemed a bit off, so Ye Ting couldn't help but call out to him cautiously.

Yu Xing also chimed in, "Brother, are you awake?"

Ye Ming didn't answer Ye Ting and Yu Xing's questions at all. His gaze quickly cleared, and he sat up, propping himself up on the sofa with his elbows.

He seemed perfectly fine, and stood up, saying, "I'm alright."

Then I went to the restroom.

Ye Ting: "..."

The younger sister seemed to find it a bit strange, so she turned to Yu Xing and asked, "Second brother, what's wrong with eldest brother...?"

Yu Xing chuckled faintly. Ye Ming's condition was definitely related to the black cloth from last night. After the black cloth was lifted, Ye Ming appeared on the sofa the next morning, and the black cloth was gone.

Did Ye Ming see himself last night? But if Ye Ming were to see himself, he definitely wouldn't be so calm.

Well, he doesn't know either. This simulation world has been strange from the very beginning.

He replied, "Maybe it's because of the pressure of senior year; he was sleepwalking."

"... I'm buying some calming vegetables for my older brother today." Ye Ting didn't know what else to say; she was always at home and didn't really understand the academic pressure her older brothers were under.

Ye Ting was just coming down to tidy up a few things and do some cleaning, which was something she did regularly. The gentle exercise was good for her health. After tidying up, she would usually wash up on the second floor, change into her outdoor clothes, and go out to buy groceries.

Yu Xing instructed, "Buy less today, just vegetables. I'm making beef and potato stew for lunch."

"Okay," Ye Ting agreed and began cleaning the hall.

Yu Xing returned to the second floor, got dressed, and planned to go out.

He was going to check if there was a problem with the cable. It was true that there had been a power outage for a long time yesterday, but when he went downstairs in the middle of the night, the refrigerator was still powered on.

But just like when he encountered Ye Ming's corpse in the bathroom, Yu Xing didn't react immediately. It was as if when he encountered a supernatural phenomenon, his mind would automatically block out some minor details that were not within his main focus.

This should be a characteristic of this deduction.

Braving the morning breeze, Yu Xing took her keys and went out, following the flowers and plants planted around the house towards the telephone pole that required two small turns.

At least when he looked up from the house, he didn't see any obvious breakage in any of the wires on the utility pole.

When he went out, his older brother Ye Ming had already gone back upstairs, saying that he hadn't slept well and needed to go upstairs to catch up on some sleep.

Neither Yu Xing nor Ye Ting asked any further questions. Now, Yu Xing, with her eyes slightly narrowed, arrived at the place Ye Ming had visited the previous night.

There were still many water stains on the ground, sticking wetly to the soles of shoes, reflecting Yu Xing's indistinct figure. Yu Xing stared silently at the power cable in the small, secluded clearing, which was completely empty.

The cables are much clearer from this position; every wire is neatly arranged, and not a single one is missing.

So, what he saw last night...

Yu Xing lowered his head, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Once he arrived and knew the location, he became even more certain that the sparking object that had fallen outside the window yesterday was indeed a cable.

The cable broke yesterday, causing a power outage, but it fixed itself without any repairmen coming to fix it.

This means the appliances in the house are working normally now. But... Yu Xing wondered, when Ye Ming went out to check yesterday, was the cable good or bad?

What kind of mental state is Ye Ming in? Is he a ghost in disguise, a disconnect between his inner and outer worlds, or perhaps, trapped in a curse, he doesn't even know what he truly is?

Yu Xing returned home with some doubts.

Ye Ting had just finished cleaning and washing up. Wearing a light pink floral dress and carrying a small basket, she was ready to go out.

Yu Xing told her to be careful and went upstairs. It was still early. If he wasn't mistaken, he and Ye Ming usually bought their breakfast on the way to school. On weekends, they might sleep in a little later and wait for Ye Ting to bring them breakfast when she bought the groceries.

As soon as Yu Xing stepped onto the second floor, she was caught off guard and heard a shrill female scream.

He perked up and looked toward the source of the sound. It was Ye Ming's room. Ye Ming hadn't closed the door properly; it was ajar. He went inside and, besides the woman's screams, he could hear some tense and eerie music, as well as unreal running sounds.

Yu Xing was familiar with this combined sound; he raised an eyebrow slightly. (Yugi?)

Ye Ming playing Yugi in his room?

He tiptoed and quietly peered through the crack in Ye Ming's door.

He wasn't unaware that if he leaned in, he might make eye contact with Ye Ming, who was also looking out from inside the house. So even though he was planning to eavesdrop, he kept his posture upright, intending to say that he was just curious and wanted to take a quick glance if he was discovered.

Fortunately, his gaze swept through the crack in the door and he only saw Ye Ming lying on the bed, leaning back, holding the red PSP Yugi he had seen in Ye Ting's room. Strange noises were coming from the Yugi, and the screen's glow illuminated Ye Ming's thin face. Ye Ming was engrossed in the game and completely unaware of his peeping.

It's only a few o'clock! Didn't Ye Ming just say he was going to catch up on sleep, and now he's playing on Ye Ting's Yugi?

Yu Xing stared at the Yugi. Judging from the sound, Ye Ming was playing the horror Yugi Ye Ting had mentioned. Just then, a male voice came from the Yugi, followed by a dull thud of a knife striking down, a scream, and then a woman's sinister laughter.

Ye Ming scratched his head in frustration. "Why are they dead again?"

Even so, he still chose to start over and entered the Yugi once again.

Yu Xing began to feel curious about the Yugi.

What secrets does this Yugi hold that could make Ye Ming, a "high school nerd," abandon his studies and sleep to become so addicted?

Furthermore, Ye Ming's behavior has been rather strange ever since he got up from the sofa this morning. Could the black cloth symbolize something related to the Yugi?

He was unable to find an answer to this question quickly either.

Not long after, Ye Ting returned. At noon, the three of them ate the potato stew with beef and some other side dishes made by Yu Xing. Ye Ting ate very happily and could be said to be very satisfied. However, Ye Ming was a little absent-minded. After he finished eating, he hurriedly washed the dishes and said that he had to go upstairs to study.

Not long after, Yu Xing went upstairs to check and faintly heard the sounds of the horror Yugi again. Although Ye Ming's room door was closed this time, it was undeniable that the Yugi sounds were still coming from that room.

Strange, it seems Ye Ming has suddenly become completely addicted to Yugi.

Even more strangely, for a whole week starting from that day, Yu Xing did not encounter any more supernatural events.

After two days off, he went to school, came home, and cooked dinner as usual.

Every day when he got home, he would find that his homework had already been done, and he didn't have to do any of the school's quizzes. Basically, he would just flip the test paper, cover the answer sheet, and fill in the answers himself when it was time to collect the papers. Every time, his grades were exactly what Ye Qin was supposed to be.

The results of the previous monthly exams were also released, and unsurprisingly, Ye Qin was in the top ten of the grade. This made the school teachers much more tolerant of Yu Xing's daydreaming and sleeping in class.

As for the stifling and uncomfortable feeling that comes with being at school, Yu Xing has probably gotten used to it, and he no longer reacts as clearly. But he also knows that this is precisely a dangerous sign, and he seems to be slowly assimilated in his seemingly harmless daily life.

Yu Xing had no intention of associating with unrelated people at school; he only wanted to maintain contact with Yu Wan, chatting with Yu Wan almost every day. During this time, he gained a more comprehensive understanding of the worldview of "this world."

As Yu Xing discovered that this world truly did have taboos regarding ghosts and spirits, not just the three points Wan had mentioned. Other taboos included the belief that a relative's spirit would return on the First Seven after their death, requiring family members to sleep under the bed; never turning around if someone called your name on the street; and if you were tapped on the shoulder while walking under a streetlamp, first look at your shadow. If it was just your own shadow, you must immediately run forward as fast as you could, and if you saw a lone pedestrian ahead while running, you must never look at their face.

There are many similar meticulous yet strange customs, but when Yu Xing tried to investigate the origins of these customs, she found that she could not find any related history. They seemed to have appeared out of thin air and then been imprinted in the minds of many people, becoming customary practices.

Moreover, when Yu Xing tried to pinpoint the exact date of this place, he found himself constantly being stopped by various things. He looked through Ye Qin's history book, and the ancient history and modern Chinese history contained there were no different from the content of the 21st century, but it didn't mention the current era at all.

Yu Xing noticed that the time here was a bit chaotic. Sometimes when it rained, even if it was just a light drizzle, the school grounds would be covered in water stains after a class. The overall time was correct, but in some details, the time seemed wrong.

The past week hasn't been particularly peaceful at home. Ye Ting discovered that Ye Ming had been secretly taking her Yugi to play. As the younger sister, Ye Ting didn't think much of it at first, but like Yu Xing, she noticed that Ye Ming was addicted to Yugi. Even though he would say he was going to study every day, he would just play Yugi in his room. It was as if he had completely changed.

Ye Ting is a girl with her own opinions. Unlike other younger sisters who listen to their brothers in everything, she is a member of the family who makes the decisions. Now that she sees Ye Ming being so irresponsible, Ye Ting is also very angry. She occasionally quarrels with Ye Ming, telling him to focus on his studies in his senior year of high school so that he can get into a good university.

Ye Ming became increasingly passive in his resistance. He wouldn't argue with his sister too seriously because she was in poor health. In the details of daily life, he always gave in to his sister, and this hadn't changed.

But every time Yu Xing and Ye Ting weren't paying attention, the Yugi would end up in Ye Ming's hands again.

It's Monday again.

Yu Xing was about to leave in Ye Ming's car Yu Wan stopped him and mysteriously pulled him into a corner.

She was still wearing her school uniform skirt, but Yu Xing wondered if it was just his Yu Xing, but the uniform seemed much older than when he first saw Yu Wan, as if it had been worn for several years.

Yu Wan herself didn't realize this; her expression wasn't good today. She pulled Yu Xing aside and lowered her voice, "Hey, has something happened to your family lately? Your brother hasn't come over for several days..."

Yu Xing was taken aback.

He retorted, "What did you say?"

"I said, your brother hasn't come for several days!" Yu Wan thought he looked dazed and asked anxiously, "I haven't seen your brother for several days. I happen to know some people in your brother's class, so I asked them. They said your brother took leave and they don't know when he will be back to class. Ye Qin, what happened to Ye Ming?"

She seemed to have thought of something else, her brows furrowed tightly. "It can't be what I told you three weeks ago... he's being targeted by a ghost, right!"

"No, wait a minute, let's go through it one by one." Yu Xing interrupted her, rubbing her temples. "You said my brother didn't come to school, and his classmates said he took leave, but I ride in his car to and from school every day, and he always leaves school a little later than me. I wait for him at the school gate and watch him come out of the school with my own eyes."

He didn't ask for leave; he went to school every day as usual.

Moreover, he had been keeping an eye on Ye Ming, who was "addicted to Yugi," these past few days. Occasionally, he would go to Ye Ming's classroom door to take a peek after class. Ye Ming would be catching up on sleep at his desk after class, so how could he have missed school?

And... Yu Xing suddenly noticed that Yu Wan was referring to three weeks ago.

The fact that Ye Ming might be haunted by a ghost happened a week ago, Yu Wan gave the warning on Friday of that week.

Time sped up without his knowledge?

He felt that this world was really strange. He didn't feel any disconnect or break in the connection. Each day was connected to the previous day, but somehow a week turned into three weeks, and he had no recollection of it.

Hearing him say that, Yu Wan was also stunned.

"But... but... your brother really..."

"If you don't believe me," Yu Xing suppressed his doubts about the time and grabbed her wrist, "My brother hasn't gotten out of school yet, let's go to his classroom now."

"Okay!" Yu Wan also refused to believe it and let Yu Xing pull her to verify it.

As is customary at this school for senior students, since the school does not provide dormitories, evening self-study is not mandatory. The last class is extended by about twenty minutes. Except for the week immediately after the monthly exam, classes are held on weekends as well.

When Yu Xing and Yu Wan arrived at the entrance of the senior high school, the teacher on the podium was passionately lecturing on "moving point P". Yu Xing immediately noticed Ye Ming in the front seat, who was forcing himself to take notes.

Ye Ming's eyes were covered with severe dark circles from staying up all night playing Yugi, and he didn't look very well.

Yu Wan followed Yu Xing's gaze, a look of astonishment flashing in her eyes. "How is that possible?"

"What about the classmate who told you my brother wasn't in school?" Yu Xing asked.

Yu Wan for a long time, then gasped, "She's gone. I clearly remember she was in your brother's class, and she spoke very naturally when she mentioned him."

Yu Xing said in a low voice, "Is that so..."

Yu Wan restless. She first pulled Yu Xing back to a spot away from the senior high school classroom to avoid disturbing the seniors and attracting attention. Then, she scratched her fluffy, soft short hair and said with distress, "This is not right, this is absolutely not right."

She paced anxiously for a moment, then asked Yu Xing, "Do you know what it feels like to suddenly forget something and not be able to remember it? It's so painful. Although I haven't forgotten anything, it feels similar because there's no way to explain it! It's like that thing in physics... particle observation... when someone observes the particle, it moves along a trajectory, but when no one observes it, it jumps around in flashes or something. I can't remember where I saw it."

"Hey, don't think I'm crazy, it's true, something's definitely not right in your family. I have a feeling you guys have been acting strangely lately." It was clear Yu Wan lose her temper.

Yu Xing suddenly asked, "These past few days? You haven't seen my brother these past few days, nor have you been to my house, so you probably haven't seen my sister either. Who else is this 'we' you're referring to besides me?"

Yu Wan paused.

She seemed to only just realize what was happening, then suddenly fell silent, and slowly turned her head to look at Yu Xing.

"Without you, there is only you."

Yu Wan's gaze suddenly turned somewhat frightening, but her expression returned to calm as she repeated, "Only you."

Yu Xing: "..." Aren't all the key characters here so strange?

Before Yu Xing could even think of a solution to Yu Wan's strange behavior, Yu Wan herself came out of that state and said in a rather odd, mournful tone, "Could it be that I'm the one who's possessed? Am I the one being haunted by a ghost, which is why I'm so delirious?"

"I don't think so." Yu Xing's heart stirred. Although Yu Wan was also acting strangely, she seemed to be on the side of justice most of the time. Perhaps she could bring up more things with Yu Wan so that she could interfere with the plot and reveal more clues.

"Something's definitely been off at home lately. My brother... he's been really into playing a horror Yugi lately." He recounted Ye Ming's behavior to Yu Wan, "And it seems like he keeps dying in the Yugi; he hasn't finished it yet."

Yu Wan's eyes widened. "Horror Yugi... I know! Is there a real ghost hiding in the Yugi, bewitching Ye Ming? This is terrible! If he keeps dying in the Yugi, will... will he really die after a certain point?"

It has to be said that Yu Wan and her wild imagination are definitely those of a fanatical believer in paranormal phenomena, the kind who is both afraid of and fascinated by them. She can easily spout lines that would be considered crazy by others to Yu Xing, completely disregarding science.

However, it must be admitted that what she said was exactly what Yu Xing had guessed.

In reality, Yu Wan would be very suitable to be a deducer, because her thought process is instinctively inclined towards the unnatural.

"Right! Ye Ming is never addicted to Yugi unless there's a special reason. No, no, if this continues, something bad will definitely happen to him, and then it will happen to you and Xiao Ting, and maybe even me." Yu Wan crossed her arms. "I know a little more than you guys. How about this, I'll get ready, and tomorrow night, we'll go to your house to exorcise the ghost!"

"Are you sure you're talking about exorcism..." Yu Xing looked at Yu Wan suspiciously, then said seriously, "I admit our family is in a very strange state right now, maybe it really is because of something special. Because of that, this matter is very dangerous, you shouldn't get involved."

He became serious. "Don't think you're safe just because you know a lot. If we really encountered a ghost, you'd be no different from me, so this matter..."

"Impossible!" Yu Wan suddenly raised her voice.

Then she remembered she was at school, and lowered her voice again. "Ye Qin... don't underestimate me."

Yu Xing some reason, Yu Xing, who had only intended to act, found herself genuinely moved. "I'm not underestimating you, I'm just worried that if something really happened, you would also be in danger..."

"I know." Yu Wan lowered her eyes, something seemed to be brewing in her pupils, then her resolve hardened. "But Ye Ming is already like this. If it's you next, and you also become strange, or even get killed by a ghost... I won't be able to accept it."

"Ye Qin, let me come to your house and check on things. Whatever happens, we'll face it together, okay?"

Yu Xing was somewhat surprised.

This sounds like Yu Wan's confession.

The words he just said were emotions that were already present in this body, emotions belonging to the real Ye Qin.

Until just now, he thought Ye Qin Yu Wan, and that Ye Qin hadn't confessed because he knew Yu Wan didn't like boring people, fearing rejection.

But now it seems that Yu Wan usually hid it very well, has finally revealed that she also likes Ye Qin.

Childhood sweethearts, innocent and carefree since childhood, are perhaps the easiest relationships to break through the barrier between partners, but also the hardest to be truly honest with.

Both of them harbored feelings for each other, and they usually got along like good "buddies," but it was only at this moment that some of those feelings began to surface, which was truly...

Yu Xing keenly sensed that the relationship between the two people probably played a significant role in the whole truth of the matter.

Now, after a quiet "week," the plot is finally about to get moving again.

He finally nodded. "Okay, then come tomorrow night. Is there anything I need to prepare?"

"Hmm... I need you to get that Yugi for me later. I'll bring some exorcism items and try them on the Yugi," Yu Wan said Yu Wan considering for a moment.

Want Yugi?

Yu Xing was on guard for a moment, but then relaxed.

Even if everything Yu Wan did was to get that Yugi console, so what? Whether or not he cooperates will depend on his performance on the spot.

They only exchanged a few words there before the senior students were dismissed from school.

After leaving the classroom, Ye Ming walked directly towards their seats as if he had already seen them.

Yu Wan got a ride again today, but the atmosphere in the car was rather dull, and no one spoke much.

After arriving home, Yu Xing finished his usual tasks and then began to "review" his studies. According to his character, he should study until after 11 p. m. every day. Ye Ting would bring him some fruit after 11 p. m. and tell him to go to bed early.

Today was about the same. When it was time, Ye Ting came in wearing a little nightgown. She seemed to be in a good mood and said to Yu Xing, "Second brother, I hid the Yugi today, but eldest brother couldn't find it."

He seemed very anxious, but he still didn't dare to come into my room to look for me.

"It seems she's studying in her room now."