The person who drove over was Nangong Yao, with Wu Ling in the passenger seat.
After I got in, I didn't say a word.
Wu Ling and Nangong Yao didn't say anything either. They drove straight to the hotel.
Gu Mo was watching TV in the hotel suite's living room. To my surprise, the Thin Man and the others were there too.
When the Thin Man and the Fatty saw me, their expressions filled with concern.
Chen Xiaoqiu said nothing, while Guo Yujie looked surprised.
I practically threw myself onto the sofa. Before anyone could speak, I retold everything I'd told Ye Qing.
This time, I spoke quickly. It was as if I'd become more practiced after rehearsing, or as if the story was easier to tell now that I wasn't struggling with my emotions.
I heard no change at all in my voice. Only weariness seeped into it.
The Thin Man poured me a glass of water, but I didn't drink it.
When I'd finished explaining everything, I leaned back against the sofa and slowly closed my eyes.
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Then I suddenly said, "Ye Qing said it was something new."
When I'd first heard that phrase, I'd been shocked. But during the drive here, I'd started to understand.
There hadn't been ghosts in this world before, but then ghosts appeared.
There hadn't been spirits in this world before, but then spirits appeared.
And now, something new had appeared.
Something more troublesome than either ghosts or spirits. It existed in the form of a ghost, yet seemed to possess the power of a spirit, combining the strengths of both and discarding their weaknesses.
I looked at Wu Ling, Nangong Yao, and Gu Mo. "When I was little, probably in elementary school—more than ten