Peeing, but Not All the Way

Yao Hui felt happy.

Life was full of all sorts of unpleasant little hassles.

For instance, her family had introduced her to another prospective boyfriend a couple of days ago.

Apparently, he was the heir to a publicly listed company in Jiangzhou. According to her mother, he had grown impatient to meet her the moment he saw Yao Hui's photo.

Then there was the stalking incident, which still wasn't completely over. Liu Changgui hadn't been convicted yet, and that left Huihuizi a little annoyed.

Luckily, she had come out with Zhouzhou for a two-day farmstay this time.

Mm.

It felt wonderful.

They had gone hiking during the day and eaten wild bighead carp.

Yao Hui had curves in all the right places, and keeping her figure usually meant watching what she ate. Today, though, she had decided to indulge.

They had originally planned to go night fishing, but Little Zhouzhou had talked her out of it, saying it wasn't safe to go at night.

"We didn't get to see that impotent little brat, but this turned into a surprisingly nice trip."

"Heh."

Yao Hui lay on the bed with a face mask on, savoring the good life.

Her flawless, porcelain-white thighs, soft and full, were the stuff of dreams.

"Time to sleep, time to sleep!"

Yao Hui narrowed her eyes and saw Song Yizhou staring out the window, something clearly on her mind.

She called to her softly.

Her younger cousin had everything going for her, just like Yao Hui: a good family, good grades, and good looks.

But she always seemed to think too much.

She would get wrinkles when she was older if she kept that up.

Song Yizhou nodded and picked up her phone, apparently messaging someone.

Yao Hui's eyes narrowed to slits.

Hmm. Something's going on.

Little Zhouzhou had only been at university for a little over a month, and she already had secrets.

Yao Hui would have to find out. If it was a boy, she would have to vet him first.

With that thought, carefree Auntie Huihuizi drifted off to sleep.

She had no idea how much time passed.

Yao Hui rose from bed, still groggy.

She rubbed her eyes.

Then she headed for the bathroom.

"Drank too much coconut juice tonight."

"Need to pee."

Yao Hui reached the bathroom and was about to pull down her panties.

Her mind wandered.

So sleepy. I'll go right back to bed after I pee.

But as Yao Hui passed the room's front door, she thought she saw something through the peephole.

Still half asleep, she walked over without thinking.

"What's that... something dark."

Yao Hui's dark eyes shifted.

In an instant, she was so frightened she peed herself.

Deathly pale paper.

Vermilion lips.

And two dark red circles like suns.

In the dim corridor, beyond the peephole, stood a... Paper Effigy!

Its joints seemed to sway faintly in the breeze.

It looked almost alive.

Yao Hui saw the Paper Figure wave toward the room—toward her inside it.

It seemed to be...

Smiling?

It was a stiff, false smile, nothing like a human one.

Yao Hui took two barefoot steps backward, her delicate face drained of color and her chest heaving.

She clamped a hand over her mouth.

What...

What was that?!

Wasn't that thing outside a funeral Paper Effigy?

Why was it in a guesthouse?

In the dark room, Yao Hui tremblingly called to Song Yizhou, who had only been pretending to sleep.

Song Yizhou was much calmer than Yao Hui.

Because of what had happened with Fang Xian, she hadn't been sleeping deeply in the first place.

"Paper Figures are generally used for rituals. No one would put one in a guesthouse that's open for business."

"It's more likely someone's trying to scare us."

Song Yizhou spoke quietly.

She was frightened too.

But fear wouldn't help.

She straightened her tall, roughly five-foot-seven frame and looked through the peephole. The sight of her standing there gave Yao Hui a little reassurance.

"My calls won't go through."

"All I get is a busy signal!"

Yao Hui's voice shook, and she looked pitiful. "Did someone set up a signal jammer again?"

Song Yizhou didn't know. She tried her own phone.

Nothing.

None of her messages would send.

She took a deep breath and looked through the peephole again.

Something... wasn't right.

Why did it feel like...

The Paper Effigy was closer to the peephole than before?

Song Yizhou gently bit her red lip.

Just now...

No one had moved this Paper Figure, had they?

Song Yizhou glanced at her phone.

She sent messages to everyone she knew.

But it was no use!

Every message showed a red exclamation mark!

It was as if someone was stopping her from speaking!

Except...

[Silence Is Zhou: Are you there?]

Fang Xian?

The message to Fang Xian went through?

Song Yizhou's breathing quickened.

She took a photo through the peephole.

Yao Hui could feel the wetness between her legs, but she couldn't care less. "Zhouzhou, you can send messages?"

Song Yizhou nodded. "Not to anyone else."

"But I can message Fang Xian."

"He was staying at this guesthouse earlier, but I think he went fishing tonight."

Yao Hui said, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Song Yizhou lowered her voice. "Fang Xian told me not to tell you."

Yao Hui gave her a strange look.

What was going on?

What was the deal between Song Yizhou and Fang Xian?

Why did it feel so strange?

But that didn't matter!

Yao Hui looked through the peephole.

One glance nearly made her faint.

The Paper Figure was only a few inches from the peephole!!

Like a person, it was inching stiffly toward the room!

Trying to get inside!!

Yao Hui grabbed Song Yizhou's phone and immediately fired off a barrage of messages.

[Silence Is Zhou: We can't get through to the General Affairs Bureau, and we're fucking terrified of going outside!]

[Silence Is Zhou: Hurry back aaaaaaaah!!!!]

Then

Fang Xian replied.

[Fang Xian: Don't open the door.]

[Fang Xian: Wait for me.]

Holy shit!!

Yao Hui nearly burst into tears.

What a reassuring answer.

Huihuizi was getting wet, okay!

She was already wet. Never mind.

Song Yizhou forced herself to calm down.

Everyone else in the guesthouse seemed to have vanished.

It was as though only Song Yizhou and Yao Hui remained in the world.

They waited.

Every second felt like an eternity.

One minute.

Ten minutes.

Half an hour.

Neither knew how much time had passed.

"Zhouzhou... I can't bear to look... Take a look outside."

Yao Hui crouched on the floor, arms wrapped around her legs.

Song Yizhou gritted her teeth.

Her slender body was trembling too.

Even she struggled to comprehend something so supernatural.

She opened her beautiful eyes and looked through the peephole once more.

This time,

A chill ran down Song Yizhou's spine.

Her whole body threatened to shake.

The Paper Figure was pressed right up against the room's front door.

As if it were embracing the door, clinging to it, seeping through it!

Then

Thud!

Thud!

A steady knocking began.

Song Yizhou braced herself against the door and refused to open it.

The knocking grew louder and louder!

Louder still!

Until it became pounding!!

As if a mass of paper were trying to smash through the door!!

The impacts shook Song Yizhou's slender body!

"Zhouzhou, I'll help you!"

Yao Hui overcame her fear and rushed over to help hold the door shut.

Thump! Thump! Thump-thump!!!

Faint, childish voices accompanied the knocking.

The two of them were nearly in despair.

Bang!!!

Just then, outside—

A man's voice rang out.

The eerie presence seemed to fade.

"What the hell? Get lost."

"Whose kid is playing outside someone's door in the middle of the night?"

Fang Xian sounded annoyed.

His voice pierced the room like sunlight.