The young man enthusiastically loaded Xia Miao’s luggage into the car, then invited her inside. With the door shut and the engine revving, they set off toward the school.
"My name is Fang Min. I usually handle odd jobs around the school. The principal specifically asked me to pick you up this time," Fang Min explained as he drove, giving her a brief rundown of the situation. "There’s only one school in our town, and we don’t have many students. Last semester, one of the teachers reportedly developed depression and left for treatment, so we needed to hire a replacement."
"The kids here are a bit wild, sure—hard to discipline—but they’re all good-hearted. My nephew attends the school too. If he misbehaves, just grab a stick and whack him!"
Xia Miao had learned from her teaching internship that one should never take parents’ words too seriously—doing so would only invite trouble.
She smiled. "Got it."
Pulling a pack of biscuits from her pocket, she tore open the wrapper and took a bite of a chocolate-filled one. Then, discreetly, she unzipped her bag just enough to slip another biscuit inside. A crimson-red tongue immediately slithered out, coiled around the treat, and vanished back into the bag.
At the same time, whether intentionally or not, the tongue licked her finger.
Fang Min glanced over curiously.
But Xia Miao had already covered the bag with her hand. "Is it much farther?" she asked.
"Not at all. We’re almost there," Fang Min replied. "That building with the red roof—that’s the school."
The weather was gloomy today, a thick mist hanging over the town, casting everything in a dull, oppressive hue. The red roof flickered in and out of view through the gray haze, lending an eerie, unsettling air.
As the pickup truck passed by, windows in the houses along the road creaked open. Pairs of eyes glowed with a faint green light from the darkened interiors, fixed on the oblivious human.
"I hate teachers."
"I hate homework."
"I hate being lectured."
Hidden in the shadows, the children raised their weapons in perfect unison. "Let’s just kill her when the time comes."
The school wasn’t large—just one classroom building, a cafeteria, and a multipurpose hall—but the grounds were lush with greenery. Towering trees thrived everywhere, their vitality so overwhelming that it almost felt predatory, as if they might devour people at any moment.
The town had arranged accommodations for Xia Miao—an old, refurbished house not far from the school.
The two-story wooden structure, also sporting a red roof, was more than enough space for her alone.
Fang Min helped carry her luggage inside and handed her a map. "The town isn’t big, but newcomers can still get lost easily. The clinic, supermarket, and other key spots are marked. If you need anything, just follow the map."
Before leaving, he paused, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Oh, and Xia Miao, our town is close to the mountains. At night, wild animals sometimes wander in looking for food. They’re beasts, after all—might even be man-eaters. So no matter what noises you hear after dark, it’s best not to go outside."
Xia Miao nodded. "Understood."
"Hope you enjoy your stay in Wubai Town."
Once Fang Min was gone, she shut the door and inspected the house more carefully. It was spotless, with no issues to be found.
Returning to the living room, she collapsed onto the sofa and exhaled deeply. After the long journey, her body ached, and she was finally able to rest.
Her bag wriggled restlessly.
Xia Miao unzipped it, revealing a pair of corpse-like eyes staring unblinkingly from the darkness within.
A crimson tongue flicked out. "More biscuits," it demanded in a flat, icy tone. A draft seeped through some unseen crack in the house, plunging the room into a chilling cold.
Xia Miao remained expressionless. "I’m freezing."
The eyes in the bag shifted, as if processing her words. Slowly, a pair of hands emerged, followed by a black head. The figure stretched and contorted like rubber, expanding until a full body had crawled out.
His hands—tipped with black nails—settled on Xia Miao’s waist, then roamed freely up her body, clinging like a parasitic shadow.
Before long, the bag dropped to the floor, and Xia Miao found herself entirely enveloped by the lanky figure in a yellow raincoat. She sank into the sofa beneath him.
He hovered above her, his inky-black hair hanging like a drowned ghost’s, strands brushing her face—cold and ticklish.
From this angle, she could see his features clearly.
His face was deathly pale, the bridge of his nose tinged with a faint red, as if the last traces of his cold blood had pooled there—or perhaps it was the lingering stain of old blood, leaving a sinister mark.
"Hold you. Not cold," he said sluggishly.
Xia Miao kicked him without hesitation. "Now I’m even colder!"
He froze, silent and motionless.
She counted silently in her head.
Sure enough, by the time she reached three, his expression shifted. His pitch-black eyes quivered, and the spot where she’d kicked him trembled in response.
"Hurts," he muttered, voice laced with delayed grievance.
His reactions were always lagging, making him seem even more vacant.
Xia Miao pushed him aside and sat up, swiftly grabbing the heating pads she’d prepared earlier. One wasn’t enough—she slapped on four or five.
Meanwhile, he curled up in the corner, his tangled hair obscuring most of his face. Through the gaps, his unblinking eyes remained fixed on her.
Once warmth finally seeped into her bones, she turned to him and stretched out her arms. "Alright, come here. Let’s hug."
Three seconds later, his black lips curled into an unnatural grin. A series of eerie "hehehe" giggles echoed through the room, accompanied by a gust of cold wind. The lights flickered as if they were filming a horror movie.
He shuffled closer, his claw-like hands—tipped with those black nails—reaching for her. They looked capable of tearing her apart in an instant, but when they made contact, they only pulled her into an embrace.
He buried his face against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her with room to spare. His hands, with their ominous nails, could have easily sunk into her flesh like a cage.
His eyes darted excitedly, and the faint redness around his nose no longer seemed like a bloodstain—more like a blush.
Xia Miao thought, Kind of cute, actually.
