That evening, Ji Nian arrived at the lobby of her apartment building and ran into the antagonist...
"Miss Ji?" Pei Yuchen raised an eyebrow. Though they lived next door, they seldom encountered each other.
Ji Nian froze, still intimidated by the antagonist's overwhelming presence.
"Good evening, Mr. Pei. Just got off work..." Ji Nian said awkwardly.
Pei Yuchen nodded. With the temperature dropping recently, he noticed the woman was wearing a casual black long-sleeved hoodie, just like before – dressed casually yet giving off a crisp impression.
"I had originally offered to take you out for dinner last time, but we ended up grabbing a bite at the office," Pei Yuchen said with a gentle smile.
"You're too kind, Mr. Pei. The office food was quite good," Ji Nian's heart raced. What mischief was the antagonist up to again?
"A friend of mine just returned from abroad and opened a restaurant in Jingdu. When are you free, Miss Ji? I'll treat you to make up for missing that meal," Pei Yuchen smiled, his tailored suit making him look scholarly and elegant.
"No need, no need. How can I keep letting you treat me?" Ji Nian shook her head hurriedly, wondering why this elevator was taking so long.
Pei Yuchen raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. This woman really seemed to avoid him like the plague, piquing his curiosity.
Ji Nian saw the elevator doors open and rushed in, quickly pressing the button for the 20th floor. Pei Yuchen followed suit.
"I haven't seen you around the office much lately," Pei Yuchen remarked.
Ji Nian froze. The antagonist was keeping tabs on her? "Well, as an actress, I'm always on the go, staying on set with the crew."
"You and Luo Bai seem quite close. I watched his concert – he sang well," Pei Yuchen said warmly.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Pei," Ji Nian felt awkward. "I didn't expect you to watch those kinds of things."
"Just starting out in this industry, so I need to familiarize myself with it," Pei Yuchen's eyes held deeper meaning.
Ji Nian let out an awkward laugh. Seeing the elevator had reached the 20th floor, she quickly slipped out when the doors opened and turned back to say, "Goodbye, Mr. Pei!"
Pei Yuchen chuckled softly. He was used to women throwing themselves at him, but she was different, running away faster than a rabbit.
Ji Nian closed the door and heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed the female lead Shen Shuyao had no connection with this antagonist. Could the plot have changed inadvertently...?
A cold wind blew in from the balcony, making Ji Nian shiver and hunch her shoulders. Just a couple of days ago, she was wearing short sleeves, but now she had to wear a hoodie - the weather had gone into freeze-dry mode.
Lost in thought, she returned to her room and grabbed her sleepwear, ready for a shower. Tomorrow, she had to be a mentor on a talent show, so she needed to review the program flow tonight.
After getting ready, Ji Nian turned off the living room lights and leisurely retired to her bedroom.
She briefly reviewed the show's format, then mindlessly scrolled through Dou Yin watching funny videos until it was 11 PM.
Ji Nian was stunned - as expected, she couldn't study while using her phone. Another night wasted. She yawned, thinking she should just go to sleep.
At that moment, her phone buzzed. She checked the message.
Yu Luobai: Good night.
Ji Nian felt a warmth in her heart. It felt good to be cared for - she used to be alone, with few people genuinely concerned about her well-being.
Ji Nian: Got it, you too, Teacher Yu. Sleep early.
Yu Luobai was pleasantly surprised by her instant reply and sent a head-patting emoji.
After a long day, the exhausted Ji Nian tossed her phone to the other side of the bed and quickly dozed off.
Yu Luobai saw no further reply and felt a brief pang of disappointment.
In the dead of night, as temperatures plummeted rapidly, pouring rain began pelting the windows, each thunderous clap illuminating the entire room with flashes of lightning.
Ji Nian woke up with a start, unable to open her eyes. Hearing the rain outside, she groped for the light switch but couldn't get it to work no matter how many times she pressed it.
"Power outage?" Ji Nian muttered. Another flash of lightning briefly lit up the room, revealing that she hadn't drawn the curtains. Half-awake, she got up and walked barefoot to close them.
Just as she was about to pull the curtains shut, a loud thunderclap startled her, jolting her fully awake. Inadvertently, she turned her head and caught sight of the full-length mirror by the wardrobe.
In the darkness, she couldn't see clearly, but the intermittent flashes of lightning allowed Ji Nian to fixate on the mirror's reflection, freezing her in shock.
Who was that in the mirror? Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the disheveled figure.
"Ahh!" Ji Nian screamed, stumbling out of the room in a panic. The living room was pitch-black, the only sound being the rumbling thunder outside.
Ji Nian didn't dare look back, her whole body covered in goosebumps from the eerie darkness. She hurried out, relieved to find the hallway lights still on.
But the thunderclaps continued to boom, as Ji Nian's trembling hands frantically pressed the elevator button.
On the 21st floor, she frantically knocked on Yu Luobai's door, on the verge of tears. Could it be Ji Xiaonian's ghost coming to haunt her? This was too terrifying!
Yu Luobai had also been awoken by the thunder and was about to get some water when he heard the knocking.
Wary, he wondered who could be at his door in the middle of the night.
After Ji Nian's incessant knocking, the door finally opened, revealing a familiar face. She immediately burst into tears.
"Teacher Yu, there's a ghost downstairs!"
Yu Luobai froze as the woman suddenly flung herself at him, unsure of where to place his hands.
Ji Nian's face was deathly pale, her body trembling violently.
Yu Luobai came to his senses and tenderly patted her back. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Ji Nian shook her head vigorously, tears welling in her eyes. "No, I'm serious! There's a ghost in my place!"
Yu Luobai chuckled. He was increasingly convinced she must have had a nightmare. "Nian Nian, no more ghosts are allowed to exist after the founding of the nation."
"I'm not joking around with you." Tears filled Ji Nian's large eyes.
Yu Luobai raised an eyebrow and naturally took her hand, leading her to the elevator.
Ji Nian looked terrified. "Where are we going...?"
"You'll show me where this ghost is," Yu Luobai smiled.
Ji Nian wanted to cry. As the elevator descended to the 20th floor and she was led to her door, she hid behind the man, adamantly refusing to go in.
"What's the passcode?" Yu Luobai found her amusing as he turned to the woman cowering behind him.
Ji Nian extended a trembling finger and punched in a few numbers, cautiously suggesting, "Teacher Yu, maybe we should come back after sunrise..."
Yu Luobai shook his head and opened the door, striding into the apartment. He flipped the switch in the living room, but the lights didn't turn on.
Ji Nian's back turned cold again. The place felt so ominous. Another deafening thunderclap shook the heavens.
Ji Nian shrieked and clung to Yu Luobai's back, shaking as she pleaded, "Teacher Yu, let's get out of here!"
Yu Luobai's lips curved upwards. "Power outage."
Ji Nian burst into tears, unable to stay in this place for another second!
"Where's the ghost?" Yu Luobai felt her arms around his waist and wouldn't mind experiencing this a few more times.
