Chapter 5

“Squeak…”

This was Jiang Wenxin’s fourth sudden brake today; Dou Dou, sitting in the passenger seat, slammed headfirst into the glove compartment, and her seatbelt did absolutely nothing.

She wriggled her short legs, pulled her little head out of the glove compartment, and blinked stupidly: “Mommy, I’m still fine—I’m so strong!”

Looking at her daughter’s adorable face, Jiang Wenxin’s eyes grew slightly damp.

The first time she braked, she’d been terrified—until Dou Dou comforted her and she realized: Dou Dou wasn’t alive; hitting the center console didn’t affect her at all.

She braked suddenly because someone had suddenly rushed out from the roadside—her reflex demanded an emergency stop.

The first time, she hadn’t realized the figure wasn’t human; she’d wanted to argue with it—but then she remembered Dou Dou, and decided not to waste time on such trivial matters.

But she hadn’t expected the figure to notice her gaze—it simply shoved half its body through the windshield, sending a cold sweat over Jiang Wenxin, who finally realized: this thing, like Dou Dou, wasn’t human.

Fortunately, Dou Dou, fierce in her tiny way, let out a loud “growl” at the figure.

“This is my mommy’s car—you’re not getting on.”

The figure was startled by her tiny demeanor, then seemed to grow angry, glaring at Dou Dou—making Dou Dou flinch and shrink back involuntarily.

Seeing this, Jiang Wenxin no longer felt fear—anger flared up instantly, and she roared at the figure: “Get out!”

The ghost, as if terrified, scrambled out of the car in panic.

Jiang Wenxin didn’t know that in the instant she’d shouted, three flames had erupted from her body, burning a full chi high—scaring the ghost away.

After several such incidents, she realized: if she avoided making eye contact with them, the ghosts would simply ignore her existence.

So after her latest sudden brake, once she recovered, she immediately shifted her gaze to the passenger seat.

Sure enough, the ghost that had crossed the road glanced at her car once, then turned and walked away.

“Fucking driver… how the hell are you driving?”

At that moment, a car behind her overtook and rolled down its window, shouting insults at her.

But when it saw Jiang Wenxin’s face, the voice automatically softened a little.

“Sorry, sorry…”

Jiang Wenxin knew she was at fault and quickly apologized, then restarted the car.

“Mommy, he was yelling at you,” Dou Dou said, sounding angry.

“Yelling is wrong, but it’s my fault—I shouldn’t have braked suddenly; it risks causing an accident,” Jiang Wenxin patiently explained.

“Then why did you brake suddenly?” Dou Dou asked, confused.

“Because I was afraid of hitting someone,” Jiang Wenxin said.

She no longer knew who was human and who was a ghost, so she had to brake—otherwise, if she got it wrong and actually hit someone, it would be disastrous.

For the rest of the drive, Jiang Wenxin proceeded with extreme caution, finally arriving at her residential complex, stopping the car, and letting out a long breath.

She unfastened her seatbelt and instinctively glanced at the passenger seat—only to find Dou Dou had already gotten out and was waiting for her by the roadside.

She hurried out, wanting to warn her not to wander off—but the words died on her lips.

She reached out her hand: “Come on, let’s go home.”

“Mm~”

Dou Dou happily placed her small hand in her mother’s palm.

Then she bounced and skipped along beside her mother toward home.

Watching Dou Dou’s lively, skipping form, Jiang Wenxin felt momentarily dazed—as if Dou Dao had never left.

If only she could keep Dou Dou by her side forever, Jiang Wenxin thought.

No—Dou Dou had always been here; she just couldn’t see or touch her before.

As long as she could keep seeing and touching Dou Dou like this, Dou Dou would still be her Dou Dou.

Thinking this, she unconsciously reached the elevator.

Throughout the journey, Dou Dou had mostly pulled her along—this little one knew their home well.

These two years of “alone” life—no one holding her, no one hugging her…

She had cried, she had felt wronged—but in the end, she’d had to learn everything herself…

But the moment the elevator doors opened, Jiang Wenxin was startled again.

Because inside stood an old man leaning on a cane.

His face was covered in thumb-sized growths, grotesquely repulsive.

The growths had crushed his eyes into slits, emitting a chilling glow.

He first glanced at Jiang Wenxin, then his gaze fell on their clasped hands.

“You can see ghosts?”

The old man’s voice was hoarse, deeply unpleasant.

He added, “How did you suddenly start seeing us?”

“Grandpa Lu.”

Dou Dou spoke respectfully—clearly she knew him.

Jiang Wenxin pulled Dou Dou behind her; as the elevator doors began closing, she made no move to enter—the old man simply stepped out, leaning on his cane.

Jiang Wenxin pulled Dou Dou back a few steps, watching him warily; he looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she’d seen him.

“Dou Dou’s mom, I mean no harm—I’m just curious: how did you suddenly start seeing us?” the old man asked, curious.

His gaze, however, fixed on Jiang Wenxin’s shoulder.

Jiang Wenxin said nothing—but Dou Dou quietly peeked out from behind her mother.

At that moment, several others approached to wait for the elevator; Jiang Wenxin exhaled in relief.

The other elevator arrived; she quickly joined the crowd and stepped inside.

The old man did not follow—he merely squinted, smiling at Jiang Wenxin—but his face, covered in growths, looked terrifyingly grotesque; only when the doors closed and his view was blocked did Jiang Wenxin finally exhale—though her heart remained unsettled.

She looked down at the tiny figure clinging to her leg, hiding behind her, and gently stroked her little head.

Opening the door, Jiang Wenxin instinctively glanced behind her—seeing the old man hadn’t followed, she quickly pulled her daughter inside.

Once inside, Dou Dou immediately began searching around, then asked, puzzled: “Daddy hasn’t come back yet?”

“Your daddy has something tonight—he’ll be back a little later.”

“Oh~”

Dou Dou looked disappointed; she’d thought she’d see Daddy as soon as they got home.

Jiang Wenxin couldn’t wait to ask: “Dou Dou, do you know that old man?”

Dou Dou nodded, then asked, puzzled: “He’s Zi Xu’s grandpa—don’t you know him, Mommy?”

“Zi Xu?” Jiang Wenxin suddenly understood.

The Zi Xu Dou Dou mentioned was a little boy living upstairs—they shared the same complex, often played together, and was two years older than Dou Dou.

Zi Xu had always been raised by his grandparents—but his grandfather had died long ago, even before Dou Dou’s accident, by a full year.

Yet in Jiang Wenxin’s memory, Zi Xu’s grandfather had been a kind, gentle old man who always greeted her with a cheerful smile—he’d never looked like this monstrous figure.

“But I remember he didn’t look like this.”

“Grandpa Lu says he’s sick,” Dou Dou said.

Dou Dou was too innocent—she believed anything people told her. This was clearly a lie—he was dead, turned into a ghost—what illness could a ghost have? Ghost sickness?

This matter wasn’t simple. Thinking this, she stepped to the door, peered through the peephole.

Then she staggered backward, nearly falling onto the floor.