Chapter 2: Ghost Encounter (1)
Before that incident, Lin Yan didn't believe that there were ghosts in the world at all. He studied history as an undergraduate and was promoted to Junior Master after graduation. He majored in cultural relics took the leg bones of dead people when he took part in an archaeological internship with his tutor, and plucked jade cicadas from the mouth of a mummified body. Ghost stories were always used as a joke in their dormitory. If the death of a person could really change something, then the world will be lively. If someone picked up a blue- and-white bowl from the Emperor Qianlong's palace, the old man would have jumped out with wide eyes: "It's mine!" How interesting.
A dead person should forget all the past and keep silent.
Lin Yan had just finished his dinner when things changed. He didn't live in the school dorm since he was debilitated by the phone fight between the old man in the dormitory and his daughter-in-law in the middle of the night. He moved into the wedding room that his parents had prepared for him, and it was very close to the school (1). From then on, he cooked alone, played games alone, and traveled across half the city on weekends to accompany his parents. Lin Yan is one of tens of thousands of small graduate students in dozens of colleges and universities in this city. Lin Yan is one of tens of thousands of small graduate students in dozens of colleges and universities in this city. If he is better, then he has a future bright, but if he is worse, there is nothing to be worth mentioning.
The noodles he made that day were fried noodles with sweet sauce. The noodles were boiled in a pot with boiling water and the minced meat cooked with the sweet sauce. The noodles were drained out of the pot and mixed with the sauce and they were delicious. Lin Yan took the bowl and sat in front of the computer watching "My memories of Old Beijing" (2) while eating the noodles.
In the early summer, it was so humid and sultry. Just halfway through the movie, there was a sudden rumble and thunder sounded outside. It didn't take long for puffy raindrops to pour down, and the water channel on the window glass formed rain curtains, crackling against the window.
Lin Yan was busy turning off the player. Before the shutdown finished, a bolt of lightning flashed across the night sky, and the computer went black with a snap.
Lin Yan was really worried about what might happen, so he unplugged the computer socket and used a desktop computer specially designed for the 3D restoration renderings of cultural relics. Also, he had to report for repairs as soon as the power was connected.
I have to trouble Yin Zhou to repair the machine tomorrow.
A strange feeling rose.
It was a cold feeling, inexplicably cold feeling, making people's bodies shivered.
I don't know when the temperature of the whole room started to drop. I didn't notice it when I was watching the movie right now. Now I feel like I'm in an ice cave, the cold is coming out from all the corners and hitting my body. The hot sweat on my T-shirt is so cold. It drenched my T-shirt and makes it stick on my back.
Lin Yan wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans vigorously, thinking about how the weather would cool down after the rain stop. He got up to look for a long sleeve dress, but before he got up, he glanced at the computer screen from the corner of his eyes, and sat down nervously.
With the lights on in the room, the situation in the room is clearly reflected on the dark computer screen. In the front is Lin Yan's face, and in the back is Lin Yan's bedroom window, which is wide open inward. The curtains are blown up by the wind, and what makes Lin Yan cool from the head to toe is the "person" standing in front of the curtain.
No, it can only be said by the looking at the shape it is a person with a strange hat.
Lin Yan stared blankly at the thing in the screen, and a sense of fear slowly climbed up along his spine.
It must be the coat hanger that forgot to remove it, so you can't be suspicious. Lin Yan pulled the corner of his clothes, took a deep breath, and turned his head abruptly.
There is no one in the room. Everything in the room is as usual, only the rain is getting heavier and heavier, and the rain on the glass twisted into small streams flowing down.
The hanging heart was relieved.
Incorrect! Lin Yan's scalp went numb all at once. Not only there was no one, but the windows were clearly locked and the curtains well tied on the both sides. How can they be blown up by the wind? As I just saw from the reflection on the screen... what is going on?
Illusion! It must be an illusion! Lin Yan clenched his upper and lower teeth, and he couldn't help pinching his thighs to remind himself to be sober.
There was a crackle in the electricity, the power went out, and the whole room fell into darkness and silence.
Almost at the same time, the indicator light of the computer screen suddenly flickered. Two small red lights were like blinking eyes, accompanied by the sound of electric waves. The screen, which had been completely power-off, emitted a green light, as if it had switched the screen protection program.
Didn't... the electricity was off? Lin Yan was completely speechless. He was pressed on the chair by the sudden weird atmosphere, and then the screen flashed, as if a hand was typing, large characters appeared on the screen one after another, bright red and dazzling.
"The first day of Wushen month, the death date is approaching"
Another exploding thunder fell outside the window.
Lin Yan swallowed hard and stared at the line of words on the screen. He tried his best to calm himself down, but his mind went blank.
It must be... it must be a prank by that guy Yin Zhou.
Professional programmers, technical experts, and segment programs to mess up the power grid, are they trying frighten themselves or something? boring.
"The first day of Wushen month, the death date is approaching" The red letters flashed on the screen twice then disappeared and the computer resumed its power-off state. Only Lin Yan's heavy breathing remained in the dark room. He took out his cell phone from his trouser pocket to make a call to Yin Zhou. Before he pressed the broadcast button, there was a heavy and regular tapping on the windowpane.
(1) School here is university many Chinese people refer to university as school. I just feel that I need to explain this part in case you start to get confused.
(2)《城南旧事》: literary means "Chengnan Old Things" it is a movie under the name of "My memories of Old Beijing".
There is many difficult raw in this chapters if you have better translation suggestions for some sentences you can write it in the comments. English is not my first language nor Chinese so I'll be happy by your advices to improve my translation. I translate this novel as a way to improve my Chinese.
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