Horror games? Whatever, I'll die.

Chen Nianping's expression softened slightly, but it still didn't look good.

"Ah, I saw this photo online before; it's from a family annihilation case."

"Exterminate the entire family?" Li Chuan was so frightened that he hid behind Liang Zaibing.

"Shouldn't this photo be sealed away as evidence? Why is it here?"

Uncle Chen nodded in response, "That's what I thought too. What the hell, how did I end up in your house?"

Looking at the photo, Liang Zaibing felt a strange, inexplicable feeling, without fear or panic, but rather a sense of familiar warmth.

It was as if he knew the boy in the photo.

After struggling for a moment, Liang Zaibing still pressed on, "Uncle Chen, what kind of case is this? Can you tell us about it?"

"I saw it on the news before, but I don't remember it very clearly."

Chen Nianping waved his hand, "My impression is of the photos of the scene circulating on marketing accounts. It was bloody and terrifying. The whole family of three was dead."

"What's even more outrageous is that the evidence at the scene showed that the child killed his parents. What reason would a child who is only ten years old have to kill his parents? Even if someone instigated him, he simply couldn't do it physically."

Li Chuan's eyes widened slightly, startled by the bizarre case. "This is so strange."

Liang Zaibing pressed her fingertip against the corner of the photo, lost in thought for a moment, but then asked a different question.

"Wasn't it supposed to be a family annihilation case? How did the child die? Suicide?"

"That's the strangest part."

Chen Nianping pointed to the gloomy boy in the photo, "He was strangled to death, but there was no trace of a fourth person at the scene. It's as if a ghost came out and strangled him."

"This case was never reported afterward, and it probably became a cold case."

Li Chuan racked his brains for a long time but couldn't recall anything about the case, so he asked Uncle Chen, "How come I've never heard of such a famous case?"

"It's a case in the next province, it's normal that you don't know about it."

After Chen Nianping finished speaking, she turned to look at Liang Zaibing, "If you ask me, this photo is too eerie, you..."

Uncle Chen didn't finish his sentence, but Liang Zaibing knew what he meant: he wanted him to quickly get rid of the photos.

Photos of a murder scene from a neighboring province appear in his home; they look terrifying no matter how you look at them. If this were the opening scene of a novel, it would be the prelude to The Ring.

Liang Zaibing smiled gratefully at Uncle Chen, "You're right, I'll go to the police station now and give them the photos."

After saying that, she picked up the photo that was on the counter and tucked it back into the back of her phone case.

"Goodbye, Uncle Chen, I'm going to the police station for tea."

Liang Zaibing walked to the store entrance, turned around and waved to them.

-----

A ghost...?

Instead of going to the police station, Liang Zaibing found a dessert shop to sit in, with the photo spread out on the small table in front of her.

He was like a masochist; even though he couldn't remember, he kept staring at the photo until he felt like he was hallucinating, as if the boy in the photo had winked at him.

"crazy."

Liang Zaibing pressed his fist against his forehead, the protruding bones of his joints bringing a dull, numbing pain that slightly cleared his drowsy mind.

When he looked away from the photo, he suddenly realized that it was already dark outside.

A young girl dressed in a shop assistant's uniform walked up to his table with a sweet, welcoming smile.

"Sir, we're closing soon. May I ask who you are...?"

"Okay, I'll leave now."

Liang Zaibing, carrying an untouched bottle of tangerine peel mung bean soup, wandered the street like a lost soul.

The commercial street, which was bustling with people at midnight, is now almost deserted, even though it's only a little past eight o'clock. There aren't any street vendors to be seen either.

Liang Zaibing looked around in confusion. Had the urban management officers just come to raid the area?

It seems like the world has become very strange ever since he opened his eyes this morning.

When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems. When Liang Zaibing got back to her apartment building, she realized she had forgotten her keys and had to borrow Uncle Chen's keys to open the door.

The already dim motion-activated lights in the hallway were now completely broken. Liang Zaibing stomped her feet several times but couldn't light up a single bulb, so she had to make do with her phone flashlight.

The dark stairwell was illuminated by the strong beam of the flashlight, but the unlit corners remained pitch black, making one wonder if there were any ghosts or monsters hiding there.

Liang Zaibing wasn't concerned about the shadow; he was still bothered by the inexplicable misstep he'd taken on the stairs that afternoon. This time, he made a point of counting his steps as he went upstairs.

one two Three……

eleven.

Liang Zaibing stepped onto the platform between the two floors.

The staircase on each floor is divided into two sections, each with 11 steps, which is perfectly normal.

When we got to the second floor, the lights were still off. Li Chuan lived in room 201 on the left, and the lights there were also off.

Li Chuan has never gone to bed this early before; he must have gone out.

Liang Zaibing made up a reason in her mind and continued walking upstairs.

One, two, three... eleven.

One, two, three... eleven—

Liang Zaibing suddenly froze on the spot, her half-raised foot dangling in the air, her eyes staring at the extra twelfth step.

The third floor where he lived was just ahead, but Liang Zaibing didn't step onto that step.

It's really weird.

To prevent residents from suddenly missing a step while walking, it is impossible for such a situation to occur suddenly, and even if it does happen, it would be on the top or bottom floor.

Even if it really exists, why did he never notice it before? It's as if it suddenly appeared overnight.

-----

Although there are countless urban legends about stairs, Liang Zaibing felt that he had no reason to associate this thing with ghosts and monsters.

His instincts, however, were the complete opposite of his reason, clamoring for terror and danger.

It's as if stepping onto these steps will lead to some irreversible and terrible event.

Liang Zaibing hesitated for a while, but instead of going up, she went back to the second floor, sat on the steps, and called Li Chuan.

The noise from Lichuan was very loud, probably coming from a bar. It didn't quiet down until two minutes later.

"What's wrong, Xiao Liang? Why are you calling me all of a sudden? Did you forget your house key?"

Yes, that's right. Every time Liang Zaibing forgot her keys and locked herself out, it was only thanks to Li Chuan that she didn't end up sleeping on the streets.

Li Chuan's amused voice came through the phone, and Liang Zaibing's emotions calmed down slightly. Her tone was flawless as she said, "Sigh, you guessed it again. Can't you give me some face?"

Li Chuan laughed heartily, "You know where my key is. Just open the door and go in. My classmate wants to go drinking with me, so I'll be there a little later."

"...Why are you hiding here from drinking? Our Lida Department's beauties aren't exactly known for their generosity..."

Another person's voice came through the phone, and Li Chuan held the phone away a little. "My friend needs to talk to me. He'll be there soon."

"Bye-bye, Xiao Liang, go to sleep early."

Li Chuan held the receiver close to his ear, speaking softly, as if whispering in his ear.