Hao Laoshi was taken aback by the sudden sound and fell silent.

Despite receiving no response, Liu Ruyan continued to speak.

"Speaking of psychopaths, I once knew an arsonist... Not that he was particularly fond of setting fires, but I witnessed him burn down an entire building. A family of four all perished, all because of some baseless speculation." Liu Ruyan paused here. "But this speculation was a suspicion unsupported by any facts."

As Liu Ruyan spoke, Hao Laoshi quickly scanned recent news reports in his mind, searching for any stories related to arson, but he couldn't find any.

Seemingly guessing Hao Laoshi's thoughts, Liu Ruyan smiled faintly. "Let me see... I was only fourteen back then. It's been eight years since that incident."

Liu Ruyan added, reminiscing, "Besides, not many people knew about it. In the end, it was treated as an accidental fire."

The sun scorched the ground, and an intense, irritable heat enveloped the three of them.

Yet Hao Laoshi felt a chill run down his spine. "You... you didn't see that person commit arson with your own eyes? Didn't you report it to the police?"

She saw the arsonist burn four people to death with her own eyes and knew the case was ultimately treated as an accident, yet she didn't report it or expose the criminal. Years later, she even brought up this malicious event that killed four people as casually as remarking on the nice weather, as if it were a joke. At this thought, Hao Laoshi couldn't help but step back, his calves trembling slightly. What kind of teammates had he been matched with this time...?

Liu Ruyan squinted her eyes and smiled faintly, seemingly intending to drop the subject. "By the way, I came in with two acquaintances. Have you..."

However, before she could finish, she was interrupted by Hao Laoshi.

The middle-aged man, disguised as a student, stared intently at Liu Ruyan. "You didn't report it? Was it because you were scared... or did you not care about those four lives? You were only fourteen then, right?"

A fourteen-year-old witnesses an arsonist kill people and then just turns around and acts as if nothing happened? Hao Laoshi had already decided. If her answer was the latter, he would turn and run, taking Little Peach Dumpling with him. He had no intention of teaming up with a suspected psychopath.

Liu Ruyan glanced at the wristwatch on her hand. She had taken it from someone else's wrist, so it was a bit too large for her.

Then, she looked up and said, "Let me finish my question first. I came in with two acquaintances. One was a Doctor carrying a guitar, and the other wore glasses..."

This time, too, she wasn't able to finish speaking.

As if he had heard something utterly terrifying, Hao Laoshi turned and bolted, even forgetting Little Peach Dumpling beside him.

Little Peach Dumpling clearly didn't want to stay with Liu Ruyan either. Without hesitation, she immediately followed Hao Laoshi and fled.

Now, Liu Ruyan was the only one left standing in the wide, open area, making it seem very spacious.

She watched their receding figures without expression, then glanced at her wristwatch again.

It was now around twelve-fifty, close to one o'clock.

Hao Laoshi ran for a considerable time, only stopping to gasp for air when he was almost too exhausted to continue. He plopped down on the steps of a flower bed, panting and looking behind him.

Indeed, there was no sign of Liu Ruyan behind him. Only then did Hao Laoshi feel slightly relieved.

However, Little Peach Dumpling had been left far behind. Despite this, she was still struggling to run towards him.

The weather was extremely hot; just a short run would leave one drenched in sweat. It made you want to strip off your clothes and jump into the pond next to the school woods.

However, doing so would probably startle countless young couples emerging from the woods.

Little Peach Dumpling didn't want to be such a spoilsport. Once she stopped, she also squatted down beside Hao Laoshi, gasping for breath, too tired to even lift her head.

But as she panted, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

Hao Laoshi beside her had stopped earlier. But even though he had rested for a moment, he was still gasping for breath, unable to catch it. And his panting was becoming increasingly labored, as if he were having an asthma attack.

Little Peach Dumpling lifted her sun-baked head and looked doubtfully at Hao Laoshi beside her.

One glance and she was startled. Under the fierce sunlight, Hao Laoshi's face had turned a bluish-purple.

She had never seen sunlight turn anyone this color; this complexion clearly wasn't from the sun!

Hao Laoshi kept clawing at his neck with his hands, as if trying to tear something away, as if someone were strangling him.

But there was no one near him, not even a tree branch!

Little Peach Dumpling, somewhat flustered, moved closer. She also reached out to touch Hao Laoshi's neck, but her hand grasped only air.

There was nothing there, as if he were being choked by thin air.

Anxious, Little Peach Dumpling beside him frantically pulled out one item after another—special items she had obtained in the instance.

But none of these items could help her solve the problem: "What do you do when someone is being choked by a ghost?"

She could only watch as Hao Laoshi in front of her struggled continuously, his face changing from bluish-purple to an ever-darkening shade, eventually becoming almost the color of pig's liver. With one last violent struggle, he gasped his last breath and then moved no more.

The person, now a corpse, lay limply on the ground, his face still that horrifying, pig-liver red.

Silence descended once more. Little Peach Dumpling's body remained stiff for a few seconds. Hao Laoshi's death was clearly caused by a ghost.

And after Hao Laoshi's death, the ghost seemed to have no further plans.

Little Peach Dumpling looked at the corpse on the ground, feeling a bit nauseated.

But her nausea didn't last long; instead, she quickly scanned her surroundings.

This was a hidden corner next to the teaching building. Most students had gone to the cafeteria or back to their dorms, and no teachers came here. There weren't many people around.

Seeing no one around, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. If I'm discovered next to a dead body, I won't be able to clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River... I wonder if there are any CCTV cameras around here.

At this thought, Little Peach Dumpling quickly scanned her surroundings again but found no sign of cameras.

Whether there are cameras here or not, the most important thing is to leave quickly. Who knows what trouble might brew if I stay any longer.

As she thought this, Little Peach Dumpling quickened her pace, wanting to leave. But just as she lifted her foot, something else occurred to her. She quickly ducked to the side and took out the phone she had been keeping in her pocket.

The content on the screen had actually updated while they were fleeing just now!

Little Peach Dumpling hastily tried to read the updates, but as she read on, her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

She shivered violently. "How could... this be..."

Then, as if she suddenly thought of something, she abruptly looked up. But just then, a pale hand slowly extended, entering Little Peach Dumpling's line of sight.

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