Chapter 9 Death Report

“Drink more hot water, and get some rest!”
Chu Ning noticed Tanya’s lackluster state and tried to persuade her to rest, lest she faint in the living room and he would have to drag her back to her room.
“No need, thank you!” Tanya politely refused Chu Ning’s generic advice, a phrase she heard with surprising frequency. Boys always liked to use the same words to comfort girls suffering from completely different ailments.
“You know…”
Tanya faltered, unsure where to begin. She had gone to great lengths to move into this haunted house, yet had no clue how to solve her own troubles.
The unscrupulous agent had only told her to live in the haunted house in the northern suburb, but said nothing about what to do afterward.
“Speak!”
Chu Ning impatiently yawned. He didn’t understand what was wrong with his body; during the day, he felt inexplicably fatigued and drowsy.
“Do you know where a soul goes seven days after death?”
“I don’t know. Once a person dies, everything disappears. There’s no such thing as souls,” Chu Ning lectured the naive girl about common sense, tiredly telling her there were no ghosts in the world, that she should stop believing in feudal superstitions and trust in science.
“Ah!” Tanya forced herself to perk up. The two were not on the same wavelength; it was like playing a lute to a cow.
She scanned the surroundings, strode to the television, and, after getting Chu Ning’s tacit approval, solemnly turned it on, searching for previous news reports.
Tanya took a deep breath, closed her eyes in utter despair, and pressed play. The television broadcasted in a grave tone:
“According to reports, a corpse has been found in Honghai Community, missing its left hand. The deceased, named Tan, female, age twenty-four, resided in Honghai Community. Experts at the scene determined this was a case of deliberate homicide; the victim died from excessive blood loss.
At present, no suspects have been identified, and the police are investigating closely. If anyone has clues, please report promptly...”
Chu Ning spoke somewhat guiltily, “There’s no dead person in this house, you know. There’s no way the price will drop! The rumors online still need verification. Unless you have real evidence, I won’t believe it.”

The goal of renting out the house was within reach; Chu Ning was not about to give up a prospective tenant. If he was forced by nasty rumors to lower the rent, he might consider dropping the price a little.
“Were you paying attention to the news? Take a closer look at the image on the TV!” Tanya reproached him, emphatically pointing at the paused screen.
“Alright!” Chu Ning nodded like a pecking chick. As long as it wasn’t about lowering the rent, anything else was negotiable!
Chu Ning widened his eyes, scrutinizing the television, then furtively glanced at Tanya, who had her back to him, simmering in anger.
“Hiss... Um, I’m not used to watching censored videos. If you want to say something, just tell me directly.”
Staring at the mass of mosaics on the screen, Chu Ning couldn’t help but marvel at the broadcaster’s madness—exposing such a bloody scene just to boost ratings.
Blood covered the floor, the red staining the eyes. But what left Chu Ning speechless was that the mosaic ignored the blood on the ground and instead completely covered the victim’s body—a failure to focus on the essentials!
“Lecher, what on earth is in your head?”
Tanya turned around in disgust. She already hated seeing her own corpse, but Chu Ning’s repeated provocations forced her to seriously tell him that the report was about her death.
“Ah, the image really has a kind of blurred beauty,” Tanya muttered, dropping her head, unsure how to explain the screen. Mosaic, nothing but mosaic!
A bone-chilling cold filled the air, the television flickered and blurred, and Tanya stood with her head bowed, desolate and helpless. She whispered, “Do you think I’m beautiful?”
Chu Ning scratched his head awkwardly, listening to her faint voice, unsure how to respond.
He watched as Tanya slowly lifted her head, her long hair sliding aside, revealing flawless cheeks.
After a long silence, Chu Ning spoke solemnly, “Sorry, give me some time. Maybe I’ll fall for you in the future.”
“Ahem, the air conditioner really needs fixing soon!” Chu Ning pretended to be calm, but inside he was thrilled, excited by his own unique charm.
Tanya stared in disbelief at the narcissist before her—what a self-satisfied man! Who confessed to him? She just wanted to know if her corpse had become unrecognizably gruesome and needed him to confirm her appearance!

“The person on the TV is me!”
“I get it, the TV station is nearby, so it’s convenient for work! Makeup these days is amazing—it’s like you’ve become a different person.” Chu Ning’s heart suddenly hung in suspense, pounding wildly.
Hearing Tanya’s words, he couldn’t help but worry she might terminate the lease; saying the TV station was near his house was just a ploy.
Chu Ning stared in horror as Tanya drifted toward him. He swallowed to ease the sudden pressure, but his heart trembled and beat faster and faster.
He stood frozen, eyes squeezed shut in nervousness. At that moment, icy hands touched his shoulders, and his heart seemed ready to leap out of his throat.
Drip, drip...
A few drops of blood slid from Tanya’s left hand to the floor, most of it painting vivid flowers on Chu Ning’s shoulders.
Chu Ning felt the chill in her breath, sensing something was off. He stealthily opened his eyes a crack to peek.
But the sight disappointed him—it was nothing like the alluring scene he had imagined. Chu Ning slumped his shoulders, relaxed, and glanced hopefully at Tanya.
“The victim reported on TV is me!”
Hearing such a dull statement, Chu Ning rolled his eyes helplessly and replied perfunctorily, “Yes, yes, I know!”
“I’m the dead one!” Tanya’s tone grew heavier, clearly feeling Chu Ning’s disbelief. It had taken all her courage to say it.
Chu Ning pretended to be serious, nodding in affirmation. For someone possibly sharing a past illness, he showed full understanding—not denying a patient’s words outright.
“Don’t believe me? Look...” Tanya’s words abruptly stopped, for she realized all traces of blood had vanished without a trace. And so, she could only fall silent.