Chapter 2: The Teacher

　　The next day, I lay on the hospital bed in a daze. I had no recollection of when I woke up. Someone fed me a few spoonfuls of porridge, but after taking a couple of bites, I drifted off to sleep again.

　　I had a terrible nightmare. I dreamt that I was still in front of the haunted house, and Yumeng's headless body clung tightly to me. Her head on the door slowly turned towards me, filled with resentment. I stared back at her in horror and asked, "Why didn't you come out earlier? Then I wouldn't have died."

　　I screamed and sat up, only to have someone grab my shoulders and repeatedly call my name. "Xia Ning, Xia Ning, it's alright now. It's alright. The teacher is here!"

　　Slowly, I regained my senses and focused my gaze. It was our homeroom teacher, Tang Xin. I hugged her tightly, crying in distress, repeatedly saying, "It's all my fault that Yumeng is dead! Yumeng is dead!"

　　The teacher emerged from my embrace, holding onto my shoulders and smiling. "What nonsense are you talking? Yumeng came to see you last night!"

　　The teacher's words left me dumbfounded. I abruptly stopped crying, unable to react for a moment, staring blankly at the teacher.

　　"Wu Jing told me everything. It was all fake, the dummy and the fake blood. Look how scared you were. Stay here for a while, I'll go get you some food!"

　　"Don't worry about it !" she said.

　　I didn't pay attention to what she said afterward. I was so oblivious that I didn't even notice when she left. I had completely pushed the fact that I had been unconscious for two days out of my mind, as my thoughts were consumed by vivid and gruesome images!

　　How could it be possible? She was already dead, She was dead as a doornail. Her head remained intact while her body lay motionless. Although I didn't see her face, I was certain that silhouette belonged to Yumeng!

　　"Blood!" I hastily raised my hand to check, but it was still my own hand, without a trace of stain.

　　I immediately touched my face, smooth and unblemished, without any discomfort. Glancing down at my clothes, I realized they had been replaced with hospital garments.

　　I sat there, stunned, unable to believe everything that had transpired that night. Suddenly, the memory of Yumeng's blood, the taste that had splashed into my mouth, surged through me. Instantly, my stomach churned, and I leaned over the edge of the bed, finding a trash can where I began to vomit.

　　"Ugh... ugh..."

　　My retching left my nose tingling, but nothing came out except a few mouthfuls of acidic water. After all, I had been unconscious for nearly two days without consuming anything.

　　As I continued to dry heave, the door to the hospital room swung open. I could hear the sound of high heels tapping against the floor, indicating that it was definitely the teacher.

　　"What's wrong, Xia Ning?" The teacher briskly approached my bed. I didn't lift my head, only hearing the sound of a plastic bag being placed on the windowsill. I presumed it contained food.

　　"What's wrong, Xia Ning? Feeling uncomfortable in your stomach?" she gently patted my back and asked.

　　Feeling dizzy and unable to vomit any further, I stopped. The teacher handed me a tissue, and I weakly wiped my mouth before lying back down.

　　The teacher took out another tissue and wiped me a few times, probably catching the spots I missed.

　　"Look at you, playing in a haunted house in the middle of the night, ending up in the hospital. With your current condition, will you still be able to catch the train in a couple of days? Should I let your parents know?" Her tone shifted from scolding to concern.

　　I quickly waved my hand weakly and said, "Don't let my parents know. I don't want them to worry...!"

　　Then, I remembered my clothes and grew anxious. "Teacher, my clothes..." I looked at her nervously, as the blood on my clothes was crucial evidence!

　　"Your clothes? Oh, don't worry, I changed them for you. But you really scared me with your appearance. Thankfully, it was just fake blood. But there was real blood on your head!" The teacher said, adjusting the blanket for me.

　　I realized she misunderstood what I meant, but her following words caught my attention.

　　"On my head?" I touched it, wincing in pain as I took in a sharp breath. There was actually a bandage wrapped around my head, and I hadn't noticed when I woke up!

　　"Hey, don't touch it!" The teacher quickly took my hand down.

　　"When you were running, you stumbled upon the curb, hitting your head on the railing. If it weren't for Wu Jing calling the emergency medical services, you would have had to lie there for a few more hours." After saying that, the teacher got up to fetch the meal she had just brought in, making a clattering noise as she fiddled with it. It seemed to be a boxed meal.

　　"Wu Jing, how is Wu Jing, teacher? Where is she? My phone..." I became anxious all of a sudden. I hadn't seen my phone, and there were so many things I needed to talk to Wu Jing about!

　　Seeing my state, the teacher set down the boxed meal she was about to hand me and came closer, speaking in a calm voice. "Don't worry, your phone is with me. I picked it up for you during the day and forgot to give it back."

　　As she said that, she took out my Vivo phone from her colorful handbag. However, the screen was already cracked, with half of it turned black.

　　I slowly calmed down and took the phone. It was still turned on, but it didn't respond when I tried to use it.

　　"Teacher, can I use your phone? I want to call Wu Jing!" I looked at the teacher and made the request. I'm not sure what my expression was like at that moment, but I felt like I was on the verge of tears. The teacher looked at me helplessly and let out a sigh.

　　Taking the teacher's phone, I dialed Wu Jing's number. "Ring... ring... ring..." No one answered on the other end. I bit my lip, feeling increasingly anxious. A sense of unease grew stronger!

　　"The number you have dialed is not available."

　　I refused to give up and dialed again, but it was the same result. I made two more calls, but still, no one picked up.

　　"Teacher, something happened to Wu Jing..." I trembled as I spoke those words.

　　The teacher couldn't bear to see me like this. She slowly reached for the phone and held my hand, smiling at me as she said, "Xia Ning, I know you're worried about Wu Jing, but she's really fine. She called me yesterday, so don't worry. She must be busy right now, but she'll get back to you as soon as she sees your message!"

　　"Teacher, I..." I tried to say something, but the teacher interrupted me, pretending to be angry as she said, "Xia Ning, if you keep doing this, I'll be mad." With that, she got up and took the lunch box, opening it and placing it in my hands.

　　"Here, eat your lunch. I'll go fix your phone now. Once it's repaired, you can call whoever you want!" She smiled warmly again.

　　I had no choice but to stop talking and take the chopsticks she handed me. I ate slowly, with a heavy heart. Looking at the chicken in the lunch box, I knew the teacher had paid for it, even the hospital expenses for my stay. But I just couldn't eat with any appetite.

　　"Thank you, teacher!" I looked up and sincerely thanked her.

　　The teacher smiled, patting my long hair and said, "Thank me for what? As long as you succeed in the future, don't forget you had such a beautiful teacher like me."

　　"No, I won't forget, teacher!" I said firmly.

　　"Silly!" The teacher chuckled, jokingly.

　　"I'm leaving now. Once I fix your phone, I'll bring it back to you!"

　　The teacher walked away with my phone. As I watched the teacher's figure, I couldn't help but feel unwilling to let her go. I had a constant feeling that if she left, there would be numerous eerie, unseen gazes staring at me in the room.

　　But thankfully, it was still daytime. The teacher would be back soon.

　　I started eating the food in my hands. I got full halfway through and struggled to open a bottle of mineral water. After taking a few sips, I placed them on the windowsill and lay down on the bed, lost in thought.

　　When a person zones out, it's easy to get lost in random thoughts. The bloody scene appeared in my mind again, and I sat up, trying hard not to think about what I experienced that day. I heard someone walking back and forth in the corridor, so I got off the bed and decided to take a walk.

　　I didn't go far, just pacing outside the hospital entrance, fearing that the teacher wouldn't find me if she came.

　　But even as the day grew dark, she didn't come. I had no choice but to return to my room again, only to find a nurse just leaving.

　　She saw me and smiled, saying, "Are you Xia Ning, right!"