Chapter 16: Scapegoat (A)

Translator: Exodus Tales

Editor: Exodus Tales

I went into panic. I couldn’t care about my blindfold anymore and picked up the washbasin, immediately running to the bedroom.

I was a new student in Grade 7 and the arrangement of the dorms was according to the class order, so I stayed in room 108 on the first floor.

Now, there were only Cheng Fengfeng, Bai Xiaomeng, a very quiet girl and me left in the room. The class teacher had transferred the other students out to another dorm.

The very quiet girl named Xu Zixi; she was very gloomy. I had not seen her laugh since I entered this dormitory and it seemed like she was even more alienated than me.

I was isolated by the masses, while she did not even want to accept the masses.

I originally thought that two isolated people could make a pair and I took the initiative to greet her before, but she just blatantly ignored me.

After that, I was too embarrassed to talk to her again, because I was afraid that she would still ignore me.

Xu Zixi came and was alone just like me. However, Cheng Fengfeng and Bai Xiaomeng always troubled me and turned a blind eye to Xu Zixi. Of course, this had always puzzled me.

I finally reached Dorm 108 in a panic.

Cheng Fengfeng and Bai Xiaomeng had already went to bed. And when I opened the door in a rush, the two looked at me in surprise; or more precisely my left eye.

I lowered my head, closed the door, and sat on my bed. I put the washbasin under the bed, and I sat down, heaving, trying to recover my breath.

Xu Zixi slept in the bed opposite me while Cheng Fengfeng and Bai Xiaomeng slept in the bunk bed next to Xu Zixi. The bed next to me was empty.

I laid down on the bed, and Xu Zixi also laid down slowly. She glanced at me and started shivering at me violently.

I was not sure whether it was my illusion or something else, but it was almost like Xu Zixi was sneering at me. I looked at her again but she had already closed her eyes. I was flabbergasted as to whether she had really sneered at me.

I shouldn’t mind it. She can just do whatever she wants.

I closed my eyes.

As the room was still well-lit, it made me feel safer, making it easier for me to fall asleep.

The bedroom’s light would be automatically turned off at 9:30 pm, so we were all used to waiting for the lights to go out. Just to be safe, I had a mini flashlight on my bed too in case of unexpected needs. However, since staying in school, I had never been to the toilet in the middle of the night. In fact, I would rather die while holding in my needs than stroll around in the middle of night.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a creak on the bed opposite to me, followed by a sluggish set of footsteps.

I opened my eyes slightly, but the lamp in the bedroom had already turned off. There was only the pure moonlight that shone through the window.

Using the moonlight, I saw that there was no one in the bed opposite to me.

Where is Xu Zixi?

Ugh… Maybe she went to the toilet.

I closed my eyes and continued to sleep, but I didn’t hear Xu Zixi’s return for a long time.

I turned over, trying to get comfortable, but felt a little packed on the bed. There seemed to be something pushing into me the whole time.

I was currently sleeping very close to the edge of the bed and if I moved even a little more, I would fall off from the bed.

I was a little annoyed and wanted to squeeze in, but then suddenly realized that this bed was a single bed.

There should be enough space for me to sleep alone. Why do I feel so squished?

As soon as my mind sobered up, I felt cold all over as all the drowsiness subsided.

I dared not open my eyes, afraid of seeing a ghost sleeping beside me.

While I wore a blindfold, I would occasionally wake up in the middle of the night feeling slightly eerie. However, I had never felt that the bed was packed.

I subconsciously shrunk my neck in, but suddenly an arm reached my shoulder. It felt heavy.

“It’s me. What are you afraid of?”

A familiar voice spoke into my ear.

I recognized this voice. I hadn’t heard it for a long time.

It was Ming Si!

I opened my eyes in disbelief. In the faint moonlight, I could only see a silhouette lay beside me, looking at me. Although his outline was not clear, I could feel that he was Ming Si.

“Elder Brother, why are you here?”

“I was afraid that something may happen to you.”

Why so?

Afraid that something might happening to me? What is going to happen?

“Your blindfold is with Xu Zixi. It is best for you to get the blindfold back as soon as possible,” said Ming Si.

I was shocked, “How do you know?”

He even knows about Xu Zixi! He really knows everything!

“Xu Zixi will soon become a scapegoat. I have no control over this. Can you step in?”

I was dumbfounded by his words, and I didn’t understand his intention at all.

If he had no control over it, what could I do?

Wait… Scapegoat?

I knew the tale of the scapegoat but it was only a folk’s tale. I didn’t quite believe it.

It was said that ghosts who died while wronged would linger. They could only let go of their vengeance by finding a new soul as a scapegoat to replace themselves. It was a cycle on inevitability.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to step in, but you should get back your blindfold quickly. Otherwise…”

“Where is my blindfold?”

I interrupted him eagerly.

I didn’t care whether Xu Zixi was a scapegoat for a ghost, it had nothing to do with me. I just wanted to get my blindfold back.

He didn’t answer my question. I fumbled to look for my flashlight. After I switched it on, I tip-toed to Xu Zixi’s bed which was opposite mine, quickly rummaging through it.

If Xu Zixi really took my blindfold, she would definitely hide it, but why did she steal my blindfold? How troublesome!

I was very angry and turned Xu Zixi’s bed into a mess.

Ming Si’s voice came coldly from behind, “The blindfold is on her.”

I looked back. Ming Si just sat on the bed and just looked at me. The cold moonlight shone on his handsome face, making it seem even more pale.

“Where is she?”

Ming Si didn’t speak and just raised an index finger, pointing to the ceiling.

“…”

What do you mean? The room upstairs or what?

Realizing that I did not understand his meaning, he smiled resignedly, saying each word one-by-one, “On the roof!”

I didn’t understand. Xu Zixi went to the rooftop in the middle of night. Did she have nothing better to do?

I sighed and went back to bed. Just as I was about to lie down, Ming Si continued, “In another ten minutes, Xu Zixi will jump off the roof. She will fall with her brain splattered. If she has your blindfold, how are you going to explain yourself? What would the school leaders think?”

I scratched my head in annoyance and asked Ming Si, “What should I do?”

“Stop Xu Zixi jumping from the building.”

“…”

I didn’t like to involve myself in other people’s business, but trouble always looked for me.

I didn’t know how Xu Zixi thought in her head. Why is she jumping off a building? She even stole my blindfold before doing that. What is going on? Do you really need my blindfold for your suicide?

“I will let you know the details later. If you don’t want to get screwed over, you are better off rushing to the rooftop now. You need to to stop Xu Zixi,” Ming Si urged me. I felt helpless. Why did such a troublesome matter come to me again?

What did I have to do with her jumping off the building?

I looked at Ming Si. He looked serious and didn’t seem to be joking, but I couldn’t waste anymore time thinking. I picked up the flashlight and pushed myself to rush out of the dorm and ran up the stairs frantically.

I didn’t know what time it was, but the dormitory building was extremely gloomy, echoing my footsteps. Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! My thumping was even faster than my heartbeat.