Qin Nuo's expression changed slightly. He naturally took a step back, discreetly pulling out the Bone-Cracking Hamr and hiding it behind him. With a slight smile, he said, "So you're Xiaolong's parents. Your child has been doing well at school. If there's anything you need to discuss with , there's no need to block the restroom door. How about we talk in the office?"
Yesterday, a bone nail had cracked Tang Xiaolong's forehead. There was no need to ask; it was obvious the parents had co to settle the score.
The two said nothing, their faces as pale as death, staring intently at Qin Nuo. The spreading corpse spots added a suffocating sense of death.
They stepped forward, forcing Qin Nuo into the restroom.
"We ca to the school specifically to apologize to you."
Qin Nuo was taken aback, thinking he had misheard. "Apologize for what?"
"Our child is unruly and immature. We apologize for any offense he caused you and the trouble it brought. You were right to discipline him, and we hope to earn your forgiveness."
Their faces were cold, but their tone was full of apology, even a hint of fear toward Qin Nuo.
This was not the scenario Qin Nuo had anticipated. He was ready to swing the Bone-Cracking Hamr, but the sudden apology caught him off guard.
"You're not angry about what happened to your child?" Qin Nuo asked. The injury caused by the Bone-Cracking Hamr was permanent and wouldn't heal.
"He deserved it. If you still can't accept our apology, we're willing to bear your wrath on behalf of our child," they said, their swollen faces twitching slightly.
Though puzzled, Qin Nuo replied, "No need. As long as the child knows his mistake and changes, that's enough. I'm not a narrow-minded person. Let's leave it at that."
Hearing this, the couple's pale faces twitched more, as if expressing gratitude.
"Then we won't disturb you, Mr. Liang."
They nodded slightly and left the restroom. By the ti Qin Nuo ca out, they had vanished.
"No parent wouldn't feel heartache over their child's injury. They must be furious, but they seem very afraid of , fearing retaliation, which is why they went out of their way to apologize."
Qin Nuo knew very well that it wasn't him they feared, but Liang Zisu.
What had Liang Zisu done to make them so apprehensive?
Unable to figure it out, Qin Nuo returned to his office, sat at his desk, and retrieved a list of past Class One students from the school's records.
Qin Nuo liked to morize simple yet crucial things. Last night's performance list, with Atu and a few other nas, was one such example.
He scanned the computer screen, looking through the Class One lists from each year for nearly half an hour, until his eyes ached. Finally, from a list of students from ten years ago, he found the nas of those little ghosts. ＲÅŊỌ𝖇Ęṥ
"Ten years ago, they were students in the 11th batch of the performance departnt. Their appearance and height haven't changed. They don't appear during the day and only co out at night. Although the curse imprisons them, there's no painful punishnt. What is the purpose of the person who cast the curse?"
As he pondered, Qin Nuo printed out the information on these little ghosts and tucked it into his textbook.
"Except for the child nad Yanan, I have information on all the other little ghosts. Tonight, I'll return to that performance room to learn more about the child nad Yanan."
When work becos monotonous, ti seems to pass relatively quickly. Qin Nuo spent his ti in a daze in the teaching building, and before he knew it, it was the end of the school day.
Holding the information on Atu and the other little ghosts, Qin Nuo returned to his dormitory. By then, the sky was darkening, and the light outside the balcony was dim and hazy.
Qin Nuo planned to eat at the cafeteria first, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw Mr. Liu returning with a large bag of fresh at and vegetables.
"Xiao Liang, heading to the cafeteria? No need for that trouble. Co eat at the teacher's place and try my cooking," Mr. Liu said warmly. Or perhaps it was because Liang Zisu was his most prized student. He opened the door and invited Qin Nuo inside.
Qin Nuo glanced at the dim interior and instinctively declined, "No, it's too much trouble for you. I'll just grab a quick bite at the cafeteria."
"You used to be so eager, and now you don't want to. Are you saying my place is dirty?"
Mr. Liu's face was like a piece of decaying bark, and without a smile, it carried an indescribable horror.
"My granddaughter, didn't you say you'd take a look at her? Can't you help with this little favor?"
He stood there with the bag, his figure hunched and frail, yet the ghost aura he emitted caused the door fra beside him to crumble as if eaten by termites.
"Teacher, I just don't want to trouble you. How could I think it's dirty?"
"If you don't mind the trouble, then try my cooking," Qin Nuo said with a smile.
Hearing this, Mr. Liu's expression softened a bit, and he opened the door and went inside.
Qin Nuo followed, unsure if Mr. Liu had excellent eyesight or was afraid of the light. The bulb inside emitted a pitifully weak glow, barely illuminating the furniture and layout, with so corners shrouded in darkness.
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll have everything ready soon." Mr. Liu poured a cup of hot water, placed it in front of Qin Nuo, then tied on an apron and took the bag of fresh, bloody at into the kitchen.
Qin Nuo didn't pick up the disposable cup. His gaze swept around the room, which felt damp and faintly slled of mold. There was also a peculiar odor lingering in the air.
On one wall hung several photo fras, containing pictures of Mr. Liu and his family. Or rather, just him and his granddaughter. The girl's parents were nowhere to be seen, and Mr. Liu never ntioned them.
Strangely, Mr. Liu's face was clear in the photos, but his granddaughter's face was blurred, as if pixelated.
Qin Nuo stood up and leaned in for a closer look, but the girl's face remained indistinct in every photo.
He reached out and took down one of the fras, gently wiping it, squinting slightly.
Mr. Liu ca out of the kitchen and saw Qin Nuo's actions. He wasn't angry and said with a smile, "That's a photo of my granddaughter. Isn't she adorable?"
Qin Nuo replied, "Yes, she's quite cute, and she resembles you a bit."
Mr. Liu seed to enjoy the latter part of the comnt, chuckling twice before returning to the kitchen.
Qin Nuo hung the photo back on the wall, watching Mr. Liu busy in the kitchen, and asked, "Teacher, where's your granddaughter? Why hasn't she co out?"
"Oh, at this ti, she always sleeps. Once the food is ready, I'll bring her out."
With a sizzle, the vegetables hit the oil in the kitchen. Mr. Liu stirred the pot and replied to Qin Nuo.
Qin Nuo sat in the living room, refraining from wandering around.
When the sky outside turned completely dark, Mr. Liu brought the dishes from the kitchen and placed them on the table.
The aroma of the food spread, and the dishes looked quite appetizing, showcasing Mr. Liu's culinary skills.
Qin Nuo sat down and glanced at the empty seat beside him. "Teacher, children shouldn't sleep too much; it's not good for their health."
Mr. Liu untied his apron, wiped his hands, and draped it over the chair back, smiling. "Alright, I'll go check if she's awake. My granddaughter used to be very talkative, but now she's quiet and timid."
"Just speak softly later, so you don't scare her."
With that, Mr. Liu went into a room. Qin Nuo tried a bit of the food on the table; there was nothing peculiar about the taste.
Soon, Mr. Liu returned, pushing a wheelchair.
Qin Nuo was sowhat surprised. "Teacher, what's this?"
"Sigh, my granddaughter's health has been deteriorating, and she refuses to eat. She can't take care of herself, so I have to keep her in a wheelchair. That's why I asked you to take a look."
He pushed the wheelchair to the table, took a bowl of liquid food, and lifted the blanket covering the person, starting to feed his granddaughter spoon by spoon.
Qin Nuo's eyelids twitched.
His expression turned bizarre because, from his perspective, what was wrapped in layers of cloth was clearly a skeleton.
A child's skull!
He didn't know how long it had been dried out, but there were still traces of flesh in the eye sockets, with maggots crawling out and falling around.
The source of the strange sll Qin Nuo had noticed upon entering the room was emanating from here.
Mr. Liu paid no attention to this, using a spoon to scoop the liquid food into the cracked jawbone. The liquid went in but dripped out from below, and under the blanket, maggots crawled all over.
Horror and disgust.
These were the only two feelings Qin Nuo had at that mont.
Mr. Liu fed a few spoonfuls, wiped his granddaughter with a tissue, and his face radiated a blissful smile. "My granddaughter's health seems to be getting worse, but it's not necessarily a bad thing."
"My son and daughter-in-law died in a car accident years ago, leaving with my granddaughter. The world outside is too dangerous, so it's good for her to stay at ho like this."
"But her health being like this isn't good; she might get sick. Xiao Liang, can you tell what illness my granddaughter has?"
Qin Nuo looked at the skeleton in the wheelchair and asked, "Teacher, when did your granddaughter start being like this?"
"I don't know, maybe a few years ago."
Mr. Liu fed her a few more spoonfuls, carefully wiping her mouth.
"That year, her health was poor. She suddenly stopped talking and eating, so I kept her at ho."
"Have you figured out anything?"
Qin Nuo was silent for a mont, then smiled slightly. "It's nothing. Your granddaughter just has a bit of anorexia. She'll be fine in a while."
"Really? Then I'm relieved."
"Look, my granddaughter is greeting you."
Qin Nuo smiled at the skull, unsure whether to feel sorry for the granddaughter or for Mr. Liu.
Suddenly, Qin Nuo's expression shifted as he noticed sothing. He retrieved a red bracelet from the disgusting liquid-covered blanket.
Staring at the bracelet, Qin Nuo's expression changed, and he suddenly asked, "Teacher, what's your granddaughter's na?"
"My granddaughter's na is Tang Rou. She used to be a lively child and was a student in the performance departnt, talented in many ways!"
Mr. Liu put down the bowl and spoon, smiling proudly.
Qin Nuo took a deep breath, the strange look on his face growing heavier.
The na Tang Rou was both unfamiliar and familiar to him.
Tang Rou was the na of the leader girl among the little ghosts in the performance room last night, wasn't she?
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