The man walked down the stairs, and his expression softened a bit as he looked at us. "You must be Sophia's friends, right? Thanks for coming so late to pay your respects. It's getting late, why don't you stay the night?"
Just wondering what excuse to use to stay, Amelia and I exchanged a glance and nodded. "Sure."
"Then go and pay your respects." the man said.
With that, each of us took a flower and silently contemplated in front of Sophia's photo as I said in my heart, 'We have no grudges. Although I don't know why you wanted to harm me, I'm here to help you solve your problems. If you have any unfulfilled wishes, you can tell me, and I will do my best to fulfill them.'
"Tell her parents you want to keep vigil for Sophia tonight," Howard's voice sounded again.
"What!" I was completely stunned, looking at him in disbelief; I was most afraid of this stuff, and Howard actually asked me to keep vigil for Sophia in the middle of the night.
Howard's face was stern, his blue eyes gazing at me impassively. "Don't you want to solve the problem? If you don't keep vigil for her tonight, how will you get close to the body?"
Although what he said made sense, I was really scared. But I couldn't go against his words, so I convinced myself in my heart. "Why do I need to get close to the body?"
"She died suddenly, harboring resentment towards you. Tonight marks the seventh day since her passing, when her Yin energy is at its peak. If you ignore this, she will undoubtedly come for you." Howard explained.
I felt a chill down my spine; so no matter what, I had to see her tonight. Then I suddenly remembered something and asked, "Wait, didn't you say you killed her? How did she die suddenly?"
"When did I say I killed her?" Howard looked at me indifferently.
Feeling helpless, I asked, "If she comes for me tonight, will she kill me?"
Howard looked at me with a mocking smile. "Do you think she's coming to have a heart-to-heart with you?"
"Alright." I knew I had no choice.
As I mustered up the courage to find Sophia's father, Heath Brown, Howard's voice came again. "You keep vigil alone."
"Can't Amelia stay with me?" I asked with pitiful voice.
Howard calmly said, "Her Yang energy is too strong. If you let her stay with you, Sophia won't appear tonight."
'That makes sense. But if I borrow a talisman from Amelia, it shouldn't affect anything, right?' With this thought in mind, I went to the sofa and said to Heath, "Mr. Brown, I had a good relationship with Sophia. Her sudden passing is hard to accept. I want to keep vigil for her tonight. I hope you don't mind."
Heath was stunned. "A good relationship?" He seemed surprised by my words.
Under his suspicious gaze, I nodded and as I thought about what I was about to face tonight, tears involuntarily streamed down my face; I was really scared!
"Of course, I don't mind. Don't cry." Heath said, moved by my actions.
Then the beautiful woman sneered at this. "A freak like her having good friends? That's as rare as hen's teeth."
I looked at her in confusion, not understanding what she meant.
Although Sophia didn't play with her classmates, she had a lot of friends outside of school.
The woman didn't explain and gracefully went upstairs.
Seeing this, Heath explained helplessly, "Sophia didn't have a good relationship with her stepmother."
So the woman was Sophia's stepmother. No wonder she didn't even pretend to cry for Sophia, let alone feel sad.
Being very loyal, Amelia stayed with me until late.
After refusing Amelia's offer to stay with me, I asked her for a novice talisman she had carried since childhood.
"This was drawn by my great-grandfather. It's very effective." Amelia said.
"Thank you." Holding the novice talisman, I felt a bit relieved.
Howard seemed very intent on undermining my confidence. "This has her birthdate on it. It won't work for you."
I was stunned and looked at Howard with hopeful eyes. "Will you stay with me tonight?" He was my only shot at getting out of this mess.
"Of course. Do you think you can handle it alone?" Howard mocked.
Hearing this, I was deeply moved, despite his harsh words. Having someone with me did bring some comfort. At least in my eyes, he was definitely tougher than ghostly Sophia. "You're the best—handsome, smart, and with a heart of gold."
Hearing my praise, Howard was pleased. He cupped my face and clicked his tongue. "If only you were always this obedient." His palm felt slightly cool, and the close proximity made my cheeks flush as I shyly lowered my gaze. In an instant, the atmosphere shifted, tinged with a sudden intimacy.
Howard suddenly shushed, looking into the void, and said something that made my hair stand on end. "She's here."
Following the direction of his gaze, Isaw a grayish-white silhouette gradually come into view. It hovered in midair, its pallid face instilling a sense of fear.
Perhaps it was Howard's presence that subdued my fear. Swallowing hard, I fixed my gaze on her and asked, "Sophia, we bear no grudges against each other. Why do you wish to harm me?"
She remained silent, merely gazing at me with a soft, chilling laugh.
The piercing, shrill laughter made me involuntarily frown and shut my eyes briefly, attempting to conceal my trembling heart. Taking a deep breath and summoning all my courage, I spoke, "If you think I reported you, I can explain. I haven't told the teacher or anyone else about what I saw that day."
My hands and feet grew cold; I was genuinely afraid but also truly wanted to resolve the issue. After all, I didn't want Sophia to keep bothering me.
Howard had said she had a grudge against me. Besides her suspicion that I reported her, we had no other interactions. I thought that if I explained everything clearly, she would understand and let me go, so I said, "You have passed on. You should no longer linger in this world.If you have any unfulfilled desires, tell me, and I will help you."
Sophia finally spoke, her voice eerie and low, her blood-red eyes staring at me with a creepy smile. "Do you think it's because of that?"
I was stunned, both scared and shocked by her words. "Then what else could it be?"