Avoid detours, start by running a nursing home.

Chapter 16 Midnight Song

"Hmm... how long have I been asleep? What time is it?"

When Zhang Yang opened his eyes again and looked up, he saw that it was already pitch black outside the window.

He glanced at the clock on the wall again, and good heavens, it was already past 11 p.m.

Glug glug~

"Honestly, they didn't even bother to greet me, the dean, before dinner..."

Hearing the rumbling in his stomach, Zhang Yang rolled over and sat up in bed, rubbing his stomach and complaining.

I am, after all, the dean, right?

Is this so lacking in prestige?

"Never mind, let's check the kitchen downstairs first. If that doesn't work, we can look outside for any restaurants that aren't open yet. By the way, there should be 24-hour ATMs now, right?"

He muttered to himself as he put the bank card in his pocket. After checking that he hadn't forgotten anything, he pushed open the door and tiptoed downstairs.

It was so late, and the residents in the courtyard were mostly elderly people; he didn't want to wake them up in the middle of the night.

Fortunately, the lights in the hallway were always on.

Although the orange light looked a bit dim, it was enough for him to see the road clearly, so he wasn't afraid of tripping over anything.

As he walked, he went down from the fourth floor to the second floor.

Nourishing~

I don't know if the light bulb is broken, but the light at the bottom of the stairwell is flickering, turning on and off like in a horror movie.

Zhang Yang glanced at the streetlight and made a mental note of it.

We definitely need to find someone to replace them tomorrow, otherwise it's too scary in the middle of the night.

As he thought about it, he stepped down the stairs.

Just as I was about to continue downstairs, I suddenly heard a melodious singing voice drifting into my ears...

"Shanghai at night, Shanghai at night, you are a city that never sleeps~"

bass……

Zhang Yang's hair stood on end instantly!

An old house, a broken light, and this old song that seems to have appeared out of nowhere!

Could this old house be haunted?

Instantly, movies and TV shows he had seen in his previous life, such as The Phantom of the Opera, popped into his mind one after another.

The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became, and even his legs started to tremble.

"No... I just time-traveled. Ghosts aren't allowed after the founding of the People's Republic of China!"

Leaning against the wall, Zhang Yang quietly encouraged himself before mustering his courage and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Is anyone there? Who's there!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the singing suddenly disappeared, and the entire house fell silent.

Only the chirping of insects outside remained in his ears...

Thump~ Thump~

If there were any sounds, it would be fine, but now there's absolutely no sound, which makes Zhang Yang even more panicked.

Most importantly, the house was old, and it was the middle of the night with no one around, creating a really perfect atmosphere.

Even if he were a twenty-year-old young man, he couldn't help but panic.

Moreover, with the system's cheat ability already in place, who knows if there are ghosts in this parallel world!

Zhang Yang, holding onto the wall, began to move his feet backward, trying to go upstairs.

Skipping dinner isn't a big deal. Just go back to your room and go to sleep. Once you're asleep, you won't be afraid...

嗒~

Just as he was groping his way back to go upstairs, a soft sound came from the downstairs corridor.

Sizzle! Pop!

Immediately afterward, the light bulb on the ceiling of the stairwell emitted a crackling sound of electricity, and then went out!

The passageway below the stairs was instantly plunged into darkness.

"The night breeze blows cool, and the nightingale sings softly."

Even worse, the intermittent singing started again!

Moreover, judging from the sound, it was getting closer and closer to the stairwell where Zhang Yang was!

"No way? Could there really be a ghost?!"

He was truly terrified; he felt his legs trembling so badly he couldn't muster any strength.

The physical fitness of a national second-level athlete is completely useless at this time.

"Night-blooming jasmine~ I sing for you~"

The intermittent singing grew louder, clearer, and closer to him.

Then, just as he was singing the word "sing," he suddenly stopped, abruptly ending the song.

Then, in the silence, a white figure slowly emerged in the dark stairwell...

Ah!

Zhang Yang looked down at the white figure dressed in a white cheongsam, a style reminiscent of the Republic of China era, and his mind went blank for a moment.

Unable to contain her scream, she kicked her legs and frantically tried to turn around and run upstairs while grabbing the handrail.

"Hey, isn't that Dean Zhang? Why is he still wandering around so late?"

Just as he was in a sorry state and about to run back upstairs, he suddenly heard a woman's voice with a hint of laughter behind him.

Instantly, Zhang Yang froze, stunned on the spot.

That voice... is it human? Or a ghost?

He stopped, gripped the handrail, mustered his courage, and slowly turned his neck to look downstairs.

He saw an elderly woman who looked to be about seventy years old, with a full head of silver hair and a kind face, wearing a cheongsam, standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at him with a smile.

Most importantly, she was carrying a pair of high heels!

No wonder I didn't hear any footsteps!

Zhang Yang looked at the old lady's face, which was full of black lines. "Are you trying to scare me on purpose, old lady?"

It was definitely intentional, right?

He did have some impression of the old lady; he remembered that he had glimpsed her outside the room when he was playing games with Old Jiang that afternoon.

After all, she was wearing a cheongsam, so her features were quite distinctive.

But at the time, he was focused on resolving Jiang Lao's matter and didn't pay much attention to it.

Unexpectedly, he gave himself a rude awakening tonight!

"Grandma, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to hide here in the middle of the night and scare people?!"

Zhang Yang looked at the old lady and asked through gritted teeth.

What kind of people are these? I just shouted it out.

After hearing this, she not only didn't reply, but also took off her shoes to act like a ghost!

"Hehe, really?"

The old woman looked at him, slowly and deliberately raised one leg, and with a flick of her wrist, put on her shoes: "But I don't think there's a rule in our compound that says we can't sing at night, right?"

"Now we have it!"

Zhang Yang was so angry at her mocking tone that his teeth itched. He immediately said, word by word, "Anyway, I'm the dean now. I'll post the notice tomorrow."

"From now on, singing in the hallways is strictly prohibited after 10 PM—no, 9 PM!"

"Especially those old songs!"

"Oh my, I didn't realize our little dean had such a commanding presence!"

Seeing Zhang Yang's angry expression, the old lady suddenly smiled and walked up the stairs with a clattering sound.

"Then please take good care of me from now on, young director."

As she spoke, she turned and walked past Zhang Yang: "By the way, please don't call me 'Grandma' anymore, it sounds awful."

"Just call me... Mr. Chen..."

Ta-da~

Zhang Yang stood behind her, watching the old lady slowly walk upstairs, and he was about to be driven crazy with anger.

I just ran into an old man addicted to online games this afternoon, and now this old lady is pretending to be a ghost to scare children...

Who are these people living in this nursing home?!