These Dangerous Girls Placed Me Into Jeopardy v2c43

Volume 2, Chapter 43: Covert ghosts, Suspicion

TL: flarewk

1st of April, Saturday.

Because of the series of holidays due to Qing Ming, there's still school as per normal today.

The things that occurred just now had too great of an impact to me already, which made me wide awake before I had even washed my face.

After having a hard time getting Xin Ran out of the washroom, I very tiredly gave off a sigh, and casually locked up the door as well.

Looks like from now on, no matter if it's rinsing or using the toilet, I'll have to lock the doors already...........Mm, I'll lock the bedroom door and the windows too, just in case.

Just when I wanted to wash my face, I once again discovered a few things that sent chills down my spine.

My toothbrush had disappeared, my towel is wet, plus inside my cup there's water collected into it, as if that there's already someone who used my toiletries before me...........don't tell me that I really had something ominous possessing onto me already?

Xin Ran said that she didn't climb onto my bed last night, and she definitely wasn't lying.

It should be said that us siblings were people that wouldn't lie at all, as we usually speak rather crassly. Hence, about Xin Ran lying towards me, her gege, it was even more of an impossibility already.

However, last night I definitely was hugging onto someone............something and slept, and that absolutely wasn't a dream at all!

That puddle of liquid on the bedding was the best proof already!

I definitely must have been possessed by a ghost, or stuff like spirits, those ominous kinds of things.

What exorcises a ghost again? Salt, garlic, a cross etc? Err, no wait, those are things that were used to face off against a vampire...........how do we deal against a normal spirit?

The eastern and western methods of dealing with ghosts seem to have a bit of difference between them, there's chicken blood talisman papers, and there's even devices using 'science' to exorcise ghosts, but I don't know too whether those messed up methods would really work or not, and dared not anyhow try it as well. As for asking people to help...........rather than hiring those daoists or exorcists that weren't reliable at all, I'd rather directly find a person that I trust.

Pouring away the unknown liquid in my cup; even the toothbrush was being washed together quite a few times later, while I brushed my teeth, I kept thinking of a few ways to deal with the situation.

(TL: Jun Cheng probably found/ replaced his missing toothbrush)

I suddenly had a bright idea, and thought of a person whom I recently didn't see at all.

Wasn't Li Li also a succubus, she should know on how to deal with those unscientific existences.

Those unscientific existences should be handed over to those unscientific existence to be dealt with, and I believe that Teacher would definitely be willing to help me out.

If she doesn't help, I'll directly issue a command then..........heh heh heh...........

Eeh, no, no, why did my thoughts suddenly become so malicious already?

I, who's an upright person, how could I be using such a threatening method?

Tch, looks like I really am being possessed by a ghost, as even my thoughts had also became malicious already. It's bad this way, it's bad...........

Shaking my head and spitting out the water in my mouth afterwards, I walked out of the washroom, changed my clothes and went downstairs.

Even though the time right now was just 6 am in the morning, the living room actually already had four people gathered within. 

Other than Xin Ran whom I had brushed her away just now, there's still Ke Ling, Xue Li-xiaojie, plus a man...........

Just when I wanted to walk over, Ke Ling noticed onto me and walked over to my side first, unveiling a sunny radiant smiling face as she pounced over on me.

"Good moorning~ gege! Did you have a good sleep last night?"

Hugging onto Ke Ling who had pounced over and circling a round to steady myself, I placed Ke Ling down and said.

"Oh, Ke Ling, you're up rather early today."

"Yes, it's all thanks to Xue Li~"

Xue Li-xiaojie too walked over as she bowed her head in a sign of respectful greeting and afterwards asked.

"Jun Cheng-shàoye, good morning*, may I ask what do you want to have this morning?"

(TL: There isn't any such vocab in EN to describe a very polite form of g'morning in chinese, 贵安 (gui an), so just note that she's always speaking very politely, when in maid form)

"Anything will do............Mm, I'll have sandwiches then."

Xue Li-xiaojie elegantly smiled, and once again slightly bowed respectfully towards me before going on to prepare breakfast for me.

As expected, when she was wearing her maid outfit, the feeling that she gave was completely different from yesterday.

But today, the maid outfit that Xue Li-xiaojie was wearing seemed to have its skirt's length slightly shorter?

The skirt previously would always reach to below her knees, but today, her maid outfit could only barely cover half of her kneecaps.

The feeling it gave was that she was comparatively more vitally energetic than usual.

Suddenly changing a skirt, was it because of the weather recently becoming better? But only just changing such a short length of the skirt also seemed to be a little strange too...........

With my arms being hugged by Ke Ling, I walked towards the dining table and sat by Xin Ran's side. The man who was sitting opposite of me..........my Laobà raised his head to look at me.

A man who looked to be roughly 40 years old, his hair had already almost entirely turned white, and on his forehead reflected out experiences of various life turbulence displayed a few frowns. His expression looked to be still rather fatigued, but his two eyes sparkled with life instead. Although he was sitting down, his back was raised up straightly.

I remembered that when I was young, at this time he would always be reading the newspapers. His figure that was being covered by newspapers had some sort of mysterious sternish feel to it.

Recently, he was instead using a smartphone to read about the current times and news, and after the sternness had disappeared I then suddenly understood, that this was my dad...........

[Ultra Persisting Knife]

[An Yong Kang]

Wah, I recently hadn't seen Laobà, hence I didn't know about Laobà's title, and right now after I've seen it...........should I say that it's as expected? It's the same as Laomā, having a career-oriented type of title, plus it's similarly chuuni too.

Fufu, from this point alone, they were really a match for each other, eyy.

"Yo, Laobà, morning."

When Xue Li-xiaojie said that she obtained Laobà's permission yesterday morning, it looked to be that it wasn't just a perfunctory excuse, and it looks like Laobà's workload had finally ended, as he's able to return home to rest already.

"Oh, Jun Cheng, good morning."

"You actually had the time to return, it's really such a rarity, eyy..........where's Laomā? Have she returned already?"

"She's still sleeping, as she returned at around 3 plus early in the morning yesterday. I'm finally able to have a short break, but she still needs to continue being busy for a while, having no idea too when it'll be finished...........recently, those people getting injured had become lesser, but instead, corpses became more already."

After hearing Laobà saying those words, I unresistingly frowned my eyebrows. Corpses became more already? I wanted to ask about it ever since last weekend, what exactly happened?

Just when I wanted to ask, Ke Ling enquired in my stead, as she used a slightly unnerved tone as she asked.

"Uuu...........what's exactly going on? Daddy."

"Have you all seen the news recently? It already caused a chaotic uproar, and the secretary of the provincial committee even personally issued out a warrant too. As long as a slight amount of useful information is provided, there will be reward given."

As Laobà spoke, he handed over the smartphone to me, with Ke Ling and Xin Ran both gathering their heads over to read the news together.

The hottest sensational news title was 'Corpse splitting homicidal maniac that exceeded Jack the Ripper?! The 7th victim appears, the craziness still continues!', and the content was speaking about the recently occurring murders.

It mentioned about a homicidal maniac who specializes in murdering people at midnight, and 7 victims had already fallen prey, with every victim's death appearance being horrifyingly gruesome, as their corpse had been sliced up into many different pieces.

Seeing onto this piece of article, I suddenly thought about Lian Bing...........don't tell me...........no, it can't be. She did tell me before that she hadn't killed anyone yet, and I don't think that it was a lie. Plus, Lian Bing's also a perfectionist, in order to be certain onto the complete preservation of my corpse, she didn't even use any sort of weapons when she went to hunt me that time, but only strangled onto my neck. Also, such acts of corpse splitting also doesn't suit her way of aesthetics.

Finding numerous reasons within my heart to prove onto Lian Bing's innocence, I myself also don't even know why I must be like this onto helping to absolve her. Despite the fact that she wanted to kill me, even almost murdering me as well, that which was an undeniable truth, I still couldn't hate her at all...........

And thus, the haze within my heart wasn't dispersed still............what if it's really her who did it...........can I even go peach on her then?

I glanced up to look towards Xue Li-xiaojie, she also turned around to look at me in coincidence, and after she noticed onto my eye expression, she gently shook her head and placed her hand onto her chest and unveiled a warm soothing smile towards me.

That's telling me; this matter have nothing to do with Ji Lian Bing, rest assured.

Phew..........although I understood within myself that this matter shouldn't be involved with Lian Bing in any way, but after attaining Xue Li-xiaojie's confirmation, I still heaved a huge sigh of relief within my heart.

"Gege?"

Ke Ling heard my voice, as she confusedly tilted her head and looked at me.

"Ah, I'm fine. But Laobà, it can't be that Laomā's recent overtime was due to her sewing up these corpses that had already turned to meat pieces?"

I originally thought that the dead people had increased already, but now it looks like it wasn't that simple at all...........

"Mm, she's the best seamstress in the entire city. Not only does the deceased's family wish for her to restore back the body, the police also hoped to borrow her assistance onto confirming the identity of the deceased."

"Confirming the identity?"

"Yes, because it's basically not known about those 'body parts' that were scattered on scene whether if they belonged to 'a single person'."

Laobà went silent for a moment before he added.

"The murdering spree occurrence this time, in reality it's not only just 7 people. It should be said instead that 'those corpses that were already formed together' number 7 in all, and there's still numerous quantities of other mangled body parts. It's not confirmed on how many people that this homicidal maniac had killed, and it's even possible that it's a lunatic group of people that had done it."

"My god...........why wasn't this matter announced at all!"

Ke Ling unnervingly clutched onto my arm, as she horrifyingly cried out.

"Just announcing 7 victims alone had already caused extremely negative effects, and if this matter also gets announced it'll herald in gargantuan panic. Right now, the police are fully doing their utmost hunting and searching, but there's still no clues at all."

"Not even a single lead at all?"

Xin Ran didn't display out any signs of being frightened instead, with her face displaying a look of calmness as she said.

"Temporarily no.............but there's also an acquisition too, a lucky surviving victim had recently finally awakened, but due to suffering a tremendous impact, the mental condition was already in a completely crumbled state. Hence, I let the hospital psychiatry's Doctor He to provide treatment to that person, perhaps that person would be able to assist the police onto finding some traces."

"Oh..........."

I'm guessing that it's probably a hopeless case, because the person who managed to survive from within that hideous gory hell, by right their mentality definitely would have completely crumbled already.

"In any case, you all must be careful as well, and your school recently should be promulgating a notice on the cancellation of the night self-revisions already. After lessons, don't wander about anyhow and just directly go home, understand?"

We three siblings replied in unison.

"Got it (~)." x3

Laobà nodded and continued asking.

"Also, Jun Cheng, how's the wound?"

It's rare that Laobà was talking so much today, looks like he really was worried about us.

Although Laobà would always work overtime, his heart was still showing concern towards home.

"Ahh, it's still not bad, even if I was to flip over I also won't find it painful already, is it that after a few days I'm able to remove those stitches already?"

"Mm, come by to the hospital the day after tomorrow, I'll remove your stitches and change your bandages."

"OK."

Recently, I felt my wound to be itching, and I really wanted to scratch, yet not daring to do so. If I could remove my stitches and change my bandages earlier it'll be perfect then.

"Jun Cheng."

Laobà drank a sip of tea to moisten his throat, hesitated for a moment, but still asked me regardless.

"Is there anything else?"

I bit onto the sandwich as I enquired.

"Answer me honestly, you recently; have you met onto something bad?"

"Ah..........ahh? What kind of thing?"

"That wound isn't a trip injury, right? It should have been grazed by a sharp object, so honestly tell me, how did you exactly become injured?"

As expected, it was discovered already, huh. It should be said that if the surgeonist Laobà didn't notice about it, it'll then be strange instead.

Mm...........how should I explain it? Although it wasn't an encounter onto that deviant homicidal maniac from the news, but the reason of being lacerated by deceased deads were equally unable to be said out as well..........I'll say it like this then.

"It's a wound caused from a gangfight, I was being cut by a sharp weapon."

"Who did it!?" x2

Xin Ran and Ke Ling both shouted by my sides at the same time, which shook me till my ears were still ringing about.

Eehh, what were you guys being so agitated for...........

"That's why it's a gangfight...........there's so many people fighting and kicking, how would I know about who had hit me..........."

It shouldn't be considered a lie, right, as it indeed was a gangfight. But it's just crowds of deceased deads hitting both me and Lian Bing though, and I indeed can't see the names of those crowds of deceased dead too.

Laobà's eyebrows frowned even deeper, and said to me with a face of extreme graveness.

"In any case, you must be absolutely careful, and never to be dragged into bizarre events. No matter what things had failed, you can always try again, but there's only a single life!"

"I know, it should be said instead that no one understood that more clearly than me already. Laobà, just be rest assured about this, I'm a person who values safety among anything else."

"That's good then."

The morning discussion thus ended, and the few of us started to silently eat our breakfast.

I won't mention about Laobà being silent, but why did Ke Ling and Xin Ran be so quiet as well?

And Ke Ling...........I had a feeling that, maybe, slightly, a little, she's frightening...........emanating out a very dangerous aura..........Uuu..........so it's like this after the haraguro trait was being exposed out, huh?

It's even more pointless to mention about Xin Ran already, as it was so chilling that it was as if that I was lying on a block of ice.

Because this kind of atmosphere was very discomforting, I hastily swallowed my breakfast inside my stomach, and was the first one to leave the house afterwards.

At the door entrance, while I was tying my shoes I told Xue Li.

"Xue Li, you don't need to pick me up for today."

"May I ask if you have something on?"

"Mm, I'm going to the library, I'm looking for Yang-laoshi regarding something. I'm not exactly sure on when I would be able to return, so I won't be troubling you then."

"It's not appropriate, Jun Cheng-shàoye, you have also heard from homeowner-dàren just earlier, right. Travelling alone at night is extremely dangerous, what if you've really encountered onto a homicidal maniac?"

"It's fine~, I'm rather quick at running away."

Closing her eyes, Xue Li remained in deep thought for a moment, and afterwards opened her eyes and said.

"...........Mm, all right then. Jun Cheng-shàoye, please stand up for a moment."

"Mn? What's the matter?"

Xue Li-xiaojie then approached to my very front, and grasped onto my cheeks.

"Err, Xue Li-xiaojie?"

"You definitely will be safe and sound today."

That sentence was like as if it had magic containing within it, as it flowed into my brain, making me develop a rather wondrous sensation.

Rather than saying that it's a blessing, it's more of like words of hint towards me, and Xue Li-xiaojie kissed onto my forehead afterwards just like that.

Eeeeehh?

She kissed extremely forcefully, she even sucked a mouthful too, and I felt that it would have kiss marks being left behind.

"Huhuhuhu, although it's quite improper to do these kind of things while being a maid, but if it's your jiejie, then kissing a didi would be a very normal thing, right?"

"Uuu..........I'll take my leave then, Xue Li..........."

Under the eager gaze of Xue Li-xiaojie, I a little embarrassingly said out those two words that wasn't being said out from my mouth.

"Jiejie.........."

"Mm mn, be careful on your way~"

I clutched onto my forehead and turned around, as I hastily ran out of my home, genuinely afraid that Xue Li-xiaojie would see onto my reddened face.

Uuuuuu, no wonder Xin Ran didn't call me gege in front of me in the past, and I'm slightly able to understand her feelings already...........it turns out that calling out jiejie was such a shy matter, huh!

But, a maid jiejie, huh..........

Somehow, I just felt to be a little excited.

-ch 43 end-

(4221 words to tl)

TL: So, Xue Li is able to:

• "Read minds" (seemingly no distance, as exemplified by stalker chapter)
• "Hide and feel presences" (shown when she trespassed to take a photo, and feeling even the intermediary stalker's presence)
• Do anything to a 'perfect' level (precise time management as well) 
• Can "provide blessings" (?)
• Portrayed humans as being "creatures capable of emotions" within their "short life spans".

Now, what do you think that she may in reality be? 😆

Footnotes:
Qing Ming = a festival that respects the deceased.

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Chicken blood talisman papers = You know those daoism yellowish papers with strange characters on them? There's a variety that it was being written using chicken blood, believed to exorcise ghosts.

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Chuuni = reference to chuunibyou , aka. eight grader syndrome.

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An Yong Kang (name) = The chinese characters for this name is 安永康. Easy to explain. It could be a reference to 平安永远健康, which means 'safe, and forever healthy'. 

Although it could be argued that 安 may not symbolize anything at all, since it's only a family inherited surname. 永康 on the other hand means forever healthy. 

Does the name sound doctorish? Idk, but it's definitely a plus if your surgeon who was about to perform surgery onto you had that kind of reassuring name.

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Jack the Ripper = A famed serial killer

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Deceased dead = a type of zombie. They are split into two types, living dead/ deceased deads. Deceased deads are reanimated corpses after their living soul had passed away, usually due to magical properties.

Glossary:
gege = elder brother

jiejie = elder sister

didi =  younger brother

Laobà = informal way to address 'father'

Laomā = informal way to address 'mother'

-xiaojie = a suffix, it's a polite way to refer to a lady. (miss)

-laoshi = a suffix, it means 'teacher'

-shàoye = a suffix, it means ''young master'

-daren = a suffix, it's used to refer to someone very respectfully, placing them in a stature above yours. Akin to '-sama', i think?