I hurriedly packed my luggage and went downstairs. Rachel Lan followed me with a heavy expression on her face. I had no idea what was wrong with her—she kept bringing up my parents just now.
Sure enough, as we left the hotel, Mason Wang was waiting for us.
"Brother Zhang, where are we going to have fun today?"
"No, thank you. We have something urgent and need to head back. Can you help us get plane tickets?"
"Did something happen at headquarters? Heh, leave it to me. Rachel, you two wait a bit. At this hour, there’s only a flight at 3 p.m. I’ll go get the tickets for you myself."
Rachel Lan stepped forward and stopped Mason Wang.
"Mason, do you still remember why we came here?"
"Of course, Rachel. You know, back in the day, we all used to say that although you’re beautiful, your temper isn’t great, so maybe you’d have trouble getting married. Heh, but now things are different. Next time, if you and Brother Zhang come again, I’ll be your guide. We only got to have fun for one day."
Rachel Lan didn’t say anything. Then she and I returned to the hotel cafeteria for breakfast. She wore a blank expression, and I couldn’t figure out what I’d done to upset her, but I didn’t dare ask.
"Rachel, um, was it because last night, I said I was tired and you wanted... and I ended up..."
Rachel Lan stared at me wide-eyed, saying nothing. After breakfast, I was filled with anxiety, all because of my cousin. I kept thinking over and over how I would explain everything to his family.
“Ethan, think carefully. You don't have parents, so how could you have a cousin? And other relatives?”
I let out a surprised sound and looked at Rachel.
“Rachel, are you okay? Is your memory getting mixed up?”
Rachel shook her head.
“Ethan, answer my question.”
I sighed, feeling a bit melancholy.
“I'm an orphan. My cousin once came to the orphanage and said I looked like his long-lost brother, so he accepted me as his own. Later, I was able to go to school and college all thanks to his family's support. I'm really grateful to him, but now, I have no idea how to explain things to Uncle.”
“The memories have been tampered with.” Rachel muttered, deep in thought as she looked at me.
“Rachel, I'm sorry. I really just wanted to spend a few days with you, but I have to deal with my cousin's situation. I can't just leave him with the Ghost Burial Squad. I was hoping to wait a few days and find a solution before explaining things to Uncle.”
“Ethan, can you wait here for a few days? I have something I need to take care of.”
Seeing Rachel so determined, I could only nod and agree. No matter how anxious I was about my cousin, there was nothing I could do but wait until I found a workable solution before explaining things to Uncle.
Over the phone, I told Mason Wang not to book any plane tickets. Afterward, we got another room and returned. As soon as we entered, I hugged Rachel from behind.
“Rachel, maybe now…” Suddenly, Rachel broke free from my arms, turned around, and stared blankly at me.
“Ethan, you've forgotten something important. Don't you feel anything?”
I let out another surprised sound, placing my hand on Rachel's forehead. Ever since this morning, I'd felt something was off about her—first saying I had parents, now insisting I'd forgotten something crucial.
Then Rachel grabbed my phone. I watched, confused, as she dialed Yin Choujian's number. Strangely, after a while, someone answered.
“Brother Ethan.” It was Su Xiaoxiao. I stared in surprise.
“Uncle Yin and Sister Ji Yuner went out yesterday. They asked me to tell you to come back and stay put.”
Rachel asked several questions about my parents. Su Xiaoxiao had several ghosts answer the phone, but none of them knew anything about my parents.
“Rachel, what's wrong with you?”
Rachel clutched her forehead, silently sitting back down on the bed. Then she started frantically calling people. Seeing her expression, I didn't ask much—she was calling members of the Ghost Burial Squad.
Eventually, she set the phone down, exhausted.
“See? I don't have parents; everyone knows it. Rachel, what's going on with you?”
Rachel shook her head, then asked Shi Jian to check my records. After that, she just sat in silence, waiting for Shi Jian to call back.
Soon enough, Shi Jian called.
The records showed I was just an orphan, with no information about any parents. My name was even given to me by my cousin.
After that, Rachel asked Mason Wang to come pick us up. She went to the home of someone named Zhou Minzao and had the Ghost Burial Squad investigate, but there was no information about Zhou Minzao at all.
I found Rachel's behavior more and more incomprehensible.
“Ethan, look at the photo album.” I responded and watched as Rachel held up a picture. In the photo, a couple stood far apart, as if something was missing between them.
“Someone's missing here, Ethan. Look closely.”
I took the photo and examined it, but didn't see anything strange.
“Maybe the two didn't get along, so they're standing apart.”
Later, Rachel found a café and told me the real reason we came—to search for my parents. She was very serious and even mentioned something about a book called 'Horror Stories.'
But in my memory, none of this ever happened. I sat quietly, trying to figure it out, but Rachel didn't seem like she was lying.
“I understand, Rachel. Let's keep searching for that 'Horror Stories' book.”
We asked Mason Wang about any information regarding a book called 'Horror Stories' in the city, but he'd never heard of it.
“Should we check out some secondhand bookstores?”
I asked, and Rachel nodded. Mason drove us to a flea market known for its old books. He and other Ghost Burial Squad members often came here to look for items that could ward off evil.
After grabbing a quick bite, we entered the flea market. It was crowded, with many sellers offering self-painted antiques. Most people were just browsing, wary of buying fakes in a place like this.
We entered a used bookstore run by a middle-aged man, who greeted us politely.
“Do you have a book called 'Horror Stories'?”
“Oh, 'Horror Stories'? There's a whole pile over there. Take your time looking—some of them are pretty good.”
The three of us went over to a bookshelf and started searching, but after a long time, we only found a bunch of old books—none called 'Horror Stories.'
Rachel stayed gloomy the whole time. We wandered around all day and found nothing.
“Let's go back to your place, Ethan.”
Rachel immediately said that if I went home, I might find something useful.
With no other options, we booked the last flight at 7 p.m.
At first, I was suspicious of Rachel's strange behavior, but after all the ghostly incidents we'd been through, I figured there really might be something supernatural at work. I always trusted Rachel.
Once on the plane, Rachel leaned on my shoulder. We sat close together, planning to rest for a bit. She asked me several times if I remembered anything about my home.
Of course I remembered. My cousin sold me the house cheaply. I lived there for a while, but only during high school. Later, the house just sat empty. I wanted to rent it out, but for some reason, it never worked out.
We got back to our city after 9 p.m., then Rachel and I drove her car for more than three hours to my house.
As soon as I walked in, I sat down comfortably.
“Ethan, come with me.”
Rachel pulled me into what used to be the master bedroom. Inside, it was cluttered with junk and little else.
Rachel's eyes widened in shock as she took in the scene. Then she rushed in and began searching through the piles of stuff.
She found a photo album and looked through it for a long time before bringing it over.
“Look, Ethan. All the photos are of you, but doesn't it feel like someone is missing?”
I looked carefully. Every photo from my childhood had been taken by my cousin.
Maybe my cousin just wasn't a good photographer, I explained.
Suddenly, I saw Rachel's face change dramatically. She dashed out the door as if she'd seen something terrifying, and two white ribbons shot out instantly.
“What happened?” I asked. Rachel shouted something and ran outside. I hurried after her.
“It's a little ghost, Ethan.”
I watched Rachel chase after something, but I couldn't see anything.
“You can't run.” Suddenly, Rachel dashed into the elevator. I hurried over, but the doors closed before I could catch up. I had to wait for another elevator.
When I finally got downstairs, Rachel was nowhere to be found. I quickly took out my phone and dialed her number.
Suddenly, my eyes widened in shock as a mechanical voice said, 'Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service.' My heart raced and my mind buzzed.
Then I felt something in my mind fading away, little by little. I cried out and collapsed, losing consciousness.
A passerby woke me up. I shook my head to clear it.
“Why did I come home?” I muttered, picking up my phone. In a daze, I saw a contact named Rachel Lan.
The oppressive, eerie feeling lingered, as if something important had slipped away forever.