Chapter 27: Soul Attachment

I simply could not bring myself to do it, and I couldn't understand: "Everything is fine, why on earth do you have to use this piece of junk?"

She just smiled and said, "Only by hitting gently will it..."

"Are you asking for a beating?" Jiang Meili seemed intent on self-destruction...

But she replied, "This is a personal matter; if I like it, then she is willing!"

Does this even need to be taught? I had been taken advantage of by someone inadvertently, and I had been holding a grudge ever since. When I asked her for some money, she was so scared she hid it away. Was it a hundred million? It was only one hundred thousand—a mere drop in the bucket; was it really worth being that afraid? How stingy! It’s a pity she drives a million-dollar BMW to put on airs everywhere, only to sneak off when it counts. People like that are better off forgotten!

I took the short whip. Touching it, I felt it was made of faux leather, forty centimeters in length, with a large bundle of tassels that could be easily folded and tucked into a schoolbag...

Actually, I hadn't been a "little boy" for long; I didn't understand women yet, and I always felt very strange, my body feeling completely unaccustomed to it all...

Jiang Meili shouted, "Hit me!"

She seemed so desperate that I had no choice but to try a light flick. To my surprise, her skin was so delicate that it left several bloody welts. I couldn't help but ask, "Does it hurt?"

She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, and shouted, "Hit me again!"

I flicked it gently once more, and a few more red marks appeared on her back, making my heart ache—I didn't know why she enjoyed playing such a painful game. Just as I was about to throw the whip onto the bed, Jiang Meili stood up, snatched it away frantically, and lashed my back three times in a row. It stung with a searing pain, and I couldn't help but ask, "Why did you hit me?"

She smiled and said, "You saw it yourself; you have to do it like I did!" She handed me the whip, lay down on the edge of the bed, and stared at me, shouting, "Hit me!"

I was still feeling sullen from the three lashes she had given me, so since she asked for it, I struck her hard to get even.

"Snap!" With one lash, the flesh on her back jumped, and several bloody welts appeared instantly.

She let out a cry, her body swaying from the pain. I raised the whip for a second strike, but I couldn't bring myself to let it fall.

To my surprise, she gritted through the pain and shouted, "Hit me!"

Jiang Meili was truly forcing my hand. Even so, I dared not use my full strength. As the whip fell, it layered new wounds over the bloody marks; the muscles on her back kept twitching, which was quite frightening...

I threw the whip onto the bed and said, "I'm not playing this game with you anymore; it’s too painful! What if Mom sees this when I get home?"

Jiang Meili’s response left me stunned: "What about it? Where did the whip come from?"

I was truly speechless. If it came to that, wouldn't it mean... I remembered seeing her mother—riding an electric scooter, dressed very beautifully; I never imagined she was a sadist? I really didn't dare to think any further...

My phone rang. Jiang Meili picked it up from the bed, took a look, and held it to her ear: "Hello, Mom?"

A very fierce voice came through: "Hurry back and help me look for it. It's getting late, and you should be home by now!"

Jiang Meili hung up, put on her skirt, and packed the item she had just taken out back into her schoolbag. A picture of a pure and beautiful young girl appeared before my eyes; she was truly beautiful, just like her name.

I followed her request and dropped her off at the bus stop, watching as she boarded the coach and departed. My mind was full of thoughts: What is wrong with this girl?

Just then, my phone rang in my pocket. I took it out, glanced at it, tapped it, and held it to my ear without saying a word. The other party stayed silent for a long time. Just as I was about to hang up, a mature man’s voice suddenly came through: "Little boy, is that you?"

"Who are you? Why do you have my number?" I frowned tightly, unable to figure out who was calling.

"Don't be so cold! We’ve had sweet times together; have you forgotten?"

"What are you talking about? Who exactly are you?" I asked, confused.

"Stop pretending! You can tell it's my voice. Do I really need to introduce myself?"

"If you don't speak up, I'm hanging up! Who has time to chatter with you?"

"Fine, fine, fine; I’ll introduce myself again! You really are a lunatic!"

As soon as I heard that, I realized it wasn't a good conversation, so I hung up immediately. I thought for a long time, but I couldn't figure out who it was. It was a call from a stranger; there are many internet scammers these days, and no one's call can be trusted, especially when the voice sounds completely unfamiliar.

The phone rang again. I checked it, and it was the same number, so I hung up immediately. It called several times in a row, and I hung up every time. Eventually, it stopped calling.

At this point, a pile of problems left me unable to make sense of anything. When I returned home, my wife wasn't there. I checked my phone; it was 10:00 PM. I sat at the writing desk, took out my notebook, and opened it to the composition topic assigned by my Chinese teacher: "My First Chinese Lesson."

I began to draft the content of the narrative. I put my ballpoint pen in my mouth and rolled it around for twenty minutes. Feeling confident, I left two spaces under the title and wrote: "The Chinese teacher is neither ugly nor handsome. I don't know if there are any female students... I had long heard that classmates hate the Chinese teacher the most, which is why 'language deaths' happen so early! But some students don't think so; their own essays are full of awkward sentences and typos, and they blame the Chinese teacher for dying early instead of blaming themselves. I am different. When I heard the Chinese teacher lecture for the first time, I was very serious and focused, and before I knew it, the bell rang. This is the kind of teacher I want! I hope every lesson can bring us wonderful content!"

Writing up to this point, there didn't seem to be anything else to write. I didn't even know if this piece of junk was a narrative, but I didn't have time, so I just finished it off. I carefully read it over again, corrected the typos and awkward sentences, and saw that it was midnight. Just as I was about to sleep, the phone rang. I looked at it; it was a familiar number. I thought about it, then picked it up and held it to my ear.

Jiang Meili’s gentle voice came from the other side: "Hello, little boy, I really miss you! If only you were a man! I would marry you when I grow up!"

I didn't understand the implication of her words and could only comfort her: "Did you return the item?"

"I did! You wouldn't believe..."

I wanted to say that I used to be, but no one would believe it, so I just advised her: "Think about other things more; don't dwell on it. It will pass soon! How is your back?"

A dreamlike voice drifted back: "My back is bleeding a lot. I used a whole pile of paper to wipe it, and the skirt I just put on got stained..."

I couldn't find any way to comfort her, so I just asked casually: "How did you get it stained?"

She didn't want to hide it: "...Later, I took it out quietly, and before I knew it, it ended up like this!"

I knew she wanted to find out... I couldn't let her achieve her goal, and I didn't want to tell her anything either. Let her keep that curiosity forever!

Jiang Meili and I chatted for a long time, and we finally hung up, exhausted...

As soon as I lay down on the bed, the light above glowed with a strange green hue. I didn't know why, but this was my first time sleeping in this bed. I looked closely but couldn't make sense of it, so I reached for the switch by the bed and pulled it, plunging the room into darkness.

As soon as I closed my eyes, the green light drifted down from the lamp, flickering in front of me, asking, "Who are you? Why are you attached to my body?"

My skin crawled, and I broke out in a cold sweat. I pressed the switch, and the light came back on; the phantom disappeared. My heart was pounding, and I desperately wanted to see that green light again, but it was gone.

As soon as I closed my eyes—even though I wasn't asleep yet—the situation was clear: it was a girl, her face indistinct, wearing nothing, drifting back and forth. I didn't know...

I had heard early on that ghosts could possess people, but the shadow just now said that I was the one attached to her! It terrified me! Could it be...

Do ghosts really exist? What should I do? I was the only one home, and it was late at night. I couldn't call the little boy's mother; she must be at the hospital, and I didn't know if she had managed to borrow the money.

I was terrified, staring fixedly at the light above. It flickered and turned a sickly green again. My hair stood on end, cold sweat beaded on my forehead, and I let out a terrified cry: "Who's there?"

"Woooo!" A mournful wind howled, and a wisp of green light swirled around the bulb.

I was scared to death! Do ghosts really exist in this world? What was the green light on the bulb? I thought and thought: if I closed my eyes and it pounced on me, what would I do? I tried to sound brave and shouted, "Stop bothering me, get out!"

The green light trailed a long tail, wailing, "Woooo!" It moved very quickly, circled around, entered through my left ear, and exited through my right, carrying a woman's voice exactly like my own.

"The brain inside has been changed; it's not mine. You who are attached to my body, who exactly are you?" Her voice carried a terrifying echo, incredibly chilling!

Though I was scared, how could I be attached to someone else's body? I didn't even know how I had become this little boy!

The green light flew lower and lower, flashed once, and dove into my body, saying, "This is my body, get out!"

Even if I wanted to get out, I couldn't! My life was tightly bound to hers, and we could never be separated unless one of us died...

Having her inside my body felt like living with a ghost—cold and shivering. The thought was terrifying, and I could only try my best to remain strong...

The green light inside me swirled a few times and turned into a person who looked exactly like me, wearing nothing, swaying as she said, "See? I am the woman. You are the one inside my body."