A Manual for Surviving a Weird World

Chapter 392 No Sleep Allowed
Ning Zhe opened his eyes, and the slightly tilted rearview mirror came into view. The mirror reflected the delicate face of the girl sitting in the back seat. Her features were so perfectly proportioned that she didn't seem like a flesh-and-blood human being, but rather like a 3D character model that had stepped out of a video game.

If it weren't for the gentle traces of her mother still lingering in Bai Zhi's eyes, adding warmth and humanity to her sculpted, icy face, she would be a fake person who could scare away the stall owner even if she went out to buy late-night snacks.

"Ning Zhe?" Bai Zhi blinked in the mirror, somewhat curious. "Are you looking at me?"

"I just glanced at you a few more times because you're pretty," Ning Zhe said casually. He didn't intend to tell Bai Zhi about his background; some truths are better left unknown forever.

If a ghost that has lived in society as a human for a long time and believes itself to be human is exposed and learns the truth that it is not human, some extremely terrifying things may happen.

"Angelica dahurica," Ning Zhe called softly.

"I'm here." Bai Zhi sat upright in the back row, looking at him. "What's wrong?"

"You are Bai Zhi, right?" Ning Zhe asked again.

"Yes." The girl blinked, her gaze somewhat puzzled. "Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"It's nothing, just confirming something." Ning Zhe rested his chin on his left hand, gently pressed his temple with his right hand, and said with his eyes closed, "You are Bai Zhi, and the person sitting next to me is your mother. You are her daughter, understand?"

Bai Zhi's expression became even more puzzled: "I know?"

"Good to know." Ning Zhe didn't say anything more, but silently unfolded the rules of Jueyuan, imprinting the thought "I am Baizhi" on this vengeful ghost who had lost its identity.

In a sense, he did the same thing as Fenwu back then; they were both using their own methods to construct the perception of 'I am human' for a vengeful ghost.

However, Ning Zhe's methods were simpler, more brutal, and more 'absolute'.

Fenwu's methods, on the other hand, are more subtle, gradually achieving his goals through insidious means.

After giving birth to Bai Zhi, Feng Yushu quickly married Bai Fugui. Fenwu meticulously built a standard family of three for this newborn ghost child: a gentle and beautiful mother, a serious and diligent father, and kind grandparents.

Under Fenwu's manipulation, Bai Fugui plays the role of a classic father figure in the traditional sense: serious, rigid, career-oriented, and caring for his family, but not good at expressing himself. He needs this ghost to grow up in a human family as a human, subtly influencing and interfering over a long period of time, so that it gradually accepts its identity as a human.

Although the process was somewhat tortuous, the couple's relationship remained rather cold after marriage. Feng Yushu harbored considerable resentment towards Bai Fugui for taking advantage of her vulnerability and getting her pregnant out of wedlock. Even on their wedding night, she slept alone in the guest room with Bai Zhi, refusing to let her husband in. After the marriage, they continued to sleep in separate rooms, making the atmosphere in their small family anything but harmonious.

Fortunately, although she harbored resentment towards her husband, Feng Yushu still fulfilled her responsibilities as a mother to her daughter. Bai Zhi grew up in this environment, and even now, she has never doubted her identity.

This kind of identity established over a long period of time is very solid, and Lan Shiwen, who has returned from death multiple times and still remains true to his original aspirations, is the best example.

Now, Ning Zhe has used Jueyuan's rules to eliminate the last trace of hidden danger, making it impossible for Bai Zhi to remember who she really is.

"Auntie, drive." Ning Zhe switched back to his original identity and said calmly.

"Eh? Okay, okay." Feng Yushu quickly put her feet down from Ning Zhe's lap, straightened her posture, fastened her seatbelt, and started the car: "Where are we going?" "To Yanglao Village." Ning Zhe said, "There's a potential hazard there that needs to be investigated. By the way, I also have an idea that needs to be tested."

“…I understand.” Feng Yushu lightly pressed the accelerator, and drove Ning Zhe and her daughter away from the underground parking lot.

Yundu implemented traffic control on the streets where there were still strange events that had not been contained. It took a lot of extra time to bypass these controlled areas. Ning Zhe, who was usually in a hurry, seemed unusually patient at this time, as if he was waiting for something.

After crossing the Hanjiang Bridge, Feng Yushu drove to the old town. The residential areas here were lower and older than the new town across the river, but there were still many office buildings that stood out from the crowd.

Land prices and rents in the old town are cheaper than in the new town, so many companies, especially internet companies, prefer to locate their offices there.

The car drove smoothly. Ning Zhe leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. Bai Zhi in the back row rolled down the window a crack. A cool breeze blew through the girl's soft hair. Bai Zhi comfortably squinted her eyes and breathed in the fresh air outside the window.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her tone somewhat cold and hard: "Mom, don't go near that building."

"Which building are you referring to?" Feng Yushu slowed down the car and asked softly.

"It's that office building up ahead, the one with a line of English letters on the roof. Let's go around it," Bai Zhi continued. "That building is haunted."

"Mom understands, let's take another route." Feng Yushu responded gently, turning the steering wheel to the right and driving onto another street.

At this moment, Ning Zhe, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the passenger seat, opened them and asked, "Do you know what rules the ghosts in that building follow?"

“I’m not sure.” Bai Zhi shook her head. “But I have a feeling, a very dangerous feeling… It might not be that dangerous in that building in general, but it’s very, very, very dangerous for me.”

Hearing her use "very" three times in a row for the first time piqued Ning Zhe's curiosity: "It's not that dangerous for ordinary people, but it's very dangerous for you. How exactly is it dangerous?"

“It’s for sleeping,” Bai Zhi said softly. “You can’t sleep in that building. If you fall asleep there, something terrifying will happen, so I’m very afraid to go near there.”

Your calm tone doesn't sound like you're scared... Ning Zhe didn't dwell on the ghost's emotions, but silently pondered Bai Zhi's words.

"Can't we sleep? That's an interesting rule."

Leaving the office building where sleeping was prohibited behind, Feng Yushu drove away from the old city, passed through the ancient city gate under the city wall, and officially left the Yundu urban area and arrived in the suburbs.

After leaving the city, Ning Zhe's faint sense of crisis vanished instantly. Bai Zhi possessed the ability to 'sense' the presence of other ghosts, and Ning Zhe, who had stolen Bai Zhi's identity, could naturally use Taiyi to simulate a degraded version of her abilities. At this moment, he could clearly feel the two completely different atmospheres inside and outside the city.

Ghosts are attracted to those who know of their existence. Nowadays, ghosts roam the night, and most strange events occur in densely populated areas, while the suburbs are now quiet.

Feng Yushu lightly pressed the accelerator, controlling the vehicle to continue driving towards Yanglao Village.

(End of this chapter)