Chapter 2: Fierce Ghost, Fierce Ghost, What Time Is It (Part 2)

◎ Facing Fear and Milk Tea with Less Ice and 30% Sugar ◎

The spacious elevator was still unlit. In Yu Qing’s eyes, the only visible areas were within the flashlight’s beam and the glow of the elevator buttons.

After pressing the button for the 18th floor, Yu Qing even stepped a bit further inside. She thought the elevator was empty, but in reality, it was quite crowded—every space not occupied by her was taken up by the slender ghostly shadow.

So, she was essentially standing within the crook of the slender ghost’s arm with absolutely no sense of personal boundaries.

This scene was very perplexing. It was like a rabbit in the wild walking calmly up to a tiger, lifting the tiger’s lips for a look, and then shoving its own head inside.

Humans do not know when they are on the edge of death, and the terrifying ghost within the legend had never seen such a bizarre scene. When things become eerie to the extreme, they sometimes balance out. The human and the ghost stood quietly like unfamiliar coworkers waiting for the elevator.

But clearly, courting death has no limit.

After entering the complex, Yu Qing had felt a chill at her back the whole time. But since nothing had happened all the way through, she gradually relaxed. After entering Building 18, her phone signal returned, and seeing the message notifications pop up one after another gave her an instant sense of security.

She lowered her head to reply to the messages.

Store: That place seems haunted. Delivery rider, are you okay?

Store: Rider, are you still alive?

Rider: Don’t worry, don’t worry. Order will be delivered soon (▽)! There are no ghosts anywhere.

The long-ignored third party in the elevator slowly lowered his head: “……”

The narrow elevator’s temperature suddenly dropped, and a bone-chilling gaze landed on Yu Qing. A red gash suddenly split open across that faceless “face,” revealing jagged, saw-like teeth that lunged straight toward Yu Qing.

As long as Yu Qing raised her head, she would crash into that faceless face.

But obviously, those scenes in horror movies where people always look up and make eye contact with the ghost are all staged. Ever since smartphones appeared, young people have all become head-down types. Even if they feel the elevator suddenly becoming as cold as a refrigerator, their first reaction is not to look around but to open the weather app.

“Ding dong.”

The 18th floor arrived.

As the elevator door opened, Yu Qing lifted her delivery bag and walked out calmly. The only thing that felt off was the faint sensation that something cold brushed past above her head as she exited.

What was it? Yu Qing thought about it while walking farther away.

It was the chin of the vengeful spirit. Because the elevator was narrow for the ghostly figure, even when it leaned in with a ferocious expression, it still could not reach Yu Qing’s low height.

If Yu Qing were 170 cm tall, she would be facing fear directly.

But since Yu Qing was 158 cm tall, she passed directly under fear’s armpit.

The vengeful spirit in the elevator kept its twisted expression while watching Yu Qing leave. The expression on its “face” slowly returned to normal.

The tall ghostly figure slowly walked out of the elevator. In the pouring rain, a flash of lightning lit up the corridor, revealing the humanoid outline of the translucent ghostly figure as it walked toward Yu Qing.

Frightening the living is something only the low-level spirits in this tale enjoy doing. The tall shadow prefers to wander at night like a moving black cloud. Although he is the scariest boss in this tale, most people cannot attract his attention or interest. Countless living people have died on his path, but not a single one ever received even a glance from this giant.

But now, Yu Qing had attracted his attention from a very peculiar angle.

The heavy footsteps of death followed behind Yu Qing. The hunting game had begun.

As if she heard the footsteps behind her, the short, bright yellow figure walked faster and faster, almost breaking into a run. But no matter how fast she ran, the ghostly shadow followed her like a shadow. She knocked on door after door, but none opened for her.

The tall ghostly figure stopped as if he had sensed the despair and anxiety coming from Yu Qing. This game, which had no suspense, finally sparked a bit of hunting interest in this monster. A bloody smile tore open his featureless face, and he even slowed his pace.

At first glance, this looked like a one-sided and hopeless death game.

But in fact, the reason Yu Qing ran so fast was because the customer had purchased the On-Time Guarantee.

The delivery time was almost up. Yu Qing had no time to care about anything else. She compared door numbers one by one, panting from running. She finally found Unit 444, but no one responded after knocking for a long time.

At this point, Yu Qing finally noticed the heavy footsteps behind her. Her flashlight flickered twice, then fizzled out.

She could only vaguely see a humanoid figure in the dark. That was the tallest person Yu Qing had ever seen. Just standing there, his shadow could cover her entire body. Simply standing face to face like this created a terrifying sense of oppression.

The tall ghostly figure slowly reached his hand out toward Yu Qing.

If Yu Qing turned and ran, she would find herself completely unable to move and could only watch helplessly as that ghostly hand grabbed her and snapped her neck. If Yu Qing chose to fight back against the boss of the ghost tale, of course, there would also be no chance of survival.

But Yu Qing looked at the hand reaching out toward her.

Very naturally, she placed the takeout into his hand.

“Order ending in 0511, this is your delivery right? Peach bubble green milk tea with no ice and thirty percent sugar.”

The ghostly figure that came for her life did not receive the expected scream or fear. Instead, it received a cup of peach bubble green milk tea.

The ghost slowly turned his head and stared at the milk tea bag.

“……”

Yu Qing was actually a bit scared too because of the customer’s height. Especially when she touched his hand, it felt like touching a block of ice. She couldn’t help but shiver.

But because the customer just stood there, maintaining that posture without any other reaction, Yu Qing relaxed and even asked, “So I’m going to mark it as delivered now?”

After greeting him, in the next second, Yu Qing, who wanted to pass by the ghost tale boss, was forcefully pulled back. It was like she had been nailed to the spot by a boulder and could no longer move.

The ghost slowly turned his head to look at her. The chilling gaze landed on her face.

Yu Qing’s mind worked quickly and immediately remembered what she had forgotten.

“Oh oh, sorry about that, really sorry.”

Yu Qing hurriedly stuffed the forgotten straw into his other hand.

Now the tall ghostly figure held milk tea in his left hand and a straw in his right hand. Both hands were full.

“……”

Every city gate tower will meet its destined pivot axle.

This time, Yu Qing finally passed safely by his side and went to wait for the elevator very naturally. She looked back and even though it was dark, she could still vaguely see the tall, slender figure still holding that posture, unmoving. He looked kind of…

Dumb.

Yu Qing couldn’t help but glance back several times.

So tall, but why does he look a bit… not too smart?

Soon, the elevator arrived, and Yu Qing went downstairs.

Because she had gotten too close and was stained with the ghost’s aura, the resentful spirits in the corners no longer came near.

On the way back, Yu Qing had smooth sailing and did not encounter any supernatural events at all.

A speedrun through death in one go. The whole process took 30 minutes. She even pressed “delivered” on time.

Yu Qing rode her little electric scooter and went home.

Even though wandering spirits roamed in the deep night, the world had not undergone any earth-shattering change. The tall buildings and bright lights were as they had been for many years. The tired office workers still moved through the night, busy for their livelihoods.

For Yu Qing, tonight was just a slightly strange delivery experience. She neither saw any ghosts crawling around nor experienced any elevator horrors. At most, the customer seemed like he was two meters tall, looked a little fierce, and had very cold hands.

But the customer’s love for peach bubble green milk tea balanced that out well.

Passing through the alleys of the old neighborhood, Yu Qing returned to her small rental apartment.

Since owing a large sum of money, Yu Qing had sold all the valuable things from home as second-hand items online. There was some benefit to this — at least the cramped little place now looked much more spacious.

She ate a simple late-night snack, hesitating for a long time between adding an egg or not, then looked up at the endless rain outside the window and sighed.

During the time she had just been swindled out of all her money, shrinking in this tiny rental, Yu Qing had once thought about ending it all. Her parents were divorced, she had no close family, and compared to carrying debts that might last decades, she wanted to reincarnate as soon as possible.

At that time, she went to visit her cousin who worked at a crematorium and indirectly inquired about the funeral fees.

Her cousin told her, “The first cremation in the morning costs thirty thousand. I can give you a discount — a family price of twenty-eight thousand. I can also help you cut in line.”

Later, Yu Qing inquired about body donation.

In 2067, technological development stagnated, the economy also halted, and debt was common. Most people could not afford the high fees for gravesites. As a result, body donation became very popular, with a huge number of people lined up to donate.

Yu Qing signed up but was told the earliest she could die was in twenty years. She would have to wait until the last batch of anatomy professors retired before a spot would be freed. Staff advised her to try to delay the death of donors.

Yu Qing: “……”

And so, Yu Qing held on strongly. Although she seemed very energetic running around every day, Yu Qing knew deep down she still lacked confidence in facing the future, and frustration would pop up from time to time.

Just like now.

Yu Qing could not help but sigh.

Land in Linchuan City was extremely expensive. Even for the small thirty-square-meter place she lived in, rent was more than two thousand yuan. Rent was paid quarterly, and the next quarter’s rent was about to be due, but Yu Qing had no clue how to pay it.

Before going to sleep, Yu Qing sat on the bed, devoutly making a wish like the little match girl:

Heaven above, please let that generous customer order takeout again tomorrow.

Author’s note:

This is actually a story about the little match girl and the fairy godmother (death edition) (not)