Chapter 112: Getting Closer (Second Update)
After Men Nan finished speaking, Chen Ge and Dr. Gao remained silent for a long time.
Washing hair symbolizes washing away bad luck and filth. Dreaming of washing hair usually portends good things, but the scene Men Nan described had nothing to do with good fortune—it was clearly a nightmare.
"Do you remember what the person in the dream looked like and where you were?" Men Nan was likely the special tourist hinted at by the black phone. Every choice Chen Ge made now, every question he asked, would affect the final reward.
"It seemed to be in the bathroom of my rented place. The arrangement of things felt familiar, but I can't be sure." Men Nan lowered his head, his voice growing softer: "The person standing next to me was also unclear, but I can confirm he was getting closer and closer. I've been having the same dream for weeks, and each time, the scene becomes a bit clearer. The man's face, I can see it more and more distinctly."
"What does he look like?"
"Almost there. I should be able to see his face in the next dream!" Men Nan pressed his head down, and as he spoke, his eyes rolled upward, looking somewhat unsettling.
The young man's account was vague, offering nothing of real value.
Chen Ge wasn't giving up and pressed further: "Can you be more specific? For example, during your hair washing, did that person make any moves or say anything?"
"The content of the dream is almost identical." Men Nan's hoarse voice trembled: "Three weeks ago, when I first had this dream, it didn't seem that scary. In the dream, I don't know why, but I'd get up in the middle of the night and go into the bathroom. My mind stopped working entirely; I just followed my body's instincts, or maybe some other force was controlling me."
"The first dream was blurry and hazy. I stopped in front of the mirror, filled the sink with water, and then plunged my head into it."
"When I bent over, with my head down, I could see someone at the door upside down."
"At first, he was far away. It wasn't until I finished washing that I noticed he seemed to have moved a bit closer. Just a little."
"After that dream, I had others, so I didn't think much of it at first."
"But then something I couldn't believe happened. The next day, I had the same dream again!"
"Exactly the same scene: going to the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror, filling the sink, bending over, and putting my head in the water."
"When my head touched the water, I could see someone standing in the living room. After I finished washing and looked again, he had moved a bit closer."
"The same dream kept repeating. At first, I was dazed during the dream, but later I was fully awake, watching everything. My mind was working normally, my senses growing sharper in the dream. The key thing was that man coming in from the door—each time I dreamed, he was getting closer!"
"I don't know why. In the dream, I was terrified, but I couldn't wake up no matter what."
"As soon as I fell asleep, the dream continued. Two and a half weeks ago, the man entered the living room. A week ago, he appeared at the bathroom door. And just four days ago, he walked right up to me!"
"He stood beside me. Every time I bent over to put my head in the water, his body would lean in with me, his blurry face drawing nearer."
Just listening to Men Nan's account made Chen Ge feel a chill, let alone the young man who had lived through it all.
Having the same dream for three straight weeks, with a faceless man drawing closer, it was no wonder he had ended up like this.
"The night before last, I had the dream again. It was the last time." Men Nan tried to lift his head, his eyes darting rapidly in their sockets: "The man's face was very close. I was almost about to see it clearly, but then he grabbed my neck with both hands. After that, I woke up and haven't dared to sleep since."
Men Nan's situation had reached a dire point. The man in the dream had grabbed his neck. If the dream continued, who knew what it might turn into.
This was more urgent than Dr. Gao had said. No wonder he had come to Chen Ge—it was a desperate attempt, grasping at straws.
"Having this dream over and over, always in the bathroom." Chen Ge thought for a moment and asked, "Could it be a problem with the apartment building itself? Let me suggest a possibility. Don't be scared; it's just my guess."
"Go ahead."
"Is it possible that someone died in your rented room, and the body hasn't been found yet? So they're reaching out to you in the dream, hoping you'll help call the police and clear their name."
After Chen Ge finished, Men Nan's face turned green. He gasped for air: "A corpse hidden in my rented room? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
He was so agitated that if Dr. Gao hadn't held his shoulders, he might have had another episode.
Dr. Gao beside him also looked uneasy: "I've been to his rented place. I checked every corner—nothing unusual. Plus, a week ago, I brought Men Nan to stay at my place, and he still had the dream. It didn't stop just because he wasn't in the apartment."
"The first time he dreamed of that man, the man was standing at the door. So it's likely the man came from outside. Our search shouldn't be limited to Men Nan's room; we should expand it to the whole building." Chen Ge shared his view. Afraid of upsetting Men Nan, he held back the rest: the ghost might have already latched onto him, and changing where he slept wouldn't solve it.
"We're not the police. We don't have the right to search the whole building. Even if we did, the reason would be flimsy." Dr. Gao was starting to wonder if coming to Chen Ge had been the right call. "Maybe we should focus on analyzing the dream. Men Nan keeps washing his hair in it. Perhaps the symbolism of washing hair itself holds a clue."
Dr. Gao tried to steer the conversation, and Chen Ge listened patiently to his analysis. But it didn't explain why Men Nan kept having the same dream.
"I'm not sure either. How about tonight, we go check out Men Nan's rented place together? A firsthand look might yield new insights." Chen Ge waited for their response, his hand in his pocket. So far, the black phone hadn't reacted.