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00:00When I locked my daughter inside the wardrobe, she was still laughing happily, thinking it was just a game.
00:03Who would have imagined that confinement would last 20 years?
00:0620 years later, I finally returned to my hometown with the intention of giving my daughter a proper burial.
00:10But as I approached the wardrobe, I heard my daughter's childish voice coming from inside.
00:13Dad, you finally found me.
00:15Why did it take you so long?
00:1620 years ago, I locked my daughter in the wardrobe and then left the village with my wife and son.
00:20Now my son was about to get married.
00:21To attract good fortune, my wife and I consulted a fortune teller because we wanted to choose an auspicious wedding
00:26date.
00:26But after reading the hexagrams, the master's face turned extremely serious.
00:29This reading is not right.
00:30Do you perhaps have another lost child somewhere?
00:32Hearing that made me nervous immediately.
00:34I instantly exchanged glances with my wife.
00:36Seeing the alarm in her expression, I knew we were both thinking about the same thing.
00:38A son's wedding is an important matter.
00:40The whole family must be gathered to celebrate it.
00:42If someone does not return after this wedding, who knows what kind of problems may arise.
00:45What kind of problems?
00:46You'd better not ask.
00:47Even if I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me.
00:49But if this celebration is not carried out properly, then we may end up holding a funeral instead.
00:53I only ask one question.
00:54Does your family have another daughter?
00:56I nodded immediately.
00:56Ah, then that's it.
00:57According to my calculations, she is still outside.
00:59Your daughter desperately wants to return home.
01:01That girl is truly no ordinary person.
01:03The master's words left me completely confused.
01:05My daughter had been dead for 20 years.
01:07How could she possibly want to return home?
01:09And how could she be an extraordinary person?
01:10Since ancient times, the dead are buried and the living return home.
01:13To properly celebrate a wedding, there cannot be even the slightest mistake.
01:16Go home first.
01:17When the entire family is reunited, come back to me so we can choose the bride.
01:20Seeing how firm the master was, we had no choice but to leave immediately.
01:23When we got home, my wife's face was filled with worry.
01:25She looked at me helplessly.
01:27What are we going to do?
01:27We moved away 20 years ago.
01:29Shao Di has been dead for a long time.
01:30We can't let this ruin our son's wedding.
01:32But how are we supposed to bring her home?
01:33I grabbed my hair in frustration.
01:35I was also extremely distressed.
01:36Just because the future bride's family was wealthy and powerful, it had not been easy at all for our son
01:40to secure this marriage.
01:41And the influential in-laws were extremely particular about traditions.
01:44They repeatedly insisted that we consult a master to calculate an auspicious wedding date.
01:47But now this whole matter had stalled because of our daughter.
01:50I had to find a solution.
01:51Our daughter's name was Chen Shao Di.
01:52If Shao Di were still alive, she would be 32 years old this year.
01:55When Shao Di was 12 years old, my wife Lin Chulon and I decided to go work in the city.
01:59It was already difficult enough for villagers to survive in the city.
02:02And taking care of two children would be an even heavier burden.
02:04If we don't take Shao Di, taking our son alone is enough.
02:07But my parents died long ago.
02:08If we leave her here alone, who will take care of her?
02:10She doesn't need anyone to take care of her.
02:11We'll lock her inside the house and let her fend for herself.
02:13In the future, we'll act as if she was never born.
02:16My wife's words completely stunned me.
02:17Yet she spoke as if it were perfectly normal.
02:19What's strange about it?
02:20How many girls in the village are abandoned by their parents the moment they're born?
02:23Even if she lived a few more years, she'd eventually just be sold to someone else.
02:26We've already done enough by raising Shao Di until she was 12.
02:28Enough nonsense.
02:29I've made my decision, so just do as I say.
02:31Tomorrow I'll show you what you need to do the next day.
02:33We continued as usual, packing our belongings.
02:35Shao Di and her younger brother ran around excitedly, constantly stuffing toys into the bags.
02:38The time for the car to arrive was getting close.
02:40Lin Chulon signaled to me with her eyes.
02:42I understood what she meant.
02:43Even so, in the end, I still approached my daughter.
02:45Dad, I'm tired of packing.
02:46Since today I have free time, and it's rare that I can spend time with you, let's play
02:49hide-and-seek.
02:50I don't want to play yet.
02:51I haven't finished packing my things.
02:52Big sister, I want to play hide-and-seek.
02:54Please play with me for a while.
02:55All right.
02:56So pretending everything was normal, I played with them until Lin Chulon gave me another
02:59signal.
02:59I knew it was time to act.
03:00Last round.
03:01This time it's big sister's turn to hide.
03:03Your younger brother and I will search for Shao Di.
03:04You have to hide well, okay?
03:06My wife also falsely added as she leaned close to our daughter's ear.
03:08Don't worry, Shao Di.
03:09Mom will take you to a great hiding spot for summer hide-and-seek.
03:12I guarantee they'll never find you.
03:13Then my wife took our daughter to the storage room.
03:15Apart from me and Lin Chulon, nobody knew there was a basement beneath the storage room.
03:18In that basement, there was also an abandoned old iron wardrobe.
03:21The moment I started counting, she was already inside.
03:23The wardrobe was thick and heavy.
03:24A child could never open it.
03:26When Lin Chulon came back up from the basement with Shao Di, I saw she was holding a padlock
03:29in her hand.
03:30Shortly afterward, she climbed back upstairs alone.
03:32Then, following the plan we had agreed upon, that very same night, we reported to the police
03:36that our daughter had disappeared.
03:37Back then, human traffickers were extremely active.
03:39Lin Chulon cried bitterly in front of the officers, so nobody suspected we were
03:43responsible.
03:4320 years passed in the blink of an eye.
03:45In truth, during all this time, we had returned to our hometown several times.
03:48But Lin Chulon and I had a tacit understanding.
03:50Neither of us ever mentioned the matter, and neither of us ever went down to see the basement.
03:54But now, because of our son's wedding, I had no choice but to go there.
03:56Did you hear what the master said about the dead needing to be buried?
03:59Shao Di definitely hasn't been buried all this time.
04:01The master discovered it through his calculations.
04:03I'll go back and bury her in the family cemetery.
04:05Hopefully she'll finally rest in peace and stop affecting our son's wedding.
04:07You're right.
04:08What else can we do?
04:09We can't delay our son's marriage either.
04:10When she was alive, she was already a burden to the family, and now that she's dead, she's
04:14still causing trouble.
04:15We need to get rid of her and bury her quickly so her spirit stops wandering around.
04:18Right after that, I returned to my hometown that same night.
04:20The house was an old single-story building.
04:22It had all the electrical appliances, but I was afraid the neighbors might notice something
04:25strange, so I didn't dare turn on the lights during the whole process.
04:28I had to walk into the small storage room in complete darkness.
04:30The moment I entered the storage room, I felt something was wrong.
04:33It felt as though several doors were open.
04:35The wind blowing against my face was damp and cold.
04:37Worse still, I suddenly heard a loud banging sound.
04:39It scared me so much, I nearly dropped the flashlight from my hands.
04:42But when I held my breath and listened carefully, several minutes passed, and the strange sound
04:45never came again.
04:46I could only comfort myself by thinking they were probably rats running around blindly after
04:50hearing someone come in.
04:51Thinking that, I continued forward.
04:52Nothing here had changed compared to 20 years ago.
04:54When I shined the flashlight around, all I could see was the large wardrobe in the corner.
04:58The wardrobe was covered in rust, with peeling paint scattered all over the floor.
05:01The padlock was still attached to the door, yet there was no smell of a rotting corpse.
05:04I supposed that after 20 years, the body had already decomposed beyond human form, and
05:08any odors that should have evaporated had long since disappeared.
05:11I sighed, trying to calm a guilty conscience that didn't truly exist.
05:14But just as I took out the key my wife had given me to open the wardrobe, a burst of
05:17laughter
05:17suddenly echoed out.
05:18I jumped in terror and quickly turned around, instinctively thinking someone was following
05:22me.
05:22Who's there?
05:23Come out right now.
05:23Stop pretending to be a ghost.
05:24There was no response.
05:25The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
05:27I could barely hold the flashlight steady.
05:29Trembling, I looked around wildly, thinking I couldn't let anyone discover my daughter's corpse.
05:32So, I cautiously searched everywhere.
05:34But in the end, I found no one following me.
05:36Instead, I discovered a mummified corpse curled up in the corner.
05:39I couldn't tell whether it was a cat or a dog.
05:40I walked back toward the wardrobe and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
05:43I told myself I was simply too nervous and had imagined the sound.
05:46I took out the key again and continued unlocking the door.
05:49Dad, is that you?
05:49I've been waiting for you for such a long time.
05:51I'm inside the box.
05:52Why did you take so long to come?
05:53I hurt my hands from banging on it.
05:54It sounded exactly like Shouty's voice.
05:57Dad finally found me.
05:58Looks like I hid really well this time.
05:59It really was Chen Shouty speaking.
06:01What the hell was happening?
06:02Shouldn't Shouty have died long ago?
06:03Dad, why aren't you answering me?
06:05Open the door quickly.
06:05How was that possible?
06:06In a sealed iron wardrobe for 20 years?
06:08Even if she hadn't suffocated, she would have starved to death.
06:10What the hell was inside that wardrobe?
06:12I want to get out.
06:12Hurry and get me out of here, Dad.
06:13I don't want to play hide and seek anymore.
06:15I want out.
06:15Open the door right now.
06:16I could no longer stand.
06:17I crawled out of the basement in terror.
06:19I didn't even dare go back to pick up the keys I had dropped.
06:21When I got home and described everything, Lin Chulon's first reaction was not belief, but suspicion.
06:25San Wendong-gu, are you too scared to buy it?
06:27Did Shouty make up lies on purpose?
06:29Wow.
06:29If you don't want to bury her, just say it directly.
06:31Why make up ghost stories to fool people?
06:32How could something so strange exist in this world?
06:35I repeatedly insisted I wasn't lying, but no matter how much I explained, Lin Chulon simply
06:38refused to believe me.
06:39In the end, she stormed out angrily.
06:41Not long after she left, the future in-laws called, asking how the wedding preparations
06:44were going and whether I had consulted a master to choose the date.
06:47The in-laws were business people and cared deeply about feng shui, so they placed enormous
06:50importance on the wedding date.
06:52How could I possibly tell them the truth?
06:53I could only use my wife's illness as an excuse and promise that in a couple of days I would
06:57go consult the master about the date.
06:58After hanging up the phone, I pulled out several cans of beer, intending to drown my worries
07:02in alcohol.
07:02But even after several cans, I still couldn't stop thinking about what was inside the wardrobe
07:06because I simply could not understand it.
07:08If it was a person, how could it survive 20 years inside a sealed wardrobe?
07:11If it was a ghost, how could it be trapped inside the wardrobe?
07:13Thinking about that, I eventually fell asleep in a daze.
07:16Wendong, wake up!
07:16Wake up already!
07:17Get up now!
07:18I really heard it.
07:18No, not only did I hear it, I also opened the wardrobe door.
07:21The door?
07:21Who told you to open it?
07:22Then what did you see inside?
07:23Ah, it followed me home.
07:24Oh, she was standing right outside the door.
07:26My body froze stiff.
07:27I turned around mechanically.
07:28When the door slowly opened completely, I saw a little girl wearing a dress with two
07:31pigtails walk into the house.
07:33Smiling brightly, she said,
07:34Dad, I'm back.
07:35My eyes widened and my heart nearly stopped.
07:37It was Shao Di.
07:37The exact same Shao Di from 20 years ago.
07:40Even the dress she was wearing was exactly the same as back then.
07:42Her pigtails were perfectly tied.
07:44Her mother had done them on the very day we locked her away.
07:46I was speechless.
07:47I couldn't say a single word.
07:48When I saw her walking toward me, I instinctively stepped back.
07:50Don't come closer.
07:51Please, don't come closer.
07:52She obediently stopped where she stood.
07:54Where had she been?
07:55Damn it.
07:55Was this thing human or a ghost?
07:57Lin Shulan also shrank back in fear.
07:59Shao Di raised her head innocently and asked what we were talking about.
08:01Nothing.
08:02Nothing.
08:02Even my voice was trembling.
08:03But she acted as if nothing was wrong, climbed onto the sofa without hesitation,
08:06and laid down comfortably.
08:07Wow.
08:08This is our new house.
08:09It's so pretty.
08:10I like it.
08:10She looked around everywhere with curiosity.
08:12After a while, she suddenly spoke again.
08:14Oh right, Dad.
08:14Where's my brother?
08:15Where did he go?
08:15Wasn't he the one who wanted to play hide and seek?
08:17Why did Mom open the door?
08:18Why hasn't my brother come to find me yet?
08:19The moment she said that, I screamed in terror.
08:21Lin Shulan quickly tried to cover it up.
08:23Tell her your brother had something urgent to do and stepped out for a while.
08:26But what urgent thing?
08:27Shao Di kept insisting.
08:28Lin Chuan dragged me into the bedroom.
08:29The moment he shut the door, he asked the question straight away.
08:31Wendong, do you think that thing is a person or a ghost?
08:34How would I know?
08:34I was about to ask you the same thing.
08:36Why the hell did you let her out?
08:37There's no point saying that now.
08:38She's already out.
08:39Instead of arguing, think about what we're going to do.
08:41He turned around and grabbed a knife from the dresser.
08:43Doesn't matter if it's a person or a ghost.
08:44We stab her and that's it.
08:45Are you crazy?
08:46What if she really is our daughter?
08:47So what?
08:48We already killed her once.
08:49No, absolutely not.
08:50Things are different now.
08:51We can't kill our daughter again.
08:53I slapped the knife out of his hand.
08:54Unlike Lin Shulan, as I got older, I started valuing children more and more.
08:57If we had a 12-year-old daughter now, then when I became old and unable to walk,
09:00she would be in the prime of her life and could take care of Lin Shulan and me.
09:03The truth was, I had regretted for years listening to my wife and locking my daughter in the cellar.
09:07If Shao Di had really come back, then this was my chance to make it up to her.
09:10Under no circumstances would I allow Lin Shulan to hurt her,
09:13but I needed to understand why my daughter hadn't died in 20 years
09:15and why she still looked exactly the same.
09:17After hearing my thoughts, Lin Shulan hesitated.
09:19And who exactly are you planning to ask?
09:21Better call the police and let them investigate.
09:23Have you lost your mind?
09:23If we call the police, they'll find out we killed our daughter.
09:25Getting arrested ourselves isn't the biggest issue,
09:27but if the crime is confirmed and we end up with criminal records,
09:30what will happen to our son and our future grandson?
09:32They won't even be able to become civil servants.
09:34Then what do we do?
09:35If what came back isn't Shao Di but some evil thing,
09:37this family will never know peace again.
09:39Suddenly, I had an idea.
09:40I pulled out a business card from the drawer.
09:41It had an advertisement for a private detective with a name and phone number on it.
09:44Lin Shulan looked at the card suspiciously.
09:46Where did you get this?
09:47I found it on the street.
09:48Don't ask anymore.
09:49I didn't tell her the truth because lately she had been taking far too long
09:51whenever she went shopping and I had started suspecting she was seeing another man.
09:55Around that time, someone had slipped advertisements under our door,
09:57so I kept one just in case I might need it someday.
09:59We called the number on the card.
10:01It rang several times before someone answered.
10:02I briefly explained the situation and the person on the other end sounded shocked.
10:06They probably had never heard anything so absurd before,
10:08so they asked me to explain everything in detail.
10:10I honestly told them the whole story.
10:11You're saying your daughter stayed inside a closet for 20 years without eating or drinking?
10:15And not only is she alive, but she came home looking exactly the same?
10:18That's right.
10:19Interesting.
10:19I'll take the case.
10:20First, let's meet.
10:21It would be best if you could bring your daughter.
10:22We returned to the living room.
10:23Xiao Di was sitting on the sofa, and the moment she saw me, her face lit up with a smile.
10:27Dad, do you want me to go buy you some wine?
10:28I shook my head.
10:29Dad wants to take you to see a friend.
10:30Okay, okay.
10:31I was getting bored at home anyway.
10:32I want to go out and play.
10:33Excitedly, she jumped forward, hugged my legs, and tried climbing onto them.
10:36I instinctively flinched.
10:37That used to be her favorite thing to do whenever she was happy.
10:39The detective's name was Liming.
10:41He worked in an old neighborhood.
10:42Although the office was modest, he was very professional.
10:44When we met, he prepared good tea for me and sweet milk tea for Xiao Di.
10:47He didn't question her directly or show any suspicion.
10:49Instead, he casually asked her what cartoons she liked,
10:51what books she read, and what interesting passages were in her language textbook.
10:54Without exception, all of Xiao Di's answers were things from 20 years ago.
10:57Once he understood enough, Liming asked me to come into another room.
11:00He wanted to speak privately.
11:01The moment he closed the door, I knew something was wrong.
11:03His expression was far too serious, enough to make my skin crawl.
11:06The first thing he said froze the blood in my veins.
11:08When I handed your daughter the milk tea, I touched her hand.
11:10She has no body temperature.
11:11I froze completely, my mind going blank.
11:13How is that possible?
11:14She was jumping on the sofa just a moment ago, so alive.
11:16How can she not have a temperature?
11:18Liming handed me a thermometer.
11:19He said he had secretly checked her.
11:20Her skin temperature is only 22 degrees, lower than the room itself.
11:23I couldn't believe it.
11:24I simply couldn't believe it.
11:25I walked out of the room.
11:26In the living room, Xiao Di was drinking her milk tea.
11:28The moment she saw me, she smiled sweetly.
11:30Dad, it's delicious.
11:31I pretended I was going to pat her head.
11:33But the instant my hand brushed against her neck, I felt a horrifying cold.
11:36It wasn't normal coldness, but the freezing chill of touching meat fresh out of a freezer.
11:39I jerked my hand back and stumbled away.
11:41Xiao Di tilted her head at me.
11:42Dad, what's wrong?
11:43Nothing.
11:43Nothing.
11:43My voice was shaking.
11:44Back in the room, Liming looked at me.
11:45Now do you understand?
11:46I collapsed into the chair, my mind in chaos.
11:48Then what is she?
11:49Liming told me to stay calm.
11:50He turned on his computer and opened a file.
11:52He asked if anything unusual had happened in the cellar of my old village 20 years ago.
11:55Pretending to think, I answered, no, it was just a storage room.
11:58Think carefully.
11:59He pulled up a picture from an old yellowed newspaper.
12:01It was a local news report from 1,995.
12:04He told me that the year I left the village, a homeless man disappeared and was never found.
12:08I didn't understand what that had to do with my daughter.
12:09According to our investigation, the last place he was seen was near your house.
12:13He zoomed into the photo.
12:14There was a blurry figure standing at the entrance of my old house.
12:16When enlarged, you could see the person holding something in his hand.
12:19A padlock.
12:19My mind exploded.
12:20A padlock?
12:21Why a padlock?
12:22That homeless man was standing outside my house with a padlock.
12:24What was he trying to do?
12:25Liming closed the computer and looked at me.
12:27He asked if I had ever thought about where my daughter had been these past 20 years,
12:30if she had truly returned.
12:31If she was dead, then what exactly did we have in our house now?
12:34And if she was a ghost, how could she walk around in broad daylight?
12:36He said he would continue investigating and warned me to be careful and call him if anything
12:40happened.
12:40By the time I left the detective agency, it was already night.
12:43The entire way home, I kept replaying his words in my head.
12:45No body temperature.
12:46Homeless man.
12:47Padlock.
12:47Those pieces mixed together in my mind.
12:49The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became.
12:51When I reached home and opened the door, I immediately felt something was wrong.
12:54The living room was completely dark.
12:55I tried turning on the light, but it wouldn't work.
12:57I took out my phone and switched on the flashlight.
12:59When the beam lit the room, I saw a figure sitting motionless on the sofa.
13:02It was Shao Di.
13:02She had her back turned toward me.
13:04I called her name softly.
13:05She slowly turned her head with a chilling smile.
13:07Dad?
13:07Do you know why the lights won't turn on?
13:09My voice trembling.
13:10I asked her why.
13:10She stood up and walked toward me.
13:12Every step echoed through the darkness.
13:13Because I spent 20 years inside the closet.
13:15I'm used to the dark.
13:16I don't want to see the light.
13:17She stopped right in front of me and raised her head.
13:19Her eyes faintly glowed under the light of my phone.
13:21Will you come stay with me?
13:22In that instant, my blood ran cold.
13:24I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't move.
13:25I wanted to scream, but my throat felt locked shut.
13:27She just stared at me, waiting for my answer.
13:29I don't know how long I stood there.
13:30Maybe seconds.
13:31Maybe minutes.
13:32In the end, I heard my own hoarse voice, sounding as though it belonged to someone else.
13:35Just to calm her down, I could only say yes.
13:37Shao Di smiled happily.
13:38Dad, you're the best.
13:39I knew you'd come stay with me.
13:40She grabbed my hand.
13:41Her hand was ice cold.
13:42Then she led me toward the bedroom.
13:43The lights never turned on because she didn't want them to.
13:45Because she was used to the darkness.
13:47So, what exactly is she?
13:48A person?
13:48A ghost?
13:49Or something else entirely?
13:50I don't know, but I do know one thing.
13:5120 years ago, I was the one who locked her inside that wardrobe.
13:54And 20 years later, she came back looking for me.
13:56She wants to take me with her.
13:57Take me to that dark place.
13:58Take me to that wardrobe where she spent 20 years.
14:00She was pulling me forward.
14:01My feet barely touched the ground, as if I were walking on cotton.
14:04Just as we were about to enter the bedroom, her hand suddenly let go.
14:06Shao Di turned around and looked at me.
14:08That innocent and pure smile appeared on her face again.
14:10Dad, it was a joke.
14:11She said laughing before running back to her room.
14:13She slammed the door shut, leaving me alone in the hallway, covered in cold sweat.
14:16That night, I couldn't sleep.
14:17I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
14:19My mind filled with her icy hands and those words.
14:21I kept turning everything over and over in my head.
14:23How could a living person have no body temperature?
14:25But she had been right there in front of me, jumping around, talking and laughing exactly
14:28the same as 20 years ago.
14:29I raised my hand and looked at my palm.
14:30That piercing, cold sensation was still there, as if it had been carved into my flesh.
14:34Impossible to shake off.
14:35At 3 in the morning, crying woke me up.
14:37It was a very soft sound, broken and distant, as if it were coming from far away.
14:40I held my breath and listened carefully.
14:42It was the sorrowful crying of a woman.
14:44It made my hair stand on end.
14:45I got up, and the sound continued.
14:47It was coming from Shoudia's room.
14:48The door was slightly open, and a dim light seeped through the crack.
14:51I carefully pushed the door open and looked inside.
14:53I saw Shoudia kneeling on the floor, speaking toward the corner of the room.
14:56Between sobs, she said,
14:57Mom, I'm back.
14:58They don't remember me anymore.
14:59They only remember my brother.
15:00Her voice trembled, but the most horrifying thing was that the corner was empty.
15:03There was nothing there.
15:04Only the shadow cast by the moonlight.
15:05Mom, are you cold inside the wardrobe?
15:07I'll stay with you.
15:07I don't want to stay here anymore.
15:08As she said this, she began crawling toward the corner.
15:11Her body twisted unnaturally like a spider, moving on both hands and feet.
15:14Her head tilted to one side.
15:15Terrified, I stepped backward.
15:16My foot creaked against the floor.
15:18Shoudia turned her head.
15:19Suddenly, the moonlight illuminated her face.
15:20I saw two streams of bloody tears flowing from her eyes down her cheeks.
15:23She smiled innocently.
15:24Dad, you can't sleep either?
15:26Do you want to come stay with Mom?
15:27She said while pointing toward the corner.
15:28I looked where she was pointing, and the sight froze my blood.
15:30There was a figure in the corner.
15:32It looked like a woman.
15:32She was wearing the same flowered shirt from 20 years ago.
15:35Her hair disheveled.
15:35Her face covered in bruises.
15:36She stared directly at me.
15:38Slowly, she raised her hand and pointed at my neck.
15:40Instinctively, I lowered my head.
15:41Somehow, a red mark had appeared on my neck, like the imprint of fingers, thin and long,
15:45wrapped around my throat.
15:46When I looked up again, the figure had disappeared.
15:48Shoudia was gone too.
15:49The room was empty.
15:50Only a puddle of blackish water remained in the corner, as if something had melted there.
15:53I rushed into the room and searched frantically for Shoudia.
15:55She had vanished as if the earth had swallowed her whole.
15:57I bolted out of the room and checked every corner of the house.
16:00Nothing in the living room.
16:01Nothing in the bathroom.
16:02Nothing on the balcony.
16:03Finally, I found her in the kitchen.
16:04She was standing in front of the cutting board with a knife in her hand.
16:06Slicing something in the air.
16:08Knife up.
16:08Knife down.
16:09She cut with complete concentration.
16:10There was nothing on the board, but she acted as if she were cutting something solid.
16:13I called out, Shoud.
16:14What are you doing?
16:15She turned her head with a smile, still holding the knife.
16:17Mom says she's hungry.
16:18I'm making food for her.
16:19Where's your mother?
16:19She wasn't in your room.
16:20She pointed to the empty air beside her.
16:22Here.
16:22Mom came, Dad.
16:23Talk to her.
16:23Tilting her head.
16:24She leaned toward the empty space and listened carefully for a while, as if someone were truly
16:27speaking to her.
16:28Then she turned back to me, still smiling.
16:29Dad.
16:30Mom says she hates you.
16:31My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor.
16:33Shoudia kept cutting.
16:34The knife hitting the board with a dull sound that echoed clearly through the night.
16:37I couldn't speak.
16:38I trembled uncontrollably.
16:39Shoddy continued chopping.
16:40Talk.
16:41Talk.
16:41Talk.
16:41Every strike felt like a hammer pounding against my heart.
16:44Mom says she'll come see you every night when you're asleep.
16:46She stands beside your bed and looks at your neck.
16:48She says your neck is very soft.
16:49That one squeeze would snap it.
16:51Instinctively, I covered my neck.
16:52The red mark still burned faintly.
16:53Shoudia suddenly stopped cutting.
16:55She turned her head and looked at me.
16:56Her smile under the dim light looked especially sinister.
16:58Dad.
16:58Don't be afraid.
16:59Mom says that when you go with her, she'll forgive you.
17:01After saying that, humming a song, she continued cutting.
17:03Talk, talk, talk, talk.
17:04Somehow, I managed to stand up.
17:06Holding onto the wall, I backed out of the kitchen.
17:08My eyes fixed on the knife in Shoudia's hand.
17:09When I reached the kitchen door, Shoudia suddenly said something out of nowhere.
17:12Is my brother sleeping well?
17:13The moment she said that, the knife slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a metallic
17:17clang.
17:17I turned and ran toward my room.
17:18I slammed the door shut and barricaded it with bedding.
17:20For a long time, I struggled to catch my breath until I suddenly remembered that my son
17:23wasn't home.
17:24He had stayed the night at my mother-in-law's house.
17:26So what had Shoudia meant by that sentence?
17:28Just as I was thinking about it, I heard footsteps in the hallway.
17:30Very, very light.
17:31They came closer, step by step, until they stopped outside my door.
17:34Then came knocking.
17:35Talk, talk, talk.
17:35It wasn't a hand.
17:36It sounded like metal-striking wood, like a knife.
17:38Shoudia's voice came from the other side of the door.
17:40Dad, open up.
17:41Mom wants to come in and see you.
17:42I didn't move.
17:43I didn't dare make a sound.
17:44The knocking continued.
17:45Talk, talk, talk.
17:46Louder each time.
17:46More insistent each time.
17:48Suddenly, it stopped.
17:49After a few seconds of silence, another voice spoke.
17:51A woman's voice, hoarse and deep, as if it came from the bowels of the earth.
17:54Wen Donggu, open the door.
17:55It's me.
17:56I've come back.
17:56I recognized that voice.
17:57It was Lin Shulin's.
17:58But Lin Shulin was sleeping beside me.
18:00I whipped my head toward the bed.
18:01Thankfully, she was still there, deeply asleep.
18:03Then who was outside?
18:04The voice faded away.
18:05I didn't dare think anymore.
18:06I was drenched in cold sweat.
18:07I stayed frozen behind the door until the first rays of light came through the window.
18:10That night, I heard nothing else.
18:12Lin Shulin slept soundly all night, and her calm breathing comforted me a little by dawn.
18:15At sunrise, I decided to visit the Divination Master.
18:18He had been the one who predicted that my daughter wanted to come home.
18:20After everything that had happened, only he could tell me what to do.
18:23Without saying anything to Lin Shulin, I left the house alone
18:25and followed the address to the Master's home.
18:27It was an old apartment building.
18:28A bagua mirror hung at the entrance.
18:30When I knocked on the door, Master Shi's expression changed instantly the moment he saw me.
18:33He stood blocking the entrance, refusing to let me in,
18:35saying the family was incomplete and I shouldn't have come.
18:38I stared at him.
18:38Master, something happened.
18:39He observed me silently for a long time.
18:41Finally, he sighed and let me inside.
18:43The house smelled strongly of sandalwood.
18:45All kinds of talismans hung on the walls.
18:46I told him everything from the previous night word for word,
18:49including Shadi's return, how she had spoken toward the corner in the middle of the night,
18:52the bloody tears on her face, the woman I saw in the corner, and the red mark on my neck.
18:56After listening to me, the Master remained silent for a long time.
18:58His expression grew darker and darker.
19:00He paced around the room before finally stopping in front of me.
19:03Lowering his voice, he said,
19:04Your daughter doesn't want to come home.
19:05She wants to take all of you with her.
19:07She has been dead for 20 years.
19:08Her resentment is too great.
19:09She has returned to drag her whole family into the other world and reunite everyone down there.
19:13My head buzzed.
19:13All strength left my body.
19:14I asked him if there was any way to solve it.
19:16The Master thought for a moment and then said,
19:17Yes, there is one way.
19:18Tonight at midnight, take Shadi's birth information to the place where she was locked up.
19:22Burn three incense sticks, bow nine times, and say,
19:25Daughter, rest in peace.
19:26Dad was wrong.
19:26Then bring her memorial tablet home and place it on an altar.
19:28Perhaps then this karma can be resolved.
19:30I thanked him repeatedly and returned home.
19:32I prepared the candles, incense paper, and Shadi's birth information.
19:35As soon as night fully fell, I drove alone back to the old village.
19:37The entire way there, my heart pounded wildly.
19:40I couldn't stop thinking about the Master's words.
19:41By the time I reached the village entrance, it was almost 11.
19:44The whole village was pitch black, without a single light.
19:46Feeling my way through the darkness, I entered the old house and opened the door to the small
19:49storage room.
19:50A wave of cold, damp air hit my face.
19:52It was even colder than the night before, so cold that I began shivering.
19:55I turned on my flashlight and pointed it toward the basement entrance.
19:57That black, deep hole looked like a mouth waiting to devour me.
20:00Clenching my teeth, I descended into the basement.
20:02It was even colder down there.
20:03My breath turned to frost.
20:04I swept the flashlight around and saw the iron wardrobe in the corner, its doors wide open,
20:08revealing nothing but darkness inside.
20:09Carrying the incense sticks, paper, and offerings, I approached the wardrobe.
20:13My legs were so weak I could barely stand.
20:15I lit the incense sticks and planted them into the ground.
20:17Then I lit the paper.
20:18Dropping to my knees, I began bowing.
20:19One, two, three.
20:20With every bow, I repeated the same phrase in my mind.
20:22Daughter, rest in peace.
20:23Dad was wrong.
20:24When I reached the ninth bow, I suddenly heard faint footsteps behind me.
20:27Dull sounds against the dirt floor.
20:29I spun around and shined the flashlight.
20:30Nothing.
20:31Everything was empty.
20:31I turned back to continue bowing.
20:33The moment I lowered my head, I felt something behind me, staring intensely.
20:36That feeling of being watched crept up my spine to the back of my neck.
20:39Slowly, I turned my head toward the wardrobe.
20:41Inside the wardrobe, a pair of eyes stared back at me.
20:43White eyes without pupils, locked onto me.
20:45Terrified, I scrambled away on all fours, scattering the incense sticks and paper everywhere.
20:49The flashlight slipped from my hands.
20:50Blindly, I searched for the basement exit, clawing at the dirt with my hands and feet,
20:54my nails digging into the earth.
20:55When I finally reached the exit, I realized it was blocked.
20:57I stretched out my hand and touched a cold stone slab.
20:59Shining the flashlight on it, I saw engraved words.
21:02Tomb of Chase Audie.
21:03Desperately, I began pounding on the stone, screaming for help until my voice went hoarse.
21:06No one answered.
21:07Behind me came a creaking sound.
21:08It was the wardrobe door.
21:09Footsteps approached one after another.
21:11Sss, sss.
21:12A voice whispered right beside my ear.
21:13Didn't you come to burn paper?
21:15Why don't you look back?
21:15I froze, unable to turn my head.
21:17I lay there without even daring to breathe.
21:18The footsteps slowly moved away.
21:20I stayed there lying on the ground for a very, very long time until finally I couldn't
21:23take it anymore and slowly turned my head.
21:25Standing in front of the wardrobe was a person.
21:27It wasn't Shao Di.
21:28It was the master of divination arts.
21:29His face was pale and bruised, and there was a deep mark around his neck, like from a
21:33rope.
21:33He smiled, showing his teeth, and said to me,
21:35My daughter doesn't want your offerings.
21:36She only wants your life.
21:37She came for me first, and asked when you would come keep her company.
21:40Everything went black, and I lost consciousness.
21:42When I woke up, I was in the hospital.
21:43Blinding white lights, and the strong smell of disinfectant filled the room.
21:47Lin Shulan was sitting beside me with bloodshot eyes.
21:49The moment she saw me awake, she rushed over and grabbed my hand.
21:52She told me I had fainted in the basement, that someone had found me and taken me to the
21:55hospital.
21:55Old Zhang from the village had gone early in the morning to the old house to look for something.
21:59He heard noises from the basement.
22:00He went down and found me lying on the floor.
22:01I asked what had happened to the master.
22:03Her face turned extremely strange.
22:04The master had died the previous night, hanged in the courtyard of his own house.
22:08I forced myself upright.
22:09Impossible.
22:09I saw him in the basement last night.
22:11Lin Shulan looked at me with fear in her eyes.
22:12What are you talking about?
22:13Nonsense.
22:14The coroner said he had been dead for at least six hours.
22:16By the time I went into the basement, he had already been dead for quite a while.
22:19My mind went blank, and my whole body turned cold.
22:21Lin Shulan gave me even more terrifying information.
22:24The police had found a note in the master's hand.
22:25On it was written a sentence.
22:27Shen Wen Dong, your daughter asked me to tell you that you are next.
22:29I lay there in bed, unable to speak.
22:31Lin Shulan held my hand, trembling.
22:33She asked me what we should do now.
22:34What did Shao Ti really want?
22:35I closed my eyes.
22:36My mind filled with the master's bruised face, the rope mark around his neck, and those words.
22:40When will you come keep us company?
22:41Suddenly, the hospital room door opened.
22:43A nurse stuck her head inside and said,
22:44Mr. Chen, your daughter has come to see you.
22:46My eyes snapped open.
22:47Lin Shulan beside me also froze stiff.
22:49The little girl had already walked in.
22:50She wore the same flower dress from 20 years ago.
22:52Her horn-shaped braids tied neatly, and an innocent smile on her face.
22:56She walked over to the bed, tilted her head at me, and asked why I was in the hospital.
22:58If I was sick, instinctively I leaned backward.
23:00Her hand froze in the air.
23:01Slowly, the smile faded from her face.
23:03In a low voice, she asked,
23:04Don't you like me anymore?
23:05Lin Shulang, sitting nearby, trembled violently.
23:08Shao Ti turned her head toward her, and asked where she had been last night.
23:10Why hadn't she opened the door?
23:12Lin Shulang, eyes wide with terror, stammered that she had not heard any knocking.
23:16Shao Ti smiled innocently.
23:17That's right.
23:17Mommy was with me in my room.
23:19She couldn't open the door.
23:20Lin Shulang felt a buzzing in her head.
23:21There had been someone in Shao Ti's room last night, and Shao Ti had called her mom.
23:25Lin Shulang turned pale.
23:26The question kept spinning in her mind.
23:27Who was that woman?
23:28Shao Ti kept speaking with a smile.
23:30When is my brother coming back?
23:31I miss him.
23:31He said he would play hide and seek with me.
23:33Lin Shulang and I exchanged a glance.
23:35We saw fear in each other's eyes.
23:36Our son was still at my mother-in-law's house.
23:38He knew nothing about what was happening.
23:39Shao Ti climbed onto the bed.
23:40She squeezed herself between Lin Shulang and me, wrapping one arm around each of us.
23:44Smiling happily, she said,
23:45Finally we're together.
23:46That's wonderful.
23:47Her arms were ice cold, and the chill passed through clothes and skin straight into the heart.
23:50When we returned home from the hospital, the way Lin Shulang looked at me had completely changed.
23:54She no longer spoke to me the same way.
23:56It was as if she always wanted to say something, but held herself back.
23:58Whenever I asked what was wrong, she only shook her head and refused to speak.
24:01That afternoon our son came home with his fiancée, Zhou Yating.
24:04Shao Ti peeked out from her room doorway.
24:06She stared at Cheng Hao for a long time.
24:08It was impossible to tell whether the look in her eyes was curiosity or something else.
24:11Suddenly she ran over and hugged Cheng Hao's arm.
24:13In a soft voice she called out,
24:14Big brother, how did you grow up so much?
24:16Frightened, Cheng Hao looked at me in confusion and embarrassment.
24:19I still had not told him the truth.
24:20I had only said she was the daughter of some friends staying for a few days.
24:23Shao Ti looked up again and asked,
24:24Do you remember when we used to play hide-and-seek as children?
24:27Chen Hao shook his head.
24:28I don't remember.
24:28I was very little back then.
24:29Shao Ti shrugged, let go of his arm, and stepped aside.
24:31But her eyes never left Chen Hao for even a moment.
24:34That intense stare made my skin crawl.
24:35Zhou Yating, however, quickly grew fond of Shao Ti.
24:37She chatted with her for a long while and brought her many candies and toys.
24:40Quietly, she slid a finger across her phone screen in a natural motion while handing over the toys.
24:45Shao Ti accepted them and thanked her.
24:46Thank you, sister.
24:47Miss, will you be good to my brother?
24:48Zhou Yating smiled and replied,
24:50Of course.
24:50Shao Ti said,
24:51That's good.
24:51Otherwise, I would get angry.
24:52She said it smiling.
24:53But there was something strange about that smile.
24:55Zhou Yating noticed it too.
24:56Her own smile froze instantly.
24:58Lin Shulan and I exchanged another glance.
25:00Neither of us dared say a word.
25:01It was not until nightfall, after our son and Zhou Yating had left, that she pulled me into the bedroom.
25:05Lowering her voice, she told me she had noticed something strange.
25:07I asked her what it was.
25:08Pale-faced, she recounted the details from dinner.
25:11When Shao Ti was little, she held chopsticks with her left hand, pressing the tops with her thumb.
25:14No matter how hard they tried, they could never correct it.
25:16But today, her way of holding chopsticks was perfect, exactly like an adult's.
25:19Lin Shulan had also noticed Shao Ti eating three pieces of braised pork,
25:23swallowing the fatty parts without chewing.
25:24As a child, Shao Ti hated fat and always spat it out.
25:27She had even heard Shao Ti humming a modern song in the living room, one of today's songs.
25:30But when Shao Ti was 12, there wasn't even electricity in the village.
25:33She only knew very old nursery rhymes.
25:35These changes terrified her.
25:36Trembling, she told me about the previous night.
25:38She had gotten up to use the bathroom, and while passing Shao Ti's room, she heard someone talking inside.
25:42She pressed her ear to the door.
25:43It was Shao Ti, talking in her sleep.
25:45Over and over, she repeated the same sentence.
25:47Mom, I know it by heart.
25:48I know everything.
25:49I won't make mistakes.
25:50Hearing that made my hair stand on end.
25:51I stayed silent, unable to say anything.
25:53Tears welled in Lin Shulan's eyes.
25:55She said she was afraid.
25:56Afraid that thing was not Shao Ti.
25:57Afraid it had returned to take our entire family with it.
26:00That night, I could not sleep.
26:01My mind kept replaying everything.
26:02The next morning, I was awakened by noises in the kitchen.
26:04I jumped out of bed and rushed over.
26:06Shao Ti was standing in the kitchen, staring at the stove.
26:08On the stove sat a pot with something boiling inside.
26:10I walked closer and asked what she was doing.
26:12She turned and smiled innocently.
26:13She said she was making soup that her mother had taught her.
26:16She said it was her favorite soup when she was little.
26:18I looked into the pot.
26:19It was sweet potato porridge.
26:20My heart skipped a beat.
26:21Shao Ti loved sweet potato porridge, but only the three of us knew that.
26:24Clenching my teeth to suppress my fear, I asked how she knew how to make it.
26:27She tilted her head and looked at me.
26:28Mom taught me.
26:29She taught me everything.
26:29I asked, where is your mother?
26:31She pointed toward the corner.
26:32There was no one there.
26:33There.
26:33Don't you see her, dad?
26:34I looked where she pointed.
26:35There was nothing except the shadow on the peeling wall.
26:37I ran out of the kitchen and rushed to the bedroom to find Lin Shulan.
26:39She had just gotten up and was folding the sheets.
26:41I grabbed her hand and quickly told her what Shao Ti had said.
26:43Lin Shulan instantly turned pale.
26:45She said, only the two of us knew that.
26:47Not even our son remembers anymore.
26:48It can only be the real Shao Ti.
26:49As soon as she finished speaking, her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the bed.
26:53While we were talking, the doorbell outside rang.
26:55Lin Shulan and I exchanged glances.
26:57She went to open the door.
26:57It was our son Chen Hao and Zhou Yating.
26:59The moment Zhou Yating entered, she frowned and asked, have you two been arguing?
27:02Lin Shulan quickly wiped her glasses and said, no, nothing.
27:05What brings you here?
27:06Zhou Yating sat down and told us that she and Chen Hao had made a decision.
27:09The wedding would be on the 8th of next month.
27:11Her parents had consulted someone and that day was considered extremely auspicious.
27:14My heart skipped a beat and I immediately said, but that's so soon.
27:17Zhou Yating looked at me.
27:18My parents want it done quickly.
27:19Oh right.
27:19Where's the little girl?
27:20I want to see her.
27:21Barely had she said this when Shao Ti walked out of her room wearing a white dress and those
27:24horn-shaped braids.
27:25Smiling softly, she approached and said, hello sister.
27:28Zhou Yating smiled and beckoned her closer.
27:30She took Shao Ti's hand and looked her up and down.
27:32Smiling, she asked, how old are you?
27:33What's your name?
27:34Shao Ti answered, jouce.
27:35Zhou Yating asked, and what do you like to do?
27:37Shao Ti replied, play hide and seek with my brother.
27:39Zhou Yating continued, when was the time you hid the best?
27:42Shao Ti tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, 20 years ago.
27:45She paused and corrected herself.
27:46I mean a long time ago, when dad took me.
27:48When she said 20 years ago, her tone faltered slightly.
27:50I didn't pay much attention at the time, but Zhou Yating narrowed her eyes.
27:53In the end, she said nothing.
27:54At noon, we invited them to stay for lunch.
27:56Lin Zhulan prepared the meal.
27:57Shao Ti stayed in the living room with Zhou Yating.
27:59I helped in the kitchen, but my eyes kept drifting toward the living room.
28:02Zhou Yating continued asking Shao Ti questions, and Shao Ti answered smoothly.
28:06During the meal, I carefully observed Shao Ti.
28:07Her way of holding chopsticks was flawless, even better than mine.
28:10She ate three pieces of braised pork and swallowed the fat effortlessly, without any hesitation.
28:14She even deliberately picked up a fatty piece.
28:16Her eyes swept across Lin Zhulang and me as she smiled and said,
28:18This is delicious.
28:19Watching her movement sent chills down my spine.
28:21Zhou Yating was also observing her.
28:23She shot me a furtive glance.
28:24There was something unreadable in her eyes.
28:26After lunch, Zhou Yating and Cheng Hao left.
28:28Before leaving, Zhou Yating took Lin Zhulang's hand.
28:30Don't worry about the wedding.
28:31My parents will handle everything.
28:32Oh, and that little girl is very sweet, but the way she talks felt a little strange.
28:36Lin Zhulang asked,
28:37Strange how?
28:38Zhou Yating smiled.
28:39Nothing.
28:39She's just very cute.
28:40Then she turned around and left.
28:41I stood at the doorway watching the car drive away, my heart uneasy.
28:44I could clearly feel that Zhou Yating had meant something deeper by those words.
28:47That night, while washing dishes, Lin Zhulang suddenly called me over.
28:50Come quickly and look.
28:51I walked into the kitchen.
28:52She pointed at the stove.
28:53There was a bowl sitting there.
28:54Inside the bowl was leftover sweet potato porridge from lunch.
28:56Lin Zhulang said in a trembling voice that she had not made it.
28:59She had prepared all the food herself and had never cooked sweet potato porridge.
29:01Besides, she had already washed and put away the pot from that morning long ago.
29:05Before I could even open my mouth, a voice came from outside the door.
29:08A sweet, soft voice, like cotton candy.
29:10Grandma, what are you looking for in my room?
29:11We both turned at the same time.
29:12Xiao Di was standing at the doorway in her nightgown, her hair loose, and a smile on her face.
29:16That smile as always looked innocent, but she was holding a pair of scissors in her hand.
29:20The scissors reflected a cold glint under the light.
29:22She walked in slowly.
29:23One step, two steps, three steps, her eyes fixed on the photo Lin Zhulang was holding.
29:27Grandma, that photo is mine.
29:28Why are you going through my things?
29:29Her tone was still that of a little girl, but her gaze was no longer the same.
29:33A gaze as cold as ice.
29:34Lin Zhulang stepped back and bumped into the edge of the bed.
29:36She hid the photo behind her back with trembling hands.
29:39Xiao Di tilted her head and looked at us.
29:40Her smile slowly widened.
29:42Grandma, what are you hiding?
29:43Let me see.
29:43She raised the scissors and cut off a lock of her hair.
29:45A strand fell silently onto the floor.
29:47Do you think I'm not Xiao Di?
29:48Do you think I look like someone else?
29:49She smiled, and her eyes curved into two crescents.
29:52A smile that looked sinister under the light.
29:53Actually, you guessed right.
29:55I'm not Xiao Di.
29:55But who am I?
29:56Guess.
29:56She took a step forward.
29:57We stepped back again.
29:58She raised the scissors and snapped them shut in the air.
30:00A sharp click echoed.
30:01When you figure it out, I'll tell you where my mother is.
30:03She's been waiting for you for a long time.
30:05She says the wardrobe is very cold and very dark.
30:07She counted the days.
30:08She counted for 20 years.
30:10And finally, the day has come for us to go back.
30:11After that night, we became like the living dead.
30:13Lin Zhulang couldn't sleep through the night.
30:15She kept saying she could hear the wardrobe door opening and closing.
30:18But there was no old iron wardrobe in the house anymore.
30:20Xiao Min still acted innocent.
30:21She called us mom and dad affectionately.
30:23But her gaze became stranger and stranger.
30:25Sometimes she looked like Xiao Di.
30:26Other times, like someone else entirely.
30:28There were only three days left before the wedding.
30:30Zhou Yating suddenly came to see me with an expression I had never seen on her face before.
30:34She said she had investigated what happened back then.
30:35The drifter's name was Lila Osi.
30:37He disappeared in 1995 and never returned.
30:39But before disappearing, he told a relative something.
30:41He had rescued a little girl from a basement.
30:43The girl had been locked inside an iron wardrobe for three whole days, almost dying in there.
30:47He took the girl out and asked where she lived.
30:49The girl only cried.
30:49She refused to say anything.
30:51Then she left with him.
30:51Zhou Yating said Lila Osi wandered around with the girl.
30:54A few years later, the girl became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter.
30:57Lila Osi said the girl was mentally unstable, repeating things about the wardrobe, about
31:01daddy, about hide and seek all day long.
31:03Later, Lila Osi died.
31:04A man with the surname Li took the girl away.
31:06And after that, no one ever heard from her again.
31:07Zhou Yating stared at me and said slowly, word by word, Mr. Chen, that girl was Chen Shao
31:12Di.
31:12The daughter she gave birth to is named Li Xiaomin.
31:14I collapsed into the chair, my mind completely blank.
31:17Then the one living in my house right now, that's Li Xiaomin.
31:19She's 14 years old.
31:20Her mother died five years ago.
31:21Before dying, she must have told her everything, about your family, about that wardrobe, about
31:25hide and seek.
31:26She stayed silent for a long time before continuing.
31:28I don't know what she came here for, but one thing is clear.
31:30When her mother died, she was by her side.
31:32She watched her take her last breath.
31:33That night, I couldn't sleep at all, thinking over Shao Di's face and the face of Li Xiaomin,
31:37whom I had never seen before.
31:38The next day, I made a decision.
31:39I would return alone to the old house, to the basement.
31:41I needed to find more evidence.
31:43At dusk, I got into the car and left.
31:44Lin Xulan asked me where I was going.
31:46I didn't tell her the truth, only that I was going out for some fresh air.
31:49My heart felt as heavy as stone.
31:50By the time I reached the village entrance, it was completely dark.
31:53The entire village was pitch black, without a single light.
31:55I groped my way into the old house.
31:56I opened the door to the small storage room, and once again, that piercing cold hit me.
32:00Colder than ever before.
32:01It hurt down to my bones.
32:02I turned on the flashlight and walked down into the basement.
32:04When the light swept across the room, I saw the iron wardrobe still standing there,
32:08its door wide open like a mouth ready to devour someone.
32:10I approached the wardrobe.
32:11I crouched down to inspect it carefully.
32:13I moved the flashlight beam across the bottom and suddenly noticed something strange.
32:16There was an iron plate at the bottom, its edges looking as though they had been forced open before.
32:20I reached out and touched the plate.
32:21I pushed hard and lifted it up.
32:23Beneath it was a hidden compartment, pitch black with no visible end.
32:26I reached inside and touched a plastic bag.
32:27I pulled it out.
32:28It was a yellowed plastic bag, tied shut with a rope.
32:30I untied the rope.
32:31Inside was a diary.
32:32The cover was badly damaged.
32:33The corners curled up.
32:34The moment I opened the first page, I froze.
32:36It was Xiaodi's handwriting.
32:38I recognized her clumsy, childish writing instantly.
32:40I flipped through the pages.
32:41My hands started trembling.
32:42The 12th of June, 1995.
32:43Today they locked me in the wardrobe.
32:45It's so dark and cold.
32:46I called for dad.
32:47He ignored me.
32:48The 13th of June, 1995.
32:50No one has come yet.
32:50I need to pee, but I can't get out.
32:52Am I going to die?
32:52The 14th of June, 1995.
32:54A man opened the wardrobe door.
32:56He said he would take me away.
32:57I asked if I could go home first.
32:58He said no, that my parents didn't want me anymore.
33:00Reading this, my eyes became wet.
33:02I kept turning the pages.
33:03After that, there were several blank years.
33:04When the diary resumed, the writing had changed.
33:06It was more mature, but also more desperate.
33:08The 8th of March, 2000.
33:10Xiaoming was born.
33:11She's so tiny and soft.
33:12When I look at her, I think of my mother.
33:14When she gave birth to me, did she ever think she would lock me away?
33:16July 2005.
33:18That man Li beat me again.
33:19Xiaoming hides inside the wardrobe and refuses to come out.
33:21When she hides in the wardrobe, I sit outside and sing to her.
33:24Just like when I was trapped inside the wardrobe, imagining my mother singing to me.
33:27In 2001, Xiaoming grew older.
33:29She asked me why I always hid inside the wardrobe.
33:31I told her because the wardrobe is safe.
33:32She said, then mommy, you should hide there too.
33:34I told her yes, we would hide together.
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