Rules Strange Talk: They Say I Have Multiple Personalities

The paper turns gently.

"There's sun today."

"They say today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. It's been gloomy here, but today the sun came out, so it's New Year's Day."

"Some people have left, and some have come. Who are they? I remember dying in a residential area. How is this a small town?"

"They are fierce and eat people. No, we are all ghosts. They eat ghosts. So scary, I need to stay away."

"Today they aren't eating ghosts. Someone said our area was chosen as a horror instance, and we can see living people now."

"Horror instance, I remember instances are live-streamed, and the real world can see what happens inside."

"The big sister on the street opened a bar, supposedly to use it as the instance. She's hiring now, but the salary is very low. Right, the salary is money, which each ghost conjures with their ghostly power. This money can be eaten or used."

"Businesses on the street are booming. Everyone is capable; they all have ghostly power to conjure things."

"I should find something to do and earn some money too."

"If I can contact the real world someday, I can give the money I saved to Xiao Mo. I don't know if Xiao Mo can use money conjured from ghostly power, but probably, right? Those ghosts get stronger when they eat other ghosts, so ghostly power can strengthen the body. I'll save it for now."

The paper turns.

"Lunar New Year Day 2, Sunny"

"I busked on the street today and earned a little money. The big sister suddenly appeared and insisted I become a resident singer at the bar."

"I've confirmed the bar is the instance. I don't want to sing there. Instances definitely involve killing people, and I can't watch my compatriots get killed."

"Also, the instance is live-streamed. What if Xiao Mo sees me? I can't let Xiao Mo think his brother is a bad ghost."

"The big sister threatened to eat me. I was very sad, thinking I was going to die again. But then the big sister saw I was unmoved and changed her mind, asking me to work part-time. If I refused again, she would eat me, so I had to agree. I don't want to be eaten."

"When the instance opens, I'll secretly slack off, letting the big sister know you get what you pay for."

Page turn

"Lunar New Year Day 3, Sunny"

"First day at work, the bar is quite crowded with fierce ghosts from the town. The big sister said my aura is too weak to hold the place down, so she dyed my hair yellow. It looks awful; I don't even look like myself anymore. But it's okay, my brother won't recognize me during the live stream."

Page turn.

"Lunar New Year Day 6, Sunny"

"The instance opened today. Many living people came to town. I counted a hundred. I thought competitions were in groups of ten? Did they change it?"

"I even saw someone familiar, Bi Yi. I remember he was very strong."

"Bi Yi is still the same, no, I remember he used to look very haggard, but now he looks much better than before. His mind seems normal. It seems not much time has passed, maybe only a few months or two or three years?"

"It's just a pity, I don't recognize the people around him. I wonder where those former teammates went."

"I should warn him to be careful, but I don't know how the instance set up by the big sister works. I can only try to sing more gently, but the sound system is like it has a mind of its own, wailing and screaming. I hope it doesn't hurt him."

"Many people died today. Those ghosts really do eat people. How scary. Luckily, I can get off work early today."

"When I got off work, I secretly took a look. Bi Yi was completely unaffected. He really is strong. The big sister is going to fail this time. I'm secretly looking forward to it."

"I really hope Bi Yi can keep going smoothly, so humans can defeat the strange. Huh? I remember, isn't it a competition between humans and the strange? Why aren't there any strange in this instance?"

"Am I strange? I seem to be a ghost. They are all ghosts."

"Could it be that the strange have already been eliminated, and now they are starting to eliminate us ghosts who haven't completely died?"

"It's a bit complicated. I need to think about it carefully."

"I miss my brother a little. I wonder if he's doing well. I earned a little more money today, I'll save it up."

"I hope my brother didn't see me, and I hope no one recognizes me. If people find out, they will definitely laugh at my brother, and maybe even bully him…"

"Oh no! I should have scarred my face today. That way, no one would recognize me, but the big sister definitely wouldn't let me scar my face. She's even watching me put on makeup. How annoying. I pray the big sister gets her head chopped off by Bi Yi."

"I hope Xiao Mo is well."

“Plop—” A drop of tear fell on the paper, blurring the ink that hadn’t completely dried.

Zhou Zimo quickly raised his hand and gently brushed over the paper. The stain dried instantly, and the ink re-coagulated, returning to normal.

“Who are you?” A questioning voice sounded from behind.

Zhou Zimo’s back stiffened. He had been too focused and accidentally used his power, causing his concealment to fail.

He stood there silently, holding the diary.

Perhaps sensing no danger.

Zhou Ziping boldly circled around to face him, even craning his neck to see the face hidden under the cloak.

“This brother, you look… a lot like my younger brother. No offense, it’s just that you really look alike, except he’s not as tall as you.”

Zhou Ziping stood up straight and gestured. “Probably only up to your shoulder.”

Zhou Zimo pursed his lips, his voice a little hoarse from choking back tears. “Perhaps, my brother will grow that tall.”

“……”

Zhou Ziping was stunned for two seconds, then, on a whim, reached out and lifted Zhou Zimo’s hood.

“Wow, you really do, look alike. The mole at the corner of your eye is exactly the same. It’s just that your temperaments are very different. He’s still a child, and you, you look like a very powerful person.”

Zhou Zimo burst into tears, raising his hand to cover his face. “Bro… Brother… I’m Xiao Mo. Can’t you recognize me?”

“Xiao Mo… Younger brother!”

After the shock, Zhou Ziping was at a loss. “Xiao Mo, don’t cry, don’t cry. How did you, how did you become like this? How did you grow so tall?”

He turned his head to look around, trying to find a clean tissue to wipe his brother’s face, but couldn’t find one. Turning back, he saw the notebook in Zhou Zimo’s hand and reached for it, intending to tear off a few pages.

Zhou Zimo snatched back the notebook and took out a handkerchief himself, covering his face and wiping it haphazardly. “A long time has passed. I’m not a child anymore.”

Hearing this, Zhou Ziping was stunned. “A long time? What happened?”

Zhou Zimo hugged the notebook and pulled Zhou Ziping down to sit. “Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? Do ghosts eat food? Do you need incense? Or should I catch a few ghosts…”

Zhou Ziping quickly stopped him. “No need, I don’t eat ghosts or people.”

“Oh, then eat food.”

Zhou Zimo kept taking out food. In a short while, Zhou Ziping’s bed was piled high.

“Xiao Mo, where did you get so many things?”

“This is nothing. I have a lot more in my space. Or what do you want? I can get it for you directly. Anything you want, I can get it.”

“No need, there’s no more room to pile it up. Quickly tell your brother, what have you been through?”

“Then eat, can you eat these?”

“I can, as long as there’s energy, I can eat it.”

To prove his words, Zhou Ziping picked up a fruit and started eating it directly.

Seeing this, Zhou Zimo also picked up a fruit and, while eating, began to recount his experiences in detail.