After a long moment of contemplation, I realized something was amiss. My left cheek wasn't completely resting on the pillow; it was at least an inch away. Yet, it felt warm, the way it felt when pressed against the pillow. Ever since that strange incident that night, when my cheek bled, it's been a bit numb. I hadn't paid much attention to it, but now I realized it. 

The answer came easily to me: there was something between my cheek and the pillow, but I couldn't see what it was! 

The shock was enough to send me into a panic. I jerked back, banging my head against the wall. Luckily, the plywood on the wall cushioned the impact, preventing any pain. The air passed over my face, cooling it instantly, reassuring me. I picked up the stick and ducked back, shielding it against my face. 

But I still saw nothing. Although I huddled in a corner, trying my best to be on guard, I didn't know what I was guarding against. I noticed a strange space in the darkness at the head of the bed. I stared at it for a long time before I realized what was wrong. The darkness in the room was layered. The farther away from the moonlight at the door, the darker it became. The head of the bed was closer to the door, but there was a spot there that was noticeably darker than the surrounding area. This meant that something was standing at the head of the bed! 

I remembered the awkward feeling I had just had when I got out of bed for the night. It turned out that I had noticed something was wrong with the space at the head of the bed. When I got into bed, I bumped into the bed leg hard. Now I think about it, I realize it wasn't the bed leg that I bumped into, but that thing! My eyesight has always been good. Even when I'm panicking, I can see the bed clearly and never bump into the legs. My awakening from a dream just now was definitely not accidental. Even in my sleep, I was aware of something nearby. And what's even more terrifying is that even when I woke up, wondering why, the thing was still standing by the bed!

My body trembled involuntarily. Since I couldn't see it, it could have come onto the bed at any moment, advancing on me. I had no way of resisting it. I wanted to shout for help, but my teeth chattered uncontrollably, preventing any sound from coming out. Xiaoguo was soundly asleep in bed inside, completely unaware of the danger I faced. He was truly blessed. 

Suddenly, I noticed that the moonlight streaming in through the door had changed. It distorted the shape of the doorframe and cast a shadow on the ground. The moonlight came in at an angle, but now, about half a foot above the ground, it was trembling, just as we see the air around a flame fluctuate when heated. I stared intently at that spot. The moonlight was indeed disrupted, and the ground I saw through it was slightly distorted. However, after a moment, the moonlight returned to its original state. The terrazzo floor beneath the moonlight seemed to move slightly before returning to normal. It seemed as if some invisible object had occupied that space and then quickly left. But the moonlight beyond it had undergone the same change. 

Despite my precarious position, I was captivated. Since the moonlight streamed in at the same level as the doorframe, the closer I got to the door, the higher it occupied, and the wider the area of disturbed moonlight grew. I noticed that as I looked outside, the objects there were trembling slightly. Suddenly, I realized it was that invisible being walking into the moonlight, revealing its presence to me in this way! 

I began to tremble again, and I had to grit my teeth to prevent them from clashing violently. I could see the moonlight being stirred more and more, like a pool of clear water being disturbed. Right at the door, the moonlight rippled and wavered, and the scene outside shimmered noticeably. At the same time, I saw a blurry face turn and smile at me. At that moment, I nearly fainted. 

That face belonged to the woman in the portrait in the office! 

I let out a loud "Ah!", which must have startled Xiaoguo. He stirred and asked, "What's wrong?" 

My courage returned. I jumped up, jumped off the bed, walked a few steps to Xiaoguo's bed, and pushed his shoulder hard. "Get up, get up." 

Xiaoguo got up quickly. "What's wrong?" 

"That, that, that woman came here just now." 

"Which woman?" 

"The woman in the portrait." 

"Why did she come here?" 

"What do you think she came here for? To sleep with me? Of course she came to harm me!" 

"And now? Where is she?" 

"Probably went back." 

Xiaoguo didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then he jumped out of bed, put on his shoes swiftly, and grabbed something. In the moonlight, I could see it was a flashlight. "Let's go and take a look."