Chapter 4 Comic Book "Do you remember my rules?"...

Chapter 4: Comic Books

Time flashes back to midnight today.

Following the ray of light, Zhui Lian held the knife tightly and tiptoed out of the room.

She held her breath and just reached the entrance.

--puff.

It was as if a hand flicked a switch from out of thin air.

The last ray of light went out.

The curtains on the balcony at home were drawn tightly, preventing the moonlight from shining in, and the whole world suddenly fell into darkness.

The darkness was so thick that it could not be dissolved, like a tide, rushing up to the mouth and nose, and the feeling of suffocation was always there.

After her heart stopped beating, she followed her intuition and touched the long cabinet at the entrance and hid herself behind it.

...Who could it be? Was it a thief... or did Pei Zhi get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom?

Faintly, a tall figure was approaching the balcony.

The figure stopped in front of the heavy floor-length curtains.

He just stood there straight, with his back to the living room and facing the desolate night outside the glass door.

Just then—

despair.

despair.

despair.

It's not footsteps, it's water dripping? Is it a pendulum?

No... it's the nails.

Extremely lightly, as slow as the extension of billions of light years, the sound of hitting hard objects was infinitely amplified in the dead silence.

Zhui Lian could even imagine how those pale fingertips, with extreme rigidity and patience, tapped on the cold glass again and again.

Then, very slowly, he raised one hand.

"Hiss--pull--", the hook slid across the velvet.

He opened the curtains even more slowly, little by little.

The moonlight finally poured in unhindered, spread out, and illuminated the turquoise home clothes on the figure.

That was the style Zhui Lianxin bought for Yu Peizhi.

Zhui Lian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She finally took her hand off the phone in her nightgown pocket. She gathered herself and was about to call out to the other party when she suddenly saw Yu Peizhi coming from the balcony.

He turned around inch by inch.

Perhaps the moonlight was too pale, illuminating the entire balcony area in a bleak white.

It also made Yu Peizhi look like he was covered with a layer of cold glaze.

Eyebrows, nose bridge, lips.

The outlines are extremely clear.

He raised his feet and walked very slowly towards the sofa, but he did not sit down.

Instead, it stopped very abruptly.

Then, Zhui Lian saw him slowly lean over, little by little, and put his hand under the sofa——

Index finger, middle finger.

Between two fingers, he picked up the broken mirror.

The broken mirror fell into Yu Peizhi's palm. He crossed his legs and played with it from time to time.

The cracks on the edges were jagged and sharp, but his cold fingertips repeatedly rubbed, pressed, and scraped them back and forth with an almost obsessive concentration.

Suddenly, the movement of his fingertips stopped.

All movement stopped.

Then, in the darkness, in the moonlight, he turned his head.

First, there was the blurred profile, blending into the dim light.

Then, a certain sight—

But it is very clear.

It was something cold, sticky, and seemed to have substantial weight. It penetrated the shadow in front of the cabinet and pressed down heavily.

Shrouded the place where Zhui Lian was hiding.

The husband on the sofa gave a gentle yet sinister smile.

"Shh, someone—"

A very light and cold voice, with a sticky sigh, while the dark eyes locked on her, "Are you there?"

Dead silence. What is more terrifying than the darkness is this sudden and boundless dead silence.

Yu Peizhi slowly stood up.

The broken lens in his hand was casually thrown under the sofa with a slight "ding" sound, and he took the first step towards the cabinet.

In the dead silence, the footsteps turned into an infinitely heavy rhythm.

Zhui Lian squatted down immediately, his palms tightly gripping the knife covered in cold sweat.

Yu Peizhi stopped in front of the cabinet.

There is only a wooden partition between us, but time seems to have stopped.

Every second feels like a century.

He raised his hand—

However, the hand only gently, almost caressingly, brushed across the smooth surface of the cabinet, and the fingertips ran across the edge of the cabinet door.

What was he trying to do? Go behind the closet? He'd found it! He must have found it!

Pour cold water on the head and freeze every limb.

Escape? Resist? Zhui Lian's mind went blank, and only the trembling feeling in her body reminded her that she was still alive.

That dead man had done the same thing back then, playing with her like a cat and mouse, crushing her hopes bit by bit...

When Zhui Lian was first imprisoned by the dead man, he would hide.

When she found she couldn't escape, she stuffed herself into a closet, hid under her bed, and crouched behind the kitchen stove, trying to cover herself with stacked wooden boxes.

The house was filled with cameras, even in private places like the bathroom. The dead man on the other end of the camera watched her, who was fighting desperately like a trapped beast, and would often laugh softly.

He said, "Lianlian, it takes a lot of effort for you to lift a wooden box. You are so weak and vulnerable, how could you fly out of my palm?"

But the dead man never mentioned that the sealed wooden boxes were filled with heavy objects.

The dead man often returns at six o'clock in the evening.

He entered the room and, not surprisingly, didn't see her, who was supposed to be sitting by the bed waiting for him.

But he knew she was hiding under the bed.

"Lian Lian?"

The dead man would call out Zhui Lian's name, and then slowly sit down beside the bed. His black trouser legs blocked the light coming from under the bed, making Zhui Lian's world even darker.

The dead man spoke again, chuckling lightly, looking very happy: "I'm going to start the timer."

The old pocket watch made a "click" sound, and the pointer on the dial began to move. Zhui Lian covered her mouth and was trembling silently.

"You remember my rules, right?"

The dead man curled his lips and spoke in a soft and sweet voice, but it sent a chill down Zhui Lian's spine.

The chills were uncontrollable, causing her to tremble even more violently. However, the dead man continued to speak, his tone full of anticipation revealing his extreme excitement at the moment: "Hide for a second, do it once, more than a minute——"

The dead man suddenly leaned forward, and his extremely beautiful face, like a ghost in broad daylight, magnified in front of Zhui Lian.

He chuckled, stretched out his powerful hand, restrained Zhui Lian's ankles, and dragged her out from under the bed.

"Click", the sound of the wall clock rang out, and the past events coincided with the present moment.

Come back to your senses.

Yu Peizhi's hand was still brushing against the closet, and just when Zhui Lian thought that she would be dragged out in the next second, the hand that was about to go around behind the closet was retracted.

He let out a very soft, almost contented sigh.

It was as if he had just confirmed something, or as if he had just completed a little prank.

Then he turned around and walked towards the bedroom, still walking slowly but with a clear goal.

Yu Peizhi's tall figure blended into the shadows of the corridor and finally disappeared behind the bedroom door.

"Click", a very light sound of the door closing was heard.

Zhui Lian's tense body instantly lost its strength, and she slid along the wall of the closet and sat down on the cold floor. Her back was already soaked with cold sweat.

She gasped for breath like a dying fish.

Did he not notice? Or...did he notice but deliberately let her go?

That cold gaze just now, that hand brushing against the cabinet door, wasn't an illusion... Pei Zhi stopped in front of the cabinet. Was he testing her? Warning her? Or was he enjoying her fear at the moment?

The feeling of exhaustion from narrowly escaping a disaster and the humiliation of being played around with by others intertwined together, making Zhui Lian feel cold all over.

Could it be... could it be that the nightmare had really happened again? Yu Peizhi... who was he? Or rather, who was living inside him?

Panic, fear, doubt.

Huge uncertainty.

Everything weighed heavily on her heart.

But this morning, Yu Peizhi told her so seriously and sadly that he had sleepwalking.

So when Yu Peizhi asked if they wanted to install a camera, Zhui Lian was in a trance for a while and couldn't give an answer. She could only vaguely reply: "In a few days."

＊

"Ding, "ding", "ding".

The doorbell rang.

Last night, Zhui Lian had a rare good sleep, without any nightmares or waking up in the middle of the night.

But this time I slept exceptionally long, even until noon, but when I woke up, my brain felt a little fuzzy.

It was as if I was drowning at the bottom of deep water, and my consciousness was struggling to surface.

Yu Peizhi was still beside Zhui Lian, holding her waist tightly and resting his chin on her head.

The doorbell didn't seem to disturb him. He just rubbed her hair vaguely: "Baby, sleep a little longer."

"Sleep a little longer if you're tired."

Zhui Lian took some effort to remove Yu Peizhi's slightly cold hand from her waist. Her voice was a little hoarse after she woke up. "The doorbell rang. I'll go check."

Her bare feet stepped on the cold floor, and the slight chill made her a little more awake.

She casually grabbed the off-white plush cardigan draped over the back of the chair and put it on, gathered her messy long hair, and walked towards the living room.

Outside the cat's eye was a girl's face that was a little shy and expectant. The girl had a short haircut, was carrying an orange backpack, and was wearing a blue and white school uniform. She looked like she had just gotten out of school.

It’s Xiaoxu and Wenxu from the building next door.

Zhui Lian opened the door and was a little surprised: "Xiao Xu?"

"Sister Lianlian! Good morning... Oh no, good afternoon!" Wen Xu's voice came in crisply as the door opened, "I hope I didn't disturb you and Brother Pei Zhi's rest?"

The other person's smile was full of the vitality unique to young girls, which slightly dispelled the depression that had lingered in Zhui Lian's heart for the past few days.

"No, I just woke up. What's wrong?" Zhui Lian then smiled, shook her head, and then moved sideways to let her in.

"It's like this, Sister Lianlian." Wen Xu didn't go too far inside and stood at the entrance. "Brother Pei Zhi came to see me this morning and said he accidentally took my package by mistake. He apologized and gave me a box of imported chocolates."

"It's just a comic book after all, so I didn't take it seriously at first." Wen Xu paused, a look of embarrassment on her face. "But on the way to school, I discovered that Brother Pei Zhi had slipped a red envelope into my schoolbag."

As she was talking, Xiao Xu pulled out a bulging red envelope from her backpack: "I didn't dare to open it at school, but when I came back just now, I saw—"

"This is really too much! It's enough for me to buy another hundred books!" She handed the red envelope to Zhui Lian, "Sister Lian Lian, I really can't accept this. I'm so embarrassed! Can you help me return it to Brother Pei Zhi?"

Zhui Lian looked at the thick red envelope and felt a strange feeling in his heart.

Yu Peizhi had a good income from his profession as a painter and came from a well-off family. Both his parents were gentle and polite intellectuals. He had been financially well-off since he was a child, so he was always generous.

But to "compensate" for a comic book worth dozens of yuan, he gave a red envelope thick enough to buy a hundred copies? This kind of casual style of throwing money at people is not like him.

In her impression, Yu Peizhi is more pragmatic and down-to-earth.

He would buy Xiaoxu a brand new comic book and return it to her personally, with a small red envelope or a small gift as an apology, but he would never be so "ostentatious" as to make the red envelope bulge.

Moreover, Xiaoxu, as a high school student, usually leaves home before 7 o'clock on weekdays. How could Yu Peizhi move so quickly? He was sleeping next to her just now.

But maybe he just felt bad, so he rushed over. After all, Pei Zhi wasn't short of money...

"fine."

Zhui Lian didn't take it. She said carefully, "Xiao Xu, keep it. Pei Zhi might feel bad about taking your things and opening them again."

"But this is too much!" Wen Xu insisted, still holding the red envelope in the air, her childlike face filled with genuine distress. "And that book..."

She moved closer to Zhui Lian, lowering her voice a bit, with the joy of a girl sharing a secret: "Brother Pei Zhi said Sister Lian Lian, you haven't read it? But that book "100% Secret Love" is really great!"

“…Really?” Zhui Lian’s throat rolled up and down.

Wen Xu nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Really, really! Although the hero is a little bit gloomy, a bit yandere, and possessive to a frightening degree, he is really super doting on the heroine!"

Wen Xu: "I live for her, die for her, give her everything I have, and am gentle only to her...ahhhh, this setting is really scary and heart-warming!"

"Sister Lianlian, don't you think so?"

Wen Xu held her cheeks, completely immersed in the romantic fantasy of the comics, looking forward to resonance.

"Damp", "yandere", "terrifyingly possessive", "giving her everything", "gentle only to her"...

These words echoed in Zhui Lian's mind. Compared to Wen Xu's excitement, Zhui Lian seemed to have no emotions.

The face of the dead madman flashed before her eyes again, even overlapping with the profile of her husband who was playing with the broken mirror in the moonlight last night with an obsessed and focused look.

"Really?" His fingertips unconsciously sank into his palm, and Zhui Lian smiled gently, "It seems that this type of male protagonist has been quite popular in recent years."

Zhui Lian calmly changed the subject: "By the way, Xiaoxu, has this author named Jiujiu published many comics?"

"I don't think so!" Wen Xu thought for a moment and said, "This is the first work of this comic author. I remember it started from..."

Just then, the bedroom door opened silently.

"Xiao Xu is here?"

Yu Peizhi's kind voice flowed down like a spring breeze into the ears of the two people at the entrance.

He was still wearing the same turquoise home clothes, his figure was like a lush forest and bamboo, his hair was slightly wet, with the refreshing moisture of fresh washing.

"What are you talking about? You look so happy?"

A gentle and impeccable smile appeared on Yu Peizhi's face.

He walked up to Zhui Lian and put his arms around her waist very naturally. This intimate gesture should have been full of protection, but when he did it, it seemed like a declaration of sovereignty.

Wen Xu saw Yu Peizhi and immediately said, "Brother Peizhi! The red envelope you gave me is too thick! I really can't accept it!" She quickly handed the red envelope forward, "I'm here to return it! And... by the way, I want to ask Sister Lianlian if that book is good."

"It's just a small token of my appreciation, Xiaoxu, please don't refuse."

Yu Peizhi didn't accept the red envelope. He smiled and responded with a relaxed and brotherly tone, "We should be embarrassed for taking your things by mistake and making you run all the way."

Yu Peizhi: "Take it, buy something you like, or a few more comics."

"But Xiaoxu, that book you mentioned earlier... the male protagonist is a yandere? His possessiveness is terrifyingly strong?"

Wen Xu scratched his head a little embarrassedly: "Yes... yes... it's a fictional work."

"I see."

Yu Peizhi smiled, clearly responding to Wen Xu's words, but his gaze first fell on Zhui Lian's face. A trace of imperceptible darkness flashed across the depths of his eyes, and then he turned back to Wen Xu.

He tilted his head slightly, as if out of pure curiosity: "But boys with this kind of personality are not very popular in real life, right? Girls should stay away from such people. It's too dangerous."

Comics are comics, reality is reality, Wen Xu is still clear about this truth.

"Yeah! Brother Pei Zhi is right! Just read the comics, but if you encounter it in real life, you must call the police!" She answered seriously.

But Yu Peizhi lowered his head and looked at his wife who was half held in his arms and had not spoken for a long time.

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked gently, "Lianlian, don't you think so?"

In the vague embrace, Zhui Lian's body was a little stiff, and she could only respond vaguely with "hmm". What Yu Peizhi said was all correct and impeccable, but in her ears, it always sounded... weird.

Yu Peizhi smiled with satisfaction, and then as if remembering something, he added to Wen Xu, "By the way, Xiaoxu, I recently heard from the property management that there seem to be unidentified people wandering around the community, and they've lost several pieces of clothes that were hung out to dry."

"It gets dark early these days. As a little girl, you should be careful when you go home from school. Don't stay outside too late, especially on those remote roads." His reminder sounded very natural and full of concern.

"Ah?" Wen Xu patted his chest, obviously frightened, "Then I'll be more careful recently!"

"But thank you, Brother Pei Zhi, for reminding me!" Wen Xu carefully put away the red envelope and said, "I won't disturb you anymore. I'll go back first! Goodbye, Sister Lianlian! Goodbye, Brother Pei Zhi!"

She waved to Zhui Lian and was about to jump away when she heard a "meow".

It came from the direction of the bathroom.

"Huh?" Wen Xu, who had just turned around and was about to leave, stopped in his tracks when he heard the sound. "This sound—"

The author has something to say:

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[Breaking into tears] I’m here to update!