Chapter 3: Surprise Space
Chen Xiangsong and Bai Xiaolian both covered their heads and cried out.
He first checked himself and Bai Xiaolian, making sure that it was only dirt and clods of earth that attacked them. Then he warily shouted deep into the dark alley, "Who? Come out!"
The only response he got was dead silence.
But Chen Xiangsong was still worried and scanned the surroundings with a flashlight. The strong light cut through the darkness. Apart from the mottled shadows of the wall, there was no human figure, not even the breath of living things. However, he inexplicably felt a chill crawling up his spine, as if he was being spied on by an invisible creature for a long time.
Bai Xiaolian tidied her clothes, her heart in her throat. Although this alley was quiet, what if... She approached Chen Xiangsong in panic, her cold hands tightly grasping his: "Brother Song, is there really someone there?"
"No," Chen Xiangsong's voice softened, but his Adam's apple moved slightly. He quickly swept the flashlight across several corners again. "Maybe it was some dirt that fell from a tree. Don't scare yourself. You have to go to work tomorrow. Go home first."
Bai Xiaolian frowned: "But... there was no wind at all just now..." The uneasiness not only did not dissipate, but spread like an ink stain in her heart.
Chen Xiangsong gently stroked the top of her head, his tone reassuring and firm, "There really is no one here. I've checked. It might be a stray cat. Even if someone really saw it," he paused, his voice low but clear, "I'll come to propose tomorrow. No one can gossip about it."
The word "propose marriage" was like honey, instantly diluting Bai Xiaolian's uneasiness, and great joy surged in her heart.
"As for that crazy woman Gu Qiuyue," Chen Xiangsong changed the subject, a hint of coldness flashed across his eyes, "Don't worry about it, I know what's going on. Go back quickly, I'll take you to 'Lao Shengxing' after get off work tomorrow." He took out a few candies and stuffed them into Bai Xiaolian's palm.
As he watched Bai Xiaolian's figure disappear into the doorway of the slum, the gentleness on Chen Xiangsong's face instantly faded.
He did not leave, but looked around vigilantly. After confirming that there was really no one there, he quickly walked towards an abandoned house deeper in the alley.
In the shadows at the base of the wall, Gu Qiuyue's heart sank. He was actually heading straight for her hiding place. Had he been discovered? She held her breath as her fingertips touched a cold, hard object on the ground. It was a thick, broken stick!
Gu Qiuyue picked it up without hesitation and pressed her body against the remaining wall. If she was discovered, she was not afraid of being destroyed!
However, Chen Xiangsong seemed to have confirmed that it was safe. After stepping into the collapsed courtyard gate, he did not waste a second to look around. He quickly took out a flashlight from his pocket and turned it on. The beam of light was like a sword, piercing straight into the dark well in the corner of the courtyard.
With the help of the light, Gu Qiuyue could clearly see the dilapidated state of the courtyard: the doors and windows of the three houses were completely destroyed, one corner had collapsed, and there was overgrown weeds. Only by the well, there was no grass growing, and the ground was trampled to be extremely flat.
Chen Xiangsong turned over and went down the well swiftly. What was he doing down there? Gu Qiuyue was full of doubts.
Soon, there was a rustling sound from the wellhead, and Chen Xiangsong climbed up holding a dark wooden box. He looked around vigilantly again, and after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he was about to leave with the box.
Just as he turned around and his back was completely exposed, Gu Qiuyue moved before she thought. She rushed out from the shadows like a ghost, holding the wooden stick tightly in both hands, and smashed it hard on the back of Chen Xiangsong's head with the sound of the wind!
"Ugh!" With a short muffled groan, Chen Xiangsong fell to the ground, and the wooden box slipped out of his hand and rolled to the ground.
Gu Qiuyue's heart was pounding and she quickly picked up the wooden box.
In the dim flashlight, the familiar lotus pattern on the lid of the box made her pupils shrink suddenly. There was no mistake! This was the gift her grandfather had given her on her tenth birthday! No wonder it looked so familiar the moment she glanced at it!
Gu Qiuyue quickly dragged the unconscious Chen Xiangsong into the half-collapsed shabby house next door. After making sure that he was temporarily unable to move, she picked up the flashlight and walked towards the well without hesitation.
The beam of light penetrated into the well mouth, and there was a rough wooden ladder on the wall of the well. Gu Qiuyue climbed down the ladder without hesitation.
Her feet firmly planted on the bottom of the well, the flashlight's halo dispersed, and the scene before her made her gasp: the bottom of the well had been artificially widened, forming a rather large secret room, with boxes and cages of various sizes stacked in an orderly manner on the ground.
Gu Qiuyue suppressed her excitement and pried open a nearby box. The familiar blue and white porcelain vase and gilded clock came into view. They were all the ornaments that were openly confiscated from the Gu family that year. She breathed quickly and pried open another box: yellowed ancient books and scrolls, warm jade... These were clearly the treasures in her memory that had been in Grandpa Gu's study.
But these things...shouldn't they have been confiscated long ago? How did they appear in this dry well? And how did they remain in Chen Xiangsong's control?
A terrifying thought gripped her: The Gu family was in trouble, and the Chen family... or perhaps Chen Xiangsong himself was involved? What role did he play? A thick fog instantly enveloped her.
“Help… Help… Is there… anyone…” The intermittent and extremely weak cries for help came from the direction of the dilapidated house above, like thunder.
Oh no! Chen Xiangsong is awake! Gu Qiuyue's scalp exploded, and she immediately rushed to the wooden ladder. She had to leave before he attracted more people!
Just then - outside the courtyard wall, clear and steady footsteps came from afar, someone was coming!
Gu Qiuyue's climbing movement froze in mid-air, and her heart almost stopped beating.
She suddenly shrank back into the shadow at the bottom of the well, her back pressed tightly against the cold wall, even holding her breath. The flashlight had long been extinguished, and darkness became her only shelter.
Gu Qiuyue tightly grasped the wooden box in her arms. The rough edges of the wood grain dug deeply into her palms, causing a sharp pain. However, she was completely unaware of it and only felt cold sweat soaking through her clothes.
The footsteps stopped in the courtyard, and a calm male voice rang out: "Comrade? What's wrong with you? Where are you injured? Do you need to be taken to the hospital?"
Gu Qiuyue, who was at the bottom of the well, used too much force on her palm and it was pierced by a thin thorn on the edge of the wooden box. Warm blood oozed out and instantly soaked into the ancient wood grain. A sudden burning sensation, like an electric current, suddenly ran through her body from the wound on her palm!
There was a buzzing sound in her head, as if something was forcibly squeezing in - the shadow of a small, quaint box emitting a faint light suddenly appeared in the depths of her consciousness!
At the same time, the sense of reality in his arms suddenly disappeared - the heavy wooden box disappeared out of thin air!
The incident happened in an instant. Inoue's cold voice sounded again, with unquestionable determination: "You're seriously injured. Hang in there. I'll take you to the hospital."
The heavy footsteps quickly faded away and reached Gu Qiuyue's ears like the sound of nature, finally breaking the restraint around her. The man should be carrying Chen Xiangsong to the hospital.
Gu Qiuyue immediately gasped like a dehydrated fish, and slid down to the ground, feeling that the clothes on her back were soaked with cold sweat.
The crisis is temporarily resolved!
Gu Qiuyue calmed herself down and didn't bother to explore the strange shadow of the small box and the disappearing wooden box in her mind. The most urgent thing was to find out the secret at the bottom of the well. She turned on the flashlight again, and this time carefully covered most of the light source with the corner of her clothes, leaving only a faint beam of light.
In the dim light, she began to examine it carefully.
In addition to the boxes and crates engraved with the Gu family's mark, there were many more boxes of different styles, engraved with the marks of other families, piled up in the corner.
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