Nostalgia is a stagnant pool
Seeing the dark figure lift the robed man off the ground again, bulging as if about to rise again, Cheng Xiangwu was momentarily at a loss for how to react.
Her parents had been dead for so many years. Although she would occasionally forget to come back to sweep their graves, she never thought about "what would happen if they hadn't died." But now, someone has taken it upon themselves to put this face in front of her.
How should she react? She didn't know, and honestly, she realized she didn't care. The symptoms seemed familiar, but firstly, her father clearly lacked initiative, or perhaps he simply didn't recognize her; secondly, she had no other relatives hoping the two of them would get together. So, after standing there for a brief moment of mental preparation, she decided to pretend it had never happened.
The shapeless color moved without wind, half a meter off the ground. The mask once again concealed its features, and the dark shadows swayed beneath its feet, seemingly pondering its next move.
In the distance, a dark figure rapidly approached.
"Thump—" The black car without headlights collided with the entity floating in mid-air and then swerved to the right to a stop. The modern, realistic weapon left bite marks on the grass. The shadow of the robe flickered, the streetlight blinked, and the riverbank was left with nothing but a mess.
The driver of this high-risk vehicle was, of course, Xiao Fu. She wasn't wearing a seatbelt at all, and before the wheels had come to a complete stop, she hurriedly kicked open the door and jumped out of the car. Outside the car, only the night remained, and above the empty grass, there was nothing but swarming insects. She held up her portable flashlight and looked around the ground, then, wearing gloves, collected a sample into a small glass bottle, and finally walked towards Cheng Xiangwu, who was still standing there in a daze.
The rear seat door opened, and Golson jumped out.
"How does it feel?" Little Fran asked. Her face was blurred in the darkness, but her eyes were bright, and the tooth by her ear and the gem on her bow tie gleamed in the light.
“I can’t kill him.” Cheng Xiangwu straightened his coat and put away the knife at his waist.
"...That's it?" Little Franz asked, leaning closer. "I can give you some time to express your thoughts and attitude."
Cheng Xiangwu didn't have anything like that to vomit; she was only concerned with how to perform a second cremation for the dead. "So, that thing just disappeared?"
Golson, who had followed along, was also curious about the answer to this question.
“You could say that in terms of visual effects, but you can’t say that in the philosophical realm. However, I do have some thoughts on the threat in this area…” Little Fu said, staring at Cheng Xiangwu’s head for a while, and finally nodded in satisfaction, “Not bad, it’s quite spacious.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiang tidied her somewhat messy hair.
"What is that thing?" Golson asked cautiously from behind.
"Currently, at least some of them can be identified as victims of the Senhu No. 2 Middle School case and all the related serial cases in the area, an odd number. They are also the people I've been pursuing but haven't been able to win over." Xiao Fu revealed the answer. "Don't stand here in this muddy mess, you two. Clean up your footprints, or do you have some camping plans for tonight that I don't know about?"
A series of cases are, of course, interconnected, and this connection doesn't take into account the victim's wishes.
"Let's go eat first," Cheng Xiangwu said.
The three got into the car, and this time the driver turned on the headlights.
"That thing is what you called something else," Cheng Xiangwu asked impatiently as soon as she got into the passenger seat, "How do you kill it?"
"This is also the first time I've recorded its physical form with the naked eye, but so far, its methods of action aren't entirely unfamiliar. There are several ways to destroy this type of being. One of them, which is most in line with your sense of mission as humans, is to destroy all the inner driving forces of that being one by one. I guess law enforcement officers would definitely love this approach," said Xiao Fu.
Cheng Xiangwu didn't have that kind of thing. "What about the other kind?"
"We've found the culprit." Little Fu smiled, the excited smile of someone who'd found something good. "That is, the path of no return we're on now. Can you feel the gears of fate crushing your flesh and blood?"
Obviously excluded from the conversation, Golson climbed into the driver's seat and whispered, "What does that mean?"
“You’ll usually understand soon enough. Don’t you guys have this saying that there’s always a way out? Even a dead end is a way.” Xiao Fu looked in the rearview mirror. “For example, someone might die from a skull fracture in a car accident because they weren’t wearing a seatbelt.”
"Eh," Golson responded, slowly shrinking back.
As the vehicle moved forward, the city of Moriko, under the cover of night, seemed to have its voices absorbed by the darkness, becoming much quieter.
“Those police officers locked her in the ward because they knew this would happen,” Cheng Xiangwu said. She didn’t hear Lu Que standing in the distance, stretching out his hand and saying a bunch of random things, but Xiao Fu’s previous attitude clearly proved it.
From the very beginning, Xiao Fu had planned to use Goulson as human bait to lure that thing out, which is why she was brought out of the ward where someone made regular hourly rounds. Cheng Xiangwu certainly wasn't expecting an apology from him, but the problem was that his actions could cause a lot of trouble, and that was what she was concerned about.
“Go back and ask Miss Xie Wuchang who the superintendent is who arranged the patrol. Informants should be used to their fullest potential,” Xiao Fu said nonchalantly. “And you too.”
She didn't turn her head. Cheng Xiangwu was also looking out the window, but she knew who "you" was referring to and what they were talking about. Trouble was brewing.
"...I don't think it's necessary to investigate me," Cheng Xiangwu said. She truly felt that way. How much could two restaurant owners represent in this huge database of the dead? Not much. The fact that no one has ever investigated her is the biggest evidence of that.
“Perhaps the morgue and the circus have a confidentiality obligation, but we can disregard that,” Little Franz said, glancing at Gordon in the rearview mirror. “Besides, aren’t you worried you might be next?”
“You’re just curious, that’s why you’re saying all this.” Cheng Xiangwu wasn’t worried.
"How can you use such irresponsible words?" Little F said with slight dissatisfaction. "I have a lot of professional ethics, and I will take full responsibility for the cases I handle."
But Cheng Xiangwu still felt it was unnecessary and troublesome. "Bringing up old matters will attract a lot of unnecessary attention, and I still have a job. If you're going to investigate, start with someone else. There are so many people involved."
“…I hate that about you.” Little Fu sighed, then, as if remembering something, smiled maliciously, “How about this, let’s start with the people involved in the Qin Zixi case. The direction of the investigation hasn’t been decided yet, but looking at the old newspapers can at least give us some new clues to get a feel for things.”
"Whatever you want," Cheng Xiangwu said.
“Since it’s related to the current case, you have to help too,” Little Fran said matter-of-factly.
“…That’s possible.” Cheng Xiang nodded. “But we can’t kill that thing now, so what else can I do?”
If it comes to helping, Cheng Xiang couldn't think of anything she could do during the May Day holiday. Apart from her job-related skills, the only thing she was good at was peeling and arranging fruit, especially apples, which she peeled exceptionally well.
“At least as a local, you should try to find out the contact information of the relevant people,” said Xiao Fu.
“…I don’t remember.” Cheng Xiangwu realized that she hadn’t saved the contact information of those witnesses, forensic doctors, lawyers, etc. Fortunately, someone would always remember it for her. “I’ll ask tomorrow.”
"Our hometown is just this kind of bloated and heavy thing, accept reality!" Xiao Fu said in a didactic tone.
“Okay,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
On the way, Cheng Xiangwu bought a few dishes from a well-known local restaurant in the city to take back home.
The specialty of Moriko City is a stew made with smoked meats and low-moisture vegetables. The secret to its authentic flavor is to deep-fry the ingredients before cooking. Locals typically prefer noodles, but due to anxieties surrounding the modern blood sugar crisis, many families have switched to whole grains as their staple food. Stewed grilled fish is also a common dish in many local restaurants, typically featuring a spicy flavor enhanced by dry seasonings. A cumin flavor is also available for those who don't eat spicy food, and freshwater fish is the most common ingredient.
Wu Xiang Lou does not offer similar dishes. Cheng Xiangwu recalled that his family used to rarely eat these, as the flavors were quite bland.
Two large bags of steaming food became the new passengers in the back seat.
“Speaking of fish, there are a lot of bumpy, uneven places in the north, near the mountains. I heard that those pits near the old city have been used to raise fish, and people are welcome to go there to feed them. There are a lot of mosquitoes in that area,” Gao Ersen explained, trying to steer the atmosphere in the car back to normal to soothe her restless heart.
“It seems the owner here is trying to restore the surface ecosystem, but as the saying goes, evil often lies deep underground. I’m really curious about the underground ecosystem here.” Little F easily rejected the attempt.
The city of Moriko once had a lake, but due to various unnatural or natural reasons, that natural phenomenon that could have been half the reason for the city's name no longer exists.
“Underground in the mine?” Gorson thought for a moment. “When I was in elementary school, I heard some people on the street talking about how the mine wasn’t hiring any new workers. I remember they said a mine shaft had collapsed and was leaking water, and some environmental organizations were complaining about it.”
Locals have heard about this to some extent, and the final interpretation rights belong to BaiBai Co., Ltd. and the Bai family.
"Do you think this matter is related to that place?" Cheng Xiang asked the person in charge of steering the vehicle, both inside and outside.
“If it’s relevant, that would be best. The source of evil is often not easily shaken. The manifestations may vary depending on local customs and traditions, but the tragic appearance is always similar, and it always attracts a large number of pests and animals.” Xiao Fu’s tone was eager, like an insect control enthusiast holding a pesticide.
"It might also be related to that area?" Golson rummaged through the food packaging. "I remember that area outside the mining area used to be quite lively, with many large markets. Now they've all moved to the city center."
"It's best if it's unrelated," Cheng Xiangwu commented. The mining area was too far away, and the long car ride was quite boring.
Little Fu sneered.
Returning home, the place was no different from what Chengxiang had seen through the crack when she turned around to close the door half a day ago, but it was quite different from the view she saw when she unlocked the door yesterday morning.
"Do you want to stand at the door like a gatekeeper monster and shout slogans?" Little F asked. "If you want to improvise a poem, I can help you write it down, add embellishments, upload it online, cause fallacies, and elevate it to any topic."
"Can we go inside first..." Gorson struggled to carry the food packaging bag.
Cheng Xiangwu didn't say anything. She entered the house, turned on the lights, and changed her shoes, illuminating the living room. She placed the food bag on the dining table, hung up her coat, and went back to check the bedroom and bathroom. She didn't find anything, but the lingering perfume scent made her sneeze.
Turning back, the slave owner was directing a high school student, several generations younger than her, to bustle around in the living room.
“This is a great opportunity that I’m giving him to realize his value,” Little Fer corrected. “People here don’t feel safe breathing unless they have some weight to them.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Golson nodded in confusion. “I did it voluntarily. I was so happy to be bossed around by Sister Fov.”
Cheng Xiangwu didn't say anything. She stepped forward, rolled up her sleeves, and took a fruit knife to peel the fruit she had bought. That's when she noticed that her left forearm was bruised. She was surprised because the skin hadn't reacted this much when she was hit hard by someone's baseball bat.
"Oh dear—" Gorson reacted even more strongly, worried and anxious, like anyone who sees a wound, she hesitated to look, "How could this happen? Sister, doesn't it hurt? You didn't even cry out. Was it that thing that hit you?"
"It's nothing," Cheng Xiangwu said. She really wasn't in pain. "I'll be fine by tomorrow morning."
“Oh…” Golson pursed his lips, glanced at it a couple more times, and then turned back to carrying the plates.
Just as I finished peeling and cutting the apple into pieces, Little F jumped out from the side, grabbed a fruit fork, and took a slice for himself.
“Sea salt and bergamot, and white musk.” She muttered to herself after a moment of contemplation. “I never imagined that Miss Xie Wuchang would define herself as a teenager, someone who can’t hide her feelings.”
"Did you ask her about that matter?" Cheng Xiangwu moved a piece of the peach next to her to fill the gap, and picked up the peach next to her to start peeling it.
"I just received a reply." Xiao Fu took another piece from the middle.
"How so?" Cheng Xiangwu added.
"As expected, it's Miss Gu Wanqiu." Xiao Fu took another slice, but she hadn't finished the previous one yet. Now she held a fork in each hand as if giving an example. "I'm really curious how that person will enter that door again. If possible, I'd love to livestream it. I'd also be willing to tip if there are any exciting parts."
The peaches were sliced into several pieces and laid out on a plate. Xiao Fu took a bite of an apple and used an empty fork to pick up a slice. Cheng Xiangwu picked up a small cantaloupe and peeled it. "Tomorrow morning, you take Sen Sen with you. I'm going out for a bit."
Upon hearing his name called, Golson quickly turned his head.
“…No way.” After a moment of silence, Xiao Fu said with dissatisfaction, “I have no reason to miss such a good show, and I also have my own empirical information to collect and verify.”
"Are you guys busy tomorrow morning?" Golson asked in a low voice. "I can find somewhere to stay by myself, don't worry about me."
But given the current situation, Cheng Xiangwu finds it hard to believe she can survive.
“It’s not impossible, in fact, this might lead to a major breakthrough in the case,” Little Franz nodded.
Gorson's current state of mind is like a plastic bag in a storm—chaotic, anxious, yet futile. The events that happened just as it got dark are still vivid in her mind. To say she wasn't afraid would be a matter of saving face, but now she understands that her two older sisters are unlikely to consider her feelings beneath the surface of her pride. This, in turn, gives her some long-lost privacy.
As mentioned before, attitude and feelings are different depending on what you think in your heart and what you say out loud after you've sorted it out.
“Then let me come along too!” Golson gestured. “Just think of me as a long-distance accessory, or put me in the car. In any case, I won’t get in your way.”
The option of putting it in the car seemed quite feasible, and Cheng Xiangwu nodded after thinking for a moment, "That works too."
At the dinner table, the tea that Xiao Fu had prepared smelled quite familiar, and Cheng Xiangwu realized that it was Pu'er tea.
“After all, the medium used to heat plants in your city’s specialty restaurants is vegetable oil. My stomach doesn’t produce strong acid, so I need to use auxiliary processing tools as appropriate for such solidified substances.” Little F raised his fork.
“Ah, there are some digestive tablets in the cupboard,” Goulson said. “But aren’t fries the same? Fried ones are just tastier!”
"Mmm." Cheng Xiangwu also thought that fried food was crispy and delicious.
After dinner, Cheng Xiang went downstairs to throw out the trash, and Gao Ersen followed her up with his coat.
"Isn't Sister Fufu going for a walk?" she asked Little Fu, who was sitting on the sofa, as she changed her shoes. Seeing the smile on his face, she knew she had probably made a mistake again.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
"Weren't we going for a walk?" Golson asked, puzzled.
"Your sister Xiangxiang crosses obstacles at night by destroying them, whether it's stones or her own forehead," Xiao Fu said.
It's unclear what Gorson understood, but she gasped, snatched the trash from Cheng Xiangwu's hand, and ran into the apartment building's stairwell.
"I'll just go downstairs for a quick walk and come right back!" she said, running off without even asking where to throw the trash.
Seeing this, Cheng Xiangwu didn't say anything, and turned around to pick up her coat.
“…Wait a minute.” Little F put down his teacup and stood up. “Never mind, let’s take a walk. Getting some fresh air is good for our physical and mental health.”
After the man put on his coat and changed his shoes, Cheng Xiangwu closed the door.
"Do you have any clues about the culprit behind this?" Cheng Xiangwu asked. The stairwell was empty, but even a low voice could be heard.
“The first point is the origin, so finding the culprit naturally requires starting from the beginning,” Xiao Fu said, her relaxed and carefree tone lingering in the air before quickly dissipating.
“…When will we find it?” Cheng Xiangwu frowned. Senhu City doesn’t have a long history, but it’s still older than the two of them combined.
"I'm only allowed to say that once," Little Fu said with dissatisfaction. "Historical experience won't hold us back for long. What we should be concerned about is how to investigate special cases. That's the part that's truly airtight."
Why did the relatives of the victims actively cut off contact with them? Judging from the two communication records of Golson, his parents showed no sign of changing their minds, even when facing their own child. It was as if the embers of their relationship had been rekindled, but they were now completely destroyed.
"Before I arrived in Senhu City, I tested the hypothesis that 'special circumstances have geographical restrictions,' targeting a group of migrant workers, including Ms. Qin Le's mother. For example, I learned that she had taken leave for personal reasons shortly after the incident, but returned to work the very next day after returning home." Xiao Fu's voice swayed in the stairwell. "Considering distance, perhaps the southernmost prison is not in the district, and the residents there might still have some hope."
“…Then Qin Zixi.” Cheng Xiangwu paused, then continued, “Over the years, it’s normal for that person to have forgotten his family.”
At least she felt this was normal.
“…Five-spice, kinship isn’t the kind of eco-friendly product that expires. It’s a fat shackle that will drag you into a green lake to soak from birth, so that every breath you take for the rest of your life will be accompanied by a damp, fishy smell, and it will be there every time you look down.” Little Fu said, his tone unusually low.
No matter how far it travels, it will always catch up; there is no place on this planet that it cannot go.
Cheng Xiangwu couldn't smell it or see it clearly, but when she stopped at the bottom of the building and turned around, she saw Xiao Fu standing on the steps, her face downcast with no expression.
"Whatever you want." Cheng Xiangwu sighed slightly. "I won't stop you from doing whatever you want, but I won't let him live for long either."
"Judging from the outcome, I might try to find a way to send him back to prison for a few more years," said Xiao Fu.
“What’s the use? Only the dead can be easily dragged away,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
“…I hate that about you too,” Little Franz said, disgruntled. “Ultimately, you just want to pretend nothing happened, don’t you? Utopian, a play-acting enthusiast, an overzealous formalist, an inactive opportunist—”
"Yes, that's me." Cheng Xiangwu took the long string of hats expressionlessly and put them on. It was dark and unpredictable outside at night, so she should be careful to keep warm.
To Cheng Xiangwu, the streetlights were fluorescent road signs rather than light sources. The road beneath his feet was sometimes black and sometimes gray, and strange shadows would approach from time to time, which might be the outline of leaves or a flying insect that flashed by.
"Permanent citizens of the ideal state, advocates of practical wisdom and environmentalism, anti-truth utilitarian skin scrapers, lying politicians and voters, catapults to the cross, nailers—" Little Fu was still proclaiming his critical thinking like a slogan, his tone rising and falling and occasionally accompanied by long vowels. Cheng Xiangwu watched her step and responded half-heartedly.
She hadn't understood what the man was saying since she stepped out of the apartment building; he was just cursing her. She didn't care, but if she didn't respond, he would be unhappy.
They hadn't walked far along the road leading to the garbage disposal area when they encountered Golson, who was squatting by the roadside playing with a cat.
"Mimi, squeak squeak squeak." She uttered a universal call. Some of the stray cats in the neighborhood were friendly, sniffing her outstretched palm before rubbing against her in a condescending manner.
“Look, a true master of mysticism.” Little Fu also came over, lifted the hem of his trench coat, squatted down, and began to put a hat on the cat. “The smallest non-linear thinking individual on Earth, an anti-linguistic performance artist.”
"...Are you talking about cats?" Golson asked, puzzled.
"Meow—" came the reply from the black-furred creature with white feet.
"Mhm." Little F nodded, and Golson looked over in shock.
"Let's go back." Cheng Xiangwu said, looking at the blurry clumps of shadows on the ground. One of the more familiar ones came over, circled around her legs twice, inexplicably hit her, and then left.
"Yes," Golson replied, standing up. "Sorry to have made you come down to find me."
"Let's take a walk." Cheng Xiangwu said, noticing that Xiao Fu still hadn't stood up, and couldn't help but wonder. This person herself had admitted that she couldn't understand animal language, could it be that she had gone to study animal language for the past few years?
“Animals other than humans don’t have a language system. They’ve already shown you humans what they want to say, so what’s there to be dissatisfied with?” Little F gave up playing the magnet repulsion game with the cat and stood up.
“Oh…” Golson said disappointedly.
After returning home, Cheng Xiangwu sat at the dining table and received an email from her colleague. It was the guest list for Bai Langtao's birthday banquet. There were nearly a hundred names, and the dense, neat grid on her phone screen made her dizzy. Fortunately, her colleague had thoughtfully highlighted the important ones for her.
Several locals were listed at the front, mostly names you could see on TV, including Gu Wanqiu. Impersonating these prominent figures was beyond Cheng Xiangwu's capabilities, so she squinted and looked through the other candidates. Those from out of town didn't have a definite arrival time, and apart from a few with headshots, the rest were people whose genders were the only distinguishable feature.
Rather than trying to impersonate these people, Cheng Xiangwu felt it was more practical to kill Bai Yuntian and throw him into the banquet setting from outside, since the venue should be quite large anyway.
The list does not include members of the Bai family, since they are no longer guests.
Further down, her colleague even showed her a blank template of an invitation, which essentially said: "It's Bai Langtao's birthday! We're so happy! Please come to Senhu Grand Restaurant in mid-July for a great meal and to stay for a few days. It's on us!"
Senhu Grand Hotel, as its name suggests, is the largest hotel in Senhu City, and also the largest accommodation in the area. It combines a conference hall, auditorium, and performance hall, allowing locals to handle all the major life events within this twenty-story building in the city center. If Senhu City had a single attraction, it would be the giant golden whale statue fountain in the hotel's plaza.
The Bai family invested in the building from its foundation to its decoration, and naturally, they also used it in critical moments.
Not every local has visited the famous local attractions, and Cheng Xiangwu naturally hadn't been to Senhu Restaurant either, but she had certainly eaten there.
Her mother, the owner, head chef, and property owner of Wuxianglou, was once one of the head chefs of Senhu Grand Restaurant. It was extremely rare for both of them to appear in her mind simultaneously in one day, which made her worry that her mother's face would soon appear before her as well.
Close the form; the email contains a separate note.
"If we investigate this suicide case alone, I could find 100,000 pieces of information for you. I guess you're too lazy to read the details, so I won't write them here. But there's one I think you might be interested in: an independent investigative journalist previously published a briefing on a murder case at the headquarters of BaiBai Limited. I saw some rumors that it might have been a suicide, about six months ago, and now there's no new information available. That journalist was quite capable; she took the photos and fled abroad. I guess if she feels this isn't over, she'll come back in a few days."
Another suicide. It's hard for Cheng Xiangwu not to connect this to the current situation. He just doesn't know the specific information about that employee. Given the Bai family's absolute power in Senhu City, it's normal that this matter is difficult to investigate.
Cheng Xiangwu, known for her rigorous professionalism, made a rare trip to learn about her target's background. Bai Yuntian is Bai Langtao's eldest son, with a younger brother and sister, both living outside the area, though their names clearly suggest they were chosen together. Bai Yunjian is the CEO of a branch office in a neighboring major city, currently married with two children. The youngest, Bai Yunxian, resides abroad year-round and is a medical student.
Besides his deceased wife, Bai Langtao also had a younger sister named Bai Guanhai, who died young in a mining accident before the age of 30. Their parents are no longer alive. As the founder of the Bai family, Bai Nianyun's portrait is permanently displayed in the Bai family ancestral home for public viewing.
Meanwhile, Little Franz was having a heart-to-heart talk with Goulson.
"I see." Little F scribbled in his notebook. "His thoughts have become so rich."
"Yes, right?" Golson asked uncertainly.
"In your opinion, does that existence have a physical form?" Little F asked.
"A physical body? There must be one, right? Didn't Sister Xiangxiang already cut it?" Gorsen replied hesitantly, recalling that hand, and that urgent persuasion and sigh.
“Chopping is just an action.” Little F looked at Golson and thought for a moment, then lowered his head to continue taking notes. “Can’t we be sure yet? But what we can be sure of is that the UFO’s behavior was purposeful. At least when that homeroom teacher communicated with you, his individualized behavior met the standard. Based on that, I’m more curious about his judgment criteria.”
Golson couldn't help but cover her head, but she knew it was useless.
“At least say something I can understand…” Golson said. Sometimes she could understand what Frye was saying, sometimes she couldn’t, and sometimes she felt that she was not understanding correctly, but no matter what, his words were not pleasant to hear.
"How can that be worthy of my diploma?" Xiao Fu remained unmoved. "Did you notice the other party's reflexive reaction when your sister Xiangxiang chopped it? And that skin, did you notice the rules of its two changes? The environmental changes when it appeared?"
“I really can’t say for sure,” Golson said, shrugging. “Why don’t we just ask Sister Xiangxiang? I think she probably watched the whole thing too.”
At this point, Golson felt a little embarrassed.
“Her?” Little F scoffed. “Nothing can leave a mark on her mind. If she doesn’t remember something, she won’t think about it. She can only remember things that have a long shelf life, not to mention that she herself said ‘it’s unnecessary.’”
"You didn't even ask her?" Golson asked, puzzled.
“I know your sister Xiangxiang very well, and so do you, so do those stubborn ideas,” Xiao Fu waved his hand and said. “Besides, it was so dark there that she couldn’t see clearly. You should answer, Miss Witness.”
“…I don’t know.” Golson felt a bit rebellious. “If you ask me to think about it, I can’t remember much either, after all, my eyesight isn’t that good.”
"Do I need to remind you that this is related to your life to get your survival instincts going?" Little F asked.
Golson remained silent. She realized that she still hadn't escaped anywhere, whether it was the dream, the hospital room, or this place with nowhere to go. This was her temporary refuge, but what about later? These two would leave one day; where could she go? And how much longer could she live?
That hand appeared in my mind again.
"Sister Fufu, do I really have a chance to survive?" Golson asked, pulling her legs up. "Is there really any chance that Mom and Dad will return to normal? Can I go home?"
When I close my eyes, sometimes it's pitch black, sometimes it's the school, sometimes it's the faces of my classmates—but I never see my own home. If there's nowhere to go in the conventional sense, should I seek refuge in dreams?
“…I see.” Little F sighed and put away his notebook. “I understand.”
"What?" Galson asked in surprise.
"As an immature minor, you've done your part to get this far, which is quite an accomplishment," Xiao Fu said, though his voice didn't carry much praise. "So, I hope you have a good dream tonight."
"...What do you mean?" Golson seemed to want to reach out, but an overwhelming unease froze her in place. "Will that monster come looking for me again tonight?"
Xiao Fu didn't answer the question. She picked up her now-cold tea, took a sip, and frowned.
"Will I be taken away? And then I'll commit suicide?" Golson clung to her shoulders, but she wasn't trembling. She realized she wasn't actually that afraid of the outcome. Perhaps it was because it was too dark, and everything seemed too illogical. The constant screaming of danger made her involuntarily take a few steps back.
Perhaps it should have been this way long ago, she thought. Doesn't this feeling of things settling down mean that she was actually prepared all along, but just missed a few good opportunities?
"What's wrong?" Cheng Xiangwu then noticed that the living room area had become quiet.
“…It’s nothing,” Golson said. After saying that, she suddenly felt sleepy, so she said, “It’s nothing, I’m a little sleepy.”
"Then go take a shower." Cheng Xiangwu nodded. Today was indeed tough for a high school student. "You'll sleep with me tonight."
"Huh?" Golson was taken aback.
“If no one’s watching that thing, they might come looking for you.” Cheng Xiangwu walked towards the study. “I’ve already checked the bathroom, you can go there directly—”
"No!" Little F slammed down his teacup and stood up. "No, I can't, I won't allow it."
The sound of the teacup clinking against the saucer couldn't drown out the sudden outburst of anger from the woman's three consecutive denials. This was the first time she had so clearly expressed her anger, but it was directed at something no one could understand.
Cheng Xiang turned around to look at her.
"...Why?" Golson didn't understand, but he also felt a little wronged. "I, I'm in a bit of trouble, but, but..."
But if she didn't go down there, she couldn't find any of her own strengths no matter how hard she looked.
"This chaotic brainwashing package of exam-oriented education will erode your empty and stubborn brain. You will be spiritually polluted, you will experience ideological alienation, and then—" Little F spread his hands, one finger pointing at Golson, the other pointing to the sky, and he shouted in a language that no one could understand.
"...I'm not religious." Golson really didn't understand what she was saying.
"That's completely different!" Little Fu waved his hand indifferently, as if to brush away non-existent dust. "Anyway, it won't work, so don't worry about it."
"I don't know how," Cheng Xiangwu replied, looking at Xiao Fu, then at Gao Ersen, "Go take a shower."
“…Hmm.” Golson glanced at Little Ferguson again, then got up and walked towards the master bedroom.
"What do you mean you can't? How could you not know?" Xiao Fu strode up to Cheng Xiangwu, looked her straight in the eyes, grabbed her collar and pulled her up. "The human brain is nothing but a fragile prison cell. If you can control what's inside, can you control what's outside? Sometimes you can't even control what's inside. Don't forget last time, last time you—"
Cheng Xiangwu patted Xiao Fu's hand, "Last time was last time, she's not that kind of person—"
“It’s the same!” Xiao Fu interrupted Cheng Xiangwu’s explanation. “It’s all the same to you, I know. I know you humans just like to watch this kind of drama of defying fate, but in the end, fate is just an imaginary enemy. Do you really think this kind of behavior is meaningful?”
"There shouldn't be." Cheng Xiangwu grabbed Xiao Fu's hands, forcibly making her release her pitiful collar. "Aren't we supposed to be catching the culprit next?"
After losing his collar, Xiao Fu shook off the other person's hand, stared at Cheng Xiangwu for a while, and suddenly sneered.
"Ha, I see. You want to take responsibility for her?" Little F took a step back, narrowed his right eye, and smiled sarcastically. "You think you can take responsibility for her like the protagonist in a fairy tale just because you brought her out of that tower? Don't forget that I am the one who initially authorized the responsibility, so I should also arrange the follow-up matters. Since you are unwilling to get involved in the case, then don't interfere with my investigation methods."
Cheng Xiangwu frowned after being attacked by this long speech and said, "You've said a lot again. You just think you can make decisions for her." She remained unmoved. "And you also think you can make decisions for me. I've told you not to act like a guest. Now you've taken that step and become the host."
Xiao Fu's mocking smile froze, and he gradually regained his expressionless face, the one Cheng Xiangwu was most familiar with.
“…because there are some important things you can’t understand, just like what I’m saying,” she said.
“I understand what you mean. Let’s speak like that next time too,” Cheng Xiangwu suggested.
“…No.” Little F refused with dissatisfaction. “Besides, the point is understanding. You yourself said, ‘You don’t need to understand what I’m saying, just believe it.’ Why are you contradicting me now? And I’ve already mentioned the arrangements for tomorrow, which means I don’t intend for her to die tonight.”
“It’s troublesome to explain to others, and sometimes I can still figure out what you’re trying to do,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
"Then what do you say?" Little F asked with a smile.
"You're worried that if she spends too much time with me, she'll change my attitude and then turn against you," Cheng Xiangwu said, spreading her hands. "Putting aside the fact that I already have work and personal matters, why do you think two people who are a generation apart in age can have a good conversation?"
"...Your completely empty mind isn't exactly oxygen-deprived," Little Franz said after a moment of silence. "Communication isn't just about language, and..."
"What?" Cheng Xiangwu asked in confusion.
"It's nothing, never mind." Xiao Fu turned and walked to the living room to start tidying up the tea set. "I had forgotten that you were the one who loved to dream. I will work on this myself."
"...Whatever." Cheng Xiangwu didn't say anything more and went to pack up Gorson's sleeping supplies.
Tonight was the first time that two people actually slept in the double bed in the master bedroom. Cheng Xiangwu didn't feel uncomfortable at all, but Gao Ersen kept glancing at her and then quickly looking away.
With the lights off, a few rays of light drifted in through the gaps in the curtains, casting several white lines on the floor.
"Sister Xiangxiang," Gao Ersen said softly, "Is this situation of mine quite troublesome?"
“A little.” Cheng Xiangwu said while lying flat on her back. This was a huge deal for a high school student.
“…I’m sorry to have troubled you,” Golson said.
“No, we would have had to take care of this even without you,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
“I always thought those cops were watching me because they were afraid I’d tell everyone, but it turns out that wasn’t the case.” Golson sighed, then went on to say a lot more. “Looking back now, it wasn’t that I hated the police. I just felt that if they weren’t keeping me locked up, I could go home, and things like that. I thought that once I got out, everything would be better. But you guys came so suddenly. I wasn’t ready, and you guys just jumped in through the window. Then everything happened so fast, so strangely. I didn’t know anything, I couldn’t do anything. You guys are the strangest adults I’ve ever met. Actually, I’ve harbored resentment towards Sister Fov. She definitely knows now. I’m a little afraid of her. Okay, actually, I’ve always been a little afraid of you guys.”
As she spoke, she turned to face Cheng Xiangwu, her eyes wide open, "But I've thought about it for a long time, and I think that if I had another chance, I would still beg you to take me away."
“Mm,” Cheng Xiangwu replied.
She suddenly remembered what Zhou Mi looked like when he was a child. The short elementary school student with a backpack would avoid her whenever he saw her, but later, after the two of them stared at each other more often in that convenience store, Zhou Mi started to talk more.
“…I want to go home,” Golson said. “That’s my home. Why can’t I go back? I want to go home.”
Her voice was real, landing firmly in the quiet bedroom space.
"Mm," Cheng Xiangwu responded.
"Hehe." Gorson suddenly chuckled shyly and leaned closer to Cheng Xiangwu. "This is the first time I've ever slept with an adult other than my mom."
“…Hmm.” Cheng Xiangwu wondered why this high school student wasn’t sleepy yet. “Go to sleep.”
"Mmm!" Golson pulled the blanket tighter around himself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com