Chapter 1414 Cemetery
Tu Lanxun really hoped the other party was playing a prank, but a vague premonition told her otherwise. Having just returned from the funeral home and Qingshan Lake, she didn't want to go anywhere related to corpses.
The online store had just opened and the negative reviews had greatly affected its credibility. She opened the backend and communicated with the buyer, asking him to cancel the order.
But when typing, Tu Lanxun did not use the excuse that "the delivery address is a cemetery", but instead said cautiously:
"I'm sorry, the chocolate and teeth cleaning kit you ordered are out of stock. We can help you with a refund first, and we'll notify you as soon as they're back in stock."
It’s fake. Actually, there was a set of dental cleaning kits pressed under the corner of the warehouse box, and the debt collectors couldn’t find it.
The customer chat interface displayed "the other party is typing" for a long time, and finally a long and shocking sentence popped up.
"But I really want to brush my teeth! It's so windy here at night, and my teeth hurt. My toothbrush used to be called this, but my mom and dad haven't come to see me in three years! [crying][crying]"
The other party's reply was disorganized, full of emotion, and the words used were childish, like a little child.
Tu Lanxun could trick the other party into canceling the order, then forget about it and never care about it again, but the second message came soon.
"Boss, are you out of stock? Fine, I'll cancel the order. I'm so sorry to have wasted your time. Please let me know when you need more. It's cold here, and I really need both chocolate and a toothbrush, or I'll get cavities."
Hiss, so good.
If the purpose of this prank was to keep her awake at night, it had succeeded.
Tu Lanxun typed quickly, "Are you currently at the delivery location? Take a picture of yourself making an 'OK' sign with your right hand and send it to me."
They actually took a photo. Three minutes later, no photos were sent, but a video invitation popped up. Tu Lanxun's heart trembled. He looked at N. The shadows were empty. He had vanished along with the chair.
She held the phone farther away, shielding the front-facing camera, and pressed the answer button. The other end was lagging, the crackling sound of electricity crackling like a ball of old newspaper in her ear. The picture loaded slowly.
It wasn't a ghost picture, nor a pornographic one, but rather the picturesque Lucheng Cemetery. A chubby little hand stretched out, making an "OK" sign. Below it were a row of grayish-white tombstones, each as stiff and bloodless as the hand's skin.
The lens was blurry, and Tu Lanxun could hardly see the words on the central stele. There was also a small black and white photo pasted there, as small as a pockmark on the stele, making it even harder to see.
Suddenly, a shadowy face appeared in front of the camera, filling the entire phone screen. A round, translucent face could be vaguely seen, with black ash smeared on the cheeks, and the black eyes were staring at the screen with wide eyes.
"Are you the boss? Hello..." The voice was grainy and hoarse, with a slightly childish ending and some echo, like young bamboo shoots ground with sand and gravel, which made people feel disgusted.
Could it really be a child ghost? Tu Lanxun's fear subsided a little, the only remaining feeling coming mostly from that hoarse voice. It was so strange.
She was hesitating whether to speak, when suddenly, the video was cut off without warning, and the phone jumped back to the store chat interface, but there was no record of the video call.
Turning around, Tu Lanxun saw a shadow behind her, looking down at her phone screen together. Without thinking it was rude, she returned her gaze to those eyes that were like broken glass beads, without revealing a single emotion.
"You cut off the call between us?"
The faint scent of cemetery grass and trees lingered on N's body. "No. It's the other party's fault. The little ghost is weak and can't maintain the electronic signal connection."
He turned around, and Tu Lanxun chased after him, asking non-stop, "Across the board—are those forums really full of ghosts? Is that little ghost video-calling me the same as you calling me? Do you need a medium to activate your skills, or do you just go straight into a phone or signal channel?"
N didn't answer a single question, just stared at him silently with no expression on his face, and Tu Lanxun automatically closed his mouth.
What happened on this day was so strange. He broke into the world of ghosts and had normal interactions with them. This was much more memorable than being forced to see ghosts. Tu Lanxun couldn't help but raise a finger, indicating that he wanted to ask one last question.
N raised his eyelids to express his doubt. His face looked a little weird from this angle.
Tu Lanxun spoke without hesitation: "Can you accompany me to the cemetery?"
#
N said yes.
Tu Lanxun thought that he would have to get up early tomorrow, just like the trip to Qingshan Lake, but he never expected that N could just leave at any time and set off immediately.
The silver-gray Jetta sped across the viaduct, passing through the light blue and light orange sky, like driving between the head and belly of a salmon in its migratory season, all the way to the Lucheng Cemetery.
It was rare for Tu Lanxun to drive so fast. With the window slightly open, it seemed like she was just enjoying the evening breeze. But she wanted to get to the cemetery quickly so as not to delay until it was completely dark, otherwise she was afraid.
N sat in the passenger seat as usual. In the back seat were a plastic bag of chocolate candies, a box of dental kits, and an old pair of pliers with plastic handles.
The rubber-handled pliers were scavenged from the warehouse. Tu Lanxun had prepared them for the gold cake in her pocket, the one that belonged to Liu Maosheng. Liu Maosheng's words were also on her.
"Did you bring the incense?" Tu Lanxun looked to the side. N looked more like a silhouette in the deepening sunset. The silhouette's mouth moved. "You're quite enthusiastic, but I didn't agree to sell it to you."
Before they left, Tu Lanxun unilaterally negotiated the condition that N would sell her one of the three half-burnt incense sticks, and Tu Lanxun would cut a small piece off the big gold coin as compensation. The market price was very reasonable.
"Hey, little girl, what's wrong with a little girl wanting to eat candy? She will even take the initiative to brush her teeth." Tu Lanxun laughed.
In reality, she had other plans. How much incense could a few chocolates cost? Just a light, two seconds of smoke, and it was done. The remaining half, once extinguished, could be used again. There were as many wealthy ghosts as there were rich people in the world.
She didn't expect the little girl ghost to pay any reward, as long as she could meet a rich ghost who could make a profit from the deal later.
Oh, that's not right. Why is she planning to mess with ghosts?
Tu Lanxun hadn't reacted yet. She had gotten so caught up in the video that she was completely lost. Habits are truly terrifying. She turned her head, forced a smile, and tried to practice her courage:
"Mr. N, you drive so well, why do you always make me look bad?"
This time N didn't even open his eyelids, and his whole body melted into the twilight. His outline was black, thin and sharp, silently threatening: he would disappear at any time and leave Tu Lanxun alone on the road leading to the cemetery.
The warning took effect. Tu Lanxun was silenced twice in one day. He lowered his brows and smiled freely. He turned the steering wheel twice. A hillside carrying a group of tomb boxes came to meet him in front of him. The mountain was dark, and two weak lights flickered in it, like the eyes of the deceased lowered.
The cemetery's opening hours are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and with only one hour left, Tu Lanxun increased his speed to climb the hill. He finally found a spot near the parking lot halfway up the mountain and quietly got out of the car.
The entrance to the cemetery was locked, and the lights in the security booth were on. The security guard was playing games behind a hanging amulet with his head down, not looking up at all. No one would be allowed in at this time. Tu Lanxun glanced at N's profile and pursed his lips.
The two of them walked past the security guard, as if he didn't see them. The dim countdown on his phone screen seemed to be shattered. Tu Lanxun climbed the retractable automatic door with a heart hanging in his throat, while N melted into it.
As soon as you see it, there are countless steps going up the mountain that reach above your head, and there are densely packed tombstones hanging from the sky. It is hard not to feel that you will reach the other side once you climb to the highest point. It is scary only when you really get there, but it is too late.
Tu Lanxun was sandwiched between N and an endless group of tombstones, and didn't know which side to lean towards for safety.
At night, the cemetery was dimly lit. Using a flashlight, she groped her way to the row with the client's address. Along the way, Tu Lanxun had uncontrollably memorized many of the deceased's names. But before entering the row with the little girl, she turned a corner.
There was a large green tree over there, blocking out the sun and providing shade. "Hurry, hurry, no one can see us here, so we can go over there and do our work!"
What she meant was to find a place to light incense, but to be secretive. She guessed that there were many ghosts in this place, and the smoked chocolate candies were very popular and could be easily snatched away. It would be best to light them and give them to the little girl ghost quickly so that she could eat them on the spot.
"There's no need to be like this. Most of the ghosts in the cemetery are ordinary people, not that serious." N stood straight in the dim light and said in a low voice.
Tu Lanxun also came to his senses, "Yes, it's a cemetery, and family members will come to pay their respects."
They still lit some incense under the big tree. After two seconds, Tu Lanxun quickly extinguished the incense with a fallen leaf. There was still a piece as long as her index finger left. She was afraid that it would break, so she put it back into the packing box like an ancestor.
The little girl's cemetery is easy to find. It is located in a relatively expensive area. The tombstone is more luxurious than those in the previous areas. It also has a small stone and brick courtyard wall, only a few square meters, with a photo embedded in the middle. It is the face in the video call.
Tu Lanxun bent down and blew away the dust on the low wall. A small face appeared behind the tombstone. The skin color was more solid than in the video, and the grayish white color was a bit eerie under the night sky. "Are you the owner of Broccoli?"
Five minutes later, the little girl sat on the stone steps in front of her own grave and started eating chocolate.
She ate with her mouth full of chocolate, but she didn't throw the candy wrappers around, instead gathering them neatly in her palm. She gulped down her sweet saliva, her tongue a little thick, and said, "I haven't had chocolate in three years."
Tu Lanxun raised his eyebrows. The surrounding tombstones were cleaner than the little girl's. Some even had offerings placed on them. Only the little girl's tomb was empty, with nothing but dead leaves and mud.
Apparently, no one has been here for a long time.
Who would buy an expensive cemetery for their child but never visit the grave after burial? This doesn't make sense.
The little girl's arms were covered in black ash. She wanted to hug Tu Lanxun, but shyly retreated, feeling somewhat dejected. "Thank you, sister. I like your chocolate, and I like you too."
After she finished speaking, a golden ring appeared in her hand, which was a gold bracelet, and she was about to put it into Tu Lanxun's hand.
Tu Lanxun couldn't take his eyes off it, but at least he could tell right from wrong. The bracelet was made using ancient craftsmanship, with words engraved on the inner ring. It was clearly someone's favorite, most likely the little girl's mother or father.
She declined gently, but the little girl became more aggressive and insisted on giving it to her. Finally, N appeared beside her, which scared the little girl. She took a deep breath and tried to straighten her body to block Tu Lanxun.
N frowned, looked at the little girl who puffed herself up like a frog to appear taller, and turned to the blue-painted Xun:
"This bracelet... is entangled with a deathly aura that doesn't belong to her, but is related to her."
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