Chapter 141 Night Candle Rules 19 "They love me."
"stop--"
It was almost impossible to recognize Ying Yao's voice anymore. He was approaching at lightning speed, yet it seemed as if they were very far apart. The moment she heard the warning, Nanmen Jue crushed the protective gear in her hand, but the next second, she stopped.
An extreme chill spread from her heart. She felt as if she had been frozen into an iceberg in the deep sea, the extreme temperature that no human could withstand, freezing her instantly. She was frozen in her original position, unable to make a sound or move.
The shadow of death loomed once again. The last time she felt so close to death was in the first world, after she killed the Tyrant Bird and then faced Zhang Chuxi's betrayal. Her flesh was festering, she lost too much blood, and the radiation-laden snow made her numb even to the pain. She climbed step by step, not even knowing how she climbed the cliff.
This time, her flesh and blood were intact, and even the tools she used showed no signs of being triggered. However, she clearly felt herself walking step by step toward death. The power froze her internal organs and veins. She felt that if she fell to the ground at this moment, she would shatter into pieces.
Is she going to die? Just like that, so easily and uneventfully, in this world?
She had always thought she was not afraid of death and had done many dangerous things that teetered on the edge of life and death in her daily life. But now that she was really facing death, a strong sense of unwillingness surged in Nanmen Jue's heart. Her spirit broke free from the restraints of her body and she shouted out loud.
"You wanted to be a good kid! You wanted the whole world to be full of good people! I didn't do anything wrong, so why are you killing me?!"
The buzzing sound reached her ears, and Nanmen Jue realized that she had not only mentally exploded with these words, but also shouted them out loud.
The moment she uttered those words, she felt her body regain its mobility.
Just like someone had just pulled her out of a freezer, Nanmen Jue lost control of her limbs and fell headfirst to the ground, rolling downhill. Someone quickly stopped her and pulled her into their arms.
"South Gate!"
Ying Yao's urgent voice was right next to her ear. Nanmen Jue was shivering from the cold and couldn't speak at all. Then she felt a warm feeling envelop her. She didn't know what kind of heating device Ying Yao had used, but the effect was immediate. Nanmen Jue felt that her lips were under her control, although they were still a little numb.
Where is he?
"Don't speak yet, let me examine you. He passed right through your body. I've never seen anything like this before."
Nanmen Jue had her eyes closed, and because her chest was pressed against Ying Yao's, she could clearly hear his rapid heartbeat. She wondered in a daze if she had misheard. Why did his voice sound trembling?
A thought flashed through her frozen mind: there really are people in this world who are more afraid of her death than she is of them.
However, it was still impossible for him to examine her. Nanmen Jueman woke up immediately upon hearing this. She opened her eyes, saw Ying Yao's face which was completely covered, and couldn't help but smile.
"You're not dead yet, don't be afraid."
Ying Yao took something out and tried to put it on Nanmen Jue, but Nanmen Jue blocked him. He glared at him, and Nanmen Jue grabbed his arm and sat up.
Only then did she realize that her body looked perfectly normal, and there was no indication that she had almost frozen to death.
Was that the bizarre method of attack? Recalling the despair of being plunged into the deep ice of the sea, Nanmen Jue still felt lingering fear and gripped Ying Yao's cloak tightly.
"Don't let him touch you," she said. "You'll die."
Ying Yao nodded heavily, then shielded Nanmen Jue behind him and stared intently at the osmanthus tree.
He was terrified by what Nanmen Jue had just done. He didn't even care what the boy was doing. Now that he remembered Wei Chongru was still on the hillside, he had already prepared himself for the worst.
Nanmen Jue also looked over, and the situation before him was somewhat unexpected.
The sky darkened slightly, making the osmanthus tree appear even more golden and radiant, a scene of unparalleled beauty. Wei Chongru stood there, looking as if he were stunned, but he was still alive. The boy stood between the two of them and the osmanthus tree, facing them.
“Nanmen Jue, you have stolen other people’s belongings. This is a warning.” The boy said in a somewhat curt tone.
Nanmen Jue realized that she had casually put the boy's diary into her backpack last night.
The boy thought she had stolen the diary, so he gave her a warning. He probably still doesn't realize she skipped work today. If he does, Nanmen Jue will be eliminated on the spot for violating three rules!
Ying Yao had obviously thought of this as well, and all his muscles tensed up.
There's no time left; they have to destroy the anchor point right here!
Upon hearing this warning, Wei Chongru turned pale. Just as he was about to speak, Nanmen Jue swept a sharp glare at him, instantly silencing him.
"Brother Nanmen, let me go and talk to him!"
Zhang Zhi asked anxiously in her mind, but Nanmen Jue gently comforted her, his gaze fixed on the boy, "What's your name?"
The boy's expressionless face suddenly twitched; this was the first time someone had asked him his name.
Ying Yao understood Nanmen Jue's intention and said, "Do you still have your memories? We come from the same place as you."
"The same...place?" the boy asked, puzzled.
“Yes, Yongyun City, Changyuan City, Fuyang City…” The diary hadn’t mentioned where the boy was from, so Nanmen Jue rattled off a long list of well-known cities in the real world. “Do you remember them? Are you from one of them too?”
The confusion in the boy's eyes gradually disappeared. "In Fuyang City, there is a very big water park. My mother took me there once. That was the first time I went to a water park, and that was the only time I went."
This time, Nanmen Jue was speechless. She had never been to Fuyang City, let alone paid attention to the fact that there was a water park there, but she had already checked off the list, and she couldn't stop now!
"Do you like water parks? Have you ever ridden that super long water slide? It's the longest water slide in the country," Ying Yao quickly chimed in.
The boy thought for a moment and said, "I like it."
At this moment, he showed no signs of being a long-dead monster. His expression was soft and tinged with innocent nostalgia, making him no different from a real child.
Nanmen Jue patted Ying Yao, who understood immediately. The two tentatively approached the boy, but he did not react.
The attack just now left Nanmen Jue with lingering fear. Her palms were slightly sweaty. Because she couldn't predict the boy's next move, she didn't give Wei Chongru any instructions. However, seeing their actions, Wei Chongru started moving on his own. He carefully circled the tree to check it.
Nanmen Jue's expression tensed for a moment, but seeing that the boy didn't seem to notice what was happening behind him, he forcibly returned to normal.
They approached the boy, just like when they first met on the street. Nanmen Jue squatted down and looked the boy in the eye.
"What's your name? How old are you?"
"My name is Feng Jiabao, and I'm six years old." Whether it was his own choice to answer or the constraint of being a "good boy" that forced him to, the boy still answered Nanmen Jue's question.
Six years old… Nanmen Jue felt a pang of sadness and anger, but his face softened. “Feng Jiabao, do you want to go home?”
Feng Jiabao was stunned. Ying Yao looked at her incredulously. Wei Chongru, who had heard the question not far away, also stopped what he was doing and looked over in shock.
Nanmen Jue knew what they were thinking. Judging from the information revealed in the diary, that family treated Feng Jiabao like an object that was not worth cherishing. He was ignored and abused. If he had died in reality, he would probably have become a vengeful ghost with a grievance. How dare Nanmen Jue ask him if he wanted to go home? Shouldn't this word be a taboo subject and never be mentioned?
However, Nanmen Jue's expression remained unchanged, and he continued to look at Feng Jiabao with tenderness.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Feng Jiabao to make his move, waiting for him to kill Nanmen Jue in a fit of rage. Ying Yao was ready to fight to the death, but Feng Jiabao not only did not get angry, but tears began to well up in his eyes.
“I…can’t go home.” He looked aggrieved like a real child, but choked back sobs, unlike a typical child who would wail. “They all say that once you’re in here, you can never go home again.”
“They’re lying to you. Look, we all come from home, and we can go home anytime,” Nanmen Jue said. “Do you want to go home?”
Feng Jiabao said, "I want to."
Ying Yao remained silent, and Nanmen Jue knew that his face beneath the mask must be filled with astonishment and bewilderment.
Nanmen Jue smiled, but something inside her felt like it was boiling, burning her breath.
They don't understand that children are different. They don't have the same thoughts and considerations as adults. When they are abused or neglected, they will only feel that they are not good enough and that their parents don't like them enough.
If it were a child born with evil intentions, that would be one thing, but Feng Jiabao is clearly not.
He loves the parents who hurt him. He builds his own psychic realm into a utopian fantasy, wanting to become better and more obedient so that his parents might like him.
“We’ll take you home, okay?” Nanmen Jue said gently.
Feng Jiabao's eyes lit up, and he stared intently at Nanmen Jue. Of course, this was a lie, but Nanmen Jue didn't seem guilty at all. "You've been away from home for so long, your parents are so worried. Come on, come out with me, I'll take you home."
Feng Jiabao seemed to be considering something. Nanmen Jue dared not look away, and glanced at the osmanthus tree out of the corner of his eye. He saw Wei Chongru seemingly having discovered something and was excitedly digging.
Feng Jiabao opened his mouth, then suddenly said, "You're lying."
Nanmen Jue's smile froze, and Ying Yao instantly sprang to his feet. However, Feng Jiabao's next words were: "Does he want to dig up Sister Xiaoruo's body? You don't want to take me home, you want to take Sister Xiaoruo back to exchange for points."
Upon hearing this, Ying Yao slammed on the brakes, Wei Chongru, who was digging a hole under the tree, froze, while Nanmen Jue seemed to understand something, "Did you bury Sister Xiaoruo here later as well?"
“Hmm.” Feng Jiabao nodded and said in a calm tone, “After I became a monster, I brought those people in. They were not good people, so they all died. I took Sister Xiaoruo away and buried her here.”
"Then let's bring Sister Xiaoruo home too, okay?" Nanmen Jue said. "I promise I won't use her to exchange for points. If I do, you can kill me anytime."
Feng Jiabao blinked, then turned to look at Wei Chongru, who was beaming with ecstasy as he raised his arm and waved to Nanmen Jue.
He found the anchor point.
Upon meeting Feng Jiabao's gaze, Wei Chongru's smile froze on his face, turning into a look of terror.
“You’re not lying,” Feng Jiabao said. “I know I can’t go back. You should take Sister Xiaoruo with you.”
Upon hearing this, the three adults fell silent.
Feng Jiabao... knew that Nanmen Jue was lying when he said he would take him home, but he didn't kill him?
Feng Jiabao lowered his eyes. "He found Sister Xiaoruo. I placed the anchor point next to her. Destroy the anchor point and you can leave. I can't leave. Let's take Sister Xiaoruo back to our world. She definitely doesn't want to stay here any longer."
"And what about you?" Nanmen Jue blurted out, "Where is your ghost servant? Without a ghost servant, you will die."
After saying that, she paused for a moment. She was eager for Feng Jiabao to disappear, but then she thought that if the Ghost Servant was gone and the Ghost Realm was destroyed, he might really disappear. So she couldn't help but ask him that question.
Feng Jiabao slowly looked at her, gave a hollow smile, and said, "If it's true that you only want to take Sister Xiaoru away, then Mom and Dad won't be in a hurry or expect me to go back. No matter how well-behaved I become or how good my grades are, they won't like me. I really want to go home, but I can't go home anymore. A child like me should just die out there so that Mom and Dad won't be angry with me anymore."
“That’s not how it is.” Nanmen Jue’s voice tightened with emotion, and she instinctively retorted, “They might not be good at expressing themselves, they might just be…”
She couldn't go on. She couldn't think of any reasons to support the idea that his parents loved him, but she felt she couldn't let the boy die in despair.
“…Feng Jiabao, I really don’t know if your parents love you, just like I can’t be sure if my sister loves me.”
Ying Yao turned his head and gazed at Nanmen Jue's serious profile. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with a soft look, though he wasn't sure if there was any moisture in them.
“I don’t have a mom and dad. My mom and dad died when I was six years old, when you were about my age,” Nanmen Jue said. “I’ve thought about how happy my parents and sister would be as a family if I weren’t here. Sometimes I wonder if my sister blames me, but I don’t know what she thinks. She’s never told me what she’s thinking…”
Before he could finish speaking, a small body rushed into Nanmen Jue's arms. Nanmen Jue was taken aback; this time, there was no bone-chilling coldness.
Feng Jiabao hugged her neck and sobbed in her arms.
“They, they said they loved me… They said it with their own mouths, they loved me, but then they told me to die. They clearly said they loved me.”
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