Contest (4)
"how's it going?"
"Even after raising the price to 500,000, he still refused to budge. We tricked him into believing that we needed 300,000 to ensure his son's safety, but he couldn't come up with it. Even then, he still refused to sell the house. There must be something fishy going on here."
"Is there any other solution?"
"The police revealed that he and the family next door to his old house were brothers, and that they went to help fill the foundation that day. But now only unrelated people are left in their family. His mother is unconscious, and we haven't found anyone else who might know the truth."
"What is Tan Songqi's attitude?"
"Nothing." The secretary recalled a trivial incident. "Someone gave him a doll today, and when he saw it, he hugged it and cried. I thought maybe..."
"Who sent it?"
"No one saw it, and it wasn't captured on surveillance. It's very strange." No one could explain it.
The secretary sent Hui Zifeng a photo of the doll. Hui Zifeng saw that one of the rabbit's eyes was made of black buttons, and there was a drop of blood in the other eye.
Hui Zifeng rubbed his finger, where the prick was, and it still hurt when he pressed it. He immediately asked his secretary for help, hoping to test whether the drop of blood was his own.
"Are you sure?" The secretary must have thought he was crazy.
Hui Zifeng was so nervous that he could hardly suppress his emotions. "I'm sure, please. Call me when the time comes."
Two days later, Hui Zifeng heard two pieces of news in the hospital corridor. One was that the blood on Tan Songqi's doll was indeed Hui Zifeng's. The other was that Tan Songqi, as an adult, had testified that his father had murdered his wife.
"That's great! The house's been demolished, and once the remains are found, we can convict them." The secretary, who had participated in this, felt a sense of triumph and continued to grumble with disgust. "That old woman in their family isn't a kind-hearted woman either. Even after all this, she keeps saying, 'That woman deserves death, my son did the right thing.' Isn't that infuriating? The saying that women are afraid of marrying the wrong man is so true. And that kid is really patient, too. He's never forgotten his mother's kindness. But he's also learned bad habits and hasn't done anything good."
Hui Zifeng didn't listen. He couldn't understand why the blood from his cut finger ended up on the rabbit. How had the rabbit vanished from under his nose and ended up in Tan Songqi's hands? More importantly, the rabbit in the iron box he'd seen under the locust tree was moldy and rotten, while the one in Tan Songqi's hand was pristine. What was going on? Were the two rabbits the same? If not, when had his blood been stained?
Just as he was puzzled, the secretary patted him on the back. Hui Zifeng, who had been crouching on the windowsill, straightened up at the signal, making way for the emergency bed. He first noticed Wen Jie, whose clothes were soaked, and a girl in a green dress nearby. Her black hair was long and curly, streaked with green waterweed, and her skin was fair. Her elegant dress revealed her beautiful collarbone. She ran with difficulty, perhaps because the dress was too ladylike.
But the clothes looked familiar. Hui Zifeng was certain he'd seen them somewhere before. Wen Jie was accompanying him, so could the person who brought the emergency services be... Hui Zifeng's imagination was incredibly strong, and even as he raised his question, he saw the face of the person on the bed.
Should he be happy or sad? The person in the bed wasn't Shuixi. The person who needed emergency treatment because of drowning was Song Shiwen. He had asked Song Shiwen for something important, but he still hadn't received an answer. As soon as he returned, this person had an accident.
Hui Zifeng was stunned for a moment, then rushed over to ask Wenjie what had happened. Wenjie was a monk, calm and composed, detached from the mundane world even in the face of life and death. He had great respect for Shuixi's friend, so he acted like a proper monk and spoke truthfully, "Today was a pilgrimage event, and the temple was crowded. A child fell into the water, and this donor risked his life to save them, but he didn't save the child and drowned himself."
Someone still refused to give up. They'd probably try to drain the Mirror Pond to find the child's body. What would Shuixi do then? That child... Wenjie couldn't help but chant a Buddhist prayer. Was this God's will? Everything was proceeding according to Shuixi's wishes.
At this time, Song Shiwen's mother rushed over and saw the sign saying that the surgery was in progress. She couldn't help crying and asked what happened. Wen Jie explained it again. The mother bowed to Wen Jie and said, "Thank you, Master, for saving my son."
Wen Jie returned the greetings repeatedly and explained, "I didn't save him, someone else did."
The so-called "other" was now standing at the entrance of her cave, holding a bow and arrow, aiming at a gray, erratic figure in the water. She had just finally returned here when she encountered a child who had fallen into the water. Someone jumped in to rescue her, but the child continued to drift into the undercurrent, dragging the kindhearted person with them. Cang Yue sensed an unnatural power in the child and rushed over. The child let go of the rescuer and was swept into the center of the undercurrent.
As she brought the innocent man to the surface and returned to the depths, that strange shadow hovered around her. He Ai also transformed into a formless puff of smoke, dispersing through the water. Only then did Cang Yue realize that the other person was similar to He Ai. Could it be the guardian beast of this place? The other guardian beast was... she had no idea of its whereabouts. She only knew that if it opposed her, then they were enemies.
An arrow shot out, breaking through the water flow with no loss of force, heading towards what she thought was the fatal place.
It passed through, sank softly into the water, and gradually turned into ash.
Cang Yue remained at her cave, clutching a weapon she wasn't sure would protect her, feeling a moment of bewilderment. She knew who she was and where she came from. She had a devoted guardian beast, He'an, by her side, and a deep connection to Chaolai Pavilion, formerly Yunsheng Hall. The cave behind her recorded the people and events she had experienced over the past millennia. However, she had completely forgotten why she was so different from others, and how she had arrived at this point, leaving no record. She was like a kite adrift and without a home.
She still remembered searching for her beloved. But she also knew that person had died alone, somewhere she couldn't reach. Those who came after her were only the descendants of her beloved, not him. Should she continue living like this? She was already at a loss.
In the woods near Chaolai Pavilion, Shuixi sat atop a paulownia tree, its dense foliage concealing him well. A black cat-like creature slowly approached along the trunk, its eyes wary, as if it were hunting.
"You're here," Shuixi said. "Whatever you're afraid of me doing, I won't do anything to you."
He held out his hand, two black pellets resting in his palm, emitting a faint scent of incense ash. But the cat refused, taking a step back and hunching its body.
"You really don't want it?" Shui Xi laughed at his hypocrisy. "I didn't expect you to be tamed to this point. Even your habits need to be changed. Well... then what's the harm in smelling it? It's a gift for you. Take it with you."
The cat couldn't resist, sniffing twice before obediently lying down beside Shuixi. Shuixi reached out to touch it, but was bitten back at the base of the tiger's mouth. Shuixi cried out in pain, then laughed and tried to touch it again.
"Has Lu Cangyue become that powerful? She broke my water mirror with one punch."
Kindly scoffed.
"Have you become so weak because you traveled through time and space with her? I still can't understand why you chose her. What's so good about her? Is it just because she treats you as a pet? Do you still remember who you are? You are not a pet, but a house-guarding beast! He Ai." Shui Xi quietly rubbed the black pill into gas and sent it into He Ai's body. It couldn't move and could only bear it. Half a minute later, as soon as He Ai recovered, it flew into Shui Xi's arms and slapped his face with its claws. Its movements were so fast that Shui Xi had been hit six times by the time he caught it. Shui Xi grabbed its two claws and held them in front of him, saying aggrievedly, "I am doing this for your own good. Do you have no place for me in your heart now? Come and kill me if you have the guts."
He held He'an in his arms again and looked at the water in the distance. The ripples on the water were a bit dazzling. "I have an idea that will be good for both of us. Do you want to hear it?"
Shuixi received a cat-like punch to the stomach. He smiled again. "You and Lu Cangyue should both stay here and live together. Don't travel around anymore. I'll help you find a place to live. You can keep it a secret from your master, and we'll work together to get her to stay and live like ordinary people. Just don't get in my way. We don't have any deep hatred, so why act like enemies?"
He Ai disagreed with this and bit Shui Xi's wrist fiercely. Shui Xi lowered his head and looked at him quietly. His gentle gaze forced the hatred in He Ai's eyes to gradually dissipate, and he let him go obediently.
"Is there any harm in living quietly under my watch?" Shuixi's voice was quiet and gentle, but it felt like a trap, luring you into eternal damnation. It was a threat.
"Now that we've reached a consensus, please be kind and don't go against me again." Shui Xi coaxed, "Of course, if I do anything to hurt Lu Cangyue, you can do whatever you want to me."
In the shabby, dirty, and dimly lit room, the tarred windows were scratched. A few rays of sunset shone through, illuminating the cracks in the floor. It was pitch black inside, and insects poked their heads out, scurrying around the light and away. Tan Songqi stood in the middle of the room. The person who had brought him back fumbled for the switch, but finally gave up and placed the few daily necessities they had brought at the door. They casually said, "Take good care of your grandmother. Call me if you need anything," then closed the door and left.
Tan Songqi heard the man calling his wife and saying that he would go to pick up his granddaughter and take her home immediately.
The unknown creature on the bed moved, and there was a "creaking" sound, and a foul smell immediately emanated.
"Who's back? Pour me a glass of water."
Tan Songqi stood in the middle of the room, slowly looking up. He didn't dare make any noise. As for what he was afraid of, he no longer wanted to think about it. He looked at the few rays of light; they were dazzling, but he persisted. The doll in his breast pocket bulged against his skin, and he felt happy.
He recalled an evening when he was a child, playing in the yard while his mother worked on a handicraft. His friends had been sent home by their parents, so he returned to his mother, clamoring for dinner. She kept trying to calm him down, but she finally finished her work and handed him a hand-sewn rabbit. His mother smiled, as if it were a gift for herself, but he didn't want it. How could a boy like that?
"If you don't want it, I won't make you any delicious food," his mother threatened. He angrily snatched it away, grabbing the rabbit by the neck. He followed his mother to the kitchen, which was already a mess. When he came out, the old woman's face was scarier than a monster, and she had overturned the basin of water, which hadn't been washed yet. He just watched the water flow onto the ground, clinging to the dirt and creating a rainbow of colors. His mother brought him out and said, "How about instant noodles tonight?"
"Great!" he shouted excitedly, and even liked the rabbit in his hand very much. He held it against his chest and looked at it carefully.
At that time, he deliberately avoided certain things. He continued to avoid them in the years that followed. He knew exactly what was going on, but he didn't know what to do, so he remained silent, suppressing his anger.
The old woman next to him continued to yell. He listened, waited, wanting to bet on whether the old woman would continue spewing feces. He stood there, trying to hide his true self. The few wisps of light grew dimmer, until it was completely dark outside, and there was no light at all in the room. He felt a sense of relief inside, finally able to stretch his muscles. He moved his arms and legs slightly, and knew that he was smiling.
He knew exactly what he was like, but he also knew that to survive in this society, he had to pretend to be well-behaved.
"Qiqi, give grandma a sip of water, Qiqi." The old woman shouted intermittently.
If we had seen you like this a long time ago, we would have been very happy. He was laughing.
"The water's right here. I've got it ready for you." Tan Songqi felt tired and needed to sit down and wait quietly. But the place was too dirty for him to sit. If he walked to his room, he would definitely make noise, and he felt scared. After thinking for a long time, he finally decided to muster up the courage to become a real villain.
He walked forward, the creaking of the wood beneath his feet echoing through the dark room, sending mice scurrying in terror. So this is what it feels like to be brave and truly yourself? He felt wonderful. Then the old demon yelled again, and Tan Songqi exploded, kicking the chair beside him.
The bamboo chairs scattered and flew aside. He felt free.
He pushed open the door. Faint moonlight streamed into his room, and his mood instantly brightened. But were there a pair of green eyes above the table? Was there a person sitting there? There was wind outside the window, stirring the leaves of the locust tree, and so did the long hair of the humanoid figure. He reached up to turn on the light, flicking the switch back and forth, making a clicking sound, but the overhead light didn't come on.
"What are you afraid of?" the man spoke. But the voice went directly into Tan Songqi's mind, not into his ears. He didn't speak. It was his mother's voice, and sometimes his father's.
"You've discovered that you and your father are actually the same kind of people, and you're disgusted with yourself, right?"
The man is laughing.
"You're right. I'm not human. I'm not here. You see my shadow and hear my voice because you're still a coward who only dares to do things secretly. Do you think you're your mother's hero? You're an accomplice. You relieve your pain by hurting the weak. Your father is imprisoned for his crimes. Did you put in any effort in this? Don't fool yourself, idiot."
"Get out!" Tan Songqi roared.
A gust of wind rushed in through the window, and the figure disappeared. The curtains fluttered, and he finally turned on the light, but it was red and green. He felt dizzy and turned it off again. Now, he longed for the shadow that had just left to accompany him again.
He has no friends yet! The old monster's voice sounded intermittently, and the voice of the imaginary shadow was also heard.
"I am no different from that evil gangster." Tan Songqi gradually relaxed, turned on all the lights in the house, dug out the fruits and bread left by the old policeman, took them to his room and ate them one by one, then went to boil water and make soup. He was busy and made himself look very happy, and even hummed a song.
That night his mother wanted to take him with her, but Tan Songqi was cowardly and afraid of being caught by his father and beaten again, so he went out and refused to go out. He ran back to the house and bumped into a stool, waking up his grandmother. His mother wanted to give her son some advice, but was caught by his father who was woken up by his grandmother.
The thief was clear-headed when he did it. He disposed of everything and told him to bury the blood-stained hammer under the old locust tree. When he returned, the man was eating from a large bowl. Grandma was standing in front of the pot, stirring it, just like before, the steam enveloping her. In the days that followed, the thief continued to eat heartily like this, even visiting my grandparents' house for feasts. Although he had become haggard, his eyes were always bloodshot, and he looked like an honest man who had been bullied. Others were appreciative, saying, "Look at that man, his wife ran away, he's sad, and he's getting old quickly."
He was now trying his best to imitate the villain's mood. Daybreak had arrived, and the lights were no longer working. The noise outside the door had finally stopped. He stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself. Sure enough, his eyes were bloodshot and his face was haggard, but he wanted to smile. He changed into nice clothes, took his rabbit, and went out to do something important.
At the entrance of Yingzhou Art College, it was ten o'clock in the morning, just as students were finishing classes. The place was bustling with activity, a bit more lively than before. The female student handing out flyers busied herself, a broad smile plastered on her face as she respectfully handed over the colorful papers to passersby.
Most of the people saw that the person handing them the flyers was a pretty girl, so they happily took them. Even after she had walked away, they kept looking back, reluctant to leave. They thought this girl looked different from them, perhaps with some ethnic minority blood.
After this period of time, the school gate became a little quieter. Someone approached the female student and asked if she would like to find a job that would be easier and pay better. The student said, "Excuse me, do you know someone named Hui Zifeng?"
The man was stunned and said, "I know you, I know you. I'll take you there."
Tan Songqi had been observing for a long time. When he saw this, he stepped forward and called out "sister." He then looked at the woman coldly. The woman smiled awkwardly and left, glancing at the female student a few more times. "Let's talk some other time. I have something else to do. See you another time!"
"Do you recognize me?"
Tan Songqi turned around and smiled innocently, "Lu, your last name is Lu, what's your name? What's your name?"
She held her breath in anticipation.
"Lu Cangyue, right?" Tan Songqi laughed at her excitement and called her "sister" sweetly again, saying that he would take her to find Hui Zifeng. She believed him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
