Chapter 37 The Sleeping Curse (1) He thinks movies are better...
Most of the students in Art History Class 1 are still recovering and will resume classes after the short holiday.
The course schedule will be shortened, there will be no make-up classes, and the assessment requirements will be appropriately relaxed. However, students who are currently in good condition can choose to attend classes with students from other classes first.
Xie Tan looked at today's class schedule: College Chinese, with students from the Foreign Languages Department.
In the class group chat, someone asked who would be attending Chinese class today. He found a classmate to take his place, but he would be a little late. The teacher would mention the midterm paper requirements before class, and he was worried he wouldn't make it in time, so he asked a classmate in the classroom to take a picture for him.
The message was sent ten minutes ago, and no one replied. The student then asked again and found out that the few students who were supposed to attend class had not attended today.
Some students asked for leave, some skipped class and had no idea there was a midterm paper, and some went to the hospital for a follow-up check-up.
Chang Mingai was also taken for a check-up by her parents. Although their daughter had woken up, they felt more at ease having her undergo a full-body examination.
Everyone unanimously chose to do something else during the seemingly useless university Chinese class.
The student who asked the question was in despair: "What? A complete failure? This is the advisor's class, and you all skipped it?!"
It's okay, our advisor has the best temper; the whole school envies us.
[You guys aren't going because your advisor is so nice, right?]
Can't I ask other classes?
Each class is different. Ours should be the same as the foreign language department class we're having today.
[Although the advisor might try to help, she needs to know what the requirements are and write them down before she can help. Please help!]
.at: [I am here]
【！】
[Great, bro, can you send it later?]
I need one too, please help!
I need one too, please help!
.at: [line]
Godfather!
Godfather!
...
Xie Tan: "..."
Is it really necessary to make such a fuss over a single assignment requirement?
Chang Mingai chatted with him privately, laughing and joking, explaining that they were actually indebted to the art museum for saving their lives, and that he shouldn't find it strange.
Lu Jinzhao also told him that they wanted to invite him to dinner. Just as Xi Rui had predicted, he felt that if he declined this time, these people would find another opportunity, so it would be better to resolve the matter once and for all.
They agreed to have lunch today.
Xie Tan sat in the corner of the last row, near the back door.
Logically, this location should be very popular, but unfortunately, someone died here last semester. The desks and chairs have been replaced, but the door hinges still bear a trace of blood that is difficult to remove.
Students who have sat in this seat say they felt a chill, like a lingering ghost, and some even developed a fever afterward.
So everyone avoided this place.
Xie Tan felt okay. Di Da has enough experience, and he should have had a professional handle it during the holiday.
Jiang Linji entered the classroom through the front door, turned on the projector, displayed the paper requirements, and gave an explanation.
Xie Tan took a picture and posted it to the group chat. Just then, he heard the back door next to him being furtively opened, and a boy asked in a low voice, "Hey, is someone next to you... Ah Tan?"
Xie Tan turned his head and met Lu Jinzhao's face, who was bent over. The black-haired youth stared blankly at him and the university Chinese textbook spread out on his desk, his mind seemingly undergoing a transformation.
Xie Tan withdrew his gaze and moved a little further in, making room for Lu Jinzhao.
Lu Jinchao sat down smoothly and gently closed the back door. He saw the bloodstains on the door hinges and seemed to understand.
He covered the lower half of his face, leaned closer to Xie Tan, and whispered, "Did you sneak in because of the students who died here?"
Xie Tan raised an eyebrow, slowly turned his head, looked at him with a quiet, sinister gaze, and gave a chilling smile: "Student Lu, you know a lot."
Lu Jinzhao's hand did not go down. He wore a black pinky ring. His bones were well-defined, and his body was slender and powerful. His eyes, which were exposed above the back of his hand, were curved like honey melting in a honeycomb: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
He paused for a moment, then added softly, "You look really good when you smile."
"..." Xie Tan wanted to sigh again, but then a mischievous thought arose in his mind. This was really quite amusing. "I might not necessarily not expose you, Wang Yunbin?"
These are the names of the students who asked Lu Jinchao to take their classes for them.
Xie Tan found it amazing that Lu Jinzhao was a popular figure on campus, with friends in various colleges and departments, and even some teachers from other departments knew him. Yet, he had somehow managed to come and substitute for a class.
If they really take attendance, they can recognize you immediately. What's the point of having someone teach for you? He must be unaware of this, right?
Moreover, it's normal that Lu Jinzhao still has time to substitute teach despite working so many jobs; Xie Tan is already used to his boundless energy.
Lu Jinzhao sensed Xie Tan's threat, silently shrank back, and once again made a gesture of pulling a zipper on his mouth, begging the evil black wizard to let him go.
Xie Tan pushed the half-written paper and pen to him: "Then write down Director Jiang's requirements and do a good job as a substitute teacher."
Lu Jinchao obediently continued Xie Tan's handwriting and wrote according to Director Jiang's instructions.
He probably realized that too many people at the school knew him and that he wasn't suitable to teach, so he hunched over, practically lying on the desk, and even when he was taking notes, he did so furtively.
Hopefully, Director Jiang didn't see him.
After he finished writing, he took a picture and sent it to his boss. He then gave Xie Tan a gesture of completion. A new message popped up on Xie Tan's phone. Xie Tan unlocked the screen and saw the picture he had taken.
Lu Jinzhao was confused when he saw the group name was "[Da Vinci, pour the tea!]". He recognized it; it was the group name of Xiao Ai's class. They had shared their class's group name during a team-building activity.
He finally realized that this wasn't a secret infiltration by an evil dark wizard, but rather...
His eyes widened slightly: "You're also a student at Di University?"
Xie Tan finally heard those words. Seeing Lu Jinzhao's surprised expression, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Lu Jinzhao was stunned, but not because of his own slowness, but because of Xie Tan's smile.
His smile wasn't obvious, but it was clear enough in him, a rare glimpse of another side of him.
Lu Jinzhao then smiled, his eyes sparkling: "That's great, we're classmates again."
He was delighted that they had gained another new relationship, as if each additional relationship brought them closer together.
Their laughter gradually subsided, turning into a silent gaze that separated them into their own space, blurring everything else.
The strange atmosphere wasn't broken until Director Jiang announced a break and the other students in the classroom started moving around.
Xie Tan lowered his eyes and casually looked away, but felt a slight heat on the tips of his ears.
After a while, Lu Jinzhao quietly approached again and asked about having dinner together.
"Sure, isn't it noon?"
"Um... I wanted to ask if you have time before noon?" Lu Jinzhao looked at him expectantly.
"It's settled."
Lu Jinzhao said dejectedly, "Okay." He was listless for the second half of the class. Even a dog with boundless energy has its standby time.
When get out of class ended, Xie Tan packed his things and stood up. Lu Jinzhao still waved goodbye to him weakly, eagerly watching him leave.
Xie Tan, with her schoolbag slung over her shoulder, turned to look at him: "Aren't you coming? Aren't we going to see a movie?"
Lu Jinzhao was taken aback. So it turned out that they had made an appointment. A-Tan hadn't forgotten!
He was fully recovered and quickly packed his things. The two set off for the movie theater. On the way, he talked about a bunch of things he had found interesting recently. Xie Tan listened and responded occasionally.
Lu Jinzhao bought drinks and popcorn combos with movie-themed keychains, and hung the two plush toys on his and Xie Tan's backpacks respectively, so that they could keep each other company.
Xie Tan didn't comment on this childish behavior, but in order to avoid being attacked by dog eyes again, he didn't refuse.
The theater lights dimmed, and the movie began. It was a suspense film where the audience followed the detective's perspective as he investigated a series of murders, involving a total of five cases.
After investigating for most of the film, it was only near the end that they discovered it wasn't a serial murder case at all.
The initial case was a crime of passion.
The other two cases involved perpetrators from two completely unrelated chains of hatred who both attempted to imitate the modus operandi of the first case.
Two other cases were accidents, but they happened to match the victim profiles and manner of death in the first three cases.
This constitutes a fake "serial murder case".
The first three cases were passable, but the last two were just filler. In order to create a sense of suspense for the "serial case", the deaths were without reason or logic, very sudden, leaving people confused and feeling only absurdity.
Xie Tan didn't have high expectations for the plot of this film, but fortunately the art style was good, so he treated it as a 3D art book.
But in the latter half, when it was revealed that the two fabricated cases were actually accidental deaths, Xie Tan still lost focus and subconsciously wanted to turn around to look at the people around him.
However, his thoughts paused for a moment, and he suddenly realized that the fact that he was able to watch half of the movie with relatively good concentration had nothing to do with the film itself, but rather that he was avoiding watching Lu Jinzhao.
So he quietly froze in his seat, staring more intently at the movie screen, while his mind was already in turmoil.
Surprisingly, it was Lu Jinzhao who looked over first this time.
Although Xie Tan kept looking at the screen, he knew that Lu Jinzhao was watching much more intently than he was, completely absorbed in the world of the movie.
The fact that she suddenly stopped watching the movie and looked at him made Xie Tan feel nervous, as if her secret thoughts had been seen through.
Lu Jinzhao lowered his movements and said softly, "Let's go."
Xie Tan was surprised because Lu Jinzhao was very interested in the movie. There was still a third of the movie left to watch, so he turned his head slightly to look at Lu Jinzhao.
In the dark theater, they huddled together, the illuminated movie screen reflected in their irises as if projected onto a small screen.
They could see the damp, rainy night, the dock containers, the scattered bloodstains, and the belated detectives in each other's eyes.
Lu Jinzhao watched as the changing scenes silently sank into those deep, dark eyes, like a still pool. There was no struggle, no way to shake them. Even the most intense stories could only return to the original stillness of those eyes.
Xie Tan, however, had the complete opposite feeling. The person in front of him had eyes that were so clear that they could reflect everything, and because of their beautiful color, even the most boring stories would become more dramatic and wonderful when they entered those eyes.
He thought the movies were better. They thought.
"Ah Tan." Lu Jinzhao chuckled and whispered again, "Let's go."
"Only one ending is left." Xie Tan remembered that Lu Jinzhao was very interested in this movie.
“But now I think it would be more interesting if we just left halfway through.” Lu Jinzhao’s smile had a rare hint of mischievous excitement.
Xie Tan thought he looked like a good student skipping class for the first time, and even the dog's expression when it was about to chew up its owner's charging cable was probably a bit more evil than his.
So he nodded, and Lu Jinzhao took his wrist. The two bent down, quietly walked out of the audience seats, and left the screening room.
This was Lu Jinzhao's first time "skipping class," and it was also the first time Xie Tan had acted so furtively. As soon as they left the screening room, they looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.
Leaving the cinema early, they had more time to go shopping.
Originally, Xie Tan hadn't planned to buy anything, especially food, since it was lunchtime. However, Lu Jinzhao was the type of person who wouldn't wait until the next time to buy something that interested him, so Xie Tan let him have his way.
If it's food, just buy one serving, and the two of them can share it, so it won't be too much.
Lu Jinzhao broke the two-colored popsicle in half and asked Xie Tan which half he wanted. Xie Tan took the chocolate half.
They had already walked a long way, so they simply walked through the last part of the road.
Upon seeing the poster for that suspense movie again, Lu Jinzhao bit into his popsicle and said, "Next time, let A-Tan choose the movie."
Xie Tan glanced at him and guessed that Lu Jinzhao thought he didn't like it, which was why he suggested leaving early: "This one is alright, the art style is good."
Lu Jinzhao agreed: "The colors are really beautiful. The plot in the early part was a bit old-fashioned, but the last two cases were good."
Xie Tan paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you referring to those two accidents where people died suddenly without any cause or logic?"
Really?
The screenwriter must have written this in their dreams because they couldn't continue writing.
They entered the restaurant, and Lu Jinzhao met Xie Tan's puzzled look. His bright eyes curved into a smile: "Isn't that just how reality is?"
Xie Tan was taken aback.
"You've arrived so early?" Just then, Xi Rui and Chang Ming'ai arrived. They greeted them and went inside together.
They originally wanted to book a large private room at a high-end restaurant and decorate it elaborately to make it a grand party like an 80th birthday celebration, but Xie Tan refused immediately.
He advocated for simplicity in everything.
Chang Mingai rarely saw Xie Tan so enthusiastic, and had to admit the destructive power of Xi Rui's unorthodox ideas.
In the end, Lu Jinzhao chose a private restaurant. It wasn't crowded and the food was delicious, but the opening hours depended on the owner's mood. Fortunately, Lu Jinzhao had connections with the owner, as he had helped him during a ghost incident.
So it was just the few of them, along with a few other students from the Art History class who had recovered quite well. To Xie Tan's surprise, Sun Enze also came.
Xi Rui put his arm around Sun Enze's shoulder and said with a smile, "You know Sun Enze, so there's no need for an introduction. He's my new member."
Sun Enze still looked timid and unaccustomed to being touched by others, and dared not refuse their enthusiasm.
Facing Xie Tan, he recalled the wish he made at the swimming pool and the prophetic warning that ultimately saved him from a dead end. So, he was both afraid and tried his best to overcome his fear and greet him proactively.
Xie Tan nodded.
Although it was a dinner to thank him, and the middle seat had been left empty for him, he still chose a more comfortable spot and sat down on the side, right next to Sun Enze.
Lu Jinzhao sat down on the other side of Xie Tan. As soon as he sat down, Sun Enze on the other side suddenly stood up, and everyone at the table looked at him.
Sun Enze stammered, "I...I'm allergic to seafood, so I'll sit on the other side."
They ordered a lot of dishes, with the seafood all on the Xietan side.
Xi Rui glanced at him and Xie Tan a few times, assuming that he was still afraid of Xie Tan and dared not sit next to Xie Tan, so he waved his hand understandingly: "Then sit next to me."
Sun Enze lowered his head and quickly walked over to Xi Rui and sat down next to him.
Lu Jinzhao had already peeled the crayfish and put it into Xie Tan's bowl for him to try. Xie Tan then looked away, and the little incident passed just like that.
They started with a simple meal together.
Several classmates who were still recovering from their injuries opened a video conference to express their gratitude to him. Other classmates then joined in, saying they would get together again once they recovered.
Xie Tan had never seen anything like this before. Although he seemed calm and composed, he was actually frozen in his seat like a cat statue. It was only when Lu Jinzhao, who was peeling crabs, smoothly came to his rescue that he could manage a few helpless replies.
Fortunately, everyone seems to know that he prefers quiet and has a dignified demeanor, so no one dares to mess with him too much. When they are with him, they act like normal people.
Taking advantage of Xie Tan's humiliation, Xi Rui formally invited Xie Tan to join the travel agency, and even gave him a welcome gift without informing him first.
It was a fountain pen that looked very expensive; another member had heard it was a gift from a new member.
Xie Tan didn't accept any of the other people's gifts, let alone such an expensive one. Xi Rui, however, had already stuffed it into his bag: "That's how our young lady is, a generous spender. Every member has one. Besides, it's to thank you for helping Xiao Ai. You're friends with Jinzhao and me, we're all family. Take it, take it."
The young lady. Xie Tan remembered her; she was a recurring character, an outstanding rich second-generation. In previous installments, strange things happened in her family, and they consulted many masters and sorcerers. In the end, it was Xi Rui, who had just joined the Mirror Cult, who resolved the issue.
So you also joined a travel agency?
He remembered that the character did indeed often spend money, because she was really rich, but she wasn't naive or innocent; she just felt that money wasn't an issue when she needed it.
Xi Rui: "This is also a welcome gift, which every new member receives. Welcome to the travel agency, Xie Tan."
Xie Tan raised an eyebrow: "Did I agree?"
Xi Rui sternly told him to look to the other side. Xie Tan turned his head and saw Lu Jinzhao put half of the peeled crab into his bowl. Noticing his gaze, Lu Jinzhao grinned at him. It was unclear what they had been talking about.
But receiving a subtle hint from the president, Lu Jinzhao immediately put on innocent puppy-dog eyes and clasped his hands together.
Xie Tan: "..."
He didn't answer, nor did he pay any more attention to the pen. Xi Rui had also figured out his temperament a bit. Not answering was actually a good answer. He immediately pulled Chang Mingai and Sun Enze together for a high five.
Welcome, new member!
Xi Rui seized the opportunity to ask, "Team building tonight, wanna come? Come on!"
Another team-building activity so soon?
Lu Jinzhao nodded: "We'll leave at nine o'clock tonight and head to the music theater."
Xie Tan sensed something was wrong. The largest music theater in Diqiu City was quite far from the city center, taking more than an hour by car. They were only leaving at nine o'clock. What kind of show were they going to see?
That wouldn't be the Diqiu Music Theatre.
The unfinished project near the shopping mall?
A group of young people sneak into an abandoned music theater at night?
If I start another live stream, it'll be the standard setup for a suicidal horror movie.
Xie Tan looked up: "Are you a travel agency or a paranormal society?"
"We'll have to wait for the long weekend for our team building trip. We've tentatively decided on the beach, but I'd like to ask for your opinion," Xi Rui said with a smile.
Xie Tan didn't offer any advice. Xi Rui was testing him to find out where he was going and to determine the Black Goat's movements. But the problem was, how would he know?
Chang Mingai was a little embarrassed: "Actually, it was about me. I don't remember how I fell into a deep sleep. There was nothing special about that day. I just went out shopping, went home and fell asleep, and then I couldn't wake up."
"Based on records from relatives, friends, and my phone, I pieced together the route I took that day, retraced it, and found some possible reasons. Others have already been verified to be incorrect. The last one is... that night I passed by the theater and I think I heard singing inside."
But the music theater next to the fountain was never built, so who would sing?
It turns out that the reason why Cha Changming fell into a deep sleep was because, even though it was unrelated to the main plot, it was still a partial appearance by the main characters, which made them very noticeable.
All the travel agency members present looked at him, hoping he would come, including Sun Enze, who also looked over silently.
But Xie Tan refused, saying, "You guys go ahead." He seemed to have something to do.
He did have something to do; he needed to find traces of the black goat before the long weekend arrived, he sighed inwardly.
Xi Rui was the first to agree: "Alright then, we can't postpone the next team building activity."
After the meal, everyone dispersed. With midterms approaching, there were some professional course tests. Finally, they loudly thanked Xie Tan again for saving their lives, almost calling him "godfather" to his face.
Xie Tan couldn't take it anymore, so he tactfully went to the restroom and told them to go ahead.
When he came out again, only Sun Enze was waiting in the elevator.
No, this is not Sun Enze. Compared to Sun Enze's timidity, he is more silent and shows a gloomy and unapproachable air.
This is Sun Enze's bubble clone.
Sun Enze No. 2 silently handed over a string of seashell wind chimes.
Xie Tan picked it up and looked at it. Among the beautiful seashells were obsidian discs. There seemed to be some kind of rune engraving on the discs, but it was not very clear. The workmanship was quite good.
“He gave this to me, saying it was a local specialty item he brought back from a beach vacation,” said Sun Enze No. 2.
Xie Tan quickly realized who "he" was: Sun Enze's senior, the young master from the collateral branch of the Black Goat.
The original body doesn't like him, so Number Two wants to get rid of everything related to the senior in the original body's possession, and that's when he finds this wind chime.
Number Two remembered Xie Tan's words and thought that perhaps he could use them.
Xi Jinping and Ruili also said that the initial plan for a beach vacation is to go to the beach.
Xie Tan accepted it: "Thank you."
Sun Enze No. 2 smiled slightly, nodded, and went downstairs with Xie Tan.
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