Chapter 71 Yin Peach Blossom (1) Dark clouds covered the clear sky. ...
That night, Xie Tan did indeed fall asleep on the sofa.
After the videotape finished playing, Cat No. 7, who had been by his side the whole time, nudged him with her wet little nose and meowed, urging him to go back to sleep, otherwise he would have sat there until dawn.
He certainly didn't know Pan Ling's friends, and even information about Pan Ling himself was hard to find, since it was "taboo." The most important things were the past events he had seen in the comics.
She was a famous socialite, with no shortage of friends in the world of fame and fortune, but naturally, they all disappeared after her death.
This friend sounded different; Pan Ling's attitude was more intimate.
She herself said that she rarely saw this friend, but even though they were separated by distance, their correspondence made her realize that this was the person who understood her best, a soulmate.
During her solo concert, Pan Ling thanked many people, but Xie Tan, in a half-asleep state, didn't really listen to them, though he did hear her singing.
Especially the song "Seeking the Soul of Fragrance," which is a relatively obscure song by Pan Ling, but it was Xie Tan's favorite. He remembered the tune after listening to it only once.
The night he fell into the hotel, the girl sang this song to lull him to sleep.
When he heard it again, he was reminded of what happened in Fushui Town, and he became somewhat more clear-headed. Just then, he heard her talking about this friend.
Xie Tan felt that his watching the "death videotape" in the middle of the night was rather eerie. Compared to the "cute" aspect of the short film, drawing this part seemed more like supplementing information.
In other words, Pan Ling's friend is indeed important and related to him. It is very likely, as speculated on the forum, that he is the owner of the coffin, the person he seeks revenge against.
Xie Tan picked up the materials in the master bedroom and looked at them for a while.
Whether it was the admission notice or the leave of absence application, they all went from being old and blurry to clear, and from someone he didn't know to someone who was himself.
He carefully organized the materials one by one and placed them neatly on the bookshelf.
Since you've borrowed someone else's life, you must also bear their regrets and fulfill their unfulfilled wishes.
Xie Tan slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and went out, only to receive his daily dose of the kind neighbor's smile, more punctual than the weather forecast.
It's also more stable than the weather; he's always greeted by "sunny days."
Qingtian, being a bit cheeky, flicked the plush toys on Xie Tan's backpack. One was a long dragonfly that looked like a cat's tongue, a playful toy they had seen at the last movie screening. The other was a chubby bee that looked like a ball, hanging on Lu Jinzhao's overflowing backpack.
This backpack is also related to Xie Tan. Lu Jinzhao has too many accessories and has to change them every day. He often asks Xie Tan for his opinion. Xie Tan's suggestion is that he simply buy a backpack with all the hanging ropes so that he won't have to worry about it anymore.
Xie Tan's intention was somewhat sarcastic, but perhaps because his usual aloof demeanor didn't fit the sarcastic tone, or perhaps because Lu Jinzhao simply couldn't understand the underlying meaning, the next day, Lu Jinzhao changed into a backpack covered with various dolls and ornaments.
This guy looks tall and strong, but sometimes he walks with a childlike bouncy gait, and the ornaments he hangs around bump into each other and fight, all flashy and gaudy. From a distance, he looks like a street vendor selling dolls.
Xie Tan seriously complained this time, saying that he no longer needs to pay attention to his outfits and can just wear basic styles. This backpack is the most unconventional and fashionable accessory.
Lu Jinzhao refused righteously. Ever since Xie Tan moved in, he has gone from wearing one set of clothes a day to changing two or three sets a day. His fashion sense has not decreased but increased.
Fortunately, the person he was walking with was Xie Tan; anyone else would have developed a phobia of trendy people.
The chubby bee was in the most conspicuous position in the middle of his backpack, and even his recently beloved "Frozen Land" animated IP could only take a backseat. That is, the polar bear and penguin, which have been mentioned by him a lot lately.
Moreover, the chubby bee stays there for a very long time; the plush toy next to it has been replaced twice, but it still occupies the center position.
Xie Tan was quite surprised; the workmanship of this doll was far inferior to some of his dolls.
“It’s different,” Lu Jinzhao replied, “because this one and A-Tan’s are a pair.”
Xie Tan was speechless.
"If we had a new pair of dolls..."
"Just replace it?"
"No, hang them all together. This backpack is a great choice. There's enough space to hang as many as you want. Ah Tan is so smart."
"..."
Xie Tan then thought of the Wonderland Blind Box that everyone on the forum had been discussing recently.
The blind box series is based on the elevator story, but it also includes some characters who have not yet appeared. These are all important characters who have appeared in the new series.
The characters appearing in the elevator episode are designed according to the character allocation in Wonderland. For example, [Cheshire Cat Xie Tan] is a chibi version of Xie Tan with a black cloak and cat ears, and [Alice Chang Mingai] is a chibi version of Chang Mingai with Alice in her classic outfit and a parrot on her shoulder.
In their post-event group chat, they idly discussed the role allocation in a murder mystery game if everyone were present. As a result, Xia Wujin was the Duchess, and Sun Enze and Sun Enyou were the twins.
Beyond that, Xue Hong is Cricket Bill, and the corporate slave is the White Rabbit in a hurry.
The unseen vice-leader was given the role of "Wise Insect," but it wasn't the caterpillar itself. Instead, it was an image formed by the black smoke exhaled by the caterpillar smoking a pipe. The idea and craftsmanship were very ingenious. The silhouette had a wise and mysterious feel, but it was impossible to tell whether it was male, female, young, or old.
Su He is the Griffin, while the cult leader... is the strangest one. He is a red-lipped figure in a black mirror, with ripples on the surface like the sea. The irregular hexagonal shapes resemble a tortoise shell, and the cult leader's role is that of a "fake tortoise."
Based on their understanding of the Sword God, forum readers felt that the character assignments outside the elevator arc were very suitable and had deeper meaning, especially the two cult leaders.
But Xie Tan didn't have time to look at their analysis because he went to check out the hidden items first.
There are also two hidden designs in this blind box, which Xie Tan is quite curious about. This morning, the first batch of comic book readers who won the boxes posted about it on the forum.
One is Chang Mingai, sitting on the throne of the Queen of Hearts, still in Alice's classic outfit, but mostly stained with blood, wearing the crown of the Queen of Hearts.
She crossed her legs, her expression haughty, a blood-stained axe resting across her knees.
Interestingly, there's a little Easter egg here: the axe is the same axe that Sun Enyou, one of the twin figures, is holding.
Chang Mingai's left eye is shaped like a clock, with two patterned hands that resemble the hands of a gold pocket watch.
It was also in the "Sleeping Curse" chapter that she briefly revealed her ability to Su He, which was discussed a lot on the forum. It should be "instantaneous time stop for a certain person or thing", allowing the other party to remain in the state of the previous moment.
This one is called "Conquering Wonderland - Chang Ming'ai".
Judging from the abilities Chang Mingai has acquired, she has indeed lived up to her online name.
And the other one... is him.
The little figure holds an exaggeratedly tall top hat, loosely perched on its head, its medium-length hair flying wildly, the hem of its fluttering clothes burning and merging with the black flames, and a crow perches on its shoulder.
Unlike the ordinary Cheshire Cat with its aloof expression, this little figure has a gentle yet crazy smile and is called [Crow-like Writing Desk - Xie Tan].
When Xie Tan entered the forum, the post showing off his hidden item was at the very top and quickly became a hot topic.
[Ahhh, it's Ah Tan in the last scene, he's so beautiful... What amazing luck you had, OP!]
[I hereby declare that this is the real Mad Hatter version! Sorry, Scarface! I'm a sucker for good looks!]
[As expected of a hidden gem, Mad Hatter's Pool and Queen of Hearts are both so good, jealousy is making me unrecognizable...]
[This looks flawed. Send it to me so I can take a look.]
[Listen to the sound]
[I want it so badly! By the sun god, please give me the hidden version of Atan, okay?!]
Xie Tan noticed that his hidden version seemed particularly popular, but actually he thought... Lu Jinzhao's dog version was the cutest. It looked fluffy, had a similar smile, and was sparkly.
I won ten boxes from the post about the Sunshine Dog, collected both Cheshire Cat and Sunshine Dog, and displayed them together on the balcony with the caption "A perfect combination of cats and dogs".
Xie Tan scrolled down and realized that the person was a comic book reader who shipped the couple. He didn't dare to look any further and exited the page.
But when Lu Jinzhao mentioned the new pair of dolls, she immediately thought of that picture and subconsciously thought... he would like it.
Unfortunately, they couldn't buy it, but Xie Tan kept the picture, considering it as a new pair of dolls.
As they exited their building, they saw a funeral procession in the neighborhood, all dressed in white, with funeral lanterns hanging above the building entrances. It was their building... Had an elderly person passed away?
Lu Jinzhao was also looking over there. He was very familiar with the neighborhood and knew many people, not to mention his neighbors in the same building. They would greet each other when they came in and out. Sure enough, he knew the situation: "It's Xiao Lin from apartment 602 downstairs."
"That high school student?"
Xie Tan remembered. She was one of the missing people in the Joker chapter. She was found in an abandoned welfare home along with the other people who had turned back. He had even seen her in her child form.
He died after only a few months?
They walked through the mourning hall together, and Lu Jinzhao replied, "Yes, there was a car accident. He had just started his second year of high school. Life is unpredictable."
When he said this, he wasn't laughing, but he wasn't sad either. Just like when he watched that suspense movie, in his eyes, impermanence was just normal.
Just like the natural cycle of flowers blooming and fading, there's nothing special about it.
This was just a casual comment, not even a "sigh".
But Lu Jinzhao froze after realizing what he had said. He turned his head to look at the white expanse that represented death. Although he couldn't hear any sounds inside, he knew it was filled with sorrow.
But he wasn't saddened by this; rather, he was thinking about the result of the divination.
The person he consulted was Xie Tan.
But the answer I received was "impermanence".
It seems that their relationship is unpredictable.
It might develop in a positive direction, or it might slide into the abyss; it might last a long time, or it might end in the next second.
Even though the "unknown" contains the possibility of "good," the thought that there is also an undeniable "bad" side makes him feel depressed.
For the first time, he experienced a sense of suffocation inherent in "impermanence," and resonated with the mourners he couldn't see in the shed.
At this moment, it is as if the wind, which has blown through the world for millions of years and witnessed the cycle of life and death in the sky and the earth, has unintentionally lifted up a bird. Because of its love, it is willing to drag the bird through eternity, but it also realizes that the bird only has one life and will fall into the wind's embrace sooner or later. Thus, the wind finally tastes the ruthlessness of the laws of heaven and earth.
The taste wasn't strong, but once you tasted it, it lingered and seemed to be waiting, waiting for the moment it would ferment into a disaster.
Xie Tan noticed that Lu Jinzhao had slowed down and looked at him.
The black-haired youth stared at the white expanse refined by impermanence and separation for a long time, his expression... surprisingly somewhat gloomy.
Dark clouds have obscured the clear sky.
Xie Tan had thought Lu Jinzhao's reaction would be calmer than he expected, but now he saw... he was indeed still concerned, and he was heartbroken.
After all, they were neighbors who saw each other all the time. The girl even came to thank him and inquired about Lu Jinzhao's preferences, and thoughtfully gave him a self-made cruise ship model.
It was rare to see him like this. Lu Jinzhao stared at the mourning hall, and Xie Tan stared back at him.
...Sunny days suit him better.
So Xie Tan took his wrist and led him outside: "They all have things to do. We've taken over cleaning the club base today. Miss should be here too. Let's not keep her waiting. Let's go."
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Author's note: I'll revise it again in a bit. I'm going to grab a bite to eat now; I haven't eaten yet [poor face].
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