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As Song Bunan turned to run up the stairs, his determination was as great as the sky, but just two steps in, he tripped over a bump in the floor. A loud "ouch" echoed through the empty house before fading away, and he found himself flat against the ground, his knee and chin stinging with pain.
Rubbing his sore spots, he got up, feeling like crying but with no one to complain to. He grumbled under his breath as he continued up to the second floor. At the corner of the second floor, a dark painting hung on the wall, its details obscured. As he walked, he recalled that there should be a large window here.
Even without a flashlight, he could see clearly now. When he reached the last half-step of the staircase and thought about the window again, he looked up and saw the shadow that had frightened him last time standing firmly on the stairs, exuding an intimidating presence. Just then, a heavy thud came from above, followed by faint sobbing.
Recognizing it was Xiao Mei without a doubt, Song Bunan steeled himself and stood tall, addressing the shadow with his fiercest voice, "Can you let me pass?" As soon as he said this, he felt quite capable and even puffed out his chest to appear more imposing.
The shadow remained still, quietly standing there. If it weren't for Song Bunan's keen eyesight confirming that it was indeed standing rather than just a flat effect, he might have rushed past it without a second thought. But now, faced with a situation where he would clearly be at a disadvantage if things turned physical, both his body and mind urged him to reconsider.
However, considering what was happening above, delaying any longer could lead to serious trouble.
For the sake of his friend, Song Bunan disregarded whether the shadow was good or evil and rolled up his sleeves as he ascended the stairs. He took one step up while the shadow took one step down until they were almost face-to-face.
His nose began to run uncontrollably; Song Bunan sniffled and mustered his courage to push against the shadow while muttering for it not to block his way since he needed to save someone.
Then he felt something cold and slightly soft under his hand. Instinctively pushing harder, he knocked the shadow down to the ground. Unlike when it stood straight up, this shadow appeared somewhat wronged lying down; if it could speak, it might have exclaimed: "How dare you push me!" in a spoiled tone reminiscent of a drama queen.
Startled by his own imagination of this scene, Song Bunan shivered and instinctively reached out to apologize to the shadow with genuine sincerity. However, the shadow ignored him entirely and quickly scrambled away before disappearing into the second floor.
Well then, it was angry. Song Bunan pouted in annoyance but didn’t dare waste any more time as he hurried upstairs. Habitually glancing right only to see black mist blocking his path, he clicked his tongue and moved left instead. Sure enough, he found Xiao Mei lying at the end of the corridor with a flashlight positioned between them flickering ominously as if about to die.
Unable to fathom what had just happened, he sprinted towards Xiao Mei. Just as he passed through the second door, a figure flashed by him at twice his speed. The person gracefully stopped beside Xiao Mei and lifted him up before Song Bunan could react.
He recognized this person by their familiar leather boots and black pants as they gently caressed Xiao Mei's face before leaning down to place a soft kiss on his forehead while whispering, "I'm sorry I'm late."
The sound jolted Song Bunan awake; picking up the flashlight in hand, he approached with certainty in his voice: "Doctor Jiang Ling!"
Only then did Jiang Ling look up at him with a familiar smile and nod: "Sorry for scaring you. Are you hurt?"
Perhaps it was Jiang Ling's unique aura combined with their profession that made Song Bunan feel overwhelmed at that moment; all he wanted was to grab Jiang Ling's hand and cry out: "Oh dear! Finally seeing a living person!"
But circumstances didn’t allow for such indulgence; after all, Xiao Mei was still in distress in Jiang Ling's arms. Watching Xiao Mei struggle in what seemed like a nightmare made Song Bunan anxious as he called out several times with no response.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ling remained remarkably calm. After checking Xiao Mei's breathing with gentle fingers against his face to ensure comfort for him while lying there. Kneeling beside them, Song Bunan asked what they should do as Jiang Ling shook his head lightly while speaking softly as if afraid of waking Xiao Mei.
"It's okay; he's fine now. Do you have something for him?" The last question caught Song Bunan off guard; after rummaging through his pockets for some time, he realized Jiang Ling was asking about a gift for Xiao Mei. After retrieving it and showing it to Jiang Ling, he noticed Jiang Ling's smile deepening.
"Put it on him; it's a beautiful accessory." The way this person spoke—clearly around his age or perhaps even younger—made Song Bunan feel momentarily dazed as if Jiang Ling were fifty years old.
Without hesitation, he pinned the brooch onto Xiao Mei’s clothing; under silver threads, the moonstone sparkled brilliantly with a blue halo that carried an ethereal quality that captivated anyone who looked at it.
Then Jiang Ling picked up Xiao Mei directly in a princess carry position that made the already small boy appear even smaller. Song Bunan quickly got up behind them and noticed that Xiao Mei had indeed settled down comfortably against Jiang Ling’s chest—he seemed to have fallen asleep.
"That Black Notebook—please return it when you can. Just remember its contents; don’t tell him about them. From now on Dragon Garden won’t have these terrifying things anymore; you can come visit him without worry."
Song Bunan followed Jiang Ling down the stairs at a leisurely pace, hesitant to engage in conversation about the matters Jiang had mentioned. Clearly, this was not a realm for a doctor to venture into, and regarding the contents of the Black Notebook, Jiang seemed to know more than he did.
"You must be wondering how I know all this," Jiang said, "but the situation is a bit awkward, and I can't explain everything in detail. However, there are some things I can clarify for you."
"The contents of the notebook were written by Master Xiao Mei, that old man in the black mist on the second floor. The so-called 'Special Individual' was merely a code we established years ago. We met when you first came here as a child, but you were too young to remember. As for the injury on your back, it can be completely healed; I just need some time to prepare the materials."
"Regarding why you are here, you'll need to ask your elders back home—your grandparents, for instance. And most importantly: starting today, we may often need your assistance."
Finally able to speak up, Song Bunan had a myriad of questions, but what came out was simply, "Why do you need me?"
Jiang Ling reached the door to the study and gestured for him to open it while replying, "Your abilities are in a field we cannot access."
Once they entered, Song Bunan saw Jiang Ling gently place Xiao Mei on the only sofa available. He removed his out-of-season coat and covered Xiao Mei with it, standing beside him in just a Black Tight Vest.
"I have other matters to attend to," Jiang continued. "For now, please hold him close while he sleeps. He will feel cold before dawn, and you can provide warmth. Also, do not mention that you saw me; just say you brought him back to the study."
His tone carried an air that left no room for argument. Song Bunan sensed that he wouldn't be able to extract more information from Jiang Ling and simply nodded in agreement.
At some point, Xiao Mei's short sword had been taken by Jiang Ling, who appeared like a celestial being ready to embark on a quest to vanquish demons.
As he watched Jiang Ling step out of the study, Song Bunan rushed over to catch the door before it closed and asked the pressing question: "When are we leaving?"
The figure striding into the darkness did not turn back but waved his hand dismissively. "Someone will come to pick you up at dawn. And from now on, no matter what sounds you hear, do not open the door."
The study door closed behind them as soon as Jiang Ling's voice faded away; it slipped from Song Bunan's grasp with a click of the lock.
A chill swept through Song Bunan as he felt the cold air rush in. He quickly ran back to the sofa. It wasn't large enough for two people side by side without feeling cramped. Remembering that he needed to keep Xiao Mei warm, he carefully lifted the still-sleeping figure and settled onto the sofa with Xiao Mei lying against him.
The oversized coat served well as a blanket, covering their upper bodies adequately. Although it wasn't comfortable acting as a mattress for someone else, Xiao Mei's body temperature was indeed quite low. After adjusting his position to ensure both he and Xiao Mei were somewhat comfortable, Song Bunan sighed softly and closed his eyes.
The study was eerily quiet; apart from Xiao Mei's faint breathing, there was no other sound. Feeling drowsy himself while holding Xiao Mei close, Song Bunan drifted off into slumber with one thought lingering in his mind: what kind of sounds would come from outside?
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