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墨書 Inktalez
Lin Ran and Yun Miao sat in the restaurant, and he watched the little girl eat, finding her utterly adorable. Her small face was puffed up as she chewed, swaying gently, and whenever she tasted something delicious, a satisfied smile would light up her features. She didn't like vegetables and preferred meat, meticulously separating the food mixed in with her greens. She also had a particular fondness for drinks; each time she finished, her lip print would remain on the straw, a tiny mark that made Lin Ran's mouth dry.
"Are you starting work tomorrow?" Lin Ran asked.
"Yes!" The little girl nodded. "Mom said I've been idle at home for too long and that I need to work, or else she'll stop my allowance."
He couldn't help but wonder what kind of young lady this was. Lin Ran shifted his position to show his gentlest side and asked if she liked working. The girl shook her head lightly while chewing on chicken breast, indicating that she would rather play outside. After saying this, she regretfully touched her pink hair and sighed, "I guess I have to dye it back to black."
What a pity. Lin Ran displayed a look of regret; if she lost that beautiful pink hair, his little cake would lose its cream topping. However, he recalled a photo of the girl with black hair from her social media—though it lacked some of the vibrancy of the pink, it made her look more demure, like a pure goddess who would have been considered beautiful during her school days.
Unexpectedly, he began to fantasize about what the girl would be like in bed—whether she would be as lively and cheerful as she appeared or shyly unable to look at him... These thoughts left him breathless. Sitting on the soft sofa, Lin Ran gripped his knife and fork tightly, nearly drowning in his own imagination. Lost in thought, something cold and sweet covered his lips; he looked up to meet the girl's eyes and the dessert in her hand.
"This is ice cream; if you don't eat it quickly, it'll melt!"
Lin Ran realized he was the one who was about to melt.
In the afternoon after lunch, Lin Ran felt as though he were walking on cotton, light and airy. It wasn't until their farewell that Yun Miao gave him a fragrant hug that brought him back to reality. There were no goodbyes or farewells—only the sight of the girl getting into a taxi and gradually disappearing from view. He felt heavy-headed as he returned to his car; seeing the photo of himself with Liu Qingqing hanging from the rearview mirror jolted him back to reality.
His relationship with Yun Miao couldn't yet be called love; it was merely an unplaceable feeling that had arisen after an accidental encounter, needing him to provide soil and nourishment for careful cultivation. His primary task now was to uproot the flower that had begun to wilt in his heart to make space for the beloved bloom.
So be it. Lin Ran's heart roared. Just do it! Pull out those flowers—remove all those yellowing, wilting ones! He could even feel himself forgetting Liu Qingqing and Milly's existence; his heart and mind were entirely occupied by that little rabbit.
On his way home, he began contemplating and planning how to sever those two emotional ties. He needed to eliminate Milly before uprooting Liu Qingqing—the carefully nurtured flower. Although Milly carried their offspring, it was merely an accident; they could choose to erase it without anyone feeling pity for an unformed embryo—at least not him.
Every path he had mapped out for himself was bright and easy to walk. Lin Ran started cheering for his cleverness and even remembered to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers and a pink cake for Liu Qingqing downstairs—the one he couldn't yet uproot.
Twelve
When Liu Qingqing and A Xing saw the two people dyeing their hair, they both felt exhausted. Two individuals who had just confessed their feelings and had not even established a relationship were already doing things that couples usually take a long time to accomplish. Throughout the entire process, the male partner maintained a strange, affectionate smile, even when bumped into by passersby, cheerfully saying it was no problem. That smile was as unsettling as a corpse rising from the grave to tell the caretaker, "You didn't comb your hair this morning."
Liu Qingqing felt like she was about to develop a twitch, while A Xing thought she might go blind. The two of them huddled in a milk tea shop, stirring their cold drinks in silence while listening to the nauseatingly sweet love songs playing overhead. A Xing's expression had turned into one of disillusionment, as if with just a little more provocation, she would renounce the world and become a nun.
"You've suffered by keeping me company," Liu Qingqing said quietly as she pushed a small cookie toward A Xing, feeling apologetic toward this person she had only met the day before. A Xing glanced up at her with an expression devoid of desire, nearly spitting out a lotus flower.
"Helping A with her affairs isn't new; this time is just the worst," he muttered under his breath, peppering his words with expletives.
After everything wrapped up, they parted ways at the milk tea shop. A Xing hurried back to school while Liu Qingqing rushed to figure out how to get rid of this disgusting man as soon as possible.
The moment she returned home, she felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things related to Lin Ran in the apartment. A wave of nausea, disgust, and loathing surged within her, making her want to kick this man out immediately. She had rented this place in her own name because she thought he would not earn enough money for some time, so she took on all the expenses alone for seven years.
A woman who pities a man is doomed for life. She had once doubted this saying; now she believed it wholeheartedly. Just then, her boss called, asking if she could go on a business trip for two weeks starting tomorrow. For the first time, Liu Qingqing felt happiness at the prospect of a business trip and quickly agreed without thinking twice as she began packing her things.
When Lin Ran returned home, he found a suitcase and Liu Qingqing applying makeup. He hadn’t even handed her the flowers he was holding when he heard her excited yet regretful voice saying that she needed to go on a two-week business trip and couldn’t be there for him.
In that moment, Lin Ran sensed something was off. He looked at Liu Qingqing and saw an unfamiliar emotion in her eyes that was different from before. He felt that his dream of ending this relationship would soon come true. Yet he still instinctively acted reluctant and affectionate, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her waist and gently kiss her forehead while saying softly, "I'll wait for you to come back."
As the door closed behind her, it felt like another world had descended upon them, separating them completely. Lin Ran was not a fool; his familiarity with Liu Qingqing allowed him to notice that something was wrong with her—exactly what he wanted. Smart people don’t cling when they realize one party has lost interest; that’s the right thing to do. But why did he dislike it—no, even hate it—when Liu Qingqing acted this way?
Confused, he sat on the sofa staring at his phone screen where the last message exchanged with Liu Qingqing lingered from yesterday—his sent location. Liu Qingqing had changed; she no longer cared about his life in minute detail and didn’t even want to talk to him much anymore—just like his own choices.
So was Liu Qingqing seeing someone else too? A wave of panic enveloped Lin Ran as his selfishness swelled exponentially in that moment. He had always believed that choosing to indulge with someone else was merely for the thrill of new experiences; yet if Liu Qingqing shared her love with another person, that would be betrayal—a betrayal of their four years together.
He was about to make a call when a dialogue box suddenly popped up on his phone, displaying the name: Yun Miao.
A photo of a young girl wearing a simple yet high-quality hoodie caught his eye. Her hair had returned to black, styled into two fluffy braids that hung down her shoulders. She had removed her makeup, but beneath the loose hoodie, it seemed she wore nothing at all. Her long, slender legs were exposed, and on her feet were a pair of soft, pink fuzzy slippers.
“Brother, do you think this outfit looks good for work? I plan to wear jeans underneath,” the girl’s voice message arrived just in time. Her naturally cute tone made his breath quicken. Lin Ran suppressed all his emotions, leaving only his fondness for Yun Miao, and replied that she looked beautiful. Little Rabbit responded with a delighted emoji and showed off her bag—a fluffy light green rabbit backpack that was as adorable as she was.
In his dream, Lin Ran stood beneath lush trees, gazing at the blue sky and green grass, with a bouncy rabbit hopping at his feet. He felt like a king in this dream, grabbing the rabbit by its ears and, under its pitiful and pleading gaze, viciously biting into its fragile neck.
The rabbit died, its bright red blood falling and transforming into a sea of flowers. He stood amidst this sea, reveling in the wails that surrounded him. He enjoyed it.
When the manager walked in with the new hire, Lin Ran felt as if he were still dreaming. The girl who had been nervously texting him about starting work just last night now stood before him. At their moment of eye contact, she burst forth with overwhelming excitement but managed to control herself well. She politely bowed to everyone and greeted them sweetly.
New hires typically sat in the corner, diagonally opposite Lin Ran’s workstation. Thanks to the absence of partitions around them, he could clearly see her sitting down, tilting her beautifully made-up face upward with a serious expression as she listened to the manager introduce her upcoming tasks. From this angle, he could see Yun Miao’s rounded earlobes adorned with earrings he had given her yesterday—a golden rose.
Milly sat right between them; a beautiful woman with bright red lipstick today and cascading curly hair that radiated vibrancy. Even the manager couldn’t help but steal glances as he passed by. Perhaps noticing his gaze, Milly shot him an annoyed look, prompting Lin Ran to instinctively switch his phone to private mode.
On his alternate account, messages from Milly had been relentless since Saturday night, culminating ten minutes ago with “What are you doing?” The woman had intended for him to accompany her during her pregnancy check-up on Sunday but hadn’t been able to reach him all day; even phone calls went unanswered.
Yet Lin Ran felt no guilt at all. He smiled politely as he replied briefly: “I’m busy.” Instantly, Milly stood up from her workstation and walked away briskly in her high heels, drawing curious glances from their colleagues. He noticed that Yun Miao was also watching, confusion evident in her round eyes.
After waiting for a moment and using the excuse of refilling water to get up himself, he habitually headed to the spot where he used to meet Milly. As expected, she was there. In the rarely visited fire escape corridor, she leaned against the wall smoking a cigarette, her red nails pinching the slender stick in a way that exuded an alluring charm that made his heart race. Upon seeing him approach, she coldly smiled and exhaled a puff of smoke.
“It’s not good for the baby,” he said as he snatched away the nearly burnt-out cigarette from her hand. Her slap across his face was neither too hard nor too soft—this was the second time she had hit him; the first time had been in bed when her hand turned into something intoxicating that drove him mad with desire. Now he remained calm and simply looked at her, asking what she wanted.
“What do I want?” she sneered while turning his face toward hers. “You think you can just have your fun and walk away without any responsibility? Do you acknowledge this child or not?”
The feelings I had for Milly finally dissipated at that moment. Lin Ran smiled as he pulled the woman into his embrace, leaning closer to whisper in her ear, "Haven't you already found someone else? That one from the finance department." The woman's body stiffened instantly, her voice losing its earlier bravado as she stammered a weak rebuttal.
"Oh, wasn't it you who went to bed with that person last night?" Lin Ran's voice was like a devil's whisper in her ear, sending chills down her spine. She dared not pursue the matter further, questioning how he knew such things. The man smiled and pushed her away, pulling out evidence from his phone, captured by an unknown source.
In the photo, the woman was in a riding position, wearing a sheer dress for added allure, looking both beautiful and provocative. The timestamp indicated it was taken last night, and from the angle, it appeared to be self-shot by that man.
She attempted to snatch the phone from him, but Lin Ran stepped back to evade her grasp, smiling as he approached the door. "How would I know whose bastard child is in your belly? Don't bother me again. We can still be good colleagues who part ways amicably. Otherwise, if I send this out, will you still be able to stay here..."
Milly fell silent, glaring at Lin Ran with newfound disdain for his shamelessness. Fine. She replied silently, gently stroking her belly to convey to Lin Ran that she would no longer have any ties with him.
As she exited the stairwell, Lin Ran felt refreshed, as if the air in the office had become much clearer. He arrived at the break room just in time to see Yun Miao pouring hot water into a pink cup at the water dispenser, filling the room with the aroma of coffee.
"Feeling sleepy?" He leaned closer and noticed a faint smile on the girl's face.
"Not too bad. But I think I might not make it to lunch without recharging," she replied, shaking her cup. "I still have coffee; do you want some?"
Seeing chocolate crumbs stuck at the corner of her mouth, Lin Ran wanted to reach out and wipe them away but remembered they were in the office. He reluctantly withdrew his hand and pointed to his own lips as a hint. Her soft pink tongue flashed briefly, as if nothing had happened. Lin Ran smiled and walked out of the break room without noticing Milly's cold gaze watching everything from behind.
"Let's chat." Liu Qingqing, enjoying her business trip, received a message from a stranger and pondered for a while before uncertainly replying to ask if it was Milly. The response confirmed it was indeed her, and Liu Qingqing smiled with satisfaction.
Originally, A Xing had asked her to go watch a show downstairs from Lin Ran on Monday. After learning she would be on a business trip, he simply replied with "Then I'll wait." That wait turned out to be worthwhile.
Milly's social media was quite simple; she occasionally posted about her new nail designs or quietly complained about the company's flawed policies. However, among those posts, Liu Qingqing spotted something intriguing—a photo Milly shared about two months ago featuring a very blurry figure that she immediately recognized as Lin Ran due to her familiarity with him.
It seemed that Milly was waiting for Liu Qingqing to speak first as they both fell into an awkward silence. After finishing her first day of work and lying in bed at the hotel, Liu Qingqing found herself staring at new evidence of infidelity in her inbox—clear images of a scumbag cheating. A girl with black hair held a fluffy bag while sitting in the passenger seat taking sweet selfies with a man. Lin Ran's expression was exceptionally gentle and indulgent as he held two cups of milk tea they rarely tried; keen-eyed Liu Qingqing noticed a square hard bulge in the man's pocket.
The house was equipped with surveillance cameras, installed years ago as a precaution against any unforeseen circumstances. Over time, the man had long forgotten about their existence, but Liu Qingqing still had the app on her phone for easy access. Late at night, urged by A Xing, she opened the surveillance footage, and what greeted her was the sight of a couple entwined together on her favorite sofa.
The floor was in disarray, and the young girl was bound in an unexpected position by a belt, enduring the man's brutality. From the small balloons that had been carelessly tossed aside, it was clear that the box was nearly empty. In this regard, Lin Ran had done quite well; his protective measures were consistently on point, but it was unfortunate for A to have to...
As she watched, Liu Qingqing couldn't help but capture a screenshot and send it to A Xing, who quickly replied that it was a special ability. Liu Qingqing widened her eyes, thinking to herself, whose special ability turns a man into a woman?
The scene on the monitor continued to unfold; the young girl was clearly overwhelmed and crying. Her sweet yet restrained sobs were far more evocative than anything from those films. Lin Ran resembled a wolf that had tasted blood, fiercely biting down on his prey's neck and unwilling to let go. By the time he had drunk his fill, the girl lay limp on the ground, her black hair cascading around her like a fairy fallen from the heavens.
At the moment Lin Ran released her, the footage captured the girl's moans; ultimately, she succumbed to primal instincts and surrendered herself to the wolf.
“A Miao…” Lin Ran lifted her up, their bare bodies pressed together as he kissed her neck. “You’re amazing.”
“You are too.”
As Liu Qingqing closed the app, she felt that not only this man but the entire house was no longer worth keeping. A Xing, on the other hand, seemed unfazed and asked if she wanted to show this footage to the judge later. She rolled her eyes at his suggestion, wishing she could poke his little head through the screen and ask him what he thought he was doing to a young girl's reputation.
A Xing dismissed her concerns, saying A wouldn’t care about such things.
Liu Qingqing sent a voice message that lasted fifty seconds, filled with expletives that would need censoring if broadcasted. A Xing evidently listened attentively and sent back an apologetic emoji, acknowledging his mistake and saying he would go apologize to A right away.
Just as she sighed at how well these two got along, Milly's message popped up. It seemed she had finally decided what she wanted to say and sent a photo along with the caption:
“Don’t get me wrong; my relationship with Lin Ran is just for having a child.”
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