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墨書 Inktalez
I said nothing more and turned to walk outside. Since I couldn't get anything out of Gao Jun, why not use a simpler and more direct method?
I pressed the doorbell of Zhao Feng's house. Gao Jun didn't stop me; he leaned against his doorframe with his arms crossed, as if he anticipated what was about to happen.
The doorbell rang for quite a while before Jiang Ping's cheerful voice came from inside, "Who is it? Coming, coming!"
When the door opened, Jiang Ping looked a bit surprised to see me but immediately greeted me warmly, "Oh, it's you! What brings you here? Come in, come in!"
"Uh, it's nothing really..." I suddenly found myself at a loss for words. "I just wanted to come over and take a look."
Jiang Ping beamed at me, "Welcome! Welcome! Mr. Zhao is at a meeting today, and I'm just here feeling bored all by myself. Come on in!" She gestured behind me and lowered her voice to ask, "What about him?"
"He..." I hesitated and glanced back. Gao Jun seemed to realize something; he forced a smile and said, "I won't go in. I have things to do... You two chat."
"Alright then." Jiang Ping gave us both a meaningful look before affectionately taking my hand. "Come on, let's go inside and chat. Don't mind him—men always say they have things to do."
Once I stepped inside, Jiang Ping closed the door behind me. With the soft thud of the door closing, it felt as though I had entered another world.
Although it was raining outside and the sky was somewhat dim, I surprisingly felt no trace of daylight in this room. The yellowish light enveloped me as I looked around in astonishment and finally understood why: all the doors and windows connecting the room to the outside were covered with thick black curtains. It was these curtains that blocked out the natural light from outside, turning the entire space into an artificial darkroom.
From the living room's perspective, the architectural style of this house was quite similar to ours across the way, but it had an extra small room—two bedrooms and one living room instead of just one bedroom. The doors to both bedrooms were aligned on the southern wall of the living room. The door to the small room on the east side was open, revealing a neatly arranged double bed inside; it must belong to Zhao Feng and his wife. The small room on the west side had its door closed, with a thick curtain hanging at its entrance.
This was the room adjacent to my family's balcony; that girl must be locked up in this small room! My heart began to race as I couldn't help but glance at that door several more times.
Jiang Ping noticed my unusual gaze and quickly explained with a smile, "Mr. Zhao often develops photos at home. You see those hanging on the wall? They're all taken by him. But this place has been turned into a darkroom as well. Come, have a seat! Don't be shy."
Although the room was a bit dim, it was elegantly decorated. The living room walls were adorned with various photographs, but one in particular immediately caught my attention.
It was a portrait of a little girl. Dressed in white against the dark background, she stood out strikingly. Strangely, the girl was almost entirely covered in clothing, even wearing a white mask that obscured her face, leaving only her bright black eyes visible, staring back at me through the frame.
"This is our daughter, Tong Tong," Jiang Ping said, his tone filled with affection but also tinged with an indescribable emotion.
Tong Tong. Was this the girl I had seen behind the window? Although the photograph was somewhat eerie, I felt no fear or discomfort while looking at it. The girl's eyes were clear and pure, as if she were gazing at her most beloved family member, evoking an irresistible urge to hold and cherish her.
But why did her eyes always seem filled with sorrow and fear whenever I encountered her? And Gao Jun's painting of her made it almost unbearable to look at a second time.
What was happening to this girl? What kind of terrifying events had unfolded in her life?
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