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Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Paper Figurine on the Bed
After returning to the county town with Lin Xiaoqi, I originally asked her to take me back to the hotel. However, she said my injuries were serious, and if they weren't treated properly, they could get infected, which would be a big problem. So, she suggested that I stay at her house for a night since they had disinfectant medicine there to help treat my wounds.
I asked her if her parents were home, and if they would mind her suddenly bringing a boy back.
When Lin Xiaoqi heard this, she laughed heartily and asked if I was scared.
I said I wasn't scared; it was just that if her parents were around, it would be more comfortable to stay at the hotel.
She reassured me that she was home alone; her parents were in Shenzhen overseeing their company and had no time to stay here. So, she took me directly to her house.
Her house wasn't in the center of the county town but near the suburbs, close to a large mountain that had been developed into a park. At the foot of the mountain were small villas, and her house was located right at the base.
Because it was backed by the mountain and situated on the outskirts of the county town, it was very quiet at night. The villa wasn't very big; once we entered, we went straight up to the second floor. She helped me into a room and told me to take off my clothes and wait on the bed while she went to find some anti-inflammatory and swelling-reducing medicine to treat my back injuries.
She was gentle and attentive, making me feel a sense of care I had never experienced before. Perhaps this feeling was called thoughtfulness.
Maybe this feeling was too wonderful, or perhaps I was just too tired today, or maybe my injuries had drained all my energy. Before I knew it, I fell asleep without realizing when exactly I dozed off.
In my sleep, I had a dream—a beautiful dream—where Lin Xiaoqi and I were holding hands like a couple in love; she loved me, and I loved her. But suddenly, someone grabbed her away. I wanted to chase after that person, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up.
Just as I was about to cry out in desperation, a sudden creaking sound from the door startled me awake. When I opened my eyes, I realized it had all just been a dream.
I looked around; it was already bright outside. Checking the alarm clock on the wall revealed it was already past one in the afternoon. I couldn't believe I had slept for over ten hours! I hurriedly got out of bed; although my back still hurt a bit, it felt much better than last night.
Not long after hearing the door open earlier, there was a loud bang as it closed again, followed by someone entering the room. I thought that since I had slept so long, Lin Xiaoqi must have gone out and just returned. With that thought in mind, I walked out of the room...
But as soon as I stepped out of the room, I froze because the person in the living room wasn't Lin Xiaoqi; in fact, it was a man.
I wasn't the only one surprised; he looked equally astonished upon seeing me.
I took a good look at him—he appeared to be around fifty years old—and there was a suitcase placed beside him in the living room. Seeing this made me pause; could he be Lin Xiaoqi's father?
In that moment, I quickly checked myself over; fortunately, I was still wearing pants but had not put on a shirt due to my back injury. I hoped he wouldn't think too poorly of me for being so casual.
"Who are you, and how did you get into my house?" The other person quickly asked me, but his tone was rather unfriendly, and I could even detect a hint of accusation in his voice.
I looked around and didn't see Lin Xiaoqi. However, given the unfriendly tone of the person in front of me, he couldn't possibly be Lin Xiaoqi's father, could he? Curious, I replied, "Who are you?"
Upon hearing my refusal to answer and instead asking him back, he became very angry. He said, "Who am I? I am the owner of this house. Now tell me, who exactly are you and how did you get in here? If you don't answer, I'll call the police right now!"
Hearing this made me jump; it turned out he really was Lin Xiaoqi's father. I hurriedly said, "Uncle, Uncle, you misunderstood! I'm Xiaoqi's classmate. I got injured last night, so she invited me to stay at your house for a night."
To my surprise, upon hearing this, his anger intensified. He shouted, "You're talking nonsense! You better tell the truth or do you want me to call the police before you'll admit it?"
At this point, I was genuinely confused. Why was this person not understanding? I had already said that Lin Xiaoqi invited me here; why was he still insisting that I must be lying? Did he think I snuck in? So I pleaded, "Uncle, I really was invited by Xiaoqi. Aren't you her father? Did we enter the wrong house?"
He replied, "I am Lin Xiaoqi's father, but you claim that she invited you here. Are you not just making up stories?"
I said, "Uncle, what do you mean by that? It sounds like you're accusing me of lying. Do you think I have a key to your house or that I would sneak in here to sleep? If you don't believe me, you can ask Xiaoqi!"
Unexpectedly, his next words struck me like a thunderbolt and left me completely stunned. He said, "Xiaoqi has been dead for many years. You say she invited you here; isn't that just a blatant lie?"
What?! Is he joking with me? But this joke is too big!
Honestly, when I heard this, I thought I misheard him. After all, I had been with Lin Xiaoqi for the past two days and had been hanging out with so many old classmates. Now suddenly hearing this so-called father of Xiaoqi say that she had died many years ago—how could I not be shocked? How could I believe it?
So I asked, "Uncle, you're not joking with me, are you? Or are you trying to scare me?"
He glared at me and said, "Have you ever heard of a father cursing his own daughter to death? Have you ever heard of a father making jokes about his daughter's death?"
My previously smiling expression gradually faded because it was clear that he wasn't joking. Moreover, he was right; no one would joke about their child's life or death. But how could it be that I had clearly been playing with Lin Xiaoqi for the past two days? How could she just be dead all these years? What... what is going on?
At that moment, my heart began to race with panic. I was afraid—afraid that what he said might be true—and suddenly terrified of losing Lin Xiaoqi. So I shouted her name loudly, but the entire room was silent; apart from my voice and the man's breathing, there was no response from Lin Xiaoqi at all...
At this point, it seemed he realized that I wasn't joking either and became frightened himself. He then asked me in a trembling voice, "Did... did you really see... see Xiaoqi? Did she really ask you to come here?"
"Yes," I replied. "I ran into her on the street two days ago. Then yesterday we went on an outing together. She brought me here to stay; she opened the door herself. And because I got injured during the day, she even applied medicine on my wounds last night. If you don't believe me, look at this—isn't there still medicine on my back?" As I spoke, I pointed excitedly at my back where there were remnants of red medicine.
After hearing what I said and looking at the dried medicine on my back again, he sat down heavily on the sofa and let out a long sigh. After a while, he finally spoke: "Xiaoqi has been dead for several years now; she never got to go to college after being accepted because she suddenly died. How could she come back? She is clearly dead—how could you still see her? Does she have some unfinished business?"
As he spoke these words, Mr. Lin couldn't help but shed tears; it was evident that old sorrows were being stirred up within him.
Seeing him like this, I had no desire to comfort him because I simply could not accept what he was saying. I couldn't accept that Lin Xiaoqi was dead. If this were true, wouldn't I have to doubt myself first? Doubt whether I had been dreaming or just thinking irrationally these past few days?
At that moment, I stopped caring about Mr. Lin and rushed straight into Lin Xiaoqi's bedroom, flinging the door open. What I saw next was Lin Xiaoqi...
The walls were painted pink, the curtains sky blue, and on the walnut bed, Lin Xiaoqi was lying on the edge of the bed, looking as if she was exhausted and taking a short rest. However, as I took a couple of steps into her room, I was completely stunned.
Because when I walked closer to take a better look, I realized that the figure lying on the edge of the bed was not really Lin Xiaoqi at all; it was a Paper Figurine.
I immediately noticed a bamboo stick peeking out from the corner of her clothing. She had used Paper Craft to create it, but this Paper Figurine looked so much like Lin Xiaoqi that even her facial features, expression, and clothing were identical!
At this point, I was truly shocked. How could there be a Paper Figurine? How could there be a Paper Figurine that looked exactly like Lin Xiaoqi? Could it be that Lin Xiaoqi really was dead? If that were the case, then who had given me medicine last night—was it the ghost of Lin Xiaoqi or this Paper Figurine in front of me?
Thinking about this made me genuinely terrified. What scared me wasn't the ghost but rather this outcome...
Suddenly, I felt like my mind was slipping. Perhaps my mental state had been unstable these past few days because only that could explain the confusion in my heart.
At that moment, Mr. Lin slowly walked into the room. Looking at the Paper Figurine on the bed, he sighed and told me that this Paper Figurine had been made by someone Lin Xiaoqi commissioned before she died.
Hearing this made me question further. I asked him if this Paper Figurine was something Xiaoqi had commissioned while she was alive.
I couldn't help but feel astonished. After all, Paper Figurines are typically made to be burned for the deceased; who would commission a Paper Figurine for themselves while still alive, especially one modeled after their own likeness? That seemed too bizarre.
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