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墨書 Inktalez
Xinchuan drove eastward, carrying two bouquets of flowers, leaving Fountain Square behind.
It was around eight or nine o'clock, the time when the city was usually bustling with activity, yet the road he took was completely free of traffic, with very few cars on the street.
I didn’t recognize this road.
As I watched the streets grow increasingly desolate and noticed the scarcity of vehicles around me, an unsettling feeling began to creep into my mind.
The East District had only two large hospitals, both located in lively and bustling areas.
I had never heard of any hospitals in such a quiet and remote place.
It seemed…
Without a doubt, Xinchuan had tricked me again!
A surge of anger flared up inside me, and I kicked one of the red roses to the ground in frustration.
But I still held back my fury and continued to watch the video recording.
I wanted to see where Xinchuan was going and to whom he was delivering the flowers.
However, what followed—
The scene in the video recording grew increasingly strange.
The low, old buildings became fewer and fewer, and the once deserted streets were gradually replaced by desolate fields. Further ahead, there were no streetlights left, only the car's headlights barely illuminating the road ahead. On the pitch-black highway, no other vehicles could be seen; only small insects flitted about, crashing against the windshield.
As the car drove out of the city and further into the outskirts, my questions grew larger in my mind.
Where exactly is this place?
Where is Xinchuan headed?
Curiously, I pulled out my tablet to check the map, wondering if there was anywhere in the East Suburb district worth visiting for a night view.
However, after flipping through the map for quite some time, I couldn't find any place that would warrant Xinchuan driving all this way in the middle of the night—only xx Village, xx Town, xx Mountain...
Wait!
Suddenly, my gaze landed on a red dot on the map.
It was the only marked location with a building in the direction of East Suburb.
I focused intently.
Next to the red dot were four prominent characters that read—
"Dongning Cemetery."
"......"
Cemetery???
Looking at these four characters, and then glancing at the pitch-black wilderness captured by the dashcam...
In an instant, I was covered in goosebumps.
Countless terrifying thoughts sprang to mind, and the plots of all those horror movies I had watched rushed back to me.
I looked again at the video recording on my phone, and it felt just like the beginning of a horror film!
A man driving alone to a suburban cemetery in the dead of night—what kind of terrifying story could he be hiding?
"Cough, cough, cough..."
I was so startled by my own chaotic imagination that I quickly got up to pour myself a glass of water.
As I drank, I tried to reassure myself.
Don't think too much; don't let your imagination run wild...
It might just be a coincidence. Perhaps Xinchuan wasn't even heading to the cemetery...
"Ha..."
Taking a deep breath, I cautiously picked up my phone again.
At that moment, the screen was no longer showing the empty countryside.
I saw Xinchuan drive through a large iron gate.
There seemed to be a sign with words on the gate, but the car turned too quickly for me to see what it said.
So, I mustered my courage and rewound the video recording, pausing it just as Xinchuan entered the gate.
This time, I clearly saw the large letters on the sign—Dongning Cemetery!
Xinchuan is not from this city.
His parents are back in their hometown, and he doesn’t have many relatives here; most of his connections are university classmates and colleagues.
I had never heard of him having any deceased friends.
So why was he going to the cemetery alone at night with flowers?
I switched to the video recording inside the car.
As Xinchuan got out, he brought along another bouquet that he had bought together with the red roses.
I finally saw what that flower was—
A bouquet of White Chrysanthemums.
When placed alongside the red roses, the White Chrysanthemums appeared even more pale and fragile...
Xinchuan got out of the car holding the flowers.
The dashcam faced the empty cemetery gate, and there was no other sound.
I was so frightened that I immediately turned off the Video Recording.
I was afraid something unclean would pop up on the screen.
Putting down my phone, I turned to look at the red roses that I had kicked to the ground, feeling a chill run down my spine.
What exactly had Xinchuan gone to do at the grave last night?
Why, after being together for seven years, did I not know he had a deceased friend...
Recalling the blood-stained shirt I had found at home earlier, countless terrifying thoughts uncontrollably surged through my mind.
For a moment, even the quiet home seemed to take on an eerie atmosphere, sending a shiver down my back.
I was so tense that I could almost hear my own heartbeat, and I felt as if the world around me was spinning...
"Beep—"
I grabbed the remote control and turned on the television to bring some life into the house.
Listening to the sound of the news broadcast, that feeling of fear indeed diminished significantly.
I let out a deep breath, stood up, and decided to pour myself a glass of water to calm down.
At that moment, I heard the female anchor reporting clearly on the news—
"Recently, our city's police have solved a major murder case. The suspect, Liu, harbored resentment against his ex-wife, Wang, due to a romantic dispute. He conspired with his girlfriend, Zhao, to break into Wang's home and brutally murder her. During the investigation of this case, our police discovered that Liu had used the same method to kill his then-girlfriend, Sun, three years ago..."
"…"
The glass of water in my hand clattered to the ground and shattered into pieces.
My legs went weak, and I collapsed onto the floor, my palm cut by the shards of glass.
The piercing pain repeatedly jolted my chaotic mind.
But all I could think about was—
Xinchuan...
He couldn't possibly have taken a life, could he?!
I turned the storage room upside down.
Last night when I got home, Xinchuan was searching for something in the storage room, but as soon as he saw me, he hurriedly closed the cabinet.
That action was really suspicious.
At that moment, I didn’t press him about what he was looking for; I just didn’t want to alert him.
He left in a hurry last night, so whatever he was originally looking for should still be in this storage room.
I had to find that item and see what secrets Xinchuan was hiding.
With this thought in mind, I climbed high and dug low, rummaging through everything.
My bandaged right hand lacked strength, severely hindering my progress in searching for evidence.
After about two hours, I finally checked every nook and cranny of the storage room.
However, aside from some messy old clothes and outdated appliances, there was nothing here.
I sat on the floor in frustration, feeling defeated.
Looking at the chaotic storage room...
A sudden thought struck me; I suddenly remembered a place that might have been overlooked!
Creak—creak—
After much effort, I finally managed to move the cabinet aside.
Sure enough—
In the gap behind the cabinet, several dusty envelopes lay scattered.
White envelopes.
No signatures, no postmarks.
They didn’t seem to have been sent through the mail; rather, they resembled the handwritten love letters that were popular back in school years ago.
I sat in the dusty storage room, opening each envelope one by one.
At first, I thought these letters were merely mementos of a romance between Xinchuan and Zhang Yunxin.
But I never expected that the contents would far exceed my imagination…
The first letter—
“Darling, I’m sorry.”
“I know that writing this now is futile. But I can only use this way to confess my wrongs. I do not hope for your forgiveness; I can only pray for your peace and happiness in the next life…”
The second letter—
"Baby, I dreamed about you last night."
"In my dream, you returned to this world, back to our home. How I wish this wasn't just a dream."
The third letter—
"Baby, today marks the third day since you left."
"I still can't accept this reality. I miss you so much..."
The fourth letter...
The fifth letter...
...
There are more than ten letters in total, each beginning with the same endearment.
Baby.
I don't know who this "Baby" is.
But I recognize this handwriting.
This is Xinchuan's handwriting.
Clean and neat, just like him.
I ultimately couldn't manage to read all the letters.
After just the fifth one, I completely broke down.
My hands trembled uncontrollably, and tears fell like pearls from a broken string.
I was at a loss.
Fear gripped my heart.
It was the first time I realized—
I knew nothing about the man I had lived with for so many years!
Starting from that cup of honey water that had turned sour...
I thought I had uncovered a monumental secret that Xinchuan had hidden away.
But now I understand.
That medicine bottle, Bloodstained Clothes...
Was merely the tip of the iceberg!
The treasure that made Xinchuan long for, repent, and haunt his dreams...
Who exactly was she?
I was completely at a loss.
Once, I thought I knew everything about Xinchuan's romantic history.
After all, ever since he broke up with Zhang Yunxin in college, there had hardly been any other girls around him.
Except for me.
For many years, I had taken pride in this "exclusive affection" and secretly reveled in it.
But now...
I think what I should be happy about is that I have somehow managed to stay by his side unharmed until now!
The contents of the letters Xinchuan wrote lingered in my mind like an unshakeable curse, replaying over and over again.
I locked myself in the bathroom, trying to calm down with a cold shower.
But as soon as I closed my eyes, all I could see was his handwriting—
"Baby..."
"Baby..."
"Baby..."
I was about to go insane!
I wanted to read those letters and figure out who this "treasure" really was. How did she die? What does this have to do with Xinchuan?!
But…
I could no longer muster the courage to step into that storage room.
As I looked at the scattered white papers on the floor, I felt as if I saw a woman in white standing there, staring at me…
The sky was growing dim.
I truly couldn’t bear to stay home alone any longer. Grabbing my coat, I fled in a panic.
Just as I stepped outside, a message from my best friend Qiqi popped up on my phone.
Qiqi: "Anan, thanks to you yesterday! Doubao is fine now! My brother insisted that I invite you out for dinner to thank you in person. How about tonight?"
"Sure, what time and where?" I was eager to vent my frustrations and replied without thinking.
Qiqi: "Seven o'clock, don’t be late."
Qiqi: "Location: Happy KTV."
I paused for a moment after seeing the location Qiqi sent.
"Weren't we supposed to have dinner? Why are we going straight to KTV? I'm still hungry."
"Don't worry, you won't go hungry! This place is a hotpot KTV! Hurry up and get out! Let's eat hotpot and sing together!"
When it comes to indulging in food, drink, and fun, I truly admire Qiqi.
I sent an "OK" sticker without looking back and dashed out of the community.
The urgency felt as if something was really chasing me from behind.
Knowing I would definitely be drinking tonight, I didn't drive and called for a ride.
As I leaned against the car window, gazing outside, a sense of unease lingered in my heart.
Once I arrived, I stood at the entrance and called Qiqi.
No one answered.
I sent her a message and while waiting for her reply, I glanced around.
It was quite strange.
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