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墨書 Inktalez
"Who are you looking for? Chen Qiqi?"
Upon hearing me mention Qiqi, the Receptionist gave me a surprised glance.
Seeing the hospital gown I was wearing, her expression grew even more peculiar, tinged with a hint of fear.
I quickly smiled at her to show friendliness. "Um... she should be in a meeting, right? It's fine, I can wait here for her."
"Miss, you must be mistaken," the Receptionist said awkwardly. "Chen Qiqi... "
"What happened to her?"
"She... she died in an accident over two months ago."
"What did you say...?"
I began to doubt my own ears.
I even questioned whether I was still asleep, trapped in that nightmare...
Yet, the clear voice beside me kept reminding me—
"Chen Qiqi's incident happened a long time ago. Why would anyone come here looking for her? It's quite unsettling at this hour! Ahem... Miss, we are about to close. You should head home soon!"
"…"
I could hardly hear what the people around me were saying anymore.
My head buzzed with noise, and the world around me started to spin again, nearly causing me to collapse onto the floor.
Fortunately, the receptionist caught me just in time.
She nervously waved her hand in front of my eyes and asked, "Miss? Are you okay? Do you need me to call an ambulance…?"
"I'm fine, no need… Thank you."
I managed to thank her with difficulty before hurriedly escaping the building.
The cold wind on the street pierced through to my bones.
With temperatures nearing freezing, the thin hospital gown I was wearing offered no warmth at all.
Yet, the howling wind did nothing to clear my muddled thoughts.
I curled up under a large tree by the roadside, my mind tangled like a knotted ball of yarn.
The receptionist's words echoed in my ears—
"Chen Qiqi died in an accident over two months ago."
"Chen Qiqi… died in an accident."
"Died… in an accident."
Qiqi…
Dead?
I raised my hand and struck my head several times.
The dull pain once again confirmed that this was not a dream.
But...
If Qiqi really had an accident and died over two months ago, then who is the person still messaging me today?!
Moreover, Chen Feiyang clearly said last time that Qiqi was with him...
No... this can't be true.
It must be that the receptionist made a mistake!
Perhaps she was just talking about someone with the same name as Qiqi...
I helplessly grabbed at my disheveled hair, desperately trying to find a reasonable explanation for all of this.
But no matter how much I tried to comfort myself, it was all in vain.
And the most terrifying realization hit me suddenly—
If this terrible news is true, then many recent events would make sense...
Dongning Cemetery.
I looked up at the four large characters on the stone archway, feeling a wave of dread wash over me.
The last time I saw this sign in the video recording from the dashcam, I felt an eerie chill.
I never expected that seeing it in person would be even more frightening.
At that moment, the sky had turned completely dark.
On this pitch-black night, I stood alone at the entrance of the cemetery, hesitating about whether to go in.
Just a while ago, I had impulsively taken a taxi here, my mind solely focused on uncovering the truth.
That day, when Xinchuan brought flowers to "visit," was it really Qiqi...?
The answer lay behind this large gate.
However, as I stood here, I felt a wave of cowardice wash over me.
Everyone knew I was timid, with courage no bigger than a fingernail.
To venture into a cemetery in the dead of night...
It was truly too much for me.
A gust of wind blew by, and I tightened my clothes around me. Clearly, it did little good.
The cold wind pierced through me, urging me to either boldly step inside or turn and leave.
I pondered back and forth, finally gritting my teeth and forcing myself to rush in...
Rows of tombstones stood neatly aligned, as if countless lonely souls were watching me from their places.
I had only taken two steps forward when I felt a chill run down my spine.
"Amitabha... Amitabha..." I kept silently reciting in my heart, seeking some comfort for myself.
I carefully examined the gravestones, searching for Qiqi's name.
However...
Each gravestone bore a photo of the deceased.
The more I looked, the more it felt like the faces in those photos were glaring at me in discontent, blaming me for disturbing their peace.
This was a heavy blow to my fragile spirit.
After barely passing two rows, I was so frightened that my legs went weak, and tears nearly fell from my eyes.
I stood still, taking a deep breath, trying to comfort myself and sort through my chaotic emotions.
At that moment, a sudden thought struck me—I remembered something. It hadn't been long since Xinchuan's visit; the flowers he brought might not have been taken away yet.
So, if I could find the gravestone with that bouquet of flowers, I would know whom he had come to pay respects to!
This was certainly faster than searching each one individually!
Without hesitation, I steeled myself again, turned on my phone's flashlight, and began to walk forward while scanning the surroundings for Xinchuan's bouquet of White Chrysanthemums.
But just as I was focused on finding the White Chrysanthemums...
I lifted my gaze and unexpectedly spotted a shadow!
"Oh my!"
Seeing a figure in a graveyard at night was like a scene straight out of a horror movie.
I was so startled that I almost dropped my phone.
My first instinct was to turn and run, but my legs felt weak and I couldn't move.
Tears streamed down my face.
I was on the verge of wetting my pants.
I didn't dare to look up and see that figure again; my heart raced wildly.
And that figure... seemed to be startled by me as well.
From a few meters away, I heard a man's voice hiss as he took a sharp breath.
Wait...
That voice sounded oddly familiar.
I paused for a moment, mustering my courage to look up again.
The figure...
He was actually walking towards me!
"Jiang An? What are you doing here?"
"Chen Feiyang???"
I never expected to run into someone I knew while wandering through a cemetery at night.
As soon as I recognized Chen Feiyang's face, I let out a sigh of relief.
But then, my nerves tensed up again with caution.
Why was Chen Feiyang here?
I looked at him suspiciously, hesitating on how to ask my question.
It seemed he could read my thoughts, as he spoke up first, "A relative of mine passed away recently, so I came to pay my respects."
"So late?"
"I just finished a meeting with a client. I've been quite busy these past few days. I didn't even have time to eat after visiting you in the hospital at noon," Chen Feiyang explained with a smile.
At first glance, his words seemed flawless, with no apparent flaws.
Unfortunately...
After what happened with Xinchuan, I had gained a new understanding of men's ability to lie.
Never trust a man's words!
If my instincts told me something was off, then it definitely was!
"Jiang An, why are you here in the cemetery so late? Is that... hospital clothing you're wearing?"
Chen Feiyang's voice broke through my thoughts as he stepped in front of me.
Noticing how little I was wearing, he frowned and took off his coat, draping it over my shoulders.
I quickly declined, "No, no... it's fine."
"Put it on. You're still a patient, your body is weak, and you can't afford to catch a cold," he insisted, fastening two buttons to ensure I wouldn't take it off when he wasn't looking.
I was indeed shivering from the cold, so I accepted his kindness without further protest.
I tugged at the coat while thoughtfully glancing in the direction he had just come from.
He asked again, "You still haven't told me how you ended up here alone. Where's Xinchuan?"
"I..."
I wasn't sure what excuse to use to explain why I had come to the cemetery alone at night in a hospital gown.
Seeing me hesitate and struggle for words, Chen Feiyang wore an expression that suggested he understood. "Did you have another fight with him?"
"Yeah." I quickly took the opportunity to shift the blame. "It's the same old issue; we had an argument and I ran out."
After a moment's thought, I added, "I have a very close friend who was buried here after something happened. I don't know why, but I just wanted to come see her today."
As I spoke, I fixed my gaze on Chen Feiyang's face, trying to gauge his reaction.
He pressed his lips together, his eyes lowering as he avoided my gaze, seemingly trying to escape something.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
Chen Feiyang shifted the conversation, breaking the awkward silence. "You didn't drive here, did you? It's getting late; let me give you a ride home."
"No need, I haven't..."
I intended to politely decline Chen Feiyang's offer.
My intuition told me that his coincidental appearance here tonight was definitely not as simple as he claimed.
I wanted to send him away first and then search carefully in the cemetery.
But just as my refusal was about to leave my lips, my phone rang unexpectedly.
I picked it up and was instantly stunned.
Incoming call—
Qiqi.
One of the main reasons I believed something might have happened to Qiqi was that I hadn't heard her voice in a long time.
Qiqi wasn't the type to be diligent. If she could explain something clearly with a voice message, she wouldn't bother typing an extra word.
I scrolled through our recent chat history today.
There were no voice messages, no calls, no videos.
This was so unlike her.
Although the messages she had sent these days, with their punctuation and emojis, were all things she used to do.
Still, something felt off.
However...
Just as I was becoming increasingly convinced that something had happened to her, I received a call from her?!
Watching the words "Qiqi" flickering anxiously on my phone screen, I was momentarily at a loss.
Chen Feiyang was still standing next to me, and he could easily see my phone screen.
Noticing my hesitation, he kindly reminded me, "Hey, Jiang An? Why aren't you answering the call?"
"..."
I had no choice but to quickly bring the phone to my ear.
The next second, Qiqi's familiar loud voice came through the receiver: "Hello? Anan! Where are you?!"
"I... I'm..." I stumbled over my words.
I couldn't exactly tell her the truth: "I'm looking for your grave," could I?
On the other end of the line, she didn't press further and continued, "I'm about to go crazy! That idiot boss keeps making us work overtime and hold meetings! It's almost ten o'clock, and I haven't even had a bite to eat! You're still at the hospital, right? How about I bring some food over and we can chat for a bit?"
"Now?" I glanced at Chen Feiyang and, after a moment of hesitation, replied, "Where are you? I'll come find you."
"Huh? Can you leave the hospital now?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Just send me your location."
I had too many questions I wanted to clarify with Qiqi.
Although what the receptionist said earlier still sent chills down my spine, that was definitely Qiqi's voice on the phone just now.
I had no reason not to believe she was doing well.
At this point, I couldn't worry about anything else. Everything would have to wait until I saw her.
After hanging up, Qiqi quickly sent me the location of a restaurant.
I checked, and it was near her office.
So, I had no choice but to shamelessly ask Chen Feiyang—
"Um... if it's convenient, could you give me a ride back to the city?"
Sitting in Chen Feiyang's car, I was lost in thought.
Noticing my gloomy expression, Chen Feiyang tried to lighten the mood by chatting with me.
As the warm air from the air conditioning blew gently, my tense feelings from the night began to ease, and I finally managed a smile.
But just then, the car suddenly slammed to a stop, nearly causing my forehead to hit the windshield.
"What’s going on…"
I focused my gaze ahead.
There, a car that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere was perfectly blocking Chen Feiyang's vehicle.
From the looks of it, it must have just cut in from behind to deliberately trap us.
I looked closer…
That car looked so familiar?!
"Xinchuan…"
As soon as I recognized the license plate, my heart sank.
That was Xinchuan's car.
Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Xinchuan had already stepped out of his car with a dark expression and was walking toward me.
For some reason, seeing his cold demeanor made me instinctively lock the car doors.
In the next moment…
I heard two clicks.
He couldn’t open the door.
My voice trembled with anxiety as I urgently shouted to Chen Feiyang: "Whatever you do, don’t open the door!"
"Is this really necessary?"
Chen Feiyang glanced at the imposing Xinchuan outside the car window, then looked back at me, shrugging his shoulders.
Xinchuan frowned and knocked twice on the car window when he saw I wasn't opening the door.
"Knock, knock—"
In the silence of the desolate countryside, those two knocks felt like hammers pounding against my eardrums, sending a chill down my spine.
I didn't respond, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of the situation.
Given Xinchuan's aggressive demeanor, it was clear he must have discovered that I found the letters he had hidden in the storage room after returning home...
But how did he find me so quickly?!
And what about last night...
How could he have shown up just in time when I was in danger in that alley?
Could it be that he had installed a tracker on my phone?!
The thought sent a wave of fear through me as I glanced at Xinchuan just a window away; I felt my limbs go weak.
That face I once found endlessly captivating now seemed to take on a ghostly appearance.
In my panic, the only thought that crossed my mind was to call for help!
But just as I picked up the phone, ready to dial for help...
Another person stepped down from Xinchuan's car!
When I saw Zhang Yunxin getting out of Xinchuan's vehicle, my mind went blank.
I was stunned.
Xinchuan was now brazenly bringing her around?
He wasn't even trying to hide it anymore?
It seemed he really intended for her to take my place this time.
My already heightened emotions became a mix of sorrow and anger, and tears streamed uncontrollably down my face as my body trembled involuntarily.
I watched as Zhang Yunxin quickly walked toward Xinchuan.
They were just a short distance away from me.
Through the car door, I could only see them anxiously conversing, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.
I vaguely caught a few indistinct phrases—
"Let her get out..."
"I wonder what he told her..."
"It would be a problem if she found out..."
At that moment, I saw Zhang Yunxin point at her phone and say something to Xinchuan.
Xinchuan listened intently and quickly picked up his phone, tapping a few times.
Soon after, my phone rang.
I hesitated for a moment before answering the call and holding it to my ear.
On the other end, I heard Xinchuan's anxious voice: "Anan! Get out of the car! Open the door quickly!"
"What do you want?!" I shouted into the phone, fear gripping me as I stared at Xinchuan outside the car door.
Xinchuan furrowed his brow in urgency. "Anan, I know you have a lot of misunderstandings about me, but this is not the time to be stubborn! You need to get out of the car! Listen to me, Chen Feiyang is dangerous! You can't stay with him!"
"…"
Hearing Xinchuan's words, I froze for a moment and instinctively glanced back at Chen Feiyang in the driver's seat.
Chen Feiyang wore a half-smile, pursing his lips and shrugging his shoulders.
It dawned on me then—
The car was too quiet; Xinchuan's voice had already slipped past my ear and was clearly heard by Chen Feiyang.
A wave of dread washed over me.
I knew well that while Xinchuan meant no good, Chen Feiyang likely had no good intentions either.
I recalled how earlier at the hospital, Xinchuan had deliberately taken Chen Feiyang outside the ward to say those things.
Clearly, within his terrifying lies, there was also a part belonging to Chen Feiyang!
However...
At this moment, I have no idea what roles they are playing in this drama.
I also don't know what I should do now.
With wolves in front and tigers behind.
Every direction leads to a dead end...
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