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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 105: Dead Loop (Part Thirteen)
Qin Jian, this girl, died from leukemia. Before her passing, she knew her illness was incurable and had no complaints. If we were to use the jargon from the Supernatural Circle, she died willingly without any grudges or unfulfilled wishes. How could there possibly be a spirit-related murder case?
"I have seen this girl."
Qin Jian certainly did not believe me. His professional habit made him scrutinize me with an intense gaze. I calmly recounted the bizarre events that had occurred to Chiang and Lin Tai, the two involved parties. He listened in astonishment, his eyes widening like saucers, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. After a while, he murmured, "That's really strange."
"It is strange. I'm curious about why you are interested in these matters."
Upon hearing my question, Qin Jian placed his long, fair hand casually on the table, elegantly folding his fingers together. With his unchanged smile, he replied coolly, "That's my private matter; I cannot disclose it."
"Alright, fair enough. However, I have something to ask you; you can choose to remain silent."
Qin Jian nodded in agreement and then reminded me of the time: "It's getting late. Are you planning to visit this girl's home?"
"I am. But first, I need to ask this question." I was contemplating how to express my doubts.
Qin Jian swiftly organized the documents on the table with a dull thud as they aligned perfectly. He wasn't waiting for me to ask; instead, he was avoiding my previous topic: "We should avoid being seen together to prevent unnecessary gossip. If you need anything, we can communicate discreetly." He tore off a piece of paper and quickly jotted down a string of Arabic numerals that appeared before me.
I took the phone number he handed me and absentmindedly held it in my hand. Finally gathering my courage, I asked, "What is your relationship with Qin Ye?"
Upon hearing Qin Ye's name, Qin Jian did not react as dramatically as I had imagined. His expression remained calm and indifferent as he replied in a flat tone, "I don't know this person."
"Oh." Clearly disappointed, I had been trying to gather any information about Qin Ye. Although they guessed that Qin Ye was at Ten-Mile Temple, I didn't believe he could return from Strange Mountain within such a short time.
If it weren't for the old monk at Ten-Mile Temple warning me not to go back there, I would have recklessly sought out Qin Ye.
I recalled that night when he appeared in my dreams; perhaps it was indeed something that truly happened. His visage was so vividly imprinted in my mind that there could be no mistake. The first time I saw Qin Jian, I couldn't help but think of Qin Ye.
They both had too many similarities, especially the resemblance between Qin Jian and Qin Ye.
After finishing up, Qin Jian looked at his watch and said, "Your girlfriend is still waiting in the lounge. Aren't you in a hurry to go back?"
Oh no! I completely forgot about Mi. She was still waiting for me in the lounge. I jumped up, not bothering to say goodbye to Qin Jian, and rushed towards the lounge.
At the door, I called out for Mi but heard no response. My heart skipped a beat for some reason. I pushed the door open, and there she was, curled up on a long bench in the lounge, fast asleep. Seeing her hunched over like that made my nose tingle with emotion, and I quickly took off my jacket to gently cover her.
As soon as I draped it over her, she woke up and grabbed my hand, asking, "Is it not over yet?"
"It's done. Let's go!"
Qin Jian appeared at the door, maintaining his usual elegant smile as he said, "I'll give you a ride."
"Thank you," Han Mi quickly got up and smiled politely at Qin Jian to express her gratitude.
"What are you thanking him for? He's just a buddy I made recently; it's only right for him to give us a lift," I joked as I picked up Mi's bag.
Mi put on her shoes and asked, "Really?" When I nodded, she looked pleased and tidied up her clothes before hurriedly following me out the door.
Qin Jian spoke very little, which brought him even closer to Qin Ye in that regard. For now, we decided not to go to Chi Xinrong's uncle's house since there was someone managing things there. Instead, I wanted to check out the Blade Factory.
It was now ten past seven in the evening. Qin Jian suggested we grab something to eat first; after all, we couldn't run around on empty stomachs. We went to a nearby Chuanxi Bazi Hotpot Restaurant and ordered some dishes. Naturally, Qin Jian paid the bill; he had taken care of it early on.
We parted ways at the Chuanxi Bazi Hotpot Restaurant. Han Mi and I headed to the Blade Factory. All the specific information about the girl had come from Qin Jian, so finding it wouldn't be too difficult.
On our way to the Blade Factory, Mi asked me, "This Qin Jian is really interesting."
"How so?"
Mi slung her backpack over her shoulder, covering her mouth with her hands as she laughed until tears streamed down her face. "Qin Jian can't even look at me." Uh... it was true; I had been staring at Mi the whole time, while Qin Jian didn't glance at her even once. When we spoke face to face, he turned his head away, his face flushed.
"And then?"
"I was just thinking, he must have never held a girl's hand, or even had a girlfriend."
"Hahaha, are you trying to tell me that Qin Jian is interesting and you want to..." I felt strange saying that. Mi stopped laughing and shot me a fierce glare before stepping on my foot. She was ambushing me! Luckily, she was wearing flat travel shoes; otherwise, it would have hurt a lot. Even though it didn't hurt, I pretended to yelp, "Ouch!"
There were quite a few people out for a stroll in the evening breeze, and they all turned to look at me when I yelped. Mi turned around nervously and asked, "Are you kidding? I'm very light."
"Pfft, did I scare you? From now on, watch out when you step!"
"Jerk! I'm not talking to you anymore." Mi pretended to be angry and walked ahead. I hurried after her. A girl's endurance is limited; I quickly caught up and pulled her back, causing her to stumble into my arms.
Unexpectedly, our actions frightened a child nearby.
The child thought we were fighting and burst into tears, calling out to his mother, "Mommy, I'm scared..."
"Don't be afraid, friend; we're just playing around," I said as I took Mi's hand and approached the child. The boy screamed in fright and clung to his mother, urging her to leave quickly.
What was going on? We were just having fun; why were they so scared? I felt baffled as I watched the mother and child walk away.
"What was that all about?"
"It's nothing. We should get back to business; let's not waste time," I reassured Mi before hailing a rickshaw that headed straight for Blade Factory.
Blade Factory was a large enterprise that had gone under due to mismanagement and embezzlement issues. This massive company that had supported thousands of people could only close down now, leaving behind an abandoned factory area overgrown with weeds. The rusty iron gates and the workshop looked particularly desolate. I had known about Blade Factory's closure for a year now.
Despite the closure of Blade Factory, the station named after it still remained.
I think the strange events that Chiang and Lin Tai encountered that night are somewhat related to the platform.
Now at the Blade Factory Platform, there are almost no people around. The empty platform is covered with fallen leaves, either because the Cleaner hasn't had time to clean up or because they are on their way here to do so. The latter seems more likely, as a diligent Cleaning Lady gradually comes into view, her slender figure moving rhythmically under the lights. She gathers the fallen sycamore leaves, sweeping them into a dustpan and depositing them into a trash bin, leaving a clean stretch of ground behind her.
It is clear that the Cleaning Lady is responsible for this area; she cleans every inch with such seriousness and inspects it meticulously.
Behind the Blade Factory Platform, lush trees conceal rows of residential buildings. I hold onto Mi's hand as we walk into the residential area near the Blade Factory Platform. With the information provided by Qin Jian, finding someone here shouldn't be too difficult.
Soon, we meet the parents of Girl. They are a pair of honest and simple middle-aged couple, accompanied by a boy who is just over three years old. The boy likely has Leukemia, a condition that existed when his sister was around. He has inherited his parents' good genes, with fair skin and a clever, lively appearance.
"Brother, Sister..." Just as he is urged by his parents to call us, he suddenly bursts into tears, and despite their efforts to soothe him, it takes a while before his mother finally picks him up and takes him inside to play, quieting him down.
Mi lowers her head, looking at me anxiously, glancing at the child inside and then at this family.
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