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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 114: Dead Loop (Part 22)
After the Gatekeeper finished speaking, he broke into a cold sweat. He picked up an old towel to wipe his forehead, not realizing that the towel was already dirty and only made things worse. I felt like laughing, but had to force myself to maintain a serious expression as I listened to him say, “Let’s leave it at that. If anyone finds out, I’ll have nowhere to go.”
Suppressing my laughter, I nodded vigorously to show my understanding and promised I wouldn’t say anything. Chi Xinrong seemed a bit scared; even with the Gatekeeper's comical demeanor, she didn’t laugh. She crossed her arms tightly and whispered cautiously, “Then why hasn’t the Old Inpatient Department been torn down?”
The Gatekeeper didn’t take kindly to her question. He got angry and pointed outside, saying, “Get out!”
I really couldn’t laugh anymore; the urge to chuckle vanished instantly as it became clear he was serious about kicking us out. I quickly forced a smile and said, “Please don’t be angry, we’ll leave right away.”
Chi Xinrong and I walked out one after the other. She was fuming, muttering under her breath, “That old man just wants to chase us away.”
“You don’t know anything. The incident at the Old Inpatient Department resulted in two deaths. Have you forgotten about that?”
At my reminder, Chi Xinrong slapped her forehead. “Oh, I remember now! That incident was all over the news last year, but then someone stepped in and it just faded away. Look at my memory! Hey, Ma Qi, Brother Qi, is there really a ghost in the Old Inpatient Department?”
Just as she spoke, she stumbled on the stairs and nearly fell.
See? Instant karma. I didn’t say anything but secretly chuckled and said, “Let’s not talk about that.”
“Okay.” Chi Xinrong steadied herself against the wall and thought for a moment before asking seriously, “Who will be the next person to die?”
“Sigh, you’re hopeless.” I didn’t tell her who would be next; aside from Lin Tai, there was no one else left. I strode purposefully toward the ward; I had to get discharged today.
The curse of Dead Loop had already been unleashed, and more people would die next. I couldn’t just sit back and watch, but I also couldn’t find those who had passed by without intervening before—I didn’t know their names or where they lived.
What should I do?
As Chi Xinrong and I left the hospital, she seemed more serious than usual. She suggested that I go to the police station to check household registration records. What did she think I was? Even a city committee secretary wouldn’t have the authority to check someone’s household registration like that!
Never mind; let’s just head back for now.
We hadn’t walked far when Chi Xinrong suddenly shouted. Thinking something was wrong again, I turned around to look at her. She had a mysterious expression on her face and said, “Ma Qi, if you treat me better, I can help you find information about those who passed by during the Hongqiao Supermarket accident.”
Seeing the excitement on her face, I couldn't help but mutter, "You're such a tease."
"Hey, you men always call older women teases. What does that even mean?" Chi Xinrong asked, her curiosity relentless. I was at a loss for how to respond. At the hospital entrance, there were many people standing on the stage. Chi Xinrong was gripping the steering wheel, still pressing me about the meaning of "tease."
It was all her fault, and reluctantly, I explained, "A tease is someone who appears composed on the outside but is passionate on the inside!"
"Pfft. Nonsense! But I really can help you find information about those people."
"If you can actually do that, then thank you! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda; you'll be earning countless merits."
She clearly didn't believe me and frowned slightly. "Am I considered a tease based on what you just said?"
I had a habit of enjoying my time in the car so much that I often felt sleepy. Yet she kept asking questions, which was quite annoying. The topic of teasing was getting under my skin, but I didn't dare to snap at her. I recalled Chi Zhi Ping's last wish; it echoed in my mind like a tightening spell.
Chi Xinrong was waiting for my response. I squinted at the road ahead; the traffic wasn't too heavy today, and we were cruising smoothly with green lights. This car still belonged to Chiang but now should be under Chi Xinrong's name. While I was recuperating in the hospital, she had already repaired it, and there was no sign of the dent from when it had crashed into the guardrail.
I deliberately changed the subject and asked lightly, "Did you get points deducted?"
Chi Xinrong replied angrily, "Yeah! Damn it, I lost three points and got fined five hundred. If you don't follow traffic regulations, you have to rest for half a year or even a year."
"Serves you right."
"Hey, why are you like this? It's not like I was playing around; it was because you and Fatty were messing around in the back that I turned to look and ended up hitting the guardrail."
"Chi Xinrong, listen carefully. We're not kids anymore; we don't play those kinds of games. What you hear or see might not be true, so you must always pay attention to safety while driving. Also, being thrown from the car felt strange; I only sustained minor injuries..."
"Yeah, surviving this disaster means you'll have good fortune ahead." Chi Xinrong focused intently on the road ahead, which made me want to laugh, but I held it in and closed my eyes to take advantage of the moment to nap.
"Hey, tease boy! Explain that to me!"
"What?"
"Do you think I can be considered a bit reserved?"
Women are really annoying; they love to dig deep into things, enjoy shopping, and never seem to stop buying. Sigh! I pretended to scrutinize her for a moment before shaking my head. "Not really! You should be classified as quite bold." Clearly, my words hit a nerve.
Chi Xinrong paused for a moment, then reacted with a furious shout, "Ma Qi, are you looking for trouble?"
"I'd love to find trouble, but unfortunately, no Ghostly Enforcer is willing to take me away." As soon as I finished speaking, I started dozing off. This nap was incredibly refreshing, and I didn’t wake up until she called out that we had arrived at our destination. I opened my eyes to see Chi Xinrong touching up her makeup with a compact.
"I waited for you to transform into a vixen until the flowers wilted. You’re still putting on makeup? Isn’t that a waste of time?"
"Hah, if you dare come at me, I’ll dare to try." Chi Xinrong set down her makeup case and flashed me a grin that made her look like she was eyeing a delicious feast. I was startled; could it be that she was serious about wanting to play some sort of game with me?
I reached for the door but found it wouldn’t budge!
"Ma Qi, why don’t we have some fun?" Chi Xinrong twisted her waist like a snake and reached out to grab me.
"Damn!" I jumped in fright; this time I was truly awake.
Chi Xinrong wasn’t wearing any makeup; she frowned at me suspiciously. Seeing me drenched in sweat, she asked curiously, "You didn’t happen to have an inappropriate dream, did you? Sweating so much."
"Don’t be ridiculous. There’s only one person I’m involved with, and no matter what happens, it’s only with our Mi. You have nothing to do with it."
"Sigh, what a buzzkill. Come on, get out of the car. The ladies are heading back; our Uncle has called multiple times asking when I’ll return."
"Oh, sorry about that. I’ll get out now."
I rolled out of the car and saw Fatty peeking around the corner. When he spotted me, he grinned widely. "Brother Qi is back! Someone came looking for you earlier."
"Who?" Fatty ignored my question and went straight to greet Chi Xinrong; his heart was clearly still on her.
Chi Xinrong left.
Pang was a tall and handsome man named Qin Jian. Was Qin Jian looking for me? He must have called, but my phone was dead.
I said to Pang, "Can I borrow your phone for a moment?"
Pang handed me his phone, and I headed straight to the bathroom without stopping. Once I squatted down in the bathroom, I dialed Qin Jian's number. The call connected, and he quickly got to the point of why he was looking for me.
It turned out he wanted to go to Ten-Mile Temple.
I wanted to take Qin Jian to Ten-Mile Temple not only to seek help from Qin Ye but also to confirm something: what the relationship was between Qin Ye and Qin Jian.
Ghost Month had arrived unexpectedly.
I couldn't waste any more time; I needed to find Qin Ye immediately and inform him of what had happened. I hoped he could lend a helping hand. Taking a deep breath, I casually scrolled through Fat Hand's phone when an image caught my attention.
In the picture, there was me lying in a coffin. Beside the coffin was an exquisitely crafted incense burner with a single stick of incense. It was half-burned, shaped oddly like a snake, twisting and curling. Just looking at that incense burner gave me an unsettling feeling.
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