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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 140: Ghost Month Taboos (Part 20)
To be honest, who would want to answer a call from a stranger? Who knows if the voice on the other end is human or ghost? This isn't just a scare tactic; with cremation becoming popular, everything belonging to the deceased is taken away, including urgent calls.
Imagine receiving a call from an unknown number and, for some inexplicable reason, pressing the answer button. The voice on the line is eerie and unsettling, perhaps that of a long-forgotten friend or classmate who has passed away.
It's like hitchhiking; no matter how friendly the people in the car seem, they might later do something horrifying.
But let's cut to the chase—this has nothing to do with hitchhiking.
Although I managed to contact everyone on the Blacklist except for one group of numbers, the rest were all on their way to Hongqiao Supermarket. Deep down, I still felt a sense of unease. Just look at the sky—it had been clear before but now was shrouded by a dark, filthy mass that seemed ready to unleash one last summer storm.
The wind picked up, bending tree branches and sending paper scraps and dust swirling everywhere.
Dust clouded my vision, and suddenly the world was enveloped in a thick gray curtain of rain. The downpour was like a fallen demon, rampaging through the city with reckless abandon. The muddy rainwater relentlessly eroded the surface of A City’s land.
As I had feared, some malevolent force was blocking my reunion with those on the Blacklist. Soaked to the bone, I faced the storm head-on, undeterred by its fury, trudging forward as water streamed down my legs.
The cold rain mercilessly drained my body heat, leaving me feeling chilled to the bone. My skin prickled with goosebumps. I felt sympathy for the plants and flowers bent low under the weight of rainwater while looking down on those sheltered under eaves, pointing and snickering at me—the fool walking in the downpour.
I wondered if anyone from the Blacklist would follow me.
Would they lack the courage to face such harsh obstacles and yield to evil forces? Would they willingly surrender their souls? Clearly, that would not be a wise choice.
I believed that most people on the Blacklist felt remorse after Yuyaya's death; their hearts were tormented in various ways. Just like Zhou Mengyao—I could see in her eyes that she didn’t feel anger over her husband's unexpected death but rather resignation.
Puddles formed on the ground, and the murky rainwater flowed toward the low-lying areas as the last summer storm rumbled with thunder, gradually subsiding.
The sudden downpour caused the temperature to drop significantly. Some people jumped over the puddles, hugging their elbows as they hurried home, while children squatted nearby, playing in the water and poking at the puddles with sticks.
After the rain, the entire A City looked refreshed. The honking of car horns seemed like a magician's wand, awakening all living beings that had been stunned by the storm's chaotic fury. A few street trees had fallen, and complaints filled the air from those who had been knocked down by the wind. The workers in orange uniforms were the busiest at this moment.
Their walkie-talkies buzzed like a tightening spell, directing several orange-clad staff members into a flurry of activity.
A vegetable vendor cursed loudly, searching frantically for his scattered produce.
An overturned sunshade lay in the water, trampled by countless feet. Eventually, its owner picked it up and carefully checked for any damage that needed repairing.
I felt like a pitiful beggar fleeing in all directions, drenched to the bone, with water dripping from my face and pant legs as I dashed toward the entrance of Hongqiao Supermarket.
"Hey! Qi!"
Without needing to look back, I knew who was calling me, but I turned anyway.
Zhou Mengyao stood there, her face a mix of shock and concern. "What happened to you? Did you get robbed or something? Why didn't you find shelter from the rain?" She hesitated, unsure whether to approach me, holding something in her hand while her eyes were filled with worry as she focused intently on my position.
I glanced at her quickly before turning away again, feeling guilty for her concern. "Sister Zhou, I have something urgent to take care of; I'll tell you later." Without stopping to explain further, I crossed the street. A car sped by with a honking horn that carried on the wind; I heard a curse as dirty water splashed onto my pant leg from its tires.
Turning around, I suddenly felt empty-handed; the Blacklist I had been holding was gone. I must have lost it while dodging traffic just now.
Fortunately, aside from the person with the third phone number, I managed to contact everyone else. There was no issue with the blacklist.
The entrance of Hongqiao Supermarket loomed in the distance, with a few pedestrians scattered along the road. I didn’t see anyone specifically waiting under that conspicuous utility pole for someone. A sense of disappointment washed over me, mingled with an inexplicable sadness as I crossed to stand beneath the pole and took a good look at Zhou Mengyao.
She was still there, holding something in her hand, her eyes filled with concern as she focused anxiously on my position.
The first person to come into view was a young man with somewhat disheveled hair. He was dressed neatly but looked rather unwell. His clothes were soaked, and water dripped from his pant legs; he was barefoot, his feet pale from being soaked in rainwater. It seemed he didn’t mind stepping out like this.
I could no longer see Zhou Mengyao; all I could make out was a blurred image that was her shop. When did I become nearsighted? I rubbed my eyes vigorously, feeling as if my vision had been deteriorating lately.
“Hello.” The young man finally approached me, standing under the utility pole where we had agreed to meet. He tried to calm himself, a faintly strained smile on his pale face as he picked up the phone he had been holding and dialed my number.
“Hello.” The blacklist didn’t indicate the name of the caller, and I had no idea which group he belonged to. I simply asked him about the details of the accident at Hongqiao Supermarket.
His name was Ye Chenfeng.
A witness to the accident at Hongqiao Supermarket Entrance.
“Actually, I really wanted to see her,” Ye Chenfeng continued with a quivering voice, “but I was afraid of getting involved, so I took a few steps back instead.” He paused before adding, “Later on, I didn’t think much of it at first; maybe it was just the impression left by seeing something so bloody. But then, every time I tried to sleep, her struggling beneath the wheels would appear before me out of nowhere. Each time I woke up terrified and drenched in cold sweat; this nightmare has haunted me ever since.”
“Are you scared?”
“At first, I thought it wasn’t a big deal. Perhaps it was just the memory of that bloody scene lingering in my mind. But later on, I always felt like something was following me. No matter where I went, it felt like something was trailing behind me.”
"Then what happened?"
"Then I went to work in a daze, completely unfocused, and got fired. The days that followed were spent job hunting. Whenever I found a job, something would go wrong shortly after. Either I messed up the data or delayed the tasks assigned to me. It was a continuous nightmare. Several times, I climbed to high places without realizing it, my judgment and awareness clouded. I didn't want to die; I wanted to get married and have children, to repay my parents for raising me."
"Alright, that's enough. It's good that you're here. Take this and sit quietly with it on you."
As we spoke, a middle-aged woman with short hair appeared. Her hair was wet, her clothes soaked through, and her body showed signs of age that lacked the beauty of youth, which made it hard for me to feel any interest or appreciation for her appearance.
"Hello, ma'am."
According to our agreement, she could only share her experiences after calling my number.
The woman silently picked up her phone and dialed my number. She didn’t tell me her name but was eager and wide-eyed with fear as she began recounting her story.
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