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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Chenfeng suspected he had misheard. Even after opening his eyes, he didn't rush to the door. It wasn't until the knocking sounded again that he quickly stood up from the sofa and went to open it.
To his surprise, it was Li Xin standing outside.
"What are you doing here?"
"Why can't it be me?" Li Xin replied, holding a late-night snack in her hands. She thought it would be too much for her to eat alone, so she came to share it with Ye Chenfeng.
The late-night snack consisted of Sweet and Sour Ribs and Spicy Chicken Wings, both of which Ye Chenfeng loved.
"How did you know I like ribs?" Ye Chenfeng asked, picking up a piece of rib and savoring it. The flavor was incredible! "Delicious."
"If it's good, then that's all that matters."
Li Xin happily dug into her Spicy Chicken Wings.
It gave Ye Chenfeng the impression that he and Li Xin were like old friends, perhaps even more than that, enjoying a meal together while discussing various trending topics.
They talked about the latest happenings online and popular influencers.
"There are only a few days left until school starts, right?" Li Xin finally brought up another common topic between them.
"Yes, just seven days until school begins," Ye Chenfeng replied. Li Xin casually reached for a tissue and wiped the corner of his mouth. He was momentarily taken aback but smiled and said, "Thank you."
"You know, sometimes you act like a seasoned uncle, and other times like an innocent child," Li Xin giggled, looking at Ye Chenfeng with admiration as she casually commented.
"Really?" Ye Chenfeng swallowed the delicious food in his mouth, leaned back on the sofa, squinted at Li Xin, and asked, "Now that I've got some energy from this meal, just tell me what you need help with!"
"Did you figure it out?"
"What?"
Li Xin chuckled again, a mysterious glint in her eyes as she said, "Do you know why I came to find you?"
"In situations like this, when someone brings food, there's an old saying: 'No one visits the Three Treasures Hall without a reason; unsolicited flattery is either deceit or theft.'" He gazed at the smiling Li Xin, his mind racing. After careful consideration, he decisively stated, "You're here to ask for my help."
"That's partly right, but also not quite." Li Xin stood up, picked up the empty plastic food bag, tossed it into the trash can, and headed to the kitchen to wash her hands.
Ye Chenfeng sniffed his hands; they reeked of oil and fish. He hurriedly followed her into the kitchen. As he walked, he pondered what could possibly bring Li Xin to him at this time. Even with his mind-reading abilities, he couldn't discern her thoughts—this woman was not simple.
She was no ordinary person.
Li Xin had initially claimed to be a senior from his school.
Then she mentioned they lived in the same neighborhood, yet in all these days, he hadn't encountered her even once.
Moreover, he had discreetly asked Qin Keqing if they knew a senior named Li Xin.
Qin Keqing and the others replied, "No. If there’s any senior or junior with even a bit of charm in school, he knows them. But we’ve never heard of anyone named Li Xin."
Ye Chenfeng washed his hands.
Li Xin was washing hers too.
The two exchanged smiles.
Li Xin's smile was captivating.
Ye Chenfeng felt a stir in his heart and quickly reined in his wandering thoughts. He soon exited the kitchen, but a deep and cold gaze from behind instinctively made him turn around.
Li Xin seemed not to notice him as she wiped her hands with a towel, looking very much like the mistress of the house.
"You... aren't planning to stay here for the night, are you?"
"Why not?" Li Xin squinted and smiled, casually leaning against Ye Chenfeng while intertwining her arm with his that held the remote control.
A waft of feminine fragrance filled the air.
Her gaze was hazy yet profound, stirring something within him that made it hard to resist—
No, Ye Chenfeng told himself firmly to stay calm. He had to remain on high alert in front of this mysterious woman. Besides, he was already involved with Ding Li; he couldn't afford to entertain another woman.
Seeing Ye Chenfeng's indifferent demeanor, Li Xin tensed up, feeling bored. She slowly stood up and flashed him a smile, saying, "I guess it's goodbye then! You're quite a boring man."
Ye Chenfeng forced a smile and waved his hand at her. "It's probably best if we don't meet again."
Li Xin left, and Ye Chenfeng didn't bother to see her off even a single step. He just stared blankly at the television screen until the sound of her footsteps faded away, then lazily got up to close the door.
After shutting the door, he returned to his bedroom.
Not wanting to think about anything, he simply decided to sleep.
Falling asleep was easy, but finding peace in sleep was another matter entirely.
In his dreams, he saw a figure—a solitary woman who exuded an air of sadness that felt particularly poignant.
Surrounded by darkness, the atmosphere was eerie.
Ye Chenfeng tried several times to catch up with the woman ahead of him but always found himself at a distance.
The shadow of the woman stretched long behind her; she walked heavily and slowly, yet he could never reach her. Was this some kind of curse?
Ye Chenfeng chased after her, wanting to call out, but no words came.
Finally, the woman in front stopped and slowly turned around—
“Mom…”
Ye Chenfeng understood why he had to keep chasing; the woman ahead was his mother.
His mother looked haggard, disheveled, and her clothes were tattered. She conveyed her sorrowful feelings to her son, as if trying to tell him something important.
Just then, a powerful force from the darkness suddenly pulled her away.
Ye Chenfeng screamed, waking up from the nightmare, drenched in sweat, realizing it had all been a bad dream.
Something had controlled his mother's soul.
What was she desperately trying to tell him? Ye Chenfeng sat on the bed in a daze, staring blankly at the wall.
His head throbbed! This was the consequence of being in a constant state of tension, exhausting his mental energy. He needed sleep; only by replenishing his rest could he gather the strength to investigate the Flame Demon.
Ye Chenfeng lay down again, forcing himself to sleep.
Don’t think about it; he should fall asleep quickly.
This time, however, Ye Chenfeng felt that it wasn’t his own doing that led him into slumber. It was as if he had received some kind of suggestion, and he couldn’t control himself as he plunged into a dark abyss.
In this dark abyss, he heard heartbreaking cries. Pale faces appeared before him, their mournful wails and pleas for help echoing in his ears, filling him with unease.
The owners of these voices seemed to be enduring terrible torment.
Then a clear face emerged before him—a young Eastern woman with bare makeup, delicate brows, and a gentle demeanor.
She was staring intently at a spot.
Her expression was so focused, as if she were waiting for someone to sketch her, radiating an energy that seemed to freeze everything around her, deeply capturing Ye Chenfeng's attention.
"Who is she?"
Ye Chenfeng did not know her, but he could sense the aura of death surrounding her; she was in danger. He waved at her, wanting to shout, but unfortunately, she couldn't hear him. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed as a dazzling flame erupted from her seven orifices, and in an instant, the body of a stunning young woman was engulfed in the roaring fire.
"Ah..."
This time, upon waking, Ye Chenfeng found himself fully alert.
He kept asking himself, "Who is she? She could be the next victim. I must find this person before the Flame Demon strikes."
Ye Chenfeng got up and checked the time—it was four in the morning.
It was too early to go for a run, and sleeping again was out of the question. He rose and opened his laptop.
As the browser loaded, a trending topic caught his eye.
A spontaneous combustion incident had occurred at Purple City University; the victim was a fortune teller found on the street.
Ye Chenfeng continued reading. The deceased wore Taoist robes and had a beard tied back; he looked quite authentic. How did he die? Spontaneous combustion! Clicking on the location of the incident, Ye Chenfeng felt it looked familiar—wasn't this the very place Marin had pointed out to him during the day?
Marin had said, "This is where Xiong Biao used to run an internet café."
Ye Chenfeng moved his mouse closer to examine the deceased's face more clearly. He felt a sense of recognition. After thinking for a while, he recalled that this man indeed operated a fortune-telling stall on the street.
On his first day reporting to school, as he passed by the stall, the fortune teller had warned Ye Chenfeng that he would face bloodshed this year and needed to spend some money to avert disaster.
As a keen observer, Ye Chenfeng realized that this man was nothing but a fraud. If there truly were bloodshed looming over him, would it be so easy to resolve with just some money?
When it comes to calamities, it is essentially a personal disaster expressed through words.
Ye Chenfeng understood this; the Ghost-Quaking Scripture noted it down. Heavenly tribulations (thunder), earthly tribulations (landslides), wind tribulations (attacks from evil winds), and many other calamities are all unknown to people.
The blood disaster is merely a trick of the Fake Medium, designed to instill fear in the victim, prompting them to spend money to seek peace and avert misfortune.
It seems that this Fake Medium has encountered a true Evil God this time.
Ye Chenfeng speculated that this person was hired by someone to exorcise evil spirits, only to end up losing their own life in the process.
What a coincidence.
Why is it precisely this shop? Could it be that Xiong Biao was also a victim of that fire?
Why was Marin unwilling to elaborate on the cause of Xiong Biao's death or the details of the accident?
Everyone has their privacy; unless one is willing to share, others have no right to pry into what someone does not wish to disclose.
If Marin was unwilling to speak, Ye Chenfeng would not break the rules and press further.
Unable to find a breakthrough from Marin, Ye Chenfeng felt troubled.
At dawn, he stepped out of his house; his morning jogging habit was hard to change. This time, he purposefully ran towards University Road, intending to visit the site of the incident.
The early morning in Purple City resembled a shy maiden, graceful and alluring.
A thin mist lingered over Purple City as people trickled out of their homes, eager to breathe in fresh air at the first opportunity. In such a tranquil atmosphere, they jogged, practiced Tai Chi in the park, while older gentlemen took their birdcages for a stroll.
When Ye Chenfeng arrived at University Road, the mist had not yet completely dissipated.
On the street, few shops had their lights on.
Some early Snack Shops were busy making handmade powder, the sound of slapping echoing far and wide.
Ye Chenfeng noticed the shop where the incident occurred, marked off with caution tape and seals. The ghostly presence he sought was no longer here; instead, there was a faint smell of something burnt in the air. Suddenly, his phone chimed with a text message.
Ye Chenfeng took out his phone to check.
The message was from Qin Keqing. As he opened it, the first thing he saw was her recently changed profile picture.
Qin Keqing's new photo featured her with a beautiful woman. At first glance, Ye Chenfeng thought the woman looked familiar. After pondering for a while, he suddenly realized—this was the same woman who had appeared in his dreams!
Qin Keqing's message mentioned that Xiang'er was doing well at their home and reassured Ye Chenfeng not to worry. She also brought up the topic of school starting soon.
Rich people were indeed different; they were willing to support Sun Xianger's education.
Ye Chenfeng smiled at the message and immediately dialed Qin Keqing's number.
Qin Keqing was still asleep. When she answered the phone, her tone was impatient as she said, “Ye Chenfeng, damn it, I was trying to sleep! Call me later.”
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