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墨書 Inktalez
Ziya felt a pair of pale, withered hands reaching out to her from behind. Instinctively, she sensed the dirt and grime caked on those hands, and she continued to choke, her throat emitting a gurgling sound as if she were swallowing. The pain in her eye sockets was excruciating, almost as if they were bleeding, which brought to mind the image of the Demon Leader she had once seen.
With a sudden 'splash,' Ziya was lifted entirely by those hands, water spraying off her body in all directions. The air immediately returned to a steady rhythm, and a familiar nagging voice filled her ears.
"Ziya, what are you doing? Do you really need to submerge yourself completely in the water while bathing?"
Wiping the droplets from her face, Ziya felt a rush of embarrassment as she realized she was completely exposed in front of her mother, Zi Anqing. She turned to run back into the Bathing White but was caught by her mother, who handed her a towel.
"You're not a child anymore; you can't just play around like this. Your father is looking for you to talk," her mother said with an exaggerated frown, struggling to suppress a smile. She knew that at this moment, Ziya was incredibly shy. However, she couldn't help but feel pleased as she admired her daughter's delicate figure, surprised at how beautifully Ziya had grown.
"Anqing, you..." Ziya huffed in annoyance, pouting slightly. But then she recalled how she had almost been choked to death by an Evil Spirit just moments ago. Wrapping the towel around herself, she picked up her slippers and carefully dried her hair with a towel. Her mother promptly brought over the hairdryer, plugged it in, and as it roared to life, warm air blew through Ziya's damp hair.
"Anqing, I just had a nightmare. Do you believe me? I dreamt about those things again."
"Ziya, sit for a moment; I need to ask you something."
"What is it?" Ziya asked nervously, unsure if something had been discovered. Her father's stern demeanor made her feel somewhat intimidated.
Seeing that father and daughter were about to discuss something serious and not wanting to interfere in their conversation, Zi Anqing stood up and headed toward the kitchen. Liu Haoming watched his wife's gradually plumping figure busily moving behind the glass partition before turning back to look at his daughter.
"Are you going to intern at the News Agency?"
"Yeah," Ziya replied, secretly sweating. She thought to herself that it was no surprise; even such a secretive matter had come to his attention.
"I do not agree with your choice of the Journalism Department, but this is your future. Your mother and I do not want to interfere too much, but I advise you to give up on the internship plan in that department."
"Why?"
"The reason is simple: we firmly disagree with you interning at that News Agency." Liu Haoming suddenly lost control of his emotions and shouted.
"But I've already gone there and submitted my personal information to the manager of that department." Ziya recalled Liu's warm smile at the News Agency, feeling reassured that she had made the right choice.
"That's just an excuse. You’ve always wanted to get back at us, haven’t you? It’s just a small mistake! Is it worth sacrificing your entire future for revenge against me…"
"How can you think like that? It's absurd and unreasonable. I’m not trying to get back at you; I just love journalism…" Ziya retorted, waving her hands defiantly as she shouted at her father.
"Journalism… Oh, you like it, do you? Tomorrow, I will go speak to your advisor and have you transferred to another college," Liu Haoming interrupted her, his tone firm.
"This is authoritarianism! I'm not a child; I'm an adult now…"
A loud slap echoed as Liu Haoming struck Ziya across the face. Covering her stinging cheek, she looked in shock at her furious father. The glass partition door creaked sharply as Zi Anqing's angry voice pierced through.
"Have you lost your mind? Why would you hit your daughter so hard? Are you sick?" Zi Anqing rushed to Ziya, gently pushing aside her hand from her face. Five clear red fingerprints burned on Ziya's skin, and tears streamed down from Zi Anqing's eyes, falling onto her daughter's shoulders, causing pain in both their hearts.
Liu Haoming raised his hand, letting out a frustrated sigh. He thought to himself that he could never bring himself to hit his daughter; what had come over him? When he looked at Ziya again, her eyes were filled with resentment. But how could he let her intern at that News Agency given what he had heard? With that thought in mind, he silently rummaged through the crumpled newspaper he had thrown into the trash earlier, feeling guilty as he spread it out on the Tea Table.
"You both take a look for yourselves."
Ziya steadied her impulsive emotions in the comforting atmosphere created by Zi Anqing and the medicinal alcohol. She reflected on her father's intense reaction, realizing that perhaps he had his reasons and thoughts. When she saw him rummaging through the trash can for newspapers, her suspicions were further confirmed. Liu Haoming spread the newspapers out on the tea table before walking into the bedroom.
After placing the medicinal alcohol down, Zi Anqing joined her daughter to examine the newspapers laid out on the tea table. One of the papers featured a photograph of a woman from the waist up. Below it were the name of a reporter and the address of a news agency, which was precisely where Ziya had been sent by her mentor. This was a case of mutual slander and conflict between news agencies; one agency reported on another, explaining Liu Haoming's anger. He was upset about the current state of society, where those selling lime looked down upon those selling flour.
Under Anqing Mama's concern, Ziya took the newspaper into the bedroom. The report detailed an interview with a family member involved in an ongoing lawsuit regarding a missing woman named Duan Xiulan, who had vanished while working. The news agency's reporter faced rejection and disdain from colleagues for reporting accurately, as this individual's interview contradicted a previous report by another journalist from a different agency, revealing some unspeakable truths.
Ziya tossed the newspaper onto the sofa by the bedroom door, her face still burning with pain. Ever since she entered this family, Liu Haoming and Zi Anqing had treated her with such care that it felt as if they were afraid she would break. Today, however, her father had exploded with anger at her.
The dreams she had experienced felt so real—were they premonitions or something else? It seemed there was indeed something extraordinary about that place. With this thought in mind, Ziya picked up her phone and dialed Qin Nannan's number.
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