Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Nothing much, I just know you want to go to that child's house, so I asked Mengmeng and Liang Chao to come along with you. Your father and I really can't get away right now; it's as simple as that. You've complicated things," Zi Anqing replied, deliberately downplaying the situation.
"I don't believe you," Ziya pouted and walked toward the entrance of the News Agency, feeling an inexplicable sense of resistance inside her. Zi Anqing looked at her daughter in exasperation; she was perfect in every way except for being stubborn, a side effect of being spoiled. Yet, in the face of her selfless maternal love, Zi Anqing viewed her daughter as an angel, flawless and without any defects. It was a form of distorted self-justification that evolved into unreserved pampering, and only Liu Haoming, as an observer, clearly understood that his wife's approach to their daughter's upbringing was somewhat misguided.
As Ziya was about to step through the Side Door, she casually glanced over and noticed that a layer of bluish tempered glass had been placed where the Stone Lion used to stand. Inside the glass were some promotional materials haphazardly arranged. She turned and walked toward the glass, where a newly built temporary display counter stood awkwardly at the entrance.
Seeing her daughter looking at the former location of the Stone Lion, Zi Anqing followed her. "What are you looking at?" she asked, following Ziya's gaze downwards. There on the ground was a conspicuous ring of pale yellow that clashed with the greenish tiles beneath it. Ziya continued to look ahead; this pale yellow stain was present where the Stone Lion had once stood. Could it be urine stains from Luo Daoming? But she had heard Liu say that all the tiles at this entrance were replaced with new ones when they moved the Stone Lion. So when did this pale yellow stain appear?
"There's nothing much! It's just footprints left behind from when the Stone Lion was here. Come on, Liu is looking for you; your father and Uncle Yuan Ye are dealing with Zhang, the Chief Editor's funeral arrangements," Zi Anqing said in a calm tone. She didn't want her daughter to worry about trivial matters.
Ziya ignored her mother's words and slowly raised her head, staring at the small counter. Given how spacious the News Agency area was, why would they go out of their way to set up such an eyesore here? What did this have to do with the Taoist priest she had seen earlier? Did he suggest this to Zhang or Yuan Ye? Glancing back at Zi Anqing and nodding slightly, she headed straight for the entrance.
The two entered the lobby one after another. Liu had long since grown impatient; she kept checking her watch. When she saw Ziya come in, she rushed over and said, "Ziya, you haven't submitted that document yet!"
"No, it's in my bag. Do you need it?"
"Yes! Why not go submit it now? I'll wait for you downstairs," Liu ordered confidently, resembling another version of Zhang, the Chief Editor. This made Zi Anqing extremely displeased upon arriving shortly after; however, since her husband Liu Haoming had already warned her not to mention anything about him or Zhang and Yuan Ye's affairs, she had no choice but to let her daughter take out the document for Liu to see.
Liu frowned slightly and forced a strained smile. "This is confidential information from the News Agency; it can't be disclosed casually... Look at this..."
…………………………………………A Man Buying Knives
A few alleys away from the News Agency, a disheveled man hunched over on a street stall, scanning the shiny knives laid out on display. After some haggling, he spent all his money—fifteen yuan—to buy a long Watermelon Knife, which he tucked under his clothing while pressing his hands against his abdomen as if in pain while making his way toward the News Agency.
At the entrance of the News Agency, the security guard, who had once been sulking and considering leaving, was lazily leaning against the sofa in the Guard Room, his eyes glued to the television. He was completely unaware of a figure armed with a knife entering through the door.
Meanwhile, the surveillance footage continued to roll, capturing every angle of the newcomer as they entered. The lobby, which seemed much quieter than usual, caught his attention. A cold gaze swept over Ziya, who was in the lobby with her mother, before he silently made his way toward the Side Door.
Ziya took a deep breath. "I'm going to Human Resources now, but I can't sign for anyone," she said coldly to the woman she had previously thought well of. For some reason, a wave of disgust surged within her. Zhou Chen's phone was still clutched in her hand as Zi Anqing anxiously awaited her daughter and her husband, who were supposed to meet at 10:30 but had yet to arrive.
"Mom, I'm going upstairs. You wait for me here," Ziya said, glancing at Liu. It felt like Liu was monitoring her and her mother, refusing to leave them alone even though Ziya had injured her foot. She thought that if she could find Liu, things would be easier; there was no rush to hand over this strange document without first clarifying the situation. Anqing watched her daughter leave with a longing to follow but felt it would be rude to walk away while Liu continued to chatter about trivial matters. Distractedly, she half-heartedly engaged with Liu's conversation while worrying about Ziya.
The incident involving Zhang, the Chief Editor, seemed to have cast a pall over the entire News Agency; the usually bustling lobby was eerily quiet, and even the receptionists appeared to have vanished. As Ziya approached the elevator, she hesitated before deciding to take the stairs instead. The handrail of the staircase was coated with a thin layer of dust, and the sound of her sneakers scraping against the floor echoed monotonously in the stillness. She felt particularly sensitive to the oppressive silence that enveloped both indoor and outdoor spaces; it was unsettling unless in specific situations like hospitals where silence was necessary—though hospitals often carried an uncomfortable aura. Walking alone down a hospital corridor could easily lead one to conjure up irrational thoughts, just as Ziya felt now.
Ziya knew that Human Resources was on the eighth floor but chose instead to head straight for Liu on the thirteenth floor. Each level was adorned with potted snake plants densely arranged at corners and prominent spots along the staircase. The green leaves reflected a faint glow under the lights, enticing unknown insects that clung stubbornly to them. Strangely enough, these insects seemed drawn to those green leaves, remaining motionless on their surfaces.
Hurrying up the stairs, Ziya felt as if someone was following her closely behind, their footsteps barely audible yet persistent. She quickened her pace and kept glancing at the floor indicators on the staircase until she saw that she was almost at the twelfth floor; this eased her mind slightly. However, she continued looking back more frequently as she got closer. Upon reaching the thirteenth floor and turning around once more, she accidentally missed a step and stumbled on the stairs. Just then, a pair of dirty bare feet appeared right in front of her eyes. Panicking, she quickly got up and looked around.
Comment 0 Comment Count