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墨書 Inktalez
Ziya and Severe Cold pulled the suitcase to the side of the car and placed it in the trunk. As they settled into the vehicle, Ziya peeked out again at the children who had been watching her from behind the window, but they had vanished, leaving her feeling somewhat bewildered.
"Greene Villa Owner is the richest person around here. Their family has always been reclusive, building an extravagant European-style villa by the river, far from others. It’s said that the villa has three floors with twenty rooms, along with a corridor, a large living room, and a study..." Severe Cold explained as he drove.
"I personally think that having too many rooms isn't practical; their family must have a lot of members! How could they build so many rooms all at once?" Ziya remarked. Although she had gathered some information from Sun Meng, she still needed to understand more details.
"Ziya, do you have a boyfriend?" Severe Cold asked, both of them sharing a knowing smile filled with anticipation.
"Uh, I’m not sure how to answer that right now. But there’s a lyric that goes something like, 'Don’t be curious about girls; once you are, you’ll get trapped...' right?" Ziya replied with a sly smile tugging at her lips.
As Ziya looked at the dense bamboo forest beside the road, a narrow path stretched out toward their destination. The eerie atmosphere of that chilling path sent shivers down her spine.
When the car entered the jungle, the light suddenly dimmed as the bamboo trees on either side intertwined, blocking out any view of the sky above. This scene reminded Ziya of a small path in her high school backyard, flanked by flowers and branches instead of bamboo. "I bet this path is covered in moss!" Ziya muttered to herself.
"How do you know?" Severe Cold turned on the interior lights to see Ziya's face clearly. Moments ago, it had been dark inside and out; now, with the car illuminated, it only deepened the shadows outside. The road seemed to be lurking with countless Demon Leaders; just looking made her feel an overwhelming sense of dread.
Since they entered the path, Severe Cold had been frowning tightly without relaxing his expression or speaking much; his eyes remained fixed ahead. Ziya felt his tense demeanor affecting her, stirring up many unfounded imaginations in her mind.
Bang! Severe Cold got out of the car and saw Ziya already stepping onto the stairs. The ground was covered in dry yellow leaves like a carpet—soft underfoot but not very pleasant.
"I told you there’s no one here; just look for yourself!" Severe Cold said as he casually brushed aside a spider web while staring at Ziya, who seemed lost in thought.
"How could that be? I can’t have gotten the address wrong! Sun Meng told me this was the place!" Ziya replied incredulously as she surveyed her surroundings, which were nothing like what Sun Meng had described.
"Let's go back! Look around, there are only spider webs and fallen leaves here; there's no one at all," Severe Cold continued to persuade. Ziya nodded, biting her lip in thought, trying to figure out what was going on. Just a moment ago, when she turned around, the large door at the entrance suddenly swung open with a creaking sound, as if someone had pushed it from inside.
The unexpected noise startled both of them. Ziya turned to gaze into the open room, feeling an impulsive urge to go inside and take a look. "Shall we go in and see?" she asked in a questioning tone.
Severe Cold found it hard to refuse Ziya's curiosity. Besides, he was only half convinced about the rumors of ghosts in town. However, it was strange that the door had chosen to open just as they were about to leave. Was someone inside deliberately trying to create a spooky atmosphere? With this thought in mind, he nodded at Ziya and said, "It wouldn't hurt to take a look; it seems the owner of this place has been dead for half a year now! I haven't been here long myself and I'm not very familiar with this place."
They stepped through the half-open door, entering a dark and cold interior filled with an eerie atmosphere. Upon entering, they found themselves in a spacious living room adorned with luxurious furnishings that reflected the owner's complete immersion in Western decorative styles. Ziya reached out and brushed her hand across a thick layer of dust; it was clear that no one had lived here for quite some time.
"Where is the owner buried now?" Ziya genuinely believed that Sun Meng must have given her the wrong address. Perhaps she was still waiting somewhere else while Ziya had come to this deserted place.
"Their grave is on the hillside behind the villa. Why do you ask?" Severe Cold replied casually as he picked up a wooden doll head from a decorative box.
"Don't touch that," Ziya quickly stopped him from handling someone else's belongings.
"What?" Severe Cold was taken aback by her sudden outburst, his hand instinctively shaking, nearly dropping the Wooden Doll.
"That's someone else's property; you'd better not touch it or you'll face consequences," Ziya warned. She recalled Sun Meng mentioning that in places where no one lived for a long time, some inexplicable entities might move in. They would claim the items within as their own, and anyone who touched them would be cursed.
"Hah, what are you afraid of? That's just nonsense! If you're not scared, why should I be?" Severe Cold laughed dismissively.
"Just put it down! Let's go upstairs and take a look," Ziya said as she snatched the wooden doll from his hands and gently placed it back where it belonged. She even bowed respectfully before turning to head upstairs.
The staircase had an antique charm, made of mahogany with pure European style. The banister was intricately carved with swirling cloud patterns, making their ascent on the creaking steps feel less monotonous. As they walked, they couldn't help but glance down again, only to find that the furnishings below were surprisingly orderly, making the already extravagant furniture appear even more aristocratic.
"Did the owner of this building go abroad?" Ziya asked, observing the furnishings and decorative style of the room, which was filled with Western influences. The layout downstairs included a large living room, kitchen, and so on, while the bedrooms were located on the second and third floors.
"Yes, both of them are newcomers. The male owner studied abroad and later returned to build this house. They used to be an enviable family of three, but after a certain accident..." Severe Cold replied, leading Ziya up to the second floor.
"What kind of accident?" Ziya suddenly recalled the Wooden Doll that Severe Cold had been playing with earlier, and an unsettling feeling crept into her heart.
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