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墨書 Inktalez
Compared to Shui Su, Song Bunan felt a closer connection to the Ghost Messenger than to the other officers he frequently encountered. The Ghost Messenger always appeared shrouded in black mist and a cloak, with hands that occasionally extended to offer items, yet remained obscured. However, Song Bunan could always discern whether the Ghost Messenger he encountered was one he recognized.
They ventured deeper into the darkness, guided by the incense smoke, and upon opening his eyes, Song Bunan found the Ghost Messenger quietly standing beside him. The two sat up and began conversing in the colorless room, where Shui Su recounted recent events and issues uncovered during their investigation. The Ghost Messenger then extended two pieces of paper adorned with symbols, indicating for Song Bunan and Xin Yi to wear them.
“Wow, it’s been so long since I last saw you!” exclaimed Song Bunan as he reached out to take the paper, excitedly grasping the officer's hand, his eyes filled with joy.
This figure was the one Song Bunan was most familiar with; his first intimate encounter with the Ghost Messenger had been with him. At that time, Song Bunan was not yet five years old, lying alone in an unfamiliar dark dreamscape after sustaining serious injuries. The helpless child searched desperately for an escape but found none until he was called back to light by his mother’s voice.
Yet when he opened his eyes, it was not his family’s faces that greeted him but a shadowy figure standing at his bedside. Fearful yet curious, he cautiously asked, “Uncle, who are you?” He could not discern whether this misty silhouette was male or female but felt compelled to address him as “uncle.”
“Are you willing to work for us?” The shadow spoke in a flat tone, sending a chill through his skin that made him want to cry out for his mother. All he could see was that he lay in a hospital bed, completely alone.
“I want my mom,” he expressed his feelings of distress. After saying this, he saw the shadow suddenly lean closer; curiously, there was no face beneath its strange clothing—only deeper darkness. Unable to hold back any longer, the child burst into tears, crying out for his mother. The shadow stood still for a moment before turning away and saying, “You cannot refuse.”
From that day on, whenever the Ghost Messenger appeared before him—whether speaking or teaching him about various matters—it was almost always this particular figure. Song Bunan grew increasingly familiar with him and even developed a special nickname—Black Brother.
During Song Bunan’s childhood, the Ghost Messenger never expressed discontent with this nickname. However, once Song Bunan entered middle school, calling him that would inevitably result in a slap on the head. It wasn’t until high school that he finally realized the reason for those reprimands: Black Brother did not like being called that.
“Brother, where have you been lately? It’s been over a year since you last came to see me! The other Ghost Messengers don’t even talk to me anymore. I missed you so much!” He tossed the note carelessly onto the table and opened his arms wide in an attempt to embrace the Ghost Messenger.
The other figure promptly stepped back while Shui Su watched the warm scene unfold with a smile, thinking it was a shame that such a moment couldn’t be captured in a photograph. The Ghost Messenger remained motionless until Song Bunan finished his affectionate antics before finally speaking.
“Busy.” Even though it was just one word, it made Song Bunan very happy. He giggled and shared all the things he had been up to lately like a child recounting every detail. Black Brother never rejected him; he always listened quietly while Song Bunan spoke. Initially, everyone thought he merely tolerated the child’s whims; later on, they realized he genuinely remembered what was said.
After one collaboration, Shui Su once asked this colleague why he treated Song Bunan so differently. The Ghost Messenger only offered him his back as an answer: they had known each other for a long time.
“Oh! And I found someone I like!” At this point, Song Bunan suddenly became shy and fidgeted as he touched his face. Shui Su felt a gaze directed at him and nodded in affirmation; clearly, Black Brother took great interest in this matter of Song Bunan’s newfound relationship.
“Give me their birth date,” Black Brother’s sudden request left Song Bunan stunned. He scratched his head awkwardly and admitted that he had never asked about such details before. “We just confirmed our relationship yesterday,” he explained awkwardly.
“Go ask and then give it to me.” With that parting statement, the Ghost Messenger departed just as the incense extinguished. Song Bunan stared blankly at his ceiling, utterly unable to comprehend the sudden demand from Black Brother.
He asked Shui Su why they needed this thing, and Shui Su smiled, saying, "They must have told you that your future partner needs to be approved by the Underworld before you can proceed, right?"
This remark stirred memories for Song Bunan. During his teenage years, when he first experienced the stirrings of love, a day after helping out, Brother had told him that if he liked someone, he should immediately give them his Ba Zi to determine if they were a good match. Over the past decade of being single, Song Bunan had completely forgotten this advice.
"No—" he squirmed on the ground like a worm, "What if it says we’re not compatible! I just got a boyfriend ahhh—"
Faced with his antics, Shui Su squatted down and lightly tapped his head, asking how he could lack even this little confidence in himself and Xin Yi. "Since you two can be together, it must be fate. Don't be so pessimistic."
"Fine." Song Bunan stuffed the note from the table into his pocket and belatedly realized he could actually speak again. He pinched his neck, which still throbbed slightly, and turned in surprise to look at Shui Su.
"I put some medicine in the water you drank this morning," Shui Su said, as if he were the responsible adult in their trio, considering every detail that he and Xiao Mei might overlook. Song Bunan was at a loss for words and pulled a bottle of milk from his fridge at home to express his gratitude.
When they returned to New Life Hospital, it was just in time for dinner. They rushed to the cafeteria and saw Xiao Mei and Xin Yi sitting together, along with someone neither of them had expected.
Ming You sat next to Xin Yi, holding a bowl of soup while sizing up the man. Xiao Mei remained calm and was the first to notice them.
"Hurry up, Xin Yi is about to go crazy," she said with a barely contained laugh, which did nothing to convince Song Bunan and Shui Su. They exchanged glances, confirming that neither of them particularly wanted to sit there. Xiao Mei gave Song Bunan a meaningful look, indicating that if he didn’t join them soon, he would regret it.
"Not that I'm saying anything," Ming You slurped her soup loudly without any hesitation in her speech. "I’m not surprised that Bunan likes you; he's always been into guys like you since he was little. He’s like a malnourished chick himself, so he’s drawn to all the bigger and stronger guys. But have you two actually gotten together? Give me a straight answer so I can gossip about it with my brother later."
Xin Yi didn’t respond, while Xiao Mei beside her struggled to contain her laughter, her face turning red from holding it in. Standing behind them, Song Bunan felt his life dimming; after awkwardly scratching his head in embarrassment, he stiffly sat down next to them and forced a smile at Ming You’s eager gaze as she excitedly rushed over to hug him.
"I was worried you’d catch a cold and need to be hospitalized! But now it seems you’re full of energy. Come on, tell me—did you get together with this Big Guy?" Ming You was lively and outgoing; she usually dressed like a tomboy. The last time they met, she had been arguing with Ming Hua over her hairstyle but now sported bright red hair that looked quite flamboyant.
Song Bunan lowered his head shyly when facing Xin Yi and weakly nodded in her embrace, wrapping all his answers within that gesture. Ming You quickly understood what he meant and nodded approvingly. "Good! You’re teachable! So what do you want to eat? It’s on me! The noodles here are delicious; I’ll get you some!"
With that, she stood up and left Song Bunan under the watchful eyes of the other three. Xiao Mei and Shui Su regarded him with scrutinizing looks while Xin Yi's gaze was somewhat inscrutable. "Don’t ask; Ming You is just like that," he explained awkwardly.
"We know what she's like; it’s you who’s hiding things well," Xiao Mei teased in a sing-song voice. Song Bunan shrank his neck and edged closer to Xin Yi, trying to find comfort in her broad shoulders.
The man said little, simply passing his cup over to indicate that he should drink first. "Is your throat better?" Xin Yi's cup contained Pang Da Hai, and Song Bunan knew this was prepared for him. Without hesitation, he took a big gulp, finishing half the cup before replying that it was fine, thanks to the special medicine he had taken.
"By the way, how did Ming You end up here?" Song Bunan asked curiously. The answer came from Xiao Mei, who seemed equally helpless as he replied, "As soon as we arrived at the cafeteria, she ran in from outside, first checking on me and then immediately starting to interrogate him. I have no idea where she got all that information; she was really sharp."
"Ming Hua told me," said the person holding a bowl of noodles smoothly joining the conversation. Two large bowls were placed in front of him and Shui Su, the toppings looking quite tempting. "He came by this morning to get medicine for brother Qian Gu and mentioned that you were all here, so I thought I’d come take a look. After all, it’s my first time meeting Liu Xing; I should at least say hello."
"And you all must have some questions for me," the girl said with a sly smile, rubbing her fingers together as a reminder. Shui Su reacted quickly, handing over a photo from his phone with the caption: Where was this taken?
At that moment, there were still many people in the cafeteria, and their laughter had drawn quite a bit of attention. Although Ming You had lowered her voice when she spoke, some people slowly moved closer.
The girl glanced at the phone's content and then exclaimed loudly, "Oh dear, I'm not interested in seeing your couple's lovey-dovey photos! I'm here to see my friends, not to eat dog food. You all owe me a meal; if there’s a holiday this weekend, remember to treat me!"
Xin Yi noticed someone approaching them stop in their tracks. He intended to get a better look at the person but was stopped by Song Bunan, who placed a hand on his leg under the table and wrote a 'no' with his fingers. Ming You was even quicker; she grabbed her bag and stood up, saying she had plans with friends later and would come back tomorrow to chat.
She casually greeted the person standing not far from them and took them away. Song Bunan whispered so only they could hear that Ming You would contact him later that night and he would forward any news to the group.
"She's quite impressive," Xin Yi remarked, sensing that the girl was not just an ordinary accountant; her sharpness matched theirs. Hearing this, Song Bunan laughed and playfully took a piece of meat from Xiao Mei's bowl with his chopsticks. "When you all recruited me back then, she was ranked ahead of me."
"Then why is she just an accountant?" Xin Yi asked in confusion.
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