Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Looking at the round moon in the sky, Ye Mingshang felt a sense of melancholy. Since his birth, he had never seen what his biological parents looked like. Although he had been cared for by the old director and Underworld River, which prevented him from feeling too lonely, how could he completely disregard the thought of his cruel parents?
He thought less about it now, but during his childhood suffering—begging on the streets, eating leftovers, being bullied by delinquents, and huddling by trash bins in tattered clothes—he often cried and wondered where his parents were. Why did they abandon him? Why did he have to endure such hardships? Why couldn't he be like other children who were with their mom and dad?
At that time, life was truly bitter. The tragic experiences of his childhood left an indelible psychological scar on young Ye Mingshang. Even many years later, he could not let go of it, which contributed to his somewhat reclusive personality. If it weren't for the epiphany he had last year that allowed him to start accepting others, he might still be a lonely person living in his own world.
“Wah~ Wah~”
With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, he finally let out a light sigh. When he came back to reality, he noticed that the female police officer beside him was already in tears, with two streams of clear tears flowing down her cheeks.
Ye Mingshang didn't know why she was so sad, but seeing a girl cry like this made him feel a bit uncomfortable. He wanted to offer her some tissues but realized he hadn’t brought any.
“I have some,” the female officer said through her sobs, then pulled out a white item from her pocket to wipe her tears.
Sanitary napkin...
Ye Mingshang chose not to laugh; perhaps she was too upset to notice such details.
“Why are you crying?” Ye Mingshang asked after noticing that her emotions had calmed down a bit.
The female officer sniffled and choked out, “I miss my grandfather.”
Ye Mingshang wanted to comfort her but didn’t know what to say. He could only choose to be a good listener and remain silent.
“Every time there was a full moon, he would buy us lots of delicious food and ask us to sing and dance while playing games with us. But... but... sniff~”
“My grandfather... was burned to death in Inferno. He shouldn’t have died; it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for saving me, he wouldn’t have been hit by the beam. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have died...”
Ye Mingshang also thought of his old director. Back then, the director treated them orphans as if they were his own children, spending all his savings on them. In the end, however, he lost his life due to an Inferno incident.
"Don't be sad. The deceased are gone, and tears will only become a burden for them. Save them for when you're overwhelmed with joy," Ye Mingshang said as he gently patted her shoulder in comfort.
The female officer sobbed, "I... we are all orphans, discarded children that no one wanted. It was our grandfather who adopted us, allowing us to be happy like normal kids."
Upon hearing this, Ye Mingshang felt a connection and couldn't help but ask, "Is your orphanage called Warm Harbor? Is your grandfather named Li Mingqi?"
The female officer was taken aback. "How do you know?!"
"Boom!" Ye Mingshang's spirit jolted.
"Is that really the case..." Ye Mingshang murmured.
Years ago, the orphanage caught fire. The old director rushed back into the building to save the children trapped by Inferno. He did manage to rescue all the kids, but he was left behind forever, perishing in the Fire Sea.
Ye Mingshang could never forget the shock he felt when he saw the old director turned into a bloody mess of Charcoal. At that moment, it felt as if his world had collapsed. He still remembered when the old director brought him back from the roadside and said, "From now on, this will be your home."
That was the first time he felt warmth since his birth, the first time he experienced how wonderful it was to have family companionship. Although that time was brief, it was the most beautiful and unforgettable period of his life.
The orphanage was reduced to ashes by Inferno, and the old director was buried in the Fire Sea. The children from the orphanage had nowhere to go; no other orphanages were willing to take them in due to the enormous costs involved without any returns. Government subsidies were limited and could not support an endless intake of orphans.
Fortunately, a kind-hearted reporter reported on this matter, leading many childless Good Samaritans to adopt them, allowing them to have a home once again. Ye Mingshang had also been offered adoption, but he refused. By then, he had developed psychological barriers and was afraid to form attachments with anyone, fearing they would leave him when he became unable to let go. So, he chose to escape.
It had been over ten years since he left the orphanage, and he had lost contact with his companions from those days for more than a decade. Back then, he was young and had run away alone; there was no way to keep in touch with everyone. Unexpectedly, today he encountered a former companion here.
Ye Mingshang carefully examined the female officer again; gradually, her face began to overlap with a small face from his somewhat blurred memories.
"Xia?" Ye Mingshang asked.
The female officer gasped in surprise. "How do you know my nickname?!"
Ye Mingshang exclaimed joyfully, "Do you remember me? My surname is Ye, just like the director."
"Your last name is Ye? Ye! Are you Ye Jin?!" the female police officer exclaimed.
"Yes, it's me. I never expected to see you after all these years. How have you been?" Ye Mingshang asked with concern.
Ye Jin was the name given to him by the old director, meaning to strive for progress. After the old director passed away, he was adopted by Underworld River, who added a character from their name to his, changing 'progress' to 'mourning,' which signifies sadness. Placing 'Ye' and 'Ming' at the front was meant to show that they were a wall that prevented him from being sad; if they collapsed, all he would have left was sorrow.
"Oh my God! It really is you. I heard that after you were adopted, you went missing. We all thought you were dead," the female police officer gasped.
Ye Mingshang smiled lightly, "I was lucky; I was adopted by someone else afterward."
"Did you not try to run away again?" the female police officer asked.
Ye Mingshang gave a bitter smile, "I wanted to run, but that old man was too formidable; I couldn't escape."
"So you stayed with your adoptive father all this time?" the female police officer inquired.
Ye Mingshang shook his head, "After living there for a few years, I found an opportunity to escape and didn't return until last year."
The female police officer frowned, "Wouldn't they be heartbroken by what you did?"
Ye Mingshang's expression changed slightly, showing some regret. "Of course they would be heartbroken. I was young back then and didn't understand; I really did cause them a lot of worry." (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count