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墨書 Inktalez
No one answered Xu Zhou's question.
He sat quietly for a long time, sighed deeply, then stood up, turned to face the river, and stepped onto the boat's edge before jumping straight down.
Could his death atone for his sins?
Or was it that he simply lost all hope for life?
Would Xu Wenmo forgive him? If I were Xu Wenmo... no, I could never be Xu Wenmo.
I forced a bitter smile.
"Girl, dawn is approaching," the old man said, looking up at the sky in a profound tone.
I was about to follow the old man's gaze upward.
"No!" The woman suddenly stood up, ran in front of me, waved her hands frantically in front of my eyes, and said in terror, "No, it’s not dawn yet, Xiao Mo, look at the mist, look at the river; how could it be dawn? The night is still deep. Child, the sky is an illusion; it’s not worth your attention. Whatever you do, don’t look up!"
"Who are you calling Xiao Mo!" Anger surged within me as I pushed Liu Ya away. "Are you crazy? Don’t misidentify your daughter!"
The old man smiled cruelly at Liu Ya.
Liu Ya suddenly knelt before the old man with a thud, repeatedly knocking her head against the damp wooden planks, producing a dull sound again and again. "Please, spare Xiao Mo. Take me instead; let my daughter go. I beg you, I beg you..."
This woman is insane. I am not Xu Wenmo; I am not her daughter; I am not... My head throbbed violently again.
"I am not! I am not... then who am I?" I screamed while holding my head.
"Girl, what date is it today?" the old man asked.
"It’s April 4th; today is April 4th," I replied breathlessly.
"Yesterday?"
"Yesterday, yesterday was also April 4th, and the day before that was too, it will always be..." My vision was filled with blinding red, and I could no longer see this world clearly.
"Yes, it will always be." The old man said slowly, "Girl, dawn has come. Let me take you ashore for a walk."
"Alright, let's go ashore and leave this place." I reached out my hand towards the old man, but was tightly grasped by Liu Ya. She pleaded, "Xiao Mo, don't, don't believe him."
"Get away!" I forcefully shook off her hand. "You crazy woman, your daughter is already dead. Stop pretending to recognize family!"
The old man chuckled softly.
"Xiao Mo, it's Mom's fault. I'm sorry for you. If you want to hate someone, hate me. Don't torture yourself like this," Liu Ya cried out in despair.
"Old man, let's go and ignore this madwoman." I stumbled as I clung to the old man's arm, and he dragged me towards the shore.
Liu Ya cried loudly behind us but couldn't get any closer to the bank.
We walked and walked, the sound of flowing water gradually faded away, replaced by the blaring of car horns filling my ears. Then even the car horns disappeared, leaving only the chaotic sounds of footsteps and buzzing conversations—men and women of all ages discussing vegetable prices, neighborhood safety, and family matters.
I couldn't see anything and felt a rising panic inside me.
"Old man, where are you taking me?"
The old man patted my hand. "I'm taking you to meet someone."
"But I can't see anything," I retreated in fear as a bad premonition washed over me.
"You will naturally see when the time comes," the old man said mysteriously.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of wind by my ear, and I felt like I was flying upwards. Before I could scream in panic, the old man and I came to a stop.
The old man said to me, "Girl, don't be afraid, open your eyes."
I was very reluctant, but his words felt like a secret incantation that I couldn't disobey. Slowly, I lifted my eyelids. What came into view was a grayish window. Through the window, I could see the living room, which was decorated in a very traditional style reminiscent of the early 1990s, with a sofa, TV cabinet, table lamp, and chairs.
Sitting on the sofa was an elderly man in his fifties, with white hair and a dejected expression. He stared blankly at the black screen of the television for a long time.
"Still quite healthy; looks like he can live to ninety," the Ferry Elder said.
"Is that so? That's great. Let's go, it's not good to eavesdrop," I said as I lowered my head and realized I was suspended in mid-air. People were coming and going on the ground below, and the sunlight was dazzling, making everything warm and beautiful, but I felt very cold.
"Girl, do you know who he is?"
I shook my head desperately. "No, I don't know."
"His name is Liu Junliang; he has been out of prison for three years."
"Liu Junliang? Isn't he..." I looked again at the elderly man inside. Yes, upon closer inspection, he bore a striking resemblance to the person I had seen that night.
"Girl, let's go." Before the old man finished speaking, the scenery in front of me quickly receded. He pulled me to a commercial street and stopped in front of a flagship store for a brand-name clothing line.
"Girl, do you see who that is?"
Following the old man's finger, I looked through the clear window towards the counter.
A young woman was carrying five or six shopping bags on her arm and was pulling out a credit card from her wallet to hand it over to the counter.
"Ms. Lin, your total comes to eighty-three thousand five hundred yuan."
"Mm-hmm, go ahead and swipe."
The woman had her back to me, completed the transaction, and turned around. That exquisite makeup and arrogant expression could only belong to Lin Ye.
"She... she's doing well?"
"Yes, very well. As Xu Zhou said, he lost his daughter; how could he bear to lose his wife? They are now—very happy."
"Very... very happy, a wife, haha, a wife." My body trembled violently.
I stared at Lin Ye as she walked in high heels to the lounge area. There sat a man on the sofa, well-dressed, mature and composed, handsome. When he saw Lin Ye, he smiled and stood up, taking the bag from her and skillfully pulling her hand as they walked toward the door.
"He... they..."
They passed right in front of me—an older man with a younger woman, a handsome couple, perfectly matched!
My heart suddenly ached without warning, so much that I couldn't straighten up. Blood began to seep from my mouth, an endless flow. My bones creaked loudly, twisted beyond belief. My internal organs felt like they were being struck hard inside me, colliding violently... "Only I can die, only me, sob sob sob, only me."
"Yes, only you. Your death means nothing to them; they continue to live in this world, shining brightly. Xu Wenmo, do you hate them? All those who have hurt you—they have faced no consequences. They feel not an ounce of guilt. They are your father, friends, principal—those who once meant the most to you and should have protected you. But..."
"Stop talking!" I interrupted the old man's words, trembling as I stood up. The scene before me had changed again; I was back in the darkness, back on the river's surface.
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