Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Do you have an older brother?"
"Yes, my brother is named Chu Bufan. Seven years ago, he was expelled from our home by my father for some reasons, but then he ended up killing someone. My father didn't save him, so he escaped from prison."
Su Jin'er frowned and asked, "What happened next?"
"Five years ago, he was found dead on the mountain, the same mountain where we have our Military Training."
"Quite a lot has happened on that mountain!" After a pause, she continued, "Five years ago? It seems that most of the events at our school occurred within these five years. What could have happened that led to the school replacing all the teachers?"
At that moment, Lily came in from outside and said with a smile, "Lunch is ready! Everyone, let's go downstairs to eat!"
"Oh! I didn't realize I was hungry until now! After lying down for so long, I'm almost starving." Now that they were at home, it was a rare chance to rest, so they should enjoy it!
"Yes! After drinking thin porridge for so many days, you must be starving. Mom cooked a lot of your favorite dishes."
"Thank you, Mom! Everyone come eat with me! I'll explain to Uncle and Aunt later."
Everyone wore warm and happy smiles. Chu Feifan seemed especially joyful; it was as if he had never been this happy before. He told one joke after another, making everyone laugh—something they would never see at school.
Li Yiqian lowered her head, slowly eating from her bowl. Tears fell into her bowl, disappearing among the rice grains.
"Qian Qian, what's wrong? Is the food not good or are you feeling unwell?" Lily asked with concern.
"No, Auntie, I'm fine. The food is great. I haven't been this happy in three years."
"Who is older between you and Jin'er?" Lily gently asked while stroking Li Yiqian's hair.
"I am great."
"Jin'er, how about I find you an older sister?"
Su Jin'er looked at Li Yiqian, first surprised, then she smiled and said, "That's wonderful! I finally have an older sister. Qian Qian, as long as I have a bite to eat, I won't let you go hungry."
Seeing Su Jin'er's adorable expression, Li Yiqian couldn't help but smile through her tears and nodded.
"Oh no, from now on Jin'er won't love me anymore," Linyuan said dejectedly.
"You little brat!" Su Jin'er poked her finger at Linyuan's forehead.
They had no idea that this meal would be their last gathering together.
Later, Lily told Su Jin'er about the phone call with Li Jing. Su Jin'er returned the call, and Li Jing informed her that Zhang Yang had been arrested. This was another exciting piece of news they received for the New Year.
Happy moments are always so hard to hold onto. One day, when we opened our eyes and noticed that the flow of people on the road had increased again and the footsteps of office workers were hurried once more, we realized that the New Year had passed and a new year had begun.
Su Jin'er and the others packed their bags and set off for school again, returning to that place shrouded in an eerie atmosphere of death.
Back at school, returning to the dormitory, Su Jin'er suddenly remembered someone she had forgotten—Du Xiaonan. She was still stuck in that maddening mental hospital.
"Oh my gosh! How could I forget something so important?" Su Jin'er pointed at Du Xiaonan's bed.
"Oh! My heavens, Xiaonan must hate us," Linyuan exclaimed as she collapsed onto her bed.
"How could Xiaonan be in a mental hospital? Why didn't you tell me?" Li Yiqian asked in confusion.
"Forget it, forget it, I've forgotten everything," Linyuan said as she sat up, feeling helpless.
"Let's go, we need to bring her back now," Su Jin'er said as she grabbed her coat and headed outside.
When they arrived at the psychiatric hospital, they learned that Du Xiaonan had been diagnosed as stable and had been taken home by her parents before the New Year. They sighed in relief but continued to pray that Xiaonan wouldn't hate them.
Two days later, Du Xiaonan returned to school. She seemed even thinner than before, her complexion pale and dark circles under her eyes.
"Xiaonan, I'm really sorry we didn't come to get you," Su Jin'er said apologetically.
Du Xiaonan waved her hand dismissively. "I don't blame you, but Jin'er, please help me. I'm going crazy."
"What happened? You look so tired."
"Yes, ever since I woke up in the psychiatric hospital, I haven't been able to sleep properly. I just want to have a good night's sleep; why is it so difficult?" As she spoke, tears streamed down Du Xiaonan's face.
"What happened? Haven't you been able to sleep well at home either?"
"Yes, I thought once I got home I could finally sleep well, but ever since that first night back, I dream every time I close my eyes. That terrifying dream—I feel like I'm about to break down."
Su Jin'er hadn't expected that trouble would arise just after they returned to school. Du Xiaonan had been dragged into this because of them, so they couldn't ignore her.
"What kind of dream is it?" Linyuan asked.
"It's all black—everything is black. I can't see anything or feel anything; it's like I'm blind and deaf, and all sound disappears. My body feels like it's floating in the air without gravity. The fear and oppression are indescribable." Du Xiaonan's body trembled like a leaf in the wind. "Only when something monstrous roars can I wake up; no other sound can pull me from it."
"How can this happen?"
"I don't know. If I have to live in this kind of fear for the rest of my life, I'd rather die."
"Do your Dad and Mom know?"
She shook her head.
"Did you encounter anything strange in the hospital?" Linyuan asked.
"No, I was just waiting for you to pick me up, but you didn't come. Later, my Dad and Mom came."
Li Yiqian held Du Xiaonan's hand and said, "Xiaonan, I'm sorry. It's my fault that you got hurt. I shouldn't have knocked you out. If I had taken you with me, this wouldn't have happened."
"Was it you who knocked me out that day?"
"Yeah!"
"Did you see anything before you knocked me out?"
"No! I was just scared that you were in danger, so I knocked you out, but I really didn't mean to."
"No, I'm not blaming you. I just want to know why I keep having this dream. I just want to get rid of it."
Su Jin'er called Chu Feifan; they needed to discuss what to do next.
"I think it's better if we split up," several people gathered in the Pavilion, and Chu Feifan said.
"I agree with this plan," Su Jin'er expressed her approval.
"I have no objections either," Zuo Yi said, spreading his hands.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Then I will go with Jin'er to look for clues on the mountain, while Xiao Yi and Xiaoyuan will search for clues from five and three years ago. As for Qian Qian, she will accompany Xiaonan back to rest," Chu Feifan said.
"Why do we have to go back to rest?" Du Xiaonan asked.
"Because you're too tired," Zuo Yi replied.
Du Xiaonan's face turned pale, and her dark circles under her eyes were more pronounced; she really needed to rest.
"But I can't even dare to sleep. That dream was just too terrifying."
"If you don't rest soon, you'll either be driven mad by the dream or you'll collapse from exhaustion," Chu Feifan said, pulling a business card from his pocket and handing it to Li Yiqian. "Take her to see this doctor. The address is on the card; maybe he can help her."
Li Yiqian took the card and nodded. After what she had been through, she knew very well that she couldn't find out the cause of her sister's death on her own, and it might cost her life as well.
"One more thing: no matter what happens, don't act alone. If there's danger, run away, understood?" Su Jin'er said firmly.
Everyone nodded. Faced with the unknown, we always felt a strong mix of curiosity and fear. Although we were scared, that sense of mystery continuously drew us forward, even as fear made us tremble and want to flee.
"Chu Feifan, why did your brother kill someone?"
As the snow melted, the weather became particularly cold, making the path up the mountain even harder to navigate; each step required extra caution.
Chu Feifan bent down to scrape the mud off his shoes with a twig.
"I don't know either. By the time I found out, my brother was already dead. Even now, I still don't understand why Dad kicked him out of the house, and I don't know who he killed."
"So this matter has been kept under wraps all along?"
"Yes, my dad refuses to tell me."
"What about your mom? You've never mentioned her."
"She passed away when I was five due to illness."
"I'm sorry!"
"It's fine; it's been so many years. This is where I met those two people with Zuo Yi." He pointed to a flat area.
They walked over, and the spot wasn't very large. The ground was covered with many small, smooth stones, like those found by the sea.
"So where did they go afterward?"
"Over there."
Chu Feifan pointed ahead.
They walked slowly, and as they got closer, they noticed a small path that was not easy to see unless you looked closely.
"Let's go take a look."
Su Jin'er was about to step onto the path when Chu Feifan pulled her back. "I'll go first."
Chu Feifan held Su Jin'er's hand, carefully walking along the narrow path. Each step was difficult; on one side was a mountain and on the other a steep cliff. Their palms were sweaty, and Su Jin'er felt her heart racing.
When she was a child at her grandmother's house, she had climbed mountains, but she had never walked such a dangerous path. She could only grip Chu Feifan's hand tightly, holding her breath as she slowly moved her feet.
"Don't look down. Hold on tight to me; I won't let go," Chu Feifan's voice came from ahead, like warm sunlight in winter. Su Jin'er took a deep breath, feeling reassured as she let Chu Feifan lead her. Although it didn't completely eliminate her fear, she trusted that he wouldn't let go.
She didn't know how long they had been walking, but it felt like they had circled around one side of the mountain. She glanced at the cliff beneath her feet and was relieved to see it wasn't very high.
"We're safe now," Chu Feifan said with excitement.
Just a little further, and they would be off this narrow path.
Comment 0 Comment Count