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墨書 Inktalez
Living Funeral
"Who is the one filming the video? What does it mean?" I asked.
Zhang, the chubby guy, replied, "Don't you want to meet the person who is filming the video and taking pictures?"
I fell silent for a moment before saying, "The person filming the video was at the funeral home that night?"
Zhang said, "She contacted me and wants to meet at the funeral home."
"Does she want to see me?"
Zhang replied, "If she didn't want to see you, I wouldn't dare bring you to meet her."
Suddenly, I recalled what happened last night and said to Zhang, "That Fake Zhang Xun was there; she wouldn't have gotten into trouble, would she?"
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
I wasn't really concerned about her; I just thought it would be best if she was okay. That guy from last night had some serious skills. If it weren't for luck, both Zhang and I might have ended up in a bad situation. By now, it was already around eight or nine in the evening. After chatting with Zhang for a bit, we started smoking.
When the nurse came in, she glared at us and wouldn't let us smoke. Zhang and I had no choice but to extinguish our cigarettes. Around ten o'clock, Zhang Xun arrived, but Du Feng did not show up.
Upon seeing Zhang Xun, Zhang exclaimed, "Damn it! I should have realized that bastard wasn't Zhang Xun earlier. Just look at Zhang Xun's sour face; there's no way that looks like someone who would smile."
I: ...
Zhang Xun said, "Watch your mouth!"
"This is true; if I don't speak, I'll die," Zhang Fatty said, looking as if he didn't care about the consequences. Zhang Xun didn't hold back and walked over to pinch Zhang Fatty's wound, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Does it hurt?" Zhang Xun asked.
"Not at all."
In the end, Zhang Fatty couldn't endure it any longer and begged for mercy. I turned to Zhang Xun and asked, "Where have you been?"
"I haven't gone anywhere," Zhang Xun replied.
I briefly recounted what had happened at the funeral home last night. Zhang Xun's expression changed slightly, but he didn't say anything. Zhang Fatty then asked, "Zhang Xun, could you be that person?"
Zhang Xun simply hummed in acknowledgment.
I asked, "What person?" Zhang Fatty responded, "Aren't there five people in the photo? Four have appeared, and one is still missing."
"Who is that person?" I inquired.
Zhang Fatty said, "It wouldn't matter if I told you; I can't say anything right now."
I glanced at Zhang Xun, who stated, "You'll find out in the future."
I knew that if these two didn't want to reveal anything, they certainly wouldn't. After all these years, they had been guarding their so-called secrets and wouldn't easily come forward. So I decided not to press further.
Suddenly, Zhang Xun said to me, "Once your injury heals, let's go to that building."
I glanced at Zhang Xun in surprise, and Fatty Zhang asked, "Are we really going?" Zhang Xun replied, "What else is there to do?"
Fatty Zhang fell silent, and Zhang Xun added, "We don't have much time left." Fatty Zhang murmured in agreement. This was his way of admitting that his time was indeed limited. I understood what they were facing; aging skin could very well mean approaching death.
After a moment of silence, I asked, "Does this have anything to do with Jiang Changsheng?"
"Yes," Fatty Zhang answered without hesitation. He paused for a moment before continuing, "And it also involves another person."
"Who?" At that moment, Zhang Xun looked at Fatty Zhang, who immediately fell silent. Suddenly, the three of us became quiet, and the atmosphere grew somewhat awkward. However, the door was pushed open soon after.
Yet when the door opened, no one entered. Zhang Xun stepped outside to take a look and then came back in.
I asked, "Who was it?"
Zhang Xun replied, "Probably someone passing by who opened the wrong door." After a brief moment of thought, I said, "That doesn't feel right. Someone must be looking for me; they probably saw so many people and decided not to come in."
As soon as I finished speaking, Zhang Xun dashed out but returned a moment later without having found anyone.
"He ran too fast; I couldn't catch up," Zhang Xun said.
"I'm fine," I replied. Zhang Xun then asked, "Who was it?" I told him that I actually didn't know either.
Time passed quickly, and before long, three days had gone by. Fatty Zhang and I successfully checked out of the hospital. Originally, we planned to head straight to that building with Zhang Xun, but since I had promised Gao Ling to take care of things at the massage parlor, we decided to postpone our visit.
Zhang Xun didn't rush us, while Fatty Zhang seemed to have vanished now that his injury had healed.
The person named Du Feng hadn't called or contacted me; it was as if he had suddenly vanished. Of course, since he didn't come looking for me, I certainly wouldn't reach out to him. Regardless of how it felt, I considered Du Feng to be a dangerous individual.
That evening, Zhang Xun, Gao Ling, and I went to the massage parlor. By then, the manager had become quite familiar with Gao Ling. Upon meeting, they exchanged cigarettes and smiles before getting down to business.
After taking a look around, Zhang Xun remarked that the atmosphere here was quite heavy with Yin energy.
Gao Ling replied, "Who isn't? This place is just like that massage room we visited last time." I nodded in acknowledgment.
Gao Ling continued, "Well then, it seems we've stumbled into something unpleasant; otherwise, we wouldn't have ended up in that massage room."
Zhang Xun cut in without hesitation, "The Ghost Festival is approaching, and some spirits are starting to return. Many people will surely be taken by them."
Zhang Xun's authoritative tone left the manager stunned. The manager quickly asked, "Master, what should we do?"
Zhang Xun instructed, "After midnight tonight, light a candle inside the room and place some Yin food with it."
"Yin food? What exactly does that refer to? Please enlighten us, Master."
Gao Ling added, "Prepare some fruits like apples and also a boiled chicken; just boil it in water without adding anything else."
The manager quickly responded, "I will make sure to do that. Is there anything else you need me to do?"
Zhang Xun said, "Once everything is set up, don't let anyone enter this room. If they do, the consequences are on them."
The manager wiped away a cold sweat and assured us that he understood.
After finishing these words, we left. We went directly back to Gao Ling's house, where Gao Ling asked Zhang Xun if this was enough. Zhang Xun retorted, "What else do you want?"
Gao Ling had nothing to say at that moment.
Upon returning to the district, we found that the elderly residents had already begun burning Ghost Money. They knelt in front of the fire pit, murmuring something I couldn't quite make out. We went upstairs, took a shower, and I prepared to sleep.
Lin Xue was waiting for me in the room, standing by the window. I called out to her, and she responded softly.
Lin Xue turned to look at me, her eyes filled with tenderness, though they seemed slightly red around the edges. I asked, "What's wrong, Lin Xue?"
"It's nothing," she replied.
However, it was clear from Lin Xue's demeanor that something was bothering her.
I said to her, "If there's something on your mind, just tell me."
"Chen Lang, I'm really fine," she insisted.
I realized that I had been so caught up in my own affairs that I hadn't paid much attention to Lin Xue. Seeing her like this made me feel guilty. I asked gently, "Have you been wronged?"
"Chen Lang, I'm okay. I just suddenly thought of some sad memories," she said.
I fell silent for a moment before saying, "Let the past be the past. Haven't we already started anew?" After saying this, I reached out and pulled Lin Xue into my embrace.
She nestled against me obediently, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she had something weighing on her heart.
Time quickly passed until it was midnight, and I was about to fall asleep with Lin Xue when suddenly, Gao Ling knocked on the door and called out, "Fei, are you asleep?"
Just as I was drifting off, Gao Ling's voice jolted me awake. I asked her, "What is it?"
Gao Ling replied, "Fei, don't sleep too deeply. If you turn over, I won't be able to wake you."
I was at a loss for words.
I understood her concern, and then Gao Ling left. Just then, Lin Xue suddenly turned to me and said, "Chen Lang, can I have a baby with you?"
I was momentarily stunned. A baby? Could we really have a baby? It seemed impossible given our circumstances.
I responded to Lin Xue, "Maybe we shouldn't have kids. It's too much trouble."
Lin Xue insisted, "Kids aren't troublesome; they're adorable."
I didn't know how to respond to her at that moment when someone else knocked on the door. I asked who it was.
The person outside replied, "It's Zhang Xun."
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