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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 07: She is Mi Li
The car retraced its original route.
The road was desolate, with streets and alleys devoid of any human presence. Under the dim streetlights, only scraps of paper rolled along with the wind, and fallen leaves danced joyfully, unwilling to be lonely.
The piercing white headlights illuminated the path ahead, bright as day, but beyond the light lay a sea of darkness.
"What did Chi Zhi Ping give you?" Chi Xinrong finally couldn't hold back her curiosity.
Hearing her call out Chi Zhi Ping's name only reinforced my certainty about my assumptions. Chi Xinrong had no feelings for Chi Zhi Ping, even after all those years; the shadows of her childhood had not faded with her growth.
On the contrary, as she grew older, the weight of those shadows only deepened. Did she harbor thoughts of revenge? What was Zuna's connection to her?
"Nothing much, just talked about Zuna's condition."
"She deserves it." I believed those three words were squeezed out from between Chi Xinrong's teeth. They were so harsh, so resolute.
"Isn't Chi Zhi Ping heartbroken? How could he forget the suffering Ji Xiaoying endured! How could he overlook my existence! Bringing home a woman like a fairy..."
"Rongrong, don't say that. Maybe we don't understand the adult world, but..."
"Rongrong, who do you think you are to speak so intimately? Are you trying to climb the social ladder? Or do you want to use my identity to sit on the throne of Chi Zhi Ping's favored son-in-law?"
Wow, this girl is something else.
I'm Ma Qi; I'm not someone to be trifled with. I can't just swallow this inexplicable humiliation and pretend nothing happened while lingering in the car.
"Stop the car," I said coldly, my voice making it clear that I was genuinely angry.
Chi Xinrong let out a sneer. "This car belongs to my family. Why should I stop just because you say so?"
"Just because your family has a car doesn't make it special. I'm getting out now," I insisted, trying to open the door, but Chi Xinrong ignored me and continued driving, her speed increasing.
There weren't many people on the road, but with cars coming and going, I was worried about an accident.
I hurriedly reminded her, "If you don't care about your life, I still want to live. Pull over right now!"
Chi Xinrong raised an eyebrow and pressed down harder on the accelerator, the car shooting forward like an arrow.
Damn, I felt a pang of fear.
If we crashed into another vehicle, it would be the end for both of us.
I reached out to grab the steering wheel, intending to slow her down.
Just then, a figure suddenly dashed out in front of us. Dressed in blood red and not very tall, they stood right in the middle of the road.
I was terrified.
Chi Xinrong saw them too and slammed on the brakes—screech! The car let out a sharp noise as it skidded several meters before finally stopping.
"Ha... ha..."
Chi Xinrong was extremely frightened, breathing heavily as she gripped the steering wheel. She didn't dare look to the side or beneath the car, whispering anxiously, "Did we run over them?"
"I don't know, let me go check."
I opened the car door and heard Chi Xinrong crying, deeply distressed.
I ignored her and looked at the back of the car, then the front, and finally underneath. I even crouched down to inspect, but the wheels were clean, without any blood or signs of a crushed body. Was it just a false alarm?
I glanced back at Chi Xinrong in the car.
She was wide-eyed, seeking confirmation.
I shook my head, got back in the car, and said curiously, "There's nothing."
"Really."
I nodded at her, "Really."
She grabbed my arm and forced a smile, saying, "Ha... you scared me to death..."
I glanced at her hand on my arm and replied indifferently, "You can be scared too?"
Chi Xinrong pulled her hand back, took a deep breath, and retorted, "What am I afraid of? I'm not scared."
"Is that so?"
Chi Xinrong fell silent, quietly starting the car again as we continued driving forward. The speed slowed considerably, and in the heavy atmosphere, I could only choose to close my eyes and rest.
"Ma Qi, do you have any true friends?"
For a moment, I didn't understand why Chi Xinrong asked that question, so I vaguely replied, "Yes."
"I don't have one, but there is someone online. I never remembered his name, but he is really nice and knows how to comfort people. There was a time when I wanted to commit suicide, and he wanted to as well. I knew he was just saying comforting words, but I still chose to believe him."
As I listened to Chi Xinrong talk about online matters, I felt as if she were recounting the story of me and Mi Li.
"Can you tell me your online nickname?"
"What's the point? It doesn't matter if I tell you. But don't expect me to add you as a friend; I don't want to connect with strangers and won't take the initiative to add anyone."
I had no response and focused intently ahead.
Not far ahead, after turning past Lomi Bridge, we would arrive at Ma Wu Funeral Home.
Suddenly, I recalled the "person" I had seen in the middle of the road earlier; her appearance was deeply etched in my mind, somewhat resembling the girl I had seen in my dreams.
And this girl had a name: Yin Yin.
Chi Xinrong didn't hear my mumbling and continued on her own, "My nickname is Mi Li."
The three characters of Mi Li felt like a refreshing spring of cold water pouring into my heart on a scorching summer day. I halted my wandering thoughts and asked, "What did you just say?"
I thought my expression must have startled someone.
She was surprised and quickly slammed on the brakes, her beautiful eyes wide open as they fixed on me.
"You are Mi Li? I'm Brother Qi."
Not bad, my online nickname; Brother Qi. My personal signature: I'm willing to try anything for you and me.
"No, that's not right. The Brother Qi I know isn't like you. Come on, Mi Li is a nickname I haven't patented. Who knows who your Mi Li is? Anyway, it definitely won't be me."
This time, it was Chi Xinrong who asked me to get off the car.
I was inexplicably kicked out, staring blankly as she reversed and drove away.
Damn, women change their minds faster than flipping a coin.
Chi Xinrong is crazy. She’s definitely not my Mi Li. With that thought, I felt a wave of relief and couldn’t help but hum a tune.
Wait, Mi Li's background is quite different from Chi Xinrong's.
My Mi Li told me she grew up in Xiangbatou and then went to live with her Auntie in the big city, but—why didn’t she mention Chi Zhi Ping?
Right, Chi Xinrong can’t be the Mi Li I have in mind.
The wind picked up, and the dark night sky seemed to signal an impending rain.
The wind rustled the notices posted by the roadside, and I couldn’t help but take a closer look. They seemed to be missing person notices and rental advertisements.
With so many people in China, losing a few isn’t a big deal.
I couldn’t be bothered to read further; I was eager to get home and see Grandpa.
Ma Wu Funeral Home was quiet.
At this moment, it had to be quiet. I guessed the fat man was sleeping like a dead pig, and Grandpa might still be confused, chatting with Grandma Sun and playing chess with those mysterious ghosts.
The door of the Funeral Home was ajar. It was dark inside, and I couldn't see anything. As I stepped in, I suddenly kicked a stool and stumbled over a pile of Paper Figurines. I cursed under my breath and shouted, "Fat man, turn on the lights."
After my shout, the store remained eerily silent.
I didn't hear Grandpa's cough or the sound of the fat man turning on the lights.
I fumbled around until I found the switch and turned on the lights—only to be taken aback. The store looked as if it had been ransacked, everything in disarray; the Paper Figurines were not just knocked over by me but were all toppled to one side.
The fat man was nowhere to be found.
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