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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 15: Reality's Blade
The lobby was still relatively empty, with the staff busy preparing lunch and taking orders.
As soon as I entered, I asked, "Is there a girl here with a high ponytail who looks very sweet, like a doll?"
Eventually, a girl dressed like the Lobby Manager approached me and asked, "Are you looking for Gao Qian?"
"Gao Qian?" I repeated her name softly. Could it be that Han's parents forced her to change her name to work here? The Lobby Manager was focused on me, waiting for my response. I shook my head and said, "No, she’s not called Gao Qian; her name is Han Mi."
"I'm sorry, she’s not Han Mi..."
Qin Jian stepped out, repeatedly apologizing to the Lobby Manager and the other staff who had gathered. "I’m sorry; he’s just anxious about finding someone and is rambling because he saw someone who looked somewhat similar." He grabbed my hand tightly and whispered, "Ma Qi, don’t embarrass yourself. Chi Xinrong is coming soon; you can see she’s not the Han Mi you’re looking for."
"Qin Jian, why are you calling Chi Xinrong? This is my own business."
"Ma Qi, it’s not about who I call; Chi Xinrong is looking for you. She finally got in touch with me and keeps asking about you."
"Fine." I had no more to say. Facing the Lobby Manager and the others, I could only respond with silence. After going to a private room with Qin Jian, I dropped the previous topic and my mind was filled with thoughts of Han Mi.
The meal was tasteless. Soon after, Chi Xinrong arrived, just as energetic as ever. I couldn’t find anything about her that resembled Han Mi. She kept asking why I hadn’t contacted her and why my phone wasn’t working—either it said it was out of service or that I was already on a call.
Listening to Chi Xinrong's chatter made my head spin.
Qin Jian seemed relaxed and even started whistling. When I saw Chi Xinrong go to the Counter, I finally understood why Qin Jian had made up an excuse to call her over.
We settled the bill and prepared to leave.
But I still wanted to see Gao Qian.
She looked too much like Han Mi; perhaps Han Mi had a twin sister or a younger sister. My thoughts were spiraling into confusion when Chi Xinrong called me to get in the car. I insisted on riding with Qin Jian instead.
At that moment, Qin Jian showed a face that clearly wanted me to leave.
"Ma Qi, I need to go back. This trip has been tough, and I still have to write the report about it."
"What do you mean? Write what?"
"The station has set up a Cold Case Investigation Team, and it's just the two of us. Didn't you know?"
I was furious. "What the hell? When did you tell me any of this?"
Qin Jian chuckled dryly. "It's already started, so stop questioning it."
"Go to hell!" I stubbornly got into Qin Jian's car.
Chi Xinrong pushed her sunglasses up onto her hair, one hand resting on the car door while the other was on her hip. "Ma Qi, what are you trying to do? If this keeps going on, I won't play along anymore."
In response to her threat, I simply said, "You can leave."
Qin Jian didn't want me in his car and tried to get Chi Xinrong to pull me away.
I shouted angrily, "Qin Jian, don't talk nonsense! When I was doing big things, you were still in your mother's womb!"
Qin Jian had a strong sense of pride. My words made him furious; he rolled up his sleeves and gritted his teeth as he pushed me hard out of the car, cursing, "What are you?"
Seeing him lose his temper made me feel uneasy. I stammered, "N-nothing. If you don't want me in the car, I'll get out now." As I stepped out, I saw Qin Jian raise his fist and glare at me fiercely. Then he ignored me and drove off.
"Damn it, what was that all about?" I cursed under my breath. Looking at Chi Xinrong, she was already in her car. As for my belongings, I had no idea when Qin Jian had moved them into her vehicle, including my Bone Jade clothes.
"Ma Qi, are you planning to perform a ritual for her tonight?" It seemed Qin Jian had told Chi Xinrong about Bone Jade. I nodded and opened the door with a heavy heart, ready to get in. But at that moment, Chi Xinrong locked the door and demanded, "If you want to get in my car, you better say something nice."
"Stop messing around, Grandma. I want to sleep."
"I won't mess around if you tell me what happened at Grandma's Soup Restaurant just now."
"Chi Xinrong, don't push me. I'm taking a taxi back right now."
"Do you have any money? I paid for our meal just now, and Qin Jian's money is still at the supermarket."
"I don't have any money, but this is too much. I can make an appointment for Order."
"Ma Qi, you're being foolish. With your situation, you think you can make an appointment? Are you asking for a beating?"
Honestly, I'm a Mortician, making appointments for people's funerals is indeed asking for trouble. I was speechless, feeling anxious and my mind was a muddled mess; all I wanted was to sleep. Seeing me like this, Chi Xinrong laughed gleefully and then opened the door with a sympathetic look.
As I sat down, her chatter started again.
"Ma Qi, Fat has looked for me several times. If you go missing again, it makes me anxious. How are you going to compensate me?"
"Compensate your sister! Should I offer myself in return?"
To my surprise, Chi Xinrong didn't get angry at this. With a smile, she replied, "Sure, but you have to change careers and stop being a Mortician first."
Seeing that she was serious, I quickly changed the subject. "I'm going to sleep now; don’t talk to me."
"Dead Ma Qi... pretending. Let's see how long you can keep this up."
The car drove away from the original spot and entered the bustling city. I closed my eyes and dozed off. As my mind sank into sleep, it felt like sinking into a clear pool of water; my thoughts became clear. A kite flew high above, dazzling in the sunlight as I ran beneath it, jumping several times but never managing to catch the string.
Tears fell again as Chi Xinrong woke me up. With a somewhat melancholic expression, she softly asked, "Are you hungry?"
"This is something you can see."
"Reality's Blade, you must bear this. There’s no news about Mi. Don’t think I’m lying to you. When you weren’t at Ma Wu Funeral Home, I went to Han Family Village and didn’t see Mi. Really, Ma Qi, you need to be mentally prepared. Mi may have encountered an accident or gone to a place far away that you can’t find. We all need to find her."
"Now that sounds like a human being. I like it." I took the tissue that Chi Xinrong handed me and wiped my moist eyes, reminiscing about the time when I first met Mi. If I weren’t a Mortician, I would have plenty of time to accompany her, and she wouldn’t have left me.
Perhaps if I had parents who weren’t rich but had decent conditions, would Han Mi have married me and would we have our own children by now?
Just like Chi Xinrong said, Reality's Blade is like a sharp weapon; everything is just an illusion. It’s better not to think about it. The Ghost Gate is about to close, and I must perform the ritual tonight. As for finding Mi, I still need to ask Chi Xinrong for help.
At the same time, I know that Chi Xinrong has feelings for me. Even the handsome Qin Jian can’t attract her attention, which shows that I still have some charm. Is it cruel of me to involve Chi Xinrong in matters concerning Mi? No matter how cruel it is, I still have to face it.
"Please take care of finding Mi."
Chi Xinrong pursed her lips unnaturally, focusing on driving without looking at me. She said to me, "Don’t worry; I will do my best to find her."
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