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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 46: Fateful Path (Part Five)
I indulged in the food, ignoring the presence of two or three others, trusting that Qin Jian would handle everything.
"What? I'm hungry and have no strength to talk," Qin Jian replied curtly, and I silently praised him for it.
"You guys didn't drink?" Han Lan exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
Qin Jian began to dislike Han Lan, his face darkening as he replied coldly, "No drinking."
"He's going to drive later. Do you... want to drink?"
"Well, I wouldn't mind a bit of whiskey with water."
"Oh..." Chi Xinrong looked troubled. She was now a local tycoon, and Han Lan didn't know who among us was friends with whom. But sitting at the same table, if she couldn't accommodate such a request, what face would she have left?
Being wealthy and unwilling to lose face, she called over a waiter to bring a glass of whiskey with water.
Han Lan feigned gratitude as she accepted the prepared drink with both hands. Pretending to take a sip, she asked me, "Aren't you going to have some?"
"No need." I maintained my cold demeanor, keeping her at arm's length. She didn't dare push further and instead focused on getting closer to Chi Xinrong. Women do love to chat; their topics ranged from clothing and makeup to relationships and work.
Then Han Lan seemed to shift the conversation toward changing jobs. Seeing an opportunity for profit, I interrupted, "Rongrong, Qin Jian is too tired; you all should head back and rest early."
Qin Jian was indeed exhausted; I hadn't been able to help at all during the drive and had been lost in dreams of driving alone on Main Road.
Thinking back on the nightmare of that journey still sent shivers down my spine.
Qin Jian ate for a while, speaking little, and hurriedly echoed, "Lao Qi is right. I'm really too tired and want to go home."
At that moment, Chi Xinrong hesitated.
"What's wrong?"
"I haven't told you about Zhang Xian yet, and you're going home already?"
"Rongrong, Qin Jian is too tired. Whatever it is can wait!"
Chi Xinrong bit her lip, as if making a decision, and shot me a glance. I was surprised; even with Qin Jian here, she was still acting this way? Did she still have some lingering hopes for me? I absolutely could not give her any chance for such fantasies, so I ignored her hint.
"Ahem, Lao Qi, I have something to say to you." This girl was simply outrageous, daring to flirt with me in front of her boyfriend!
"What is it? What do you want to say here?" Clearly, I was unwilling to get up and didn't want Qin Jian to misunderstand me.
Qin Jian said, "You go. If she has something to say to you, just listen."
"Alright, I'll go see." Then I left Qin Jian and Han Lan behind and followed Chi Xinrong outside.
The cold wind outside pierced my neck. Was it going to snow?
The warmth from the restaurant had made my face feel hot, so stepping out into the cold breeze felt quite refreshing. I had gotten used to keeping my hands in my pockets and walked a few steps behind Chi Xinrong. Seeing how far away Qin Jian and Han Lan were, I didn't want to take another step and asked, "Is this it?"
Chi Xinrong glanced cautiously at Qin Jian through the glass wall of the restaurant and whispered, "You don't know about Qin Jian; he has a strange habit of wanting to hug dead people's tablets..."
"What did you see?"
Chi Xinrong hesitated for a moment, then gathered her courage and said, "Once, I saw him go downstairs to a basement, and I followed him. I witnessed him kneeling on the ground, holding a Spirit Tablet and crying."
"Do you know whose Spirit Tablet it was?"
"It was a woman's Spirit Tablet, and there was also a man's Spirit Tablet."
"That must be his mother." If Qin Jian worshipped a woman's Spirit Tablet, I could still believe it, but Chi Xinrong mentioned a man's Tablet as well. Could it be his master's? I asked, "Did you see the name on the man's Tablet?"
"I think it was something like Qin Ye. I didn't dare to look for long, afraid he would notice. The basement was filled with dead people's Tablets; it was eerie, and I was really scared. That's why I didn't want to be alone with him in that place."
"You can't think like that. He's suffering, really. You must take care of him with all your heart." I worried that Chi Xinrong might not like Qin Jian anymore and hurriedly explained.
"It's not that I dislike him; it's just that I don't like being around dead people's Tablets in the basement. I can't stay with them; I'm too scared."
"Are you out of your mind? Just because you're a living, beautiful person doesn't mean you can't stand up to a dead person! If you spend time with Qin Jian, care for him, and earn his love, all his heart will be on you, and the dead people's Tablets in the basement will disappear on their own."
Chi Xinrong rolled her eyes in disbelief and asked, "Really?"
I spoke seriously, "Absolutely."
"Okay, I'll trust you this once." Chi Xinrong obediently returned to Qin Jian's side. This trip was worth it; at least I learned one of Qin Jian's secrets—he held his master in his heart. He placed his parents' Tablets together for worship, and this so-called father was dispensable, having never fulfilled even the slightest responsibility. In this way, Qin Jian truly embodied great Filial Piety.
Next, Qin Jian paid the bill and took Chi Xinrong back to their love nest while Han Lan and I remained where we were. She continued drinking, looking half-drunk and rambling incoherently.
In order to avoid any misunderstandings, I hurriedly pulled her out of the restaurant.
Han Lan's purpose for getting drunk was clearly to cling to me. With her flushed face and hazy eyes, she raised her hand and pointed at me, saying, "Ma Qi, right? Actually, I liked you the first time I saw you. But as a girl, I felt embarrassed. So I worked hard to earn money, thinking only about becoming your girlfriend. My cousin is just out of luck; I have what it takes. Look at me, don’t we match well?"
Curious glances from passersby fell upon us. I forced a smile but offered no explanation as I helped her toward the bus station, hoping there would still be a late bus available. Listening to her ramble on, I snapped, "You're drunk. Come on, I'll take you home."
"No! You don't know anything! My home is on Huangtupo, and the winding mountain road seems endless... Hehe, I'm not good at singing. They say I'm pretty like Han Mi, but my voice and demeanor are nothing like hers. Tell me, what’s so great about Han Mi? Is it that she’s older than me or more attractive to men?" Han Lan shamelessly gestured at herself, laughing in a way that was overly flirtatious. I figured she must have been provoked by something tonight; encountering me had led her to vent her feelings. If she had met someone else, who knows what might have happened.
Damn it, this woman must be infatuated. I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face. She was stunned for a moment, staring at me with tears welling up in her eyes. "You dare hit me?"
"I hit you because it's you! Now tell me honestly, why are you trying to act like Mi? Is there some hidden scheme behind this?"
"Ma Qi, I love you..." Damn it! She threw herself into my arms recklessly, her breath reeking of alcohol as she tried to kiss me. Damn these scummy men; this woman was acting worse than any man could. I pushed her away forcefully, and she fell onto the ground with a thud, sobbing pitifully. "Ma Qi, you're heartless! I'd do anything for you, and yet you treat me like this."
"I'm curious to hear what you've done."
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