Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 97: Pursuit
"You slide down the wall, and there’s an alley below. Run to the end of the alley, and Xie Ke will be waiting for you. He will take you to your destination."
Destination. I could only smile bitterly. I couldn't return to the Funeral Home, nor could I go back to my rental place. Right now, I felt like a dog of Funeral, with nowhere to go. Seeing that I remained silent and accepted the arrangement without a word, Thank you, Master sighed, "Don't hesitate. You must protect yourself in order to uncover the true culprit and your deep-seated grievances."
I thought Thank you, Master was mistaken; I was an orphan with no deep-seated grievances. I couldn't help but explain, "Thank you for your kind offer to help, but I don't know who I've offended this time. Perhaps there's some misunderstanding, so I don't think it’s as serious as deep-seated grievances. As long as I find him, everything will be resolved."
"Who is he?"
"Qin Jian."
"Qin Jian... I've heard that name before, but your situation seems more complicated than that." Thank you, Master helped me down from the window and asked, "Seven, tell me, did your grandfather not reveal the truth?"
I looked up, gripping the window frame with both hands as it shook under my weight. I didn't understand what Thank you, Master meant by that. My grandfather indeed hadn't told me anything before he died because I wasn't there when he passed away. Fat Grandpa climbed into his coffin by himself; after I went out to handle the Chi Zhi Ping incident, I never spoke another word to him.
Thinking of my grandfather brought a wave of sadness over me. Although he wasn't my biological grandfather, he had raised me. I didn't know who my parents were; all I remembered was being an abandoned child struggling on the brink of death. It was my grandfather who saved me and raised me.
Thank you, Master felt strange and mysterious in my memory, much like my master back then. Although we hadn’t spent much time together, there was an inexplicable sense of loss. Perhaps he knew many stories about my grandfather and me. Just as I was about to ask him, Thank you, Master urged urgently, "There's no time! Hurry up and go!"
My hands felt like they were being choked by ropes; it hurt but I dared not let go. My feet pushed against the wall as I slid downwards. When I was about a meter from the ground, a loud crash came from Thank you, Master's room as if someone had kicked open the door.
Then the rope in my hands fell away completely. Without stabilizing myself, I fell to the ground. Fortunately, there was nothing hard on the ground to cause injury; it just felt a bit abrupt when my feet hit the ground, but at least there was a sense of security in having solid ground beneath me.
At that moment, my palms burned painfully with deep marks from the half-rubber gloves. I looked up at the window one last time. A person was looking down from the opening; since there were no streetlights where I stood, it was pitch dark—he wouldn't be able to see anything.
I crouched down to avoid his line of sight and moved forward cautiously when suddenly a voice called out from the darkness: "Brother Qi." Hearing Xie Ke's voice relieved me.
I didn’t know when Xie Ke had brought an electric four-wheeler over. He gestured for me to get in and then asked, "Have you decided where to go?"
I was also considering where would be appropriate to go now; I had two places in mind: one was Li Mingliang's place in the countryside and the other was Zhang Xian Clinic in the city.
Li Mingliang lived in a rural area while Zhang Xian lived in town; I knew her clinic's address. I took out the business card that Zhang Xian had given me. Inside the car, it bounced around so much that I couldn't read it clearly; reluctantly, I pulled out my phone to check the card's details.
"Let's go to the Beishi Road Xian Clinic."
Xie Ke asked for confirmation, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, but before we go, let's find a quiet teahouse to have a cup of tea."
"Alright," Xie Ke replied readily.
My mind was a jumbled mess as I hugged my elbows and closed my eyes, unable to understand how I had offended someone. And then there was Qin Jian; thinking of him made me hurriedly pull out my phone, hoping this time I could get through to him. When I heard the automated message, "Sorry, the number you dialed is turned off. Please try again later," I felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment, as if it could not get any worse. Then I held Monet's phone tightly in my hand, trying to convince myself that he wouldn't forget about me as a friend.
The streets seemed alive, stretching endlessly like many outstretched arms reaching in all directions. Xie Ke was familiar with Beishi Road; that area had recently been developed and was still quite desolate. It felt right for us to go there, and then he asked me about my relationship with Zhang Xian.
I replied, "There's not much of a relationship; we just met by chance."
"How about we go to Xiang You Lai Teahouse?"
"Whatever you prefer, as long as it's a quiet place."
Xiang You Lai Teahouse was indeed secluded, with a half-new, half-old sign that failed to attract any attention in the night. The wind blew through it, causing it to sway and emit a faint sound. Xie Ke drove straight into the teahouse courtyard, and once inside, we realized it used to be a farmhouse.
Upon hearing the car arrive, a deep bark echoed from a fierce-looking dog. Then someone stepped out and asked in surprise, "Who are you looking for?"
I didn't recognize the person; it was Xie Ke who said, "I'm looking for Gousi."
The person nodded and gestured for us to follow him. He pointed to where we could park and said, "Come with me." We got out of the car, and I noticed that the surrounding area was filled with relatively rare plants and flowers—like canna lilies and iron armor pines. A decorative path made of rainflower stones wound through the area but seemed neglected, with many leaves scattered on the ground. This place didn't feel like a teahouse at all; it was undoubtedly a farmhouse.
I guessed they probably couldn't keep it running and went out of business!
Once inside, the first person who saw us said, "Looking for Gousi?" From his tone, it seemed Gousi wasn't around.
Sure enough, a man and woman inside stood up politely and warmly greeted us: "Please have a seat." Then they instructed the first person who saw us, "Third Brother, pour some tea."
"Alright." Third Brother's voice was reminiscent of a teahouse waiter, loud and commanding.
A man and a woman, appearing to be a couple, stood together. The man wore old-fashioned clothing, his tall frame somewhat thin. His gaunt face was adorned with sparse facial hair, which appeared dark against his pale complexion, giving him a sickly look, and his lips had a slight purplish hue.
I guessed he had a respiratory condition, perhaps bronchitis.
The woman carried herself with grace. Although she had long passed the age of youthful allure, she remained strikingly elegant and composed.
The couple seemed to have an unspoken agreement with Xie Ke, greeting each other warmly. From how Xie Ke addressed them, I learned the man's name was Brother Ma and the woman's name was Sister Zhu. Indeed, they were husband and wife. Xie Ke introduced me to them: "This is Ma Qi."
"You are Ma Qi?"
"Yes, yes..."
Comment 0 Comment Count