Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 470: Human Skin Puppet (Part 33)
I fell asleep around three in the morning, and Mi appeared in my dreams, leading to endless intimacy. It felt like I hadn’t told her anything, yet she seemed to know everything about me.
Fortunately, I hadn’t done anything to betray her; otherwise, she would have definitely pulled my ear. I chuckled to myself as I got up to wash up and then planned to meet Qin Jian to investigate the matter regarding Yu. I went into the bathroom and buried my face in the cold water, hoping to shake off my drowsiness.
After washing my face and feeling a bit more awake, I returned to the bedroom. My phone was charging, and I casually picked up the alarm clock to check the time—it was three forty. I froze for a moment; I had barely slept for half an hour before waking up.
I was completely sleepless.
Sigh!
I didn’t know when I started reaching into my pocket to buy cigarettes. The trash can had very little garbage in it, just cigarette boxes and butts. I sat down and lit a cigarette, letting my thoughts drift in the smoke. Being with Mi in my dream made me reluctant to wake up; recalling that moment of warmth and intimacy brought a bitter smile to my face. My arms felt empty, and my mood gradually sank into a state of depression.
Qin Jian had no reason to complain about me; even I didn’t understand what was going on this time. I was at a loss, with the whereabouts of the Plastic Model unknown and having been taken away by mysterious individuals, including that enigmatic figure Chen Pi who had seemingly vanished without a trace.
Ma Qi, have you regressed?
The cigarette quickly burned down to a half-smoked stub, filling my mouth with the taste of nicotine. It wasn’t dawn yet—how could it be? I walked over to the window and opened it; a cold breeze rushed in, making me shiver. Looking down at the sleeping city below in the night, sometimes it was hard for me to believe that I belonged here too, that I was part of this city.
But why was I different from others? Why wasn’t I an ordinary person with an ordinary woman of my own and a warm home? At night, holding that woman close, sharing our hearts, fulfilling my duties as a husband—before long, there would be a legacy of bloodline passed on. Then I would grow old gradually until one day lying in a coffin or entering a furnace that could melt stone, turning into a pile of ashes.
There were still several hours until dawn, yet not a hint of sleepiness came over me.
My mind was blank but incredibly alert. I once heard Mi say that exercising helps with sleep; since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I might as well go for a run outside.
So I did go out for a run. The quiet streets were illuminated by streetlights; dew-laden plant leaves were settling down, accumulating energy just waiting for that moment when droplets would successfully fall from their tips. This was Late Autumn—the only way plants could save themselves from dying prematurely due to the lack of rain during this season.
My running movements were rhythmic; the rustling sounds echoed behind me. There were no pedestrians on the street; occasionally, I'd catch a fleeting shadow that seemed fearful and shivered away without revealing itself fully before disappearing from sight.
Running in such tranquility might seem like something only an insane person would do; I felt like the only living being running through a city of the dead—a Tomb filled with lifelessness. The roads sprawled haphazardly, wide alleys stretched out before me, and towering buildings stood tall yet still failed to fill every space in this city. And so, I continued running through these empty spaces.
In the stillness of the dead silence, if a person suddenly appeared, gazing at you from afar with eyes as deep as a bottomless dark pool, I wonder if an ordinary person would be scared to death.
I certainly was startled; it had been a long time since I had been frightened like that, and it felt exhilarating.
I smiled and walked towards the person who stood quietly in the distance, staring deeply at me.
"Master." My voice was clearly filled with excitement, yet I forced myself to remain calm and smiled as I called out to him.
My master never smiled. I wondered if he smiled when he met Qin Jian. Now, he wore a cold expression, his hands hanging straight down, his long sleeves obscuring his fingers. His face was hidden beneath his hat, leaving only those profound eyes shining with a chilling gaze in the darkness.
"The matter is difficult. You must learn to retreat; you cannot always push forward. Retreat is rest, while advancing is exhausting. This is our last meeting as master and disciple. You must take care of yourself; what is meant to come will come again. Everything is destined in the dark," my master's voice was cold, just like his demeanor. As I approached him, I felt an overwhelming chill seep into my bones. I gritted my teeth and managed to stand firm before him.
Though my nose tinged with bitterness, I still held back and whispered, "Mm."
"Go back and start over." The words were so similar to what Mi had said that I froze in place, silently watching my master vanish into thin air. My legs lost their strength, and I fell to the ground in a half-kneeling position, still gazing at the spot where he had disappeared for a long time.
I couldn't remember when I returned to the house or how I had run to those places; I sat dazed on the stool. It grew bright outside, and noise began to fill the air, but I remained unmoved, quietly waiting for something.
In front of me was a tea table with my phone resting on it.
Someone knocked on the door. I got up to check and opened it, asking lightly, "What brings you here?"
Fat entered the room, dropped his large bag down, and then took out a calculator. "Brother Qi, I'm paying you the rent all at once."
Since I left Ma Wu Funeral Home, Fat had been struggling financially; that's why I hadn't asked him for rent. Now he was offering to pay off all his debts at once. I found it hard to believe and turned back to look at him, asking, "Where did you get the money?"
Fat looked darker and more robust now; he spoke with an air of maturity as he earnestly gazed at me. "Brother Qi, don't worry. This is money I've earned working hard on the construction site; it's not what you think it is."
"I know." I replied but still didn't reach out for the money. Fat had a family; clearly, he had more expenses than I did. So when I previously mentioned collecting rent, it was just out of frustration; in reality, I wouldn't take his money. Besides, Ma Wu Funeral Home had been losing money all along; why should I take his money?
"Brother Qi, come back! If you don't return soon, Grandpa's hard work will really be in vain," Fat said, looking at me with a pitiful expression.
I laughed and teased, "I remember you were quite impressive in the farming game. Compared to you now, it's hard to make a fair comparison."
Fat lowered his head shyly and replied, "Let's not talk about my show-off days, Brother Qi."
"Haha, alright! I won't bring it up again. I solemnly promise to tell you that your Brother Qi might be coming back to pick up where we left off."
Fat's eyes lit up with excitement as he exclaimed, "Really? That's great!"
However, I still needed to wait for news from Qin Jian before making any decisions. At least I felt we hadn't reached a dead end yet, so I wouldn't give up easily. As for my master and the rice situation, I still didn't quite understand why I had to start over when we clearly weren't at that point yet.
Comment 0 Comment Count