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墨書 Inktalez
In the stillness of the night, a scream from Ding Li echoed far and wide, reaching everyone in Ba Old Man's household, including Ye Chenfeng, who was jolted awake and hurried to her west room. However, the door wouldn't budge; only the window was open, beneath which lay a clump of mud.
Ye Chenfeng and the others called out to the frightened Ding Li huddled by the window.
“Lili, are you okay?”
“Did that girl see a ghost?”
Hearing Ye Chenfeng's voice, Ding Li scrambled up. Fortunately, she hadn't changed out of her clothes earlier. She opened the door and rushed into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
“What happened?”
“It must be that fool's doing.” Someone noticed a half shoe print in the mud beneath the window.
In Evil Village, there was a notorious figure known simply as 'the fool,' who was said to have some mental issues.
The fool had startled Ding Li in the middle of the night, and Ye Chenfeng was furious, demanding that they bring the fool over for a confrontation.
The host explained that the fool was homeless, sometimes sleeping in a haystack in East Village and other times curled up like a dog in the brick kiln of West Village. Occasionally, he would wander into Evil Village to steal women's underwear and other items, always acting erratically and unpredictably.
Was this kid a lunatic?
Some said Ye Chenfeng was right; this boy had once been quite intelligent. He had graduated in the same class as the deceased Xiao Jiang. During his freshman year, he had harbored a crush on a girl, watching her every day from behind, bringing her flowers and treats.
All his hard-earned money went to gifts for her, yet she never even glanced his way. Eventually, the school called his parents to take him home, claiming he had gone mad.
What a pity.
Well then!
Ding Li was too frightened to sleep.
Ye Chenfeng could not stay in the west house to accompany her, as the host family was keeping a close watch on them after having their fill.
Later, a village girl volunteered to keep Ding Li company. It was only later that Ding Li learned she was the great-granddaughter of Ba Old Man, around the same age as herself, but seemed very sensible and skilled in needlework, even more capable than her.
Ye Chenfeng went back to sleep, confirming that he would take Ding Li back to school the next day and wait for the exams to end before heading to Zhanglin Village for winter break.
After Ding Li's commotion, no one in Ba Old Man's family felt sleepy. Early the next morning, Ba Old Man was set to go up the mountain for burial.
Everyone was busy preparing for the trip up the mountain the following day.
In rural areas, especially in mountainous villages, there are many vacant lands. Most villagers prefer to bury their deceased in their own land or on a hillside.
Ba Old Man was a venerable elder at ninety years old, well-respected in the community.
At dawn, around four o'clock in the morning, Ye Chenfeng and Ding Li were disturbed from their sleep by the commotion.
Ye Chenfeng could not take full responsibility for Ba Old Man's funeral arrangements; he was merely a bystander who could offer a bit of guidance.
Here, there were people like the legendary masters (Yin-Yang), who could handle feng shui and both joyous and mournful events.
Ba Old Man lay in a red-painted coffin, to be carried by strong men in shifts up the mountain.
Along with the men and women of the village—young and old—anyone who could walk and wasn't prohibited by the master based on their zodiac sign could join in sending off Ba Old Man.
Ye Chenfeng and Ding Li did not go. As they watched the large funeral procession making its way up the mountain, they simply tidied up and bid farewell to their hosts before stepping onto the dewy path back to Purple City University.
Ding Li walked for a while before Ye Chenfeng carried her for a bit.
They walked for quite some time until daylight broke and they finally saw a makeshift road.
It would take some distance along this road before they could catch a bus.
On the road, Ye Chenfeng received a phone call.
It was Shen Binghan calling. They had returned to school and, not finding him in the dormitory, learned that he had taken leave to go to Evil Village.
"I'm glad you all are fine. Ding Li and I should be back at school today," Ye Chenfeng said.
Shen Binghan was quite happy to hear that Ye Chenfeng was returning and replied, "It's been a while since we last saw each other. You should treat us to a good meal."
"Sure thing." Ye Chenfeng hung up the phone as the bus arrived.
Once on the bus, Ding Li dozed off. It was unclear whether she was having a terrible dream, but when the bus hit a bump, she nervously grabbed Ye Chenfeng, her face drenched in cold sweat.
"Did you have a nightmare?"
Her reaction indicated that she must have been dreaming something frightening.
Ding Li nodded and said, "I dreamt that you... were covered in bugs. These bugs had teeth and were gnawing at your throat, then burrowing into your windpipe and entering your stomach, where they laid eggs."
"Trying to scare me?" Ye Chenfeng brushed her damp bangs aside, soaked with sweat. "Alright, stop daydreaming. We'll be in Purple City today."
"I'm not daydreaming; I just dozed off and dreamed about bugs."
"Come on, don't talk about bugs. You're ruining my good mood. Just look at that beautiful scenery." Ye Chenfeng pointed to a vast expanse of tea trees.
The tea trees looked like green waves rolling gently under the light mist, vibrant and crisp.
Ding Li yawned and murmured, "I still want to sleep."
"Go ahead and sleep."
Ding Li rested her head on Ye Chenfeng's lap and continued to doze off.
Ye Chenfeng was fiddling with his Ghost-Collecting Gourd.
Inside the Ghost-Collecting Gourd were recently collected spirits, and he wondered when the Little Monk would appear.
While he was lost in thought about the Little Monk, he felt a quiet gaze from the side, startling him into quickly hiding the Ghost-Collecting Gourd.
The vehicle came to a stop, and someone got in.
A girl stood up from her seat and walked straight toward Ye Chenfeng.
She stood beside his seat, wearing a bright red outfit that resembled a bride's wedding dress. Her cheeks were adorned with blush, giving her a delicate appearance.
Noticing that the girl was staring at him, Ye Chenfeng took the initiative to greet her, "Hello."
The girl stared at him in surprise but didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned and walked toward the door.
It seemed she was just passing by and would be getting off soon.
The vehicle jolted along the way, stopping and starting until they finally arrived at Purple City.
Ye Chenfeng woke Ding Li, preparing to get off, but noticed that the girl in the bright red outfit had not left the vehicle.
She was still watching him.
"Who is she?" Ding Li asked, her natural jealousy flaring up as she glanced between the girl and Ye Chenfeng. "Why does she keep staring at you?"
"I don't know her."
"How can you not know her if she's staring at you like that?"
Ye Chenfeng packed his luggage and joked, "Don't you think your husband is handsome? It's only natural to attract attention."
"Full of yourself," Ding Li shot back, glaring at the girl in the bright red dress who had followed Ye Chenfeng off the bus. Even after walking a good distance, she kept glancing back at the girl.
The girl's gaze was fixed on the two of them.
"What a strange girl," Ding Li muttered. Spotting cotton candy, she exclaimed excitedly, "Cotton candy!"
Ye Chenfeng shook his head, shouldering his bags as he followed Ding Li. "You're already someone's wife, yet you still act so childish."
Cotton candy was Ding Li's favorite; she also seemed to enjoy Chuan Chuan Xiang.
Right, she had particularly missed eating Chuan Chuan Xiang while in Evil Village. Now that they were back in Purple City, she wanted to relive the taste of Chuan Chuan Xiang.
Ye Chenfeng sighed as he looked at the pile of bags on the ground. Women and their fussiness—no matter where they went, they had to bring all sorts of things: cosmetics, clothes, and even a fresh set of underwear every day. A third of this bag was filled with various colors of underwear.
Watching Ding Li indulge in Chuan Chuan Xiang, he asked irritably, "Are you done yet?"
"Wow, that was satisfying! My stomach feels so stuffed!" Ding Li said, her face glowing with contentment after enjoying the spicy, fragrant Chuan Chuan Xiang. "I've never felt this satisfied before; I really overdid it."
"Once you're done eating, we should head back to school."
"Back to your school?" Ding Li seemed somewhat reluctant.
"Where else would we go?"
"How about we rent an apartment together?"
Renting an apartment! Ye Chenfeng thought for a moment; that was a good suggestion worth considering. They could be together in their own little world.
However, this was something that needed careful thought.
With the two of them like this, it was already difficult to pay the rent on time every month.
Preparation was essential.
"It's fine. I’m currently living alone in my dorm; you can totally come over."
"Weren't there four people in the dorm before?" Ding Li still sounded somewhat reluctant.
Speaking of the dorm, Ye Chenfeng suddenly remembered Shen Binghan and the others returning to school. After hesitating for a moment, he agreed, "Yeah."
"That's great! I'll go with you."
Ding Li had this kind of temperament—emotionally unstable and prone to throwing little tantrums. At that moment, having eaten and drunk enough, she was in a good mood, bouncing around and chattering non-stop behind Ye Chenfeng.
The school was right in front of them.
Ye Chenfeng shouted, "I’m back!"
Ding Li, not being a student of this school, looked around eagerly, unable to get enough of the handsome guys and beautiful girls on campus. She envied them.
Some who recognized Ye Chenfeng pointed and whispered among themselves.
"He can see things that others can't."
"Really? That's so cool, and he's so handsome." One girl was practically drooling, her eyes glued to Ye Chenfeng.
"Hey, don't be so obvious. He has a girlfriend," another girl chided.
Hearing their discussion, Ding Li smiled mischievously, linking her arm with Ye Chenfeng's and pretending to be affectionate as she said, "You're quite popular! With all this popularity, why did you come all the way to Evil Village to find me?"
"Stop talking nonsense; look, Qin Keqing and the others are here."
In the distance, Qin Keqing and a few others approached with excitement. Upon seeing Ye Chenfeng and Ding Li, they quickened their pace, sparking chatter among a group of admirers.
"Wow, the Four Talents are gathered together; they must have something new planned."
Sure enough, Qin Keqing proposed to Ye Chenfeng that they go on an adventure during the winter break.
Ye Chenfeng was surprised. "When did you become a worm in my stomach? How did you know I was planning an adventure for the winter break?"
"Really?" Shen Binghan exclaimed joyfully. "Quick, tell me where we're going this time!"
"To the distant Zhanglin Village," Ding Li answered eagerly.
"Ding Li, it seems like Ye Chenfeng has made you even more beautiful and charming," someone remarked.
As they spoke, a few of them took the bag from Ye Chenfeng's hands and excitedly headed toward the dormitory.
Ye Chenfeng felt something was off; why were they heading toward the Boys' Dormitory?
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