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墨書 Inktalez
The family gathering was warm and inviting. Although there were only two brothers in the Lu household, Hua Feifan's mother hummed a tune as she busied herself in the kitchen, cooking and frying for quite some time.
Lying on the balcony basking in the sunset, Hua Feifan's father had a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth, though no one noticed.
The dining table in the living room was already set with bowls and chopsticks. Hua Feifan's mother brought out dish after dish, placing them on the table. By the time she had finished preparing over a dozen dishes, she still hadn’t had a chance to serve the soup when the doorbell rang.
Hua Feifan's mother went to open the door and saw her son standing at the entrance. For a moment, she was taken aback, feeling a rush of emotions that almost made her want to cry.
“Mom, I’m back,” Lu Fei Fan called gently as he stood straight at the door.
If it hadn’t been for a timid voice interrupting this reunion, Hua Feifan's mother might have truly shed tears.
“Hello, Auntie.”
“Oh!” Hua Feifan's mother was momentarily stunned as she noticed Fu Qinqin standing behind Lu Fei Fan, her face turning red as she carried a large bag filled with items.
It was Fu Qinqin's first time visiting someone else's home, and she felt anxious and fearful. Not wanting to appear rude, she had insisted on dragging Lu Fei Fan to buy a bunch of gifts and supplements. If it hadn't been for Lu Fei Fan urging her back as the sun began to set, who knows how long she would have kept shopping.
“Come in, come in!” Hua Feifan's mother hurriedly opened the door to let Lu Fei Fan and Fu Qinqin inside.
Lu Fei Fan was the first to glance at his father lying quietly on the balcony, soaking up the sun. Seeing his father’s rosy complexion reassured him that everything was normal.
“Dad, I’m back,” Lu Fei Fan called out to him.
“He seems to be smiling?” Fu Qinqin was the first to notice Hua Changong’s expression.
Indeed, there was a faint smile on Hua Changong’s lips. If one didn’t look closely, they might not have noticed it at all.
“Dad, just wait a bit longer. Soon I’ll be able to buy you the ‘Jinwu Holy Blood Pill’,” Lu Fei Fan said with utmost confidence.
Fu Qinqin stood by, watching Hua Feifan's father lying quietly, unsure of how to comfort her.
At that moment, the sound of a door unlocking echoed through the room, followed by a click.
Hua Jun Tang appeared at the doorway, dragging a girl along with him. Compared to Lu Fei Fan, he looked darker and thinner, but he was much taller and appeared more composed. Upon seeing Lu Fei Fan, his face lit up with joy.
“Bro!”
“You’re off work?” Lu Fei Fan asked, his gaze falling on the shy girl who was looking down.
“Yes! By the way, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Wei Wei.” Hua Jun Tang pulled his girlfriend forward for the introduction.
“Hello. I’m his older brother, Lu Fei Fan,” Lu Fei Fan said politely as he extended his hand.
The girl nodded and gently shook Lu Fei Fan's hand. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from him. Just call me Wei Wei.” Then she complained lightly, “Why do you look so different from him?”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Hua Jun Tang scratched his head, not quite understanding.
“Hmph! You’re dark and thin, while your brother is fair and handsome. You don’t even look like brothers,” Wei Wei said before turning to help Hua Feifan's mother set the table, while Fu Qinqin assisted in serving soup.
“Bro, is that your girlfriend?” Hua Jun Tang leaned closer and nudged Lu Fei Fan with his elbow.
“Uh… not really…” Lu Fei Fan involuntarily thought of Shui Que, feeling a wave of inexplicable sadness wash over him.
“Dinner’s ready!” Hua Feifan's mother called out.
The family sat together, filled with laughter. Hua Jun Tang and Wei Wei exchanged playful banter, while Hua Feifan's Mother even sided with Wei Wei, leaving the taller Hua Jun Tang looking for help from Lu Fei Fan.
Meanwhile, Qin Qin quietly ate her food, savoring each bite. Throughout the meal, it was difficult for her to join the conversation. She felt a mix of envy and loneliness, as if she were an outsider in this warm gathering.
Fortunately, Lu Fei Fan occasionally brought the conversation back to her, offering her food and wrapping her in a layer of unspoken emotions.
She suddenly thought that having a family wasn’t so bad; at least there would be warmth.
As she contemplated this, outside the window, dusk settled over the land, light fading like a receding tide as night fell.
In this city, warmth flickered like soft lights in the darkness, illuminating every corner of the night.
Just then, Jiu Ye emerged from a nearby shop, his head feeling much lighter as he navigated through winding alleys to a noodle shop with an odd name: Niu Yi Dao.
The owner was a woman in her thirties, her apron dirty as she busily kneaded and pulled dough. She was a widow named Su Niang. In the shop, a girl around five or six years old helped by collecting money at the counter.
The shop wasn’t crowded at this hour. Jiu Ye walked in with a smile on his face, and upon seeing him, Su Niang paused her work.
“Back again?” she greeted him warmly, like an old friend.
“Yeah,” Jiu Ye replied as he found a seat. However, the girl sitting nearby turned her head and looked at him with disdain. “Pay first before you eat! Pay first!”
The girl’s rudeness earned her a glare from Su Niang, who then approached Jiu Ye with an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry. It’s a bit busy here,” Su Niang said with an embarrassed grin. Her already pretty face was dusted with flour, and fearing that Jiu Ye might leave in anger, she quickly asked, “Same as usual?”
“It's fine, it's fine. Hmm, same old routine.” Jiu Ye waved his hand dismissively, then pulled out a large bill and waved it in the air. The girl immediately jumped down from her seat, snatched the money, and said deliberately, “No need to give change.”
Su Niang shot her a glare, and only then did the girl reluctantly fetch the change, holding it out with both hands to Jiu Ye.
“It's alright, let her keep it for snacks,” Jiu Ye said generously, waving his hand again. He then ruffled the girl's hair. She stuck out her tongue and replied, “No way,” before turning around and tossing the money back onto her seat.
Su Niang looked at Jiu Ye apologetically before turning back to her work.
Before long, a bowl of beef meatball soup and a plate of beef stir-fried rice noodles were served. The portions were the largest available. Jiu Ye ignored the envious glances from other customers and dug into his simple dinner with gusto.
However, during the meal, three rough-looking thugs swaggered into the shop. They didn’t order anything but simply sat down at a table near the entrance.
Su Niang approached them to ask what they wanted to eat, but the three thugs didn’t even glance at her; they just sat there in silence.
One of them noticed Jiu Ye enjoying his meal and walked over, attempting to flip Jiu Ye's table. In response, Jiu Ye reached out and grabbed the thug's hand while slurping up the noodles he had just taken.
The thug tried to pull his hand back but found it firmly held by Jiu Ye, unable to move at all.
The other two thugs rushed over to help their friend, but as Jiu Ye released his grip, the thug who had been trying to escape stumbled backward, colliding with his two companions and knocking over a table in the process. Without hesitation, all three thugs grabbed chairs and swung them at Jiu Ye!
Bang! Bang! Bang—
The three thugs were sent flying out of the shop. Two of them clutched their chests while quickly helping their injured companion who was spitting blood as they fled.
Su Niang hurried outside, watching with concern as the three thugs retreated in disarray. During their escape, they shot menacing glances back at Su Niang, clearly indicating that this matter was far from over.
“Great job!” Su Niang’s daughter cheered from behind. However, the neighboring shopkeepers shook their heads at Su Niang, believing she had gotten herself into serious trouble this time.
Jiu Ye was no fool; he knew that the thugs he had dealt with would surely come back for revenge.
“Don’t worry, each person is responsible for their own actions,” Jiu Ye said as he settled into his seat, not intending to leave without understanding the background of these troublemakers. It was outrageous that they dared to cause a scene in broad daylight without facing any consequences.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the second floor.
Su Niang's expression turned anxious as she hurried upstairs. The room on the second floor was filled with the pungent smell of medicine. A man with a pale face was crawling on the ground, his lower body missing both legs.
Su Niang rushed over to help him up. He trembled in pain, reaching out toward a metal box on the coffee table.
She quickly opened the metal box, revealing exquisite syringe equipment inside, but the vial was empty!
Turning back to her husband, she saw him sweating profusely and convulsing. Su Niang frantically searched the room, turning over bottles only to find them all empty, which she tossed to the floor in despair.
“Empty, empty…” she murmured, her heart sinking as she gazed at the numerous empty bottles scattered around. She turned back to her husband, whose face was ashen.
He glanced at her; despite his body still shaking and convulsing, he realized there were no more medicines left. Suddenly, he smiled faintly. Yes, he had been a burden to this family for so many years; perhaps it would be better if he died. He chuckled bitterly at his own thoughts, but the intense nerve pain surged like a tide, causing him to convulse even more violently until he foamed at the mouth and writhed on the ground like a fish in agony.
“Hey, someone just brought medicine for you!” Jiu Ye called from the hallway, holding up a bottle and rolling it toward Su Niang.
Clutching onto it like a lifeline, Su Niang quickly picked up the bottle and swiftly used the syringe from the metal box to draw up the precious medication. The thick yellow liquid was injected into her husband’s body, bringing him immediate relief as he finally calmed down and took deep breaths.
Su Niang cast a grateful glance at Jiu Ye, but by then, he had already descended the stairs.
She helped her husband onto the bed. Exhausted, he fell asleep. If it weren’t for his resilient willpower, perhaps he would have succumbed to this unbearable pain long ago.
A few years ago, before her husband’s accident, he was such an optimistic and strong person. Now, tormented by illness, his willpower has been completely drained. Every time she falls asleep and wakes up, she worries that when she opens her eyes, the person beside her might be gone.
Fortunately, there is a medication called 'Fang Shu Jing Ye' in the Free Federation that can suppress his pain and maintain his condition.
However, this medication is prohibitively expensive—so much so that she cannot afford it at all!
Even if she were to exhaust all her savings, it would still be beyond her means. Running this noodle shop alone is already more than she can bear.
Yet, to her surprise, every month a mysterious person sends her 'Fang Shu Jing Ye'!
At first, she was suspicious about who might have such ill intentions, but as she watched her husband endure hellish pain, she could no longer control herself. After using the medication for the first time, it naturally led to a second use.
Now, she is very worried that if the medication sent to her is compromised in any way, her husband would not be able to withstand the pain and would willingly choose to die.
This is the last thing she wants to see because in her world, the only lives worth protecting with her own are his and their daughter’s.
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