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墨書 Inktalez
Song Bunan possessed an extraordinary mental strength. Xin Yi felt this statement deeply. Their conversation ended at three in the morning, during which they meticulously planned their next steps. Despite the occasional banter and jabs exchanged between Xiao Mei and Song Bunan, the discussion proceeded smoothly.
Clearly, the lively and quick-witted Song Bunan, who had become more familiar to him, gradually replaced the buzz-cut boy from the top video in Xin Yi's mind. Those pitch-black eyes transformed into an abyss that he willingly fell into. At that moment, any lingering dislike he had for Song Bunan's work began to fade away.
Such a transformation would have seemed absurd a month ago, yet it was happening now, and Xin Yi couldn't quite understand it. Perhaps it was as the captain had summarized: people are ultimately drawn to and changed by what they desire but do not possess. He was attracted to this seemingly complex yet simple person and found himself becoming more magnanimous towards things he once scoffed at.
Setting aside any notions of love, it was more about curiosity towards the person before him.
"OK! That wraps up today's meeting!" After the discussion concluded, Song Bunan closed his notebook filled with plans and stood by the table, passionately applauding. "As a small team from the investigation lab, we will officially begin our investigation once the Jiang Family is ready for a 'friendly' exchange with New Life Hospital. As the team leader, I salute my teammates." He then pretended to salute dramatically, looking rather silly.
Xin Yi felt little emotional fluctuation; after all, it was his job, and it didn't matter who led the team. Xiao Mei, however, was unwilling to accept this and slammed her hands on the table, shouting about why Song Bunan should be the leader. With a charming smile, Song Bunan claimed his impressive track record naturally made him the people's choice.
"You're just being ridiculous," Xiao Mei scoffed. She tore a piece of paper from her notebook, divided it into four equal parts, wrote "Team Leader" on one of them, folded it up, and scattered them across the table. "We need to choose our leader in the fairest way possible; your word doesn't count!"
The two resumed their bickering like a pair of roosters refusing to back down. Xin Yi quietly moved to another table, intrigued by their antics. This must be what playful banter among friends looks like, he thought.
In Mighty Falcon, he had rarely experienced such moments; no matter how close he was with his teammates, he always maintained a certain distance. Reflecting on his emotional relationships with them revealed that he hadn't reached that level of intimacy yet. Of course, others had their opinions about his aloofness.
The captain had concluded that his detachment stemmed from childhood; without familial education, he didn't understand what familial love or friendship meant. Even later on, having teammates he could trust with his back didn't fill that void. "You will eventually get there," the captain's words planted a seed in his heart, and he looked forward to a day when that seed could take root and flourish. Now that he had met Song Bunan, everything about him made Xin Yi's heart flutter; even that barren soil seemed to show signs of revival.
He liked people like him; they felt like an adrenaline shot to his heart.
Shui Su appeared quietly; by the time Xin Yi looked down to take a sip of water, Shui Su was already at the table without him hearing the door open. They exchanged a brief nod as a greeting. The man sat down comfortably at the table, casting a gentle gaze at the two still embroiled in their argument—his expression revealing little emotion.
"It's late," Shui Su finally spoke as they argued until their throats were dry and reached for water. Xin Yi checked his watch and realized it was already four in the morning; outside, the village was enveloped in the darkest hour before dawn. Song Bunan sat down and suggested drawing lots to choose a team leader; once decided, everyone could go home.
Only two out of the four regarded this lottery as significant; he and Shui Su suddenly shared an unspoken understanding as they both reached for the nearest piece of paper, eager to swiftly conclude this dispute.
Xin Yi caught a glimpse of Shui Su, who revealed a confident smile as he unfolded the note. The light allowed him to clearly see the black marks on the paper, and he understood immediately. He set down his own note and took in the disheartened expressions of the two people across from him. It was a good thing that the captain did not appear among Song Bunan and Xiao Mei.
Song Bunan sat in the back seat, clearly sulking over his failure in the competition, arms crossed as he muttered that Shui Su must have cheated during the drawing. Through the rearview mirror, Xin Yi noticed his round face, still chubby from baby fat, now flushed with anger, his eyes filled with resentment and defiance.
"You’re nothing like you were when we first met," Xin Yi felt he would burst if he didn’t say this. He saw many sides of Song Bunan, each different from the person he had first encountered. His curiosity peaked that night; perhaps it was due to staying up too late, but his mind felt a bit foggy.
The person in the back seat changed his expression upon hearing this, no longer looking so angry. "Heh heh, when we first met, I thought since I was going to communicate with Mighty Falcon, I had to maintain an air of mystery, so I pretended a bit. Not bad acting, right?"
"Not bad," Xin Yi agreed.
"Now that you’re my good friend, there’s no need to pretend. I’m actually very lively!" It was evident. Xin Yi nodded in understanding as he drove away from the dark place.
"I never would have guessed that there would be distrust within Mighty Falcon," he said nonchalantly as he leaned his head back against the passenger seat. "A friend of mine told me that Mighty Falcon is a very harmonious place where teammates are united like brothers. When he left the team, they even threw him a farewell party; he said his teammates cried like babies."
"Your friend?" Xin Yi chimed in.
"Yeah, my older brother named Ming Hua. He mentioned his codename back then, but I forgot it. Back when I graduated from school, you guys asked me if I wanted to join the team too, but unfortunately, I was too busy having fun and never thought about getting a job." The smiling person spoke softly, interspersed with yawns as sleepiness crept into his eyes.
"I know." Xin Yi withdrew his gaze from the rearview mirror, contemplating whether to offer his jacket to Song Bunan. They still had at least half an hour on the road before reaching Song Bunan's home. Half an hour could refresh him completely, but he wasn’t sure if it would be helpful for this friend.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from behind; when he looked back again at a red light, Song Bunan had already disappeared into the back seat. He had curled up against his backpack and was dozing off with bleary eyes. "Of course! You guys must have checked me out thoroughly..."
Song Bunan had fallen asleep under Xin Yi's jacket.
On their way back to the Jiang Family residence, Xiao Mei complained to Shui Su about Song Bunan's feelings for Xin Yi. She animatedly recounted their conversations over the past couple of days to her boyfriend while criticizing the protagonist of her story for being too timid to express love openly. "He even calls himself a pure love warrior—he’s tempted but only wants to be friends. Pfft—who believes Song Bunan’s words? You should have seen him drooling over Xin Yi’s photos; he even told me he’s scared! What kind of good guy is afraid to ask for someone’s photo? Especially from a colleague! Unbelievable."
Shui Su looked affectionately at Xiao Mei, who was ten years younger than him but could throw out sarcastic remarks more fiercely than his peers. He conjured a piece of cake and handed it to him, saying that it was good for Bunan to have his own thoughts; it was much more reassuring than suddenly wanting to pursue someone.
"That's true," the dessert-soothed Xiao Mei replied, taking big bites and mumbling, "The people in Mighty Falcon are quite cunning. What if that fool gets tricked? But then again, how could there be such mutual suspicion in Mighty Falcon? Those people in the lab have such a big influence?"
Shui Su shook his head gently and replied, "It's hard to say. The extent of the lab's secret development over the past decade has exceeded imagination; they can even keep things hidden from below, let alone from outsiders. Originally, we planned to report directly and follow orders, but we thought that Ghost Messengers should be able to put in some effort themselves, which is why we asked Song Bunan for help. Compared to those colleagues who defected from Underworld, hiding so many souls in the lab is the bigger issue."
"Doesn't the management down there know?" Xiao Mei pouted with a look of disbelief. Shui Su shrugged helplessly, indicating that no one could say for sure. "If the big shots want to know, they won't be kept in the dark."
Before becoming Ghost Messengers, most were human. Death brought them rebirth and a form of eternal life. They could wander anywhere in the world, freely traversing places unreachable in their human lives; mountaintops and riverbeds were no longer obstacles, not even tombs that had been sealed for a thousand years. Many Ghost Messengers were content with their situation, enjoying the conveniences that eternity brought. However, some found their long lives boring and wished to return to the human realm without wanting to reincarnate.
They turned their attention to those humans seeking immortality.
"This is also a kind of illness," Shui Su slowly explained. "They think they can evade many eyes but fail to realize they are merely at the bottom of Underworld's hierarchy. Whether or not those above care depends on their mood; knowing or not is something that cannot be fathomed."
After finishing his battle with the cake, Xiao Mei licked the cream off his lips and stretched lazily before continuing, "They're all out of their minds. Not clear-headed while alive and still not clear-headed when dead; it's no surprise they do such ridiculous things. In any case, it's self-destructive behavior; they might as well indulge in it, but it’s those who genuinely want to live who suffer, becoming stepping stones for others."
"And you? What do you think?" Shui Su asked softly. The person in the passenger seat was seriously cleaning up trash and replied calmly, "I don't think much about it. It's foolish to consider what happens after death while alive; I don't want to. I only focus on the tasks at hand; when there are no tasks, I prefer to enjoy life at home rather than worry about those things."
As he spoke, his face was pinched, and a threatening voice came from beside him: "You’re not allowed to think either!"
"Okay, I won’t think," Shui Su smiled as he received a kiss filled with cream flavor during a moment of stopping the car.
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