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墨書 Inktalez
The head of the family was not surprised when he saw Song Bunan; this child always brought them unexpected surprises, and it seemed this time would be no exception. The man rushed into his office, locked the door behind him, and sat on the stool directly opposite, looking unusually serious.
“Godfather, what is the relationship between Xiao Mei's family and the Gu Family?”
Wow. This surprise was indeed unexpected. He looked at the person before him; the boy had changed a lot since their first meeting. He had lost weight, his complexion had lightened, and he appeared more mature, though his bright eyes still drew attention. They had known each other for ten years, and the once naive teenager had grown into a capable adult who had helped them in many ways, both openly and covertly.
Song Bunan possessed remarkable skills, which was one of the reasons he valued this person so much. He was clever and mischievous when he wanted to be, but also had a gentle side that made interactions enjoyable. However, there was a downside: he easily learned many things—many things he shouldn’t know.
At this moment, this question should not have come from Song Bunan's lips; or rather, it shouldn’t have come from anyone other than himself or the housekeeper.
“I believe you must have a reason for asking this question,” the head of the family said with a rare smile. His eyes behind gold-rimmed glasses narrowed slightly, revealing not just inquiry but also scrutiny mixed with a hint of common warmth.
Song Bunan met the head’s gaze and asked if he knew where Shui Su had gone. The head shook his head gently, indicating that the child's erratic movements were commonplace.
“This is where I know there’s an issue,” Song Bunan said. “Shui Su is in the group heading to the Gu Family. He showed me a list prepared by those below, detailing people who are supposed to die in this matter. The names circled by the Red Circle represent those who are still alive but must die; one of those names is Long Yiming.”
“There are very few people with the surname Long in Rongcheng. The only one I know who could be connected to the family or those below is Xiao Mei. He has always been raised by the Jiang Family, and I’ve never heard of any other relatives existing. Therefore, Long Yiming on this list must be related to him. If Shui Su were here today, I might think it was just a necessary death; but now that he appears in that group in another form, Long Yiming must be significantly connected to him.”
“Bunan, oh Bunan…” The head sighed helplessly after hearing his explanation. “Sometimes I really fear you.”
He stood up and pulled out a folder from the bookshelf. The transparent plastic object had yellowed due to oxidation; when he tugged at the clasp, a piece broke off, making it look precarious overall. Inside were only two thin sheets of paper, yellowed and brittle; Song Bunan dared not touch them but laid them flat on the table to look at.
One was Xiao Mei's birth certificate, and the other was a printed photograph. The photo depicted a couple holding an infant while standing in front of a familiar large door, smiling gently. The plaque above read " Gu Family's Residence," with faint shadows of people coming and going visible behind it. There was also a note written in elegant handwriting: “Entrusted to friends; please cherish.”
“No family is without its stains; every one of them has debts of some kind. The Gu Family, despite its decline, is still far better off than an ordinary household. At that time, many were unwilling to stay and participate in the experiments. Even though they repeatedly assured that they would not leak any information, how could the Gu Family trust them? Xiao Mei's parents were acquaintances of mine—not close, but friends nonetheless. They had worked for the Gu Family, holding positions similar to Uncle Meng's. Their departure angered the Gu Family's dogs, who used baseless reasons to pursue and persecute them. Realizing they were facing certain death, they entrusted their child to me, asking me to provide a way for her to survive,” the head of the family said slowly as he looked at the photograph.
“So I changed Yi Ming’s name to Mei, thinking this would sever the child's desire to search for her biological parents. I never expected that after all these years, you would discover it, and through mere guessing.”
Song Bunan shook his head softly. “Godfather, if it were just a guess, I wouldn’t have come to find you. Shui Su told me everything was arranged and urged me not to interfere, but given the current situation, even if I don’t take action, I need you to tell me whether he ever shared his plans with you.”
The elder retracted his intimidating aura and gestured for him to sit on the sofa. With a flourish, he retrieved a drink from the cabinet and handed it to him while pouring himself some tea. At that moment, the head of the family appeared gentle; even Song Bunan thought he bore a striking resemblance to his own father.
“Perhaps what I’m about to say will be hard for you to believe. After all, which father would admit that he knows nothing about his own child? Yet that is precisely my case. You two play together often and have many opportunities for communication, but since Shui Su regained his abilities as a Ghost Messenger, we have not had a chance to sit down and truly talk.”
His tone was calm, yet Song Bunan could hear a hint of sadness in it.
“I might even say that I know more about Xiao Mei than I do about Shui Su. He is exceptionally capable, possessing unparalleled wisdom and ability; it’s not an exaggeration to say he is worth thousands of soldiers. While managing Ghost Messenger affairs, he can also handle family matters without making mistakes. No other child can compare to him even by a fraction. It is precisely because of his excellence that I have lived in fear for many years, worried that one day he might return to the Underworld and never come back to this world.”
“This time, it was he who requested the Jiang Family’s withdrawal, giving the reason that everything was already arranged and there was no need for them to take further risks. I asked him for more specific plans but received only vague answers; he said there was no need for concern as it was already a done deal. After saying this, he offered no further explanation and informed me that he had a long-term assignment outside and told Xiao Mei and me not to worry.”
After listening, Song Bunan sighed helplessly. “To be honest with you, this is indeed hard to believe. I always thought that no matter how much he is connected with the Ghost Messenger world below, here in this living world, he would still trust his blood relatives. But now it seems I was too naive.”
The two exchanged glances in silence and raised their cups in a toast before drinking deeply from them, swallowing all their sentiments in one gulp. The elder reached out and ruffled Song Bunan's hair lightly, saying softly that although he still felt fear, he had come to terms with it; if one day he were to hear news of Shui Su's death, perhaps he would even feel relieved.
“I never thought he would belong to me forever. To put it in your youthful terms, perhaps he is merely here on a mission; once it’s complete, he will return below to live freely and easily.”
“After all, who would want to stay in this world of suffering forever?”
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