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墨書 Inktalez
Shui Su still remembered the moment he first met Xiao Mei.
He was brought home by his father, a small child who still needed a pacifier to fall asleep, resting on his father's shoulder, half-dreaming and half-awake, asking where his mother was.
"You don't have a mother anymore." The man, often criticized for being cold and unfeeling, showed little patience even towards a three-year-old. He wasn't willing to tell a lie just to comfort the child. Fortunately, the sleepy child didn't seem to care about those words; he mumbled that he had a mother and fell into a deep sleep, unaware that his clothes were stained with blood, looking quite terrifying.
He had just come home from school when Uncle Meng picked him up at the door. Seeing the child in his father's arms, he hurried over to take him, asking how the child had gotten hurt. His father shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "He's fine. Take him downstairs to change clothes and bathe. When he wakes up, tell him he will be called Long Mei from now on; he's my child from the Jiang Family."
Long Mei? That name didn't sound nice. Shui Su disliked it, but his father wouldn't listen to his suggestions. He could only follow Uncle Meng, curious about where this child would live.
"From now on, Shui Su will be the big brother," Uncle Meng said gently, always captivating those around him. Shui Su watched as he placed the child on the bed and tucked him in, gently pinching the little face before turning back to chat with him. Looking at the child on the bed, Shui Su didn't feel much like being a brother.
That year he was nine years old, and Xiao Mei was three; he had just gotten his first little brother.
Despite promising not to come looking for him during the school week, the Ghost Messengers did not keep their word. On the very night it was confirmed that the child's room was next to his, three of them came to find him, surrounding him in what felt like an interrogation. Sleepy Shui Su expressed that they better have something important to discuss rather than just coming over for idle chatter.
"Do you really not remember him?" One of the Ghost Messengers asked, leaving Shui Su confused as he inquired who he was supposed to remember. The faces and forms of the Ghost Messengers were hidden beneath their cloaks, but at that moment, he sensed disbelief emanating from them. The one standing directly in front of him continued, "Naturally, we're talking about that little boy."
Shui Su felt bewildered and insisted that it was indeed his first time seeing him; how could he remember?
The Ghost Messengers let out strange giggles; one of them said, "It seems your memory hasn't fully returned yet. In that case, we won't disturb you any longer. Sweet dreams."
He disliked their habit of speaking half-truths and grabbed one of them, demanding they explain what was going on. The Ghost Messengers left without lingering, lightly stating that he should find out for himself.
What was he searching for? Memories associated with the child he had encountered, or memories from his past as a Ghost Messenger? Shui Su was confused and, after tossing and turning all night, found himself unable to sleep. The next day, he showed up with dark circles under his eyes, startling Uncle Meng.
During breakfast, the child sat at the table looking just as sleepy, rubbing his eyes and quietly asking his father why Mom and Dad hadn’t come back yet. Uncle Meng couldn’t stop his father’s blunt response in time, so he watched as the child burst into tears upon hearing that his parents would not be returning, knocking over all the dishes on the table in the process.
It was so noisy. Shui Su rubbed his ears, slightly ringing from the commotion, and took the food Uncle Meng had packed for him. He called out to his father while walking and eating. It wasn’t until he stepped out of the Jiang Family's side gate that he felt some peace. Once in the car, the driver kindly asked why they were leaving so early.
“I didn’t want to eat with the child; it’s too noisy,” Shui Su replied. The driver chuckled at this, pointing out that he was a child himself and shouldn’t complain about other kids. Without pausing in opening his breakfast bag, Shui Su retorted, “So now you’re an adult? Do you like other adults?” The driver didn’t respond but merely grunted for him to hurry up and eat.
As Shui Su sat in the car, he recalled what several Ghost Messengers had said. A vague memory that didn’t belong to this life flickered in his mind—someone very close to him in his past life stood amidst a sea of red, their face obscured.
So this person must be someone related to my past life. Shui Su was certain of it. He mentally listed all possible scenarios but didn’t have time to delve deeper into his memories before they arrived at the school gate.
“Jiang Shui Su! I’ve missed you so much!” His friends at school always greeted him with excitement, as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. He helplessly glanced at the boy who had linked arms with him and was pushing him toward school. “We were just together last night after school.”
The boy flashed a bright smile, saying their bond was such that one day apart felt like three years; even one night apart nearly drove him crazy. Shui Su handed over the snacks Uncle Meng had prepared, and the boy cheered, quickly digging out a cookie and stuffing it into his mouth, declaring it to be the best cookie in the world.
“By the way, did your family adopt a child? Is it a boy or a girl?” The boy lived nearby—just down the same street—and their families had a good relationship. Yesterday, Shui Su’s father had brought home a child who still had a pacifier given by his mother.
“A boy.” Just hearing that made Shui Su feel as if he could still hear the child's cries echoing in his ears; his head buzzed with noise. The boy sitting next to him used a book to hide his face while sneaking cookies. Upon hearing this news, he clicked his tongue and said he preferred girls.
“Who asked you?” Shui Su thought silently.
However, this comment left quite an impression on Shui Su’s mind. He began to ponder whether he could calmly accept Long Mei since, as the eldest son, he would likely be expected to take care of a younger brother. What would happen if he couldn’t accept having another child around? He stared at familiar words in his book but found it impossible to concentrate.
When noon finally arrived and school was over, the boy came over to ask if he was going home or going out to eat. As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Uncle Meng standing at the gate with a cheerful smile. He told the boy that Shui Su needed to go home for lunch, and as compensation for not being able to join him, he handed the boy a bag of warm cookies. The boy bounced away happily, leaving his lunch companion behind.
"Why are we suddenly eating at home?" Shui Su asked curiously from the car, since they usually ate out during lunch. Uncle Meng explained that his father wanted to adopt the child publicly, so they were inviting other families over for lunch to announce the adoption.
Shui Su vaguely guessed at the child's possible background, but the thought of having everyone gathered for lunch made him anxious. He wasn't sure how he would be presented in front of everyone.
Leaning back against the cushion, he expressed his reluctance to go home for lunch. Uncle Meng gently dismissed his concerns, saying that this meal was very important and that after it, he wouldn't have to return home for a while. Shui Su yawned in exasperation to shake off his drowsiness and asked Uncle Meng why he was adopting this child.
"He's a child of misfortune. If it weren't for being entrusted to the family head, he might have already perished," Uncle Meng sighed softly.
He recalled the bloodstains on the child's clothes and found himself agreeing with Uncle Meng's words. Indeed, it didn't seem like he had been brought back from any normal circumstances.
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