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墨書 Inktalez
Luo Yi was taken aback. "What?"
"She was killed by Yan Lin."
Luo Yi fixed his gaze on Lu Xu.
"Yan Lin was assaulted and accidentally killed Wu Ming while resisting. Without a leader, those subordinates were ready to kill Yan Lin and escape. Fortunately, Jiang Peng's people arrived with the police in time and arrested them all. However, that Knife-Wielder stubbornly resisted and tried to take Yan Lin hostage to escape, but was shot dead."
Luo Yi remained silent for a moment, crushing the cigarette in his hand into two pieces. After a long pause, he asked, "Where is Yan Lin?"
"She is injured all over and has been sent to the hospital," Lu Xu replied. "Her emotions are very unstable, and she refuses to answer the police's questions, saying she wants to see you."
Lu Xu observed Luo Yi, who had a deadpan expression with no hint of emotion on his face.
Luo Yi threw the broken cigarette into the trash can, took out a whole one, put it in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, and persistently asked, "How did Wu Ming die?"
"He was stabbed in the throat with a broken beer bottle," Lu Xu repeated. "Yan Lin wants to see you now; she won't listen to anyone else."
Luo Yi fell silent for a moment, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said, "Let's go."
...
The hospital was not far from the police station; it only took five minutes to walk.
In the corridor outside the ward, several police officers and doctors were speaking in low voices.
As Luo Yi passed by, he vaguely heard a doctor say, "...laceration on the palm and thenar... defensive wounds... multiple abrasions... external genital tearing..."
Luo Yi walked to the door of the ward, paused for a moment, and pushed the door open.
Yan Lin lay half-reclined on the hospital bed, her forehead bandaged, her cheek swollen and bruised, covered in ointment, looking quite miserable.
Her fingers were also wrapped in bandages, but loosely pinching a cigarette between them, which she smoked slowly. Her gaze shifted to Luo Yi, and the sadness and resentment in her eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by indifference.
Luo Yi approached and took the cigarette from her hand, extinguishing it and tossing it into the trash can. "You can't smoke in the hospital."
"Is that what you came here to tell me?" Yan Lin looked up, her chest rising and falling.
Luo Yi pulled a chair over and sat down, remaining silent for a while before quietly saying, "I'm sorry for involving you in this. Just focus on resting and recovering. Don't think too much; don't burden yourself—"
He realized that whatever he said felt empty, leaving his words hanging in the air.
His gaze fell on the torn deep V lavender dress that Yan Lin had worn tonight, lying at the bedside. He quickly averted his eyes.
This scene caught Yan Lin's attention, and she let out a sarcastic laugh. "I wore this dress to attract you." She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
Luo Yi didn't block it; the pillow hit his shoulder and fell to the floor.
He said nothing, allowing her to vent.
Yan Lin took a gentle breath, leaning back against the wall, eventually falling silent. "Don't comfort me or bring this up; I don't want to hear it. I didn't come to see you to talk about this."
"Okay," Luo Yi replied.
Yan Lin stared expressionlessly at the ceiling for a moment before saying, "Luo Yi, did you resent me when I left?"
"No," Luo Yi replied calmly as he looked at her. "I never held any resentment when you left. In fact, I felt it was a kind of relief."
Yan Lin turned her gaze toward him.
"That was the most desperate time of my life. Dragging you down with me made me feel worse. Although I never considered breaking up with you at that time—I even wanted to pull myself together for you—when you proposed the breakup, I felt both sorrowful and relieved."
Yan Lin gave a faint smile and shook her head. "You never told me any of this."
Luo Yi: "We've already broken up, what is there to say?"
Yan Lin took a shaky breath and calmed down again, picking up a cigarette box from the bedside table.
Luo Yi frowned.
She smiled lightly: "I'm the patient, so just indulge me this once."
Yan Lin lit a cigarette and took a puff, saying, "In these past two years, have you met anyone who fits you better than I do?"
Luo Yi: "No."
A glimmer of light flashed in Yan Lin's eyes, but Luo Yi didn't finish her sentence: "If you're referring to the me from back then."
Yan Lin remained unfazed and asked in return, "What about the you now?"
"The me now is no longer suitable for you."
Yan Lin was silent for a moment, smoking and seemingly lost in thought. Finally, he conceded: "Since there's no love lost between us, being business partners is fine. My company needs someone like you, and you know how well we matched in the business world before. Rest assured, I don't intend to rekindle old flames in the office with you."
Luo Yi shook her head.
Yan Lin: "You can't be serious. Do you really want to spend your life managing an inn here?"
Luo Yi: "Once I've taken care of what I need to do, I'll return to Beijing and resume my old career."
Yan Lin scoffed: "So you just don't want to work with me?"
Luo Yi: "Yes."
Yan Lin: "Give me one reason."
Luo Yi did not respond.
Yan Lin lightly mocked, forcing him, "Have I made you disdain telling the truth?"
Luo Yi looked at her, "My future girlfriend is very petty."
Yan Lin was momentarily speechless, a hint of mist appearing in her eyes. Luo Yi's expression finally softened as he said, "Yan Lin, with your conditions, aren't there better men than me for you to choose from?"
"That's true." Yan Lin arrogantly curled her lips, instantly blinking away the mist in her eyes, and said, "I'm fine now; you can call the police in."
...
Luo Yi left the ward and signaled to Lu Xu that they could go in.
He stood by the window in the corridor, gazing at the small town at night. He couldn't help but put a cigarette in his mouth but remembered he was in a hospital and took it back.
Without the cigarette, his fingers quickly tapped against the wall, moving so fast it looked like he was trembling.
Wu Ming was dead.
He never expected Wu Ming to be dead.
After years of drifting and years of hard pursuit, the thread of clues he had finally found had just snapped like that.
Luo Yi couldn't stand still; he bit his lip and paced back and forth a few steps, lowering his head and gripping his own head tightly with both hands.
...
About a minute later, the police came out. Lu Xu stopped and said to Luo Yi, "The doctor said she can leave after tidying up. Since you don't have a car, we'll send a police car to take you up the mountain later."
"Thanks." Luo Yi asked again, "What did she say about Wu Ming?"
"Basically the same as what we understood before; she didn't add any special details."
Luo Yi was still unwilling to give up and quickly said, "Go search Wu Ming's residence immediately to see if we can find any leads—"
"Leave the rest to the police, it's none of your business." Lu Xu interrupted and added, "You are also a suspect now."
Luo Yi's expression changed slightly as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"You’re asking me?" Lu Xu's gaze was sharp. Being cautious in the hospital, he leaned closer to Luo Yi and lowered his voice, "The key witness was killed by your ex-girlfriend, and you’re asking me? Also, what did you two talk about just now? Why did she insist on seeing you first?!"
Luo Yi was silent for a moment before suddenly letting out a laugh. At that moment, he felt a desolation that left him speechless.
"Don't let me find anything related to you at Wu Ming's place." Lu Xu pointed at Luo Yi and turned to leave with long strides.
Luo Yi's body was still stained with blood and sweat, battered yet overshadowed by the endless desolation and exhaustion within. He watched Lu Xu's departing figure, smiled faintly, shook his head, and then suddenly kicked the wall.
...
Luo Yi got medicine from the doctor and went to the ward to pick up Yan Lin. Yan Lin was already packed and sitting on the edge of the bed, smoking again.
Luo Yi walked over, snatched the cigarette from her mouth, and threw it away; the butt hit the wall with a thud.
Yan Lin looked up at him, noticing his poor mood but chose not to respond.
Luo Yi tidied up the things in the ward and said, "Let's go."
Yan Lin supported herself on the bed and let out a hissing sound before sitting back down. She said softly, "I’m injured below and can’t stand."
Luo Yi remained expressionless as he walked over and handed her the bag. Yan Lin took it, and Luo Yi picked her up and exited the ward.
Once outside the hospital building, just as they reached the courtyard entrance, they heard footsteps approaching rapidly from outside the wall. Zhou Yao came running over, panting with a flushed face. She froze when she saw Luo Yi carrying Yan Lin.
Luo Yi walked past Zhou Yao and said, "The car over there, let's head back to the inn."
Zhou Yao pouted and stood still in place, still wearing Luo Yi's coat.
Luo Yi paused his steps, turned to look at her, and said, "If you don't leave now, you'll be standing here all night."
Luo Yi walked across the street, put Yan Lin into the car, and turned back to see Zhou Yao approaching with her head down. She didn't look at him and forcefully shoved his trench coat back into his hands before sitting in the passenger seat.
The journey was silent.
Only Yan Lin said, "I'm so tired," then leaned her head against Luo Yi's shoulder and closed her eyes.
Luo Yi remained silent, turning his head to look at the rearview mirror on the right side of the car. In the small mirror, Zhou Yao had her eyes downcast, her expression very sad, showing no signs of concealment.
Luo Yi watched her for a long time, and finally, he wearily closed his eyes.
He was fully prepared, but the situation was not progressing smoothly as he had planned; instead, it was gradually slipping into a dangerous and complex abyss.
Zhou Yao... he didn't know if he could still protect her.
...
When they arrived at the inn, as soon as the car stopped, Zhou Yao rushed out and ran inside.
Luo Yi didn't call for her; he thanked the police officer and carried Yan Lin back to her room.
He placed Yan Lin on the bed and turned to leave when she hugged him from behind: "Don't go."
Luo Yi turned around, and Yan Lin knelt up to wrap her arms around his neck: "Yi Ge, I'm a bit scared tonight. Stay with me for a while."
Luo Yi lowered his head and pulled her hands off his neck.
"Are you really going?" Yan Lin's lips trembled. "After knowing each other for so many years, when have I ever said I was 'afraid'? But today—do you know what I've been through?"
Luo Yi walked over to the rattan chair by the window and sat down. "You should sleep."
As Yan Lin moved forward, Luo Yi spoke again: "Don't get out of bed."
Yan Lin understood his personality and didn't want to provoke him into leaving, so she made no further plans. She turned off the light, pulled up the blanket, and went to sleep. She lay on her side, watching his shadow in the darkness; he sat in the chair, staring into the void of night.
Silence.
"Yan Lin," asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Luo Yi," replied, "You wouldn't want to know."
After a long while, Yan Lin slowly smiled and said, "Yi Ge, remember this night; I fell in love with you again at this moment."
The figure in the chair did not respond, and Yan Lin closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When Yan Lin woke up in the middle of the night, the chair was empty.
In the dark night, her heart felt cold.
...
Zhou Yao woke up in the morning, her body aching all over, thinking she had partied too hard last night, but she didn't pay much attention to it.
She went downstairs for breakfast on time and ran into Luo Yi in the courtyard. They both moved left, then right, and then left again, bumping into each other repeatedly.
Zhou Yao: "..."
Luo Yi: "..."
They stopped and looked at each other, seemingly considering which direction the other would go. They tried to avoid each other but ended up colliding again. Anyone unaware would think they were dancing in the courtyard.
Zhou Yao's face turned red with frustration as she said, "Why are you blocking my way?"
Luo Yi stared at her, took a step back, then another, slightly nodding his head as if to say "please."
Seeing that he wouldn't even offer an explanation, Zhou Yao felt a pang of hurt in her heart and walked past him in a huff.
"Zhou Yao," he suddenly called out.
"What’s wrong?" she turned back angrily, but there was still a hint of expectation.
"Why is your face so red?"
"Oh. Someone just made me angry, and I'm upset."
Luo Yi paused for a moment and asked, "When will your companion be back?"
"Tomorrow," Zhou Yao replied, adding deliberately, "We’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow."
He calmly said, "Okay."
Zhou Yao was taken aback, hardly able to believe it, and more frustrated with herself. She gritted her teeth in shame and left.
Luo Yi did not see Zhou Yao for the rest of the morning. After finishing the inventory at noon, he passed through the courtyard and looked up to see Zhou Yao's wooden window tightly shut.
He recalled the unusual flush on her face and walked into the kitchen to ask the dishwasher, "Did that geology student come for lunch?"
"Yes."
"How was she?"
"Huh?" The worker didn’t understand. "What do you mean how was she?"
"Did she look normal?"
"Where... was she not normal?" The worker didn’t grasp what the boss was trying to express.
Luo Yi waved his hand dismissively, "It's nothing."
In the afternoon, he still didn’t see Zhou Yao. However, Yan Lin could walk again and came over to the bar to drink. Luo Yi handed over the bar duties to the bartender.
By evening, Luo Yi went to the kitchen again to inquire, and this time the worker said, "She didn’t come for dinner."
Luo Yi frowned and walked to the courtyard to look at her window, which was dark inside.
The common area was filled with guests, bustling with activity.
"Boss, the order just placed was for black tea, but you made green tea," Amin quietly reminded.
"You take care of it," Luo Yi said as he pulled out his phone from the drawer and walked outside the bar. "I need to handle something."
Luo Yi went upstairs and knocked on Zhou Yao's door several times, but no one answered.
"Zhou Yao?" he called. "Zhou Yao?"
Still, there was no response.
Luo Yi felt a sinking feeling in his heart and quickly went downstairs to get the key from Sister Gui. He rushed back upstairs, opened the door, and took a few large steps to the bedside, turning on the lamp in front of the bed.
Zhou Yao was lying there with her eyes wide open, looking straight at him quietly. Her gaze seemed to penetrate deep into his soul.
They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.
Luo Yi finally frowned and asked, "Why didn't you answer when I called?"
Zhou Yao's eyes were dark as she replied, "I didn't want to talk to you."
Luo Yi was taken aback, his expression turning stern. Zhou Yao met his gaze defiantly, showing no fear this time. Eventually, he sighed in annoyance and helplessness, looking down at her and gently asking, "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine; I took my medicine," Zhou Yao said.
Luo Yi ignored her response and reached out to touch her forehead. Zhou Yao swatted his hand away angrily, saying, "Don't touch me!"
Luo Yi looked down at her.
Zhou Yao realized she was being overly dramatic; she pouted slightly and said, "I told you I'm fine. I was just being difficult."
Luo Yi was momentarily speechless and asked, "Haven't you had dinner?"
Zhou Yao remained silent for a moment before choosing to be honest. She quietly slipped her small hand out from under the blanket and pointed to the trash can, indicating that she had eaten bread and biscuits, with the wrappers inside.
Luo Yi was at a loss for words.
On one hand, she knew he wouldn't come downstairs, betting that he would care; on the other hand, she also knew she shouldn't neglect her own hunger. Luo Yi simply had no way to deal with her.
"Where's your phone?"
Zhou Yao slightly lifted her head to indicate the direction.
"Password." He took the phone from the bedside table and handed it to her. She pressed her thumb to unlock it.
He saved his number in it, made a call, then put the phone down.
The two of them didn't speak for a long time, and he showed no intention of initiating conversation.
Zhou Yao got angry and said, "Just go."
Luo Yi knew she was waiting for him to explain, but he was at a loss for words. After a while, he asked, "Do you really want me to leave?"
Zhou Yao lowered her gaze and remained silent.
"Mm?"
"Yes! Just go. Goodbye." Zhou Yao turned over, clearly expressing her sulking emotions.
"If I don't—" Luo Yi saw her hair sticking to the back of her neck from sweat and froze for a moment before immediately turning her back.
Zhou Yao was sulking: "What are you doing—"
He pressed his palm against her forehead, his brow furrowing instantly: "You have a fever."
"I've taken some fever-reducing medicine—"
"Get dressed, I'll take you to see a doctor."
Zhou Yao remained silent.
Luo Yi scolded, "Do I need to lift the blanket to help you get dressed?"
Zhou Yao's voice lowered as she finally spoke the truth, "Luo Boss—I feel really dizzy and have no strength."
Luo Yi helped her sit up; she was burning hot like a furnace. He was shocked by her high temperature, yet she was still conscious.
However, as soon as she sat up, Zhou Yao couldn't hold on any longer.
Just as Luo Yi loosened his grip to get her clothes, Zhou Yao lightly fell back.
Luo Yi immediately turned around and pulled her into his arms. She felt dazed and said, "Huh? I was fine just now."
Luo Yi held her in his arms while dressing her. He glanced at the cabinet and asked, "Where's the medicine box for the pills you just took?"
"The trash can."
Luo Yi retrieved the medicine box and put it in his pocket.
Once outside, in the cold of the late night, Zhou Yao shivered intermittently. Luo Yi pulled her back inside and said, "Wait for me a moment."
He brought over a men's trench coat, scarf, hat, and windproof mask, wrapping her up tightly. Her head felt heavy, her nose was becoming less sensitive, but she could still smell his scent all around her.
Luo Yi looked at her droopy appearance and gently encouraged, "Hang in there; there's a doctor in the village not far from here. We'll be there soon."
Zhou Yao's head felt very heavy as she nodded with a thud.
Sure enough, they arrived in just a few minutes. However, the village doctor was visiting relatives and wasn't home; the clinic was closed.
Luo Yi clenched his teeth tightly against the cold wind of the night.
Zhou Yao leaned back on the motorcycle's rear seat, her breathing growing heavier and her consciousness fading. Luo Yi reached under her hat to check her forehead; her temperature was higher than before.
Luo Yi called Zaxi: "Tell your uncle that there's a patient at the inn who needs an injection. I'm taking someone to town now, so please have him wait for me at the hospital. I'll be there in an hour, no—forty minutes."
Luo Yi pulled Zhou Yao's hands around his waist and said, "You can sleep for a bit while leaning against my back."
Zhou Yao nodded, resting her head against him like a shrimp curled up behind him.
Luo Yi started the motorcycle and sped off.
Under the night sky, the mountains were shrouded in darkness, with only the motorcycle's light cutting through, winding along the mountain road. It seemed as if all the world's brightness had been extinguished, but upon closer inspection, the world was not entirely dark; there was a faint light from the sky that tinted the mountains a deep blue.
"Zhou Yao."
"Mm?"
"Hold on tight, don't let go."
"Mm."
On this quiet autumn night, the mountains were eerily still, with only the howling wind roaring in her ears. Yet Zhou Yao did not feel cold.
She was wrapped tightly in his windbreaker, with his hat, scarf, and windproof mask shielding her; she felt like a baby protected under a glass dome.
Even as the fierce wind howled and tried to tear apart her protective cocoon, it was in vain.
On such a long mountain road, she embraced him and leaned against his back, falling into a steady sleep.
Occasionally waking up in a daze, she would see countless stars above the mountains.
That night, looking out from under his hat, she saw the diamond-like brilliance of the stars, ancient as if this plateau beneath her feet had once been an ocean millions of years ago.
Even after a long time, Zhou Yao would remember the starry sky and mountains along the way, recalling the happiness and safety that protected her warmly despite the howling wind.
Perhaps it was at that moment, in a daze, that she fell in love.
But at that time, who knew? Not even she herself.
...
At the hospital entrance, Luo Yi tugged at Zhou Yao's hand. She didn't let go; she was deeply asleep but obediently listened to his words—holding tightly onto his waist without loosening her grip.
Luo Yi supported her while awkwardly getting off the motorcycle.
"Zhou Yao?" he called her softly.
She did not respond.
He removed her mask, hat, and scarf, like peeling a ripe corn. Her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was heavy. Upon hearing his voice, she furrowed her brows in discomfort and slightly opened her eyes: "Are we there?"
"We're here."
"Oh." She tilted her head and leaned against him, falling back asleep.
The sense of security she showed as she nestled against him made his heart ache fiercely.
"I'm sorry." He wrapped her head in his arms, pressing his jaw tightly against her hot forehead. "I'm sorry."
...
Soon, she was on an IV drip. Zhou Yao lay on the hospital bed with her eyes tightly closed, her breathing clear and discernible—heavy and painful.
Luo Yi held her hand by the bedside. He was very tired but couldn't fall asleep.
Before long, Zaxi's uncle came to check on the situation. Seeing that Zhou Yao had no abnormal reactions, he said he would head home for now and to call the duty nurse when it was time to change the IV or remove the needle.
Luo Yi thanked the doctor and escorted him to the stairway before heading downstairs to the convenience store across from the hospital to buy cigarettes. He bought a pack and leaned against the wall to smoke one, the bandage on his hand still intact, and the wound on his back throbbed faintly.
The town was deserted in the late night, with a few delinquents coming over to buy chewing gum. Luo Yi casually turned his head to glance at them and locked eyes with one of them, who was wearing a mask and had a fierce gaze.
Not a good person.
Luo Yi averted his gaze and continued smoking.
The group chewed their gum as they left, but they were heading toward the hospital.
Luo Yi took the cigarette out of his mouth, suddenly filled with an ominous premonition.
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