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墨書 Inktalez
"Alright, you little brat, if you want to play games, go somewhere else. This is a hospital, and if you keep making noise, I'll have to take you to the police station for some tea."
A burly security guard lifted the young man as if he were a small chicken. The young man screamed, but the height difference rendered him powerless.
"I'm not exaggerating! There's a very powerful little ghost on this floor who will turn fifteen in a few days. If we can't catch it, many people will die!"
The young man shouted as he passed by me. I noticed a red string hanging from his wrist inside his wide sleeves, with a small bell attached. With every movement he made, the bell jingled, producing a sound that was incredibly calming.
"Another bell?"
Once the crowd dispersed, I carried my lunch box inside. At that moment, Qi Zhi was on the phone. Upon seeing me push the door open, he immediately hung up and smiled at me.
"I thought you weren't coming."
"Sorry, Professor Qi. Chu Fan is sick, so I can't stay here to take care of you tonight. But don't worry, I've arranged for a caregiver."
I felt a bit embarrassed as I spoke and placed the food on the table. Qi Zhi pursed his lips and looked at me. "Chu Fan is sick?"
"Yeah."
"He seemed fine before."
I smiled slightly and handed him the chopsticks. "Illness can be unpredictable."
Qi Zhi took the chopsticks and nodded. "That's true. He had an accident before and has been dealing with some aftereffects. A few days ago, I saw his mother; she said he seems like a different person now—he won't go home and doesn't interact with them like he used to. I remember Chu Fan; he used to be so attached to his family."
The smile on my face gradually froze, and I slowly pressed my lips together. I didn't know what Chu Fan used to be like, but the current Chu Fan was not the same. His change was inevitable because one person could never completely imitate another, especially not someone like Jun Chong.
When Qi Zhi noticed my silence, he took my hand. "Anxin, don't overthink it. I'm not saying this is because of your presence. This person is older and has his secrets. It's understandable that he wants to be with you every day as your boyfriend, but he is still someone else's child. If you have the chance, encourage him to visit his parents."
"Professor Qi, I understand everything you're saying." I shook my head and smiled. "No parent wants to see their child drifting further away from them."
Qi Zhi affectionately ruffled my hair, kind like an elder. After he finished dinner an hour later, we chatted for a while until Chu Fan's call came in. I put away my phone and picked up my lunchbox to head home.
"I'm leaving now. I'll come back to see you tomorrow."
"Wait." Qi Zhi stopped me and pulled out a small box from his drawer. It was an ordinary jewelry box containing a string of obsidian bracelets. He slipped the bracelet onto my right wrist. "Consider this a gift for taking care of me! Don't think about taking it off; I also gave one to Lin You. Chu Fan won't be upset."
He playfully winked at me, and I felt my cheeks flush as I nodded. "Thank you, Professor Qi."
"Can't you just call me Qi Zhi?" He rested his chin on his hand, tilting his head. "Not even once?"
"Qi... Qi Zhi."
Qi Zhi smiled brightly and unexpectedly kissed my cheek, whispering, "Anxin, one day you'll choose me."
Instinctively, I pushed him away, my face burning as I lowered my head and ran off.
I didn't know what Qi Zhi liked about me, but I understood that as Chu Fan's girlfriend and Jun Chong's Ghost Marriage wife, I needed to keep my distance from the man who liked me. So, I called Nurse Aunt, hoping she could stay long-term until Qi Zhi was discharged.
Upon hearing the increased price, Nurse Aunt immediately agreed. I smiled slightly as I hung up the phone and walked toward the bus station.
"Hey, wait a minute! I said wait!"
I heard someone calling from behind me, and it wasn't until someone grabbed my shoulder that I realized they were calling me. Turning around, I found it was the Taoist from the hospital.
However, he had changed into normal clothes, though he still had that bell tied around his left wrist, which looked somewhat out of place.
"Are you calling me?"
"Of course it's you. Who else would be worthy of my attention?"
"…"
"What’s your name?"
"Before asking for someone else's name, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
"Molin."
"What?"
"The ink from 'Molin,' the zero from 'point zero.' I'm a Taoist; it's my duty to exorcise evil and uphold justice. Why are you so chatty?"
He casually swept his neck-length hair back with his hand and scratched his head, turning his once neat black hair into a messy straw nest. His flat eyebrows furrowed, showing clear impatience. Yet, he had a pair of bright eyes that sparkled like two pieces of black iron under the streetlight.
I was momentarily speechless. Was he the one being chatty or was it me? I pouted and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Molin quickly stepped in front of me and blocked my way. "Don't go; I need your help."
"Just because you need my help means I have to help you?" I shot him a glance and said, "Sir, we don't know each other."
"I know you now." Molin was stubbornly refusing to let me leave, insisting, "You have to promise me, otherwise I won't let you go."
"Mr. Molin, I want to tell you that if you keep this up, I'm going to call the police." I picked up my phone without hesitation, though I wasn't really going to call the police; I intended to call Chu Fan. To my surprise, he suddenly grabbed my phone and held my hand tightly. "I saw you last night. You can see things from that world, so I need your help."
"Last night?" I lowered my head and thought for a moment, then shook my head. "But I didn't see you!"
"But you heard the Bell Sound, right?" He rolled up his sleeve and pointed to the red string on his left wrist. "You can see this bell, can't you?"
"Huh?" I was confused by his words. At that moment, Chu Fan had already stepped behind me, resting one hand on my shoulder and slightly bending over to stare at Molin.
To my surprise, as soon as Molin saw him, he jumped back a few steps, eyeing Chu Fan warily. "Vengeful Spirit, let her go."
I was taken aback; he could actually see that Chu Fan was a ghost? I couldn't help but admire him a little; this Molin was indeed impressive—perhaps he really was a Taoist priest.
Chu Fan squinted slightly. I could feel a heavy pressure gradually descending, but he made no move. "What if I don't let go?"
"Then don't blame me for being merciless."
Molin pulled out a talisman from his backpack, but it wasn't the common yellow talisman; it was purple. He muttered something under his breath and threw the talisman forward. It shot straight toward Chu Fan.
I felt a surge of anxiety; that was a talisman! Aren't ghosts afraid of those things? Instinctively, I stepped in front of Chu Fan to shield him.
However, Chu Fan gently pulled me aside just as the talisman was about to stick to his forehead. Before I could even gasp in surprise, I saw that the talisman had suddenly turned soft and fell limply to the ground.
I breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Jun Chong wasn't afraid of this talisman.
On the opposite side, Molin's mouth dropped open in astonishment as he muttered to himself in disbelief, "This is the third talisman; it shouldn't be ineffective."
Chu Fan suddenly bent down to pick up the talisman, examining it closely for a moment. A smirk appeared on his lips as he exerted some force, crumpling the talisman into a ball and turning it into a piece of scrap paper.
"Too weak," he said with a playful glint in his eyes. "Is there anything else?"
Molin seemed greatly affected and took out a small bell from his backpack, the kind that you shake in your hand. He muttered something under his breath, and the bell began to emit a golden glow. "Rise."
With a sharp command, the bell floated into the air, and a golden net shot out from within, enveloping us. The surrounding pedestrians vanished in an instant, leaving only the same buildings behind.
The light felt warm against my skin, though I couldn't tell what it was.
Suddenly, I felt a tightness around my waist as Chu Fan pulled me closer. He trembled slightly but maintained his composure. "You think you can deal with me using just this trick?"
I didn't see how Chu Fan made his move; the bell fell silently to the ground, and I immediately saw the pedestrians reappear.
"How is this possible?"
Molin's face changed dramatically as he quickly pulled out another talisman and the Peach Wood Sword from his bag, preparing to attack. His strange actions drew curious glances from people on the street.
"If you make another move, you'll just be seen as a lunatic," Chu Fan said, nodding toward the patrolling police who were approaching us. Molin shivered and quickly put away his things before running off, not forgetting to issue a warning.
"I won't let you go. And you—I'll come looking for you."
"Me?" I was bewildered, but Chu Fan patted my head. "Let's go home."
I took a few steps but noticed that Chu Fan wasn't following. When I turned back, I found him gazing up at the sky above the hospital.
The sky was completely dark, with a hazy moonlight occasionally obscured by clouds, making it seem even dimmer. I couldn't tell if it was an illusion or something else, but I felt as if I caught a glimpse of Yin Hong from the silvery moon, flickering and vanishing in an instant.
I rubbed my eyes and suddenly felt a chilling breeze, an involuntary shiver running down my spine. It was as if something was slowly creeping in from my right wrist, stirring a sense of dread.
Sharp claws seemed to extend from the air, lunging toward my heart. Three Thousand Black Strands floated before my eyes, dancing with the wind. The owner of the Three Thousand Black Strands grasped my wrist with one hand, while the other hand flicked its sleeve, creating a thunderous ripple that echoed like drums. A shadow swiftly retreated, disappearing into the moonlight.
It was only then that I realized I had somehow entered a dreamlike state. Although the shadow had appeared for just a moment, I recognized it—it was the Cat-Faced Granny from the Old House District.
Jun Chong had returned to Chu Fan's body, still holding my wrist. His brows were furrowed in malice as he shot me an annoyed glance. I shivered and stammered, "What... what's wrong?"
"It should be me asking you," Chu Fan replied, displeased as he frowned. "You keep bringing back things you shouldn't."
"Huh?"
Chu Fan cast me a faint look before walking toward the station. "There have been rumors lately about children mysteriously disappearing and dying in this hospital, causing quite a stir. Don't you find that strange?"
A chill ran through me as I gasped, "It can't really be the Cat-Faced Granny, can it?" But facing Jun Chong's ghostly presence, how could the Cat-Faced Granny have attacked so recklessly just now?
Before I could voice my thoughts, I noticed Chu Fan had stopped. Outside, many people were still walking about, but among them stood one person who remained motionless, coldly staring in our direction. The chilling aura around him made him stand out starkly against the crowd.
As I caught sight of his face, a sudden wave of fear washed over me, and I instinctively shrank back behind Chu Fan.
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