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墨書 Inktalez
I hesitated, clutching my phone in silence, which only made Xinchuan more anxious.
He urged me over the phone, "Anan, please! Can you just get out of the car? Don't you have so many questions for me? Don't you want me to explain everything? I promise I'll tell you everything... as long as you get out and come home with me, okay?"
"..."
Hearing Xinchuan plead repeatedly on the phone only made me more frightened, and I was even less inclined to get out.
After keeping this secret for so long, how could he suddenly be willing to explain everything so easily?
It sounded like an excuse to get me out of the car!
Besides, Zhang Yunxin was still standing next to Xinchuan.
Her presence constantly reminded me of the fact that not long ago, Xinchuan had drugged my drink in an attempt to harm me.
I bit my lip, trying hard to calm myself down, and sternly questioned Xinchuan, "How did you know I was here?"
If Xinchuan really had a tracker on my phone, then no matter how I tried to escape now, it would be futile.
He would always find me again.
I needed to clarify this situation.
I thought to myself.
However, I heard Xinchuan answer without hesitation on the phone, "Don't you remember? You set me as your emergency contact on the Ride-Hailing App. As soon as you called for a ride, I would receive a notification about your trip."
"Trip?"
Xinchuan's words left me dumbfounded.
I paused for a moment and tried to recall...
It seems that there really is something to this.
So...
There was never any tracker at all; I just foolishly forgot about it?!
Oh.
No wonder Xinchuan was able to arrive near the KTV in the Alley just in time to save me that day.
That day, I had also called for a ride using my phone.
"..."
I was momentarily speechless, feeling a bit embarrassed.
I didn't say anything more and immediately put my phone down, decisively canceling the emergency contact setting on the Ride-Hailing App.
But I still didn't dare to get out of the car.
In this desolate area, if I got out now, I wouldn't be able to make it back to the city on my own.
Moreover, Xinchuan and Zhang Yunxin were still lurking outside.
I found myself in a dilemma once again.
Now, it made sense that Xinchuan could find me.
But what about Chen Feiyang?
How did he know where I was...?
Am I supposed to believe that running into Chen Feiyang at the cemetery tonight was just a coincidence?
Unless I'm a fool.
All day today, I couldn't figure out one thing—
How did Chen Feiyang find out which hospital I was staying at?
Looking at Xinchuan's deeply resentful expression towards Chen Feiyang, he definitely wouldn't have told him about this.
And since I had been in a coma after the incident, it was impossible for me to have sleepwalked and messaged Chen Feiyang.
This matter had been weighing heavily on my mind.
It wasn't until I encountered Chen Feiyang again at the cemetery that I could finally confirm that something was off with him.
After all, who in their right mind would go to a cemetery in the middle of the night?
Well, except for me...
The more I thought about it, the more chaotic my mind became; too many questions were jumbled up in my head without clear answers.
On the phone, Xinchuan kept urging me to get out of the car, saying that Chen Feiyang had ulterior motives and that being with him would put me in danger.
The more he said this, the more anxious I felt inside.
Seeing that I still wouldn't get out of the car, Zhang Yunxin seemed to lose her patience.
Suddenly, she snatched the phone from Xinchuan's hand and said to me, "Jiang An, it's really not what you think between Xinchuan and me! You've misunderstood him all along! Also, that medication you found on Xinchuan last time was developed by our team. I assure you, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it; he would never harm you!"
Zhang Yunxin spoke each word with utmost sincerity.
Through the car window, I could see her serious expression.
She almost managed to deceive me.
Funny!
I'm not a three-year-old child; how could I possibly believe what she says?!
Last time, I clearly saw her and Xinchuan enter the same hotel one after the other!
Could it be that Xinchuan is neglecting his work in the afternoon just to go to the hotel to play cards with her?!
I was rolling my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.
Seeing that I had no reaction at all, Zhang Yunxin continued on the phone, "I know it's normal for you not to believe me right now. How about this: you get out of the car first, and I'll show you the research report and ingredient testing data for that medicine. That should be enough, right?"
"Send it to me now," I replied coldly.
Hearing this, Zhang Yunxin frowned awkwardly, "Sorry, I can show it to you, but I can't send it to you. This involves our team's research confidentiality!"
"Oh really."
Look, she's trying to fool a child again.
In the end, isn't it just a ploy to get me out of the car?
I couldn't be bothered to waste any more time with her and raised my hand to hang up.
Seeing that I was about to hang up, Xinchuan suddenly panicked.
The next moment, his urgent voice shouted from the phone, "Anan! The medicine is really fine! If you don't believe me, I'll take it right now in front of you!"
Before he finished speaking, he snatched the bag off Zhang Yunxin's shoulder.
Zhang Yunxin realized what was happening and tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
Xinchuan rummaged through the bag and pulled out a small white medicine bottle. In a few swift motions, he twisted off the cap, poured a handful into his palm, and swallowed it directly.
Seeing this scene, my eyes widened in shock, and my heart tightened into a knot.
"Xinchuan! Are you crazy?! Spit it out right now!"
"Cough cough... cough cough..."
Zhang Yunxin finally managed to snatch the bottle of medicine back from Xinchuan's hands.
Xinchuan swallowed a handful of pills and was choking on them, coughing incessantly.
I gripped my phone, unable to control the trembling in my voice from anxiety. "You madman! What on earth are you trying to do... Do you want to die?! Hurry up... spit out the medicine! Right now..."
I had to admit.
Despite everything that had happened, I still loved this man.
Seeing him treat his life like a joke almost drove me to throw open the door and jump out of the car.
I was afraid he would die.
But I was also afraid he would be fine.
Because if he took those pills and really was okay...
Wouldn't that mean I was wrong?
That I... had truly misunderstood him?
Watching Xinchuan struggle to cough outside the car window, I thought my heart, which I believed had become incredibly tough, was once again pierced deeply.
Tears fell from my eyes again.
This time, however, it wasn't out of fear or anxiety.
Seeing me cry again, Xinchuan, ignoring his own discomfort, coughed and said on the phone, "Anan, you... cough cough... you have to believe me, Chen Feiyang is really dangerous! You can't be with him; he will harm you! Cough cough... Those two people who harassed you at the KTV last night... cough cough cough... they were arranged by him!"
"What are you saying..."
Hearing this, my mind buzzed.
It went blank.
I didn't know whether what Xinchuan said was true or not.
But thinking carefully, something felt very wrong.
At that moment, when I was being harassed by those two men, I immediately called out for help from Chen Feiyang.
He was just down that alley, no more than ten meters away from me.
The old street was so quiet; how could he not hear my cries?!
Even if we assume his explanation was correct—that he was in the car on a call and couldn't hear my plea for help—what about after the call ended?
From the moment I was dragged away by the drunk man until Xinchuan appeared, at least several minutes had passed.
Did Chen Feiyang really just sit in the car on the phone all that time?!
"…"
Thinking of this made my heart skip a beat.
I stiffly turned my head to look at Chen Feiyang beside me.
I knew he had heard the voice from my phone.
But he didn't show much reaction, just shrugged and smiled broadly.
"I say, you two may argue and fight, but you shouldn't speak carelessly. Hiring someone to harm others is a criminal offense, and you'll end up in jail!"
I couldn't see any cracks in Chen Feiyang's demeanor.
He was too calm, completely at ease as if he had nothing to hide.
Yet the more he acted this way, the more anxious I felt inside.
If it were someone else, hearing Xinchuan repeatedly say on the phone that he had ulterior motives and was plotting something...
They would surely be worried enough to explain themselves a bit, right?
But what about Chen Feiyang?
It seemed like he already knew what Xinchuan would say to me.
Or rather, it felt like he had known what would happen tonight all along...
I couldn't stay in Chen Feiyang's car any longer.
I had to get out.
Regardless of whether what Xinchuan said was true or false, my instincts told me that Chen Feiyang was definitely not a good person!
Xinchuan and Zhang Yunxin were still outside the car, and I still had my concerns.
But as I looked at Xinchuan, his face pale after taking those pills, continuously gagging...
I gritted my teeth and finally made my choice.
"Xinchuan, where are your car keys?"
I asked on the phone while keeping a vigilant eye on Chen Feiyang.
Although Xinchuan didn't understand why I suddenly asked that, he quickly pulled out the car keys from his pocket and said, "Here!"
"Good. Now put the keys on the ground and step back. The farther away from the car, the better!" I commanded him.
Xinchuan frowned hesitantly, looking worried. "Anan! Chen Feiyang... he..."
"If he wanted to hurt me, he had plenty of chances just now!"
I deliberately raised my voice, hoping to make Chen Feiyang believe that I wasn't suspicious of him.
On the other end, Xinchuan's frown deepened upon hearing this.
He seemed like he wanted to persuade me, but at that moment, Zhang Yunxin said something to him nearby, which quickly made him change his mind and agree to my request.
"Anan, I'll do as you say, as long as you get out of the car..."
While speaking on the phone, Xinchuan placed the car keys down and took a few steps back.
Watching him move further away, I finally steeled myself and opened the door to get out of the car.
Once outside, without any hesitation, I quickly picked up the keys from the ground and dashed towards Xinchuan's car.
As I closed the door behind me, I pressed the key fob to lock it.
The whole operation was smooth and swift.
I drove off in Xinchuan's car all by myself.
Throughout the journey, Xinchuan called me several times, but I didn't answer any of them.
I couldn't care less about anything else and stubbornly ran through several red lights.
I was terrified.
I was afraid that Xinchuan would catch up to me, and even more afraid that Chen Feiyang was still following me...
I fled to the city center, to the busiest and most vibrant area of the night market.
In such a crowded place, anyone who wanted to harm me would have to think twice.
After stopping the car, the first thing I did was find a store to replace my phone.
While driving, I suddenly remembered something—
The day I got drunk and was sent home by Chen Feiyang, there was a period when I fell asleep in the taxi.
During that time, Chen Feiyang had the perfect opportunity to tamper with my phone.
I distinctly remembered that I had never saved Chen Feiyang's number on my phone before.
But when I woke up the next day, I saw his name on the caller ID...
Was it that I got so drunk that I forgot, or did Chen Feiyang mess with my phone?
No one could know for sure.
Just to be safe, I couldn’t keep the old phone with me any longer.
After buying a new phone, I handed over the old one for recycling at the store.
As soon as I stepped out of the phone store and inserted the SIM card into my new phone, it started ringing chaotically.
When I answered, Qiqi's loud voice nearly made me drop my new phone: "Anan! You finally picked up! Where are you? I've called you so many times; why was it always busy?!"
"I..."
Hearing Qiqi's voice reminded me that I had made plans with her.
The earlier events had left me so shaken that I had completely forgotten about our meeting.
I quickly explained, "I just had a fight with Xinchuan, and it really got to me. Where are you? Are you still at the restaurant? I'll come find you now."
"It's so late already; I've been home for a while!" Qiqi complained. "I waited for you at the restaurant for ages, but you didn't reply to my messages or answer my calls. I was worried sick! Eventually, the restaurant said they were closing, so I had to leave."
"Qiqi, I'm really sorry. I didn't expect to..." get blocked by Xinchuan on the way!
"Oh, come on! As long as you're okay, there's no need to dwell on it! I've flaked on you a few times these past few days too, so consider this even!" Qiqi interrupted my unfinished sentence. "By the way! I'm off tomorrow. Do you want to come over for hot pot?"
"Tomorrow?"
I hesitated for a moment.
Of course, I wanted to see Qiqi.
After all, there were so many things I needed to clarify with her in person.
However, everything that happened today still left me feeling uneasy.
If we met at her place... what if...
Various horror movie scenarios suddenly flooded my mind uncontrollably.
After thinking it over, I cautiously asked her, "Qiqi, how about we eat out instead tomorrow? Cooking hot pot at home makes such a strong smell, and then there's all the cleaning up afterward—it's such a hassle."
"That's true! Then how about we go to Guodilao instead?"
Unexpectedly, Qiqi was quickly convinced by my suggestion.
So we agreed to meet at the hot pot restaurant the next day at five in the afternoon.
Just when I was about to hang up, I suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to her, "By the way! Qiqi, your brother probably won't come tomorrow, right?"
"Huh? He's so busy with work; he probably won't have time," Qiqi replied. Then, as if she caught a whiff of gossip, she added, "Tsk tsk, why did you bring him up? You wouldn't be…"
"It's not what you think. Let's just talk about it tomorrow," I quickly interrupted her.
After hanging up the phone, I finally felt a bit more at ease.
At least now I could be sure that Qiqi was okay.
Her voice on the phone was still strong and lively; there was no way she sounded like some kind of monster…
Of course.
I chuckled to myself in self-deprecation.
There aren't that many supernatural occurrences.
I still had to believe in science.
To ensure my safety, I gritted my teeth and booked a room at the best five-star hotel in the city center.
Looking at the layers of security inside and out, my anxious heart finally settled down.
I locked myself in my room and took a comfortable hot shower, feeling my entire body relax.
However, the wounds on my body stung sharply when they came into contact with water, continuously irritating my nerves that had been tense all night.
I added Xinchuan's phone number to my blacklist.
He couldn't call me anymore and could only continue to harass me on WeChat.
By the time I finished my shower, dozens of unread messages had piled up in WeChat.
I opened WeChat, ignoring Xinchuan, and directly clicked on Qiqi's chat window.
Five minutes ago, Qiqi sent four new messages—
Qiqi: "By the way, I forgot to ask you. What happened between you and Xinchuan today?"
Qiqi: "You're in the hospital and he still wants to argue with you. Is he crazy?"
Qiqi: "It wouldn't be because you're planning to come out to see me that you two got into a fight, would it…?"
Qiqi: "Sigh, actually I could have gone to the hospital to see you today. It's all that idiot boss's fault…"
Qiqi unleashed a torrent of curses at her boss, and even through the screen, I could feel how agitated she was.
But thinking about her job immediately brought back memories of the Receptionist who had told me that Qiqi had an accident and died.
Maybe it was because the air conditioning in the room wasn't warm enough, but I couldn't help but shiver.
No matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn't let this matter go.
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