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墨書 Inktalez
The ink was quickly prepared. I controlled my trembling hand, which shook due to my lack of skill, and used this time to write the best result of my practice on a delicate piece of stationery:
In the quiet valley, when did the red medicine reside? Only at night do I begin to sense the fragrance filling the path.
With a heart free, I dance in the wind; how I long for you, Zi Fanghua.
How much can I obtain from the River of Forgetfulness? Wealth and fame are but external possessions.
Fate brings us together across thousands of miles; it is said that the wind blows flowers from a thousand trees.
My handwriting was not great, and the poem seemed oddly profound. Last night, I pondered for half the night, trying to express this sentiment: Boss, our meeting can be considered fate, and it is fortunate that we met! Unexpectedly, this resonated slightly with the story Boss told.
You don’t need to understand; just take it as me showing off. Accept it well, and my task will be completely fulfilled.
After much effort, I finally finished writing. Luo Dachun could no longer hold back and burst into laughter, leaning close to my ear to whisper, “Utterly terrible…”
However, Nie Qiuyuan stood frozen in front of the desk, staring blankly at my writing. His gaze suddenly reminded me of that night when he looked at me with such eagerness. That night… my face flushed instantly.
He’s looking so intently; could it be that he noticed?
“Thank you for your calligraphy, Miss,” Yan Shunqing timely broke the awkwardness. “It is indeed a stroke of luck to meet you all today.”
His voice remained calm and gentle, as it always was, making it hard to discern his thoughts.
We chatted about other topics for a while before taking our leave after more than an hour.
Is there any way to protect him? This question weighed heavily on my mind.
That night at midnight, a figure had just settled in the darkness beside my bedside when I grabbed their wrist.
“What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?” Night Phantom said as they helped me up with one hand while using the other to take out a flint and skillfully lit the candle on my desk.
“Hey, I knew you would come. I've been waiting for you!” I was indeed not asleep; I was too excited to sleep. Thinking about what happened today, it felt like I had won a great victory all on my own. Not only did I obtain the gem for Night, but I also earned a thousand taels of silver. I felt like I could finally hold my head up high.
I proudly pulled out the “Autumn Scissors” from under my pillow. The gem shimmered beautifully in the candlelight, and Night Phantom's eyes sparkled like jewels—soft and bright.
“Here, for you. No need to steal anymore!”
Night took the gem and pulled out a slender chain made of deep black gold from somewhere. It was purely decorative, crafted from some unique precious metal that was dark yet not oppressive. The delicate chain was intricately carved, with floral designs hanging at intervals, and in the center dangled a bud of Weeping Begonia, with a spot to set the gem. Somehow, it seemed custom-made; Night embedded the “Autumn Scissors” into the chain, transforming it into an exquisite gemstone necklace.
He adjusted my posture and placed the necklace around my neck. In the flickering candlelight, his warm fingers brushed through my hair at the back of my neck, gently pushing it aside. His fingers lightly touched my skin, and my hair fell naturally over his arm as I leaned slightly against his left shoulder, resembling a gentle embrace.
A mysterious aura emanated from him—the scent of the deep night. Suddenly, an inexplicable tension surged within me.
“It looks beautiful,” he said softly as he pressed down on my shoulder, creating a bit of distance to admire the necklace around my neck.
Oh my gosh, what is happening here?!
“Ahem,” I recovered from the sudden surprise, finally getting my thoughts back on track. “What are you doing? Isn’t this what you wanted? Are you playing with me?!”
“I’ve already seen it; this isn’t what I’m looking for. This is yours,” he gazed at me gently.
“What exactly are you looking for? You promised me that if I got the ‘Autumn Scissors,’ you would tell me everything.” I finally grasped the main point.
“Hmm, I promised you. You’ve done your part; I will do mine.” Night Phantom smiled slightly and released his grip on my shoulder.
“I stole the gem for Nie Qiuyuan.”
What?! At this moment, are you really trying to pin your theft on my idol?!
“Zhenzhen, I once told you that when he was five years old, his family was annihilated, and he was the only survivor, saved by Master. Master is the founder of Mirror Gate and a divine catcher from the previous dynasty. When Nie Qiuyuan was rescued, he had several items with him, one of which was a bag containing seven gems. Master took one out to study it, but at that time, the disciple responsible for taking care of Nie Qiuyuan made an oversight, allowing thieves to steal the bag containing six gems from Qiu.”
Ah, so he was looking for something that Nie Qiuyuan had lost!
"Did you steal it back then?" I suddenly felt that something was off.
Night nearly spat out blood in anger and said, "Come on, I was five years old too! Did I steal it?"
It dawned on me that I had just learned Night Phantom's age. Although I felt he should be quite young, with his face covered by a mask, who could tell? He could very well be thirty-four.
As a modern girl, my standards for youth align with the United Nations definition: anyone under forty-five is considered "youth." So even if my good friend was an attractive older man, I wouldn't mind at all.
However, it seemed he wasn't an attractive older man but rather a handsome twenty-year-old.
"So, what exactly are these seven gems?" I asked him.
Night Phantom took one of my hands and placed something in my palm. I looked closely and saw a piece of black glass.
No, it wasn't glass; it was a piece of black stone. Despite its color, it was transparent and pure.
"What is this?" I felt puzzled.
"Crystal," Night replied calmly. "The only remaining piece among the seven gems."
What? A black crystal? Moreover, this important remaining gem had ended up in Night's hands. Their relationship must be quite close.
Night Phantom picked up a teacup from my table and then pulled out a small bottle from his sleeve, pouring some transparent liquid into the cup. He picked up the black crystal from my palm and placed it into the teacup.
Under the candlelight, the crystal at the bottom of the cup surprisingly revealed a clear character: the word "in."
I was so astonished that I couldn't close my mouth, but I heard Night say, "It took many years to figure this out. So perhaps each of the remaining six gems contains a character, and these seven characters might be related to his secret background. At that time, a disciple of Mirror Gate saw that the gem was stolen by the notorious thief known as 'Northern White Fox. However, when they later found the White Fox, he had already sold all six gems. Moreover, because he had handled so many gems, he couldn't remember what those six were. Therefore, those six gems should now be scattered among the people."
Although the gem before me was mysterious and peculiar, my mind couldn't help but conjure up a humorous image of "gathering all seven Dragon Balls, and you can..."
"Are you satisfied with my explanation?" Night Phantom looked at me.
"Yeah, I'm satisfied, but there's just one thing I don't understand. You're clearly stealing something, yet you're making such a big fuss about it and issuing a notice. What are you thinking?"
The corner of Night's mouth slowly lifted into a smile. "Because it's more interesting this way."
"Interesting! Aren't you afraid of drawing attention?" I nearly jumped off the bed.
"Yeah, I am. But the more you try to hide something, the more likely it is to attract the attention of experts. Perhaps the danger is even greater," Night Laugh said with a grin.
I calmed down and thought it over carefully. He had a point. If the people from Mirror Gate understood Nie Qiuyuan's personality well, then Night Phantom's behavior would indeed seem insane, and naturally, no one would connect the two of them. Since it was a gamble anyway, why not go for something bigger?
Regardless, I still felt a chill at Night's reckless behavior on the edge of danger. This guy was really something.
"Zhenzhen... thank you."
"Huh? Thank you for what?" I looked up and realized he was also staring at me.
Night pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. I unfolded it to find beautifully written calligraphy on the white paper—it was the nonsensical poem I had composed for Tongfu Hall's Boss Yan Shunqing. The elegant handwriting was undoubtedly that of my idol.
No wonder Nie Qiuyuan had taken it so seriously; he had recognized it at first glance. Indeed, the reason it sounded so ridiculous was that I had painstakingly crafted it as an acrostic poem.
In the depths of the valley, when did the red medicine reside,
As night deepens, I begin to sense the fragrance filling the road.
With a pure heart, I dance freely in the wind,
Zi Fanghua's heart yearned in solitude.
Obtaining a measure of the River of Forgetfulness,
Wealth and Fame are but external possessions.
Fate brings us together across thousands of miles,
As if the wind carries flowers from a thousand trees.
If you connect the first character of each line, it forms a phrase: "Night Phantom, there is a way to acquire wealth."
That was my thought at the time. Night had already sent a notice to the Tongfu Guild, planning to steal gems during the Arena Competition. However, I couldn't allow him to steal, as that would tarnish his reputation. Therefore, I decided to leave this poem behind, to convey that it wasn't Night Phantom who broke his promise; rather, he would openly take the gems by winning first place in the Arena Competition. Wouldn't that be more impressive?
When Nie Qiuyuan copied this poem for Night, I believed Night understood my intentions, which is why he came specifically to thank me.
"No need to thank me; after all, the gems aren't what you desire." I sighed regretfully. "Just teach me how to pick locks."
"Sure, I'll teach you how to make tools." Night looked at me, his gaze inexplicably intense, sending a sudden wave of unease through me.
What on earth was wrong with him? I couldn't help but ponder silently.
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