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墨書 Inktalez
I felt like I was on the verge of a breakdown. This script was enough to drive anyone crazy who had to act alongside him.
"Brother Jiang, let's be clear, shall we? You're not playing matchmaker; you're just sabotaging everything."
"Hey now." Fatty's voice rose. "I'm putting in the effort here, and I'm getting nothing in return. Fine, I won't be involved anymore. You can go deal with Miss Ren by yourself."
With that, Fatty plopped down into his wheelchair and wheeled himself away.
I pretended to be furious as I followed him out of the mist. At the mouth of this sheltered alley, two people stood in the cold wind. When they saw Fatty and me approaching, they turned and vanished.
However, I could tell that their movements were sluggish; they must have been standing there for a while, freezing cold and likely close to being numb.
"Serves them right," I muttered under my breath.
I hoped those two were watching me. If their target was Fatty, then he would be in trouble going to Laos—at least the journey wouldn't be peaceful.
Once back at the shop, I shut myself off from everyone. My current situation felt eerily similar to when I first returned from Lop Nur; it seemed I was under surveillance. Contacting anyone would only put them in danger. I even entertained the dark thought of visiting an enemy or two. It would be a perfect opportunity for some underhanded revenge.
Of course, it was just a thought. I really didn't have any enemies that I wanted to see harmed.
Though life alone at home dragged on slowly, I had things to keep me occupied. I dared not touch the Sand Table Model, but the information Xiao Guolin left me was enough to keep me busy for a while. In the days that followed, I sat in front of my computer, carefully analyzing every word of the information Xiao Guolin had provided.
I had no idea when Fatty set off; I hadn't contacted him again and couldn't even confirm whether he had left. Xiao Ting hadn't reached out either. If she had, at least I'd know Fatty's basic whereabouts. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case—I felt like a deaf and blind person.
Before I knew it, the New Year had arrived. I called my parents to check in and made up an excuse for not being able to come home for the holiday. They scolded me over the phone, and all I could do was grit my teeth and listen, afraid that their frustration would lead them to come looking for me. Right now, it was just a pit here—anyone who came would fall right in.
At least I managed to settle my parents down; they didn't come looking for me. However, just after the Lantern Festival, someone did show up unexpectedly—it was Jack, arriving sooner than I'd anticipated.
He stood before me, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, handsome and poised, effortlessly outshining Huang Hai, who was standing beside him. Unlike our first meeting, however, he wore a softer expression instead of his usual businesslike demeanor, his deep gaze fixed on me.
In that instant, it felt as if everything had returned to the past. We were back in the midst of chaos, back to the moment we fought side by side. Our eyes locked, and neither of us spoke; the encounter felt oddly reminiscent of long-lost lovers reuniting. Damn it, my eyes were actually welling up.
As our hands clasped together, I turned my head to wipe my eyes. Jack, however, unabashedly pulled me into an embrace.
I buried my face in his shoulder. "It feels like we've been apart for a lifetime; those events seem like they happened in a previous life."
Jack nodded. "It's like a dream. If we don't go back, I fear we'll spend the rest of our lives trapped in a nightmare."
I knew where he intended to return. It wasn't necessarily the Underground Cavern of the Hakka People; anywhere with the Eternal Gate was where he needed to go. It had become his destiny—perhaps even a burden on his heart.
I took a deep breath, a mix of excitement and an uncontrollable desire and fear swirling within me, causing my breath to hitch slightly as if I were choking back tears.
Huang Hai, who had originally been standing beside Jack, somehow found himself positioned between us now, forming an equilateral triangle with us. He stared at both our faces with his mischievous eyes and suddenly blurted out, "Good brothers, sharing a blanket."
Seeing the smirk plastered across his face made me realize the implication behind his words, and I couldn't help but feel like spitting in his face. Truly, you get what you pay for; his master loved to tease Jack and me with such remarks. Here he was taking it further by suggesting we share a blanket.
Jack responded with a hand resting on my shoulder. "Yes, for a lifetime."
Jack's Chinese was good enough, but grasping the deeper meaning behind Huang Hai's words was still challenging for him. Clearly, he didn't understand what Huang Hai meant and thought he was being complimented.
I swatted his hand away. "Don't be foolish; it's not 'for a lifetime,' it's—"
I made a sleeping gesture. "Sharing a blanket. Got it? You are..."
"Communication"
Before I could finish my sentence, I saw Jack kick Huang Hai two meters away. As he flew through the air, Huang Hai landed and began to twitch on the ground, gasping for breath like he was about to die. No, it was more like a cockroach; I hated Stephen Chow!
"I can't stand being treated like this by anyone, especially after Fatty mocked me," Jack said without even glancing at the twitching Huang Hai on the ground.
"I agree," I nodded. On this matter, Jack and I were on the same side. "You know, he’s one of Fatty's people. You can understand why he’s so annoying."
"Oh, is that so?" Jack said, lifting his leg for another kick.
I grabbed him. "Stop kicking him! If you injure him, I'll have to pay for medical expenses."
"I'll cover it."
"That won't do either. My money is still in his pocket. If you injure him, that's fine, but if you kill him or scare him off, who am I supposed to ask for my money?"
Jack was strong; anyone who took that kick would be half-dead, and Huang Hai was no exception. But even while twitching from the kick, Huang Hai could still hear our conversation. When he heard that Jack was going to kick him again—harder this time—he didn't care about the pain and scrambled back into his house.
Once inside, Huang Hai found his courage and shouted through the door, "American Guy, just wait! I'm calling Brother Gang right now. If you have the guts, don't run away! If I don't kill you, I won't be named Huang!"
This remark stirred up Jack's long-standing grudge against Fatty. It seemed that Jack was now determined to confront Fatty as well. Hearing Huang Hai's words, he broke free from my grip and shouted towards Huang Hai's house, "You better call Fatty over! If you don’t bring him here, I’ll kick you to death today!"
In this cold weather, I was sweating with anxiety.
I walked up to Huang Hai's door and pushed Jack aside a bit. "Old Huang," I called out to him, "how sturdy do you think that door is? Do you really think American Guy can’t kick it open? Are you worried about dying slowly or are you trying to think of a new way to die? Why don’t you call Fatty over and settle this? Don’t go looking for death in front of me; do you want me to collect your corpse or what?"
Huang Hai finally calmed down after hearing my words.
I turned to Jack and said, "Let's put our matters aside for now. Don't let Fatty get himself killed; who am I supposed to ask about it then?"
Jack's expression was icy as he replied, "Him? Kill me? I don't believe it!"
I made a running gesture with my index and middle fingers, pointing towards my room. "Whether you believe it or not, this matter ends here for today. We have serious business to attend to. Please."
Jack looked at me suspiciously and asked, "He's not here?"
I nodded.
"Where is he?"
I thought for a moment and told him, "Laos." (To Be Continued...)
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