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墨書 Inktalez
Song Bunan could not comprehend how deranged that woman must be to transform her own son into a human weapon, even altering his very essence so that his flesh and blood were laced with poison.
He watched Xin Yi stumble to his feet only to collapse again, nearly frightened out of his wits. He staggered over to Xin Yi's side, crawling on hands and knees, but fortunately, Shui Su reacted first, catching him before he could suffer further injury from the fall.
Seeing his friend on the verge of tears in such a dismal place, Xiao Mei quickly grabbed Song Bunan, urging everyone not to waste time and to leave. Shui Su agreed with this suggestion, shoving something into Xin Yi's mouth before swiftly hoisting him up and declaring it was time to retreat.
They returned to the blasted opening, where Qin Xiang volunteered to lead the way out. This passage had been pinpointed by Shui Su, and Ming You had secretly dug it out with the help of a Cyborg who listened to her commands while using the construction site as cover. After Song Bunan was brought in, she contacted Shui Su and informed him that their plan was nearing completion.
Shui Su had chosen the entrance at the corner of the Gu Family's courtyard. For this reason, Ming You had made numerous trips to survey the terrain, ultimately relocating a tree to calculate the perfect angle for digging the tunnel without being detected. She would always admire Song Bunan's unexpected wisdom in such matters, which contrasted with his appearance, and she felt pleased that her younger brother could thrive in such a chaotic environment.
The tunnel entrance was surrounded by those who had survived, countless lights illuminating their path. As Qin Xiang stepped outside, she spotted the captain leaning against a large tree smoking. If it weren't for the bandage on his face, she might have been deceived by his calm demeanor. The woman raised her cigarette and exchanged a smile with him, but her expression changed when she saw Xin Yi being carried out; she hurried over to inquire about what had happened.
"From today onward, Xin Yi is dead," Shui Su began slowly, looking at them. "When he wakes up, call him whatever name he has; do not refer to him by the code name Xin Yi anymore. Any issues that arise will be your responsibility. Understood?"
In front of strangers, Shui Su always maintained an authoritative presence; his youthful appearance did not diminish his imposing aura. Even the female captain and Qin Xiang, who appeared much older than him, could not match his intensity. The two women were momentarily stunned by his words before frowning and nodding in acknowledgment.
"So what was his original name again?" The captain asked quietly after confirming there were no issues, turning to Qin Xiang for an answer. The old teammate hesitated in silence, her expression troubled. Standing nearby, Song Bunan answered without thinking: "Xiao Ke Ai!"
A sudden inappropriate sound erupted from those around them before quickly fading away. Realizing the implications of that name only after hearing it, Song Bunan recalled how he felt when he first encountered it in the files—beyond its ominous connotation was an odd sense of dissonance.
He turned to look at his boyfriend now slung over Ming Hua's back; there was nothing about him that resembled "little cutie." "That name is unlucky; we'll change it when we get home. For now, let's just call him Brother Xiao."
All the uncontrolled human weapons in the Gu Family courtyard had been eliminated; the sight of bodies strewn everywhere could haunt someone for a lifetime. Ming You suddenly appeared from somewhere just before they left, handing something to her brother before mentioning she still had unfinished business. "You don't need to worry about this place; I'll clean it up. Shui Su, how long will it take over there?" She spoke without hesitation and then urged them out while pulling Shui Su aside for a question.
"It’s already finished. You all can clean up now." With this affirmative response, Song Bunan watched as Ming You hurried away again. They exited through the nearest back door as dawn began to break with a faint grayish hue on the horizon.
This dawn marked their true end to this troublesome affair. Ming Hua carried the unconscious Xin Yi and asked which hospital they should go to. Shui Su simply shoved them into the car and replied that it wasn't necessary.
"I gave him enough medicine to detoxify, and the external injuries are bandaged, so there shouldn't be any problems. I've already sent a family doctor to wait downstairs at Bunan's house. It would be great if you could accompany him back. I have some matters to attend to, and we can all gather together later."
Song Bunan stood obediently by the car, staring at his phone and swallowing hard. Xiao Mei curiously leaned over to take a look, only to see a message from a contact labeled "World's Best Brother": "Parents are waiting for you at your place. Come back with that guy. What's going on with the doctor outside your door? Where have you been?"
As a good person filled with brotherly love, Xiao Mei laughed heartily and hopped into Song Bunan's car, declaring how much he enjoyed such scenes and that he had to be there in person. Shui Su didn't stop him; after saying goodbye, he left early, leaving Song Bunan standing alone, on the verge of tears.
He truly wasn't ready for his parents to meet his boyfriend—not out of fear, but simply because he didn't want his father to see them in their current state, which clearly suggested they hadn't been up to anything good. Qin Xiang approached at some point, reassuringly patting his shoulder and saying earnestly, "I consider myself half a father to Xiao Xiao; when our families meet, I'll be there."
His words brought tears to Song Bunan's eyes as he sobbed while climbing into the car, exclaiming that even if he didn't die today, he would still suffer greatly. Just before the car started, they could hear the captain outside shouting that they would wait until Ke Ai woke up before going to meet the in-laws. Song Bunan turned from the front seat to look at the unconscious figure leaning against Brother Ming Hua and handed his brother some wet wipes to help clean up.
After getting his own house, it was the first time it was filled with people. The family doctor was busy tending to Xin Yi's wounds in the bedroom while ignoring the family meeting happening outside. Ming Hua and Xiao Mei were asked to stay and listen as father Song, mother Song, and Song Buxian conducted a thorough interrogation of Song Bunan. The defendant sat on a low stool, considerably shorter than everyone else, curling up pitifully and not daring to make eye contact with his parents.
father Song was clearly furious; since entering the room, he had been glaring at Song Bunan with fiery eyes. Upon seeing Xin Yi's appearance, his anger intensified further. He pounded his cane on the floor with a loud thud, his voice trembling with rage. "You went behind our backs to find a man?! How have I raised you! Men should act like men; what kind of example is it for you to like someone of the same sex! That man looks at least sixty—he's almost as old as I am! What do you see in him?!"
The old man nearly shouted himself hoarse as he spoke, causing the tears that Song Bunan had been holding back to burst forth uncontrollably. He looked pitiful; it was hard to believe he had just returned from a battlefield. The child defended his lover by pouting and insisting that he wasn't sixty—his hair was just dust from the walls.
"Still dare to argue!" The old man was so enraged that he nearly toppled over. Raising his cane as if ready to strike Song Bunan, it was quick-thinking Brother Song Buxian who caught hold of their father while Ming Hua rushed in to snatch away the cane and urged Uncle to calm down. mother Song maintained her composure; she stood up first to advise her husband to calm down before walking over and pinching Song Bunan's ear.
"Is your dad angry about his age? No! He's angry because you hid this from him! You didn't communicate such an important matter with your family; dating is one thing, but living together without informing anyone? If it weren't for your dad and me seeing your home surveillance footage, would you still be planning on playing hide-and-seek?"
Song Buxian stood behind his father trying not to laugh; he had to admit that Mom's way of sidestepping the issue was impressive—just a few words managed to obscure Dad's disdain for homosexuality. Ming Hua and Xiao Mei felt somewhat embarrassed; after all, no one expected that coming for some excitement would lead them into a scolding session—even if it wasn't directly aimed at them.
The old man was clearly flustered by anger; hearing his wife's words made him feel something was off but unable to articulate it properly. He continued scolding: "We usually urge your brother but forget about you? Disappearing without contacting your family can be excused as being busy; now you're pulling this stunt—how do you explain it? Do you think you're so impressive? What kind of person is he that you'd dare live together? What if you get deceived?"
Wiping away tears gave him newfound courage; he straightened up and shouted back at his father that he was truly in love with this person—that aside from this partner, there would never be another love in his life. It didn't matter whether they were male or female; he loved him and wanted to be together.
The conversation went nowhere as the child stubbornly resisted; the old man trembled with rage before delivering a sharp slap across Song Bunan's face. The force of the blow knocked him back two steps until Xiao Mei caught him. The crisp sound of the slap seemed to bring some clarity back to the old man's mind; even Mama stood frozen in shock.
They had never struck a child's face before; the most severe punishment they had ever administered was a light slap on the hand when a principle was violated, serving as a warning. Now, this slap felt particularly grave.
Song Bunan covered his face and looked up, his eyes filled with a sadness they had never seen before. His lips moved as if to say something, but in the next moment, he closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground. Xiao Mei quickly caught him and laid him flat, noticing that Song Bunan's face was pale and not in a normal state.
Just then, the family doctor finished attending to Patient Number One and came out to explain some precautions. Upon turning around, he spotted several patients on the floor and surveyed everyone present with a skeptical expression before quickly squatting down to examine Song Bunan.
"I'm exhausted," the doctor, who was deaf-mute, signed to Xiao Mei after assessing Song Bunan's condition. "This young man has a poor foundation; he must have been sleeping poorly and not eating well lately while being busy. He clearly got worked up just now. Treat it as if he is overwhelmed with anger; take him inside for a good sleep. When he wakes up, make sure he gets some nutrition. Avoid strenuous activities and late nights for the next couple of months, and he'll be fine."
"Also, remember to take him for regular check-ups on his back; I noticed some other growths there. It's not serious, but check once he wakes up."
Xiao Mei diligently acted as a translator. Upon hearing that it wasn't serious, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. The elder calmed down and instructed Song Buxian to carry the young man to the study for some rest, telling his wife that they should head home and wait until the young man woke up before discussing this matter thoroughly.
"What an untroublesome little thing," mother Song said as she went inside to cover her younger son with a blanket. Looking at his pale face, she helplessly touched his recently roughened skin and gently placed a kiss on his forehead, whispering that she would persuade his father well and not to worry.
"You two little treasures have worked hard too; the house is such a mess that it has kept you from resting. Once that brat wakes up, come over to my house for dinner," father Song said. He always had a good impression of Ming Hua and Xiao Mei, and seeing the dark circles under their eyes made him feel sorry for them. He thanked them and left first.
Inside remained Song Buxian, Ming Hua, and Xiao Mei. After sending off the elderly couple and the doctor, Ming Hua and Xiao Mei sighed in relief as they sat on the sofa, rubbing their chests. They looked reproachfully at Song Buxian, indicating why he hadn’t helped keep things hidden from Bunan longer—now he had gotten upset.
Song Buxian innocently replied, "The old couple wanted to see photos of my girlfriend stored on my computer. Who would have thought I opened an old surveillance video that just happened to show two people kissing? How could I hide that?"
Xiao Mei was surprised at why an older brother would save such footage. The person involved scoffed and said it was requested by the one who fainted in excitement—wanting to preserve their romantic moments together. "Otherwise, why would I keep such filthy things on my computer?" Song Buxian said through gritted teeth, clearly frustrated.
"It's fine; it's not serious. Once both of you recover, your family can sit down together and talk it out," Ming Hua reassured herself with a nod, forcing herself to believe it would be okay.
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