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墨書 Inktalez
The moment brought by the Cat-Faced Granny engulfed me in a vivid red. Instinctively, I raised my hands to shield myself and stumbled backward, but a force pushed me forward. At that same moment, I heard the honking of a car and the screeching of brakes behind me. I suddenly opened my eyes and realized I was standing in the middle of the road.
The Hairpin above me glimmered faintly in the shop window, and I knew it had protected me just now; otherwise, I would have surely been hit. But the Cat-Faced Granny had vanished.
“Watch where you’re going!”
“I’m sorry.”
I was still shaken, cold sweat trickling down my back. I had dropped my lunchbox in the chaos and hurried to pick it up. Fortunately, the lid was sealed, though some soup had spilled onto the rice.
“Sorry, Professor Qi. I accidentally dropped my lunchbox, so some soup got into it, but it shouldn’t affect the food.”
I placed the lunchbox on the table and awkwardly explained. Qi Zhi smiled gently and reached out to ruffle my slightly disheveled hair. “Why do you look so pale? Did something happen? Did Chu Fan bully you?”
“No, it’s just that I almost got hit by a car while crossing the street. It scared me.” I didn’t tell him about what had just happened; he wouldn’t believe it anyway.
Qi Zhi laughed instead. “If Chu Fan really bullied you, you’re always welcome here.”
I was taken aback and asked, “Professor Qi, do you really like me? Why?”
“Does liking someone need a reason?” Qi Zhi picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, commenting, “It tastes good; your cooking skills are impressive!”
“I used to love cooking with my dad at home, but it’s been a long time since I’ve done it. I’m glad you like it.”
I pulled out a chair and sat down, grabbing a fruit knife to peel an apple for him. While eating, Qi Zhi asked, “So how did you end up here studying alone?”
“Because I made a promise with Xiao You to go to college together until graduation, so here I am. Besides, Xiao You is here too; I’ll go back during holidays.”
“How many people are there in your family?”
“My parents and my grandfather.”
"Is there no one else? Like your grandfather or someone?"
"No, there isn't." I lifted my head, and at that moment, the last rays of the setting sun fell upon Qi Zhi, casting him into half-darkness, making it hard to see him clearly. Yet, I could sense that he was deep in thought as he lowered his head. "Professor Qi?"
"Anxin, your skills are really impressive. I wonder what delicious food we can have tomorrow morning?"
I smiled and cut the apple into pieces, placing them on a plate. "What do you want to eat?"
"I want to eat you." Qi Zhi suddenly pulled me into an embrace. Instinctively, I tried to struggle, but then I remembered his injury and held back. "Professor Qi, let go of me."
"Call me Qi Zhi." He tightened his grip, resting his chin on my neck and said with a smile, "This hairpin of yours is beautiful. Who gave it to you?"
I noticed Qi Zhi reaching for the hairpin and instinctively pushed him away, stepping back a few paces to maintain distance. With an awkward expression, I said, "Professor Qi, I have a boyfriend now, so I hope you—"
"Anxin, I bet he will definitely abandon you when this hairpin breaks." Qi Zhi smiled at me, his expression resolute yet laced with teasing, but his tone felt serious.
For some reason, my heart trembled suddenly, a fleeting sense of unease washing over me.
"Professor Qi, it's getting late today; I'll come back tomorrow."
"But the doctor said it's best to keep you company tonight. To avoid any awkwardness, I called Lin You over."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin You's little head peeked in from the doorway. No matter how unwilling I was, I had no choice but to stay. The main reason was that I couldn't get through to Chu Fan's phone.
No one answered at home, and my phone was off. I didn't know the Chu family's number either. If he saw that I hadn't returned home by nightfall, he would surely come looking for me. But even after ten o'clock at night, my phone had not rung once; the messages I sent went unanswered.
Jun Chong, where did you go?
With Lin You's presence, the awkwardness between Qi Zhi and me eased somewhat. However, it wasn't just because Jun Chong hadn't replied; it was also due to Qi Zhi's last words that left me feeling unsettled. In any case, I slept restlessly.
Tossing and turning in bed for a while, I finally woke up around one in the morning.
I got up to use the restroom and felt a bit parched. I wanted to pour myself some water, only to find that the kettle was empty, with just a cup of cold water sitting there.
Recalling how I had a stomachache all day after drinking cold water in the middle of the night last time, I decided to go outside and get some hot water instead. I initially wanted to call Lin You, but after trying to wake her several times with no success, I gave up.
After all, the Hot Water Room was just a few meters away from the Nurse Station, and there were nurses on duty at night in the hospital, so there was nothing to be afraid of.
The hospital corridors at night were eerily quiet, with all the lights turned off except for the dim yellow wall lamps providing some illumination. The lights at the Nurse Station were the brightest.
To get to the Hot Water Room, I had to pass by the Nurse Station.
As I walked, an unsettling silence surrounded me. The only sound was the red blinking colon on the Digital Clock hanging in the hallway, which reminded me of the glowing tip of an old man's cigarette in Siheyuan—blinking in and out, making me feel slightly dizzy as if I were being drawn into it.
Ding ding, ding ding...
I thought I heard a ringing sound approaching—close yet invisible in the surroundings—but that dizzy feeling vanished instantly. The corridor remained silent, with nothing but my own breathing breaking the stillness.
Taking a deep breath, I hurried to fill my cup at the Hot Water Room. As I passed by the Nurse Station, I noticed two nurses chatting together, which eased my anxiety considerably.
Watching the hot water flow from the spout into my kettle, I waited quietly when suddenly there was a soft "thud," like a drop of water falling.
I turned around but saw no one.
"Hey, stop scaring yourself," I reassured myself while lightly patting my chest as I prepared to turn back and switch off the faucet. Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a red shadow on my left side—a six-year-old girl who had appeared beside me without me noticing. Her pitch-black eyes stared straight at me as she grinned widely. "Big Sister is getting water too?"
My scream was lodged in my throat but subsided when I noticed the shadow behind her. I remembered my grandfather saying that those who cast shadows are usually not ghosts.
Relieved, I turned off the faucet and smiled at the little girl. "Yes, I'm thirsty and came out for some water. What about you? It's late; your family must be worried if you're wandering around."
The little girl was chubby but had an unusually pale face with large black pupils that took up most of her features, giving her an eerie appearance as if she were dead.
She tilted her chin up and said with a hint of grievance, "Mom and Dad don't want me anymore. Can I stay with my sister?"
"Silly child." I squatted down and reached out to touch her hair, only to find it icy cold, like touching ice. My hand instinctively withdrew, and I glanced at her shadow again; it was still there. "No parents would ever abandon their child. Should I send you back to your sister?"
"Okay."
"Which hospital room does your family stay in?"
This wasn't a pediatric ward, and seeing such a small child here meant that a family member must be hospitalized. Just then, the familiar sound of bells rang in my ears again, clear and soothing.
Suddenly, the little girl collapsed to the ground in pain. I set down the water bottle and reached out to help her, only to realize her body was extremely cold.
It wasn't even winter, yet it felt so frigid.
Was she really human?
I thought to myself as the little girl got back up from the floor, smiled faintly at me, and shook her head. "Big Sister, I'll come find you again. I'm leaving now."
"Hey, wait!"
I grabbed the water bottle and turned to chase after her, but the corridor was eerily quiet; there was nothing there except for the incessant ringing of the bells in my ears.
"Maybe she lives in one of these rooms!"
I didn't think much of it and returned with the water bottle. After mixing hot water with cold for a drink, I felt somewhat relieved. At that moment, Qi Zhi suddenly made a sound. I turned around to see him curled up; thinking his wound had started hurting again, I quickly checked and found he was burning up with fever.
The doctor had said that wounds could easily become inflamed, so a fever was expected. I hadn't anticipated it would flare up in the middle of the night; it wasn't until morning that Qi Zhi finally fell asleep after tossing and turning.
"Anxin, what do you think we should do?" Lin You said as he changed Qi Zhi's towel. "How about I sign you in for morning classes? You can continue taking care of Professor Qi."
I looked at Qi Zhi, who was still mumbling in his sleep, and nodded. "When you come back at noon, bring something to eat. I'm worried about him like this; I can't leave."
"Alright, I'll be on my way then."
"Wait." I called out to Lin You. Since last night, I hadn't heard a word from Chu Fan, and I was genuinely worried. But I couldn't leave. Lin You noticed my hesitation and patted my shoulder, saying, "If I see him, I'll let him know. Don't worry; he probably has something going on!"
"I'm not worried."
"Then what are you? Out of sight, out of mind?" Lin You laughed. "Stop showing off your affection; you might end up regretting it."
She laughed heartily as she walked away, leaving me standing there, a wave of unease washing over me once again.
Afterward, the doctor made rounds and the nurse administered treatment. Thankfully, the fever had finally subsided, but there was still a slight low-grade fever. The doctor advised that someone should stay with him, so I resigned myself to staying put.
My phone remained silent. When Lin You came by at noon, she mentioned she hadn't seen Chu Fan in class either. His phone was still turned off, and my worry deepened. I asked Lin You to keep an eye on things for me while I went home for a bit.
"Jun Chong! Jun Chong! Are you home? Jun Chong?"
I opened the door and called out, but no one answered. The entire room was empty, but I found Chu Fan's belongings, which meant Jun Chong had left in his original form. What on earth was he doing?
The weight of disappointment grew heavier in my heart. Could it be that he really didn't want me anymore?
Whether it was due to my emotions or just being overly dramatic, I squatted down on the sofa and began to cry. I lost track of time as the sky gradually darkened, a chill creeping closer to me, enveloping me in its embrace.
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