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墨書 Inktalez
Jun Chong left that night, but I insisted he take Tao Wu with him because I didn't want Jun Chong to get hurt like last time.
Before leaving, he placed Chu Fan's body in the freezer and told me not to open the door unless necessary. I agreed; I still felt some resistance towards the corpse. It was one thing for him to walk and talk, but lying there without any movement was quite frightening.
Chu Fan's house was large, and I wasn't used to living alone. After thinking it over, I decided to have Molin move in after his discharge. There were plenty of rooms, so having one more person didn’t matter.
To my surprise, the next day Lin You found out and insisted on moving in as well, claiming she wanted to keep an eye on me for Jun Chong. In reality, she just wanted to get closer to Molin. Unfortunately, Molin was oblivious to romantic matters, which frustrated Lin You to the point where she poked my head repeatedly.
"Stop poking me! It's not my fault he's dull. Why don't you just strip down and go for it? Maybe he’s the type who would yield after things heat up," I said while shielding my head from her jabs as we walked toward the address I had arranged with Jiang Xiaorou. Yesterday, because of Jun Chong's decision to go to Tianshan, I had lost my mood for photography and kept bothering him instead; hence, I made plans with Jiang Xiaorou for today.
Lin You's eyes widened in shock at my words. She glared at me and poked my forehead angrily. "What are you talking about? I want him to be useful for me! You idiot, your mind is all over the place. Don’t tarnish my innocent heart!"
I chuckled mischievously as we playfully bickered our way forward until we arrived at the address Jiang Xiaorou had given me—In This Life for You Photography Studio.
The black sign resembled an ancient plaque, with vibrant red cursive that seemed alive with energy, clearly crafted by a skilled hand.
The entrance was also vintage-style, lacking any promotional material, unlike typical photography studios. I wondered if this uniqueness contributed to its popularity.
As soon as I stepped onto the stairs, a sudden jolt ran through me as if the ground shook beneath my feet, and a sharp pain shot through my left waist where my hairpin was before quickly fading away.
"Why didn’t you tell me you were coming here today?" Lin You complained while adjusting her clothes. "How do I look? Do I seem dignified and graceful?"
I scowled at her. "If you went on a blind date, no one would dare choose you—hahaha!"
"That's mean!"
"Dislike? Or not?"
I stared in shock at Lin You, who had flushed cheeks and was shyly gazing ahead, quietly resembling a refined lady.
Following her gaze, I suddenly understood what was happening—she had spotted a handsome guy.
The owner of In This Life for You Photography Studio was quite charming. I had seen him once yesterday, and now he had unexpectedly walked out of the shop. The women passing by gasped, staring at him with hearts in their eyes.
I looked around; this man was indeed handsome, but compared to my Jun Chong, he fell far short. Just then, I noticed Jiang Xiaorou also coming out of the shop.
Jiang Xiaorou scanned the area but didn’t find Chu Fan, so she reluctantly turned her gaze to me. "Where's Brother Chu Fan?"
"He's been busy lately and is out for a few days."
"Where did he go? How come I didn't know?" I thought to myself that if she knew, it would be strange. Before I could respond, she shot me an angry glare and turned to leave. "Since Brother Chu Fan isn't here, you can take your own photos! I'm leaving."
I found it amusing and said to Lin You, "Are all the young girls like this now? Knowing that I'm with Chu Fan and still not trying to win him over? How are they supposed to chase after men like this?"
"That's because they can't see anyone else besides the person they love," Lin You replied without looking at me, her gaze still fixed on the handsome shop owner. To my surprise, he initiated a conversation with me and walked over. "Hello, we meet again. I heard from Xiaorou that a friend is here for a photo shoot today—is that you?"
I smiled slightly at him, feeling a bit embarrassed under the scrutiny of those around us. "Yes."
"Then come on in! However, Xiaorou mentioned that you came late and that the photographer isn't here today. If you don't mind, may I take your photos instead?"
Upon hearing that the photographer wasn't available and feeling increasingly uncomfortable under the gazes around me, I quickly replied, "That won't be necessary; I'm just taking an ID photo. I can find any photo studio for that—no—ah!"
Suddenly, someone pinched my waist hard. Lin You twisted her body to block my view and smiled sweetly at the handsome shop owner. "Don't listen to her nonsense; this girl hasn't seen much of the world and doesn't know your skills as the shop owner. Please don't mind her."
"It's fine; anyway, it's not busy today in the shop. Come on in!"
He walked in first, and I looked at Lin You with dissatisfaction. "Why did you pinch me?"
"You ungrateful girl! You have no idea how lucky you are. Since this photography studio opened, the business has been booming. Not to mention the stunning photographers and makeup artists here, especially the manager—he's so handsome that it drives people crazy. Many women spend a fortune just to get one photo taken by him, but you can get it with just a word. Be grateful! Remember to ask him to take a picture of me later; I’m counting on those beautiful shots for the no-makeup contest!"
"…"
I felt a whirlwind of confusion because the glances from the women around me confirmed that Lin You was speaking the truth. However, I was still somewhat reluctant to go in—not for any other reason, but because of the feeling I got when stepping into this place, which was definitely not a good sign.
But I couldn’t argue with Lin You and had to brace myself. The sun was shining brightly, so it should be fine.
The interior of the shop continued the vintage style from outside, adorned with a touch of Baroque elegance, complemented by warm colors reminiscent of winter sunlight.
However, that was just a visual impression; I felt there was something cold about this place—a damp chill that contrasted sharply with its warm appearance.
The reception desk was tightly positioned against the left wall, with a door behind it. To the right was a waiting room, accompanied by a spiral staircase that wound upward. The central column was as thick as two people could embrace, dark and unknown in material, likely the same as the staircase.
For some reason, as I looked at the staircase, a sudden chill swept over me. The staircase, which should have been still, seemed to start spiraling upward like a kaleidoscope—unpredictable and ever-changing.
My eyes couldn’t look away, and my mind felt dizzy. Perhaps because of this sensation, I thought I saw many hands suddenly reaching out from within the column, as if trapped in a plastic bag and desperately trying to escape. No matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't break free and continued to spiral upward in an endless cycle.
"Sit here." The Handsome Manager approached with two drinks. Noticing me staring blankly at the spiral staircase, he asked, "Is there something wrong with this staircase?"
Lin You nudged me, and I finally snapped back to reality. Blinking my eyes, I realized that the column was just an ordinary column and the staircase was indeed motionless. It must have been an illusion caused by staring too long at such curvy shapes.
"Nothing's wrong."
"Drink some water first; I'll prepare things for you. You're here for an ID photo, right?"
"Yes."
"Do you need anything else?" The Handsome Manager smiled lightly, like a breath of spring. His skin was as fair as snow, and his dark eyes resembled a deep abyss. "I'm the only one in the store today, so if you want to take photos, I can offer you a little favor."
"Then I'll trouble the manager, thank you."
This time, Lin You quickly agreed before I could say anything. Seeing her expression, I knew that refusing would lead to a harsh lesson. Just one photo didn't seem like a big deal, so I didn't argue.
The Handsome Manager glanced at us and said, "My name is Shizui; just call me by my name."
"Shizui." Lin You's face lit up with joy. "Heart like Shizui, what a lovely name."
Shizui smiled slightly and turned to go upstairs without saying anything further.
I waved my hand at Lin You to bring her back to reality. "Shizui actually means stagnant water, representing being stuck; how is that good?"
"Do you understand the meaning?" Lin You pouted, taking a sip of her drink as a warning. "Don't ruin this for me. Just cooperate today; if I can catch up with him, I’ll have no regrets."
Looking at Lin You, whose eyes weren't entirely filled with infatuation, I felt a slight jolt in my heart but said nothing. I picked up my cup to take a sip of water, but as soon as the water touched my lips, a sharp pain shot through my left side. Caught off guard, I nearly knocked over the blanket.
Wiping my mouth, I quietly lifted my shirt but saw no change in the Hairpin.
What was going on?
Before long, Shizui called us upstairs. "The makeup room and photography studio are upstairs."
Lin You and I stood up to go up, but as soon as I stepped onto the stairs, I almost tripped. Looking down, I saw a blood-red hand reaching out from the pillar, grabbing my ankle.
Instinctively wanting to kick it away, I realized my shoe was stuck on the step and wouldn't budge. In that brief moment, all the hands that had previously been unable to reach out from the pillar broke through the barrier and grabbed me, climbing up from my ankles and quickly seizing my feet.
I was startled and wanted to scream when suddenly a hand covered my mouth. Turning my head, I was shocked to see it was Lin You.
She looked hollow, her hands wrapped tightly around my neck, desperately covering my mouth as she murmured something. I struggled with all my might, but it was futile.
Her strength was overwhelming, pushing me straight into the column. Those hands seized the opportunity to pull me further in, a heavy scent of blood wafting from within the column, utterly repulsive.
Suddenly, a chilling sensation wrapped around my waist, causing me to shudder violently. A sharp pain shot through my left side, and then all the strength in my body vanished.
I let out a scream and fell to the ground.
Lin You heard my scream and turned around. "What happened?"
I glanced around; my shoes weren't stuck, the column stood still, and those hands had disappeared. Lin You seemed unchanged as well.
"I'm fine. I just tripped."
A chill ran down my spine, and I was drenched in sweat. I glanced nervously at the staircase, feeling it would be best to leave quickly. However, I couldn't go against Lin You's wishes, so I steeled myself and hurriedly finished what I needed to do.
Just then, Shizui came down from upstairs and reached out his hand to me. "How could you be so careless?"
Embarrassed, I took his hand to get up. The moment we touched, it felt icy and piercing, far colder than Jun Chong's touch. Remembering the terror this place had brought me made me feel increasingly uneasy.
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