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墨書 Inktalez
After the incident at the Soul Website, life became monotonous, and in the blink of an eye, ten days had passed. However, Jun Chong still had not returned.
Every morning, the first thing I did was search for him everywhere, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Even the faintest trace of his presence in the air gradually faded away.
"Anxin, let's go eat at this place tomorrow. I've heard their desserts are incredibly delicious, all handmade by the owner. People line up from one end to the other every day. I finally managed to snag a spot; we’ll set off at three in the afternoon."
Lin You took a sip of her drink while flipping through a magazine in the café, chattering away. I rested my chin on my hand, bored as I watched couples around me, stirring my drink absentmindedly.
Today marked the sixteenth day without any news from Jun Chong.
Suddenly, a tall figure walked in from outside. A familiar face approached me, carrying a cool aura with him. The smile on his lips formed a beautiful arc, radiating a gentle warmth that felt uniquely his.
His dark eyes narrowed slightly, locking onto an infinite darkness that seemed to be known only to him.
I jolted upright and instinctively reached out to grab his hand. "Jun Chong, you’re finally back."
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I was overjoyed; he really had returned safely.
The man looked down at me with a smile and didn’t pull away from my grasp. He maintained his politeness. "Miss, I think you might have mistaken me for someone else."
"Anxin, you’ve got the wrong person!"
Lin You pulled my hand back. I blinked in embarrassment; the man before me bore a striking resemblance to Jun Chong—about sixty or seventy percent alike—but he was not Jun Chong.
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else. My apologies."
"It's alright."
The man smiled lightly and walked inside.
I watched his back, my heart sinking once again.
"Anxin, I know you miss Jun Chong. He probably got held up with something! Just wait a bit longer; nothing bad will happen!"
"Thank you."
Even though I said that, I was truly anxious inside. He wasn't someone without credibility; his prolonged absence surely meant he was in danger.
Lin You suddenly pinched my cheeks, pulling them apart as she threatened, "Get it together! If you keep this up, I might have to get violent with you!"
"Alright, I get it! Just let me go. Look around; so many people are watching you! It's not good for your lady-like image."
"I'm not violent at all!" Lin You suddenly became docile and sat back down. Following her gaze, I looked over and realized that Shizui was walking toward us.
"Mr. Shizui."
Ever since I learned he was Jun Chong's subordinate, I treated him like a friend, but I rarely visited his shop. That staircase always gave me an unsettling feeling.
At that time, Shizui explained, "It's because that's the entrance to the underworld; the lingering spirits of the deceased cling to it, which is why you feel uneasy. Just avoid it if nothing's going on."
"Anxin, Lin."
"Mr. Shizui, what a coincidence."
Lin You looked at Shizui with doe-like eyes, her cheeks flushed and her gaze shimmering with a watery light that made her instantly captivating. I suddenly recalled Lin You's reaction when she first saw Shizui and thought to myself—could she really have developed feelings for him?
"No, I'm here to talk to Anxin about something." When Shizui said this, my heart skipped a beat. "Anxin, can we talk privately?"
"Xiao You, wait for me a moment."
Lin You didn't find it strange. I noticed Shizui's troubled expression, and my heart sank. "Shizui, just tell me what it is. No matter the answer, I will hold on."
Shizui looked at my forced composure and gently ran his fingers through my hair, letting out a low sigh. "I sent people to search all over Tianshan, but we couldn't find Jun Chong or Tao Wu. However, we did find this; it still carries his scent."
He handed me something, and as soon as I saw it, tears streamed down my face. Trembling, I took the item tied with a red string in my hands, feeling its icy chill.
This was the hair I had given Jun Chong before leaving, symbolizing Bonded Couple.
"This is the gift I gave him. He said he would never leave it behind unless he was dead, but now—"
I clutched the Bonded Couple tightly, shaking all over as tears fell uncontrollably. My heart raced in chaos. "Jun Chong promised me he would return on the tenth day, but he hasn't come back! He hasn't!"
"Anxin, don't worry. Jun Chong has survived many dangers before; he knows how to handle himself. If he can't return right now, it's probably because something has delayed him. Rest assured, they are still searching in Tianshan. As soon as there’s news, I will let you know. You must take care of yourself and believe in Jun Chong; he will come back safely, do you understand?"
I held onto the Bonded Couple and bowed my head in silence, biting my lip until I tasted blood.
"Anxin!" Shizui suddenly cupped my face and forced my mouth open. "I know your heart is aching; Jun Chong is your very existence. You must be strong and wait for him to return. If you love him, you must believe that if even the one who cares most gives up hope for him, he will cry too."
"Cry?"
My hand trembled, and the Bonded Couple fell to the ground, the black and red colors glaring under the sunlight.
"Yes. When you lose your greatest love and that pain pierces your soul, even the strongest person will cry." Shizui gently wiped away my tears and cleaned the blood from my lips with a soft sigh.
"Anxin, I know waiting can sometimes be more torturous than going into battle. But if there’s no one waiting behind you, that person loses their reason to live. You are Jun Chong's reason to live, do you understand? I believe you will become strong again. I will personally go to Tianshan to find him while you wait for my news here."
I stared blankly at Shizui for a long time, finally closing my eyes and nodding. When I opened them again, I bent down to pick up the Bonded Couple, holding it tightly in my palm. "I trust you, trust myself, and I believe he will return to me safe and sound."
"Fool, he will," Shizui said, patting my head. Over there, Lin You had grown impatient and rushed over. Upon seeing my tear-streaked face, she worriedly pulled out a tissue to wipe my cheeks. "Anxin, why are you crying?"
"I accidentally bit my lip and it hurts," I sniffled, putting the Bonded Couple into my pocket. I didn’t want to worry her or drag her into danger because of my problems. "Mr. Shizui said he would treat you to dessert. I still need to go back and finish my graduation project; I have to submit it to the instructor tomorrow! Xiao You, see you at school tomorrow. Bye!"
With that, I turned and left. I needed to adjust my emotions properly.
After bidding farewell to Lin You and Shizui, I turned the corner and nearly bumped into a woman walking towards me. Thankfully, I steadied myself just in time. "Sorry. Hello, Auntie?"
I greeted her politely, but Mother Chu didn’t even glance at me as she walked past with her phone in hand. I touched my nose, preparing to leave when I heard her say, "Xiao Fan said he’s coming back for dinner tonight. Go buy something delicious; it’s been so long since our son came home; we should have a good gathering."
I froze. "Jun Chong is back?"
Hearing this news made me immediately chase after her. "Auntie, is Chu Fan back?"
After finishing her call, Mother Chu finally looked at me with a disdainful snort. "What does my son have to do with you?"
With that, she turned and walked away. I stood there for a few seconds in shock before rushing home without looking back. My heart raced wildly; one thought filled my mind: Jun Chong was back.
"Jun Chong! Jun Chong—"
I opened the door and rushed in without even changing my shoes, calling out his name everywhere. But the house was empty, just like when I left. I thought maybe he was hiding because the curtains were open and the bright light was too much for him.
But after pulling the curtains closed and turning on the dim lights, he still didn’t appear.
"Jun Chong! Where are you?"
I searched each room one by one, but I still couldn't find Jun Chong's voice.
"Jun Chong, where are you?"
I couldn't find him anywhere. If Jun Chong had really returned, he would have come looking for me. But according to Mother Chu, her son was undoubtedly Chu Fan. Could it be?
I walked to the freezer and noticed that there was indeed a gap at the door; it hadn't been closed tightly.
It was just like that night at Lingfeng's House when I saw it, but I hadn't paid much attention afterward because the Chu Fan there was nothing but a corpse. I felt uneasy about it, so I had always hesitated to approach.
But at that moment, I could no longer care about anything else. I reached out and opened the freezer door, stepping inside.
The body inside was gone.
I quickly took out my phone and called Chu Fan.
"Beep, beep, beep."
After three rings, a familiar voice came through the line, tightening my heart. I heard his playful tone, "Anxin."
"Jun Chong? Where are you? Why aren't you home? Why haven't you come to find me? Do you know how worried I am about you? Where are you?"
"Fan, I've finished washing up. Why are you still on the phone? Come over! Stop calling; didn't you just say you wanted to come again? Hurry up!"
"Anxin, I'm busy right now. I don't have time for you. That's it."
The busy tone came through my phone. I had clearly heard the previous voice; it was Li Li's voice. Her coy tone was filled with ambiguity that would make any man weak in the knees.
And what those words implied was all too clear.
My legs gave way, and I fell to the ground, a chilling sensation piercing through me, leaving me feeling utterly miserable.
Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably as I struggled to believe that Jun Chong had used Chu Fan's body to seek out Li Li and even had an affair with her.
"No, this must be a misunderstanding. It has to be."
I wiped my tears away and picked up my phone to call Chu Fan again, but all I got was a message saying the phone was turned off. Refusing to accept this, I opened the door and went out to look for him.
"Jun Chong would never betray me. Absolutely not."
I headed straight to Chu Fan's house and coincidentally saw him getting out of a private car, hand in hand with Li Li, looking incredibly sweet together.
"Chu Fan! Chu Fan!"
I shouted as I ran toward them, but suddenly a truck drove past me. If it hadn't been for someone behind me pulling me back just in time, that truck would have knocked me over.
Though it was just a small tug backward, I felt a familiar yet faint presence—there was no mistaking it; that aura belonged to Jun Chong.
"Jun Chong."
But when I turned around, there was nothing behind me, only that cool sensation seeping through my thin clothing and into my skin.
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