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墨書 Inktalez
Song Bunan leaned against his brother's shoulder and fell asleep as soon as he got into the car, remaining oblivious until the vehicle came to a stop. Xin Yi, glancing at the two brothers through the rearview mirror, noted how much they resembled each other. However, his longtime friend appeared more mature and composed compared to Song Bunan, whose round face still bore a hint of baby fat. Coupled with his slight frame, it was easy to understand why Song Buxian often joked that his younger brother could deceive others with just his looks.
"His personality is a bit better than yours," Xin Yi remarked casually.
Taken aback by this seemingly random comment from the driver, Song Buxian took a moment to process it. Unable to reach over and hit him from across the seat, he retorted, "You've only known him for a few minutes and you're already biased. Are your elbows rotating?" Noticing that Xin Yi showed no reaction, Song Buxian reached over to check the temperature of Song Bunan's small head, relieved to find that he was starting to cool down from a fever.
He pulled out a water bottle from his bag, intending to wake Song Bunan for a drink before they got home. The car had come to a stop in the garage, and Xin Yi had even turned on the lights to brighten the interior. Turning back to look at his dazed brother, who seemed ready to drift off again with half-closed eyes, Song Bunan clutched the bottle tightly, struggling to sip the water inside. His cheeks were puffed up from holding the liquid, and with his drowsy expression paired with a cartoon cat hoodie, Xin Yi couldn't help but feel an inexplicable joy watching him.
"We're home; time to sleep," Song Buxian said as he gently shook his brother's head. Hearing the sloshing sound of water inside the bottle made him chuckle. "You can hear the water in your head now? Were you messing around in that abandoned house all night?"
Song Bunan pulled away from his brother's grasp and, now fully awake, protested, "I'm not scared! It was just uncomfortable because of all the dirt inside. I even met Xiao Mei, who manages that place. He said I could go play there anytime."
A dangerous building has someone managing it? Both Song Buxian and Xin Yi frowned at this thought. After getting out of the car, Xin Yi followed Song Buxian upstairs. Due to the bandages wrapped around him, Song Bunan leaned against his brother in an awkward manner. Xin Yi asked, "Does it hurt?"
The question made the shorter boy look up at him with wide eyes and a smile. "I'm used to it! Besides, it didn't split open much this time, so it doesn't hurt." From this angle, he looked quite young; the elevator lights reflected in his eyes sparkled beautifully.
Seeing this scene from the side, Song Buxian immediately took out his phone and snapped a few pictures without hesitation. No matter what happened later, these photos would serve as great material for teasing Xin Yi in the future. Once they reached home, Song Bunan dashed back to his room to change clothes while Xin Yi and Song Buxian sat outside drinking water. They noticed it was already close to eight in the evening.
"Weren't you supposed to move out?" Xin Yi asked while squeezing his bottle and observing Song Buxian, who seemed engrossed in something on his phone with a grin stretching almost ear-to-ear. When questioned, he barely looked up and replied while still tapping on his screen, "I moved back temporarily after our parents went out to play. I was worried about leaving this little guy alone at home; I might get called back by the police if something happened."
"Your brother doesn't seem like that kind of person," Xin Yi remarked, finally pulling Song Buxian's attention away from his phone. A mysterious smile spread across his face just as Song Bunan interrupted him.
"I'm not that foolish! Last time you and our parents went out for over half a month, I stayed home just fine!"
When he emerged from his room wearing a different hoodie—this time adorned with a cartoon Shiba Inu instead of a cat—Song Buxian playfully twisted his ear and pulled him over to the sofa. After releasing him, he delivered a light smack on his head. "How can you say that? Who was it that didn't realize their wound had reopened during that month and went swimming only to faint at school?"
Defeated, Song Bunan pouted sadly on the sofa without saying another word; he merely rubbed his ear in silence. Xin Yi felt that this child resembled the Shiba Inu on his shirt—adorable yet soft-hearted—more akin to a Samoyed in demeanor. He handed over a cup of water from the table and was rewarded with a beaming smile and a sticky-sweet "thank you."
Just like a little puppy.
Xiao Mei stood on the second floor, gazing at the dusty corridor on her right with a pang of sadness swelling in her chest. She reached up with a broomstick to clear away some cobwebs and looked towards the sunlight streaming through the window at the end of the hallway. Trembling slightly, she murmured, "Master, it's been three years; why would you rather meet a stranger than see me?"
In the empty house, only her voice echoed back at her while outside birds chirped faintly in an indistinct chorus. Putting away her tools slowly, she descended the stairs and paused before a large painting hanging by the floor-to-ceiling window. Xiao Mei reached out to touch several black smudges made with crayon along its edge.
Song Bunan was the first person in this house targeted by the house ghost; he was also the one who called upon her master for help. His arrival had awakened dormant powers within this long-dead house once more. Why would someone fresh out of school and unfamiliar with its history be able to bring this place back to life? Xiao Mei couldn't articulate why but sensed deep down that Song Bunan held the key to uncovering what she sought.
The message she sent out in the morning received no reply until nightfall; whoever was on the other end always seemed busy and responded only with brief notes about returning soon.
Realizing she couldn't wait for him any longer before taking action made her lips dry as she licked them nervously. Although involving an innocent person in her plans felt wrong, he was currently her only lead. After all she had done wrong herself, perhaps it was time for her to embrace being bad fully.
Grabbing her backpack and donning her hat, Xiao Mei left her small apartment on the second floor. Standing at her door, she sent out messages for someone to pick her up before heading straight for the third floor of the big house.
Now she needed to confirm whether that note Song Bunan mentioned still existed. The note bearing Dragon Garden's insignia rested atop a round table; it could either be left behind by her master or placed there by someone who lived here long ago. Finding that note would reveal which areas of this villa remained uninvestigated.
The side of this house shown to Song Bunan would never be revealed; items like flashlights hidden within desk drawers or shadows closing doors—the dark mist lingering in hallways or balcony doors etched with spells—were things he had never encountered during these three years spent here.
Standing in front of the open door on the third floor, he saw the blue house ghost sitting on the rocking chair, swaying back and forth in a rhythmic motion. The old rocking chair creaked loudly, echoing through the room. Just as he stepped inside, the house ghost vanished in an instant, leaving only the chair to slowly come to a stop.
On the table lay a piece of paper, yellowed and brittle. However, there was nothing written on it, just a single drop of ink that had bled into a stain. He attempted to pick up the paper, but as soon as it left the table, it crumbled into fragments. All he held was a corner, its golden embellishment now dulled by dust.
In his eyes, this house contained only those ghosts that hid from him out of fear, while the house ghost still seemed to possess some semblance of life. The house itself, which should have been alive, disdainfully refused to reveal anything to him.
Why was it that here, where he should feel more familiar, both his master and the house kept him at arm's length? Xiao Mei stood at the table, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in frustration. Yet, his anger dissipated within moments. Deep down, he understood that all of this was self-inflicted.
Time was running short; Xiao Mei left the place and made sure to close all the doors behind him as he walked outside. Once he stood completely outside the decaying Corroded Iron Gate, it slowly closed shut, and the entire courtyard faded into darkness under the moonlight, merging with the shadows.
The people in the car saw him emerge from the path and laughed, saying, "Hey, you actually decided to come out. What’s up? Not practicing inside anymore?"
He nodded in response and immediately showed them a photo of Song Bunan from his phone. Xiao Mei didn’t say much; he directly stated his purpose for coming to the city: "To investigate him."
Once they hit the highway where streetlights illuminated their way, Xiao Mei gazed at the road stretching out towards the bustling city in the distance. He realized it had been nearly two years since he last returned to this place.
The driver cranked up the music so loud that even the car windows vibrated with the beat. Xiao Mei heard many questions but waited until the driver fell silent before explaining why he had come out.
He recounted all that had happened with Song Bunan. The driver chuckled and said, "This guy named Song is impressive! I bet our big brother will definitely like him. Xiao Mei, you’re really lucky; just yesterday big brother said this matter couldn’t be delayed any longer—he even mentioned bringing that old man back quickly—and today a benefactor shows up to help you. Do you have his contact information? If you do, reach out first thing tomorrow morning and bring him home to explain what’s at stake so he can help you out; time is running short."
Just then, he received information about Song Bunan on his phone. During a moment of decompressing from stress, Xiao Mei replied, "Yeah, time is indeed running short."
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