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墨書 Inktalez
"You have two choices. First, if there are any deceptions or secrets, confess everything now, and I can give you another chance. Let's be sincere with each other. Second, we can reconcile, but if I discover even a single lie in the future, we will break up immediately! There will be no room for negotiation!"
Ke Li and Mi Liangbao were sitting in a rice noodle shop. This shop had been popular throughout the county when Ke Li was in elementary school and was a must-visit spot for villagers coming to the city.
Having not returned for several years, Ke Li's only unbreakable attachment to the county was this flavor. The decor of the shop had changed; it had become more elegant, and the prices had increased, but the taste remained the same.
Ke Li ordered a bowl of spicy beef rice noodles, while Mi Liangbao opted for a bowl of three delicacies since he couldn't handle spicy food.
Mi Liangbao carefully considered Ke Li's proposal. Ke Li felt quite happy that Mi Liangbao did not hastily agree just to cling to her but instead respected his principles.
"What if there are things, like problems at work, that I don't want to communicate about or share? Would that count as hiding something?"
"Of course not. Even if we get married, you and I are still individuals. You have your personal privacy, and I have mine. When you don't want to talk about something, just tell me you don't want to discuss it, and that's fine. I won't force you."
Mi Liangbao nodded. "Okay, let's reconcile."
Before returning to Beijing, Ke Li called Nanfeng, who said she had to leave early due to some matters. So, Ke Li returned to Beijing with Mi Liangbao.
After returning, the couple resumed their work and everything returned to normal. Their rented apartment was primarily decorated in black, exuding an oppressive calmness and rationality. Ke Li suddenly thought of Lu Zhang's home decor style as described by Nanfeng and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Shaking his head, he took the freshly dried clothes out of the washing machine and hung them on the balcony drying rack.
As he slowly shook them up, a series of clear ringing sounds interrupted his thoughts. Turning around, he noticed a string of wind chimes hanging at the corner of their balcony—silver metal bells that looked beautiful; Ke Li liked them very much.
How had he never noticed this before? Perhaps he had been too busy with work; outside of work, his phone was his life. Many things he had bought long ago—figurines, small yellow flowers in pots, vintage game consoles for collection—had become invisible and unheard.
Feeling rare inspiration, Ke Li began searching for treasures around the house.
Mi Liangbao had mentioned that when he rented this place, it was almost bare; he spent money on renovations and furniture. He signed a ten-year lease all at once, so everything in this house belonged to both her and Mi Liangbao.
In the kitchen, she discovered a beautifully bound cookbook with deep impressions at the binding; some corners were folded down with notes and summaries written in it as if someone frequently flipped through it. Yet it was placed high on top of the refrigerator and covered in a thick layer of dust.
"Ha! Mi Liangbao! Not only can you cook but you're also being sneaky!"
Between the dining room and kitchen stood a two-meter-wide built-in cabinet with an overall glossy black finish and invisible cabinet doors. Pressing inward opened the doors to reveal various cups she collected and various phones Mi Liangbao collected—from button phones to semi-touch screens to smart devices—all from different eras.
Ke Li felt quite emotional as she picked up one of the smart phones—a popular model released in the last two years priced over 17,000 yuan. This guy must be quite wealthy! Since it was for collection purposes, it should be out of battery by now. Her gaze wandered across the shelves until her thumb unconsciously pressed the power button. To her surprise, it turned on! After a burst of high-tech animations, the lock screen appeared—a blurry background with nine dots below it that clearly showed a person's photo.
Driven by curiosity as his girlfriend, she attempted to unlock it by drawing a pattern based on her birthday. She didn't hold much hope; it was just for fun—but unexpectedly it worked!
Ke Li was pleasantly surprised when the photo became clear—it was her own! The picture from her college graduation ceremony where she tossed her cap into the air while wearing her gown—how did Mi Liangbao have this? She had never shown it to him.
Regardless, Ke Li felt happy; she turned off the phone and placed it back where she found it. She only wanted to verify how much Mi Liangbao cared about her without intentionally invading his privacy.
Below the cabinet were drawers that slid open layer by layer until reaching the bottom one which got stuck halfway open. She reached inside and felt something hard with edges; pulling it out revealed a picture frame containing her middle school graduation class photo.
How could Mi Liangbao have a photo from Class 4?
Could it be… they were once classmates?
Then Mi Liangbao must know this! Ke Li felt a chill run down her spine—why had he kept this from her? Who was he in class?
Ke Li pointed her finger at the person's head, comparing them one by one. At that moment, Mi Liangbao returned. Ke Li didn't know why, but as soon as she heard Mi Liangbao open the door, she instinctively put things back in place. She felt a fear as if she had witnessed a murderer in action, afraid that Mi Liangbao would do something to harm her.
Mi Liangbao came back unusually early today. When Ke Li walked into the living room and looked towards the entrance, she was startled to see him covered in blood. She quickly took out the home first aid kit to help Mi Liangbao with his injuries. He had a long and deep cut on his arm and a penetrating wound on his shoulder, which was beyond her ability to handle.
"What happened? Why did you come home with such serious injuries? You should have just called me and gone to the hospital!"
"I had a little conflict with a client; it's not a big deal."
Ke Li hurriedly helped him get a jacket and accompanied him to the hospital.
Sitting in the taxi, Ke Li fired off questions like a machine gun, "Aren't car salespeople supposed to meet clients at the dealership? No one stopped the client from barging in with a weapon? How serious could the conflict be to result in someone getting hurt? Should we gather evidence? With such serious injuries, we must report it!"
"Ke Li..." Mi Liangbao leaned back against the seat and smiled weakly. "I'm fine."
"Uh, I won't say anything more. You just rest well." Ke Li shut her mouth but an inexplicable question popped into her mind: Where was his work uniform? The suit that car salespeople are supposed to wear—she had never seen him in it. Was it at the dealership? They needed to retrieve it; it might be crucial evidence!
When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor said Mi Liangbao would need surgery on his shoulder. If all went well, he would stay for two days after the operation before being able to go home. Ke Li went home to get some clean clothes for Mi Liangbao but unexpectedly saw Nanfeng waiting for her at the door when she exited the elevator.
"Nanfeng? How long have you been here? What bad luck—Mi Liangbao got injured and needs to be hospitalized. I'm just here to grab some things and then I'll leave."
Ke Li opened the fingerprint lock, and Nanfeng followed her inside.
Ke Li rushed into the bedroom while Nanfeng leisurely took a seat on the sofa in the living room.
As Ke Li frantically packed things up, Nanfeng casually said, "Did you see today's news? A security guard got into a conflict with a delivery worker; the delivery worker pulled out a knife and chased after the guard. Luckily it happened at a construction site where there weren't many people around, so no innocent bystanders were harmed. There's a new video online."
Ke Li took clothes from the wardrobe, folded them neatly, and placed them into her open suitcase. "I don't have time for that! Besides, I don't like watching those bloody things; they make me uncomfortable."
"It's edited; you should take a look. The delivery worker stabbed the security guard in his left arm and then pierced his shoulder. But honestly, that security guard was impressive; despite being injured, he managed to subdue the attacker in two moves, disarmed him, and told him to get lost. Then he just took off his uniform without waiting for an ambulance or calling the police and left in a cab."
In the bedroom, Ke Li knelt on the floor stuffing a pile of clothes into one corner of her suitcase. Her mind went blank, losing control of her limbs as she froze there. The silence around her was unsettling; all she could hear was Nanfeng's voice: "Why do you think that security guard didn't call the police? How much could he possibly earn working as a gatekeeper? Logically speaking, he should at least seek some compensation."
"Who knows?" Ke Li shifted from sitting to squatting down, feeling an emptiness inside her as if she had lost her soul while speaking.
"You should know! I told you everything! Didn't you see the video? You were sitting right behind someone in the hospital waiting area; how else would I have seen it?"
"I don't know! I don't know anything!"
"Lihua... are you going to continue shutting me out?"
"When did I..."
"Decorative style, wind chimes, photos... that phone, you turn it on, open the album... When I first entered this house, I sat across from Lu Zhang at the dining table, and that phone was right next to him. Behind the cups you collected, there are two miniature hidden doors, inside is the retractable knife that Lu Zhang has treasured for many years; you should take a look. Uh, and there are recipe books; Lu Zhang loves to study dishes. Otherwise, who would have the leisure to make so many notes in a recipe book?"
Ke Li remained silent.
"At the very least, check who the owner of this house is. Is there any rental record? Lihua, I know you're scared, but the way to stay safe isn't to deliberately turn a blind eye and be an outsider; it's to make him pay for his crimes. Even if it's... for me?"
Ke Li rushed out like a gust of wind, standing at the bedroom door with a piece of clothing still in her hand. She looked at Nanfeng, tilting her head helplessly, "Nanfeng, you..." Tears fell down with a soft "plop" sound.
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