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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 17: Do We Know Each Other?
The night was cloudy, and rain fell in front of the steps. The rain in Void was not heavy, but it dripped steadily, showing no signs of stopping. Inside the Lanzhou Noodle House, the sound of clanging echoed intermittently.
The members of the Flying Fish Gang were working diligently to repair the damaged noodle house as quickly as possible.
Tang Jiner stood in the rain, holding an umbrella, quietly watching the noodle house in the dim light of night. It wasn't until the members of the Flying Fish Gang finished their repairs and dispersed that she slowly walked inside.
Lin Miaomiao, at the counter, heard the footsteps but did not look up. "We're closed. If you want noodles, come back tomorrow," she said.
Tang Jiner entered, folding her paper umbrella and softly replied, "Miaomiao, it's me."
Lin Miaomiao looked up upon hearing her voice and smiled brightly. "Sister Jin'er, what brings you here?"
Not far away, Lin Feng also noticed Tang Jiner. Seeing her worried expression, he felt a stir of concern and wondered if she was in trouble.
However, Lin Feng sighed in the end and did not approach her.
Lin Miaomiao glanced at Lin Feng and then said, "Why are you just sitting there? A valued guest has arrived; go make a bowl of noodles."
"Oh."
Lin Feng left, thinking to himself: What’s going on with Tang Jiner today? Why does she keep looking at me? She never used to glance my way before.
As Lin Miaomiao chatted with Tang Jiner, she noticed her distracted demeanor and asked, "Sister Jin'er, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Tang Jiner replied with a somewhat heavy tone.
Before long, Lin Feng returned with a steaming bowl of noodles and placed it in front of Tang Jiner. "Princess, please."
Tang Jiner's thoughts were complicated; no matter how fragrant the beef noodles were, they could not capture her attention. She looked at Lin Miaomiao and said, "Miaomiao, I need to talk to Lin Feng alone."
"Oh?"
Lin Miaomiao glanced at Lin Feng, then at Tang Jiner. She had long suspected that there were things between the two of them that she did not know about. It was Lin Feng who had not come forward.
Lin Feng looked at Lin Miaomiao watching him and shyly lowered his head. After all, the matters between him and Tang Jiner had been briefly mentioned in front of Miaomiao, which could be considered a form of concealment.
Lin Miaomiao forced a smile and said, "Alright, you two chat. I just need to go upstairs to tidy up my room."
After saying this, Lin Miaomiao turned to leave. As she walked past Lin Feng, she gave him a meaningful glance.
Tang Jiner gazed at Lin Feng, her mind still recalling everything Lu Wushuang had told her. With a complex expression, she said, "Go ahead."
"Okay." Lin Feng sat down across from Tang Jiner.
"There are some things I want to ask you," Tang Jiner said.
"Please, Princess," Lin Feng replied politely.
Above them, Magenta sat at the stairway, quietly listening to the conversation below. Lin Miaomiao walked over to her and gently patted Magenta's shoulder, saying, "No eavesdropping. Come back."
Magenta frowned and asked, "Aren't you worried about him?"
"What is there to worry about? If he wants to leave with her, he will; if he doesn't want to stay with you, he won't," Lin Miaomiao replied nonchalantly.
"But I'm worried. If he goes with her, it will be hard for me to stay by his side," Magenta said with concern.
Lin Miaomiao sighed and said, "Come back. Eavesdropping is never good. If you want to know something later, just ask him directly."
"Sister Miao, don't you want to know?" Magenta countered.
"How could I not want to know?"
Lin Miaomiao then walked into the room and began to anxiously tidy up. She folded the bedding on the bed only to scatter it again, repeating the process over and over.
Magenta looked at the oddly behaving Lin Miaomiao today and said, "Sister Miao, do you want to sleep or tidy up the room?"
"Don't bother me. Go do your own thing," Lin Miaomiao replied irritably.
"Oh."
Magenta walked over to her Soft Couch, unfolded the bedding, and prepared to rest. But how could she sleep with her mind in turmoil? So she folded the bedding back up again.
"Sigh, I might as well sleep. I'll just ask the Young Master directly tomorrow."
Magenta opened the bedding once more. Back and forth she went, not knowing if she was mimicking Lin Miaomiao or if it was mere coincidence, constantly unfolding and folding the bedding.
"Did we know each other before?" Tang Jiner asked Lin Feng seriously, gazing at him.
"We..."
Lin Feng wanted to say yes. But recalling Mo Mo's instructions, he changed his words, "We didn't know each other before."
"Is that so?"
Tang Jiner revealed a disappointed smile and continued to gaze at Lin Feng. "But why do I feel like we knew each other in the past and were very familiar? Every time I see you looking at me, I feel like I've seen that gaze somewhere before. Did we know each other? Look into my eyes and tell me."
Lin Feng followed her instructions and looked into Tang Jiner's eyes. Their gazes met, and he felt momentarily dazed. Today’s Tang Jiner seemed somewhat different from before. Her aura resembled that of a General from the frontier.
"Look at me and tell me, do we know each other?" Tang Jiner asked again.
A conflicted expression appeared on Lin Feng's face. He dared not look into Tang Jiner's eyes any longer, fearing he would become entranced. Instead, he turned his gaze elsewhere and smiled, "I don't know you."
"If you don’t know me, then why are you afraid to look at me?"
"The princess is as beautiful as a fairy; anyone who looks too long cannot help but be captivated. So I want to remind myself."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
Tang Jiner sighed, her disappointment deepening. It was only then that she noticed the bowl of beef noodles in front of her. "I didn't expect you could cook noodles; it smells good."
"It's just a coincidence," Lin Feng replied.
Tang Jiner took a bite of the noodles and said, "The taste is indeed good. Why didn't you ever cook for me when we were at the border?"
"Back then, I hadn't learned how to..."
As soon as the words left Lin Feng's mouth, he was startled. Had he just let something slip? He thought to himself: This girl is truly cunning, setting herself up like this.
Tang Jiner heard Lin Feng's answer but didn't seem to care or press further; she simply continued eating her noodles.
The more Tang Jiner held onto her suspicions without asking questions, the more uneasy Lin Feng felt. Suddenly, he realized that the Tang Jiner before him resembled the General even more. She was not someone easily seen through, nor was she the simple-minded princess he once knew.
Soon, after finishing a bowl of noodles, Tang Jiner felt somewhat satisfied. She looked up at Lin Feng with a serious expression and asked, "Will you remember the person from Snowfield?"
"Could she really have remembered everything?"
Lin Feng thought anxiously, especially since Mo Mo was not around. He had no way to confirm anything. Reluctantly, he continued to play dumb. "What Snowfield? I've never been to Snowfield."
"You're lying; how could you have never been there?"
From upstairs came Lin Miaomiao's soft voice. She and Magenta had ultimately succumbed to their curiosity and were sitting on the steps at the staircase, eavesdropping.
Tang Jiner said, "Today, someone came to visit me at my place. He told me a long story that I really liked. Do you want to hear it?"
"Who was that person?" Lin Feng asked with a furrowed brow.
Tang Jiner paid no mind to Lin Feng's question and continued, "There was a disciple from a sect who went to the border for training. On his first day reporting in, he caught the attention of his superior."
"This disciple was quite impressive; he trained new recruits and formed an Armored Soldier unit. He quickly established his own influence within the army and gained a loyal group of subordinates. Of course, his superior secretly helped him a lot by promoting him despite opposition."
"Later, when the demon clan invaded, his superior ignored his advice and stubbornly pressed on, ultimately leading to a grave mistake. They fell into an ambush and were surrounded by the Tens of Thousands of Troops of the demon clan."
"In the swirling snow, she gazed at the countless demon Soldiers. She looked at the traitor she regretted not killing, and her heart recalled that person."
"Why didn't I listen to his advice back then? She felt deep regret. Before dying, she longed to meet that person just once to tell him: I was wrong."
"The Barbarian forces were too strong, and the human traitors were eager to destroy evidence. She experienced a life-and-death Battle, but her strength was insufficient. Thus, she faced death."
"In her final moments, she felt Unwillingness. She had not yet seen that person. So, she activated a secret technique, exhausting her soul and spirit to enter a state of ethereal existence and continue fleeing."
"That person did not disappoint her. Single-handedly, he fought his way through millions of troops."
"Finally, she saw that person. She initially wanted to say one word of apology. But in the end, feeling exhausted and weary, she uttered three other words: 'Hold me tight.'"
"She died in that person's embrace. Despite the many regrets and unwillingness, in his arms, she felt a sense of fulfillment."
The story continued as Tang Jiner narrated it, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. One by one, her strands of hair turned white.
Lin Feng watched as Tang Jiner's dark hair turned as white as snow; his heart ached. He guessed that Tang Jiner was desperately recalling the past. That head of white hair was the price she paid.
"Goodbye..." Lin Feng said softly; he didn't want to see Tang Jiner endure such immense pain.
"Why not?"
Tang Jiner ignored her now-white hair and the excruciating pain in her Sea of Consciousness. She fixed her gaze on Lin Feng and asked slowly, "Do we know each other?"
Seeing Tang Jiner's white hair, how could Lin Feng continue to deceive her? With an apologetic expression, he replied, "Yes. I, Lin Feng, will never forget in my lifetime that there was a great person who showed me kindness on the Snowfield at the border."
"Is that all? Just kindness?" Tang Jiner asked expectantly.
Inside the noodle shop, both of them fell into silence. In the corner on the steps sat two beautiful women who also fell silent.
Only the light rain outside continued to patter incessantly, deepening the silence within the noodle shop.
"The story is not over yet."
Tang Jiner endured the excruciating pain as the Vital Energy within her surged forth, seemingly engaged in a desperate struggle against a fateful shackling.
Human potential can sometimes be a miracle.
By all accounts, for Tang Jiner to survive after losing both her soul and spirit is already a miracle. Her will to live was simply too strong. Now, recovering fragments of lost memories seemed even more impossible.
Yet she succeeded. She did not regain all her memories, but managed to retrieve some scattered fragments and images. For this, she was willing to sacrifice her lifespan and Essence Blood.
All for the sake of recognizing you, turning a head of black hair into white. (To be continued...)
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