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墨書 Inktalez
Although Xiao Qiang tried hard to conceal it, the fleeting look of panic on his face did not escape Lin Yu's keen observation.
Lin Yu approached him quietly, and as she spoke, she unexpectedly grabbed his arm that was hidden behind his back. In that instant, she was startled to see his black, hooked nails retracting swiftly.
"You..." she retreated quickly, her eyes scanning him suspiciously from head to toe. Doubts flooded her mind—was Xiao Qiang experiencing an early outbreak of the V2 virus? How else could she explain what she was witnessing? Had he been eating birds from the sky? The feathers scattered on the ground were evidence enough, and the bloodstains on his clothes only added to her alarm. "Did you go hunting for food?" She continued to back away while questioning him, her gaze fixed on his eyes that feigned innocence. Her voice trembled as a wave of weakness washed over her, making her feel as if she might collapse.
Xiao Qiang maintained his innocent facade, not understanding Lin Yu's implications. He was eager to clarify that what she saw was not what she thought.
"It's not like that."
Lin Yu's face was streaked with tears as she cried out, "Then what is it? I was worried sick looking for you, and here you are catching things from the sky!"
"Okay, please stop making a scene. Just give me a moment," Xiao Qiang said, appearing somewhat agitated as he raked his fingers through his hair. His bloodshot eyes widened in a way that was quite frightening.
Lin Yu turned away, covering her face with her hands as she retreated into the living room. As she reflected on Xiao Qiang's earlier actions, numerous questions arose in her mind. If he had indeed been infected with the Incubation Period V2 Zombie Virus, why hadn’t he attacked her?
She turned to glance at the closed bathroom door, filled with suspicion. Mechanically, she walked over to the sofa and sat down, crossing her arms.
Xiao Qiang wiped the white mist off the mirror and stared blankly at his reflection. He felt lost about how to explain everything to Lin Yu when he emerged; there shouldn't be any secrets between them. Yet he feared the consequences of revealing this situation and dared not speculate or attempt to try.
His gaze fell upon the black feathers scattered on the ground, glinting oddly under the light. Taking a step back and turning his back to the mirror, he noticed that his shoulder blade had already healed without any visible issues. Lin Yu had mentioned going out to find food—could it be that he had overthought things because of the feathers?
Xiao Qiang stepped out with a smile plastered across his face. He leaned in to kiss Lin Yu gently; she made no move to evade him and sat close beside him, naturally taking hold of her delicate hand.
He gazed intently at their hands—his large one enveloping her small palm—and broke the tense atmosphere with a couple of awkward chuckles. "Don't be mad; I was just really hungry and went out for a bit..."
Tears still marked Lin Yu's face as her almond-shaped eyes bore into Xiao Qiang with piercing intensity. Her sharp gaze seemed to penetrate deep into his heart. Seeing her serious demeanor made him abruptly halt his words; unease crept into him as he felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny.
It was as if she knew something. With an assertive tone, she pressed on, "How long do you plan to keep this from me?"
“……”
Xiao Qiang struggled to find a suitable topic to distract her. In the moment of hesitation, Lin Yu pressed on, “Did you go to find Jill?”
What the hell, why is a woman's heart so narrow? Xiao Qiang remained silent, rummaging through his pocket for a cigarette. He lit it and took a deep drag, watching the smoke slowly merge into the air. “Don’t overthink it. I’m not telling you because I don’t want you to worry.”
“What’s wrong with your eyes? I saw them in the bathroom just now…”
“Long-term insomnia can cause bloodshot eyes; it’s a common issue. Do you need me to give you a detailed analysis?” With a cigarette as a cover, his lies sounded more convincing. Xiao Qiang felt secretly pleased and continued weaving his benevolent deception, “I just went outside to take care of a few wild birds. No need to make a big deal out of it.”
“What happened to your fingernails? Did you kill crows or something?”
“My fingernails?” Xiao Qiang raised his hand and pretended to inspect them. “There’s nothing wrong with my nails; they’re clean.” Seeing that Lin Yu had no response, he joked, “Crows? Your imagination is richer than mine; there’s no way I’d eat crows!”
His attempt at bravado did not lighten the mood but instead ignited Lin Yu’s anger. “Xiao Qiang, you jerk! What will it take for you to tell me the truth?”
Through the smoke, Xiao Qiang glanced at Lin Yu's face, which was clouded with frustration. It looked as if he had made up his mind. He stubbed out the cigarette forcefully in the aluminum ashtray.
With a calm yet firm tone, he looked intently at Lin Yu and said, “This matter is quite strange; you probably won’t believe it. So while I’m telling you this story, regardless of how many questions you have, please don’t interrupt me.”
Lin Yu focused on him, nodding silently.
Xiao Qiang continued, “Just like you said, ever since I returned from Ancient Times, it seems something has followed me back. I’m seriously telling you that indeed something came back with me to 2050. It’s formless and invisible but feels like a brand deeply rooted in my mind.”
Lin Yu remained silent, staring at him without blinking.
“Could you stop staring at me like that?” Xiao Qiang took a breath and continued, “It’s not just you who feels something off; I feel it too.”
He said that after Lin Yu was sent into the bedroom, he had just come out from taking a short nap on the sofa bed. It felt as if someone was whispering in his ear, but he couldn't make out the words clearly; among them seemed to be some kind of saving vocabulary.
Xiao Qiang groggily opened his eyes and saw a pair of blood-red eyes. He found himself uncontrollably getting up and following those blood-red eyes.
They didn't exit through the door but went straight up to the attic. The attic was two meters high from the ground, and at that moment, Xiao Qiang was unaware, as if guided by an unimaginable force. He followed that strange humanoid creature and jumped down from the attic. Just as he leaped, a cold wind hit him, startling him awake to realize he was in mid-air.
As Xiao Qiang recounted this part, he carefully observed Lin Yu, who seemed captivated by his story. Without pausing, he continued, "At that time, I was in a panic, feeling my body falling… Just then, a sharp pain shot through my arm, like my bones were dislocating. Then I suddenly felt like I had an extra pair of wings that didn’t belong to me."
"N! N! N!" Lin Yu suddenly became agitated, raising her palm and saying, "Stop right there! I don't want to hear any tall tales. Don't treat me like a three-year-old!"
Lin Yu clearly didn't believe him; Xiao Qiang had known this all along and tried to conceal the truth. Yet she relentlessly pursued it, and revealing the truth would only lead to disbelief.
He shook his head and sighed, "If you don't believe me, I can't continue telling you. Just rest!"
Lin Yu's eyes reddened; she was increasingly bewildered by the man before her. He used to be different—honest and shy—but now he was spouting nonsense and lying… A glistening tear rolled down her cheek.
"Look at you, crying again…" Lin Yu was a strong woman; how could she become so fragile after clearing away memories of battle? And so suspicious! Xiao Qiang embraced her and awkwardly wiped away her tears, saying, "Really, it's nothing serious. Don't dwell on it. If you're worried, I'll go into the bedroom with you."
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