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墨書 Inktalez
What does it feel like to wake up in a ghostly manor?
Xing Ruyi feels loneliness.
It is a loneliness intertwined with fear and extreme tranquility, leaving you somewhat at a loss in a daze.
Now, Xing Ruyi lies on that bed, a hard and rough wooden bed, devoid of any warmth from the human world. She opens her eyes, which are filled with a pale, white light. Then she hears a cough, cutting through the faint and sobbing sound of the wind, piercing into her ears. Following that are footsteps, very light, cat-like footsteps.
This is a completely new experience unlike any before, a wonderfully strange feeling, tense and thrilling. Instinctively, Xing Ruyi closes her eyes, but the heart within her chest begins to thump rapidly.
The scent of Azure Sunflower rushes into her nostrils, followed by a strand of fine hair. Clearly, the owner of this hair has not taken care of it; it feels somewhat messy and fluffy, like the reeds blown about in a winter field. Her intuition tells her that this is a man, one who is very cunning and possesses some skills in his legs and feet. With the corners of his lips slightly raised, he reveals a faint smile. In an instant as she opens her eyes, her right hand swiftly and accurately grips the back of the man's neck. With a low grunt escaping him, she opens her eyes wide.
Shock instantly spreads from her pupils, followed closely by the man's shadow dissipating like a ghost.
Since being abducted by the fox to this era, no one has been able to escape her grasp, especially not someone like this man who appears thin and seemingly lacks any magical abilities. He is not particularly good-looking; his right cheek bears scars from burns that create pockmarks. Yet surprisingly, he possesses a pair of extremely beautiful eyes that are completely mismatched with his face.
"Ruyi!"
As Xing Ruyi observes him, the man slightly turns to the side, hiding his injured right cheek in the shadows. His black clothing blends into the dark walls of the manor. His voice is far less beautiful than his eyes; rather, it is startling like his face—a rough sound as if his vocal cords were torn apart, gritty like sandpaper. In such an environment, it truly resembles that of a ghost.
"Who are you?"
Xing Ruyi crosses her arms over her chest and squints at the man before her.
"A-Xing; everyone here calls me A-Xing!"
The man raises his gaze slightly, letting it glide over Xing Ruyi's face before slipping into the shadows beside him.
"Did you bring me here?" Xing Ruyi raises an eyebrow while lifting her chin. "Honestly, I'm quite curious about how you managed to bring me to this ghostly place without anyone noticing? You should know that my steward is not exactly a kind person."
“Young Master Yin is not here.”
Ah Xing replied calmly.
Xing Ruyi sighed and tapped her forehead with her hand, “Oh right, how could I forget? That Stinky Fox went back to the mountain.”
With the fox responsible for guarding the house absent, she had indulged a bit too much tonight, drinking several cups of freshly brewed Plum Wine at Si Niang's place, which caused her to sleep rather deeply. It was no wonder; she had been moved out of her home and hadn’t felt a thing. Frowning slightly, Xing Ruyi pondered whether she should have the fox find her a protective spirit beast or something similar. This time she encountered Ah Xing, and she was able to wake up safely from the wooden bed in the inn. But if next time it were a flower thief, wouldn’t she just cry to death?
Thinking of this, Xing Ruyi suddenly shivered and looked at Ah Xing with a hint of wariness in her eyes.
“Ah Xing did not do anything to the young lady.” Noticing the caution in Xing Ruyi's gaze, Ah Xing instinctively took a step back and lowered his head, saying, “Ah Xing had no choice. If I had come in this appearance, I feared it would scare you, so I had to use this abrupt method.”
“You're afraid your looks would scare me? Don’t you fear that I might die of fright waking up like this in the inn?” Xing Ruyi glared at Ah Xing and jumped down from the wooden bed. “Fortunately, although I’m not very brave, my curiosity is strong enough that I can still stand here and talk to you.”
“Ruyi is exaggerating.” Ah Xing lowered his head even further. “I’ve long heard that Ruyi does not seek Common People. If it weren’t for your mercy just now, I would be lying in the inn instead.”
“Although your words carry a hint of flattery, I enjoy hearing them. Now tell me, what do you want from me after dragging me out of my home in this cold weather?”
“Please help save someone!”
“Save someone?” Xing Ruyi frowned. “Who are you trying to save?”
“My cousin!” Ah Xing said, and surprisingly a glimmer of light appeared in his beautiful yet nearly withered eyes.
“I’m just someone who sells Rouge and Face Powder. For saving people, you should go find Manager Liu from Jishengtang. If you’re short on double silver coins, I can lend you some. But let me be clear: those double silver coins must be repaid.”
Ah Xing's expression turned slightly awkward as he hesitated for a moment before saying, “I cannot go to Jishengtang’s people.”
“Why not?”
"The young lady will naturally understand after seeing it."
A Xing walked to the corner where a lit oil lamp was, gently turning it twice. A loud "boom" echoed from the ground, revealing an entrance to a tunnel.
Xing Ruyi hesitated for a moment before following A Xing down into the tunnel. In the flickering candlelight, they descended about ten steps, and a corridor appeared that was wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Several oil lamps were placed on both sides of the corridor, and judging by the smell, the fuel was not ordinary oil, making the light dimmer than usual.
After walking a few dozen steps, A Xing suddenly stopped and pointed to a room ahead. "This is it."
He extinguished the oil lamp in his hand, pushed open the door, and walked in.
Xing Ruyi stood at the doorway, looking around. The low walls were covered with dark green moss, and directly opposite the entrance was a stone bed. Next to the door hung a lamp that emitted a faint green light, making the entire room appear particularly eerie under its glow.
Just as Xing Ruyi hesitated whether to follow A Xing into the room, she heard a woman's suppressed cry. That sound was familiar to her; she had heard it in many places before.
A pregnant woman! Labor! Complications?
Yes, it was that sound. Before being taken by the fox to this era, she had heard this sound in hospitals and various video materials. It was a strong voice suppressed from crying out in pain. In an instant, an image of a woman in ancient attire lying on a bed and biting her lip tightly flashed through Xing Ruyi's mind, and inexplicably, she broke out in a cold sweat.
"This is ridiculous!" Xing Ruyi shook her head and shouted toward the direction of the woman moaning inside the room. "Your cousin is about to give birth; you should go find a midwife instead of looking for me! You all go ahead; I have things to do and will head back now. Oh, don’t worry; I’ll help you call a midwife over. Whether she comes or not depends on her own mood."
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