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墨書 Inktalez
Living Funeral
I hummed in agreement, feeling that the time was approaching, but I was also afraid that it might not work out. So I decided to wait. "Fly," Nian Chen said, and I thought Zhang Xun had a point.
I nodded in acknowledgment.
Zhang Xun was right, but we still needed to seize the opportunity. If we were to investigate the events of 198, it wouldn’t be that simple. Now that Zhang and Li Qiang were both dead, only Nian Chen and Zhang Xun remained.
I asked Zhang Xun, "Do you have a way?"
Zhang Xun replied, "If we want to investigate, we can definitely find some clues. And as long as the Fifth Person is alive, we can uncover the truth."
At that moment, I recalled the scene of Zhang Xun burying me that day—five coffins in total: one main coffin and four others. Two of the coffins belonged to people with yin destinies and two to those with yang destinies. But now, the missing Fifth Person seemed to belong to the yin category.
The Fifth Person was now gone. The three of us sat in the café, each lost in our thoughts.
Time passed slowly. I picked up the cup on the table and took a sip, then unconsciously set it down again. Suddenly, Nian Chen exclaimed, "I just thought of a place!"
Both Zhang Xun and I were drawn in by Nian Chen's words and turned our attention to him. "Zhang Xun, do you remember that place we once visited?" Nian Chen asked.
"What place?" I inquired.
Nian Chen waited for Zhang Xun to respond, but he seemed lost in thought. However, in the next moment, it was as if he suddenly remembered and said, "I know! You mean Black Duck Mountain, right?"
"Nian Chen, yes," he confirmed. "That place was suggested by Jiang Changsheng. In 198, Fei didn’t recall anything from before, but now Chen Fei has remembered past events while forgetting what happened in 198. Also, after we returned from Black Duck Mountain, the Fifth Person disappeared."
The reason we have been unable to find him is that we don't know anything about his identity, background, or name. That's why he disappeared so completely, and at that time, Chen Fei also suddenly left us. Later, you met at the funeral home, right?
It's chilling to think about it.
Zhang Xun asked, "Do you still remember? Why did you leave back then?"
I recalled the events of 198, but nothing came to mind. The events of 198 felt like a gap in my memory; it seemed that knowing what happened then would reveal everything.
I had clearly asked Jiang Changsheng at that time, but he refused to tell me. The more I analyzed it, the more I felt there was something hidden beneath the surface.
I said to the two of them, "Since that's the case, let's go check out Black Duck Mountain."
"When are we going?" Nian Chen asked.
I replied, "Let's go this afternoon. We need to act quickly; things will only get more complicated from here."
Nian Chen asked, "Should we call them?"
I said no, just the three of us should go. Zhang Xun nodded in agreement. The last place we parted ways was significant, and after 198, decades passed until we burned the Taoist's body in the hotel; everything followed in quick succession.
Who is really playing this game behind the scenes? If someone is indeed pulling the strings, it would be terrifying. It feels like an experienced driver on a dark road—thinking about it sends chills down my spine.
"Do you need to go home and pack?" Nian Chen asked.
I replied no; I have all my money with me. As long as I have money, I'm fine. Was Li Guang too hasty and exposed himself? And he even brought Longting and Du Feng along; both appeared in my line of sight in exactly the same way—both came to save me.
At first, I didn't know who had arranged this, but now I realize it was Li Guang. What exactly is Li Guang up to?
This afternoon, we took a car out of the city, paying for a vehicle since both of us were from Black Duck Mountain and needed to head straight to the outskirts. After about an hour of driving, we arrived at a small town.
However, as we passed by a shop in the town, someone suddenly called out to us.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to see an elderly man, probably in his sixties, with all white hair. He seemed to have some trouble with his eyesight as he rubbed his eyes and said, "Hey, kid, is your father Chen Fei?"
I was momentarily taken aback and asked, "Do you know Chen Fei?"
The old man replied, "Yes! I used to be quite close with him. He lived here for a while, and we worked together. You still haven't told me if your dad is Chen Fei; you two look like you were carved from the same mold."
Hearing this stirred something deep within me. It seemed true; my father had indeed been here before. This old man had aged so much, yet I hadn’t changed at all. He mistook me for Chen Fei's child.
What had happened back at Black Duck Mountain all those years ago?
Seeing that we were both stunned into silence, the old man assumed we didn't believe him and said, "You don't believe me? I have photos as proof." He turned and went into the shop to rummage through some pictures. After about a minute, he emerged with a black-and-white photo.
In the picture was indeed me, my hand resting on the shoulder of another young man who looked just as youthful as I did back then. We were both smiling brightly.
In our youth, we were carefree; when we laughed, it was often genuine.
The old man said, "Kid, I thought I would never see your father again in this lifetime. I didn't expect to meet his child instead. By the way, how is your father doing? Is he in good health?"
I was momentarily taken aback and replied, "My father's health is just fine, thank you for your concern."
"What’s your name, kid?" he asked.
After a brief moment of thought, I answered, "My name is Aged."
"That's a nice name. Chen Fei was quite cultured back in the day; he didn’t give his child a name like those common ones."
I nodded in agreement, thinking to myself, yes!
Nian Chen and Zhang Xun were both looking at me, but it felt somewhat awkward. The old man continued with his own matters. He asked me, "When will you let Your Father and me catch up?" He wanted to leave me his phone number.
However, I had no recollection of the old man at all. Yet the black-and-white photo in my hand told a story of the past; we were both wearing tank tops, looking as if we were ready to conquer the world. But that was all in the past; our youthful days were long gone.
I sighed, feeling a weight on my heart.
Seeing me sigh, the old man directly said, "Young man, don’t sigh so much; it’ll make you age faster."
He then left me his number and said, "From now on, call me Uncle Zhang. You look old enough; are you married yet?"
Just as I was about to speak, Nian Chen chimed in, "He’s married; I’m his wife. Right… Aged?"
I didn't voice any objections, just hummed in response. Old Zhang began to scrutinize Nian Chen, and after a few glances, he said, "Not bad, a good girl, a good girl. Old Chen must be overjoyed to have such a daughter-in-law. But you two should have children soon, so Old Chen can hold his grandson early. We're getting old; who knows when we might not be around anymore? Nian, did you hear that?"
I hummed again and replied, "I understand."
Old Zhang said, "You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
Before we could answer, the old man dragged us inside. I had some questions to ask him about Black Duck Mountain and my own past. Everything that had been buried for so long was now slowly surfacing, and I wanted to uncover it all.
Yes, the past made me forget too much, hiding too many truths and concealing too many people.
Once inside the house, Nian Chen's mood seemed to lighten a bit. With a playful tone, she asked me, "Nian, when are we having kids?"
I replied, "Anytime is fine."
Upon hearing this, Old Zhang burst into hearty laughter, but Zhang Xun remained silent. Throughout this journey, whether through hardships or smiles, I accepted it all. However, I would never agree to let those behind me use me for their hidden agendas.
I asked myself in my heart, "Chen Fei, what exactly happened in 198? What did you do? Now that I'm here, everything should be fine."
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