Chapter 157. Don’t Cry

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Arc 8: I am a dead bird.

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As Cheng Mingxing finished speaking, she saw the big black bird lying on the table suddenly stand up and turn its head to face her.

She looked closely into the black bird’s tiny eyes and realized it was different from the myna she kept at home, nor did it resemble any other species of myna she knew.

Maybe it’s a rare species.

However, the color of this myna’s feathers isn’t very good, it’s rather sparse, and has even fallen out in several places. It’s clear that it has a serious feather loss problem.

Normally, Cheng Mingxing would have played with the myna, teaching it a few words or two, but at this moment, she wasn’t in the mood to relax. Perhaps it was because, from the day she got the report back from the hospital, everything around her had dimmed.

The man behind the desk was feeding the black bird water, his expression gentle.

The black bird stuck its butt out, lowered its head, and drank sips of water. Perhaps it was enjoying the drink, so it pecked the back of the man’s hand with its beak.

The man wasn’t annoyed, the lines on his face softened, and his gaze gave the illusion of doting, as if he was indulging the black bird even if it was arrogant.

Cheng Mingxing saw this and couldn’t help but feel envious. She found it funny that she would envy a myna.

What’s even funnier is that she can only envy.

Years ago, when Cheng Mingxing learned the restaurant’s name was Chang Xiang Si, she was sensitive enough to understand that there must be a hidden story behind Chang Xiang Si, one deeply connected to the restaurant owner’s heart.

Gradually, she began to envy the person who had never appeared, who was lucky enough not to be forgotten by her boss.

One day a few months ago, the boss showed up at the restaurant with a young stranger. Cheng Mingxing saw them and was envious. Why could a man have what she longed for? She even dreamed about being with the boss, thinking it was a blessing from God.

Now, for some reason, the young man hadn’t appeared in a long time. Seeing how much the boss cared about black bird, Cheng Mingxing was still envious.

She is always envious.

After thinking about it, maybe this has something to do with her personality. When doing something, she will think over it over and over again, thinking about what will happen if she does it, and what will happen if she doesn’t do it. She always has to list the consequences of every choice, overthinking it. Ultimately, her courage wears off, and she can only sneak around and hide.

To be honest, the atmosphere in the office is quite subtle.

Chen You knew that the fact Cheng Mingxing could see him meant she was near her death and might not survive the New Year. Neither Chang Qin nor the person involved knew about this. As the only one who knew, he couldn’t say or do anything and could only remain a bystander.

Everyone has their own destiny.

After drinking enough water, Chen You flew into Chang Qin’s arms who held his butt with one hand to prevent him from falling.

Cheng Mingxing’s expression was slightly startled. A sudden, absurd thought flashed through her mind. The man treated black bird in the same way he had treated the young man.

Could it be that the young man was transformed from this bird?

This was too bizarre. Cheng Mingxing thought it was because her sleep quality had been too poor these past few days that her entire thinking had deviated from normal logic. However, she really felt like an extra person, blocked by the small world formed by the man and the black bird.

After a while, Cheng Mingxing said, “Boss, the reason you gave, I can’t accept.”

Chang Qin said, “Whether you accept it or not is up to you.”

Cheng Mingxing pursed her lips, her face paling slightly, “Boss, can you please give me a reasonable excuse, considering I’ve been working for you for so many years?”

She simply didn’t believe the man wanted her to leave because her last name was Cheng. How could that be possible? She had never heard him mention that he had some kind of aversion to the surname Cheng before.

So there must be another reason, such as the man discovering her thoughts towards him other than as a superior and subordinate.

Chang Qin stroked the black bird, which had several patches of feathers missing, “You have good management skills.”

Cheng Mingxing’s body trembled violently. She raised her head, unable to conceal her surprise. She had never dreamed that this man would acknowledge her. The next moment, she heard him say, “Too bad your last name is Cheng.”

“It’s not just you. Chang Xiang Si won’t keep anyone with the last name Cheng.”

Chen You, rubbing against his woolen coat, was startled. Only then did he understand something. Why did Chang Qin want to fire Cheng Mingxing? And everyone with the last name Cheng? Why did he make such a big deal out of it? He thought about it and could only think of one possibility. It was Cheng Mingtian who had caused trouble that night.

It must be!

Chen You despised himself for not suspecting that guy at all.

It’s not his fault either. That dude is just an ordinary college student. Bah, he was wrong. The other person is not ordinary at all. He knows how to have fun.

Anyway, he has never seen anyone who can play better than that dude.

But no matter how good a person is at playing, he couldn’t easily enter and exit a private villa, and even let six men in. Chen You couldn’t figure it out. Fuck it! If that guy didn’t have a cheat code, then someone must have let him in and deliberately arranged this to kill him.

Who could that being be, even more overbearing than his man?

Chen You didn’t listen to what Cheng Mingxing said. He hurriedly asked the system, “Since I came to this world, so many people have died. What’s going on?”

System said, “Are you foolish? I’ve told you several times, this is Supernatural Zone 120. If no one dies, there’s something wrong.”

Foolish Chen twitched his beak. Okay, he really had forgotten, “Everyone won’t die, right?”

System said, “I don’t know. This area is not under my jurisdiction.”

Chen You asked, “Who’s in charge of this? All are colleagues. Can you please help me ask if my man will be okay?”

System said, “In reply to your two questions. First, I have no co-worker relationship here. Second, no one cares about whether your man dies or lives.”

Chen You said, “Is it because he’s too overbearing?”

System said, “I’m not familiar with your man.”

“…” Chen You said, “Old 4, can you tell me how overbearing my man is? Is he the coolest guy?”

The system did not respond.

Just as Chen You was about to urge him, a loud bang suddenly occurred in his head. The loud explosion gave him a headache.

This was, system telling him to go die.

Chen You sighed. Oh my Old 4, this isn’t how you use slang, explode on the spot. Don’t use it carelessly, okay?

When he came to his senses, he and Chang Qin were the only ones left in the office. Cheng Mingxing had left at some point, probably because she hadn’t resolved the doubts in her heart.

Fired by the boss because of her last name. How funny!

Fate is something that is hard to predict.

Chen You looked up and asked Chang Qin if it was Cheng Mingtian who did it, “da da da da da da da da?”

Chang Qin said, “I don’t understand what you are saying.”

Chen You flew over to the desk, picked up the resignation letter signed with three characters Cheng Mingxing, and threw it to the man. Tell me, if you fire Cheng Mingxing, where are we going to find a suitable person to be the manager?

“Opening a restaurant was just in boredom of waiting for you.”

Chang Qin chuckled and said, “Even if the restaurant closes, I can still support you.”

Hearing the man say this, Chen You rolled his eyes, I have nothing to say to someone as cocky as you.

Chang Qin stood up and walked to the window. His gaze seemed to stop at one spot, but it also seemed as if he was looking at nothing at all. His eyes were empty.

Chen You squatted on the man’s shoulder and asked him what was wrong, “da da da?”

Chang Qin rubbed his brows and simply said, “I want to eat the scallion noodles you make. When can you become a human?”

As long as you let me have a little bit of your saliva, it will take only a few minutes. Chen You flew in front of the man, closed his eyes and raised his beak. Come on!

Chang Qin raised his hand and poked black bird’s forehead with a finger, “Don’t flirt with me, ok?”

Chen You flapped his wings. Just flirt!

He flirted for quite a while, until almost fell asleep. The man didn’t do anything to him, and didn’t want to kiss him at all.

If it wasn’t a dead bird, but a human, it would be a completely different matter. Chen You wouldn’t do anything, and the man would shamelessly come up to him, staying for hours, and couldn’t be driven away even if he kicked him.

This is definitely discrimination against species.

A light snowflake slowly began to fall from the sky, drifting and swirling down into the city, unconcerned with whether anyone accepted it or not, forcing its way across the sky and earth.

Chang Qin held up a black umbrella and strolled down the street with his long legs.

Under the umbrella, a black bird huddled inside his coat, its small black head visible, white air puffing out of its beak.

Even though it’s snowing, the streets are still crowded. Taking advantage of the snow and bringing their significant other out to experience the romantic atmosphere. Holding hands, hugging, and kissing passionately amidst the falling snow is truly wonderful. It will linger in memories for a long time and won’t fade away.

Chen You wanted to do the same with Chang Qin, but unfortunately he couldn’t transform into a human now. He would wait and see. He was determined to play in the snow.

During his freshman year, one day Chen You finished evening study and went to the school cafeteria to buy a bowl of pickled mustard greens and shredded pork noodles. He packed it up and took it back to his dormitory to eat. On the way, he passed a small bamboo forest behind the teaching building and heard strange noises.

It was snowing heavily at the time, and the ground and trees were all covered in white.

Chen You secretly hid in the corner and watched. When the two classmates finished their business and walked out of the bamboo forest as if nothing had happened, the pickled mustard greens and shredded pork noodles in his hand were completely mushy and cold.

Starting the next day, Chen You skipped evening self-study. He also didn’t invite his three roommates to join him. Instead, he wandered around the school’s various secret hiding spots, broadening his horizons and enriching his experience, and he attended several classes for free, which was quite risqué.

After a week, Chen You discovered a phenomenon, the worse the environment and the greater the challenge, the higher the students’ enthusiasm.

He had always wanted to try it, but due to various factors, he didn’t enjoy it enough in the prison world.

This time was different. He could do whatever he wanted in the garden at home and no one would care if he rolled around in the snow. Chen You pecked Chang Qin’s chest, thinking of finding an opportunity to steal the saliva while the other was asleep, and turn into a human as soon as possible.

In less than half an hour, five people cast curious glances at the black bird. One was a muscular, hip-hop-inspired young man with headphones dangling from his neck, one was a middle school student with a backpack and a bruise at the corner of his eye, one was a young girl dressed like a hooker, one was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, preoccupied with his thoughts, and the last was an adorable baby in a stroller, wearing a thick hat.

Chen You was filled with nothing but ruefulness.

According to what the system told him, only those nearing the end of their lifespans, imbued with the deathly aura of the underworld, could see him.

There are many people in this world, whether good or evil, male or female, old or young, disabled or healthy, they will all follow their own destiny, and no one can be an exception.

Passing by a cake shop, Chen You wanted to eat cake, “da da da da.”

Under the shy gaze of the shop assistant, Chang Qin folded his umbrella and entered the cake shop. When he came out, he was holding a small fruit pudding cake, only 6 inches in size, big enough for a bird.

With food, Chen You’s heart wasn’t so heavy anymore. He flew over the umbrella and then flew in again, flicking the snow off his body into Chang Qin’s face.

Chang Qin grabbed the black bird by the tail. It was always so playful. Only when he tired it out and it was unable to move would it become obedient and lie still.

He scooped the black bird into his arms, his lips curled into a smile, “Oh you!”

Chen You shuddered. He felt an unspeakable feeling about those two words, the unique tone, and the smile. How should he put it? Everything else was fine, but he had this conditioned urge to pee.

The snow came gradually, and by the afternoon it had already become goose feathers. If it continues, the city would be dressed in new clothes.

After Cheng Mingxing left the restaurant, she drove around the city alone. She saw snowflakes drifting onto the windshield and was momentarily dazed until a shrill horn blew, jolting her awake.

Life is fragile, and it’s easy to give up on it.

However, when you want it, it is extremely difficult. No matter how much you pray, God will not show mercy.

Cheng Mingxing parked the car on the side of the road, leaned back in her seat, lit a cigarette and started smoking. Over the past few months, she had been smoking more and more. If she didn’t control it and care about herself, others would not care even more.

Her family only cares about her relationship. Has she found a boyfriend? Why hasn’t she found one yet? Is it interesting to be so picky? Does she still want to live a good life?

It seems that for them, having a boyfriend is the only criterion for whether her life is good or not.

Among those relatives, whoever heard that she didn’t have a boyfriend would look at her in surprise, saying, “Oh my God, this is impossible. You’re almost thirty years old and you don’t even have a boyfriend?”

She has a house and a car, and she’s pretty, so why doesn’t she have a boyfriend? This is so strange, there must be something wrong with her. So the relatives will discuss her with the utmost malice, smacking their lips and saying nothing but annoyance.

Her thoughts suddenly returned, and Cheng Mingxing was choked by the smell of cigarettes. She dug a tissue from her bag and wiped away the tears streaming from her eyes. It wasn’t that she was picky or self-righteous, not taking those men seriously. It was just that she was too lazy and tired.

After finishing a cigarette, Cheng Mingxing got on the highway and went to xxx Hospital in City A for a checkup.

She checked into a hotel in City A and went to the hospital right after receiving a call from there. The test results this time were the same as last time, and the diagnosis was confirmed.

Some people have been living perfectly well, without even catching a cold, only to suddenly develop an incurable disease, only to discover it’s too late. This type of situation has been occurring more frequently in recent years.

The doctor, having dealt with this kind of situation before, knew that words of comfort would be meaningless at this moment. He simply told Cheng Mingxing to get hospitalized as soon as possible and cooperate with the treatment.

Cheng Mingxing calmly put the report into her bag and calmly walked out of the consultation room.

The hospital was noisy, and some people would glance over and admire the woman with a pretty face and a great figure.

Cheng Mingxing crossed the first floor and stood on the steps at the hospital entrance. She gathered a loose strand of curly hair and tucked it behind her ear. Perhaps after her last checkup, she had been mentally prepared, so the diagnosis wasn’t a major emotional upheaval this time.

Luck has always been a luxury.

Cheng Mingxing walked into the snow without an umbrella. Her head and body quickly turned white. The snowflakes melted, and the coldness seeped in. She shivered unconsciously, and suddenly felt that her life was very oppressive and pathetic.

She had never been in a relationship before, and had spent over ten years on an unrequited love. Now that she knows she won’t live long, she doesn’t dare to do or say anything.

Cheng Mingxing got into the car, her hands and feet frozen. She didn’t know how long it took, perhaps tens of seconds, or a minute or two, before her fingertips began to tremble. Slowly, her arms, shoulders, and then her entire body. She covered her face with her hands, sobbing helplessly with grief.

There’s no one who is not afraid of death.

Cheng Mingxing’s mind was in turmoil, her thoughts racing. If she told her parents what the report said, they wouldn’t be able to handle it, right! If that man knew about her condition, would he pay more attention to her? Accepting treatment would only be a struggle, a torment, and even a burden to her family. If she endured the pain, would God grant her a special favor and let her live a few more years? Ten more years?

If she doesn’t get special care, what else can she rely on to persevere?

In the end, Cheng Mingxing realized that nothing she did could change the fact that she had a fatal health problem. Isn’t there a saying that goes, when a person is unlucky, even drinking water gets stuck in their teeth?

Just misfortune, what can be done?

After a moment, Cheng Mingxing took a deep breath, composed herself, and drove to a bar in the city.

She rarely comes to the bar. Whenever she comes, she’s with a few friends to celebrate holidays. This is the first time she came alone, doing nothing but drinking.

The roar of the subwoofer was deafening, and the bar was ablaze with color. The lighting designer was a master, adjusting the lights to the rhythm of the music. Even a vicissitudes of life song, influenced by the lighting, could give people a sense of sensuality.

Cheng Mingxing sat in the corner, her coat off, revealing a slim-fitting black dress that was both sexy and charming.

Every age group has its own unique charm. Women of this age have a unique appeal.

Cheng Mingxing didn’t respond to the wanton stares. Her eyelids drooped, a cigarette in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Suddenly, she felt a sense of desolation. There were so many people here, both men and women, but she didn’t even have anyone to confide in.

Well, this is a bar, a place for fun, not chatting.

Cheng Mingxing stood up from the sofa, swayed a bit, and sat back down. She reached for her bag and flipped through her phone, trying to make a call. She scrolled through it several times but couldn’t find the contact list.

A young man approached and said considerately, “Miss, you’re drunk. Tell me where you live and I’ll take you home.”

As he spoke, the person took Cheng Mingxing’s coat and purse from the sofa in a familiar manner, put his arm around her waist, and couldn’t hide his excitement on his face.

Cheng Mingxing was hugged by the young man and walked outside. She wanted to break free, but she was too weak. Her throat was burning and she could only speak softly, “Let me go.”

“I let you go, how can you walk?” The young man blew into the woman’s neck, “Beauty, you know, as soon as you came in, many men in the bar wanted you. But I’m different from them. Not only do I want you, I even get hard.”

Cheng Mingxing’s brows furrowed, her stomach churning, “Aren’t you afraid I have AIDS?”

The young man laughed heartily, “To die under the peony flowers, even as a ghost, is romantic. Don’t mention it even if you have mugwort spirit, I can take care of it tonight.”

When someone looked over, he shrugged, making a show of being earnest, and said, “I’m such a disgrace making everyone laugh. But I made my girlfriend mad yesterday, and she wanted to break up with me, so she came to the bar by herself.”

Cheng Mingxing was led out of the bar by the young man and was about to be pushed into a car when her arm was grabbed and a familiar surprised voice reached her ear.

After a few moments, Cheng Mingxing remembered that the voice belonged to Wen Wen, the man she had met at the last blind date.

She was about to say something, but the alcohol took over and the world was spinning.

Wen Wen was drinking coffee with a friend across the street. When he saw Cheng Mingxing through the glass window, he immediately ran out of the cafe, crossed the street, and grabbed her arm, his fingers clenched.

Someone shows up unexpectedly and disrupts the plan. The young man’s face turned very bad, asking who you are!

Wen Wen said calmly, “This is my girlfriend.”

The young man’s face twitched, and he sighed, “If you say so, then it is! Stop kidding, okay? This is my girlfriend. Plenty of people in the bar can vouch for it!”

Wen Wen frowned, thinking that this woman had a boyfriend after the blind date with him. He glanced over and caught the rejection and disgust on the woman’s face, as well as the struggle. She was saying something, but she was just a little confused because she was drunk.

After some thought, Wen Wen’s expression changed. He tried to pull the woman into his arms, but was stopped by another force. He lowered his voice, “Do you know her name?”

The young man couldn’t utter a single word.

At this time, onlookers had already approached, and seeing that the young man was silent, they began to doubt his identity.

Wen Wen looked at the drunken woman and lowered his voice, “Mingxing, can you hear me? I’m Wen Wen. We’ve met before. Come with me, okay?”

Cheng Mingxing was talking drunkenly, her words incoherent.

Seeing this, Wen Wen took advantage of the young man’s moment of distraction and pulled the woman into his arms.

The cooked duck flew away. The young man cursed with a sullen face, kicked the trash can hard, and walked away unwillingly.

Wen Wen hadn’t expected to meet the woman in City A. He closed the car door, unsure where to drive, “Ms. Cheng, I’m sorry. I had to say that. I hope you don’t mind.”

Cheng Mingxing tilted her head. She was fair-skinned, and when she did that, the blue veins on her neck were clearly visible.

A drunk person cannot respond.

Wen Wen’s brow furrowed as he pressed his temples, muttering, “Why would a woman go to a place like that to drink, and drink so much…”

The next day, Cheng Mingxing woke up in a hotel bed. She looked at the messy bed and the clothes scattered on the floor, and her head was splitting with pain.

The fragments of last night were all cluttered in her mind, disorganized. She suspected that she had called out Chang Qin’s name more than once when she was with Wen Wen.

Everyone is an adult, there was no coercion, it was consensual. To put it bluntly, there’s no real reason to explain it.

Cheng Mingxing sat at the head of the bed, staring blankly at the white quilt. She was completely unaware of the two bloodstains under her nose. When she looked again, she saw several more blood-red flowers on the quilt.

After a moment of daze, Cheng Mingxing hurriedly stood up and rushed to the bathroom, leaving a trail of red dots on the floor.

Wen Wen simply went downstairs to a nearby breakfast shop to buy breakfast. When he opened the door and came in, the woman was no longer in the room.

Wen Wen was startled when he saw the blood-red quilt. He immediately took out his phone and dialed the number he had memorized, but the number on the other end said it was turned off.

Wen Wen placed breakfast on the table. He tugged at his collar, feeling inexplicably anxious.

He wanted to talk to the woman about what happened last night. He had everything planned out. He would confess and tell her his true thoughts. He hoped she would give him a chance and try to date him.

He would not delve into the details of the man named Chang Qin.

Who knows whether the person is gone or something happened. Wen Wen couldn’t figure out how the woman would react after waking up, or what her attitude towards him would be.

He smiled bitterly, “Disgust, I guess.”

Wen Wen was more worried about the woman’s body. There was blood not only on the quilt but also on the floor. He frowned and called the teacher to ask tentatively, but unfortunately, he got nothing.

Cheng Mingxing returned to her hotel and slept all day before picking up her car from the bar and driving back to City M. Her apartment was rented and close to the restaurant. Her life had been turned upside down by a medical report.

Putting money and health together is ridiculous.

In the evening, Cheng Mingxing turned on her phone. Before she could check her text messages, the phone call from home came, “What’s wrong with you? Your phone is off all the time. Ma has done nothing all day but call you!”

Mother Cheng ordered, “Mingxing no matter where you are or what you’re doing right now, come home!”

Cheng Mingxing had just finished showering, her hair still wet, “What’s wrong?”

Mother Cheng said, “Something serious has happened at your ErShu’s home. Hurry up! It’s hard to explain over the phone. I’ll tell you in detail when you get back.”

(*ErShu= Second uncle)

Throwing her phone on the bed, Cheng Mingxing went to get a hair dryer to blow dry her hair. She looked at the woman in the mirror, who was also looking back at her. She was less than thirty years old, and her face showed no signs of aging.

After a while, they both laughed.

Cheng Mingxing’s home was some distance from the apartment. When she arrived home, it was already past nine in the evening. She hadn’t eaten much all day, and her stomach was churning.

As soon as she entered the house, Cheng Mingxing was pulled into her room by her mother, who told her about her ErShu’s family. As she listened, she felt that life was unpredictable.

It’s the case with ErShu’s family as well as with her.

After a long sigh, Mother Cheng got to the point, “Mingxing, I’ve discussed this with your ba. Although we’re close to your ErShu’s family, it’s only natural for us to lend a hand if there’s anything we can do. However, it depends on the nature of the matter. Your ErShu’s family is bankrupt, their house is about to be confiscated. They owe such a huge debt. We’re powerless, and can only worry about them.”

“In short, remember this, help when you can, and don’t try to be too righteous when you can’t.”

In the final analysis, it means to clean the snow in front of your own door and not worry about the frost on other people’s roofs.

Mother Cheng knew her daughter was quite capable. She worked as a restaurant manager and had never been in a relationship. She had lived alone for years and had saved a considerable amount of money. She owned a house and a car. She was worried that Cheng Mingtian’s family would come after her daughter and try to scrape away some of her belongings, so she hurriedly called her back and gave her a heads up in advance, fearing that her daughter might feel pity for the family and give away all her belongings.

For Mother Cheng, doing so was absolutely unacceptable. She felt that no matter what, her family should never be affected by the affairs of others.

Cheng Mingxing said, “I understand. Ma, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go back.”

Mother Cheng pulled her hand, “It’s so late. Why go back? Just sleep at home and leave tomorrow.”

Cheng Mingxing looked at her mother and suddenly fell silent.

Seeing her daughter seemed to have something to say, Mother Cheng suddenly thought, “Mingxing, could it be that Mingtian has already contacted you?”

“No.” Cheng Mingxing said, “Ma, please make me some egg fried rice. I want some.”

“It’s already so late, why eat egg fried rice? It’s too oily and hard to digest if eaten at night. I’ll ask your ba if there’s any leftover food in the fridge. Wait.”

Just as Mother Cheng was about to stand up, she turned around and grabbed her daughter’s back, “Mingxing, why are there so many hairs on your coat?”

Cheng Mingxing’s face paled briefly, “I’ve been staying up late, so I’ve lost a lot of hair.”

“Staying up late, staying up late! How old are you? You still stay up late! Those who die suddenly die from staying up late.”

Mother Cheng nags, “You don’t listen to me. I told you long ago that a girl should find a boyfriend early, get married, have a child, and then stay home to cook, wash clothes, and take care of the child. Nothing better than that.”

Cheng Mingxing felt a little dizzy. She held her forehead with her hand, her lips pale. She was originally thinking about telling her family about the test results in the evening, but now she was speechless. She even wanted to explode, wanting to vent all the resentment she had been hiding for so many years.

Until the end, Cheng Xingxing didn’t say anything.

Seeing her daughter wasn’t happy to hear this, Mother Cheng said a few unpleasant words and left.

In the room, Cheng Mingxing heard her mother taking her anger out on her father for no reason. Her head hurt even more and she staggered to her feet, grabbing the corner of the table. She took just two steps before falling to the ground.

Outside, Mother Cheng was still arguing with her husband. There was nothing much to argue about, just the same old trivial matters, your problems, my problems, your family’s problems, my family’s problems. They were arguing until their faces were red and their necks were thick. The words they said were getting more and more unpleasant. They would not stop until their death.

Cheng Mingxing regained consciousness, but she was still on the ground, and her parents were still arguing.

It’s impossible to have a bowl of egg fried rice tonight.

Cheng Mingxing went to wash her face. When she came out, her eyes were red, but her mind was clear. She took her cell phone from her bag and called, “ErShu, I heard about what happened these days. Give me your card number and I’ll transfer one million to you.”

The person on the other end burst into tears, “Thank you, Mingxing.”

Cheng Mingxing thought to herself, there’s nothing to thank her for. This little money isn’t even enough to cover a fraction of the enormous debt. Her abilities are limited, and her time is running out. This is all she can do.

If she could still pray for the people in the world of the living from the underworld, she would pray that Cheng Mingtian could withstand the pressure and live a strong life, no longer pursuing pleasure, no longer falling into depravity, and no longer being ignorant.

People always have to grow up.

Just as Cheng Mingxing was comforting her ErShu, Cheng Mingtian emerged from a club, limping and cursing. A bloody mark ran down his neck, evidently from a beating with terrifying force, nearly tearing the skin off.

A man rushed up from the left. It was Zhang Zhi. He grabbed the boy and asked, “MF, what the hell are you doing in this place?”

Cheng Mingtian scoffed, “Receiving patrons! Can’t you tell?”

Zhang Zhi’s eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost. He cursed with trembling lips, “Damn, what a piece of shit! Cheng Mingtian, if you don’t get fucked for a day, you’ll die, right? Huh?!”

Cheng Mingtian swatted the man’s hand away. Seeing him glaring at his neck, he felt a burning pain in the wound, much more painful than when he’d been beaten. Embarrassed, he said something nasty, “LaoZi do what he wants. It’s none of your business.”

Some people stopped and whispered around.

It’s normal for a man and a woman to be pulling each other, but it’s weird if it’s two men acting like they’re in a love-hate relationship.

Zhang Zhi gasped in a rough voice, “I’m cheap.”

He smiled mockingly, squeezing out a line through his teeth, “Cheng Mingtian, I can’t stay this cheap forever. If I stop being a cheapskate, I wouldn’t even bat an eye if you were killed on the street.”

What do you know? You know nothing, you just keep talking nonsense. Cheng Mingtian looked at the furious man and said, “We are not the same kind of people at all. Leave me alone, and I won’t harm you. Let’s end it here, Zhang Zhi.”

There was a raging anger in Zhang Zhi’s eyes, which gradually faded away and turned into a dead silence. He took two steps back and said good twice in a row, “Cheng Mingtian, take care of yourself.”

After the man left, Cheng Mingtian pulled up his collar and headed home with his tens of thousands of yuan. While waiting for a ride, a muscular man he didn’t recognize approached him. He ignored him until he was standing right in front of him.

When Cheng Mingtian heard the unfamiliar muscular man explain his purpose, a strange expression crossed his face. It turned out that the other person was the friend of the person he met on the forum that time. The other person said that the man had not returned for several days.

Cheng Mingtian didn’t quite understand. “What does this have to do with me?”

The muscular man snorted coldly, looking at the boy with hatred and hostility, “I logged into his account and saw a chat log. I checked the IP address and found a high-ranking account. I asked a friend to check and found it was you.”

Cheng Mingtian’s face twitched. He forgot that there is a special group of people in the world who specialize in this kind of thing, “It’s me in the chat history, but the person you’re looking for isn’t me.”

“Don’t talk nonsense to Laozi. Who else could it be but you?”

The muscled man got angry and grabbed Cheng Mingtian by the collar, cursing, “You’re like a dog, how dare you be so mean?”

Cheng Mingtian’s breathing was disordered. He had said a lot of disgusting things in order to get some strong people to deal with the young man.

His face was cold, and he spoke each word with great emphasis, “I’ll say it again. The person your friend wanted to see that day wasn’t me. It was someone else.”

The muscular man stared at the boy, “Who is that?”

Cheng Mingtian didn’t answer but instead asked, “Has your friend not shown up these past few days?”

The muscular man said, “People have been disappearing since the 12th. It’s not just him. There are several posts on the forum about other people disappearing on the same day.”

Cheng Mingtian struggled to break free, quickly logging onto the forum with his phone. He easily found the post the other person was referring to, floating on the front page. All of them had been posted today. He read through them one by one, his expression growing increasingly strange, bordering on horror.

There were six people in total, all the same ones he hooked up with on the night of the 12th, not one less.

What’s going on?

Could it be that those people killed the young man and, afraid to come out, they found a place to hide or ran away?

Cheng Mingtian’s face paled. If someone died and those people escaped, would the police find him? He panicked. His family’s situation was no longer the same as before, and he didn’t even have the money to hire a lawyer.

The muscular man said, “Boy, if you don’t give me an explanation, I’ll upload the chat history to your school’s forum!”

Cheng Mingtian didn’t hear clearly. He hurriedly got into an oncoming taxi and told them the address of the villa, wanting to go and see it for himself.

At a red light, Cheng Mingtian called Cheng Mingxing. He didn’t mention family matters or anything else. He simply asked directly, “Has Chang Qin been to the restaurant these days?”

Cheng Mingxing’s answer was equally direct, “Yes.”

Eyes widening, Cheng Mingtian began fidgeting in the taxi. Before hanging up, he said, “That young man hasn’t left. He’s been staying at Chang Qin’s place.”

Cheng Mingxing’s voice changed, “How did you know about this?”

The phone has been hung up.

Cheng Mingtian clutched his phone, his expression changing over and over again. That night, when Chang Qin came back, he must have seen the young man being rap*d, yet he still showed up at the restaurant as usual.

Does this mean that the young man was not in trouble, but those few people were?

Cheng Mingtian shook his head violently. Impossible. Those guys were all playful. Seeing that handsome young man, they would definitely lose their minds and pounce on him. If he didn’t die, it was because of the good fortune of his ancestors.

Besides, even if Chang Qin happened to run into those men when he returned after a long time, the most he would do is to attack them.

Chang Qin is just a restaurant owner, not the ruler of this world. He doesn’t have the ability to hold off six people alone and kill people at will.

So, what the hell is going on?

Thinking of the series of events that had befallen his family, like a natural disaster, Cheng Mingtian’s face paled even further. He muttered nervously to himself, “No, it can’t be like that. It has nothing to do with me!”

The driver in front glanced in the rearview mirror and saw blood on the boy’s neck, his face was frighteningly pale, his body was shaking, and his speech and behavior became strange. He hesitated for a moment, but still didn’t say anything. However, he was cautious, fearing that he had pick up a suspicious passenger.

Inside the villa, the garden lights were all on, illuminating the white snow on the ground in a warm yellow.

Chen You had consumed enough of Chang Qin’s saliva, so he instantly transformed into a human without even chanting a spell. He refused to play in the house and insisted on dragging Chang Qin out to play in the snow.

Chang Qin had no choice but to be dragged out. The two of them stood in the snow like idiots, looking at each other.

It was cold, and the wind carried snowflakes everywhere.

The moon in the sky is a crescent, the snow on the ground is very white, and it is really cold tonight.

Chen You came out wearing pink pajamas. They were thick, but they couldn’t withstand the freezing cold. He sneezed, put his hand into Chang Qin’s coat, and hugged him, his eyes dark and bright with excitement.

Chang Qin pulled the person into his arms, shielding him from the wind and snow, “Why did you drag me out here?”

Chen You looked down at his man’s little buddy, “Do me!”

“……”

Chang Qin chuckled, “Go to the room.”

“The room is so boring. We’ve tried all the fun places upstairs and downstairs at home. There’s nothing interesting about it.”

Chen You jumped up and down, warming up, saying, “Hurry, hurry, right here.”

Hearing this, Chang Qin touched Chen You’s forehead and said, “No fever.”

Chen You shook his head, swatting the man’s hand from his forehead, and muttered impatiently, “Can you be a manlier instead of dilly-dallying?”

He pulled the corner of his mouth and snorted, “I’m really not saying anything bad about you, but I finally became a human, and you don’t seize the time to play with me. I have to suspect that your love for me is not even enough.”

Chang Qin’s face twitched slightly, and he said in a deep voice, “Stop fooling around. It’s cold outside. Go back.”

Chen You was being naughty, sticking his butt out, challenging the man, “I’m not going back. I’m going to stay in the snow!”

Chang Qin’s eyes were full of understanding, his voice hoarse as he warned the person who had suddenly gone mad and acting recklessly, “Don’t cry later, crying is useless.”

Chen You said that he would never cry, and whoever cried is a puppy.

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