Chapter 28
“What are you doing?”
Zhao Ziming grabbed Jiang Liu tightly, his voice still laced with panting breaths.
They had just escaped with their lives. Before his racing heart could even calm down, he saw Jiang Liu recklessly charging out, and he was scared out of his wits, thinking she had been possessed by something.
“Something’s up,” Jiang Liu said simply, shaking off his hand and preparing to rush out again.
After everything they had been through, she had become the de facto leader of the team. Seeing her like this just as they were catching their breath, the others also grew tense.
“Is there still danger?”
Zhang Xiaochen jumped up from the ground in fright, nervously looking left and right, terrified that some unknown creature would leap out from behind him at any second.
The sky was not yet bright, and the air was filled with the damp smell of earth. A light drizzle fell on them, bringing a chill that made everyone shiver and grit their teeth as they stood up.
The streetlight at the garden entrance was still on, its dim yellow light casting a hazy glow on them.
Jiang Liu’s steps faltered due to the continuous questions, and she felt a headache coming on.
She took a deep breath. The cool air finally calmed her chaotic thoughts, and she managed a smile. “Don’t worry, there’s no danger for now.”
She still didn’t know if the memories that had suddenly appeared in her mind were real or fake. Rushing back rashly probably wouldn’t yield any results. Besides, Xiao Si was right here, so there would be time to ask. There was no need to rush.
Having figured this out, her mind, which had been trapped in a fog, cleared up. Only then did Jiang Liu notice their current state.
Her gray hoodie was covered in dust and mixed with plant sap, giving off a strange, pungent smell that made her sneeze in disgust.
Her pants were riddled with tears, and the wound on her calf had not yet healed. It was covered in mud, making it impossible to tell if it was still bleeding. The rain made it sting, which only served to wake her up more.
She looked at the others—
Everyone was covered in dirt, their original appearances almost unrecognizable. Zhang Xiaochen, in particular, still had some unidentifiable colored goo on his face, which in the dim twilight looked like he was covered in blood, a truly frightening sight.
She rubbed her temples and her gaze fell on Cheng Da’s blood-soaked hands. “Let me carry him.”
Although Cheng Ji had been dug out, his condition was still not optimistic.
He lay stiffly on the ground, his eyes tightly closed, his face an abnormally rosy color. He didn’t look like he had been buried alive for a whole day at all.
His body had been covered in a layer of plant leaves, which they had torn off when they dug him out. Now they were nearly withered, clinging dryly to his hands.
Cheng Da shook his head. “It’s just a short way to go. I’ll be fine.”
He looked at the unconscious Cheng Ji and gritted his teeth, hoisting him onto his back.
Jiang Liu didn’t insist. Her outstretched hand changed direction and patted the young man’s shoulder, her tone comforting. “Don’t worry.”
Although it had taken some effort, Cheng Ji was still breathing. As long as he was alive, there was hope.
Cheng Da nodded silently and struggled to keep up with her.
After that interruption, the initial joy of their escape faded, and everyone’s face took on varying degrees of gloom.
Zhao Ziming, being a veteran, accepted the situation well. Seeing them all looking dejected, he couldn’t help but speak up. “Why the long faces? It’s already amazing that we made it out of that place alive.”
His words weren’t just for comfort; he genuinely believed it.
“In the instances I’ve been through before, it was common for one or two people to die.”
Remembering the bloody scenes from the past, Zhao Ziming couldn’t help but shake his head, a hint of relief in his eyes.
After his long speech, the atmosphere did lift a little. Xu Meng and the others looked a bit better, but Jiang Liu continued to walk at the front without a word.
She walked quickly, as if she couldn’t feel any pain, which made Zhao Ziming click his tongue. He stared at her leg for a long time, then his eyes darted around and he quickened his pace to catch up.
“By the way, how did you lead us out of there?”
He scratched his head, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
Under the immense psychological pressure just now, it was beyond his expectations that Jiang Liu could remain calm and lead everyone out safely.
Jiang Liu glanced at her phone. “It was Xiao…”
Before she could finish saying ‘Xiao Si’, her eyes widened—
The phone screen lit up, still on the text message page. The dozen or so messages from Xiao Si were slowly disappearing, as if an invisible hand were controlling it from behind, deleting them one by one.
For a rare moment, Jiang Liu felt a surge of anxiety in her heart, like a fire that couldn’t be vented. She subconsciously pressed the buttons to take a screenshot, and as the image was generated—the message list was still full, but at the very top was a delivery notification from half a month ago.
What the hell!
This was the only thought in Jiang Liu’s mind. She ignored the others around her and frantically manipulated her phone to investigate, but the messages had vanished as if they had never existed, leaving no trace behind.
What on earth was going on?!
Zhao Ziming had only heard half of it before he saw her staring at her phone in a daze. He curiously leaned over to look and couldn’t help but be puzzled. “What’s this? You still have a delivery notification from half a month ago?”
He didn’t take this little interlude seriously and nudged Jiang Liu’s shoulder curiously. “Xiao what? Why did you stop?”
Jiang Liu dazedly came back to her senses. She felt that Yang Caisi was shrouded in a thick fog, separating the two of them and making it impossible to investigate further.
She turned off her phone helplessly, a myriad of complex emotions rising in her eyes before instantly returning to calm. She forced a bitter smile. “I was probably possessed by something.”
With that, she quickened her pace, leaving the others behind, and pushed open the courtyard gate.
Leaving Zhao Ziming behind, scratching his head in confusion. “Huh???”
The Western-style house was just as they had left it. The potted plants on the balcony were huddled together, quietly absorbing nutrients, as if everything that happened last night was just a dream.
Exhausted after a long night, the group lost all their strength at the sight of a bed. They tidied up briefly and went to rest.
“Sister Jiang, I’m going to sleep then.”
Xu Meng’s hand was on the doorknob. She turned back to smile at Jiang Liu, a somewhat forced smile.
Compared to her vibrant appearance when they first met, she looked much more haggard now. Her once bright eyes had dimmed, and the dark circles under them were particularly noticeable.
Since they weren’t here tonight, Xiao Si and Li An’an each had their own room.
Jiang Liu looked at the gradually brightening sky downstairs and nodded gently, not forgetting to reassure her, “Li An’an is not a danger right now. You can rest easy.”
Xu Meng grunted in acknowledgment and turned to close the door. With a soft click, the sound of footsteps in the room gradually faded.
Jiang Liu turned her head, her gaze shifting to the room next door.
The door wasn’t locked, just slightly ajar. From her angle, she could only see the bedside table, which was very tidy. Apart from the familiar pot of white camellia, there was only a photo frame.
She silently pushed the door open, subconsciously lightening her steps and holding her breath. The scene in the room was clearly revealed—
Xiao Si was curled up on the left side of the double bed, a blanket loosely draped over her, one corner trailing on the floor. Her smooth shoulders were exposed, and as if sensing a slight chill, a faint layer of goosebumps appeared on them.
Standing by her bed, Jiang Liu silently observed the girl, as if tracing a rare and beautiful portrait of her with her gaze, each stroke cautious and careful, afraid that the slightest mistake would ruin the overall beauty.
Xiao Si was completely unaware of this gaze, her breathing even, sound asleep.
Jiang Liu sighed almost imperceptibly and reached out to her pillow—it was Xiao Si’s phone.
There was no lock screen password, and the wallpaper was a landscape photo. She quietly opened the text message interface, when she suddenly heard a slight movement from the bed. Her heart leaped, and she held her breath to look.
Xiao Si restlessly turned over, the blanket becoming a mere decoration as it fell to the floor. Feeling cold in her sleep, she subconsciously curled into a ball and hugged her arms.
Thankfully, it was a false alarm.
Jiang Liu let out a long sigh of relief, then found it amusing.
Why do I feel like I’m checking my wife’s phone while she’s asleep?
She was truly going crazy.
She chuckled to herself and sat down confidently on the edge of the bed, lowering her head to check the messages.
There were only a few messages. The top one was a delivery notification, addressed to Li An’an.
As expected, no trace was left behind.
She placed the phone back in its original position, feeling a headache coming on.
Was she hallucinating in that situation, or was someone pulling strings in the dark?
Jiang Liu couldn’t figure it out. Instead, after sitting down, she started yawning one after another. Finally unable to hold on any longer, she hastily bandaged her wound, changed into clean clothes, and climbed into bed.
It was drizzling outside the window. The curtains weren’t fully drawn, and a faint light seeped through the gap, casting a glow on the bed. Jiang Liu picked up the blanket and carefully covered her before allowing herself to sink into a soft dreamland.
***
“Sister, time to get up!”
A familiar voice came from far to near. Jiang Liu yawned and groggily reached out from under the covers to fumble for her phone. Before she could find it, another voice, tinged with a smile, said, “It’s already half-past ten. You promised to go to the amusement park with me today.”
Amusement park?
Jiang Liu was still a little groggy, so she just nodded subconsciously.
It was indeed a bit late to go to the amusement park at this time. If they ran into long queues for popular rides, they probably wouldn’t be able to finish everything in one day.
She fought back her sleepiness and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a white wall. Turning her head to the side, she saw a somewhat unfamiliar door.
The dark wooden door was wide open, and she could vaguely see a spacious living room outside. A figure was tidying their clothes in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror, their silhouette looking somewhat familiar.
Who was it?
Jiang Liu’s head ached. She rubbed her temples and sat up, realizing that this room was very strange. It clearly wasn’t her own home’s decor, yet it felt inexplicably familiar.
She reflexively reached to her left and, sure enough, found a glass of cold water—the one she had left out before bed.
Was she overthinking things?
She took a large gulp, but the grogginess in her head didn’t completely disappear. As she was staring at her hands in a daze, she heard the sound of shuffling footsteps approaching.
“Why aren’t you ready yet?”
The female voice sounded very young, with a hint of immaturity in its tone. The end of her words rose lazily, as if complaining or acting spoiled.
“Almost,” Jiang Liu said, finding the clothes she was going to wear for the day at the foot of the bed. She was about to go wash her face to wake up when she bumped into the figure bursting into the room—
The figure had not yet fully developed, her frame more slender than it was now, with a hint of baby fat on her cheeks. But her eyes were just as she remembered them.
It was a young Yang Caisi.