novelA Million Times for You (154)
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Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
No. 5 stomped his feet and lay flat against the seat."Sis, how are you so brave?" he asked sluggishly.
"I became braver after having experienced a lot. There's nothing to be afraid of, it's just some bones. After all, it's not going to bite or devour you. Sometimes, humans are far scarier than the dead. Those who seem innocent on the surface may just stab you from behind when you're not looking, " she said calmly.
They arrived back home. Upon the sight of her, Shi Qingzhou stood up and said, "We saw on the news that there was a major traffic incident this evening. After their investigations, the police deduced that the black car was carrying flammable goods and gunpowder, which led to the explosion. It's horrifying. We were all really worried when you weren't home yet."
"We witnessed the accident ourselves. It's not just a simple traffic accident." An Xiaoning pulled Shi Qingzhou upstairs and said, "Mother, I have something to say to you."
Noticing the grave expression on her face, she asked, "What's the matter?"
"Mother, have a seat. I saw a woman who was dressed in green coming out of the black car just now. I can't tell if she's from the ancient period or if she was just dressed in a costume. The accident was caused by that woman."
After a moment of silence, Shi Qingzhou asked, "So that woman was the culprit?"
"Yes, but she disappeared within seconds. I wonder where she came from?"
"She must be a troublemaker. The police would never be able to find out the truth, then. Xiaoning, what did you go to the Gu family mansion today for?" Shi Qingzhou asked.
"I went to the museum with Gu Beicheng. Mother, do you believe in past and present lifetimes?" An Xiaoning asked softly.
"Past and present lifetimes? I don't know, " said Shi Qingzhou.
"Jin Qingyan and I were lovers in our previous lifetime, " said An Xiaoning, who then went on to explain everything to her mother, including the corpse from the cave on the desolate mountains as well as the skeleton she brought back from the museum this evening.
An Xiaoning removed the bangle from her wrist and said, "Look, this is the very bangle that saved my life."
Shi Qingzhou took a closer look at the bangle and said, "It looks like an ordinary jade bangle. It must have belonged to you in your previous life and has recognized you as its owner. What a spiritual bangle. Didn't the museum curator say that it was the only item buried with the corpse? It must've been very important to you in your previous life too."
"I have Beicheng to thank for giving it to me. I guess it's all fate. It's meant to be mine, be it in my past or my present lifetime."
Shi Qingzhou put the bangle back onto An Xiaoning's wrist and said, "You must wear it every day since it's so important. Xiaoning, I've never regretted the decision to give birth to you. In fact, I feel really blessed and fortunate to have you as my daughter."
An Xiaoning hugged her and said, "Me, too. Searching for you was the best decision I've ever made."
"Do we inform the police about what happened tonight?"
"Not yet. I also have my own selfish reasons. I don't feel like getting involved in this matter for the time being. There are no psychic police officers in the police station at the moment. If we tell them about what happened this evening, they'll definitely urge me to join them in the investigations. This case is not as simple as it seems. We'll talk about this again when I've already mastered the techniques of that book. I don't want to delay my progress, not even by a single day. I reckon that that woman must have done it for revenge."
"Since she did it for revenge, I doubt she'll continue to harm others... Go to bed early, you still have to study tomorrow, don't you?"
An Xiaoning nodded and said, "Mother, goodnight."
"Goodnight."
——
In the darkness of the night, the cold breeze began to blow.
Standing by the balcony with a nearly empty can of beer in his hand, No. 8 looked over at the bench along the corridor of the opposite building. He discovered that he would often get to see Mo Li sitting by the bench whenever he stood on the balcony at night.
However, there was no one tonight.
He finished the last sip of beer and crushed the empty can in his hands. Just as he was about to go back inside, a figure swaying from side to side caught his attention.
It was none other than Mo Li.
She seemed to be drunk and was walking on an unsteady gait, taking one heavy footstep at a time.
As usual, she took a seat on the bench.
Her features could not be seen clearly since she was hanging her head low and there was a significant distance between the mansion and the apartment building.
No. 8 gazed at her quietly to find that she seemed to be crying and that her shoulders were trembling uncontrollably.
He looked away and returned inside the house, after which he threw the crushed empty can into the dustbin.
After washing up, he subconsciously headed to the balcony again, only to see that Mo Li had fallen asleep on the bench.
Mo Li lay flat on the bench with her eyes tightly closed.
As soon as No. 8 approached, the strong odor of alcohol wafted up to his nose.
"Ms. Mo, " he called.
Mo Li opened her eyes immediately, though they were glassed over.
She struggled to sit up.
She was swaying so unsteadily that she seemed like she would stumble over anytime. She tucked her long hair behind her ear and said with a chuckle, "Could I... trouble... you to send me home?"
No. 8 grabbed her arm and asked, "Ms. Mo, on which floor do you live?"
"The... the highest floor."
He tried to help her up; however, she could barely manage to walk. Thus, he had no choice but to pick her up in his arms and carry her into the corridor.
Mo Li stared at him in shock. Her vision was extremely blurry and seemed to have been obstructed by moisture.
Ding... They arrived on the 32nd floor.
He put Mo Li down and turned around to leave.
Mo Li hurriedly grabbed his arm and said in a hoarse voice, "Wait a minute."
She opened the door, entered the apartment, and came back out soon after with her wallet in her hand. She took out two hundred-dollar bills and handed them to him."I can't trouble you for free. It may not be much, but please take it."
"It was just a simple favor that didn't take much effort, " said No. 8, who did not take her money and instead entered the elevator straight away.
Mo Li put her arm down. Noticing that the doors were about to close, she quickly said, "Thank you."
——
Before beginning her seclusion, An Xiaoning wrote several messages on a piece of paper and instructed Shi Qingzhou to send Tuoba Gucheng a text message according to what she had written.
She also reminded her mother not to disturb her regardless of what happens.
Shi Qingzhou bore her words in mind.
An Xiaoning remained in seclusion and slipped into a deep slumber for more than ten days, rid of disturbance from the outside world.
Shi Qingzhou would wait in her room patiently every day for An Xiaoning to regain consciousness. She looked forward to seeing her daughter master the techniques and prayed silently that she would succeed.
An Xiaoning still showed no signs of coming to by the seventeenth day.
Shi Qingzhou began to sense that something was amiss.
An Xiaoning began to break out in sweat and her entire face was soon drenched. She continued to perspire uncontrollably from head to toe.
Although the heater was clearly switched off, An Xiaoning felt as if she was in a hot oven.
Her face grew redder and redder.
Shi Qingzhou knew that there was no way to wake her up. Hence, she remained silent and did not dare to turn on the air conditioner, for fear that she would disrupt the process.
She stared at An Xiaoning in fear and anxiety, not daring to even blink.
Tuoba Shuo entered the room and received a great shock upon seeing what was happening."This..."
Shi Qingzhou grabbed his hand and said, "Shuo, do you think she's on the verge of losing control?"
"Don't spout nonsense. Let's observe the situation first."
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