How far can it be? It's not on Mars, is it? Even if it was Mars, as long as he asked, she would help him. Although she didn't have great abilities, traveling thousands of miles a day, crossing mountains and seas, was something she could do.
But every time she mentioned going home, Ah-Sheng would always change the subject.
After this happened several times, Gu Qiqi stopped asking questions. If he didn't want to go home, he must have his reasons, so why bother asking more. This was the tacit understanding they gradually built, not to inquire about any potentially unpleasant questions.
It was fine the way it was at present; sitting calmly beside each other, talking about the frog monster, who, with tears streaming down his face, finally bought two goldfish on credit, talking about how the fat woman next door, who was always mean to others, fell into a ditch and then laughed heartily.
"It would be nice to keep doing this," Gu Qiqi said these words absent-mindedly one day after a big laugh. After a long pause, Ah-Sheng said, "It'll be good to see you." Gu Qiqi was shocked.
"Ha, I'm just kidding!" Ah-Sheng made a funny face at her. "What if I can't stomach eating after seeing you? I don't want to take that risk; you better stay wrapped up."
Gu Qiqi forced a smile and ignored him. If you were to see me, maybe... it won't be as simple as not being able to stomach eating. Perhaps, the first glance we share might be the last.
The loud chirping of insects in the summer night drove people crazy.
The goldfish shop had not opened for three days.
Gu Qiqi directly found Ah-Sheng and Professor Xiao's home near the alley.
In the evening, she waited for Ah-sheng downstairs. He was lending an arm to support Professor Xiao as they came home, carrying a plastic bag of produce in his other hand. Seeing her, Ah-Sheng, who looked slightly tired, stopped in his tracks and remained silent.
"Well... I admit I followed you," Gu Qiqi preemptively confessed. At some point, she had indeed secretly followed Ah-Sheng at dawn. Not to prove anything, not to investigate anything, just because, in case the goldfish shop was closed, at least she had another place to look for him.
Ah-Sheng gave a faint smile, with an expression that seemed to say, "I knew you would do something like this."
"It's Qiqi." Professor Xiao also knew her, aware that she went to the shop to find Ah-Sheng every night. He politely said, "Come, come, let's go upstairs and sit down."
Gu Qiqi shook her head like a rattle drum, keeping her gaze on Ah-Sheng's face, repeatedly saying, "No need, no need. The goldfish shop has been closed for several days, so I came to check... worried that you... worried that something was wrong. Uh, since everything's fine, I'll leave first."
"Professor Xiao caught a severe cold and I have to take care of him, so I didn't open the shop. You're a guest, come on up." Ah-Sheng supported Professor Xiao as they moved forward, saying, "Anyway, you have plenty of time as an idler."
"Tsk!" Gu Qiqi had long been accustomed to his vitriol. Holding onto her ever-expanding curiosity, she followed them upstairs.
The house was filled with books - on the shelves, on the table, and even on the bed. Glancing around casually, Gu Qiqi noticed that most of them were old books and materials related to psychology and mysticism.
Professor Xiao apologetically cleared a space to sit, saying, "The house is messy; sorry about that." Their home was indeed messy, and as small as a loft. Apart from the bed and the table with chairs, there was an outdated large bookshelf; otherwise, it could be described as bare. A university professor's home shouldn't be like this. Gu Qiqi had met people in the same profession before. They might not have a mansion and luxury car, but they at least have a spacious and comfortable residence. How come they are so destitute?
Ah-Sheng nonchalantly placed the groceries in the kitchen, and Gu Qiqi stood at the kitchen doorway, peering in to watch him skillfully wash and cut vegetables.
"Is there really something wrong with your eyes?" She looked at the knife in his hand, swiftly cutting uniform slices of green bamboo shoots.
"Besides watching me cut vegetables, you can also help me tidy up the house," he said without looking up, "or I won't feed you."
"I have no intention of having dinner at your place, humph!" Gu Qiqi turned around and walked away. She didn't dare to eat in front of them using her true identity!
Gu Qiqi returned to the living room. Professor Xiao seemed to have gone to the bathroom, and the sound of his coughing could be heard from inside. She walked to the table, idly looking around. Just about to sit down, she bumped into the edge of the table. The glass of water Professor Xiao had poured for her spilled all over the table, quickly soaking a pile of documents.
She quickly pulled away the documents, frantically using her hands to wipe the water off the table. In her haste, she accidentally knocked down a thick black leather-bound book buried in the pile of documents. It flipped open and landed upside down on the floor. She hurriedly bent down to pick it up, hastily brushing off the dust from the pages, but her flustered gaze inadvertently fell on a page filled with disorderly words and symbols—
April 28th, Test Subject: Ah-Sheng, Age: 15, Gender: Male, Test Item: Potassium Oxide pharmacological reaction..."
"Put that down!" With a loud shout, Professor Xiao, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, snatched the black book from her. Rare anger and panic were evident on his face, but he quickly eased his expression, incoherently explaining, "I mean, you... you can't touch these randomly. They have a specific order, and it'll be troublesome if they get messed up."
"I'm sorry, Professor Xiao, I didn't mean to." Gu Qiqi apologized hurriedly, but the doubts in her heart were like the night outside the window, gradually becoming thicker.
She "politely declined" Ah-Sheng's kind invitation to dinner, fleeing from their home in a hurry under Ah-Sheng's slightly puzzled expression.
Test subject... Potassium oxide... These two words struck her head like a hammer. Though she hadn't read many books, she at least knew what being a "test subject" meant and understood that potassium oxide was a poisonous substance that could cause rapid death in humans.
Professor Xiao wasn't a medical professional; he was merely an associate professor in the liberal arts department of a not-so-famous university. Simultaneously, he had a considerable interest in subjects like mysticism. How could a liberal arts professor be involved in something like potassium oxide pharmacological reactions? She suddenly felt an obligation to get to the bottom of this. For Ah-Sheng. Seeing the words "test subject," she was filled with apprehension.
In Professor Xiao's home, Ah-Sheng set the table. Meanwhile, he glanced at the front door, thought about Gu Qiqi's hasty departure just now, smiled, turned back, and shouted into the house as if nothing had happened, "Professor Xiao, it's time for dinner."
***
Today, all the residents who had visited the small plaza near the community were discussing a strange occurrence. Overnight, three lifelike stone statues appeared on the square for no apparent reason. They were life-size and looked like young men. Not only were the facial features carved with great realism, but even the folds in their clothing were vividly depicted, as if they were about to flutter in the wind.
The three statues were placed close to a flower bed, lying in a half-reclined position, each with an open mouth and a terrified expression. Their outstretched hands seemed to be warding off something in mid-air. If not for the genuine stone material, anyone would mistake them for three living men. Every single person who saw the statues exclaimed in admiration and said the sculptor had godly skills.
However, despite the exquisite craftsmanship, who would place these things in the secluded small square overnight? Although the statues were fascinating, they were eventually loaded onto a truck and taken away by the local municipality as unauthorized obstacles that disrupted the city's appearance.
At dusk, the small plaza returned to its usual calmness. After dinner, people continued to take strolls, continued to chat, and some continued to discuss the three stone statues. Some mentioned that the statues looked very familiar, resembling those idle hooligans who lived on the neighboring street, engaging in petty crimes all day. But that couldn't be possible. Who, after all, would be bored or bothered enough to create those human-like stone figures for those human trash?
Zhong Xiaokui watched the urban management vehicle recede into the distance, an embarrassed look on his face.
"Uncle Chifeng, Uncle Mosong, please give me a break... I really can't do that. You two can handle it yourselves, right? There's no need to involve me." At the same time, he bowed to the red-haired and black-haired men on his left and right sandwiching him, and begged for mercy.
Chifeng brushed aside a strand of red hair blocking his vision and frowned, "What the king was worried about has really happened."
"Now that the target location is confirmed, we can't delay any longer." Mosong grabbed Zhong Xiaokui's shoulder, "Kid, only you can handle this."
"Uncle Mosong, I haven't even killed a chicken!" Zhong Xiaokui looked up pitifully at the black-haired man who was more than half a head taller than him, saying in a trembling voice, "You guys... you want me to kill someone as soon as you come!! Please, I at least provide you with food and shelter, and I've even generously given you so many video game walkthroughs for free. Please let me off!!"
"That's not a human!" Chifeng ruthlessly interrupted him.
"It seems wrong for you to say so. Although it's indeed not a human, it's certainly a human at present." Mosong scratched his head, speaking in a convoluted manner.
"That's not the point at all, okay?! The point is that people have already turned into stone statues now! If we don't take action soon, more people will definitely suffer. If we don't stop it as soon as possible, the human world will be in chaos!"
"Which part of what I said isn't the point? Pay attention to your attitude when talking to me!"
The two men argued back and forth for a long time. Just as Zhong Xiaokui was about to seize the opportunity to escape, his shoulders were simultaneously grasped by two powerful hands. The two men exchanged a glance, and Mosong declared to him, "In short, the king has given the order. You, Zhong Xiaokui, are tasked with capturing and bringing the Stone of the Dead[1] back to the Underworld. If the other party resists, kill without mercy!"
"Help! I don't want this! I love peace! I..."
"Humph, you're a fool who can't distinguish between right and wrong! Looks like we need to educate you properly!" Under the setting sun, Zhong Xiaokui kicked his legs as he was carried away by Chifeng[2] and Mosong[3].
Footnotes:
[1] 亡灵石: wangling means departed spirit; shi means stone.
[2] 赤 砜: Red Sulfone.
[3] 墨 嵩: Black Lofty.
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