Chapter 128: Let's Live Together

Driven by something akin to madness, "Father" kept screaming, but as he did, he caught sight of his eldest son looking at him with sorrowful eyes.

"Dad..." Ji Linmo’s voice was low, an attempt to calm the man down.

The man didn't respond; instead, he looked toward the kitchen knife.

In an instant, Ji Linmo’s eyes darkened, and he grabbed a table knife from the dining table. At this moment, aside from his legs, the only parts of his body he could move were a few fingers on his right hand, just enough to grip the handle. If it came to a fight, he wasn't sure he could win.

"She will wake up... she will..."

"You're just a kid, what do you know... She will wake up! Just like I did!"

With that, Father raised the kitchen knife and brought it down hard on his own throat. Dark red, corpse-like blood immediately gurgled from the severed artery, soaking the bandages on his body layer by layer.

*Clang.*

The man collapsed, the knife falling to the floor, his eyes losing their vitality.

But then, eight o'clock arrived.

The grandfather clock in the living room let out a dull, thunderous chime, the roar of the swinging pendulum echoing throughout the house.

*Dong! Dong! Dong!*

The clock hands spun rapidly, moving toward eight in the evening. The rare, clear blue sky outside the window faded instantly, transforming into a night sky filled with stars. Eight o'clock had arrived.

"Cough... Look, I’ve woken up. Son, look, I’ve woken up..."

Father slowly crawled up, the wound on his throat turning into a massive, blood-crusted scab. He seemed to want to smile at Ji Linmo, but his face, twisted in collapse, could not manage it.

"Dad... let it go."

Ji Linmo spoke softly, his voice muffled as if through cotton, afraid to tear open the man’s bleeding wounds. "Death is like a light being extinguished. Let little sister go. Summer is almost over; it is time to bury her."

This sentence seemed to pierce the man’s very soul. The man, covered in lividity, tremblingly touched his wound, glanced at the kitchen knife on the floor, and, unable to hold back any longer, covered his face and wailed hysterically.

How could he not know that his daughter was already dead? But everyone else had been resurrected—why was it that only his daughter couldn't be?

"Waaa... ah... my... my daughter..."

The man collapsed in a heap on the floor, his crying hideous, the blood scabs on his throat bursting open, his voice sounding as hoarse and grotesque as a broken bellows.

This heart-wrenching, gut-tearing wail felt as though it would pierce everyone's eardrums.

"Dad... everything will be alright."

Ji Linmo crouched down and lowered his head, his eyes, hidden behind his bangs, devoid of light. "I have been through this too... but, a corpse is a corpse. No matter how much you wipe her clean or dress her in new clothes, she will never wake up."

Hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the second-floor hallway; it was Mother. She had long been covered in tears, and with a mournful cry, she ran toward Father.

"Dear... my dear, my poor dear... let Little Ling go. Let Little Ling go in peace..."

The woman embraced the man, holding him tightly to her chest as if he were a child. Tears streamed down her face. As one of the few people in this house who remained somewhat lucid, her pain was no less than his.

"Dad, Mom, I buried Little Sister’s body in the backyard. I put a simple stone over it. You can go there to see her."

With that, Ji Linmo slowly stood up. In an instant, the hemp rope in his hand flashed with light.

[Congratulations to the player for discovering the third mission clue!]
[Rough Hemp Rope]
[Item Quality: Inferior]
[Item Description: How sad. This plain, unremarkable hemp rope has served as a murder weapon twice.]
[Current Clue 3/3]
[Congratulations, you have successfully discovered the cause of the younger sister's death!]

Ji Linmo expressionlessly closed the pop-up notification bar. Looking at the weeping man and woman not far away, he suddenly felt exhausted.

"Mr. Ji."

Just as Ji Linmo wearily closed his eyes, a clear, bright voice came from above. It was Qin Feng. The youth was watching him intently.

"Are you alright, Mr. Ji? You seem very tired."

Qin Feng’s gaze traveled from Ji Linmo’s face downward, finally stopping at the purplish ligature marks on the man’s neck.

"I’m fine..."

Ji Linmo slowly leaned against the stair railing. For some reason, he suddenly really wanted a cigarette. Although he had quit a long time ago, at a time like this, he desperately wished for something to ease his weary emotions.

"Mr. Ji, would you like a candy? Perhaps it will make you feel better?"

The youth said this, waving it in front of Ji Linmo. It was a lychee-flavored lollipop; back when Ji Linmo was quitting smoking, he had used them as a substitute.

"Thank you."

Ji Linmo did not stand on ceremony and reached out to take the candy. But he soon encountered an awkward situation: with his remaining fingers, he had no way to peel off the wrapper. The man expressionlessly stuffed the candy into his pocket.

"Oh my~ Mr. Ji, candies are only useful when you eat them while you're unhappy~"

Qin Feng gently pulled Ji Linmo’s hand, unwrapped the lychee lollipop for him, and brought it to the man’s lips. "Come on, say ah~"

Ji Linmo glanced at the youth, did not refuse, and obediently opened his mouth.

With the lollipop in his mouth, the two tacitly moved away from the "parents" and stood outside the front door. Outside, the breeze was cool, and the stars were dim. Autumn was coming soon.

"Qin Feng, you are eating a lollipop too... are you unhappy?"

Ji Linmo turned to look at the youth; the boy also had a lollipop in his mouth.

"Not at all~ I just found out in the bedroom that these candies were about to expire, so I decided to eat them immediately."

The youth’s tone was subtle. Although he covered it well, Ji Linmo could still tell—Qin Feng, like him, was feeling a bit down. Perhaps he had been affected by the "parents'" situation; after all, the commotion had been so loud that Qin Feng, being on the second floor, must have heard everything clearly.

The two said nothing more, standing silently together at the doorway, each gazing off into the distance.

However, Qin Feng didn't seem to be lying...

Taking a careful lick, Ji Linmo pulled the candy out and thought to himself. This lychee-flavored lollipop in front of him... it really did seem like it was about to expire.

"Mr. Ji, do you like it here?"

Suddenly, the youth turned his head and asked him point-blank.

"This house, and this town—don't you think it's perfect for the two of us to live in?"

In the darkness, Ji Linmo clearly saw his own stunned reflection in Qin Feng's eyes.