NIP #552 - Who disappeared?
#552 - Who disappeared?
The light in the cafeteria was dim, as if the sunlight outside was blocked by some invisible barrier. Chen Xiang's slender figure stood before the kitchen counter, motionless like a statue. Her shadow was stretched long by the morning light, projected onto the floor, forming a strange silhouette.
Tang Yin stood at the door, looking at that back view, a chill rising inexplicably in his heart. For some reason, Chen Xiang at this moment gave off an unusually distant feeling, as if separated by an invisible film.
"Oh, good morning."
Chen Xiang slowly turned around, her voice calm to the point of being deliberate. However, this calmness only remained in her voice. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she hadn't slept all night; her gaunt cheeks were sunken, making her cheekbones particularly prominent; the corners of her mouth were pulled into a stiff smile, as if it would shatter at any moment. She looked like a dilapidated building about to collapse, teetering on the brink.
Although she tried her best to maintain a superficial calmness, anyone could see that the chaos and sorrow in her heart had not improved at all, but were instead constantly fermenting, about to break through a certain critical point.
"Mom, let me take care of the meal today. Why don't you go and rest for a while?" Qin Ming stepped forward and gently took his mother's hand, his tone full of concern.
"Huh? I'm fine," Chen Xiang shook her head slightly, trying to withdraw her hand.
"Ah, I'll help too!" Wang Lina interjected quickly, "I cook occasionally too!"
Since two people had already offered to help, Tang Yin felt that he should do something too. But considering the atmosphere, he decided to take Gao Mei away for the time being.
"Let's go," Tang Yin said softly.
Gao Mei followed silently behind him, leaving the cafeteria. The corridor was so quiet that they could hear each other's footsteps, and neither of them had any intention of speaking.
Tang Yin walked and thought: yesterday she and Madam Chen Xiang had a dispute, and there was also that attempted escape plan. From this point of view, it seemed reasonable for Madam Chen Xiang to vote for her. With Gao Mei's strong personality, she must have been furious at the time, right?
Keeping them apart might be a wise choice. However, now that he was alone with Gao Mei, Tang Yin found that he couldn't find a suitable topic at all. What's more, before the day before yesterday, he was a thorn in her side in her eyes.
Recalling Xiao Liang's words, although they were a bit inexplicable, he had indeed unintentionally entered Gao Mei's love forbidden zone. It's okay to joke around normally, but in this tense atmosphere, it's better to be cautious.
"…"
Noticing a sharp gaze, Tang Yin turned his head and met Gao Mei's scrutinizing eyes. This feeling of being stared at made him feel uncomfortable all over. It seemed that he could only get straight to the point.
"Gao Mei," Tang Yin stopped.
"What's wrong?" Her voice sounded somewhat wary.
Tang Yin took a deep breath and decided to go straight to the point: "I won't beat around the bush, are you a wolf?"
"No!" Gao Mei turned around sharply, her voice with a hint of anger and hurt. Her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles white, as if she was trying her best to restrain something.
The sunlight shone through the corridor windows onto the floor between the two, outlining a boundary between light and dark in the silent air. At this moment, time seemed to freeze.
There was no confusion at all. However, this was not the basis for judgment.
"You don't believe me!?" Gao Mei's voice was a little agitated, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her knuckles white. "Gang-ge checked my identity last night, and my innocence will be proven soon!"
Tang Yin silently stared at her, his eyes showing a hint of pity. The sunlight shone through the glass windows of the corridor, weaving a pale golden curtain between them, as if separating the two in different worlds.
"Shouldn't you have noticed?" Tang Yin's voice was low and gentle, as if treating a fragile object.
"Huh? Noticed what?" Gao Mei frowned, her tone full of confusion and a hint of unease.
"If he were still alive, he should be in the cafeteria taking care of Madam Chen Xiang now," Tang Yin said slowly, each word like tearing open a bloody wound. "He came to the cafeteria as soon as he got up yesterday. Now is the time when Madam Chen Xiang needs care the most, but why is he not there?"
Gao Mei's face turned pale instantly, her lips trembling slightly: "You're lying, this kind of thing…"
"Then let's go take a look, can you lead the way?"
Gao Mei lowered her head, her long hair covering her expression: "…I understand…"
Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor, the two walking one after the other towards their destination. An unspeakable sense of oppression filled the air, and even the morning sunlight seemed particularly dazzling.
Finally, they arrived at a dark brown wooden door. Gao Mei raised her hand, her knuckles-white fist heavily hitting the door panel: "Granny Rong, are you awake!?"
A brass lock hung on the door, looking intact, with no signs of damage. The knocking sounded particularly loud in the silent corridor, but there was no response for a long time.
A few minutes later, footsteps came from inside the door. Granny Rong finally opened the door. She was wearing a gray cotton pajamas, and her hair was a little messy. When she saw Tang Yin, an unhappy expression immediately appeared on her face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened.
"Why is it you…" Her voice was filled with obvious resistance.
"I'm sorry, Madam Chen Xiang is not in a good mental state, and there are not enough people," Tang Yin explained politely.
"What is Zhao Gang doing?" Granny Rong's eyes suddenly became sharp.
"…We're going to find him now," Tang Yin's tone was a little heavy.
"…Is that so?"
Granny Rong's expression gradually became gloomy, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes. She seemed to have realized a certain possibility, a possibility that made her face even more ugly.
"If there is anything you need, you can come to me at any time," Tang Yin said in a timely manner.
"Okay, okay…" Granny Rong responded indifferently, and then closed the door.
"Are you so considerate to every woman?" Gao Mei suddenly spoke, her tone with a hint of sarcasm.
Tang Yin smiled bitterly in his heart: is my taste that heavy?
"Respecting elders and women is the basic demeanor of a gentleman," he replied calmly.
"Is it the same for Sister Lina?" Gao Mei's voice suddenly became sharp.
"I do have a good impression of her," Tang Yin admitted frankly.
"…No, this is too pitiful for Brother," Gao Mei's voice suddenly softened, with a hint of heartache.
Brother… Tang Yin silently recited the word in his heart, and Qin Ming's figure appeared in his mind. In the morning light, the shadows of the two were intertwined on the floor, like some kind of inescapable fate.
"What do you mean by pitiful?" Tang Yin narrowed his eyes slightly, and the sunlight reflected a faint golden glow in his deep pupils.
Gao Mei lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting together, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum: "Xiao Yi and Xiao Liang are dead, Brother only has Aunt Chen Xiang and Sister Lina."
She raised her head, her eyes flashing with crystal tears: "Moreover, Sister Lina is the strongest among us. Every time we were bullied by the Baifeng Manor people and adults, she protected us…"
Speaking of this, her voice suddenly became choked up, as if suppressing some unspeakable emotion: "…Don't take Sister Lina away."
Tang Yin quietly looked at the stubborn girl in front of him, and gradually understood something in his heart. The sunlight shone through the corridor windows, casting mottled shadows on the floor, as if silently telling something.
It's still impossible to confirm her true attitude towards Wang Lina, but obviously, she is more dependent on Wang Lina than imagined. Although Qin Ming claimed to have let go of this relationship, feelings are not so easy to let go of.
Xiao Mei keenly noticed this. She also likes Wang Lina very much, so she hopes that they can achieve a positive result. However, from her standpoint, this complex emotional entanglement must be making her suffer.
"…I understand your feelings," Tang Yin said softly, his eyes showing a hint of tenderness.
The decision ultimately rests with Wang Lina. Judging from her dislike of Wuyin Village, Xiao Mei's wish may be difficult to realize. However, even Tang Yin cannot truly see through Wang Lina's inner thoughts. Even who can survive to the end is unknown. At this time, any amount of speculation is meaningless.
"In short, the most important thing is to end the banquet," Tang Yin's tone suddenly became serious.
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He paused, and continued: "Although I can't help much, if you have any troubles that are inconvenient to tell acquaintances, you can come to me at any time."
Gao Mei was stunned, and a blush suddenly appeared on her cheeks: "…Huh, wh-what do you mean?"
"It's nothing, I don't mean anything else," Tang Yin waved his hand, his tone peaceful, "It's just that you seem to have a lot of troubles."
The sunlight shone on Gao Mei's slightly red face, making her look a little uneasy. Tang Yin continued: "By the way, I actually think running away is also an option."
"…That kind of thing is impossible," Gao Mei's voice suddenly became cold, and a hint of fear flashed in her eyes.
"Hmm? If that's the case, why did you run away?" Tang Yin keenly caught the abnormality in her tone.
Gao Mei's shoulders trembled slightly, her voice with a hint of suppressed pain: "…It's because my escape failed that I was able to confirm this. We can't get out."
"That's because you were accidentally injured, right?" Tang Yin asked tentatively.
"Not accidentally," Gao Mei's voice suddenly became unusually clear, each word like squeezing out from between her teeth. She raised her head, a chilling decisiveness flashing in her eyes. In the sunlight, an indescribable gloomy look appeared on her pale face, as if telling some unknown dark secret.
Tang Yin was silent for a moment, the morning light casting mottled light and shadow in his deep eyes. "Do you also believe in the existence of gods?" He suddenly threw out this question, his voice so light that it was almost blown away by the morning breeze. He observed Gao Mei's reaction, and faintly felt that behind this seemingly simple question, there might be deeper secrets of this village.
Gao Mei's body stiffened obviously, she slowly turned her head, a hint of vigilance in her eyes: "…What did you hear?" Her fingertips unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, which was her habitual movement when she was nervous.
The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds, and even the morning birdsong seemed particularly harsh.
"That kind of thing doesn't exist. If you don't think that way, you won't be able to do anything," Gao Mei's tone suddenly became unusually firm, as if convincing herself. When she said this, she looked straight ahead, but seemed to be avoiding something. Tang Yin noticed that her eyelashes trembled slightly, obviously this topic touched a hidden scar in her heart.
The atmosphere instantly became subtle. Gao Mei didn't give Tang Yin a chance to continue to ask, turned around and walked quickly towards the bungalow area, her footsteps particularly clear in the morning silence, as if to throw something behind her. Seeing this, Tang Yin quickly followed, his leather shoes making a slight sound as he stepped on the dew-covered bluestone slabs.
"Ah… Mmm…"
A timid voice suddenly came. Walking into the bungalow area, they saw the mysterious girl Xiao Mmm standing alone on the dew-covered grass. She was wearing a slightly oversized white dress, the hem of the skirt gently blown by the morning breeze, like a dandelion that could fly away at any time. Her eyes were slightly red, looking like she was about to cry at any moment, her slender figure looking unusually fragile in the morning light.
"Good morning, what's wrong?" Tang Yin asked in a gentle tone, trying to make his voice sound gentle and harmless.
"Mmm…" Xiao Mmm lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum, like a frightened fawn.
Gao Mei frowned, her tone with a bit of impatience: "…Be normal, it's not like you can't talk."
"Woo." Xiao Mmm was startled by this sudden reprimand and shrank her neck, taking half a step back like a frightened animal.
"That will scare her," Tang Yin said softly, then changed to a relaxed expression, deliberately making his voice light and cheerful, "Look at me, good morning~".
"…Mmm, mmm…" Xiao Mmm still responded in this strange way, as if this was her only way to communicate with the outside world.
It seems that this doesn't work either. Tang Yin quietly glanced at the impatient Gao Mei, and decided to change the topic: "…Where's Hualu?"
Hearing this name, Xiao Mmm's originally dim eyes suddenly lit up, like stars being lit: "Sister?"
"Yes, where is she?" Tang Yin asked, but a sense of unease rose in his heart for some reason.
"Not out yet…" Xiao Mmm's voice lowered again, like dandelion fluff blown away by the wind.
"…Her house is right here," Gao Mei pointed to the house next door, frowning slightly. In the morning light, the simple bungalow was shrouded in a layer of eerie silence.
Tang Yin remembered, he did come here yesterday. The sunlight at that time was also shining diagonally on the white walls of the house, casting slender shadows.
"Miss Hualu!" Tang Yin shouted while knocking hard on the door. The wooden door made a dull sound, but there was no response.
Tang Yin and Gao Mei looked at each other at the same time, both of them flashing a hint of unease in their eyes. Could something really have happened?
But soon they found that the door was locked, which seemed to give them a glimmer of hope.
"Miss Hualu!" Tang Yin shouted a few more times, but still no response. He hesitated, put his ear to the door, and listened carefully, holding his breath.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from inside the house, like the sound of cloth rubbing, or something being dragged.
"She seems to be changing clothes," Tang Yin breathed a sigh of relief, straightened up and said.
Gao Mei's brows furrowed even deeper: "...So that means...as I thought..." Her voice trembled slightly, as if she had thought of something terrible. In the morning light, a trace of unease flickered across her pale face, and a hint of imperceptible fear flashed in her eyes. This morning suddenly felt exceptionally long, as if some unknown danger was quietly approaching.