Mordgemälde

Kapitel 27

It won't be useless! He told himself. These tears were shed for him, and Shi Yan was, of course, a virgin. A virgin's tears, shed for him, wouldn't be useless!

Is there any other opportunity? Are there any other conditions? He thought frantically, quickly recalling Lan Ya's dreamlike words and the sentences in Li Zilin's file.

Finally, he had an idea.

Drink it!

By the way, drinking these tears will make them effective!

Thinking of this, his breathing quickened; these beautiful tears reflecting the sunlight were his only hope.

If it was a mistake, if these tears were gone...

Perhaps he should ask Ranga first, but there's no time.

Although Zhou Renhou hadn't shown up these past few days, he knew he hadn't let him off the hook; he could clearly feel him lurking around. And even if he managed to shake off Zhou Renhou's pursuit and find Lan Ya, his tears would have long since dried.

There's no mistake! It must have been drunk!

With this thought, he tilted his head back and drank the now-cold tears with a resolute determination.

As if a never-melting ice bead had entered her mouth and slid into her internal organs, Feng Nian'en clearly felt the tears falling into her stomach!

Then he waited.

He awaited earth-shattering changes, awaited the excruciating pain that might come, he even awaited the death that any normal person might experience. But nothing happened. Although there seemed to be no proof, he knew he was still a ghost…

He slowly shifted his gaze, his eyes sweeping blankly over the four people. It was the gaze of another being. The two children instinctively held their breath, trembling behind Zhou Renkuan. Both Zhou's parents emitted groans similar to those of wild animals encountering something terrifying.

“Mr. Feng…” Zhou Renkuan managed to say, his teeth chattering, “We…we won’t disturb your rest.”

As he spoke, he pulled his wife and two children along, slowly making his way to the door. Trembling, he opened the door and fled as if his life depended on it.

Feng Nian'en's gaze followed their movements, from inside the room to the door and then to outside, before settling on the white wall outside the corridor.

He saw everything, yet it was as if he saw nothing at all. His mind was a chaotic mess, filled with a decadent, bloody chaos.

A strange, primal desire rose from his blood, from the deepest part of his body. Even though he didn't need blood now, he longed to pounce on them, to bite open their veins, to inflict their fear to its peak, and to let their screams attract everyone's attention.

No! It's not just that. He's going to turn them into ghosts too, into things just like him.

Thinking of this, his blank gaze was filled with boundless hatred. Yet he remained motionless, as if some passing deity had cast a spell on him, freezing him in place. Although he wished he could drag everyone down to hell, he stood there blankly, staring at the opposite, snow-white wall with eyes as lifeless as a dead fish, filled with hatred…

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Feng Nian'en suddenly collapsed, as weak and listless as a punctured balloon. He leaned against the headboard, panting heavily, large beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his eyes filled with endless fear, as if he had just struggled to climb out of an abyss.

He knew perfectly well what he had just experienced.

He was just one step away; one more step and he would be finished. From then on, he would never be able to escape his current identity, and even if he found a truly effective way, he would never be able to get out.

Thinking of this, endless frustration enveloped him once again. He had made so much effort, finally obtaining those precious tears, but it was all for nothing.

What will he do next? Is there really a way for him in this world that he needs?

Regardless of Feng Nian'en's mood, time continued to pass as usual. Whether it was because Zhou Renhou hadn't interfered again or due to his unique constitution, his strength was recovering.

Two days later, the doctor announced that he could be discharged. On the night before his discharge, Zhou Renhou finally reappeared. He stared at him for a long time, and finally, tossed him a business card.

"Consider this my way of repaying your kindness in saving Xiao Kong. I hope you'll have the same luck next time we meet. However, I hope you'll contact me before then; it'll be good for both of us." After saying that, he seemed to remember something and added, "I forgot to tell you, I was the one who treated your injury initially, administering nearly two thousand milliliters of blood. I think you'll need to replenish your blood again in four days. Be careful; if I find out what you've done, I might act impulsively."

Four days!

Feng Nian'en shuddered.

In four days, he will have to go through that again.

The warm yellow light shone from the bulb, making the cold white walls appear as if they were stained with water.

He felt that everything was becoming distorted, as if an invisible hand was changing the shape of everything in front of him.

He forgot Zhou Renhou's identity and his purpose, and like all drowning people, he desperately searched for any water plants he could grab.

"Do you know any way to change this? Do you know any way to make me go back to how I used to be?" His gaze was fixed on the wall, his voice low and soft like a groan, but it contained endless longing.

"Go back to how you were before?" Zhou Renhou's lips curled into a mocking smile. Instead of answering, he asked, "You hang out with those kids to get some tears, don't you?"

Although it was a question, the tone was extremely certain.

Feng Nian'en did not answer.

Zhou Renhou's smile deepened, and his eyes revealed an even stronger hatred: "If that damned legend is true, I advise you to find a woman who truly loves you. No matter how many tears you collect from those children, it won't make a difference."

"Why?" Feng Nian'en suddenly looked up and asked, her breathing heavy.

“Do you think,” Zhou Renhou sneered, “that ordinary tears can restore you to normal? Do you think that tears shed from ordinary feelings of liking, happiness, and concern can turn you from a ghost into a human? Do you think that a child’s hazy emotions can lift the most evil curse?”

Feng Nian'en, breathing heavily, looked at the other person: "How did you know? Is it...is there a precedent for this? Has someone succeeded before? Is it true that as long as a woman who deeply loves me sheds tears for me, I can turn back? Is it—"

"Find a woman who truly loves you first."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Renhou coldly interrupted him.

This indifferent tone was like a bucket of cold water, instantly calming Feng Nian'en's agitated emotions.

A virgin's tears.

The tears of a virgin who loved him deeply.

Where is he supposed to find one? Where can he find a woman like that in just four days? And even if he does find one, will the method really work? Can a single tear really turn him back into a human?

Zhou Renhou has passed away.

Feng Nian'en has been discharged from the hospital.

That day, after having a welcome dinner with his father and Zhang Jiru, he returned to his residence. He climbed slowly from the first floor to the seventh floor, as if a death row inmate was trying to prolong his final moments.

He didn't want to think about virgins and tears anymore, but he couldn't help but think about what to do next.

The prince gave him three years to find a way. If he found one, he would become human again; if he didn't, he would become a ghost forever.

Is he really afraid of becoming a ghost?

No, there's nothing to be afraid of about ghosts. What he fears is the instinct inherent in such creatures; he fears eternity, unchanging eternity, endless eternity. Secondly, he fears difference. He's just an ordinary human being, with average intelligence, average looks, and average education. He has nothing about him that would attract attention. He's become accustomed to this ordinariness, and one might even say he craves it.

He was terrified. Thirteen years ago, his city dweller identity caused him to be ostracized by his peers when he first arrived in the countryside; even adults looked at him like he was a rare animal.

He could never accept the unusual gazes directed at him like Zhang Hanwen did.

But what about later? A bitter smile appeared on his lips. Looking up, he realized he had unintentionally gone up to the eighth floor. He turned around, went down to the seventh floor, and paused in front of his neighbor's iron gate. He hesitated for a moment, and just as he was about to walk over, the iron gate opened from the inside, revealing a head with bright purple hair.

"You're back?" The girl jumped out of the iron gate.

"Yes, thank you so much these past few days. My father asked me to thank you for him. He said—"

"Please!" Before he could finish speaking, the girl impatiently waved her hand to interrupt, "You're already old-fashioned enough, don't say anything that makes your teeth ache. I appreciate your father's gratitude, but please don't say it out loud."

Hearing her say that, Feng Nian'en had no choice but to stop talking, shake her head, and smile, "Have you eaten?"

"No," she answered decisively, then made a face when she saw him frown. "It's all because I was waiting for you."

Feng Nian'en's brows furrowed even more.

“Treat me to dinner! I’ve been starving waiting for you.” She said, pushing him forward before Feng Nian’en could say anything else. “Hurry up, hurry up. You’re not good at anything else, but your cooking is passable.”

"Wait a minute, we're out of food at home. Let me treat you to something to eat out."

"What do you want? You still have eggs, right? Fried rice with eggs will be fine."

Pushed to the door, Feng Nian'en had no choice but to take out his key. But before he could turn the lock, the brown wooden door inside the iron gate opened from the inside, revealing a face as alluring as the setting sun.

As if drawn by a magnet, Feng Nian'en's right hand, which was holding the key in the lock, froze in place. After a moment, he whispered, "Miss."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Zhang Hanwen stared straight at him, his misty eyes like black chess pieces submerged in water.

Feng Nian'en lowered her gaze, looking at the red and black stripes on the white marble. Those vibrant colors remained unchanged even after countless years.

"Why didn't you tell me!" Zhang Hanwen's voice rose.

Feng Nian'en forced a smile: "Master must be very happy to know you're back. He was just—"

"I'm asking you why you didn't tell me!" Zhang Hanwen suddenly flung open the iron gate and glared at him.

"……Miss……"

"Don't call me Miss!" Before he could say anything, she shouted uncontrollably, "I'm asking you why you won't tell me, why!"

He lowered his eyes again and said softly, "There's nothing to say."

"Nothing to say? You got hit by a car, and you're telling me it's unimportant? What's important to you? What's worth talking about!"

Feng Nian'en remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Miss..."

"I told you not to call me 'Miss'! Not to call me 'Miss'! Not to call me 'Miss'! Who's your 'Miss'?"

Chapter Twenty

[Bookmark]

Looking into her eyes, which were filled with red, Feng Nian'en felt a flood of memories, like a burst dam, spreading along those two red dots.

"star anise."

Yes, that's what he called her back then.

Of course, in the beginning, they called each other by their full names—Feng Nian'en! Zhang Hanwen! They called each other by their full names for several years, and neither of them felt there was anything wrong with it, nor did they ever think of giving each other a nickname that only they could use. But when they entered school, and when nicknames entered their minds, they couldn't help but start to wonder if they should change how they addressed each other.

At the time, no one thought deeply about why they called it that; they just thought it was fun and interesting—maybe that's really all there was to it.

Zhang Hanwen's nickname came to him when he saw an octopus at the aquarium—eight horns, tightly binding its prey, a bond that no amount of effort could break free from. The guide had told them this, and he remembered it, applying it to her.

He only started calling her "Miss" when he returned. He remembered the surprise on her face when he called her that, just like his father.

Things have changed.

Everything has changed.

Not only the way he addresses people has changed, but his heart has also changed.

He became cowardly and selfish, petty and cunning. He said he would protect her with his life, but what was the reality? He left her, forgot her, and although he stayed by her side after returning, was that truly from his heart? Moreover, what were he thinking when he learned that she was originally chosen by the vampires?

Alternative?

exchange?

Is this his promise?

The priest was right when he said all vampires were sinful. He was indeed sinful.

Thinking of this, his smile deepened. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again: "Miss must be very tired after just getting back. Shall I take you home?" he said, placing the bag on the ground.