Illusion profonde - Chapitre 14
She said, "The bonus is over a thousand."
I didn't say anything, and started eating heartily, even wolfing it down. Ya Jie watched me the whole time.
After eating for a while, I looked up at her and asked, "What are you thinking about?" She continued to gaze at me quietly, and said in a soft voice, "You're too thin..."
Although I often receive invitations and show concern from pretty girls, I've never been moved. But those words touched the softest spot in my heart. That innocent gaze, like a mother's or daughter's, that slightly tender tone—it instantly made me feel that this girl was very kind to me…
Later, I gradually learned that Ya Jie had a boyfriend who studied art. After graduating from university, he worked for a children's website, apparently creating Flash animations for fairy tales. They were very much in love and were getting married soon.
The terrifying parrot (5)
I've never had such a bad cold before; I couldn't hold on any longer by the afternoon.
I went to the clinic next to my company to get an IV drip.
I didn't tell anyone at the company. I wanted some peace and quiet.
The clinic's lights were a stark white, making one feel desolate, forlorn, and weary.
I lay alone in bed, watching the medicine drip silently from the plastic tube...
Suddenly, I remembered that hoarse voice from the night before: "A cold."
Talking about love
When I got home, it was already dark. As soon as I entered the door, I saw the parrot's eyes.
As I approached it, I noticed that the clear liquid from its nostrils and the corners of its eyes had turned into a sticky paste, its feathers were swollen, and its breathing had become somewhat rapid.
I carefully cleaned the secretions from its nostrils and the corners of its eyes, gave it medicine, and added some glucose to its little flower bowl.
Finally, I covered the cage with a cotton quilt to keep it warm. It stared at me through the gaps in the quilt.
I avoided its gaze, went into the bedroom, and lay down.
My whole body aches and pains.
The phone rang, and I reached for it. It was my wife calling from America; she's a beautiful woman too.
She sounded energetic; it was early morning. She asked me, "How are you?"
I masked my heavy nasal tone and said simply, "It's fine."
"What about the company?"
"Everything is normal."
"Is there anyone still in your house?"
"No."
"Then why do you speak so hesitantly?"
"I have a cold."
The woman laughed: "I can sense that there's another person in your house."
"Not today," I said casually. I was somewhat annoyed by her smile.
This is our home, but she said "in your house," which made me sense a very subtle message.
After hanging up the phone, she and I were now worlds apart.
I looked to both sides and suddenly had a strange feeling—maybe my wife's intuition was right. There was indeed someone else in the house, but I couldn't be sure of his or her gender. Those eyes kept hovering behind me.
Thinking about this, I felt a chill in my heart.
In the middle of the night, I felt thirsty and wanted to get up to drink some water.
I opened my eyes and suddenly heard someone speaking in the silent night.
A hoarse voice said softly, "For so many years, I've been secretly good to you..."
"..."
Why are you so cold?
"..."
"Believe me, I will never let you down in my entire life."
I recognized the voice that had spoken twice in the middle of the night, but now I suddenly realized something—was the voice coming from a parrot?
I was suddenly filled with fear!
If it wasn't the parrot, then who was this man? Who was he talking to?
From his words, one could sense that there was another person in the darkness, who had remained silent.
"Don't you... believe me?" the hoarse man asked again.
"..."
"Do you expect me to rip my heart out?"
At this moment, another voice finally spoke, a very weak woman's voice, her tone trembling with tears: "Stop talking!"
It wasn't a parrot; that parrot was mute.
In the darkness, I could clearly hear the voices of two people whispering sweet nothings!
But I live on the 10th floor, and all the doors and windows are tightly closed. Where is this sound coming from?
It sounds like a recording, or a conversation from another distant time and space.
I was terrified and held my breath as I listened.
I was hoping to hear them mention a modern term, so I could be sure the voice wasn't from ancient times; I was also hoping they would name a place, like Diduan Street or Zhongguancun, so I could pinpoint their approximate location.
"For so many years, I've been secretly good to you..."
"..."
Why are you so cold?
"..."
"Believe me, I will never let you down in my entire life."
...
"Don't you... believe me?" the hoarse man asked again.
"..."
"Do you expect me to rip my heart out?"
"Stop talking!"
The conversation didn't continue; instead, it started repeating itself.
I remained frozen in place, waiting.
I can't think of anything else I can do.
The conversation was repeated four times. The woman spoke only three words, quickly, in a flash. Moreover, her voice was very soft, clear yet sounding even more distant.
I think the sound is coming from the living room.
I couldn't take it anymore, so I got up, turned on the light, went over, and suddenly flung open the door.
The parrot seemed startled; it trembled and its eyes shot straight at me.
The bedroom light shone directly on its face, making its eyes appear unusually red. Other parts of the living room remained dark.
The sound disappeared, and the living room fell into a deathly silence.
curse
Fear, like microbes multiplying exponentially, is rapidly multiplying within me.
I'm completely confused about whether any of this has anything to do with the parrot.
That day, I noticed that the fur on its belly was starting to fall out, revealing its slightly reddish skin, which looked terrible. So I had to call Axi again for advice.
Axi asked, "Does it peck at its own fur?"
I said, "It stands there all day without moving."
"Then it has molting disorder."
What's the reason?
"It lacks protein, and feathers are mainly composed of protein. You need to feed it eggs and millet, as well as insects and fish and shrimp."
The terrifying parrot (6)
"I want to throw it away."
"Don't throw it away, it might be worth tens of thousands of yuan."
Axi is a parrot expert, but when he came to my house and saw this parrot, he couldn't tell what breed it was.
I did as Asi said.
However, a few days later, instead of getting better, its condition worsened, and the fur on its head, back, and tail began to fall out.
I called Axi again.
He said, "This is a nutritional deficiency disease, and it's not easy to recover from. It usually takes two or three months, or even longer. Be patient."
Every night, as soon as I lie in bed, I think about the conversation between that man and woman.
The sound never appeared again, like a shadow under lightning, drifting by and disappearing without leaving any trace.
I often dream of three scenes.
One time, I met Ya Jie on that meadow. She caught a paper butterfly, handed it to me, and then sat down beside me, watching the endless expanse of flowers with me. The sunlight was wonderful, and gentle breezes blew by. The paper flowers didn't sway at all, stiff as corpses, yet they were so alluring…
One night, I saw two people sitting on the sofa in my living room. They were far apart, talking in hushed tones, as if I didn't exist. The room was dark, their faces were indistinct, and they occasionally let out long sighs. I tried hard to see their faces clearly, but I couldn't make them out no matter what I did…
One instance was at the airport, where I saw the magician's back as he walked away from me. As he walked, he suddenly turned back…
Ya Jie got married today.
The wedding was held in an unassuming restaurant on the North Fourth Ring Road called "Red Bird Restaurant." I attended; it was quite lively.
Today, Ya Jie is wearing a red Tang-style jacket and looks much prettier.