Das Grab von Qin Shi Huang

Kapitel 63

"Me? A scoundrel?"

“Yes!” Anlin suddenly found her courage and shouted louder and louder, “Your behavior is extremely shameful! This is sexual harassment, this is a crime!”

"Don't you girls all like these kinds of surprise attacks?" Baihu still seemed a little confused.

“It’s not like it was consensual!” Anlin explained bluntly, “You can’t do this to me without my permission!”

He nodded, seemingly understanding, "So, as long as we like each other, we can do it?"

“That won’t do!” Anlin retorted seriously, “I already have a boyfriend!”

A look of worry crossed Baihu's brow. "You like him?"

The conversation had deepened to such an extent that even An Lin couldn't help but forget her current situation and began to think carefully. Did she like Lonely Cow? She didn't know. When she was with Lonely Cow, she wasn't particularly happy, let alone experience that sense of spiritual connection. But he was truly good to her. Perhaps in this lifetime, she would never find someone who loved her as deeply as he did? People often say that you will meet two people in your life: one is the person you love most, and the other is the person who loves you most. Lonely Cow chose the person he loved most, unwavering in his devotion. And what about her?

Will you hold the hand of the person who loves you most and walk together for a lifetime?

Her heart ached as if pierced by needles. She had lived for nearly twenty years but had never met the person she loved most. In the years to come, she could only spend her time with loneliness. Where would she briefly meet the lover who could speak sweet words straight to her heart, the prince charming who haunted her dreams, and from where would they gradually drift apart?

Perhaps, she will never be with the man of her dreams.

Overwhelmed with grief, tears welled up uncontrollably. At that moment, she felt a sudden warmth on her cheek, a pleasantly moist sensation. It was Baihu; he had boldly broken through the forbidden zone and was actually moving closer to her.

He licked away the tears on her face.

"Do you like him more than me?" His gentle voice rang in her ears, as intoxicating as a dream.

"No..." Anlin offered a weak resistance, but her limbs were weak, her mind a whirlwind of emotions, and she resisted with only the last vestiges of reason remaining. "This is a sin... I can't betray him..."

"Sin?" A sharp glint flashed in the white tiger's eyes, sending chills down one's spine. "To go against one's own will and suppress one's own desires is the true sin."

The next second, without allowing An Lin any objection, he forcefully pressed his lips against her pink, bud-like lips.

Volume 4, The Soul Singer, Third Movement: The Sick Half-Eared Man (Part 10)

"Ah!" An Lin didn't even have time to scream. She felt as if her lips had been branded with a hot iron, burning intensely. Although it was only for a brief moment, and although Bai Hu immediately released her, all the strength in her body felt as if it had been sucked out of a vacuum, leaving her limp and unable to move. Just a simple kiss had rendered her completely defenseless and utterly powerless to resist.

She thought she would never forget this scene for the rest of her life.

Baihu looked at her flushed face with interest. "Your reaction is so cute." He casually grabbed a strand of her hair and playfully scratched her face. "Looks like you rarely kiss!"

"You...!" An Lin was instantly enraged. His frivolous and slick attitude only proved that he was a seasoned womanizer, having slept with countless women in his life. Even she was just another plaything for him. Ah! How could she have believed such a playboy's feigned affections? How could she have been moved by him? She was incredibly foolish! She was so ashamed that she wanted to kill herself.

She desperately wanted to shout "Get out!" at him, a resolute cry that truly reflected her feelings at that moment. But she could only manage to utter the weak and powerless words, "Get out of here..." before she could utter another sound. Never before had she hated her own weakness as much as she did now.

The white tiger's eyes flashed with a sharp, needle-like light as it slowly straightened its tall body. "I'd really like to just leave," it laughed again, a laugh so wicked and cruel, "but I'm afraid someone won't allow it."

A terrible premonition slowly rose in Anlin's heart. She turned her head with difficulty, her gaze passing through layers of tables and chairs until it stopped at the door. Lonely Cow stood there blankly like a clay puppet, his pale face filled with both sorrow and anger.

In that instant, countless thoughts raced through An Lin's mind. When did he come in? What did he see? Did he hear her desperate resistance? Or did he think she was playing hard to get, half-heartedly resisting? No, you've completely misunderstood! It's all Baihu's fault, he's harassing me, I didn't do anything, I'm innocent! She wanted to explain loudly to him, but her throat felt hoarse, and she couldn't utter a sound. This kind of low-quality plot, reminiscent of a romantic soap opera, became exceptionally real and cruel when it happened in reality—especially for Lonely Cow, who witnessed it firsthand. His eyes almost spit fire, his resentful gaze shifting from Baihu to An Lin, then back to Baihu.

"You really like him?" After a long pause, he finally managed to ask with difficulty. At first, An Lin thought he was asking about Bai Hu, but Lonely Ox then added, "If you like him, why did you hide it from me?"

Before An Lin could answer, Lonely Cow let out a deep breath from the bottom of his chest, as if releasing all the resentment that had been building up for so long. "Very good," he said, raising his hands with feigned nonchalance. The next second, he suddenly dropped them, as swiftly as if setting down a thousand-pound burden, as decisively as if severing something with a knife. "I wish you happiness!"

He turned and ran out of the classroom, afraid they would see the tears welling in his eyes. Pathetic! He berated himself, yet the clear tears still blurred his vision, and the howling wind stung his ears. His heart was torn apart, the pain so intense he felt nothing, empty and burning—he only knew to let his footsteps carry him relentlessly. The whispers of passersby were carried to his ears by the cunning wind.

"Look at that fool!" came the cruel mockery. "His head is all green, so green it's practically glowing!"

"That's right!" came the echoes, equally ruthless and merciless. "His girlfriend has been cheating on him with other women behind his back for a long time. Only that idiot was kept in the dark, completely fooled!"

"Heh heh..." Mocking laughter rose and fell, sharp and intricate, surrounding him, oppressing him, making it impossible for him to breathe. He instinctively wanted to cover his ears, but even if he did, the sounds continued to pour in, bypassing all the obstacles he could erect, flowing freely like air. Indeed, they didn't originate from their vocal cords.

Rather, it reflects their true feelings.

"Cuckold," "idiot," "scapegoat"... and countless other even more vile words surged in from all directions, each vying to penetrate his ears—at that moment, it felt as if the whole world was mocking and ridiculing him, and he could only silently endure it, without even the slightest room for rebuttal, utterly powerless to resist. This was simply the cruelest torture imaginable. "Shut up!" he cried, unable to bear the overwhelming pressure any longer. "Stop talking! Please!"

"Lonely Cow?" A soft female voice quietly sounded, her tone full of concern. Like a drowning person grasping at the last straw, a final glimmer of hope appeared before Lonely Cow's eyes.

To his surprise, he discovered that the girl was actually Yan Wuyue.

"Impossible!" He shook his head instinctively. In his memory, Yan Wuyue was a fiery and carefree person who loved to bicker and argue with him all the time. When had she ever spoken in such a gentle tone? It must be a hallucination!

"You're covered in sweat... Are you alright?" She took a step forward, her concern growing stronger. Lonely Ox stared blankly at her, then suddenly burst into laughter. Seriously, what a messed up world this is! He laughed, tears streaming down his face. An Lin secretly kissed White Tiger, and everyone laughed at me, while the tomboy Yan Wuyue transformed into a gentle and quiet girl.

A girl he ideally likes.

"Hey, stop talking like that!" He waved his hand at Yan Wuyue, then buried his tear-streaked face deep in his knees. "You're disgusting! You made me laugh so hard I cried!"

"Are you... alright?" Yan Wuyue had already noticed that something was wrong with his expression, so how could she be fooled by his poor attempt at concealment?

"Go away, go away!" Lonely Ox shouted with his last breath. This is my last shred of dignity, he thought. Let me hide in a corner and lick my wounds alone! No matter what, I don't want you to see me like this! "Go!"

Yan Wuyue's figure finally disappeared, reluctantly. The instant she left, countless whispers and rumors surged forth again, howling and threatening to overwhelm him. These damned ears! Even his right ear seemed to have fallen victim, joining his left in a deluge of mockery. "I don't want these ears!" he cried out inwardly, not wanting to hear his own thoughts, not wanting to know the truth, just wanting to be like a normal person! Even if it meant being blinded by lies and gossip…

They will definitely be much happier than they are now!

Volume 4, The Soul Singer, Third Movement: The Sick Half-Eared Man (Part 11) - End

No. 666 Frozen Street, an astrology hall with flesh and blood.

"Excuse me, sir, is there anything I can do for you?" The astrologer slowly sipped his yogurt; this was the eighth bottle of plain yogurt he had finished in an hour. Clearly, he wasn't speaking to Maya, who was perched on his shoulder, but to a customer standing outside the astrology shop.

The customer hesitated, standing in the scorching sun for a long enough time for the astrologer to drink a whole ton of yogurt—if he had that much stomach capacity. The customer seemed to be testing the astrologer's patience, standing silently, motionless and unmoving.

"Sir, sir!" Maya exaggeratedly covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, as if she couldn't bear the stench coming from outside. "Think of something! It stinks to death!"

"How rude!" The astrologer lazily reached out and gave her a soft tap on the head. "How can you say such things in front of your guests?"

"But...!" Maya, feeling wronged, vented her anger, "Don't you hate 'men' the most? They're dirty and smelly, and they'll get in the way of our business!"

"Business?" The astrologer suddenly opened his eyes, the icy green fluorescence vanishing in an instant, then disappearing again beneath his half-closed eyelids. "Haven't you noticed? It's been the off-season for business lately. Sigh!" He sighed resentfully, the unspoken message of which was clear to Maya: he was starving.

Is this what they mean by ideals having to bow to reality? A crack of grief and indignation appeared on Maya's doll-like body. The astrologer, who always viewed men as vermin and inferior beings, was now forced to lower himself to provide "services" to male clients just to fill his own belly? Just as she was grieving, the astrologer spoke up at the opportune moment:

"Besides, he's an old acquaintance of ours... so let's make an effort to entertain him!"

Lonely Ox had heard some stories about the astrology shop from Yan Wuyue, and although she was hesitant and reserved, he could still glean the general outline from her descriptions. Guided by a miniature doll, he stepped into the astrology shop for the first time in his life. How wondrous! A talking, moving doll, and a man sitting upright in a chair, drinking yogurt through a straw. Lonely Ox frowned almost immediately; that nonchalant demeanor was so incongruous with the man! His bearing was so noble, his expression so indifferent—not simply cold-hearted, but radiating a world-weary clarity and detachment. His hair was half black and half white, black as night, white as snow.

However, he was holding an unfinished yogurt bottle in his mouth, which was dangling in the air!

The more solemn and dignified his expression, the more eerie and mysterious the surrounding atmosphere became, making the existence of that white yogurt bottle seem all the more ridiculous. Lonely Cow's entire gaze was fixed on that yogurt bottle, and suddenly, without warning, his whole body began to spasm uncontrollably.

He started laughing wildly, laughing uncontrollably. He laughed until tears streamed down his face, and he couldn't stop them.

The empty classroom was silent except for An Lin's low sobs. Standing beside her limp, tattered body was Bai Hu. In the blink of an eye, all the sweet words from before seemed to have vanished, and his cold gaze made him seem like a complete stranger.

"Hey!" he shouted gruffly, his voice so loud it startled An Lin. "What are you crying about? I didn't do anything to you!"

Hearing his rebuke, Anlin didn't shut up; instead, she cried even louder. At that moment, she was so ashamed she wanted to die—being forcibly kissed—being witnessed such a shameful scene by her boyfriend—but these were secondary. The key was that, at that moment, she seemed to have been captivated by Baihu's kiss; a slight crack had appeared in her psychological defenses, and she even felt a faint sense of pleasure. Even now, as she cried with remorse, her mind replayed the scene again and again, like an electric shock. Was she too frivolous? Or was it the most terrifying truth...?

She fell in love with Baihu despite the differences in their social status and education.

Baihu glanced at the distraught Anlin, a disdainful sneer creeping onto his lips. "There's no point in destroying this fragile love!" He strode out of the classroom, brushing past a girl rushing towards him. A refreshing, lingering fragrance wafted from her.

He stopped abruptly, his breathing becoming rapid. He reached out and called to her.

“Hello,” he smiled brightly, his face radiant with sincerity and honesty, as if countless rays of sunshine were shining on his face, making him incredibly handsome. “Have we met somewhere before? My name is…”

The girl looked stunned—no, her expression quickly turned to impatience. She hastily interrupted his attempt to strike up a conversation and turned to leave. Clearly, her friend's lifelong happiness was more important than the questions from a strange young man.

“…You’re something else!” Only after her figure had completely disappeared did Baihu squeeze out these words through gritted teeth. This was the first time he’d ever suffered such a humiliating setback, leaving him utterly dismayed. However, he quickly chuckled again, “Oh well, I was in a rush this time anyway. Next time we meet…” His tone suddenly turned sinister, a chill seeping from every word, “My name will be etched into her very being, she’ll never forget it!” He staggered out of the school, muttering to himself, “So, it really does take love, doesn’t it? But isn’t she a bit too oblivious? Facing a 100% charming guy like me, she has absolutely no reaction… I’ve never seen a girl like this before… Oh no, could she be a lesbian? If she were gay, I’d still be confident I could handle her, but a lesbian…”

At that moment, Yan Wuyue had no idea that she would be maliciously suspected of being a lesbian behind her back. Only one thing occupied her mind: had Lonely Cow and An Lin broken up? When she rushed into the classroom, she only saw An Lin crying incessantly, knowing nothing when asked. She called many people, looking for Lonely Cow, but without any clues. Later, a junior member of the association told her that he seemed to have seen Lonely Cow walking towards Frozen Street.

The astrology hall! Yan Wuyue's heart clenched. She ran as fast as she could, wishing she could sprout wings.

She only hoped that the lonely cow wouldn't do anything foolish.

But she was too late. From afar, she saw Lonely Ox's solitary figure, standing abruptly in the middle of the street. That faint shadow made her momentarily lose herself, overlapping with the image of the boy she first saw beneath Guo Moruo's statue. "Lonely Ox?" she murmured weakly.

The boy who was called didn't react at all. In fact, he didn't seem heartbroken at all; instead, he was bathed in a blissful glow, lost in inexplicable joy. No matter how many times Yan Wuyue called, Lonely Cow remained steadfast, walking towards the school. In her desperation, she almost grabbed him, but at that moment, the astrologer appeared.

“You don’t need to worry about him,” the astrologer said. “From now on, his love will be filled with sweetness and happiness, and he will never have any more troubles.”

For a moment, Yan Wuyue stared intently at him, her eyes filled with ferocity. "What did he offer you in exchange?" she finally asked. "Don't you dislike eating men?"

“It’s an ear that can read minds!” Maya answered this time. “Now, you won’t have to rely on ‘Shiratsu’ anymore!”

“It’s an ear that listens to the ‘truth’,” the astrologer gently corrected. “From this moment on, in his world of love, he will only hear what he wants to hear—his wife will love him, respect him, be loyal and steadfast, and remain faithful to him for life. There will be no more jealousy, suspicion, doubt, arguments, or disturbances, only happiness.” He gave a slightly melancholic smile. “A lifetime of happiness, how wonderful.”

Yan Wuyue gazed at him, as if being pulled by an invisible rope, and walked step by step to him. Then, she reached out and punched him hard in the chest.

“You don’t like men,” she said softly. “You can choose not to do this business.”

He shook his head. "Sometimes, business doesn't follow you. You have to understand, it's the other way around."

Another blow. "You can refuse," she sobbed.

He shook his head again. “You don’t understand,” he said. “Even without me, he would have found a way to achieve his wish someday. Humans are always smart enough to get what they want.”

The astrologer felt her small fist grow weaker and weaker, until finally it stopped moving against his chest. Her tears silently soaked his coat.

"If...if..." Yan Wuyue stammered, trying to figure out how to speak. If I offered my body as payment, would you grant my wish? Even just for a day?

As long as the lonely cow falls in love with me...

The astrologer seemed to read her mind and shook his head discreetly. "Lonely Ox has chosen Anlin as his lover," he said. "He has given up his ears, so I must guarantee his rights."

He gently placed his hand around Yan Wuyue's body, as if sheltering her from the wind and rain; he felt her trembling in his cold embrace, her body never so weak and helpless. He wanted to tell her that Lonely Ox was merely a brief scene in her long life, a white cloud adorning her blue sky; she had stopped to admire him, but they were destined to only pass each other by, continuing to search for their own destinations. Lonely Ox had already chosen an endless path of love for himself, while she was destined to search in the vast sea of people. He wanted to tell her these truths now, but he also knew that even if he said nothing, when she woke up a day later, dozens of days later, hundreds or thousands of days later… one day, Yan Wuyue would forget the hurt and pain she had suffered, and would pick herself up and enter the next relationship. Personal experience had taught him that the tide of time would wash away all traces.

He just hoped that day would come as late as possible.

His peripheral vision caught sight of a pair of neat, fresh ears on the table inside the room. Lonely Cow was wrong, terribly wrong.

It wasn't his ears that were sick, but his suspicious heart.

Volume 4, The Soul Singer, Fourth Movement: The Puppet House of Death (Part 1)

She spotted the light from afar, its brilliance like a star in the night sky. In the pitch-black night, the surroundings were eerily quiet, devoid of any human presence. Even the rows of two-story villas exuded an air of vacancy. This was originally a high-end residential area near a lakeside scenic area; in this prime real estate, you couldn't even dream of getting a single villa's key without five million. Needless to say, those qualified to live in this area were all influential, wealthy, and powerful individuals.

Since these are summer villas, it's natural that few people visit during this season of spring blossoms and everything waiting to be done. More than a hundred villas, with a total value of over 500 million, remain vacant, waiting for the arrival of their owners on a certain day of the year—perhaps only once every ten years. She had calculated this beforehand, which is why she arrived here with such confidence.

Unexpectedly, the lights came on in one of the villas.

The soft yet bright light pierced the fog of darkness in an instant, reaching deep into her eyes. She blinked, then walked silently towards the light. She carefully observed the villa's surroundings. Milk crates and newspaper boxes hung by the door, and the mailbags were made of handmade fabric, the kind you could find anywhere on the street—it seemed too poor for someone who could afford a villa. Not only that, she noticed the outside of the wall was plastered with small advertisements: "139xxxxxxx for document processing," "Professional sewer unclogging," "TV repair," and so on. New ads covered the old ones, and the bottom ones were yellowed, clearly having been there for a very long time. She frowned; perhaps this family wasn't as wealthy as she had imagined.

Sure enough, even the doorbell was hoarse, clearly indicating that the battery had long since passed its lifespan. After a few intermittent rings, a series of hurried footsteps came—to her ears, the footsteps seemed to be in a great hurry.

"Is she the girl from the Sex Guard?" A middle-aged woman flung open the screen door, her tone overly cheerful. "I've been waiting for you for ages!"

"I..." She tried to see something from behind the woman, but her body was too large and completely blocked her view.

"Come in, come in!" The woman grabbed her hand and dragged her into the house. "Why are you only coming now? I've been so busy!"

She quickly realized her mistake and said apologetically to the woman, "I'm sorry I'm late..."

"It's alright!" The woman laughed, her small eyes curving into crescent shapes and radiating fine wrinkles. "Master is eating. Let's greet him first before getting back to work!"