I won't be your doll

Chapter 20

Perhaps it was first and foremost an intuition, then there was the terrifying sight of Bi Bin during that basketball game—he was practically unrecognizable, like a corpse. At the time, the closest people to that scene were myself and the opposing center; I wonder if he saw anything.

Then, the principal and his entourage rushed over and surrounded Bi Bin. They seemed very afraid that others would see Bi Bin like this. Why was that? Did they also have some secrets they were hiding? What kind of secret was it? Was it related to what I was going through? Zhong Lei tried hard to connect the various events, trying to find some commonalities to string them together.

Is that what it means to be resurrected from the dead?

The dead reappear in normal life, and when it's confirmed they're alive, they reappear as incomplete parts of their bodies. There must be some pattern in this chaotic situation, or some manipulator behind it all.

Let's start by looking at the time of Bi Bin's death!

As the saying goes, "If he's alive, you should see him; if he's dead, you should see his body." So, let's go see Bi Bin's body first! It'll be a way of paying our respects.

After making this decision, Zhong Lei got up, dressed, went out, washed up, had breakfast at Yu Kai's house, and Yu Jin and Liu Limin had already gone to work. Only Yu Kai was still in bed, tossing and turning in bed.

Zhong Lei left a note for Yu Kai:

Kai:

I'm going to the bank this morning to withdraw next month's living expenses. I didn't wake you since you were still asleep. See you this afternoon!

You DY

The "DY" above is short for "Grandpa." The two of them often joked like this, calling each other "Grandpa," which led to a chaotic and almost unbalanced relationship between them.

Zhong Lei didn't tell Yu Kai his real purpose for the trip because there were still some doubts about Kai that hadn't been resolved. Therefore, he suddenly became wary of Yu Kai. Although he knew this wasn't very brotherly of him to his best friend, the matter now involved survival or death, so he couldn't help but be nervous.

Zhong Lei quietly opened the door, then gently closed it, and tiptoed downstairs. He did this because he was afraid of running into Li Xue, who lived across the hall. This girl was not easy to deal with; she was even more curious than he was. If she came with him, things would be bad. Zhong Lei didn't want to see the girl he liked get hurt. Breaking up with Li Xue was also for her sake.

However, things don't always go as planned. When Zhong Lei came down to the first floor, he ran into Li Xue, who was returning from her morning run. The two were a little awkward for a moment. Zhong Lei scolded himself inwardly for not coming down a little later! Li Xue just stared at Zhong Lei without saying a word, and no one knew what she was thinking.

It was Li Xue who spoke first.

"The hair on the back of your head is sticking up."

Zhong Lei felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't noticed his hair was a mess when he woke up that morning, and he had forgotten to comb it. So, his face turned a little red, and he quickly pressed his hair down with his hands.

Seeing Zhong Lei's expression, Li Xue couldn't help but chuckle and said:

"Silly girl! And even though you said we broke up, I don't want that. I won't break up with you! I can feel that you still like me!" She finished speaking with a confident smirk, making Zhong Lei's heart flutter. But remembering what he had to do today, he quickly put on a stern face.

"Oh, I have something to do this morning, goodbye!" Then she walked out of the building without looking back, silently chanting to herself as she went: Don't call me! Don't call me!

"Zhong Lei!" Zhong Lei immediately turned around upon hearing this. "What's wrong?"

Li Xue smiled sweetly again.

"Wait for me, okay? Go back and change your clothes. I want to go with you!"

"Hey!" Before Zhong Lei could finish speaking, Li Xue disappeared into the stairwell, and a voice echoed down:

"Wait for me, or you're dead!"

Why does that sound so familiar? Ah! That's right, it's from the Korean drama "My Sassy Girl." Sigh! The invasion of foreign culture is dangerous! Zhong Lei waited helplessly downstairs, thinking resentfully to himself.

A moment later, the beautiful Li Xue jumped in front of Zhong Lei, who was lost in thought, startling him. She was dressed very beautifully today, or rather, very alluringly. Without saying a word, she took Zhong Lei's arm, blinked, and...

"Let's go?"

Even more helpless, Zhong Lei was led away as if he were being led by the hand.

Upstairs, behind a window, Yu Kai was hiding, clutching a note in his hand, his eyes blazing with anger that seemed to set the curtains on fire.

Chapter Nine: The Revelation of Dreams (Part Five)

Five

A flustered Zhong Lei boarded the bus with Xiao Tail. As was his habit, he sat in the last row, his mind racing with thoughts of how to get Li Xue out of the way, because he really didn't want her to get involved in this matter anymore, since he liked her.

Li Xue sat beside Zhong Lei, a happy smile on her face, constantly talking to him about things only girls would be interested in. This was completely different from the Li Xue of the past. She wouldn't discuss with him which brand of skincare products was best and had no side effects, nor would she discuss which hairstyle would make her look more feminine. Previously, Li Xue would argue with Zhong Lei for ages about which NBA team was the best.

So, besides giving Zhong Lei a headache today, Li Xue also surprised him. Although Li Xue had become much gentler after confirming her relationship with Zhong Lei, she was different today—she was completely different!

Zhong Lei, captivated by curiosity again, asked:

"Li Xue, did you take the wrong medicine today?"

Normally, upon hearing such words, Li Xue would unleash her ultimate move, instantly defeating Zhong Lei. However, today she was different from beginning to end. She merely punched Zhong Lei lightly, then said with a hint of anger:

"Get lost! I hate you! What have I done to you?"

Zhong Lei felt a chill run down his spine. This was the tone Li Xue used to hate the most, and now she was using it herself—it was terrifying! Zhong Lei fell silent, afraid of saying anything more. But Li Xue didn't stay quiet. She took Zhong Lei's arm again and asked in a sickeningly sweet voice:

"Lei Zi, why aren't you saying anything? You look so scary when you're serious!"

Zhong Lei figured his skin had thickened again, and decided to stop being silent, otherwise he might die of nausea from all the sweet talk. So he quickly replied:

"I spoke, I spoke! But you, can't you speak normally? This is making me suffer!"

Li Xue glared at him after hearing this.

"What's wrong with that! Can't I even be gentle with you? Humph!"

After saying that, he crossed his arms and glared out the window.

Seeing this, Zhong Lei chuckled. "Heh heh," he thought, "this is the real Li Xue!" She must have been trying to make him happy earlier! Understanding this, Zhong Lei turned to examine Li Xue again. The young woman was now pouting like a little girl, her eyes sharply fixed on the road outside the window, as if she wanted to blow up any oncoming car. Looking at this adorable girl, Zhong Lei felt a surge of emotion welling up inside him—a desire to have her by his side forever, never to be separated from her.

But could he really do that now? The sun was shining brightly outside, and everything seemed peaceful. Nothing strange had happened in the last two days. Had he already escaped unscathed? No! He couldn't have such illusions. What if he continued with Li Xue, and that mysterious law of death came to claim him one day, dragging Li Xue down with him? No, absolutely not. He couldn't let Li Xue stay with him any longer. He had to find a reason to coax her home. Thinking this, Zhong Lei leaned closer to Li Xue. Li Xue forcefully turned her head towards the window. Zhong Lei chuckled and said:

"Hey! Look at that! That pouty mouth of yours could practically tie a cow down!"

Li Xue rolled her eyes at Zhong Lei and snorted.

Zhong Lei then put on an adult-like manner, patted Li Xue on the shoulder, and said:

"Son, how about I buy you your favorite cotton candy after we get off the bus?" She pointed to a cotton candy vendor outside the bus window. Li Xue chuckled, unable to maintain her composure, but still glanced sideways at Zhong Lei and said:

"Get lost, you're so annoying!"

Zhong Lei continued,

“Hehe, then we’ll get off at the next stop, I’ll buy you a cotton candy, and then I’ll take you home, okay? Uncle has some things to take care of later, so you…” Zhong Lei was still engrossed in imitating the adult’s tone, unaware that Li Xue’s tears had already welled up in her eyes.

Chapter Nine: The Revelation of Dreams (Part Six)

6

Two lines of tears streamed down Li Xue's face sadly as the swaying bus arrived at Redwood Park, the largest park in Guiping City.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Li Xue wiped away her tears, then sprang up from her seat, shouting, "I want to get off!" She then jumped out of the car in a few quick steps, leaving Zhong Lei sitting there dumbfounded. Li Xue's sudden action caught him off guard. Only when she turned to look at him after getting off did Zhong Lei react slightly. He bowed slightly, and seeing the driver about to close the door, he rushed to the door, grabbed it, and jumped out as well.

His original intention was to shake off Li Xue and go to the hospital himself, but now he's jumped out of the car with her, and he doesn't know when he'll be able to do what he needs to do. However, he's worried about not going with her; how can he feel at ease seeing a girl, especially one he likes, crying as she leaves his sight?

So, Zhong Lei came down.

"Why did you suddenly come down? Are you going to the park?" Zhong Lei asked anxiously.

Li Xue glanced at him, didn't answer, and walked towards the main entrance of the park. Zhong Lei had no choice but to follow.

Just then, the next bus arrived. Yu Kai got off the bus, wearing sunglasses. He didn't seem to want to meet up with Zhong Lei. Instead, he just followed Zhong Lei and his companion from a distance. What expression was behind those black lenses was anyone's guess.

The park is free to the public and covers a large area. It has a huge artificial lake, which is a popular suicide spot. Countless people end their lives here every year, and the manner of their deaths varies. Therefore, the lakeside is cool all year round. This is related to the climate, and what else is it related to? I won't go into details.

Li Xue strode confidently forward, still sulking with Zhong Lei. She had originally planned to come to the park with him, intending to accompany him if he had something to do. But he had clearly tried to ditch her! Was she really that annoying? She had tried her best to act like a girl, but why didn't Zhong Lei like her? Was it just that he didn't like her, or was there some other reason? This thought was new to Li Xue, and it made her feel much better. She resolved to find out why later! Li Xue made up her mind.

A gentle breeze blew by the lake, carrying moisture that seeped into people's nostrils, making them feel damp and uncomfortable from the inside out. Is it because being by the lake makes one feel uneasy that the suicide rate is so high here?

The two arrived at the lakeside one after the other. Li Xue found a stone chair and sat down first. Zhong Lei went over and carefully sat down next to her, his eyes sometimes fixed on the lake and sometimes glancing at Li Xue, waiting for her to say something.

However, Li Xue was also waiting, waiting for Zhong Lei to ask her why she suddenly got off the bus, so she could question him about the reason. But Zhong Lei remained silent, which made Li Xue very anxious, but she didn't show it outwardly.

A moment of silence.

Zhong Lei kept scanning the surface of the lake. The lake was bluish-green, a visual effect created by the aquatic plants and other aquatic vegetation. These plants were terrifying; if one accidentally fell into the lake and got entangled by them, their life would almost certainly be in danger. Perhaps this was a major reason for the high suicide success rate here.

A breeze occasionally rippled across the lake. Zhong Lei was anxious about his morning schedule; he still needed to go to the hospital, and if he stayed here any longer, he didn't know when he would be able to go. Li Xue was also anxious—why hadn't this blockhead Zhong Lei asked her yet? Her patience had its limits; if he didn't ask soon, she would… she would… she would ask him herself! Not far behind them, Yu Kai seemed to be having a hard time too. He glanced at Zhong Lei, then at Li Xue, his eyes conveying different meanings on each occasion.

Zhong Lei, who was exchanging glances with the artificial lake, suddenly became tense. The ripples on the lake surface became more and more obvious, and finally a whirlpool appeared in the middle of the lake. Something appeared, surged out of the whirlpool, and then floated on the lake surface. Zhong Lei looked closely and saw that it was a corpse!

Chapter Nine: The Revelation of Dreams (Part Seven)

7

Yu Kai hid in the bushes behind the two men, holding a small clay figure in his hands. His evil eyes were fixed on the corpse floating on the lake, and his lips trembled incessantly, like an old witch in a movie chanting a spell. The scene was eerie, and the clay figure in his hands was also trembling. Such a lifeless thing moving out of thin air gave people a suffocating fear.

The body on the lake floated to the shore, not far from Zhong Lei and Li Xue.

Zhong Lei, his mouth agape in astonishment, stood up and walked towards the lake. His long and terrifying experiences had given him a strong enough immunity to these low-level fears.

Li Xue grabbed his clothes from behind. She had been too surprised to speak, and now she said tremblingly:

"Don't go over there, it's too scary!"

Zhong Lei turned around and looked at her pitiful appearance, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart. He returned her a captivating smile, gently patted the hand that was holding him, and leaned closer.

As he crouched down to look at the corpse, his surprise and fear instantly magnified a thousandfold! The corpse was Bi Bin!

The waterlogged corpse was a size larger than before, its arms awkwardly positioned in a V-shape, indicating the elbows were likely broken backwards. The thought of the possible scene made Zhong Lei's stomach churn. The knees were probably broken too, as they were joined together, while the lower legs were pointing in opposite directions. Bi Bin's death pose was both eerie and somewhat comical, comically chilling.

As soon as the waterlogged corpse floated to the surface, it began to attract flies. Ignoring the countless black dots swarming around him, Zhong Lei just stood there with his mouth agape, expressing his surprise, fear, and disgust.

Li Xue initially hid behind him, but later, noticing that Zhong Lei didn't react excessively, she peeked out to look at the corpse. When she saw who it was, fear overwhelmed her like a flood, and the emotions welling up inside her erupted from her throat:

"Ah—!"

Li Xue's scream was like a delicate, sharp cone piercing through the park's tranquil curtain, tearing it open and revealing the chaos beneath the calm. Everyone strolling peacefully stopped and looked around, searching for the source of this eerie scream.

A crowd gathered nearby, and gradually more people saw the body. Almost everyone gasped in shock. Although there were often dead bodies to see by this lake, this was the first time they had seen one so gruesome and disgusting. Discussions then began to circulate.

A conversation between a couple among the bystanders. The man speaks first:

"They're usually suicides, but this looks like homicide!"

"Really? How did you figure that out?"

"Look, your arm is broken. If you wanted to commit suicide, would you need to torture yourself like this?"

"Hmm, that makes sense! You're quite good at guessing!" After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

Someone called 110 (police) and someone else called 120 (ambulance). Soon, both types of vehicles arrived with their sirens blaring. When the police arrived, they began to disperse the onlookers and then cordoned off the section of the lakeside where the body was located.