Hailing deserted city

Chapter 14

"President Ling has another nickname here," Xiao Li whispered to Tao Rujiu, "It's the Dragon King. Because every summer when he comes to vacation, a typhoon also comes along. This year it's already considered late."

Despite the typhoon warning, Ling Li remained relaxed, clearly having accumulated considerable experience.

The meteorological center forecasts that the typhoon may make landfall before midnight tomorrow. Although it is still some distance from Xiyao, Hailing City still needs to be prepared. Early this morning, employees began reinforcing roadside trees and houses.

Trees were used for support, and the tiled roofs were covered with a special fiber covering. In one part of the ancient battlefield area, there was an artificial beach, and the doors and windows of several longhouses on it were nailed shut with wooden planks. The ocean was calm before the strong wind, and the employees of Sea Ridge City, like the calm sea, continued to operate in an orderly manner.

Cui Nong Lou was busier than usual today. The typhoon had brought in many rain clouds, which hung low in the sky. Many local tourists took advantage of the cool weather to travel to the city, so the opera troupe's performances did not stop despite the approaching typhoon. The backyard was being reinforced with clattering noise, while the front yard continued its performance as usual. When they were short-handed, even Tao Rujiu took his tools and went up to the roof. However, as the saying goes, "heart is there, but skill is not," and he was soon "invited" back to the ground.

Ling Li walked in through the back door at some point, a knowing smile still playing on his lips.

"Interested in going on a city patrol with me tonight and tomorrow? That should be good material, right?"

After the ghost encounter that day, Ling Li would come to Cuiying Pavilion almost every day to sit for a while. During this time, his relationship with Tao Rujiu gradually changed. At least now, when a man makes such an invitation, Tao Rujiu will no longer see it as a simple provocation.

"You're going to patrol the city tonight?" Tao Rujiu was clearly interested. "What will you be patrolling mainly?"

Ling Li replied sharply, "Actually, it's just a special procedure during typhoon season. The main job is simply to check if any unauthorized personnel are lingering outside at night, or if there are any unusual circumstances. They would absolutely not let me out when a real typhoon makes landfall."

"Hearing you say that, perhaps I should go and take a look," Tao Rujiu nodded.

"But can you really come out at night?" Speaking of what happened that night, besides a little doubt, Ling Li was more confused about Tao Rujiu. "Don't tell me I have to send you back again?"

The young man subconsciously touched the yellow brocade pouch on his chest, then smiled and shook his head.

That evening, the two agreed to meet at the main gate of Yanyu Jiangnan. After dinner, Tao Rujiu strolled over there alone. The sunset was still beautiful on the horizon, and the wind was light.

Ling Li actually drove a sightseeing vehicle over himself, which surprised Tao Rujiu. However, considering that if he could drive a car, he could certainly drive an ordinary electric scooter as well, it was just that his status made it seem rather strange for him to drive a sightseeing vehicle himself.

As Tao Rujiu thought this, a smile had unknowingly spread across her face.

"Have you laughed enough? If you have, get in the car. Be careful, or I might drive you into an underground palace."

Urging sharply.

The evening patrol was indeed just a routine check, as Ling Li had previously stated. The real security work was handled by the security personnel who took turns on duty in Hailing City. They drove a tour bus in groups of four, passing through every important location in the Hailing City scenic area and recording arrival times and other data on the recorders there.

“They work in two shifts, one for the first half of the night and one for the second half. After the first half of the night is over, you can interview them. I guarantee we know more ghost stories than the opera troupe,” Ling Li said.

“But I’m not going to compile a complete collection of ghost stories,” Tao Rujiu retorted.

The city of Hailing is quiet at night, especially before the typhoon arrives. In the distance, on the horizon, a faint blue light shines through. Ling Li says that's the shadow of the typhoon.

They drove their tour bus silently through the dark scenic area of Hailing City. Under the dim headlights, the familiar sights of the daytime were now silhouettes, some dark and some light. Tao Rujiu sat next to Ling Li, and the two chatted idly. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of the Netherworld Palace area.

The Netherworld area had a gate, and tour buses were not allowed to enter. Ling Li simply drove the car around the palace wall. Occasionally, some trees and building roofs would appear on the top of the wavy tiled wall. Tao Rujiu could even hear Xiao Li and Brother Zheng talking.

"Do you still dare to enter the underground palace?" Ling Li parked the car in the open space at the entrance of the Thousand Buddha District and lit a cigarette. The surroundings were still completely dark; Tao Rujiu could only see a few golden-red sparks and smell the tobacco scent mixed with the faint fragrance of a man's usual perfume. "To be honest, I don't dare," Tao Rujiu honestly shook her head. "But that doesn't mean I can't go in. It's just that I already have bad memories in my mind, and unless absolutely necessary, I won't approach it."

Hearing his words, Ling Li decisively and relaxed, placing his feet on the steering wheel.

“I understand that feeling,” he said. “Sometimes, looking at those old men surnamed Ling in my family, I feel quite helpless.”

He paused, then added, "I'm only saying this because I consider you a friend."

Tao Rujiu was puzzled that Ling Li would say such a thing to him, but after hearing the statement that followed, he felt relieved and nodded with a smile. "I know, with just one sentence from you, the editor-in-chief won't let me publish it."

As he spoke, he took the initiative to change the subject. After talking for a while, Ling Li suggested that he drive, but at that moment, the bushes in the distance suddenly rustled and shook, and then two figures emerged.

Tao Rujiu was caught off guard and opened his mouth in surprise, but he still shouted a sharp and knowing remark to the front.

"You're still out here today? Do you want to be a tourist attraction? Let's go. There will be a lot of people tonight and tomorrow night, you know that."

The two dark figures originally wanted to avoid it immediately, but unexpectedly, they heard a sharp voice. One of them, the taller one, stopped and chuckled. The voice belonged to Wang Baihu from the opera troupe.

"Luckily, it wasn't those unfamiliar faces from the security department. I told Mr. Ling to let me off this time. We came here precisely because the typhoon weather has cooled us down..."

Halfway through his sentence, the shorter figure next to Wang Baihu suddenly pinched him hard, stopping him from continuing. Tao Rujiu was stunned for a moment, then his face flushed red. He then realized that Wang Baihu had taken his girlfriend from the village to do *that* kind of thing in the bushes.

In the darkness, Ling Li didn't see Tao Rujiu's embarrassment. He had already gotten to know Wang Baihu's temper over the past few summers. This man was the troupe's number one playboy, changing girlfriends every summer. He especially liked taking girls to the countryside for wild activities. Because of this, the troupe leader, Master Lü, had lost his temper more than once, even threatening to take him to the local security bureau for public humiliation if he continued. However, since he loved Wang Baihu like a child, each time something happened, it was all bark and no bite, but it did make everyone aware of Wang Baihu's unruly nature.

"Let's go, don't make Master Lü worry about you anymore!" Ling Li stubbed out his cigarette and turned the car onto another road. Wang Baihu chuckled and led the girl along the other road.

Tao Rujiu was truly at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.

The car wandered between scenic spots, and before they knew it, it was midnight. Ling Li had said he wanted Tao Rujiu to meet the security guards, so he drove the car to the outside of the control room.

The security office was brightly lit, and the shift handover was underway. Tao Rujiu quickly interviewed several security guards. By around 12:50, most of the guards had already left.

"What are your plans for the second half of the night? Continue with the formalities?" Ling Li asked Tao Rujiu.

Tao Rujiu thought for a moment and replied, "The typhoon will probably make things even busier tomorrow, so I think I'd better go back to sleep."

Ling Li nodded, then suddenly changed his mind and said, "Why don't you come back to the villa with me tonight? That way I won't have to keep going back and forth in this scenic area. Cuiying Pavilion and the villa are in opposite directions."

Tao Rujiu originally didn't want to go back with him, but after his suggestion, she didn't want to cause any more trouble. The two got into the car and headed towards the side gate of the Thousand Buddhas. Upon reaching the side gate, Ling Li stopped the car, took out his key, and opened the gate. Before them were stone steps that led all the way down to the cliff. The two walked down one after the other, and there was a spacious platform with a row of houses. Further down, there were still steps carved out, leading all the way down to the sea.

Ling Li gestured for Tao Rujiu to follow him into the house. He turned on the lights, revealing a modern interior design with a relaxed combination of milky white and beige, and mysterious African masks on the walls, making it seem more like an artist's residence.

"The guest rooms are upstairs. Let me show you up."

Ling Li led Tao Rujiu upstairs. Because the lights weren't on, the upstairs was pitch black. Ling Li used his phone for light, but then suddenly remembered something:

"By the way, this upstairs is a bit strange. There's no cell phone signal. There's one right by the bed if you want to make a call, but it's so late, you probably don't need it."

Upon hearing these words, Tao Rujiu felt a chill run down his spine.

"So... are there any guest rooms downstairs?" he asked tentatively. "I don't think I'm quite used to them..."

"You haven't even seen the guest room and you're already saying you're not used to it?" Ling Li frowned. "You wouldn't happen to want to stay in the master bedroom, would you?"

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart, and Tao Rujiu's face flushed red once again. The reason was simple: ever since that bizarre erotic dream he had that night, any topic with a hint of ambiguity would make him blush.

"No," he stammered, trying to explain, "I just don't like living in a house without a signal, it's because..."

"Is that even a reason?" Hearing this, Ling Li laughed instead. "You're not a cell phone, why would you be afraid of not having a signal?"

He casually switched on the hallway light. The lighting and decor were the same soft as downstairs; there was nothing particularly scary or strange about it. Ling Li then grabbed his hand and led him into the guest room, turning on the light and asking him:

"Are you really going to stay in the master bedroom downstairs?"

Tao Rujiu was pressed by him to the point of exhaustion, and he was indeed tired, so he could only nod and sigh, and stay there.

Although it was a guest room, it was fully equipped. The guest bathroom was furnished like a five-star hotel, with all the necessary amenities. Tao Rujiu vaguely envied the wealthy who didn't have to do housework, as she took off her clothes to prepare for a shower.

It was around one in the morning, a time when, according to legend, yin energy was at its peak. Although Tao Rujiu had a talisman on him, he was still somewhat apprehensive, so he kept the bathroom door open. The water in the shower was already steaming. He carefully untied the talisman's pouch and then stood in the shower. The hot water did indeed have the effect of dispelling fatigue, and Tao Rujiu was quite absorbed in the shower, his tension and fear seemingly vanishing temporarily.

About fifteen minutes later, he turned on the tap and walked out of the shower room. His bathrobe was in the locker in the outer room. Tao Rujiu dried his hair with a towel and reached out to get the bathrobe.

However, the moment he reached out his hand, he saw a shadow on the brightly lit handle.

A twisted silver mask was behind him.

The young man yelled and pulled his hand back.

Ling Li had just finished showering when he suddenly heard the scream from upstairs. Completely forgetting that he was only wearing a towel, he immediately rushed upstairs. Tao Rujiu hadn't locked the door, so Ling Li barged in and saw Tao Rujiu, who was practically pressed against the wall, completely naked.

"What's wrong?" Ling Li asked. In his opinion, there was nothing unusual in the guest room. On the contrary, Tao Rujiu's current appearance was extremely strange.

The young man was only wearing a towel wrapped around his neck. His slightly turned, naked body appeared exceptionally slender, clearly unaccustomed to sunlight. Tao Rujiu's skin was an unnaturally pale white, so fine that no pores were visible. After bathing, a thin layer of water droplets clung to his body, creating an illusion of white jade under the fluorescent light.

It was a beautiful body.

Tao Rujiu was caught off guard by Ling Li's sudden appearance in front of him, and he was unaware that he was standing naked against the wall. He pointed at the handle of the storage box and kept repeating a single word.

"A mask, a silver mask!"

Even now, he can still see the distorted mask reflected in the handle. He stares silently at himself.

"A mask? A silver mask?" Ling Li snapped back to reality, repeating his words, "Where is it? I can't see it."

Tao Rujiu showed the finger to Ling Li.

“That’s a reflection,” the man said. “From this angle, the real object should be in the bedroom, with the door open.”

As he spoke, he walked back to the bedroom and took a magazine from a transparent bookshelf nailed to the wall.

Is this it?

Tao Rujiu peeked out and saw that there was indeed a silver object on the cover, but it wasn't a mask; it was a silver statue. It was the decoration on the front of the silver mask.

"The sea eagle is revered by fishermen along the coast as the guardian of the sea, and its image frequently appears as a totem on artifacts from ancient cultures," Ling Li explained, then countered with a question, "You're actually afraid of that?"

Tao Rujiu had calmed down considerably, but suddenly realized that the sharp gaze directed at her was full of amusement. She was then startled to discover her embarrassing state of being completely naked. She hurriedly opened the closet and put on her bathrobe, but her still-exposed face, hands, and feet were flushed as if she were drunk.

"I...actually...I'm a little allergic to bird feathers, so I'm habitually afraid of birds..." he explained incoherently, but was exposed by a sharp remark.

"Are you lying? You clearly said 'silver mask' just now, that you're only afraid of birds, so why didn't you just say that?"

Tao Rujiu was speechless, and could only stammer and desperately try to explain. However, Ling Li seemed to be sleepy and didn't care about his answer.

"Fine," he waved his hand and said, "Since you seem genuinely scared, come downstairs. Otherwise, I won't be sleeping tonight either."

After saying that, he turned and went downstairs first. Tao Rujiu came out of the bathroom and stared blankly at the magazine. After a while, he sighed, went back into the bathroom, took out the amulet, hung it close to his body, turned off the light, and ran downstairs as if fleeing.

The sharp bedroom was the most secluded room on the first floor. It was located at the end of the corridor. When Tao Rujiu found it, the door was open, and a soft, dim yellow light shone from inside.

Tao Rujiu knocked on the door and went in. She saw Ling Li taking something out of the cabinet, but he stopped when he saw the young man enter. The man was still only wearing a bath towel, revealing his well-toned and elegant physique. Tao Rujiu stared blankly at Ling Li's back, suddenly remembering that she had seen the man's deep blue eyes after she got drunk that day.

Ling Li, who rushed into the guest room earlier, wasn't wearing sunglasses. Tao Rujiu didn't even notice whether his eyes were blue. And now the bedroom lights were dim, casting a yellowish-brown hue over everything.

"What are you still standing there for? If you don't sleep now, it'll be time to get up. The left side is yours." Ling Li turned around and glanced at him before assigning the tasks.

Although this wasn't the first time he'd shared a bed with Ling Li, Tao Rujiu still felt awkward. He climbed into bed in his pajamas and stiffly lay down in the designated spot. But he was already too exhausted to sleep.

Ling Li slammed the closet door shut and turned around. Seeing Tao Rujiu's nervous expression, he mocked, "This isn't a funeral home. Also, that bathrobe is damp. You can't wear it to my bed. Take it off."

"But I don't have any spare clothes," Tao Rujiu tried to explain, but this was, after all, a rather dignified villa, and he knew he couldn't go too far against the owner's wishes, so he compromised and said, "Or could you lend me a nightgown?"

“Pajamas?” Ling Li repeated the word, walking over to his side and lying down. “I live alone, why would I need something like that?” Tao Rujiu shook her head helplessly.

Not everyone who lives alone is used to sleeping naked; it's probably just a personal preference.

Tao Rujiu had no right to interfere with other people's privacy, but Ling Li's naked sleeping would undoubtedly make this eerie night even more ambiguous. He watched the man lying less than twenty centimeters away from him, constantly on edge, wondering if Ling Li would suddenly rip off the last layer of bath towel.

Logically speaking, since people of the same sex share the same physical structure, there shouldn't be any problem with them glancing at each other. However, Tao Rujiu hadn't been to a communal bathhouse since he was three years old, and even at university, there were private restrooms. Both same-sex and opposite-sex individuals were unfamiliar to this young man.

Not to mention that ever since that night when she had that earth-shattering erotic dream, a faint, unknown pink hue had gradually settled over Tao Rujiu's sharp gaze.

"If you don't have pajamas, can't you at least give me a sheet?" The young man decided to compromise, because there was only a light blanket on the bed, and he had no confidence that he would maintain a 20-centimeter distance from Ling Li even when he was asleep.

Especially the amulet hanging around one's neck, absolutely no one should touch it anymore.

"Are you sure you want bed sheets?" Ling Li frowned, clearly suppressing a laugh. "If you need them, I can give them to you."

As he spoke, he got up, took a bed sheet from the cupboard, and threw it next to Tao Rujiu. The young man quickly unfolded the sheet and wrapped himself up like a silkworm cocoon, turned over to lie on the outside of the bed, said "Goodnight," and reached out to turn off the wall lamp on his side.

"Do you know what you look like?" A sharp, deep voice came from behind him in the darkness, "Like... a woman who just finished..."