Death Timeline

Chapter 6

Li Hui felt a chill run down her spine. The person who came was definitely not Zhang Lili, and besides Zhang Lili, no one else in her house would knock on the door at this hour. She immediately thought of the "death timetable" and the mastermind behind it all! It was working hours, and the entire building was deserted; the opportunity and environment were perfect for the perpetrator to appear.

Li Hui didn't dare to breathe. She quietly got out of bed and crept into the living room, wanting to listen to the sounds outside the door. Suddenly, the doorbell rang loudly. It seemed that the person who came in was afraid of waking the people inside, and the knocking earlier was just a test. But now, ringing the doorbell was to further confirm whether anyone was inside.

Could it be... a thief?

Thinking of this, Li Hui was no longer afraid. She raised her voice as much as possible and asked, "Who is it?"

"Me. Dadun'er!"

Heh! That big dummy, I just told him not to come, but he still barged in without permission!

Li Hui opened the door, both amused and exasperated. The man standing in front of her was wearing a white T-shirt, had his hair cut short, and looked very energetic. He was completely different from the burly man she had first seen at the hospital entrance.

He was carrying large and small bags of fruit, snacks, flower baskets, and a stack of various magazines and books in both hands.

When Da Dun saw Li Hui's appearance, he was so frightened that he faltered as he entered the house. Li Hui, seeing his expression, couldn't help but laugh: "Why... do you look like you've come to visit your mother-in-law? What are you doing bringing so much stuff?"

"Ah... I heard that Dr. Li fell and injured himself. My wife was worried and asked me to come and see him." Da Dun said, embarrassedly placing the things one by one on the dining table, and then walking properly to the sofa to sit down.

Before Li Hui could even offer to let him, he grabbed a paper cup, filled it with mineral water from the nearby water dispenser, and gulped it down. Only then did he turn his gaze to Li Hui's face.

"I didn't expect the fall to be so serious! Has it been checked out? Are your bones okay?"

Li Hui was captivated by Da Dun'er's憨憨 (simple and honest) appearance, staring at him in a daze until she heard his words and snapped out of her reverie: "Ah! It's alright, the bones and internal organs are fine!" She then gently sat down opposite him, lowering her eyelids and saying apologetically, "Oh dear, did I scare you looking like this?"

"Hmm...no, no! It's better than I imagined. It's good that no bones are broken; a broken bone takes a hundred days to heal, it'll drive a person crazy."

"It's okay, a colleague from work often comes to keep me company. I can go back to work in a few days."

"Oh, right!" Da Dun'er seemed to remember something: "I bought some magazines at the newsstand on the way to keep you entertained. Also, these are books I've read before, so they'll help you pass the time." As he spoke, he took out the large bag of magazines and books one by one and patiently stacked them neatly on the coffee table.

Li Hui was so touched by his thoughtfulness that she didn't know what to say, so she returned the favor by asking about his wife: "How is your wife?"

"Okay, okay. She just eats too much. Sometimes she wakes me up in the middle of the night and we have to go through the underwater tunnel in Pudong to Yan'an Road to knock on the door of a shop to buy pig's trotters. She has to eat what she wants right away, otherwise she's not happy." Da Dun said with a wry smile, somewhat helplessly.

"Really? Pregnancy is very taxing for women, they have to eat for two. You're going to be a dad soon, it'll definitely be tough!"

"Yes, yes, yes." Da Dun nodded hurriedly.

Li Hui thought this big, chubby guy was quite adorable and would definitely be a model husband. She looked at him thoughtfully, wanting to hear what else he had to say.

Feeling embarrassed by Li Hui's gaze, Da Dun'er quickly changed the subject: "Any news about Wang Yang lately?"

"He hasn't called yet, seems very busy." Li Hui sounded a little resentful when she mentioned Wang Yang. "Anyway, he'll be back soon, so if we don't hear from him, we don't hear from him."

"You're coming back soon, and there will definitely be a lot of things to take care of. You'll be busy, that's for sure," Da Dun'er comforted her.

"By the way, were you and Wang Yang deskmates when you were little?" Li Hui thought that Da Dun and Wang Yang were about the same height, just one was fat and the other was thin, so they were probably deskmates.

"No, I sit behind him. But since I sit alone, Wang Yang often sneaks over to sit with me when the teacher isn't looking."

"Was Wang Yang quite mischievous when he was little?" Li Hui asked curiously.

Since meeting Wang Yang, he has never told her about his childhood. All she knows is that Wang Yang lost his mother at a young age, his father remarried, and he was raised by his grandmother. Because he grew up running wild in the streets like a sheep, he was very stubborn.

"Wang Yang... wasn't naughty. He was quite smart. He didn't pay much attention in class, but he was still very good at his studies. I used to ask him a lot of questions about my studies. Sometimes... he would call me stupid." Da Dun smiled sheepishly.

"This guy!" Li Hui laughed too.

After laughing, Li Hui thought about her current situation. She really hoped that Wang Yang would be home by tomorrow morning, and then everything would be different.

She looked at Dadun'er and couldn't help but sigh.

Da Dun understood what Li Hui's sigh meant, but he didn't know how to comfort her. He glanced at his watch; it was getting late.

Just then, the phone rang.

Zhang Lili called her from the hospital, saying she had to go home tonight to get some clean clothes and would come to keep her company tomorrow night.

Upon hearing this, Li Hui felt uncertain: "Then...you come back tonight! I'm alone..." She glanced at Da Dun sitting next to her and swallowed the rest of her sentence.

After hanging up the phone, Li Hui immediately slumped down like a frost-bitten leaf.

At this moment, Da Dun'er spoke up without hesitation: "How about this, I'll treat Dr. Li to dinner tonight. We can chat casually. It's not good for you to always be so withdrawn." He didn't even wait for Li Hui's reply before further seeking her opinion: "Should we eat out, or call and order groceries to eat at home?"

Li Hui felt a warm feeling in her heart, but how could she let a guest who had come to visit her stay with her? Besides, they weren't very familiar with each other.

Just as she was about to politely decline, Dadun went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Then she heard him on the phone with the hotel: "Prepare some food, I'm hosting a dinner party at a friend's house."

Then, Dadun, acting like the natural male head of the household, casually walked out of the bathroom and said to Li Hui:

"You're not feeling well, so don't go out. I've ordered groceries; they'll be delivered in a bit."

"Do you know the address here?" Li Hui felt he was being too presumptuous, but she didn't want to refuse his kind offer, so she could only laugh and tease him. "Oh, right, right! What's the address?"

A Mr. Yang fell from the sky.

On the morning of the eighth day listed in the "death timetable," Li Hui breathed a long sigh of relief: she had finally overcome her mental weakness. In the past few days, she had not thought about the matter and nothing new had happened!

This discovery made Li Hui so happy she almost jumped for joy!

Once she focuses on doing something else and forgets about that damn "schedule," nothing happens!

This is all thanks to Dadun.

That night, Da Dun ordered four small dishes and a bottle of wine at his hotel, which were delivered shortly afterward. Li Hui was surprised to see that all the dishes were her favorites, including a dish of Nanjing salted duck.

She asked Da Dun'er in surprise how he knew she was from Nanjing. Da Dun'er laughed and said he didn't know, but his parents were from Nanjing and loved this dish, so they often ate it at home. The manager who arranged their dinner that evening had specially ordered it for him.

The two then realized that they were from the same hometown! The atmosphere at the table immediately became lively.

Dadun was born in Nanjing and raised in Shanghai; both his parents were military officers. He said that when he went back to his hometown of Nanjing to visit his grandparents as a child, they always ate braised duck. Talking about fun places and delicious food in Nanjing, the two of them would occasionally burst into knowing laughter.

Over drinks and in high spirits, Li Hui coaxed many amusing anecdotes about Wang Yang's childhood from Da Dun'er. He said that Wang Yang was a leader among the kids, and Da Dun'er was his "loyal lackey." Wang Yang would suggest that Da Dun'er tie female classmates' breasts to the back of chairs or put geckos and caterpillars in other students' schoolbags, and Da Dun'er would faithfully carry out these "orders." Often, after causing trouble, Da Dun'er would be both criticized and beaten, while Wang Yang would hide to the side as if nothing had happened.

When Dadun was in sixth grade, he was tasked with delivering a letter to the prettiest girl in the class. Later, he found out that it was a love letter from Wang Yang to that girl. After the truth came out, Wang Yang made Dadun admit that it was his love letter and take the blame for him. As a result, Dadun was not only punished by the teachers and parents, but also ridiculed by the whole class.

This hurt Da Dun'er's feelings, and from then on, the two of them rarely saw each other.

Was Wang Yang really this awful when he was a kid? Li Hui was dumbfounded, unsure whether to believe the drunken ramblings of this big guy.

She suddenly realized that she didn't know Wang Yang as well as she thought; the Wang Yang that Da Dun'er talked about was so unfamiliar to her.

Da Dun'er's tongue was a little stiff; the alcohol was taking effect, but his speech was still slow and leisurely. His eyes, like those of the silly, bit-part-playing little boy in his stories, still retained a touch of innocence. However, a faint melancholy lingered in his eyes, lending this robust man a strange sadness. Li Hui stared at him, lost in thought.

We were having such a great time chatting that time flew by.

Da Dun'er was about to take his leave, and Li Hui was truly afraid he would leave immediately. With him around, she had temporarily forgotten her recent worries and fears. She was afraid that once he left, she would fall back into extreme tension and despair.

But Dadun'er still left.

Li Hui locked the door and hid under the covers, feeling a little nervous. She forced herself to keep thinking about the old stories Da Dun had just told her, trying to distract herself.

The mild concussion prevented Li Hui from thinking clearly. After a short while, she felt dizzy and quickly fell asleep. As a result, the night passed safely.

Because she was too tired the night before, she slept for the entire morning the next day.

In the afternoon, Zhang Lili came to keep her company early again. The two of them talked about nothing but women's private matters, and before they knew it, they had fallen asleep in the same bed. The night went by quite smoothly. Li Hui barely had time to think about that unlucky thing locked in the dressing table drawer.

After Zhang Lili left for work, Li Hui continued to catch up on the sleep she had missed.

Da Dun'er arrived at noon, bringing some food. The two stayed until dinner time, after which Da Dun'er invited her out for Western food. They drove their Santana to the quiet Hengshan Road. The Italian restaurant, located at an intersection in Urumqi, wasn't crowded that night. Like a couple, they ordered a set menu, sat there listening to music and sipping coffee, whiling away until after 1 a.m.

On the way back, Li Hui fell asleep in Dadun'er's car.

When Dadun parked the car downstairs at her house and then picked her up to climb upstairs, she playfully pretended to be asleep and stayed on him without moving.

It's so good to have friends! Li Hui felt that with Zhang Lili and Dadun around, she didn't feel so lonely and helpless, so anxious. Although they were unaware of the "timetable" matter.

Li Hui felt that her life these past few days had shown a very good sign, indicating that as long as she calmly dealt with the "death timetable," stayed strong, and first overcame her own fear, she could ultimately defeat it!

Today is the eighth day. When she woke up this morning, the pain from her fall was not so bad anymore. However, due to the inflammation and treatment, there were thick, hard scabs on her body and face, making it difficult for her to move around.

The first thing Li Hui did after getting out of bed was to go to the mirror and look at herself. She found that her face, covered in black scabs, was quite frightening.

How can I go out looking like this?

But if a person is locked at home, the thought of her "death schedule" will constantly haunt her, and it's impossible to completely forget about it. She can't possibly keep Zhang Lili and Dadun at home every day, and besides, she's not the kind of person who would stay at home when she could be working.

Having made up her mind, Li Hui deliberately avoided thinking about the "death timetable." She packed her things as quickly as possible, grabbed her handbag, and fled the house.

She couldn't let those emails that scare her every morning succeed so easily!

To confront the guy behind it all, she simply stopped using her computer for days. This morning was no different. Before leaving the house, she struggled with her thoughts for a long time, but finally managed to control herself, walked around the computer desk next to her bed, and went out into the street without looking back.

Along the way, although she had some doubts, she forced herself not to think about the contents of the form, especially the section about today, just like a child afraid of ghosts who dared not turn back in a dark corridor.

To distract herself, she carefully observed every passenger on the bus, studying their clothes, expressions, and imagining what kind of people they were at home and at work.

That middle-aged woman with messy hair must be a housewife and working woman with elderly parents, young children, and a husband who doesn't care much about her. Otherwise, why would she make herself look like a child bride from the old society, with a pale face and a tired body?

The balding, pot-bellied middle-aged man was dressed quite well, but his eyes, swirling around his large eye bags, were restlessly roaming over the faces and bodies of the somewhat attractive female passengers, clearly enjoying themselves. He must be a guy who had an easy life at work but was utterly emotionally empty.

Beside her was a very young girl whose fingernails were longer than the silver fingernails of the concubines in the Qing Dynasty palace. They were curved and blood-red, making one's scalp tingle and unconsciously reminding them of certain carnivorous animals in the forest.

Li Hui guessed that this might be one of the women in Shanghai who were "kept as mistresses" by wealthy men. Those delicate hands that she would have to spend all her energy cultivating had long since lost their original function; such a person's life could only be one of being waited on hand and foot.

What's puzzling is why she still came to squeeze onto the bus, looking so aggrieved? Logically, someone like her should have a private car waiting for her.

Perhaps she was wrong; the girl was just trying to imitate a certain type of person to achieve psychological satisfaction.

Li Hui, abandoning her usual aloof and composed demeanor, scanned almost everyone on the bus before finally arriving at her workplace. The moment she stepped off the bus, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had just narrowly escaped death.

Having been away from work for a few days, Grandpa Zhou rushed out of the mailroom as soon as he saw her: "Oh dear, Dr. Li, are you feeling better? Why didn't you rest a little longer?"

"It's nothing, it wasn't serious at all, just a scrape," Li Hui said with a smile, trying to downplay it. As she walked upstairs, every colleague she encountered offered this kind of caring concern. She felt immense pressure, wishing she possessed supernatural powers and could use Sun Wukong's invisibility technique to escape into the ground.

She lowered her head, like a young wife who had just had an affair, and ran up to the third floor in a flash.

Just as he was about to reach the office door, he suddenly bumped into Ning Kun.

Unexpectedly, his appearance was exactly the same as when he appeared in the bathroom and in Li Hui's nightmare: it was still those unusually large feet that first caught Li Hui's eye, startling her so much that she gasped and suddenly looked up, only to freeze in place.

"Are you alright?" Ning Kun asked with great concern, like a kind older brother, as if he had always been such a benevolent and respected elder brother.

Li Hui's blood suddenly rushed to her head. Recent experiences had filled her with a deep-seated loathing for Ning Kun's face. But the Ning Kun before her was a completely unexpected person!

There's no way to connect him with that "death timetable." If he wanted to harm her, why would he need to find an opportunity to show concern for her? Right now, he should be hiding in a corner, chuckling to himself.

Li Hui immediately thought of the Chinese saying, "A weasel paying respects to a chicken—it has no good intentions."

But she can't show any emotion now, because their rivalry might have to continue!