Sopla un viento helado, un aura fantasmal lo impregna todo, florecen lirios araña en el inframundo y uno se sienta solo

Capítulo 36

"What is this?" Song Xiaomo took it and found a small copper coin tied to the red string.

"It's a talisman I got for you."

"I give you one every year on your birthday, have you forgotten?"

"Hehe, you're quite thoughtful."

"Here, let me help you put it on!"

Song Xiaomo wanted to refuse, but seeing her infatuated look, she couldn't bear to disappoint her, so she steeled herself and leaned over.

She gently placed the red string around his neck and said earnestly, "Alright, Renxuan, I've tied you up with this string, so you'll never leave me again."

Song Xiaomo bent down to light the candles and urged her, "Make a wish!"

"What do you mean by 'promise'?" she asked.

"See for yourself!"

"Then I promise, let us be together forever, never to be apart."

Song Xiaomo was stunned for a moment, but did not respond.

She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, as if she were praying very devoutly.

After blowing out the candles, Song Xiaomo cut the cake.

Meixuan dipped some cream into the cake with her knife and fork, then tasted it on her tongue.

"How is it? How does it taste?"

"Mmm, so sweet!" Her smile was pure and natural, immersed in beautiful longing.

You look quite beautiful when you smile!

"It seems...it seems you've never praised me like this before!" Meixuan smiled, her unfathomable eyes sparkling in the dim light.

Strangely, when facing this "ghost," Song Xiaomo gradually suppressed his fear. Whether it was a person or a ghost, the joyful atmosphere was real, and it was the only time in so many days that he felt this joy forever, never to be broken. Perhaps it was because the beautiful woman was beside him that his heart suddenly felt much lighter.

"Come on, Renxuan, have a piece of braised pork ribs! I made them myself, they smell delicious." Meixuan placed a bone on his plate.

"You're amazing! I had no idea when you did all this!"

"Eat up, you haven't had my ribs in ages, have you?"

Song Xiaomo's appetite was whetted. He picked up a bright red bone and put it in his mouth. He chewed it vigorously and then tore it apart with his hands. The bone was cold and hard. Although it looked delicious, it was clearly like it had been treated with some kind of chemical agent, so it didn't taste good.

"Is it delicious?" Meixuan asked, looking at him with great interest.

Not wanting to disappoint her, he nodded vigorously, saying, "Mmm, it's delicious! I never knew you were such a good cook!"

Meixuan tossed her hair with obvious satisfaction, squinted her eyes and said, "Then eat more. You've lost a lot of weight in the past two years." After saying that, she picked up two more bones and put them on Song Xiaomo's plate.

Song Xiaomo gritted his teeth and heard the sound of tendons snapping. For some reason, as he ate the second rib, he felt every cell in his body stirring, his digestive system rumbling like an old steam train. He ate several bones in one go.

Section 97: Chapter Nineteen Braised Pork Ribs (3)

Why aren't you eating?

"Okay, let's eat together!" Meixuan nodded in satisfaction and picked up a bone for herself.

The two then devoured a plate of braised pork ribs in no time and also drank a bottle of red wine.

Song Xiaomo felt a little dizzy; she hadn't expected to get drunk so quickly.

It was midnight, and a cold wind was blowing outside. Meixuan seemed a little cold and gradually leaned against Song Xiaomo. Song Xiaomo felt her whole body relax, and finally she rested her head on his shoulder. He couldn't help but hug her, his heart pounding. Her soft body was in his hands, and the feeling was indescribable.

Just then, he heard Meixuan ask, her voice slurred with drunkenness, "Renxuan, will you stay with me?"

"Aren't we together already?"

"I mean, no matter what happens in the future, are you willing to stay with me?"

Emboldened by the alcohol, he said without hesitation, "I do!"

"No matter what happens in the future, will you still stand by my side?"

"no problem."

"If I were in any danger, would you be the first to step forward?"

"Definitely."

Will you never abandon me?

"Yes, no!"

"Renxuan, is it true? Is it true? What if you change your mind? What if you don't love me anymore?" Meixuan's voice was filled with a mixture of doubt and surprise.

"It's true!" He thought for a moment and said, "If I go back on my word, then I'll... suffer the consequences!"

But for some reason, after saying those words, he suddenly thought of someone else. Yes, he had answered similar questions one night, and it was also from a charming girl. He thought of He Zhiying, and his body couldn't help but tremble. At the same time, he felt Mei Xuan's body was ice-cold.

In an instant, he snapped back to reality: I am Song Xiaomo, not Jin Renxuan! This is definitely not a movie like "Ghost." Reason told him that humans and ghosts can only exist in two different worlds, and he couldn't make a mistake with Meixuan.

Meixuan sensed his unusual behavior and asked in a calm voice, "Renxuan, what's wrong? Why are you trembling?"

"It's nothing," he said, trying to sound calm, but her back was pressed against his chest, feeling icy cold. Song Xiaomo's legs started to twitch.

"Hehehe...hehehe...you're still trembling...hehe..."

Song Xiaomo felt a chill run down her spine and asked, forcing a smile, "Meixuan, what are you laughing at?"

"Really? Am I laughing? No!" In the dim light, the smile in her eyes grew even brighter.

A chill crept up from her toes into her heart, then flowed back down to her limbs. Forcing a smile, Song Xiaomo said, "It's getting late, I should go back and rest."

Meixuan stared at her intently, then asked softly, "Renxuan, are you afraid of me?"

"No, no, Meixuan, why should I be afraid of you? Haven't there been enough strange things happening around me? I don't think one more will make a difference. I'm just a little cold and sleepy. Don't you feel cold? It's really cold. Will it get colder tomorrow? It seems the weather forecast is inaccurate. They said the weather would warm up significantly starting tomorrow, so I have to go back and collect the laundry. I'm such a lazy pig, I just want to sleep after I've eaten..." Song Xiaomo said incoherently.

"Renxuan, do you still remember that night when we first met?"

"I...I...remember," he replied evasively.

"Yes, actually... it was a dream I had... I dreamt of a young man with melancholic, deep eyes, who met me, a lonely person, in a bar!"

Song Xiaomo was stunned for a moment, thinking, "Wasn't the person I met at the bar Song Yun'er?"

"Whether you believe it or not, I still remember that dream vividly." Meixuan squinted, immersed in the memory of the dream. "That night, for the first time, I was captivated by a boy. In that instant, I suddenly felt an electric shock. I realized he had been looking at me, intentionally or unintentionally... Then, I deliberately left something behind. I believed that if we were destined to be together, he would definitely find me... he definitely would..."

Song Xiaomo was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a moment.

"For the sake of our destiny, I went to the bar to wait for him every few days... I'm so happy, I finally waited for him... He is you... my Renxuan!"

Meixuan was completely captivated, ignoring Song Xiaomo's astonished expression, and continued, "But...but two years ago, we painfully parted again. That was fate! Fate made us fall in love and separate for no reason...However, I didn't believe our fate was over, so I kept waiting...Even in hell, I firmly believed that we would meet again one day..."

Section 98: Chapter Nineteen Braised Pork Ribs (4)

"Unbelievable!" Song Xiaomo's mind replayed the scene of his first encounter with Song Yun'er like a movie. He found everything so similar. Could it be that the girl he met before was Mei Xuan? No wonder he mistook Mei Xuan for Song Yun'er at first glance! Moreover, Song Yun'er herself was a mystery. But... no, the two did look somewhat alike, but ultimately they were different.

What exactly is going on? What kind of connection exists between these people? Is it telepathy? Or perhaps, am I following in Kim In-hyun's footsteps?

"Renxuan, I can't lose you!" Her voice choked with emotion. Song Xiaomo could even clearly see a tear, glistening slightly on her cheek, hanging like a dewdrop.

Seeing her heartbroken expression, Song Xiaomo felt a surge of pity and tenderness. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down. Then, he gently patted her shoulder: "Don't be sad. The past is the past; don't think about it so much!"

Meixuan gasped for breath a few times, then asked blankly, "Renxuan, is this a dream? Is it really you?"

"It seems... I should... maybe..." Song Xiaomo replied helplessly.

Her brow furrowed, as if she were trying hard to recall something, but her expression grew increasingly pained. Finally, she shook her head and said, "You...you should go...go...I want to be alone!"

"Alright, you should get some rest too. Remember to close the windows before you go to sleep!"

"Thank you, I understand!"

"Good night!" The moment Song Xiaomo closed the door, she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.

And so this incredible night came to an end.

Section 99: Chapter Twenty: The Empty Chair (1)

Chapter Twenty: The Empty Chair

When Song Xiaomo woke up, he found it was raining outside, everything was gray and misty. He opened the window and immediately smelled the cool scent of earth. It was a drizzly morning, the sky lazy, gentle, and melancholic. After washing up, he prepared to go out; he had to attend a lecture with his professor today.

As he closed the door, he happened to see a large, fat black cat leap onto the windowsill, a red and white bone dangling from its mouth. Seeing the cat perch on his freshly washed white sneakers, Song Xiaomo shouted and stomped his foot hard. The cat, as if startled, bristled, then glared at him warily.

"Get out of here!" Song Xiaomo raised her umbrella and rushed over.

"Meow-" The cat dropped the bone and turned to run away at an astonishing speed. Perhaps because of the rain, the windowsill was a bit slippery, and the fat cat stumbled and knocked over a flowerpot.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp scream came from outside the window.

Song Xiaomo craned her neck to look and saw the landlady standing dumbfounded under the window, her vegetable basket overturned at her feet, with several apples rolling out. The cat was not far away, with a piece of fresh meat in its mouth.

"What happened?"

"A cat..." Grandma Zhang gasped, still shaken, "It scared me to death! I was passing by on my way to buy groceries, and a cat jumped out of your window and stole my meat..."

"Ah, I don't know where this cat came from."

"Luckily, they didn't steal my apples, or my grandson would have been angry." Grandma Zhang said as she squatted down to pick up the fruit scattered on the ground.

Song Xiaomo smiled, his gaze falling on the bones left behind by the fat cat. He leaned closer and sniffed them, and a familiar smell immediately filled his nostrils. Wasn't this the braised pork ribs left over from last night? He felt a churning in his stomach. The bones were still raw, with streaks of blood on them, and he couldn't tell what kind of animal they were from. Could it be that he had been gnawing on these raw bones yesterday?

Thinking of this, he held his palm to his mouth and breathed on it. To his dismay, a strong meaty smell emanated from his mouth.

He went straight into the bathroom, took out his toothbrush, squeezed out a large amount of toothpaste, and carefully brushed every corner of his teeth until he felt that the meaty smell had been completely removed, before stopping with satisfaction.

The drizzle continued to fall.

Song Xiaomo was waiting for the bus at the bus stop when she met Aunt Li, who had just gotten off the bus.

Good morning, Aunt Li!

Aunt Li glanced at him expressionlessly and nodded. Suddenly, when she realized something and looked at Song Xiaomo again, she was horrified. The calm on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of terror. The umbrella in her hand fell to the ground.

"Could it be that I've changed too much overnight? But even so, it shouldn't be this terrifying! Do I look that scary?" Song Xiaomo's heart skipped a beat.

At this moment, Aunt Li was completely bewitched, her gaze like an X-ray piercing through Song Xiaomo's neck. Finally, her eyes settled on the small copper coin around his neck—the very talisman Meixuan had given Song Xiaomo the night before.

"Aunt Li, what's wrong?"

"Tell me, where did this red string come from?" she pressed.

Song Xiaomo suddenly realized that she must recognize this thing. However, he didn't dare tell her that it was a gift from Meixuan, and even if he did, she might not believe him. Encountering a ghost was already an absurd thing, let alone this beautiful female ghost who had given him a talisman.