Lamentation de la Nuit de l'Ouest

Chapitre 13

"It's April Fool's Day! How could you be so silly? You fell for a phone call!" Cuihua chuckled as she looked at me. I stared blankly at her, suddenly feeling a pang of sadness. Why did they lie to me? Why did they use Deng Fei and Xiao Bi to fool me? Although I appeared to be living a carefree life these past few days, saying that Xiao Bi was incredibly brave and Deng Fei was very clever and couldn't possibly run into any trouble, I was actually worried sick. Those strange things kept making me think the worst. I didn't have a single friend around me. Why had they all disappeared? Heaven knows how much I was suffering.

I just stared at Cuihua's smiling face, and then my nose started to sting, and my face began to wet. Cuihua's expression became flustered, and she grabbed me anxiously, asking, "Xiao Mo, what's wrong? Why are you crying? I... I didn't mean to lie to you. Isn't this how we always play every year? Who knew you'd actually come? Don't be angry... Oh, please don't cry..."

The more she talked, the more upset I became, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

"She's fine, just a little tired. We'll be going now." Gu Ming appeared behind me at some point and said calmly to Cuihua, then put his arm around my shoulder and led me to the car.

I felt so ashamed; I shouldn't have cried in front of Cuihua and him. But my eyes were like a broken tap, tears streaming uncontrollably, and snot was flowing too. Gu Ming pulled out a tissue from the car to wipe away my tears and snot, sighed, started the car, and stopped talking. Only my uncontrollable sobs and the soft music remained.

"I heard the wind blowing, like a song fading into the distance."

The clouds are lonely; if the sky has no end,

My friend, at this crossroads of parting,

Smile as time marches on.

Your companionship warmed this lonely season.

The joy of dreams is the memory of our youth.

All partings are for the day of reunion.

Tears are hidden in the palm of the hand.

Sing a song, our song.

Let every moment stand still.

My left hand is right next to your right hand.

I've always been by your side...

All I see are Xiao Bi and Deng Fei's silly smiles. It feels like for four years of university, or even longer, I've become accustomed to having those few people around me. Whether it's spring or winter, warm or cold, I always see those familiar smiling faces. Even though we've had disagreements, arguments, and disagreements, whenever I want to share joy or sorrow, they're the first people I think of. I can reach out and comfortably hold their hands—my left hand, their right hand beside mine. They've truly always been by my side. But why, in just a few days, have they all left, one by one? I don't even know if they're alright. It feels like I've suddenly lost so much; my heart is empty and painful. I'm afraid of the dark, and I'm afraid of the light, because with each passing day, my anticipation grows more uncertain. I don't even dare to think too much…

"Xiao Mo." Gu Ming's voice came, and I realized that the car had been parked in an open area in the suburbs. I looked up, tears still clinging to the corners of my eyes. Gu Ming looked at me with his mouth closed and his brows slightly furrowed. His gaze was probably one of sympathy; after all, anyone would feel bad in that situation.

"Why did we stop here?" I asked in a low voice.

"Let me show you something." Gu Ming opened the car roof, revealing a patch of sky above. I watched him with a puzzled expression as he closed his eyes and muttered something. Then, he flicked his right index and middle fingers, and a faint blue light seemed to emanate from his fingertips. Then, a talisman flew out from somewhere, spinning like a phantom. The sky gradually darkened, the wind became cool, and in the blink of an eye, it was pitch black all around.

"Gu...Gu Ming..." I shivered, not understanding what was going on. Gu Ming opened his eyes, smiled slightly, and pointed to the top of his head. I looked up and was immediately stunned.

Under the pitch-black night sky, the stars twinkled brightly in the boundless expanse. A breeze blew occasionally, and although it was cold, the slightly sweet scent in the cool air made one feel comfortable enough to fall asleep.

"I remember it was daytime just now, right?" I asked, looking at the starry sky blankly.

"You seemed to have said that when you were little, whenever you cried, you would climb to the roof to look at the stars, and each star would talk and sing to you with a smile..." Gu Ming answered irrelevantly.

"You, you wouldn't be reversing the heavens, would you? You...you, you, you won't be facing an insurmountable obstacle, will you?"

Gu Ming blinked and said with a smile, "So what?"

"Oh my god, you, you...you need to change back quickly, quickly, quickly!" I suddenly thought of a scene from a TV fantasy drama where gods, without permission, bring rain and snow to benefit humanity, but are punished—either imprisoned under a mountain, locked in a cave, or banished to the mortal realm. Besides, Gu Ming is just a mortal; if he's punished, he'll surely die a hundred times over...

"I was just kidding, it was just an illusion," Gu Ming said with a flick on my forehead.

I breathed a sigh of relief and scolded him, "Are you out of your mind? Why are you doing this for no reason?"

"I just remembered that some people like to listen to the stars sing when they cry," Gu Ming said lazily. "Xiao Mo, I know you're feeling bad."

Upon hearing this, the tears I had just stopped were about to flow again. The images of Xiao Bi and Deng Fei appeared before my eyes once more. I secretly looked up at the stars, trying my best to swallow my tears, but the stars were blinking silently at me, just like the bright eyes of Xiao Bi and Deng Fei.

A tear slid down her cheek, and the next moment she suddenly felt a warm breath. She opened her eyes and saw Gu Ming's magnified face and his pained eyes. She was pulled into his arms and kissed on the face, her mind a blur.

I woke up to find myself in the moonlight; it was bright outside the window. Gu Ming was sitting on the sofa reading. Seeing me awake, he smiled, opened the door, and went out. I stood there, stunned, recalling that I seemed… I seemed to be in a car in the suburbs, Gu Ming…

When I woke up, I found myself in the moonlight. It was bright outside the window. Gu Ming was sitting on the sofa reading a book. When he saw me wake up, he smiled, opened the door, and went out. I stood there, stunned, recalling that just now it seemed... it seemed like we were in a car in the suburbs, and Gu Ming had transformed into a star and... and kissed me.

But now it seems like I'm dreaming. Could it be that I'm really having a mental problem?

Just then, Gu Ming opened the door and came in again, carrying a lot of food. The aroma of the food made me realize how hungry I was. I reached out and took the food, devouring it in large mouthfuls. Gu Ming chuckled beside me. I rolled my eyes at him and continued eating. Just as I was finishing everything, I suddenly heard his sly voice, "You actually fainted from hunger? I thought you fainted from being scared by my kiss..."

I choked on half an egg, coughing until my face turned red. Gu Ming tossed me a glass of water and patted my back, saying, "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

I was so angry I wanted to yell at him, but before I could even open my mouth, he said, "Let's eat and then get a good night's sleep. We're going to Hangzhou tomorrow."

ah?

I paused for a moment, then looked up at him. He collected the plates and bowls, walked to the door, and then grinned mischievously, "If I don't go myself, I'm afraid some people will cry so much that the bar will be flooded..."

April 2, 2005, Tianzhenlan

I went to bed too early yesterday and woke up at four o'clock this morning. I sat on the bed in a daze and couldn't fall back asleep.

Around 6:00, Gu Ming knocked on the door and told me to get ready; my flight was at 8:00, and my destination was Hangzhou. I thought about it for a while and realized that I only had two hours left before boarding, and I didn't seem to have packed anything.

Gu Ming said helplessly, "Just bring yourself with you. Buy whatever you need over there."

So I only had a piece of chewing gum in my pocket and rushed to the airport with Gu Ming. The timing was perfect. I followed Gu Ming like an idiot until we were settled in our seats.

Looking around, I realized this was what the inside of the plane looked like, and the flight attendants weren't particularly pretty either. The only thing I was satisfied with was the generous amount of food. The sky was also very blue, just like the afternoons I spent as a child, lying on the grass watching the clouds take on all sorts of strange shapes, dreaming that one day I could fly up there and jump around.

Gu Ming picked up a magazine and flipped through it idly. The few unattractive flight attendants came over every now and then, asking Gu Ming with different smiles if he needed anything. Gu Ming just smiled and shook his head. Meanwhile, I ate and drank without any restraint despite their disdainful looks, and looked around at Gu Ming and said, "There are only a few seats in the cabin. Doesn't the airline lose money?"

He rolled his eyes. "This is first class."

I blinked, thinking to myself that Gu Ming really is a rich man.

The two-hour journey was a bit boring. After I finished eating and started burping, I couldn't sit still anymore. Gu Ming suddenly put down his magazine and asked me with a mischievous smile, "Want to do something special?"

"Huh?" I didn't understand what he meant.

"See that middle-aged man on your right?" Gu Ming leaned closer and whispered in my ear.

Which one?

"The one in the black suit."

"Bald?"

"No, the one with the beer belly."

"Two beer bellies."

"Not bald but with a beer belly," Gu Ming said, tapping my head.

"Why don't you just say he has an oily face and looks like a butcher? Wouldn't that have made sense to me?" I rolled my eyes at him.

“It’s that guy.” Gu Ming smiled. “Your description is quite accurate.”

What's wrong with him?

"There's a ghost perched on his shoulder, and another one following behind him." Gu Ming smiled slyly. "Want to see?"

Is seeing ghosts considered a special thing?

"Of course not, how about we do something exciting and watch a good show?" Gu Ming was eager to try it out, nudging my arm and continuing, "The female ghost on his shoulder is a vengeful ghost, and the one following behind him has even stronger resentment. Their deaths must be related to that man, otherwise they wouldn't be following him. But that man's ancestors accumulated good karma, and he has spiritual energy protecting him, so those two ghosts can't do anything to him."

What do you want to do?

"Let them settle their scores and avenge their grievances." Gu Ming's smile became even more sinister.

I pursed my lips, thinking it wouldn't be bad to play around, so I nodded. Gu Ming smiled and placed his index and middle fingers over my eyes, seemingly chanting something. When I opened my eyes again, I saw two female ghosts beside the middle-aged man, one deathly pale and the other ashen-faced—clearly not benevolent beings. Gu Ming explained, "You couldn't see them earlier because the man's spiritual energy neutralized their resentment, and besides, it was daytime. I used a little magic; now you can see them, right?"

I nodded. "So it turns out I can't see all ghosts."

Gu Ming said, "You're only just realizing that? You're so stupid."

I glared at him. "What do you plan to do?"

Gu Ming leaned over and whispered something in my ear for a long time. I listened and nodded. After a while, the two of us looked at each other and smiled. The plan was accomplished.

A moment later, a flight attendant came over. Gu Ming stopped her and smiled gently, "Miss, could I have a glass of red wine, a cup of coffee, and a cup of green tea?"

The not-so-pretty flight attendant immediately nodded with a beaming smile, not at all surprised that Gu Ming ordered three drinks at once. She swayed away as she walked away. I curled my lip and said to Gu Ming, "Your smile is really disgusting. What are you pretending to be, you charlatan, to be a gentle man?"

Gu Ming swiftly reached out his right hand and tapped me on the forehead. The pain brought tears to my eyes, and I was about to curse him when he stopped me with a look. Turning around, I saw the flight attendant standing beside me with the three drinks Gu Ming had ordered. She carefully placed them in front of him and asked solicitously, "Is there anything else you need? Please feel free to call me anytime."

Gu Ming laughed even more disgustingly and said, "Thank you, but I don't need it for now."

The flight attendant walked away, her face beaming, swaying her hips.

Ignoring my eye roll, Gu Ming quickly mixed the red wine, green tea, and coffee together. Then, he put his index finger to his lips and muttered a spell while burning a talisman at supersonic speed. I stared blankly as the yellow talisman turned into ashes and disappeared into the mixed drink. Then, Gu Ming handed me the dark-looking drink, winked, and smiled at me.

I took it, stood up, and gently walked to the middle-aged man's side. I smiled, bent down, and said to him, "Sir, hello, may I have a drink for you? I just ordered an extra one."

The man paused, looked me up and down, and then took the cup with a lewd smile. "Of course."

I smiled even brighter as he tilted his head back and took a sip. Then, the man's expression suddenly changed, his eyes widened, his face twitched as he looked at the contents of the cup and then at me, forcing himself to swallow.

I smiled and nodded as I left. I saw the female ghost behind him frown and glance at me. Her ashen face was ugly, but it was much more pleasant than the man's oily face. After sitting down, I gave Gu Ming a victory sign. Gu Ming smiled and pulled me back, saying, "Look, look! The spiritual energy on his chest is fading."

I turned my head and sure enough, the wisps of pale blue gas were disappearing bit by bit. The female ghost on his shoulder seemed to have noticed it too, and her resentment grew stronger. Her bright red fingernails dug into the man's shoulder, and the man jumped up with a cry of surprise. The flight attendant heard the noise and rushed over to ask him all sorts of questions. The man moved his shoulder a little, but finally shook his head and sat down alone.

The female ghost behind me didn't move. She looked behind the man and then turned to look at me. I stuck my tongue out at Gu Ming, and Gu Ming smiled at the female ghost.

"Ah!" the man screamed again. The ghost on his shoulder had dug its fingernails into his arm, and bright red blood could be seen under his suit jacket. Seeing his agony, the female ghost's face contorted with madness. She stretched out her arms and wildly clawed at the man's body, leaving streaks of blood all over his clothes. The man crouched on the ground in pain, while everyone around him stood up to watch the scene.

Just then, the female ghost behind him suddenly moved, lunging forward and grabbing his neck. The man, his face flushed red from lack of oxygen, kicked and struggled to pull away the hands gripping his neck. One female ghost scratched and bit wildly at his body, while the other held on tightly, screaming, "Die...die..."

I shook Gu Ming's hand and stammered, "Isn't that a bit too scary? Will he die?"

Gu Ming snorted coldly, "I don't know, so be it."

"ah?"

“This man has done too many bad things. Look, there’s even a cloud of black mist coming out of his head. He must have killed more than just these two people.”

Within a minute, when the captain arrived, the man was already lying there unconscious, his face ashen and lifeless. They quickly examined his body and then performed first aid. Watching the busy group of people, and then seeing the two blood-soaked female ghosts staring intently at the man with complicated smiles, I felt a pang of fear.

After the first aid, the man remained motionless. With a single glance from the captain, the man was carried away. The flight attendant smiled and offered words of comfort to everyone before hurrying off as well, leaving two female ghosts, invisible to the naked eye, standing silently in the aisle.

"Gu Ming." I shrank back and looked at him.

He patted me on the shoulder and said, "It's okay, the autopsy results will definitely show a sudden heart attack."

“I know, but doing this…” I was about to say something when I suddenly felt the temperature drop around me. I turned around and there were the two female ghosts in front of me.

"Thank you, though I don't know why you're helping me," said the female ghost with the ashen face. "He killed my father, took our family's property, drove my mother insane, and raped my sister..."

The female ghost paused, turned to look at the other female ghost, and took her hand. "I was secretly strangled by someone he sent. All these years, my sister and I have followed him but we couldn't... He did so many evil deeds... Now we've taken our revenge, and we have no regrets. Even if we are punished and reduced to ashes, it doesn't matter..."