However, Lu Mingran still felt something was off about the details, although he didn't know what was wrong with it.
After buying groceries, the two went home together and watched TV. During this time, Lu Mingran was looking forward to the scene of the other Tao Chen returning, but it didn't happen. From day to night, the other Tao Chen did not appear, which made Lu Mingran worry.
Not only that, Tao Chen suddenly said something that night that startled Lu Mingran.
Tao Chen said, "I regret it."
After being tormented by loneliness for a long time, he regretted it.
The person on the sofa turned his head, looked into Lu Mingran's eyes, and said, "I regret it."
——————
Given that Lu Mingran said she wanted to pursue thrills to the end, the system decided that Lu Mingran and this Tao Chen would travel back to the past.
This time, they finally made no mistakes and accurately placed them into... the tomb.
The candlelight was dim, insects were crawling on the ground, and there was a coffin in front of her. Lu Mingran grabbed Tao Chen's clothes.
However, there was a reason for traveling back here. In the novel, Tao Chen met Song Gaishui, a descendant of the Song family, here, and from then on, he was one step closer to the ultimate secret.
Thinking of this, Lu Mingran looked at the coffin.
Song Gaishui was poisoned by a strange toxin. Guided by a master, he found this ancient tomb and would return regularly to lie in this special coffin for two days to recover and heal. One day, Tao Chen accidentally stumbled into the tomb and met Song Gaishui, who had just woken up.
Tao Chen had clearly remembered this as well, and took a step forward: "Song Gaishui, I remember him!"
As he spoke, Tao Chen raised the torch and shone it into the coffin.
It was completely empty inside.
Song Gaishui isn't here? Does that mean the day they traveled back in time is relatively early in the timeline?
Lu Mingran stood there, biting his lip. The system knew he had something on his mind.
A moment later, Lu Mingran walked over and said to Tao Chen, "You cannot see Song Gaishui."
However, the system said that certain plot points in the novel could not be changed, and Tao Chen still had to come here in two days.
"...What should we do?" Tao Chen asked.
"Move the coffin."
Upon hearing Lu Mingran's suggestion, Tao Chen was stunned. What kind of operation was this? Moving the coffin? Where to?
In the end, Tao Chen listened to Lu Mingran's advice.
As the gatekeeper, Lu Mingran was quite capable, and Tao Chen was also quite familiar with the tomb.
So, they took away Song Gaishui's precious coffin. This coffin had previously contained some kind of princess, and there were still corpse worms inside. Lu Mingran stubbornly kept her eyes closed and pushed the coffin out.
Moreover, Lu Mingran was very thoughtful. Although he was very tired, he still remembered to write something and leave a note in front of the gate that Song Gaishui always passed when he came back.
The note said:
“Song Gaishui, it’s too damp here, you’re prone to rheumatism. I’ve moved you to a new place.”
Address attached.
She continued, "Don't panic when you get back, and don't call the police. I really just wanted to help you move."
Chapter 77 Want to study philosophy? No way (4)
The ancient tomb was truly damp and dark, and Lu Mingran couldn't wait to leave after finishing what he had done. At that moment, Tao Chen leaned over and curiously looked at the note he had written.
As he watched, Tao Chen's expression froze.
He hadn't expected that Lu Mingran genuinely wanted to help Song Gaishui move; or rather, he had never seen anyone so shameless.
At the same time, a slight noise reached Tao Chen's ears.
Someone is coming.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Tao Chen pulled the still-unaware Lu Mingran aside and slipped to another spot. Then, they looked outside and saw two figures gradually approaching.
Tao Chen's expression froze again.
Because he saw that the two people side by side were none other than the archaeologist, and... him. Another him, another him at this moment.
Lu Mingran was also surprised. It turned out that after traveling back, the original Tao Chen in this time and space was still there, and all they could do was intervene.
He remembered another question. Since these two people had appeared, it meant that he would meet Song Gaishui someday, so... where was Song Gaishui?
Could it be that he actually has some kind of invisibility ability, and then Lu Mingran and Tao Chen carried the sleeping Song Gaishui to move house?
Soon, the commotion that emerged from the ancient tomb provided them with the answer.
Just like in the novel, Tao Chen and archaeologist Mr. Zhang stumbled upon this place after getting lost. They stopped in front of the stone door leading to the tomb chamber, brushed off the dust, and began to analyze the patterns and inscriptions on it.
The note Lu Mingran had written earlier had fallen to the ground, but no one paid it any attention. Both of them were only staring at the door. The archaeologist was so excited that his voice trembled as he spoke:
"Tao Chen, this is his legendary tomb. Look at this stone slab..."
The following dialogue consisted entirely of historical materials, which in the original work made an indelible contribution to the mysterious atmosphere. Lu Mingran was worried about the next development of the plot, while Tao Chen looked at his past self with a somewhat subtle expression.
He used to be passionate about anything related to the ultimate secret, just like now, listening intently with barely concealed excitement on his face. To Tao Chen now, this was incomprehensible.
The two were still discussing in front of the door; indeed, they had discussed it for five thousand words in the book. Lu Mingran was prepared to fall asleep listening to them, but then the door opened.
The door was opened from the inside. Tao Chen thought there was a mechanism, so he instinctively pulled Mr. Zhang back and summoned his bone ring.
But what appeared before him was a living person, with dark circles under their eyes. The person opened their sleepy eyes and looked at the two people outside the door.
"Grave robbers?"
He asked this question, and at the same time his gaze fell on the ground, where he saw the forgotten note.
Song Gaishui. Lu Mingran knew who this was; it turned out Song Gaishui had been in the tomb all along. Now, Song Gaishui had read the note. After reading it, Song Gaishui hissed and looked at the still wary stranger with an indescribable expression:
"When did tomb raiders develop a relocation-based style?"
————————
We finally met.
But unlike the plot in the novel, Tao Chen didn't dwell on Song Gaishui's identity. He, Song Gaishui, and the archaeologist stood there, arguing endlessly about the note.
Lu Mingran then realized that Song Gaishui wasn't just sleeping in one coffin; he slept in other coffins in the tomb as well. One could only say that he had a big house and many beds, and was quite extravagant.
He and Tao Chen slipped away after these people went inside. If the two Tao Chens had run into each other, things would have been really funny.
Stepping out of the ancient tomb, they found themselves in a desolate wilderness, the last rays of the setting sun casting their light upon them. Tao Chen glanced at the person beside him, dressed in a white cloak, and said:
Where do we go next?
Tao Chen had originally thought that by this time he would have become the head of the Xuan Sect and planned to return to the sect, but now it seemed that, just like before, he had nowhere to go.
"Let's go to the city first," Lu Mingran said, gazing into the distance. "Just like before, let's find a place to stay."
Fortunately, Tao Chen had been here before and knew how to get back. There was a village to the southwest, and the two borrowed a villager's car, eventually making their way back to the city.
Lu Mingran rented another house. Just like before, no one remembered Tao Chen. The landlady told him to be careful when he was alone and even offered to help him find a roommate.
If there's any difference from before, well... there is.
After closing the door, Lu Mingran turned around and saw Tao Chen sitting on the sofa, scribbling on a piece of paper, seriously planning something. Seeing Lu Mingran looking at him, he beckoned her over.
"What's our next step in stopping him?"
This was the first time Lu Mingran had seen the male protagonist of the ghost story so proactively cooperate with his mission, and he felt quite uncomfortable. He sat on the sofa, silently watching Tao Chen.
Tao Chen was having a great time studying by himself. In the end, he threw down his pen and suddenly pulled Lu Mingran to stand up.
"do what?"
Tao Chen looked at him and said, "Of course we're going out to have fun."
When it comes to going out, Tao Chen, who calls him "Birdman," will never take the initiative to go out with him.
But Tao Chen was clearly different; he dragged Lu Mingran around outside in a lively and bustling manner.
The city lights twinkled at night, bustling and vibrant, yet also giving off an increasingly unreal feeling. Lu Mingran followed behind Tao Chen, recalling that vegetable market. Back then, two Tao Chens had appeared before him.
Yes, the Tao Chen we see now is not the real him.
On the other side, after realizing that the person behind him hadn't followed, Tao Chen walked to the roadside and bought two servings of oden, then brought them to Lu Mingran's side: "Tired?"
Lu Mingran shook her head and said cryptically, "I just feel that you are a little different, different from the you I first met."
To Lu Mingran's surprise, Tao Chen said, "Really? I think you've changed compared to before."
Huh? Is there something different about me?
Lu Mingran wanted to ask, but Tao Chen had already finished the last one, patted his leg and stood up: "At night, it's hard to tell whether there are people or ghosts on the street, let's go back early."
Coincidentally, Lu Mingran didn't really want to stay outside any longer either.
Tonight, Lu Mingran kept thinking about Tao Chen, the man who bought pork.
He felt a pang of regret. Now, he was the only one in the world who remembered Tao Chen, yet he had run off with this man. What would happen to Tao Chen when he couldn't find him? What would happen to him when no one in the world remembered him anymore?
Sitting alone at home each day, Lu Mingran guessed where Tao Chen would go. To the people he knew, to see how those people had completely forgotten him, to see how their lives remained peaceful, even happier, without him?
What kind of feeling was that? Lu Mingran couldn't imagine.
All he could do was wait for Tao Chen to come back, to let him know that there were still people in this world who remembered him, and that he still had a home waiting for him to return.
The Tao Chen that Lu Mingran is currently in contact with is completely different from the Tao Chen of the past.
Back home, Tao Chen quickly washed up and went to bed. Lu Mingran also opened her bedroom door and went back to her own room.
The room no longer contained any awkward wooden stakes, but rather a perfectly normal large bed.
Lu Mingran stared at the spot where the wooden stakes had been for a while, then urged the system to make one for him. The system asked him, "Are you planning to sleep on it?"
"...It's not that it's impossible."
Finally, the system actually created a wooden stake, and Lu Mingran actually climbed onto it and sat on it.
Unfortunately, he wasn't a real birdman, and after a while he fell off, landing face down.
Lu Mingran lay on the ground, groaning softly. He struggled to get up, wanting to go to the bathroom to wash his face and reduce the swelling.
So Lu Mingran put her hand on the doorknob and turned it once.