hotmtlnovel Chapter 14: First Time Seeing Something Like This at My Age
Chapter 14: First Time Seeing Something Like This at My Age
Chapter 14: First Time Seeing Something Like This at My Age
After three rounds of drinks, they’d nearly finished the skewers, and only two bottles of beer remained in the case.
Qin Hao, his face flushed, boasted about becoming a detective, solving big cases, and even making it onto TV someday.
“Yeah, yeah, you're the best.”
Xu Qing, feeling a bit tipsy himself but still holding his own thanks to his dad’s inherited drinking tolerance, said, “Can you go home? Don’t let tomorrow’s mediation get messed up over some old ladies’ squabble.”
“Screw mediation... Boss, check, please!”
“I got it.”
They didn’t argue much over the bill; Xu Qing just paid it straightforwardly. After walking Qin Hao to the curb to catch a cab, he headed back to the food stall and, after some thought, asked the stall owner to pack a few meat skewers and fish tofu.
As the gentle night breeze carried the smoky scent of barbecue far into the distance, Xu Qing found himself strangely craving a cigarette. He patted his pockets, then remembered he’d quit.
He couldn’t help but laugh—he’d taken on a bit of trouble, but it was kind of fun.
He wondered if the moon in the Tang Dynasty had looked as round as it did now.
Looking up at the vast night sky, he imagined it as an endless scroll of history, full of lives and stories long buried in time. And now, one of those grains of dust had jumped out.
And he was the one who’d stumbled across it.
...
It was 9:30 p.m. when Xu Qing returned home. Jiang He was still on the couch, watching a video on her computer, while Winter Melon lay on her lap, purring contentedly as she stroked his fur.
Seeing the scene of a person and a cat on the sofa, Xu Qing felt a subtle warmth inside. He lifted the bag in his hand and said, “I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some more food back.”
“Thanks.”
“Hmm?”
“...young hero.”
“Not a big deal.”
Xu Qing waved his hand and placed the barbecue bag on the table, opening it up before fetching two cartons of yogurt from the fridge and passing one to Jiang He.
Smelling the alcohol on him, Jiang He wrinkled her nose. “You drank a lot?”
“Not much, just a few bottles.” Xu Qing popped open the yogurt lid and demonstrated, “This is yogurt. You’re supposed to lick the lid first.”
The best part of yogurt was always on the lid—a mandatory ritual.
Jiang He mimicked him, sticking out her tongue to lick the lid, and her eyes lit up.
“Tastes good, right?”
“Very good.”
“Heh... hurry up and eat it while it’s still warm.”
Seeing Jiang He unoccupied, Xu Qing handed over the computer so she could continue learning. She had already figured out how to switch videos, which was progress.
“Okay.”
“You want to come along?”
Jiang He hesitated a moment before shaking her head. “It’s just nearby; no need.”
“Alright, I’ll go alone. You stay here.”
After reminding her to stay put, Xu Qing took his phone and headed out into the morning sun to get breakfast.
...
The breeze was mild, the sky clear.
At the residential complex entrance, a few neighbors gathered after breakfast, chatting in hushed voices. Uncle Zhao, the security guard, looked particularly grave, listening silently without joining in.
“Xu, Xu!”
Spotting him from afar, Aunt Cheng, full of mystery, waved him over.
“What’s up, Aunt Cheng? Uncle Chen? You guys planning some big secret?” Xu Qing asked curiously, joining the group of elderly residents.
“Did you hear any strange noises in your sleep lately?” Aunt Cheng asked in a hushed voice as the others looked over.
“Noises?”
Xu Qing scratched his head. “Nope, I slept just fine. What’s up? A thief?”
“A thief would be better!” She slapped her thigh, opened her mouth, then turned to look at Chen Aiguo.
“Uncle Chen, what’s going on?” Xu Qing was puzzled.
“We might... have a haunting here.”
Chen Aiguo frowned as he shook the leash of his big black dog. “Hei Zi saw something, been barking like crazy in the middle of the night...” He paused, his expression grave as he scanned the neighbors. “A few nights ago, something spooked it so bad it hid under the bed with its tail between its legs and wouldn’t come out, and that’s when I knew something was off.”
“Old Wang also said he was half-asleep when the dog’s barking woke him, and he saw a shadow outside his window.” Aunt Cheng added, gesturing, “Just like that—whoosh, gone in a flash.”
“Huh?”
Xu Qing was bewildered, glancing around at the group before fixing his gaze on Uncle Zhao. “Uncle Zhao, did you see anything?”
Uncle Zhao’s hand trembled as he held his cigarette, then, taking a deep drag, he exhaled slowly, looked at the sky in hesitation, and finally said, “I didn’t see it... but I did catch it on tape.”
At his age, as a staunch atheist, he was suddenly scared.
“...”
“...”
A haunting, for real!