Chapter 118: Extra
The delinquent少年的疑问 were not answered by his two companions.
"Qi An..." Zhuang Lao-da slowly repeated this name, his pitch-black and somewhat deep eyes falling on the alluring girl. "Do you think this person is related to Qian Sheng's death?"
"I just happened to meet him not long ago." The red-lipped girl's voice changed instantly—her speech had always carried that upward inflection at the end, seemingly nonchalant, but now her voice had become extremely gentle. This change made Zhuang Lao-da's brow furrow slightly.
The girl's voice, which seemed to carry countless complex emotions, echoed in the air, "I've never encountered someone so... like this. If that escaped convict killed Qian Sheng because of him, I think..."
This matter—made perfect sense.
"You say you're here to protect me?" The speaker was a boy in a short-sleeved shirt. It was summer, the scorching sun hanging in the sky silently radiating light and heat. Looking out across the playground, there were nothing but boys and girls all dressed in short sleeves.
Having gone through the brutal summer, people had been tanned to varying degrees. Yet this boy's skin remained extremely fair, almost translucent under the sunlight. Moreover, this whiteness appeared frail and fragile.
That skin—seemed as though with just a light touch, one could leave gorgeous marks upon it.
They subconsciously understood the girl's unfinished meaning.
This was a... blossom that many people wanted to possess for themselves.
"... That's right. You might be the escaped convict's target. Our target is that convict, so we hope to stay by your side. During this time, we'll ensure your safety." The nonchalant edge in the delinquent boy's tone had vanished,难得地消失了. "I'm Li Qing, she's Cui Yun, and this is Zhuang Zhao."
As he spoke, he introduced each of their names to the boy in turn.
"Escaped convict?" The boy echoed these two words with some puzzlement. He seemed to remain wary of these sudden visitors, his thick lashes fluttering ceaselessly. "Why would he come after me?"
Zhuang Zhao silently watched this boy who was both frightened and confused. The other's eyes were very beautiful—clear and transparent enough to see through to the very bottom, as if nothing could be hidden. Like a small, defenseless rabbit huddled in its nest, his eyes were pure and harmless.
Yet Zhuang Zhao inexplicably felt as though this seemingly delicate boy had seen through everything about him. But before Zhuang Zhao could clarify this strange sensation, he heard the boy's voice again.
"Then... I'll be in your care." Perhaps because he hadn't received an answer for so long, the boy's beautiful eyes drooped once more. His voice was always low, seeming both like it carried some other meaning and like he simply didn't know how to refuse.
"Qi An."
From afar, a flustered boy came running over. In his palm he clutched something resembling an envelope. "This... someone asked me to pass this to you..."
The suddenly called-upon boy seemed to pause for a moment. He微微 raised his head to look at this boy whose cheeks were slightly flushed, extending his fair hand outward, offering the latter a slight smile. "Thank you."
"No... don't mention it." The boy scratched his head with his other hand, his voice stuttering as he responded to Qi An. He stared blankly as Qi An took the envelope from his hand—the envelope's packaging was very white, but it couldn't compare to those slender fingers resting upon it, those fingers elegantly shaped as if meticulously carved by someone.
The boy stared blankly at his empty hand, his thoughts drifting somewhere unknown.
"Who asked you to deliver this envelope to me?" After Qi An accepted the envelope, he glanced down at it without immediately opening it, merely running his fingers lightly across its surface before raising his head to recall the boy's wandering thoughts with his voice.
"Ah... a..." The boy was still somewhat unfocused, "I don't know him. He was wearing a hat at the time. I only remember... he was quite handsome. It's a bit strange, actually—I don't know why, but I just suddenly agreed to his request. I didn't even ask his name, and somehow just took the envelope from his hand..."
Hearing this, Zhuang Zhao's expression grew heavier. He couldn't help but exchanging a glance with Cui Yun. Both their gazes fell simultaneously on the envelope in Qi An's hand.
The letter was gradually opened by the boy.
The frail boy holding it seemed to tremble slightly—he appeared even more fragile than before, as if a light touch could cause his psychological defenses to completely collapse.
Zhuang Zhao picked up the paper that had fallen to the ground. When he saw the contents written on it, his expression also froze for a moment.
Those were words written in blood, the bloodstains thick and viscous, carrying a压抑 and sinister blackness.
This was written in human blood—Zhuang Zhao arrived at this judgment with ease.
Because he could smell the faint... bloody scent lingering upon it.
The handwriting contained particularly manic and violent elements.
"I like you.
Like to the point of wanting to cage you.
Your eyes will only see me. I will gouge out the eyes of those who gaze upon those they shouldn't look at, as payment for their coveting what belongs to me.
I will kindly drive away those who shouldn't exist beside you, teaching them what they ought to do.
Your world will only have me.
I will... watch you. I've been watching you from the darkness all along.
I will fill your world with my presence, to replace the world's isolation of you. I will give you infinite doting, to replace... the care those soon-to-die sinners have shown you.
Only I have the qualification to watch you, touch you, dote on you, and... possess you, my... caged one."
The sound of police sirens rang out once more, and the already worried campus grew even more chaotic. This campus, known for its tranquility and scholarly atmosphere, fell into confusion for the first time.
Another person had died.
Qi An stood among the crowd, gazing lightly at the equally gruesome corpse. This deceased person was very familiar to him—it was the very boy who had just handed him the envelope not long ago.
[An'an, this escaped convict is...] A voice carrying a mechanical tone rang out in his mind. [Should we do something?]
[My current persona is that of an innocent, unsuspecting college student.] Qi An glanced expressionlessly at the three people beside him whose expressions had clearly grown more grave and serious, then pretended to look fearfully at the corpse on the ground.
Although he hadn't directly answered the system's question, the system had already understood Qi An's meaning. [That's right. We're no longer transmigrators now, so we don't need to complete tasks or worry about what happens to anyone else. We just need to fulfill the persona properly.]
Besides the similarly missing eyes, one of the person's hands was also nowhere to be found.
—Only I have the qualification to touch you.
Those harboring unrealistic fantasies must be dragged back to reality.
I will gather everything that has ever touched you—all things connected to you belong to me.
In other words, you are mine.
I lurk in the unseen darkness, depriving the lives of the greedy, shrinking your world bit by bit.
When you realize it, my dear, you have already become... my caged one.