Book 5: Chapter 8: Email


    There was a slight humming. It was the sound of aputer starting up. It was very quiet and could normally be ignored. However, it was very clear thiste at night.


    Xiao Xia huddled in bed not daring to move, staring towards theputer in rm.


    Her room was very small. Theputer desk was at the foot of the bed next to her window. The light wasing from that direction. Yet why would theputer turn on for no reason!? Ordid something in her room turn it on!?


    The startup tone and the various flickering colors of her mouse indicated theputer was nowpletely on. She also felt there was a clump of illusory ck mist swirling around it, but she wasnt sure if there was something wrong with her eyes.


    Tap tap tap tap.


    A burst of light and rapid clicks rang out, as though someone were typing. However, the monitor still disyed the desktop. Her background was a headshot of her idol Brad Pitt. Xiao Xia loved how his eyes narrowed in an expression that seemed like he was smiling yet not smiling. At this moment however, it looked more meaningful, his eyes staring at her weirdly. It tightly attracted Xiao Xias gaze.


    Suddenly, his appearance changed and his expression turned angry. His features and the background gradually turned blurry, but also more three-dimensional. It made the t monitor appear like an empty ck box containing a mans head!


    Xiao Xia! The head shouted sternly, making Xiao Xia jump.


    Avenge me! Avenge me! He ordered loudly.


    Guan Zheng, is that you? Xiao Xia braced herself and asked, her voice trembling.


    She couldnt tell by the voice and the head couldnt be seen clearly. However, Xiao Xia could sense something had happened to Guan Zheng.


    Silence. Even theputer became unusually silent. She waited another while but there still wasnt any movement. The monitor still resembled a box with a persons head, but it no longer spoke!


    Xiao Xia swallowed and tried to get out of bed. Yet her feet had just touched the ground when the monitor started shaking and flickering violently!


    Avenge me! The head inside started shouting again, but this time the voice was more mournful. The monitor started shaking even more, making the entire table started vibrating.


    It repeated the same words, the tone gradually bing mechanical as though it were trulying from a machine. Avenge me.avengememe.


    There was a burning smell as the monitor shook onest time, as though in the throes of death, before finally screeching to a halt!


    Xiao Xia held her breath and sat on the edge of the bed. She stared with wide eyes into the unfathomable darkness. The transition from light to darkness made it impossible for her to see anything. Her feet were still on the cold floor, but there was sweat on her palms and feet. She sat frozen in terror, enduring the oppressive feeling of the night and the burning smell. She was afraid something would happen again the moment she moved.


    Time ticked by and it wasnt clear how many minutes had passed before she finally adjusted to the darkness. She could see her room clearly now so she slowly stood up. Seeing nothing unusual happening, she suddenly ran out of her room as fast as she could. She didnt care that her feet were bare and that she only wore pajamas. She hurriedly opened her front door as though being chased by an evil spirit. She had to escape no matter what!


    The lights in the hallway had been broken for a very long time. It was pitch ck and she couldnt see anything. Xiao Xia relied on her familiarity with the ce to charge out blindly, but ended up bumping unexpectedly into something.


    It happened too suddenly and she was sent stumbling back several steps, almost falling on her rear. However, a pair of arms wrapped around her. She instinctively struggled fiercely but the other party was much stronger. She wanted to scream but her mouth was covered up. She could only twist and squirm futilely.


    Shhhhh.its me, its me! A familiar voice sounded by her ear. It contained tenderness within the urgency, and also had the ability to calm her. She didnt have to look to know it was the person she had been thinking about day and night.


    Dont scream, unless you want the entire floor to see you dressed in pajamas hugging a man in the dark hallway! Ruan Zhan loosened his grip.


    However, Xiao Xia hugged him instead, choking up.


    Lets go back inside first! He subconsciously stroked her back tofort her. He didnt know whether it was the smooth silk or her supple nape that made his hand linger.


    Im scared!


    Im here! Ruan Zhan gently pulled Xiao Xia away, doing his best to put some distance between them. Grab hold of my hand and you wont be scared!


    He gripped her cold and slightly mmy hand and slowly walked back into her apartment.


    He couldnt keep hugging her. A man hugging an undeniably shapely woman wearing small silk pajamas in a dark hallway was ambiguous no matter how one looked at it. If that woman was someone he tenderly kept in his heart and longed for, and hasnt seen in three months, the allure would be even more deadly. Merely holding her hand at this moment made him restless and unable to focus.


    Yet he had no choice but to resist. Therefore, it was extremely, extremely hard for him to maintain his usual calm demeanor. This was his first time hating his ability to see in the dark as it engraved her inadvertent charm deep into his heart.


    He kept Xiao Xia behind him as they entered her apartment, closing the door in passing. Then, he walked towards the bedroom. He remained alert as he sensed the aura inside. Although there was some yin energy, it had already dissipated.


    Everythings fine now. He was reluctant to let go of her hand.


    Xiao Xia ran over and turned on her deskmp. Only then did she realize she was wearing a more revealing set of pajamas. She instinctively covered her chest.


    Ill go wait in the living room for you to change. Ruan Zhan lowered his eyes and suppressed his pounding heart.


    Dont go! Xiao Xia blurted out. Realizing how ambiguous her words sounded, she hurriedly exined, That.it appeared here, Im scared it will


    Ruan Zhan swiftly turned around, unable to endure looking at her so directly. Is this ok?


    Xiao Xia awkwardly agreed and scrambled for some clothes. She then told him the entire series of events. Ruan Zhan forced himself to shift his attention away from her onto the matter at hand, but realized he was extremely unsessful. Xiao Xia repeated herself three times before he understood.


    Why are you here? Xiao Xia seemed to suddenly recall to ask.


    Did you forget Im able to divine things? Ruan Zhan spoke evasively.


    He didnt know any divination at all. He had just been thinking about her too much, resulting in a strong telepathic connection between them. The moment night fell, he started feeling a sense of unease, as though she was in danger. However, the feeling swiftly passed, making him step back.


    He missed her a lot, but endured it since he felt he shouldnt take the initiative to seek her out. He had endured this way for three months. Although he felt relief that she hadnte looking for him, he felt some unreasonable expectation within his heart.


    This expectation was exceptionally strong tonight. Therefore, the moment he felt uneasy a second time, he unhesitatingly ran out and drove over, just in time to run into the escaping Xiao Xia. Seeing her current state, he was also ming himself. Why did he allow his confused emotions to put her in danger?


    Whats happening?


    If Im not mistaken, your colleague is already dead. Ruan Zhan got back on topic. Furthermore, he most likely died near aputer, resulting in this phenomenon.


    But theputer burnt up. Xiao Xia said. She wasnt upset at losing theputer. She just wanted to know the root cause.


    The scientific exnation would be that the soul is a form of energy. Since it was transmitted through yourputer, the ipatible energies caused it to burn up. The supernatural exnation would be that he died in front of hisputer, and his lingering obsession was to tell you something through it. However, something stopped him before he could do so. The soul cannot leave the body for long, so his appearance and disappearance happened very quickly. Therefore, yourputer mysteriously broke. Dont worry though, Ill give you another one.


    Thats right, I did hear typing.


    Thene with me. Ruan Zhan stood up. Although yourputer is broken, Ill use mine to check your email for clues.


    Guan Zheng. Xiao Xia looked sorrowfully at theputer as though it was Guan Zheng sitting there. Although she didnt particrly have a good impression of him, and even hated him for killing that cat, she still couldnt bear to see him dead. Shouldnt we call the police?


    Its better to pretend not to know. Otherwise, we might end up bing suspects. The first person to discover the body is always suspicious. Ruan Zhan saw her dejected appearance and couldnt help but cup her face. The tender feeling transmitted to his palm caused it to linger a while. Besides, how are you going to exin how you knew he was dead? Just based on a nightmare?


    That wasnt a nightmare!


    I know, I know! Therefore, we should go see what he left behind for you!


    Xiao Xia nodded and followed Ruan Zhan back to the Nocturnal Revenant.


    When they arrived, the bar was very lively. Xiao Xia once again went up the stairs with Ruan Zhan under the jealous and ambiguous stares of the crowd. However, she didnt feel any awkwardness this time. Instead, she felt kind of smug.


    This was because she knew she had a special ce in his heart. No other woman had gone up the stairs of his bar before.


    Under Ruan Zhans warm gaze, she forcibly suppressed the urge to immediately enact her viges surrounding the city n. She felt that it would be too unjust to arrange her rtionship matters on the night of Guan Zhengs death. She decided to deal with that first.


    She opened her mailbox and saw a new email as expected. It was from Guan Zheng.


    Xiao Xia, I frightened you. Im sorry. I have my own reasons, but I dont wish to get you involved. This matter isplicated. I cant understand it. Forget about this matter, its too weird! Dont tell anyone about it either, or youll also suffer misfortune! Those people deserve death! Im very happy they died. Theyre scum, worse than beasts! But believe me, I want them to die following due process, though I know such a judgment is impossible! You dont understand. When you have to deal with such people day after day


    Xiao Xia waspletely confused. She felt the normally organized and strict Guan Zheng was rambling in his email. Yet what ended up making her stop and turn to Ruan Zhan was the final part of the email.


    There were three rows of apostrophes typed onto the page, before the following intermittent words: Im about to die, Xiao Xia, take care, avenge, dont get close to the truth.


    Then, there was some more jumbled nonsense and the name of a ce.


    The impression Xiao Xia got from this email was that Guan Zheng had typed this while in extreme danger or pain. He didnt have time to finish writing, and his thoughts had been muddled and hesitant. However, these were hisst words.


    Where is this? She pointed at the location.


    The Yunnan Province. Ruan Zhan said. Near the border of mid-Burma.