Chapter 16: Possession (Part 5)
After treating Song Qingluo’s wound, Lin Banxia decided to visit Liu Xi. He wanted to give him a heads-up and called him beforehand, but Liu Xi didn’t answer. Fortunately, Liu Xi’s place wasn’t far, so Lin Banxia went directly.
Lin Banxia had been to Liu Xi’s place once before, on Liu Xi’s birthday. Back then, Liu Xi had just moved here and didn’t know many people, so he invited Lin Banxia over. Lin ordered a birthday cake for Liu Xi, and the two of them spent a pleasant evening in the small apartment, drinking a little, enjoying snacks, and chatting. Ever since that night, Lin Banxia considered Liu Xi his friend.
In some ways, Liu Xi and Lin Banxia were quite alike. Both had moved here from elsewhere to develop their careers, both were college graduates, and both had somehow ended up in this unusual line of work.
Lost in thought, Lin Banxia found himself already downstairs at Liu Xi’s building. He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for Liu Xi’s floor. A moment later, he was standing outside Liu Xi’s door.
Liu Xi’s door faced the elevator, and just as Lin Banxia stepped out of it, he heard heated arguing and crying from inside. Before he could knock, a tear-streaked woman flung the door open, sobbing uncontrollably. She caught sight of Lin Banxia, barely glanced at him, and shoved him aside to rush into the elevator behind him.
Lin Banxia, slightly bewildered from being pushed, looked up to see Liu Xi sitting on the sofa inside. Next to him was a very attractive young woman. She had an excellent figure, wore stylish clothes, and had delicate makeup, presenting a sharp contrast to the tearful woman who had just left. Liu Xi, seeing the girl storm out, started to stand as if to go after her, but the attractive woman beside him grabbed his hand and pleaded, “Liu Xi, are you going to leave me?”
It was undeniable; a beautiful person pouting was hard to resist. Liu Xi’s expression softened instantly. He no longer attempted to stand up and merely mumbled, “She’s still my girlfriend…”
“No, she’s not,” the woman said with a huff. “I’m your girlfriend.”
Liu Xi laughed awkwardly.
Only after they finished speaking did they notice Lin Banxia at the doorway. The young woman looked him over with interest and asked, “Liu Xi, is this your friend?”
“No,” Liu Xi replied stiffly, “just a coworker.” He got up and walked over to the door, clearly with no intention of inviting Lin Banxia in. Standing in the doorway, arms crossed, he blocked entry with a defensive posture. “Lin Banxia, what do you need?”
Lin Banxia replied, “I have something to discuss with you.”
Liu Xi said, “What is it? Just say it here.”
“Was that your girlfriend just now?” Lin Banxia asked.
“Technically, ex-girlfriend,” Liu Xi replied indifferently.
Lin Banxia was silent for a moment, then realized that any warning he planned to give Liu Xi might be pointless. Even if he himself encountered such a situation, resisting the temptation wouldn’t be easy—let alone Liu Xi, who was two years younger.
“What exactly do you want to say?” Liu Xi asked impatiently.
“I met with Cheng Yuliu,” Lin Banxia said.
Hearing Cheng Yuliu’s name, Liu Xi’s gaze turned uneasy, though he still tried to play it cool, saying, “Cheng Yuliu? Never heard of her.”
Lin Banxia sighed. “I’m not here to take anything from you. I just want to remind you that Cheng Yuliu’s missing corpse was found.”
“Where?” Liu Xi responded reflexively.
“I heard it was in her family’s refrigerator,” Lin Banxia said.
Liu Xi froze.
“She’s in bad shape right now,” Lin Banxia added. “I just wanted to warn you to be careful.”
Liu Xi’s expression grew complicated as he stared at Lin Banxia, as though trying to figure out if Lin Banxia was lying. Lin Banxia, looking a bit worn out, said, “Believe me or not, it’s up to you. But Cheng Yuliu’s case is definitely going to make the news.”
Liu Xi asked, “Why are you telling me this?”
Lin Banxia gave a bitter smile. “We were colleagues, after all. I don’t want to see anything happen to you.”
Liu Xi pressed his lips together in silence, then quietly asked, “Lin Banxia, you’re in need of money, aren’t you?”
Lin Banxia frowned.
Liu Xi continued, “I don’t know what you’ve found out, but…” He turned and went inside, reappearing with a bundle in his hand. The bundle had a small tear, revealing a distinctive red color unique to currency. “But since we’re friends, I appreciate your warning. Take this money, and don’t come looking for me again.”
Judging by its thickness, the bundle likely contained at least a hundred thousand yuan. If Lin Banxia accepted it, he could move out of the apartment filled with urns. Besides, Liu Xi was the one making the wish—any consequences would fall on him, not Lin Banxia.
Seeing the money, Lin Banxia couldn’t help but laugh. His laughter held no mockery, only genuine sincerity.
Liu Xi, thinking Lin Banxia agreed, attempted to hand over the bundle. But Lin Banxia neither reached out nor spoke; he simply turned and walked away.
Startled, Liu Xi called after him, “Lin Banxia? You don’t want it?”
With his back still facing Liu Xi, Lin Banxia lazily waved his hand.
Liu Xi shouted angrily, “If you don’t want the money, why are you laughing?!”
Lin Banxia had already entered the elevator. Though his voice was faint, Liu Xi heard him clearly. Lin Banxia replied, “I can’t help but laugh; who can keep a straight face seeing so much money?! Just because I’m not taking it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the sight of it, right?!”
Liu Xi: “…”
Lin Banxia ended up walking home, saving two yuan on bus fare. He stopped by the supermarket near his apartment complex to buy dinner. Originally, he wanted to call Song Qingluo to ask if he needed anything, but then he remembered he didn’t have Song Qingluo’s phone number. Thinking it over, he decided to buy an extra meal for him.
When he got home, he opened the door to a rich, meaty aroma. Song Qingluo walked past him, holding a bowl of braised pork. Lin Banxia swallowed, asking, “You’re cooking even with your injured hand?”
Song Qingluo replied, “It’s fine. You already helped me bandage it. Perfect timing—let’s eat.” He handed a pair of chopsticks to Lin Banxia.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Banxia offered to split the grocery expenses with Song Qingluo, but Song Qingluo shook his head, saying it wasn’t necessary.
Song Qingluo’s cooking was impressive. The braised pork was tender and juicy, with a savory aroma—it was incredibly delicious.
“How’s Liu Xi doing?” Song Qingluo asked.
“Not great,” Lin Banxia said. “He… doesn’t really believe me.”
“Even if he believed, it wouldn’t matter,” Song Qingluo said calmly. “Very few people can resist temptation.”
“True.” Lin Banxia sighed. “But what should we do? We can’t just watch him go to his doom.”
Song Qingluo responded, “Let’s wait. I’ll inform the others and have them send someone to handle it.”
Cautiously, Lin Banxia asked, “Handle it… you’re not planning to take Liu Xi’s life, are you?”
Song Qingluo smiled. “We’re a legitimate organization.”
Lin Banxia: “Oh…”
Song Qingluo added, “But occasionally, small accidents happen.”
Lin Banxia: “…” Please don’t add that last part.
The next day, Lin Banxia learned that Liu Xi had resigned. He wasn’t surprised, though his colleagues were abuzz with gossip, saying that Liu Xi changed as soon as he came into money. Apparently, he broke up with his girlfriend of several years just like that. She even came by the office yesterday, causing a scene, but since Liu Xi was no longer a civil servant, there wasn’t much anyone could do.
As for Cheng Yuliu, there was finally some news. Although the police had found her corpse, they still couldn’t determine how she had managed to steal it. Cheng Yuliu insisted that the corpse had returned on its own. Normally, grave-robbing would be a serious offense, but considering she was the only surviving family member, the police decided to detain her for just a few days before releasing her. The corpse was eventually cremated.
Lin Banxia picked up these pieces of information through the grapevine. It seemed that ever since he moved into that apartment, strange events had increased in his life—or perhaps he had just started noticing things he used to overlook.
After Ji Leshui moved into Song Qingluo’s place, he hadn’t seen any more disturbing visions for quite some time. He had been planning to move out and live with his girlfriend, but the day after he’d made up his mind, he came crying to Lin Banxia, saying his girlfriend had just broken up with him.
“Why did she break up with you?” Lin Banxia asked, surprised. “I haven’t even met her yet, and you’re already broken up?”
“I don’t know,” Ji Leshui said sorrowfully.
Lin Banxia replied, “Well… I hope you find someone new soon?”
After crying for a while, Ji Leshui decided to go to the nearby supermarket to buy some braised dishes to have a drink with Lin Banxia. Lin Banxia, full of sympathy, watched him as he got into the elevator.
Five minutes later, Ji Leshui came rushing back, banging on the door in a panic. “Lin Banxia, something terrible has happened! The big boss is in trouble!!!”
Alarmed, Lin Banxia quickly opened the door. “What’s wrong?!”
Panting, Ji Leshui explained, “I just saw the big boss downstairs! It looked like two strange people were holding him captive. It was too dark to see clearly, but one of them was terrifyingly tall, at least two meters! Next to him, the big boss looked like a toy! Those two surrounded him, forcing him into the unoccupied building next door. Hurry, grab something, and let’s go rescue him!”
Hearing this, Lin Banxia grabbed a rolling pin and a drying rod from the kitchen. After some thought, he also tucked a fruit knife into his pocket, then hurried downstairs with Ji Leshui.
They couldn’t just stand by while their savior was in danger!
With this thought, they dashed over to the neighboring building.
The occupancy rate in this complex was dismal, with Lin Banxia as the only unfortunate soul to end up here. The neighboring building was no exception; at night, not a single light could be seen.
Only one elevator was operational, and there was just a single light in the corridor. Surveillance cameras? Nonexistent.
When they reached the lobby, they saw the elevator display showing the number eight. It seemed those people had taken Song Qingluo to the eighth floor.
Quickly, Ji Leshui and Lin Banxia followed. Just as they watched the elevator doors slowly close, Ji Leshui felt a chill run down his spine. He hesitated before whispering, “Banxia, isn’t this the building with the glowing windows?”
Lin Banxia: “…Seems like it.”
Ji Leshui: “I… I’m a bit scared.”
Lin Banxia reassured him, “There’s nothing to fear.”
Just as Ji Leshui breathed a sigh of relief, Lin Banxia added thoughtfully, “But come to think of it, that scene I saw from the window the other day was actually pretty terrifying.”
Ji Leshui’s face instantly fell in despair. “Lin Banxia, don’t make that face!!!”
—
Author’s Note:
Lin Banxia: So, what kind of expression should I make?
Ji Leshui: Look fierce!!
Lin Banxia: ??(╯°Д°)╯ Like this??
Ji Leshui: Fiercer!!
Lin Banxia: (*｀皿?*)? Like this?!
Ji Leshui: Perfect!!
Lin Banxia: 0.0 Even after being fierce, I’m still a bit scared.
Ji Leshui: …
