Part 3
The voice on the other end was confused but pleasantly surprised. “How did you know I liked sugar cakes? I loved them when I was little, but I haven’t had them much since I grew up. I never told anyone.”
The youth said with a beaming smile:
“I like you, Gege, so of course I know what you like. Wait for me, I’ll call a taxi and be there right away.”
The other side refused. “No, don’t come over yet. I’m not at home. There’s something going on with my family that I need to handle.”
The youth’s face gradually darkened as he looked at the half-piece of tree bark in his hand. His tone, however, remained innocent and gentle.
“Mhm~ alright. I’ll wait until you’ve handled it.”
A faint trace of white mist was coiled around the bark. A look of wariness appeared on the youth’s face. He tentatively tried to attack, but when his petals landed, they were quickly swallowed by the white mist.
He hurriedly discarded the bark, his expression shifting between light and dark.
“How can this be…”
The youth paused for a moment and then made another call.
There was no sound on the other end, but he was accustomed to it. He simply asked, “Are you sure He is dead?”
He didn’t specify who “He” was, but the person on the other end understood.
A frivolous female voice came from the other side. “If He weren’t dead, how would His power be scattered everywhere? Are you asking because you’re afraid? Afraid He’ll come back to life and eat you?”
The youth didn’t answer but gave a cold sneer. “But why did I find His power? It’s very faint, but I’m certain—this is His power.”
“His power is scattered everywhere; even ordinary humans have remnants of His power in their bodies. You likely just saw power left behind by a human.”
“You know He eats everything. If He were resurrected, wouldn’t humans be more delicious than us? He would have eaten them into total chaos by now. Although humans are weak, they are actually quite impressive when they truly resist. How could there be no news at all until now?”
“Besides, He has no soul. Didn’t we both see it with our own eyes? His body completely dissipated—that means He is truly dead.”
The woman on the other end gave a yawn, mimicking human behavior. “I’m done talking to you; I’m going back to my slumber.”
At this point, a trace of gloom entered her voice. “Those damned Guardians… if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t still be recovering from my injuries. Just wait—once I wake up, I’ll make them pay.”
The call ended. The youth stood by the wall, staring at the bark on the ground for a moment, still unable to stop frowning.
Reason told him his companion was right, but he had a nagging premonition that something was wrong.
In his mind, a flash of that white mist—the one that seemed capable of swallowing heaven and earth—passed through his thoughts.
He had clearly found “Him,” but what was with that fresh, lively white mist?
“Is it just remnant power?”
The good news was that the woman also believed He was dead. Subsequently, the youth transformed into petals and flew off in a certain direction.
The young man standing in the courtyard of the Zou family villa put down his phone, feeling a bit sentimental. He looked at the photo of Zou Tangzheng inside.
“Still no news from Dad?”
The older sister shook her head. “The police are still searching, but there are no leads, and nothing shows up on surveillance. Luckily, Dad wasn’t among the remains found in that tree today. In this situation, no news is good news.”
The young man gave a somber grunt. Although their mother and father had divorced long ago and the siblings weren’t close to their father, the memories of being a family when they were little remained.
He didn’t like his father’s scams, but in his childhood, they had been very close.
Back then, every time his father returned from a business trip, he would bring his favorite sugar cakes. After the divorce, he had never eaten them again.
The sister added, “The police called again today to ask if we or our parents had any enemies. Since this is the only disappearance case of its kind, it might have been specifically targeting Dad.”
The youth shook his head. “I just graduated; where would I have enemies? Dad…”
He sighed. “His business was built on lies. He almost certainly had enemies.”
“That’s what I told the police. I hope it helps.”
She patted her brother’s shoulder and asked, “Before, you said that senior at work who was always sarcastic was bullying you. Is he still doing it? Do you want me to ask your brother-in-law to pull some strings?”
“No need.” The youth let out a breath. “I don’t know what happened, but he committed suicide. Maybe the pressure was too much, which is why his attitude was so bad before.”
“It’s a bit sad, but everything at the company is going much smoother now. There was an incredibly difficult client who suddenly gave us a massive order and started being much nicer. Aside from the situation with Dad, everything is going well for me. Don’t worry about me.”
The sister sighed. “Before, Dad didn’t approve of you being with that little boyfriend of yours. Sigh, I even said the two of you made such a mess, and then this happened.”
As the siblings were talking, a gust of wind blew, and a single petal drifted down, landing on top of his head.
Seeing it, the sister reached out to help him pluck it off. Upon touching it, she suddenly let out a hiss of pain.
“Jie? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it just felt like I was pricked. How could a petal have thorns?”
The youth confusedly felt around and plucked the petal, holding it in his palm. “There are no thorns.”
The sister looked at the bead of blood on her finger, wiped it away, and didn’t think twice about it. “It must have fallen off, then.”
The petal lay quietly in the youth’s palm, its color so vivid it was almost garish.
Translator’s Note
- Monday morning quarterback (事后诸葛亮): A literal translation is “a Zhuge Liang after the fact.” Zhuge Liang was a legendary strategist from the Three Kingdoms era. The phrase refers to someone who offers advice or criticism after an event has already occurred.
- Newborn calves who didn’t fear tigers (初生牛犊不怕虎): A common Chinese idiom describing young people who are daring and courageous because they lack experience with the dangers of the world.
- Sugar cakes (糖酥): A traditional Chinese pastry that is sweet and flaky.
- Gege (哥哥): A term for an older brother or an older male peer. In a romantic context, it can be used affectionately for a boyfriend.
- Jie (姐姐): A term for an older sister or an older female peer.
- Laoshi (老师): A respectful title for a teacher or a mentor.
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