The window was blown open by the breeze, and the papers lying quietly on the desk made a rustling sound.
Chen Ling walked over and saw that it was a message.
It says: Return tomorrow.
Chen Ling held the paper, his chest felt hot, his fingertips reacted before his brain, he folded the rice paper and put it into the drawer below.
He lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Whenever he thought of the short-sleeved shirt he had worn for so many years, his whole body felt numb and his head felt dizzy.
The smell should be very strong... right
Weird thoughts swirled in his mind, which actually had a hypnotic effect. Chen Ling clamped the thin quilt between his legs, rubbed his cheek against the pillow unconsciously, and fell asleep unknowingly.
A dreamless sleep.
Early the next morning, Chen Ling was awakened by the noise in the yard. It was Zhao Xunchang who was calling on the workers on the mountain to help move the stone tablet out.
He stretched out in front of the window, pressed the side of his neck and moved it, then went into the bathroom to quickly wash up.
When he came out again, Zhao Xunchang had already left the yard with the workers.
"Master." The voice of the little disciple came.
Zhao Xunchang turned around with a smile on his face, "Hey, you're up?"
"Yeah." Chen Ling responded, quickened his pace and caught up. He looked at the master who was carrying the stone tablet in front of him and said softly, "This is to erect a tablet for those two kids, right?"
Zhao Xunchang put his hands behind his back and nodded, climbing the mountain without stopping. His physical strength was comparable to that of young people. "Get up there sooner so that someone can have a name on his grave."
Chen Ling took out his cell phone: "I'll call Mr. Gao."
After Mr. Gao's reincarnation as a ghost was over, he set up a special call reminder for Chen Ling. As soon as the phone rang, he picked it up quickly.
Chen Ling said on the other end: "Mr. Gao, we are going to erect the monument this morning. Do you have time to come over?"
"I'll be there right away!" Mr. Gao hung up the phone and immediately pulled his wife out of bed. "Hurry, let's go to Yuhe Mountain now. It's time to erect a tombstone for the child today."
Gao Qing's confused eyes suddenly brightened up, and she reacted very quickly and went into the bathroom.
The couple cleaned themselves up and went to a very famous incense and candle shop in the city to buy the best paper money and incense and candles. Then they went to the mall and bought a lot of things for the children.
Gao Qing was anxious: "Will we be late?"
After sending the text message, Mr. Gao replied: "No, I just asked Mr. Chen, and there is still more than half an hour before the best time to erect the monument."
Gao Qing breathed a sigh of relief and stroked the plush doll on her lap with her fingers, wondering whether the child she had never met would like it.
Mr. Gao drove very fast and he managed to shorten the journey from more than half an hour to twenty minutes.
He drove to the foot of the mountain according to the location sent by Chen Ling, and after driving half a circle along the road, he saw a small courtyard with a clean exterior wall.
In the yard, Wu Weiwei received a notice that guests were coming and waited at the gate early.
Seeing the Gao family couple coming down with bags, he hurried forward and said, "Mr. Gao."
So much time had passed since the incident that Mr. Gao no longer had the same disgust towards Wu Weiwei as before. He was just a little surprised that this man actually stayed in Yuhe Mountain.
He nodded to Wu Weiwei: "Where's Mr. Chen?"
"Brother Chen has already gone up the mountain. I'll take you up." Wu Weiwei said as he turned and walked away, leading the way. "Watch your step. The road leading up the mountain is a dirt road. If you don't step firmly, you might sprain your ankle."
Gao Qing didn't think too much before going out. She was wearing high heels. Upon hearing this, she quickly lifted up her skirt and walked more carefully.
Mr. Gao reached out and held one of his wife's arms, "Let me carry the things."
Gao Qing was unwilling and was about to refuse when Wu Weiwei in front of her suddenly stopped and took everything from the two people's hands without saying a word.
Mr. Gao was stunned for a moment and said thank you awkwardly.
He lowered his head to look at the road, walked a few steps, then raised his head and looked at Wu Weiwei's back.
It's different after all.
Today's Wu Weiwei is down-to-earth and gives people a much more stable feeling. It is almost impossible to find the false and impetuous shadow of him in the past.
"Mr. Wu, is that the lake at the foot of the front mountain?" Mr. Gao was surprised. "Although the water is still turbid, it doesn't feel so depressing anymore."
Wu Weiwei cast a glance and said, "Yes, the water quality is slowly getting better."
Not only the water quality, but even the dark and smelly silt by the lake has become cleaner.
Mr. Gao sighed: "It's not just the water, the vegetation on Yuhe Mountain has also increased. Mr. Chen must have put in a lot of effort."
Work hard? Wu Weiwei thinks not.
Brother Chen is out catching ghosts every day, so he doesn't have the time to mess around with Yuheshan. But he knows his limits and won't tell outsiders. Yuheshan is like a vital, growing child, changing every day.
Wu Weiwei said: "That's right. In order to change the soil quality, Brother Chen learned a lot from his acquaintances at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences."
Mr. Gao nodded, thinking of his friend Tang Siping, "By the way, has Siping come to see you?"
As soon as I heard this, I knew that Mr. Gao and Tang Siping had not been in contact recently.
Wu Weiwei said: "I have looked for him, and Brother Chen has already solved the problem."
Mr. Gao would not pry into other people's privacy too much. When Tang Siping wants to let his friends know one day, they will know it naturally.
As we chatted, time passed quickly and my tired legs seemed to be relieved.
The three of them walked along the mountain path that had been dug out and stopped in front of two small graves.
Chen Ling had already cleaned the tomb and placed the fruit offerings that Zhao Xunchang had asked the workers to bring up in advance.
Seeing Mr. Gao coming over, he nodded slightly, "Mr. Gao."
Gao Qing stood in front of her child's grave. Her eyes began to feel hot and her nose felt sore. She blinked and tears wet her eyelashes and rolled down.
Chen Ling stepped back to make room for the two.
Gao Qing placed the things she bought in front of the grave, big and small, food and daily necessities, piled up into a small hill. Thinking of Xiaobao from Zhang Xiaoxia's family next door, she whispered a few words to the child, and then gave some things to him.
Zhao Xunchang coughed lightly and said, "It's time to erect the monument."
Mr. Gao quickly pulled his wife aside, and when the workers lifted the stone tablet and placed it on the base, he couldn't help but step forward to lend a hand.
With a slight "dong" sound, the two tombstones were embedded into their respective bases.
Chen Ling said, "Let's burn some incense."
Zhang Xiaoxia went out to work and there was no one else at home, so Chen Ling called Zhang Xiaoxia to give her instructions and helped to light three incense sticks.
Seeing Mr. Gao and Gao Qing whispering to each other next door, Chen Ling pulled Zhao Xunchang down the mountain to avoid having so many people gathered there, making people feel awkward and unable to speak freely.
The couple stayed on the mountain for more than half an hour. When they came back down the mountain, they both looked bad, especially Gao Qing, whose eyes were red and had traces of tears on her face.
After a few pleasantries, they left.
Chen Ling stood at the door and watched the car go. He waited until the rear of the car was out of sight before returning to the courtyard and signaled to Wu Weiwei, "Call Li Hongyu and ask about the situation."
Li Hongyu didn't answer the phone, so he must be busy.
Chen Ling turned around and went into the house to find Zhao Xunchang.
Zhao Xunchang never asked what the specific content of the orders his young apprentice had taken was.
He thought that if Chen Ling didn't say anything, it meant that he was sure of it. If he asked for help, it wouldn't be too late for him to intervene and say a few words.
Now the little apprentice has a frown on his face and calls "Master" in a muted voice, which means he must have encountered some difficulties.
Zhao Xunchang leisurely poured a cup of tea and pushed forward, "Drink some water first."
The aroma of tea is refreshing and the mind is relaxed.
Chen Ling inexplicably felt that his heart was actually at peace, and he was no longer as anxious and impetuous as when he entered the door.
Gently putting down the teacup, he asked bluntly: "Master, do you know any magic that can create illusions and control people's consciousness?"
"What is there in this world?" Zhao Xunchang took a sip of tea and put it down with his eyes downcast. "In psychology, there is something called hypnosis, you know."
Chen Ling nodded repeatedly: "I know. A good hypnotist doesn't even need external help. Invisible words or even just a snap of the fingers can control people's minds."
Zhao Xunchang: "There is an evil art in Taoism, called soul-stealing. The talisman is written on two pieces of paper. One piece is carried by the person, facing the other piece every day. After a long time, the mind will be affected by the soul-stealing art. At this time, the person who drew the talisman only needs to give orders to the other piece."
"So weird?" This was the first time Chen Ling heard of this kind of talisman.
"It's not the talisman that's evil, it's the human heart." Zhao Xunchang played with the teacup, a hint of disgust in his eyes, "The human heart is unpredictable, it can change at any time. Today they can speak for justice, but tomorrow they can harm their fellow disciples for the sake of profit and power."
There are stories in every word.
But Chen Ling knew that his master didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't ask, "Master, do you know anyone who knows this technique?"
"I don't know." Zhao Xunchang said, "This technique is not a secret. Anyone who can find the way can practice it."
Chen Ling was in a difficult situation again. "The clues were lost again."
"Take your time." Zhao Xunchang put one hand on his little apprentice's shoulder, and pinched it with his five fingers. "You should be careful when you go out these days. Master has a bad feeling."
Chen Ling was stunned. His master’s sense was always accurate.
"What do you see in me?" he asked.
"No, I didn't see anything." Zhao Xunchang's face revealed a little nervousness, and he gently warned his little apprentice, "Don't be reckless. If it doesn't work, ask Jiang Yu to help you."
Chen Ling smiled and said, "Master, have you forgotten that Jiang Yu is not here?"
Zhao Xunchang sneered, "Believe it or not, he can feel it even if you stamp your feet here. You are connected to him by marriage, and you are the one who erected the tombstone for his tomb. You are deeply involved. If he wants to, he can sense something that happens to you."
Chen Ling blurted out: "You also said that the premise is that he has to miss me, what if he doesn't."
Zhao Xunchang's face twisted for a moment. The little disciple was really shameless. He blew his beard and glared: "That's not what I meant!"
“Oh…” Chen Ling lowered his head dejectedly, staring at the cup on the coffee table, too embarrassed to say anything else.
Zhao Xunchang reached out and pushed his young apprentice's forehead: "Be more ambitious and don't let him succeed so early. He's already so old, so it won't hurt to wait another ten or eight years."
Chen Ling looked up suddenly. How did Master know that
Zhao Xunchang was very satisfied with the shock in his apprentice's eyes, with a proud look of "nothing can be hidden from me", "Your rejection of him is getting lower and lower, and your tolerance is getting higher and higher. Although I am old, my eyes are not blurry. Life is long, enjoy it while you can, no matter if it's a man or a woman, just go with the one you like."
Chen Ling: “…” This is the first time I know that Master is so bold.
Zhao Xunchang hadn't finished speaking yet. "You and him, one is in the world of the living, and the other is in the underworld. It can be considered that the yin and yang complement each other and reconcile with each other. It's just right. So don't have any psychological pressure."
“I don’t feel any pressure…” Facing such a master, Chen Ling felt like he had been stripped naked, with no secrets left.
He pursed his lips, drank the water in the teacup, and whispered, "Jiang Yu and I haven't reached that point yet."
There is a good impression, but it is not yet at the point of reconciliation because both sides are not yet ready.
Zhao Xunchang: "You will reach that point as time goes by. There is no need to rush."
"…" Chen Ling blushed, clenched his fists and whispered, "Master!"
Zhao Xunchang chuckled, "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore."
Chen Ling's face was still hot, his cheeks almost puffed up, and he glared at Zhao Xunchang, "It's okay, I'll leave first."
"Hurry up and go." Zhao Xunchang waved at him while holding back his smile.
Chen Ling was so annoyed by the teasing smile that he couldn't raise his head. Why didn't he know that the master was so bad before? He is getting more and more playful. He is really a child!
"Brother Chen! Brother Chen! There's news!" Wu Weiwei rushed out of his room with his cell phone and almost bumped into Chen Ling.
The redness on Chen Ling's face had not yet faded. He deliberately frowned, trying to make himself look more serious.
But Wu Weiwei was a straightforward person with poor judgment, so he asked rudely, "Brother Chen, what's wrong with your face?"
"It's hot." Chen Ling looked away uncomfortably, his gaze falling towards the weasel's nest in the corner, "Tell me, what clues are there?"
"Li Hongyu called me back and said they just found a clue in the monitoring center!" Wu Weiwei paused, his face a little tangled, "This is good news, and there is also bad news."
Chen Ling: "Speak."
Wu Weiwei: "The bad news is that they found three people who picked up the paper roses from the surveillance footage."
"Three?" Chen Ling almost broke his voice. The person behind him must have gotten anxious and started to cast a wide net.
Wu Weiwei continued, "Due to the clarity and angle of the surveillance, we can only capture their general appearance and cannot clearly see their faces. Currently, Li Hongyu and his team are doing their best to find their whereabouts and information."
Although there are only two of them, one more person means more strength.
Chen Ling turned back to his room, picked up his bag and walked out: "Let's go help."
As I reached the door, the back collar of my clothes was pulled.
The macaw released the cloth from its mouth and stood on the young man's shoulder: "No, no."
I've been so busy lately that I haven't really touched it.
Chen Ling held it in his arms and quickly stroked its fur. "Be good, I'll be back in the evening."
The parrot refused, twisting its body and rubbing its head against his face.
Chen Ling felt a little itchy from being rubbed, so he pushed its little head away with a smile: "You're going to be a father's bird, why are you still so spoiled?"
The purple-blue parrot straightened its neck suddenly, opened its eyes wide and shouted: "Be a dad, I want to be a dad."
Chen Ling then remembered that it had been many days since the previous back-stepping ceremony, and why he hadn't heard his master mention the little parrot.
Zhao Xunchang was helpless with the howling in the yard, so he walked out and said, "Shut up, I know you're going to be a father soon."
Chen Ling looked at his master: "No news yet from the little parrot?" Normally, an ordinary parrot lays eggs every seven to ten days. Even for a large species like a macaw, it shouldn't be so long without any news.
"Soon." Zhao Xunchang couldn't say for sure. "The people at the base check Xiaohong's body every day. There's nothing wrong with her. It's just that the eggs in her belly are a little bit bigger than those of normal female macaws."
From this perspective, there should be no problem.
Chen Ling felt relieved, and then thought of the name Zhao Xunchang had just called out, "...Xiaohong?"
Zhao Xunchang is very satisfied with the name he chose: "Red and blue go well together. It's easy to remember and sounds good."
“… As long as you are happy.” Chen Ling handed the big parrot in his arms to his master, said that he might not be back at noon, and ran away.
As soon as the two of them went out, they met Jiang Shengxing's assistant.
The assistant came over every now and then to supervise the work in person. Seeing the young man being treated respectfully by the big boss, he smiled and walked up to him, "Mr. Chen, are you going out?"
Chen Ling nodded and took out his cell phone to call a taxi.
The assistant suggested, "I just need to go back to the city. If you don't mind, you can take my car."
If we call a taxi now, it will take at least half an hour to arrive. Instead of walking and waiting for the taxi, it is better to take a ride.
Chen Ling thanked him and said, "Thank you for your help."
The assistant shook his head, walked away, then quickly drove the car over and invited the two to get in.
The two of them sat in the back seat together, so the person driving in the front became the driver. Chen Ling was embarrassed to stay in the back with Wu Weiwei, so he sat in the passenger seat.
The assistant reminded: "Mr. Chen, please fasten your seat belt."
Chen Ling fastened it quickly.
The assistant then started the car and drove fast and steadily, arriving a full ten minutes earlier than expected.
Chen Ling opened the door and got out of the car. He held the window with both hands and looked towards the driver's seat, wanting to say thank you again, but he didn't know the other person's name.
"My last name is Qiu." Assistant Qiu handed over a business card and said, "Mr. Chen, you can call me when you go back. If I'm still in the city, I can take you back together."
Chen Ling took the business card and put it in his pocket. "Okay, be careful on your way."
Assistant Qiu nodded and drove away. He stared at the rearview mirror until he saw Chen Ling and Wu Weiwei turn around and leave, then he breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Shengxing deliberately sent him to Yuhe Mountain frequently, under the pretext of supervision, but in fact he wanted to take care of Zhao Xunchang and also provide convenience for Chen Ling.
After so many days, he finally got a chance to show his affection.
Chen Ling looked at the tall buildings around him and asked Wu Weiwei: "Have you told him we are here?"
"Yes, he said he would be here soon."
Wu Weiwei was embarrassed to ask because there were outsiders around just now, but now there were only two of them left, and he finally couldn't hold back his curiosity, "Brother Chen, I wanted to ask just now, the female parrot at the base has been pregnant for so long but hasn't laid eggs yet, is that really okay?"
Chen Ling looked calm, "Didn't Master say that he would check every day?"
Wu Weiwei swallowed his saliva and questioned, "Even if it is an inspection, it has exceeded the normal egg-laying time by many days."
"That's right." Chen Ling didn't think it was strange. "But our Xiao Lan is not an ordinary parrot. Don't you find that it is too smart?"
Wu Weiwei nodded frantically, "The little brain is almost catching up with humans. Has it always been like this?"
"No, Master said that I became smarter after coming to Yuhe Mountain." Chen Ling thought for a moment and said, "I was just averagely smart before."
Wu Weiwei: "Brother Chen, what's going on with our Yuhe Mountain?" It was clearly a dead mountain, but it quickly revived in a short period of time. It's incredible.
Chen Ling treated him as one of his own and spoke frankly, "I don't know the details, but this matter must be kept secret. I'm afraid that if people outside know about it, Yuhe Mountain will never have peace again."
Wu Weiwei was about to raise his hand to swear when he saw an acquaintance running towards him from a distance ahead. So he just made a zipper-like motion on his mouth to prove that he was keeping his mouth shut.
Li Hongyu stopped in front of the two of them and panted slightly: "Let's go, I'll take you to check the surveillance."
Inside the command center, in addition to the fat and thin senior brothers whom Chen Ling and the others had met before, there were many unfamiliar faces. They were all wearing the same black suits and white shirts. They must be people from the Special Investigation Department.
Due to frequent dealings with the police, the two sides had a good relationship. After entering the door, Li Hongyu said a word and the police officer in charge of monitoring took out three video clips from the surveillance library.
The first clip was taken from a certain cbd, a young and fashionable woman picked up a bright red flower from the ground. She lowered her head, probably observing, and after a moment, she put the thing into her purse.
The second clip was taken from a residential area, where a security guard picked up a paper rose from a flower bed while on patrol. Judging from his movement trajectory and actions, he initially wanted to throw the thing into the trash can, but changed his mind the moment the thing left his hand and put it into his chest pocket.
The third clip was taken in a university town. A boy came out of the public restroom in the food court holding a paper rose. Because the angle was close, Chen Ling saw his mouth moving slightly with a smile at the corner of his lips.
There were people coming and going in the food court. Someone accidentally bumped into him from behind, and the rose fell directly from his hand.
The boy was very panicked. He knelt on the ground and looked everywhere. After picking up the paper rose, he blew gently on the rose and pinned it carefully on his ear. He suddenly grabbed the shoulders of the man who bumped into him and slammed his head against him.
Chen Ling asked: "The person in the third video should be easier to find than the first two."
Li Hongyu nodded and said, "Someone from the Special Investigation Department has already taken the cleared photos to the university town. I believe there will be news soon."
"What time was this surveillance video from?" Chen Ling suddenly asked.
Li Hongyu said: "Yesterday, the day after Li Fang died, Paper Rose appeared somewhere else."
"We have to hurry." Chen Ling felt bad because of the eagerness of the controller to cast a wide net. "Let's go to the university town now."
Li Hongyu: "I'm going to drive, you guys wait for me downstairs."
Chen Ling did not dare to delay at all and immediately took Wu Weiwei downstairs. After only two or three minutes, a black ordinary car stopped in front of them.
Li Hongyu rolled down the driver's window and said, "Hurry up and get in the car. We just received news that our people have confirmed the personal information of the college student and are trying their best to find his whereabouts."
Chen Ling opened the car door and got in. His cell phone slipped out of his jacket pocket and fell under the seat.
He picked it up and saw a headline news push half an hour ago on the screen.
Boom! Are there really ghosts in this world? Let’s go to the Ghost Night Live and get up close to the most real fear!