Bring Them Here
It was only eleven in the evening, and Liu Xiaodan was walking towards the library. He went to look for the woman for the second time, but she had not turned up again. He didn't know if she was scared of him, or there were necessary things to be done for her to show up.
Ah, right, maybe she'd come see another film showing if he went to the audio-visual room.
Even if he couldn't remember what happened there the last time, he just regarded it as Guangru doing some magic. To think about it, his son hadn't turned up yet as well.
Liu Xiaodan reached the place, and the librarian was closing down already. Since it was this fellow, the librarian chuckled and let him enter. "Aiya, it's already so late. Which book would you like to borrow now?"
"Hello, Librarian Huo, can I take a look at the newly returned ones?"
"Hm, ah yes, sure." He had already recorded these books but was yet to return them to their shelves. While letting Liu Xiaodan pick out a book from them, he then rubbed his hands as if presenting a masterpiece. "Xiaodan, look here, look here. What do you think?"
The father was shocked when he saw it. The librarian did hang the sketches he made. He had also thrown in some vintage design to fit the 'concept art' feel of the sketches. It seemed that this mister had his own non-prison work experience. He laughed out in glee. "It looks amazing, Librarian Huo!"
"Hehe, I know right! Sgt. Song had taken a look as well and said that it's beautifully done! The sketches, I mean, not the display." The librarian didn't see Liu Xiaodan this day until this last minute. He didn't want to wait for another day to show it to him.
Thinking about it… "Erm, by the way... how long were you going to stay again?"
"Haha, would you like me to make some more for another book?" Liu Xiaodan knew what this man was thinking. "I'll see what I can finish. It seemed like my stay was extended for a week."
Ding-dong-dang!
"Oh, gosh. You should go. Don't forget to tell me if you're going to work on some more." The librarian couldn't keep him any longer. It was already time for the curfew. He chased Liu Xiaodan out of the library with the best intentions as the man only left with a single book.
Liu Xiaodan perused the book under the closing lights of the prison hallways. He was bound to be spotted, but he was on his way already. Besides, if he said he talked to the librarian a little, that man might vouch for him. Like expected, Liu Xiaodan ran into a man in uniform.
However, instead of being visibly armed, the man he ran into had his firearms concealed. Liu Xiaodan could tell because firearms had a different feel especially if it had been used to kill anyone. A gun was hidden under the man's clothes, and it seemed like a gamble to Liu Xiaodan.
"Oh, Mr. Liu is still out here?" The man knew him by name? That was suspicious. "A book? Did you come from the library? It's not good to see you walk around unescorted during curfew. I'll walk you."
"Thank you, Mister...?"
"Sergeant. Sergeant Song." Song Qixi answered as he walked Liu Xiaodan to his cell. "You must feel a bit relieved now... not executed at least."
"Hm, yeah, I guess." Liu Xiaodan had a bitter smile on his face. "My mother and my father didn't have to have their hearts broken by the news. If things go like the judge said it, I'm going to Cherry Medical. I've read a lot about their research; it seemed like a nice place to go to after everything."
Song Qixi glanced down at the man walking next to him. He really had no idea he was walking with a member of the Mian family. Then again, he knew the Li family wouldn't bother with him for a bit. Somehow, he also wanted to check on Liu Xiaodan's impulses.
A smile curled his lips, but it vanished the next second. "Liu Xiaodan, do you know Li Feng went missing for two days?"
Liu Xiaodan felt like there was a pause in his movements. He then looked at the man and seemed to use his eyes to ask for an explanation. Song Qixi then continued, "Don't worry, he's already found... near dead by the side of the old abandoned service road just at the edge of the city."
"Why was he there?"
"Based on what he first told the doctors, he was assaulted by unknown men. A car ran him over, and he was thrown where he was found. If only that suspicious person didn't see him, he would have died from blood loss and dehydration." Song Qixi hummed. "Of course, the Li family would be pressing charges against the people involved..."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Nothing really; I just hoped you're interested." The two men reached the cells, and Control even seemed to be aware that he was walking with Liu Xiaodan. As soon as they got in the view of the camera, the cell door opened. Song Qixi only smiled at the man who entered his cell. "Wouldn't it be really nice if they got caught and wouldn't be able to leave the prison anymore?
"You know, they wanted Li Feng to die. It would be very bad if they found out that the person who saved him has a name... Ruan Jin."
Bang!
The bars in the cell were pure metal, but Song Qixi just heard a loud bang against it. He stepped back in surprise, but he saw nothing had hit the bars. Nothing could have made that sound.
However, it happened before his very eyes... and all he could see inside was a man glaring fixedly at his face. Song Qixi stared at Liu Xiaodan until the lights in the floor continued to die down.
In the end, he could only stare into the cell and make out the silhouette in front of him. What he didn't expect was that the silhouette would press itself against the bars. He knew it was just his imagination, but he kind of felt that the silhouette had changed into something with weird protruding things from its form.
A low and bone-freezing voice then followed. "Please help me find them and bring them here, Sergeant."
"I... I will." Song Qixi knew that was still Liu Xiaodan, but there was something in the way his aura felt like just now. Without any more business, Song Qixi excused himself and walked briskly away from the cell. What he didn't expect was that a shrill sound would echo across the floor.
He turned behind him and saw nothing that could have done it. However, it was still sounding in his head. Ting! Ting! Ting! It was as if counting down seconds into the night. Song Qixi felt grave fear gripping his heart: was Liu Xiaodan counting down?
No matter. Song Qixi sped back to his office. When he descended the stairs, he didn't even notice Fu Xing who was back on patrol. The warden would call him out, but he didn't. Fu Xing only froze as he saw the familiar white-sheet look on Song Qixi's face.
Shit, was there another ghost on the fifth floor?
...
It was midnight, and Li Yunru was sitting inside a hospital ward. Even if she shouldn't be there, the hospital didn't kick her out. She was with Ruan Jin when Li Feng was sent to the ER.
After Ruan Jin called the police, he called Li Yunru who forced her number on him in case of emergencies. She didn't know that the emergency wasn't Ruan Jin getting in trouble... but Li Feng.
Right now, Li Feng was still unconscious. She was holding onto his hand and wishing for him to hold onto her hand. Occasionally, she would squeeze it just to elicit a response. After a few minutes, she went to the floor to sit and stroke at his arm while kissing the knuckles of his hand.
"Feng'er... you have to wake up soon, okay?"
The whole place was cold, but there were talismans planted around the room. This hospital was plagued with all sorts of evil spirits, and she didn't want to worry about them for a while. However, when she opened her eyes to look at the clock, the talisman on the wall just fell to the floor.
Her eyes widened as she felt a spirit so strong was in there with them, one which presence was strong enough to peel off a talisman from the wall.
Somehow, Li Yunru then relaxed. This presence... seemed to be familiar. She then turned behind her and saw a child sitting on the floor half a meter away from her feet. "Liu Guangru..."
"Hello." Guangru only greeted her. He then eyed at Li Feng's vitals that didn't look so good. He was left there for a very long time, and Ruan Jin could only give him a piece of ice to rehydrate himself. "Is he dying?"
"What?" Li Yunru responded, but her voice was soft and didn't seem to have high emotions. She was still devastated from seeing him like this all of a sudden; could she accept that kind of news readily?
"What did the uncles in white say?" Guangru asked again. He could easily tell how bad Li Feng's status was, but he wanted to know how much of it did the woman know.
Li Yunru was silent. They did say he's in a stable condition, but she couldn't see why this stable condition was good enough. Maybe, they still needed to make sure he'd walk out of this place alive before saying anything. He was the only legitimate heir of the Li family after all.
The child could only have silence as her answer. Soon enough, she only shook her head and pressed Li Feng's hand against her face. If he fell quietly into the night, at least she was with him. She couldn't like it if he died alone even if he was unconscious.
Guangru only watched her and the man from where he was. He then got up and reached out to touch the legs that were rendered useless. It was the same as his Mama's... wait, she wasn't his Mama anymore. He blinked and looked at the man on the bed.
"Auntie, Guangru's going to look for the car."
Car? What car?
Li Yunru twitched and lifted her head from the hand. She then turned to find Guangru not around anymore. She only sighed and tried to relax against Li Feng's touch. In her road to sleep, she murmured, "Feng'er... please wake up. You still need to see the people Guangru will punish in your stead."