The door Xiao Qiao had been so careful not to damage was finally kicked open by Gu Mian.
It’s worth noting that when Gu Mian was carrying Xiao Qiao upstairs, he happened to run into Accompany next year, who was on her way out. She recognized Xiao Qiao imdiately and gaped, "You... you... Is this... this... the famous star?" She had recognized Xiao Qiao at first glance; after all, Xiao Qiao was a household na. From Accompany next year’s expression, Gu Mian suspected she had already imagined a whole drama: The world is going to the dogs! Instance villain kidnaps popular celebrity in broad daylight!
Indeed, Accompany next year suspected as much. She even wondered if Gu Mian had knocked Xiao Qiao out and abducted her; after all, Gu Mian had a prior offense of stealing Accompany next year’s own noose. Just as Accompany next year was awkwardly wondering whether to cry out against this injustice, she saw Xiao Qiao, nestled in Gu Mian’s arms, suddenly open her eyes. Xiao Qiao stared at Gu Mian’s jawline for a mont, then, apparently reassured, fainted again.
Accompany next year’s mouth fell slightly agape. This doesn’t look like a kidnapping... Could they have known each other before? Truly baffling.
While she stood there, still dumbfounded, Gu Mian had already stepped past her and was heading upstairs. Just as Gu Mian’s back was about to disappear from Accompany next year’s view, she suddenly heard him, already on the stairs, stop and ask, "How’s Xie Bi’an doing?"
Accompany next year didn’t understand why Gu Mian was asking this. She replied honestly, "Sa as always. He stays in his room, and we don’t know what he’s up to."
Then, Accompany next year heard Gu Mian say, "Oh," before he vanished from sight.
Gu Mian roused Fatty from his sleep. The instant his body separated from the bed, Fatty jolted awake, subconsciously wiping his mouth. Before Fatty could tell if he’d been drooling, a dull THUMP sounded beside his ear. Now wide awake, Fatty saw that the THUMP had co from Xiao Qiao, who was currently on his bed. Fatty understood: Gu Mian had lifted him up and then placed a very damp Xiao Qiao onto the bed.
Fatty’s mind rarely landed on the most crucial points. He didn’t wonder why Xiao Qiao was soaking wet, where she had co from, or how long a damp mattress would take to air dry. Instead, he began to ponder a far more profound question. Tears welled up in Fatty’s eyes. His first words to Gu Mian were, "Why didn’t you go haul Brother Chu out of bed?"
Because Chu Changge slept on the sofa.
Naturally, Chu Changge had also been woken by Gu Mian’s commotion.
Eventually, the situation evolved into three humans and two ghosts lining up neatly by the bed to stare at the soaked Xiao Qiao lying on it. Fatty, however, was mostly staring at his own drenched sheets and mattress.
"No one opened the door, so I waited downstairs all night," Gu Mian succinctly explained the cause of the situation. He reached out and touched Xiao Qiao’s forehead. It was still hot. Gu Mian had already pinched her nose and forced the fever dicine down her throat. Watching Gu Mian administer the dicine made Fatty’s eyelids twitch; he seed afraid Gu Mian might pinch Xiao Qiao’s nose right off.
"But she can’t keep wearing these clothes, can she?" Fatty declared, his face a mask of righteousness. "We should help her change! Doctor, theoretically speaking, you’re not a man, so you do it. This is a great opportunity for plot developnt!"
Gu Mian, whose gender was a question mark, promptly backhanded Fatty’s head to the side.
Of course, among those present, only Xiao Hong could change Xiao Qiao’s clothes. But, strangely, Fatty chose this mont to question Xiao Hong’s gender. "Speaking of which, Xiao Hong’s appearance is rather androgynous. We only think she’s a female ghost because she has long hair and likes to wear dresses, right? What if she’s actually a male ghost? After all, so boys like wearing dresses too." As he spoke, he glanced at Chu Changge, who was standing nearby.
Light glinted off Chu Changge’s glasses; he acted as if he hadn’t heard a word.
Gu Mian actually hadn’t considered that. Thinking back, it seed that when Xiao Hong clung to his back, he hadn’t really noticed any distinctly female characteristics.
anwhile, Xiao Hong indignantly puffed out her chest, as if trying to prove sothing. Seeing Xiao Hong so eager to prove herself, Gu Mian was certain she was indeed a female ghost.
"Alright, everyone out." Gu Mian grabbed the brother ghost—who was fawningly calling Xiao Qiao ’sister’—with one hand, and Fatty—who was questioning Xiao Hong’s gender—with the other, leading the human and the ghost out of the bedroom. Chu Changge followed Gu Mian out and closed the door behind them.
The two n, one ghost, and Fatty crowded onto the living room sofa, making for a rather lively scene.
Fatty picked up a glass of cold water from the coffee table and took a sip. "Thanks to Miss Xiao Qiao, we learned that the first-place winner in ’tamorphosis’ can’t leave the instance. Who would’ve thought she’d faint at our door before we could even thank her." If he hadn’t known Xiao Qiao’s mind worked differently from most people’s, Fatty would have suspected her of faking the faint to scam them.
"Oh, right," Fatty suddenly recalled. "Doctor, after you fell asleep last night, Accompany next year ca over."
Gu Mian looked at Fatty, who was holding the glass. "What did she want?"
"She said she ca to express Su Xiaocha’s gratitude. Su Xiaocha was so badly hurt in the instance that she was too weak to do anything herself once she got out, so she had Accompany next year co convey her thanks." Su Xiaocha had been left to "marinate" in a cesspit for an entire installnt of the show. If Gu Mian hadn’t collapsed the instance, she would never have gotten out.
Fatty lowered his voice. "Doctor, those people downstairs have probably recognized you by now."
During the ’tamorphosis’ program, the host always used Gu Mian’s real na. His identity had been exposed long ago. Only Accompany next year and Su Xiaocha, who couldn’t watch TV in their village, were unaware. But they both probably knew by now. An instance collapsing isn’t a common occurrence. Although no compensation list was posted this ti, one could make a pretty accurate guess about what had happened.
Fatty was actually a bit worried Gu Mian might be assassinated, but seeing Xiao Hong’s grotesque face and the brother ghost sticking close to Gu Mian, he felt sowhat reassured.
Chu Changge was once again fiddling with those few tattered pages from the Second World. Whenever he had free ti, he tended to stare blankly at these sheets of paper.
Fatty sidled up to Chu Changge curiously. "Brother Chu, since these are tattered pages from the Second World, doesn’t that an the book itself has been torn up?"
Considering that Gu Mian tearing up re counterfeits in the Old World caused such huge turmoil, and now the actual Second World is in pieces... how could that world possibly survive?
Chu Changge said, "A truly clever world knows how to hide itself. Perhaps the Second World initially existed in book form, but when Earth discovered clues and took action, it racked its brains to escape and adopted a different mode of existence."
That would make things difficult. They couldn’t even find the book, let alone now when they had no idea what the Second World had transford into. What if it turned into a lump of dung in a latrine? Would they really have to go rummage through a privy?
Chu Changge continued, "However, changing its dium is very difficult. The Second World must have only recently replaced the book with so other dium."
Fatty asked curiously, "Brother Chu, how can you be so sure the Second World only recently changed its dium?"
Chu Changge pushed up his glasses and turned to look at Fatty. eting Chu Changge’s gaze, Fatty inexplicably felt a chill.
Then he heard Chu Changge say, "Earth’s pursuit of Low-Dinsional Worlds is undoubtedly an all-out, massive undertaking. The Second World’s original form was a book. Earth would spare no effort to eradicate any Low-Dinsional World hidden within such a dium. Now, try to recall any major historical changes related to books."
Upon hearing this, Fatty imdiately thought of the Renaissance, but then he shook his head. If Earth wanted to eradicate the Second World, it would surely involve widespread destruction...
At that mont, sothing occurred to him. The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end, and his scalp tingled. He suddenly recalled a period of history familiar to almost everyone.
The Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars.
User Comments
0 comments from readers