Chapter 421: Chapter 250: News of Father’s Death, Rainbow Wings’ Final Notice
August 5th, 4 PM, Gu Yima District.
After picking up the birthday cake from Connie’s Cake Shop, the two brothers sat on the sofa in the living room, resting while the fan blew cool air.
Outside, a torrential rain was pouring, with the streets and alleys flooded deep enough to submerge the pants of passersby. Fortunately, the doors and windows on the first floor were tightly closed, so as the massive sound of the rain reached the living room, it seemed to turn into a gentle drizzle.
At that moment, Gu Qiye lifted his head, staring blankly at the rows of text on the TV screen, his gaze fixated on the words "Ghost Bell" marked in red.
The voice of the report from the screen continued without pause:
"It has been confirmed that the extremely dangerous individual code-named ’Ghost Bell’ has been shot dead on the spot. The operation caused no civilian casualties."
"According to the on-site reporter’s report, a large number of facilities within Paradise were destroyed. Currently, the Mutants Association has funded the reconstruction efforts, and the Association’s professional Superpower User ’Mechanical Worker’ has promised to participate in the rebuilding."
Hearing this clear and bright broadcast, Gu Wenyu also lifted his eyes from his phone screen.
He raised his eyebrows, seeing one or two photos of Li Jing Starlight Amusement Park displayed on the TV, and the shocking crater caught his eye.
Though not as spectacular as seen in person, it was enough to gasp in awe.
The gap between ordinary people and Catastrophe-level Superpower Users is so vast, akin to the difference between a river and the sea, that being accidentally squashed like an ant is understandable.
"Ghost Bell is dead?" Gu Wenyu raised his eyebrows, exclaiming, "Good riddance, Rainbow Wings sure moves efficiently. Bro, wasn’t this guy the one who beat you up before..."
Before he could finish, a sudden "smack" echoed in the living room, interrupting his words.
Gu Wenyu’s voice stopped abruptly. He stared blankly, then turned and looked at the piece of cake on the ground, cream splattered everywhere, the filling of fruits and chocolate also not spared, and several candles crookedly stuck on it.
Gu Wenyu sighed inwardly, thinking: if you’re not eating it, I will, yet sis picked it out so carefully, and you dropped it?
"What’s up with you?" he asked, knowing the answer, "Is this reaction really necessary, bro?"
After speaking, Gu Wenyu fell silent for a moment, then looked up at the back of Gu Qiye.
The world was silent. Gu Qiye’s silhouette was motionless, frozen like a statue. After a long pause, he finally showed a slight reaction.
Gu Qiye slowly hung his head, intending to look at the cake on the ground, yet his gaze stubbornly stayed on the TV.
A full-body photo of Ghost Bell was in the corner of the screen, the dark silhouette both unfamiliar and familiar, provoking a long-forgotten fear in him. His whole body started trembling slowly, beginning from his hands.
"No, that’s not Dad."
"Dad lied to me yesterday."
"Yeah, how could he possibly be Ghost Bell?"
"He’s... just a good-for-nothing, a drunken waste, that’s all."
"Ghost Bell is dead, it’s nothing to do with him."
"He’s fine, he’s still alive, he..."
These self-deceptive thoughts in his heart stopped abruptly, as Gu Qiye’s gaze dimmed bit by bit.
He couldn’t comprehend his emotions at the moment; his brain felt like a tangled ball of yarn recklessly unwound, falling to the ground, thoughts like yarn rolling in all directions, endlessly extending and unfolding.
Too much, too chaotic... In the end, even he couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.
After a long time, Gu Qiye finally decided to look away from the screen.
Suddenly seeing the smashed cake, his face showed a startled expression, as if something had suddenly broken through his chest, spilling out.
He stared blankly, glancing down at the candles fallen to the ground, then turned to the cream splattered on the table corner, an indescribable despair and gloom inevitably enveloped his heart.
The news of his father’s death failed to make him crumble immediately; he was merely numb. But seeing the shattered cake, Gu Qiye suddenly realized something:
"I’ve... ruined everything."
Gu Qiye muttered softly, biting his lip, tasting the iron-like flavor of blood at the corner of his mouth. Tears flowed relentlessly from his eyes, not knowing how long it had been since he last cried.
"Bro, are you alright?" Gu Wenyu boldly interrupted his thoughts, furrowing a skeptical brow, "Is this news really such a shock to you? Maybe, it’s because Ghost Bell traumatized you at work before?"
Gu Qiye’s head was bowed, his lips slightly moving, murmuring:
"Wenyu... listen to me, Ghost Bell is..."
"He..."
"He’s... our..."
He spoke intermittently, stopping mid-sentence, suddenly stunned into silence.
Gu Qiye knew in his heart that his brother hadn’t heard the argument with Dad yesterday, so he didn’t know that the Gu Zhuo Case was actually Ghost Bell, but how could he utter this sentence?
Could he say to his brother: Today, Dad was killed by Rainbow Wings?
How long could he hide it?
If one day his brother learned of this, how would he feel? What about their sister, what would she do?
Behind him, Gu Wenyu quietly watched his back, then softly reminded, "Bro, you overturned the cake we just bought."
He paused, "Should we buy a new one?"
Gu Qiye remained silent for a long time, lowering his head, silently watching the candles stuck in the broken cake. Finally, he hoarsely asked: