In this world, only I can hear Zhang Si's roars from the cage, and only I can feel the budding emotions in his heart.
Zhang Si looked at the ink and brush in the pavilion of the opera house and asked with a smile, "Sister, do you also like calligraphy?"
"Yes, do you understand it too?"
"I know a little. May I borrow the ink and brush?"
"Of course!"
Zhang Si picked up the brush and wrote on the paper: If there were no beauty beneath the flowers, I would not wish to be born into this world.
...
Time overlaps, infinitely repeating.
From front to back, from back to front.
...
I reread the origin of those calligraphy pieces and returned to the dark cage.
"I sealed my time in this memory, but why have you lingered in my time for so long?"
"How long has it been?"
"Nearly a month in the human world."
"Then what have I become?"
"How would I know?"
"How can I get out?"
"You cannot get out."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know. I exchanged all my mental strength for a seal. I sealed the time I desired the most. I don't even understand how you got in, so how can I help you get out?"
"There must be some clue."
"If there were no beauty beneath the flowers, I would not wish to be born into this world. Do you have your beauty?"
"Of course."
"Then go find her."
"Where do I find her?"
"How would I know."
After Zhang Si said this, the area in front of us began to brighten.
...
"Sister, do you also like calligraphy?"
"Yes, do you understand it too?"
"I know a little. May I borrow the ink and brush?"
"Of course!"
...
I heard these words again, and a new cycle began. I didn't turn to look at Xiao Li, but instead turned to walk towards the roaring Zhang Si. He couldn't see me, and could only direct his useless roars at the Zhang Si in the bright world.
...
I passed through the darkness, aimlessly, not knowing where I was going, only relying on my will to move forward. How far I walked, how long I walked, why I walked.
I knew none of it, until snow began to fall in the dark world.
The area ahead became bright due to the snowflakes. I saw a train stopped there, and I was about to board. I couldn't help but turn, and the snowflakes stopped in mid-air. I saw my wife, Lin Han.
The train of time shuttled through a kaleidoscope of colors. I got on, and she chased after me. My life became increasingly fulfilling and romantic. Finally, the train passed through a narrow black hole. The sound vanished. I heard Lin Han's whisper, heard the dripping sound of IV fluid. I opened my eyes.
Then, with my weak hand, I gently touched Lin Han's face. Lin Han jumped up with a yelp and rushed out, shouting, "Doctor, doctor, he's awake!"
After the doctor entered, he looked at me, extended his finger, and asked me how many fingers he was holding up. Then he said to Lin Han, "It's truly a miracle. He's really awake."
"Thank you, doctor, thank you..."
Lin Han laughed joyfully, and her laughter turned into tears.
"I've seen people commit suicide by burning charcoal before, but this is the first time I've seen someone wake up."
When burning charcoal, if ventilation is poor, it can lead to excessive carbon monoxide inhalation and acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Death can occur within 24 hours, or after days of unconsciousness. This is because once carbon monoxide is inhaled, it binds to hemoglobin in the blood, forming stable carboxyhemoglobin, which prevents hemoglobin from binding with oxygen. It can neither carry oxygen nor release it easily. This leads to oxygen deprivation in tissues and cells and hinders oxygen utilization. The brain and heart are most sensitive to oxygen deprivation and are most easily damaged, leading to cerebral edema, myocardial ischemia, or subendocardial infarction and death.
Therefore, my survival after inhaling carbon monoxide and being unconscious for several days is an absolute miracle.
...
I have experienced life and death many times, but this one was inexplicable.
Da Zhou asked me to think back on what happened. The only thing I remembered was sitting in my study, turning on the phonograph, and the music that sounded like old Shanghai began to play.
Beyond that, I knew nothing.
But Da Zhou said that when I was found, it was the next morning. The housekeeper found me lying outside, immediately called 120, and reported it to the police. The police determined from the scene that I must have climbed out of the south gatehouse. There were no signs of forced entry, only extinguished charcoal. Judging by the condition of the stove, it seemed I had intended to boil water and fell asleep. The water boiled and poured onto the charcoal, producing carbon monoxide.
"I don't remember going to the kitchen."
"Teacher Wang Ren examined the scene and said the black film you listened to had a hypnotic effect."
"Was I hypnotized?"
"It seems so."
I was hypnotized? Did I have hallucinations?
I don't know. I'm still unclear about what happened. My mind is blank. Why was I hypnotized? That black film had been in the study for many years. Who would have known that such a thing could have a hypnotic effect?
As I was pondering this, Da Huang burst through the door and knelt before me without a word, sobbing uncontrollably, "Brother, I'm so sorry!"
"Brother Da Huang, can you stand up and say it? What's with the kneeling?"
"I feel immense guilt."
"Even if you feel guilty, you don't have to act like a mourner!"
Da Huang froze. His earlier sincerity was replaced by extreme awkwardness. He didn't know whether to stand or remain kneeling. Lin Han walked over and helped Da Huang up, "Second Brother, I told you Tang Nan wouldn't blame you."
"Yes, yes, you're right!"
Seeing this scene, Da Zhou knew it wasn't a good time to say more and left. Shortly after, Chang Dachun arrived with a beautiful woman. Although I hadn't met her, I knew she was Xiao Zi'an. I smiled at her. Fatty also rushed over. He and Da Huang hugged each other and wept. I watched them, utterly bewildered.
Chang Dachun said that after I was poisoned, Da Huang was particularly guilt-ridden. Fatty had been accompanying me all this time, and he was also upset, shedding quite a few tears. It seemed the two of them had gotten used to crying together.
Soon, Yu Xiaoluo and Luo Bo also arrived. Seeing me looking cheerful, Yu Xiaoluo raised her hand as if to slap me, but Luo Bo quickly intercepted.
"If you can't drink, don't drink. This whole ordeal was terrifying."
Luo Bo sighed, "Wife, didn't Teacher Wang Ren say that this incident might have been deliberate?"
"Deliberate? What about the investigation results? Not a single clue. Is the murderer human or a ghost?"
Since I was hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning, Luo Bo had suspected murder. However, after a long search, no evidence was found. Luo Bo was originally tracking the 'Southern Faction' in Sichuan when he received a call from Yu Xiaoluo, asking him to return. While Luo Bo was making arrangements for these matters, I had my accident.
"Since nothing was found, let's just drop it. Maybe I was really drunk that day and felt thirsty, so I went to the kitchen to boil some water."
"If you wanted to boil water, why didn't you use an electric kettle? It wasn't cold in the house. Why would you light a stove fire?"
Luo Bo asked me earnestly, and I was stumped. I pondered, my brow furrowed. The issue wasn't about using an electric kettle, but about me not considering so many factors. This was something that had never happened since I became an independent Schemer.
"Tang Nan, have you thought of any leads?"
Seeing my expression, Luo Bo asked me seriously. I bit my lip and made a decision: "How about we just stop investigating?"
"What did you say?"
There was no evidence, but Luo Bo also felt that the perpetrator had strong counter-surveillance skills. But he hadn't expected me to suggest dropping the investigation and immediately asked me in disbelief.
Because of what I said, everyone looked at me.
I felt somewhat awkward under their gaze, but what I said was the truth; I didn't want to investigate anymore.
Perhaps it was because of that dream, but it felt like a string was missing in my head. Everyone thought the matter was not simple, but I couldn't discern any logical connections.
I hadn't forgotten the methods from Li Jiu's sheepskin notebook, and my past layouts were still vivid. But I couldn't organize these abilities.
Later, they decided I needed some quiet, and perhaps then I wouldn't think this way. Or perhaps after I recovered for a while, I would definitely find a way to find the murderer, but that wasn't how I felt.
As they were leaving, I called out to Da Huang and asked him to go to Wende Xiaoyuan to find something for me. The item I was looking for was the part that Da Huang had removed from the phonograph.
After he handed it to me, he asked, "What's this thing for?"
The part looked like a bracket. On the front, it was inscribed: "I glanced into time and saw you. When you see me, I will see all the time that follows."
These were Zhang Si's words to Xiao Li. I flipped the bracket over, and sure enough, there were words on the other side, just one word!
Seal!