Chapter 13: Come Again Next Time

It was Xu Xiye who had gotten in. Yes, that’s right, him. It wasn’t that he’d eaten two window slams and, out of humiliation and anger, snuck into someone else’s home. It was simply that he’d gotten so utterly, exhilaratingly carried away stepping on water that, in a dazed, dizzy state, he’d drifted right in through a gap in a window’s seam, following the raindrops.

The feeling was probably akin to being drunk… uh, or maybe oxygen deprivation to the brain.

His final direction had been toward the hotel, but he’d veered off course. Instead of facing the room with the large floor-to-ceiling window like the previous two times, he’d aimed for a balcony with a window.

The window wasn’t shut tight. The plants inside were drenched. Xu Xiye had drifted in along those raindrops. He landed on a leaf first. As more of his body flowed in, like a shadow descending, he nearly flattened the flower.

He hastily rolled off, hovering in mid-air. If one didn’t look closely, there was nothing there, only darkness.

Xu Xiye didn’t move. He was a little stunned. He knew this was Blue Eyes’s place, but he wasn’t outside anymore; he was inside.

He’d never done anything like this before. The most he’d ever done was hug (drape himself over) a house he liked from the outside.

He couldn’t be blamed for this. If anyone was to blame, it was Blue Eyes for not closing the window properly.

Xu Xiye really was a very ordinary person. Studied diligently in school, worked diligently at work. Xu Xiye, who had never done anything out of line, felt a pang of guilt.

But before he could decide whether to slip back out the window crack while no one had noticed, or to apologize to Blue Eyes, a flash of silver-white light burst across his body. He’d been hit!

The guilt vanished.

Xu Xiye was actually a bit angry now. He recognized this light. Blue Eyes had made it. Last time outside the window, a touch of this light had sent him falling off the building.

Bang! The light exploded on him, it hurt. He saw the man standing at the other end of the balcony, a look of pure annoyance on his handsome face.

Xu Xiye was annoyed too. He expanded his form and charged.

The suite He Sui was staying in was fully equipped. A living room, a balcony, a bedroom, a study. When he’d returned, eager for the bathroom, he hadn’t switched on many lights, including the living room and balcony.

Standing in the doorway between the living room and balcony, his eyes hadn’t yet seen the thing when his hand, guided purely by instinct, launched an attack in one direction.

The silver light burst. No scream of pain, no sound of flesh and blood exploding. The next second, a colossal energy unfurled before him.

If human eyes could adjust to darkness over time, then the thing before him was pure, absolute black, like five fingers clamped tightly over the eyes, not letting a sliver of light through. Right now, He Sui was standing in darkness, seeing an even darker shadow. Once engulfed, he would be plunged into endless, lightless darkness.

He Sui’s gaze sharpened. Lightning gathered in his palm as he retreated, this time thrusting his hand forward.

He’d already recognized this as the little monster that had sprawled on his window. Though it didn’t look like the irregularly-edged strange blob from before, He Sui was certain it was the same one.

This thing could talk, possessed reason. This understanding made He Sui less prickly. It should have a physical form. He wanted to try and catch it.

He Sui also remembered his streak of bad luck— being continuously attacked by Anomalies— starting after this thing’s first visit. A guess surfaced in his mind: Could it be that after being knocked off the building, the black blob was so angry it deliberately found “people” to gang up on him?

And now that the ganging-up failed, it decided to do the job itself?

He recalled the thing saying he had a bad temper. Now, He Sui couldn’t help but want to laugh. Laughing was one thing, but he didn’t hold back. He wasn’t sure he could beat this little monster.

In a flash of lightning and spark of fire, He Sui made contact with the “shadow.” The instant they touched, the “shadow” shifted form, extending three tentacles from its mass that wrapped along his palm and climbed upward.

It coiled around He Sui, and He Sui grabbed hold of it.

He Sui had difficulty describing the texture. Cool, soft. The tentacles didn’t have the slick, slimy feel of marine creatures. More like water or smoke, yet no one could grasp water or smoke.

A very unique substance.

He Sui’s one hand was entangled. He didn’t struggle free. The energy of the Lightning System in his palm ramped up its output significantly. His other hand was also accumulating energy.

Compared to long-distance attacks, physical contact allowed He Sui to control some of the water elements in an enemy’s body, coordinating them with his lightning to maximize his ability’s power. If he intended it, reducing an enemy to ashes could be instantaneous.

He Sui didn’t want to go that far. He just wanted to incapacitate the black blob.

The moment the energy exploded, he saw that the entire “shadow,” including the very tips of the tentacles coiling him, all quivered. His hand felt a momentary slackening. Very quickly, the other party wrapped around him again, faster and more frantically.

Countless tentacles extended from the “shadow’s” body, tangling around him chaotically. Arms, legs, torso. He Sui wasn’t as fast as his opponent; his entire body was bound and pinned to the floor. He increased the intensity, repeating his tactic. The opponent was indeed wounded, but the effect lessened each time. The energy he released was gradually disappearing.

Shock flashed in He Sui’s eyes. Without having identified the enemy’s weakness, he stopped.

His energy wasn’t infinite. Against an opponent that didn’t seem intent on killing him, there was no point in draining himself dry.

In the darkness, He Sui lay on the floor, countless tentacles binding and lashing him. Sitting on his chest was a flat, black blob.

The crackling of electric currents hadn’t completely dissipated. Some tentacle tips would lift and lower repeatedly, as if walking on hot coals.

One human, one Anomaly, fighting the moment they met. Not a single word had been spoken until now. But now, He Sui wanted to talk. He said, “What do you want?”

The electric light fully extinguished. The black blob bound him tightly, not saying a word.

“What’s your name? Did you climb on my window to try and kill me?” He Sui deliberately phrased it that way.

The black blob ignored him.

He Sui felt his annoyance rising again. It had to be at least four, maybe five in the morning by now. He was exhausted after the intense fighting earlier. He’d showered to go to bed and sleep, not to fight a losing battle and end up lying on the floor.

“Speak. If you’re not going to talk, get off.”

This tone really couldn’t be described as pleasant, as if he wasn’t the one restrained. Xu Xiye abruptly tightened the tentacles, then raised one and whapped him.

“I’m called Next Time I’m Coming Back. Just you wait!” Xu Xiye declared. After saying this, he scrambled out through the window crack as fast as he could.

Next Time I’m Coming Back?

He Sui’s face darkened. Who wanted to deal with such a troublesome creature? Tomorrow, he’d switch rooms.

Xu Xiye’s speed was extremely fast. After leaving, he didn’t go straight home, but crawled everywhere outside instead.

He’d originally planned to talk to the man tonight. Who knew he’d accidentally get inside? Who knew Blue Eyes had such a rotten temper and attacked him on sight?

Getting electrocuted really hurt.

So Xu Xiye got angry. He fought him, he hit him. He also knew that trying to talk properly in an angry state was impossible, so he left.

The parting line he’d thrown out was rather cool, he’d spoken tough and won the fight. Yet Xu Xiye was still fuming, so much so that he was now crawling everywhere in a rage.

Emotions were amplified at night. The vast, boundless night sky also made one more indulgent. By the time morning came, Xu Xiye was already not angry at all.

A stranger suddenly barges into your home—defensive actions were completely normal.

He’d just experienced too little to get so worked up.

Xu Xiye sat at his workstation, somewhat distracted. It was his first time fighting someone in his life. Last night, besides anger and grievance, he hadn’t felt anything else. But now, he felt the guilt and unease of a good kid doing something bad for the first time.

Oh, right, the woman hanging from the ceiling fan was gone. He didn’t know if she’d vanished or if Little Li simply hadn’t had an episode yet.

Xu Xiye glanced at Little Li’s back. Couldn’t read anything. As for Wang Xiaodian, he was behaving.

Oh, Wang Xiaodian was pregnant. His experiences last night were so intense he’d nearly forgotten about this matter. As his Shifu, he should ask out of both duty and sentiment, “Little Wang, how are you today?”

He didn’t state it outright, only cast a meaningful glance at his belly.

Wang Xiaodian understood. He touched his stomach, a hesitant look on his face. “Shifu… I… I don’t know…”

Wang Xiaodian found it hard to describe his current feeling. Maybe it was a mix of clarity, fear, weirdness, calm.

He remembered who he was and where he came from. He remembered Jiang Wuning saying not to focus attention on his belly. He understood the logic, but it was hard to do.

A person doesn’t deliberately pay attention to their ears or nose, these innate body parts. But it’s very hard not to notice something that suddenly appears in your belly.

And the thing moved.

A clamor arose in the office. One after another, people left their desks. The workday was over.

“Little Ye, going to eat?”

“Brother Zhang, you go first. I’ve got something to take care of.”

Xu Xiye planned to talk to Wang Xiaodian. The pregnancy couldn’t be publicized.

The office soon emptied out. Except for them, only the silent, taciturn Little Li remained.

Wang Xiaodian’s mouth opened and shut, shut and opened, as if the words were extremely difficult to get out. “I don’t want this child.”

Xu Xiye: “…Then get rid of it?”

Wang Xiaodian was very hesitant, as if struggling with something. He stood up and walked over to Xu Xiye. “Shifu, help me, help me. I feel like you’re the only one who can help me.”

Xu Xiye also felt conflicted. “I don’t know how to perform an abortion.”

Wang Xiaodian: “…Not that. It’s just that this pregnancy isn’t normal. I…”

He couldn’t find the words for a moment. “You… just follow me to the restroom and you’ll see. The woman who got me pregnant is there!”

The rest Xu Xiye heard was all muddled, but who had gotten Wang Xiaodian pregnant in just three days—this he really wanted to know. So even though the location was the inexplicably chosen restroom, he went.

Since last night, Wang Xiaodian had been somewhat listless. Now, he had his energy back, looking rather like a dog’s leg who’d been wronged outside and was now bringing his boss to settle the score.

“Shifu, you could see the things Little Li sees. Can you see mine?” Wang Xiaodian asked on the way to the restroom.

Xu Xiye’s footsteps paused. “Are you going crazy too?”

Wang Xiaodian tugged him toward the restroom, somewhat panicked, talking incessantly. “I… I’m still very shallow. I know who I am. I’m perfectly clear-headed. Shifu, please, whatever you do, don’t send me to a psychiatric hospital! Didn’t you say to find the source of the madness? Once I find that person, I’ll recover on my own, really!”

Sure enough, the mentally ill never think they’re ill, and they hate going to the hospital.

They were already at the restroom entrance. Xu Xiye pondered, “Let’s go in first and see this woman of yours.”

Wang Xiaodian: “…”

Wang Xiaodian: “Shifu, let’s go inside.”

Xu Xiye was led into the first stall of the restroom. Together with Wang Xiaodian. He even watched, speechless, as Wang Xiaodian locked the door.

Xu Xiye: “…”

Now it was Xu Xiye’s turn for ellipses.

Good thing his colleagues had gone to eat. Good thing no one else was here.

“Shifu, can you see what I see?” Wang Xiaodian asked again. Now, without rain, not being night, he wasn’t sure if he could see that woman again. But whether he could or not, only his Shifu seeing the same thing would reassure him.

Borrowing someone else’s eyes was a simple operation. Xu Xiye just had to want it, and it happened. But sometimes, the simpler something was, the harder the steps were to grasp.

The procedure was the same, but it just wasn’t working.

Xu Xiye stared into Wang Xiaodian’s eyes. Wang Xiaodian stood rigid, not daring to move, afraid of disrupting any step of the ritual.

The restroom was silent. Any slight sound was clearly audible.

Wang Xiaodian’s focus was incredibly sharp. Suddenly, a rustling sound arose. Very faint, but he heard it.

That woman was coming.

He instinctively looked toward the door. His pupils constricted.

There was a gap between the stall door and the floor, a space about two fingers wide. In that space, Wang Xiaodian met an eye.

Someone was kneeling outside, neck craned, face pressed to the floor, peering at him through the gap beneath the door.

That eye was sticky and disgustingly vile, as if it had been crushed by something heavy.

Wang Xiaodian’s heart pounded wildly, a clammy chill crawling over his entire body.

In that very instant, black threads of consciousness spread from Xu Xiye to Wang Xiaodian, like the strings controlling a marionette. No one could see them. Xu Xiye only knew he had succeeded.

He saw that eye. The moment he looked over, the eye vanished.

Xu Xiye opened the door. The space outside was completely empty.

~

Jiang Wuning was investigating Fan Yajun.

Fan Yajun was the woman who had died in the restroom.

After having Lu Neng identify her face within the company, she hadn’t let him get more involved. Little Li, Wang Xiaodian, Lu Neng— in their current state, the less contact, the better.

Fan Yajun belonged to Sales Department Two. She had an ordinary appearance, unremarkable in a crowd. But she was comfortable to be around and well-liked.

This was information Jiang Wuning had coaxed out of the other Anomalies. She hadn’t had direct contact with Fan Yajun. Even if Fan Yajun seemed normal right now, she was the prototype of an anomalous phenomenon. Knowing this and then trying to make contact would be little different from confronting the anomalous phenomenon directly.

Jiang Wuning still had a high Spiritual Power of 790, but she needed to reserve her strength for confronting the pollution source later.

Fan Yajun was married, but no one knew she was pregnant. Her relationship with Liu Lingling was quite ordinary. Liu Lingling knowing about her pregnancy was likely accidental.

Why hide the pregnancy?

Pregnancy meant losing competitiveness in the workplace, maybe even facing demotion or a pay cut. Fan Yajun probably wasn’t prepared yet, so she’d kept it hidden.

She and Liu Lingling were like two ends of a line. They might have had some kind of competitive relationship. Liu Lingling’s rumors were spreading through the company, very likely tied to Sharp Head. After hearing them, Fan Yajun might have used her good interpersonal network to fan the flames, making the rumors worse.

Liu Lingling was pushed to a dead end. One night, working overtime alone, she took off her red belt, hung it from the ceiling fan, then stretched her neck and hanged herself in the office.

The next morning, among those who saw the corpse had to be Fan Yajun and Sharp Head. Fan Yajun was terrified, her mental state unsteady. In the restroom mirror, she saw the dead Liu Lingling and was frightened to death. The elevator… Sharp Head died in the elevator.

Jiang Wuning still didn’t know the story’s details, but this was its framework. There was no one else in the framework. No pollution source.

Jiang Wuning actually had a guess about the pollution source, but that person had absolutely no connection to this story, so she’d never been able to confirm it.