I am a Flower Vase in an Infinite World / I Am a Useless flower in an infinite

Chapter 80

*Cough cough.* Ji Lianyun stopped in his tracks, covering his mouth with a handkerchief. He glanced down at the cloth, slender fingers delicately folding it, bunching up the crimson-stained fabric.

Tang Ning also halted, standing uneasily beside Ji Lianyun. He watched as Lin Yun and Han Ankang rushed into the house Ji Lianyun had stopped at, returning with a lacquered red coffin. Together, they hoisted the coffin onto the cart.

Lin Yun took the driver's seat while Tang Ning helped the coughing Ji Lianyun into the vehicle.

"Is it serious now?" Tang Ning asked anxiously, observing Ji Lianyun's pallid face, fearing he might collapse at any moment.

Ji Lianyun slowly lifted his gaze to meet Tang Ning's, his tone gentle. "A bit tired, but holding you, Ning, should revive me."

Tang Ning hastily embraced the blood-scented body. Ji Lianyun rested Tang Ning's head on his shoulder, whispering softly, "I apologize for the lack of cushion, Ning. Rest against me for a while."

Whether it was the jolting of the carriage or Ji Lianyun's genuine weakness, his words came out fragmented.

A thick sense of unease enveloped Tang Ning. The danger in that room was evident to the discerning eye. Yet Ji Lianyun led them all out unscathed. Had Tang Ning overlooked an unseen cost?

"Ji Lianyun, how are you feeling now?" Tang Ning asked cautiously, cradling Ji Lianyun.

"I'm fine," came Ji Lianyun's faint reply. "Just a bit tired."

In the half-closed eyes, the silence of the Ji family village reflected. The uneven ground was strewn with treasures, while long black hair twined around withered branches. Red lanterns adorned every household.

All lifeless objects exuded joy, yet not a single living creature could be seen.

He no longer resembled the figure from his memories.

Born into this small village, his mother died in childbirth, and his father passed away when he was four.

Although he grew up under the care of various families, he strangely didn't fit in with the rest of the village. No child his age was as frail and prone to fainting spells as he was. Aside from his physical fragility, even his appearance differed greatly from the others in the village.

Later, some gossiping tongues in the village began concocting baseless rumors. With no parents to speak up for him, no one truly cared for him, and naturally, there was no one to defend him.

Many things didn't necessarily have to be true; they just needed to be intriguing enough to become fodder for idle chatter. Over time, falsehoods seemed to morph into truths.

—"I heard he dares not meet the gaze of the kid from the Smiths' house. Sometimes, his eyes resemble those of an adult. What child has such eyes?"

—"He's a bit like one of those creatures. Remember when so-and-so fell off the cliff and died? His soul was eaten by him."

—"It's true, it's true. I heard that when a child passed by his house, he glanced at them, and the child went back, took the mountain path, and fell to their death. Strange, isn't it? Must've been his doing."

—"Even Ah Tu's family won't let their kids play with him."

—"Forget about children, even adults avoid getting close to him! Didn't his parents die because of him?"

—"The harvest isn't good this year. They say it's because of him."

Ji Lianyun closed his eyes, memories of countless moments in this village suspended between life and death. Reflecting now, aside from a chilling sensation in his heart, there seemed to be little else left.