Ji Ke is dead.
He hung himself in the mourning hall, his long tongue protruding from his mouth, his lifeless hands dangling weakly on either side of his legs, his toes swaying slightly in the air.
"Ji Ke! How could you be so foolish!" Uncle Wang stood beside the hanging body, his face full of grief. He exclaimed, "I only said those words insincerely, but you wanted to die!"
Everyone saw Ji Ke hanging himself, so the words seemed to ring true.
The sorrow between the lines made Uncle Wang's voice tremble. He climbed onto a stool, reaching out to try to move Ji Ke's body, but he struggled alone. "What are you all staring at?! Come help!"
Viscous blood oozed from the gauze, splattering on the ground, forming a small blood flower.
Players lifted their heads, expressionless as they watched the scene, their eyes cold and numb. They moved to help, except for one—
Tang Ning, trembling silently in tears.
He struggled to stand, wanting to approach Ji Ke.
Ji Ke's life was exchanged by Grandpa Ji, and Grandpa Ji should have his body properly taken care of. Ji Ke should be lying in the coffin.
Long fingers pressed on Tang Ning's shoulder, and Ji Lianyun's voice echoed lightly in the mourning hall: "I am not well, unable to help, but we are all Ji Ke's family. How can we just stand by?"
As Ji Lianyun spoke, the villagers of Ji's family slowly moved. They approached Uncle Wang and together, they lifted Ji Ke's body down.
Uncle Wang, who had just lamented how young Ji Ke was to give up, fell silent, glaring coldly at Ji Lianyun through the crowd.
"Where's the coffin?" the people of Ji's family asked.
There was a ready-made coffin in the village, and Han Yunian's body was still on a wooden bed. Some players went to help make the coffin for him. Now, they needed wood to make a coffin for Ji Ke.
"Let's borrow some wood from another house and make a coffin for Ji Ke." "Alright." "It's a pity he was so young." "He's the third one, isn't he?" The villagers, who had just shaken their heads in lament, suddenly looked at Tang Ning with strange eyes. "Who will be next?"
Ji Lianyun blocked Tang Ning's path, and Tang Ning bowed his head, silently kneeling on the cushion.
He was dressed in white, with a white filial band tied around his forehead. Although his eyes were red, his nose was red, and his face was streaked with blood tears, his complexion was translucent.
Guests came and went in the mourning hall, but Tang Ning knelt quietly, like a beautiful painting.
Tang Ning was good at silence, one of the few things he excelled at. He could be quiet all day alone. The intense wails in the mourning hall had stopped, as if a violent storm had finally subsided, but the air was still filled with invisible mist.
Sadness lingered around him, his tears flowing from his eyes, creating his own little world of rain.
Ji Lianyun stood by his side all along. He smelled the unique scent of blood and medicine mixed on Ji Lianyun's body. Tang Ning closed his eyes, trying not to think about anything, but his mind was empty, yet sadness still lingered, like an invisible monster devouring him.
Stop feeling so miserable, it's not good for your health. You need to conserve your energy to prepare for tomorrow's funeral, it's going to be tough, and you need to be clear-headed.
Tang Ning's mind reminded his body.
But his body was so uncooperative, unable to chase away the monster that lingered in his chest.
Tang Ning reached out, curling his fingers, and followed Ji Lianyun's method to forcefully strike his acupoint.
It hurts.
He endured Ji Lianyun's rapid strikes, but when he had to inflict pain on himself, he had to overcome his psychological barriers.
It hurts so much.
Furrowing his brow, Tang Ning continued to forcefully strike his chest. He knew he had to be resolute to drive away the sadness and pain.
His relentlessly moving hand was grasped by Ji Lianyun. Ji Lianyun firmly held his wrist, preventing him from hitting his chest. Tang Ning lifted his eyes, looking at Ji Lianyun beside him in confusion.
"Tang Ning, you're exhausted, you need to rest," Ji Lianyun acknowledged.
Ah, he was indeed tired.
Tang Ning frowned, his moist eyes welling up with tears. "But, I need to stay here."
"Just take a break for now," Ji Lianyun squatted down, taking out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiping Tang Ning's face. "Do you want something to eat? I can cook for you."
He wanted cake, but they couldn't make it in this small village.
At the thought, Tang Ning's nostrils flared slightly. He shook his head, refusing Ji Lianyun's kindness.
"Your legs must be numb from kneeling for so long, right?" Ji Lianyun's voice softened even more. He cupped Tang Ning's face, making eye contact with him. "Shall I give you a massage?"
Tang Ning wanted to shake his head, but Ji Lianyun held his head steady.
"No," he said to Ji Lianyun.
He knew his bad temper was surfacing again, relying on Ji Lianyun's kindness to vent his unhappiness, because he knew Ji Lianyun would forgive him.
He knew his terrible temper was rising again, always relying on Ji Lianyun's gentle nature to vent his unhappiness, because he knew Ji Lianyun would forgive him.
Sure enough, Ji Lianyun showed a guilty expression. He hugged Tang Ning, pressing his head against his shoulder. His slender hands stroked Tang Ning's back like comforting a child, the back trembling slightly with prolonged pain.
"Don't cry, don't cry, Tang Ning," Ji Lianyun's voice was so gentle.
Tang Ning didn't say anything.
He didn't want to pay attention to anyone, didn't want to care about anyone's next protective charm for him. He just felt tired. He was someone who easily gave up. Just yesterday, he felt strong, felt he could improve, felt he could make it through the night.
He missed his family's cat.
His cat was named Happy, his medicine.
He needed Happy.
Happy. Purring.
Happy, purring, was left alone in that little house. He was often too busy to go home, unable to spend the whole day with Happy.
From the beginning, he shouldn't have adopted Happy. Someone like him wasn't suitable for taking care of anything.
If he couldn't even take care of himself, how could he take care of Happy?
Suddenly, his world seemed to be crumbling.
Ji Lianyun picked him up.
Tang Ning felt a bit incredulous as he looked up at Ji Lianyun, whose expression was strained. Fragile Ji Lianyun shouldn't be carrying anyone, even though Tang Ning felt weightless.
"He'll put me down soon," Ji Lianyun said, his voice strained.
Tang Ning thought calmly.
Ji Lianyun struggled to carry Tang Ning a few steps. Tang Ning was worried that falling would be painful, and he should try to get down himself. After all, Ji Lianyun didn't have much strength, and he could easily free himself from Ji Lianyun's grasp.
But his body was too tired. Tang Ning was too exhausted to even move a finger. He coldly curled up in Ji Lianyun's arms, his ear against Ji Lianyun's chest, as if he could hear the rapid beating of his heart due to exhaustion.
It's amazing, he thought. A person looks so big, but the heart, the key, is so small. Once the heart stops beating, even the strongest body will fall.
So when will Ji Lianyun collapse?
"Tang Ning is too tired now, I'll take him back to rest," Tang Ning heard Ji Lianyun say to the other players.
Lin Yun saw them and stood up to help, but was refused by Ji Lianyun, who looked so weak himself. He said, "I'll take care of Tang Ning."
But his voice was so weak, as if he couldn't even take care of himself.
Tang Ning remained quietly in Ji Lianyun's arms, wanting to see how far Ji Lianyun could carry him.
They staggered out of the mourning hall, away from the place filled with sadness and pain. The gentle breeze dried the tears on Tang Ning's face, but Ji Lianyun's hand holding him began to tremble uncontrollably.
It was a familiar sign of exhaustion for Tang Ning. He heard Ji Lianyun's rapid gasps, like the tired wheezing of a bellows being forced to operate.
A scene that felt oddly familiar to Tang Ning unfolded.
Where had he experienced it before?
Tang Ning blankly stared ahead, the world around him swaying. Everything seemed so familiar— the paths he had walked, the people he had encountered, all felt like déjà vu.
Then, it hit Tang Ning.
As night fell, he recalled the scene from last night when he carried the unconscious Ji Lianyun on his back. Only now, the roles were reversed. Last night, he carried Ji Lianyun, and today Ji Lianyun carried him.
Ji Lianyun struggled so much, just like Tang Ning had last night. How could he be so strong? Was that really him?
Tang Ning couldn't believe it. He couldn't imagine himself staggering for so long under the pursuit of ghosts, covering such a long distance.
Strange. Why did he collapse after walking for so long last night, but today, he suddenly lost his strength?
Tang Ning reached out and wrapped his arms around Ji Lianyun's neck, his limp hands clinging to him like vines.
Ji Lianyun lowered his head and smiled at him, softly saying, "We're almost there," gasping for breath after just a few words.
The house was indeed close. Tang Ning hooked his arms around Ji Lianyun's neck, quietly observing the dilapidated old house.
It was a very old house, with a very old door. Ji Lianyun kicked the door open, revealing an equally old bed inside. The bed was piled high with many thick quilts. Even when Ji Lianyun laid him down, Tang Ning hardly felt uncomfortable.
He lay quietly on the bed as sunlight streamed through the windows, casting light into the murky room. Tang Ning noticed numerous tiny specks of dust dancing in the sunlight, like trapped spirits within the light.
He reached out to touch a beam of light.
Ji Lianyun took out a bottle of medicine, sitting on the edge of the bed and skillfully rolling up Tang Ning's pants, preparing to apply the medicine.
As Tang Ning winced in pain from the touch of the medicated ointment, the herbal scent filled the small space, as if a myriad of new plants had sprung up in a forest after a rain, their tender green colors evoking inexplicable words and phrases.
Tang Ning closed his eyes, his soft lips trembling as he couldn't help but voice the words hidden in his heart: "I couldn't save him."
"Ji Lianyun, am I not capable enough?"
The herbal scent grew stronger, as if something wild was growing, piercing through the gaps in his body, rooting in the soil of pain, absorbing the sorrowful rain.
"In my heart, Tang Ning, you're a very gentle person. But because you're too gentle, you're overly soft."
"Like a clam, you have a protective shell, always keeping others out."
Ji Lianyun's voice was gentle.
"But that's fine."
"Because with someone who can enter the heart's door, pain can be easily alleviated."
Tang Ning curled up in pain on the bed, feeling the roots of suffering piercing through the soil, unable to speak. He felt like he couldn't do anything anymore, drowning in so much pain. He had always wanted to retreat into his own little world, avoiding contact with anyone, avoiding touching others' kindness, so as not to experience the pain of betrayal.
No, he wanted to say to Ji Lianyun.
He wasn't gentle at all. He only had a face that looked like he was kind, but Tang Ning knew he was a very indifferent person, cold and cowardly.
Just like he knew Lu Youyi liked him. He knew everything, but he was too afraid of pain. He just kept avoiding thinking about anyone, even if he had to save him even if he lost his soul.
He had employed such coping mechanisms too many times. He had heard Ji Lianyun say it so well, including about Ji Lianyun himself.
He relied on Ji Lianyun, approached Ji Lianyun, all just to let Ji Lianyun protect him well.
He always wanted to try hard, to be strong, but even a slight amount of pain could easily knock him down, leaving him only able to shed useless tears.
Just like himself.
"But, Tang Ning—" Ji Lianyun reached out, catching the tears that flowed continuously from Tang Ning's eyes, as if catching one beautiful pearl after another.
So fragile.
Yet so beautiful.
"For a clam to produce pearls, it requires a long and endless struggle with pain."