As long as it’s a dream, you will inevitably wake up. The more beautiful the dream, the more severe the disappointnt and lancholy after waking. So she understands that the best way to avoid the post-dream disappointnt is not to be too deeply imrsed in the dream.
She then stood up from the sofa where Mr. Tang had sat.
Her phone happened to chi at that mont, it was the Facebook app notification sound.
She walked over and swiped open the screen, it was a big smiling face sent from a boy saying "Hi, do you rember ?"
She took a closer look at the avatar, it was the aristocratic youth who ca forward with a shy smile to ask for her autograph at the Tang Family’s party that night.
She then replied with a nodding emoji, without saying anything else, and tossed the phone to the side.
The other side sent a few more ssages in quick succession, asking if she’s had dinner and said "The performance was brilliant", "Are you very tired" and so forth. She didn’t bother to reply.
In her eyes, including Mr. Tang, all the aristocratic sons were species unaware of the suffering in the world. In their eyes, they could only see her youthful beauty surface, see the beautiful packaging on her. They wouldn’t understand what kind of life she was living, nor help her fate in any aningful way. To put it bluntly, she was just a YY object for them when they’re bored.
Yet the kid was persistent, the phone kept ringing with "ding", "ding" non-stop.
Annoyed, she grabbed the phone intending to exit the app. Only to see the last one he sent was a photo, with the location address on Google Maps attached.
The photo was of a bar, with hazy lights, a quiet corner, the best part was that the corner was right next to a big glass window opening onto the street. There was even a pot of shy grass on the table. This place had the mystery of nightclubs, yet also possessed a rare tranquility and purity. She raised an eyebrow and replied: "What do you an?"
The boy replied imdiately: "It just so happens that I, too, am in Singapore, I followed your performance here. I know you’re tired, how about coming out for a drink, quietly sitting by the window and zoning out? Is that okay?"
In the internet age, whether she wanted it or not, the company required her to open Twitter, Facebook, IG, and had her under agent oversight to update content every few days to maintain interaction with fans. Sotis she didn’t even know what to post, she’d just post pictures. One ti she posted "So tired" after a performance with a similar mood picture.
Actually, the photo she posted wasn’t even taken by herself, it couldn’t be considered a real-world existence either, but just a scene from an idol drama she liked, so she screencapped it.
Below that post, there were haters jumping up and down, saying she’s a manipulative girl, if she wanted to promote a new drama, just say so, why beat around the bush? Do you think fans are blind, not seeing what this picture is?
She was too lazy to explain, so she directly blocked those jumping around.
Unexpectedly, such a similar place actually existed in Singapore, it was so close.
She hesitated for a mont and asked: "How did you know?"
The boy sent a blushing emoji and then said, "I know that when you’re tired, you’d want to find a place like this to rest. That’s why I’ve always been searching, hoping to take you there when you’re weary. How lucky, I finally found it."
The telephone on the bedside table rang, ng Chuyan picked it up, it was Mr. Tang. He asked if she finished showering, if she’s feeling uncomfortable.
She yawned, "I’m fine. So tired, don’t bother ."
.
Half an hour later she arrived at the bar.
Although it was a nightclub, there were guests dressed in flamboyant club attire, yet the overall feeling was very tranquil. Maybe it was because this bar was positioned as a music bar.
The boy stood in the doorway light, waiting for her with a shy smile. A bronze wind chi hung outside the store door, dangling above his head, swaying in the wind, making pleasant jingling sounds. She was dazzled by the serene smile on the boy’s face, yet still couldn’t help but look up at the wind chis. She thought of Hangzhou’s West Lake and Leifeng Pagoda, looking out at West Lake, you can see the bronze bells hanging from the eaves corners.
The boy smiled and stepped forward, reaching out: "My surna is Qin, given na Jia Jun."
ng Chuyan nodded, rembering people called him "Mr. Qin" that night at the party.
Qin Jiajun happily led ng Chuyan into the bar, to the reserved seat. Seeing the real scene made ng Chuyan frown again, it wasn’t just an environnt close to the photo from before, it was almost identical.
Qin Jiajun shyly smiled, "...you’ve seen through it. I made it according to that photo. I just knew, one day I could wait for you here, to accompany you for a drink."
ng Chuyan’s heart couldn’t help but feel a little damp. Though her rational mind was still clear, she knew this was still a dream. Yet she couldn’t help but show a smile to Qin Jiajun.
Tonight had two back-to-back beautiful dreams, so let her indulge a little.
.
It’s dawn.
Mr. Tang got up as usual to knock on the door of Luo Xiansheng and ng Chuyan. The three rooms were on the sa floor, he lived next to Luo Xiansheng, and ng Chuyan specifically chose the farthest room on this floor because she disliked being glued to him every day.
Luo Xiansheng ca out as usual, greeted Mr. Tang. The two chatted about today’s current affairs until ng Chuyan ca out.
Won, before going out, always take an extra half an hour to change and apply makeup. They both were used to it.
But usually, ng Chuyan would at least inform them inside the door first, yet today after a quarter-hour passed, there was still no sound from inside.
Tang Yanqing frowned deeply. Luo Xiansheng quickly tried to smooth things over: "Maybe she didn’t hear it in the bathroom."
Tang Yanqing said nothing, walked to the door, listened quietly for a while, then turned the door lock and reached out to Luo Xiansheng: "Spare room key!"
The room opened, and it was empty inside.
Only the TV was still on, with noises from a drama coming out.
Luo Xiansheng stomped angrily: "This Judy, she really can’t change her old habits, went out to play again!"
Tang Yanqing looked around a few tis, reached out to touch the bed sheet and the bath towel and bathrobe thrown aside, then ordered in a deep voice: "Call the local police on behalf of the agency, ask if there were any personal assault cases from last night to this morning, and if the victim matches ng Chuyan’s appearance!"
Luo Xiansheng was taken aback: "You an, sothing happened to her?"
Tang Yanqing’s eyes were like knives: "Call them!"
.
Twenty minutes later. Music bar.
Luo Xiansheng, ng Chuyan’s agent, and Tang Yanqing arrive together.
Tang Yanqing showed his credentials, and the local officer ca over to shake hands.
The music bar was already surrounded by police tape, the three squeezed in, walked to the booth.
ng Chuyan was sitting in the booth, leaning on the table. At first glance, she just seed to be asleep, her long hair cascaded down, soft as smooth silk.
Even though they were ntally prepared, the three couldn’t help but hold their breath, as if she was really just sleeping, and the three of them walking over would wake her from her dream.
The agent was the first to walk over; upon approaching and seeing her face turned inward, he cried out: "Yanyan, oh my, who could be so cruel?!"
Luo Xiansheng subconsciously glanced at Tang Yanqing, his face suddenly pale.
Tang Yanqing stood at the spot, hands in his pockets.
Luo Xiansheng was the first to walk over, looked at ng Chuyan’s face, then stood silently at the table, like a wooden sculpture.
The local officer took the agent and Luo Xiansheng aside, only then did Tang Yanqing take a deep breath, pulled out thin silicone gloves from the wallet section, and walked to ng Chuyan.
On that graceful and beautiful face, there was no more smoky cat makeup this ti, just simply and delicately, like the ti he saw with his mother. But on this simple and beautiful face was painted a large cross. The bloodstains had already dried, turning dark red. Yet the blade must be extrely thin and sharp, so that the cross’s skin didn’t roll much around the lines.
That is to say, the blood-stained cross didn’t completely destroy ng Chuyan’s beauty, as if it was just an embellishnt.
Death’s embellishnt.
Tang Yanqing took a deep breath, covering ng Chuyan’s eyes with his hand.
At this mont, even he who was accustod to bloodshed scenes felt a sudden panic in his heart.
He had promised to protect her, he was just reminding her to behave last night, yet this morning, she lay dead before him.
It was his negligence, how could he watch another vibrant life vanish before his eyes?
"Mr. Tang, are you okay?" the local officer asked with concern.
He shook his head: "Did you retrieve last night’s surveillance tape from the store?"
The officer shook his head regretfully: "The owner is an artist, he doesn’t like to monitor the freedom of his custors, so he never installed any surveillance equipnt in the store."
Tang Yanqing looked back at the street outside the door: "What about outside?"
The officer still shook his head: "Because Christmas and New Year just passed, during the celebration soone illegally set off fireworks, which burned the surveillance power lines in this area. It’s just back to work, not all repaired yet."
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