"What are you doing outside? Why didn't you come into the house? "
After seeing Chen Ge, the tiredness on his father's face dissipated slightly, and he forced a smile.
"Why did you go to the teacher's house yesterday? It's not nice to trouble the teacher. "
The familiar nagging came. The man did not complain to Chen Ge about how hard his work was, and he did not use that as an excuse to ask Chen Ge to do something for him.
"Come on in. It's good that you're back. I'll go cook for you."
"I can't go in." Chen Ge stood where he was. The previous night, he had searched the eastern and western parts of Li Wan City. If he had two more days, he would have searched the whole of Li Wan City.
"What's wrong?" The man did not expect Chen Ge to refuse to go in even though he was standing at the door. He stopped moving. "This is our home, a place where we can comfort you when you're tired. I don't know what you're afraid of."
Home was a warm place in Chen Ge's memory, but that was not how Yu Jian felt. Once he entered home, night would fall, and only when he left home would the sun rise.
Chen Ge did not understand why Yu Jian would have such an impression of home. Even though he did not have a father, he had a mother who loved him dearly.
Seeing that Chen Ge was still standing where he was, the man did not force him. "At least come in after I'm done cooking."
He sighed softly and entered the kitchen. Not long after that, there was the sound of bowls and chopsticks falling. Chen Ge's father seemed to have tripped.
His body instinctively stepped into the room, and Chen Ge ran over. The man was leaning against the wall, holding his stomach, and the floor was littered with broken porcelain.
"The medicine, the medicine is in the pocket of my jacket."
Chen Ge quickly ran over to find a small bottle. The label on the bottle had been torn off, so it was impossible to tell what kind of medicine it was.
"I'll cook. You should go and rest." Chen Ge helped the man up. Luo Ruoyu leaned against the kitchen door, and her eyes were filled with worry.
After dinner was ready, Chen Ge sent Luo Ruoyu back to his room. After covering her with the blanket, he poured two cups of hot water and entered his father's bedroom.
After closing the door, Chen Ge placed the cup of water on the bedside table and moved a chair to sit beside his father's bed.
He grabbed his father's hand and looked at the weak, exhausted man on the bed.
In his memory, his father was a mysterious, cheerful, funny man who knew a lot of things and could solve any problem.
That tall figure had always been standing in front of him, shielding him from the wind and rain. He had never thought that one day, that figure would be so weak lying on the bed.
The pain from his abdomen made his body curl up. He arched his back as if he was unwilling to let Chen Ge see him like this.
"It's been more than 20 years, and we've never talked like this before. Life keeps pushing me forward, and I'm used to everything. It wasn't until the day you guys left that I realized that my so-called independence was just a kind of independence in terms of life skills." Chen Ge kept a lot of words in his heart, and he couldn't share them with others.
"What are you talking about?" The man's face was rather pale. He leaned against the pillow and hesitated for a long time like he wanted to say something to Chen Ge, but in the end, he did not. He merely joked. "Who taught you how to cook? It tastes quite good. "
"Perhaps it's because I inherited good genes." Chen Ge handed the hot water to his father. "What kind of medicine did you take earlier?"
"It's for stomach problems. It's fine."
"It's better to treat illness as soon as possible. Don't worry about the family, I'll take care of Ruoyu."
The man before him was Chen Ge's own memory. At that moment, he seemed to have calmed down and used a special method to communicate with his' father '.
The two chatted for a long time and solved all the misunderstandings.
In the middle, Chen Ge was worried about the man's health and wished for him to rest early, but the man stubbornly insisted that Chen Ge stay by his side and kept reminding him of the responsibilities that he should bear as the head of the family.
The thing that he said the most was, "Take care of yourself and take care of your little sister."
When the sun was about to rise, the storm stopped. Chen Ge returned to the door, but before he stepped out, a sound came from his father's bedroom.
He hurried over and saw the man sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed neatly. One of his hands was holding his stomach, and the other was rummaging through the drawer, looking for something.
"Don't go to work today." Chen Ge helped him find the medicine. Looking at the greenish-black veins on the back of the man's hand, it was not an illness but a curse. The ghost fetus and Yu Jian were cursing Chen Ge's memory.
His father was getting weaker and weaker because of them. They were probably planning to harm all the people that Chen Ge loved, to make Chen Ge experience despair.
Flipping through the comic, Chen Ge tried to call out the names one by one, and a small blood vessel appeared on the comic.
"I still need more time."
After telling the man to rest at home, Chen Ge grabbed his backpack and went to school.
When he entered the school gate, he did not feel anything wrong. The day was just like any other day.
When he arrived at the classroom, many students were already there. Some were preparing for the day's class, some were memorizing vocabulary, and some were catching up on their homework.
Chen Ge sat down at his seat. He glanced to the side. Du Ming had his head lowered as he was tinkering with something. The side of his desk that was closest to Chen Ge was neatly filled with homework from various subjects.
Du Ming did not say anything to Chen Ge, but the message that he was trying to convey was clear — Take whatever you need.
Compared to Du Ming, who was still a child, Chen Ge was like a thousand-year-old fox spirit. He knew that Du Ming had been paying attention to him.
What happened to this man? Why did he suddenly stop talking to me? Could he be the source of the rumors?
Even though the Du Ming in his memory was a rather selfish person, he would never go around spreading rumors. He had no interest in gossip or gossip. If he had the time to spread rumors, he would rather spend it doing more homework.
The fatty might have a loose tongue, but he was a top student who never dropped out of the top ten. He had very little time for entertainment and was very disciplined.
Chen Ge did not touch Du Ming's homework. He took out the English textbook and started to compare it to the homework.
I should finish the multiple-choice questions first. If only the Pen Spirit was here.
The third period was English class. When Zhang Ya entered the classroom, many students started to whisper among themselves.
The rumors and malicious slander did not affect Zhang Ya's behavior. She was just like normal.
During the fourth period, Chen Ge was paying attention in class when he suddenly received a phone call.
The caller was his father's colleague. He said that his father had suddenly fainted at the hospital, and he needed Chen Ge to hurry over.
As the eldest son of the family, Chen Ge gave the teacher a brief explanation and then left the school in a hurry to rush to the hospital in Li Wan City.
Pushing open the door, Chen Ge's father was still unconscious. "Doctor, what's wrong with my father?"
"We're in the middle of an examination. Please stay calm and wait outside. Do not disturb the patient."
Chen Ge was chased out of the room by the doctor. He sat on the bench outside the hospital, and about ten minutes later, there was another set of footsteps coming down the corridor.
"Chen Ge, what did the doctor say?" Zhang Ya had also arrived at the hospital. She knew about Chen Ge's family situation, and she was Chen Ge's class teacher, so she thought that it was the right time for her to come over.
Seeing Zhang Ya, Chen Ge felt slightly better. "They're in the middle of an examination. I believe with the medical standard of the town's hospital, even if they find out what the illness is, they won't be able to cure it."
Through the window, Chen Ge saw his father's greenish-black arm. The black particles that represented the curse had started to spread.
"If there's anything I can help with, just tell me." Zhang Ya handed the lunch box she was holding to Chen Ge. "I don't have any classes in the afternoon, so you should go back first. I'll stay here. If anything happens, I'll inform you immediately."
"I think it's better if I stay here. I have a bad feeling about this." Chen Ge and Zhang Ya did not go to school that afternoon. When the sky was about to turn dark, Chen Ge's father finally woke up. He was in a very bad state.
"Leave the family to me. You just focus on recovering." Chen Ge called the red high heels' name in his heart, but there was no reply. However, on the page where the red high heels was hiding, a very thin blood vessel appeared.
The employees were about to break free. Chen Ge held his father's hand. Not many people could understand what he was feeling.
When all the Red Specters appeared, it would be the moment this world shattered. He would be able to return to reality, but at the same time, he would lose everything.
After the sky turned dark, Chen Ge returned home. He had just stepped into the stairwell when Luo Ruoyu, who heard the footsteps, ran over to open the door.
No matter how tired or uncomfortable one was, when one returned home, the lights were on, and there was someone to open the door for one, that was the simplest form of happiness.
"Brother, brother …"
"Dad will be staying outside for the next few days. He won't be back for a while. How about I cook for you?"
Luo Ruoyu did not understand what being hospitalized meant. She only saw how happy Chen Ge was.
Entering the room, Chen Ge prepared the meal. He placed it on the table, but Luo Ruoyu did not go to eat.
"What's wrong? Is it not to your taste? "
"Where's dad?" Luo Ruoyu hugged the bowl. She wanted to wait for Chen Ge's father to return so that they could eat together.
"He needs to be hospitalized for treatment. He'll be back in a few days." Chen Ge sat on the other side of the table. The small room with only the two of them looked rather deserted.
He was sitting on the seat that his father used to sit on. Perhaps in the past, when he was not home, this was how the two of them ate their meals.
"Where's dad?" Luo Ruoyu hugged the bowl and kept looking at Chen Ge. She kept asking, and it appeared like she was about to cry from anxiety.
Constant explanations would not be able to console Luo Ruoyu. Chen Ge called his father's number and placed the phone next to Luo Ruoyu's ear.
Hearing her father's voice, the girl's mood brightened up.
Chen Ge placed the phone on the table, and Luo Ruoyu finally started to eat.
Listening to his father's occasional coughing, Chen Ge did not touch the food on the table. He looked silently at Luo Ruoyu and the slightly deserted old house.
"The owner of this house is my father. If he leaves one day, I will help him take care of everything. Think about it, this old house is like the Haunted house in Western Jiujiang. " At that moment, Chen Ge suddenly understood the purpose of Luo Ruoyu's existence behind the door. Luo Ruoyu was the first ghost that accompanied Chen Ge in his memory. This sister actually represented his family other than his parents. She represented the employees that Chen Ge could not bear to part with.
"To take care of Luo Ruoyu, I will not fall so easily."
After putting Luo Ruoyu to sleep that night, Chen Ge stayed inside the house. Once he pushed open the door, the next day would arrive. To buy as much time as possible, he did not go anywhere.
The blood vessels in the comic increased, and the rain outside the window became heavier.
After dawn, Chen Ge carried his backpack to school. The strange gazes around him started to increase.
He didn't care about these things. Rumors and verbal attacks couldn't affect his emotions at all.
When he arrived at the classroom, Chen Ge noticed that Du Ming's condition was getting worse. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his lips were chapped. He did not dare look Chen Ge in the eye.
Chen Ge still did not copy Du Ming's homework. He knew that Du Ming was hiding something in his heart. During the break between classes, he still went to talk to Du Ming, but Du Ming's reaction was very strange. It was like he needed to make up his mind just to talk to Chen Ge.
"Did something happen to you?" Chen Ge did not think that Du Ming would go around spreading rumors, but he had a feeling that Du Ming knew something.
After school at noon, Chen Ge first went to the hospital to buy food for his father. Then he went outside to buy two sets of food to bring back for Luo Ruoyu.
He could not go home, so he handed the food to Luo Ruoyu at the door. The siblings sat in the corridor. As Chen Ge ate, he told Luo Ruoyu stories.
As the interaction increased, Chen Ge confirmed that Luo Ruoyu's existence was actually a representation of the haunted house's employees. Initially, she only wanted to stay inside the house and would not step out, but with Chen Ge's help, she started to choose to interact with the outside world and breathe the air outside the house.
After watching Luo Ruoyu finish her meal, Chen Ge returned to school. Occasionally, he would send a few messages to Zhang Ya. The two of them always had a lot to talk about, and they would never feel bored.
When he returned home that night, Chen Ge started to teach Luo Ruoyu how to tidy the house and some other basic life skills.
Things that normal people could do easily were very difficult for Luo Ruoyu. She could not control her body, and there were many things that she could not understand, so she needed to repeat them.
He taught her for a long time, but he did not learn much. Even so, Chen Ge would not stop praising Luo Ruoyu.
Day and night alternated, and this went on for a few days. Chen Ge did not close his eyes, and his mental state seemed to have reached its limit.
On the ninth morning after Chen Ge entered the world behind the door, the comic in his backpack finally had a few pages dyed red, and he finally managed to get in touch with his employees.
"The final battle should be starting soon, right?"
Carrying the backpack, Chen Ge pushed open the front door. The gray sky hung over his head like he could touch it if he reached out his hand.
Not only the school, even the neighbors started to look at Chen Ge and Luo Ruoyu the same way. The rumors had started to spread.
When he arrived at school, the first class of the day was English. Chen Ge was already prepared for it.
Over the past few days, Du Ming had not spoken a single word to him, and the talkative little fatty had become quiet.
He no longer communicated with anyone, and his face became paler and paler like he was suffering from a serious illness. His results were affected as well. In yesterday's quiz, he had dropped ten places.
"Do you need any help?" Chen Ge had finished his investigation of Li Wan City in the past nine days. Even though he did not find Yu Jian, through various clues, he had a general idea of where Yu Jian was hiding.
This match had started the moment he stepped into the world behind the door.
Leaning on the table, Du Ming accidentally exposed the bruises underneath his long sleeves. He looked even more tired than Chen Ge.
"Did your family beat you? Because your results have regressed? " Chen Ge's voice was soft, but Du Ming heard it loud and clear. His fists tightened and then slowly loosened. In the end, he buried his face in the textbook.
The morning class started. They were only halfway through the first class when Chen Ge and the students heard the sound of argument coming from the corridor.
The sound seemed to come from the office. It sounded like an argument, but it was more like a woman scolding someone loudly.
Hearing this voice, Du Ming's face paled even more. He looked like he was in great pain.
There was some self-blame, some embarrassment, but most of it was an indescribable emotion.
After class was over, Chen Ge grabbed his bag and prepared to go over. When he left his seat, Du Ming suddenly reached out to grab his arm.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry." Du Ming let go after saying that. Chen Ge had a rough idea of what was going on. He took a deep breath and ran out of the classroom.
The office door appeared to be locked. Chen Ge pushed away the students who were leaning against the window and looked into the room through the window.
Four parents were pointing at a female teacher and scolding her. Their spittle flew everywhere, and their twisted faces grew larger and larger.
Mr. Si kept explaining and promised that he would deal with this seriously.
The argument inside the office was intense. The students outside the office were enjoying the show, and the onlookers were celebrating. Only Chen Ge silently stared at the female teacher.
Groundless accusations, groundless accusations, and rumors that were getting more and more ridiculous.
Chen Ge wanted to rush in with the hammer, but he did not do that. If this really happened in real life, what could he do?
If this had happened to a child of his age, what could he do now?
Actually, there was nothing he could do. He could only stand outside and watch. Any drastic action would only make things worse.
"Has Yu Jian been this helpless before?"
"After being possessed by the ghost fetus, he has a power even scarier than I do. He could have killed everyone in this room, but he did not do that."
"The ghost fetus must have been inciting him to turn him into a demon that hates everything, but he has gone against the ghost fetus' will. This should be the moment when the conflict between him and the ghost fetus reached its climax."
More and more students gathered, and the teacher inside the office finally relented.
The office door was pushed open. The parent who walked at the front was a middle-aged woman. She looked stern, and the anger on her face had not dissipated.
When she walked out from the office, she saw Chen Ge. Her anger rose to the top of her head. She was about to lash out when the female teacher who had been scolded earlier walked over and stood between her and Chen Ge.
"Everything has nothing to do with the students." The female teacher did not speak much, but her attitude was firm. She refused to budge, completely different from her usual gentle self.
The woman cursed again before she was pulled away by the other parents. The few parents left the school with Mr. Si's accompaniment.
"Go back to class. Don't stand here and watch." The female teacher had the students leave. She took one last look at Chen Ge and said softly, "You should go back to class as well."
"We'll talk at noon," Chen Ge said. After the crowd dispersed, he left the female teacher.
He returned to the classroom, and Du Ming was lying on the table, pretending to be asleep.
"Du Ming, why did your mother come to school?"
Du Ming, who was lying on the table, did not answer. Chen Ge could only hear his heavy breathing.
"She seems to have placed all the blame on Mr. Zhang. Actually, I was the one who made the mistake." Chen Ge gripped the pen in his hand tightly, and his voice grew louder.
"I was the one who interfered with your study, I was the one who asked to borrow your homework, and I was the one who came to talk to you every day to disturb your study.
"The whole year is watching. Everyone is criticizing Mr. Zhang, but I was the one who was wrong!"
"Stop it!" Du Ming finally spoke. He was very agitated, and he seemed to be even more upset than Chen Ge.
Seeing Du Ming like this, Chen Ge did not want to provoke him anymore. He only said one last thing. "The two of us are not very sociable. Neither of us has any friends. In the whole class, we only have each other to talk to. From the looks of it, you are actually my only friend."
Hearing what Chen Ge said, Du Ming felt like he was suffering from asthma, and it was especially painful.
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