tkworld #627 - Chapter 627
#627 - Chapter 627
Tang Yin leaned against the wall of the cafeteria, his gaze fixed on the blurred patterns of the floor, his thoughts as tangled as if shrouded in a dense fog. The mist outside the window was still too thick to dissipate, as if it wanted to swallow the whole world. His fingers tapped unconsciously on the wooden table, the sound subtle, yet like a small hammer striking his inner anxiety.
Resurrected from the dead...
If he couldn't unravel this mystery, Tang Yin knew he would never escape the fear of the unknown. Those repeated tragedies, those memories of waking from despair again and again, were like venomous snakes entwined around his heart, making even his breathing heavy.
As long as these mysteries remain unsolved...
He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm, the pain bringing him slightly back to his senses. Tang Yin knew that he would be trapped in this place, witnessing countless tragedies unfold, entangled and struggling with these fears, until everything led to one tragic ending after another.
If he won the banquet, could he end it all?
If that was the case, where exactly was the core of the mystery? Could this mystery really be solved? Or was it all an unsolvable cycle from the beginning? More importantly, could he remain rational until the mystery was revealed?
Tang Yin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to ease the pressure in his chest. After a short rest, there were still many things to do, especially cleaning up Xia Hui and Xiao Mei's bodies. Thinking of their deaths, Tang Yin's fingertips trembled slightly, but he quickly concealed it.
"Tang Yin, you don't have to worry about it," Zhao Gang's voice came from not far away. His tone was calm, but with a hint of undisguised fatigue, "We'll take care of it, you should rest for a while."
Tang Yin opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back. The other party's attitude was obvious; they didn't want him to participate, perhaps because they were worried about his safety, or perhaps because the excessive things he had said before had made them wary of him.
Tang Yin was no longer allowed to do chores in the kitchen either. He looked around, watching everyone busily running around, as if everything had been arranged in an orderly manner. Zhao Gang's command made the whole group look cautious and organized, with almost no blind spots in each link.
Tang Yin knew that this was unavoidable. After all, his coldness and rationality had created a subtle distance between them. In a sense, he was now even more isolated than when he first arrived here as an "outsider."
But he wanted to win.
Tang Yin's eyes gradually became firm. He had already come this far, he wanted to eliminate the wolves, he wanted to protect Xiao Mie, he wanted to end it all. But this idea was not to save everyone, but merely his instinctive desire for victory deep in his heart.
"By the way, Tang Yin," a voice interrupted his thoughts.
Tang Yin looked up and saw Qian Jin leaning against the door frame, a faint smile on his lips, his tone relaxed, but with a hint of probing: "You said just now that you could solve the problem by the day after tomorrow at the latest. That means... maybe we can have a showdown with the wolves tomorrow?"
Tang Yin didn't answer immediately. He sized up Qian Jin. Although the other party's tone was light, it concealed some complex emotions—was it anticipation? Was it doubt? Or was it just casual conversation?
"Perhaps," Tang Yin smiled slightly and said softly. His voice was calm, but with a certain elusive meaning.
Tang Yin glanced at Qian Jin, his gaze calm and deep: "...Yes, indeed."
His tone sounded unemotional, but it was like a stone thrown into the water, and slight ripples spread between the two. Tang Yin knew that, whether others believed it or not, he was already very close to his conclusion—close enough that he only needed an opportunity to completely reveal the truth.
Qian Jin didn't give up probing, leaning forward slightly, his tone with a hint of unwillingness: "Can't you tell me now?"
Tang Yin paused, as if he was carefully considering his words, and finally shook his head: "...Indeed, not yet."
His answer was concise, but it didn't completely block the topic. Tang Yin knew very well that some things had to be kept secret, especially Xiao Mie's true identity. If someone found out that Xiao Mie was a spider, and then determined that he, Tang Yin, was sacrificing Xiao Mie to save himself, then even if he survived, he would be destined to be despised by everyone.
Tang Yin lowered his eyes, hiding the thoughts in his eyes. His position was always subtly unsettling.
Qian Jin was silent for a while, and finally shrugged his shoulders, as if he had given up asking: "...Forget it, there's nothing I can do about it, let's not talk about this..."
He changed the subject, as if mentioning it casually, but with a bit of deliberation: "...You, that, how should I put it, you and Hua Lu seem to have a very close relationship?"
Tang Yin raised his eyebrows slightly, a barely perceptible smile on his lips: "If we can survive together after the fog clears, we should develop further, right?"
Qian Jin was stunned for a moment, then looked away, his tone slightly stiff: "...Is that so?"
In an instant, an awkward atmosphere filled the air.
Tang Yin spoke lightly, his tone with a bit of probing: "Qian Jin, you value Hua Lu so much, it shouldn't just be because of 'resonance from elders', right?"
Qian Jin's expression changed slightly, a hint of struggle in his eyes, but he didn't speak immediately.
Tang Yin pressed on: "If that's the case, why not convey your feelings while there's still time...?"
Qian Jin lowered his head, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "...No, how should I put it, this is just my one-sided memory."
Tang Yin's eyes flashed, his tone with a bit of probing: "Ah, did you used to date?"
Qian Jin smiled bitterly and shook his head: "...I'm terrified, although it's the Spider's House, she's also the head of the house, how could I, a second son, be worthy of her."
"...Since you've said that, wouldn't I, a wanderer, be even less worthy of her?" Tang Yin asked back, his tone mixed with a hint of imperceptible self-deprecation.
Qian Jin sighed softly, looked up at Tang Yin, his tone complex: "You're right, I really want to answer like that. However, this era values the feelings of both parties more, at least that's the case outside this village."
Tang Yin didn't respond, just nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the depths of the thick fog outside the window, as if through the layers of fog, he saw something he couldn't touch. He knew in his heart that, whether it was Hua Lu or Qian Jin's entanglement, they were just part of this banquet... and he had no way out.
Qian Jin sighed softly, his eyes drifting towards the fog outside the window, his expression revealing some complex emotions. He spoke slowly, his voice very low, but with a power that could not be ignored: "Actually, I also lived outside for a long time. I think that the praise and criticism she receives are just the shackles that have been eliminated by the times."
Tang Yin raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze falling on Qian Jin's profile. His words didn't reveal the weight of his emotions, but his eyes hid a deep contemplation.
Qian Jin paused, as if he had made some kind of decision, and continued: "...So, maybe, a man who is not bound can take her to the outside world and live happily."
Tang Yin didn't rush to respond, just watched him quietly, waiting for him to finish speaking.
"After the fog rose, I have been thinking about this, this is what I think now," Qian Jin said in a low voice, his tone with a hint of relief, as if these words had been held in his heart for a long time, and now they could finally be expressed.
Tang Yin lowered his eyes, and after a moment, he spoke in a calm voice: "I can't say anything now, and ultimately, what to do still depends on her choice."
Qian Jin nodded, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his mouth, a smile mixed with self-deprecation: "This is a matter between you, I have no right to interfere. I still have this level of self-awareness, but..."
His voice suddenly stopped, as if he hesitated for a moment, and then slowly said: "...She is the 'maid of the bridal chamber', for you, the things she carries must be very strange and heavy, right."
"...? What do you mean?" Tang Yin raised his head, his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes filled with doubt.
Qian Jin shook his head, his tone revealing a hint of avoidance: "I'm not suitable to tell you about this. In short... if you have any troubles, you can always come to me."
His words made Tang Yin stunned for a moment, but he quickly nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble you."
Qian Jin took out a business card from his pocket with a smile that was not quite a smile, and handed it to Tang Yin: "Use this to contact me."
Tang Yin took the business card and glanced at it, the writing on it was neat and concise: Qian Jin, graduated from medical university, Ph.D. in medicine.
He was slightly shocked—wasn't this a real social elite? When he looked at Qian Jin again, there was a hint of re-evaluation in his eyes. There was no work address on the business card, it seemed to be a personal business card, with only an email address and a mobile phone number.
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"...Are you looking for a job?" Tang Yin couldn't help but ask.
Qian Jin smiled lightly, but didn't answer this question. Tang Yin lowered his eyes, his fingers stroking the edge of the business card, and suddenly a strange sense of homesickness welled up in his heart. Email addresses, mobile phone numbers... these products of civilization seemed so distant in this isolated place filled with fog.
Maid of the bridal chamber...
Tang Yin clenched the business card, Qian Jin's words echoing in his mind. He didn't know if this was meddling or a kind of well-intentioned advice, but in any case, he felt the other party's good intentions.
"Thank you," Tang Yin said softly.
Qian Jin nodded, but didn't say much. They looked at each other, and then fell silent.
However, Tang Yin didn't expect that in less than an hour, he would personally experience the unknown dark side of Hua Lu's house—Bai Feng Manor.
After cleaning up, everyone returned to the house one after another and began to eat. But Tang Yin's mind was still filled with the conversation just now, and the meaningful phrase "maid of the bridal chamber."
Chen Xiang smiled slightly and placed a bowl of steaming mixed porridge in front of Tang Yin, her tone gentle and considerate: "You must be tired today, eat more, Tang Yin."
Tang Yin raised his head and smiled politely: "Then I won't be polite."
Madam Chen Xiang was a gentle and kind person. She always wore a proper smile, and her gestures revealed a kind of tolerance and consideration. Although Tang Yin couldn't completely see through what this woman was thinking, her cheerfulness and gentleness made her seem just right in interpersonal relationships, neither overly intimate nor making people feel alienated.
Tang Yin's gaze subconsciously glanced at Qin Yi and Chen Xiang's youngest son, who were busy on the side. They were probably Madam Chen Xiang's greatest spiritual support, right? Tang Yin lowered his head, his eyes flashing slightly—after all, in the previous cycle, after losing Qin Yi, Chen Xiang had poisoned everyone with aconite.
Thinking of this, his fingers paused slightly, his gaze unconsciously falling into the bowl. Was his personality really bad? Tang Yin chuckled softly, and even subconsciously checked the bowl for any green mixture under such circumstances.
However, he quickly hid this suspicion, picked up his chopsticks, randomly found a place to sit down, and lowered his head to take a bite of the mixed porridge.
The porridge was simple, with few ingredients, but the umami of the beast meat gave off a unique flavor in the hot porridge, and the warm heat carried a bit of the aroma of firewood, which made people feel a little comforted for a moment.
However, a few minutes later, Tang Yin's brows suddenly furrowed slightly. His action of swallowing the porridge paused, and something seemed wrong in his mouth—an indescribable sense of disharmony.
What's going on?
His throat felt like it was burned by something, and a faint stinging sensation came from his mouth. But this feeling quickly disappeared, replaced by a strange and terrifying numbness. His tongue, cheeks, and even his entire throat, seemed to be blocked by something, unable to swallow, unable to make a sound.
Tang Yin's pupils shrank suddenly, and the strength of his whole body seemed to be drained in an instant. His body twisted violently involuntarily, and the chopsticks in his hand fell to the ground with a snap. The next second, he only felt a dull pain in his head, and his whole body fell straight to the ground.
Poisoned... it's poison...!
His vision was blurred, his ears were ringing, Tang Yin tried desperately to struggle, but found it difficult to even breathe. He couldn't speak, couldn't ask for help, and even the scene in front of him began to spin. There seemed to be hurried footsteps and chaotic shouts in the air, but those sounds were like a thick curtain of water, blurry and unclear.
Suddenly, a strong impact came from behind, knocking him directly away. Tang Yin's body fell heavily to the ground, his throat had a violent spasm, and then he vomited.
"Ugh... it seems to be aconite poisoning..." Qian Jin's deep and hurried voice came from his ear.
"It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" Chen Xiang almost screamed, her voice filled with panic and defense, "It really wasn't me!"
"We must induce vomiting immediately! Is there a rubber hose!?" Qian Jin ignored Chen Xiang, his voice filled with pressure and tension, his movements were quick and decisive, as if he had completely entered an emergency state.
Tang Yin half-opened his eyes, in the blurry vision, Qian Jin was squatting beside him, his expression grave, his hands covered in vomit. His eyes were cold and focused—completely different from the man who was chatting just now.
The air was filled with an unpleasant sour smell, mixed with the suppressed atmosphere of the surrounding people. Tang Yin's consciousness gradually became clear, but he still felt weak in his limbs, and his chest felt as heavy as if it were pressed by a boulder. He knew that he had been one step away from death just now.