Chapter 182: Ridiculous Person, Betrayal, Illusion |
Big Ben's chimes slowly faded away, and the evening breeze drifted endlessly from the horizon.
By the windowsill, bathed in the misty moonlight, Ayase Origami held Xia Pingzhou in her arms. The pale young woman lowered her eyes, raised her right hand, and gently stroked his hair.
In truth, even Ji Minghuan did not understand why he felt so restless and had lost his composure. Perhaps it was because he would be seeing Kong Youling in London tomorrow.
The very thought of Kong Youling right in front of him, wearing a hospital gown and a metal collar around her neck, while he could only choose to ignore her, made him feel incredibly stifled. It was as if a hole had been torn in his heart, allowing panic to helplessly spill out. The more he tried to plug it, the more it leaked, leaving him breathless.
He could put on a front of complete indifference toward everyone else, but not with Kong Youling.
When the time came, would he really... really be able to stay calm? If Kong Youling got hurt during this London operation, could he still manage to just stand by and do nothing?
What exactly should he do? Save her? Or ignore her to prevent his own cover from being blown?
What was the Salvation Society's true motive for this operation? Did they really plan to use Kong Youling's safety to force him into showing his hand?
Even if he saved Kong Youling and took her away, could it actually be a trap set by the Salvation Society? They might intentionally let her escape, only to use the tracker on her collar to find him and catch all his host bodies in one net.
The deeper he thought about it, the heavier Ji Minghuan's heart became. His thoughts were in such a chaotic tangle that his head felt like it was going to explode. Exhausted, he rested his head on Ayase Origami's shoulder. Her pale, cool hand stroked his hair, managing to quiet his turbulent mind just a little.
After a long silence, Ji Minghuan whispered, "I am fine now. I am sorry, I just lost control of my emotions for a moment."
He paused. "On the Ferris wheel, did I not mention that I have a family member? That girl with white hair. I have been constantly thinking about how to find her lately, so I am a bit exhausted. I am so terrified that I might never get her back."
"So, like the others, you joined the Brigade to find someone." Ayase Origami did not let go of him.
"When you said I was important earlier... was that just to comfort me?" Ji Minghuan asked.
The kimono girl offered no response.
After a moment of silence, she asked, "What do you think?"
"It was to comfort me." Ji Minghuan buried his face in her shoulder.
"Then I suppose it was..."
"I knew it."
The kimono girl looked down at him. "Seeing a crying kitten throw itself into my arms seeking comfort, what else could I possibly say?"
Ji Minghuan froze for a second, looking up at Ayase Origami. Soon, he would kill Jack the Ripper. To her, this would undoubtedly be an absolute, unforgivable betrayal.
Oda Takikage was already dead, and Jack the Ripper was the only person left with whom she had a somewhat close relationship. Once he killed Jack the Ripper and became a traitor in her eyes, she would truly have nothing left.
What kind of expression would Ayase Origami show him then? Would she cry? Could this doll-like girl even shed tears? Or would she be furious?
No, perhaps the most likely reaction would be confusion and numbness.
She might not even know how to react to being betrayed. After all... she even needed him to take her shopping for clothes the first time, completely oblivious to her own tastes.
This doll-like girl simply did not understand how to express her feelings to others. Her father had raised her as a tool, and her mother had died the moment she was born.
Because of that... throughout her sixteen years of life, even when she felt sorrow, there had never been anyone to hold her like this, stroke her head, and tell her that she was just a child and did not need to shoulder so much burden.
When Oda Takikage was still alive, Xia Pingzhou had sat in a cafe chatting with him. The man had mentioned that the Young Mistress rarely smiled at anyone.
Because when she was little, the Young Mistress's father was often angry and gloomy at home. Back then, Ayase Origami would pinch the corners of her mouth with her fingers, mimicking her mother's expression from a photograph. She wanted to show her father a smile just like her mother's, thinking to herself, 'Will Father be a little happier if I do this?'
But instead, her father had furiously berated her, yelling at her for daring to smile like her mother. He screamed that she was the one who had killed her mother, demanding to know what right she had to smile like her, and asking if she was mocking him.
The Young Mistress had stared blankly at her hysterical father, slowly lowering the fingers that tugged at the corners of her mouth, and simply said, "I am sorry, Father. I will never smile again."
From that day forward, she rarely smiled at anyone.
Oda Takikage had also said that if he could return to that day, he would abandon his duties as a butler and draw his blade against her father. Because a child's smile needs no reason, and a child should never be reprimanded for wanting to smile.
Yes, growing up, no one had ever taught her how to express herself. She was not allowed to smile, nor did she wail aloud like other children...
Even when she felt sad, all she could do was empty herself like a doll. Over time, her eyes became so vacant that one could never find a focal point in them.
Yet this very girl had reserved whatever little emotion she possessed just for him.
Seeming to sense his deep unease, she took the initiative to hold him, gently stroking his head.
Just like a mother.
But her mother had died long ago.
With no one to teach her, where did she learn such tenderness? From TV shows? From books?
When she watched mothers stroking their children's heads on television, did she feel a sense of loss?
Did she ever imagine during her saddest moments, if only her mother were still here... if only her mother could hold her in her arms and stroke her head?
But she did not have that...
She only had a father who yelled at her for no reason and blamed her for her mother's death.
She was such a profoundly lonely person, so she could only mimic what she saw on TV, clumsily holding him in her arms and stroking his head.
Precisely because she had nothing, never having experienced such affection herself, yet giving a tenderness she had never felt to him... that was why Ji Minghuan found it ridiculous...
It was truly laughable.
He sincerely wished she would open her eyes and see clearly that he was merely using her. Sooner or later, he would kill the last person she cherished right in front of her, and then discard her like a pawn.
After a long, long silence, he finally just whispered:
"Thank you." "This is the first time I have ever seen a cat say thank you to its owner." Ayase Origami rested her chin on the back of his head.
"Do you not find me embarrassing?"
"Is it not perfectly normal for a kitten to occasionally seek affection in its owner's arms?"
"I thought you would find it... strange that I am suddenly acting like this."
"No, it is my first time seeing it. It is quite a novelty."
"It is better not to have this kind of novelty," Ji Minghuan paused. "Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"Takikage is dead. Have you never thought about leaving the Brigade?"
She remained silent for a long time before replying, "This place gave me freedom. I belong here."
Xia Pingzhou lifted his eyes, silently studying her face, before slowly looking away:
"I understand."
The final question in his heart vanished. He had no other choice. In order to fight against the Salvation Society, Host Body Two was indispensable, but if he did not kill Jack the Ripper, this body would be destroyed... He was destined to become a traitor. No matter how good their relationship was right now, it was nothing but an illusion. Sooner or later, they would turn against each other.
"Why do you ask?" the kimono girl questioned.
"It is getting late, let's go to sleep." He changed the subject, slowly pulling away from Ayase Origami.
"Alright."
She stayed quiet for a moment, then placed her haiku collection on the windowsill.
"Tomorrow, I want to go out for a walk by myself," Xia Pingzhou said.
He knew that if he let Ayase Origami follow him at a critical juncture like this, she would definitely end up clashing with the Ghost Train Gang or the Salvation Society.
The kimono girl glanced at his back, lowered her eyes, and nodded, silently mouthing:
"Alright."
She seemed like she wanted to say something else, but ultimately stayed quiet.
"In the future... let's travel the world together," Ji Minghuan suddenly said.
The kimono girl was slightly taken aback.
"That is, if you are still willing to stay by my side when the time comes."
After adding that condition, Xia Pingzhou stepped into the bathroom and picked up his mobile phone.
A message immediately popped up. As for who the sender was, he could guess without even looking.
[Hacker: Oho, crying your eyes out in the Young Mistress's embrace. You sure look like you are enjoying yourself. I never expected our newcomer to show this kind of side. I definitely have to save this for my collection.]
Xia Pingzhou's face twitched slightly.
He took a deep breath, quickly typed a sentence, and hit send.
[Xia Pingzhou: Sooner or later, I am going to bury you alive, you little electronic pet.]
[Hacker: Do not be so mean! I was actually genuinely touched by you two. If you really end up together in the future, I can even make a digital scrapbook for you guys. You can play it at your wedding! I promise I will do a better job than anyone else; I have been editing videos since I was four years old.]
[Xia Pingzhou: We do not have that kind of relationship.]
[Hacker: Then what do you see her as? Do you seriously treat her as your owner?]
[Xia Pingzhou: A good friend.]
[Hacker: You are pretty stubborn, Newcomer. But I feel much more at ease now. I used to be suspicious about why I could not dig up anything on your background... but now there is no need. It really felt like the things you said earlier were not fake. After all, you were crying your eyes out in the Young Mistress's arms.]
'A lucky mistake. Did that actually clear Hacker's suspicions of me?' Xia Pingzhou thought.
[Hacker: "Who is more important, me or Jack the Ripper?" Boo-hoo-hoo, I cannot believe our deadpan Romeo actually said something like that. You have really made me see you in a whole new light.]
[Xia Pingzhou: Get lost.]
Xia Pingzhou put his mobile phone away, raised his eyes to look at his cold reflection in the mirror, and splashed some water on his face. He then returned to the bed in the room and slowly closed his eyes.
His true self was still in a deep slumber, completely unawake and unable to open his eyes no matter what. The effect of the sedatives was overwhelming. The members of the Salvation Society had already begun their operation. They were using some method to move the children out of the base, transporting them toward London.
Meanwhile, Black Cocoon was currently hanging quietly upside down beneath Big Ben in London, overlooking the brightly lit City of Westminster.
That night, Ji Minghuan could not fall asleep. Even deep into the night, his chaotic thoughts continuously dragged him back and forth between dreams and reality. It was not until the early hours of the next morning that a text message notification snapped his groggy consciousness awake.
Black Cocoon lifted his head. Still hanging upside down, he looked toward the London horizon. A massive sun slowly ascended, and the morning light swept across the sky, cloaking the Gothic architecture in a golden glow.
He took out his mobile phone hidden within his restraining bands and glanced at the message.
[Ke Qirui: It is time to begin the operation.]