Chapter 6: Accident

“Get lost from my body, come out, come.”

Ming Ci’s face was cold, each word uttered deliberately.

“Don’t… Don’t come out… from Ming Ci’s body.”

It whimpered, squirming painfully out of the burnt wound, crawling up his arm and retracting towards his collarbone.

In fact, it could have easily moved to Ming Ci’s right hand, expanded, and extended its appendages to knock away the lighter he was holding.

But this monster, growing within Ming Ci’s body, seemed to have no consciousness to resist the host. Whatever he did, it accepted without resistance.

At most, it would mimic human speech to complain when in pain, then retract into a red mole to hide.

But in Ming Ci’s eyes, this eerie and cunning creature, nesting in his body, coveting his flesh and blood, was like a tumor lurking within him, a ticking time bomb that could devour him entirely at any moment.

“…”

Ming Ci pressed his fingers firmly against his collarbone, wishing to rip it out of his skin entirely.

Panic, agitation, hatred—various negative emotions surged like a tidal wave, assaulting his crumbling sanity.

“You, this monster, are you afraid of pain too? What are you hiding from? What are you hiding from?!”

“Wuwuwu… Ming Ci…”

“Don’t call my name! Monster, you are not allowed—” Ming Ci’s neck veins bulged with a faint blue, but his trembling voice abruptly stopped.

A piercing honk suddenly sounded, and a beam of dazzling white light shone on him.

Ming Ci slowly turned his head, only to see a black car approaching from the end of the road. He realized that he had unknowingly walked onto the road.

He hastily stepped back, and the car whizzed past him. A curse floated out of the half-opened window: “F*ck, mental case.”

Leaning against the lamppost for support, Ming Ci lowered his face, his messy bangs covering his eyes as he breathed heavily.

Stay calm… I need to stay calm!

Going crazy won’t help; I’ll just be seen as a lunatic. I have to stay calm.

Clutching the lighter tightly in his palm, he took deep breaths, trying to suppress the surging emotions, reminding himself repeatedly:

You worked hard to study and get into a prestigious school, worked part-time to earn a living, endured that bastard Ming Hui as much as possible—not to end up being sent to a mental hospital when you finally go to college!

You have to live, you have to live normally, and live well.

Ming Ci closed his eyes, calming his rapid heartbeat, and stood still for a while.

It wasn’t until the violent and burning emotions slowly settled down, and the lingering whispers of the monster gradually ceased, that he crouched down to pick up the cigarette butt and threw it into the nearby trash can. Then he walked towards the nearby 24-hour convenience store.

A moment later, Ming Ci returned to the police station, walking into the office and stopping by Officer Liang’s desk.

Officer Liang looked up, “Back already?”

“Mmh, I’m feeling much better now.” Ming Ci paused for a moment, his left hand clenched tightly at his side, “I’ve thought about it carefully just now. It might be that I was mistaken. I’ve been watching a lot of horror movies lately, having nightmares when sleeping, and getting confused when waking up in the middle of the night.”

“As long as you can calm down, it’s fine. You’re from this year’s high school graduating class, right? The pressure of studying in the senior year is huge, and your mind has been in a tense state. After the college entrance examination, you haven’t had time to relax. It’s easy to get lost in your thoughts after a little stimulation, which is normal. Don’t scare yourself, and stop watching those horror movies and videos.”

Ming Ci nodded, placing the lighter and the pack of cigarettes he just bought on the table, with a calm expression, “Officer Liang, then I won’t trouble you anymore. I’m going home now.”

With that said, he turned and left.

“Hey, Ming Ci, wait a minute!” Officer Liang grabbed a cigarette, took a few steps to catch up with him, “What do you mean by this? Take it back!”

Ming Ci: “Here, take your cigarette back.”

“One stick instead of a pack? Take it back quickly! Let me tell you, this is a violation of organizational discipline! Don’t do this!”

Encountering this situation for the first time, Ming Ci felt a bit at a loss and replied in a low voice, “But I—”

“No buts!” Officer Liang sternly interrupted him, stuffing the cigarette back into his hand, “I don’t want it, take it back!”

Forced to take it back, Ming Ci walked out of the gate with slightly flushed cheeks, and after some thought, he placed the cigarettes on the stone pillar by the door.

After the turmoil of the night, both Ming Ci and the monster were very tired.

On the way home, it remained silent, as if it had fallen into a slumber, allowing his tense nerves to relax slightly.

At nine o’clock in the morning, Ming Ci woke up in bed, got up to wash and change clothes, preparing to go out.

Yesterday, he made an appointment with a dermatology specialist in the app, thinking that the spreading crimson on his chest was a physiological condition. Now that he knew it wasn’t a disease but a monster, he still decided to go to the hospital for a check-up.

Ming Ci wanted to know if medical procedures could detect any abnormalities.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Ming Ci first visited the dermatology department for consultation, underwent surgical examination, and then proceeded to have a blood test and MRI scan. After completing the tests, he waited in the hospital for half an hour to receive the blood test report.

All the indicators in the blood test were within normal ranges, with no abnormalities.

The MRI results would be available in the afternoon. At noon, he went to a nearby restaurant and had a bowl of shredded pork noodles. He finished the soup too, relieving his hungry stomach from the spasms.

At four thirty in the afternoon, he received the MRI results, which also showed no abnormalities.

In the consultation room, the doctor looked at Ming Ci’s various test results and said calmly, “Your body is very healthy, there’s no need to worry… As for the red mole on your chest, it’s not pathological, so you can rest assured. If you want to remove it, you can opt for laser treatment.”

Ming Ci lifted the corners of his lips and politely smiled, “I understand, thank you, doctor.”

The hospital couldn’t detect anything unusual, even treating this dormant monster as a common mole.

Laser treatment?

He didn’t need laser treatment. He could directly cut off the red mole with a knife, but then it would grow back in his flesh and blood.

Turning around, he walked out of the consultation room, tore up the examination report, and threw it into the trash can next to the elevator.

After leaving the hospital, Ming Ci took the bus back to his residential area. As soon as he stepped into the gate, he heard the monster muttering indistinctly.

“Ming Ci.”

Even though he had heard it many times, he still hadn’t gotten used to its low, strange tone. Hearing this voice made his nerves tense and his skin tingle.

“Sleep, I, no pain, now.”

Every syllable it uttered caused Ming Ci to experience a strong sense of sensory distortion, like warm, sticky liquid flowing into his ears, penetrating deep into his brain.

“Ming Ci, get better soon.”

In a relatively calm and clear state of mind, Ming Ci could actually perceive its wriggling movement, licking, and the sensation of burrowing into the wound.

He glanced downward, and sure enough, the red mole had slid to his left arm, wriggling slightly between the burned flesh and blood, just as it had several times before. It was prompting his wound to heal rapidly while simultaneously sucking his blood.

Ming Ci: “…”

There was a subtle change in his facial expression.

First, the intelligence of this monster might not be very high; it remembered to eat but forgot the beating.

Secondly, it probably hasn’t grown much yet, so it’s patching up its nest instead of directly devouring him.

If that’s the case…

At the thought, Ming Ci’s adrenaline surged silently, his heartbeat instantly quickened, and a dangerous and crazy idea rushed into his mind.

Ming Ci held his breath, his thoughts overwhelmed by the sudden surge of madness, his black-and-white eyes emitting an unusual gleam.

Until someone walked past him and called out, “Ming Ci!”

He suddenly snapped out of it, looked up, and saw Chen Xiu.

“Ming Ci ah, I was just looking for you.”

Chen Xiu walked up to him briskly, smiling happily. “I caught your family’s Xiao Mi! When I was closing the stall and going home this morning, I happened to see it in the neighborhood, so I lured it over with a piece of ham sausage and caught it. It’s quite well-behaved, and it doesn’t cause any trouble in my house.”

Chen Xiu spoke quickly and excitedly. Before Ming Ci could say anything, she continued, “Ming Ci, did something happen at your house last night? I heard some noise around one in the morning, and today I heard that the police came. What’s going on ah? Did you just come back from the police station?”

“Aunt Chen.” Ming Ci politely addressed her, calmly answering, “Nothing happened, I just thought there was something strange at home, got scared, and impulsively called the police.”

“Something strange? What kind of thing ah?”

Ming Ci shook his head. “It was dark at night, and I mistook it for something. Actually, there was nothing.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Chen Xiu’s expression relaxed. “I thought your dad got into some big trouble and the police came looking for him.”

Ming Ci smiled but didn’t say anything.

The two of them kept walking, entering the building together and stopping in front of the elevator.

“Last week, I saw your dad drinking and chatting with someone at the barbecue stall, saying your college entrance exam results were good this year, and you’re going to study at a university out of town soon, right?”

Ming Ci nodded.

“What about your family’s Xiao Mi? You can’t keep a cat in the university dorms, right? I’ll be honest with you, your dad is unreliable. If you leave it at home, it might starve to death.”

Ming Ci’s eyes darkened, and he didn’t respond for a moment, his curled fingers unconsciously pinching his palm.

Xiao Mi has encountered the monster and has already developed stress towards him, so it’s impossible for her to stay obediently by his side.

Of course, we can’t rely on Ming Hui to raise the cat either. The only solution is to find a new home for Xiao Mi.

As the elevator doors opened, Chen Xiu stepped in first. When Ming Ci entered, she pressed the close button and continued, “In my opinion, it’s better this way. I’ll take care of her for a few years. If you want her back after you finish college, I’ll give her back to you. Don’t overthink it; I’m not doing this to help you. There are always rats causing trouble in my house, and I’ve been wanting to keep a cat for a long time. I happen to like Xiao Mi.”

Ming Ci fell silent for a moment, then softly replied, “Okay, thank you, Aunt Chen.”

“What’s there to thank me for, you silly kid,” Chen Xiu laughed, “Let’s just leave it at that. Since you’re back now, shall we take the cat litter and cat food Xiao Mi uses to my house?”

Ming Ci nodded.

A few seconds later, the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, and the metal doors slid open to both sides. The two of them stepped out of the elevator in succession.

After taking a few steps, Chen Xiu noticed that Ming Ci’s front door was wide open and stopped in her tracks. “Oh, your door is open. Looks like your dad is home.”

Ming Hui’s reputation for his vices was well known, and the neighbors in the building didn’t particularly like him.

Ming Ci was well aware of this and turned directly to Chen Xiu. “Aunt Chen, you should go home first. I’ll bring the stuff to your house later.”

Chen Xiu didn’t refuse and turned to press the elevator button. “Alright, I’ll go home and cook. You can come over for dinner later.”

He didn’t respond and walked away down the dimly lit corridor.

Ming Hui’s keychain was still hanging on the open iron door, and Ming Ci took it off casually. As soon as he stepped inside the house, he heard a strange man cursing loudly.

“F*ck! Big brother, Ming Hui is playing us. He thinks this junk can settle the debt! I think he’d better sell the house!”

The man speaking had curly hair, wearing a black T-shirt and boxers, and was very muscular, with a thick gold chain around his thick neck.

“Why is this room still locked?”

He stood in front of Ming Ci’s bedroom door, fiddling with the doorknob a few times. Unable to open it, he lifted his foot and kicked hard!

With a bang, the door was kicked open.

Another tall and thin man stood in the living room smoking, frowning and saying, “Did you think I didn’t consider that? Ming Hui isn’t even the homeowner; he doesn’t even have a property deed.”

Ming Ci didn’t know the man who kicked the door, but he knew who the smoker was.

Six months ago, this man had come looking for Ming Hui, and Ming Hui was so frightened that his face turned pale, nodding and bowing, saying flattering words.

He was doing his homework in his bedroom and could hear everything clearly.

Boss Wu, Ming Hui’s creditor.

“Oh, you’re back,” Boss Wu glanced over, seeing Ming Ci standing at the door, greeted with a smile, “Your dad asked us to come and get some things.”

Ming Ci’s hand, hanging by his side, slowly clenched into a fist as he looked past Boss Wu towards the bedroom that had been forcefully kicked open.

Boss Wu flicked the ash off his cigarette, staring at Ming Ci, slightly raising his voice, “A’Jin, Ming Hui’s son is back.”

“What?” Chang Zijin poked his head out from the doorway and glanced over, scrutinizing Ming Ci from head to toe, “This is Ming Hui’s son? He doesn’t look like him at all. Ming Hui looks like a pig, how come his son looks decent?”

He paused for a moment, his gaze resting on Ming Ci’s handsome face, and said maliciously, “He’s not his biological son, is he?”

“Nonsense, of course he’s his biological son,” Boss Wu said leisurely, blowing smoke rings, “If something happens to Ming Hui in the future, like father, like son, we’ll have to deal with him frequently. Right, Xiao Ming?”

Ming Ci stared at them, the veins on his forehead throbbing, a tidal wave of dark emotions spreading from the depths of his heart.

“I won’t repay Ming Hui’s debts.”

He approached step by step, suppressing his anger, his words clear, “I won’t inherit his estate, nor am I responsible for his debts. Your affairs have nothing to do with me.”

“Big brother, check this out.” Chang Zijin pulled out a prominent piece of stiff paper from the bedroom bookshelf and handed it to Boss Wu, “Admission letter from Nanzhou University! This kid is amazing, he’ll definitely make big money in the future.”

Boss Wu held the admission letter, smiling for a few seconds. Then he casually threw it aside, letting the letter fall onto the ash-covered floor.

“A’Jin, you talk to Classmate Xiao Ming about what it means to repay father’s debts, it’s only natural. I’ll be waiting for you at the bar.”

As he spoke, he walked over and casually closed the iron door behind him.

Bang!

The door was shut with a thud.

Ming Ci kept his head down, his dark eyes fixed on the admission letter with footprints on it, his ears ringing in an instant.

“Xiao… Ming… class… mate.”

Chang Zijin pulled out a folding knife from his pocket, and with a push of his finger, the gleaming blade slid out from the handle.

“Didn’t your teacher teach you to be filial?” he held the folding knife in his right hand and a laptop in his left, “You have money to buy a computer but no money to pay debts?”

Ming Ci silently clenched his teeth, squatting down to pick up the admission letter, flicking off the ash that had stained it, and placing it on the nearby table.

“Hey, I’m talking to you, are you deaf?” Chang Zijin walked up to him, his expression fierce and menacing, “You little brat, you’re—”

“Give me back the computer,” Ming Ci interrupted coldly.

“What? What did you say?”

Ming Ci ignored the sharp, reflective blade and reached out to grab the laptop.

“F*ck me! You Xiaozi, you’re courting death ah! “

*derogatory term; boy, youngster

Chang Zijin cursed angrily, surprised that this seemingly weak and bookish student dared to confront him.

He usually hung around with Boss Wu, relying on his burly physique to bully others; pulling out a knife was purely for intimidation. If he resorted to physical violence, he might end up seriously injuring the kid, which would only complicate matters.

Little did he know, this kid was like a madman, coming at him head-on!

Ming Ci remained silent, his eyes cold and dark as he reached for the laptop.

Their eyes met, and Chang Zijin’s ferocity was aroused. He flung the laptop aside and then grabbed Ming Ci’s shoulder, ready to strike him: “I think you really want to die!”

Ming Ci clenched his fist and aimed a fierce punch at his face.

The blow was not light, and Chang Zijin immediately flew into a rage, “F*ck you a*shole, you’re quite spicy!”

His anger surged, and he grabbed Ming Ci tightly with his right hand, while his left hand, holding the knife, randomly stabbed forward!

Thud!

First, there was the muffled sound of the blade piercing flesh, followed by a burst of rich crimson right before his eyes!

Chang Zijin paused for a moment, then staggered backward, belatedly realizing that he had actually stabbed someone.

He couldn’t see anything clearly; his field of vision was filled with scattered warmth and crimson red.

So much blood, so much blood… Ming Ci was definitely going to die!

He had killed someone!

In a panic, Chang Zijin dropped the knife and fled.

As he pulled open the iron door, he couldn’t help but glance back.

Ming Ci was covered in blood, seemingly staggering backward.

And the viscous “blood” continued to flow incessantly from his body, dripping onto the floor and quickly spreading forward.