Chapter 1193 - This Time Let Me Be Your Shadow (3in1) (1/2)
Translator: Lonelytree
Cursed Lady’s eyes moved away from Chen Ge’s face and moved to scan the back of his arm. When the two were close to each other earlier, the wound that was on the back of Chen Ge’s arm that was unable to heal started to bleed again as if it had received some kind of agitation.
“Was it you who left behind the wound on the back of my arm?” Chen Ge raised his arm, to which the Cursed Lady responded with a curt nod. 10 minutes later, the third sick hall returned to normal and all the black threads had faded away. Ol’ Zhou and Tang Jun crawled up from the ground. After ensuring everyone was fine, it was also at the same time Men Nan woke up from his unconsciousness.
“We have grossly underestimated the power level of the Cursed Lady, she is probably the strongest spectre in this city.” Men Nan took in a cold breath. “it is not shameful to lose to her but we will probably have to reconsider further this issue about requesting her for help.”
“We have already met all three of the scariest spectres in this city, the rest of the spectres can be handled by the tenants of Ping An Apartment. Chen Ge, I need you to stay patiently inside the Haunted House and do not have any more interaction with the rest of us.” Zuo Han’s brain was clear, and his thoughts was sharp. “After we have made all the necessary preparation, we will go back to the haunted House to find you.” After saying all that, Zuo Han realized Chen Ge had not responded with any words. He patted lightly on Chen Ge’s shoulders. “Do not think too much about what the Cursed Lady has said. Can a person still be considered a complete person once he has lost his heart?”
“Actually she has a valid point to make.”
“Do not get pulled into this nonsense, you are the key for everyone of us to make our escape…” before Zuo Han could finish, he saw how bloodshot Chen Ge’s eyes were. Honestly, of everyone there, Zuo Han was the person who was the most familiar with Chen Ge. He had once considered to trade his life with Single Eye, only those who had been forced to that step could empathize with the feeling that CheN Ge was going through. Zuo Han knew that as someone who was at the center of the storm, the pain and despair that Chen Ge was put under must be at least 10 times of his own. He wanted to console Chen Ge but all the words that he could think off sounded weak and meaningless before the face of true despair.
“We will find back our memory.” Zuo Han did not disturb Chen Ge who was deep in thought. The few of them left the Third Sick Hall together. After coming up the new contact method, Chen Ge parted ways with the tenants from Ping An Apartments. He took a long detour before heading back to the Haunted House at the theme park. He laid in the bed inside the staff breakroom. Before this, he only thought the rising sun of this world would shower his body with the warmest ray but now he was slightly afraid of the sight of dawn. He had no idea what would happen tomorrow but there was one thing that he was certain, he knew that the day after would be worse than today.
Tragedy was approaching him step by side. Chen Ge laid in bed all night and he realized he was unable to fall asleep. At 8 am in the next morning, Chen Ge crawled out of bed due to habit and started to clean the place. Even though the Haunted House was still barred from business, he would still spend every day checking the many scenarios and props. At around 8. 10 am, Zhang Ya arrived at the door of the Haunted House. She looked much haggard than before, in just the past few days, she seemed to have shed a lot of weight. Yesterday night, she was tormented by nightmare again. At 2 am in the morning, she was frightened awake. Once she closed her eyes, the tragedy in her nightmare would be imprinted at the back of her mind.
Her father’s condition was worsening and her mother had to stay behind at the hospital to look after her. Zhang Ya did not want to add more pressure on them, to give them one more thing to worry about so she poured her concern towards Chen Ge. “I found myself unable to sleep even though it was already 3 something in the morning. I got out from bed to go to the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water. When I passed the window, I saw a man at the bottom of the building. He was smiling constantly while staring at my window.” Zhang Ya leaned close to Chen Ge. “The scenario from my nightmare was slowly turning into reality, it has reached a point where I cannot differentiate between them anymore.”
At this point, Chen Ge already knew that the hospital had already reached out their claws towards Zhang Ya. This was the usual modus operandi for the hospital. First they would make it seem like a normal person was going insane and then they would reach out to them to offer ‘treatment’ and intervention. Chen Ge was very worried about Zhang Ya’s mental state. He was concerned that she might be sent into Xin Hai Central Hospital because once you got into that hospital, it was basically impossible to come out anymore. There was one moment where he felt like bringing Zhang Ya to run away but where else could they run away to? This was a city without hope, all the good memory and happiness was just a mirage, even if they wanted to run, there was no place for them to run away to. Looking at Zhang Ya who had truly wilted in the past few days, Chen Ge’s fingers slowly tightened. “Why don’t you go inside the haunted house to take some rest, I will be here to look over the place.”
The truth that he wanted to say he could not say, the harsh truth was suppressed at the bottom of his heart, in this life which was slowly peeling apart, Chen Ge cared for Zhang Ya as delicately as he could, that was the only thing that he could do now. Opening the door to the staff breakroom, Chen Ge saw Zhang Ya who quickly fell asleep. He branded this image of hers into his heart. “It feels like I have owed her too much.”
Lying next to the bed, Chen Ge did not budge for an inch because he knew that this might the last few moments that they could share together.
When it was almost noon, the management of the theme park entered the Haunted House with a few of the security guards. They barged into the place like it belonged to them, they did not even acknowledge Chen Ge’s presence. When Chen Ge hurried to meet them, the management had already done with the modification that they wanted, all of the decision had already been made without even consulting the owner of the Haunted House. The most popular scenario at the Haunted House, Murder at Midnight was to be taken down in three days, they believed the scenario was too scary that it had caused visitors to faint. It had seriously affected the reputation of the theme park so it had to be removed.
A few of non professional walked among the scenarios, criticizing non stop about the props that Chen Ge had poured his soul into. Anything that did not reach up to their standard, which was practically everything, had to be removed. This was not his Haunted House, it was Zhang Ya’s Haunted House. He wanted to try his best to protect this place, so that it would see the day of reopening in the future. As long as that day would come, then they would have the chance to survive the ordeal, that was the only request that Chen Ge had. There were more than 70 spots that needed to be changed and on top of that, a scenario had to be completely removed. And to do all that, they had only given Chen Ge a 3 day period to do so. After the management of the theme park left, Chen Ge’s hand that was holding the piece of paper was squeezing so hard that the paper had gotten twisted out of shape. “as long as there is still a chance for reopening, there is still hope.”
After Zhang Ya woke up, Chen Ge went to find her with the piece of paper. Looking at the content inside the paper, Zhang Ya was not feeling so well either. Chen Ge though sat beside her to comfort her as best as he could. In the afternoon, the two of them busied themselves with the modification of the Haunted House. They had sealed up the scenario for Murder at Midnight and had taken down most of the scary props. They worked until 6 pm. The two of them initially planned to go for dinner together but suddenly Zhang Ya received an urgent call from her family. Zhang Ya’s father was transferred to another sickroom and her mother was requested to stay to look after him.
After getting the call, Zhang Ya immediately hurried towards Xin Hai Central Hospital, Chen Ge though walked her to the front door of the hospital. When the two parted, Chen Ge gripped Zhang Ya’s hand. He told her if she was frightened, she was welcome to come to the Haunted House to find him at any time. She should not be home alone at a time like this. Seeing Zhang Ya retreat deep into the centre of Xin Hai Central Hospital, Chen Ge’s heart slowly squeezed together. He was very fearful that this was the last chance they would have the chance to see each other.
After returning to the Haunted House, Chen Ge found himself unable to find peace. He kept pacing up and down the corridor until the clock showed that it was already 9 in the evening. He wanted to dull his senses by submerging himself in his work like usual. But when he entered the haunted house with the modification details that were given to him by the management, Chen Ge found himself stumped. He did not know what to do. All of his talent and skill was to make the visitors fall more in love with the Haunted House, to give them a truly frightening experience. He had not done anything that would require him to actively destroy the Haunted House before. Gripping the tool hammer tightly, Chen Ge looked at the scenario that he had personally built and he shuffled into it silently like a man without a cause. Throughout the night, Chen Ge destroyed the scenario for Murder at Midnight, and he continued to take down all the scare points. The sunlight filtered through the window into the Haunted House but Chen Ge could feel any warmth at all. The rays of light seemed to carry a piercing chill in them.
“The sun has finally come up.” Sitting at the door of the Haunted House, Chen Ge who had not taken a wink throughout the night did not feel sleepy at all. He scratched the white cat’s head. The pair of human and cat looked down the distance quietly, waiting for Zhang Ya to arrive. At 10. 30 am, way after the theme park had opened for business, Zhang Ya finally arrived at the Haunted House. Seeing Zhang Ya in person, Chen Ge sighed in great relief, he was really worried that it would be a lasting goodbye between them yesterday night.
“Zhang Ya, you need to take a good rest, just leave everything about the Haunted House to me.” Chen Ge who had not slept at all through the night wished for Zhang Ya to take some rest. He stood beside Zhang Ya and regarded her with complicated emotions in his eyes. The two of them entered the scenario together. It was then that Zhang Ya realized with shock that Chen Ge had already completed all the modifications required by the theme park management. “Did you not sleep at all yesterday night?” Zhang Ya was reminded of what Chen Ge said earlier and she felt her heart squeeze with pain.
At around noon, Chen Ge found the people from the management. After they inspected the Haunted house, he and Zhang Ya thought they would be allowed to reopen the Haunted House again but the response they were given was, they should wait for later announcement. There was no hope in the future, but Chen Ge and Zhang Ya still refused to give up. In the afternoon, Zhang Ya left to go to the hospital while Chen Ge stayed alone behind at the Haunted House. He looked at the place that he could not recognize anymore and his dry lips pinched together. At around 11 pm, he heard the sound of the gates of the Haunted House being shaken. Chen Ge who was spacing out inside the Haunted House ran out in a hurry. He saw Zhang Ya leaning against the gate and her face was as white as paper. She was swinging unstably on her feet.
“What happened?” Chen Ge quickly helped Zhang Ya into the building.
“I left the hospital at around 8 pm. After I got home, I just had this unsettling feeling inside him, it was as if the scary memory from my nightmare was about to crawl into my brain.” Zhang Ya closed her eyes in pain. “The world in my eyes would suddenly become absurd and the strange man outside my window comes closer and closer. I can sense him waiting for me just outside the corridor!” Zhang Ya’s mental state was loosening. Her nightmare was overlapping with reality and it was turning her whole world upside down. She was in an extremely precarious situation, she must not be given anymore agitating stimulus.
“Zhang Ya, why don’t you sleep at the staff breakroom tonight. I will guard beside you, I will make sure that no one will come to harm you.” Chen Ge laid down the mattress on the floor and gave Zhang ya the bed to sleep on. The staff breakroom was not large. After switching off the lights, they could hear the echo of each other’s breathing. The moonlight outside the window filtered through the gap and shone into the room. Zhang Ya who was lying on the bed, facing away from Chen Ge suddenly asked softly, “Chen Ge, am I sick?”
“No, the thing that is sick is this world.”
“So why is it me that feels the pain?”