Chapter 39: The White Nigh (1/2)

According to the Bible, Adam and Eve gave birth to two sons—Cain and Abel—after stealing the forbidden fruit. Cain was responsible for growing vegetables, and Abel was responsible for rearing livestock.

When the two brothers made sacrifices to God, Cain only used some of the fresh vegetables that he grew, but Abel sacrificed the most delicious lamb he had. Because of that, God preferred Abel’s offerings, causing Cain to be jealous, and he eventually stoned his brother Abel to death because of this jealousy.

None of this escaped the eyes of God. God called Cain to himself and asked where Abel went. Cain lied and said that he did not know. God became angry and cast a curse on Cain and his descendants. They were henceforth exiled and would never receive the glory of God ever again!

Some theologians believe that since then Cain was driven out of the Garden of Eden and became a blood-sucking monster. His descendants also lived in ghoulish castles, and every time they appeared, legends of terrifying vampires would crop up, notably like the legend of Count Dracula in Europe.

“Dude,” said Dali, “you even read the Bible?”

“No, I haven’t read the Bible,” I said. “But I encountered these legends in other books.”

“Isn’t it ironic that there is a vampire in the place where God is worshipped?” asked Huang Xiaotao.

“Miss, it’s not like that,” the nun said. “Where there is light, there is always darkness as well. God and the devil are like the two sides of the same coin. Besides, the child had improved after he received the education from the director.”

“That child didn't improve at all,” said Dali. “He just sucked a woman's blood a few days ago...”

Huang Xiaotao gave Dali a look, and the aunt asked in astonishment, “Is it true?”

Huang Xiaotao had no choice but to say, “We are still investigating the case. The identity of the murderer is still inconclusive.”

The nun made a cross with her fingers across her chest and muttered, “May the Lord forgive his sins.”

She then led us to the door of an office and knocked on it.

“Come in,” said the voice of a man inside.

The nun opened the door and explained, “Director, these people are from the police. They’re here to investigate a certain case.”

We then went in. There was a desk in front of the door, and a man who was about fifty or sixty years old with salt-and-pepper hair and glasses was sitting at the desk, typing. There were stacks of books on the desk, most of which were related to the Bible.

The director stood up and said, “I apologize for the mess. Please have a seat. Ren-mama, will you go and pour a few cups of tea for the guests?”

Dali’s ears pricked up at the use of the suffix -mama. He leaned close to me and whispered, “Ren-mama?”

I smacked him with my elbow and told him not to talk indiscriminately.

“It’s not what you think, idiot!” I said. “It’s an honorary suffix for nuns, and totally different from what you see in the drama My Fair Princess.”

Huang Xiaotao gave the director a brief explanation. He nodded, then said, “I do remember a child that fits your descriptions! His name was Bai Yue. In fact, I was the one who gave him this name. White is his skin color, and the night is his favorite time of day. His life was incredibly tragic. I heard that his mother was a prostitute, but he was too young to remember his mother’s appearance and name. For professional reasons, his mother abandoned him. He was a loner for a long time, and he rarely interacted with other children.”

“A… prostitute?” Huang Xiaotao was visibly surprised.

It seemed like there was a reason why Bai Yue chose a prostitute as his victim.

“Director, do you know where Bai Yue went?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“No, I don't,” he said. “After he escaped, we heard nothing of him at all. I was worried about him at the time, and I sent people around to find him.”

“How do the orphans who grow up here live once they get older?” I asked.

“We will teach them some basic knowledge,” said the director, “which is equivalent to the nine-year compulsory education, so that they can have the skill to support themselves after adulthood. Of course, some orphans are willing to stay and serve God after they grow up.”

I saw that the director’s office was very simple and praised, “You are truly an admirable person! You’ve built this orphanage and contributed so much to society!”

The director smiled and said, “You’re too kind. I was an orphan when I was a child, and I survived because of the grace of the Lord. Therefore, I am willing to dedicate my life to him! The orphanage has only been established for several years. It used to be extremely difficult, but gradually we’re getting better as there are now government grants and donations from all walks of life, and some grown-up orphans occasionally come back to help as well.”

We finally said thank you and prepared to leave before we even finished the tea. But before I left, I suddenly remembered something and asked the director, “By the way, have you seen Bai Yue recently?”