Jianhuo weakly ran back home. He opened the basement door and discovered that Lijuan was gone. In rage, he slammed his fist against the wall. Then he took a pair of tweezers, disinfectant, and cotton from a drawer.
Standing in front of the mirror, Jianhuo slowly pushed the tweezers into the wound on his shoulder while staring at his reflection. He cried out in pain. The tweezers clamped onto the bullet lodged inside the wound, and he pulled it out. The pain brought tears to his eyes.
Jianhuo poured disinfectant over the wound, then endured the intense pain as he pressed cotton onto it. He taped the cotton in place, then walked over and picked up an axe and a rope.
Curiosity 3
Chapter Six: Your Son Isn't Dead Yet
Oye helped Grandpa Chun straighten the cane that had been disturbed earlier. Kaize held Yeey's arm and stood behind Liu Ly. Liu Ly stared blankly ahead with lifeless eyes, while Lijuan gently rubbed her shoulder from the side.
Yeey walked over to Liu Ly and said, "Pull yourself together. We—"
Before Yeey could finish, Liu Ly slapped him across the face and shouted angrily, "This is all your fault! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gone to that damn place with you! I could have saved him! This is all your fault!"
The slap knocked Yeey to the ground. Kaize rushed forward to help him up. Lijuan and Oye stared at Liu Ly in shock. Liu Ly looked at the people around her, then turned and ran out. Oye chased after her. Yeey stood there in a daze, while Grandpa Chun watched silently from the side.
Liu Ly ran halfway before Oye grabbed her hand. She turned to look at him. As her hair brushed past Oye's nose, he caught her scent. The two stared at each other, and Oye tightly held her hand.
Liu Ly wrapped her arms around Oye's head and kissed him. Oye's eyes widened in shock. After coming to his senses, he held Liu Ly with both arms. The two kissed passionately, ignoring the stares of the people around them.
Liu Ly pulled back. Oye panted as he looked at her, then smiled and said, "That felt amazing. Can we do it again?"
Liu Ly lifted her head, about to kiss him again, when Jianhuo suddenly grabbed her from behind. Liu Ly struggled desperately. Just as Oye was about to step forward to help, Jianhuo raised the axe and pressed it against Liu Ly's throat, saying, "Don't come any closer. One more step and I'll kill her."
At that moment, Yeey and the others ran out as well.
Jianhuo threw Liu Ly into the car and drove off. Oye anxiously turned to look at Yeey.
Just then, Grandpa Chun received a phone call. He picked it up and saw that it was Jianhuo.
After answering, Jianhuo said, "Don't call the police, or I'll kill her immediately. If you want her back, come to my house."
With that, Jianhuo hung up. Grandpa Chun looked at the others and said, "Get in the car. Now."
After hearing this, Yeey, Kaize, Oye, and Lijuan all got into the car.
Before long, they arrived at Jianhuo's house. Grandpa Chun opened the door and walked in, only to see Liu Ly tied to a chair, with Jianhuo holding an axe against her neck.
The others followed inside. Yeey rushed forward and said anxiously, "Calm down, calm down, calm down. Don't do anything rash. Whatever you want, we can give it to you."
Jianhuo angrily forced out tears and shouted, "I want you and Kaize dead!"
Kaize looked at Yeey, and Yeey turned to look back at him. Lijuan lowered her head. Jianhuo continued, "You two killed my son. Why do you get to live so happily now? Why?!"
Yeey and Kaize stared at Jianhuo in horror. Liu Ly struggled desperately, but it was useless. Veins bulging, Jianhuo shouted, "Ever since you killed my son, I've tried every possible way to find the real culprits. I live every single day in the pain of my son's death—do you have any idea how unbearable that is?!"
As he spoke, the axe pressed even closer to Liu Ly's neck. Liu Ly began to cry in fear. At that moment, Grandpa Chun shouted loudly, "Your son isn't dead yet!"
Jianhuo widened his eyes and stared at him. "What?"
Grandpa Chun stepped forward and said, "Your son is at the Korya cemetery right now. He's become a zombie with consciousness."
Jianhuo's hand trembled as he held the axe. "Do you really think I'm that easy to fool?!"
Oye frowned and said, "Of course not."
Everyone looked at him. Oye quickly explained, "No, no, no—I mean your son really is still alive. We're not lying to you."
Jianhuo froze, staring at him. Grandpa Chun continued, "Your son was afflicted by a curse. That curse revived him and turned him into a conscious zombie."
Jianhuo tightened his grip on Liu Ly. "Is that true?"
Yeey spoke up, "Why would we lie to you? There are wanted notices for you everywhere now. Come with us—we'll protect you and take you to find your son, okay?"
Jianhuo slowly loosened his hold on Liu Ly. Yeey, Kaize, and Oye quickly rushed over to untie her. Grandpa Chun looked at Jianhuo and said, "Get in the car."
Yeey opened the trunk and said to Jianhuo, "Get in."
Jianhuo looked at Yeey and thought for a long time, then climbed in. Yeey closed the trunk.
Oye walked over to Liu Ly and asked, "Are you okay?"
Liu Ly looked at him and said, "Next time, don't kiss for that long."
The two looked at each other and smiled, then got into the car.
Soon, they once again returned to Grandpa Chun's shop. Yeey and Kaize escorted Jianhuo inside. Jianhuo sat down at the table, and Grandpa Chun threw a history book in front of him, saying, "Read it carefully."
Jianhuo opened the book and began reading.
Grandpa Chun led Yeey and the others into a secret room where he had stored many weapons. He stepped forward, picked up a cane, and pulled a sword out from inside it. The others stared in shock.
Grandpa Chun turned to them and said, "Choose the weapons you like."
Everyone began preparing. Lijuan looked at Yeey and Kaize and walked toward them. She stopped in front of them and said, "I'm sorry."
Yeey and Kaize looked at her in confusion. "For what?"
With her head lowered, Lijuan said, "I was the one who told him about that. If I hadn't told him, maybe Lee Yan wouldn't have died, and maybe none of this would have happened."
Yeey smiled and said, "It's okay. Everyone makes mistakes."
Lijuan smiled and said, "Thank you."
Not long after, they finished preparing. Yeey held a sword, Kaize wielded two blades, Oye carried a short dagger, and Liu Ly picked up a wooden club covered in spikes. Yeey, Kaize, Lijuan, and Oye all stared at her in shock.
Grandpa Chun came out and saw that Jianhuo was still seriously reading the history book. He looked at him and said, "Time to go. Stop reading."
Jianhuo finished the last line and closed the book.