After Ari finished bandaging his wounds, Lu Ming stood up slowly and moved toward the window again, as if fearing that a single word might break the silence and melt the ice between them. Outside, the snow fell heavier, and the wind whistled through the inn's old crevices.
(Ari Internally: Back to his favorite ice-statue pose! Staring at the snow like he's reading his future there. My God, his bandaged back looks so painful.. I wished he'd at least say "thank you," but silence seems to be his official language. Hang in there, Ari; don't give in to this gloomy atmosphere!)
While Lu Ming was busy monitoring the dark forest, Ari noticed his coat draped over a chair. An old leather wallet had fallen out, clicking open to reveal a faded photograph.
(Ari Internally, stealing a glance: Wait.. what's this? A photo? Does the T-Rex have a social life? I can't resist.. curiosity will kill me before the 'Assassins ' do!)
Ari approached under the guise of tidying the room and quickly picked up the photo. It was of a young woman with very delicate Chinese features, resembling Lu Ming in the sharpness of her gaze. Behind her was an old mansion similar to the one they left in Germany. The woman wore a strange necklace—a "coiled dragon" holding a glowing blue stone in its center.. exactly like the color of Lu Ming's veins during his transformation!
Suddenly, Ari felt a shadow loom over her. Her blood ran cold when she heard Lu Ming's voice directly behind her ear, cold as a razor blade:
"Curiosity in this place.. might cost you more than just your life, Ari."
He slowly pulled the wallet from her hand, but his fingers brushed hers for a second, and she felt a strange tremor in his hand. It wasn't a tremor of anger; it was a deep, muffled vibration.
(Ari Internally: Crap! Caught red-handed! But wait.. his hand is shaking? Does this photo hurt him that much? Look at his eyes.. the darkness in them looks like a sea of profound sadness. I want to ask him—who is she? Is she his mother? And is that necklace the secret of the curse?)
"I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to pry," Ari whispered, looking into his eyes. "But I saw the necklace.. it looks like the color of your veins when you're in pain."
Lu Ming clenched his hand over the wallet and said in a soulless tone: "That necklace is the reason for my existence.. and the reason for the destruction of everyone I've ever loved. Do not ask again."
He walked to the other side of the room and lay down on the floor by the fireplace, leaving the bed for Ari.
(Ari Internally, sitting on the edge of the bed watching him: He's going to sleep on the floor? In this cold? What a stubborn and noble man! A necklace that destroyed everyone he loved? So he's not just a raging beast; he's a victim of a terrifying past.. I will uncover your secret, Lu Ming, not just out of curiosity, but because I want to break the chain that weighs you down!)