Chapter Four: The Eerie Descent
In a daze, Zhang Yuanqing felt something soft and full pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
Opening his eyes, he saw a round, delicate face paired with a mischievous smile.
His aunt hummed,
"You little brat, how dare you stand me up? I'll squash you to death!"
She sat on his body like a duck, leaning forward before lifting her hips and slamming back down hard.
Zhang Yuanqing let out a muffled groan, nearly suffocating. Annoyed, he arched his back, flipping the woman off him.
As his aunt let out an "Ah!" in surprise, Zhang Yuanqing noticed that the sky outside had already darkened. Unknowingly, he had slept from morning until night.
"Dinner time!"
His aunt lay sideways on his bed, kicking at him repeatedly.
"Can you stop retaliating? I'm a respectful young man who honors the elderly and cherishes the young. I won't stoop to your level."
Zhang Yuanqing quickly rolled off the bed, slipped on his shoes, and walked out of the room.
The rich aroma of food filled the living room. His grandparents sat at the dining table, already eating. His grandfather had silver-white hair, a tall and thin frame, and a stern, unsmiling expression.
At the table, his grandmother asked expectantly,
"So, how was the match I set up for you this time?"
"Not bad! A corporate executive with an annual salary of a million. Very satisfied!"
His aunt nodded enthusiastically, like a pecking chick.
"You say that every time, and every time you end up blocking them afterward." His grandmother jabbed a finger at her daughter's forehead and scolded,
"Be more serious about this. Think about how old you are now."
"Exactly, exactly..." Zhang Yuanqing added with schadenfreude.
Before he could enjoy his moment, his aunt kicked him hard under the table.
The two began a silent kicking battle beneath the table, making the furniture rattle with loud thuds.
"If you're not eating, get back to your rooms!"
With a single shout from their grandmother, Zhang Yuanqing and his aunt immediately quieted down and focused on their meal.
"Grandma, when will my cousin be back?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
His uncle's family lived in the apartment across the hall. Recently, his wealthy aunt and his free-spirited uncle had gone abroad for a trip. During this time, his cousin usually came over for dinner.
"He said he's working late tonight and won't be coming home... That boy works like a maniac, the complete opposite of his idle father." His grandmother sighed.
"Working late..." Zhang Yuanqing couldn't hide his disappointment.
After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing and his aunt returned to their rooms, leaving his grandmother to clean up.
---
Back in his room, Zhang Yuanqing locked the door and picked up his phone to call his cousin.
Since they couldn't talk in person, a call would have to do. Though discussing things over the phone was never as clear as talking face-to-face.
The call connected quickly, but an automated message in a foreign language told him the phone was turned off.
"In a meeting?"
Zhang Yuanqing sighed and hung up. His cousin, as a security captain, had a busy schedule with irregular work hours. It wasn't uncommon for him to be unreachable.
He was used to it.
Lying on his bed, Zhang Yuanqing stared at the ceiling, letting his thoughts wander...
If Bing-ge's disappearance was caused by someone, and their target was the black card, then I need to be careful. The safest option would be to give the black card to my cousin, who could then report it to his superiors.
With the authority of Songhai's Security Bureau, outside forces from Jiangnan Province wouldn't have much influence here.
But the problem is—the black card is gone. That's the real headache...
Zhang Yuanqing scratched his head in frustration.
A card that could disappear into thin air—just thinking about it was unsettling. Without it, handing it over to the authorities was out of the question.
The best option now was to confess everything to his cousin, let him report it up the chain, and follow whatever instructions he received.
After all, he was just an ordinary college student—there was nothing he could do on his own.
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing felt a burning pain on his forehead. He reached up to scratch it, but the pain only intensified.
Huh? It's both hot and painful—what's going on?
Confused, he got out of bed and walked over to the full-length mirror by the window.
The mirror reflected the face of a young man—delicate features, fair skin, full of youthful vigor. There was no sign of hardship carved by society, nor the weariness that came with age.
But right on his forehead was a black crescent moon symbol—vivid and lifelike, with irregular blotches across its surface.
Below the crescent moon, there was a progress bar displaying 90%.
What the—?
Zhang Yuanqing staggered backward in shock. He rubbed his forehead hard, but the mark wouldn't fade, as if it were tattooed onto his skin.
Where did this come from? When did