Chapter 19: Lighter than a Feather

Chen Xuan finished a whole cigarette at the door before he had the courage to knock on the door of the ward.

“Knock, knock.”

"It's me, Chen Xuan."

"You're here, Officer Chen."

Li Yuan sat in a wheelchair and turned her head. Her eyes were covered with the same black veil, and now her whole body was covered with black plum blossom spots.

"Why aren't you talking...am I really ugly now?"

"How could it be...you are the most beautiful."

"Here, I brought you the pearl milk tea you wanted. There are many new styles available recently. I didn't know what you like, so I ordered the most classic one."

"Really? This is the one."

Li Yuan smiled and fumbled to take the pearl milk tea. Her cold hand made Chen Xuan withdraw his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

Li Yuan was completely unaware. Her face was filled with smiles as she sucked the pearls hard. However, the two tear marks under her black belt were inconsistent with her smile. She thought she had concealed it well.

After taking a sip, Li Yuan couldn't help but ask:

"Officer Chen... they still don't believe it?"

Chen Xuan replied:

"Yes, they won't believe it until they see the last scene with their own eyes."

Li Yuan stirred the ice and took another sip. She hadn't had pearl milk tea for a long time, so she drank it very carefully. She took another sip, and a pearl rose along the wall of the tube.

"Do you really want to keep going?"

Li Yuan paused, her throat was surging, she didn't know if it was because of swallowing or because of nervousness.

At this point, Chen Xuan felt a little overwhelmed. He picked up a fruit knife, then picked up an apple, letting his hands find something to do, and then said casually:

"Two other police officers and a doctor who were infected have also died."

"Suicide?"

"Yes, slitting wrists, hanging, and taking poison."

Li Yuan put down the pearl milk tea and looked out the window with disappointment.

"It should be."

Their outcome is what they deserve. Not everyone has the courage to wait and go through all the pain and then watch themselves step by step towards death.

They are itching and in pain every minute and every second. Once they are infected with the Pen Fairy, there are only two paths: either die or become the "Pen Fairy" and kill others. What is the point of persisting?

Chen Xuan licked his lips, forced a smile twice, and then quickly turned expressionless, maintaining a relaxed tone and said:

"What about you? Are you in pain? If you can't hold on, just give up."

"Actually, don't think you're that important. If you persist, you'll just let everyone see what the Pen Fairy looked like before its transformation. Those who shouldn't believe it will still not believe it. I have many ways to prove that ghosts exist in this world. It's just a matter of time."

Chen Xuan finally finished peeling the apple and handed it to Li Yuan.

"If you don't want to be tortured, then don't insist."

Li Yuan handed the apple back with a smile on her face, but eventually she calmed down.

"It's all I can do."

"Some people's death is heavier than Mount Tai, while others are lighter than a feather."

"You know, when I saw 'it', my first reaction was sadness. I knew that the world was about to suffer a huge disaster."

“Many, many people will die.”

"Although I can't go on, I feel that I should donate my own strength and perhaps save some people."

"It's death anyway."

"I'm not afraid of him."

Li Yuan clenched his fists, as if to cheer himself up.

"Okay, okay."

"Okay, let's not talk about such serious things. Tell me what else you want to eat. I'll promise you everything today."

"I paid for this privately, so you can ask for anything you want."

"OK!"

Li Yuan's eyes lit up, and even the black cloth could not hide them.

"Then I want you to write a letter for my parents. They may not know that I will die in the line of duty, and I don't dare tell them. I have never been rebellious since I was a child, so I have to leave something behind."

"Then I want to finish watching the TV series that's not finished this afternoon, and it would be best if I could have some fruit to eat."

"good."

"Please help me put on some makeup. I don't want to die so ugly."

"Okay~"

"Finally, Officer Chen, can you please kill me before I transform?"

Li Yuan took a deep breath, and his trembling tone became much more balanced.

"I don't want to become a monster like that."

Chen Xuan smiled and said in disbelief:

"It hasn't come to that yet, Li Yuan. Who knows, maybe tonight I'll have another idea and think of a way to save you? As long as you hold on to hope for life, maybe a miracle will n't that save more people..."

"Officer Chen."

Li Yuan held Chen Xuan's hand, and looked at Chen Xuan pleadingly with her blindfolded eyes.

“Give up those who must die and save those who can live.”

Chen Xuan choked and swallowed it back.

Some are lighter than a feather, some are heavier than Mount Tai.

"good."

"I'll agree to whatever you say today."

In the end, Li Yuan didn't do anything, just took a shower and left a letter.

Many police officers arrived at the scene wearing protective clothing, and Chief Li sat at the front, looking at Li Yuan worriedly.

The night is solemn.

Just like the night three days ago, Li Qiqi was replaced by Li Yuan. Sitting under the moonlight, looking at the sky in the dust, Chen Xuan couldn't even tell whether time had passed or not, and whether he was trapped in that desperate night and could never break free.

The night is absurd.

Li Yuan, who was still young and naive, grew up in the blink of an eye. She changed from a little girl who followed behind and said she wanted to learn how to investigate cases to someone who could say, "Give up those who are bound to die and save those who can survive."

But it’s not that easy. Who can let go of whom?

Night is for dreaming.

But Chen Xuan didn't dare to dream.

This wasn't a dream after all.

“Ah! Ah!!”

Li Yuan wailed as pain pulled at her body. Her hands moved like earthworms. She cried bitterly and collapsed. Her body made sounds of broken bones and her limbs swelled wildly.

The plum blossoms on its body began to tear, began to shuttle, and it began to deform and distort.

It stood up slowly, and in the moonlight, the black silk fluttered in the wind. She trembled and wanted to look back at everyone again.

"sorry."

Li Yuan said.

It was also Chen Xuan who said this.

"Bang."

A gunshot rang out, waking up the people around. Everyone turned around and saw Chen Xuan holding a pistol with smoke coming out of it.

"Officer Chen...Officer Chen!"

Chen Xuan's chest heaved, then his gun fell to the ground and he collapsed limply on the ground.

There was a lot of noise around him, but he couldn't hear clearly.

He just stared at Li Yuan's body blankly, his hands shaking with regret.

It was he who killed Li Yuan.