Chapter 2: Memory Of The Past

Chapter 2: Memory Of The Past

The movie is titled “Looking at the Sky,” and Jiang Qi plays the male protagonist named ‘Mu Xi.’

He is an unmistakable juvenile delinquent, a naturally cold-blooded and perverse seed. The film portrays Mu Xi’s life in an extremely gloomy and desolate manner, claiming to be a lifetime but actually spanning only twenty-five years.

On his twenty-fifth birthday, he was brought to justice by the symbol of the ‘light of justice,’ a firearm, along with the five lives he had taken.

The protagonist Mu Xi in the story discovered that he was a ‘monster’ at the age of seven. Unlike other innocent and naive children, he was unwelcome from birth. His mother was a ‘prostitute,’ and his father was a hopeless gambler. Debt collectors knocked on their door every day, making the family extremely depraved.

This led to Mu Xi’s cold and frozen perverse inner self, ruthless and cruel.

The first life Mu Xi took was that of his father. At the age of fifteen, after watching a suspenseful mystery movie where the protagonist used a rope to strangle a cannon fodder character and slowly decipher the mystery, Mu Xi felt stimulated and pleased.Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

So, that night, taking an attitude like conducting an experiment, he used a rough hemp rope to strangle his father to death while he was heavily intoxicated. Then, using a Swiss army knife he bought from a convenience store near the school, he stabbed him with hundreds of bloody holes.

...

The movie does not depict Mu Xi’s actions with overly bloody scenes. Most of it is left to the audience’s imagination, occasionally describing the protagonist’s cruel methods through narration and various cinematographic techniques.

But most of the time, it relies on various close-up shots of Jiang Qi’s confrontational expressions to convey emotions. He seems to be Mu Xi, with an indifferent, cruel, and sinister demeanor like a madman. However, his glassy-colored eyes and the corners of his lips carry a hint of a smile.

As if doing these things brings him extreme pleasure.

It’s not until the film shows the dim light of dawn, and the sky turns a warm yellow, that Mu Xi completes his ‘work.’

The tousled-haired youth looked at the mess on the ground, lightly chuckled, his voice faintly hoarse enough to send shivers down one’s spine. Then, his slender fingers, stained with blood, slowly smeared it on his own face.

The pale, almost transparent skin adorned with a vivid red, his appearance handsome to the point of near-mystique.

He seemed like a devil from hell, soul-searching, but damn fitting for blood.

Zhi Qi, in a daze, heard Meng Chunyu beside her softly mutter, “Oh my god, the first time I’ve seen a man so suited for blood.”

“Clearly committing murder, yet so damn handsome it makes my legs weak.”

The camera on the big screen gradually zoomed out, moving from Mu Xi’s beautiful face to the exterior of the house, all the way to the sky. This was the first forty-five minutes of the movie, telling the ‘early life’ of Mu Xi, followed by his endless life on the run.

During this process, the latent deviant factor within Mu Xi was completely triggered by that massacre, unable to be suppressed. He couldn’t control the desires brewing in his heart, despite having a seemingly bright mind, all that surfaced were ugly thoughts—crime, theft, and even murder...

When Mu Xi ran out of money, he stole; if caught, he killed. Before the police could catch him, he instilled fear throughout the entire city, lurking in the shadows for nine years before justice caught up with him.

And in the moment he was executed, the man in the prison uniform still looked like a youth, his delicately slim face pale and unhealthy, yet his eyes were full of understanding. It seemed like he had long accepted that he would meet such an end. Mu Xi faced it openly, even with a hint of relief in his smile.

His life was like a vine growing in a swamp, tainted and twisted.

So, he preferred to live like this muddy mess, making it somewhat thrilling.

“Damn! My niece was kidnapped, and she’s rescued by such a little brat? Are you kidding me? He must be an accomplice! Are you police investigating? Do I, as a victim’s family member, need to come and ask? Do you think I want to resort to violence?!”

Zhi Qi had just woken up, her mind still in a daze. She was frightened by the brutal scene unfolding before her eyes and immediately shouted, “Second Uncle!”

The tape on her face had already been removed, but the young girl’s originally sweet and gentle voice, after a night of ‘torment,’ was hoarse and weak, like a timid little creature.

In the corner, Jiang Qi heard it and couldn’t help but lift his head to look at Zhi Qi on the bed.

Seeing the girl’s face full of innocent anxiety, as her second uncle rushed over, bombarding her with questions, she shook her head repeatedly, “The little brother is not a bad person. He saved me! Second Uncle, you can’t hit people!”

Jiang Qi couldn’t be bothered to see if Uncle would feel guilty or anything after hearing that. His sapphire-colored eyes stared straight at Zhi Qi, observing the lively and vibrant actions of the young girl, filled with a kind of ‘resurrection’ vitality.

The young boy lowered his gaze, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

“Okay, okay, Uncle was wrong.” The man, who moments ago was so hostile that he seemed ready to destroy the entire police station, now appeared gentle like a lamb. He spoke softly, coaxing the little girl, “Qiqi, tell Uncle if you have any pain on your body. The nurse sister checked and said there were no injuries, but Uncle is still worried.”

“No, I’m not in pain.” Zhi Qi shook her head. After answering Uncle’s words, she stood up from the bed. When her legs touched the ground, she felt a bit weak – the symptoms of blood circulation not fully recovering after being tied with a rope all night.

Uncle was taken aback and hastily said, “Qiqi, what are you doing on your feet? Go back to bed quickly.”

Zhi Qi was still angry about him randomly beating people and ignored him. Instead, she walked on her two short legs to Jiang Qi in the corner.

“Young brother, thank you for saving me.” The girl’s clear and dark eyes blinked at the boy, “What’s your name?”

The boy looked up, somewhat surprised, and glanced at Zhi Qi.

He couldn’t help but ask softly, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

Zhi Qi’s two braids, after a night of turmoil, were now messy like a little madman, but her eyes were bright, and she smiled beautifully.

She tilted her head, “Not afraid, why should I be afraid of you?”

Jiang Qi’s throat couldn’t help but roll. The small hand hanging by his side clenched, and after a while, he said softly, “Jiang... Jiang Qi.”

“Okay.” Zhi Qi continued to smile, nodding vigorously, “I will remember.”

She had no idea that for Jiang Qi, she was the ‘first’ he had encountered. Because, growing up to the age of ten, there were only two kinds of people in Jiang Qi’s life – those who disliked him and those who feared him.

The young boy just wanted to turn the former into the latter.

He would rather be like a mad dog than let anyone bully him.

Only Zhi Qi’s sudden appearance was like a ray of light, bringing the first touch of ‘color’ to his dark and barren life. Jiang Qi knew he was never a good person; he was a madman who happened to save Zhi Qi. He shouldn’t be admired by the little girl; he should be treated with indifference.