CH 1.2

Misfortune is Always Around the Corner (Part 2)

Xue Lingqiao stood at the top of the building facing the inpatient department. An imperceptible smile flashed across his face as he looked at Tian Jingzhi’s baffled expression.

After lying in the museum for over a hundred years, the world was no longer what he had known. The ever-changing signal lights and congested motorcades; the high-rise buildings and french windows; the electronic devices held in everyone's hands; and ubiquitous electronic eyes, watching at all times, were all strange and mysterious to him.

The change that this century had brought upon far exceeded the change the previous four hundred years combined. For him to live peacefully, he must find a way to adapt and assimilate as soon as possible. Moreover, he needed to find out which bastard had drained away his blood.

Because of this, for the last month, Xue Lingqiao had been in the library studying. However, there will always be female students sneaking pictures of him. It seems even that was different from a century ago. 

A couple days ago he had seen his phoenix jade annulus on auction in an old newspaper article. That was his most important item, given to him from his mother. Xue Lingqiao was unsure how it ended up in an auction company. He went to retrieve couple gold bars that he had hidden away previously and exchanged it for cash before making his way to the auction building. 

“That is correct, we had auctioned off this phoenix jade annulus a few years ago. It was a family heirloom of the previous owner’s ancestors, they had kept it in pristine condition and the carvings were fine and welldone, so I still remember it. However, I am sorry to inform you, Mr. Xue, as a formal company, we are unable to disclose any information about our clients. ” The senior manager of the auction company replied to Xue Lingqiao with a business smile.

“I don’t want their information. I just want to buy the item back.”

"The transaction price of this piece was 120 million. And not only that, but the collector might not necessarily want to sell it. I know some collectors who have some fine Qing dynasty jadeites in their hands. The price of each item is very reasonable, and each one is super high quality and one can appreciate..."

“I only want that one, I don’t want anything else.” Xue Lingqiao interrupted his sales promotion.

Manager Gao froze for a moment and hesitated before asking: "May I ask why Mr. Xue only wants that piece?"

"Because... that is something from my ancestors."

Manager Gao suddenly realized, and nodded: "Ok, then please leave your contact information, I will get you in contact with the collector as soon as possible."

It was raining heavily outside when Xue Lingqiao walked out of the auction company. And in the midst of the loud sound of water, he heard the sound of heartbeats. Xue Lingqiao didn’t know if being alive was a blessing or a curse, but that didn’t matter. However, that Miss Tian, who had saved him, was an uncertain risk factor.

When he came to the hospital, he just stood in front of Tian Jingzhi's bed. It was not to scare her, but to confirm something. He didn't expect such a large reaction from her and caused her to have a sleepless night…

—

Tian Jingzhi was hungry. She had pretended to have a poor appetite in front of the head nurse in the morning, only having a couple sips of the soup her mother had sent to her. Her stomach cried out constantly. The more she thought, the more hungry she became. On top of that, she was to be discharged on Wednesday, this made her mood even worse. Tian Jing Zhi urgently needed some sweets to heal her wounded soul. Only the cheesecake from the French restaurant Momo in the city center could help her.

There were a lot of fans still squating in the hospital lobby. So Tian Jingzhi decided to sneak out from the back.

“Momo cheesecake, here I come!” After Tian Jingzhi devised her plan, she kneeled into a start position before sprinting out. From the back, she heard a scream: “Miss Tian has disappeared!”

Before she could reach the fence, she was ‘blocked’ by the sewer. 

“Who forgot to close the lid of the sewer!?” Tian Jingzhi stood looking up at the sewer hole, furious. She tried jumping, but could not even touch the edge of the hole. Anxious, she walked in a circle, “Really you, just for a snack, snuck out of the hospital, only to fall in a sewer… Ok, just calm down, it’s not like this is the first time this has happened. How did I get out of the sewer the previous time?”

Xue Lingqiao jumped down, towards the hospital. He wanted to leave, but suddenly felt a sharp change in his heartbeat. He followed the feeling and landed steadily near a drain.

Badump, badump, badump.

Tian Jingzhi also heard the sounds of heartbeats. Her auditory hallucinations were getting more and more serious, but she had more important matters to tend to. “Help! Save me! Anyone there?!” 

"No one." Xue Lingqiao squatted down at the sewer entrance and replied in a cool manner.

“If there was no one, then are you a ghost?” Tian Jingzhi replied without thinking, but quickly changed her tone to half cute, half pleading, “Mr. doctor or a big brother security guard? ”

“Neither”

“Then you must be a patient! Quickly, pull me out!”

“Am not.”

Tian Jingzhi's little patience had worn away, and impatiently said: "It smells here, can you help me quickly?"

“Why should I?”

Tian Jingzhi was left speechless. Furious at him, she raised her arms in anger punching nothing, but air. However, when she realized that he was not talking and was really waiting for her to respond, she could only sigh. Tian Jingzhi suppressed her anger, and began to persuade him. “Even if you are just taking a stroll after a meal, with so many people outside, you can just yell out if you see injustice. If you do not want to pull me up, just go into the hospital and call for help… Hey, are you even listening? Once you help me out, you’ll find out who I am. I’m pretty popular among men, you might even want my autograph! Ok fine, I can also give you some money… Hey! Are you still there? Big brother, what should I do for you to save me? ”

What Xue Lingqiao heard was a bunch of nonsense. He stood up and indifferently said, “You, answer a few questions.”

Finally a reaction! Tian Jingzhi immediately replied, “Big bro, ask away!”

"Do you believe that there are immortal people in this world?"

Tian Jingzhi was shocked by this question, but soon realized that he must be a patient from the psychiatric department. However, in order to be rescued, she could only follow his words and say: "Believe, I believe, I believe everything you say unconditionally!"

"Do you want to be immortal?" Xue Lingqiao asked the next question.

Tian Jingzhi closed her mouth, unsure of how to answer. It seems that she had really encountered a mentally ill friend. And he is VERY ill… talking about immortality…

“You have the fruit of immortality?” Tian Jingzhi regretted the question as soon as she asked it. Mental patients generally don't like to make jokes. "Hey, brother, don't go, let me think about it. Seriously consider it."

Xue Lingqiao was not at all anxious, he waited quietly in the night.

Tian Jing Zhi thought about it before replying in a serious tone: "I don't want to be immortal. That would mean I have to watch my family and friends die in front of me. No matter who I meet, they will pass away one by one. And in the end, I will be alone in the world. Being treated as a monster by others. Constantly having to be careful, not to expose myself. That seems a hundred times worse than death."

Compared to her words, Xue Lingqiao thought that the experiences he had were much worse. 

"Brother, do you want to be immortal?" Tian Jingzhi asked, seeing that the person above didn't speak.

"Close your eyes." Xue Lingqiao said in a commanding tone.

“What?” Tian Jingzhi was confused.

“Close your eyes and count to five.”

Tian Jingzhi was full of doubt, but not wanting to offend him, she closed her eyes and started counting.

“One, two, three, four, five…”

After she had reached five, Tian Jingzhi opened her eyes and found that she was no longer in the sewer. She looked around inconceivably. The surroundings were empty and quiet, not a single person around her.

Tian Jingzhi held her head in horror... What just happened? Could it be another hallucination? Should she consider changing to another hospital and staying for a while longer?