Chapter 18： morning fog

Returning to the main house of the villa with my eldest brother, Luo Cheng lay down in his room and tossed and turned for half the night.

Not necessarily because of that terrifying pitch-dark night rain—she was indeed afraid of dark places, and she had been afraid of it since she was a child. If it was pitch-dark all around, the whole person would freeze in place with fright, unable to move his legs at all.

It's just that this was also when she was three or four years old. The adults all said that, but her own impression was not deep.

As we get older, this fear is still there, but it's still much better than the utterly helpless state of being a child.

When I saw the terrifying scene when I was delivering the meal just now, Luo Cheng has almost recovered, but there are still some lingering fears.

…

Compared with these, Luo Cheng couldn't sleep, but he was more worried about the daytime things today.

She was in a hurry to find Luo Zhi, and because of the events of the past few days, she was gambled and insisted on proving her ability, so she didn't go to the eldest brother and Jian Huaiyi for help.

When I contacted Li Weiming's fans, I saw someone posted a post about encountering Luo Zhi when I was swiping Weibo, and an idea came up.

She just wanted to find Luo Zhi through those people, and hurried over when she asked for the location. I didn't know that there were so many people outside the hotel, and there were even a lot of people holding mobile phones to live broadcast in such an open and honest way...

The more Luo Cheng thought about it, the more bored he became. He hugged the pillow and sighed gloomily.

In so many shots, she was caught calling "Second Brother" while chasing her out of the hotel.

Luo Cheng's mind was blank, for fear that these people would find out that she was Luo Zhi's younger sister, and even she would despise and disgust her. I had to follow those people and Luo Zhi to make a clear stand, and apologized to Li Weiming in public on behalf of Luo Zhi.

She was surrounded so hard that she couldn't escape, she was embarrassed and embarrassed, and it was actually a last resort to say those words.

But Luo Zhi probably hated her because of this.

The situation at that time was very chaotic, but Luo Cheng still remembered the glance at the past in a panic.

Luo Zhi's body didn't know what was wrong, reclining motionless on the side of the road.

Those people also knew the seriousness, for fear of hurting people and taking some responsibility, no one dared to touch him casually, instead, they seemed to hide in a small circle.

Luo Zhi looked at her, and it seemed like she was looking at a lot of things through her.

No one dared to care about him, so his body collapsed a little bit exhaustedly, and before the quiet black eyes were completely scattered, there was a brief flash of clarity.

At that moment, Luo Cheng saw him drop his eyes and smiled weakly.

Luo Zhi was neither painful nor sad, or perhaps these emotions were too extravagant for him.

He just had some sadness, and this sadness just overflowed uncontrollably for a moment along a certain slowly shattering crack, and almost drowned the defenseless Luo Cheng on the spot.

…

After waking up from that state, Luo Cheng realized that there was moonlight falling in from the window.

I do not know when the raging rainstorm stopped, the clouds opened and the fog dispersed, and the wind was calm.

The moonlight sprinkled on the meticulously manicured plants in the garden, reflected in the standing water on the ground, was bright and quiet these days and nights.

It was like the light that finally opened in Luo Zhi's eyes.

Luo Cheng suddenly filled his chest with an inexplicable guilty conscience.

She didn't know what the impact of being caught by those live broadcasts would be, but at least she knew that there must be a lot of gossip about the Luo family on the Internet.

She got into trouble and didn't dare to tell her father and elder brother, and she didn't want to tell Jian Huaiyi for some reason. He had no choice but to hurriedly take Luo Zhi back to Wanghai Villa to hide, and wanted to wait for him to wake up to discuss with him and let him make up his mind.

...Luo Cheng actually didn't know in his heart why he instinctively wanted to ask Luo Zhi at a time like this.

Obviously Luo Zhi was more involved in this matter, obviously Luo Zhi didn't want to care about her at all... Obviously in the car, when Luo Zhi still had the last bit of consciousness, he kept whispering and repeatedly said not to go to Ren's house.

Luo Orange hesitated for a while in front of the window, but he put on his clothes and quietly went out the door with the flashlight.

She just wanted to ask Luo Zhi to help her come up with an idea.

Even if Luo Zhi was really mad at her, the agreement with Director Gong Hanrou would probably be hopeless... She just didn't force it anymore.

Just use your brain and mouth, help her think about what to do, Luo Zhi will always agree, right?

When Luo Zhi finished his idea, he arranged for a car to take him away from Ren's house. In this way, Luo Zhi would not have to feel sad about meeting their family tomorrow, nor would he be reprimanded by his father and eldest brother.

Look, she can still handle things comprehensively.

Luo Orange typed the draft as he walked, thinking about how to speak all the way. She never apologized to Luo Zhi, and she managed to do enough psychological construction now, and the person has already walked to the window of the hut.

Taking advantage of the moonlight, Luo Orange leaned in and called out, but was suddenly stunned.

Luo Zhi was no longer in the house.

The room was empty, not as dusty as when she brought people back. Every place has been carefully cleaned, the mold has been removed as much as possible, and the furniture that has long been rotten and dilapidated has been cleaned to the greatest extent possible.

Looking at it like this, the hut is empty and clean, and even shows a bit of strange neatness.

The only thing that doesn't fit in with the whole house is the meal that was brought over by her.

The rainy night was dark and scary, and Luo Cheng didn't know that the bag she brought was so dirty.

The outside of the insulation bag was covered with muddy water, and some of it seeped in along the unsealed bag mouth, and the soup inside also spilled out a little.

It has never been opened, and it was left as it was in the pale white moonlight that fell from the window. It slowly cooled down with the last rain, and there was no trace of temperature.

…

Luo Orange stood still and stood there for a few seconds.

Did Luo Zhi really live in another room?

It's not impossible.

After all, this shabby house that I don't know what it was used for, no matter how clean it is, it is not suitable for people to live in.

...how did she not find out about this earlier?

Luo Cheng looked around subconsciously, trying to find out which room Luo Zhi went to, but found some traces on the ground under his feet.

It just rained and the soil in the garden was soaked and soft, and it was easy to leave footprints.

The footprints in front of her were from the hut, and the traces on the left were normal, but there were some inconspicuous drags on the right.

The traces do not lead to the main house of the villa, but go deep along the garden, and finally do not enter the depths of the tree shadows.

Luo Cheng suddenly gave birth to some inexplicable panic.

She chased after the footprints, pushed aside the lush branches and leaves all the way under the crackling rain, and finally saw the shadow resting against the tree a few dozen meters away: "Luo Zhi!"

"Luo Zhi!" Luo Cheng raised his voice panting, "Where are you going?!"

The figure did not respond to her, but just lowered his head and rested quietly for a while, then slowly stood up again, and continued to walk towards the depths of the woods step by step.

The stagnant water between the branches and leaves kept falling on him, but he didn't seem to have any awareness, and he didn't know the cold.

Luo Orange's face was hot with embarrassment, and she couldn't help but grit her teeth.

...She knew that Luo Zhi must have hated her because of things outside the hotel.

Over the years, she has never bowed her head to Luo Zhi once. Now being treated by the other party with such a clear indifference, while feeling guilty, he can't help but come forward.

If Luo Zhi is angry with her, he will tell her face to face, what can he do?

Why do you have to take this attitude towards her?

There were shadows in the woods, the darker the light, the darker the light, and the fear that was dissipated by the moonlight quietly caught up.

Luo Cheng was both wronged and resentful. He stopped at the edge of the moonlight and looked at the shadow that was walking further and further away.

"Luo Zhi! Come back with me, Dad has asked you to clean up your room!"

She stared at the unmoved stubborn figure, and said cruelly as if venting her anger: "If you don't go back with me, you will never come to us again in the future!"

These words were almost shouted at the top of his throat, making his throat hurt. Luo Cheng didn't believe that Luo Zhi couldn't hear his own voice.

But the figure still did not stop.

Not only did he have no intention of stopping, but even the tiniest reaction was lacking.

Deep in the woods, the ground is uneven, and the light is dim. He walked hard, stumbled and stumbled, but he kept walking slowly inward.

Luo Cheng was furious at him. She was certain that Luo Zhi must have punished her in such a cold and violent way, and thinking about the embarrassment that she had been chasing all the way, it was ridiculously stupid.

…

But no matter what she said, she was doing something sorry for Luo Zhi after all.

The two emotions were superimposed and pulled, and Luo Cheng stood there for a while, pinching the corner of his clothes to vent his anger.

never mind.

If Luo Zhi wants to go, let him go.

Anyway, Luo Zhi didn't answer anyone's phone these days.

She pretended not to have seen it, helped hide what she saw that night, and let Luo Zhi leave as an apology for what happened at that time.

Luo Cheng thought so discouraged, grabbed the flashlight, turned around, and left the woods along the way he came.

…

…

The air is fresh after the rain.

The successive torrential rains knocked off the excess leaves, which were soaked and piled under the trees, waiting to be buried in the soil to corrode and decompose, waiting for the day they disappeared.

Luo Zhi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

It seemed like he hadn't really breathed in a long time. It seems that someone set up a pot on his chest to light a fire, boiled a pot full of sea water, and the last drop of water evaporated to dryness, leaving only a thick and rough crust of hard salt.

His lungs were full of rust.

These blood-red rust spread and grew, rusting his limbs and back, and his body began to not obey.

Suddenly infusing such cold and fresh air, his body reacted immediately, his chest throbbed and convulsed, and he immediately provoked a choking cough.

Luo Zhi waited for the cough to pass.

He supported his right leg to regain his footing, and after the white spot in his field of vision disappeared, he continued to walk along the memory.

Go through the garden and you will see a small door, through which you can take a short cut to the sea, which is very close to the port.

When is the cruise coming?

Luo Zhi raised his hand, groped his fingertips around his neck, found the broken glass pendant, and held it in his palm.

He sometimes thinks that his right leg might not be a problem at all.

The reason why she suddenly loses her strength and doesn't obey her commands, and is too soft to move, is just because she misses Aunt Ren so much.

When he practiced walking again, every time he exhausted his strength and his right leg fell softly, Aunt Ren would reach out and hold him firmly.

Without his consent, his body made its own decisions, simulating the state in memory.

In fact, if you ask him in advance, you should know that it is useless.

How can it be useful?

Aunt Ren will not hug him again.

When is the cruise coming?

Luo Zhi pushed open the small door in the memory.

The soil outside the door had begun to transform into gravel. Luo Zhi couldn't lift his right leg, stumbled on the threshold, and lost his balance and fell.

He was clutching the broken glass pendant, and because he didn't have time to let go, the string under the inch strength broke, leaving a hot bloodstain on his neck.

Luo Zhi knelt on the ground and looked at the broken thin red rope.

During the time he was cleaning up the cabin, he regained a memory of what happened the day he escaped from the hospital.

His pendant fell, he bent over to pick it up, and then the glass suddenly turned into Ren Chenbai's eyes.

He must have fallen into an absurd and suffocating hallucination. In the hallucination, Ren Chenbai sneered and looked at him, saying something word by word, his precious glass was embedded in Ren Chenbai's eyes, and was dyed with sneering irony.

Luo Zhi's eyes seemed to be fixed by that piece of glass.

Holding the freshly washed rag, he forgot where he had packed it and what he was going to do.

He sat motionless in the corner of the room lit by lightning, his shadow was only a small patch left by the harsh light.

"Luo Zhi, how could you forget?"

In the ward, Ren Chenbai squinted at him, his dark pupils were so cold that he seemed to be able to penetrate his brain: "You killed your mother."

…

That was the last word he heard.

This sentence was accompanied by a burst of tinnitus that Luo Zhi had never heard before. It's like the noise before the TV completely breaks down, and then all the sound disappears, leaving only a blank space that is extremely quiet.

He finally got the answer to the question "Why does Ren Chenbai hate himself", but the answer made him even more at a loss than the question itself.

How could he have killed Aunt Ren?

He had no impression at all, nor did he remember doing such a thing.

How did Auntie Ren die? What happened then? What are the facts?

He doesn't remember at all.

...Then how can he guarantee that he has never done this?

Since he doesn't remember it, how can he be completely sure that he didn't make a serious mistake and then deceive himself and forget everything?

What's more, it makes perfect sense.

From the results, if he really did a lot of heinous things, he just happened to make the most reasonable footnote to his current situation.

When is the cruise coming?

Luo Zhi knelt on the gray-black gravel. He found that some of them were dyed a little reddish. He apologized silently, and reached out his hand to slowly wipe it away carefully.

He tried to turn off the voice in his head too.

His memory has only been left blank and blank, he can't remember anything, but if he doesn't believe in himself, then no one will believe him again.

The sound cannot be turned off.

Because the outside world is absolutely quiet, the voices in my mind are getting clearer and louder.

The rusted armor finally began to disintegrate, and the knife and dagger stabbed in without hindrance, slowly cutting off his flesh and blood, and plucking out Sen Bai's bones to pay everyone's hatred for him.

Luo Zhi supported the ground and got up slowly.

He put the pendant into the rusted letterbox outside the small door, his unconscious fingers loosened a little bit, and the broken glass pulled the broken red thread into an invisible corner.

The moon slowly came to its head.

It was almost dawn, and because the morning light had not yet probed, the night sky studded with sparse stars became more and more icy and dark.

Luo Zhi walked along the sea breeze.

This section of the road is very close to the beach. Even if Luo Zhi was dragging his newly broken leg when he was a child, he could use crutches to jump to the beach in ten minutes.

But today it's so far away.

As far away as a long, unwakeable nightmare.

Luo Zhi slowly picked and checked in the gap in the nightmare. He had plenty of time and finally found a fragment.

I don't know the cause and effect, the image is also very blurry, and the person on the opposite side is even just a shadow who can't see his face.

Shadow reached out and handed him the written note.

At that time, his thinking was so sluggish that he couldn't even understand the meaning of those words, but at this moment, he suddenly recognized them all.

"...waiting for you at sea."

Luo Zhi looked at the note and read it out softly.

He decided to take a look, there was nothing to do anyway.

Luo Zhi handed over to the shadow waiting for him.

He knew he was hallucinating, but the hallucination was better than the chatter, so he followed the shadow out to sea.

The touch under your feet changed from gravel to soft sand, slowly soaked in dampness, and then turned into surging waves.

The shadow stopped suddenly.

Luo Zhi also stopped.

The shadow in the hallucination turned to look at him.

Shadow still held his hand, shaking his head slightly at him, as if to correct the part he misunderstood.

Shadow raised his hand and pointed towards the sky.

Luo Zhi raised his eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, he saw the huge outline of the cruise ship in the faint mist.

It wasn't the "sea".

Luo Zhi's hand held by the hallucination suddenly loosened.

He seemed to be pushed by a shadow on his chest, staggered back a distance, and fell on the beach wet.

The chest and abdomen that came into contact with the air twitched convulsively. Luo Zhi lay on his back on the beach, turned his head to the side, and choked out a few mouthfuls of salty sea water.

The cruise ship entered the port against the morning fog.

The newborn sun followed it, neither bright nor hot, just an orange ball of light.