Chapter 32: Daily Life is Broken
“What do you mean you didn’t have anything to wear all day!!!”
Heaven and Earth, I really didn’t see clearly!
“…”
What appeared before my eyes was not a dreamlike scene under the twilight, but a white ceiling.
…A dream…
“Tsk…”
I was a little unhappy.
I usually don’t have morning grumpiness, but today I felt a bit annoyed. It wasn’t because I didn’t sleep well or didn’t get enough sleep, but simply because I had a bothersome dream.
*Buzz buzz…*
My whole body trembled, and I quickly grabbed my phone to check it.
It was the alarm.
“…Ha…”
My tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and a urge to pee struck me. While feeling relieved, I also felt a sense of regret… What a joke!
What am I regretting!
With a deep sigh, I rubbed my cheeks to wake myself up. I hadn’t dreamt in a long time, and I felt a bit listless. Most importantly, I even dreamt of *that* woman…
I have to admit, she left too deep and strong an impression, making her unforgettable.
That’s probably why so many people like her… she attracts those around her like a magnet.
“Brother…?”
Xinran rubbed her eyes and looked at me sleepily. The neckline of her pajamas had slipped down one shoulder, revealing a large expanse of milky-white skin.
“It’s nothing, just a dream. You should go back to sleep.”
I smiled and stroked her head. Xinran squinted her eyes comfortably, just like a cat. After tucking Xinran in, I took my change of clothes and left the room.
It was Sunday, 5:45 AM. I finished washing up and got dressed, then went downstairs. I was wearing a black suit, without a tie.
Mom was already waiting for me in the living room.
“Yo, Juncheng, you’re up early? I was thinking of calling you later.”
“Well… we promised to help out on Sunday, so I couldn’t oversleep.”
It was precisely because I was going to help out today that I set my alarm to get up early. I was just startled by myself earlier, thinking it was a text from *that* woman.
“Then let’s go. It might be super busy today, Juncheng, so be prepared.”
“Mm-hmm…”
After answering absentmindedly, I followed my mother to the place of work.
I was truly startled when we arrived. The large embalming hall was packed with people… what an inauspicious sight.
These people all looked haggard. Most of them were family members of the deceased, who had kept vigil overnight for their departed loved ones, leaving them mentally exhausted.
A dark expanse of titles, a materialized negative emotion, gave my vision a strong impact.
I quickly put on the plain glasses I bought yesterday, which made me feel a bit better.
My mother, who was naturally cheerful and smiling at home, seemed like a different person at work, her face solemn.
It certainly fits the title of a “Death Makeup Artist.”
My mother waved goodbye to me and walked towards her work area. I followed Brother Zhang to the business hall.
Strictly speaking, a minor like me shouldn’t be working at a funeral home, but because of my mother, and the fact that it was exceptionally busy this time, I was hired as a temporary worker.
I used to come here occasionally in junior high. When my mother was working overtime in the embalming room, I would wander around the main hall, so I was quite familiar with the funeral home staff.
Speaking of which, isn’t this considered child labor…
When I helped out before, I was always the receptionist. My main job was to answer phone calls from families entrusting us with the transportation of bodies, and to answer inquiries from those seeing off friends and relatives.
But today, it was so busy that I had to help out in the cremation workshop.
Normally, young people aren’t allowed here; it’s usually handled by masters in their forties. Today was an exception.
Since funerals in this area are mostly completed before noon, the morning is the busiest period.
We were busy until almost afternoon before we finally had a moment to rest.
I took off my sunglasses, my eyes still feeling a bit sore from the intense flames in the furnace.
Master Wu lit a cigarette and sat down, looking tired. He threw the cigarette butt from his pocket. Cremation workers would smoke during their shifts because the smell was pungent and sometimes unbearable.
“Hoo… Xiao An, you must be tired. You go take a break. Thanks to you helping out today, otherwise, these old bones of mine would probably fall apart.”
“It’s nothing. I’ll go check on my mom then.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
The cremation masters all had expressionless faces, with a hint of gravity in their eyes. Their profession prevented them from smiling.
Speaking of which, I’m also expressionless and rarely smile.
In that regard, I seem quite suited for this job…
I twisted my sore wrist and left the cremation workshop.
Speaking of which, you can’t see titles on corpses… Is it because a corpse is no longer considered a person?
As soon as I stepped outdoors, I saw a familiar figure gazing at the public cemetery behind the funeral home.
“…”
What is that guy doing… Although I wanted to ignore her, I felt like something terrible might happen if I did. So, I called out to her.
“Hey!”
She didn’t answer. Did she not hear me? Or…
I thought for a moment and called out to her again, this time by name.
“Lianbing!”
It was only then that she turned around and walked towards me with a smile.
“Oh, isn’t this my dear boyfriend? What a coincidence?”
“What coincidence… You really are like a persistent ghost, always showing up.”
No wonder, when we parted yesterday, she used a parting phrase like ‘see you tomorrow’. So, she had planned to come see me today all along.
As soon as I saw Ji Lianbing, I remembered yesterday’s date and the scene at the end of our parting. My expression turned strange.
“Juncheng looks so handsome today~ Dressed in a suit?”
“Ha…”
I was wrong to wear this suit today. I only thought I’d be doing reception work, but I ended up having to do cremation work too. This suit is quite inappropriate now, and it’s picked up quite a smell.
“Stop joking, Lianbing. Hurry back. This isn’t a place for you.”
“So cold. I went to all the trouble of coming to see you specially…”
“But we just saw each other yesterday?”
“Hehehehe~ Don’t couples want to be together every day?”
“That’s for love-struck idiots. I don’t want to be an idiot.”
I wrinkled my nose, trying to think of an excuse to get rid of her, when suddenly a voice called me from a distance.
“Juncheng?”
“I’m here.”
Mom walked over, looking at Ji Lianbing and me with a novel expression, looking incredulous.
“Uh… she is…”
“My, my, this is quite something… I was just wondering which honest young man had caught your eye, such a beautiful woman… and it turns out to be our silly son?”
Huh? Mom knows Ji Lianbing?
“Eh? Mom, you know her?”
I blurted out without thinking.
“Ah, I saw her looking around the business hall by herself earlier, so I went up to ask. She said she was looking for her boyfriend… I didn’t expect she was looking for you.”
“Ah…”
So, this girl was really here to see me? It was probably Miss Shirley who found out my whereabouts again.
“So, this is Juncheng’s respected mother? Do you work here? Let me reintroduce myself, my name is Ji Lianbing, and I am Juncheng’s girlfriend.”
Ji Lianbing, abandoning her usual sharp tongue when dealing with me, put on her gentlest smile and spoke to my mother in a sweet voice.
“Yes, my name is An Yue, and I am Juncheng’s mother, as well as a funeral director here.”
“Funeral director…”
Ji Lianbing was stunned for a moment.
“Mother!”
Then, she suddenly, excitedly, clasped my mother’s hands, her face filled with admiration.
“Eh?”
My mother was also taken aback, her eyebrows twitching, looking at me with an expression of not knowing what to do.
What’s wrong with this girl? She suddenly looked at my mom with those sparkling eyes, her gaze so respectful, like a fan meeting her idol.
“Your profession is so noble! I’ve always wished for a mother like you!”
Ah, I get it now.
Ji Lianbing has a necrophilia. My mom is the one who does makeup for corpses. Doing makeup for corpses means making them look more beautiful… So, in Ji Lianbing’s eyes, the profession of a funeral director must carry significant weight.
“Oh? I already have two lovely daughters… But if you wish to be my daughter, you can marry into our family?”
“Hehehehe, Juncheng and I are already a done deal.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes, Juncheng has seen me inside and out… Embarrassing…”
Embarrassing, your head!
“In that case, my son must take responsibility.”
Oh no! Mom really likes this girl!
Are you kidding me! Ji Lianbing marrying me?! Huh?! What?!
Wouldn’t the wedding ceremony turn into an epic suspense drama of a wife murdering her husband!
“Hey, wait…!”
“May I ask how much longer Juncheng has to work?”
“Ah, the afternoon shift is much lighter, and I can handle it without help. Then I won’t bother you young people’s interaction. Juncheng, you take good care of Lianbing.”
“But what about Master Wu…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him. Juncheng, you don’t need to worry about it. Here’s your payment for today. Take this money and go have fun with Lianbing~”
I received quite a lot of money, but I couldn’t be happy at all.
Mom, noooo!
You’re practically sacrificing your son!
Leaving me alone with Ji Lianbing, this jinx, is like seeking death!
And today is the third day of our bet, maybe she’ll just straight up kill me!
Your beloved son might just become one of those corpses then!
I nervously followed behind Ji Lianbing. To my surprise, she proposed a stroll through the cemetery.
“Juncheng, this place… it’s really nice.”
“Eek… Only you would think that.”
“Hehehehe~ Perhaps that’s really the case.”
She actually smiled!
That smile sent shivers down my spine!
It was unnatural, like the seductive charm of a demon from the depths of hell, making me incredibly tense.
A terrifying suspicion arose in my mind and refused to leave…
Did she kill these people?
Yes, Ji Lianbing is a necrophile. It’s entirely possible she created a large number of corpses to satisfy her selfish desires!
The sudden increase in funerals lately, most of them victims from homicide cases, and her smile…
The more I thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, because Ji Lianbing is a killer.
I asked with difficulty.
“Did you kill these people…?”
“…You think so? Juncheng.”
She was still smiling.
Her smile made my heart ache.
“Did you or didn’t you!”
“So what if I did? So what if I didn’t?”
Damn it!
I gritted my teeth and stepped closer to Ji Lianbing, intending to grab her shoulder.
At that moment, something unexpected happened!
Black titles suddenly appeared in my vision, filling the entire ground!
My heart and eyelids were pounding, cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and a chill ran down my spine. The sense of danger heightened unprecedentedly!
Escape! Escape immediately! Or you’ll die!
You’ll really die!
The titles plastered to the ground began to float up… revealing auspicious titles.
[Zombie]
[███]
A hand emerged from the cemetery.
With this as a marker, the daily life I knew was completely shattered.
