Chapter 23: Lurking, Eying
The sun was still nowhere to be seen after we went outside. It seems like today’s weather is cloudy.
Xue Qing’s home doesn’t have a clock, so I don’t know what time it is.
It’s one thing that there are no clocks, but I really can’t understand why there are no lights installed in the living room and bedroom. The bath light in the bathroom is supposedly for illumination, but it’s more for heating.
Although it’s strange inside, the house looks like a luxurious villa from the outside, making me wonder about Xue Qing’s parents.
“Speaking of which, Xue Qing, where are your parents?”
“Don’t know.”
“Don’t know?”
“Yeah, never seen them.”
Never seen them… Did they pass away or…?
I didn’t press further and just held her hand tighter.
If I know about something, I can’t just leave it. Although I don’t like to meddle in others’ affairs, when it comes to Xue Qing… as a friend, I should help her as much as possible.
Last night, I couldn’t see anything. I was wondering what kind of place this Black Street was, which I searched for all night without finding. Turns out, it’s just an ordinary shopping street.
The road is quite narrow, making it difficult for vehicles to pass. I guess no driver would want to drive into such a narrow street. So, even though it’s a road, it could be called a pedestrian street. People were walking, talking, and laughing normally. There were also ordinary shops lining both sides of the street, selling all sorts of things… It’s truly a nondescript street.
Most shopping streets have the same type of stores, for example, an entire street might be for selling seeds, another for inns, or another for hot pot restaurants. But this street has no such characteristic.
Black Street… Heh, everyone goes to bed quite early, and it’s pitch black at night. Could that be the characteristic of this street?
The shops are also strange. Some of them, just looking at the signs, you can’t even tell what kind of shop it is. Like that place called ‘Black Qing’s Pavilion,’ who knows what kind of shop it is just from the name? Why must they use such unconventional names? Don’t they know that nowadays, the more straightforward the name, the better?
However, if we are talking about truly strange places…
I scratched my face and asked Xue Qing, looking at the passersby who were chatting and laughing.
“Xue Qing, could this street actually be a film set somewhere?”
Xue Qing tilted her head and asked.
“Film set?”
“A temporary venue built specifically for filming movies or TV dramas.”
“Don’t know.”
“Ahaha… I guess so. Sorry, I asked a strange question.”
“It’s alright.”
Ah… I see. Xue Qing, like me, is indifferent to her surroundings. Even if she lives on this street, she might not know anything about it.
But, I still can’t help but be concerned.
The strangest thing isn’t the street itself, but the ‘passersby’ on this street.
Everyone in my sight has the title [Extras] above their heads.
Huh? Extras?
Could it be that this street is currently filming a movie or a TV drama?
But there doesn’t seem to be any dramatic development… Is it still in the preparation stage?
I generally don’t like to get involved in troublesome matters, so I should try to avoid it.
“Then let’s get out of here first. It probably wouldn’t be good to disturb someone’s filming.”
I originally planned to buy something from a nearby place, but since they are filming, it’s better to go somewhere else.
“Okay, follow me.”
Xue Qing nodded and started pulling me along.
Is she afraid I’ll get lost? After all, I arrived here last night when I couldn’t see anything, and I’m completely unfamiliar with this street.
Xue Qing led me for a while, just like when we arrived. Then, at a crossroad, she turned left and walked into an alley.
After exiting the alley, we saw the familiar Jinhua Department Store. To our left, not far away, was the subway station for Line 2. The titles of the people around us became diverse. We could also see the sun, which was positioned west of the center, indicating it was already afternoon.
Huh? We’ve come this far? I remember this place should be quite far from Binhai Road, but it doesn’t feel like we walked for long… A five-minute walk brought us to a place where we’d need to transfer to two subway lines?
Wow, this is amazing. Where exactly is this Black Street located?
Ah, forget it… I shouldn’t dwell on this. Based on recent experiences, some things are better left unknown. Why bother with the details? It will only lead to trouble.
“There’s a department store nearby, so let’s go buy you some clothes first.”
“Okay.”
But what kind of clothes should I buy for Xue Qing… Given her build, should I buy children’s clothes?
In any case, let’s go in and look around first.
We casually walked into a clothing store with Xue Qing, a common brand name.
As soon as we walked in, a saleswoman with a sweet smile approached us.
However, seeing the saleswoman’s title, my face stiffened. Another [Extras]!
What the heck!
Seeing her approach, I quickly suppressed my surprise.
“Hello, sir. Are you here to buy clothes for your daughter?”
“Um, she’s not my daughter…”
Do we really look like father and daughter to others?
Perhaps it’s because our hair colors are similar? But being mistaken for a married man… my mood is complicated.
The saleswoman gave an awkward laugh and quickly corrected herself.
“Ah, I’m sorry. Then are you here to buy clothes for your younger sister?”
She was wrong again. But it felt less like an unintentional mistake by someone unaware, and more like an intentional misstatement by someone who knew better. I’m good at discerning lies, so I could tell. Honestly, her acting was quite skillful. I only detected it from that slight hint of incongruity.
But, whatever, I can’t be bothered to pursue it.
“Yes, I want to buy her two sets of clothes. Can you help me pick some out?”
At this point, I should just ask the saleswoman for help, because I really have no taste in choosing clothes.
If Keling were here, it would be much easier, but my phone is dead, and I can’t call her.
“Certainly, certainly. Please follow me.”
“Let’s go, Xue Qing.”
I let go of Xue Qing’s hand, but she didn’t let go of mine. Instead, she held onto my arm with both hands, leaned close to me, and looked up at me.
“Juncheng.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“I want you to pick.”
“Uh, me? But my taste…”
Xue Qing shook her head and looked at me with unwavering eyes.
“You choose.”
“…Alright, I’ll do it. That’s that. I’m sorry, Miss Salesperson.”
“It’s no problem, please feel free. However, it’s rare to see siblings with such a good relationship these days.”
“Oh, really…”
Xue Qing and I, a good relationship?
I glanced again at Xue Qing’s title above her head. It was a sky blue, indicating she completely trusted me.
I still don’t understand why she’s so good to me. Is it because of the Charm Magic Circle in my head?
But it doesn’t seem to be just that… Is she trying to get something from me?
…I have a rough idea in my mind, but I can’t be entirely sure yet. If it really is as I suspect, my future days might not be easy…
Ah, I shouldn’t think about it. Things will work out when they work out. I’m not the kind of clever person who can plan for every contingency. I’ll just take it one step at a time.
“However, I would suggest you look over there. The clothes there would be more suitable for your sister.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The saleswoman smiled, nodded at me, and gestured for us to go.
[Extras] huh… Who are they performing for…
I nodded at her too and took Xue Qing to the area the saleswoman recommended to pick out clothes.
So, what kind of clothes would suit Xue Qing?
Her impression… As her name suggests, she’s like snow. Her personality is cold, but her attitude towards me is soft. And she’s pale.
A feeling of pure, untainted white.
I’ll choose clothes based on this impression.
My eyes immediately landed on a white hooded sweatshirt. I felt it would be very fitting for Xue Qing.
I remember Keling saying that clothes should be matched… like white and black go well together, known as the black and white pairing.
Then let’s buy a black skirt… a short skirt, I think.
Once the goal is set, choosing clothes is surprisingly easy.
“Xue Qing, try this one on.”
“Okay.”
Before long, Xue Qing appeared before me, wearing a new outfit.
Just as I predicted, they suit her perfectly. Especially since Xue Qing was wearing black knee-high socks, which perfectly complemented the black skirt. Adding that touch was the finishing stroke.
If… she were to transform into that white-haired, red-eyed state again, she would look even more beautiful…
However, her appearance in that state would signify that someone is going to die…
The process of choosing clothes went smoothly, but there was a problem when it came to payment.
At the cashier, I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find my wallet.
When I go out, I always carry the four essentials: identity, mobility, keys, and money. But now I can’t find my wallet. Could it be in my jacket pocket, and Kaoru Tsukiyose took it with her?
Ugh, this is awkward…
“Use this card.”
Thankfully, Xue Qing seemed to have a card with her. Ha, it’s truly embarrassing to have a woman pay… Speaking of which, when I was with Lianbing, I could also feel a distinct gap in wealth.
So shameful.
“Ah, sorry, Xue Qing… Huh! A Black Card?!”
This should be the legendary Black Card, right? Although I don’t know much about it, I remember seeing these pure black cards with the head of an ancient soldier on them in movies sometimes.
It’s a symbol of wealth and status.
“It’s just compensation.”
“Uh…”
Without thinking, I knew it was compensation for what. Compensation for killing people, perhaps… This is tainted money. Using it makes me feel complicated.
After the payment was finally made, Xue Qing changed back into her school uniform.
She said she didn’t want to stain her new clothes.
Then we bought a bunch of necessary daily items and ingredients for dinner before preparing to leave the mall.
Wow… it’s so heavy.
As we were leaving, Xue Qing suddenly tugged my hand and said.
“Wait.”
“Hm? Is there anything else you want to buy?”
“My phone.”
“Phone, ah, indeed, that is quite necessary.”
I had forgotten. It is indeed very inconvenient to not have a phone. Speaking of which, last night started with something as small as not having a phone.
“Then let’s go buy a phone…”
I naturally took Xue Qing’s hand again. In that instant, I felt a sudden chill down my spine, making me extremely uncomfortable!
I immediately understood what this feeling was.
This feeling is too familiar to me.
Someone is watching me!
To put it severely, someone is stalking me!
At school, because I was always with Lianbing, it wasn’t strange to be noticed by other students. But now we are outside of school? And the person with me isn’t Lianbing, but Xue Qing… Who would be stalking me?
Speaking of which, on my last date with Lianbing, I kept feeling like someone was following me…
Am I being targeted by someone?
Is it Miss Shirley?
No, it shouldn’t be Miss Shirley. If Miss Shirley were stalking me, I wouldn’t have sensed it at all.
But this gaze is incredibly piercing!
I looked around, but I couldn’t see anyone suspicious or any titles with unusual colors.
It seems the stalker is quite skilled, skillfully hiding in my blind spot.
Ugh, so annoying!
Is there any way I can see who is peeking at me!
“Juncheng?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”
This gaze always makes me uneasy… I think I need to learn some anti-stalking techniques.
I must find out who this person is who is constantly stalking me and eyeing me like a predator! I refuse to live in fear every day!
