Phantom Skeleton Painting

Chapter 54.1 Sister (End)

From the time Lin Banxia could remember, he could not understand the word family. Parents who died young, a mean aunt, an irritable uncle, and a younger cousin who always tried to bully him. The word home was distant and unfamiliar to Lin Banxia, ​​until Xiaohua arrived.

At that time, he was completely unaware of the difference between Xiaohua and normal people. He only knew that she was the only person in the family who could give him warmth. She was with him, no matter what happened around him, whenever he opened the cabinet, Xiaohua was inside.

“I’m here.” Xiaohua was just a little girl, just like her name, a slender and thin girl like a wildflower. She was the only warmth in Lin Banxia’s memory when he was a child.

Because of this, the moment Lin Banxia learned from his uncle that Xiaohua was not a human being, Lin Banxia felt extremely sad. He was even afraid that the memories he absorbed as warmth were fake. The sister he longed for had never existed.

All these worries disappeared when he saw the smile on Xiaohua’s face. He left Song Qingluo’s arms and stretched out his hands to hug her tightly, just like she hugged his helpless self when he was a child. He knew how much he once longed for such an embrace with all his strength, but it was a pity that he never got it.

Xiaohua smiled and touched Lin Banxia’s head with pity. She said, “Okay, he’s here, you should go with him.”

“What about you?” Lin Banxia asked, “Aren’t you going with us?”

He Xiaohua hesitated and said, “I don’t know if I can…”

“Okay, okay.” Lin Banxia was not willing to leave his beloved sister here. The thought of Xiaohua having to stay alone with these things made him panic, “You can definitely go with us.” He turned to look at Song Qingluo again, with a hint of pleading in his expression, “Qingluo, Qingluo, can you take my sister with us? I can’t leave her here alone.”

Song Qingluo squatted behind Lin Banxia and looked at Lin Banxia who had a rare expression on his face. In his memory, Lin Banxia had a gentle temperament and had almost no mood swings. He had never shown such a sad look. What’s more, at this time, Lin Banxia was still small, with big black eyes full of tears, looking pitiful and cute. He lowered his head and suddenly wanted to make a joke: “If I help you take her away, what will you do in return for me?”

Lin Banxia was stunned and whispered: “But I don’t have anything…” He thought for a while and his voice became even lower, “I still have money in my bank card, can I give it to you?”

“Although it’s not a lot, I can still make money.” Lin Banxia whispered, “All the money I make in the future will be given to you.” After saying this, he felt extremely sad and could no longer hold back the tears in his eyes. It just flowed out as his little face was red with grievance, and he kept choking.

Seeing that he accidentally bullied the child into tears, Song Qingluo panicked a little: “I was just joking, don’t cry.”

Lin Banxia sobbed: “Please, as long as you take Xiaohua away for me, I will promise you anything. You can do anything you want…”

Seeing his pitiful appearance, Song Qingluo’s heart melted. He didn’t want to continue teasing him. He touched Lin Banxia’s soft hair, took out a tissue and carefully wiped away his tears, and said: “Okay, but I’m not sure if it can succeed. I’m just giving it a try.”

Lin Banxia nodded quickly.

After Song Qingluo finished speaking, he took out another glove from his pocket and slowly put it on his hand. Lin Banxia held Xiaohua’s hand, fearing that she would be worried, so he comforted her in a low voice, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Song Qingluo is amazing.”

Xiaohua rolled her eyes, said yes softly, then nodded again. The two small braids on the back of her head swayed, looking so cute.

The two little things looked at him with cautious eyes, so Song Qingluo’s expression became much gentler. After putting on his gloves, he took out a black box from the backpack he carried with him. The box was no bigger than a fist, but the color and shape were exactly the same as those Lin Banxia had seen.

After going through several missions, Lin Banxia also knew what the box was used for. Seeing Song Qingluo taking it out, he became a little nervous again. He held Xiaohua’s hand and stared, whispering: “Song Qingluo. You…you are not going to take Xiaohua…”

Song Qingluo raised his head and glanced at him: “What do you think I want to do with Xiaohua?”

“Give… Xiaohua to those people?” Lin Banxia then remembered that Song Qingluo’s job seemed to be to catch these things. Although he didn’t know where Xiaohua came from, she was not a normal human being, so Song Qingluo was… After Xiaohua was captured, would she be experimented on like those heretical things? Lin Banxia was suddenly a little scared, and his eyes became more and more pitiful.

Song Qingluo was amused by his pitiful and helpless look, and he said, “Don’t be afraid, this is a secret between you and me.” He made a shushing gesture like coaxing a child, “Don’t tell others. ”

Lin Banxia was relieved.

Song Qingluo opened the box, handed it to Xiaohua, and looked at her: “Can you go in?” The box was so small that normal people would definitely not be able to get in, but based on Lin Banxia’s understanding of Xiaohua, there should be no problem.

When Xiaohua saw the box, she showed some hesitation: “I…I don’t know if I can leave.”

Lin Banxia said blankly: “What do you mean?”

He Xiaohua glanced at Lin Banxia, ​​biting her lower lip slightly, but did not explain.

Song Qingluo said softly: “It doesn’t matter, I’m here. Although I don’t know if it’s possible, it’s not wrong to try.”

He Xiaohua still hesitated, and Lin Banxia begged: “Xiaohua, I won’t leave if you don’t leave. It was a mistake for me to leave here in the first place. How could I leave you alone in a place like this again.”

Lin Banxia didn’t dare to think about those dark shadows and that woman, and how many times He Xiaohua had been killed in this world.

“Okay.” He Xiaohua finally couldn’t resist Lin Banxia’s plea and agreed.

Song Qingluo held the small box in front of her. Before she let go of Lin Banxia’s hand, she looked at Lin Banxia carefully, as if to fix the little Lin Banxia’s appearance. Keeping it in her mind, she let go of the hand that was being held by Lin Banxia and showed him her signature bright smile: “Xia Xia is very, very good. I like Xia Xia very much.”

Lin Banxia nodded heavily and watched He Xiaohua stretch out her hand towards the box. As soon as her hand touched the box, her whole body instantly turned into a black shadow, and then disappeared. Song Qingluo’s fingers gently clasped the lock of the box and locked it again.

However, the moment after He Xiaohua disappeared, the surrounding space instantly became distorted, like plastic melting in a fire. The whole world began to shake violently. In the distorted space, there was a steady stream of curses that Lin Banxia had hidden deep in his memory.

“Lin Banxia, ​​why aren’t you dead yet? Go die quickly and follow your short-lived parents!”

“You’re as skinny as a monkey. I hate you when I see you. Get out of here or I’ll kick you to death!”

“Want to eat? You’re thinking too well. Get out. Even if I feed the dog, I won’t give you a bite.”

Those memories that Lin Banxia thought he had forgotten all swarmed in and occupied his consciousness. He saw countless lights suddenly light up in the darkness, and dense black shadows appeared behind the lights. He saw countless terrifying women appearing outside the door, like a colony of ants, walking towards him with ferocious faces.

In the dark cupboard, the poor child was finally tortured to the point of dying. Just when he thought he was going to die, he felt something leave his body and gradually transform into a girl with a bright smile. The girl had He Xiaohua’s face, with a bright smile on her face that he had never had before.

“With me, Xia Xia doesn’t have to be afraid.” The little girl hugged him tenderly, soothing Lin Banxia, ​​whose breath was weak, like a mother, “No one can hurt you anymore.”

Her words came true.

At this point, the emotion called fear became farther and farther away from him, and he was no longer afraid, but after many years, he left the place that hurt him the most, and his memory of Xiaohua became increasingly blurry. However, he always remembered that he had to come back to pick up this lovely girl. He was very poor, so he had to work hard to make a lot of money, even if he did a job that no one else was willing to do, he would not hesitate.

When he had money, he could buy a big house. That house would be his and Xiaohua’s home – the place he had longed for for a long time but never got.

At this time, the two met again, and Lin Banxia was finally able to hold Xiaohua’s hand and say to her: “I will take you home.”

The horrific sights and sounds invaded Lin Banxia’s soul. He could hear nothing and see nothing. His body seemed to have fallen into the cold sea water and he could not move. He could only sink and sink involuntarily until his body was gently hugged by a pair of hands.

“Don’t be afraid.” Someone said.

Lin Banxia couldn’t move, and his whole body seemed to be shrouded in black shadow. In this boundless darkness, the voice was so clear.

In the warm embrace, there was a hint of the sun, “I will take you out,” the man said.

His view changed. The vicious curses turned into screams. In the haze, Lin Banxia saw the women with horrible appearances falling to the ground one by one. The darkness began to collapse, and the screams were shrill before they gradually disappeared.

The world became quiet again, and Lin Banxia felt like a baby in his mother’s body, leaving only boundless tranquility.

There was a creak, the sound of the cupboard door opening.

This sound was Lin Banxia’s childhood nightmare. No matter how many times he heard it, his body would tremble involuntarily, but perhaps because the embrace was so warm and reassuring, this time, he didn’t shiver.

Someone held him and entered the closet. Perhaps because he was worried that he was scared, the man lowered his head and placed a hot, comforting kiss on his forehead.

“Don’t be afraid,” the man said, “I’m here.”

Lin Banxia suddenly remembered his name and whispered three words: “Song Qingluo…”

With a chuckle, Song Qingluo’s voice sounded like sweet toffee, and he said: “Good evening, Lin Banxia.”

There was another soft creaking sound, and they seemed to come out of another cupboard. The darkness was finally torn apart by a beam of light, and a cold light appeared in Lin Banxia’s vision.

He raised his eyes blankly and saw the dilapidated window and the bright moon hanging on the treetops outside the window. He moved his body and felt that he was being held by someone. He raised his head and saw Song Qingluo’s side face without any surprise.

Song Qingluo was also looking at the window. His delicate face looked as beautiful as a perfect elf in a fairy tale in the night. He noticed Lin Banxia’s gaze, lowered his head and smiled slightly: “The moonlight is so beautiful tonight. ”

Lin Banxia’s heart jumped uncontrollably. That little fragile organ seemed to have never been so excited, so much that Lin Banxia’s cheeks instantly turned red. Fortunately, it was too dark, so others wouldn’t see. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he just responded dryly: “It’s… so beautiful.” He didn’t know whether he was talking about the night or Song Qingluo.

Song Qingluo asked: “How do you feel now?”

Only then did Lin Banxia realize that he had left that terrifying space. He struggled to get up from Song Qingluo’s arms, but he had no strength. He raised his arms and found that he had changed back to an adult. He no longer looked like that fragile kid.

“No, not much strength.” Lin Banxia said, “Where is Xiaohua? Did Xiaohua come out with us?”

Song Qingluo patted the bag on his back and said, “Don’t worry, she’s inside.”

Lin Banxia then smiled. He looked around and found that the place he was in was the old house where he once lived. The cupboard behind him that was his nightmare was now wide open.

Lin Banxia suddenly realized: “We… came out of here?”

“Yes.” Song Qingluo said. He was holding Lin Banxia by his side, so he changed the direction of Lin Banxia’s body and asked him to look at the cupboard.

The cabinet was very old, with scratches everywhere. Lin Banxia even saw the marks of a knife on it. Only then did he remember how he came out of it. At that time, he was locked in the cabinet. One day and one night, the next day when his aunt was making breakfast, she remembered that there was someone locked in the cupboard. She asked He Tianlei for the key, but He Tianlei shook his head and said that the key had been lost a long time ago.

When his aunt heard this, she cursed again. Of course, she was not scolding He Tianlei, but Lin Banxia.

“He’s really a death star!!” There was a sharp scream, accompanied by the terrifying sound of the knife slashing at the cabinet, and the lock on the cabinet was finally cut off. Lin Banxia couldn’t remember his mood at that time, and he might have been very scared when he thought about it. However, at this time, he even had the leisure to gently reach out and touch the cupboard door.

The cabinet door, which was indestructible back then, was already in tatters. As soon as Lin Banxia’s hand touched it, it fell and smashed to pieces on the ground with a clang.

Lin Banxia stared blankly for a while, then smiled: “Shall we go back?”

Song Qingluo said: “Okay.”

So, they went back like this. Lin Banxia had no strength, so Song Qingluo carried him all the way back. As a grown man, he was a little embarrassed to be held by another man. Fortunately, it was getting late now, so there were no passers-by on the road, and not many people saw them.

Song Qingluo didn’t care. Seeing Lin Banxia struggling to think about it, he said calmly: “What are you afraid of? You’re not heavy, I can carry you.”

Lin Banxia: “…I seem to be heavier than you.”

Song Qingluo said: “Compared with my weight? I can fly when the wind is strong, you have to find a kite string to tie me down.”

Lin Banxia couldn’t help laughing.

 

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