The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 349: Truth of Disappearance

As the patriarch of the family, Spring, to make the home feel like home, would prepare a big meal for new years and holidays like humans did. Unfortunately, his cooking skills left something to be desired.

Gao Yang nervously ate the full dinner prepared by Spring, including the slightly charred spam. Again and again, he promised Spring that he would consider the matter of marrying into the family, worried that rejection could be taken personally.

Came morning, Gao Yang bade a reluctant Fresh Snow farewell and put on a blindfold. Waking Insects then whisked him away.

He lost his focus for a moment after Waking Insects grabbed him. Ten seconds later, he took off the blindfold and found himself standing at a crossroad he didn’t know, Waking Insects nowhere to be seen.

Gao Yang didn’t have his phone with him, so he rushed to Wang Zikai’s place first thing. Having just woken up, Wang Zikai was shocked and glad to see Gao Yang.

Gao Yang used his phone to report to the Guild.

Gray Bear’s shout of joy was so loud that it almost broke his eardrums.

During the three days Gao Yang was away, the fifth team had been on pins and needles, unable to eat or sleep easily due to their worry that something had happened to Gao Yang.

Although no major crisis had happened, every night, there were awakeners who voluntarily left the 52nd floor and didn’t return safely.

Up until today, six had died, and nine injured.

Gao Yang couldn’t give Gray Bear a proper explanation during the call. He hung up and spent half an hour talking to Wang Zikai, learning about what had happened the past few days.

According to Wang Zikai, he had failed to overcome Sleeping Beauty back in the Gu’s Mountain Retreat and ended up falling asleep in the car. When he woke up, Gao Xinxin was asleep in the passenger seat, but Gao Yang was missing.

Since Wang Zikai had served as a cover for Gao Yang many times, he immediately concluded that Gao Yang must have been off on a mission and left his sister in the car before taking off.

Thus, Wang Zikai came up with some excuses for Gao Yang and fooled Gao Xinxin.

Lightheaded from sleep, Gao Xinxin only remembered rushing to the bottom of the mountain in a fit and nothing else—it seemed that she had been possessed by Sir Fu’s Pride Spirit at that moment, and the one rushing up the mountain was already not her.

Wang Zikai drove Gao Xinxin home. On the way, she got a call from his father, who happily told her that his mother had called. It wasn\'t a kidnapping, but an accident.

Half an hour later, Wang Zikai brought Gao Xinxin to the hospital.

In the inpatient ward, his mother had a cast on her leg and injuries on her body and face.

Lying by her side was a woman similar in age to her; she was his mother’s highschool classmate. Her injury was quite serious, and her body was wrapped in bandages.

This was the friend his mother had encountered when going to the supermarket for soy sauce. They had been close before. Meeting after so many years, they started chatting enthusiastically.

Her name was Zhuang Mei. Gao Xinxin called her Auntie Mei.

Auntie Mei got a divorce ten years ago and sold her house in the city, building a farmhouse in the rural area of Xijing District to plant her own produce and keep chickens and ducks, living a reclusive life of self-sufficiency. She rarely even came to the downtown area.

Hearing about her life, his mother grew intrigued and asked to visit her place and spend a night so that they could catch up properly. She would return home the next day.

The two women called a ride to Auntie Mei’s place.

Auntie Mei took her friend around the farmhouse. In the evening, before the night fell properly, she took her to the mountain in the back to collect mushrooms, planning to make braised chicken with mushrooms tomorrow.

Then for some reason, Gao Yang’s mother suddenly felt dizzy mid-climb and fell. Hurrying to catch her, Auntie Mei ended up falling down the mountain with her.

When the two of them woke up, it was already noon the next day.

Having fallen into a ditch with their legs broken and their phones without signal, there was nothing they could do, and no prayers would reach the heavens. They almost thought they were going to die in the ditch.

Fortunately, an old farmer there to cut wood found them, and they were taken to the hospital.

Although the whole thing sounded twisted and surreal, even absurd, at least Gao Yang’s mother was alright. The family couldn’t wish for more.

For the next three days, Gao Yang hadn’t shown up. Since he had left his phone at home, they couldn’t call him.

Although Wang Zikai tried his best to explain his absence away, Gao Xinxin was still mad.

Hearing the story from Wang Zikai, Gao Yang had more or less figured out the whole thing.

His mother and Auntie Mei must be the rare cases of wanderers or humans who became drowsy as soon as the night fell, and they ended up falling into a ditch, cut off from the outside world. That was how the farce of a ‘kidnapping’ occurred.

But was it really an accident? Or had Sir Fu orchestrated the whole thing?

Even if it hadn’t been Sir Fu, he must have used the accident against Gao Yang.

This wasn’t the time to dwell on the question though. There was still one night of Crimson Tide to endure. That was what Gao Yang should be focused on.

...

At noon, Gao Yang rushed to the hospital his mother was staying at.

Gao Xinxin was there as well. She was holding up a phone by her mother’s side, on video call. The screen showed his wheelchaired father. It would be too much trouble for him to visit the hospital, so they videochatted every day.

“Darling, remember to have the short rib soup Mother made for you. That’ll help your bones heal quicker.” His father’s voice sounded a little distorted through the call.

“I get it. I’ve told you many times. Quiet. I’m gonna hang up if there’s nothing else.” His mother was half lying on the bed. Her cast leg was lifted, and her injured arms bandaged.

“Gao Yang!” Gao Xinxin noticed Gao Yang at the door and shot to her feet angrily. “Oh, look who’s here! I thought you had forgotten about your family!”

“I’m sorry, Mom!”

Gao Yang came in with a bag of fruit and dropped it before the nightstand. “I was preoccupied the past three days, Mom. My girlfriend was threatening to commit suicide. I had to stay with her twenty-four seven in case something happened. She’s finally calmed down. I don’t have my phone with me, so I couldn’t call you.”

In his mind, he was cursing Wang Zikai’s out. What the hell is this lie? Only you would come up with a cover story like this!

It was fortunate that Wang Zikai was a monster. It was doubly convincing for a monster to make excuses for a human.

“Huh? Suicide?” His mother was worried. “What happened?”

“I...wanted to break up, but she refused.” Gao Yang had come up with his part of the story.

“Why would you want to break up all of a sudden?” His mother was even more confused. “You’re going to college soon, and you’re free to be a couple in the coming years. Isn’t that good?”

“She’s going abroad. I don’t think we’ll be able to keep the relationship going.” Gao Yang put on a look of pain and lost. “It’s better to cut off the wounded part than let it fester.”

His mother sighed. “I don’t understand what you young people are doing, but if you still have feelings for each other, it’s better not to give up easily. There’s always more solutions than difficulties. It’s cowardly of you to just talk about breaking up. Still, the girl overreacted...”

“We’ve talked it out. It’s fine.” Gao Yang made it seem like he didn’t want to go into it. “I’ve heard from Wang Zikai, Mom. How’s your leg?”

“I’m fine.” His mother sounded a little guilty. “It was on me. I was too careless and fell into a ditch while climbing a mountain.”

“It was on me,” said the middle-aged woman on her side. “This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t suggested we go to the mountain to collect mushrooms.”

Gao Yang turned to her. The woman was his mother’s age. She was thin, and with a middle part, her long hair ran down to her shoulders. There was an air of ease, composure, and down-to-earthness to her.

Her skin was in good condition, but without proper care, the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth were a little pronounced, making her look older than Gao Yang’s mother.

His mother said with a smile, “Gao Yang, this is Auntie Mei, my highschool classmate. She was the class leader back then, and I was the study leader[1]. We were close.”

“Hello, Auntie Mei.”

Gao Yang greeted her with a smile. He would very much like to get some information out of her and use Lie Detection to identify what she was. Unfortunately, he had just used the Talent on White Dew and couldn’t use it again at the moment.

Afterward, Gao Yang and Gao Xinxin chatted with their mother and Auntie Mei for a little longer. Then they had lunch together at the hospital.

Two o’clock in the afternoon, Gao Yang took Gao Xinxin home before chatting with his father and grandmother. Then they had dinner together.

At about half past seven, when his family was beginning to doze off, Gao Yang, knowing the Crimson Tide was having an effect, left home with the excuse of visiting Wang Zikai.

This time, he rushed straight to the White Lake Hotel.

An hour later, Gao Yang took the member elevator to the 52nd floor. He was shocked when the door opened.

1. As many of you already know, in China and many Asian countries, students are allocated to specific classes from elementary to high school, and every semester or every year, a selected few are voted to hold certain positions. The class leader is usually the line of communication between the homeroom teacher and the students (And the one instructing the students to greet and bow to the teachers when classes start). In China, there is also the study leader, usually a position held by straight-A students, tasked with everything related to studying, such as handing out and collecting homeworks, or telling the teachers the difficulties students are having in learning. ?