The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 573: Bad News

“An arsonist had set the Green Mountain on fire, and more than two hundred tourists in the mountain failed to escape, many of their bodies burned beyond retrieval, including your parents.”

Qing Ling paused before adding, “The Hundred Rivers Union locked down the Green Lotus Park and is now doing their best to restore it. The Guard Rune Circuit is speculated to have fallen into the abyss left by the Malediction. Heavenly Dog tried to get in and almost got killed by the lingering curse. Black Fish scouted it with Clairvoyance and ended up with one blinded eye, his memory erased. Both were cured by your blood.”

Face impassive, Gao Yang shifted his gaze.

After a few silent seconds, Qing Ling asked, “How are you going to tell Gao Xinxin?”

Gao Yang had a story in mind. “Mom and Dad couldn’t sleep and went to the Green Mountain to watch the sunset, but ended up caught by the fire.”

“Would your sister buy it?” Qing Ling wasn’t convinced.

With Psychic Armor nearing cooldown, Gao Yang’s voice trembled. “My dad was once diagnosed with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. After that, my mom would go night running by the river with him every day. Adults have their ways of expressing love.”

“Okay.” Qing Ling didn’t have any other question.

Gao Yang clenched his fist until his knuckles were white and closed his eyes, doing his best to enter a meditative state.

Enduring a long moment, Gao Yang then activated Psychic Armor again before looking up at Qing Ling through the curtain.

“What are you going to do with the arm?”

“I’ll get a prosthetic,” said Qing Ling. “The three major organizations will pay for the materials, and Dr. Jia will custom-make it for me.”

Gao Yang then asked, “Can’t your original arm be grown back?”

“Don’t know. Dr. Jia will extract energy and blood from Lithe Snake and Dead Pig and develop a medicine first, but he isn’t optimistic about the success rate. The Malediction’s curse is different from regular damage.”

Before, Gao Yang would’ve encouraged her with a “it’ll be alright”, but he didn’t want to say anything now.

Things didn’t always get better, and effort and optimism rarely saw results.

In fact, the harder he tried, the worse things seemed to go. Facing fate, he was like a clown.

“I’m going to Ni Nation with Dr. Jia. That’s where his lab is.” Qing Ling stood up as she spoke.

“For how long?”

“About ten days.”

“Take care,” Gao Yang said hoarsely.

“You too.”

A few seconds later, the door closed, and the room quieted.

Psychic Armor was in cooldown again.

Gao Yang’s breathing quickened. He dug his nails into his palm and lowered his head, his shoulders shaking.

There were no tears or sobs, only the rustle of cool breeze swaying the curtains before dawn broke.

...

The Fifteenth High School, November twelfth, ten o’clock at night.

Not long after the bell rang for the end of the evening self-study, a good many highschool students swarmed through the gates, dressed in their autumn uniform of long-sleeved shirts and pants and shouldering their backpacks. They left the school in groups of three to five, some pushing their bicycles as they walked.

Gao Xinxin walked quickly among the crowd with a tote bag for painting instruments, her hair tied into twin tails.

Guang Huan had a bag on his shoulder as well, following her with a pleasing smile. “We have a day off tomorrow, Gao Xinxin. Why don’t we go to a movie in the afternoon with your brother?”

Gao Xinxin was just about to say she didn’t have time when she heard “your brother”, and she changed her tune, “What movie?”

“The Wandering Blue Planet[1]. I heard it’s really good!”

“Sure,” Gao Xinxin said.

“Oh, let’s invite your sister-in-law too. I’ll buy you...” Guang Huan trailed off when Gao Xinxin shot him a glare. Had he said something wrong?

“My sister-in-law isn’t free tomorrow. Just buy three tickets,” said Gao Xinxin.

“Of course. Yeah! I’ll buy the tickets!” Guang Huan took out his phone. He always put his phone on airplane mode when he was at school and didn’t dare to use it, worried that his phone would be confiscated by the teachers.

“Don’t rush it.” Gao Xinxin took out her phone too, turning it on. “I’ll ask my brother first.”

They walked to the bus stop.

Gao Xinxin was just about to make the call when Gao Yang called her. She picked up with a smile. “Hey, brother. Do you have time tomorrow...”

“Look up, Gao Xinxin,” Gao Yang cut her off in the call.

Gao Xinxin looked up to find Gao Yang across the road. “Brother, why did you come...”

“Get over here. There’s something I have to tell you,” Gao Yang interrupted her again and hung up.

Gao Xinxin paused. Something wasn’t right. His brother looked tired even from across the road. Under the dim yellow street lamp, his face was pale and stiff.

It didn’t seem like he was angry, but drained of emotions like a robot.

What’s with him today? He’s being weird.

Gao Xinxin grumbled to herself and glanced at Guang Huan. “My brother’s picking me up.”

Guang Huan had spotted Gao Yang too. He grinned. “I’ll walk you.”

“No need. Go home first.” Gao Xinxin looked left and right before quickly crossing the road when there was no traffic. She turned to remind Guang Huan after taking a few steps, “Buy the tickets for tomorrow afternoon. Remember, just buy three!”

“You got it! See you tomorrow!”

Guang Huan waved at her happily and watched as Gao Xinxin jogged up to Gao Yang. He opened the ticketing app, clicking into an afternoon screening tomorrow for Wandering Blue Planet and picking the seats. Would Gao Xinxin prefer sitting near the front or the back? He couldn’t make a decision, and he decided to ask her.

He looked up and was just about to call out when he stopped himself.

Across the road, Gao Xinxin and Gao Yang were acting strangely.

It was then a few students waiting at the bus stop started chatting while scrolling on their phones.

“Whoa, no way. The Green Mountain was on fire last night!”

“What?! Show me... Holy! Half of the mountain’s gone!”

“Many visitors didn’t make it out. The death toll is bad!”

“How did this happen? It’s scary...”

Across the road, Gao Yang was saying something to Gao Xinxin with an impassive expression, and Gao Xinxin’s smile froze.

She quickly started to smile again, holding onto the strap of her bag with one hand while pounding Gao Yang in the chest with her other hand, saying something.

Gao Yang didn’t smile, but simply looked at her.

A few seconds later, Gao Xinxin’s smile froze before sliding off altogether. They shared a few words with dark looks on their faces.

The bus arrived then. The students waiting at the bus stop hopped on and paid with their cards.

Guan Huan hesitated and ultimately decided not to get on.

After a moment, the bus drove away, and the siblings started acting even more strangely.

1. A reference to The Wandering Earth, a Chinese movie released in 2019. ☜