Pure Darkness

Chapter 129

Jin Xiaozhe felt himself slowly becoming calm, and the enthusiastic interaction with the live studio audience also helped him get into the mood gradually. He answers every question from the host with a precise and clever answer, infused with a bit of cool humor. Not only did his response make the hosts often unable to hold back a laugh, the audience was also excited to the point that they could barely contain themselves from rushing up the stage. His manager, standing at the side, secretly gave him a thumbs up. Jin Xiaozhe smiled faintly.

Oi! I am an article!

“. . . Next question.” The host smiled mysteriously and said, “This is the question that is most in demand by the fans in our studio, even the audience and fans across the country. Namely, Xiaozhe, do you have a girlfriend?”

The studio exploded in a frenzy of screams.

Oi! I am an article!

Jin Xiaozhe smiled lightly and raised his hand, gesturing for the audience to calm down. In fact, he felt a slight tremor in his heart when asked that question. However, the answer had naturally been prepared beforehand.

“This has to do with my personal life,” he replied with a smile. “At the moment, nothing is worth marrying yet. However, if someday there is good news, I will definitely tell everyone at the right time.”

The screams and cheers from the audience were unrelenting.

Jin Xiaozhe laughed and lowered his head. At this moment, the host asked another question in a crisp voice, but Jin Xiaozhe did not hear it.

Oi! I am an article!

Because he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate.

It keeps shaking.

It is very rude and unprofessional to answer calls in the middle of recording. Jin Xiaozhe had never done this before. But, at this moment, he fell into some sort of trance, and for some inexplicable reason, took out his phone.

The host was shocked and the audience fell silent, while his manager wore an expression of disbelief on his face.

Jin Xiaozhe continued to look at the screen of his phone. He forgot where he was for a moment. That's a very strange number. Once, Fang Qing used a satellite phone to call him, and this number had been displayed.

He quickly received the call and picked up the phone to his ear.

Everyone present was silent.

“Hai,” sapanya soft.

The other end of the line was extremely noisy, as if something was continuously attacking something else. He waited patiently, and after a few seconds, he heard Fang Qing panting, then his hoarse and low voice said, “Hai, Xiaozhe.”

He replied, “Hm.”

He laughed suddenly, and asked, “What are you doing?”

He heard indistinguishable rumbling and rumbling sounds in the background, as well as the sound of rain.

“I participate in a program.”

The studio audience began to whisper amongst themselves, excitedly guessing.

The other end was silent for a while, then he said, “Wife, forgive me, I may not. I can't go back.”

Jin Xiaozhe clutched his phone, motionless and not speaking.

At the other end, Fang Qing said in a hoarse voice, “Xiaozhe, I. .”

Call disconnected. There is only du . . . du . . . of the dead tone. Jin Xiaozhe's face was expressionless, and everyone in the studio was very silent. Holding her phone, she dialed the number. He tried three times, but couldn't get through it.

. . . . .

“. . . . Xiaozhe, Xiaozhe?” The host hesitantly called out to him with a smile. Jin Xiaozhe's eyes were focused on the camera as he suddenly seemed to realize that he was still participating in the number one program in the country.

Jin Xiaozhe slowly put down his phone. It was only then that he realized the blushing face of his manager on the other side, the studio filled with spectators who were all looking at him, and the countless lights and camera lenses.

“Ya,” the answer is quiet, “ya, let's continue.”

The host smiled widely, as if the previous small episode had never happened, and went on to say, “Then, Xiaozhe, the next question has been asked by your fans. What kind of work will you give us next? ”

“Lanjut . .” A few phrases that were previously mechanically prepared appeared in his mind. With great clarity, he replied, “I've always been someone who loves a challenge. Although it may be outside my comfort zone, I would like to choose to shoot a period drama.”

“Wah, it will be very good!” said the host. “Then, have you thought about which director you might or would like to collaborate with?”

“Ya,” replied Jin Xiaozhe, “like Director Zou Chao, Director Mu Li. .” He continued to speak honestly and confidently, but, at an unknown time, the entire studio fell silent. He continued, as if he had not noticed it. It was only when he finished answering the question, and the host quietly stretched out a piece of tissue paper to him, that he discovered that he could no longer see anything clearly before his eyes.

His eyes flowed with tears.

Nobody in the entire studio said a word.

Jin Xiaozhe picked up a few sheets of tissue, covered his face, lowered his head, and cried bitterly.

. . . .

The person I love is a hero without friends.

He was a powerful criminal investigator who could carry me on his back and run circuits along the city walls.

He is someone I cannot throw away, no matter how hard I try.

He always looked at me with a slight smile and lowered his head when he smoked.

I was always afraid that he would leave me.

And now, he really won't be coming back.

. . . .

It rained down hard. Fang Qing lay motionless on the damp, dusty ground. The temple nearly collapsed entirely; only a few main beams and statues of Buddha remained, standing tall haughtily. Just a moment ago, in the interval between life and death*, Fang Qing had scanned the layout of the surroundings and rolled so that he was right under the Buddha statue. The temple has been built in such a way that it is relatively spacious here, which allows it to avoid crumbling blocks of wood as well as the flow of mud and stone from the mountainside. Only some of them hit it. Although it hurt, it was much better than dying cruelly.

*(qian jun yi fa) – flares.a thousand pounds depending on a thread; fig. menacing danger, between life and death.

However, one of the rafters fell and landed right on it. Both of his legs were pinched and he could not move at all. He was very clear that the previous mud and rock waves were just the beginning of the avalanche that was still to come. Another huge wave, enough to bury them all, came with an ominous roar from the mountain slope. With the situation so critical, his comrades who were outside would have no way to get any closer to saving him.

At this point in time, his mind was functioning very clearly. He knows he doesn't have much time left, maybe not even enough time to call.

So, for the first time in her life, she did not consider her work or her colleagues. He just chose to call the woman. Before he died, he wanted to tell her something, he always wanted to.

“Hai . .” When he heard his voice, even when he heard mud and rocks falling from the mountain, at that moment his heart was more peaceful than before.

The woman was truly able to maintain her composure. There was no reaction at all from her after hearing her farewell speech. She laughed in her heart; surely, this was the brave woman she loved and was able to take responsibility. It was just that his heart was engulfed in guilt. She knew that she would definitely be sad, she knew that she would definitely be lonely. He wanted to say: Sorry, Xiaozhe, I cannot accompany you for the rest of our lives.

But he was running out of time to say these words.

He said, “Xiaozhe, I. .”

He looked up and saw the last ridge of the remaining temple roof being swallowed up in an instant by the black flood and collapse.

He saw the tallest and largest Buddha statue on it collapse and fall towards him.