Volume 2: The Source of Life Chapter 3: Coincidence? Purely a coincidence?

  The classroom was much quieter than usual, without the usual noise before class. People gathered in small groups of three or five, whispering to each other and occasionally glancing towards the back row of the classroom.

  Lin Miao Xian sat alone in the quiet corner of the classroom, her clean and beautiful face expressionless. She supported her chin with her hand and gazed out the window, where a sparrow was building its nest.

  "Cheng Ge, where did you run off to yesterday?" Seeing me come in, Gao Baozi walked over with concern, his eyes still lingering on Lin Miao Xian as he stole glances.

  "Hehe, didn't go anywhere." I said something unnecessary and walked back to my own seat.

  Gao Pangzi followed over, leaning in front of my desk, and whispered: "Hehe, Cheng Ge, don't blame me for not being thoughtful. I had someone investigate yesterday, that little girl is back from abroad, doesn't have a single relative in the city, and bought a house at No. 5 Nanhua Street... everyone saw your expression yesterday, hurry up and seize the opportunity."

  "Is the information accurate?"

  Gao Pangzi chuckled, "Absolutely no mistake, just..." his face darkened, "except for these, all her other information is blank, and in the school records, it only says she's a returned overseas Chinese."

  "Well, in that case, if you want to know more, you can only ask her herself."

  Lin Hongyi sat beside him, heard this and frowned, shouting: "You men's minds are so dirty, now is the time to study hard, after entering university and having a good career, what kind of woman can't be found?"

  "University is useless, right? After graduating, you'll still be working for others and struggling to make ends meet. You think you can afford a woman like her? If you don't take advantage of her youth and naivety now, later on, you won't even be able to hold her little finger."

  "Hmph, self-abased fatty." Lin Hongyi snorted in disdain.

  "Brainless woman." Gao Pangzi retorted.

  I shook my head gently, interrupting their argument. "Stop it, both of you. Picking up girls? I'm not interested."

  Gao Pangzi misunderstood me and thought I was worried about his mother. He let out a low sigh and asked, "How's Auntie doing?"

  "Uh-huh, nothing." I casually responded with a sentence, and my gaze also stayed on Lin Muxian in the back row.

  As if sensing my naked gaze, Lin Muxian suddenly turned her head and glanced at me lightly. There was no hint of the youthful vitality that a young girl should have in her eyes, only an aloof coldness that looked down on everything.

  Our eyes met, and I didn't look away like other boys would, instead I stared back at her intensely.

  Lin Miao Xian's beautiful black eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, the corners of her mouth curled up in a mocking cold smile, and she turned her head away, no longer paying attention to me.

  Almost all the boys in the class had their eyes on Lin Muxian, and this not-so-small movement couldn't escape reason. Following her gaze, I was quickly seen by her.

  At this moment, I stood up and walked step by step towards the back row.

  "Hiss!"

  A burst of cold air sounded in the classroom, and Gao Pangzi saw that I had made a move, his curious heart rose up, his excited face was flushed with fat, and he followed me to the back.

  "Who are you?" I walked naturally to Lin Muxian's desk and asked her with a condescending gaze.

  Such an impolite attitude, just like a poorly educated kid on the street. The tall and fat guy behind me was also stunned for a moment, wondering if I was really hitting on him like that?

  In the past, I gave people the impression that I was a person who seemed to be carefree and frivolous on the surface but actually had a profound and reserved personality, being easy-going in ordinary matters but very steady and serious when it came to major issues.

  This kind of person is usually humorous and interesting, and also gives people a sense of reliability, which girls like very much.

  However, time can change everything. In the hundreds of years I spent hiding in the mountains and avoiding the world, I developed a habit of looking at problems very directly. I also got lazy about doing those things that are insincere and deceitful.

  That's too troublesome, and I hate nothing more than being alive, except for trouble.

  "Didn't you grow ears yesterday?" Lin Muxian's bright and spirited eyes lightly glared at me, asking back.

  "Hmph!" Another cold hum of air, it seemed that even being glared at by her was a great honor for these dissolute men.

  "I don't know you." I said directly without thinking much.

  Lin Mu Xian raised an eyebrow, turned her head away, and gave me a look that said she didn't want to bother with me. It was clear that I hadn't made any progress at all. She coldly smiled and turned back to face me: "Do I need you to recognize me?"

  "Do you know me?"

  Lin Miao Xian sneered again: "Should I know you?"

  I wasn't bothered by her indifference, it's normal that she doesn't know me, many people I know don't recognize me either. Through this brief encounter, I still can't recall if I've ever met her before.

  After all, I've seen too many people in the hundreds of reincarnations I've been through. Many friends I've known for several years, I won't even remember. Whether she's one of them or not is very important.

  "Cheng Ge, stop teasing her, her name is Lin Muxian, she's back from abroad." Gao Pangzi chimed in with a well-timed remark as the conversation was getting awkward.

  I kept repeating her name and suddenly asked: "Miao Xian Miao Xian, are you a seeker of immortals?"

  At this, Lin Muxian seemed to have some interest and asked in return: "Are there immortals in this world?"

  "No." I shook my head.

  "Is it? How can you be certain?"

  For a moment, I was speechless. Based on the various theories of Buddhism and Taoism that I had studied before, I was certain that there were no gods or immortals in this world. But how could I refute her? I couldn't say that I had been studying theology for a hundred years, could I?

  Lin Miao Xian turned her head and suddenly smiled coldly, "Don't be too confident, I'm not interested in boys." Apparently, she had encountered this kind of pickup line many times before.

  I calmly watched her, did my actions seem like I wanted to chase after her?

  It's been hundreds of years since I last entered the world, and for a while, I'm still a bit unaccustomed.

  Gao Pangzi saw me being embarrassed, suddenly shouted: "You're not interested in boys, that means you like girls? Haha, female classmates are lucky!" After finishing speaking, he pulled me back quickly, just like a mouse being chased by a cat.

  It has to be said that having a brother like Gao Pang is quite good, he also likes Lin Muxian very much, but when he sees his brother being bullied, he stands up for him.

  Lin Miao Xian remained completely unresponsive to Gao Pangzi's teasing, not even giving us a glance. With her chin resting on her hand, she gazed out the window once more, her quiet demeanor seeming to conceal a multitude of thoughts.

  Returning to his seat, the fat boy said with a smile: "Cheng Ge, you're doing well. A man should be bold and thick-skinned, but also have a delicate heart. You've already succeeded in making her notice you. Later, I'll mobilize the whole class to isolate her, and then you can come over and show your concern, hehe, is there any girl who can't be won over? Are there any clothes that can't be taken off?"

  Fat boy's endless chatter was finally interrupted by the class bell, and Gao Fatzi walked away with a look of reluctance, saying that he would continue to discuss the details of picking up girls after class.

  I let out a gentle breath and gathered my thoughts, wondering what approach I should take with Lin Muxian.

  At this time, Lin Hongyi suddenly touched my arm and asked in a very weak voice, "Do you really want to chase after her?"

  "I'm thinking about it," he replied somewhat impatiently, "That's my business."

  "Oh." Lian Hongyi responded with a single word and didn't say anything more.

  With such a desolate expression, I couldn't help but let out a light sigh. After all, she was my wife in the end. Let's not make her too heartbroken. Turning to look at her again, I said: "I don't like her."

  "Really?" Lin Hongyi's face lit up with joy, but then she suddenly looked away in embarrassment and hummed: "What does it have to do with you whether I like her or not."

  "Oh no!"

  In an instant I thought of Lin Miao Xian, for whom did she come?

  It's been a long time since I've thought so hard, and I'm not even sure how to get home. The police cars were parked in front of my house again, which reminded me that tomorrow is the day to pay the ransom.

  Can't it be so bright and open to put the police car here? What if the kidnapper has a little brain, send someone over to investigate, isn't everything known?

  Even if my dad is an outsider who doesn't understand these things, were those police officers born and raised on dry rice?

  In short, Hongna simply didn't believe that my mom was really kidnapped.

  I'm back.

  The door opened and the living room was packed with people. All those tracking devices commonly seen in movies were all set up, but I think their purpose should be to record information, so as to inform my dad of being deceived.

  Hanna and my dad were chatting on the sofa, with two huge black suitcases placed at my dad's feet. Five million won't fit in a simple backpack.

  "Go upstairs and cook some instant noodles. Don't come down unless something's up." My father didn't mention a thing about me not coming home last night, using a tone I was all too familiar with to shoo me away.

  I nodded, and it's really great that he didn't bother me.

  Lying on the soft bed, I still think about Lin Muxian's affairs. Thinking straight to a headache, I can only draw a little conclusion: since Lin Muxian's arrival has become a fact, then I should accept and try to understand the reason for her arrival.

  In other words, this time around I won't be hiding in the mountains so soon.

  At this thought, I suddenly sat up in bed, and I suddenly remembered the result of Mother being tied up this time.

  Tomorrow, Father will receive a call to go alone to Tianzhu Mountain to redeem the person. Of course, Hong Na and others will follow suit. But at this time, the kidnapper suddenly received a message, scolding my father and asking him to shake off the police and go to a certain place.

  It had changed hands several times, I wasn't clear about the details as Father never told me, but its final destination was an abandoned factory not far from my home.

  There, my father was knocked unconscious by the kidnappers. Later, my mother came back, and the five million was also lost.

  Ransom with money. Father exchanged 5 million for my mom, and this result was no problem, but the problem came with Honna's appearance.

  She blamed my father for abandoning them and going alone to redeem the person. In the end, Hong Na sued my father for economic fraud.

  Trial, appeal. Trial, appeal again.

  Back and forth, the lawsuit lasted a whole year. Later, it was still the creditor of my father who committed a crime and confessed to this matter under interrogation, and my father was finally cleared of suspicion.

  But this whole year has been tough for me, not only did I have to run back and forth for my father, but I also had to drop out of school for a year.

  This result, due to Lin Muxian's appearance, is something I cannot accept now.

  Suddenly, I thought of another thing related to Lin Muxian.

  My life, which shouldn't have changed, has now changed, but my butterfly wings haven't flapped. If so, can it be... Lin Muxian is the butterfly, and she flapped her wings, changing my life?

  At this thought, I slapped my palm suddenly and became excited about the rescue action later.

  I have a good quality - generally I don't procrastinate, but once I set a goal and make a decision, I will not delay.

  Preparations are very important. I secretly calculated for a moment, took out a backpack, and then fished out a gray baseball cap from the drawer, a pair of black gloves, and several thin iron wires. Then went to my father's room to get a pair of shoes one size larger than mine, as well as my mother's silk stockings.

  Afterwards, I used the excuse of getting some orange juice and went downstairs to the kitchen to grab a slender, sharp deboning knife.

  Having done all this preparation, I lay back in bed and wait for the arrival of midnight.

  At four o'clock, it's pitch black outside, and you can't see your fingers when you raise your hand.

  I slightly moved my body and woke up. I picked up my backpack, tiptoed downstairs, the hall was full of people, those police didn't leave, apparently they were ready to move at any time.

  Two night watch policemen stood at the gate smoking and talking in a low voice.

  I retracted my footsteps and went back upstairs.

  The front door can't be walked, only the window can be climbed. I placed two chairs more than a meter apart, stretched out my hands to support the chair, and pressed my body down, only to hear the sound of 'crash' ringing.

  After a while, I stood up and let out a long breath.

  This set of exercises is the authentic Five Animals Play, and with persistence in practice, it will have endless wonderful uses. Just now I only did some basic movements to stretch my muscles and bones. I must say that this body of mine now is completely different from when I was a special forces soldier before.

  Tonight, I can only rely on experience to win.

  Both hands on the windowsill, waist twisted to one side, so that both feet can hook around the water pipe next to it. Then, with both feet hooked onto the water pipe and unmoving, he flipped his body backwards, grasped the water pipe tightly, and slid down along it.

  I left quietly, a hint of a smile at the corner of my mouth, it seems that my skills are still good enough to deal with those kidnappers.

  I first jogged out of two streets, after a distance from home, I found a Hyundai sedan and carefully opened the lock with a wire. About two or three minutes later, there was a crisp sound, and the car lock opened.

  This is a piece of cake for me. In my previous life as a thief, I could open this car door lock in just a few seconds.

  I drove the small car to the abandoned factory, and I also changed my outfit in the car. First, I put on gloves, then used stockings to cover my head to prevent hair from falling off, after putting on a baseball cap, I changed into my father's size one larger leather shoes.

  Later, I'll pick up a few more stones from the side of the road and put them in my shoes. This way, my shoe prints and weight can confuse my height and body shape. My gloves and stockings can hide my fingerprints and DNA. There aren't any cameras around there either. If the world is still the one I've experienced, even the most skilled detectives won't be able to find anything out, let alone those half-witted people like Hong Na.

  Everything was ready and I could see the lights of the abandoned factory on the mountain from afar.

  That lantern filled with the breath of death.