Remember to Board

Jiang Xueming immediately ran to the ATM and deposited the two tickets into his account.

Standing before the machine, he was both anxious and full of anticipation.

If those tickets looked like real banknotes to everyone else, able to pass even a counterfeit detector as genuine—

Then for Xue Ming, that was nothing short of wonderful news.

He desperately needed money. He never wanted to be poor again. He was an ordinary, law-abiding, timid, lecherous man—however he looked at it, this wasn't illegal, right?

Bailu's condition was getting worse and worse. Even if he had to borrow money, even take out usurious loans, he had to cure his little sister's strange illness. She was the most important family he had.

The siblings had been born in a desolate, impoverished little county.

When Jiang Xueming was seventeen, his family had arranged a job for him at a battery factory. They only wanted their son to get the hell out and start making money as soon as possible.

When Bailu was fourteen, their parents had picked out a family in Chongling Bakou. For an eight-hundred-thousand-yuan marriage payment, they had put a clear price on their daughter and married her off. Calling it a marriage would have been generous—it was more like selling her, a transaction in human flesh. Their parents were heartless enough to do it.

Before the ATM deposit-and-withdrawal machine, the cramped, filthy public area reeked of cigarettes.

Xue Ming pressed a hand against the yellowed control panel and listened to the crisp clicking sounds of the machine repeatedly verifying the notes.

He only hoped those two bizarre tickets could become Bailu's life-saving money.

He thought carefully, remembering.

Four years ago, back in that little county, Bailu had been unable to go to school and was supposed to climb into a bridal sedan chair. During the days before the wedding procession came to collect her, he didn't know what had happened to him. He had always been dull and timid, but suddenly, he had found courage.

Afterward, he had fled with his sister. They had not only needed to escape their home, but also the web of relatives and acquaintances spanning the surrounding villages.

They had needed to flee somewhere so far away that their parents would never find them again.

They had promised to depend on each other for life.

His phone vibrated.

A deposit notification came through.

"Done!"

Xue Ming perked up and quickly took his bank card.

He walked back to his rental from Longbiao Road. It was only about five hundred meters. He picked up some daily necessities from the convenience store at the alley entrance, then went to Hongsheng Market to buy vegetables, planning to make something delicious for Bailu at home.

Carrying two large bags, he opened the little door to their pigeonhole of a home and came face-to-face with Bailu's blotchy face.

Bailu still looked timid, as though she feared the light and was afraid the neighbors would see how ugly she had become.

She tugged at her brother's sleeve, urging Xue Ming to come inside quickly. Then she noticed what he was carrying.

"Where did all this stuff come from, Brother? Y-you didn't go to work today? You're not selling beef offal?"

Xue Ming hesitated for a while—

—he didn't know whether he should tell Bailu about the tickets. Something about them was wrong, terribly wrong. Pies never fell from the sky. Only traps did.

He forced out a smile. As he sorted through the clutter and kitchenware, he spoke to Bailu.

"I got a bonus today. I told the manager you were sick. The manager's kind-hearted and told me to come back and take care of you. I can go back after you get better."

Bailu did not ask further questions. She sat back down at the little table, looking clever but faintly uneasy, as if she had guessed something.

After a long while, Jiang Xueming brought the food to the table.

Bailu had smelled the fragrance long ago. Over the past two months, she had eaten so much chicken breast she was nearly depressed. The sight of good food made her eyes light up.

Xue Ming's mood immediately brightened. They had made it past another hurdle. Their peaceful life could continue. Everything was wonderful.

He saw his sister's sparkling eyes. The girl kept swallowing, yet put on an awkwardly well-mannered act and did not dare pick up her chopsticks first.

He put food into Bailu's bowl. "Eat. Careful you don't choke."

Then he reminded her, "After we eat, I'll take you to the dermatology clinic. Right away."

Bailu's voice was very quiet, as though she had thought of something. "Brother, I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" Xue Ming said casually. "Scared there won't be another meal after this one? Scared of injections? Don't worry. I've got a way."

Bailu looked at him sideways, like a rabbit that had seen a wolf. "I'm scared you're lying to me."

Xue Ming froze for a moment. "Lying to you? What do you mean?"

"Tell me the truth, Brother. Where did this money come from? Why did you suddenly come home early today? Before, whenever I was sick with a fever, that manager bullied us because we were outsiders. He made you pay compensation just for taking leave." Bailu's voice grew louder and louder. "What can't you tell me? I'm your real little sister. We grew up together. You can't fool me. Every time you lie reluctantly, you squeeze out that kind of smile. I can tell at a glance."

Xue Ming only focused on putting food into his sister's bowl.

Bailu did not press him. She knew her brother had run into trouble.

Only after the siblings had finished eating did the room fall quiet.

Bailu dragged a large cardboard box out from a corner and pulled it in front of Xue Ming. "Brother, after you left today, I received a delivery for you."

Xue Ming said, "Oh, I know about that."

"No, you don't." Bailu immediately explained, "It was another delivery. A much bigger one."

The box had already been opened. Inside were massive stacks of tickets piled neatly together, their ink smell so strong it stung the eyes.

"Who sent you all this money?" Bailu furrowed her little brows. "They're not an ordinary person, are they? Delivery services can't send cash now, either. What did you do outside? Tell me the truth."

Xue Ming crouched in front of the box. "I don't know either."

Bailu pinched her brother's waist and continued questioning him. "How could you not know? Did you sell a kidney? I counted just now. There's more than four million in there! It took me over twenty minutes just to count it all."

Xue Ming hurriedly said, "Selling a kidney wouldn't get that much money."

Bailu looked suspicious. "You actually thought about selling a kidney?"

Xue Ming said, "I wouldn't say no to it."

Bailu said, "Then did you find some rich older woman?"

Xue Ming said, "I can't rule out the possibility that a rich older woman secretly has a crush on me. I'm that handsome, after all. But I work at the subway entrance every day. What rich older woman takes the subway that often?"

Bailu said, "Um... did you take on some side job recently? Like becoming a mercenary in the Middle East or South Africa?"

Xue Ming said, "I've never even touched a real gun. Besides, are there mercenaries who get off work on time every day like me?"

Bailu said, "Did you secretly buy lottery tickets?"

Xue Ming said, "I usually buy them openly. I've never bought them in secret. If I won, I'd tell you openly too. There'd be no reason to hide it from you."

The sound of the siblings scratching their heads echoed through the tiny room for quite a while.

What Jiang Xueming saw was a box full of tickets.

What Jiang Bailu saw was solid, genuine cash.

That feeling came again, as though eyes were watching the ordinary man from every direction.

"No matter what, we'll see a doctor first and cure your illness." Jiang Xueming was thick-skinned enough that he did not care about such sinister nonsense at all.

Bailu was unsettled. "Can we really spend this money? Won't someone come to collect a debt? What if you get arrested?"

"I'm not afraid of going to prison." Jiang Xueming stuffed two bundles of tickets into his clothes. "I'm afraid you won't be able to study. I'm afraid you won't be able to afford food. I'm afraid there won't be money to treat your illness. What a great thing this is! We'll keep a low profile and stay here for now. Later, I'll quit my job. I'll find somewhere to catch up on my studies too. Won't that be a complete turnaround?"

Cheung Sha Wan Health Hospital—

—Xue Ming took his sister to the outpatient clinic. Then he sat on a bench in the corridor.

After paying the consultation fee, he waited for his sister's examination results. As the amount of cash increased, the doubts in his heart dwindled, until only a few crucial questions remained.

Why was he the only one who could recognize those tickets?

Could something be wrong with his eyes? Was there some cognitive impairment in his brain? Could he be mistaking banknotes for tickets? He needed a thorough examination later.

Or was there really some benefactor, some rich older woman, silently helping him from the shadows?

The tickets seemed to be urging Jiang Xueming—

—to go somewhere and board a train.

The tickets would help him solve life's difficulties.

Night deepened, and dim blue moonlight shone in through the windows. A few caregivers occasionally passed through the quiet corridor.

He could hear snoring from the inpatient ward and smell disinfectant. Several young nurses at the nurses' station were discussing something.

Even from more than twenty meters away, he could hear every word clearly.

He suddenly realized it and was astonished by his own hearing. It seemed as though something inside his body was slowly awakening.

He heard the voices from the nurses' station. They were discussing him.

"That handsome guy from dermatology, which district is he from?"

"According to the registration, he's from Hung Hom."

"Is he sick?"

"It's his little sister. Seems like lupus erythematosus."

"Lupus erythematosus doesn't have those symptoms. It'll probably be hard to treat. There's so much pollution in the sea these days. The tap water and seafood around the harbor are all unclean. There are lots of strange illnesses."

At first, the young nurses were only discussing Bailu's illness.

Then things became strange.

"Why hasn't he boarded yet?"

"He has to go to the station."

"You're eavesdropping, aren't you? Remember, you must go to the station."

"This money can't be spent for nothing."

Xue Ming abruptly stood up. The more he listened, the more wrong it sounded.

He quickly walked to the nurses' station, only to find a single nurse on duty playing with her phone. He silently approached the counter—

—and startled the young nurse.

Her phone fell onto the desk. The nurse nervously asked,

"Sir, how can I help you?"

Xue Ming licked his dry lips and cautiously asked, "Were you talking to me just now?"

"No. I... I've been looking at my phone the whole time." The young nurse picked up her phone and stared helplessly at the strange man. "Are you asking for my number? Hey, are guys this direct when hitting on someone now? I... I think this is a little too fast. Can you let me think about it first? Maybe introduce ourselves?"

Xue Ming immediately turned around, intending to return to his seat. "Sorry for disturbing you."

After taking only a few steps, he stopped again.

Because he heard it again—heard the nurse behind him muttering something indistinct.

"He can hear. He knows. He has talent. He has Inspiration. He's different."

"He has to go to the station. He must board."

Jiang Xueming turned back for another look.

At the nurses' station desk, the nurse held her phone with a perfectly normal expression, though she still looked wary, curious, and expectant.

"Your sister is here for treatment, right? I saw the registration form! Your name is Jiang Xueming? Mr. Xueming? You seem very concerned about your sister! Can your family help?"

Jiang Xueming answered, "They're all busy."

The nurse wore a strange smile. "Do you have any local friends who can help?"

Jiang Xueming said, "No."

The nurse continued, "Your number is on the registration form. I wrote it down, so that means we know each other now, right? I know where you live, and I know you want to move. You want to find somewhere quiet, don't you?"

"I also know of a medicine that works extremely well. It can cure your sister's strange illness."

"If you need help, call this number."

Before she had finished speaking—

Xue Ming's phone began vibrating. A call was coming in.

But he could see it clearly—

—the young nurse had never pressed the call button. Her phone screen was even black.

Looking down, he saw it was a private number.

When he looked up, the young nurse had sat back down and muttered mysteriously, "Just call back. Remember to board on time."

The young nurse's demeanor was extremely strange, and Xue Ming found it difficult to describe.

She was like a puppet on strings, moving mechanically with empty eyes as she faced the chair at the nurses' station and stuffed the nurse's fleshly body back into place.

Xue Ming's breathing quickened, and his heart pounded wildly.

More than once, he had doubted himself. Was there really something wrong with his mind?

Those threatening words finally made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Something definitely isn't wrong with my head."

You seem very concerned about your sister.

You don't have any friends, do you?

Can your family help?

I know where you live, and I know where you want to hide.

I have a highly effective medicine here, if you need help.

Board on time.

He was certain that he was not insane.

Those words all had a clear target. They all pointed toward Nine Realms Station. And what those messages revealed made Xue Ming even more uneasy—

—Jiang Bailu's illness was probably not so simple.

Half an hour later, Bailu came out of the examination room with a diagnosis report.

Unfortunately, the pathology report still only said, "Skin allergy."

Both siblings knew that allergies could be simple or complicated.

The problem was, where was the allergen?

There was still some time before the boarding date. Xue Ming remained firmly materialistic, taking Bailu to every nearby hospital, but they found nothing.

Using the tickets, he rented a clean, well-ventilated large room near Anshan Health Center and sent Bailu to the inpatient ward for recuperation, but her condition did not improve.

The red blotches on Bailu's body grew more numerous, and her body became weaker and weaker. Her spirits worsened day by day, while she spent longer and longer asleep.

One week later, on July 4th, only three days remained until the boarding date.

That morning, Xue Ming was, as usual, keeping his sister company in the hospital room.

The doctor was in the next room, preparing medication for an allergen skin test and desensitization injections.

Bailu had just woken up. She gasped for breath, as though she had been deprived of oxygen throughout her sleep. The malformed red patches on the right side of her face had swollen and distorted her nasal cavity. As soon as she awoke, she began crying and gasping particularly hard.

She asked, "Brother, am I going to die?"

Xue Ming said, "No."

Bailu asked again, "Can I get better? Will I be like this for the rest of my life?"

Xue Ming said, "You'll get better."

"I keep having nightmares, Brother. I see so many people. So many people talking to me. They ask me why you still haven't boarded—Brother, I'm not afraid of them. I'm not scared. Don't worry. I'm not scared." Bailu gripped Xue Ming's hand tightly. "Brother, I want to go back to school."

Jiang Xueming fell silent. He was both furious and powerless as he lowered his head to look at his sister's hand.

The red papules on the back of her hand were raised, and the twisted skin formed a bizarre pattern.

It looked exactly like a blood-red butterfly, speckled and marked with eye-like patterns—a butterfly fluttering through the air.