Feng Xiuye suddenly sat up on the sofa, looked around, and realized that he was on the sofa in his father's living room. He breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, realizing that what had just happened was all a dream.
After attending a social event at noon today, he drank a bit too much and didn't want to go home, so he asked the driver to take him to his father's place.
His father was taking a nap, so he didn't disturb him. He sat in the living room making tea and eventually fell asleep.
I never expected to have such a terrifying dream...
Generally speaking, after having a nightmare, you feel better once you wake up; at most, you might feel a little scared and relieved.
But now that he's come to his senses, he feels a chill run down his spine and his scalp tingles, because he remembers that in his dream, he and a bunch of relatives came to "catch the adulterer" from a monster that had eight arms, eight eyes, and was over two meters tall with fleshy growths all over its body!
His family members, on the other hand, seemed to be standing with the monster as if they knew it very well!
Why would I see something like that?
And now, after waking up, I can't remember any of the other details from the dream, like the women lying with me or the details of the hotel room; they're all blurry. But I remember this monster so clearly, down to every single tumor!
Feng Xiuye rubbed his temples and muttered, "Could it be that the alcohol we drank at noon was fake?"
After drinking a cup of tea that had gone cold, Feng Xiuye got up to go to the courtyard to get some fresh air, cool off from the alcohol, and shake off those strange thoughts that had suddenly popped into his head.
Just then, his gaze fell on a shelf in the living room that displayed various small items collected by his father, and his body suddenly froze.
Looking at the small Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving, Feng Xiuye couldn't help but swallow hard. The cold sweat that had just dried up reappeared, and his hands and feet felt icy cold. He inexplicably felt that the room temperature had dropped several degrees.
Although the wood carving did not look ferocious or terrifying, and was quite different from the monster he had seen in his dream, its eight arms and eight eyes were so distinctive that it could not be a coincidence.
When Mr. Feng finished his afternoon nap and came out of his bedroom, he saw his second son staring Zhengyi School at the wooden carving he had placed in the living room.
"Xiuye, are you interested in this wood carving?" Mr. Feng walked over with his hands behind his back.
"Dad, where did you get this wood carving? I don't think I saw it when I came last time."
"Oh, this was made by Nana's friend. I asked her to take it and play with it," Mr. Feng said. "What, you're starting to get interested in wood carving too?"
"No... Dad, I think this wood carving is a bit eerie. I just fell asleep on the sofa next to it and had a dream. I dreamt of a strange person with eight arms and eight eyes, who looked similar to this wood carving, or rather, much uglier..."
At any other time, if Mr. Feng heard his son say such things, he would definitely frown, then scold him and tell him to stay away from those feudal and superstitious things.
But today, Mr. Feng couldn't help but ask, "What kind of dream did you have? Tell me in detail."
"It's just... it's just that after I woke up in the hotel, I saw this wooden carving transformed into a strange person standing by the door watching me..." Feng Xiuye naturally couldn't describe the specifics of the dream, only giving a brief overview. Then, observing his father's expression, he knew his father disliked such superstitious and supernatural things. He'd previously consulted a feng shui master about his newly renovated office, and his father had given him a severe scolding. So, after considering his words, he said, "Dad, I have an old friend who's very interested in these kinds of wooden artworks. This carving is so special; I'd like to borrow it for him to look at for a couple of days. What do you think..."
Mr. Feng walked out into the courtyard with his hands behind his back, giving a seemingly casual "hmm" as he went.
Feng Xiuye didn't linger. He immediately took the wood carving with him, then called the driver waiting outside to pick him up. He planned to find a reputable "master" he frequently contacted to take a look.
His father's somewhat unusual reaction made him realize that this wooden carving must be truly strange; otherwise, he would have been scolded for what he said earlier. But instead of scolding him, his father agreed to his request, which alone spoke volumes—he believed his father understood what he meant by taking it to show his "old friend."
Xiang Kun arrived at night. He didn't tell anyone he was back, so naturally no one came to pick him up.
Although he was very curious about the state of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving, Xiang Kun was not in a hurry to contact Tang Baona to see her grandfather, because according to the blood-drinking cycle, the time for this blood-drinking should be tomorrow morning.
When I got home, it still smelled like bird and rabbit droppings, and there was also a slight smell of spoiled food and feed.
However, relying on his senses, he quickly determined that the rabbits and canaries in his house were both alive.
Unlike before when he went on a long trip, Gold Glitter didn't fly over immediately. Instead, he lay on the table next to the cage, eyes closed, looking like he was dead.
But Xiang Kun was certain that it still had a heartbeat and was breathing; it hadn't died.
Xiang Kun was a little worried that it was sick, so he went over and carefully placed it in his palm, gently combed its feathers, and then compared its current physical condition with the data recorded in the past, and turned on the infrared thermal imaging visual mode to observe it.
Although the various indicators appear to be fluctuating and she seems a bit weak, she should be healthy and not seriously ill.
Xiang Kun then placed it aside, intending to clean its cage, feed it some fresh food, and change the water in its bath tub first.
However, as he was about to turn around, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye that Gold Glitter, who had been put back on the table, seemed to stretch its head and open its eyes to look at him.
Xiang Kun turned around, and Gold Glitter immediately lay down again.
Xiang Kun suddenly became interested. Was this guy playing dead?
He knew that some birds would play dead to avoid predators, but he was well aware that Gold Glitter was no longer simply afraid of him; their relationship was more like that of partners, or rather, dependents. It had no reason to play dead to avoid anything.
What's the reason it's playing dead?
Mischief?
No way, this thing is just a canary!
Xiang Kun walked back, turned it over so its legs were in the air, and gently tapped its belly.
Gold Glitter remained tense and motionless.
"If you keep playing dead, I'll stew you!" Xiang Kun threatened.
Gold Glitter remained unmoved.
Xiang Kun naturally wouldn't actually stew it, so he first cleaned the birdcage, changed the water in the trough, then cleaned the rabbit cage, changed the food and water again, and then personally made birdseed from walnuts, rapeseed, and cornmeal, which he then poured into the trough.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Gold Glitter immediately jumped up from the table, hopped back into its cage, and began to eat with great enthusiasm.
Judging from its movements and various physical reactions, Xiang Kun judged that it was particularly "excited" and "happy," and even seemed a little "smug." He couldn't help but wonder, "Could this guy think that its 'faking death' has successfully forced me to prepare a big meal for it?"
Xiang Kun thought that next time he went on a long trip, he should leave Gold Glitter at Tang Baona's house, so that the guy wouldn't be left alone... well, the longer a bird stays alone, the more unpredictable its psychology becomes.