Lao Xia's Train of Thought
Xia Libing certainly remembered the chubby little girl in the video. The first time Xiang Kun's house for dinner, Xiang Kun went to the neighbor's house to "borrow rice," and she saw that little girl standing at the door of apartment 706 next door "welcoming" Xiang Kun.
She didn't find it strange that Xiang Kun was teaching the little girl how to flip Coin; she just thought the little girl's method of flipping Coin was a bit unusual while watching the video.
Clearly, the technique was different from that of adults, and it was more suitable for the size of the little girl's fingers. If an adult were to flip the fingers in the same way, it would be much less effective and much harder to do.
Therefore, in her opinion, if Xiang Kun taught the little girl how to flip Coin, then the method should not be like this.
This technique seems to have been figured out by the little girl herself, which could explain why she is so skilled at it.
However, aside from demonstrating the little girl's particular interest and talent in flipping Coin, there's nothing particularly surprising about it.
Next, Xia Libing watched the Coin -flipping tutorial video that Xiang Kun had sent her on Yang Zhen'er's phone earlier that day. After fiddling with it for a few moments, she quickly mastered the technique.
"Lao Xia, why don't you join our bet too... Hey? Wow! Lao Xia, you've practiced before?" Before Yang Zhen'er could finish encouraging Lao Xia to participate in their "Coin -flipping learning competition," she saw the Coin flipping smoothly and steadily on Xia Libing's slender fingers. Moreover, the Coin was flipping faster and faster, and more skillfully, as if the Coin and Xia Libing's fingers were an integral mechanical part.
Xia Libing flipped the Coin over in her palm and said, "I haven't practiced before, I just learned. Does this count as a win?"
"Win my ass! It doesn't count!" Yang Zhen'er rolled her eyes at her and couldn't help but complain, "You and Chef Xiang are both monsters. You learn things way too fast, you're not even human!"
Tang Baona, standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh, "Zhen'er, you only won one bet with Lao Xia, didn't you?"
Xia Libing had short hair before graduating from high school. It wasn't until the summer after graduation that she was tricked by Yang Zhen'er into making a bet, which she lost, that she started growing her hair long.
As for the details of the bet, it's actually quite simple: whoever can get Xia Tianhuo to call them "sister" first wins.
Actually, they both have to call Xia Tianhuo" brother," one is his cousin and the other is his maternal cousin.
However, just as Xia Libing was devising an ingenious plan and a complex scheme to get her cousin to call her "sister," Yang Zhen'er made a direct phone call, promising to introduce him to a beautiful female teacher at the university for a blind date, plus a Xia Tianhuo to reluctantly and vaguely call her "sister."
Lao Xia accepted his defeat wholeheartedly and from then on grew his hair long.
However, after that, Yang Zhen'er never won a bet between the two sisters again.
"Sigh, the innocent and lovely Lao Xia from before is gone forever. Ever since I went to university to study medicine and psychology, I haven't been able to make bets with her anymore. It feels like she can read my mind; she can guess everything I'm thinking," Yang Zhen'er said with a melancholy expression.
Tang Baona then asked, "Lao Xia, how did you learn so quickly and translate so smoothly? What's your secret?"
Xia Libing flicked the Coin in her palm with her thumb, then placed it back on the back of her hand, positioning it between her index and middle finger joints. She then said, "As long as you control the position of the Coin on your finger joints, flick it with one finger and push it with the other, so that its flipped position is exactly between your middle and ring finger joints, then repeat the previous action."
As she spoke, she demonstrated, flipping the Coin smoothly and steadily, just like the demonstration video Xiang Kun had sent them. Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er could only sigh helplessly.
"You used the word 'only need' very well!" Yang Zhen'er said irritably. "We just can't do what you're talking about! Lao Xia, are there any techniques that 'ordinary people' like us can learn?"
Xia Libing thought for a moment, then simply said two words: "Practice more."
"Ugh! Why do I have such a sister? I really want to hit her!" Yang Zhen'er said to Tang Baona as she turned around.
Tang Baona smiled, pursing her lips. "You can't beat her..."
Yang Zhen'er was speechless.
While playing with Coin, Xia Libing asked casually, "Were those jokes You Meng and Xiang Kun told today really that funny? I saw you two laughing a lot."
"It's quite funny!" Yang Zhen'er replied subconsciously.
Tang Baona frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Actually, the jokes they told weren't that funny in themselves, but coming from their mouths, they were incredibly funny. That's probably what performance ability is all about. It seems like a lot of stand-up comedy performances on TV are like that. As for how funny they were, the jokes from last night were actually more interesting. Thinking about it carefully, tonight's jokes weren't that funny. I think the environment of the restaurant where You Meng and his friends were staying might also have something to do with it. Under certain lighting and atmosphere, with such a large group of friends gathered together, it's easier for people to get the jokes."
Xia Libing nodded thoughtfully, then asked about the jokes Xiang Kun told at the restaurant last night before she arrived, and whether Xiang Kun had told any other jokes when they hung out together during the months she was away.
According to Xia Libing, Xiang Kun's behavior patterns and habits have been changing over the past few months since their first contact in August.
At first, she thought her understanding of Xiang Kun's personality was flawed and incomplete. But as she spent more time with him, especially after the time they went grocery shopping, cooked, and ate together when Xiang Kun returned to Citong City, she realized that her previous understanding of Xiang Kun was actually correct. His various behaviors that seemed inconsistent with his personality must have other internal driving forces, and she needed to analyze those behaviors specifically.
Just like the lyrics written in calligraphy that Xiang Kun gave her, judging from Xiang Kun's reaction later, her analysis was correct, it's just that she hasn't reached a definite conclusion yet.
Today, Xiang Kun performed a comedy routine for everyone. Although it seems that everyone encouraged him to do so, according to Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er's descriptions, Xiang Kun also volunteered to perform something similar last night. And from her observation today, it seems that Xiang Kun also wanted to do this performance.
Based on her previous assessment of Xiang Kun's personality and her actual observations today, Xia Libing can conclude that Xiang Kun is not the kind of person who wants to please others through his "performance" or who has a strong need for the recognition and praise of others.
He won't actively perform unless he's focused on something or has a strong passion for it. Cooking might be considered cooking, wood carving could be considered wood carving, calligraphy is somewhat related, but singing, telling jokes, and stand-up comedy are clearly not.
On the surface Xiang Kun's intentions were twofold: to entertain everyone and to find entertainment and buzz for the restaurant. However, Xia Libing always felt that Xiang Kun had other motives.
Just like the calligraphy that Xiang Kun gave her before, in her judgment, even if Xiang Kun were to give her calligraphy, it would only be something he thought was presentable. Giving her a piece of pop song lyrics written on rough-edged paper that could barely be called neat did not fit her perception of Xiang Kun.
Similarly, if Xiang Kun were to tell jokes or anecdotes, they would normally be carefully prepared and very funny.
Judging from the reactions of others at the time, the effect was indeed good. However, she noticed that the reason people's emotions started to rise did not seem to be because of the joke itself. In terms of rhythm, it was like a person who had been knocked down by a heavy punch had already fallen to the ground and started convulsing before the puncher even raised his hand. The punch only aggravated this reaction.
Whether it was Xiang Kun or You Meng telling jokes, everyone else's expressions and body language showed that they reacted in advance, which was not in line with her usual observation patterns.
However, she couldn't make an accurate judgment about the quality of those jokes themselves, so she needed to seek advice from Tang Baona and Yang Zhen'er.
After staying in Tang Baona's room until around 1 a. m., Xia Libing prepared to return to her own room.
"Lao Xia, the Coin." Tang Baona pointed somewhat embarrassedly to the one-yuan Coin that Lao Xia had been playing with in his hand.
When Xia Libing returned the Coin to her, Yang Zhen'er said from the side, "That's the Lucky Coin Xiang Kun gave to Nana, but I think he made it up. Let's give him two identical Coin later and he might not be able to guess which one was from him."
Upon hearing this, Xia Libing, who was about to place the Coin in Tang Baona's hand, withdrew her hand and carefully examined the Coin in her palm.
On the surface, the Coin looked no different from any other, and Xia Libing had been handling it for a long time; its weight and shape were no different from ordinary Coin.
Seeing her posture, Tang Baona laughed and said, "The so-called Lucky Coin refers to a psychological definition, right? The Coin itself isn't anything special... Huh?!"
Before she could finish speaking, she saw Xia Libing bite the Coin.
Yang Zhen'er was taking a sip of milk when she saw this scene and immediately spat it out, coughing and laughing while clutching her stomach.
"Lao Xia, how's the taste? Is it too salty...?"
Xia Libing remained unfazed, took a tissue, wiped the Coin, and returned it to Tang Baona.
Back in her room, Xia Libing picked up the "Black Circle Graffiti" that Xiang Kun had given Xiang Kun when he picked her up that morning, placed it on the table, took out paper and pen from her bag, and tried to repeat the black circle from the inside out on the notebook, drawing and thinking at the same time.
She didn't aim to make the lines exactly like Xiang Kun's; she was simply trying to understand Xiang Kun's possible thought processes and ideas when he drew these things.
The more she drew, the more certain she became that this was definitely not a random scribble.
The black circles and arcs on that piece of paper were drawn quickly, steadily, and smoothly, as if a definite pattern was already in one's mind and was rapidly reproducing.
She could almost see Xiang Kun holding a ballpoint pen, scribbling rapidly across the B5 notebook, completely absorbed.
After a while, she took out the calligraphy brush that Xiang Kun had given her from her bag and compared it with the original.
One of the two pieces of paper was a black circle pattern torn from a B5 notebook and looked like it was drawn casually; the other was calligraphy written on rough-edged paper used for calligraphy practice. The only things they seemed to have in common were that "both were written on paper" and "both seemed to be done casually by Xiang Kun."
If it were an ordinary person, even someone like Tang Baona or Yang Zhen'er who already had a good relationship with Xiang Kun, they would probably find the two "gifts," especially the second one, rather baffling or amusing.
However, Xia Libing would think very carefully and seriously about what the "things" written and drawn on these two pieces of paper represented, and the purpose of Xiang Kun giving these two things to her.
Because she knew very well that Xiang Kun was the most special and unique person she had ever observed or come into contact with, without exception.
Xiang Kun's uniqueness is likely even greater than hers.
She felt that Xiang Kun seemed to be trying to convey some message to her through these things.
But why not use a more direct approach?
Xiang Kun must have noticed her unusual behavior, but how much did he notice?
Is it related to the fact that he gave me this painting and the word "painting"?
Xiang Kun didn't return to the hotel until after 5 a. m. He had not only searched the main peak last night, but also conducted a brief search of the surrounding mountains.
Because the focus is on the ants, the sensory information being searched has a clear target, making it easy to pinpoint the affected area.
Xiang Kun was actually a little confused: In his opinion, even though this place was still a mountainous area, it was still a famous scenic spot with a large daily flow of people. If its body had already undergone obvious mutations, it was not safe here. There was always the possibility of being discovered, and the types of food were also limited.
As you venture further west, closer to Tongshi Town, the scenic area's popularity decreases, fewer tourists visit, human influence diminishes, its free movement area expands, and its blood supply increases.
The same applies to Giant Owl and mutated spiders. As their blood-drinking and mutation frequency increases, they continuously shift their habitats deeper into the mountains. They only leave their habitats and venture into human territory if their blood-drinking needs change drastically and they have a strong need for the blood of other Mutated Creature.
Judging from the duration of the decline in the ant colony, this Mutated Creature has been present on this mountain for quite some time.
So why has this Mutated Creature stayed here?
Is there something about this place that makes it hard to leave, or is it simply a matter of "being reluctant to leave one's homeland"?
Furthermore, Xiang Kun speculated that the Mutated Creature might not be hunting individual ants, but rather directly targeting the queen ant for its blood-drinking prey.
Otherwise, the ants wouldn't have disappeared so completely.
Judging from the distinctive scent of the underground nest, it's clear that the creature inhabiting this place isn't the mutated bird; it's either a mutated ant or some other insect with similar habits.
The large bird's appearance here most likely indicates that it was coming for it.
As for the specifics of the situation, it's difficult to determine whether the large bird has successfully hunted and killed its prey, or whether it escaped, or was killed in return, based solely on Chu Xiuwen and the others' descriptions and the investigation conducted here.
Xiang Kun didn't have the motivation or need to find the Mutated Creature on the mountain or the whereabouts of the mutated bird. What he was more concerned about was whether the anomaly he noticed would attract the attention of others and lead to the discovery of at least two Mutated Creature lurking here, such as "Shenxing Technology".