The boomerang of fate hit the jackpot. Gao Ming’s expression was inscrutable. He had heard similar noises in real life before. That bedroom was where he used to trap his bound parents.
At the same time, Gao Ming’s parents took on a strange expression as well. They tried their best to remain calm. However, Gao Ming’s mother kicked her husband under the table, signalling him to say something. The family of three had a minute change in their expressions due to one singular sound.
The female ghost who witnessed this silently put down her chopsticks. At that moment, she appeared to be the normal one.
“Can I check the bedroom?” Gao Ming didn’t act rashly. He politely asked for his parents’ permission.
“You should rest. You must be tired after such a long day.” The middle-aged man stood up. The mother served Gao Ming some food. This family kept probing each other. Only the female ghost stared at the meat inside her bowl. She felt that Gao Ming’s family was very warm.
“Things are not that peaceful lately. A lot of rats entered the neighbourhood. I suspect something sneaked into the bedroom.” The middle-aged man tossed out an excuse and then opened the door slightly. The moment he did, the sound of the axle turning triggered the thing inside the room. The strange sound became louder.
A ghastly face struggled loose and banged into the bedroom door. The living room light showered into the bedroom. The shadow in the bedroom slowly faded away. The room was a mixture of inky blackness and blurry lightness. At the intersection of the different brightness, there were many scary faces and twisted bodies!
The Gao Mings, the parents trapped in the room, had gone insane. Maybe it was because they saw the real Gao Ming or Luo Dong had run over the altar inside the tunnel.
Thick vessels popped on Gao Mings’ faces, twisting their features. They barely looked human.
The only person who was scared was the female ghost. She didn’t expect the married couple to have a whole bedroom of Gao Mings in storage. Her warm image of this family shattered instantly.
The crazed Gao Ming pounced forward. The rope on him was pulled to its limit. The middle-aged man evaded out of instinct. However, as he turned back, he saw Gao Ming walk towards the coffee table to pick up the heavy vase.
“Dad, please move.” The middle-aged man heard a whistling of the wind. The vase was shattered. Gao Ming, who wanted to attack the middle-aged man, was knocked out. That was not the end. Before they could react, Gao Ming picked up the plate of cauliflower and walked to the bedroom door. He knelt beside himself and shoved the cauliflowers into his mouth. He ‘gently’ helped him swallow it. The unconscious Gao Ming couldn’t do anything. He slowly lost control of his body. However, the other Gao Mings became scarier and more unruly. Their bodies started to morph. Black threads with the presence of the future crawled out of their bodies. These monsters couldn’t retain Gao Ming’s shape anymore.
“The other dishes are not poisoned. Only the cauliflower that I hate the most is poisonous.” Gao Ming guarded the bedroom door. His tone was so gentle. “Have you already discovered I was different from the rest? Is that why you haven’t gone after me yet?”
“You…” Compared to the man’s caution, the wife was more excited.
“Are you really Gao Ming? Our son is finally home?!” Gao Ming’s mother looked into his eyes. She wanted to say something more, but she controlled herself.
“All the past versions of myself are standing here. We walked for a long time in the rain. We finally found a path.” All the memories melted together. Every Gao Ming’s parents were his parents. “Sorry for making you worried.”
His mother’s eyes reddened instantly. She had walked through two worlds. She had already abandoned hope. Gao Ming took out his present, his birthday portrait. Holding it, he lightly picked up his mother’s hand.
Two hearts beated. Their bloodlines were connected. The death portrait didn’t reject either of them because this was their shared memory.
“Past, present and future… If not for the two figurines’ power, I might never see you again. There are some other parents of mine who are still trapped in the shadow world.” Gao Ming had murdered his regrets, but he still held onto his mother’s hands.
“Your other parents?” Gao Ming’s father was confused when he heard that.
“I was looking for a way home in every different timeline. In those timelines, you were out, looking for me. Thus, there are endless versions of me and you.” Gao Ming hugged his father’s shoulders. They resonated with the death portrait. His parent’s bodies lightened in colour.
The heartbeat became louder. Even though he was targeted by the God of the Future, Gao Ming’s blood started to boil. The thing he was looking for was very close!
The monsters in the bedroom lost their shapes of Gao Ming. They reeked horribly. A sharp scream came from deep inside the bedroom.
At the same time, a ray of light cut through the fog in the city. The honk of the bus shattered the silence of the night.
“I’ve brought out the thing those monsters left in the tunnel!”
Luo Dong’s roar echoed in the neighbourhood. The bedroom door broke down. The monsters climbed on each other. They surged towards Gao Ming and his parents like a wave. They slithered along the floor, walls and ceiling.
“We need to get downstairs!” Gao Ming’s pupils were pierced by a red thread. The blood in his body was summoning him.
Gao Ming dragged his parents and ran down the stairs. The middle-aged couple didn’t resist. They chose to believe this time. Gao Ming’s mother pulled the female ghost along before they left. Even though her appearance was hard to accept at first, after a quick interaction, the girl gave Gao Ming’s mother an impression that she was a quiet and innocent girl.