Chapter 50: Utter Humiliation

An Mingshan cleaned up after eating, and the afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.
In the blink of an eye, night had fallen.
I had been lying down all day, so I got out of bed to stretch my legs. But after walking only a few steps, my legs went weak, and I almost collapsed onto the floor. An Mingshan helped me back to the bed and said, "You've been lying down for so long, of course you won't be used to walking right away. Didn't you know that?"
I said, "I have to go back. There's still a mountain of things waiting for me to handle."
An Mingshan said, "What serious business could you possibly have? Is it nothing more than sitting in your shop peddling fake goods?"
I said, "I suspect this zombie incident won't end so easily. I have to go back and investigate."
An Mingshan said, "There are so many people in the organization, just leave this matter to them. You stay right here until you untie the knot in your heart!"
I said, "I really don't have any knot in my heart, my dear good lady. Just spare me!"
An Mingshan sat on the edge of the bed and said, "Really?"
I said, "Really. Would I lie to you?"
An Mingshan said, "Really?"
I said, "As true as can be."
An Mingshan said, "Really?"
I said, "Are you a broken record, only capable of saying those two words?" An Mingshan got out of bed, sat on the stool beside it, looked at me, and said nothing more.

I said, "Why are you looking at me like that? Aren't you sleepy?"
An Mingshan said, "Not sleepy."
Just as I was about to say something, I suddenly heard gunshots echoing from the hallway!
Startled, I hurriedly said, "This is bad! Go outside and take a look!" With that, I picked up my gun and tried to get out of bed, but after only a few steps, my legs went weak again.
An Mingshan supported me and said, "You can't even walk steadily, how are you going to go look? Let me go instead!" I handed her the gun and said, "Unless it's an absolute last resort, do not fire!" Hearing this, An Mingshan went out.
One hour later.
An Mingshan returned. Seeing that her clothes were ragged and torn, I anxiously asked, "Are you alright? What happened outside?"
An Mingshan sat down on the stool, handed the gun back to me, took a sip of water, and said, "A major disaster happened. Your fat brother got shot. Three times."
Hearing that something had happened to Liu Shan, I felt as though I had reached the verge of a breakdown. Disregarding my current condition, I tried to get out of bed, but An Mingshan pushed me back down and said, "He did that to protect Lingling. With Lingling and Donghua taking care of him, he'll be fine."
I said, "Was the culprit caught?"
An Mingshan said, "It was those three individuals. They broke out of prison and came back, but they've been captured by our people again and handed over to the local paranormal task force."
I said, "The people from that organization?"
An Mingshan said, "Most likely."
I completely broke down and cried out, "Jiang Ruyu is in prison, Xu Qiuming suffered divine retribution, and Fatty has been shot. They were all supposed to live peaceful lives, but now... now... all of this is because of me! It's me who dragged them into this!" With that, I buried my head in the quilt and began to sob! Most of the time, I only shed tears when yawning, but I never expected that I would actually cry—and right in front of An Mingshan, no less! Now, I had lost face all the way to the Pacific Ocean. If anyone else ever found out about this, I would have no face left to meet people, let alone continue living.

An Mingshan pulled back the quilt, looked at my state, and gently said, "Cry out loud. Once you cry it out, the knot in your heart will finally be untied." Hearing her words and thinking once more of those three people, my emotions completely collapsed. At that moment, I threw away all my pride and wept bitterly.
An Mingshan sat by the bedside, pulling me into her embrace. One of her arms wrapped around my back, while her other hand held mine tightly, her head resting gently upon mine as if she had fallen asleep. She hugged me so tightly that it felt as though she was about to snap my waist in half, much like how she had once squeezed my hand until it went numb. Though I was crying, I could feel the pain. I tried to break free from her grip, only to discover that my entire body was completely devoid of strength. I also realized that I had slumped against An Mingshan, lacking even the strength to sit up straight. My crying gradually subsided, likely because I was exhausted. I wiped away my tears and wanted to lie down to sleep, only to find that I couldn't move at all, which reminded me that An Mingshan was still holding me. Her strength was shockingly great, comparable to that of a robust man. After struggling a few times without success, I simply gave up.

After a short while, I felt an itch on my head. I raised a hand to scratch it, but my fingers unexpectedly brushed against her face! I gently stroked her cheek; her skin was smooth and surprisingly elastic. Just as I was about to retract my hand, touching her actually stirred up inappropriate thoughts in my mind! Immediately afterward, a sharp pain pierced my chest.
At that moment, I suddenly recalled what my master had once told me: my birth chart dictated that I was fated to have no wife, meaning I would spend my entire life in solitude, and everyone who loved me and whom I loved would leave me for various reasons. The fortunate ones would journey far away, while the unfortunate ones would meet untimely deaths! This was predestined, and I could never touch a woman for the rest of my life. Indeed, those words had proven true.
Many years ago, a woman who loved me and whom I loved deeply had left me, right before my very eyes, yet I was utterly powerless to stop it. In the end, out of grief for her, I swore a solemn oath never to love another woman again, treating all others only with polite detachment. But looking at it from another perspective, perhaps this was for the best; I could focus entirely on my work, undisturbed by worldly entanglements, and maintain my aloof integrity. Yet An Mingshan was a miracle! We had lived closely together day and night for over a year, even sharing meals and lodging, yet she had not fulfilled my master's prophecy, nor had she ever caused a sharp pain in my chest! I pulled back my outstretched hand without touching her. Not only to prove my aloofness, but even more so because I could never let go of that former her, making it impossible for me to accept any other woman—including the one right before me.

I know not how much time passed, but I gradually drifted into a hazy sleep...

Reader Interaction Corner.
Q: Mr. Author, which movies do you like?
A: The movies I enjoy are primarily horror and zombie films, especially those by Uncle Ying (Lam Ching-ying) and Peng Yusi. One represents the classics, while the other represents continuation and heritage. Lam Ching-ying's works include *Mr. Vampire*, *The Ultimate Vampire*, *Exorcist Master*, etc.; Peng Yusi's works include the *Taoist Priest Comes Out of the Mountains* series, the *Yin-Yang Master* series, and more. I also enjoy foreign films, such as *Her* and *Ex Machina*.
My interest in the study of Chinese metaphysics and the Book of Changes was sparked precisely because I watched Uncle Ying's movies, and I have kept studying it ever since. Furthermore, I majored in film and television directing during my studies, so I have also watched many of the classic films required by my coursework.