Evil People Have Their Own Evil Mothers [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 25: Come Home With Me

Chapter 25: Come Home With Me

Cao Weidong rented the warehouse and furnished it simply.

A table, a chair, and brand-new bedding spread over a second-hand wooden bed he’d picked up from the school’s online group. Then he screwed a pale, stark lightbulb into the ceiling.

Cao Weidong spent a simple night in the warehouse, sleeping fairly well. Outside, the wind howled like ghosts, but inside, the room was as silent as a tomb.

The sound of his own breathing echoed loudly in his ears, completely unaffected by the biting north wind heralding the transition from late autumn to early winter.

Early the next morning, Cao Weidong returned to the school.

The bullying he had endured at school, the humiliation during his part-time job at the bar, and the permanent disability in his right hand—each incident had easily reached the ears of the school administration after he reported them to the police.

The school officials called him in for a talk. Cao Weidong repeated exactly what he had told the police, again omitting any mention of Xu Jiu.

The school wanted to downplay the matter, repeatedly urging Cao Weidong with the same arguments the police had used.

Cao Weidong sat upright, nodding at every sentence as if carefully considering each word spoken.

Watching the growing confidence in the eyes of the administrators before him, one finally asked,

“What are your thoughts, Cao?”

“Thank you for your concern, teachers and leaders. What you say makes sense—”

Cao Weidong’s voice suddenly cut off, the abrupt silence like a giant hand tightening around everyone’s necks, choking off their breath.

“But I do not accept mediation.”

Cao Weidong stood up, thanked the elders before him, pushed his chair back under the table, shouldered his yellowed black backpack, and walked out.

People at the school had already started packing up to go home, and the dormitory grew increasingly deserted.

Cao Weidong gathered his few belongings, stuffed them into a bag and then into his backpack, and finally restored the room to the state it was in before he had ever lived there. Locking the door with his key, he left the dormitory building.

By the time he finished, night had fallen.

Under the cover of darkness, Cao Weidong bought a pack of cigarettes and tucked it into his pocket. He slipped into the foul, decaying alley behind the bar, expertly navigating the damp, slick pavement tiles until he reached a dead end.

There lay a dark-yellow dog, its fur completely dulled, its body emitting a faint but unmistakable stench of decay.

The odor reminded Cao Weidong that the dog had already begun to rot and needed to be dealt with quickly.

His phone buzzed in his pocket—not a call from Xu Jiu, but a final notice from the cemetery to collect the urn.

Cao Weidong wrapped the dog’s body in a black plastic bag. Squatting beside it, he took out a cheap cigarette and mimicked the way Xu Jiu smoked.

The lighter in his hand was the only source of light in the darkness, illuminating even the dark strands of hair falling over his eyes, burning his vision with a dry, painful intensity.

He smoked one cigarette after another, inhaling deeply as if drinking water, finishing each in quick succession without pause.

Cao Weidong thought he might be crying, but when he lifted his hand to wipe his cheek, his knuckles came away dry.

The last time he had felt tears was when a single drop from Xu Jiu—startled into crying—had fallen onto his own face.

Cao Weidong quickly finished an entire pack of cigarettes. Uncomfortable, he leaned against the wall coughing for a long time, dragging a plastic bag with his left hand as he walked out while still coughing, his hanging hand forced into increasingly violent tremors and spasms with each cough.

Using the stench of cheap cigarettes to cover the smell of death, Cao Weidong dragged the plastic bag to the school’s back hill. He dug a pit, threw the corpse inside, piled some dry fallen leaves and branches over it, then tore a few dry, brittle papers to use as kindling.

Cao Weidong took out his lighter, but paused just as he was about to throw the flame in.

He reached out to touch the collar around the dog’s neck, wanting to remove it, but after touching it twice, he quickly withdrew his hand. Without any hesitation, he lit the fire and threw it into the pit.

Better to buy him a new one, Cao Weidong muttered to himself as he watched the blazing flames.

After the fire died down, Cao Weidong cleaned up and buried the burning pit, then headed toward the pet hospital near the school gate. He remembered they sold pet supplies there.

The staff on duty at the pet hospital that evening was Yu Tian. She looked surprised to see him, quickly pulled out her phone to send a message, while smiling and making small talk with Cao Weidong.

How’s the dog doing now?

Dead.

A natural end to its lifespan is a good death. Don’t be too sad.

Mm.

Yu Tian appeared even more upset than Cao Weidong, who stared at her expressionlessly.

So you’re here today to…?

Thinking of getting a dog.

Cao Weidong turned and looked at the pet collars displayed on the wall. After scanning them, his eyes fixed on a deep red leather pet collar.

Don’t you think you might not be mature enough yet to care for a pet?

Huh? Cao Weidong was confused, not understanding why Yu Tian would suddenly say that.

Well…Yu Tian hesitated, holding back some words, before finally tentatively asking: You’re not planning to make specimens out of them, are you?

Before Cao Weidong could respond, loud footsteps came rushing through the pet hospital’s main door, someone shouting Cao Weidong’s full name while charging in.

Cao Weidong watched the pink-haired figure bouncing toward him. Yesterday the roots were still black, but today it was completely pink.

He hadn’t run into Xu Jiu at school this afternoon – probably went to dye his hair.

Getting another dog?

Cao Weidong nodded.

Remember what I told you? For every dog you get, I’ll… Xu Jiu made a slicing motion across his own neck with his hand, sawing back and forth twice before dropping it.

Cao Weidong nodded, indicating he remembered.

Then how dare you still get one?

Xu Jiu gestured to Yu Tian, signaling her to mind her own business.

Cao Weidong ignored Xu Jiu, walking closer to the deep red leather collar. He glanced at the collar, then subtly sized up Xu Jiu’s neck from the corner of his eye.

Xu Jiu’s neck was very pale – even just gripping it with both hands would leave a strikingly visible pale red mark.

It would suit him well.

Cao Weidong thought.

Cao Weidong checked the price and paused, his hand holding the collar freezing.

Xu Jiu leaned in, located Cao Weidong’s focus, snatched the leather collar, and spun it casually on his finger twice. This one’s nice, he remarked.

Nice, Cao Weidong agreed.

Can you afford it? Xu Jiu put one hand on his hip, the hollow of his waist perfectly accommodating his palm.

Can’t afford it, Cao Weidong answered truthfully.

Xu Jiu scoffed, reached out to pat Cao Weidong’s face, and sneered contemptuously, A broke guy like you keeping a dog? What a waste.

Xu Jiu beckoned Yu Tian over, tossed the collar along with the dog leash into their hands, and then instructed Yu Tian to fetch the most expensive and premium dog food in the shop.

How many months old is your dog? Xu Jiu asked.

Cao Weidong thought for a moment. Not sure.

Large breed or small breed?

Not sure.

Can it eat on its own?

Cao Weidong stared at Xu Jiu, his gaze carrying a strange scrutiny.

But Xu Jiu was long accustomed to Cao Weidong’s stares and peeping, and didn’t pay any mind to this sudden examination.

Cao Weidong said, Yes.

Yu Tian pointed to a bag of dog food on the shelf. Then let’s go with this one—it suits all breeds. Do you want to buy some dog toys and treats too?

Cao Weidong looked at the price; one bag of dog food cost as much as half a year of his living expenses. Yet Xu Jiu ordered everything without batting an eye. The money in Xu Jiu’s pocket seemed to burn like fire.

Then I’ll also get you two dog bowls and some puppy pads.

As Xu Jiu nodded, he stood on tiptoe, leaned close to Cao Weidong’s ear, and blew a soft breath, whispering playfully, Consider it a meeting gift for the dog owner.

A meeting gift? More like a funeral gift!

Xu Jiu’s mind screamed with excitement.

Cao Weidong finally had something new for him to ruin.

While Xu Jiu was checking out, Cao Weidong carried bags of supplies in his left hand.

Xu Jiu sidled up, took the deep red collar from him, and looped it around his own wrist, shaking it lightly. Admiring the stark contrast between the deep red and the pale skin of his wrist, he laughed:

Don’t you think? This color really makes your skin look fair.

Cao Weidong ignored him.

Xu Jiu chased after him, the deep red leather on his wrist forcing its way into Cao Weidong’s line of sight and stopping him abruptly. Why the rush to leave? Aren’t you going to invite me to see your dog? Since when are you so afraid of me?

Cao Weidong still paid him no mind, deliberately averting his eyes past Xu Jiu, returning them to a dark void.

So Xu Jiu trod firmly on Cao Weidong’s shadow, following him relentlessly, just like the first time he trailed Cao Weidong home.

For every step Cao Weidong took ahead, Xu Jiu took half a step behind, until Cao Weidong vanished completely into the darkness—and Xu Jiu followed right after.

Xu Jiu: a wicked pink-haired pup who’s great at shadowing—handle with care to avoid stepping on him.