I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

The news of Lin Ye's arrival in the capital was quickly reported by Su Tinglan.

It was almost 10 p.m. by then.

The antique shop was closed, and Fang Mancang was secretly gnawing on braised chicken feet in the back room when his wife called and scolded him so badly he almost choked.

Su Tinglan stood in the small courtyard in the backyard, her phone pressed to her ear, her voice very low.

"He went to the capital."

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

After a few seconds, Wenren Heng asked, "Who are you seeing?"

"Lu Zhixia".

Su Tinglan looked at the old water vat in the courtyard, where a few fallen leaves floated on the surface.

Wenren Heng chuckled.

The voice was very soft, and there was little indication of surprise.

"Lin Ye has quite a few female admirers."

Su Tinglan did not respond.

Wenren Heng continued, "You need to speed things up. If you go any slower, you'll just be stuck with that pretty girl you met on the high-speed train."

Su Tinglan did not speak immediately.

Outside the courtyard, Fang Mancang lowered his voice to coax his wife.

"I didn't eat it, I really didn't eat it. Can't I even smell it?"

Su Tinglan lowered her eyes and said after a few seconds, "I understand."

The phone hangs up.

Su Tinglan stood motionless in the courtyard.

The phone screen went dark, revealing her face.

She watched for a while, then suddenly chuckled softly.

"Lin Ye..."

The Capital Old Bookstore.

After Lu Zhixia finished speaking, the second floor remained quiet for a long time.

Lin Ye sat at the wooden table, remaining silent for a long time.

In the past, when he listened to the conversations of the dead, the most he heard was that someone had hidden silver dollars under the cabinet in their old house, someone threw away their snuff bottle as junk, or someone's son was unfilial and bought discounted paper money when burning paper money.

In an even more serious case, like Zheng Shou'an's, it would lead to the exposure of Qingbo's switch and the messy accounts of the Gu family.

But the phrase "don't get involved" sounds completely different.

Lin Ye's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Teacher Lu."

"Um."

"What your grandfather said... doesn't really suit someone like me who's just a low-level worker."

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"Scared?"

Lin Ye nodded honestly.

"A little."

Xiaoman sat at the top of the stairs and glanced at him.

Lin Ye immediately said, "What are you looking at? Isn't it normal to be afraid? I'm not the protagonist of a shonen manga."

Xiaoman says, "Those who know fear will live longer."

Lin Ye pointed at her.

"See, Xiaoman understands everything."

Lu Zhixia pushed the cup next to her toward him.

"Drink some water."

Lin Ye picked up the glass and took a sip.

The water is cold.

After drinking it, I actually felt a bit more sober.

Lu Zhixia said, "Don't scare yourself."

Lin Ye looked up.

"Isn't that scary?"

"That's scary," Lu Zhixia said, "but you might not be in their sights right now."

Lin Ye was stunned for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"If they really thought you were important, they would have taken action already." Lu Zhixia said calmly. "The fact that you can still take the high-speed rail to the capital and still banter with me shows that they haven't paid attention to you yet."

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

Are you trying to comfort me?

"Yes."

"Why does it sound a bit off?"

Lu Zhixia looked at him.

"Then let me put it another way."

Lin Ye immediately sat upright.

Lu Zhixia said, "A nobody like you usually won't be dealt with immediately."

Lin Ye: "..."

Xiaoman paused for a moment while chewing candy.

Lin Ye took a deep breath.

"Teacher Lu, your way of comforting me is too hurtful."

Lu Zhixia looked at him intently.

"real."

"I know you're telling the truth," Lin Ye said, "which is why it hurts even more."

Lu Zhixia continued, "If you've attracted enough attention, at the very least you'll be expelled, just like Ning Zhi."

Lin Ye raised his hand to cover his chest.

"Small people don't deserve to be targeted first. Got it."

Lu Zhixia paused.

"At least it means you're safe for now."

Lin Ye put the cup down.

"Teacher Lu, you should stop comforting people in the future."

Lu Zhixia lowered her head, seemingly thinking for a moment.

"I'm not very good at it."

"I can tell."

After he finished speaking, the two of them fell silent for a moment.

Lu Zhixia took out the silver enamel bookmark again and tucked it into an old book she carried with her.

The movements were very natural.

This thing is meant to stay there.

As Lin Ye watched, the hole in his heart that had been pierced by the "little people" inexplicably filled in a little more.

Xiaoman suddenly spoke up from the side.

You smiled.

Lin Ye immediately looked away.

"I don't."

Xiaoman looked at him.

"His lips moved."

Lu Zhixia also looked up at him.

Lin Ye: "..."

He now deeply suspects that Xiaoman did not come to protect him.

They're here to sabotage us precisely.

Lu Zhixia closed the old book and put it in her bag.

"Go back to Qingcheng tomorrow."

Lin Ye was stunned.

"So fast?"

"Hmm," Lu Zhixia said, "Beijing is your territory. It's not good for you to stay here too long."

Lin Ye wanted to ask her what to do.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but then I felt that asking would be pointless.

It's already quite remarkable that Lu Zhixia could express herself to this extent.

She wouldn't let him interfere in her family affairs.

We also won't let him wander around the capital.

Lin Ye nodded.

"OK."

Lu Zhixia looked at Xiaoman.

"I have high hopes for him."

Xiaoman nodded.

"He's not very good-looking."

Lin Ye couldn't hold back any longer.

"No, can you please show some respect for those you are protecting?"

Xiaoman said, "To tell the truth."

A faint smile appeared in Lu Zhixia's eyes.

It's very shallow.

But Lin Ye saw it.

He felt that Xiaoman wasn't entirely useless.

At least it can make Teacher Lu laugh.

It was already completely dark when I left the Xicheng Old Bookstore.

Lu Zhixia did not see them out of the alley.

She stood beside the bookshelf and whispered, "Don't go through the main entrance."

Lin Ye looked at her.

Lu Zhixia said, "Go out through the back door, go around in a circle, and then take a taxi."

Xiaoman nodded.

"Can."

Watching the two of them working together, Lin Ye couldn't help but ask, "Am I now completely outmaneuvered by you two?"

Lu Zhixia said, "Yes."

Xiaoman said, "You need it."

Lin Ye: "..."

Row.

He admitted it.

The back door of the old bookstore is very narrow.

Pushing it open, you enter an even older alleyway, with moss growing at the base of the walls and old cardboard boxes piled up in the corners.

Xiaoman walked ahead.

Lin Ye followed behind, dragging the limping box.

hum.

hum.

hum.

In the old alley, the sound was even more noticeable than at the high-speed rail station.

Xiaoman looked back.

"Your box is too noisy."

"It has done its best," Lin Ye said. "Don't discriminate against disabled employees."

Xiaoman didn't say anything.

The two walked through two alleys before finally reaching a slightly wider road.

The night wind in the capital is drier than in Qingcheng.

When it blows on your face, it doesn't leave a damp feeling.

Just as Lin Ye was about to call a taxi, he suddenly saw a very old wall across the road.

Withered vines climbed the wall.

The iron gate was half rusted, and a sign hung at the entrance.

The old cemetery area of ​​Xihuaiyuan.

There is another line of smaller text below:

Internal maintenance, temporarily closed.

Lin Ye paused for a moment.

Xiaoman immediately turned around.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Ye didn't answer.

He stared at the iron gate.

It was dark inside the doorway; only the shadows of a few old locust trees could be seen. The trees were very tall, their branches pressing against the wall, forming a dark, somber scene.

This place is not as well-organized as Qingshan Cemetery.

It's not as new as the Haicheng East Suburb Cemetery.

It's very old and has a vintage feel.

It's like I've lived in this city for so many years that I'm too lazy to prove my existence.

Lin Ye had only intended to glance at it.

But the next second, a voice suddenly rang in his ears.

very clear.

It was so clear it didn't seem like he was speaking through a tombstone; it was more like someone was whispering in his ear.

"Zhou Huaili's account book is in his son-in-law's hands."

Lin Ye stopped abruptly.

Xiaoman sensed something was wrong and immediately took a step closer to him.

"Lin Ye?"

Lin Ye raised his hand, signaling her to be quiet.

The sound is still there.

Not one.

There are many paths.

From inside the wall, from under the old locust tree, from among those unseen tombstones, one sentence after another floated out clearly.

"The 3 billion from the Equipment Bureau didn't even go into any projects; it was just divided up, with the He family getting the most."

Another voice sneered.

"You dare call that explosion at the testing ground an accident?"

"More than 500 lives were lost, and all cases were closed due to irregularities."

Lin Ye broke out in a cold sweat.

He instinctively took half a step back.

But the sound is still there.

"The map of the southern front defense was handed out by the second son of the Qin family."

"His daughter went abroad instead."

"Don't talk about such things."

"They're all dead, what's there to be afraid of?"

Lin Ye's face gradually turned pale.

The dead people in Qingshan were talking about everyday matters.

This place is different.

The dead here, their very existence is big news.

Another woman's voice came from inside the wall.

"Xihuaiyuan cannot be relocated."

"Beneath He Wenyuan's tomb lies a list."

Someone immediately chimed in.

"Once that list comes out, a lot of people will die."

"So what if they die? Weren't enough people already dead back then?"

Lin Ye's fingers slowly tightened.

He wanted to leave.

But the next sentence froze him in place.

"The newly developed equipment from the Seventh Division never ended up in the warehouse."

"Went to Qing—"

The sound stopped.

It's not about stopping.

It's like something abruptly cuts off the conversation as soon as the keyword is mentioned.

Lin Ye suddenly looked up and gazed into the iron gate.

青？

What's green?

Green Mountain?

Qingcheng?

Or something else?

Xiaoman stared at his face.

"You don't look well."

Lin Ye did not answer.

He stood under the streetlight, clearly seeing people riding by on bicycles, carrying groceries home, and shop owners rolling up their shutters.

But at that moment, he felt as if he had been isolated by the entire street.

Xiaoman didn't ask any more questions.

She reached out and grabbed Lin Ye's wrist.

"Walk."

Lin Ye stumbled slightly as she pulled him.

"Wait a moment."

"can not wait."

Xiaoman's voice was still soft.

But he has a lot of strength.

She wasn't trying to persuade her.

They were taken away directly.

Lin Ye was dragged by her all the way to the intersection.

Xiaoman only let go when the iron gate was out of sight.

She stared at his face.

You're sweating.

Lin Ye raised his hand and touched the back of his neck.

My hands were covered in cold sweat.

He leaned against a lamppost by the roadside, looked down, and took a breath.

"The capital city..."

Xiaoman looked at him.

Lin Ye looked up, his voice a little dry.

"It's not advisable to stay any longer."

Xiaoman looked at him.

"Is it dangerous?"

"It's extremely dangerous," Lin Ye said.

Xiaoman frowned slightly.

"Then let's leave the capital."

She took out her phone to call a car.

Lin Ye, however, remained standing still.

Those sounds were still echoing in his mind.

He used to think that Qingshan was special.

Later, the old sea burial site in Haicheng resounded.

Now the sound has also reached Xihuaiyuan in the capital.

It's not just the green hills that resonate.

Rather, any place that makes a sound is extraordinary.

These places are definitely not just simple cemeteries.

Because there is absolutely no sound in ordinary cemeteries.

Lin Ye looked up at the night sky in the distance.

"What exactly was Qingshan before?"

Xiaoman paused for a moment while hailing a taxi.

She looked at him.

"Go back and investigate?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"check."

"Who should I look for?"

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

After Ning Zhi was expelled, she was actually free.

Lu Zhixia is in the capital, so there are many things that are inconvenient for her to do.

Gu Wantang was busy with the Gu family business.

Uncle Zhao...

Uncle Zhao might know a little.

But Uncle Zhao was unwilling to say.

Lin Ye took out his phone and opened Ning Zhi's chat window.

I typed half a word, then deleted it.

It's too late now.

Moreover, you can't just say these things on WeChat.

He put his phone away.

"Let's go back to Qingcheng first."

Xiaoman nodded.

"tomorrow?"

"tomorrow."

"You're not staying there anymore?"

Lin Ye glanced back in the direction of Xihuai Garden.

Even though they were two streets apart, he felt like those sounds were still echoing in his ears.

Each sentence is like a hook.

Hearing it for even a second longer feels like having the words "Come and silence me" plastered on your forehead.

Lin Ye said very seriously, "I have no interest in the nightlife in the capital now."

Xiaoman nodded.

The car arrived quickly.

Before getting into the car, Lin Ye looked back one last time.

Under the streetlights, only a small shadow of the old locust trees in the distance was visible.

Quietly.

It was as if nothing had happened.

But Lin Ye knew that the dead people inside were still talking.

Moreover, they were talking about things that shouldn't be heard by living people.

He got into the car and closed the door.

Xiaoman sat next to him and gave him the hotel address.

Lin Ye leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

But my mind was filled with images of the night road to Qingshan Cemetery.

East District, West District, Back Hill, Old Drainage Ditch.

And then there's all that old-fashioned, nonsensical chatter from the dead.

Looking back now, there might have been something hidden in those seemingly pointless words all along.

He just hadn't taken it seriously before.

The next morning, Lin Ye checked out of the hotel.

When Lu Zhixia found out, she only replied with three words.

"It's good to go back."

Lin Ye looked at the screen and replied.

Be careful.

Lu Zhixia took a while to reply this time.

"Um."

Lin Ye stared at the "hmm" for a few seconds, then put his phone away.

On the way to the high-speed rail station, Xiaoman sat next to me, still not asleep.

Lin Ye glanced at her.

Did you sleep last night?

"Going to sleep."

"how long?"

Three hours.

"Are you all like this?"

"uncertain."

"Then why do you sleep so little?"

Xiaoman looked out the car window.

"I'm not familiar with the capital."

Lin Ye didn't say anything more.

This girl may have a sharp tongue, but she's definitely reliable.

As the high-speed train departed from the capital, the buildings outside the window slowly receded into the distance.

Lin Ye sat in his seat, not asleep.

He opened his phone's notes app and typed a few words.

The history of Qingshan Cemetery.

The back mountain.

Records of grave relocation.

Early cemetery registration.

Old drainage ditch.

He added one more line at the end.

What exactly did Uncle Zhao hear before?

Xiaoman glanced at it.

"Are you going to investigate Qingshan?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"Um."

He looked out the window.

It was bright outside.

But deep down, he always felt that the night at Qingshan Cemetery was already waiting for him ahead.

"Qingshan is not the only place where you can hear the dead talking."

Lin Ye said in a low voice.

"But Qingshan is definitely not an ordinary place."