Entertainment: A song that brought his deceased wife back to life.

The nights in the dormitory are not quiet.

More than twenty children were crammed into one room, their snores rising and falling like a frog's burrow.

The air was filled with an indescribable smell.

It was the sour smell of someone who hadn't showered in a long time, mixed with the smell of moldy bedding, and the stench of someone's undigested dinner fart.

Xu Qing couldn't sleep.

He huddled on the bunk, which was only half the width of the space, his body pressed tightly against the wall.

The walls were cold.

The chill seeped into my bones through my thin, old clothes.

但他不敢动.

The tomboy next to him, Jiang Yue, was fast asleep, with one leg straddling his blanket in a very domineering manner, almost pressing down on him.

Xu Qing clutched the piece of blue cloth that smelled burnt tightly in her hand.

Only this thing could make him feel that he was still alive and had not been completely abandoned by the world.

Sudden.

With a snap.

That was the sound of an old switch tripping in the power distribution room.

The dim yellow lights in the corridor, which used to flicker occasionally, went out completely.

To save money, or perhaps because the power lines are too old, power outages are a common occurrence at the welfare home.

The room was plunged into absolute darkness in an instant.

It was so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

For other children, this is just a minor incident where they turn over and continue sleeping.

A few mischievous children even mumbled in their sleep, "Don't steal my meat."

But for Xu Qing...

This is tantamount to the gates of hell being kicked open.

dark.

It is not empty.

In his world, the moment the light disappears, the fire will start.

Crackle, crackle.

He heard the crackling sound of wood exploding from the heat.

Hu Hu Hu.

He felt the heat wave hit him, the kind of high temperature that could instantly scorch his eyebrows.

"Help……"

"Xiao Qing, run!"

"Don't look back! Run!"

The parents' shrill shouts exploded in my ears, a hundred times, a thousand times louder than their snoring just now.

Xu Qing's pupils contracted violently in the darkness.

He could no longer see the simple wooden bed.

He could no longer see the children sleeping haphazardly around him.

All he could see were red flames, like countless greedy tongues, ready to swallow him whole and chew him up.

"Well……"

Xu Qing made a sound like he was being choked.

That was airway spasm caused by extreme fear.

He couldn't breathe.

Oxygen cannot enter the lungs.

His body began to convulse violently, like a fish thrown onto a dry cement floor.

His hands were scratching haphazardly.

Fingernails dug into the rough wooden edge of the bed, making a teeth-grinding "sizzle" sound.

A splinter got stuck under my fingernail.

But he couldn't feel any pain.

He only felt hot.

My whole body is burning hot.

It felt like my skin was being burned little by little, turning into charcoal.

Xu Qing wanted to scream, wanted to call for help.

But he couldn't utter any meaningful syllables.

He could only struggle silently in the darkness, tearing and scraping the already soaked sheet.

Blood seeped from my fingertips.

Slimy.

The touch was more like the blood that had flowed down my father's face that day.

Xu Qing completely broke down.

He rolled over, knelt on the bed, and banged his forehead against the cold wall with all his might.

thump.

thump.

Only the pain could make him slightly more lucid.

Just then.

The leg that was across him moved.

Who is it?

Jiang Yue's voice was hoarse from just waking up, and there was also a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.

As the leader of the children in the welfare home, she was more vigilant than the average child.

In the past, she would jump up immediately if she smelled even the slightest aroma of freshly steamed buns, even if she was sound asleep, just to sniff them out.

Jiang Yue sat up and rubbed her eyes.

I can't see anything.

It was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"What mouse is grinding its teeth in the middle of the night?"

Jiang Yue mumbled something and prepared to lie down and continue sleeping.

But the sound continued.

And it doesn't look like a rat.

It looks more like someone is smashing their head against the wall.

thump.

thump.

There was also that rapid, bellows-like breathing sound.

Right next to her pillow.

Jiang Yue instantly regained her senses.

She reached out and touched the side.

My hands were covered in cold sweat.

And that little body that's trembling violently.

"Hello!"

"The little mute?"

Jiang Yue called out.

Nobody paid any attention to her.

Xu Qing was still trembling, the frequency was frighteningly fast, and her teeth were chattering together, making a clattering sound.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Jiang Yue started to panic.

She had spent so many years in the welfare home, and she had seen people wet the bed, sleepwalk, and even get up in the middle of the night to steal toothpaste.

But I've never seen it shake like this before.

This is more than just a nightmare.

This is practically like an epileptic seizure.

Jiang Yue grabbed Xu Qing's arm in the dark.

It's so hot.

"Don't crash!"

Jiang Yue pulled Xu Qing back forcefully.

Xu Qing's strength was astonishing.

That's a person's instinctive reaction when they are near death.

Jiang Yue almost tripped over him, her forehead hitting the bed railing, making her wince in pain.

"Are you born in the year of the donkey?!"

Jiang Yue cursed.

In the past, if anyone dared to make such a fuss in the middle of the night and disturb her sleep, they would make her bang her head against the wall.

She would have kicked him off the bed long ago, or simply picked him up with that steel bar and taught him a lesson.

But this time...

She didn't use force.

Because she heard that voice.

That sound squeezed out of Xu Qing's throat.

It doesn't look like crying.

It was more like a badly injured puppy locked in a cage, whimpering in utter despair.

"Afraid of the dark?"

Although Jiang Yue is carefree, she is very smart.

The moment the light went out, the kid went crazy.

It must be related to this dark and gloomy environment.

"waste."

"You're such a grown-up, why are you afraid of the dark?"

Jiang Yue cursed, but her actions didn't stop.

She groped around in the dark.

He pulled off the tattered blanket covering him.

The temperature inside the room was very low, only a few degrees.

The cold wind instantly blew away her sleepiness.

Jiang Yue shuddered.

She touched the cotton-padded jacket she had worn during the day.

It was an old garment donated by someone I didn't know. It was originally military green, but now it was faded from washing, and the cuffs were torn, revealing the cotton wadding inside.

But this was the warmest thing she owned.

If anyone dares to touch her normally, she can chase them for two miles and beat them.

Jiang Yue took the cotton-padded coat and, in the dark, covered Xu Qing with it.

"I'll cover you up."

"Stop shaking, or the bed will collapse."

She pressed the cotton-padded coat down on Xu Qing's body and even carefully tucked in the corner of the quilt.

Useless.

Xu Qing was still trembling.

He curled up in a ball, the cotton-padded coat practically nonexistent to him.

He is still in that world filled with fire.

There were no cotton-padded coats there.

Only the red-hot roof beams crashed down.

Jiang Yue could feel that fear.

It is substantial.

It even infected her, making her feel uneasy.

"What a hassle."

"I should have just left you alone and let you scavenge for food."

Jiang Yue sighed in the darkness.

She hesitated for a moment.

Then I made a bold decision.

She lifted a corner of Xu Qing's blanket.

It was as cold as an icebox inside.

Jiang Yue crawled inside.

The small bed was already narrow, and now with two people squeezed in, it was difficult to even turn over.

"Move in a little further!"

Jiang Yue gave Xu Qing a push.

Xu Qing stood there like a wooden stake, completely unmoved.

Jiang Yue had no choice but to squeeze herself sideways behind him.

She reached out her hand.

Two arms wrapped around the convulsing little body from behind.

She pulled him completely into her arms.

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm here."

Jiang Yue's body felt warm.

It's like a small stove.

That's the temperature of a living person.

It smelled of sweat, smelled of soap, and had that reassuring vitality.

Xu Qing's back was pressed against Jiang Yue's chest.

The intense trembling transmitted to Jiang Yue, making her bones feel numb.

But this real temperature is like a ray of light.

Even if it's very faint.

It also slightly pierced through the sea of ​​fire that filled the sky.

Xu Qing made a "clucking" sound in her throat, still struggling.

The explosion he heard was too loud.

Too noisy.

Jiang Yue sensed it.

The kid kept shaking his head, as if he was trying to avoid some sound.

"It's so noisy."

Jiang Yue freed up one hand.

That hand was a bit rough, and there were calluses on the palm from climbing trees before.

But it's very soft.

It's also very hot.

She covered Xu Qing's ear tightly with her hand.

My left ear is pressed against the pillow.

Jiang Yue covered his right ear with her hand.

The world is quiet.

The sounds of the wind, snoring, and even the non-existent crackling of flames were all kept out of this warm barrier.

Xu Qing paused slightly in her struggle.

The auditory hallucinations that threatened to shatter my eardrums seemed to have lessened.

It turned into a kind of dull buzzing sound.

Jiang Yue breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems this trick works.

But not enough.

This kid is still as stiff as a rock.

Jiang Yue thought for a moment.

A long, long time ago, when she was sick and had a fever, it seems like someone was holding her like this.

What did that person do back then?

It sounds like it's humming something.

Jiang Yue cleared her throat.

She wanted to completely expel the terrifying sound from Xu Qing's ears.

Then we can only fill the space with other sounds.

then.

A melodious voice slowly entered Xiao Xuqing's ears. (The intro to "Painting Heart" is hummed)

"La la la la la la la la..."

There are no lyrics.

There was no melody whatsoever.

It could even be described as extremely unpleasant to listen to.

Jiang Yue has absolutely no musical talent.

This is what is commonly referred to as being tone-deaf.

Every note seems to be heading in a strange direction.

It sounded like a duck being choked and squawking.

It's like a rusty saw cutting wood.

"La la la la la la la la..."

"La la la la la la..."

Jiang Yue herself sang with great enthusiasm.

She thought the tune was alright.

At least the sound is loud enough and steady enough.

She even tapped her hand gently on the ground with the hand that was covering Xu Qing's ear.

One moment, one moment.

It was slapped on Xu Qing's face.

Xu Qing's previously tense nerves suddenly went blank.

The terrifying image of the raging fire was shattered by the sudden, eerie sound.

Because the sound was just too awful.

It's so awful that it makes it impossible to concentrate on being afraid.

It was so awful that even those hellish hallucinations had to give way to it.

Xu Qing's body stiffened.

The shaking has stopped.

Instead, they were in a state of confusion, wondering "what exactly is this sound?"

Jiang Yue sensed the change in the person in her arms.

She thought it was her singing that had the effect.

I was actually a little smug.

"Isn't it nice?"

"I used to stand in the front row in the choir."

Jiang Yue whispered boasting in Xu Qing's ear.

She wasn't even embarrassed.

Anyway, this kid is mute, so he won't go around talking nonsense.

"La la la la la la la..."

"La la la la la la la la la..."

Jiang Yue continued humming.

This time, the voice was a little softer.

She's become a little gentler.

It was still off-key and still sounded awful.

But the vibration that came from his chest traveled down Xu Qing's back and reached his heart.

puff.

puff.

That was someone else's heartbeat.

It is the only heartbeat in this cold world that is willing to get close to his.

Xu Qing slowly loosened her grip on the bed sheet.

The bloodstained hand hung limply by the bedside.

His breathing calmed down.

No longer hurried, no longer broken.

The suffocating feeling disappeared.

Instead, something called "security" has taken its place.

Although this sense of security comes from a tone-deaf tomboy.

It comes from a "la la song" that was sung off-key all the way to grandma's house.

But this works better than anything else.

Xu Qing felt her eyelids were very heavy.

The exhaustion from being overly frightened surged up.

He snuggled closer to Jiang Yue.

I found a slightly more comfortable position.

The old cotton-padded coat, which smelled musty, was actually warmer than the best down comforter.

Jiang Yue got tired of singing.

She yawned.

"Go to sleep."

"If you move again, I'll kick you off the platform."

Jiang Yue made a threat in a daze.

Then he rested his head on Xu Qing's thin, bony shoulder.

Less than two minutes later.

Behind me came Jiang Yue's deafening snoring.

The snoring was even more rhythmic than the singing just now.

Xu Qing opened her eyes.

Looking at the still pitch-black void before me.

But he could no longer see the fire.

All he could hear was the even snoring behind him.

I could feel the arm that was tightly gripping me.

He slowly closed his eyes.