Looking closer, it was indeed a slipper, and judging by the style, a man’s slipper.
The slipper struck the black cat squarely on the back of its head with a loud smack. The cat let out a sharp meow, and all its fur stood on end.
“Meng Bao, don’t bully the young lady,” a man’s voice called out.
At the sound of this voice, the bristling cat immediately shrank back and obediently retreated to the side.
I followed the voice and saw a tall man in a white bathrobe leisurely descending the stairs. His hair was somewhat disheveled, and his eyes were bleary, clearly not fully awake yet.
He wore only one slipper, the other foot bare—obviously, the slipper that had just been thrown was his.
As he walked, he stared at me with a lazy expression.
“Young lady, are you looking for me?”
“Are you October?”
“That’s me.”
“I am looking for you.”
“You just said, who sent you to find me?”
“Chang Sheng, he… he told me to come to you.”
I told the truth.
However, upon hearing the name ‘Chang Sheng,’ the man’s brow furrowed, and his attitude instantly did a complete one-eighty, his tone turning cold.
“What did he want you to find me for?”
“I don’t know. He told me to come here at nine in the morning to find you, and said that if I wanted to live, I should do as he said.”
I wanted to explain my experience from last night and the lightning strike incident three years ago, but before I could continue, the man rushed toward me in a flash, grabbing me by the collar.
His speed was incredibly fast—in the blink of an eye, he went from being on the stairs to right in front of me.
I stared at him in shock.
His face drew closer inch by inch. Up close, I noticed how fair his skin was and how delicate his features were.
“It’s you?”
“I… yes, it’s me. Do you know me?” I was utterly confused, unable to grasp his meaning. But seeing his fierce expression and the way he had grabbed my collar, I couldn’t help but feel a bit panicked.
“I’ve been looking for you for three years. I never thought you’d show up on your own.”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean?”
“Since you’ve come to me, prepare to die!” With that, he viciously pulled back his hand and shot a glance at the black cat. The cat narrowed its eyes, immediately revealing a fierce glint.
“What are you trying to do?” I sensed that something terrible was about to happen.
I had come here seeking help, but now it seemed this man named October not only wouldn’t help me but intended to take my life.
“Let’s talk this through. Just let me go, and we can pretend I was never here, okay?” I tried to reason with him, but the man only sneered, saying word by word, “It’s all because of you. As long as you die, I’ll return to how I was before.”
“What did I do to you?”
“You stripped me of my abilities.”
“When did I strip you of your abilities?”
I was growing more and more confused by his words.
He said I had stripped him of his abilities, but I had never met him before this.
“Three years ago, were you struck by lightning?” The man leaned in again, grabbing my collar once more.
“I was struck by lightning, but what does that have to do with you? And could you please let go first?”
This man was simply too violent.
“That lightning bolt not only struck you, but also me, causing most of my abilities to transfer to you,” the man explained.
Although I was still confused, I could somewhat grasp his meaning.
“You’re saying that three years ago, you and I were both struck by lightning at the same time?”
“Correct.”
“Your abilities transferred to me?”
“Correct.”
“What abilities?”
“You…” The man gritted his teeth, instantly bristling with anger. “Stop playing dumb. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“After the lightning strike accident, did you see things ordinary people can’t see and hear things ordinary people can’t hear?”
“Well…”
I hesitated.
The man was right. After being struck by that lightning bolt three years ago, I indeed saw things I shouldn’t have seen and heard things I shouldn’t have heard, just as he said.
If those abilities originally belonged to him, how could they have transferred to me?
“I’m telling you clearly and plainly now—I—am—the—Grim—Reaper!”
As he said this, the man’s expression was extremely serious, completely unlike he was joking.
But does the Grim Reaper really exist in this world?
“Whether you believe it or not, it’s true that you obtained my abilities. Three years ago, you should have died, yet you’re still alive and well to this day. This defies all logic.”
“What do you mean?”
The man roared impatiently, “Is there something wrong with your comprehension? Haven’t I made myself clear enough?”
“Explain it clearly. If you don’t, I won’t understand.”
The man glared at me, released his grip on my collar, and then said earnestly, “Three years ago, your lifespan had ended. I should have collected your soul and guided you to reincarnate, but an accident occurred.”
“The accident you mentioned—was it that lightning strike incident?”
“Yes.”
“…”
I was speechless, but my mind raced rapidly as I recalled that day three years ago. Suddenly, it dawned on me.
“My lifespan ended when I was fifteen?” This point was almost impossible for me to accept.
“Yes.”
“Why am I still alive now?”
“How the hell should I know?”
“Aren’t you the Grim Reaper?”
“I am the Grim Reaper, but this matter exceeded my expectations, and I still haven’t figured out the reason.”
“Are you really the Grim Reaper?” I still harbored some doubts.
The man glared at me and snapped irritably, “When you die, you’ll naturally believe it.”
“I don’t want to die yet. I came here precisely to seek help.”
“I can’t help you, and I won’t help you. No matter what, you must hand over your life here today.”
“I don’t want to die…”
“Meng Bao, what are you waiting for? Attack!” The man glanced at the black cat, which immediately bared its claws at me.
There was nowhere to escape, and I was clearly no match for this giant cat. For a moment, I didn’t know what to do.
Could it be that I would really die here?
That Chang Sheng was practically setting me up.
Didn’t he say that if I wanted to survive, I should do as he said? Why is it that after coming here, my life is in danger instead?
It seems Chang Sheng and October are definitely in cahoots. He must have known that once I came here, my life would be at risk.
As the black cat lunged at me, I shouted, “I have last words!”
The black cat froze, its raised claw halting mid-air.
It glanced at me, then turned to look at October.
October wore an impatient expression. “Why are you so troublesome? Even on the verge of death, you still have so many demands.”
“Since I can’t escape anyway, since I’m going to die anyway, can’t I even say a final word?” I deliberately stalled for time.