"Yes, my husband went out to visit a friend yesterday, but unfortunately, that friend wasn't home. I presume it was you?"

"Yes, ma'am. You can call me Karun."

"Please come in."

Linda opened the gate and invited Karun in.

Karun handed the box of deluxe macarons to Linda. He specially picked them from the pastry shop, the most high-end one that cost 500 lu coins per box. The shop assistant also gave some small cakes as a gift, which Karun gave to the driver, regardless of whether it was his actual birthday or not, purely because Karun didn't like things that were too sweet.

Spending 500 lu coins on a box of pastries was indeed a bit extravagant, but because the family he was visiting was wealthy, the corresponding gift couldn't be too shabby. After all, he couldn't show up at their door with a big bag of 50 lu coin egg cakes.

Besides, they had given him a consultation fee of 20,000 lu coins.

"You're really too polite. You don't have to bring a gift."

"It's necessary."

"Mr. Karun, did you and my husband meet while fishing? Are you fishing buddies?"

I met your husband while he was burning you.

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"Yes, your husband taught me a lot about fishing."

"I see."

Linda led Karun into the living room.

"Would you like coffee or tea?"

"Coffee... with extra sugar." Karun added.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

Soon, Linda brought over the coffee and a plate of pastries.

Karun took a sip of coffee, and his brow furrowed at the bitterness. He really wanted to ask if they had actually added sugar. Due to his eating habits, Karun never had a special attachment to coffee. In his previous life, when he was young and striving for his career, he liked to use coffee to refresh himself. Later, when his conditions improved and he had the ability to improve his living conditions, he also tried many better coffees, but he couldn't get used to them. It was the same with tea. He was used to brewing a big pot and didn't have the mood to pursue anything more refined.

"Do you need some food for your two pets?" Linda asked.

"You're too kind, it's not necessary."

"My husband is taking a nap right now. I'll go wake him up so you can talk to him. I'm sorry, it might take a while."

"That's fine, ma'am."

Linda went upstairs.

Karun stood up and walked around the living room. Above the fireplace hung a large oil painting of Linda and Piajie.In addition, I saw some photo frames on the small coffee table, which were travel photos of the couple. Judging from the background, they have been to many countries.

"The two of them look like a good match."

Also, the Adams family is really rich. Their single-family villa is twice the price of the Inmores'. After all, this area belongs to the truly wealthy area of Roja City.

"Linda, Linda?"

There was a familiar voice outside.

Karun walked out of the living room and saw Mrs. Seymour standing outside the yard gate.

"Oh my god."

Mrs. Seymour saw Karun and immediately blushed, covering her mouth.

She completely lost control of her emotions yesterday, so she did many impulsive things. Although she lives a simple life, her family is actually quite wealthy. After her husband passed away, she became the sole inheritor of her husband's estate. She has money.

What made her extremely embarrassed lying in bed last night was that she actually asked the young man to sleep with her.

Oh my god, am I crazy?

She spent the entire second half of the night in shame and self-blame, and finally fell asleep when it was dawn.

As a result, she really had sex with that handsome young man in her dream.

When she woke up, she slapped herself twice and then laughed.

But who would have thought that at this time, the neighbor saw that young man again.

"Hello, Mrs. Seymour." Karun took the initiative to greet her.

"Mr. Karun, I didn't expect you to be here. Oh, I forgot, you said you were friends with Mr. Adams last night."

"Yes, I came to visit him today."

"I originally came to find Linda to discuss how to deal with my husband's belongings at home. I want to donate those clothes and shoes to charity."

"You are really kind."

"Since there are guests at home, I will go back first."

The hostess must entertain guests when they come.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Karun, can you come to my house later?"

Karun didn't show any resistance, because it is extremely cruel and impolite for a lady, no, for a woman, to refuse. At the same time, he also knew that Mrs. Seymour, who had already sobered up, would not do anything out of line again, let alone she is still a big customer at home.

"Of course, I would be happy to visit you."Mrs. Simmer smiled and said, "My husband has a watch that I think suits your style. I want to give it to you since I noticed that you don't have a watch on your wrist."

In fact, Mrs. Zeus had given him a watch before, but Karun didn't like wearing watches due to his habits from his past life, and he didn't go out much either.

"I'll come to admire the watch later."

"Okay."

Mrs. Simmer left with a smile.

Karun walked back to the living room and saw Puerh, with sleepy eyes and messy hair, coming down the stairs.

"Oh, Karun, your arrival honors me greatly."

Puerh walked down the stairs and gave Karun a big hug with open arms.

Then he looked at the coffee on the table and apologized, "I'm sorry, you have to make your own coffee even though you just arrived."

"It was your wife who made it for me," Karun said.

"My wife? Who?" Puerh looked puzzled. "Oh my god, Linda has already left. Don't you remember, Karun? You gave me her ashes."

"I should be the one asking you that!"

"So, do you think I opened the gate and entered your house by myself?"

"Well, then who did?" Puerh laughed. "I don't usually lock my door because the security in this area is very good. The police chief lives across the street. You are my friend, even though we only met once, I have already recognized you as my friend. So, isn't it normal for a friend to come into my house and make a cup of coffee for himself?"

"This means, Puerh, that you also consider me a true friend, and we don't need to be bound by those formalities, right?"

"Puerh."

"Yes?"

"I have to remind you that Linda did open the door for me and made coffee for me. Then she went upstairs to wake you up from your nap."

"Are you crazy?"

Puerh looked closely at Karun's eyes and asked with concern, "Have you encountered something recently that has stimulated your mind?"

"Yes, it's about you."

"Let's sit down and talk." Puerh sat down and took a piece of pastry, taking a bite.

Karun also sat down and glanced at Puerh, seeing that she was lying on the sofa while the golden retriever was playing outside, catching butterflies and having fun.

Karun vowed never to bring that stupid dog out again.

Puerh said, "Your wife has already left.""I know this."

"But Mrs. Simor next door said that she received an apple pie from your wife yesterday morning."

"How is that possible!"

"It's true, and I just saw Linda myself."

"You're all crazy. Linda has already left. I personally held her ashes and buried her."

Piyajie took out a box of cigarettes and handed one to Karun, who took it.

Then, Piyajie took out a lighter and lit both of their cigarettes.

After a moment of smoke, Piyajie suddenly grabbed his hair and laughed, "To be honest, I feel like I'm going crazy. These days, I have a feeling that Linda hasn't left and has been taking care of me, but I think it's just because I'm used to her presence, and I also enjoy this feeling."

"Mind if I come upstairs to take a look?" Karun asked.

"Of course not, come on, I'll show you around."

Piyajie led Karun up the stairs.

In fact, true wealth is not only reflected in the price of the house, but often in the decoration.

Karun paid attention to the finely carved wood under the stair railing, and then looked at the decorations on the walls and ceiling. He felt that the decoration cost might be more expensive than the house price.

"The second floor is my bedroom and study, as well as my wife's studio. My wife is a painter and has held a personal exhibition in Roja City. Here is my study."

Karun walked in and took a look around.

Although it was low-key and introverted, anyone who wasn't a fool could feel that the "price" of this study was much more expensive than Dis's study.

After walking around, Karun walked out.

"This is my wife's studio."

Many paintings in the studio were covered with curtains.

"Can I see your wife's paintings?"

"Of course, feel free."

Karun pulled back the curtain on one of the paintings.

The painting was divided into two compositions: below was a pile of bones and ruins, with a naked man lying face up on the ground.

Above, the grass was lush, and a group of men and women were dancing around a bonfire with happy smiles on their faces.

When Karun saw this painting, he subconsciously took a breath, "Berry Church?"

"Yes, Karun, do you also know a lot about religion?" Piyajie smiled and asked, "My wife loves and is best at painting religious paintings. This painting is called 'The Hanging of God' in the Berry Church.""The true god worshipped by the Berry Church was exiled to the darkness and loneliness of eternity, in exchange for the freedom and romance of his followers in heaven."

Karun nodded and uncovered the curtain of the second painting.

This painting had two compositions, but horizontally.

On the left, a man was singing in heaven, and on the right, a man with the exact same appearance was roaring in the Skull Mountain of hell.

In the middle, there was a black river horizontally, soaking the feet of the two identical men respectively.

"The Abyss God Church," Karun said.

"Yes, the Abyss God divided his body into two halves, one entering heaven and the other entering hell, and finally opened up the abyss between heaven and hell. In Rulan, very few people know about this sect," Piajie said.

Two down, two down already.

Karun reached out to touch the curtain of the third painting in order, but stopped just before his hand touched it.

Was it a coincidence?

It was no longer a coincidence that could be explained.

And he had a premonition that the third painting might correspond to the next dead person, that is...the next artwork.

While Karun hesitated, Piajie kindly helped him uncover the curtain.

Inside was a woman, seemingly falling into a big bloody mouth, and her body was starting to separate as she fell.

If you looked closely, you could see the details of the woman's body parts falling off and the tiny lines.

"What is this?" Karun asked. "Which church does it belong to?"

"The Order Church," Piajie said. "It's rare to find something you don't know, heh heh."

"The Order Church?"

"Yes, the Order Church is a widely spread church that worships the God of Order, advocating that all things in the world need to operate according to order. They are the guardians of order. And this woman is the daughter of the God of Order, named Ankara. Legend has it that after the God of Order created the rules of order, the first one to make a mistake was his daughter, Ankara. In order to uphold the rules of order, the God of Order punished his daughter without favoritism, throwing her into the mouth of a ferocious beast, causing her body and soul to be completely destroyed. Her death also illuminated the light of order, which means that order and law are above human nature and emotions."

"I see," Karun suddenly felt a little stuffy.Because he had already imagined the killer picking up a knife and starting to chop ribs when facing the next victim, the sound of chopping bones and meat flying could be heard in his mind. A feeling of nausea followed.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Bones and minced meat started to scatter.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Piajie asked with concern, reaching out to support Karun's arm.

Karun pushed him away and said, "Don't touch me."

Then, Karun began to breathe heavily.

After a while, he apologized, "I'm sorry, my heart has been a little problematic. Sometimes it twitches."

"This is a problem that cannot be ignored. Linda also had heart disease, and her death was related to it. Karun, please listen to my advice. You should go to a good hospital for a serious check-up and treatment. Or you could go to Vienna, where the best hospitals are."

"I know, thank you."

Karun left the studio, and Piajie followed him, worried about him.

Passing by the bedroom, Piajie asked, "Do you want to lie down here and rest for a while?"

"No, thank you."

Although he said no, Karun still glanced at the bedroom a few times.

But it was these few glances that made him notice something.

"What is that?" Karun asked.

"What?"

"Under the bed, the pink thing."

Piajie walked over, bent down, and reached under the bed, pulling out a pink dress, socks, and shoes.

"This...this is Linda's dress. How could it be under the bed?" Piajie couldn't believe it. "How is this possible...how is this possible..."

"Piajie, were you the one who made coffee for me just now?"

"I...I made coffee for you?" Piajie pointed to himself.

"You pretended to be your wife." Karun said.

"I pretended to be my wife?" Piajie's chest started to rise and fall. Just when Karun thought something was going to happen, Piajie sat down tiredly on the bed. "Karun, I think there must be something wrong with my mind. I don't remember those things, but there is still warmth on this dress. I think I might have split personalities. In my consciousness, I have split into Linda. When I'm asleep, Linda wakes up, and when I wake up, Linda falls asleep."

"Your makeup skills are really good." Karun sighed.He didn't realize it before, but Linda was actually Piaget in disguise.

Of course, this was because they looked too much like a married couple, so it was easy to pretend.

"I learned ballet." Piaget smiled bitterly. "I had to do my own makeup for the college performance."

"Oh." Karun nodded.

"I'm sorry if I scared you."

"No, it's okay."

Piaget looked up at the bedroom ceiling and touched his chest.

"In fact, I voluntarily let Linda live in my heart, and you, Karun, helped me make up my mind to try to split into a second personality. Thank you, Karun."

You're not mad at me?

"No...no problem."

It's good that you're not mad at me. I feel quite guilty.

Piaget rubbed his already fluffy hair and said, "I'm sorry, Karun. I want to be alone for a while. There's a wine cellar in the basement, you can go down and have a drink."

"No need, I'll come see you another day. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"No, you didn't. I'm really happy to see you."

"Me too."

Perhaps because both of them were in psychology, "opening up" and "acceptance" were simple and there weren't so many complicated processes.

"Meow..."

Puerh also came to the second floor at some point, staring curiously at the bedroom under Karun's feet.

Karun took one last look at Piaget, picked up Puerh, and walked down the stairs.

When they got to the yard, the golden retriever followed them.

Karun sighed and looked up at the second floor, where the window of the studio corresponded.

"The second personality he voluntarily split into."

He walked towards Mrs. Seymour's house next door. Before he even rang the doorbell, Mrs. Seymour, who was waiting in the foyer, came out and asked warmly, "Are Mr. Adams and Linda okay?"

"He's doing well."

...

Second floor, bedroom.

Piaget closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Linda,

My Linda,

I don't want to lose you, and I won't lose you. No matter what, I will keep you by my side.

For you,

I'm willing to deceive myself.

At that moment, the drawer of the dressing table facing the bed slowly opened, and a stack of flesh-colored clothes slowly stood up from inside.It spread out from the drawer, spread onto the ground, and then spread to Piage's side.

Immediately,

It began to stand up. It was very thin, with clear folding marks on its body, like... a piece of paper, a flesh-colored paper.

But at this moment, it gradually unfolded into a humanoid shape, but this shape was too thin, without any sense of three-dimensionality.

She reached out,

Gently covered Piage's forehead,

Then,

She began to gradually merge with Piage,

To be exact,

It was integration.

Like milk poured into coffee, it turned into another color in a very gentle way.

Piage's face

Gradually became... Linda.

After a long time,

Linda (Piage) opened her eyes,

She hugged herself with both hands,

Muttering:

"Darling, I will never leave you either."

————

Something came up at night, and I couldn't type. That's all for tonight, no need to wait.

In fact, I had six chapters of drafts before publishing the book, and I had already used them up.

Someone asked me why I didn't keep drafts before publishing the book. It's because without you, I don't have the creative atmosphere. I enjoy the happiness of sharing with you right after finishing a chapter.

Finally,

In the new book period, please give me your recommendation and monthly tickets. Our position on the new book list is too low, only the first.