"Don't you still get it?"
The ominous sentence drew circles above Yan Ying's head before registering in his brain. He looked at Lao Yang with fearful eyes and waited for him to continue.
"Don't look at me like this for Heaven's sake!" the mentioned man snapped at him and clicked his tongue, irritated, "don't you really have an idea?"
"That's enough," Mr. Jiu intervened, but the harm was already done.
"You have already started, so finish it as well," Yan Ying dared him. He tried to school his expression, but he was failing miserably, tears already welling into his eyes.
"We are tomb raiders! Mr. Jiu, Cong Rao, I and even An Mao," Lao Yang revealed the secret with a cold smile.
Although he saw it coming, Yan Ying still felt nauseous. He looked at the mentioned men one by one and said "it doesn't matter, if my grandpa didn't mind, then I also-"
"GRANPA DIDN'T MIND?!" Lao Yang yelled at him, "HE WAS ONE OF US! HE WAS THE MASTERMIND-"
"NO! STOP IT!" Yan Ying raised a hand, gesturing to him to stop, "my grandpa... my grandpa was a scholar..." he said but his voice got so weak at the end that it was barely audible.
"HOW CAN-"
"Seriously, stop it, Lao Yang," Mr. Jiu warned him and turned back to Yan Ying, who was standing like a broken doll, "indeed your grandfather works for the university, but his main job is tomb raiding. I have been working with him for more than thirty years."
Yan Ying shook his head vehemently, his hands covering his mouth. It isn't true... it isn't true... my grandpa is a respectable man... he is a scholar... he kept repeating inwardly, but his heart knew it better. Now all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place and revealed the ugly truth.
Now he knew why his grandpa never took him with him; or how come he had so much money. Now he knew why his grandpa had contacts saved only with initials on his phones; or why he had a soundproof study room.
"It is a secret mission"
Mr. Jiu told him when he wanted to call the police... He was indeed too naive, even stupid. These men couldn't read ancient scripts or had any knowledge about history. Of course not! They were here to steal not to study!
Yan Ying felt like he was losing his mind. He took a few steps back from the liars, only to collapse on a sturdy chest.
Only then he remembered about R.
Turning around swiftly, he looked at him in the eye, "are you with them? Are you also a tomb raider?" he asked with a shaky voice.
R didn't answer. He just maintained eye contact, but his gaze was empty.
"His situation is a bit different," Cong Rao said softly, then lowered his head again as if he was feeling guilty.
"Look," Mr. Jiu took the word again, "I am so sorry that you learnt it like this, but this place is not a good place to discuss this kind of a matter. We should leave this place wh-"
"What?!" Yan Ying looked at him with wide open eyes, "leave? How about grandpa? You may not be scholars, but you are still a team!"
"Calm down," Mr. Jiu heaved a sigh, "your grandfather was also after the queen's treasure, so he must have left already."
"You can't do this to him."
Yan Ying looked at An Mao inquiringly.
"I am so sorry, but he deserves to know. He saved our lives many times, so at least show some respect and understanding," the youngest man said as he approached Yan Ying. He stopped right in front of him and passed him a brown leather notebook, "we found it behind the tomb. Sorry."
Yan Ying pressed the notebook on his chest as he started to cry. There was no way his grandpa left this notebook behind willingly. He was either running away or he was already...
"I know you love him so much, but you have to be sensible. We should go, come on," Mr. Jiu wanted to hold his arm, but the devastated man flinched back.
"He might be alive," he said with a pitiful voice, "we must find him, we already came this far, please..."
Suddenly, Lao Yang rushed to him and turned him towards the gate. Pointing at the small red circle on the corner, he said "it means the area is not safe. It is your grandfather's sign, so listen to us."
"I can't..." Yan Ying whispered, "I have to find him, so please-"
"We can't come with you, you may find it cruel but all tomb raiders follow this rule. We come, we steal and go. If there is someone behind, we leave them behind. Sorry, but your grandfather would do the same."
"I see..." Yan Ying looked at them with dead eyes, "I won't come with you, I will continue alone."
"R will come with you," Mr. Jiu said with a reassuring tone.
Yan Ying almost gained his vitality back. He looked at the mentioned man with hope.
"He needs your grandfather to unlock the notebook."
His hope crashed hard. Of course, R was there for his own personal agenda. It was not like he actually...
Yan Ying felt betrayed from all corners.
And it hurt.
Hurt so bad.
YOU ARE READING
Orphic
Adventure[Completed] All Yan Ying ever wanted was to accompany his grandfather during one of his archeological adventure. But no... his grandfather never let him tag along. However, now his grandfather is missing and his team needs Yan Ying's help to find h...
