Liebe unter den fernen Sternen

Kapitel 2

Feng Junzi: "Of course I'm afraid of ghosts."

Piao Piao: "I'm just a ghost, aren't I? Why are you scared now that I'm gone?"

“Yes, this is really interesting.” Piaopiao’s words made Feng Junzi laugh again. He also thought that this scene was indeed very interesting.

Piao Piao led the way, and Feng Junzi noticed that she was barefoot, yet her delicate, jade-like ankles remained spotless as she walked on the fallen leaves. Feng Junzi wanted to ask her why she wasn't wearing shoes, but for some reason, he refrained from asking. She didn't seem to be walking very fast, but Feng Junzi almost had to jog to keep up. The way back seemed much shorter than the way they came, and soon they could see the exit of the alley in the distance.

Piao Piao stopped and said to Feng Junzi, "You can go out by yourself. Someone is waiting for you outside, so I won't go out. It's rare to encounter someone who can make me reveal myself. Perhaps it's because of some unknown reason that we have developed a connection. I will come to find you again."

1-5, The Gentleman of the Wind's Dreams and Spiritual Connections

As soon as Feng Junzi stepped out of the alley, Lao Bi pounced on him like a gust of wind, grabbed him, and shouted, "Brother Feng, you're finally out! We all thought you'd been carried away by a ghost!" Feng Junzi looked around and saw two of his colleagues standing beside him, so he asked, "Where's Xiao Gao?"

"Xiao Gao waited until dark but you didn't come out, so he got scared and called me right away. I brought a few people over, and Xiao Gao and two other people are waiting for you there."

A while later, Xiao Gao received a call from Lao Bi and arrived with two other people. As they walked, they shouted, "Teacher Feng, you're our company's treasure! We can't let you get lost in Ghost Alley. I waited until dark but you didn't come out. I couldn't get through on your cell phone, and I didn't know what to say to the police, so I had to call President Bi and the others."

Lao Bi said, "Hurry up and get in the car, we're going to miss our flight. We can talk on the way."

Feng Junzi: "Wait a minute, let me find a place to relieve myself."

As expected, Feng Junzi missed his flight. The next flight back to Binhai wouldn't be available until the following morning, so he had to return to Jimo and stay overnight. Lao Bi and the others had all gone home, and Xiao Gao, who was going to take Feng Junzi to the hotel the next day, also booked a separate room.

After taking a shower, it was already past eleven o'clock at night. He lit a cigarette and lay reclining on the edge of the bed, thinking about the events of the day. In his hazy state, he seemed to hear a knock on the door. He got up to open it and was startled—standing outside was none other than Piaopiao, the female ghost he had encountered in Ghost Alley earlier that day.

After entering the room, Piao Piao smiled and said to Feng Junzi, "I told you I would come to see you again. I didn't expect to come so soon, did I?" After saying that, she walked to the armchair and sat down with her knees drawn up to her chest without any ceremony.

As the saying goes, times change. Seeing Piaopiao in his hotel room, Feng Junzi was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he was quite pleasantly surprised. Sitting alone late at night with a beautiful woman visiting was also a kind of refined pleasure.

Feng Junzi smiled and said, "So it's Ghost Sister. Welcome! I was just thinking of finding a chance to thank you properly later." As he spoke, his eyes began to wander, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally sneaking upwards along the hem of her skirt from her delicate ankles.

Piao Piao: "Don't thank me yet. Keep your thieving eyes open."

Feng Junzi smiled shamelessly: "Ghost Sister's sitting posture is not very elegant, I didn't mean to."

Piao Piao put her legs off the chair and said to Feng Junzi, "I can tell whether you did it on purpose or not. Don't forget I'm a ghost."

Feng Junzi was even less convinced that she was a ghost, and said, "Since you say that no one else can see you, but I can see you, can you explain how this happened? Then I will believe you."

Piao Piao: "I don't know either. I'm just a ghost, not a god. If ghosts knew how to manifest, wouldn't people see ghosts every day? I think maybe it was a special connection with you under certain circumstances, or maybe it's related to the yin energy in Ghost Alley."

Feng Junzi: "Stop soaking. This is a hotel, not a ghost alley."

Piao Piao: "That's the strange thing about psychic communication. Once you and I establish this connection, it will always exist. Unless you drive me away, I don't want to see you again."

The Wind-Watching Gentleman listened with a disdainful look, and Piaopiao added, "Many people play games like Ouija boards or spirit writing, which are actually a way to establish this kind of connection, but their situation is not as special as ours. They can only use a pen or plate to transmit information."

Seeing that Piaopiao's story was becoming more and more convincing, Feng Junzi shamelessly moved closer and said with a grin, "It seems we are of one mind. This trip has even brought you a soulmate from the underworld." As he spoke, he casually took one of Piaopiao's hands and then pretended to be surprised, saying, "I heard that ghosts' hands are always cold. How come your hands aren't cold at all? They're about the same as mine."

Piao Piao didn't pull her hand away, letting Feng Junzi hold it, and said to him in a serious tone, "You're wrong. A ghost's hand isn't cold, because ghosts don't have body temperature at all. The temperature in the room is the same as the temperature you feel when you touch it."

Just as Feng Junzi was about to continue his unreasonable argument, Xiao Gao knocked on the door and walked in. He said to Feng Junzi, "I almost forgot. I have a report that I hope Teacher Feng can help me process after returning to Binhai. Here are the materials."

When Feng Junzi saw Xiao Gao come in, he felt a little embarrassed and quickly sat back down on the edge of the bed. He said to Xiao Gao, "Just put it here. I'll take care of it for you when I get back. Why didn't Lao Bi tell me?"

Xiao Gao: "This is a task that Lao Bi assigned to me, but I find it a bit difficult. I hope Teacher Feng can give me some guidance."

Feng Junzi: "I understand, I'll help you. Don't worry, I won't tell Lao Bi. By the way, let me introduce you to my new friend, Piaopiao."

Xiao Gao: "Your friend? Where is he?"

Feng Junzi then realized that something about Xiao Gao seemed off: he hadn't seen Piaopiao at all since he came in. He was starting to believe Piaopiao's words, so he decided to test Xiao Gao. Pointing to Piaopiao sitting in the chair, he said to Xiao Gao, "She's a beautiful woman, sitting here."

Xiao Gao gave a suggestive smile: "Teacher Feng, you found a prostitute at the hotel, right? Where is she now?" He then glanced at the closed bathroom door and said to Feng Junzi, "I won't bother you. You can get to know her on your own." He didn't even glance at Piao Piao sitting in the chair the whole time.

Xiao Gao closed the door and left. Now it was Feng Junzi's turn to sit on the edge of the bed and look at Piao Piao without saying a word. Piao Piao looked at Feng Junzi's blank expression and giggled. While laughing, she said to Feng Junzi, "Now do you believe what I said? Don't be afraid. Ghosts can't actually hurt people. Even if I wanted to hurt you, I couldn't. Besides, I actually have a good feeling about you."

This time, Feng Junzi behaved himself and asked Piao Piao respectfully, "Since you are a ghost, what business do you have with a mortal like me?"

Piao Piao's smile faded, and she sighed, "It's not that I want to pester you, but you're the only person I've met who can make me reveal myself. I can only ask you for help with my problem."

Feng Junzi asked, puzzled, "Aren't ghosts supposed to be very powerful? I've also heard that many ghosts have magical powers, making things much easier for them than for people like me."

Piao Piao: "You're wrong again. Ghosts are just not bound by physical form. Under normal circumstances, they can neither be seen or heard by people, nor can they have any influence on people in the world."

Feng Junzi: "So many stories about ghosts harming people are all fake? For example, you can't even harm me now if you wanted to?"

Piao Piao: "Now that I've revealed my true form in front of you, things are different. Actually, our strengths are equal now. You're a grown man, surely you wouldn't be afraid of a little woman like me?"

Feng Junzi: "So, if they can't reveal themselves, then neither humans nor ghosts can harm each other?"

Piao Piao: "That's not the case either. There are stories of ghosts bewitching people. Ghosts have one advantage over people: people can't see ghosts, but ghosts can see people. Therefore, they can influence people's behavior when they are not paying attention."

Upon hearing Piaopiao's words, Feng Junzi became somewhat interested: "How will it affect you?"

Piao Piao: "To give you an analogy, an invisible ghost can't pick up a cup from a table and smash it because its power is empty. But it can influence a person who is distracted and holding a cup, gently adding a little pushing force to their consciousness, causing them to accidentally break the cup."

Feng Junzi: "I still don't quite understand. Could you give me a more concrete example to help me understand?"

Piao Piao: "Since you insist on getting to the bottom of this, I don't care if you're scared or not. Do you know why you couldn't get out of Ghost Alley even after walking for so long this afternoon?"

Feng Junzi: "Did you encounter a ghost blocking your way?"

Piao Piao: "Absolutely right."

Feng Junzi: "But I've been moving forward, and nothing's blocking my way."

Piao Piao: "You think you're always moving forward, but actually you're just walking back and forth on a certain road. You go to one place and then turn back, and you go to another place and then turn back again. How can you ever finish walking like that!"

Feng Junzi: "Did I turn back and leave? How come I don't even know it?"

Piao Piao: "Actually, when you are in a daze, feeling weak and timid, and afraid and thinking about turning back, a ghost quietly manipulates your body through your consciousness, and you unconsciously turn around and walk back."

Feng Junzi gasped, silently recalling that this afternoon in Ghost Alley, he had indeed hesitated to turn back quite a few times, mostly when he was terrified. He hadn't expected the ghosts to have played a trick on him. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask Piao Piao, "That's terrifying! How can we avoid these things?"

Piao Piao: "Don't be afraid. Such things are easy to avoid. Most places aren't as yin as Ghost Alley. In places where the yin energy isn't heavy, ghosts have no power. Even in Ghost Alley, if you're calm and peaceful, no one can affect you. If you're not calm, you might still trip and fall even without ghosts tripping you up."

Feng Junzi sighed: "Now I know what it means to be suspicious and haunted. What does my little ghost sister need my help with? I will do my best, otherwise I'm really afraid you'll break my cup when I'm drinking water."

Piao Piao: "Actually, I only want to ask you for one thing. After you return to Binhai, could you investigate what happened two years ago? I want to know how I died!"

1-6. How did I die?

"How did you die? Don't you know?" Feng Junzi was taken aback.

Piao Piao sighed: "I really don't know, that's why I linger in the human world. But I know I died a violent death. All wandering ghosts die violent deaths, and I don't want to keep wandering like a wandering ghost forever."

"So how exactly did you die? Or rather, what were you doing before you died? You must know, right?"

"I died before graduating from university, in May 2001. Today is actually the second anniversary of my death. Meeting you and inexplicably appearing in front of you is probably fate."

"Is today the anniversary of your death? Which school did you go to? Can you tell me about the events of the day you died?"

"Before I died, I was a student at Binhai Light Industry College, and I was about to graduate..." Piaopiao lowered her head and began to recall, looking pitiful...

"By then, you had already become a ghost?"

"Yes, when I thought I woke up again, I was actually dead. I wandered in an unknown place for a long time, and then, guided by an invisible force, I arrived at that ghost alley."

After listening to Piaopiao's recollection, especially the part about waking up in the bathtub, Feng Junzi vaguely guessed what might have happened. However, he didn't want to press a girl about such things. He wanted to find out what happened at the disco, so he asked Piaopiao, "Who were the people you were with at the disco? Did you know them?"

Piao Piao: "One of them is my classmate, and we went together. The other three people are people I met online, and we're not familiar with them."

Feng Junzi: "What happened to your classmate later?"

Piao Piao: "I only know that she was alright and went back to school later, but I can't ask her, so I asked you to help me investigate. I haven't seen the other people since then. You know, ghosts can't just wander around. I can't exactly go to the police station to check the files, can I? It's very difficult for ghosts to get into those places."

Feng Junzi: "How can I help you?"

Piao Piao: "After you return to Binhai, could you go to the Light Industry College if you have the chance and check the file of a student named Qiao Fangsi from the class of '96, to see how I died?" Piao Piao paused and then continued: "I want to know how I died, who killed me, and why they killed me. I've asked many people, but unfortunately they can't hear me at all."

Feng Junzi said, "I promise you, but how will I find you in the future?"

Piao Piao: "Do you know there's an old locust tree at the entrance of Ghost Alley?"

Feng Junzi nodded, and Piaopiao continued, "Every day between sunset and sunrise, you just need to go to the old locust tree, pat the trunk three times, and shout 'Piaopiao, come out!' to find me."

Volume Two: Hu Shiwei's Romantic Encounters with a Refined Young Lady

2-1. Midnight Romance

Around the turn of the century, entertainment venues of all sizes sprang up like mushrooms after rain in Binhai City, with self-service karaoke rooms being the most common type of business. Self-service karaoke was actually found in almost every private room of slightly upscale restaurants; people seemed no longer content with just singing while eating, and usually went for entertainment after a satisfying meal. It seemed that people's love for art and singing had reached a fever pitch overnight.

These kinds of entertainment venues, the larger and more upscale ones are usually called nightclubs, which often have dance floors and lobbies in addition to private rooms. More ordinary ones are called KTV entertainment centers, and the lowest-end ones are simply called karaoke rooms. Midnight Nightclub is one of the many entertainment venues of all sizes in Bincheng.

One summer evening in 2003, a group of four arrived at the entrance of the Midnight Nightclub. The plump middle-aged man walking in front was named Shi Dan, the general manager of the Binhai branch of Tianlu Securities Company. The young man next to him was Feng Junzi. The two people walking behind chatting were, on the left, Lao Dong, the vice president of Far East Fund Management Company, and on the right, a man in his forties, Wei Boxi, the owner of Binhai Weida Engineering Company.

Wei Boxi is not only the owner of Weida Engineering Company, but also a prominent business figure in Bincheng, a member of the Binhai CPPCC, and a representative of the Provincial People's Congress. Wei Boxi has a keen eye for investment; over a year ago, when Far East Fund Management Company was established, he invested a portion of the money, becoming a small shareholder and one of the initiators. Shi Dan was a friend of Lao Dong from his time working in the south; it was Shi Dan who introduced Wei Boxi and Lao Dong.

Currently, Far East Fund Management Company is launching a new fund, and the fund manager is none other than Lao Dong. New fund launches typically involve securing institutional investors to boost the initial offering size. This time, it was Shi Dan who strongly encouraged and persuaded Wei Boyi to subscribe with 50 million yuan. Lao Dong had privately promised that Wei Boyi wouldn't suffer any losses, and Shi Dan also had his own benefits: the new fund would have a trading seat in his branch, guaranteeing a certain trading volume annually. Feng Junzi was a friend of Lao Shi and had also dealt with Wei Boyi before; today he was merely accompanying a guest. After a satisfying meal and with business concluded, the group relaxed a bit, and Lao Shi led them to the Midnight Nightclub.

After the group sat down in the large private room, the flamboyantly dressed madam (the head of the hostesses, wearing a name tag that read "Manager") quickly came forward and said enthusiastically, "So it's Mr. Wei bringing his friends to support us. We at Ziye are truly honored. Do any of you gentlemen know any of the hostesses here? I'll go and call them in right away." It seems that Wei Boxi has quite a reputation in the various high-end entertainment venues in Bincheng.

Wei Boxi waved his hand and pointed to Lao Dong and the others, saying, "Today we're here to entertain our friends from out of town, let's choose a table."

The so-called "selection" process involves the manager leading the nightclub's hostesses in one by one, arranging them in rows for guests to choose from. A short while later, a group of sexy and glamorous young women filed into the private room, lined up in front of the large projected screen, bowed in unison, and said, "Good evening, esteemed guests! Have a wonderful evening!" It seems this Midnight Nightclub has excellent staff training; the hostesses are more disciplined than elsewhere.

Feng Junzi probably wanted to liven things up, or perhaps he felt it was a bit awkward for everyone to be sitting there so formally, so he stood up, bowed like the young ladies, and said, "Good evening, ladies, and I wish you all a happy evening!" Everyone burst into laughter.

After two rounds of changing girls, Wei Boxi and Shi Dan had already chosen their favorites, but Feng Junzi and Lao Dong hadn't made a selection yet. At this point, the supervisor got a little anxious and asked, "What kind of girls do these two bosses like? They can't seem to find anyone they like among so many beautiful girls."

At this moment, the young lady sitting next to Wei Boxi, wearing a black open-front dress, also said, "That's right, we're out here to have fun, not to pick and choose a wife."

Feng Junzi laughed and said, "No, no. Since we're here to have fun, we have to get past our own standards first. I can only be happy if I see myself happy. Otherwise, how can I find joy?"

The supervisor smiled and said to Feng Junzi, "Handsome, what kind do you like? Why don't you go out and pick one out from the ladies' lounge?"

Feng Junzi said with a smile, "I think you're quite good, Manager Chen. Why don't you keep me company tonight?"

At this moment, Wei Boxi spoke up: "I didn't expect Xiao Feng to have this kind of taste. Then tell the boss that Supervisor Chen will accompany you tonight."

The supervisor was taken aback, then smiled even more sweetly: "This handsome young man flatters me. Have we met before? How did you know my surname is Chen?"

Feng Junzi: "Who are you asking? It's written on your own chest!" After saying that, he got up and walked out of the house, saying as he walked: "Manager Chen, I was just joking with you. Let's see if you're willing to give me face. I'll go outside and pick one myself."

A short while later, Feng Junzi returned with a lady in red. Old Dong glanced at her and said, "Young Feng has good taste. This young lady has a great figure and everything you could want."

Feng Junzi: "If Lao Dong likes her, let her accompany you. I'll go out and find someone else."

Old Dong quickly shook his head and said, "My interests are different from yours. You should keep the one you picked. So, Xiao Feng, you like big breasts?"

Feng Junzi: "No, no, the main reason is not in the chest area, but in the clothes. This red dress is quite auspicious, reminding me of a long bullish candlestick in stock prices. Look at Lao Shi, I think he thinks the same way as me."

When everyone looked at Old Shi, sure enough, the young lady next to him was also wearing a red short skirt suit. Everyone laughed and said, "It's practically an occupational hazard!"

Seeing that Lao Dong was still sitting alone, Lao Shi asked him, "Lao Dong, don't just sit here by yourself. Otherwise, I'll take you out to look for him."

Wei Boxi also asked, "What type does Lao Dong like? I'll ask the manager to find you someone you're satisfied with."