witchcraft - Chapter 3
Reddish clouds gradually filled the entire deep blue sky.
Stretching, Feng Qi quickly packed his bag and patted Fei Xue, who was lying lazily on the bed: "Good girl, I'm leaving!"
Chapter Three: The Language of Trees
Chapter Three
The paper envelope in his hand felt like a hot potato. Feng Qi looked at Yi Lan awkwardly, unsure whether to accept it or not.
Yi Lan flicked the cigarette butt from his fingers, turned to Feng Qi and gave him a smile: "Here you go, reporter Feng. This is a small token of appreciation from the victim's family. They hope you'll be lenient when you publish the story, after all, the Ran family is quite influential in Zhicheng."
Seeing Feng Qi's hesitant expression, Yi Lan patted him cheerfully: "A real man should be decisive. This little bit is nothing!"
Feng Qi stared intently at the envelope. Judging by its thickness, it was nothing much, but enough to last him a month or two. He struggled to lift his head and finally gave Yi Lan a relieved smile: "Well—thank you, Captain Yi." With that, he discreetly slipped the envelope into his bag.
"No need to thank me, I'm just passing on what I've learned." Yi Lan ignored Feng Qi's attempt to downplay his feelings and continued to joke with him. In his opinion, Feng Qi was still a bit green. However, he liked this kind of reporter, unlike some slightly famous veteran reporters who were slick and overly "sensible."
"Then I'll be going now, Captain Yi."
Yi Lan looked at Feng Qi with satisfaction and said with a smile, "Alright, alright! You go ahead and get busy."
After Feng Qi left the office, Yi Lan suppressed her smile, picked up the phone, and dialed a familiar number.
"Hey, Brother Ran?...Yeah, it's all sorted out...No problem, it's not an issue...Okay, I'll contact you later." After hanging up the phone, Yi Lan leaned back in his leather chair and let out a long sigh.
Ran Qilei's reaction was too strange; there must be something going on. However, since it was his own daughter who died, and he himself wasn't willing to investigate, it wasn't appropriate for his childhood friend to pry. Yi Lan closed his eyes, and the image that flashed through his mind was An Hui, whom he had seen at Ran Qilei's house last Spring Festival. His childhood impression was instantly overturned; that fifteen-year-old girl had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Back then, he had even remarked to Ran Qilei how they hadn't aged, their child already so grown up. Now, it felt like just yesterday, yet everything had changed.
Feng Qi wandered aimlessly down the street, his steps unusually heavy.
This was the first time he had ever received a so-called "red envelope." He had heard before that it was common for reporters to receive red envelopes. But when it actually happened to him, it felt particularly awkward.
He wanted to be a good journalist; he had that dream since childhood. However, his more than ten years of living alone and growing up in an orphanage made him realize that in today's society, you can't get ahead without being shrewd and worldly-wise. He wasn't particularly talented, nor did he have a background that made him proud enough to ignore society. There were some rules he had to follow, and some things he could only accept.
"Do you know how many times you've sighed in the fifteen minutes you've been standing here?" A gentle voice reached his ears through the noisy crowd. He looked up and saw the girl he'd seen at the hospital yesterday standing less than a centimeter away from him.
She was still thin and frail, with a delicate smile, her entire body shrouded in pure black. Despite it being summer, she was wearing long sleeves. She was even cradling a dirty black kitten in her arms.
"You are... Ran Moran?" He hesitated before calling out her name.
"You have a great memory; no wonder you're a reporter."
Looking at the strange girl, Feng Qi felt an increasingly strong curiosity about yesterday's case.
"My name is Feng Qi."
Mo Ran winked, a half-smile playing on her lips. "I heard it from Dad yesterday. You... take the money." It wasn't a question, just a flat statement. These words made Feng Qi very embarrassed, and he even wanted to leave immediately, ending this unpleasant conversation.
"It's nothing. He has plenty of money anyway, so you don't need to feel embarrassed."
"Miss, I have other things to attend to. Let's talk another time," Feng Qi said coldly, then turned and left.
"Hey, you're really impatient! Reporter Feng, do you want to be famous?"
Feng Qi turned his head and saw Mo Ran smiling in an exceptionally harmless manner.
"you……"
"If you take in my little black dog, I will help you become famous and get everything you want." At this moment, Mo Ran was like a witch tempting people to fall, offering tempting conditions, just waiting for people to take the bait.
"Do you think I would believe the nonsense uttered by an eighteen-year-old girl?" Feng Qi said calmly after regaining his composure.
"I'll expose your secrets and make you an overnight sensation."
"Go home and study hard. You're living too well and have nothing to do."
Mo Ran stopped him, a stubborn smile on her face: "Then help me take care of Xiao Hei, and I'll pay you."
I am allergic to cats.
"You're lying! There's white cat hair on your clothes!"
"I don't have time."
"Don't worry, you can feed it whenever you have time."
"You..." Feng Qi rubbed his temples, his head aching. "Why are you so clingy!"
Mo Ran smiled smugly: "I'm selective about who I pester!"
"Then why did you choose me?"
“First,” she held up her index finger, “you’re a reporter; second, you own a cat; third, you’re good-looking; fourth, your eyes…”
"Eye?"
"Yes, your eyes. Your eyes are complex, just like you, full of contradictions. You are ambitious and eager to become famous, but you are also unwilling to integrate into this social melting pot because of your conscience. I like these eyes that are full of contradictions and inner struggles; they make me feel real."
Feng Qi's ever-smiling face fell, and he calmly looked at the girl opposite him. Finally, he stepped forward and picked up the little black cat from Mo Ran's arms.
"I'm going to inspect Xiao Hei's living conditions." Mo Ran smiled gently as she followed behind Feng Qi, as if the girl who had just spoken so aggressively was not her.
"You're actually older than 18, aren't you? You're probably a thousand-year-old monster!"
"They're so adaptable, they've even started joking around."
...
Zhicheng Middle School is the best middle school in Zhicheng City, with a history of over a hundred years. Its predecessor was Zhicheng Middle School, the most prestigious middle school in Zhicheng during the late Qing Dynasty. On the outside, Zhicheng Middle School doesn't look any different from other schools. It has the same simple school gate and the same modern, uniform teaching buildings. What makes it different is that upon entering Zhicheng Middle School, there is a downward slope with an incline of 45 degrees, ending at two century-old banyan trees.
The dense foliage of the banyan tree resembles a giant umbrella. From a distance, these two banyan trees look like a single, exceptionally large ancient tree. But upon closer inspection, you'll discover that they are actually two intertwined trees, inseparable. Their roots are connected, buried in the brown soil, standing silently within the concrete platform, unmoved by joy or sorrow.
Young Xie Siyan is standing in front of this tree now.
Standing opposite him was Cao Xiangui, a retired police officer who remained silent.
"It's no use you following me around."
“If you’re willing to tell me what you know, then I won’t keep following you.”
"I can sue you," Xie Siyan really didn't want to say such a thing to an old man, but the old man in front of him was just too persistent.
"Not bad!" the old man chuckled. "I just want to know the truth."
The students leaving school cast curious glances at them, making Xie Siyan even more impatient. Because of An Hui's suicide, he had become the talk of the school. Already famous for being a student council member, he was now practically a household name.
He used to enjoy the gazes of others. Those gazes contained a variety of emotions—envy, admiration, jealousy…and he relished them. But now, those gazes held more of a probing, a curiosity, and he loathed that kind of attention.
"I don't know... How many times do I have to say it? If I knew, do you think I would have let An Hui commit suicide? You're not a policeman, so why are you bothering me? You're really just bored!" Xie Siyan's brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes revealing undisguised disgust. After speaking, he turned and took a few quick steps towards the school gate.
Cao Xiangui narrowed his eyes. The boy in front of him was far from being as docile as his thin appearance suggested. His eyes, hidden by long bangs, were fierce as if he didn't care about anything.
Very interesting.
An Hui's parents, her sister, and even her boyfriend, as described by her classmates, are all quite interesting. This suicide was indeed unusual, just as he had suspected.
As he was laughing, Cao Xiangui caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past behind a tree not far away.
If I remember correctly, that person should be Mao Tingting, An Hui's best friend during her lifetime.
The old man pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his inside pocket, carefully shook one out, lit it, and put it to his lips. The twin banyan trees grew increasingly blurry in his eyes.
"Getting old..." Cao Xiangui gave a self-deprecating bitter smile, withdrew his gaze, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked back.
...
Mo Ran lay flat on Feng Qi's single bed, her legs raised high against the wall beside the bed. Feng Qi sat on the edge of the bed, teasing Fei Xue with some breadcrumbs in his hand; the white kitten, seemingly understanding, stroked his fingers.
"Your kitten is so well-behaved, too well-behaved, it doesn't seem like a cat anymore." Mo Ran reached out to pet Fei Xue. Fei Xue hesitated for a moment, then obediently let Mo Ran's hand land on its head. Feng Qi smiled gently, then gently lifted Fei Xue's chin with his finger, causing Fei Xue to meow softly twice.
"It is my friend."
Mo Ran tilted her head back to look at the man beside her. Only now, facing the little white cat before her, did he reveal a fleeting, genuine smile. However, she disliked Fei Xue; that deliberately ingratiating attitude was what she loathed most. Raising an eyebrow subtly, Mo Ran rolled over and picked up Xiao Hei, who had been hiding in the corner of the bed since entering the room.
"What a useless fellow."
Little Black let out a pitiful meow, its face bearing a heroic expression of facing certain death, as Ren Moran placed it in front of Fei Xue. Fei Xue gave Little Black a cold glance before turning back to continue playing with Feng Qi's fingers.
"Hey, you really are a disappointment! Don't you dare shake!" Mo Ran pointed at Xiao Hei's little forehead repeatedly, scolding him incessantly. This black cat, who was quite imposing at home, had become so meek here.
"Are you kidding me?" Feng Qi picked up Fei Xue and watched the scene with amusement.
"Isn't it funny?"
Feng Qi simply smiled and remained silent, offering no comment.
Looking at Mo Ran, you would never guess she had this kind of personality. When Mo Ran wasn't speaking, she appeared to be a delicate and fragile young woman. But Feng Qi knew she was more than that.
"Why not raise Xiao Hei yourself?"
Mo Ran smiled indifferently: "Because they think Xiao Hei brought us bad luck. I found Xiao Hei two days before An Hui committed suicide. Their theory is strange, isn't it? Shifting all the blame to a weak animal."
As if sensing its master's words, Xiao Hei raised its head and looked at Mo Ran with its bright eyes.
"So who should bear the responsibility?"
She laughed and nudged Feng Qi: "You're really good at getting information out of people!"
Feng Qi shrugged: "Your words have piqued my dormant curiosity. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? I don't know why you came to me, or what you want to get, but it's a good suggestion that we each get what we need."
"You'll have to find out the responsibility yourself, Reporter Feng. As for your suggestion, I accept it."
"You have to tell me everything you know, okay?"
“No problem,” Mo Ran jumped off the bed barefoot, touching her stomach pitifully, and said, “Reporter Feng, do you have any food to fill my stomach?”
"Only instant noodles are available."
"It'll have to do!"
What flavor is it?
"Whatever, whatever."
While Feng Qi was squatting in the corner boiling water to cook noodles, Mo Ran looked around the small room, and finally her gaze fell on the photo on the desk of Feng Qi standing in front of the century-old banyan tree of Zhicheng Middle School.
"Feng Qi, you graduated from Zhicheng High School?"
"Um."
"Were those two trees already like this when you were in school? They haven't changed at all!"
"Two?" Feng Qi raised his eyes, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "You've heard the legend of the twin trees again, haven't you?"
"no?"
“That’s actually a tree,” Feng Qi paused, then continued, “When the school was rebuilt, because of the terrain, the trunk of that tree was filled with cement. What we see, what we think are the roots, is actually just the trunk. Its roots are buried deep underground in the cement. The school just thought the bare trunk was unsightly, so they made a flower bed and filled it with soil. It’s ironic, isn’t it?”
After speaking, he looked at Mo Ran, only to find the girl, who had been chatting and laughing all along, standing there dumbfounded. After a long while, she lowered her head and chuckled softly, "I knew it, how could there be such wonderful things in this world? Another legend has been shattered." At the end of her laughter, she propped her head up and asked him, "How did you know? The school was rebuilt twenty years ago."