Ghost Alley

Chapter 5

Feng Junzi said, "No one can live to be a hundred years old. Who gave you your name?"

Lulu: "It was my father who named it."

Feng Junzi sighed and recited again, "The dynasty is declining, the dynasty is declining, why not return? If it weren't for you, why would I be exposed to the dew? Why did your father give you such a name, which carries such heavy resentment?"

Lulu: "He was a college student, but his family background was very bad, so he volunteered to go to the countryside after graduation. Later, thinking that there was no hope of returning to the city, he married a rural girl who was much younger than him, who is my mother. Later, although the policy was implemented, he had no relatives in the city, so he stayed in the local area and became a middle school teacher... I also have a younger brother who is three years younger than me. He died of illness not long after my brother was born."

Not wanting to upset her too much, Feng Junzi changed the subject, saying, "Then your family isn't exceeding the one-child policy?"

Lulu: "This kind of situation is common in rural areas. If the first child is a girl, they usually want to have a boy. I don't know the specifics of the situation at the time."

Feng Junzi: "No wonder your name is Lulu at midnight; it's related to your original name."

Lulu: "When the madam asked me what name I wanted, I said Lulu without thinking. Actually, my parents call me Xiaowei at home."

Feng Junzi smiled and said, "Then I'll call you Xiaowei from now on."

Lulu: "If you like, then call me that. I'm afraid Teacher Feng's name isn't his original name either. I think it has the same origin as mine."

Feng Junzi: "It's definitely not my original name. My surname is Xu. Tell me the story behind it."

Lulu: "The first book of the Book of Songs is the 'Airs of the States,' and the first poem in the 'Airs of the States' is 'A fair maiden, a gentleman's good match.' Is Teacher Feng's name related to this?"

Feng Junzi sighed, "Although you're not quite right, you're not far off. You're already much better than many others."

Feng Junzi hadn't initially paid much attention to Lulu, the female college student who worked as a prostitute; he had only invited her out to find an opportunity to get closer to Han Shuang. However, after their conversation, he became increasingly interested in her. Their conversation didn't resemble that of friends meeting in a nightclub, but rather a pen pal meeting popular in the 1980s. When they said goodbye after dinner, Feng Junzi gave Lulu his phone number, telling her she could contact him if she needed anything.

Feng Junzi and Hu Shiwei's relationship began with this meal. Two days later, Hu Shiwei indeed called Feng Junzi, saying she needed to speak with him. When Feng Junzi answered the phone, he felt a little regretful, regretting that he shouldn't have so easily given his phone number to a nightclub hostess; who knew what kind of trouble such a person might get into? Unexpectedly, Hu Shiwei's call for Feng Junzi wasn't about anything trivial, but rather about her graduation thesis.

Hu Shiwei majored in financial investment. As mentioned earlier, this major at the Light Industry College was relatively new, and they were the first batch of graduates. Neither the teachers nor the students had any experience, so when writing their graduation theses, students were required to conduct on-site investigations at specific organizations in society and obtain signatures from the investigated organizations. The school did not care how the students found these organizations.

Upon hearing about this matter, Feng Junzi agreed without hesitation. Hu Shiwei said on the phone, "Thank you so much! Several classmates in our class can't find the signatures from the units being investigated. Could you help them with this as well?"

Feng Junzi: "You really know how to take advantage of a situation. Signing a few more words is no problem. How's your graduation thesis coming along?"

Hu Shiwei: "I'm really worried about this. I haven't even started writing yet. The school requires 20,000 words, and I still don't know how to write it."

Feng Junzi knew what she did for a living and probably didn't have time to write it. For some reason, he suddenly felt inspired and said, "If you're going to help someone out, why don't you just send me the paper along with it? Then you won't have to write it."

Hu Shiwei: "I can't possibly accept that. It would be too much trouble for you."

Feng Junzi: "It's just a small favor for me. There are plenty of ready-made reports. I can just pick 20,000 words and give it to you. It's just a favor I'm doing. But I won't bother with the other students in your class."

Hu Shiwei: "I really don't know how to thank you. Last time I wanted to treat you, but you ended up treating me. This time I must treat you."

Feng Junzi had a sudden thought. He was just thinking of going to see where Han Shuang lived, so he said, "If you really want to invite me, don't go outside. How about this, when I finish your thesis, you can cook a few dishes at your house to show your sincerity, and I can also send the thesis to you."

Sometimes, interactions between men and women aren't about one person deliberately pursuing the other, but rather about a specific event that sustains their connection. During this process, feelings may change. Boys who want to woo girls, or girls who want to pursue boys, should remember this: always create a shared event to begin a relationship. The thesis project was a shared event between Feng Junzi and Hu Shiwei, but it wasn't something Feng Junzi intentionally planned.

Because of this incident, the two of them had significantly more contact. Feng Junzi clearly had feelings for Hu Shiwei, but he didn't pay her much attention, after all, she was a girl in that kind of profession, and he even deliberately maintained an invisible distance. As for Hu Shiwei, she had very strong feelings for Feng Junzi, but she also sensed his unease and carefully avoided mentioning it.

A little over a week later, Feng Junzi had finished his thesis and arranged to visit Hu Shiwei's home that day. Before leaving, Feng Junzi went to the mall to buy a small gift. He was still quite hesitant when buying the gift. Hu Shiwei's beauty was indeed attractive to him, but Lulu's past as a prostitute didn't warrant a real relationship. But in the end, he still chose a bottle of perfume.

Hu Shiwei was delighted to receive the gift and was naturally very grateful for the paper Feng Junzi had sent. Hu Shiwei lived in a rented apartment in Huashan Residential Area, on the top floor. It was a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, with her and Han Shuang each sharing a room. The apartment was very clean. What was unusual about Hu Shiwei's room was the presence of a bookshelf filled with books, while Han Shuang's door remained closed.

Feng Junzi asked, "Where's Shuangshuang, the one you live with? Isn't she home?"

“She usually comes back very late, and sometimes she doesn’t come back at all at night.” Hu Shiwei seemed to blush slightly when she said this.

Hu Shiwei went to the kitchen to cook, and Feng Junzi also came over to help, but was pushed away. Hu Shiwei said, "I don't need your help, I can manage on my own. Just sit for a while, read a book or watch TV."

Feng Junzi then stayed in Hu Shiwei's room, casually picking up a book to read. Finding it uninteresting, he put it back and picked up another. As he was flipping through the book, he suddenly noticed a hundred-yuan bill tucked inside. He then carefully examined the book and found quite a few other bills tucked in other places, about twenty or thirty in total.

Just then, Hu Shiwei carried in a plate of food and placed it on the small table inside the room. Feng Junzi had originally intended to eat in the hall, but Hu Shiwei insisted on having the small table placed inside. When Hu Shiwei came in, Feng Junzi was holding the book containing the money. Feeling a little embarrassed about invading someone's privacy, he explained, "I was just flipping through it casually, and I didn't expect to find your secret stash of money."

"That's not my secret stash of money. Take a look, those are all counterfeit bills, given to me by nightclub patrons."

Counterfeit money? There are actually people like that!

"Yes, the lighting in those places is dim, and everyone has almost finished drinking by the time they give tips. The front desk staff have a money counter, but we girls often receive counterfeit money as tips."

Feng Junzi joked, "Since someone gave you counterfeit money, why don't you spend it? These banknotes look very real to me."

Hu Shiwei: "I was already feeling bad after being cheated by someone, so how could I cheat others? I thought about throwing it away or giving it to the bank, but I felt... so I just put it in a book, and that's how it ended up being this many."

Hu Shiwei's cooking skills were quite good; it seemed she had done a lot of housework since childhood. Although she made mostly home-style dishes, both stir-fried and braised dishes were very palatable. During the meal, Feng Junzi said, "It's a pity to have food but no wine." Hu Shiwei magically produced a bottle of red wine from under the table and said to Feng Junzi, "I prepared this a long time ago, but I don't know if this dry red wine suits Teacher Feng's taste."

Feng Junzi also took out a bottle of red wine from his bag and said to Hu Shiwei, "It turns out we bought the same brand. We're really on the same wavelength!"

The two sat facing each other, drinking and talking for a long time. Feng Junzi felt that the wine tasted better than usual, and they both drank quite a bit. Hu Shiwei's face was already flushed. After dinner, it was already evening. Hu Shiwei cleared the table, while Feng Junzi remained seated, wondering if it was time to take his leave.

Just as Feng Junzi was hesitating about whether he should take his leave, Hu Shiwei, who was clearing the table, accidentally knocked a cup to the ground. The sound of the cup shattering startled Feng Junzi, who quickly stood up and asked, "Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I just accidentally broke a cup. You sit still, I'll clean it up."

As she spoke, Hu Shiwei turned around and grabbed a broom, a garbage bag, and a large roll of waste paper. She swept the glass shards together and then carefully wrapped each piece individually in the waste paper. Feng Junzi asked curiously, "What are you doing? Why don't you just wrap them together and put them in the garbage bag?"

"You don't know, there's an old couple here who collect scraps. They rummage through the trash cans in the neighborhood every day. If we don't wrap these broken pieces of glass properly, they'll cut their hands."

Upon hearing this, Feng Junzi sighed and went over to squat down beside Hu Shiwei to help her wrap the broken glass. Hu Shiwei quickly said, "I don't need your help. Be careful not to cut your hand." As she spoke, she tried to pull Feng Junzi up.

Between the support and the pull, the two lost their balance. Hu Shiwei leaned back and fell against Feng Junzi's chest. Feng Junzi reached out to support her, but ended up embracing her from behind. From Hu Shiwei's perspective, it looked as if Feng Junzi had intentionally held her.

Feng Junzi was caught off guard when Hu Shiwei suddenly embraced him, and for a moment he forgot to let go. Hu Shiwei was also startled, but she didn't pull away. She simply steadied herself slightly and remained in Feng Junzi's arms, even gently resting her head on his shoulder. Holding Hu Shiwei, in the light clothing of May or June, Feng Junzi could feel the warmth emanating from her soft body, and at the same time, he could smell the unique fragrance of a young girl.

A sudden surge of desire rose in Feng Junzi's lower abdomen, along with a feeling of something expanding within his chest that needed to be released. He was about to release Hu Shiwei, but instead did the opposite, pulling her even closer to him. Hu Shiwei seemed to let out a soft "hmm," her hair brushing lightly against Feng Junzi's nose. Feng Junzi felt as if the distance he had deliberately maintained was like a thin sheet of paper, easily torn apart.

Feng Junzi's hands seemed to move independently of his will. He wrapped one arm around Hu Shiwei's waist and pressed it against her lower abdomen, making her body press even closer to his own. His other hand slid with unusual agility under the hem of her top, all the way up to her inner garment, finally grasping her full breasts firmly.

Hu Shiwei's body trembled inexplicably. She suddenly turned around and embraced Feng Junzi from the front. Her eyes were slightly closed, her face even redder than before, and her slightly parted lips exhaled warm breath carrying the scent of wine. Feng Junzi lowered his head to find the source of the wine's aroma, and their lips and tongues immediately intertwined. This pair of inseparable lovers seemed to pause for a long time before finally easing their suffocating feeling. Feng Junzi picked up Hu Shiwei and carried her towards the bed. Hu Shiwei, her eyes still closed, nestled against his chest, only softly saying, "Watch your step, don't step on the glass."

It was a wild night; Feng Junzi hadn't felt this unrestrained in a long time. Hu Shiwei's body was soft and delicate, like a work of art by God, while Feng Junzi was a destroyer. Later, Feng Junzi lost count of how many times he had entered her; even the slight scratches from Hu Shiwei's fingernails remained on his shoulder blades.

When the next morning arrived, Feng Junzi was the first to wake up. Looking at Hu Shiwei, who was still nestled against his chest like a beautiful kitten, he lit a cigarette, a complex sense of melancholy rising in his heart.

2-7. Beautiful women often have tragic fates.

After that wild night, Feng Junzi and Hu Shiwei maintained a peculiar relationship. Their feelings floated in the air, carefully maintained through sexual and spiritual communication, yet never settling into any real world outside of their own. Feng Junzi never spoke of anything else about himself, and Hu Shiwei avoided discussing anything else about herself; even their meetings were limited to Hu Shiwei's home.

Many literary figures believe that love between men and women includes both physical and spiritual attraction, but this is incorrect. Both physical and spiritual attraction were present between Feng Junzi and Hu Shiwei. However, worldly love is supported by the material world. If you don't believe this, I suggest you read a novel, Lu Xun's "Regret for the Past."

One day in late July, Hu Shiwei excitedly told Feng Junzi that she had found a job. This was the first time she had talked about her personal life in a while. Feng Junzi was naturally very happy to hear this and asked her which company it was.

"I never expected to be so lucky. I was hired on my first interview, and it was even a listed company, the well-known Weida Group in Binhai. I was assigned to the securities department as an assistant, which is a perfect match for my major."

Upon hearing the words "Weida Group," Feng Junzi's heart skipped a beat. He immediately asked, "How's the salary? Who hired you?"

Hu Shiwei answered excitedly, "I submitted my resume, and a week later the company called to invite me for an interview. During the interview, they told me I was hired after only a few questions. The salary is very good. Although it is a little less than my previous income, it is enough."

"At least you won't receive counterfeit money," Feng Junzi joked, but he was also puzzled. It was only slightly less than the income of a hostess at a nightclub, so this salary was quite high for a recent college graduate. Feng Junzi was a very clear-headed and perceptive person. He immediately felt that the reason wasn't so simple. He also suddenly remembered that on his first night at the Midnight Nightclub, Wei Boyi, the owner of Weida, seemed particularly interested in Hu Shiwei, who was named Lulu, and even sent his henchman Chen Xiaosan to find her. So he reminded Hu Shiwei, "Do you know who the owner of Weida Shares is? He's the customer at Midnight who took money to test whether you were a real college student. That's Wei Boyi."

Hu Shiwei was slightly surprised, but still in high spirits, she said, "So what if that's the case? There are still several levels between a big boss like him and a small employee like me. Even if we met, we might not recognize each other. Am I supposed to give up such a good job? Don't you know how envious my classmates are of me!"

Feng Junzi wanted to say something more, but suddenly found himself speechless. What right did he have to stop Hu Shiwei from accepting such a tempting job? Perhaps he was overthinking it. He should just take it one step at a time and deal with things later if anything happened.

After graduating and starting work, Hu Shiwei was noticeably busier than before. She was excited and cherished her job, so she worked exceptionally hard. Hu Shiwei was no longer a nightclub hostess but a sophisticated white-collar worker; the transformation, both inside and out, was indescribable. Feng Junzi, when with her, naturally sensed this change, but felt that Hu Shiwei had something she vaguely wanted to tell him.

In fact, Hu Shiwei's change wasn't entirely due to her changed status. She genuinely had many things she wanted to tell Feng Junzi, but Feng Junzi overlooked them because he considered it an inevitable change. Their relationship remained the same, at least from Hu Shiwei's perspective, she was definitely more gentle and considerate towards Feng Junzi than before.

Feng Junzi was a smart man. He could guess what Hu Shiwei wanted to say to him. After Hu Shiwei's identity changed, her mentality should also change. She would want to put her relationship with Feng Junzi into practice. Feng Junzi sometimes sighed, "If we hadn't met at midnight, everything would have been much better." But later Feng Junzi realized that he had guessed wrong, or at least his guess was not entirely correct.

The intimate moments between Feng Junzi and Hu Shiwei didn't last long, ending abruptly one night. It seems all beauty is fleeting; just two months into her job, Hu Shiwei suffered an accident. The details were simple: Hu Shiwei, an employee of the securities department at Weida Corporation, was working overtime one evening. Perhaps due to fatigue, she went to the small balcony at the end of the building for some fresh air and accidentally fell from the fourth floor, sustaining serious injuries. She was rushed to the hospital and remains unconscious. This was the conclusion of the police investigation. Weida's boss, Wei Boxi, specifically stated: "Since the employee was injured during working hours, although it was an accident caused by her own carelessness, Weida Corporation will still take responsibility. All hospital expenses will be paid by the company, and we will do everything we can to save her."

Feng Junzi went to the balcony where Hu Shiwei had the accident. The railing was indeed very low, only reaching his hips. Leaning against such a railing, it was indeed possible to accidentally fall. Feng Junzi also went to the hospital, where the doctor told him, "The patient is still unconscious, and the possibility of her waking up is extremely slim." Feng Junzi understood; he knew what the doctor meant: Hu Shiwei, lying in the hospital bed, was already in a vegetative state.

That night, after returning from the hospital, Feng Junzi was in a terrible mood. He thought about his interactions with Hu Shiwei, and there were so many things he regretted. Lost in these thoughts, he drifted off to sleep and had a strange dream.

He dreamt of a group of people running naked down a long street. A rich man leading the group held up an ice cream cone, like a torch relay runner, shouting, "Gush! Eruption! Huge wave! Tsunami!" Behind him followed a bespectacled man waving a pair of red underwear, yelling, "Great news! Great news!" Then came several older men, each wearing a tall red hat, walking around shaking hands, saying, "Don't worry, we're here." Just as this group reached Feng Junzi and was about to shake his hand, he suddenly felt they looked familiar. As he tried to remember where he had seen them before, he suddenly woke up. He found himself still lying in his bedroom bed, but his body seemed to be pinned down by something, unable to move.

Feng Junzi could see and hear, but he couldn't move his limbs. He concentrated all his strength and spirit and tried to move his fingers. He found that his fingers could move. Then his body gradually began to recover like melting ice and snow. He regained his mobility and got up from the bed in a daze to go to the living room to get some water.

When he walked into the living room, he vaguely saw someone sitting on the sofa. He was startled and subconsciously turned on the light. After seeing clearly, he breathed a sigh of relief. The person sitting on the sofa was actually Hu Shiwei.

"Xiaowei, you're discharged from the hospital! It's so kind of you to find my house. I even forgot to lock the door when I was sleeping. By the way, I've been thinking about a lot of things since you were hospitalized, and there's so much I want to tell you."

Hu Shiwei's expression seemed blurry and unclear. She spoke to Feng Junzi in a soft voice, "I also have a lot to say to you, but it's too late now. I have never done anything to wrong anyone, but I never thought things would turn out this way."

Feng Junzi: "Xiao Wei, what's wrong today? Everything will be alright once you recover from your illness."

Hu Shiwei: "You must remember what I'm saying. Today, I accepted an invitation I shouldn't have accepted, learned things I shouldn't have known, and rejected temptations I shouldn't have rejected. Now that I think about it, perhaps the happiest time of my life was the time I spent with you, but it all feels unreal."

Just as Feng Junzi was about to speak, a series of rapid rings startled him awake once more. He found himself still lying in bed; it had all been a dream within a dream, and the phone ringing had woken him again. It was Chang Wu calling.

2-8. Mystery of Life and Death

When Feng Junzi answered the phone, he was still thinking about what Hu Shiwei had said in his dream. He was very unhappy that Chang Wu had interrupted his dream meeting with Xiaowei and asked, "What time is it? Don't you sleep or do other people sleep?"

"What's gotten into you, you night owl? You're usually online at this hour, aren't you? I have something to tell you. Do you remember that case you asked me about last time? The one about the female college student who died mysteriously."

Upon hearing this, Feng Junzi perked up and asked, "Any news?"

“I checked the files, but I didn’t find anything.”

"I didn't notice you calling me in the middle of the night!"

"Don't worry, I heard something when I was visiting the hospital. Someone had a kidney transplant at the hospital, but they found the kidney source themselves."

"Who is it? Why don't you investigate further?"

"Do you think the police station is my personal property, where I can investigate anyone whenever I want? The person who performed the surgery was Wei Boxi's elderly mother. Do you even know who Wei Boxi is?"

Feng Junzi: "Of course I know, explain it more clearly."

Chang Wu: "Wei Boxi is a famously filial son. I think a reporter even wrote a report called 'The Growth of Modern Entrepreneurs and Traditional Cultural Moral Cultivation,' which lavishly praised Wei Boxi's filial piety. Think about it, his elderly mother is sick, so naturally he can find a way to get a kidney. You can't find anything wrong with someone like that even if you investigate. Besides, if the leaders find out that I investigated Wei Boxi without my consent, do you think I, a mere deputy captain of the criminal investigation team, would still be able to keep my job?"

Feng Junzi: "I understand. Then why did you call me?"

Chang Wu: "Since you asked me, I have to tell you that I'm afraid I can't do much in this matter for the time being. However, I can provide a clue. The person who contacted the kidney source was named Chen Xiaosan. He used to be a hoodlum at the seafood market, but now he works at Wei Boxi's company."

Feng Junzi hung up the phone, his mind a jumble of thoughts. He hadn't expected Wei Boxi to be involved again. Chang Wu's call reminded him of Piao Piao, and he suddenly remembered something Piao Piao had once said: "I know I died a violent death, and all wandering ghosts die violent deaths. I don't want to keep wandering like a wandering ghost forever." He was startled, and then he remembered the dream he had just had.

Hu Shiwei is currently lying unconscious in the hospital; according to the doctors, she's in a vegetative state. She's still breathing and has a heartbeat, but her mind has stopped; in some ways, she's already dead. So, was the ghost Feng Junzi saw in his dream Hu Shiwei's? Hu Shiwei's ghost wanders the coast, even appearing in Feng Junzi's dreams—does that mean she also died a violent death? Was that accident a conspiracy?

Feng Junzi was lost in thought, almost in a daze. He desperately wanted the dream he'd just had to be real, but in the real world, it was nearly impossible for him to hold Xiaowei's hand and speak to her face-to-face. He felt a sense of separation between the living and the dead. Then he thought of Piaopiao. Piaopiao was also a ghost, but she could appear before him like a living person. If he could find Piaopiao, perhaps he could find a way to know what Hu Shiwei wanted to say to him in her dream.

Thinking of this, Feng Junzi immediately made a decision: he would go to Ghost Alley again and find Piaopiao to ask her properly.

The next day, it was already evening when Feng Junzi arrived in Jimo from Qingdao Airport. The taxi driver dared not drive into Ghost Alley, so Feng Junzi got out of the car far away and practically ran all the way to the big locust tree at the alley entrance. He remembered Piaopiao saying, "Tap the tree trunk three times and shout 'Piaopiao, come out!'" and he could find her.

He patted the tree trunk three times and shouted, "Piaopiao, come out!" A cold wind seemed to blow around them, rustling the leaves. After the wind passed, Piaopiao did not appear as expected. Feng Junzi waited for a long time, finally becoming impatient. He started patting the tree trunk again, calling out for Piaopiao as he did so. At this moment, gusts of cold wind swirled around the locust tree in the alley, but Feng Junzi was completely unaware of it. He patted until his hands hurt, then started kicking the tree. The old locust tree shook, and leaves swirled and fell to the ground.

At this moment, Feng Junzi began to doubt Piaopiao's words. He remembered that he first met Piaopiao in the alley, and he was determined to find her tonight no matter what. So he turned around and rushed into Ghost Alley.

A chilling wind, carrying the eerie atmosphere of the night, swept in from the alley entrance, but Feng Junzi ignored it. He rushed into the ghost alley, shouting as he ran, "Piaopiao, come out!" He hadn't run far when suddenly a wall appeared in front of him, blocking his path. This time, he didn't encounter a ghost blocking his way, and he ran to the end of the ghost alley in no time. Helpless, Feng Junzi turned around, and just then, he suddenly saw Piaopiao standing not far away on the opposite side.

Piao Piao appeared out of nowhere, still barefoot, with long hair, wearing that moon-white dress, looking at Feng Junzi with an expression that was both amused and annoyed. When she saw that Feng Junzi had noticed her, she said to him in a reproachful tone, "Why are you so impatient? Couldn't you have waited a little longer? You actually rushed all the way here to find me."

Upon seeing Piaopiao, Feng Junzi rushed forward and grabbed her shoulder, saying, "Why did it take you so long to show up? I have something urgent to discuss with you."