Mona Lisa's Blood Eye

Chapter 2

That night, we first went out for a delicious meal, then sang karaoke until midnight before returning home. We had a blast, completely forgetting all the unpleasantness of the day.

The next day, I lazily slept until noon, then picked up my phone to check. No calls or texts, and I felt a little dejected. People forget you when you're out of town. Once I lost my job, nobody kept in touch. These close girlfriends, who used to flood my phone with gossip and chatter on and on as if phone calls were free. Especially some who had just broken up with their boyfriends, crying and wailing incessantly. Once, I even dozed off for a few minutes listening to one of them pour out her heart; her sobs were like a never-ending torrent. Now everyone's busy with their own things; who has time to care about a bored, unemployed person like me?

Thankfully, I made the right choice in matters of the heart. Zhu Qingyuan, whom I affectionately call "Big Pig," is from the same hometown as me, a fellow university alumnus, and two years my senior. We met on a train journey home. I was considered a beauty on campus and the class beauty, with many suitors. However, after that terrible experience in high school, I was hesitant to accept anyone's feelings easily. Usually, after someone proposed, regardless of whether they were handsome or capable, I would directly refuse. Even after three or four persistent attempts, I received the same answer, earning me the nickname "Cold Beauty" behind my back. Actually, I longed for genuine love, but I was also afraid—afraid of getting hurt, afraid of being deceived. After meeting Zhu Qingyuan, he not only fulfilled the responsibilities of a fellow hometown friend but also offered me care and support. He was warm-hearted, cheerful, and very caring. During my last year and a half at university, he was like an older brother and father, making up for my lack of attention when I felt neglected. So, after graduation, when he formally asked me to be his girlfriend, I chose him, and things progressed smoothly from there.

Nothing much happened, so I turned on my computer and saw the reply from the mansion owner. I impulsively opened it. It was simple: he welcomed us, invited us to come over on Saturday morning, and gave us directions. I'd been to Xiushan before; it's a major tourist attraction in the city, so it shouldn't be hard to find.

Saturday finally arrived, and my boyfriend and I went to look at apartments early. This time, I didn't wear fashionable modern clothes, but instead wore a red cheongsam with a gray skirt, and my hair was styled in two big braids, giving me a classic ladylike look.

5. Mona Lisa Mansion (Part 1)

"Ouch!" I cried out, realizing I had accidentally cut my finger with a fruit knife while distracted.

"Blood—", a thin red line appeared on the blade, and a large drop of bright red blood oozed from my finger. I quickly wiped it clean with a tissue, put on a band-aid, and stopped thinking about it.

My boyfriend, Zhu Qingyuan, rushed home after get off work as expected. He asked me with concern about being followed during the day, but I just said seriously that it terrified me and I didn't want to talk about it anymore, lest it ruin my mood. I couldn't wait to tell him about the great opportunity to rent a place in Xiushan and asked him to promise to go see it on Saturday.

"Sure, I'll definitely take you there with such great offers. But you agreed to this first, so don't blame me if you get into trouble later!"

"You coward, I'm not only making fun of you, I'm going to take it out on you too. Heh, what trouble are you trying to cause? Do you think I'm the kind of person who causes trouble? Aren't I usually a quiet and well-behaved person?"

"Yes, yes, yes, you're a good boy," she said, bringing her mouth closer. "I'll keep my promise tonight, so shouldn't you keep yours too?"

I knew he wanted me to reward him with a kiss, so I put my arms around his neck and gave him a sweet kiss, which made him swoon.

“Oh, honey, let me tell you,” he put me down, “he wants you to be the subject of his sketches. Can you accept that? What will happen if I’m not around?”

“Let’s go and check it out first. It’s not like we’re selling it to him. We’ll have to explain the specific terms to him later.”

"Yes, that's right. You should call him right away to confirm. Let's grab this opportunity to own such a great house."

"Phone number? Huh?" I can't believe I didn't leave such an important number; it's a restricted number and can't be found. But my quick mind immediately thought of email. "His phone number is restricted, I'll email him."

That night, we first went out for a delicious meal, then sang karaoke until midnight before returning home. We had a blast, completely forgetting all the unpleasantness of the day.

The next day, I lazily slept until noon, then picked up my phone to check. No calls or texts, and I felt a little dejected. People forget you when you're out of town. Once I lost my job, nobody kept in touch. These close girlfriends, who used to flood my phone with gossip and chatter on and on as if phone calls were free. Especially some who had just broken up with their boyfriends, crying and wailing incessantly. Once, I even dozed off for a few minutes listening to one of them pour out her heart; her sobs were like a never-ending torrent. Now everyone's busy with their own things; who has time to care about a bored, unemployed person like me?

Thankfully, I made the right choice in matters of the heart. Zhu Qingyuan, whom I affectionately call "Big Pig," is from the same hometown as me, a fellow university alumnus, and two years my senior. We met on a train journey home. I was considered a beauty on campus and the class beauty, with many suitors. However, after that terrible experience in high school, I was hesitant to accept anyone's feelings easily. Usually, after someone proposed, regardless of whether they were handsome or capable, I would directly refuse. Even after three or four persistent attempts, I received the same answer, earning me the nickname "Cold Beauty" behind my back. Actually, I longed for genuine love, but I was also afraid—afraid of getting hurt, afraid of being deceived. After meeting Zhu Qingyuan, he not only fulfilled the responsibilities of a fellow hometown friend but also offered me care and support. He was warm-hearted, cheerful, and very caring. During my last year and a half at university, he was like an older brother and father, making up for my lack of attention when I felt neglected. So, after graduation, when he formally asked me to be his girlfriend, I chose him, and things progressed smoothly from there.

Nothing much happened, so I turned on my computer and saw the reply from the mansion owner. I impulsively opened it. It was simple: he welcomed us, invited us to come over on Saturday morning, and gave us directions. I'd been to Xiushan before; it's a major tourist attraction in the city, so it shouldn't be hard to find.

Saturday finally arrived, and my boyfriend and I went to look at apartments early. This time, I didn't wear fashionable modern clothes, but instead wore a red cheongsam with a gray skirt, and my hair was styled in two big braids, giving me a classic ladylike look.

6. Mona Lisa Mansion (Part Two)

"Haha, it's like Lin Daiyu has come to the mountains today, she's going to make all the butterflies in the mountains jealous!" Big Pig's praise always makes me feel good, and I feel really happy.

"Then you can be my gardener and guide."

“My dear Lin sister, open the door, let’s go…” He grabbed my hand and led me out the door.

"Oh no, I forgot to bring something."

"What? Why are you being so fussy..." I said angrily, though I knew he was a thoughtful person.

He hurriedly opened the door and ran inside, then rushed out again, holding a Paradise umbrella in his hand. "There might be thunderstorms this afternoon, so I brought an umbrella just in case."

We took the bus and arrived at Xiushan station in just over half an hour, which was quite fast. It's a low mountain area with a large expanse of land at the foot of the mountain, dotted with many single-story houses. I had heard that many working professionals rent here, mainly because the prices are affordable, the environment is nice, and transportation is convenient.

The sky was a bit overcast, and looking around, we saw mountains encircling the area to the north and west. Following the route, we walked forward for a while, and then a wide dirt road led straight to the foot of the northern mountain, lined with single-story houses on both sides. After walking about 200 meters, the houses stopped, the road became a bit winding, and trees lined both sides; the environment was very pleasant, and the air was fresh. To the right was a botanical garden, surrounded by a fence. After walking another 100 meters or so, there was a fork in the road to the right. The road was different; it was paved with small stones, quite flat, and showed signs of cars passing by. I guessed the mansion was inside.

After walking 50 meters, I finally saw a gray house nestled among the trees, close at hand. The trees weren't very green in April; the branches were sprouting small leaves, but they didn't obscure the house. Except for the roof, everything was gray, two stories high, with pale green glazed tiles on top. It was surrounded by a black railing, and as I approached, the door was a typical black manor gate. There were words on it, but not in Chinese; instead, it was the elegant, streamlined English "Monalisa Residence." Such a mansion, with English lettering, made it difficult for outsiders to tell who lived there, but there was no doorman, suggesting they weren't prominent figures.

It looked the same as in the photos, but the photos were artistic, while what we saw was the real thing. It was less of a mansion and more of an ordinary old house; the exterior walls were all gray brick, quite old, like some of the older buildings on university campuses. I don't know why most artists like this color; perhaps they don't want to be ostentatious. We knocked on the door, and after a while, an old man ran out from a side room, waving, and opened the door with a smile.

If it weren't for the smile on his face, I would have been startled. The old man wasn't tall, his face was full of wrinkles, a typical triangular shape, with a pointed chin. That face was quite frightening; I think I saw it in some movie, probably "The Lord of the Rings."

"Sir, is this your house?" Big Pig asked.

"Ah ah—", the old man made a sound with his mouth open, opening the door with one hand and waving his other hand towards the main room. It turned out that he was mute.

We understood and went inside; the door to the main room was half open.

Before we even got close, the door opened and a man stepped out. He was in his forties, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, with shoulder-length hair that just covered his ears—definitely an artist. I felt like I'd seen him somewhere before, yes, in movies and TV—Jackie Chan, haha, though his face shape was quite different from Jackie Chan's.

"Hello, welcome. Are you Miss Lin Lin?" he asked tentatively, his expression calm.

She'd seen my photo, so of course it was me. "It's me, this is my boyfriend, Zhu Qingyuan. We've come to look at apartments today," I said, repeating a pointless statement.

"Welcome, welcome! Come on, let me show you around." We followed him, and then I looked at the homeowner: he was not tall, less than 1.7 meters, of average build, and nothing special.

The homeowner was in front, and I was in the middle. Just as I stepped through the door, a flash of light streaked across my eyes. My sixth sense told me that something was watching me, and I couldn't help but stop.

"Ouch!" "Ouch!" Big Pig and I shouted at the same time...

7. Mona Lisa Mansion (Part 3)

I bumped into the big pig. He's nearsighted, and we were too close. I stopped too suddenly, and his nose hit my head.

"What's wrong with you?" Big Pig put on his glasses with one hand and rubbed his nose with the other, it seemed he had hurt himself.

"I saw an eye watching me from behind, and I stopped because I was puzzled."

"Where's anyone?" Big Pig put on his glasses and looked back. There was no one else there; the old man had already gone into the side room. "I'm the only one behind here?" Big Pig looked puzzled.

"I didn't mean behind, I meant above." Big Pig and I looked up behind us. We hadn't noticed before, but there was a camera up there. Then we turned around and saw a mirror on the top of the door. I guess the reflection from the mirror went into the camera and then into my eyes and brain, which is why I had that illusion.

"What's wrong?" The landlord asked, puzzled. He turned around and saw us rubbing our noses and heads, wondering how we had bumped into each other.

"Oh, it's nothing, he's nearsighted and bumped into me." I brushed it off and followed the homeowner into the house.

The hall was large, but completely different inside, with sophisticated and grand decorations. The floor was black marble, the walls were textured plasterboard, and the columns and door frames were gray marble, creating a cool color scheme that suited the homeowner's artistic style. More importantly, three walls were covered with paintings. Although they were all paintings, upon closer inspection, there were only two: Leonardo da Vinci's *Mona Lisa* and Van Gogh's *Sunflowers*, differing only in size, color, and framing—and they were reproduced numerous times.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Yang Kai, you can just call me Teacher Yang. I'm an artist, as you can see, I mainly paint these pictures now," the homeowner said, seeing that we were all staring at the paintings on the wall.

"Teacher Yang, you are amazing! You've become one with the masters' paintings." Zhu Qingyuan didn't forget to say something nice.

"No, these paintings were painted by my wife and me ourselves. They're just imitations, not machine copies," Yang Kai corrected. Perhaps he thought the big pig thought he bought them to hang as decoration. The artist's meticulousness and seriousness were evident in this.

"Wow, Teacher Yang is truly an expert! I'll take a closer look and see how it differs from the master's work." I sounded very excited, mainly because I was delighted to see these paintings so lifelike, and also to praise Yang Kai—I know how to flatter young girls like that. Actually, to say I could distinguish the differences was completely fabricated; I had no such ability whatsoever. After saying that, I quickly walked to a painting of the Mona Lisa, stopped to examine it, and racked my brains for a long time, unable to think of anything to say, so I just stared at it for a while.

"Hey, looks like you quite like it. That means we're quite destined to meet. Feel free to look around." Yang Kai was somewhat pleased. He had spoken calmly when correcting the big pig earlier, his expression unreadable.

Zhu Qingyuan followed me to my side, looking at a painting called "Sunflowers." I examined the paintings closely and saw that the canvas was indeed heavily painted with oil paint, uneven and textured. Yang Kai's signature could usually be faintly seen in the lower right or left corner—it seemed he was indeed the painter. Looking at the signature on "Sunflowers," it wasn't Yang Kai, but Chen something. The cursive script at the back was unrecognizable; that was probably his wife, but she didn't seem to be home, so we didn't press her for details.

"Teacher Yang, these paintings are so lifelike, we can't tell the difference. Please don't laugh at us." I had to say something after seeing them, so I blurted out the words.

“Oh, no, no, everyone has their own expertise. As long as you appreciate it and find it beautiful, that’s fine…” He paused, then continued, “Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea first, or go look at the house and then sit down to talk?”

8. Mona Lisa Mansion (Part 4)

"Let's look at the apartment!" We headed straight for our target; an artist's time is precious, and we needed to be efficient. We looked around the living room; it was relatively empty. Near the large glass window by the main entrance was a large table covered with painting tools, paints, and paper—that was their workbench. In the center were several black sofas and a glass coffee table, and apart from that, there were few other decorations—very simple.

“The room is on the second floor,” Yang Kai said, and we followed him up through the side door to the right of the main entrance. It was a wooden staircase, making a creaking sound with each step, but it was very sturdy. After a couple of turns, we reached the second floor. The stairwell had solid mahogany floors; though called mahogany, it was actually a dark red, giving it a cool feel. There was an iron railing in front, and the side room to the left was only one story high, with a lovely terrace on its roof. Strangely, the railing wasn't completely in place; only the inner sides of the main room and the side room were railed, the outer sides weren't.

“The house faces north and south. I live in the room on the west side, and the empty one is on the east side.” Yang Kai went to open the door, which was actually to the left of the stairwell. After opening the door and stepping over a carpet on the terrace, we went inside.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!" I almost shouted.

The room was indeed just like the photos I'd seen before: a large, carved solid wood double bed with a pink peony and green leaf pattern on the Simmons mattress; all the furniture was off-white, including a desk, wardrobe, dressing table, bedside table, and two unique rattan chairs. The floor was the same as the hallway's, and the curtains were beige with delicate floral decorations. I especially loved the wardrobe and dressing table; such conditions are rare in many rented rooms.

"Teacher Yang, there's a restroom here, right?" I asked, suppressing my excitement as I continued walking inside.

"Yes, it's behind that glass door. Go in and take a look." There was a frosted glass door on the north side. I pushed it open and went in. Inside were white patterned tiles, the pattern being a blue mermaid in a bathtub—it certainly sparked my imagination. It was fantastic! A private bathroom with a shower; I could take a hot shower anytime to relax. Now I understood why this private villa was called a mansion. Although the exterior looked old and ordinary, the living conditions inside were still comfortable and impressive.

I saw a look of joy on Big Pig's face. We could finally enjoy mansion-level treatment here! It would be so nice to have a room like this after we got married. We can forget about the whole villa! I didn't offer my opinion. Zhu Qingyuan wouldn't say anything, even though he felt the same way I did. He would wait for me to make a decision, which was one way he respected me.

"So, how are the conditions?" Yang Kaixian asked.

"Hmm, not bad, we're quite satisfied." I directly spoke for Big Pig. I walked to the window and gently pulled back half of the curtain to look at the view outside. The first thing I noticed was the gray color of the curtain's outer edge, probably a deliberate design choice to match the rest of the building. The window was a floor-to-ceiling glass window, likely modified, offering a fantastic view of the terrace in front, the trees sprouting leaves, and half of the botanical garden to the left. In summer, this window would surely be filled with lush greenery, a truly pleasing sight.

We went out onto the terrace. It had a concrete roof, and only the side facing the courtyard had a railing; the other two sides were bare—that was the only drawback. I have a slight fear of heights, and even from very low places, I don't dare look directly down. I walked east to take a look. Below was a large open space, already dug into rows; the soil was freshly turned, probably intended to be a vegetable garden—a brilliant idea. Beyond that was the mansion's black fence, outside which grew wild trees and bushes. We moved to the south side of the terrace. I approached and glanced down, and suddenly my vision blurred, and I involuntarily leaned towards the large pig…

9. A thunderbolt from the blue

Zhu Qingyuan had been following me closely. When he saw me leaning towards him, he quickly caught me. He supported me with one hand and took two steps back.

"What's wrong with her?" Yang Kai was a little nervous when he saw me like this, not understanding what was going on.

"Oh, it's nothing. She has a fear of heights, but she's very strong-willed. She'll be fine in a couple of minutes," Zhu Qingyuan explained for me. But this time, I felt it wasn't the fear of heights that was causing it. I had a vivid image of a round, deep, trap-like cliff below, and someone shouting at me to jump. It felt like I was losing control and about to jump, and my vision blurred, and I subconsciously leaned towards Zhu Qingyuan. However, I didn't explain. Explaining wouldn't make it clear, because I do have a fear of heights; that's a fact. But something below was drawing me in. I had to see it for myself when we got down there…

"Miss Lin, are you alright?" Yang Kai turned to me and asked with concern.

"Oh, thank you. It's nothing. I'm just feeling a little unwell and a bit dizzy. Let's go downstairs."

When we got to the lobby on the first floor, Yang Kai asked us to sit for a while while he went to pour us some tea. I thanked him and said we would go for a two or three-minute look around the courtyard first, and then come back when the tea was ready. Yang Kai told us to make ourselves at home.

Zhu Qingyuan and I went straight to the terrace below where my vision had been blurred, to see what was down there that made me so "afraid of heights".

We arrived at the south side of the side building and quickly saw that there was a cement stone road leading to an open space to the east. Next to it was a gray stone circle, about one meter square, with more than ten centimeters protruding from the ground. It was covered by two thick semi-circular cement slabs, with a gap in the middle.

"A deserted well, look at this gray stone ring, it's practically an antique." Big Pig always spoke to me with a touch of humor, but I didn't laugh. It turned out, it was this deserted well that was attracting my attention; no wonder it was making me so dizzy. In a fit of temper, I stomped on the thick, round cover a few times, but it didn't budge. Still not satisfied, I kicked it again.

"Ouch!" I cried out softly, then shut my mouth and mumbled the "ouch." I picked up one foot and spun around on the ground. Zhu Qingyuan held me down. "How could you be so careless?" he scolded. "Just flick your foot a couple of times and it won't hurt anymore."

Thankfully, the main house couldn't see us. I used my heels to touch the ground, grabbed Big Pig's arm, and headed towards the open space to the east. The back of the house was blocked off, so we returned to the main hall. Yang Kai had just finished brewing tea. A fragrant aroma wafted over, and I noticed soft music playing in the background. It wasn't loud; it was a guzheng piece, but I couldn't identify the exact tune. It had a slightly intoxicating quality.

"So, are you satisfied with the tour? Would you like to stay overnight?"

"I'm very satisfied!" I stammered a little while listening to music. "Is this really only 500 yuan per month? Does it not include other fees?"

"Hehe, I'm glad you're satisfied. Yes, that's right, 500 yuan all-inclusive, cheap, right! We have conditions, which I wrote down before, namely, a minimum rental of six months. I mainly admire Lin Lin's temperament, especially your eyes, which will bring me a lot of inspiration for my paintings. My condition is that you be my model for one hour on Saturday. It's very simple, you just need to sit, and I will mainly paint your face. Let me be frank, I am an artist, I am here to paint, and I have no ill intentions or purposes, so I need to dispel your doubts! This house is mine, and the Xiushan Public Security Bureau is nearby. If I do anything wrong, you can call the police at any time."

That's exactly what we were worried about, but artists are generally very cultured people. Judging from his assurances, he genuinely wanted us to stay here and even asked me to be a volunteer model occasionally—it wouldn't cost me anything. Besides, the house is so nice and quite affordable, why not? So I said, "Oh, sir, we trust you! It seems we're truly destined for each other; we've decided to rent it. But…?"

"Speak your mind directly, I won't stand on ceremony."

"I'd like to ask if you're going to sign a contract? I think it would be a safeguard for both of us, and secondly, my boyfriend is here with me, so let's discuss it first."

"Hmm, I thought it was something else. The signature is already prepared for you. It's only right that you two discuss it. I'll excuse myself for a moment." I didn't mean for him to leave; we could resolve it in a few words, we have a good understanding. Usually, I'm the one who makes the decisions, but I still want to give Big Pig some face, after all, he's paying. But Yang Kai had already gotten up and walked towards the side door of the stairs.

Zhu Qingyuan had no objection, but he said, "We came to look at apartments today, what if we don't have enough money? I need to set the rental dates."

Yang Kai returned, wiping his hands with a tissue. "Have you figured it out?"

"We've reached an agreement, and we'd like to sign the contract first. When would be a good time for you to move into this house?"

"Anytime is fine."

"Okay, we'll move in next week. We need to pay you a deposit to sign the contract today, right?"

"No problem, once you sign, I won't have to worry about it so much. No need for a deposit, I trust you. I wouldn't rent to you if we weren't meant to be, right?"

After signing the contract, we drank some tea. It was so fragrant and refreshing. Being a rich person must be great, and living with rich people must be great too. I couldn't contain my joy.

We chatted for a while, and then I remembered something: "Teacher Yang, I forgot to tell you, you can call me Zi'er from now on, I like that name. My boyfriend's name is Zhu Qingyuan, from Qingyuan, Jiangxi, and I'm from Ji'an, Jiangxi."

"Oh, Qingyuan Mountain is very famous! A sacred site of Zen Buddhism! Then I'll call you Xiao Zhu... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's better to call you Zhu Qingyuan."