Hiromi Collection

Chapter 8

No one answered. A faint, sweet fragrance of night-blooming jasmine wafted from inside the door. An untimely scent—night-blooming jasmine, blooming under the bright moon of the Double Seventh Festival, its white petals unfurling gracefully in the moonlight of the fifteenth of January.

"Little Sparrow... Little Sparrow is coming in..." Little Sparrow timidly stepped over the threshold, and the door creaked shut behind her. Little Sparrow clutched her chest and carefully made her way through the courtyard, which was only illuminated by moonlight. The cobblestone path was lined with densely planted white jasmine, and the flowers, emitting a faint fragrance, looked like the white snow of the capital city in winter under the bright full moon, exuding a cool and elegant aura.

"Excuse me... is anyone home?" Little Sparrow gently knocked on the door where the light was on.

No one answered, just like at the main gate. Had the owner of the courtyard gone out to celebrate the Lantern Festival? Little Sparrow withdrew her hand, turned to leave in disappointment, but the door creaked open.

He was a kind young man, dressed in a snow-white cloth shirt as white as moonlight, with an incredibly clear, coral-like eye on his handsome face.

Xiao Que was stunned. Was it a man? He was even more handsome than the young lady! Was she dreaming? Thinking this, she reached out to touch his unrealistically beautiful face. Her fingers trembled as she moved forward amidst the scent of moonlight incense. Slowly, her fingertips touched a warm, smooth surface. It was real, a real person! Realizing this, Xiao Que's hand recoiled as if burned, her face turning as red as a ripe shrimp. She had actually taken liberties with the young man before her! Thinking this, she felt so embarrassed she was about to cry. The tears she had just stopped welled up in her eyes again. Xiao Que bit her lower lip desperately, trying to hold back the few "shameful" tears.

The young man burst into a hearty laugh, like a summer evening breeze. It was hard to believe that such a delicate face could produce such a laugh.

"What's your name?" The man bent down to look at Xiao Que. The girl was much taller than the thirteen-year-old girl, so he could only see the top of her head with two cute little buns, which she dared not look up. But now, her little face, which was about to cry, was clearly in his eyes.

A pleasant fragrance... Little Sparrow smelled the faint fragrance emanating from the young man, and her mood relaxed without her realizing it.

"My name is... Little Sparrow." The last two words were slurred and unclear. What a silly and ill-mannered name! Just by hearing a name like Little Sparrow, you can tell she's not from a good family. Little Sparrow's face began to turn ugly again.

"Little Sparrow?" The young man seemed to savor the name between his lips, uttering the two words repeatedly. "It's a very nice name. My name is Yanxiang, Yan as in swallow and Xiang as in fragrance. It sounds like a woman's name!" He then burst into unrestrained laughter, like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

"Brother Yan... Brother Yanxiang, have you seen my young lady?" Perhaps influenced by the young man's cheerfulness, Xiao Que became much bolder. "I got separated from my young lady. She's about this tall and wearing a very beautiful pink silk dress..." Xiao Que tried her best to describe her young lady's appearance, then looked at the man in front of her with expectant eyes.

"I've seen her, of course I've seen her!" the man said, curling his lip. "She's an ugly freak!" He then waved his hand in disgust.

"How...how could you say that about my young lady!" Xiao Que's face immediately turned red. Even someone as good-tempered as her would be furious to hear an outsider belittle her admired young lady. "My young lady is the most beautiful, everyone says so, you are...you are the ugly one!"

Saying these words against her will, Xiao Que turned her head away, refusing to look at those beautiful eyes that seemed capable of sucking one's soul in.

"Hey, let me show you something." The young man tapped the little girl's head, which was trembling with anger, without taking offense.

"No!" This was the first time Xiao Que had dared to speak so loudly in front of a stranger, especially a strange man. She was a little nervous, but what could she do? He was such an ungrateful jerk! What an annoying guy!

"I don't care, I'm going to show you!" The young man actually started acting like a brat, pulling out a small, warm object from who-knows-where and shoving it into the little girl's hand.

"Ouch..." Little Sparrow cried out in surprise. That thing was alive.

"Hey, don't throw my baby around like that!" The young man named Yanxiang caught the thing that the little girl had carelessly thrown away, as if he was having a headache. He opened his palm and saw a small bird with gray feathers and a tender yellow beak. Its cute, big, dark eyes looked around nimbly, showing no signs of being frightened.

"So cute!" Little Sparrow looked at the little bird in the young man's palm and even forgot her anger.

"Isn't it cute? I'll leave this little sparrow in your care for now. You'd better take good care of it, because I'll want it back someday." The young man said, handing the bird to the sparrow without further ado, then rolled up his sleeves and went inside.

“Oh, right,” he suddenly turned to the little sparrow, who was still basking in the joy of receiving the tiny bird, and said, “this sparrow is also called Little Sparrow. Also, if your young lady goes out the door and turns left, she can see it under an elm tree.” With that, he waved and disappeared into the fragrant moonlight.

What a strange person! Little Sparrow thought happily as she looked at the little bird in her hand. Its tender yellow beak opened and closed, looking extremely cute.

Huh? It's Miss? And there's another man... Zhang's eldest brother. Overjoyed, Xiao Que forgot all about etiquette, lifted her skirt, and was about to run forward. What... Miss and Brother Zhang...

The young girl hid in the shadows of a street corner far from the elm tree, watching the couple kiss intimately under the colorful lights illuminating the trees. As she watched, her face flushed, but her heart sank to the bottom. Why did she feel so sad? The young girl didn't understand that the piercing pain in her heart was the withering of the seed of love, nor did she know that the sudden hatred she felt for the young lady was caused by jealousy.

That perfect couple, the man refined and handsome, the woman beautiful and noble, seemed like a match made in heaven to everyone, a perfect pair to be envied. But in Xiao Que's heart, there was a corner that hoped they would separate, and she hated the two of them kissing so passionately.

Zhang Sheng left. Only after watching that slender figure disappear into the distance did Xiao Que dare to emerge from the darkness: "This servant greets Miss."

Miss He Hongsu squinted at the young maid for a long while before finally uttering, "You didn't see anything just now, did you?" Her tone was indifferent, and although it was a question, she used a statement of certainty.

"Little Sparrow didn't see anything, Little Sparrow doesn't know anything," the little girl said timidly, her head bowed.

"That's good. If I find out you're gossiping, watch out for your lackeys." He Hongsu said emotionlessly, casually tossing down a pale white handkerchief before turning and walking away without looking back. "Go back now."

From afar came He Hongsu's cold voice: "Tch, what kind of status do you have that you dare to come looking for me? The Zhang family is no longer the wealthy family that was once famous throughout Jiangnan. Sending such shabby things..."

Xiao Que picked up the handkerchief from the ground with trembling hands. It wasn't made of fine fabric, but the embroidery was exquisite. The tiny characters written on it, though she didn't recognize them, must have been beautiful words of love. Three days later, Xiao Que finally learned that the poem written on the handkerchief was called "Jianjia" (Reed Catkins). That spring morning, the young lady had Zhang Sheng's betrothal gifts thrown outside the door. Zhang Sheng refused to leave, so the servants chased him out with thick sticks, beating his thin body again and again. Xiao Que's heart ached as she watched Zhang Sheng fall into the mud after the spring rain, his clothes torn and his arms bleeding. She saw him still gazing lovingly at the young lady's boudoir with his clear eyes, and heard him recite, word by word, "The reed catkins are green, the white dew is frost, the one I long for is on the other side of the water." It was as if each additional line he recited lessened his pain, until he fainted and was thrown out of the He mansion.

The image of the young lady in Xiao Que's heart has collapsed! Was that beautiful, intelligent, and kind young lady just a dream all along?

"Do you hate her, that wicked woman?" someone asked in Little Sparrow's ear.

The little sparrow looked up but couldn't find its owner speaking.

"Give me to her." Only then did the little sparrow realize that it was the "little sparrow" perched on the perch speaking. A talking bird!

The little sparrow, given to the young lady, quickly gained her favor, and even the maid's little sparrow received better treatment than before. Day by day, the little sparrow's feathers began to slowly turn from gray to white, and gradually, golden fledgling feathers appeared along the white edges.

"Golden like a phoenix!" Every time the guests saw Little Sparrow, they would exclaim in amazement. At this time, Master He and Miss would show a proud look, while Little Sparrow would stand to the side with her head down, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

A month ago, I heard that Zhang Sheng had finally died...

"Oh, he's dead..." When the young lady heard this, she nonchalantly put the phoenix hairpin that the prefect's son had given her into her hair. The round and large pearls were set on the hairpin with gold wire inlay, swaying back and forth. Little Sparrow seemed to see Zhang Sheng's white teeth when he smiled.

Hatred, in the end, slowly grew!

Yanxiang's little sparrow has grown up and it's finally time for it to return to its nest.

The gray feathers have all fallen off, and the little sparrow is now covered in shimmering golden plumage. Its two long tail feathers pulsate with a fiery golden-red hue, transforming into golden eyes, and its beak remains a tender yellow.

"A phoenix, it really is a phoenix!" Master He was overjoyed.

He Hongsu reached out to hug the little sparrow. The docile little sparrow, the obedient little sparrow, the little sparrow that had once nestled so obediently in the arms of the He family's young lady, had unexpectedly pecked out its owner's eyes and soared into the sky. Its golden-red tail feathers, which were jumping around, looked like flames burning!

Legend has it that the He family mansion caught fire that day, burning for three days and three nights. Although only a few servants were injured or killed, the family never recovered. People said that the He family had offended the gods.

"Little Sparrow, what are you thinking about?" A "beauty" dressed in a smart suit walked in, casually sprawled out on the sofa in the store, and turned on the TV to watch an entertainment program.

"Young master, there are a few accounts to keep today..." The well-behaved girl came up with the account book.

"Alright, alright, I already told you that you should make the decisions regarding the business. I'm finding it troublesome!"

Birds perched on the overhanging branches, occasionally fluttering their wings and soaring through the spacious hall.

As people get older, they tend to become nostalgic! The girl gazed at the blue sky outside, her eyes distant and unfocused.

Chapter Nine Snow Woman

This is the first time a customer who is a yokai has appeared in an article in "Bomei Collection". I didn't intend to write it like this when I was first drafting it. I didn't expect that as I wrote, it turned into a kind of casual notes. It feels like it is much less dramatic than before. The plot is not very strong. However, friends who like to read leisurely articles may like this one. Anyway, I hope you like it.

****

Name: Yan Shang Gender: Female Age: Appearance: Thirteen or fourteen years old

Occupation: Supermarket owner; Address: No. 77, Bomeiji West Street

"Spare...spare me..." The man stared wide-eyed in terror, then collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and trembling uncontrollably.

Are you too afraid to look? Those eyes as black as midnight, that slender figure like a willow branch, and that long, glossy black cascade of hair that swirled and danced in the wind and snow like hellfire.

Her exquisite lips curved upwards—was she smiling, or was she weeping through a smile?

The snow woman's hand pierced through the man's chest, pulling out a vibrant, pulsating red object—a beautiful red that even made lips pale in comparison. The snow woman opened her mouth, and that red, along with life itself, vanished within...

The wind and snow grew stronger, swirling, cold, hexagonal ice crystals filled the sky with a mournful cry; it was a white world, the realm of white death…

"Waaah, this story is so scary!" The cute girl with her ponytail cried out in fear, rubbing her arms back and forth as if she were really cold.

Her slender, pale fingers closed the book, then she pressed the air conditioner switch. With a beep, the machine responsible for creating a cool room began to enjoy a rare moment of leisure in the sweltering summer heat, but this was met with a chorus of complaints from those around her.

"Are you kidding me? Turning off the air conditioning in the middle of summer, A-Jing, stop going crazy with Xiao-Xiao! I'm really enjoying this story~" This time, it was a girl with short hair, thick eyebrows, and big eyes who spoke, looking quite heroic. "Keep going! I still think A-Jing's story is the best!"

"Yeah, yeah, I want to hear it too!" The girl hugging the pillow looked a little timid. Although she was terrified, she was still very interested. Women really are creatures born with a stubborn obsession with horror stories!

"That's all for today. Please come back tomorrow." The girl named A-Jing slowly stood up and announced this final decision, which had drawn countless protests.

"Hmm, I want to hear more, that 'Ghost Woman's Revenge' story..."

"It's 'The Snow Woman's Revenge'...wait, is it a revenge story or a tragic one...?" The girl with thick eyebrows and big eyes tilted her head, unable to remember the name of the storybook.

"It's just a story of a heartless man and a tragic woman, so cliché~" The only boy who hadn't spoken until now curled his lip in disdain and said contemptuously, "You girls just love that kind of stuff the most, so superficial!"

"You're so shallow, yet you listened so carefully?" The unanimous accusation made the boy blush and mumble incoherently, unable to speak.

The voices finally faded into the distance. Ah Jing removed the straw ribbon that held her long, flowing hair and walked to the window. In the distance, the enormous summer sunset painted the sky with an eerie, orange-red glow. She pushed open the window and leaped from the twenty-ninth-floor window…

"This is Bomei Market, the world's largest market, a market that sells the unbelievable. Welcome to visit us again. Have a safe trip!" The teenage girl rattled off a string of words like a machine gun, quickly wrapping up the goods and handing them to the customer. Ignoring the customer's skeptical expression, she flashed her signature smile, clapped her hands, and tossed the customer out the door.

"Mom, business is pretty good today too~" A cute girl with flaxen curly hair and a round face looked up at the gentle woman beside her and said. The woman's loving hands stroked the girl's hairline, and a doting smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh, it's Jing!"

Noticing the white figure that suddenly appeared at the door, the little girl cheered and jumped up, pushing herself up onto the half-person-high counter with both hands, her little legs in light yellow sandals dangling in front of the snow woman.

"What brings you to visit me today?"

Ah Jing nodded slightly to the woman behind the counter. The woman returned the greeting and gracefully retreated to the back room. Soon after, the fragrance of lotus seeds and lilies wafted out from the back room.

"I just suddenly felt like taking a look." Ah Jing stroked the items on the shelves. They were strange, dazzling, and unbelievable. No matter how you looked at them, they were not the kind of goods that you could find in a normal supermarket, yet they were displayed and sold here in a grand manner.

"Are you still pretending to be a high school student?" Yan Shang wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth. His mother's mung bean, lotus seed, and lily bulb soup was absolutely delicious!

"Mmm." A-Jing nodded, greedily inhaling the scent of the Pomeranian settlement, a scent different from that of towns inhabited by humans, a scent often referred to as alien. Ten years ago, she came here and never knew she would one day become a part of this place. Even though she still loved living among humans, the air here was like an indispensable drug for an addict, something she could no longer live without.

"You're thinking about your tragic past again!" Yan Shang said unhappily. "I almost got another Snow Woman collectible, but who would have thought you'd get away with it!" She said, putting her hands on her hips in a very unwilling manner, looking very angry.

Upon hearing this, A-Jing chuckled softly. Her delicate brows relaxed, as enchanting as a warm spring breeze. If Yan Shang hadn't intentionally helped her ten years ago, how could A-Jing be who she is today?

A snow woman born from millennia-old ice crystals fell in love with a human man, willing to sacrifice everything for him. However, the man ultimately betrayed her. Fearing beings of other species, the man, in an attempt to escape the snow woman, set a trap to frame his former lover.

A-Jing has told this story to many people. When she tells it in her gentle, slightly cool voice, unique to the Snow Woman, it seems that everyone is completely immersed in her story.

The story ends with the heartbroken Yuki-onna finally hardening her heart and killing her once and only lover, and devouring the bright red heart that was said to be a testament to their love.

Whenever listeners hear this part, they either sigh at the inescapable net of justice and the swiftness of retribution; or they are astonished by the Snow Woman's cold-blooded ruthlessness and cruelty; however, for them, this is ultimately just a story.

The stories of quick revenge and vengeance are indeed just that—stories.

Ten years ago, the betrayed snow woman was none other than A-Jing herself. However, that man did not receive the punishment he deserved as the story's ending suggests. In fact, the snow woman, who was nearly destroyed after falling into the trap, ultimately couldn't bring herself to kill the unfaithful man. Instead, to save him from his near-death experience, she exhausted all her life force, using her snow essence to save his life. If it weren't for the heart Yan Shang had lent her, the snow woman would have turned into a lifeless cluster of ice crystals, no longer existing between heaven and earth.

"In the end, you are still my savior!" Ah Jing said with a smile.

No matter how tragic the treatment she received, in A-Jing's eyes at the time, he was still the man she deeply loved, so she couldn't bring herself to hurt him. This kind of feeling, which seemed unworthy to others, became the Snow Woman's precious and only love.

The so-called "obsession" is something that, whether human or demon, is very difficult to escape once one falls into it.

"I heard that man has cancer and is dying, right?" Yan Shang said, still pouting. Unlike A Jing, she was the type to express her likes and dislikes very clearly. From beginning to end, she never hid her dislike for that man.

"I have indeed heard that he doesn't have much time left to live."

"You're not stupid enough to go and save him again, are you? Please don't!" Yan Shang grabbed A Jing's hands nervously and shook them vigorously. "I also love listening to your stories, so you absolutely, positively, absolutely cannot do anything foolish again!"

"..."

"Ah Jing, Xiao Shang, come and have some frozen lotus seed soup." A gentle woman lifted the curtain and stepped out from the back room, carrying a mahogany tray with several bowls of fragrant lotus seed and lily soup.

"Absolutely, absolutely do not do anything foolish~" Yan Shang solemnly instructed, but finally could not resist the temptation of the food and jumped off the counter before hearing Xue Nu's reply, rushing towards the "target".

A-Jing looked at the "mother and daughter" pair and couldn't help but smile.

Ten years may be a short time for a snow woman, but for "human" A-Jing, it is enough time to be reborn and transform like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, isn't it?