Exorcismo

Capítulo 4

Her face was pale and delicate, her beautiful eyes staring straight ahead. If it weren't for this place and this moment, she would have been an absolutely captivating woman. I asked softly, trembling, "Who are you?" But she didn't react at all, passing by me expressionlessly, as if I didn't exist. The instant she brushed past me, I suddenly remembered—I had seen her face before—that morning in the attic, I had found many old photographs, almost every one of which featured her face. Her name was Ruoyun. I was stunned, staring blankly as she slowly descended the stairs, soft light enveloping her like a waterfall, while the wall behind her remained in darkness. How could this be? In the distant year of 1948, she lived in this very building. More than fifty years later, tonight, she reappeared in the corridor of the third-floor apartment in this desolate village, still so young, so captivating, unchanged from the photographs of that time. What had I seen? She descended the stairs, the light still shining on her, while all around remained darkness. She was like a star on a stage, bathed in a white spotlight, while everyone else watched her from the darkness.

Section 33: Another Nightmare?

Unable to bear it any longer, I turned on the light. The moment the light shone into my eyes, she vanished instantly. I looked around in panic, but there was nothing unusual. I ran down the spiral staircase, but found no one there either. Where did she go? Reaching the second-floor hallway, I saw Xiaoqian's bedroom door was tightly shut. I decided I shouldn't disturb her peaceful sleep. I calmed myself down and went back to my room on the third floor. I stood at the door for a long time, staring at the dim yellow light from the lamp on the wall, completely different from the strange light I'd seen before. So where did the light shining on Ruoyun come from? I couldn't figure it out, so I turned off the light and lay back down on the straw mat. I pinched my thigh, almost crying out in pain. Now I was certain—it wasn't a dream. I had truly seen Ruoyun—the woman who lived here more than fifty years ago. But how could I have seen her? Even if the beautiful Ruoyun of that time were still alive today, she would be an eighty-year-old woman. Without a doubt, what I just witnessed was Ruoyun from over fifty years ago, and even the clothes she wore were from that era. Could I have seen a ghost? Thinking this, I felt another chill run down my spine. I quickly closed my eyes and silently prayed, "Night, please let me fall asleep."

Perhaps because of last night's "strange encounter," I didn't wake up until 10 a.m. I groggily opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Xiaoqian's eyes; she was the one who woke me. I reflexively jumped up from the mat, staring at her for a while before finally coming to my senses. Then I gave an awkward laugh and said, "I must look pretty silly right now, right?" Xiaoqian smiled slightly and said, "No, you look quite funny when you sleep." How embarrassing! She must have been standing next to me, watching me sleep for a long time. Too embarrassed to say anything more, I lowered my head and ran out. I hurried downstairs to the bathroom and washed up as quickly as possible.

When I returned to my room on the second floor, I found that Xiaoqian had already prepared breakfast for me: flatbread, fried dough sticks, and soy milk. She said casually, "I bought this this morning. I don't know if you like it?" "Of course I like it!" I immediately grabbed a fried dough stick and said, "When I was little, I often ate this for breakfast, but I rarely eat it now. I really miss the taste of fried dough sticks." In just a few minutes, I finished the breakfast. Ignoring the oil on my hands, I wiped my mouth and said, "Xiaoqian, I really didn't expect you to buy me breakfast. Thank you so much." "Have you been eating microwaved fast food every day these past few days?" I scratched my head and replied, "Well, it's only for a few days anyway." "Eating that kind of thing every day isn't good for your health. You should eat more rice." "Okay, I understand." At that moment, I suddenly thought of the woman from over fifty years ago that I had seen in the middle of the night last night. But how should I tell Xiaoqian? Would she believe me? If she did, wouldn't she be terrified by this house? After hesitating for a moment, I still didn't say anything. "What are you thinking about?" "Nothing, nothing at all." I could only stammer, "I was thinking, actually... actually, you're quite understanding." Xiaoqian suddenly smiled and said, "Did you used to think I was just here to bother your bored readers?" "No, you're Nie Xiaoqian from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." "That's right." She nodded naturally and said, "Okay, I'm going out now. Be careful here by yourself." "Going out? You're going to work at the ice cream shop, right?" She looked into my eyes noncommittally, then said softly, "Goodbye, I'll be back tonight." However, I still followed her out and watched her leave the house.

Back in my room on the second floor, I didn't dare look at her things. The thought of her sleeping in this room last night sent a chill down my spine. For some reason, I remembered everything Xiaoqian had said perfectly. I didn't eat any microwaved food at noon; instead, I ate lunch at a restaurant. In the afternoon, I didn't linger outside and hurried back to the deserted village apartment. Just as I reached my room on the second floor, I suddenly heard a knocking sound from downstairs. The door on the ground floor was being pounded on loudly, as if the whole building was about to collapse. I quickly clutched my pounding heart and stuck my head out of the window. I saw a young man standing downstairs, banging on the front door. Suddenly, the man looked up, and I recognized his face—Ye Xiao. I was startled and immediately called out to him. Ye Xiao saw me too. He said from downstairs, "Open the door for me quickly." "The front door is blocked. You have to come in through the back door." After saying that, I immediately rushed out of the room and ran downstairs to open the door for him. Sure enough, I saw Ye Xiao at the back door. He was clearly uneasy about the old house, cautiously entering the corridor with a policeman's posture, as if someone might attack him at any moment. I led him to the ground floor and pointed to the spacious hall, saying, "Ye Xiao, let me show you around. Look, this is where the Ouyang family used to dance." Ye Xiao coldly glanced around and replied expressionlessly, "The yin energy here is too heavy." "Why do you all say that? I think it's probably because the house is too damp." "Wait a minute, what's that on your finger?" He noticed the jade ring on my left hand. My heart skipped a beat, and I slowly raised my left hand, saying, "This is it? I saw it at a roadside stall a few days ago, thought it was pretty fun, and bought it for ten yuan." But Ye Xiao still stared at the jade ring for a moment, then coldly said, "This thing really doesn't suit your finger." "Hehe." I grinned foolishly at Ye Xiao, then led him around the ground floor.

We went up the spiral staircase and arrived at the room on the second floor. Ye Xiao glanced at the folding bed and microwave, and said softly, "Actually, I came here to see you because I was worried about you. How could I not worry about you living alone in this awful place?" "Do you still treat me like a child? I can take care of myself." Suddenly, Ye Xiao noticed a pair of girls' slippers under the bed. His face immediately hardened, and he pointed at the slippers, asking, "What's going on here?" My heart sank—oh no, I should have expected this. How could the clues Xiaoqian left in this room escape the eyes of a police officer? I answered somewhat awkwardly, "Ye Xiao, well… well…" "Who is this girl?" Ye Xiao asked directly.

No, I couldn't mention Xiaoqian. I could only whisper, "Please don't ask anymore, this is my private matter." "I won't interfere in your private affairs. But I remind you, this is a deserted village apartment, not a place where you can do whatever you want." Oh no, he actually thought I was here—no, I quickly explained, "Ye Xiao, you misunderstood. I didn't do anything here." He raised his eyebrows and smiled, saying, "Forget it, I won't ask anymore." Suddenly, I remembered someone whose fate was still unknown: "Right, Su Tian..." "Is there any news about Su Tianping?" "No, the school is still searching everywhere for him, but he's vanished into thin air. We can't find him anywhere." "Maybe he's already a corpse—no, I shouldn't say that, it seems too cruel." "Don't think about Su Tianping anymore." Ye Xiao walked to the window, looking at the sky outside, and said, "Actually, there's another reason I came to see you today." I suddenly tensed up again: "What reason?" "Last time on the phone, didn't you ask me to help you investigate?" "Do you know the details of the abandoned village apartment in the past?" "Yes, did you find it?" Ye Xiao nodded and said, "That's right. I've checked a lot of historical archives these past few days, mainly housing registration information for this area before 1949. Last night, I finally found the registration information for this house—No. 13 Anxi Road—with the Shanghai Municipal Council in the concession." "When was it built?" "1930—at that time, Anxi Road was a well-known upscale residential area in the Shanghai concession, with many three-story villas built on both sides of the road. This house was built by a..." Built by a French real estate developer, it wasn't originally called the Abandoned Village Apartments, but rather 'Caroline Villa'. "Caroline Villa? That's a beautiful name." "Yes, it was originally inhabited by a French expatriate family. After the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Japanese controlled the Shanghai concessions, and this French family was restricted in their freedom and placed under house arrest in this house. For some unknown reason, the entire family committed suicide, hanging themselves in a room on the second floor." "What?" I looked up at the ceiling. Did that French family really hang themselves in this room? Ye Xiao also looked at the room with a melancholy gaze and said, "That's what it says in the file. After the victory of the War of Resistance, the concessions ceased to exist, and the property rights of this house were bought by a Chinese family."

The records show that the family's surname was Ouyang, and they were merchants from a certain place in Zhejiang. "Of course, it's the Ouyang family from Huangcun. They made a lot of money from smuggling back then, and they must have been doing a lot of business in Shanghai, so they bought this property here." "Yes, after the Ouyang family bought this Caroline Villa, they renamed it 'Huangcun Apartment' and registered it with the relevant departments at the time. According to the copy of the Huangcun Apartment's land deed, the Ouyang family lived here for more than three years. In early 1949, the Ouyang family sold the house to a wealthy businessman. However, before the businessman could move into Huangcun Apartment, he died suddenly from an illness." I asked anxiously, "After that, the house was left vacant, right?" "Later, I checked some archives after the liberation and learned that in the 1960s, nearby residents had moved in. At that time, most of the small villas in the Anxi Road area were unowned, and many were forcibly occupied by nearby residents. But this house was the only one where some strange things happened." Ye Xiao suddenly gasped, frowning as he said, "The records from back then weren't complete. It's said a murder happened in this house, but they couldn't figure out what happened. In the 1980s, all the residents moved out, and no one dared to live here again." Suddenly, I remembered my strange encounter last night and muttered to myself, "Maybe there's a haunted story about this abandoned apartment building, scaring everyone in the neighborhood, so it's been left empty." "What did you say? Haunted?" I quickly lowered my head and said, "Nothing, just a guess." "Don't let your imagination run wild." Ye Xiao paced back and forth, finally looking out the window, "Maybe it's because the air in this house is too damp, and there's so much ivy growing there. I've heard that kind of plant isn't good for people." "It's okay, I think I've gotten used to it these past few days." "So what are you going to do next?" "I don't know, maybe I'll stay here a few more days until it's demolished." Ye Xiao shook his head in disappointment: "I know I can't change your decision, but you have to take good care of yourself. I'm leaving now." After saying that, he patted my shoulder and quickly walked out of the room.

I escorted him all the way to the back door on the ground floor. Ye Xiao waved to me and said, "Call me if anything happens, I'll come help you anytime." After watching Ye Xiao leave, I went back to my room upstairs. I spent the entire afternoon idly, my mind filled with the things Ye Xiao had told me—like how, when the Abandoned Village Apartment was still called Caroline Villa, the entire French family living there hanged themselves on the second floor. Thinking about that, I could picture the swaying ropes. And in the 1960s and 70s, many people moved into this house, yet some bizarre murders occurred. Why? Was it really a "haunted house"? And I was the last person to move into this "haunted house," perhaps along with Xiaoqian. Before I knew it, night had fallen. I went out for dinner and didn't return to the Abandoned Village Apartment until after 8 PM. The entire house was shrouded in darkness. After living in this house day and night for several days, I could find my way upstairs even with my eyes closed. I deliberately didn't turn on the lights and groped my way through the pitch-black house, quickly climbing the spiral staircase. Just as I reached the doorway on the second floor, I suddenly heard amplified music, crashing against my eardrums like waves. The sound was coming from downstairs, the rhythm vibrating the floor beneath my feet, as if a concert was taking place downstairs.

Where did that sound come from? My heart leaped into my throat, and I slowly descended the spiral staircase. Finally, I saw them—the dance had begun. No, I couldn't believe my eyes, but I truly saw it—in the lobby of the deserted apartment building, the lights suddenly blazed on, and a dozen couples, appearing and disappearing in the dim light, were dancing gracefully in the spacious ballroom. Most of the men wore various colored suits, a few wore long gowns, and the women mostly wore elegant cheongsams or fashionable dresses. The music accompanying them came from a gramophone on the wall, and I could even make out the lyrics: "The prime of youth, the spirit of the moon, the intelligence of ice and snow, a beautiful life, a loving couple…" I recognized it; it was the song "The Prime of Youth" from over sixty years ago, even the original singer's voice, carrying the unique tone of that era. I rubbed my eyes hard, but it was as if a yellowed veil was over my vision, with white specks of light flickering in and out, like watching a roll of old film, with a few moldy spots, slowly projected onto a screen through a projector. Suddenly, a face swept across the ballroom. I saw her again—"Ruoyun?" I called softly. This woman who had lived here more than fifty years ago was once again before me. She was in the most eye-catching spot in the center of the ballroom, embracing a young man, dancing lightly together. Yes, I had seen that man in old photographs. He was the young owner of the abandoned village apartment, the heir of the Ouyang family—Ruoyun's husband.

They were the center and focus of the ball, all the dancers revolving around them. The young couple were radiant, dancing song after song, the brightest spotlight seemingly always shining on them. Suddenly, footsteps shattered everything, the beautiful music abruptly stopped, the dazzling lights immediately dimmed, the hall became empty, all the guests vanished like evaporated air, a dissipated phantom—the ball was over. My eyes hadn't even had time to adjust to it all before the hall returned to its stillness, with only a dim, yellowish light on. Under the light switch by the wall, Xiaoqian stood, her face full of confusion. "Xiaoqian, did you see that just now?" She looked tired and shook her head. "See what? I just came in through the back door and saw the hall was pitch black, so I turned on the light." I shook my head in surprise and asked, "You didn't see anything? Then did you hear anything?" "What are you talking about? It was pitch black here, as silent as a tomb. I couldn't see or hear anything. When I turned on the light, I saw you standing here, frozen in place, like you were sleepwalking." "Sleepwalking? Another nightmare? No—"

At that moment, I knew perfectly well that what I had just witnessed was not a dream; it was something I had actually seen and heard with my own eyes and ears. I was certain that I had seen a dance party in the deserted village apartment more than fifty years ago, and that the queen of the party was Ruoyun, who had married into the Ouyang family. Xiaoqian walked up to me, waved her hand in front of my eyes, and said, "Where are you looking? It looks like you've seen a ghost." "No, that's not a ghost. It's like watching an old movie; we didn't see ghosts, just images of the actors." I walked to the center of the hall, where Ruoyun had danced, and said loudly, "Everything that appears in this hall is like the images on a movie screen, do you understand?" "Then what about the projector? The film and the copy?" Suddenly, Xiaoqian grabbed my hand. "I don't understand everything you're saying, but I know you need to rest. This house frightens you, causing you to hallucinate. Listen to me, as long as you rest, you'll be fine." The way she spoke just now was like a mother's; I could only manage a wry smile. Then, I walked over to the gramophone, which I had found in the pile of clutter in the hallway. I examined it closely; the machine was an antique, probably long broken. How could it possibly play music anymore? Finally, I shook my head helplessly and followed Xiaoqian upstairs.

Section 34: This is yet another mystery.

In the room on the second floor, Xiaoqian poured me a glass of water. She softly asked, "Have you been too nervous these past few days?" "Maybe," I replied, my hands trembling as I picked up the glass. Her hair had fallen onto my face, the soft strands emitting a faint, alluring fragrance that made my heart flutter. I couldn't help but look up, staring intently into her eyes, as if gazing at some mysterious jade artifact. Realizing she was too close, she stepped back and said, "You know what? You look like a child right now." "So you'll take care of me?" This bold question made Xiaoqian a little embarrassed. She smiled noncommittally and said, "You're tired, get some rest." I nodded and said to her at the door, "Goodnight." Perhaps stimulated by the magical "dance" just now, I truly felt exhausted. After a quick shower in the bathroom, I went up to the third floor to sleep. Entering my room on the third floor, I was greeted by the scent of ivy again. But I didn't even turn on the light; I just collapsed onto the straw mat and fell asleep. That night, I truly sank into the darkness of the deserted village apartment.

When I woke up in the morning, the sunlight was already streaming onto my forehead. I groggily got up, tidied my messy hair, and went downstairs to look for Xiaoqian. But she wasn't in her room. I called out to her loudly in the hallway, but there was no response. Turning around, I found a note on the cabinet. It said she had gone to work and that there was breakfast prepared for me in the microwave. I opened the microwave, and it was the same breakfast as yesterday. After eating breakfast, I sat in my room and read for a while when my phone suddenly rang. To my surprise, it was Sun Zichu calling. He said he was at my door, coming to return the jade items, but found I wasn't home.

I could only tell him that I was staying out for the next few days, and that my address was No. 13 Anxi Road. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door downstairs. Sure enough, it was Sun Zichu standing at the front door, carrying the suitcase I had given him. I quickly ran outside and brought him up. Sun Zichu cautiously looked around the house, clicking his tongue repeatedly, "You really know how to pick a place. This kind of house must be a perfect environment for writing horror novels." I really wasn't in the mood for jokes, so I led him to my room on the second floor. Fortunately, I had already made preparations; everything related to Xiaoqian was hidden in the closet. He glanced around the room again and said enviously, "I wish I could live in a place like this to write my thesis someday." Then, Sun Zichu opened the box, still wrapped in crumpled newspaper and with added foam, and carefully took out the five jade artifacts, saying, "Take a close look, and tell me if you have any questions." These five jade artifacts from the underground of the deserted village were now neatly presented before me. I picked them up and examined them carefully; there were no signs of dents or damage. I nodded: "No problem, thank you. So, what were the appraisal results?" "As I said, I would invite the best jade appraisal experts, and their appraisal result for these five jade artifacts is—first-class genuine." Instantly, my heart skipped a beat: "Are they really Liangzhu jade artifacts?" "That's right, they are indeed Liangzhu jade artifacts from five thousand years ago. Whether it's the material, shape, decoration, or carving technique, they all conform to the characteristics of Liangzhu jade artifacts unearthed underground."

"These have all been authenticated by authoritative experts, so you can rest assured." "Could you explain in more detail?" "Yes. From a mineralogical perspective, jade can be divided into two categories: jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is what is commonly known as jade, mainly produced in Myanmar; while nephrite is a hydrous calcium magnesium silicate with a chain-like structure. It is a special mineral in the amphibole group of rock-forming minerals, mainly composed of tremolite and actinolite." Sun Zichu spoke fluently, using a string of professional terms; it seemed he had learned quite a bit from jade experts. Not wanting to waste time, I asked directly, "So what kind of jade did the Liangzhu civilization use?" "The Liangzhu civilization is the source of Chinese jade civilization. Traditional Chinese jade artifacts mainly use nephrite, with Xinjiang's Hetian jade, and the Central Plains' Nanyang jade and Lantian jade being the most famous. The sheer number and exquisite craftsmanship of the jade artifacts unearthed from the Liangzhu civilization are unparalleled in the world, attracting the attention of scholars from all over the world. Some have even proposed the concept of a 'Jade Age.'" "I only know about the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, where did this Jade Age come from?" "China's mysterious ancient civilization, after the end of the Stone Age and before the beginning of the Bronze Age, also had a 'Jade Age.' People of that era believed jade possessed mystical power, and whoever controlled jade controlled civilization. As for the Liangzhu civilization, given the astonishing amount of jade it used, it must have had abundant underground jade mines to supply it." "Jade mines?" I suddenly thought of underground treasures. That's where the problem lies.

Archaeological excavations within the Liangzhu culture area have never uncovered any ancient jade mine sites. Some believe the jade was transported from Liaoning or Xinjiang, but given the extremely limited transportation in ancient times, the possibility of transporting large quantities of jade over such a long distance is virtually zero. "But jade doesn't just fall from the sky." "Exactly, so I believe there must be some forgotten ancient jade mine within the Liangzhu culture area, or in the nearby mountains. Ancient civilizations may mysteriously disappear, but underground treasures should endure forever." I nodded repeatedly: "The eternal mystery of the Liangzhu civilization—is it the underground treasure?" "No, the Liangzhu civilization has left us with far too many mysteries; the mystery of the jade treasure is just one of many." "You mean: the Liangzhu civilization itself is a mystery?" "The rise of the Liangzhu civilization is quite mysterious. When it first emerged, the surrounding areas were not highly developed. The recently popular Sanxingdui civilization was more than a thousand years later than the Liangzhu civilization." Five thousand years ago, the Liangzhu civilization achieved a level of advancement in the East comparable to that of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. "There must be some special reason for this."

Sun Zichu nodded: "Yes, a peculiar pattern often appears on unearthed Liangzhu jade cong, known as the 'divine emblem.' The upper part is carved with an inverted trapezoidal human face, its eyes wide open, teeth protruding, wearing a crown adorned with feathers, and its hands grasping at the animal head below. Similar feathered crown patterns exist in the ancient Mayan and Inca civilizations. Like the Liangzhu civilization, they left behind a large number of strangely styled jade artifacts and relics, rising and falling rapidly." "You believe the Liangzhu civilization is related to the Mayan civilization?" "This is just my personal opinion." "So, to what extent did the Liangzhu civilization reach?" "A civilization with palaces, royal tombs, and pyramids..." "Ming, to what extent did it reach? The Mojiaoshan site in Yuhang is enough to amaze anyone. It was the political, economic, and religious center of the Liangzhu civilization, with a grand 'palace square' and building foundations covering more than 10,000 square meters, earning it the nickname 'the Forbidden City of five thousand years ago.' There are also numerous high-ranking tombs, with exquisite jade artifacts in the giant coffins. Egypt preserves more than a hundred pyramids, while the Liangzhu civilization also has more than a hundred high platforms that archaeologists call 'earth pyramids.'" I took a deep breath: "Since it reached such a glorious height, why did it suddenly decline later?" "That remains a mystery," Sun Zichu sighed meaningfully. "The most common explanation is natural disaster: over four thousand years ago, rising global sea levels submerged much of the Jiangnan region, wiping out the Liangzhu civilization. However, another theory suggests that the Liangzhu civilization was obsessed with jade, devoting considerable time and energy to its mining and production. Jade is a luxury item in any era, and the Liangzhu civilization thus fell into an unhealthy trend of extreme extravagance." "Extravagance leading to the downfall of a nation?" "That's right, but neither the 'flood' theory nor the 'extravagance' theory has conclusive evidence. Perhaps the Liangzhu civilization, like the ancient Maya, truly appeared and disappeared without a trace."

Two hours passed in this way, and Sun Zichu, like a Discovery Channel host, talked incessantly about the mysterious Liangzhu ancient kingdom. Listening to his long-winded explanation, I suddenly had a strange feeling—what exactly was the connection between this mysterious local civilization from five thousand years ago and the abandoned village? I really couldn't figure it out. The abandoned village was located on the coast of eastern Zhejiang, not in the Taihu Lake basin, the center of the Liangzhu civilization, and the Liangzhu civilization was so far removed from today. Could the jade artifacts found in the abandoned village be relics unearthed elsewhere? I could only shake my head; my mind was a complete mess. Seeing those five jade artifacts, I felt a pang in my heart. Sun Zichu helped me put the jade artifacts away, instructing me to be very careful and to keep them in a safe place, as these were all national treasures. "But, no one will come to this kind of godforsaken place anyway, I'm only staying for a few days." At noon, I accompanied Sun Zichu out for lunch; naturally, it was my treat. I didn't say much at the restaurant. There were some things I didn't dare tell him because, given his personality and professional habits, he would definitely ask me anything.

Rather than have another person entangled in this matter, I'd rather bear it alone. Sun Zichu drank a lot, while I didn't touch a drop. He was already drunk and rambling incoherently during the meal. In the end, I helped him out of the restaurant, put him in a taxi, and sent him home. After returning to the deserted village apartment, I immediately went to my room on the second floor and carried the box containing the jade to the last room in the third-floor corridor. There was a ladder there, leading to the attic above the ceiling. I carefully climbed the ladder and placed the box in a corner of the attic. That should be safe, right? After nightfall, I ate a quick dinner and dared not turn off the lights again—based on my experience from the previous two days, in complete darkness, my eyes would see those strange sights: Ruoyun, the woman from over fifty years ago, and the people who once lived in this house. However, as soon as the lights were turned on, they would suddenly disappear from my sight. I walked around the deserted village apartment, turning on all the lights in every room as long as the bulbs weren't broken. Although the light emitted by these old light bulbs is as dim as candlelight, I think if you look at the deserted apartment from the outside, you will have a strange feeling - almost every window has a few rays of dim light shining through, and the whole building seems to have returned to the 1930s, just like the title of a love movie - "Somewhere in Time".

However, if those demolition workers outside suddenly saw so many lights on in this old, vacant house, they'd probably be scared half to death, right? Perhaps people would think all the ghosts from decades ago had come out for a ghost party unique to this deserted apartment building. Too bad, it's not Halloween today. Thinking about this, I suddenly laughed, which surprised me; how could I laugh in this situation? At ten o'clock that night, Xiaoqian finally returned, her dark hair glistening with moisture, indicating she had already showered. A woman's eyes are always sharp; she immediately noticed something on my face: "What happened today?" "Nothing! I lay on the third floor all day." But she opened the cabinet and looked inside, saying, "Why did you hide all my things in here? Did someone come to this room today?" Oh dear, she found out again. I gave an embarrassed laugh and could only honestly tell her that Sun Zichu had been here. I also briefly introduced her to the mysterious Liangzhu civilization from five thousand years ago. After listening to everything I had said, Xiaoqian coldly said, "You mean those mysterious jade artifacts connected the Liangzhu civilization with the deserted village?" "Yes, perhaps this is the secret entrance to the deserted village?" Xiaoqian's sharp gaze was fixed on my left hand: "Then what's on your finger? Is it also a mysterious jade artifact from five thousand years ago?" My heart skipped a beat again as I looked at the jade ring on my hand. It was like a parasite "growing" on my finger, seemingly having become one with me. I covered the jade ring on my right hand and said sadly, "What's wrong with me? I've been dragged into this like a fool, watching four people suffer accidents one after another without being able to help, and now this cursed thing is on my hand, and all I see are ghostly faces—what's wrong with me?" "It's not your fault." Xiaoqian suddenly moved closer to me, her tone becoming unusually gentle, "Don't worry, I'm here with you, you'll be alright." Finally, I couldn't hold back anymore and vented all the troubles of the past few days: "You're here with me? Who do you think you are? Nie Xiaoqian from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, or the Liangzhu witch from five thousand years ago?"

She listened quietly as I finished speaking, her expression calm and composed, saying nothing, just looking into my eyes. Only then did I realize my lapse in composure, and I lowered my head apologetically, saying, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper with you. You know I never get angry, but this situation makes me feel so hopeless." Xiaoqian continued to stare into my eyes, saying softly, "It's okay." "Really okay? Did I scare you?" "No, you could never scare me." Suddenly, she reached out and touched my face, smiling, "Get some rest. You won't be afraid when you're asleep." I nodded, but turned back at the door, saying, "But I still have nightmares!" Xiaoqian still smiled slightly and said, "Goodnight." After taking a shower in the bathroom, I went back to my room on the third floor. All the lights were on tonight. I'm not used to sleeping in a lit room, but I could only grit my teeth, close my eyes, and sleep on the floor. The dim light kept irritating my eyelids, and I tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep… I don’t know how many hours passed, but suddenly a sound stimulated my eardrums, slowly waking me from the darkness. My heart immediately raced; the sound carried a peculiar melody, urging me to open my eyes. The lights were still on on the third floor, so the sound seemed to be coming from the ground floor. I stumbled out of the room and finally recognized it as the sound of a piano. How could there be piano music in a deserted apartment? I listened intently for a moment, and the melody seemed somewhat familiar—yes, it was Liszt’s piano piece “Until Forever,” a piece of music I’ve always loved.

Following the melody composed by the Hungarian, I tiptoed down the spiral staircase. The lobby on the ground floor was pitch black—strange, I remembered the lights should be on. But the melodious piano music, like an alluring maiden, drew me in, instantly banishing my fear. At that moment, in this desolate village apartment in the darkness, Liszt's piano music echoed, and I felt transported to the 19th century, to the dark forests of Hungary, listening to the piano music and singing of a maiden in a castle—I cannot describe it in words. The exquisite tone of the piano, combined with Liszt's melody, was like a pair of natural lovers, whispering sweet nothings in this desolate night, tenderly embracing each other, just like the title of the piece—"Until Forever." The piano music flowed gently through the old house, enticing me to discover a ray of light. It was from the room next to the lobby, the source of the music. That was the room where the Ouyang family took their family photo. Against the wall stood an expensive old piano, but its interior was long broken and it couldn't possibly produce a sound. I silently walked to the doorway, and a strange, soft light illuminated my eyes. I saw it—in this spacious room, the newly restored piano's lid was open, and ten beautiful, jade-like fingers were dancing across the keys. Sound waves flowed from her fingers, echoing throughout the entire deserted village apartment building. My gaze followed those soft, white fingers, gradually moving to her arms and neck. A mysterious, ethereal light, like flowing water, splashed onto her skin, creating tiny droplets that entered my pupils.

Yes, it was her again—Ruoyun. I looked at this beautiful woman from over fifty years ago, as if in a dream. She wore a long white dress, the hem covering her feet, her black hair cascading over her shoulders. She was completely absorbed in the piano, her eyes almost half-closed, each finger producing a note as it touched the keys. She was so engrossed, seemingly experiencing the soul of the piece—eternal sorrowful love. Just as I was about to lose myself, the piano music suddenly stopped. Ruoyun's hands froze in mid-air, her fingers trembling slightly. Then, she slowly turned her head, her gaze fixed on something behind her—and only then did I realize that someone else was standing in the room, a handsome young man dressed in black, standing straight by the window, the light illuminating his face, making it appear deathly pale. He was Ruoyun's husband, the heir of the Ouyang family.

The room was deathly silent. The light flickered across the man's face as he slowly walked to Ruoyun's side and placed his hand on her shoulder… My heart leaped into my throat; I didn't know what to do. Only then did I feel a dull ache in my fingers. The pain had been lingering for a long time. I trembled as I looked at my left hand. The soft light shone on the jade ring, making the crimson stains seem even more vivid. "No!" I screamed in utter terror. Instantly, the white light vanished, plunging the room back into darkness. I couldn't see anything. I frantically groped for the light switch on the wall, but couldn't find it for a long time. Suddenly, a hand touched my shoulder. I turned around, trembling, and smelled a faint, sweet fragrance. A few strands of hair brushed against my face. The lights came on, and a familiar face appeared before me—it was Xiaoqian.

She stood before me, eyes wide, only centimeters away; I could even feel her breath on my face. We stared at each other blankly for a dozen seconds. Then, Xiaoqian took a few steps back, her cheeks flushed, and said, "What are you doing here?" "I was about to ask you the same thing," Xiaoqian said, wearing a thin nightgown and hugging her shoulders. "I just had a dream." "A nightmare?" I quickly shook my head. "Nightmare" had become the most frequently used word in this story. "It wasn't a nightmare." She walked nervously to the piano and said, "I dreamt of the sound of a piano. The piece was so beautiful, it sounded like—" "Liszt's 'Until Forever'." Xiaoqian lowered her head and said, "This piano piece in my dream gave me a strange feeling. So I went out of the room, and when I got to the stairwell, I suddenly heard you shout. I immediately went over, but saw a dark figure standing in the doorway." "And then you turned on the light?" As I spoke, I also walked to the piano. Looking at the still dilapidated piano, I couldn't imagine that it could still produce such beautiful sounds. I opened the lid and pressed a few keys, but still no sound came out. So, how did the piano sound I just heard come from? Was it also the sound of a piano from more than fifty years ago? But how did this piano sound end up in Xiaoqian's dream? Xiaoqian nudged me and said, "What are you daydreaming about?" I smiled bitterly, "I was thinking about what I just heard and everything I just saw."

Section 35: My heart clenched again.

"What did you hear? What did you see? Okay, I believe you now." Looking into her alluring eyes, I couldn't help but nod and truthfully told Xiaoqian about everything that had happened. But after listening, she still asked with some doubt, "Did you really see someone from over fifty years ago?" "Yes, I saw Ruoyun." I softly uttered the name, looking up at the ceiling as if speaking to a ghost, and then said in a literary tone, "I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, it's definitely not a dream." I looked around the room, shook my head, and said, "It's the middle of the night, let's not stand here, let's go upstairs." Xiaoqian seemed to believe me and quickly ran out of the room. Back on the second floor, I felt exhausted and whispered to Xiaoqian, "Get a good night's sleep." Then I went up to the third floor and lay down on the straw mat. Only then did I realize that the pain in my finger had subsided, and the jade ring no longer caused any unusual sensation. Staring at the red stain, I suddenly realized something—could it be because of this jade ring? No, I quickly closed my eyes. Outside the window, the long night stretched on…

A cool breeze blew in from the third-floor window in the early morning, finally fading the scent of the ivy. I lay on the cool straw mat, slightly opening my eyes. A white shadow flickered above my head, with black hair cascading down from the white top. I knew it was her. I gradually made out that Xiaoqian was wearing a white nightgown, her black hair falling to her chest, looking down at me. Her gaze was so strange, like an electric current running through my body, making me feel uneasy. I looked out the window; the sunlight hadn't yet entered the room, it was probably only a little past six in the morning. I groggily got up and said, "Why did you come up here? It's still early." Xiaoqian's face was pale, with beads of sweat on her forehead and a few strands of hair clinging to her face, making her look pitiful. She answered softly, "I just had a nightmare." "Another nightmare!" Her voice startled me. I had never heard her voice like that before. Thinking back to what happened in the middle of the night, I shook my head and asked, "You dreamed about the sound of a piano?" "No, I dreamed about that couple." "That couple? You mean Ruoyun and her husband?"

"Yes. I finally know now—" But she suddenly stopped and turned her head to the side. I asked anxiously, "Know what?" Xiaoqian still had her back to me, her voice trembling, "That man is Dianqi's son." "Dianqi's son?" Instantly, the backyard of the Jinshi Mansion flashed before my eyes, the lonely old well by the plum tree, where Dianqi's body and soul were buried in the dark depths. I walked to the window, took a few deep breaths, and nodded, saying, "That's right. If Dianqi's story is true, then the son she bore for the Ouyang family should have grown up by 1948, reaching the age of marriage and children. The timeline matches perfectly, and Master Ouyang only had one son, so naturally he must be Dianqi's son." Xiaoqian walked to my side, leaning against the vine-covered wall, but didn't say a word. I stared into her eyes and pressed, "How did you know? Did someone talk to you in your dream?" "No, don't ask anymore." She lowered her head, unwilling to answer my questions. "Okay, I won't ask anymore." I sighed softly and walked out of the room. Xiaoqian followed closely behind me: "Where are you going?" "To brush my teeth and wash my face. You woke me up so early this morning, how can I go back to sleep?"

After washing up downstairs, Xiaoqian dragged me into her room on the second floor. It turned out she had brought back a lot of pastries the night before, and was sharing them with me for breakfast. After the sumptuous breakfast, her mood improved considerably, and she finally smiled a little. She pulled me to sit down and said, "You know, when you left the room just now, I was really scared." "Scared of what?" Xiaoqian hesitated for a moment, then finally said softly, "I was afraid you would suddenly leave and abandon me here alone." "What are you thinking?" "No, please promise me you won't leave me alone in this house, because I have nowhere else to go now, okay?" "Nowhere else to go? That sounds like a wanted criminal." I stared blankly into her eyes, those eyes that seemed straight out of a ghost story, as if they held a deep longing. Some dampness made my heart clench again. "What's wrong with you today? I've never seen you like this before!" But she persisted, asking, "Promise me, please promise me." "Okay, I promise you, I won't leave you here alone. Unless..." Seeing me hesitate, she became nervous again: "Unless what?" "Unless—this house no longer exists." But Xiaoqian shook her head and said coldly, "No, unless I'm dead." "Don't say that..." I couldn't continue, and could only look at her silently. She remained silent, as if she were speaking to me with her eyes.

After a tense silence of several seconds, I finally spoke: "Xiaoqian, let's talk about something else." "Okay, what is it?" "Why do you insist on living here? Is it because of me?" Finally, I mustered my courage and blurted out what had been bottled up inside for so long. Xiaoqian's ears turned slightly red, and she turned her face away, whispering, "What are you talking about? I don't understand." "Why do you always follow me? Wherever I go, you go too; whatever I do, you help me do too. You're like my shadow—" I stopped abruptly, somewhat embarrassed.

Section 36: Either a god or a monster

"You hate me?" "No, that's not what I meant at all. Although at first I felt you were bothering me, that feeling completely changed after I first saw you. These past few days, subconsciously, I've been hoping you'd suddenly appear before me, just like now, so close..." Finally, Xiaoqian smiled slightly, something gleaming in her eyes that made my heart race again. She said softly, "But I'm Nie Xiaoqian, aren't you afraid?" "No, I think Nie Xiaoqian is very cute, extremely cute." I don't know where the courage came from, but I said loudly, "I'd rather be Ning Caichen, I think he's the happiest man in the world." She curled her lips slightly: "Then Nie Xiaoqian is the happiest woman in the world." At this moment, I didn't know what to say anymore, I just stared blankly at her, at those alluring eyes from the Liaozhai. I gently reached out and touched her hair, the soft strands reflecting the morning light like a mountain spring. My hand swam through the flowing water, so cool and clear. I couldn't help but take a deep breath and say, "Thank you, Xiaoqian. I finally understand the happiness of the male protagonists in those Liaozhai stories."

She remained silent, her eyelids lowered, and a faint fragrance permeated my senses. Unexpectedly, she suddenly stood up, head bowed, and said, "I almost forgot, I need to go to the ice cream shop early today." Instantly, I snapped back to reality, silently leaving the room. In the lobby downstairs, I raised my left hand, looking at the jade ring on my ring finger, unable to describe the feeling in my heart. A moment later, Xiaoqian came downstairs after changing her clothes, specifically telling me not to go out in the afternoon before leaving. After Xiaoqian left, I paced alone in the lobby, unconsciously wandering into the room next door—the sunlight was already shining on the old piano. I gently opened the lid and reached out to touch the black and white keys. These were the keys Ruoyun had played more than fifty years ago; her fingers had once lightly tapped them, and the piano resonated with Liszt's melodies, gently floating throughout the deserted apartment.

But now I can't see her. I shook my head and quickly left the room. All day, following Xiaoqian's instructions, I sat in the room reading, even eating lunch there. Like the farmer waiting for his rabbit to run into the tree stump, I hid in this old house, waiting for some secret or miracle to happen. Unexpectedly, Xiaoqian returned early today. As the setting sun shone through the window, she carried a large bag into the room, filled with fast food she had bought from the supermarket, and several kilograms of rice. Xiaoqian washed the rice herself, cooked a pot of rice in the rice cooker, and then heated up the fast food in the microwave.

Since entering this house, I hadn't had a proper dinner. Eating the food Xiaoqian cooked for me, my mood was naturally different; even the rice tasted special. Although it wasn't stir-fried in oil, in this godforsaken apartment in a deserted village, I was already quite content to eat so much. Before long, I had eaten two bowls of rice, and almost all the vegetables were gone. However, Xiaoqian barely touched her chopsticks. Although most girls nowadays are particular about dieting to maintain their figure, Xiaoqian's figure was already very good; she didn't need to torture herself like this. I tentatively voiced my question, but she smiled slightly and said, "Haven't you read Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio? Nie Xiaoqian was originally untouched by worldly affairs." "Untouched by worldly affairs? That's either a god or a monster." She replied casually, "Then just think of me as a female monster." "Yes, Nie Xiaoqian wasn't human." I replied somewhat jokingly.

However, the aura she exuded did possess an ethereal, otherworldly quality that would make anyone who looked at her fantasize. Suddenly, a deep, rumbling sound came from the sky, startling Xiaoqian so much that she curled up into a ball, and my heart nearly leaped out of my throat. I immediately ran to the window and looked out. The dark sky seemed to be filled with countless rolling dark clouds, and thunder was rumbling tens of thousands of feet above. In the blink of an eye, a heavy rain began to fall. A damp, cold wind filled the room, and all I could hear was the sound of the rain. The vines by the window were quickly soaked by the raindrops. I looked back at Xiaoqian; she seemed terrified of the thunder and lightning, almost closing her eyes. I quickly closed the window and sat down beside her, asking, "You're trembling all over, what's wrong?" "I've been afraid of thunder and lightning since I was little." "In the stories of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, only beautiful fox spirits are afraid of thunder and lightning." For some reason, I suddenly thought of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but I immediately comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you, you won't get hurt." Just as I was staring into her eyes, watching her emotions gradually calm down, the lights suddenly went out, plunging the entire room into darkness. In the pitch-black room, I couldn't see Xiaoqian's face, only feel her trembling body. She was muttering something, but I couldn't understand a single word. The room felt like a tomb, with only the thunder and rain continuing to rage outside. I rushed out of the room, but the lights in the hallway wouldn't turn on, and the entire abandoned apartment was shrouded in darkness. I immediately returned to Xiaoqian's side. She grabbed my hand and asked, "What happened?" "All the lights are off; there's probably a power outage." "How could there be a power outage?" "The abandoned apartment building is going to be demolished in a few days. The demolition team must have cut off our power." I shook my head helplessly. "They probably don't know we live here. But even if they did, it wouldn't matter; we're not residents anyway." With that, I opened the cabinet in the dark and rummaged through my bag for a while before finally finding a few white candles. I finally managed to light them, and the dim candlelight flickered, faintly illuminating Xiaoqian's and my faces. Under the constantly flickering white candlelight, Xiaoqian's face looked even paler. She looked out the window, still shaken, as raindrops pounded against the windowpane, making a sound like the tide at the beach. I gazed at the room in the candlelight, listening to the wind and rain outside, and suddenly felt as if I had returned to an abandoned village.

"Yes, in that small building of the old Jinshi Mansion, I also spent several terrifying nights under the kerosene lamp." Suddenly, Xiaoqian whimpered, "Looking at this candlelight, it feels like I've returned to ancient times." "Yes, I suppose the ancients also lit candles with their left hands and spent the nights with beautiful women in their right," I couldn't help but tease. Seeing that she didn't react much, I continued, "In *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*, there are often scholars traveling at night who take shelter from the rain in deserted villages and ancient temples, where they encounter beautiful women. They light candles and compose poems and music with them, enjoying each other's company, never imagining that the woman is actually a ghost or a fox spirit." "But whether human or ghost, their meeting is fate, isn't it?" "Yes, fate." I nodded; what she just said did make sense. Looking at the candlelight before me and listening to the rain outside the window, I couldn't help but recite a line of poetry: "When shall we trim the candle by the west window together, and talk of the night rain in Bashan?" "You also like Li Shangyin's poems?"

Section 37: We are in darkness

"I really like them, especially the 'Untitled' poems." She nodded slightly. "Me too." We both fell silent, neither wanting to break the atmosphere. So we sat quietly together, watching the candlelight illuminate our faces, listening to the rain tapping on the cold windowpanes… Ten minutes passed, and the flickering candlelight suddenly danced a few times, instantly reminding me of something, and my heart raced again. So I boldly said, "Xiaoqian, do you believe it? If we extinguish all the candles, in the pitch-black night, those scenes from over fifty years ago will appear before my eyes." "How is that possible? Like last time in the hall? But I couldn't see them." I slowly extended my left hand and said, "Perhaps it's because of this—" "The jade ring?" "Yes, I only felt it last night. When I see Ruoyun from over fifty years ago, this jade ring tightens, hurting my finger. But as soon as the scene disappears, the pain stops."

Xiaoqian grasped my finger, examining the jade ring closely. "I understand now," she said, "why your eyes could see those illusions while I couldn't see anything. It's because only you are wearing this jade ring." "Perhaps this is the magic of the jade ring," she continued. "Anyone who wears it can see things others cannot." Suddenly, Xiaoqian softly exclaimed, "The jade ring made your vision travel through time?" "So," I replied, "I didn't see ghosts. I only saw the past—time flowed backwards for over fifty years, allowing me to see the people who lived in this house back then." "It's like watching an old movie for you?" At that moment, another rumble of thunder sounded outside the window, making the candlelight even more eerie. I looked into her eyes and said, "That's right. At that moment, I felt like the scene before me was a silent film from the 1920s. What I saw wasn't a real room, but just a screen. The light, which seemed to come from nowhere, was the light and shadow projected by a movie theater projector." "Perhaps there's another possibility—when you were wearing the jade ring, facing the dark room, time was distorted in that specific space, reflecting into your eyes now."

"Time distortion?" I said, touching the jade ring on my hand. "That's possible. Perhaps this is the mysterious element contained within the jade ring." "Then, if I touch this jade ring, will I also see scenes from the past?" Her question made me tremble slightly. I involuntarily reached my hand out in front of her, hesitatingly saying, "I don't know, maybe I can try." Xiaoqian immediately grabbed my left hand, tightly gripping my ring finger in her palm. The feeling was truly peculiar; the jade ring held my finger tightly, while Xiaoqian's hand held the jade ring tightly, my ring finger trapped inside. "The jade ring is so cold," Xiaoqian said softly, continuing to squeeze my finger tighter. "Now, I can feel its resistance; it's pressed firmly against my palm, as if it's alive. Does your finger hurt?" "No, not yet." "Then let's put out the candles and try to see what happened more than fifty years ago in this dark room." I was stunned; I hadn't expected her to become so bold again. "You really want to try?" "Yes, I also want to see those scenes from more than fifty years ago with my own eyes." "Alright then, but it might not work. Even if I see it, you might not be able to."

She gripped the jade ring tighter and said, "Hurry up, I trust my judgment." After a moment's hesitation, I blew on the white candle, and the flame flickered violently and went out. At that moment, the entire deserted village apartment slept in darkness, with only the sound of torrential rain outside the window. In the pitch-black room, we huddled together, my fingers aching from her grip, and I could only suppress a sound. I could feel her body trembling slightly. Although we couldn't see anything, we stared into the darkness ahead, like hunters waiting for their prey deep in the jungle. No, I felt the jade ring tighten, and a dull pain immediately spread from my fingertips throughout my body. Suddenly, a dim light swept across the dark corridor. Xiaoqian gripped me even tighter; I could even feel her heartbeat. We stared at the soft light outside the door, like a slightly shimmering, overexposed photograph. A few seconds later, a slender figure appeared in the doorway. The light illuminated the person's face, and I almost cried out—Ruoyun. Yes, it was her. The soft light seemed like a spotlight on a stage, following her into the room, but only illuminating a small area around her, while Xiaoqian and I were still in darkness.

I turned to look at Xiaoqian, and she nodded. Yes, Xiaoqian had seen Ruoyun too. The light flickered slightly, like a scene change in a movie, and Ruoyun's expression changed. Her eyes were filled with fear, and tears seemed to be welling up. Xiaoqian gripped my hand even tighter, almost breaking my fingers. In the blink of an eye, the eerie light flickered again, and the scene was "edited" to another shot—Ruoyun now held a gleaming dagger in her hand, her expression unusually calm, the dagger pointed directly at me…

At this critical moment, the "lens" suddenly blurred, as if a filter had been applied. Suddenly, a blood-red mass appeared in the "lens," slowly spreading... Xiaoqian screamed, and I quickly reached out my right hand to cover her mouth. Then, a deafening roar echoed through the sky, and a white bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating the house as if it were daytime. In an instant, the "lens" and "image" before my eyes vanished, as if swallowed by the dazzling lightning. When the lightning subsided, the room returned to complete darkness, while outside, the rain continued to pour. I felt the jade ring was no longer so tight, and the pain in my finger was gradually fading. Xiaoqian spoke in a trembling voice, "Why can't I see anything?" Sitting in the darkness, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, "They never existed in the first place; they're just images from back then." "The flash of lightning outside the window dispelled the darkness in the room, like opening the dark room of a movie theater." "Your analogy is excellent." But I held her hand and said, "Xiaoqian, you can let go of my hand now, right?" "Okay." Xiaoqian immediately released my hand. Although I couldn't see her face in the darkness, I could feel her embarrassment. I rubbed my fingers and said, "You almost broke my fingers." "I'm sorry." Then, I took out a lighter and lit the blown-out candle.

Chapter 38: The Bloodiest Scene in the Apartment

The dim candlelight illuminated the room again, and also our faces. I noticed her forehead was covered in sweat, so I took out a handkerchief and wiped it away. Xiaoqian said, still shaken, "I can't believe it. Just now, in this very room, I witnessed people and events from over fifty years ago." I took a few steps around the room; the candlelight cast my long, dark shadow on the wall, which looked quite frightening. It's a pity this house will be demolished in a few days; otherwise, many years later, when people explore this house again, perhaps they will find our images on the wall. "It seems the jade ring on your hand does indeed possess some kind of magical power," Xiaoqian whispered in my ear. "Yes, this jade ring also comes from underground in the abandoned village. Therefore, everything we saw tonight must be related to the secrets of the abandoned village."

Now, Xiaoqian's emotions had calmed down considerably. She nodded: "So, what exactly was what we just saw?" "I think we discovered the bloodiest scene in the abandoned apartment building more than fifty years ago." "You mean the dagger, and the blood—" At this point, Xiaoqian suddenly stopped, as if the word "blood" terrified her. I nodded slightly, recalling what Ye Xiao had told me, and muttered to myself, "No wonder they say the abandoned apartment building is a haunted house." "A haunted house?" "No... nothing." I waved my hand at her, forcing a smile; actually, I didn't want her to be too nervous. I walked to the window again, looking at the continuous thunderstorm outside, the distant high-rises still lit up with dazzling neon lights; Shanghai was going through another sleepless night. Xiaoqian said behind me, "Now there's no electricity at all, how are we going to get through the night?" "Don't be afraid," I said. "There are no ghosts in this house. Don't scare yourself. The Ruoyun and her husband we saw were just images from over fifty years ago. Images can't hurt people." Then, I took a flashlight from the cabinet, turned it on, and placed it on the bedside table, saying, "Hold this while you sleep. The flashlight beam will accompany you to sweet dreams." She took the flashlight with some doubt, then pointed to the candle and asked, "And what about this?"

"Sleeping with candles lit is too dangerous; it could easily start a fire." With that, I bent down and blew out the candle. Only the flashlight in Xiaoqian's arms remained lit in the room. Looking at her in the dim light, I said softly, "I'm sorry, Xiaoqian, I know you're scared tonight, but I have to go upstairs." "Don't go!" she immediately grabbed my wrist. "Please don't leave me here alone." "But…we…" At that moment, I truly couldn't think of a reason to leave her. Tears slowly streamed down her face as she murmured, "Stay, I'm afraid to be alone." No, I couldn't bear to refuse her any longer, and could only sit beside her. Her eyelids drooped, and she slowly lay down on the bed. She seemed terrified by the terrifying images she had just witnessed, her whole body utterly exhausted. I quietly watched Xiaoqian; she still clutched the flashlight tightly in her hand, the dim light illuminating her face. Outside, the rain poured down, shrouding most of the room in darkness, and even I sat in a dim corner. More than ten minutes passed, and I think Xiaoqian should have fallen asleep by now.

I covered her with a blanket and double-checked that the windows were closed. Then, I took a second flashlight from the cupboard and tiptoed out of the room. Finally out, I let out a long sigh of relief, remembering how Xiaoqian had grabbed my arm; for a moment, I had almost lost control of myself. Yes, I had already fallen deeply in love with her, and she probably knew it too. Thinking of this, I smiled slightly in the dark corridor. Yes, no matter what terrible things happened, nothing could stop Xiaoqian and me. I felt completely refreshed, and the fear from before vanished. So I turned on the flashlight and ran up the dark stairs. Back in my room on the third floor, I lay down on the mat with the flashlight in my arms, suddenly feeling happy. Outside the window, the rain continued to pour.

I woke up late this morning; the heavy rain from last night had long since stopped, but the leaves of the ivy outside the window still clung to water droplets. After being drenched by the rain overnight, they seemed even more vibrant. Sadly, the ivy didn't know that in a few days, their lives would end along with the house. When I went upstairs, I found that Xiaoqian had already gone to work, but she had still left me breakfast. After eating, I walked around upstairs and downstairs. Although the electricity had been cut off, thankfully the water was still running, so we should be able to get through the last few days. Since there was no electricity, I had to eat out for lunch.

However, compared to the meal Xiaoqian made last night, this lunch was worse than pig slop. With nothing to do in the afternoon, I read for a while in my room, but just thinking about the scenes that unfolded there last night made it impossible to continue reading. As evening approached, just as I was about to go out for dinner, Xiaoqian returned early. She was wearing a short skirt, her hair was slightly damp, and she smelled faintly of shampoo. However, what attracted me more was the KFC meal she was carrying. Although I've always disliked Western fast food, in these extraordinary times, being able to eat KFC was already quite a treat. After it got completely dark, we lit candles. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself, "Dinner by candlelight, that's a luxury only found in fancy restaurants." As I devoured my chicken leg, oblivious to everyone else, I noticed Xiaoqian had barely eaten. Wiping the grease from my mouth, I said, "Xiaoqian, can you eat something? Pu Songling never wrote a story about Nie Xiaoqian dieting to lose weight." But she coldly replied, "Because Nie Xiaoqian is detached from worldly concerns." After dinner was cleaned up, Xiaoqian suddenly asked me softly, "Last night… why didn't you stay?" "Well…" I smiled awkwardly, "I saw you were already asleep, so naturally you didn't need anyone to keep you company." Xiaoqian didn't speak again, but took a deep breath. There seemed to be something hidden in her eyes, yet she avoided my gaze. After a long silence in the dim candlelight, she suddenly spoke again: "Last time you said you got some ancient jade artifacts from that college student who went to the deserted village."

Section 39: Confined in a Miniature Abandoned Village

"Why are you asking this?" I answered nervously. "Those jade artifacts came from underground in this deserted village, just like the jade ring on my wrist." "Are they really five thousand years old?" "Experts have authenticated them; they should be." "Can I take a look?" She walked up to me, staring into my eyes. "Just a look, I won't touch your things." No, how could I refuse such a small request? I nodded. "Okay, just be careful when you look at them. Don't damage these treasures, and don't let anyone know about the jade." "Of course I know that. Besides, I don't have any other friends besides you." I nodded, grabbed two flashlights, one for Xiaoqian and one for me, and went up to the third floor. Stepping onto the dark spiral staircase, Xiaoqian followed closely behind me. Guided by the flashlight beams, we arrived at the room at the end of the third-floor corridor. There was a bamboo ladder I had left behind, directly above the hole in the ceiling above. I shone my flashlight up and said, "You have to climb up from here. Are you scared?" She was much braver than last night: "No." I nodded, holding the flashlight in one hand and the bamboo ladder in the other, and finally managed to squeeze onto the attic. Then, Xiaoqian followed and climbed up the bamboo ladder. I held her hand tightly and pulled her up.

The dark attic was filled with a chilling atmosphere. The dormer windows were blocked by ivy, preventing even a sliver of moonlight from entering. I could only scan the area with my flashlight, and after a long while, I finally found the box containing the jade artifacts. It felt like I was raiding a tomb. Within the narrow beam of my flashlight, I laboriously opened the box and carefully removed the jade artifacts inside—a jade cong, a jade bi, a jade yue, a jade tortoise, and a jade dagger. The flashlight beam shone on these treasures, and the surfaces of the jade reflected an eerie light. Xiaoqian gently stroked the jade cong a few times; her fingers trembled slightly. Looking around at the underground palace-like darkness, I suddenly thought of the four college students who had encountered such a bizarre situation. When they entered the mysterious underground palace of the deserted village and faced these jade artifacts, they probably felt the same way. Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Now I believe it; they really are jade artifacts from five thousand years ago."

"Why?" "Because I could feel it in my hand." She removed her hand from the jade artifacts, took a step back, and said, "Yes, when my fingers touched the jade, I really could feel their age." "Is this a girl's sixth sense?" "Maybe. You should put them all away quickly; these are treasures from five thousand years ago, I dare not touch them again." I nodded, put the jade artifacts away, carefully wrapped them in old newspapers and foam, and put them back in the box. Then, I took Xiaoqian's hand and said, "Wait a minute, let me show you a few more things." Guided by the flashlight beam, I found the dressing table and whispered, "This is the dressing table Ruoyun used." "Why isn't there a mirror?" She couldn't see the frame in the darkness. "It's long broken."

Suddenly, Xiaoqian said knowingly, "Just like last night, with her husband." "Yes, a broken mirror, how can it ever be put back together?" As I spoke, I opened the two drawers below and took out the old photos of Ruoyun and the Ouyang family, along with two books by Eileen Chang. In the dim light of the flashlight, Xiaoqian slowly flipped through the photos and books. Looking at Ruoyun's face in the photos, she said sadly, "Thank you, thank you for letting me see these. I feel like I can breathe in her scent." "Yes, I feel the same way." "No, my feelings are different from yours. Because I am a girl, and only a girl can feel Ruoyun's pain—before marrying into the Ouyang family, she must have been a girl with many dreams. She sacrificed herself to marry into this cage because she deeply loved the young and handsome Ouyang." "You're saying the deserted apartment is a cage?" "Isn't it?" The Yang family was so conservative and closed-minded. Even after they moved to Shanghai, they brought their old mansion from the deserted village with them. Yes, this house became another mansion, hence the name "Desolate Village Apartment." It was simply a miniature deserted village rebuilt on Shanghai soil. "What she said makes sense," I nodded and said, "Marrying into the Ouyang family is like losing your freedom forever, being imprisoned in this miniature deserted village?" "Yes, Ruoyun must have experienced deep pain after marrying into the Deserted Village Apartment, but she didn't want to show it. She could only gaze out the window and read Eileen Chang's books."

Xiaoqian sighed again, then put all the old photos and books back into the drawer. "Okay, let's go." I gently pulled her along, heading towards the other end of the attic. Suddenly, a huge dark shadow appeared in the beam of the flashlight. "What's that?" Xiaoqian immediately grabbed my hand. I looked closely before letting out a sigh of relief and saying, "It's nothing, just a wardrobe." "A wardrobe? Ruoyun's clothes are in there?" Perhaps it's a girl's innate fondness for wardrobes, because she immediately ran to the wardrobe. In the flashlight's beam, she slowly opened the wardrobe, and a musty smell made us all turn our heads away. A moment later, the flashlight beam illuminated the inside of the wardrobe, and Xiaoqian suddenly screamed, "There's a dead person!" I immediately grabbed her tightly and said, "No, there are clothes hanging inside." "What?" Xiaoqian finally came to her senses and looked carefully into the wardrobe. In the dim light of the flashlight, the several black coats really did look like hanged ghosts.

Xiaoqian cautiously reached inside and touched a conspicuous cheongsam. The silk was already brittle, so she had to put it down. She then touched another garment next to it, a black woolen women's coat. The material and workmanship were clearly of high quality; it would have been a luxury item at the time. Suddenly, Xiaoqian seemed to feel something on the coat. Her hand stopped at the front pocket, where something seemed to be hidden. She immediately reached into the pocket, which looked very large, almost swallowing half of her arm. -- She pulled a notebook out of the coat pocket. The flashlight beam shone on the notebook, and Xiaoqian held it carefully, looking extremely excited. She exclaimed excitedly, "Look, what's this?" "A notebook hidden in a coat pocket?" It was a black hardcover notebook, probably from over fifty years ago. I gently opened the notebook, and on the title page appeared a line of delicate handwriting -- "Diary of a Deserted Village Apartment." Below this line was the signature -- Ruoyun.

Section 40: It's like returning to the human world.

"My God! This is Ruoyun's diary from back then!" Xiaoqian exclaimed involuntarily. She reached out and gently stroked the title page, touching the black pen handwriting Ruoyun had left. "She actually hid the diary in the closet, it's unbelievable!" "Maybe she didn't hide it at all." At this moment, I closed the diary and said nervously, "It's really inconvenient in the attic, let's go to the room on the second floor and read it slowly." Xiaoqian nodded, so we took the diary and climbed down the bamboo ladder and left the attic. We hurriedly returned to the room on the second floor. Using a flashlight was too awkward, so I lit another candle. When the candlelight illuminated the room again, Xiaoqian and I both breathed a sigh of relief, as if we had returned to the human world.

Finally, we opened Ruoyun's "Diary of a Deserted Village Apartment" together, only to find that many pages were missing, with many torn off at the hilt, making the diary incomplete. I counted the remaining pages with writing; there were about twenty pages in total. However, the first page of the diary was perfectly preserved, with the date written at the top—October 20th, 1946. The diary was written vertically from right to left, following the custom of the time, and the beautiful Chinese characters were clearly visible to us. In the darkness of the deserted village apartment, the flickering candlelight illuminated the yellowed paper. Xiaoqian and I held our breath, as if we could really hear Ruoyun speaking, silently reciting the first day of "Diary of a Deserted Village Apartment"—October 20th, 1946, Sunny. Today is the first day of this diary, and also the second day since I married into the deserted village apartment. Yes, yesterday was my wedding day. I've always wondered why people always say that a woman is most beautiful on her wedding day. Yesterday, when I put on my pure white wedding dress and looked at myself in the mirror, I almost thought I was a stranger.

Yes, the woman in the mirror was so young, so pure, her wedding dress covering her body like snow. But was that me? I shook my head, and the woman in the mirror shook her head too. I spoke softly, and the woman in the mirror moved her lips. I couldn't imagine that from today onwards, I would become her, a completely unfamiliar woman. The Ouyang family's car was waiting downstairs. My mother accompanied me downstairs, and several girls helped me with my wedding dress, squeezing me into the car. When the car arrived at the deserted village apartment, all I could hear was the incessant sound of firecrackers. Many people surrounded me as we entered the Ouyang family's house. I kept my head down the whole time, not even getting a clear look at the house. Everything in the hall was already arranged. Qingyuan, dressed in a sharp suit, was smiling and waiting for me. He looked so dashing, his eyes radiating a confident smile, because from this day forward, he would be my husband. Qingyuan's parents sat sternly in the center. Although they had already vetted me, their future daughter-in-law, they still watched me with meticulous attention. I was like a beautiful toy, following the steps agreed upon by their family to complete all the wedding ceremonies. Many people came to the banquet, and the noise made it impossible for me to hear anything clearly; it felt like a dream. The festivities continued until very late before Qingyuan finally led me to the bridal chamber on the third floor. I was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed. This was my wedding. The next day, Qingyuan took me to pay my respects to his parents, and then spent the day with me. Now, while he's downstairs, I'm hiding in the study writing this page of my diary. From today onward, I will record every day of my life in this diary at the deserted apartment. She is my most secret friend; no one but myself can see her. October 29th, 1946 (35th year of the Republic of China), cloudy. Today is the tenth day since I married into the deserted apartment. Qingyuan's parents live on the second floor. Every morning, Qingyuan takes me to pay my respects to them; he says it's a long-standing custom of the Ouyang family. My parents-in-law are quite old, and Qingyuan is their only son and the sole heir of the Ouyang family. I think my in-laws, having had their only son late in life, must love him dearly, so they must love me too. Qingyuan went back to work today. The Ouyang family owns a trading company in Shanghai, specializing in importing various valuable goods from the United States. My in-laws are getting old, and Qingyuan manages the business entirely on his own, so he's always incredibly busy. It's already nine o'clock at night, and he still hasn't come home. I'm sitting alone in the study, blankly writing in my diary. Qingyuan promised me that I could still work at the bank after we got married, but now my in-laws disagree. They say that a daughter-in-law of the Ouyang family must stay at home. Qingyuan couldn't go against his parents' wishes, which finally made me give up the idea of continuing to work. Although only ten days have passed, it feels like several years. Is this what it's like to be newlywed? Something you'll never forget? Could it be because of this house? Sometimes, walking on the stairs of this deserted apartment building, I get a strange feeling, as if I can hear something. I stop to listen, but I can't hear anything. Sigh, is it just that all brides are a bit suspicious? Yes, to be honest, I'm a little afraid of my father-in-law. His clothes and the way he speaks make me feel vaguely uneasy. Qingyuan keeps comforting me, saying that the Ouyang family comes from a remote area, so naturally they have some conservative customs. Oh well, I only feel happy when I'm with Qingyuan. But when will he be back tonight? December 24th, 1946 (35th year of the Republic of China), cloudy. Today is Christmas Eve.

Section 41: I accepted his proposal.

This morning, I rarely went out. Most of the houses along Anxi Road were decorated with colorful lights; it turned out tomorrow was Christmas. Of course, those houses with colorful lights belonged to foreigners; the Ouyang family would never celebrate a Western holiday. However, Qingyuan had promised me he would come home early tonight to have dinner with me. But Qingyuan broke his promise again. I ate dinner with my parents-in-law. They didn't say a word while eating, and I barely ate anything before running to the next room in the hall to play the piano. Right, this piano was practically my dowry. Whenever I was troubled, I would sit at the piano and play Liszt. As I played, tears quietly fell, and I had to stop and wipe them away. No, he wouldn't forget this day, because today was our one-year anniversary. Yes, exactly one year ago, I was still working as a secretary in the Bank of China office. Last Christmas Eve, all my female colleagues went home early, but I was still typing a document. I noticed a pair of eyes staring at me, so I slowly looked up. Before me stood a young and handsome face.

He was my Qingyuan. It turned out he'd been watching me like that for a long time. When I asked him what he wanted, he scratched his head and asked where the manager's office was. From then on, he came to the bank office every afternoon, doing all the work that should have been done by the finance department himself, because only then would he have a chance to talk to me. Every time he talked to me, he'd bring up many other things, and we'd talk for half a day in the office, and I felt too embarrassed to send him away. Later, he invited me to talk outside, first to a coffee shop, then a restaurant, then a movie theater, then a park. Soon everyone knew the secret that the young master of the Ouyang family was pursuing me, and my female colleagues cast envious glances my way. But I was filled with anxiety, unsure how to face Qingyuan. This man was so outstanding—charming, gentle, and, most importantly, his family was very wealthy, owning a three-story villa on Anxi Road.

I knew many women were secretly vying for his attention, but he didn't fancy any of them, only falling in love with me. Even now, I can't explain why he was so devoted to me. Perhaps it was because of my eyes; he once said there was a beauty in my eyes that transcended time. Ultimately, I was conquered by Qingyuan. Faced with his burning passion, I felt he was the other half of my life. My whole family was happy for me, while my female colleagues at the bank were secretly envious. So, on a hot July night, in front of everyone at the Luxembourg Hotel, I accepted his proposal. That's how we met, fell in love, and then came our marriage. In that entire year, I transformed from a girl into a woman, but I can't quite articulate what exactly changed within myself. Perhaps it's like a bird simply moving from one cage to another. After playing the piano, I returned to my study upstairs and stared blankly at Eileen Chang's *Legend*. I've read this book twenty times already, and perhaps I'll read it another twenty. Just now, I received a call from Qingyuan. He said he had an important social engagement tonight and wouldn't be able to go home until tomorrow. I didn't say a word, gently hung up the phone, and continued writing in my diary.

Merry Christmas, my dear friend. April 1st, 1947. I remember when I used to work at a bank, there was a foreign employee in the office who would play many pranks every April 1st. He would say that a colleague had won the lottery that morning, or that World War III had started last night. It turns out that April 1st is April Fool's Day for foreigners.

Section 42: A Terrifying Premonition

Today is April 1st. The doctor came in the afternoon. My in-laws were very nervous, and Qingyuan, unusually, went home early. After a thorough examination, the doctor solemnly told me—I'm pregnant. Hearing this news, I was stunned, unable to react for a long time. I asked softly, "By the way, today is April 1st, are you playing an April Fool's joke on me?" The doctor replied foolishly, "I'm sorry, ma'am, what's April Fool's Day?" I smiled awkwardly and didn't say anything more. But why tell me today? Is all of this a joke fate is playing on me? No, I know what pregnancy is, and I know I'm going to be a mother, but—I can't explain it, only that in that instant, my heart inexplicably started beating faster. Qingyuan didn't notice my expression, while my in-laws were overjoyed. My mother-in-law finally smiled, grabbing my hand and talking nonstop. But her wrinkled face looked like it came from an ancient tomb a thousand years ago. She was muttering in the Zhejiang dialect, and I could hardly understand a word of it. It felt like she was chanting a spell at me.

They kept me occupied all day, and it wasn't until midnight that I finally had some free time to sit in my study and write these words. I imagine a tiny seed is sprouting and taking root in my womb. He (or she) will gradually grow and then leave the mother's body. Who will he (or she) resemble? Me or Qingyuan? I gently rubbed my belly and decided to stop writing here. April 3rd, 1947, sunny. Today is the first dance party held at the Abandoned Village Apartment. After learning of my pregnancy two days ago, Qingyuan decided to celebrate in a grand manner. He invited all his business friends to a dance party at the Abandoned Village Apartment. After nightfall, all the guests arrived, and all the servants at the Abandoned Village Apartment busied themselves decorating the hall magnificently. Qingyuan led me to the center of the hall and announced the good news that he was about to become a father. Amidst the applause of the crowd, some envious and some jealous, music played from the gramophone—the dance party began. Qingyuan has always been a master dancer; it is said that his dancing skills have captivated many women. I wasn't a very good dancer to begin with, but after I met Qingyuan, he often took me to the Paramount and Seven Heavens dance halls. Under his careful tutelage, my dancing skills improved rapidly. However, after marrying into the Ouyang family, I never had the chance to dance again. As for whether Qingyuan danced with other women outside, I had no idea. As the song "In the Mood for Love" began, Qingyuan embraced me and we danced gracefully. The music guided my steps, bringing back the rhythm I had long forgotten. My God, I hadn't felt this way in a long time. We were pressed tightly together, his strong hands around my waist, and I gently rested my head on his shoulder, feeling like a small boat entering a harbor. The dancers around us were all staring at us intently; we had become the center of the ball. However, I didn't want to be the queen of the ball; I just wanted to be the only woman Qingyuan loved. I looked up into his eyes again, and in his gentle gaze, I could clearly see guilt and a desire to make amends. Yes, for the past six months I have been filled with resentment towards him. His staying out all night, his indifference, the lingering scent of women on him—now all of that has vanished.

Qingyuan, can you hear the words in my heart? No matter what you've done, I've forgiven you. Yes, we will be a happy couple, we will have many children, and the desolate apartment will no longer be cold and lonely, but vibrant and full of life. May 25th, 1947 (Cloudy) A few days ago, I wrote in my diary that my in-laws had gone back to the countryside, to a place called Huangcun (Desolate Village), where, it's said, there's an old house called Jinshidi (Imperial Scholar's Residence). Yesterday at dusk, my in-laws finally returned, looking travel-worn, seemingly bringing back something important from their hometown, packed in a large leather suitcase. Their expressions towards me were strange. I didn't know what was going to happen, and I just subconsciously touched my stomach. My figure has started to swell, but I'm still very happy because my baby is growing bigger. My in-laws and Qingyuan kept whispering, as if they were discussing something important behind my back. I had a vague, terrible premonition.

Section 43: Taking My Life and My Child's Life

I stayed in my room all night, not daring to go to sleep even close to midnight. Then, Qingyuan pulled me out and led me to an empty room. My in-laws were there waiting for me. They locked the door tightly and made me lie down on the table in the center of the room. I was terrified by the atmosphere and didn't dare lie down. My mother-in-law scolded me a few times. Finally, at Qingyuan's urging, I could only lie on my back on the table, like a pregnant woman about to give birth. My father-in-law opened the large leather trunk he had brought from the countryside and took out a small box that appeared to be made of jade.

Then, Qingyuan carefully opened the box and took out a ring-like object. Qingyuan trembled and said, "Is this the jade ring?" The old woman nodded and said, "Let's hurry up and proceed; we have to get to this point eventually." Qingyuan slowly walked to my side, took my left hand, and the jade ring was clearly presented before my eyes. It was a bluish-green jade artifact with a striking red stain on the side, emitting a strange reflection under the light.

I immediately struggled, but Qingyuan held me down firmly. His eyes seemed to be filled with tears as he whispered, "Ruoyun, don't worry, you'll be fine. It's like wearing a ring." I watched as Qingyuan gripped my left ring finger so tightly I couldn't move it. Then, he slowly slipped the jade ring onto my finger. The jade ring was icy cold, and it immediately felt like a tight band, gripping my ring finger tightly. A strange sensation instantly spread throughout my body. Instantly, I felt the baby in my womb let out a soft cry, and I cried out in pain. But Qingyuan held me down tightly, and the sensation on my finger made me weak all over, unable to resist any longer. In the dim light, I only saw my father-in-law nod in satisfaction. His zombie-like, aged face shook a few times in front of my eyes. Then, I heard strange words coming from his mouth. It was not a human voice at all, but like some kind of incantation, continuously coming into my ear. The sound had a peculiar rhythm, like an ancient ballad. I immediately thought of the shamanic chants described in a book, the kind used in places where witchcraft was practiced. No, this terrifying ancient sound was clearly meant to take my child's and my lives. I tried desperately to struggle, but I had no strength left; all I could do was sob and weep. In the flickering light, I saw Qingyuan and my mother-in-law circling around me, chanting incantations as they went. Everything became blurry; I gradually lost sight and hearing—I felt as if I had been captured and taken to some tribe, bound and offered up on a table, with savages dancing and singing around me, and my child and I becoming pitiful sacrifices.

I lost consciousness, and I have no idea what happened afterward. When I woke up, it was already this morning. I found myself lying in my bedroom, with Qingyuan looking at me anxiously. I rubbed my eyes and asked, "Last night, I had a dream that you put me on a table and danced and sang around me..." Qingyuan could only awkwardly say, "Really? Since it was just a dream, don't worry too much." But I immediately felt something on my finger. I raised my left hand and saw that the jade ring was clearly on my ring finger.

Section 44: The hanged foreigners have all disappeared.

I screamed, "What is this? How did the jade ring from my dream end up on my finger?" Qingyuan was speechless. I tried to pull the ring off, but no matter how hard I tried, it remained firmly on my finger, tightening and making my finger ache terribly. For a whole day, I tried every method to remove it, but it seemed to have a life of its own, impossible to remove. I painfully questioned Qingyuan, but he just smiled bitterly and refused to answer. I mustered my courage and asked my in-laws, but they smiled and comforted me, saying it was just a custom of the Ouyang family last night, a prayer for the safety of the pregnant woman and her baby. As for the magical jade ring, they didn't tell me the story. Now, hiding in my study writing this diary entry, I'm certain that everything that happened last night was real. I didn't have a nightmare—no, this was worse than a nightmare. They sang ancient shamanic songs around me and put a jade ring on my finger, and once it was on, I couldn't take it off.

Good heavens, what are my husband and in-laws doing? Who exactly is the Ouyang family? Only now, stroking my unborn child, do I realize this is a mistake, a huge mistake from the day I married into this deserted apartment. No, what should I do? June 18th, 1947 (Cloudy) - I saw a ghost. Yesterday, Qingyuan didn't come home all night again, and my in-laws went back to their rural hometown. I slept alone on the third floor. In the middle of the night, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my finger; the jade ring had become embedded in my flesh. I rubbed my left ring finger tightly, and then I noticed the hallway light was on. I endured the pain in my finger and went out of the room, only to find that it wasn't the light from the electric light, but a strange white light illuminating a dark figure at the bottom of the stairs. I softly called out, "Qingyuan." But the figure didn't respond. I rushed over anxiously, but the figure simply walked down the stairs.

Strangely, the white light remained fixed on the figure, while the surroundings were shrouded in darkness. I slowly followed the figure to the second floor, where I could finally see that it was a tall man, seemingly not from Qingyuan. The man revealed a pale hand and pushed open a door. I followed him to the doorway, only to find several dead bodies hanging in the room! I was so frightened I almost screamed, but no sound came out; fear made me almost forget the pain in my fingers. At that moment, I finally saw the man clearly—he was a foreigner, with pale skin, chestnut hair, and gray eyes, appearing to be in his forties. What terrified me even more was that the people hanging in the room were also foreigners: a woman and three children. Their supple bodies swayed in mid-air, their long hair cascading down, obscuring half their faces, their bare feet pointing straight forward; they were all dead. The foreign man, seeing this scene, also cried out in despair, but strangely, I couldn't hear anything; I only saw him with his mouth wide open, shouting something I couldn't understand. Perhaps the hanged man was his wife and daughter? I think anyone in that situation would go mad. I didn't know what to do, so I just screamed, but the man didn't react at all. I watched as he stood on a chair and put a noose around his neck. At that moment, the white light illuminated his face. His expression was so peculiar, there was even a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, as if it were a release from death. Then, he kicked the chair away, the noose tightened around his neck, and his whole body was suspended in mid-air. Suddenly, his legs kicked wildly, his expression one of extreme pain, his hands flailing limply. Did he regret hanging himself? Just then, a blinding light shone from above, immediately making me close my eyes. When I opened my eyes again, everything had changed—the hanged foreigners were gone, the room was spotless, and several maids rushed in, surrounding me in a panic. I couldn't believe my eyes, but there were definitely no foreigners in the room, and the hanging ropes were gone; only a beam ran overhead. The maids said they had heard my screams and rushed up to turn on the lights, finding me standing there in utter terror. I still couldn't accept it, so I recounted the horrific scene I had witnessed, but the maids all shook their heads. Judging from their expressions, they probably thought I had gone mad. Then, an older maid remembered something; she had heard that several years ago, a French family had lived in this house. After the Japanese army occupied the Shanghai concessions, they planned to send all Europeans to concentration camps. Several Japanese soldiers stormed into the house and raped the French family's wife and daughter. Unable to bear such humiliation, the family hanged themselves in their second-floor room.

Good heavens, did I see a ghost? Yes, I just saw that French family, and I saw them hang themselves. But why was I the only one who saw it? I suddenly remembered the jade ring, that terrifying ritual, and my in-laws' zombie-like faces… No, I dare not think any further. Perhaps this deserted apartment was originally a haunted house? I'll stop writing in my diary here for today. June 19th, 1947. Heavy rain outside the window. Today I can't take it anymore. I've made up my mind to find out the reason, otherwise I will go crazy. Thank goodness, Qingyuan finally came home early today. While my in-laws weren't home, I pulled him into the bedroom. The heavy rain outside made Qingyuan very agitated. He paced back and forth like a prisoner being interrogated.

I asked, trembling, "Do you still love me?" "Why are you asking that?" He turned away, facing the window that was soaked by the heavy rain. "Why did you put a jade ring on my finger? Why did you sing a witch's song to me? Why did I see ghosts?" "Because you are the daughter-in-law of the Ouyang family." Qingyuan turned back, his expression so strange, as if he was torn between two options. After pondering for several minutes, he finally sighed, "Actually, I was going to tell you this sooner or later, but I was afraid you'd be scared, so I haven't dared to say it." "What is it? We're husband and wife, is there anything we can't say?" Qingyuan paused for a moment, then slowly said, "The secret of the deserted village." "A secret? What secret does the deserted village hold?" "Do you know the history of our Ouyang family?" Qingyuan took a deep breath, his gaze becoming even more strange, "History... history always plays tricks on people. Historians always say that China has a five-thousand-year history, originating from the ancient Central Plains. However, historians don't know that five thousand years ago, in the water towns of Jiangnan, there existed an ancient kingdom."

Section 45: So Distant and Mysterious

"You're not a historian, how do you know?" Qingyuan sneered. "Of course I know. Let me tell you... More than five thousand years ago, Jiangnan was still a water-rich land, in a primitive and ignorant era. In this barbaric age before dawn, a group of legendary gods suddenly appeared. They came from the vast sea, sailing in several huge dugout canoes, and landed on a desolate coast—that place is today's abandoned village." "I understand, the abandoned village is where the gods landed?" "Yes, but this is not a myth, but a historical fact—the gods came from an extremely distant place, a place so remote and mysterious that no human had ever reached it. However, the gods looked just like humans, and they quickly discovered that this land was suitable for their survival, so they settled on this desolate coast." Qingyuan paused for a long time, then said with a hint of pain, "But more importantly, they discovered something very important near that desolate coast." "What very important thing?" "I don't know either, because this secret is too important; only my father knows it."

My father once said he would only tell me this secret on his deathbed. I suddenly felt a chill and hugged my shoulders, saying, "Then tell me about the gods." "Alright. The gods lived on the desolate coast for a time, then crossed the mountains and headed north. They discovered a more fertile land—the ancient Jiangnan Plain. So, the gods conquered the local inhabitants and established a powerful ancient kingdom called the Ancient Jade Kingdom." "The Ancient Jade Kingdom?" "Yes, because they loved using jade. Jade was indispensable in both daily life and religious rituals. And the royal family of the Ancient Jade Kingdom, the descendants of the gods, not only mastered the techniques of jade making but also used the mysterious power of jade to create many miracles that were impossible at the time." "The mysterious power of jade? I don't understand." "Look at the jade ring on your finger, and you'll understand." I looked down at the jade ring and immediately understood what "mysterious power" meant. Yes, it was as if it had its own life, able to tightly wrap around my finger. Perhaps it had other powers as well.

Qingyuan continued, "Because the royal family of the Ancient Jade Kingdom was able to master and utilize the power of jade, their country rapidly grew strong, creating a magnificent ancient civilization around Taihu Lake. They even built a city with magnificent palaces, huge altars and temples, and royal tombs deep underground. The most important thing in the Ancient Jade Kingdom was jade; they crafted a large number of exquisite jade artifacts, and the descendants of the gods—the royal family—held the highest secret of jade." "What is the highest secret of jade?" "I can't say for sure, but that highest secret certainly exists. Okay, let's talk about the royal family. The Ancient Jade Kingdom was a kingdom ruled by a queen. Isn't that strange? Even stranger is that the queen's position wasn't hereditary; instead, a young girl was chosen from the royal family." To inherit the throne of the Queen. This Queen held religious power, that is, she was the High Priest of the Ancient Jade Kingdom. "Such a woman is truly enviable." But Qingyuan shook his head and said, "No, the Queen did not have real power; the royal family controlled everything, and the Queen had to remain chaste for life, otherwise she would have to commit suicide to atone for her sins." "The Queen had to be a virgin for life? How absurd this rule is!" "It is somewhat absurd, but in the Ancient Jade Kingdom at that time, the Queen's primary mission was sacrifice, so she had to be a pure woman, otherwise she would be blaspheming the gods and ancestors." "She is so pitiful." The prosperity of the Ancient Jade Kingdom lasted for about a thousand years. However, even the most magical power could not prevent its decline, because this is a natural law; any civilization that rises suddenly will also perish suddenly.

Section 46: The Lament of the Queen's Death

The ancient Jade Kingdom was no exception; it was beset by internal and external troubles. Internally, it suffered from centuries of floods, with Lake Tai overflowing its banks and inundating farmland and cities. Externally, it faced invasions from neighboring tribes, who, though less advanced, were fierce warriors. The Jade Kingdom's royal family had long been corrupted by extravagance, and despite the mystical power of jade, they could not withstand the invaders. "I nodded, and asked first, 'Was the Jade Kingdom destroyed because of this?'" "No, the Jade Kingdom perished because of a woman. About four thousand years ago, the Jade Kingdom had a stunningly beautiful queen. Although she knew she had to remain chaste for life, she fell in love with a young slave." "A queen's love with a slave?" "Doesn't it seem romantic today? But in the Jade Kingdom at that time, it was a heinous act, a blasphemy against the gods. The queen persisted in her love and had relations with the man she loved. Later, their relationship was discovered by the royal family, and according to ancestral rules, the queen had to commit suicide to atone for her sins." I felt a pang in my heart: "Was she dead?" "Yes, the beautiful queen committed suicide for love, slitting her own throat with a dagger. Before her death, she prophesied: 'The Ancient Jade Kingdom will perish in a year.' At the time of her death, she wore a jade ring on her hand, stained with blood that could never be wiped away. The royal family was shocked by the queen's death, feeling guilty and remorseful, and they enshrined the jade ring stained with the queen's blood as the highest sacred object of the royal family. Because the jade ring embodied the queen's grief in death and possessed a magical power." Hearing this, I immediately raised my left hand, and the jade ring was emitting an unusual light. Yes, wasn't that red stain on the ring the blood of the tragic queen? Qingyuan grasped my hand and continued, "Sure enough, a year after the queen's suicide, a powerful alien race occupied the Ancient Jade Kingdom, killing most of the inhabitants, burning down the cities and palaces, and the civilization of the Ancient Jade Kingdom was completely destroyed, leaving no trace in the history books."

However, a small portion of the royal family survived. They fled to the desolate coastline where their ancestors had landed, carrying the Queen's jade ring. "The same desolate village as today?" "Yes, these people fled to what is now the desolate village and lived a secluded life on the land where their ancestors landed. They continued their ancient way of life, living generation after generation on that isolated, desolate coastline. After the Northern and Southern Dynasties, they adopted Ouyang as their surname and became a prominent clan in the area, but they still maintained no contact with the outside world. It wasn't until the Ming Dynasty that they produced a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), who was later bestowed with a chastity memorial arch by the emperor." Finally, Qingyuan sighed, as if utterly exhausted, and said softly, "Now, you should understand the history of our Ouyang family, shouldn't you?"

At that moment, the rain outside the window gradually subsided. I looked into Qingyuan's eyes and asked, trembling, "You mean—the Ouyang family is a descendant of an ancient royal family?" "That's right, we are descendants of the ancient Jade Kingdom royal family from five thousand years ago. People in our family are different from others from birth. These things cannot be known to outsiders. If anyone reveals the family's secrets, they will inevitably suffer the most severe punishment." "This is the secret of the deserted village? Then what about this jade ring? Why do I wear it on my finger?" "Because it's our family rule, and it's been like this for thousands of years. This jade ring is stained with the blood of the last queen, and blood represents the queen's life. Therefore, the jade ring possesses mysterious power; it allows you to see things others cannot and also protects you. So, whenever a woman in the Ouyang family becomes pregnant, she must wear this jade ring. It's a sacred object of the family, hiding ancient secrets, and will make the child in your womb extraordinary."

Section 47: The Soul Will Be Taken Away

"When you put on this jade ring, family members will perform special rituals for the pregnant woman, singing ancient shamanistic songs to protect you and your child." "But once the jade ring is on, I can't take it off." Qingyuan smiled slightly and said, "It won't be a problem. The jade ring will fall off automatically after you give birth. Then, we'll take the jade ring back to the deserted village and hide it in a secret place in our old house. Ruoyun, please remember, this jade ring is the most important sacred object in our family. It must not be lost, and you must not tell its secret to anyone else." "So, that's why you didn't dare tell me these things, is that it?" "Yes, but as a daughter-in-law of the Ouyang family, you should know these secrets. Now, I've told you all of them, which can be considered as fulfilling a wish of mine."

Qingyuan suddenly rubbed my belly and said, "Ruoyun, now that you've married into the Ouyang family, you're a member of our clan. No matter what, you must abide by the family rules, or tragedy will occur." My heart immediately raced: "Tragedy?" Qingyuan seemed to have touched on a taboo, and said awkwardly, "Don't be afraid. Now you have the jade ring protecting you; it will ensure a safe delivery. I believe everything will be perfect."

He then said many comforting words, but I was so confused that I couldn't say a word. After Qingyuan fell asleep, I quietly went to the study and opened my diary. The rain outside the window filled me with mixed emotions. Now I was also a member of this ancient family? But was this my own choice? As a woman, must I always live this way? Perhaps no one would believe it, but I remembered every word of my conversation with Qingyuan clearly. Now I'm writing it down almost word for word. This should be my longest diary entry. December 2nd, 1947 (Cloudy) After more than nine months, my due date is tomorrow.

Qingyuan has brought in the best doctor from Shanghai, who will come to my house tomorrow morning to be with me. My father-in-law says that as long as the jade ring is there, the baby will be born smoothly. Right now, I'm lying alone in the bedroom, and Qingyuan is sleeping next door. He said he'll come to check on me if there's any movement. Taking advantage of this lull, I finally managed to take out my diary. Writing in my diary while heavily pregnant is really difficult. But I still want to write it down because my child will be born tomorrow, and I will become a real mother. So, I want to record my feelings at this moment. However, the feeling in my heart right now is so strange; I feel no joy whatsoever from becoming a mother. Although I've heard that women are very nervous before their first childbirth, I don't feel that way. I'm not worried about the process of childbirth; I'm afraid of my future and my child's. Whenever I think of the secrets of the Ouyang family, and my father-in-law and mother-in-law, my heart inexplicably races. I don't know how long this feeling will last; maybe it will last a lifetime. Last night, I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I gave birth not to a baby, but to a large piece of blue jade, which was carved into the shape of a fetus. When I woke up from the nightmare, I was covered in a cold sweat. I knew it wouldn't come true, but it was my ninth nightmare in the past two weeks.

As I write this, I raise my left hand. The red stain on the jade ring is emitting a faint glow—the blood of a queen from over four thousand years ago. Is she watching me too? December 10th, 1947 (Sunny). Seven days ago, my son was born. The pain of childbirth is indescribable, but I gave birth to a healthy boy. The child looks very much like Qingyuan; it seems he inherited more of the Ouyang family bloodline. Qingyuan named his son Jiaming, hoping he would bring glory to the Ouyang family.