tailleur

Chapitre 19

Outside the window, the shadows of the trees swayed gently, and a light breeze stirred the bedroom curtains. The curtains cast shadows on the dressing table by the bed, and a semi-transparent shadow danced strangely on the opposite wall. She sat up, staring blankly at the seemingly bizarre curtain shadow. A very strange feeling suddenly seeped from her pores, and a long-lost chill enveloped her from all directions.

Quietly watching the white, cold breath exhaled from her mouth and nose, unlike before, the long-lost fear in her heart seemed to have faded.

Ningxia glanced at the mirror on the dressing table opposite the bed. Reflected in it was a face that appeared extremely pale in the darkness. How long had it been since she'd looked in a mirror? She couldn't help but smile bitterly. The woman in the mirror looked frail and her expression was cold. She didn't know why her expression was so strange.

Suddenly, she saw that incredible scene in the mirror—

The person in the mirror got out of bed, walked past the dressing table without expression, opened the door, and left the room.

Ningxia stared in horror at her reflection in the mirror, taking a deep breath. The mirror was like a television screen, reflecting her own image.

What on earth was going on? Was what she just saw a hallucination? She had been sitting on the bed without moving, so why did the "Ningxia" in the mirror suddenly get up and leave? All the questions and fears began to weigh heavily on her fragile heart again. Had her condition worsened?

She glanced at the bedroom door, which was closed, but the reflection in the mirror showed it to be open. Moreover, through the mirror, Ningxia could vaguely see the figure of "Ningxia" appearing in a corner of the study.

Because of the limited field of view of the mirror, what Ningxia saw was sometimes visible and sometimes hidden; she seemed to be searching for something around the bookshelf!

A short while later, she finally came out of the study, carefully closed the door, returned to the bedroom, and went back to bed with a completely expressionless face.

What Ningxia saw in the mirror was as real as what she saw on television. When she saw that "Ningxia" crawling up to her side, a tremendous terror made her tremble all over. She involuntarily looked around, but nothing happened. The image in the mirror simply disappeared after that version of her slept next to her and seemed to overlap with the real her.

The moment Ningxia fell asleep next to her, a strange yet familiar sense of fear washed over her. A cold sweat jolted her awake, and when she opened her eyes, she realized it was all a dream!

Sitting up, Ningxia looked at the unremarkable mirror in front of the bed and touched her forehead, which was covered in sweat. The dream she just had was so real, it felt so real!

Looking out the window, it was already dawn. The gray-blue sky peeking through the curtains was gradually brightening, and the birds in the trees outside were starting to chirp. I could also hear the doorman sweeping downstairs. Everything was so familiar; a new day had begun.

Having not cleaned her room for several days, the mess had exceeded Ningxia's tolerance. Dragging her weary body, she got up, took off her sweat-soaked pajamas, changed into a T-shirt and jeans, washed up, and began cleaning. Actually, she just wanted to have something to do, to stop reliving the excruciating pain that had torn her apart.

As she cleaned the study, the strange dream from that morning suddenly resurfaced in her mind. What was that "Ningxia" doing in the study in the middle of the night? The dream was just an illusion, but she couldn't help but walk towards the study!

In the study, near the window, stands a desk that my parents used to use. In front of the desk is a tall swivel chair, where my father often sat, basking in the sun while reading. To the right, a row of neat bookshelves reaches the ceiling, almost taking up an entire wall. In the corner facing the door, there is a Ming-style table, on which are some of my father's calligraphy and paintings, as well as his writing implements.

Everything was just as it had always been. On the desk, besides a desk lamp, was a family photo taken six years ago, before Ningkang went to Shanghai, taken by Erhai Lake in Dali. The parents looked healthy, Ningkang was still a young man, and Ningxia's still-childish face possessed a unique girlish charm. A joyful atmosphere permeated everyone's faces.

Ningxia stroked the glass of the photograph, tears streaming down her face again. Now, she was the only one left in this world among the people in the photo. Her loved ones, who seemed so close just yesterday, had all vanished from the world, leaving only endless longing. There is no greater pain in the world than this.

Looking at her reflection in the glass of the photo, Ningxia saw a stark contrast to six years ago: she was so thin and haggard, her eyes filled with deep melancholy. The vibrant young girl in the picture was gone. As Ningxia gazed at this seventeen-year-old photo, another face suddenly flashed into her mind!

Its fragrance will last forever!

Surprised, she realized it was Liu Fang! Wasn't Liu Fang's appearance in her youth exactly like the innocent face of the girl before her?

No wonder Ningxia felt so familiar when she first saw Liu Fang's photo; they looked so alike! Thinking of Liu Fang's tragic death, she felt another wave of grief. For some reason, she always had an unbreakable bond with that woman.

Ningxia put down the photo, sat in the swivel chair, and began to cry softly, the rag in her hand falling to the ground.

She bent down to pick up the rag that had fallen to the ground, but something caught her eye.

That was the innermost row of cabinets at the bottom of the bookcase. Normally, these cabinets held books that were rarely used, including textbooks from various periods of Ningxia and her brother's lives, as well as some outdated periodicals; they were never locked. But when Ningxia bent down to pick up a rag, she noticed that the innermost cabinet, near the ground, was locked!

The lock was hidden behind the desk, and you would never notice it when you were standing. If you hadn't bent over and your head was close to the ground, Ningxia probably would never have seen the lock in the corner of the bookcase in her entire life.

The bookcase doors were sliding doors. She reached out and tried to squeeze her arm in, but it wouldn't budge. Ningxia was puzzled. Her parents had never locked the bookcase before they died, and she had no recollection of it. Could it be Ning Kang?

Suddenly, she remembered something and immediately ran into the bedroom, where she found the leather butterfly she had found in the old house that day. Sure enough, the two had an astonishing resemblance.

"It really is top-quality Hetian jade!" Fang Jian was called over by Ning Xia in a hurry, and after examining it for a long time, he came to this conclusion.

"Could there be some coincidence between these two butterflies?" Ningxia looked at the two items on the table, her mind filled with thoughts.

"It's hard to say!"

Fang Jian took out several sheets of printed paper from his backpack and handed them to Ningxia: "This is all the information I could find! Take a look! The most famous woman in history to have used the phoenix-over-dragon pattern is Empress Dowager Cixi of the late Qing Dynasty. Princess Tianfeng of the Ming Dynasty also used a similar pattern, but because she herself was not famous, she was overlooked by historians!"

"Princess Tianfeng?" Ningxia took the documents.

"Yes! It is said that she was Zhu Yuanzhang's favorite daughter..." Fang Jian scratched the back of his head and sat down on the sofa.

Born in the eighth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, she died in the fifth year of the Yongle reign at the age of thirty-two. In the twenty-eighth year of the Hongwu reign, she married Wei Quan, the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate...

Ningxia was flipping through the documents when she suddenly exclaimed in shock, "My God! Her husband is actually Wei Quan!"

Fang Jian was startled: "What... what do you mean 'surprisingly'? You know Wei Quan? He's not that famous..."

"It's Wei Quan from that book 'Tales of the Ancient Mirror,' the one who forcibly married a woman! Professor Yu's ancient book!" Ningxia explained.

Fang Jian frowned: "It's a pity that the book is gone now! But, there's nothing to be surprised about, is there?" He was puzzled by Ning Xia's astonishment.

Ningxia: "But Princess Tianfeng is never mentioned in 'The Tales of the Ancient Mirror,' only... only..." Her face suddenly turned extremely ugly.

"What's wrong?"

"I remember, besides the missing girls, there was another woman who appeared in the ancient book..."

Fang Jian hurriedly pressed, "Which one? Which one? Really, I haven't even read that book!"

Ningxia turned around, her eyes flashing: "It's that woman dressed entirely in white, like a ghost!"

Fang Jian: "Ningxia! Ningxia! Think carefully about the contents of the book and tell me everything!"

Ningxia glanced at him and began to recount the contents of "Ancient Mirror Tales" from her memory, adding the unclear parts of Su Yun's diary.

Fang Jian was stunned for a long time before flipping through the documents: "No wonder, look, this Princess Tianfeng was buried with her husband Wei Quan! Could it really be that they both perished together?"

"That's nothing, isn't it? In ancient times, which man didn't have multiple wives and concubines?"

Ningxia shook her head: "But Wei Quan's first wife is a princess of the current dynasty! And she's the emperor's favorite princess! Even if the princess agrees, Zhu Yuanzhang probably wouldn't agree so easily, would he?"

Fang Jian suddenly shook his head: "That's not right! This Princess Tianfeng isn't Wei Quan's first wife!"

"What?" Ningxia snatched the document, which read:

Wei Quan divorced his wife in the 28th year of the Hongwu reign and married a princess. In the 30th year of the Hongwu reign, he resigned from his post and moved to Tong'an Prefecture in Lijiang Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Later, he moved to Qilin Pavilion in Heizhen. In the 5th year of the Yongle reign, he was buried with Princess Tianfeng in Lengshan...

"Cold Mountain?" Ningxia exclaimed in surprise, "The mountain behind the Ancient Tan Club! The mountain where the Lin family's ancestral home burned down?"

Fang Jian asked in surprise, "You know this place? How come I don't know it? Could it be..." Fang Jian's eyes turned strange, and he swallowed the words that were about to come out.

Ningxia suddenly realized something, grabbed Fang Jian, and gasped, "Could it be...could it be that the Lin family ancestral home is the burial site of Tianfeng and his wife?"

"Unbelievable!" Fang Jian shook his head, trying his best to drive this ridiculous idea out of his mind.

Ningxia was equally incredulous: "It's too bizarre! A cemetery built to resemble houses!"

Fang Jian comforted Ningxia, "This is all just our speculation! Don't overthink it and get scared!"

Ningxia: "No! I have to ask Lin Wei!" After saying that, he immediately took out his phone and dialed the number, but it was turned off.

Seeing Ningxia's disappointed face, Fang Jian comforted her, "Forget it! I guess it's pointless to ask him; he definitely won't tell the truth!"

Ningxia seemed lost in thought, and lowered his head in silence.

Fang Jian's gaze was drawn to a large cardboard box in the room: "What's that?"

"I don't know either! I found it in the bookshelf." Ningxia took the red dress out of the plastic bag.

"Isn't this yours?" Fang Jian looked at the beautiful dress in front of him, extremely puzzled.

"Of course not!"

"Could it be that your brother gave it to someone?"

"I don't know!" Ningxia shook her head.

Fang Jian looked through the large cardboard box. Inside, besides the dress that was wrapped in a plastic bag and the dress containing the butterfly bracelet, there was nothing else.

"How about we look in the bookshelf again?" Fang Jian suggested, looking puzzled.

"I'm too tired! Go and see for yourself!" Ningxia said weakly, pointing to the corner of the bookshelf.

Without saying a word, Fang Jian immediately climbed down to the ground and began to search through the contents of the cabinet.

Ningxia leaned back on the sofa, the strange and beautiful butterfly fluttering before her eyes, and unconsciously closed them...

When Ningxia woke up, she found Fang Jian sitting blankly on the sofa next to her.

"Huh! I've been sleeping for so long?" Ningxia checked the time and realized it was already six o'clock in the afternoon.

Fang Jian turned his face and looked at Ning Xia with an extremely strange expression, as if he were looking at a stranger.

"Did you find anything?" Ningxia noticed several receipts on the coffee table, picked them up, and said, "What's wrong with you now? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Jian's facial muscles suddenly twitched, as if Ning Xia had indeed hit the nail on the head.

Ningxia found it strange but stopped asking. She looked through the stack of receipts that Fang Jian had taken out of the bookcase and guessed that Fang Jian's expression stemmed from these things in his hands.

The first thing that caught Ningxia's eye was a stack of train tickets, totaling about fifty. Upon closer inspection, Ningxia realized they were all train tickets for travel between Heizhen and the city.

"Strange! How come there are so many tickets to Black Town?" Ningxia muttered to herself, and her expression gradually changed when she looked at the departure times.

"These are all train tickets from the last few years!" Fang Jian's cold voice rang out. "In this family, besides you and your brother, it's impossible for anyone else to have traveled to and from Heizhen within the last six months! But your brother only returned to this city from Shanghai last month!"

"What do you mean?" Ningxia was also very surprised.

"Don't you know?" Fang Jian's face darkened.

Ningxia looked at Fang Jian in surprise, wondering why he was angry.

"You've been lying all along!" Fang Jian shouted. "Look at the dates on this; you went to Black Town years ago! You claimed it was your first time there last month!"

Ningxia looked at Fang Jian with a wronged expression, not knowing what was wrong, and didn't say anything, only shaking her head repeatedly: "I didn't!"

"And look! This is the date Professor Yu went to Heizhen! How come you also went to Heizhen on the same day? Is it a coincidence?" Fang Jian pulled out a train ticket from his ticket collection and threw it in front of Ningxia.

"Really? You can deny these train tickets, but what about these two?" Fang Jian snatched the tickets, pulled out two airline tickets from the back, and handed them to Ningxia. "Don't tell me the names on these tickets belong to someone else!"

Ningxia, trembling with fear, took the two airline tickets. Looking at the dates, she saw that they were round-trip tickets between Shanghai and her city from more than twenty days ago, both for red-eye flights after midnight, and the name printed in the name field was "Ningxia"!

"Impossible!" Ningxia stared at the plane ticket in disbelief, shaking her head repeatedly. "I've never been to Shanghai! And the dates on this ticket... I remember now, I had a fever those two days and stayed home the whole time, I didn't go anywhere!"

Fang Jian looked at Ningxia with a hint of sympathy, and remained silent for a long time.

Ningxia frantically spread all the receipts on the ground, looking at them one by one, shaking her head incessantly, her eyes filled with panic. This matter terrified her even more than the strange things that had happened before!

"Then! This dress and this bracelet..." Fang Jian didn't finish his sentence. Ning Xia suddenly understood what he meant, her face immediately flushed red, and she loudly protested, "Those aren't mine!"

Fang Jian gazed at her quietly for a while, then suddenly sighed and softly said to Ning Xia, whose face was full of innocence, "How about I go to the hospital with you tomorrow?"

"No!" Ningxia screamed hoarsely as she recalled that hellish place from a few years ago.

"Ningxia! You won't get better like this!" Fang Jian flipped through a medical record. "You should continue with the tests so you can find out what you've been doing these past few years! Including your nightmares!"

"Get out!" Ningxia angrily snatched the medical record book with the words "Mental Hospital" printed on it from Fang Jian's hand. With a burst of strength from who knows where, she forcefully pushed Fang Jian out of the room and slammed the bewildered Fang Jian out of the door.

"Ningxia! Open the door, I was worried about you!" Fang Jian's anxious voice came from outside the door, but Ningxia slumped softly to the ground.

Fang Jian finally left. He sat on the ground for an unknown amount of time; it was completely dark by then, and the surroundings gradually fell silent. Darkness enveloped the unlit room, and through the faint light from the window, the jade butterfly on the floor shimmered with eerie glows.