Feng Shui

Chapitre 12

"Huh?" I was a little taken aback.

“I didn’t kill her, in fact, she left me.” He stubbed out his cigarette and spread his hands. “She left with another man a month ago.”

Things had turned out differently than I had expected. I stared blankly at Mr. Noya, who looked unusually old in an instant with his hunched back, wanting to say something to comfort him, but I didn't know what to say.

"You've probably heard that Kiyoko and I ran away from home."

I nodded passively and took what Mr. Nogaya handed me—a photograph. In front of the ultra-luxurious villa, Mrs. Nogaya, dressed in a Western-style dress, smiled radiantly; she was clearly a wealthy young lady.

"Kiyoko's father was a diplomat, and her mother was a well-known florist, while I was just a poor boy studying oil painting. Of course, I never really expected to win Kiyoko's heart," Mr. Noya stared at the ceiling, seemingly lost in fond memories or something else. "When she accepted my proposal, I was so happy I couldn't sleep all night. Naturally, our relationship was strongly opposed by her parents, and we eloped. Giving up money, giving up family, giving up everything—isn't that a great love story?" He shook his head with a bitter smile. "If I had known it would turn out like this, maybe I shouldn't have proposed to her in the first place."

“She…” I carefully chose my words, afraid of touching Mr. Noya’s wound.

"Ah, she regretted it. Because I never became famous and could only earn a little money by teaching children to draw, even this house was rented by her. She has waited for me for so many years, and it hasn't been easy for her, so I let her go."

"Have you ever heard of the name Bomei Market?" Mr. Noya suddenly changed the subject, stood up, and walked to the curtain to stop. "It's a rather strange market that sells all sorts of strange and unusual things, like—" He suddenly pulled open the curtain, and I was stunned for a moment before blurting out.

"Mrs. Noya!"

No, it's just a painting. The entire wall is painted with an endless field of lavender, and under the azure sky, a young Mrs. Noya, dressed in a dress, playfully squats in front of a cluster of flowers, trying to catch a butterfly. No, it doesn't seem like a painting either! I can almost smell the fragrance flowing through the flower field, hear the gentle breeze rustling the leaves, and feel the entire sea of flowers subtly undulating.

"Isn't it amazing?" Mr. Noya lovingly stroked Mrs. Noya's face in the painting. "That person told me that as long as I paint with my heart and my feelings, I will definitely get what I want with these paints and brushes."

I followed his gaze to the painting supplies on the table, and for some reason, I felt that the metal paint tubes were shimmering with an eerie light.

"Just a little more and it'll be finished, just a little more!" Mr. Noya seemed to be in a trance, laughing hysterically and kissing the person in the painting wildly. "Kiyoko, wait for me, you must wait for me!"

I turned and left without a word, and never saw Mr. Nogaya again.

Two weeks later, the landlady came to check on the property because she hadn't received the rent. Surprisingly, when she opened the door, the house was empty. All of Mr. Noya's belongings were left inside, but he was nowhere to be found. Furthermore, no evidence of Mrs. Noya's murder was found, and the whole matter ended with Mr. Noya's malicious evasion of rent.

"Landlady, are you tidying up Mr. Noya's things?" I walked up to him with a smile.

"Of course! I was hoping to find something valuable to keep to pay the rent, but it turns out to be all junk." The landlady angrily rummaged through Mr. Nogaya's belongings, throwing the paintings she considered worthless into a trash bag. "This family is really ill-mannered. If they can't pay the rent, they shouldn't rent such a big house. Not only did they skip out on rent, but they also painted the walls like that. Now I have to hire a craftsman to repaint them. What bad luck!"

"Ah, you mean Mrs. Noya's portrait?"

"A portrait?" The landlady frowned. "Did that person also draw other pictures on the wall? How annoying! The lavender field picture in the living room is already enough to annoy me!"

A look of surprise flashed across my face, but it was gone in an instant.

"Landlady, if it's alright, could you please give me these paints and brushes? I've recently become quite interested in oil painting. Thank you."

As soon as I entered the house, the phone rang. I hurriedly put my paintbrushes and paints on the table and answered the phone.

"This is the Tachibana family home. May I ask who you are looking for?"

"Kaoru, it's you! I've found your address. My husband's with you, right? He said two weeks ago he was going to come and talk to you about breaking up. Where did you hide him? Hey, hey..."

I slowly hung up the phone, loosened my hairband, and let my long, black hair fall freely. Yi Yan once said that my long hair was my favorite feature.

"Yiyan, your wife is so annoying! She keeps calling to bother us." I said coquettishly, wrapping my arms around his neck. "But it's okay, we'll be together soon, very soon..."

The soft glow of the setting sun streamed in through the courtyard gate, bathing the house in a rich red and yellow hue. In one corner of the house, a long-haired woman embraced a man whose face was pale, clearly indicating that he had been dead for several days.

Chapter Seventeen: Butterfly Dream

Name: Shi Luo Gender: Male Age: Appearance: Early twenties

Occupation: Owner of Yibaozhai Shop; Address: No. 2, Nanshudun, Bomei Town

I've been having the same dream a lot lately.

In my dream, I was dressed in ancient clothing from some unknown dynasty, my long, flowing hair cascading down as I combed my hair before the mirror. A man stood behind me, gently smoothing my long, beautiful hair with incredibly tender movements. His touch was gentle, his fingers long and slender. He gathered my hair into a bun, inserted hairpins, and said, "This hairpin is just right for you..."

***

"Wow, this must be the legendary past life memory!" Lily clenched her fist excitedly, her eyes filled with longing, as if two crystal tears were about to stream down her face. Her face was flushed with excitement, and her expression was incredibly dreamy. "The romantic tragedy of the past life will have a perfect ending in this life. The male protagonist travels through time and space to find his lover for all eternity. Oh my god, why can't I encounter such a romantic and magical thing!"

As she spoke, she gripped Lin Qifei's hands tightly, looking extremely jealous, completely unaware that her force caused her best friend to frown.

"With such a vivid imagination, why don't you become a writer?" Zhang Yue interrupted her friend's daydreaming without hesitation, looking exasperated. "Don't listen to her. Qi Fei, have you been too stressed lately to have such strange dreams?"

"What kind of strange dream?" Lily pouted in protest. "Was it a sad memory of a past life's love?"

"You believe in things like past lives?" Zhang Yue gripped her textbook tightly and said disdainfully, "Those are just silly stories made up by bored writers to fool people who have failed in love."

"Ha, how could a near-gifted student like Xiaoyue, who only knows how to study and take exams all day, understand the beauty of love? I think if you keep going like this, your brain will turn into a machine. Qifei, listen to me, your dream must be a sign that your true love will appear soon, so just look forward to it!"

"Fang Xiaoli, do you even understand what dreams are?! They're just the subconscious desires suppressed by the id during the day, presented in the mind through makeup. They have absolutely nothing to do with past life love! And how do you know I don't understand love?" Zhang Yue was so angry that her face turned red, and she unconsciously tugged at the hem of her clothes.

"Oh, so you have someone you like? Confess now!"

Just moments before, Lily had been pestering Lin Qifei, but upon hearing this, she immediately turned her attention to Zhang Yue. Lin Qifei breathed a sigh of relief, noticing that her hands were already red and swollen from being squeezed so tightly. These two best friends were great in every way, except one was too calm and the other too… “infatuated,” and their bickering always gave her a headache. Today, she had told them about the dream she'd been having for the past two weeks, hoping to get their opinions, but instead of getting any feedback, the two of them started arguing first. With a helpless sigh, Lin Qifei idly looked around at the scenery, and then, she was stunned by what she saw.

I'd somehow stumbled upon a bustling market with architecture brimming with ancient charm. Pavilions, terraces, and ornate carvings adorn the buildings, and rustic carved wooden doors, nestled amidst the blooming peach and plum blossoms, appeared exceptionally serene and beautiful. Numerous pedestrians hurried along, each seemingly with their own destination. The vendors, dressed in a variety of styles—some ancient, some modern—all exuded an undeniable, peculiar aura. Was this still Han Tian City?

"Xiaoyue, Lili, don't you think..." Just as Lin Qifei was about to call for help from her friends, she suddenly stopped in front of a shop. Inside the old-fashioned, ornately decorated hall, various wooden shelves displayed trays laden with all sorts of jewelry, from antique jade hairpins, gold hair ornaments, and jade bracelets to trendy titanium steel rings and plastic earrings—everything imaginable. Under the shimmering light of the jewelry, a beautiful and elegant woman with long hair, seemingly straight out of a painting, was carefully stringing red beads together. She appeared to be not only the shop owner but also a jewelry maker. However, what stopped Lin Qifei was neither the abundance of goods nor the shop owner's beauty, but rather the hairpin she had spotted.

It was true! On the tray in the middle of the third shelf of the wooden shelf directly opposite the entrance lay the hairpin she had seen in her dream. Lin Qifei entered the shop almost in a daze, reaching out to stroke the hairpin. The design was exactly as in her dream, though it looked somewhat old. It wasn't made of precious gold or silver, but rather had a brass sheen, with a coin-sized butterfly head on the double-pronged hairpin holder, its shape like ripples on water. The openwork carving and delicate patterns made the butterfly seem lifelike, as if it were about to take flight before her eyes. At that moment, a deep sorrow washed over her. Never before had Lin Qifei been so certain that this hairpin, this dream, was undeniably connected to her. She even wondered if the man in her dream, whose face was never shown, might truly be her lover from a past life, as Lily had said. Had he returned to find her?

"Miss, miss?"

A clear, melodious voice beside her brought Lin Qifei back to reality. Somewhat dazed, she turned around and saw the long-haired woman standing next to her, a faint smile on her face. The smile made her beauty seem even more dreamlike and unreal. Although they were both women, Lin Qifei was momentarily stunned by the sight.

"Excuse me, this hairpin..."

"...Huh?" Lin Qifei realized that she had been clutching the hairpin tightly in her hand. If the shopkeeper hadn't woken her up, she might have inexplicably become a thief.

"I'm sorry, I'm not a thief... I just..." Lin Qifei tried to explain, but found that the more she explained, the worse it got.

"It's alright, of course I know you're not a thief." The shopkeeper's voice was as gentle as a babbling brook in March, with a refreshing quality. "It's just that this hairpin was left here by a friend and is not for sale in our shop."

"This hairpin isn't for sale?!" Lin Qifei exclaimed in surprise, looking at the hairpin in her hand, she simply couldn't accept the reality of putting it back.

"Yes, because this is a friend's personal item. He's not around lately, so he entrusted the hairpin to me. I'm so sorry that you like it, Miss." With that, the beautiful shopkeeper came up to take the hairpin.

Lin Qifei subconsciously took a few steps back, gripping the hairpin tightly in her hand. This action was done naturally without her thinking, so much so that her face flushed instantly upon realizing her behavior.

"I...I'm sorry." She stammered, unsure of what to do. "I really love this hairpin. Could you please talk to your friend about selling it to me?" Seeing the shopkeeper frown, she quickly added, "I'll pay any price, really. As long as you're willing to sell it to me, I know it's wrong to take what someone else loves, but I really love this hairpin. It's very important to me!"

The beautiful shopkeeper seemed to be considering whether or not to make the sale. She slowly walked to the side and sat down, leisurely picked up a cup of tea, blew on it, took a few sips, and then put down the teacup, saying, "Although this hairpin is my personal property, it's not exactly a cherished possession. I wouldn't mind transferring it, but..."

Hearing the shopkeeper's words, which seemed to soften, Lin Qifei was overjoyed. However, she suddenly remembered her earlier outrageous demand—"I'll pay any price!"—a joke indeed. She was just an ordinary middle school student; where would she get so much money? If the price was truly exorbitant, where would she find the money? Thinking this, her good mood vanished instantly, and her face fell again. Was she truly not destined to have this hairpin?

"Money is not a problem," the shopkeeper said casually, as if he knew what she was thinking. "I'm just curious why you're so interested in this hairpin, Miss. Could you tell me the reason?"

"Your Majesty?" Lin Qifei looked at the shop owner with some surprise. Would a beautiful woman, who looked like a lady from ancient times, address her with such a title? But she quickly put the question out of her mind.

"Because...because..." she stammered, struggling to speak, wondering whether she should tell a complete stranger about her dream, and even more so, whether the other person would believe her.

"Because this hairpin... um... because it's exactly the same as one I lost before. That hairpin was a gift from my ex-boyfriend, and it's something very meaningful to me, so..." Lin Qifei quickly came up with a story on the spot. If the lover from her past life was replaced with her ex-boyfriend, the story shouldn't be too far-fetched.

The shop owner put down her teacup and smiled. For some reason, Lin Qifei felt that her smile carried a kind of insightful understanding, making her feel for a moment as if she had been seen through.

"If that's the case, I'm afraid I have no choice but to give you this hairpin. It's even possible that this is the one you lost." The shopkeeper said, taking a long paper box from a drawer. He took the butterfly hairpin from Lin Qifei's hand, wrapped it carefully in a thin silk, placed it in the box, and handed it to Lin Qifei. "This hairpin is yours from now on."

"Hmm?" Lin Qifei looked down at the box in her hand a beat late. The hard texture of the object reminded her that she had the item, but she still felt like she was in a dream. "Money... how much?"

She suddenly realized she hadn't paid yet, and frantically pulled out her wallet, searching for all her spare change: "Sorry, this is all the money I have right now. If it's not enough, I have two friends..." Lin Qifei then noticed that Lily and Zhang Yue were nowhere to be found; they probably got separated when she entered the store. "It's okay, I can write an IOU and bring the money back another day. Here's my student ID." Lin Qifei hurriedly pulled out her student ID and the money and handed them to the shopkeeper, but the shopkeeper smiled and returned them.

"Is it because you don't have enough money? I can call my parents and ask them to bring it over." Lin Qifei anxiously searched for the store's phone number, but the shop owner stopped her with a smile.

"As I said, money is not a problem. Since this hairpin is destined for you, Miss, I will give it to you."

"Really?" Lin Qifei exclaimed in disbelief, then realized her lapse in composure and whispered embarrassedly, "And your friend?"

"It's alright, he's a reasonable person. I'll explain it to him, so you don't need to worry about that. It's getting late, and your parents must be worried about you, so Miss, you should go back soon."

Lin Qifei turned to look outside the shop and was surprised to find that what had just been dusk was now a sky full of stars. The colorful lights in the market danced on the ancient streets, their golden brilliance making it seem like a dream. How could it be evening so quickly? Lin Qifei looked down at her watch and exclaimed in surprise; the hands were already past ten o'clock.

"Well... thank you, and please tell your friend I'm sorry. I'm leaving now. Goodbye!" Lin Qifei hurriedly packed her schoolbag, held the hairpin box, and left excitedly, leaving the beautiful shopkeeper standing alone in the hall, watching her figure thoughtfully.

"Old Shi, where's that hairpin I kept here with you last time?" The man, who was stuffing something into his mouth and rummaging through drawers like a thief, turned around and asked with dissatisfaction. With his clear, coral-like red eyes and handsome features, he was no less handsome than the shop owner who was polishing the jade pendant, but he had more of an unserious air and less of a composed demeanor.

“I gave it away. Your hairpin was always causing me trouble. I couldn’t wait to give it away.” Shi Luo said, taking a few steps back to avoid a jade hairpin thrown by the furious Yan Xiang. The hairpin grazed his ear and fell to the ground without breaking.

"I raised him for so long intending to eat him, and you just gave him away so easily?!" Seeing that her first attack had failed, Yanxiang angrily rolled up her sleeves and rushed over, grabbing Shi Luo by the collar as if she was about to beat him up.

"All you ever think about is eating." Shi Luo frowned, brushing aside two greasy hands, and looked angrily at the clear black handprints imprinted on the long robe she had just changed into.

"Shi Luo, don't blame him. You know how obsessed Yan Xiang is with food." Hua Xu, smiling as she sipped her fragrant tea, spoke slowly and deliberately.

“Haven’t he been tired of eating souls for a long time?” Shi Luo angrily wiped the oil stain on his collar, and it disappeared instantly. “His hairpin is always sighing and groaning, it’s driving me crazy. I’m not going to let go of this opportunity to give it away.”

"Hey, could that girl be the one with connections to the person in the hairpin?" Huaxu magically produced a bowl of crystal cakes from behind her and waved to Yanxiang. Just a moment ago, Yanxiang was looking for an opportunity to take revenge and intended to smash everything in the Yibaozhai. She immediately ran over happily like an obedient dog, having long forgotten about the hairpin.

"Maybe, who knows after so many lifetimes?" Shi Luo said casually.

Past lives and future lives are inherently different individuals, and often they deny each other's existence.

"If even Lord Shi Luo can't see through it, then who else can?" Sitting to the side, Xiao Que took out a handkerchief and wiped her master's mouth, whose eating manners were quite unsightly. This eating style was really a disgrace to his charming appearance. Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover!

"I don't have the time to know what story the person in that hairpin has, but since the girl can sense his memories, it can be said that she is destined to be with him."

"The story of a spirit without a body and an ordinary high school girl sounds like it should be a tragedy, doesn't it?" Yan Shang casually remarked, having been lying on the ground engrossed in a jigsaw puzzle without saying a word.

"Who knows?" Shi Luo remained indifferent.

"Is there anything you can be sure of? You always say you don't know!" Yanxiang mocked him while changing the plates. This man, who was praised as being as beautiful as her but more intelligent and rational, had seriously damaged his pride in his appearance, so he would take any opportunity to make sarcastic remarks.

Shi Luo gave a faint smile: "What I can confirm is that I'm opening my shop for business!"

"Ah, then we shall take our leave." Huaxu said, taking the lead in getting up. Yan Shang also clapped his hands and got up from the ground, intending to go back to the shop. Only Yan Xiang desperately clung to the octagonal table in an attempt to escape the shop owner's responsibilities, but Shi Luo grabbed her and threw her out.

"Hey, wait a minute, I haven't eaten yet..." As the wailing faded into the distance, the entire shop went dark in an instant. The beautiful shop owner sat quietly under the lamp and started stringing beads again.

"By the time you come back to me, you should have a clear idea of what price you're willing to pay. Until then, think carefully about what you're willing to give," he said lazily, then added, "Who knows!"

This is Pomeranian Market, a market selling the unbelievable, a market full of unknowns, and it's currently open for business.

Chapter Eighteen: Secret

Name: Jidu Gender: Male Age: Appearance: 25 or 26

Occupation: Master of Fine Arts Workshop Address: No. 3-5, Bomei East Street

"This way, gentlemen." The servant, dressed in a black fitted suit, bowed respectfully and made a standard gesture of invitation. His medium-length, golden, silky hair cascaded down, brushing past a pair of deep blue eyes, as clear as the sea. It was a simple gesture, yet it possessed an indescribable beauty. Moreover, what was even more astonishing was his elegant demeanor, reminiscent of a 17th-century courtier; his strong old-fashioned style made it hard to believe he lived in modern times.

As the Dusties uttered these words, they noticed another side of the servant. The young page, turning to lead the way, walked with graceful movements, yet the slight creaking sound was discordant and utterly unpleasant! Perhaps it was precisely because of this flaw in such a perfect creation that it was all the more intolerable. Madame Dusties couldn't help but frown, searching for the source of the sound. Wrists, elbows—it seemed every joint of the page creaked with his movements. What a strange phenomenon.

“I am a doll.” The handsome servant, perhaps used to the guests’ curiosity, turned his head and gave them a very comforting smile. “You see, my joints are made of steel.” He pressed a few times on a certain part of his wrist. First, the fair skin layer contracted and lifted to the side like a machine’s lid, then the clean titanium steel skeleton was revealed. The cold metallic texture and the dense red and blue pipes were hard to match with the rosy glow on his face. The Dusty couple were so surprised that they were speechless.

“I was made by the master, and so are all the servants here, including these flowers and grasses.” He restored his wrist to its original position, pointing to the blooming flowers and greenery in the small courtyard and the birds perched on the branches. The maids who were cleaning the courtyard stopped what they were doing when they heard his words and smiled as they bowed to the Dusty couple.

"This is simply unbelievable!" Mr. Dusty exclaimed, impulsively taking the servant's hands and examining them closely, then reaching out to check his breath and heartbeat. Warm breath sprayed on his fingers, slightly damp, and the heartbeat was quite regular. The skin felt no different from that of a real person, and no signs of life could be connected to the doll mentioned earlier.

“By installing a self-frequency vibrator inside the chest cavity and using a breathing device that simulates skin and a water circulation system, the doll can be made to look just like a real person.” The attendant smiled, knowing that Mr. Dusty had doubted his words. “The master has instructed that we must not overstep the bounds of propriety, so I’m sorry that we cannot do things like removing heads as seen on TV. That is not allowed in the rules of the Fine Arts Workshop.”