Feng Shui

Chapitre 37

"Sister, look at me." I moved my face closer to her.

"What are you looking at?" my cousin asked, puzzled, then exclaimed in surprise, "Qin, your skin is so good! No matter how many skincare products I use, it's never as good as yours! How do you take care of it?"

"Sister..." I said helplessly, "I asked you to look at my face, not my skin."

"You can see the problem with the skin just by looking at the face..." My cousin Xiaoqiu obviously didn't understand what I meant and kept harping on about skin care.

"Sigh... Don't you find it strange? Although Luo Lin and I are relatives, we're not really that close blood relatives..." I remembered my father vaguely mentioning before that he wasn't a direct descendant of the Luo family's main branch, so he didn't want to have close ties with them. In fact, as I've grown up, it seems my father has completely severed ties with the main family. Although I don't know the reason, I understood perfectly well, even as a child, that my father didn't have a good impression of the Luo family. If it weren't for my uncle Jin Cai's family being a distant branch family, perhaps my father wouldn't have allowed me to associate with my cousin Xiao Qiu, let alone stay at their house.

"Yes, your relationship can be the foundation for your relationship to progress. Think about it, if you are close relatives, you can't get married, and if you are too far apart, you may not have many opportunities to meet."

I sighed. It seemed that my cousin Xiaoqiu wasn't listening to what I was saying; she was determined to pair me up with Luolin no matter what.

"That's impossible, cousin. How could I fall for someone who looks exactly like me?"

"But Luo Lin is a nice guy, he's refined and a good person. I even saw him helping Uncle Zhang clean the kitchen yesterday! Huh? What did you just say?"

"I said he looks exactly like me. It's really strange. I've never seen anyone who looks so much like me before, but Luo Lin just happened to appear in front of me."

"Exactly the same?" Cousin Xiaoqiu murmured, repeatedly pondering the two words, seemingly unable to grasp their meaning.

"Yeah, Luo Lin and I really do look alike, could we be twins?" I couldn't help but joke.

“Luo Lin doesn’t look like you at all!” My cousin looked at me strangely.

"How could it not look like him? When I first saw him, I thought I was looking in a mirror."

"Girl, you haven't even lost the ability to recognize faces, have you?" Uncle Jin's voice boomed in from outside the door. He came into the room, immediately touched my forehead, and then pointed to himself, asking, "Who am I?"

"Jin Cai's uncle Ai"

"And what about her?" Uncle asked, pointing to his cousin Xiaoqiu.

"Cousin Xiaoqiu."

Do we look alike?

I thought for a moment: "My cousin Xiaoqiu has an oval face, and my uncle has a square face. My cousin Xiaoqiu has double eyelids, and so does my uncle, but his double eyelids are deeper..."

"Aren't you able to distinguish between people?" My uncle looked at me strangely.

"What's the meaning?"

“Luo Lin has a long face, while you have an oval face. His nose is more prominent than yours, his eyes are bigger and more expressive, and he also has dimples…”

The more I listened, the more confused I became. How could Luo Lin look like this? Luo Lin clearly has the same oval face as me, a not-so-straight nose, not-so-big eyes, and a dimple, well, I could barely count one. Besides, we're looking at the same person, there's no reason why the appearances would be so different, especially with my cousin Xiao Qiu there too. But, judging from her expression, she seems to agree with my uncle's words.

I looked back and forth between the two of them, puzzled. Could it be that my uncle and I weren't seeing the same Luo Lin? That's ridiculous! It's not like there are two Luo Lins.

Wait… I suddenly remembered. Two Luo Lins, I definitely saw two Luo Lins, but they looked exactly the same, two people who looked exactly like me.

I suddenly found myself in an indescribable predicament. Was there something wrong with my eyes, or with my mind? Was what my uncle and the others saw correct, or was what I saw the truth?

I suddenly remembered that my father once told me that my eyes... weren't good-looking.

I think I must be dreaming, otherwise I wouldn't see myself lying on the bed, fast asleep. My cousin Xiaoqiu smiled gently as she covered me with a light blanket, and then left the room with my uncle Jincai.

"The girl has been sleeping a lot lately."

"It's probably because summer is coming soon."

They talked about me as I walked past, but no one noticed me.

I was dreaming, but it was a dream I knew I was dreaming! I suddenly felt a surge of excitement and reached for the teacup on the table. The teacup passed right through my hand, as if I were air—this was a real dream! I jumped up, and then I moved on to my next experiment, to try that… When the ancient, vermilion-lacquered door before me vanished like a floating ball of light, I had already passed through it and was standing on the veranda. I looked myself over, then couldn't help but laugh out loud. What an interesting dream!

Humming a little tune, I strolled slowly along the covered walkway. Based on my afternoon nap log, I guessed this dream wouldn't end too soon, so I had plenty of time to wander around and see what my uncles and aunts were doing while I was sleeping. They'd be shocked if I told them when I woke up! This mischievous thought made me feel quite giddy.

Turning left along the veranda, after three more rooms, I reached my cousin Xiaoqiu's bedroom. The wooden door was half-open, and I peeked inside. I saw my cousin Xiaoqiu, dressed in light clothing, sitting at her desk, busy with something. An old-fashioned floor fan creaked beside her, blowing cool breezes from its slightly rusty cover. To preserve the original charm of the old house, my uncle's house didn't have air conditioning, but fortunately, the old house was naturally cool and humid, so even on the hottest days, the fan was sufficient. I walked over to my cousin Xiaoqiu; she was holding two notebooks, calculating something, her slender fingers moving rapidly across the computer screen. She was probably checking the hotel's accounts. After watching for a while, I grew bored and was about to leave when I suddenly noticed a photograph on her bedside table.

I had never seen this photo before, and I couldn't help but look at it with curiosity. The color photo showed my cousin with a young man. My cousin was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt and a white long skirt. Her long, black hair was loosely tied back with a silk scarf and hung down to her chest, making her look exceptionally serene. The man next to her was wearing a smart white shirt, but the collar was not buttoned up properly. Instead, it was open all the way to his chest, revealing his healthy tanned skin and a silver necklace. The necklace had an intricate interlocking clasp, with two rings with silver totems hanging at the bottom. The man was very handsome, and although he wore old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses, it was hard to hide the sharpness that emanated from within. The two were close together, smiling at the camera.

Who is this? My cousin's boyfriend? The bottom of the photo has the date March 21, 1995 printed on it, so it should have been taken when my cousin was a sophomore in college. But why has my cousin never mentioned this person, and why has she never taken out this photo before?

"Now that you've followed me, stop hiding." My cousin's voice suddenly rang out, startling me. Had my cousin discovered me?

"Um... cousin, I just..." I frantically tried to explain something, but I didn't know how to explain it properly.

"What's going on between you and me is only between the two of us. I hope you won't involve anyone else..." My cousin's voice was full of authority, yet deep down there was an indescribable fear. This was the true emotion of my cousin that only I could hear.

From childhood, my cousin Xiaoqiu was always the child adults trusted most, remaining calm especially in dangerous situations. When we were little, playing in our hometown, Xiaoqiu and I, along with a group of other children, got lost in the mountains. It was Xiaoqiu who displayed a maturity and composure beyond her years, leading a group of crying children to find shelter and signal for help until the adults found us. After everyone was rescued, I clearly remember that Xiaoqiu, who had always been so charismatic and had never shown any weakness during the ordeal, cried for an entire day. I cried with her until we were both exhausted and finally fell asleep. From that moment on, I, who had become estranged from all my relatives, considered Xiaoqiu my true sister. Unfortunately, after that brief reunion, my father severed ties with all our relatives and moved to Mozhen, where we now live. It wasn't until I unexpectedly met my uncle at my high school opening ceremony that I reconnected with Xiaoqiu's family.

"Flame Storm, come out here." Cousin Xiaoqiu stood up and called out towards the door.

"Flame Hurricane? Wasn't she calling me?" I followed my cousin's gaze to the door. But there was no one there. Who did my cousin see?

After a moment's hesitation, my cousin, as if she had made up her mind, strode towards the door, flung it open, and peered outside. The veranda was deserted in the afternoon; not a soul was in sight. Only playful sparrows excitedly hopped about, pecking at the grass seeds that had fallen between the bluestone bricks. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tiles, and the surroundings were quiet and peaceful.

"Am I overthinking it?" My cousin sighed, slowly walked back, and resumed processing the accounts.

****

Who is Flamestorm? Is he the man in the photo? Why is my cousin so afraid of him?

As I pondered leaving my cousin's room, I unknowingly wandered around to the pond behind the main house. The pond, though not large, was surprisingly deep. Just in case, my uncle had erected a warning wooden sign and added a pebble railing around the edge, leaving only one step for people to descend.

"Well, that woman's situation is more than just a little trouble. If I were you, I wouldn't bother with it."

Just as I was about to sit down and sort out my chaotic thoughts, I suddenly heard someone's voice. The voice was full of mockery, yet it inexplicably sent chills down my spine. Hearing that voice, I felt the hairs on my body stand on end for some reason, and I instinctively turned to leave.

"I wouldn't have reminded her if it weren't for the fact that we're relatives. Besides that, I won't interfere any further."

Was that annoying Luo Lin? Recognizing the voice, I stopped in my tracks. Who was he talking to? Was the reminder referring to what he'd reminded me of last night? And what was this troublesome matter?

"Heh, you said it yourself. If you cause me any more trouble this time, I won't help you anymore. I'm not your servant."

"No matter how unwilling you are, we are now in the same boat, neither of us can escape."

"It's all your damn grandfather's fault! Why did he have to make those kinds of talismans..."

Grandpa? What did Grandpa do? I tiptoed over and peered into the bushes in the direction of the sound. Through the gaps in the foliage, I saw Luo Lin's profile. It really was him! I thought angrily, who knows what he's up to hiding here. Then, who's the other person? I turned my head, trying to see the other person in the conversation more clearly.

"No matter how much you curse, it won't help. The facts are right in front of you, and you have to accept reality."

"I just can't swallow this insult. Back in the day, I was so powerful in the demon realm. I didn't care about vengeful spirits of that level, or even the most powerful demons!"

"Your tone back then sounds just like those down-on-their-luck bandits!"

"you……"

A vengeful spirit? A monster! I suddenly shuddered, slipped, and fell to the ground.

"Someone's there!" Two voices rang out simultaneously. I heard a rustling sound from behind the bushes, as if someone had hurriedly stood up. I couldn't let them see me! With a surge of strength I don't know where I got from, ignoring my sore backside, I scrambled to my feet and ran far away…

After running quite far, I remembered something. In the instant I fled, I inadvertently caught a glimpse of the pursuer. There were two voices, but only Luo Lin's.

"Ah—" I woke up with a start, panting heavily, my face covered in cold sweat.

The sun had already set, its eerie reddish-orange rays streaming through the carved wooden door's latticework, tracing strange and intricate patterns on the dim bluestone floor. I looked around blankly, my gaze falling upon familiar scenes: the gray mosquito net on the bed, the brown washbasin stand in the corner, the mahogany chair by the window, a row of ants scurrying about on the bluestone floor, and my thin blanket crumpled into a ball beside me—everything clearly proclaiming that I was still in my familiar bedroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief, then remembered to bend down to pick up my blanket. However, when my hand touched the soft object, a sudden pain made me reflexively drop the blanket. I withdrew my hand in alarm and found clear abrasions on my palms. Black dirt and dark red congealed blood were clearly intertwined in the middle of my palms. Both of my palms were inexplicably scraped. When did this happen? I thought frantically, "It was right after I ate dinner, and my hands were perfectly fine." Just then, the old-fashioned grandfather clock in the cupboard chimed, one, two, three, four… exactly seven chimes!

"Hey, Qin girl, you finally got up!" Uncle Zhang, the head chef, exclaimed as soon as he saw me. His chubby, round face was full of kindness. "Uncle saved dinner for you. Come and sit down, Uncle will heat it up for you."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhang." I sat down awkwardly on a chair, and my hand accidentally touched something hard, causing another excruciating pain.

"Ouch!" I couldn't help but exclaim.

"What's wrong, little girl?" Uncle Zhang turned to look at me. "Hey? How come your palms are all chafed? Go put some mercurochrome on them after you eat."

"N-nothing...it's nothing, sir." I adjusted the band-aid, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, sir, did you see me anywhere this afternoon?"

"Huh?" Uncle Zhang chuckled in surprise, somewhat bewildered. "Weren't you taking a nap in your room all afternoon?"

"Uh...I..." I stammered, unsure how to answer. I couldn't very well say that I suspected I had a sleepwalking problem.

“I heard from Miss that you didn’t sleep well this afternoon. When she went to call you for dinner, you broke out in a cold sweat as if you were having a nightmare.” Uncle Zhang brought me a plate of shredded bamboo shoots and diced pork, a plate of baby bok choy in broth, and a plate of pickled chicken. “Eat up.”

"Hmm." I took the bowl and chopsticks, rummaged through them haphazardly, and my gaze drifted into the distance.

The town is quiet at night, with the air carrying the cool scent of the river and the fragrance of summer flowers flowing gently around. In the distance, you can hear the music of a theatrical troupe coming from the waterside pavilion. As one of the tourist attractions, the town has a theatrical troupe performing various folk arts all year round. The high-pitched and indignant female voice is carried on the evening breeze, sometimes intermittently. Tonight's piece seems to be "The Love Trial".

"A chilling wind howls, the dark moon shines without luster, tears of longing fill my eyes, now transformed into a sea of karmic retribution..." The female voice, filled with sorrow and indignation, drifted through the darkness, carrying a faint, unreal, almost otherworldly quality. With that fading voice, for some reason, images of ghosts hurrying through the night appeared before my eyes. Amidst the shadows, someone truly appeared before me: black hair, obsidian-like eyes, and a face exactly like mine.

Before I could even react, I frantically dropped my bowl and chopsticks and rushed out of the kitchen. I ran as fast as I could until I reached the backyard, where I firmly closed the sliding door, only then did I feel a little relieved. The intense running resulted in my heart pounding like a drum in my ears, and my stomach, which I had just eaten, began to cramp painfully. I had to bend over in agony, the spasms intensely stimulating my nerves; I felt nauseous!

"Qin, what's wrong?" My cousin's voice suddenly rang in my ears. I looked up and saw my cousin, wearing a thin summer dress and with her long black hair flowing down her back, looking at me with concern under the blue night sky. She had a pleasant scent emanating from her, and suddenly, I found my heart calmed down.

"I'm fine now," I replied to my cousin somewhat embarrassed. I didn't even know why, but I was so terrified of Luo Lin that I ran all the way out of the kitchen. I just couldn't bring myself to tell my cousin about this inexplicable thing. Come to think of it, ever since Luo Lin and his mother came, a lot of strange things seem to have happened around me. Why is that?

My cousin was busy cutting watermelon at the table, while I wandered aimlessly around her room. Her room was slightly smaller than mine, but simply and warmly furnished. A mahogany desk stood by the window, upon which lay the Four Treasures of the Study (brush, ink, paper, and inkstone). For my cousin, who had received years of traditional education, those brushes and inkstones weren't just decorations; she was a national calligraphy champion and truly skilled in calligraphy. On the other side of the desk were several thick stacks of books. I picked one up and flipped through it—it was about economics. My cousin majored in folklore and minored in classical Chinese in university, but since taking over the hotel, she had intentionally chosen to study economics. It was precisely because of her diligence and intelligence that my uncle's hotel gradually turned from loss to profit. Sometimes I couldn't help but think that if she had studied economics or trade from the beginning, perhaps one day she would have become a legendary figure in the business world.

I put down my book, and for some reason, my gaze was drawn to the things on my cousin's bedside table. As usual, a few books were stacked on the low wooden table, along with a lamp; nothing else. Something felt off! I walked over, touching this and that, puzzled.

"Qin, come and eat watermelon," my cousin called my name.

"Oh, okay." I left the low cabinet with some reluctance, took a few steps and then turned back to look. In the instant of lightning and thunder, something suddenly popped into my mind.

"Sister, wasn't there a photo here before?"

My cousin was startled, her hand slipped, and the copper basin fell to the ground with a deafening crash. It rolled back and forth for a while before finally coming to a stop, the icy well water flowing everywhere on the blue brick floor, mixed with remnants of watermelon.

"Sister?" I looked at my cousin Xiaoqiu in confusion, not understanding why she suddenly turned so pale and lost her composure.

"Uh...no...it's nothing." My cousin bent down a little awkwardly and picked up the basin. "I was just a little surprised."

Surprised? Because of my question?

"There was indeed a photo there before, but I've kept it for a long time," my cousin said vaguely, throwing the watermelon scraps into a basin and then getting a mop to clean the floor.

How did you know?

"I...I don't know either." I answered honestly, feeling that I had seen that photo on my cousin's bedside table at some point, but I just couldn't remember what it was about.

"Cousin, can you show me that photo?" I asked my cousin, mustering my courage. Deep down, I had a feeling, a voice inside me, that if I saw that photo, I might understand something.

“…Okay,” my cousin hesitated for a while before readily agreeing. After washing her hands, she opened the door of the floor-to-ceiling cabinet and took out an exquisite bronze box from the drawer inside. The box looked quite old, with delicate carvings of auspicious plants and cranes, and in the very center was a large peony, in full bloom, as if it were alive.

My cousin pushed the peony twice in the center, and it split in two, each half moving apart slightly—it turned out to be a slipknot. The copper box was lined with gold silk and cotton, and contained some old things. I recognized one of them as a birthday gift my cousin received when she was a child—a string of amber beads. At the bottom of the various small items was a slightly yellowed photograph.

"Here, this is it." My cousin handed it to me to look at.

In the yellowed photograph, my cousin's family and I, as a child, are posing together by the lotus pond. The date on the back is July 1986. That year, I was 6 years old and my cousin was 11.

Strange, this photo… I looked at it over and over again, but I just couldn't understand why it gave me such a deep sense of unease. Something's wrong! A voice in my head reminded me, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"What's wrong, Qin?" My cousin stroked my hair, her expression full of concern. "You look very tired."

"Hmm, it's probably because I didn't sleep well during my afternoon nap," I replied somewhat awkwardly. "Cousin, I'm going back to my room to sleep now."