Chapter 203: Soul Summoning
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
"Do you know anything about that female college student? For example... her name?" Xi Mo couldn't help but ask.
She really wanted to know.
It felt like there was a voice in her heart, urging her in a hurry.
Xi Ji sized Xi Mo up, silent for a moment , but his gaze revealed a complex and unfathomable depth.
After a while, Xi Ji said in a low voice, "I don't know."
Xi Mo could hardly hide her disappointment and sighed. However, she quickly realized that she was in front of Xi Ji, and it wasn't appropriate for her to show it so obviously, so she quickly composed herself.
"Are you really interested in this case?" Xi Ji asked her.
Xi Mo nodded: "Yes."
"Why?" Xi Ji's face didn't show much emotion. When he was serious, he always exuded a sense of pressure. Maybe this was also why Xi Mo used to be afraid to talk with him.
"...Curious." Xi Mo lied.
Compared to a certain worry that was being magnified infinitely at this moment, perhaps her so-called curiosity was insignificant. She was worried about the female college student, worried about her safety, even worried about everything about her, if her deepest guess was correct.
Xi Ji glanced at Xi Mo, then turned away without asking any more questions. He turned around and continued picking the cultivated flowers. The greenhouse suddenly fell silent again, and the atmosphere was inexplicably heavy. Seeing this, Xi Mo refrained from asking any further questions.
After a while, Xi Ji had prepared two different bouquets, both beloved by Jian Yuan. Xi Ji walked up to Xi Mo and said, "Let's go see your mother."
Xi Mo's eyes dimmed, and she nodded.
Ruan Yesheng bought a batch of New Year's supplies online and then got busy. Not long after cleaning, she received a call from Feng Tangtang. Feng Tangtang knew that Ruan Yesheng always spent the New Year alone at home, always lonely. But Feng Tangtang grew up with her mother. Every New Year's Eve she would always go back to her mother's old house to keep her company, so she couldn't spend New Year's Eve with Ruan Yesheng. Therefore, she would always call on New Year's Eve.
Ruan Yesheng stopped what she was doing and chatted with Feng Tangtang for a while. Feng Tangtang said, “I will come see you on the first day.”
"I think it's the second day of the Lunar New Year, Tangtang." Ruan Yesheng thought that Xi Mo would come to her house on the first day so she said, "I'll come to your house for lunch."
"Okay." Feng Tangtang said expectantly, "We'll prepare a few more of your favorite dishes."
After calling Feng Tangtang, Ruan Yesheng sent a message to Yan Tinghuan, but Yan Tinghuan didn't reply, probably because there was no signal. Then the New Year goods arrived one after another at the door. Ruan Yesheng arranged them one by one. Tomorrow Xi Mo will come. She hoped the home would have more New Year feeling.
Around noon, Shen Qingbie also video called.
"Just woke up?" Ruan Yesheng asked with a smile.
Shen Qingbie, with her messy long hair and still somewhat sleepy eyes, said, "More or less. But shouldn't you be touched? The first thing I did when I woke up was to video chat with you, without even eating."
"You haven't even eaten?" Ruan Yesheng said, "It is indeed a great sacrifice, and I’m very moved."
Shen Qingbie rubbed her stomach, muttering with some regret, "My aunt's cooking is so delicious, I'm almost stuffed when I got home."
Seeing that she loved to eat so much, but hadn't been able to eat well much throughout the year because of her figure, Ruan Yesheng comforted her, saying, "It's not wrong to eat well during the New Year, just don't overeat or you'll ruin your health. Remember to exercise too, otherwise you'll regret it when you go back to work after the New Year, and you'll have to spend even more time and energy to lose weight again."
"I know, I know." Shen Qingbie immediately beamed with joy: "I love hearing you tell me these things, Ruanruan. Now that no one's telling me what to do, I'm so happy that you're telling me what to do. Say more. It would be best if you scolded me a few more times when I'm not controlling my diet."
"...Is something wrong with you?" Ruan Yesheng was speechless.
"I'm fine."
Ruan Yesheng wanted to ask about how things were going with Yu An and her. It was New Year's Eve, and she wondered if Yu An had contacted Shen Qingbie. But after thinking about it, she felt it wasn't appropriate, so she didn't ask.
Shen Qingbie talked a lot, once she started talking, she couldn't stop. Ruan Yesheng had no choice but to say, "I have to go clean, otherwise I won't be able to finish cleaning today."
“Go clean. It’s fine.” Shen Qingbie brought water. “Put your phone up. I will watch you clean live. We can still chat.”
Ruan Yesheng: "..."
"Go get a phone stand." Shen Qingbie said with a serious expression.
“…I must have done something terrible in my past life.” Ruan Yesheng said, taking a stand to support the phone and pointing the camera at herself. While wiping the ornaments on the table, she said, “Is this alright, My lord?”
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
“This angle is quite good.” Shen Qingbie nodded and said, “Why aren’t you wearing an apron? It would be best if you also wear a hat, like the ones on TV. Oh, an British style would be nice.”
"My lord, I'm cleaning my own house, not doing cosplay."
"That vase on your desk is quite pretty; you haven't cleaned it yet."
"I haven't finished wiping the others yet, I'll do them one by one."
“Did you buy Spring Festival couplets*?”
*A pair of poetry lines inscribed with black or gold calligraphy on vertical, red paper banners, traditionally placed on either side of doorways to welcome the Chinese New Year with wishes for luck, prosperity, and happiness.
"I bought them."
"So, did you hang them up?"
"Not yet."
“Then hang them. Let me see.”
"I'll hang up."
“Didn’t you say not yet?”
"I said I was going to hang up the call."
"No, Ruanruan! Don't hang up, don't hang up, talk to me a little longer!"
Despite saying that, Ruan Yesheng didn't hang up in the end. Meanwhile, the "Shanghai Sisters…" group became lively, sending New Year's Eve greetings. Lin Tingshuang even posted a photo of herself with a cat. She was sitting in a wheelchair, and the bandaged cat was quietly nestled on her lap. Needless to say, it was a photo taken by Lin Tingyu.
Ruan Yesheng looked while working, and saw it was about the cat that Lin Tingyu had rescued when they met with her in Beijing.
Lin Tingshuang looked very happy and sent a message saying, "This is the cat that A’Ting gave me. I named her 'A’Ting'. When A’Ting is not around, 'A’Ting' can stay at home with me."
Lin Tingyu said, "Mm, good cat."
Feeling bored, Cui Jiayu retorted, "When you call 'A’Ting,' can the cat tell whether you're calling her or Lin Tingyu?"
Lin Ting Shuang said, “The cat and A’Ting are smart. Of course they know. But Jiajia, you may not know. Come to our home to play and you will know.”
Lin Tingyu: "Mm, A’Shuang is smart too."
One could practically see Cui Jiayu roll her eyes in chat. “Why should I go to your home?”
Shen Qingbie also chatted. But she was distracted. She checked the messages again and again. After checking, she felt disappointed. Then she did not want to look. Again and again. Ruan Yesheng saw from the video. She knew she was waiting for Yu An. But Yu An did not appear.
Not only Yu An, Xi Mo also did not appear.
"Ruanruan, where is Xi Mo?" Shen Qingbie asked, but her expression seemed to indicate that she wasn't only asking about Xi Mo, but also about something else.
“She has family matters to attend to,” Ruan Yesheng replied, thinking that Xi Mo should already be visiting Jian Yuan.
…
At Jian Yuan's grave, Xi Mo, dressed in a black coat, stepped forward to offer flowers to Jian Yuan.
"Happy Lunar New Year's Eve, Mom," Xi Mo said softly, looking at the photo on Jian Yuan's grave.
The biting winter wind whipped at her clothes and hair, and the corners of her eyes were red from the cold, as if she had just cried.
Xi Ji knelt on one knee and carefully placed the pastries and fruits offerings. Some of the food was freshly made and well-insulated, still steaming. After arranging the offerings, Xi Ji presented flowers to Jian Yuan, remaining silent throughout.
Xi Mo took a few steps back and stood to the side.
Xi Ji stroked the gravestone and whispered, "Happy New Year's Eve. It's New Year again, A’Yuan. I... I've wasted another year. I'm sorry. I still haven't been able to do it after all these years. Wait for me a little longer."
Although the voice was very low, Xi Mo still heard it, but she didn't say anything.
Gradually, as time went by, Shen Qingbie in the video also got tired. She covered her yawn and said to Ruan Yesheng, "Ruanruan, you really know how to keep busy. You haven't even taken a break. I'm going to sleep for a while."
"Okay, I'll send you red envelope later."
Shen Qingbie smiled. “There is still red envelope.”
Ruan Yesheng said, "Thank you. My house is quite lively with you here."
“Are you saying I talk too much?”
“How could I?”
“Then I'll send you a red envelope too, and I'll also give you tips for watching your live stream of cleaning the house."
Ruan Yesheng smiled and said, "Thank you, My lord. You've gone to a lot of trouble."
After the call ended, the room became quiet. Ruan Yesheng transferred her New Year's money and received a return gift from Shen Qingbie. Shen Qingbie was too sleepy to reply to any more messages, and the "Shanghai Sisters…" gradually quieted down.
Ruan Yesheng stopped tidying up, took off her gloves, and walked slowly to the sofa and sat down.
At that moment, she could hear her breathing, like a small sigh.
After the noises she became a quiet beach where the tide had receded.
Ruan Yesheng closed her eyes until she heard a message notification. She picked up her phone, glanced at it, and immediately sat up straight.
"What are you doing?" Xi Mo asked her.
Ruan Yesheng slowly exhaled and smiled as she looked at her phone screen.
The tide receded, but the ocean left her with precious gifts, accompanying her.
"Nothing much, just resting," Ruan Yesheng replied. "And you?"
“Nothing, just messaging you. What will you cook tonight?”
The conversation wasn't anything important, and it was even a bit mundane but Ruan Yesheng replied with great interest, telling her about her plans. After chatting for a while, Xi Mo had something to do, so the conversation ended again.
It wasn't until late at night, after Xi Mo had her New Year's Eve dinner at the manor, that Xi Ji suddenly asked her to go to the study with him. He took out a stack of documents from the safe and handed them to her.
Xi Mo stared at the stack of documents in Xi Ji's hand, frozen in place. Her thoughts seemed to freeze for a moment. Xi Ji didn't say anything, but Xi Mo's intuition told her that the documents might be about something, and she didn't dare to take them.
"Aren't you curious?" Xi Ji said, "About the case at the Xiao Hui Ling Landfill."
Xi Mo tried hard to control the turmoil in her heart and took the documents, flipping through them one by one.
As time passed, her expression grew increasingly somber.
"Why did you go looking for such detailed information?" Xi Mo asked why he went looking for it, not why he had it.
In her view, given Xi Ji's abilities and methods, collecting this information wouldn't have been difficult. What was strange was why Xi Ji was interested in this case. Xi Ji wasn't one to waste time; if this case hadn't been so important to him, he would never have collected such comprehensive information and stored it in such a secure place.
“I’m curious too,” Xi Ji said ambiguously.
Xi Mo knew she wouldn't get any more information, so she could only focus on continuing to watch.
The body unearthed from the Xiao Hui Ling Landfill was that of a middle-aged man named Yan Biechun, an associate professor of biology from Shanghai. When the police arrived at the scene, the body was already unrecognizable; some internal organs and half an arm were missing, a truly gruesome death. Several photographs were also included, each one shocking. Xi Ji must have pulled some strings to obtain such confidential photos.
“…Yan Biechun.” Xi Mo murmured to himself, feeling as if she had seen the name somewhere before, but the memory was vague.
Further investigation revealed the family information of the deceased, Yan Biechun.
Yan Biechun's wife was named Ruan Xijian.
...Ruan Xijian.
Xi Mo's heart skipped a beat, she immediately went to check if Yan Biechun and Ruan Xijian had any children.
However, there is no relevant information.
Either they genuinely have no children, or the police or those storing the data are deliberately erasing information about their children, and the most likely reason for doing so is for protection.
Xi Mo's heart pounded faster and faster. She turned to the next page of the document, which contained detailed information about Ruan Xijian.
It says that Ruan Xijian was also a biology professor and had made great achievements in the field of related research, but she has disappeared.
The year she disappeared coincided with the year Ruan Yesheng withdrew from the entertainment industry. Yan Biechun's body was also discovered in that same year.
…
After washing the dishes in the kitchen, Ruan Yesheng turned on the television. She didn't watch, just wanted to listen to the sound, hoping it would bring a little warmth and life to the house. She went to the study, opened a drawer in one of the cabinets, and took out a photo from the bottom.
Most of the photo is dark and the image quality is poor, suggesting it was taken hastily. A person's hand is visible in the upper right corner, which is likely the subject the photographer wanted to capture, but the image is severely skewed, possibly due to the photographer's panic.
But the blurry record only made the hand seem more eerie. Against the contrast of the surrounding blackness, the hand was so white it looked almost unnatural, and the finger joints appeared to be twisted and protruding.
Knock.
A hand knocked on the door.
Ruan Yesheng suddenly snapped out of her daze when she heard a knock on the door.
Knock knock knock knock.
The knocking sounded again, as if summoning a soul.
Ruan Yesheng quickly put away the photos and ran to the entrance. The knocking stopped, and Ruan Yesheng felt a sudden panic. She went to the CCTV screen and looked at it. There was indeed a person standing at the door, his head down, carrying several bags.
“…Who is it?” Ruan Yesheng asked in a low voice.
The person said: “Delivery. You ordered New Year dinner.”
“I didn’t.” Ruan Yesheng said.
Upon hearing this, the person looked down at their phone and apologized, saying, " “Sorry, wrong floor, sorry for disturbing you."
After saying that, the man walked away.
Author's Note:
The new year is almost here, Happy New Year!
