At 7:00 AM, a bright yellow sun climbed into the sky, bathing the little village by the river in warm light.
In the fourth month of the lunar calendar, the height of summer blooms, the He family mansion's backyard was a riot of color. Soft, glutinous dianthus lined the cobblestone paths, and the lotus in the water jars awoke to unfold pale pink-and-white petals, their golden stamens exuding a faint sweet fragrance.
Several graceful pomegranate trees lounged at the path's entrance, their verdant crowns hiding fiery red buds, like clusters of miniature pomegranates. Fallen buds plopped into the small pond with gentle splashes.
The pond's surface lay both shattered and serene, reflecting a long-haired girl hurrying along the bank. Her expression was urgent, as if pressed for time.
Ye Miaozhu darted beneath the pomegranate trees and checked her phone again. A contact saved as "Yunqing" had sent several messages:
"I climbed out of the river."
"The water's freezing."
"Where are you?"
"I want to see you—come find me, I'm at…"
Ye Miaozhu had come in response to these messages, like a fish taking the bait. Even though Gu Yunqing had died before her eyes, and as a medical student she knew his heartbeat had stopped and his body was cold, seeing his familiar name on the screen compelled her to cling desperately to that sliver of hope.
Even knowing a ghost that stole identities lurked in this village, she risked her life for a hope that didn't exist.
A woman in love never reasons; such a creature is born at odds with seeking objective truth.
Ye Miaozhu hurried along the circular pebble path flanked by dianthus, her fluttering hem grazing the lotus jars. She skirted the backyard and reached the west side of the main house, checking her phone once more.
Following the messages' directions, she soon found the unlocked storage room. After several deep breaths, she nervously pushed the door open.
Inside, the dark, sealed room was unlit and windowless; even daytime left it pitch black. Morning light streamed in from the ajar door, dimly illuminating the floor at her feet.
She fully opened the door and called, "Yunqing? Are you in here?"
No reply.
Ye Miaozhu stepped forward, eyes sweeping the room by the faint light.
This dry, enclosed storeroom had bamboo-plank flooring raised off the ground to ward off moisture. Against the walls stood several shelves holding a young lady's possessions:
A length of red-and-gold woven sash fabric embroidered with twin wings in flight
A white jade bracelet in a brocade box, tinted with a streak of blood-red
A golden hairpin carved with twin lotus blossoms, housed in a sandalwood box
An intricately carved silver bridal crowning headdress depicting a hundred birds paying homage to a phoenix
A purpleheart wood dressing table facing the door, topped with a basin-sized copper mirror
Several camphorwood chests filled with clothing, exuding a camphor scent
These comprised most of the room's contents.
Ye Miaozhu crossed her arms and called again, "Yunqing? Are you really here?"
From the darkness came a low male voice.
"Just a few messages to lure you out?" A sharply dressed man stepped from behind the dressing table into the light—it was Zhang Yangxu. "I didn't expect you could be this stupid."
"It's you?" Ye Miaozhu ground her teeth in anger. She saw he held two phones—his own and Gu Yunqing's. "You used Yunqing's phone to fool me?!"
"Rather than fooled, you chose to believe that Yunqing must be alive," Zhang Yangxu said. "You wanted to believe—so anything from Yunqing's number you'd accept without question."
"I'd rather be fooled by him! That's my choice!"
After a moment, her anger eased, and she asked, "Fine. Why did you lure me here with Yunqing's phone?"
Zhang Yangxu chuckled and gestured around at the shelves. "To tell you I've found a way to leave Hejia Village and return to the real world."
"You?" Ye Miaozhu's doubt was plain. "I might believe that from Ning Zhe or Yunqing, but not you."
"Believe it or not, I'm only sharing what I know." He stepped to the shelves and lifted the embroidered sash. "This is fabric for a waist sash. By Qinzhou's feudal custom, a bride's wedding attire is cumbersome, so a sash is tied tightly around the waist to accentuate her figure. It's obsolete now."
But not in Hejia Village.
"What are you saying?" she snapped.
Zhang Yangxu set down the sash and smiled. "Look at the other items: the bracelet, hairpin, silver headdress… these are dowry items."
"Dowry?"
"Dowry," he nodded. "The lady of this house is getting married. I heard the servants say Miss He will wed in another village. The groom's party arrives tomorrow, and these are her bridal gifts."
"So?" Ye Miaozhu frowned.
"With the bride's household sending servants and attendants along, they'll depart tomorrow. If you sneak into the wedding procession, you can leave Hejia Village with them."
"Really? If I join the procession, I can get out?" Her confusion deepened.
"Really," he confirmed. "Follow the bridal party, and you can leave."
"I see…" Her gaze darkened. She did not ask where he learned this.
—If he was truthful, why not hide and leave with the procession himself? Why tell her?
The more she thought, the stranger it seemed. Where the ghosted messages had blinded her before, her clearer mind now questioned everything.
Studying Zhang Yangxu's congenial smile, an indescribable eeriness filled her.
She couldn't help asking again, "Are you sure? Following the bridal party will return me to the real world?"
He nodded. "Yes. Follow the bridal party, and you'll leave Hejia Village."
"You…" A chill ran up her spine. "I'll ask once more: following the bridal party takes you back to the real world?"
This time, Zhang Yangxu offered no answer. He stood silent, smiling serenely, lips curved.
Her fear solidified.
Suddenly she remembered something Ning Zhe had said:
[The rules remain silent, but never lie.]
"Answer me, Zhang Yangxu—why are you silent?" she clenched her teeth and enunciated each word. "Or are you not Zhang Yangxu? Are you a ghost?"
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild
Reference Glossary:
Fourth month of the lunar calendar – Traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar month corresponding to late spring/early summer, associated with seasonal festivals and agricultural marking.
Qinzhou's feudal custom – Regional traditional practice of elaborate wedding attire and ceremonial customs in the historical Qinzhou area.
Waist sash (yao feng) – A cloth sash worn around the waist to cinch bridal garments and emphasize the silhouette in traditional Chinese weddings.
Dowry – Property, gifts, or money brought by a bride's family to the husband upon marriage in traditional Chinese culture.
Wedding procession – The ceremonial entourage escorting the bride from her home to the groom's, following longstanding Chinese matrimonial rituals.