Mo Xiaoji suddenly sat up, lifted her bedding, revealing a dark hole. She crawled into it and then carefully arranged her bedding so that no one would notice she had gone through it.
The tunnel was dug by her and Hao Lianyue, convenient for the two of them to meet.
Besides picking her up and dropping her off from work, her grandmother did not allow her to meet Hao Lianyue. She didn’t know why, but she believed her brother Yue knew the reason and never wanted to tell her. As he said, even if she knew, it would only harm her and bring no benefit.
Hao Lianyue’s home was east of Mo Xiaoji’s. Carefully crossing a row of pine trees – being cautious of branches that could scratch and potentially endanger her life – Mo Xiaoji, now familiar with this path, quickly reached Hao Lianyue’s backyard.
The house was lit, and just as Mo Xiaoji was about to enter, she heard an argument inside. It was her brother Yue’s voice: “You cannot treat Xiaoji like this. How can you treat her this way? Wasn’t she raised by you? And now you’re treating her like this, you’re simply…” The rest of the words became inaudible, with only her brother Yue’s grief-stricken angry roar remaining.
Mo Xiaoji stood stunned, not daring to enter. She vaguely sensed an inexplicable chill and fear.
Uncle Hao walked out of the house with an iron-blue face. Mo Xiaoji quickly hid behind a locust tree, and fortunately, Uncle Hao was distracted and didn’t notice her.
Weird
Mo Xiaoji was about to turn back home when Hao Lianyue rushed out, seeing Mo Xiaoji standing frozen under the locust tree, her face full of fear. Hao Lianyue opened his mouth to say something but ultimately said nothing, instead reaching out to grab Mo Xiaoji’s hand and running towards the village outskirts.
Mo Xiaoji ran in panic, following Hao Lianyue’s pace. Sweat beaded on Hao Lianyue’s forehead, his fear even more intense than hers.
“Brother Yue, where are we going?” Mo Xiaoji asked.
She heard Hao Lianyue’s breathing becoming heavier, his steps faster.
In the dim forest, the owl’s cries became more and more mournful. As they approached the village entrance, under the torch’s light, they could clearly see Chong Yun and Uncle Hao sitting on wooden stakes, wiping knives, with grandmother nearby. Mo Xiaoji now sensed something was wrong.
Hao Lianyue suddenly pulled Mo Xiaoji and ran west.
“Brother Yue!” Mo Xiaoji struggled.
The western forest was a taboo in the village, a place where no one was allowed to enter. Had her brother Yue forgotten?
Hao Lianyue ignored Mo Xiaoji’s struggles, his eyes dark, fear slowly spreading through his body, his palms wet with sweat.
Entering the western forest, Hao Lianyue dragged Mo Xiaoji left and right. Forest branches whipped their faces, causing Mo Xiaoji to grimace, but Hao Lianyue seemed unfeeling, his handsome face looking even more gloomy.
Mo Xiaoji knew this forest. Legend said a young prince was buried here, who was so handsome that women of that generation considered it an honor to be his wife or concubine. Unfortunately, he had only married two wives before dying.
These stories weren’t from her grandmother but overheard from classmates at school.
Some said the prince was buried in their village, and this was the place most strictly guarded by her grandmother and the uncles – she could vaguely guess this might be the prince’s tomb.
Hao Lianyue stopped, hiding Mo Xiaoji in a bush, his long fingers gripping her shoulders tightly, his face pale: “Xiaoji, I’ll go check. Don’t come out until I return, understand?”
Strange Cave
Mo Xiaoji helplessly nodded.
Hao Lianyue turned and disappeared into the forest.
Mo Xiaoji began to regret not moving out of the village. She knew many strange things had happened here – like how all her childhood playmates had gradually disappeared.
Like Hao Lianyue’s mother, that gentle woman who had been kindest to Mo Xiaoji in childhood, had vanished from her memories.
Mo Xiaoji recalled many incredible things, becoming increasingly uneasy.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly. A thin crescent moon hung in the sky, but the forest remained dark and terrifying. Mo Xiaoji heard her own intermittent breathing. She hoped her brother Yue would return quickly, feeling the surroundings becoming more and more frightening.
A branch moved, and Mo Xiaoji’s heart leaped, thinking it was her brother Yue. Just as she was about to emerge from the bushes, she saw Uncle Hao carrying a torch, followed by her grandmother and several village uncles.
Grandma’s face, illuminated by the torchlight, was grotesque and terrifying. Mo Xiaoji felt truly strange about her grandmother for the first time.
Mo Xiaoji covered her mouth in terror, watching them approach, carefully inching backward.
Uncle Hao Lian inserted the torch into a tree branch at the intersection, stopped, and looked at Grandma with utmost respect: “If the calculation is not wrong, it should be tomorrow!”
Grandma closed her eyes, leaning on her cane and looking at the crescent moon in the night sky, her voice chillingly cold: “Soon, soon, hehehe”
Grandma’s sharp laughter was more terrifying than an owl’s cry in the dark.
Mo Xiaoji involuntarily took another step back, but her foot stepped into empty space. She frantically reached out to grab something, and a handful of grass rolled with her into the pitch-black hole behind her.
Before falling, Mo Xiaoji heard Uncle Hao Lian’s angry shout: “Who is it” but then everything fell into darkness.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Mo Xiaoji touched her dizzy head and barely opened her eyes.
She could see a small patch of gray sky and a pale crescent moon.
This was an open mountain cave, at least three to four meters deep. Mo Xiaoji touched the walls, all stone, smooth beyond climbing.
Dream
Mo Xiaoji was deeply frustrated, wondering if Brother Yu had come looking for her, worried he might be anxious. She sighed, not knowing how to get out, unsure what Grandma and Uncle Hao Lian had meant. Could it be related to her? Otherwise, why would Brother Yu be so eager to hide her?
Mo Xiaoji recalled her childhood playmates who had disappeared one by one on a morning, leaving only Brother Yu and herself.
Mo Xiaoji sighed; everything was a mystery to her.
Mo Xiaoji raised her little face; perhaps she could only rely on herself.
Mo Xiaoji began feeling along the walls. Something sticky and foul-smelling made her stomach churn, but she endured, slowly exploring, hoping there were no snakes.
Feeling around, she discovered a small button on a protruding stone. When she gently pressed it, there was a sudden loud noise that startled her.
The wall parted, revealing a strange tunnel with still-burning torches, indicating someone had been here recently.
Mo Xiaoji took a deep breath and bravely entered the tunnel. It was damp and cold, with a faint wind blowing from somewhere. The deeper she went, the colder it became, making her thin clothes tremble.
At the tunnel’s end were stairs leading up to a black iron door that looked old, though its handle was polished bright.
Mo Xiaoji grabbed the handle and pushed with all her might to open the door.
When she did, she was completely stunned.
Pavilions, steep rockeries, small bridges, flowing water, and green bamboo groves swaying in the wind.
Mo Xiaoji was like Cinderella fallen into a dream, staring blankly at everything.
Five shimmering blue pearls were embedded in the elaborate wall paintings, surrounding a massive, brilliant white pearl that illuminated the enormous cave like daylight.
Crossing the bridge, Mo Xiaoji noticed the flowing liquid was mercury, remembering its toxicity in enclosed spaces, and quickly covered her nose.
Bizarre Beauty
