When Mei Qing returned to his residence, it was already the latter part of the afternoon. Although today’s affair had been handled simply, it still occupied him for most of the day.
As soon as he entered the main gate, he saw Old Zhang, the gatekeeper, shading his eyes and looking into the distance. Upon seeing Mei Qing, Old Zhang hurried forward and said, “Oh Master, where have you been? We waited for you all noon, but you didn’t come back. The steward even sent me to the teahouse to check, thinking you might have gone out with a few gentlemen.”
Mei Qing nodded and smiled, “Yes, I did have some business to attend to. I was too busy to inform you beforehand.”
As he spoke, he stepped inside. Following the small path paved with blue bricks, he passed through the front courtyard and turned into the back courtyard. Inside the gate, a small bamboo grove swayed gently, its leaves rustling softly in the breeze. Beside it stood a rockery and a small pond, making the winding path seem even more secluded and tranquil.
After walking a few steps, he heard a voice filled with surprise, “Oh my goodness, you finally came back. If you don’t return, at least send word next time, or else Miss Duoyun will scold me again for sure!”
Following the crisp, clear voice, a young girl wearing a pink jacket ran out from behind the bamboo grove. She grabbed Mei Qing’s hand and pulled him forward. The girl appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, her delicate features not yet fully matured, but already hinting at the beauty she would one day possess. However, her tone was playful and mischievous.
Mei Qing chuckled, “Five, don’t be silly. Miss Duoyun cares for you so much, how could she scold you?”
The girl, named Five, wrinkled her nose and replied, “Of course Miss Duoyun cares for me, but not as much as she does for you. Today at noon, when you didn’t come back, she kept reheating that precious bowl of porridge and muttering, ‘Why hasn’t Master come back yet?’ and ‘I bet Master is starving.’ I just said, ‘Master is a grown-up, he can find something to eat himself,’ and I got scolded for it. If you hadn’t come back soon, someone in this house would’ve turned into a stone waiting for you.”
Before Mei Qing could respond with a smile, a voice came from behind, “Hmph, you little brat, gossiping about me behind my back again?”
Five stuck out her tongue, winked at Mei Qing a few times, then turned around and said in a clear voice, “Who’s gossiping? Who was it that couldn’t sit still and ran around the courtyard anxiously when you didn’t show up?”
From the doorway behind, a tall young girl emerged. Dressed in a maid’s outfit, she wore a long green dress and had a beautiful face, though it now bore a slight expression of irritation. She scolded Five, “How dare you talk nonsense in front of Master? Don’t you know any manners? It’s all Master spoiling you.”
Upon hearing this, Five quickly lowered her head as if listening attentively, but her eyes darted toward Mei Qing mischievously, like a child feigning obedience while secretly rebelling against a parent’s scolding.
After reprimanding Five, the senior maid turned to Mei Qing. Her expression softened, but still carried a hint of grievance as she said, “Master—”
“I know,” Mei Qing quickly interrupted, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I was wrong. I’m sorry, Duoyun. Don’t be angry. Next time, I’ll make sure to call you if I have something to do.”
“Call me? What’s that?” The two girls froze, staring at Mei Qing in confusion. Mei Qing himself looked equally puzzled, as if the word had slipped out unconsciously and he was now trying to figure out what he had just said.
Seeing Mei Qing’s expression, Duoyun quickly stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve, “Master, don’t think too much about it. Just make sure to send word next time if you’re not coming back. Old Zhong was really worried earlier, I mean… he was really anxious.”
Mei Qing was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, “Old Zhong must’ve been afraid I’d forget everything again and get lost, right? Don’t worry, I’m much better now. Although I sometimes say things I don’t understand myself, as long as I have Miss Duoyun waiting for me at home, I’d never think of going anywhere else.”
Upon hearing this, Duoyun’s face flushed slightly. She replied with a slight pout, “Master, you’re at it again. Don’t say such things. You must be starving by now. It’s already time for dinner. I’ll go tell Auntie Wu to prepare something for you.”
Mei Qing nodded, “I’m really hungry. Five told me you made some special porridge for me. Let me see what it is. What’s so special about it that made Miss Duoyun so busy?”
As the three of them chatted and laughed while walking inside, an elderly man dressed as a steward hurried into the courtyard, “Master is back?—Well, Miss Duoyun was really worried. Next time, if you’re not coming back for dinner, you must send word.”
Mei Qing smiled and replied, “You’re absolutely right, Uncle Zhong. I didn’t expect it either. A friend sent word saying he had something to discuss. When I got there, I found out he had fallen ill and passed away. I had to help with the funeral arrangements, and it was in a remote place, so I couldn’t send word. It’s actually quite an unusual story. I’ll tell you about it later.”
Soon, the meal was served. Along with several dishes, there was indeed a large bowl of freshly made porridge. Steaming hot, it had a clear, slightly greenish hue, with scattered petals adding a fragrant aroma. Mei Qing took a few sips and found it smooth and creamy, sweet and delicious. He kept praising it, finishing one bowl and asking for another, which he also devoured completely. Seeing how much he enjoyed it, Duoyun’s eyes sparkled with happiness. Five, watching from the side, couldn’t help but giggle.
After dinner, the dishes were cleared away, and Five brought tea. Mei Qing then recounted the entire day’s events to Uncle Zhong in detail. At the end, he took out the Tang Dynasty Yue Kiln celadon bowl he had brought and showed it to him.
Uncle Zhong’s round face turned serious. He said gravely, “Master, although I’ve never met this Lao Liu, I’m sure he wasn’t a trustworthy person. I don’t know much about the secrets of porcelain, but anything unusual like this must have a hidden reason. If you get involved, it could bring trouble. But since the person is already gone, it’s probably best to forget the whole thing.”
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. He asked Duoyun to store the celadon bowl carefully, then chatted with Uncle Zhong for a while before retiring to his bedroom.
The moonlight was cool like water, and all was quiet.
Mei Qing lay peacefully in bed. Probably tired from the day’s activities, he was sleeping soundly.
At this moment, the candle at the edge of the bed, long since extinguished, began to tremble slightly, as if something were shaking it. The tremors grew stronger, and the candle seemed to want to leap from the candlestick.
The candlestick itself began to emit a series of “clinking” sounds. As the sound grew more urgent, finally with a “clap,” the candle broke free from the candlestick and slowly floated upward!
At the same time, a faint light appeared on the candle’s long-extinguished wick—a small, eerie blue flame ignited without wind, making the candle glow faintly transparent and casting a blue hue. Within the enclosed space of the canopy bed, it illuminated Mei Qing’s sleeping face, creating an unsettlingly strange scene.
A deep purple-blue flame silently rose around Mei Qing, seemingly avoiding his body and only burning slowly around him. Though surrounded by fire, Mei Qing felt no heat. Instead, a chilling cold seeped into his body, freezing his very insides. In an instant, his eyes flew open.
Mei Qing stared wide-eyed at the purple-blue flames all around him. He felt his limbs frozen stiff, unable to move. He tried to speak, but no sound came out—only a faint, rasping sound from his throat. His heart pounded with fear and urgency as he struggled, but his body felt as if pressed down by a mountain, completely immobile.
The floating candle slowly drifted above Mei Qing’s head, directly in front of his eyes. Within the flickering purple-blue flame, a single eye began to appear. This eye seemed both near and far, impossibly deep, and within it lay an eerie, enchanting allure that gripped Mei Qing’s soul the moment he looked into it.
Mei Qing strained his eyes, feeling as if something within that eye was drawing his very spirit toward it, pulling him in. In a daze, it felt as if he were being slowly lifted from the bed, stretched out like liquid, inch by inch, drawn into that eye…
With a scream, Mei Qing suddenly woke up, clutching the blanket tightly, his entire body drenched in cold sweat. Still shaken, he looked around the room and finally convinced himself that everything was normal. His heart was still pounding, and he was breathing heavily.
“Master, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare again?”
Duoyun, awakened by the noise, hurriedly got out of bed, not even bothering to put on shoes. She ran over barefoot, lifted the bed curtain, and saw Mei Qing sitting up, panting. She gently embraced him and began stroking his chest to calm him down. Once he had calmed a little, she turned to light the candle.
“Don’t!” Mei Qing exclaimed in alarm. The image from his dream still lingered in his mind, and the thought of lighting the candle sent a chill through him.
Duoyun didn’t understand why, but since Mei Qing didn’t want it, she stopped. She turned back and gently held him, “It’s okay. It’s still early. Master, go back to sleep.”
Snuggling against Duoyun’s warm body, Mei Qing’s heart gradually calmed. He realized she had rushed out in such a hurry that she hadn’t even put on an outer robe. Now she wore only a thin, light dress, and a faint, delicate fragrance wafted from her. Mei Qing’s heart stirred.
He tightened his arms around her. Even through the thin fabric, he could feel her smooth skin. He smiled softly, “Since it’s still early, why rush to sleep?”
With that, he pulled her closer, wrapped the blanket around both of them, and pulled her down beside him.
“Ah!” Duoyun, caught off guard, let out a soft cry of surprise. Then she quickly closed her mouth, too afraid to make a sound.
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