"East side, wake up! The sun is shining on your buttocks! You're still asleep—do you even know what ti it is?" After that, there was a violent knock on the door.
Cui Hao rubbed his eyes, stumbled to the door in a daze, and turned the key, pulling the door open slightly. When he finally woke up fully, he stood on the staircase furiously, glaring at him.
Ann Hao was startled when he saw it. He jerked his head up, turned around, and imdiately felt his head throbbing in pain—the wound hadn't healed yet. He shook his head afterward.
My aunt, who had a headache herself, showed so pity on her face before quickly dressing herself up. The conversation revolved around my uncle. She said, "All the food is in the pot; get dressed quickly." Then she went downstairs and left. Soon, the sound of feet climbing the stairs echoed.
I instinctively reached for my eyes and tried to pull my phone out of my pocket to check the ti! Left, right—I groped for it and looked but couldn't find my phone, so I rembered that I had probably left it sowhere yesterday!
But I couldn't do much. I put on my shirt and headed to eat. Yet, for no real reason, I sat on the bed chuckling softly.
I half-crouched over, flipping the quilt open, and saw a bronze hairpin lying silently inside. It seed significant. My mind started to recall what had happened yesterday.
There was nothing wrong! I threw that hairpin downstairs yesterday! The maid wasn't just mad—she was furious.
I headed downstairs and saw the maid scooping rice with a ladle at the table. Sitting beside her, wearing Pibai Xian School attire, was a young girl—my younger sister.
I walked quietly to her and sat by her side. Ann Yu seed conscious of soone nearby. He glanced away from the phone in his hand to look at before returning to his screen. His face was wrapped in gauze.
Ann Yu elbowed my arm and whispered in my ear, "Brother, I overheard Dad talking this morning. He said you got into a fight yesterday! I didn't believe it at first—but now I do! What happened? Tell , can you do that?"
Hearing Ann Yu's words, I smacked the table, annoyed but calm. I muttered, "Eat your al. There's a ti for everything. We don't speak when eating, nor when resting. Don't you know that?"
Listening to , Ann Yu stuck out her tongue mischievously. Uncle and Aunt handed over bowls of rice, and she began to eat.
The maid handed a bowl of rice as well. By now, I noticed my aunt's face had darkened. If you don't eat for a couple of days, it's best to start with so heat! Eat plenty.
The maid observed the situation, laughing wryly without leaving room for comnt, and said softly, "Eat slower. No one's fighting over it."
I nodded but continued sweeping across the table with a speed like wind and clouds.
The maid looked at and helplessly shook her head. Then, she finally said, "I told you! Three days from now, after dinner, you'll have to go to your grandmother's house to cleanse the spirit."
I nodded. The tale of the Red Fairy Temple wasn't far from my relatives; they spoke of it to offer blessings. But the temple didn't deify any particular spirit—it was always draped in red fabric. Its centerpiece was the Red Fairy. The story was that my grandmother revered that temple greatly. She was an old woman who seed to derive deep spiritual fulfillnt from it. Still, I loved her dearly, and there was always sothing comforting about being in her presence during als. Whenever I visited my aunt's house, Father would always seize the opportunity to lecture or scold . On the rare tis our family ca together, my father wouldn't dare criticize my grandmother, especially when my aunt was around.
The al was nearly finished. The maid tidied up the table, and my sister had already left early for school. Soon after, the maid busied herself in the kitchen. Left alone with my thoughts, I considered calling my father to ask for a favor. "This is my chance," I thought, "to convince him to buy sothing, even a small item. I'd make it worth his while." But I changed my mind and decided to save it for later.
On the road to Tian Da, people kept staring at the bandages on my head, pointing as I passed. Soone even ca near, attempting to greet and ask about it. They looked like they were itching to rewrap the gauze for . I had no idea what they were thinking. Concerned? Laughing at ? I didn't care!
After walking a considerable distance, the dilapidated structure of my grandmother's Red Fairy Temple ca into view. I approached the temple entrance cautiously, where three words were carved on the plaque above the gate. Two of those words had been eroded by ti, leaving only the word "Immortal" visible.
I nudged the red-painted doors open gently and whispered softly, "Grandma? Are you in here?"
There was no response. I tiptoed in carefully.
When I reached the main hall, I saw God Wei seated proudly in the center. His face was covered with a layer of woven red gauze. Curiosity stirred within —I yearned to lift the gauze to see what the deity truly looked like.
As I approached the altar and reached out toward the veil, my aunt suddenly appeared behind , grabbing the back of my shirt. She dragged backward and threw to the ground, forcing to kneel on the stone floor tiles.
Fear overtook whatever anger I might've felt, so I complied ekly.
I heard whispers of "unclean things" from my grandmother. Assuming I hadn't bathed properly yesterday, I bowed my head to inspect myself and muttered to her, "No! I'm clean!"
Realizing I had misunderstood, my grandmother grew furious. She smacked her own forehead in exasperation and snapped, "When did I ever say you weren't clean? I'm talking about the strange thing you encountered yesterday. Didn't you see sothing unusual?"
Confused, I responded hesitantly, "Animals in a mist? Why do you ask?"
When it looked like I still didn't understand, my aunt struck the back of my head hard. The blow resonated sharply, leaving my head aching. I glanced back at her angrily but said nothing.
With a cough, my aunt declared firmly, "A ghost is a ghost! When people die, they enter nothingness. That's what's often called a ghost! Have you ever truly interacted with such things?"
My aunt's words began to make sense. Panicked, I stamred as I recalled, "Aunt—Aunt, I think… I-I think I saw Mr. Zhang in our village yesterday! I passed him on my way ho, but sothing felt strange. Then I overheard soone in the clinic later, saying he'd died. Yesterday was the seventh day since his passing!"
My aunt's face grew tense as she considered this. Her lips pursed as though she wanted to say sothing, but she hesitated, murmuring, "Could it really be…"
I grew anxious hearing her mumble and asked urgently, "What is it? What's going on?"
My aunt glanced at before warning not to wander around. As she retreated toward the back hall, I was left with no clue what was happening.
Sitting there in confusion, a sudden gust of wind rushed through. The veil over the Red Fairy's face fluttered upward, and at that mont, I caught a glimpse of her face beneath.
The Red Fairy's complexion was heavy and ominous, with a particularly striking scar running across her lips. When the wind passed, the veil fell back into place, hiding her features. But in the brief mont it had lifted, I could see a faint, unsettling smile on her lips.
This peculiar smile stirred an eerie sensation within , as if coaxing to lift the veil again. The urge to reveal her face consud like a devilish temptation—once ignited, it beca endless.
I stood gradually, drawn irresistibly to the Red Fairy under the spell of that infinite allure.
Tiptoeing closer, I moved cautiously, my movents deliberate and restrained as though afraid to disrupt the silence.
Step by step, I reached the incense table. Nearby, I noticed a loose slip of gauze resting by Chichi's side. Slowly, I extended my hand toward the Red Fairy.
My fingers brushed the sheer veil. It felt soft—a comfort that betrayed its unnatural chill. A piercing coldness spread through , penetrating my entire body. I couldn't help but shiver.
Despite the cold, my trembling hands peeled the veil back. The mont lingered in my mind like an eternity. Underneath it, Master Gu's hypnotic gaze locked onto . The Red Fairy now sat before , unveiled.
A wave of inexplicable dread surged through my chest. Instinctively, I stretched out my shaking hands to restore the fabric over the Red Fairy's face. But before I could fully conceal her visage—
The Red Elf's eyes, which had been tightly shut, suddenly snapped open! As though driven by so divine will, the temple doors slamd shut behind . The sunlight disappeared completely, plunging everything into a cryptic, foreboding darkness.
Those deep, crimson eyes locked onto mine, and I couldn't stop trembling.
As I stared into the Red Elf's gaze, I felt an overwhelming force coursing through , compelling to move closer.
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