I'll be pretty busy next month… Hope I'll be able to squeeze one or two chapters out though. Just a heads up.

Also, I'm think  is the story the last chapter is based off on. It's pretty sad…

Peach Blossoms Beam 

The peach tree beams so red,

How brilliant are its flowers!

The maiden's getting wed,

Good for the nuptial bowers.

The peach tree beams so red,

How abundant its fruit!

The maiden's getting wed,

Good as family's root.

The peach tree beams so red,

Its leaves are manifold.

The maiden'd getting wed,

Good for the whole household.

Originally posted on RBKTR Translations.

Author: Four Feet (四隻腳).

Translated by: Yujuan.

Ah Bao kept his word.

After letting him go, he was very well-behaved, obedient, and did not cause any trouble. It was probably because of this that kun did not care about him much anymore, letting him move freely within the house.

Although Ah Bao seemed to be terrified of kun, always sticking by my side, unwilling to approach him.

This kid, after knowing him for a while, had actually become quite endearing.

A week later, I went to another foreign trade company for an interview.

At two in the afternoon after the interview, I slowly returned to kun's villa carrying my work bag, coincidentally pa.s.sing by a young woman walking out from the house.

I was a little astonished, as this was the first time a stranger had come to visit.

That woman looked utterly sorrowful, eyes red, seeming to have cried recently.

kun courteously sent her out the door, saying something to her.

The woman nodded, and before leaving, she bowed to kun.

And kun just glanced at her with a smile.

Until the woman's silhouette was no longer visible, I walked over, asking curiously, "Eh, is that your girlfriend? Did you make her cry? She looks like a great woman, why don't you go after her."

"What nonsense are you spouting."

kun looked at me with amus.e.m.e.nt, turning back into the house.

I followed him in, asking dubiously, "Why was she crying, then? Who is she?"

kun poured a cup of tea, drinking a sip, "She was introduced by my friend. Her boyfriend is missing."

"Her boyfriend is missing?" I still did not understand, "Then she came to find you…"

"She came to ask for my help."

"Pft, ask for your help?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "Shouldn't a missing person be reported to the police? What's the use of finding you?"

kun took a sip of his tea, not saying anything. After a while, he slowly spoke, "She reported it, but there was no use; they did not believe her words."

"Oh? Why?"

I was caught in suspense, looking curiously at kun.

kun held his cup with both hands and sat onto the sofa.

"That woman earlier was called Fang Caiyun, her boyfriend is He Xiaowei. They studied at the same college and started to date a year ago, and lived in a rented flat near their campus. All was supposedly well, but around a month ago, for some reason, He Xiaowei started to shut himself into his study, refusing to come out. He wouldn't go to school, never left the house, and even his three meals were provided by Fang Caiyun before his door.

"At first Fang Caiyun thought he just needed some time alone by himself, but as time pa.s.sed, He Xiaowei's condition worsened. He started to lock his door, refused to let anyone in, and no one knew what he did in his room. Fang Caiyun could only bring his meals to his room, and He Xiaowei would secretly bring the food into and out of his room whenever she wasn't watching.

"This continued for several weeks, and three days ago, Fang Caiyun realized that the food before the door hadn't been touched. No matter how much she tried to knock on the door, there was no answer. She was worried something had happened to He Xiaowei, and brought a few tools to pry the door open. But when the door opened, she found the door completely empty, not a single person within it. He Xiaowei had vanished, just like that."

As kun finished speaking, I stared blankly.

"What? He vanished just like that?"

"Yes, the room's windows and doors were locked from the inside, and only He Xiao Wei had been in there. He couldn't have jumped out from the windows, nor could he have come out from the entrance, he disappeared within the room."

"Why does this sound so much like a locked room mystery?"

I rubbed my chin bewilderedly, muttering, "No wonder the police didn't believe her, how could a person evaporate within a room just like that."

kun's lips quirked up, "How about it, are you interested in coming along with me to have a look?"

My eyes sparkled, and being unable to suppress my curiosity, immediately nodded, "Alright alright, I want to take a look! I just don't believe a living human can disappear into thin air!"

The next day, kun and I went to Fang Caiyun and He Xiaowei's rented flat. It was an ordinary apartment, with a bedroom, study, and a small living room, the young couple living here having enough and to spare.

He Xiaowei had disappeared within the study.

The study was around ten square meters, with not much placed in it, just a desk, a bookshelf and a sofa. It looked clean and tidy, but had an indistinctly foul smell coming from it.

Must be due to He Xiaowei having shut himself in here for too long.

kun walked into the study, surveying the surroundings, asking, "Did your boyfriend say anything before vanis.h.i.+ng?"

Fang Caiyun thought for a while, "The day Xiaowei disappeared, I didn't even manage to see a few glimpses of him, I couldn't even get a chance to speak to him."

"Then do you know what he was doing in this room?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Fang Caiyun shook her head.

kun slowly walked around the room once, scrutinizing every corner, and at last, his gaze fell onto a painting hung on the wall.

It was a vibrant ink painting of a huge peach tree in full bloom, the deep and light pink flowers rus.h.i.+ng through the sky, the scenery bright and gorgeous, immediately making me think of those words in the 'Book of Songs': The peach tree beams so red, how brilliant are its flowers.

This painting was really beautiful, and kun stared at it for a long time for some reason. After a while, he suddenly said, "This painting. Where did you obtain it?"

Fang Caiyun thought about it, "It was given by one of Xiaowei's friends."

"A friend gave it to him? Which friend?"

"I don't know him, I just know that he has the surname Bai."

"Oh? The surname Bai?"

kun narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

Fang Caiyun nodded, "Yes, that Mr. Bai was the one who gave us that painting. Since it was for free, and that painting was so beautiful, we kept it."

She looked at kun, hesitating, "Is there… something wrong with this painting?"

I also looked at him in puzzlement.

After keeping silent for a few seconds, kun abruptly said to Fang Caiyun, "May I ask you to wait in the living room for a while?"

Fang Caiyun was startled, and though she looked doubtful, did as he said.

I was about to leave along with her, but was held back by kun.

"You stay here, I need you to guide me."

"You need me to guide you?"

kun smiled lightly, using his chin to point at the door, "Close the door."

I closed the door, and kun said, "Lock it."

I blinked, and couldn't say much, just did as he instructed me.

A red string had mysteriously appeared in kun's hands, and he stuffed the string into my hands, warning, "Hold on to this string. Remember, no matter what happens, do not let go, because my life is suspended on it."

His expression did not look like he was kidding, saying, "I know where He Xiaowei is. I'm going to take him back, and your job is to hold tightly onto this string. The moment the string drops onto the ground, we will never be able to return."

"Uh, I… I don't understand…"

I stared vacantly at the red string in my hands, intending on asking for more clarification, but when I looked up, kun was already gone. I had only s.h.i.+fted my gaze for one or two seconds, kun had vanished just like that?

I stared at the empty room before me, suddenly feeling my hand tighten.

That red string was being pulled away from me.

I finally realized, one end of the red string was in my hands, and the other end kun held… had entered that painting? Had kun gone into the painting?

A funny thought flashed through my mind, and I couldn't believe my own eyes.

But other than that, I couldn't come out with another answer.

With that I called out to kun repeatedly, facing that painting.

But there was no answer from the painting, making me feel a little ridiculous.

At my wits' end, I could only heed kun's warning, tightly and firmly holding on to that red string.

Gradually, the red string was pulled taut, tightening, so tight I had to use all my strength to pull the string. Following the direction of the other end of the string, I stood blankly staring at that painting.

The pink peach blossoms seemed to really flutter through the sky, ascending slowly.

One of those flower petals flew before my eyes, and I reached out to lightly catch it, smelling it beneath my nose.

Yes, it was an actual flower petal, its scent fragrant, a little intoxicating.

The petals floated out of the painting, like a layer of pink mist, slowly, slowly shrouding over me.

The rich and diverse flower petals fell onto the ground by my feet.

I didn't dare move, stuck before the painting, scared of letting go of the red string in my hands.

Distantly, I seemed to see a silhouette float across the peach blossom trees.

That person shuttled back and forth quickly, his gait like vapor.

Who was that? kun?

I couldn't see clearly, and could only foolishly stand there.

Right until a woman's face stretched out of the painting.

I got a fright, inhaling deeply as I looked at her.

The woman was also watching me, long black hair splitting down both sides of her face.

A wind came out of nowhere, blowing on the woman's hair, revealing the ears hiding beneath them.

I backed away a step, aghast.

This woman actually had six ears! Three on each side of her face! Long and thin pointy ears!

She reached out a long and pale white arm from the painting, tenderly caressing my face. The faint fragrance floated through my nose, and she moved closer to me, using a gentle voice that could make anyone melt, asking unhurriedly, "Will you come? Come to accompany me? I'm so lonely, will you accompany me?"

I felt a little lightheaded, subconsciously taking a step forwards.

Although she had six ears, this woman was as beautiful as a G.o.ddess. It was almost stifling being gazed at by her, and I stared straight into her eyes.

It was a pair of bewitching eyes, pretty and flirtatious that it could intimidate a person's heart and soul.

"Close your eyes! Don't look straight at her face!"

kun's voice sounded out from somewhere, and like a sudden clap of thunder, I was instantaneously struck sober.

I quivered, realizing that my soul seemed to have moved out of my body, my consciousness a little distracted, and hurriedly closed my eyes.

Then, I heard a woman's eye-piercing scream.

I didn't know what happened, nor did I dare to open my eyes, and when everything quieted, the red string in my hands abruptly loosened.

Opening my eyes, kun was already standing before me, and beside him, was an old man with graying hair on his temples, his back crooked.

The old man seemed to have lost his soul, both eyes staring blankly before him, unmoving.

"Who is he?" I asked in astonishment.

kun put away the red string, replying, "He Xiaowei."

"How can this be!"

I cried out, "He Xiaowei is a fourth-year college student, this person is an old man!"

kun said indifferently, "A day here is ten years within the painting. He Xiaowei was gone for four days."

I opened my mouth, stupefied, stammering, "H-how could this happen?"

kun pointed towards the ink painting hung on the wall, saying, "I don't know just who was the one who sent this painting, but the yao living within this painting, is one called 'Six Eared'. Six Eared is a female yao that loves young men, using her beauty to bewitch their hearts, luring the men into the painting to live together and sucking away their spirit's essence. The men brought into the painting will age especially fast, as twenty-four hours in the human world is ten years within the painting."

And at this time, a knock came from outside.

"Did something happen inside? I seem to have heard some shouting earlier."

Fang Caiyun stood outside the door.

I turned, looking at that lifeless old man, momentarily not knowing what to say.

As kun and I walked on the road back home, the setting sun tilted our shadows on the light gray pavement. A distance away, a few children that had just been let off from school played and laughed together, and following that short period of laughter, my ears couldn't help but echo back on Fang Caiyun's cry of fear upon seeing He Xiaowei, as well as the following wails.

Losing forty years of his life without good cause, I really had no idea how that man was going to face the rest of his life.

Sighing ruefully, I turned to look at kun.

kun had his head lowered, his fair and handsome features s.h.i.+ning with a dim rosy sunset glow, carrying a painting on his back. Red strings were tied layer after layer over the painting, a white cloth pulled over the surface.

I didn't know how he was going to deal with this painting, and just when I was about to ask, kun coincidentally turned his face, smiling to look at me, "Right, how did your interview turn out?"

I was silent for a few seconds, shaking my head dejectedly, "It's hopeless."

Saying this, my mood let out a heavy sigh.

kun halted his footsteps, saying slowly, "Are you interested in becoming my a.s.sistant, then?"

"Your a.s.sistant?"

kun's lips rose up, giving me a smile that held some kind of profound implications.

For some reason, looking at his smile, my mind seemed to flash with many blurry and disjointed images in an instant, as if… As if many dust-laden feelings were emerging from deep within my memories, precisely like a tide, following which was suppressed by some sort of force…

What was happening? My head felt kind of dizzy, temples pulsating wildly.

My entire person swayed, and after touching my forehead and recuperating for a while, I mumbled, "But… Up till now… I don't even know your name…"

"Jiuye."

kun smiled, extending a hand towards me.

"Yuchi Jiuye."

-  -