Volume Two: A Season of Turmoil Chapter 112: Restless Turning — Midnight Laughter

Back at the Cuiwei Inn, Chang Yu and Chen Xin began to ask about the situation. Yang Chengzi recounted the entire ordeal to them. Both girls were deeply saddened; Chen Xin, in particular, barely touched her dinner. Looking at the foolish-acting Chen San, and thinking of Fang Hua and her parents, Chen Xin suddenly felt a desire to be kinder to him.

When it came time to sleep that night, Chen Xin had seemingly grown accustomed to Chen San lingering by her side. Moreover, since he had been acting foolish for the past two days and hadn't made any untoward advances, she took the initiative to hold his hand and turned her face toward him—after all, even if she didn't hold his hand, he would inevitably cling to it while he slept.

The bright moon hung in the sky, and the night was serene. The bustling clamor of the city had gradually faded to a whisper. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and under the backdrop of the night, the moon appeared exceptionally brilliant.

Yang Chengzi and the others, having nothing else to do, went to bed early. Yet, a night that appeared peaceful was destined to be anything but.

"Slurp, slurp." The sound of drooling came in waves. Chen Xin felt a wet sensation near her mouth, as if something were licking her.

In her dreams, she was also lying on a bed when a fat, big-eared pig let out a grunt and began to nudge her with its snout. It pushed until she couldn't catch her breath, and she was startled awake by the suffocating sensation. Her eyes flew open.

"Ah!" Then came a heavy thud, as if something had tumbled from the bed to the floor.

Startled, Yang Chengzi jumped up and pointed his finger, his spiritual energy flickering like a flame at his fingertip. As he swept his hand across the oil lamp, the entire room was instantly illuminated.

"He... he... he kissed me, and he... ah..." Chen Xin sobbed, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

Yang Chengzi frowned as he looked at the shocked Chen San on the floor. "Are you acting like a lecher again just because you've recovered? You don't look like you're trying to nurse, do you?"

"Nurse? Nurse what? How did I become a lecher? Wasn't she on my bed? I thought she..."

"You... Chen San... don't speak to me ever again!"

Faced with Chen San's shameless attitude, Chen Xin was so angry that she wanted to disown him on the spot. To be fair, Chen San wasn't entirely wrong; Chen Xin had indeed been sleeping on his bed for the past two days. It was an exceptional situation, and since they were sleeping together, what difference did it make which bed they used?

"No, no, wait! Let me explain!"

Chen San stood up, shivering in his thin garments. Chen Xin, wrapped tightly in her quilt, sat on the bed, fuming. She didn't want to pay him any mind, but she didn't lie back down either, appearing as though she were waiting for an explanation.

Chen San rubbed his hands together. He was cold and wanted to crawl back into the quilt to talk, but the moment he took a step forward, a glare from Chen Xin sent him recoiling.

Unable to bear the cold, both Chen San and Yang Chengzi wrapped themselves in quilts and sat by the table. Chang Yu, also tucked into her bedding, propped her head up with a smile, eager to hear Chen San's explanation.

"I’m asking you, have you been sober all along? Were you just pretending to be a fool because you wanted to... to..." Chen Xin demanded angrily.

Chen San was taken aback by the question. He glanced at Yang Chengzi, hoping for an out, but was ruthlessly rebuffed.

"She's asking you, not me. Why are you looking at me? It's the middle of the night—why must you stir up trouble?"

"This... this... you were the one who slept on my bed! How does that make me the one pretending to be a fool? I thought you were afraid to sleep alone, so I..."

"You..." Chen San repeated the same words, leaving Chen Xin utterly bewildered with rage.

Yang Chengzi shook his head. "Can't you show a better attitude when admitting a mistake? Chen Xin has been taking care of you for two days; is this how you repay her?"

"Taking care of me? I'm fine. What care? I was doing just fine as the head courtesan of the Tianxiang Pavilion..." Chen San paused, looking from Yang Chengzi to Chen Xin. "Wait, why am I here?"

"Tch, it seems this guy is going to pretend to be a fool until the end. Why don't I just chop him up, sister, to save you the trouble of questioning him? Since Chen Xin has been molested, even if we reported it to the authorities, he'd be beaten to a pulp anyway. I might as well do it myself to save the hassle."

Chang Yu watched as if it were a play, speaking in a biting, sarcastic tone to force him to yield.

"No, no, no, let's not be barbaric. Let's talk this through. Let me think, let me think... my head hurts. I... I should be at the Tianxiang Pavilion. Why am I here? The madam, that madam and the demon... and then... I don't remember."

Chen San even put on a show of crying, though he truly did not remember.

"You... you really don't remember? Then why did you kiss me? You kissed me until I couldn't breathe, and your hands were..."

"Oh, this is a matter for you two young lovebirds. We outsiders won't get involved. Settle your accounts quietly; don't make too much of a scene." Yang Chengzi shook his head and headed toward his own bed, preparing to lie down and continue sleeping.

Chen San looked at Yang Chengzi with a depressed expression. The matter wasn't resolved yet—how could he just go to sleep? But Yang Chengzi ignored him. As long as his head was clear, that was enough. As for molesting Chen Xin, it wasn't the first time; he’d let them sort it out themselves.

Chen San felt awkward. Wrapped in his quilt, he sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the fuming Chen Xin. "I, I, I really don't remember. I woke up, and you were lying next to me. I saw your face and... I just couldn't help myself. Don't be angry; I didn't mean to."

"Didn't mean to? Then why did you..." The words died on Chen Xin's lips; she was too embarrassed to finish.

Seeing her flushed face, Chen San thought things might be okay and lifted his foot to climb onto the bed.

"Sleep over there! If you dare to crawl over tonight, I’ll have Sister Chang Yu chop you up! Hmph!"

Chen Xin finished her sentence and dove under the covers, hiding in the quilt and breathing heavily. She listened to the movements outside. Although she was a bit angry at Chen San for his handsy behavior and for kissing her until she couldn't breathe, she was relieved he wasn't a fool anymore. Regardless, those were things meant for a proper marriage and a wedding night; he couldn't just take advantage of her now.

Doused with a bucket of cold water, Chen San awkwardly lay on the empty bed. He blinked, unable to fall asleep for a long time. His mind was filled with the soft, jade-like touch of Chen Xin's lips and the sensation of her skin. It felt as if her sweet scent still lingered on his hands. How could a red-blooded young man fall asleep in such a state?

Tossing and turning, he spent a sleepless night. Moonlight spilled onto the window paper, and Chen San recalled his childhood with Chen Xin—splashing water in the brook, chasing each other through the fields, and Uncle and Aunt Nian carrying them as they played. It seemed... it seemed he had even kissed Chen Xin when he was a child. As the memories slowly surfaced, Chen San finally closed his eyes.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Daoist, Daoist."

Just as Chen San closed his eyes, he was jolted awake by a frantic knocking at the door. Peering through the paper window, he saw two silhouettes outside and felt a wave of frustration.

"Who is it? It's the middle of the night—can't a person get any sleep?"

Yang Chengzi didn't say anything, but sat up on his bed and asked, "Who is it? What do you want with me?"

"Oh, Daoist, help us! I wouldn't want to trouble you in the middle of the night, but... but there seems to be something evil in our garden. I beg you to come and take a look."

With a creak, Yang Chengzi put on his robes and opened the door. Standing outside was an elderly man with a kind face, looking plain and unassuming, accompanied by the waiter from the Cuiwei Inn, who was bowing and scraping.

"I told them you were asleep, but he wouldn't believe me and insisted on knocking."

The old man was covered in sweat, his expression panicked. Seeing Yang Chengzi open the door, he bowed with clasped hands. "Daoist, help us, I beg you."

"Old Uncle Pan?" Wen Liansheng whispered into Yang Chengzi's consciousness.

"Where is this evil thing happening? You're drenched in sweat; it looks like you ran a long way."

"Pan Garden, the Pan Garden at the south end of town. Lately, at night, when we're in bed, we always hear someone singing opera. It's... it's terrifying."

"Singing opera? Could it be one of your actors who can't sleep at night?"

"No, no. There are only a dozen or so actors in the troupe. We checked as soon as we heard the sound; it wasn't them. And, and..."

"And what? Speak plainly. Don't stutter. Since you came to find me, tell me everything you know. We'll be leaving in a few days; if you hide things now, you'll be the ones who suffer in the end."

"Alas, it's not that I don't want to say, it's just... oh, the tragedy of it! The voice singing is... is an actress who died in our garden. But she... she has been dead for a long time, so how could she..."

"Dead? When did she die?"

"A long time ago. She's been dead for nearly two years. But I don't know where she died."

"Didn't you just say she died in your garden? How can you not know where she died?"

"It... it's true, she died in our garden. But at the time, on my way to report it to the authorities, the body disappeared. Several constables came and turned the garden upside down, but they never found the corpse."