Chapter 27: Memories from the Orphanage

The director wore a pair of light ink-colored glasses. He looked to be around fifty, tall and thin, dressed simply in a gray, unadorned outfit that only made him seem more modest. Zhenzhen introduced him to Ye Dong and the others, "This is Director Zuo Leng."

After everyone nodded and introduced themselves, Director Zuo welcomed them, "You've all worked hard. Please, come in and have some tea."

Ye Dong leaned toward Liang Lingzhi and whispered, "I was curious why the director wears those tinted glasses—turns out he's blind in his right eye."

Liang Lingzhi nodded. "I noticed that too. I don’t know why, but the people in this orphanage all seem a bit strange. If you asked me what’s odd, I can’t quite put my finger on it."

Ye Dong looked around and muttered, "Did you notice? Miaomiao seems to really dislike the director. As soon as he arrived, she left right away."

Liang Lingzhi shook his head. "No, I was too focused on Nianxue."

Ye Dong scoffed, "All you ever do is pay attention to Nianxue. No wonder Master says you’ve developed feelings for her."

Liang Lingzhi retorted quietly, "If Wang Huiyan were here too, I bet your pants would already be off!"

Xiaobao cut in, "Quick to take your pants off at the slightest disagreement—so this is what you’re really like, Ye Dong!" He shook his head in disappointment.

Dashun also chimed in, "Ye Dong, I misjudged you."

Ye Dong felt utterly baffled. "Hey, why are all three of you ganging up on me?"

Xiaobao grumbled, "Last night you had Wang Huiyan, today you have Wan Zhenzhen. Of course, we’re jealous! Is that so hard to admit?"

Behind them, Nianxue, who had been listening to their increasingly bold whispers, couldn’t help but snap, "Could you all stop chattering? Can’t you be quiet for a moment?"

Since last night, Nianxue had felt a vague sense of unease. Now, standing in this eerie orphanage, her worries only deepened. Normally so blunt and outspoken, she uncharacteristically stayed silent, choosing instead to observe.

Zhenzhen sat on a lower chair and gently set down her teacup. "Director Zuo, is everything running smoothly here?"

Zuo Leng smiled. "Other than a few mischievous children, everything is operating as usual. All thanks to your father’s generous support."

Zhenzhen replied humbly, "My father is only doing what little he can." She glanced at Aunt Zhen beside her, as if she had something more to say but hesitated.

Director Zuo asked, "Zhenzhen, we’ve known each other for years. If you have something to say, don’t hesitate."

Zhenzhen nodded. After a long moment, she finally spoke. "When I last visited, Miaomiao was lively and adorable. But today, she seemed like a different person—quiet and preoccupied. What happened?"

Director Zuo set down his cup, thoughtful. "Miaomiao made a painting for you that day, but you didn’t come. She’s probably sulking and hasn’t spoken all day."

Zhenzhen looked embarrassed. "I was on my period that day and felt too unwell to come. But I didn’t inform you in advance, so Miaomiao’s thoughtfulness was wasted."

She gazed at the pen in her hand, sorrow flickering in her eyes.

Liang Lingzhi asked, "Even if you couldn’t come that day, it’s a bit extreme for Miaomiao to tear up and burn the painting, isn’t it?"

Ye Dong muttered, "Strange people and strange happenings abound. Let’s keep listening."

Aunt Zhen sighed. "Ever since Huahua passed away, Miaomiao’s personality has grown odd."

Director Zuo’s expression faltered, and he speculated, "That happened over a year ago. Miaomiao should have moved on by now, shouldn’t she?"

Zhenzhen’s heart ached, her brow furrowed in sorrow. "I just hope that incident didn’t leave too deep a shadow on Miaomiao."

Ye Dong was curious. "Who is Huahua? And what exactly happened?"

Aunt Zhen replied awkwardly, "You probably don’t know. Huahua was Miaomiao’s twin sister. She died in an accident last year."

He pressed further, "What kind of accident?"

Aunt Zhen looked troubled and glanced at Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen gently patted her arm and explained, "Huahua accidentally fell into the old well in the outer courtyard and drowned."

Liang Lingzhi immediately questioned, "But wasn’t it a dry well? How could she drown?"

Ye Dong narrowed his eyes, thinking, "Judging by Aunt Zhen’s expression, could she have been involved in Huahua’s death? Maybe she didn’t keep a close enough watch, and Huahua, being playful, fell in?"

He instinctively looked toward Aunt Zhen. The moment their eyes met, she quickly turned away, seeming to confirm his suspicion: she was involved.

Zhenzhen’s eyes grew moist as she looked sadly at the sealed old well in the outer courtyard. "We don’t understand either—why was there water in the well that particular night? I remember Miaomiao cried herself unconscious that night."

Following Zhenzhen’s gaze, Liang Lingzhi saw the sealed old well. "That one?"

Zhenzhen nodded. "That’s the one."

Ye Dong shook his head, unconvinced. "That well is about 1.2 meters high. With their size, neither Miaomiao nor Huahua could have climbed up there."

Zhenzhen sighed and looked to Director Zuo.

Director Zuo stared at the well, his gaze fixed. "You’re right—it was indeed strange that night."

Ye Dong asked, "Strange in what way?"

Director Zuo recalled, "We checked the security footage. Huahua snuck out of her room in the middle of the night and dragged a big chair with her."

He pointed to the tall chair Dashun was sitting on. "That very chair."

At his words, Dashun jumped up, startled, and cried, "Blame the strange, not me! Blame the strange, not me!"

Director Zuo shook his head. "It was the same kind of chair, but the one from that night has already been burned."

Ye Dong whispered to Nianxue, "Given Miaomiao’s build, Huahua wouldn’t have been able to move such a big chair alone last year."

Nianxue nodded and asked, "What happened then?"

Aunt Zhen sobbed, "I woke in the night and found Huahua’s bed empty. I rushed out to look for her, but all I found by the well was a pair of little shoes—she was gone."

Her grief overwhelmed her, and she wept uncontrollably.

Zhenzhen tried to comfort her, "Aunt Zhen, that night was an accident. You mustn’t blame yourself."

Aunt Zhen cried, "If only I’d found her sooner, maybe I could have saved her."

Nianxue murmured, "Such a sweet girl had a twin sister, and to lose one to drowning is truly a tragedy."

Director Zuo shook his head. "It was a strange case, but the police closed it as an accident after reviewing the footage."

Zhenzhen sighed, "Since then, Miaomiao’s moods have been unpredictable. I worry she might develop psychological issues."

Ye Dong put down his teacup. "I think it would be best to take Miaomiao to see a psychologist sooner rather than later. Early detection and treatment are crucial."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They fell silent for a moment, each lost in thought.

Suddenly, Nianxue set down her cup and asked, "Zhenzhen, could you show me around?"

Ye Dong and the others understood—she wanted to check the feng shui of the place.

"Yes, of course!"

Zhenzhen composed herself, banished her sorrow, took Nianxue’s hand, and led her outside. "Even though this is an orphanage, all the educational facilities are complete. Let me show you around."

Director Zuo nodded. "Thank you, Zhenzhen, for guiding them."

Zhenzhen smiled and nodded. Ye Dong and the others followed the two women, while Aunt Zhen and Director Zuo went off to attend to their work.

Once outside, Nianxue shot Ye Dong a look. He quickly caught on and grabbed Zhenzhen’s arm. "Zhenzhen, let’s chat about your column."

Nianxue added, "Take your time. Xiaobao, Dashun, and I will wander on our own."

Zhenzhen smiled and agreed, letting go of Nianxue’s hand and walking away with Ye Dong toward the shade of the trees.

Once they were far enough away, Nianxue pulled out a small compass and whispered, "The three of you help me keep watch—be sure the children and Director Zuo don’t see."

Liang Lingzhi and the others nodded, forming a protective circle around her.

Nianxue used the Bagua compass to measure the magnetic fields around the orphanage’s various facilities for quite some time before finally murmuring, "There’s nothing wrong with the magnetic field here, and the layout is excellent—very much in line with the principles of the five elements. Did Wan Tianze send someone to arrange things after the accident?"

Liang Lingzhi asked quietly, "Nianxue, did you find anything unusual?"

Nianxue shook her head. "Nothing for now. I’ll need to open my Heavenly Eye to see more."

She began to chant softly, "Heaven and earth without bounds, borrow the power of the universe. Lend me the Heavenly Eye, reveal truth from falsehood, by the force of law!"

Dashun whispered, "That’s just the Heavenly Eye. She hasn’t opened the Earthly Eye."

Xiaobao said, "That’s the incantation for the Heavenly Eye. For the Earthly Eye, it’s ‘Lend me the Earthly Eye, seek the root’!"

Hearing their discussion, Nianxue felt gratified. "Dashun and Xiaobao may be silly at times, but when it comes to learning, they’re diligent and remember everything I teach."

Indeed, Nianxue only opened her Heavenly Eye, not the Earthly Eye. She scanned the entire orphanage but found nothing unusual.

"Strange. Where is this odd feeling coming from?" she muttered. "In the past twenty years, my intuition has almost never failed. There must be something wrong with this orphanage!"

Seeing Nianxue come up empty, Liang Lingzhi suggested, "Nianxue, why not open the Earthly Eye as well?"

Nianxue replied quietly, "With my current power, I’d need to set up an altar to open the Earthly Eye."

In the distance, the sounds of children playing grew louder as they drew near.

Nianxue said softly, "That’s enough for today. We don’t want to frighten the children."

Dashun whispered, "Isn’t that Miaomiao leading them?"

Xiaobao squinted at the approaching group. "Yes, that’s Miaomiao in front. She’s more influential than she looks."

Nianxue’s brows lifted with a sudden suspicion. "Is Miaomiao here by coincidence, or did she come deliberately?"

Meanwhile, Ye Dong and Zhenzhen, seeing the children coming to play, stopped their conversation and joined Nianxue and the others.

Suddenly, a small ball rolled out from the group of children, stopping right at Nianxue’s feet. She bent to pick it up and, as she straightened, was startled by a sweet yet disturbingly strange smile right in front of her.

"Miaomiao!?" she gasped.

Miaomiao instantly dropped her grin, snatched the ball away, and said sharply, "It’s my ball. I came to get it myself."

As the ball was taken from her, Nianxue’s brow furrowed, and her eyes flashed as she locked gazes with Miaomiao. Yet Miaomiao showed no fear of Nianxue’s piercing look; instead, she laughed loudly, "Thank you, Sister Nianxue!"

Before Nianxue could react to this odd behavior, Miaomiao threw her arms around her neck in a tight hug and whispered coldly in her ear, "Sister Nianxue, I know you saw it. Sister Zhenzhen saw it too. So did I. But none of us can say anything, do you understand? Otherwise, Sister Zhenzhen will be in danger!"

Nianxue’s heart jolted. She gently pushed Miaomiao away, confused. "Miaomiao, what are you talking about?"

Miaomiao reached out her small hand and gently touched Nianxue’s cheek, still smiling. "Thank you, Sister Nianxue!"

With that, Miaomiao hugged her ball and walked away.

Stunned, Nianxue straightened up, her brow furrowing. In the distance, she noticed a figure in gray watching her intently.