Old manuscripts in the library
The next morning, Lu Ye and Qi Chen arrived at the library in the old city. The library, a Republican-era building, had vines crawling across its red brick walls. A thin layer of dust accumulated on the stone steps at the entrance. When they pushed open the heavy wooden door, a scent of old books and mothballs filled the air.
They were greeted by the library administrator, Ms. Li, a gray-haired old lady wearing thick reading glasses. "You are the owner of Chenye Bookstore, right?" Ms. Li said with a smile. "Researcher Zhou told me that you are very kind to help Miss Gu Qingci."
She led the two of them to the library's basement storeroom, which was filled with tall iron shelves piled with yellowed old books and manuscripts. The lights were dim, and only the ceiling fan above their heads was turning slowly, making a creaking sound.
"Miss Gu Qingci's manuscripts are on the innermost iron shelf," Teacher Li pointed to the back of the warehouse. "Ever since we found these manuscripts, we hear crying here every night after 10 o'clock. Sometimes we see a white shadow moving between the iron shelves. We don't dare come to the warehouse at night."
Lu Ye and Qi Chen walked to the innermost iron rack and saw a stack of manuscripts wrapped in blue cloth. A note was taped to the top, reading "Gu Qingci's Manuscript of 'Looking Back'." Qi Chen reached out and gently flipped open the manuscript. The pages were yellowed, and the handwriting was beautiful. It was written with a fountain pen, and the ink had smudged in some places, as if it had been soaked with tears.
"Wang Gui..." Lu Ye whispered the name of the manuscript. As soon as his fingertips touched the paper, he felt a slight chill coming from his fingertips - it was the breath of a wronged soul, very similar to the breath he felt when he met Shen Yurong in the Jinling Opera Troupe.
Qi Chen pulled a small piece of peach wood from his pocket, engraved with a rune for reaching the spirit realm, and gently placed it on the manuscript. The piece of peach wood emitted a faint blue light, and the temperature in the warehouse suddenly dropped. The lights began to flicker, and the old books on the iron shelf swayed gently, making a rustling sound.
"Is that you, Miss Gu Qingci?" Qi Chen asked softly, his voice filled with gentle strength. "We are from Chenye Study. We are here to help you find your manuscript and fulfill your wish."
A soft cry came from behind the iron frame, and a white shadow slowly walked out - it was a girl wearing a student uniform from the Republic of China period, with short hair and a hint of sadness on her face. She held a pen in her hand. She was the owner of the handwriting on the manuscript.
"My manuscript... I haven't finished writing 'Looking Back Home' yet..." Gu Qingci's voice was as light as the wind, with unspeakable grievances. "During the war, I was separated from my family. I took the manuscript to Nanjing to find my brother, but I encountered a bomb on the way. Part of the manuscript was destroyed, and I also..."
Her voice was choked with sobs and she couldn't continue. Tears fell from her eyes and landed on the ground, but left no trace - because her soul was transparent, even her tears were illusory.
Lu Ye's heart ached. He recalled Qi Chen's notes about the war-torn Republic of China era, and how many people, like Gu Qingci, were trapped in that era forever, carrying unfulfilled wishes and longing for their families. "Have you found your brother?" he asked softly.
Gu Qingci shook her head, tears falling even harder: "I didn't find him... I only know that he was studying at Jinling Middle School in Nanjing. I wanted to finish writing "Looking Back" and send it to him, telling him how much I missed him, but I didn't have time... The manuscript is gone..."
Qi Chen flipped open the last page of the manuscript and found that several pages were blank, with only the last line reading "Brother, I'm waiting for you in Nanjing." "Your manuscript is still partially complete," he said softly, "We can help you finish 'Looking Back', help you find your brother, and fulfill your wish."
A glint flashed in Gu Qingci's eyes. She looked at Qi Chen and Lu Ye, her voice filled with anticipation: "Really? Can you really help me? I've been waiting for so many years, and I thought... no one would remember me, or my "Wang Gui" anymore."
"We will help you," Lu Ye said firmly. "We will first sort out your manuscript and complete the missing parts, and then go to Jinling Middle School in Nanjing to find your brother."
Over the next few days, Lu Ye and Qi Chen spent time in the library sorting through Gu Qingci's manuscripts. The first half of the manuscript described Gu Qingci's childhood with her brother, a heartwarming and touching story. Due to the war, only the beginning of the second half was left, describing her search for her brother.
Qi Chen, drawing on the clues in the manuscript and combining them with historical materials from the Republican era, gradually filled in the missing parts. Lu Ye was responsible for sorting out the manuscript's handwriting, clarifying the blurred parts, and occasionally chatting with Gu Qingci's spirit, listening to her stories about her and her brother.
"My brother's name is Gu Qinghe, and he's five years younger than me." Gu Qingci's shadow sat beside Lu Ye, looking at the handwriting on the manuscript. "When he was little, he loved listening to my stories the most. I said I would write a novel as a birthday present for him. 'Wang Gui' was written for him."
Lu Ye felt a warm feeling in his heart. He remembered that when he was little, he also had a brother who loved him. Although his brother was no longer with him, those warm memories remained in his heart. "Your brother will definitely like this novel," he said softly. "When we find him and give the book to him, he will definitely know how much you miss him."
A week later, the manuscript of "Wanting Home" was finally finished. Qi Chen contacted a friend at the publishing house and had the manuscript printed into a small book. The cover was the light blue that Gu Qingci liked, and it depicted a brother and sister running in the sun.
Gu Qingci's shadow looked at the printed book, tears falling from his eyes, but no longer out of sadness, but with a relieved smile: "Thank you... This book is finally finished."
Next, Lu Ye and Qi Chen returned to Nanjing's Jinling Middle School, carrying "Looking Back." The old school building still stood, having been renovated and modernized. They found Gu Qinghe's name in the school's archives, searching through student rosters from the Republican era. After graduating from Jinling Middle School, Gu Qinghe was admitted to a university in Nanjing, later becoming a teacher and retiring to Nanjing's old city.
According to the address in the file, Lu Ye and Qi Chen found Gu Qinghe's home. The person who opened the door was an old man in his eighties with gray hair, but he was in good spirits. It was Gu Qinghe.
"Excuse me, who are you..." Gu Qinghe looked at them puzzledly, holding a yellowed photo album in his hand.
Lu Ye handed over "Looking Back" and said softly, "Grandpa Gu, we are from Chenye Bookstore. This is the novel your sister, Miss Gu Qingci, wrote for you. She asked us to give this book to you."
Gu Qinghe's body suddenly stiffened. He took the book, and when he saw the name on the cover, tears instantly fell. "Sister... That's Sister's name..." He flipped open the book, his hands trembling as he read the contents. "I've been searching for Sister my whole life, thinking she was long gone. To my surprise... she still remembers me and even wrote a novel for me..."
Gu Qinghe pulled out a black-and-white photo from his album. The girl in the photo had short hair, holding a little boy's hand, and had a gentle smile. It was Gu Qingci and Gu Qinghe as a child. "This was taken on my sister's eighteenth birthday," he said, his voice choking. "After she left, I kept this photo with me, waiting for her to come back."
Gu Qingci's shadow stood beside Gu Qinghe. Looking at his brother's aged face, tears fell from his eyes, but he smiled with relief: "Brother, I'm back... I finally gave the book to you..."
Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on Gu Qinghe and "Looking Back". Gu Qingci's shadow gradually became transparent. She looked at her brother and whispered, "Brother, live well. I will be watching you from heaven..."
The shadow dissipated in the sunlight, leaving only a copy of "Wang Gui" lying quietly in Gu Qinghe's hands. Lu Ye and Qi Chen watched this scene, their hearts filled with warmth - this was the meaning of their opening of Chen Ye's study, to help those with obsessions fulfill their wishes, and to help those lost relatives convey their thoughts.
As they left Nanjing, Lu Ye and Qi Chen stood at the gate of Jinling Middle School, watching the students coming and going, their hearts filled with emotion. Qi Chen held Lu Ye's hand and whispered, "In the future, we will help more people and write more stories."
Lu Ye nodded and said with a smile: "Okay, let's write together and help more people together."
When the train started, Lu Ye leaned on Qi Chen's shoulder, looking at the scenery outside the window, holding a copy of "Looking Back" in his hand.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
