The "Old School Building" of Jinling Middle School and the Warmth of Memories
The next morning, Lu Ye left the secret room in Xiao Wu's care. He took his pen, his soul-calming bell, and Qi Chen's notes and boarded the train to the old Jinling Middle School building. As the train passed through the suburbs, he opened his notes and turned to the page about Jinling Middle School. Qi Chen's handwriting read, "In the 32nd year of the Republic of China, Jinling Middle School closed due to the war. Teacher Chen Yanshu disappeared. Rumor has it that he had hidden a student's letter, which he hadn't sent."
There was a small stick figure sketched nearby: Lu Ye squatting before a shelf in the archives, searching for information, with Qi Chen handing him water. The sketch was crooked, but it held the warmth of the moment. Lu Ye's fingertips traced the sketch, and he recalled the scene that day: the air conditioning in the archives was broken, and his legs were numb from squatting. Qi Chen squatted down to rub his legs, smiling and saying, "From now on, I'll do the physical work. You just focus on finding clues."
The rain had stopped by the time the train arrived. The bluestone pavement in the old city was still damp, and the plane trees on either side had just sprouted new leaves, their tender green leaves swaying in the wind. The old building of Jinling Middle School was at the end of the alley. Its red brick walls were mottled, and the four characters "Jinling Middle School" on the school gate had mostly peeled off, leaving only the "Jin" and "Zhong" characters still legible.
Lu Ye pushed open the half-open school gate. Inside, there were waist-high weeds. Only the path leading to the old school building had been trampled into a path, clearly indicating that people were still coming. The old school building was a three-story red brick building, and most of the glass in the windows was broken. The wind blew in from inside, carrying the musty smell of old wood, much like the one he had smelled in Jingyuan back then.
He walked to the Chinese classroom on the second floor. The door was locked, the lock thick with dust. Lu Ye pulled out a spare key he'd borrowed from the archives and opened the door. The desks and chairs in the classroom were skewed, some on the floor, some leaning against the wall. On the blackboard was a fragment of "The Analects of Confucius." The handwriting was blurred, but it was clear it was written with a brush, in the same style as Chen Yanshu's pen.
"Chen Yanshu?" Lu Ye called out softly. The pen in his pocket suddenly vibrated, and the soul-calming bell rang. A blue light shone through the fabric onto the blackboard. Next to a half-paragraph of the Analects, a line of small words slowly emerged: "My letter... is under the podium..."
Lu Ye walked to the front of the podium, squatted down and pushed aside the dusty wooden board. There was indeed a small wooden box underneath, filled with envelopes. Each envelope was written with "To Student XX" and signed "Chen Yanshu". The date was June of the 31st year of the Republic of China, exactly one month before the school closed.
He picked up the top envelope and opened it. Inside was a yellowed piece of paper with beautiful handwriting. It read: "Mingyuan, you said you wanted to apply to Jinling University. I believe you can do it. Although the war is urgent, you must not lose your concentration on studying. After the war, I will teach you the Analects..."
Seeing the word "Mingyuan," Lu Ye suddenly remembered Researcher Zhou's friend, Zhou Mingyuan, the owner of Wangchuan Garden, who was now over 80 years old. He quickly took out his phone and called Researcher Zhou. Sure enough, Zhou Mingyuan was Chen Yanshu's former student and had been searching for Chen Yanshu's whereabouts for years.
"My teacher was very kind back then," Zhou Mingyuan's voice choked with sobs over the phone. "He knew our family was poor, so he often gave me books and pens. In June of 1942, he said he would write me a reply, but I waited for half a month and didn't receive it. Then the school closed, and I never saw him again..."
Lu Ye held his phone, his heart aching. Chen Yanshu's obsession was to send these letters to students, letting them know his feelings. He returned the envelopes to the wooden box and was about to stand when the pen in his pocket suddenly fell to the ground. The tip of the pen pointed at the corner of the classroom, where a vague figure stood. It was the man in the gray gown he had seen in the secret room yesterday.
"Teacher Chen?" Lu Ye called softly. The shadow slowly turned around, revealing a thin face with gentle eyes. However, when he saw the soul-calming bell on Lu Ye's collar, he suddenly stopped, "You...you have his scent on you..."
"Him? Are you talking about Qi Chen?" Lu Ye took a step forward excitedly, but the shadow stepped back, as if afraid. "I'm Qi Chen's lover. Last year, he dispersed his soul to seal a huge wronged spirit. I'm looking for his fragments. Have you seen him?"
Shadow was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke: "In 1942, when I was trapped here, a young man in a black coat saved me. He also held a bell like yours and said he was a ghost teller. He said that if my obsession was not resolved, my soul would remain trapped here forever, and he told me to wait for someone who could help me send a letter..."
Lu Ye's heart skipped a beat—that young man in the black coat must be Qi Chen! A Pathfinder could travel between different nodes of resentment in time and space. Qi Chen must have been here before, helping Chen Yanshu and leaving a wisp of his soul in Chen Yanshu's obsession, waiting for someone to unravel it.
"What else did he say?" Lu Ye's voice trembled, but Shadow shook his head: "He didn't say his name, he just said that once the letter is sent and my obsession is resolved, a piece of his 'benevolence' will follow..."
"'Ben'? Is it the true soul?" Lu Ye asked, but the shadow began to become transparent. "I'm about to disintegrate... Help me send the letter to my student... Please..."
Lu Ye nodded quickly: "I will! Don't worry, I will send all the letters to them!"
The shadow bowed to him and slowly disappeared into the classroom, leaving behind only a faint scent of ink. Lu Ye squatted on the ground and picked up the pen. The blue light on the pen had disappeared, leaving only the cool touch of brass. He looked at the box full of letters and suddenly felt the burden on his shoulders heavier. These letters were not only Chen Yanshu's obsession, but also the key to finding Qi Chen's soul.
For the next three days, Lu Ye was busy searching for Chen Yanshu's students. For some who had passed away, he gave the letter to their children; for others still alive, he personally visited their homes and delivered the letter. Each recipient's eyes welled up as they recounted Chen Yanshu's kindness. Some even produced treasured textbooks, bearing Chen Yanshu's annotations.
When Zhou Mingyuan was found, he was tending to Su Manqing's tombstone in Wangchuan Garden. His hands were shaking as he took the letter. After reading it, he bowed deeply in the direction of Jinling Middle School and said, "Teacher, I didn't disappoint you. I later passed the entrance exam to Jinling University and became a teacher, teaching students just like you did..."
Lu Ye looked at the old man and recalled the agreement he had made with Qi Chen. Qi Chen had said that once they had resolved all their obsessions, they would go to Wangchuan Garden together to see the lotus flowers. He touched the soul-calming bell on his collar and whispered, "Qi Chen, look, I've mailed all of Teacher Chen's letters. Now that his obsession has been resolved, isn't it time for your soul fragments to appear?"
As they left Wangchuan Garden, the pen in Lu Ye's pocket suddenly vibrated, more intensely than ever before. He pulled out the pen, and a faint blue light slowly condensed from the tip. A vague figure floated in the light—Qi Chen's back! He was wearing his familiar black coat, holding the Soul-Calming Bell in his hand, exactly as he had been in Jing Garden.
"Qi Chen!" Lu Ye shouted, reaching out to grab him, but the shadow dispersed like smoke, leaving only a fainter wisp of light that drifted towards his collar and into the Soul-Calming Bell. The Soul-Calming Bell suddenly rang, and the runes on the bell became clearer. When it was gently shaken, a tiny shadow could be seen inside. It was the outline of Qi Chen. Although it was blurry, it was clear that it was his true form.
Lu Ye clenched the Soul-Calming Bell tightly, tears falling onto it, feeling as cold as Qi Chen's hand. He knew this was Qi Chen's true soul, devoid of memories and life, yet it was the first step in his quest to find Qi Chen.
It was already evening when Lu Ye returned to Shanghai. He pushed open the door to the Shenyuan secret room. Xiao Wu was sorting through the props in his "Republic of China Study." Seeing him return, he quickly said, "Brother Ye, you're back! Several customers have been asking about the 'Republic of China fountain pen' these past few days, hoping to try out the same theme!"
Lu Ye smiled and placed the pen in the glass case at the front desk, next to Qi Chen's pen. He touched the soul-calming bell on his collar and shook it gently. The shadow within the bell became clearer. Although still silent, it seemed to be looking at him.
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye said softly to the shadow while sitting at the front desk, "I've sent out all of Teacher Chen's letters. His obsession has been resolved, and I've found your true form. Although you have no memories and no life now, it doesn't matter. I will wait and continue to search for your other souls. Just like you taught me back then, take your time and don't rush."
The soul-calming bell did not ring again, but it seemed to have responded. The blue light of the bell flashed gently, reflecting on Lu Ye's face, like Qi Chen's eyes back then, gentle and firm.
The "Republican Study" theme in the Abyss Secret Room has become a minor internet sensation thanks to its "printable fountain pen," with customers checking in daily to experience the "prop that can communicate with the dead." Lu Ye doesn't explain the pen's origins, simply placing it in a glass case with a sign next to it: "Republican Cultural Relic, Please Do Not Touch." He only takes it out when no one is around, looking at it and recalling Chen Yanshu's story and the shadow that resembles Qi Chen.
That afternoon, a special customer arrived at the shop—a woman in her seventies, carrying an old cloth bag. She asked as soon as she entered, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Lu Ye? I'm Lin Xiulan, a student of Professor Chen Yanshu. Mr. Zhou Mingyuan said you have a letter from him."
Lu Ye quickly asked the old lady to sit down and poured her a cup of hot tea. The old lady pulled a yellowed notebook from her cloth bag. Inside was a black-and-white photo. The photo showed a young girl with pigtails standing at the gate of Jinling Middle School. Next to her stood a man in a gray gown. It was Chen Yanshu. "This is a photo of me and my teacher when I was eighteen," the old lady's voice was filled with nostalgia. "My teacher wrote me a letter back then, saying that after I graduated, she would recommend me to teach at a girls' middle school. But I never received the letter, and later I learned that the school had closed."
Lu Ye took out the letter from Lin Xiulan's drawer and handed it to her. The old lady took the letter, gently stroked the handwriting on the envelope with her fingers, and tears fell: "It's the teacher's handwriting, that's right... For so many years, I always thought the teacher had forgotten me, but I didn't expect that he still remembered..."
The letter read: "Xiu Lan, your writing is very good and full of spirit. The principal of the girls' middle school is my friend, and I have already contacted him. When you graduate, you can just go and register. Although the war is difficult, it is not easy for women to study. You must persevere and be a teacher who can illuminate others..."
After reading the letter, the old lady hugged it tightly in her arms, as if holding a rare treasure. "Mr. Lu, thank you for helping me fulfill a wish that has lasted for decades. Your teacher saved me when I was a child. My family was poor and we had no cotton-padded clothes in winter. Your teacher altered his long gown to make it smaller for me, saying, 'A scholar may feel cold in body, but not in heart.'"
Lu Ye felt a surge of warmth in his heart, remembering Qi Chen's words back then—when they were searching for Xiaoyu's remains at Qiming Middle School, Lu Ye was shivering with cold, and Qi Chen had taken off his coat and given it to her, saying, "No matter how cold our obsession may be, our hearts must be warm." He touched the soul-calming bell at his collar and whispered, "Teacher Chen is a good teacher. I simply helped him fulfill his wish."
After the old lady left, Lu Ye sat at the front desk and flipped through Qi Chen's notes. There was a page that read, "The essence of obsession is unfinished tenderness." He thought of the obsessions he and Qi Chen had resolved together: Su Qingyuan's desire for innocence, Su Manqing's desire for justice, Lin Wanqiu's desire for the truth, and Chen Yanshu's desire for a letter... Behind each obsession was a tenderness that hadn't been expressed.
After closing the store at night, Lu Ye stayed in the "Republic of China Study" themed area, sat in front of the replica desk, put Chen Yanshu's pen on the table, and took out Qi Chen's pen. The two pens were placed side by side, and the blue ink in the ink bottle reflected the light, which looked very much like the scene in the Jingyuan study back then.
At that time, Qi Chen was sorting out Su Qingyuan's account book, and Lu Ye was helping him copy down clues. Qi Chen suddenly said, "Xiao Ye, when we are old, let's open a small bookstore. We won't sell books, but just help people find their lost memories, okay?" Lu Ye smiled and nodded, and said, "We will also put a music box in the bookstore, and play "Song Girl of the End of the World"."
Thinking of this, Lu Ye's tears fell onto the pen, spreading a drop of blue ink. He gently shook the Soul-Calming Bell, and a shadow slowly emerged from the bell. It was still the same vague outline, but as if it could sense his emotions, it floated gently above the pen, paused for a moment, and then slowly floated back into the bell.
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye whispered to the shadow, "I met Teacher Chen's student today. She's very grateful to you for saving Teacher Chen and helping him retain his obsession. You see, your kindness has never been in vain. Even if your soul has dispersed, you are still helping others."
The shadow didn't respond, but it reminded Lu Ye of more little things related to Qi Chen: when digging the iron box in the abandoned theater, Qi Chen was afraid that he would hurt his hand with the shovel, so he did the digging himself; when diving in Wangchuan Garden to find Su Manqing's cheongsam, Qi Chen was afraid that the water would be cold, so he jumped in first to test the temperature; when sealing the core in the clock tower square, Qi Chen protected him behind him and said, "Xiao Ye, you must live well."
These little things emerged in his mind like fragments, supporting Lu Ye through the past year. He knew that he was no longer the person who could only hide behind Qi Chen. He could investigate cases on his own, resolve obsessions on his own, and run a secret room on his own. These were all taught to him by Qi Chen, and they were the most precious gifts Qi Chen left for her.
In the following weeks, Lu Ye received several more students of Chen Yanshu. Each of them was as grateful as Lin Xiulan. Some even brought the textbooks and notes that Chen Yanshu had given them. Lu Ye sorted these things out and placed them in the display cabinet of the "Republic of China Study Room". Next to them were Chen Yanshu's pen and Qi Chen's notes, which became the most special "exhibits" in the secret room.
One day, a young woman came to experience the theme. Seeing the items in the display cabinet, she suddenly said, "Manager, are you looking for someone named Qi Chen? My grandmother said that a man named Qi Chen saved her and said he would come back."
Lu Ye's heart skipped a beat. He asked the girl's grandmother's name. The girl replied, "My grandmother's name is Shen Yurong. She was a Hua Dan in the Jinling Opera Troupe in 1936."
Lu Ye had seen Shen Yurong in Qi Chen's notes. She was a leading actress in the Jinling Opera Troupe. She was poisoned and her spirit was trapped in the opera house. He quickly asked Shen Yurong about her recent situation. She said, "My grandmother passed away last year. Before she died, she said a young man in a black coat told her that she could rest in peace once someone found her tickets."
Lu Ye knew that this was another new obsession, and also a new clue to Qi Chen's soul. He touched the soul-calming bell on his collar, and the blue light on the bell flashed slightly, as if to encourage him.
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye whispered to the shadow, "Next, we're going to the old site of the Jinling Opera Troupe to look for Shen Yurong's tickets. I know the road is long, but I will keep going until I find all of your souls and bring you back to me."
The soul-calming bell stopped ringing, but it seemed to have regained some warmth, gently pressing against his collarbone, like Qi Chen's hand back then, silently saying "I believe you."
To find Shen Yurong's tickets, Lu Ye deliberately closed the Shenyuan secret room in advance, took Qi Chen's notes, the soul-calming bell, and Chen Yanshu's pen, and boarded the train to Nanjing again. On the train, he flipped through the notes about Shen Yurong: "In the 25th year of the Republic of China, Shen Yurong, a leading actress of the Jinling Opera Troupe, was poisoned before a performance of 'The Soul Locking Story.' The tickets disappeared, and it is suspected that the troupe owner is involved."
Next to it was an old photo of Zhang Shen Yurong. The woman in the photo was wearing a white costume, standing in the center of the stage, holding a ticket in her hand, and smiling brightly. Lu Ye's fingertips ran over the ticket in the photo, and he remembered when he and Qi Chen were searching for Xiaoyun's silver hairpin in the abandoned theater, and Qi Chen said, "Every theater troupe has secrets, hidden in the tickets, costumes, and account books."
After the train arrived at the station, Lu Ye found the former site of the Jinling Opera Troupe according to the address in his notes. It was now a small shop selling old costumes. There was a faded wooden sign hanging at the door with the words "Yurong Costumes" written on it. The pattern on the corner of the sign was exactly the same as the pattern on the costume in Shen Yurong's photo.
"Excuse me, is anyone there?" Lu Ye pushed open the shop door, and the copper bell on the door rang out, a sound somewhat similar to the sound of the soul-calming bell. The shop was filled with a variety of old opera costumes, mostly from the Republican era. One of them, a white costume embroidered with gardenias, hung in a prominent position, exactly like the one in Shen Yurong's photo.
A gray-haired old man came out from the inner room, sewing the cuffs of a costume with a needle and thread in his hand. "Young man, what do you want to buy?" The old man's voice was hoarse and carried the accent of old Nanjing.
"I'm not here to buy anything," Lu Ye took out Shen Yurong's photo, "I'm looking for someone named Shen Yurong. She was a leading actress of the Jinling Opera Troupe in the 25th year of the Republic of China. I heard her tickets are still here."
The old man's gaze fell on the photo, and his body visibly stiffened. The needle and thread in his hand fell to the ground. "How...how do you know Yurong?" The old man's voice trembled. "She's my aunt. After she was poisoned, my grandfather hid her costume and tickets and wouldn't let anyone touch them."
Lu Ye was delighted and quickly said, "I am the lover of Tongyou. Last year, my lover's soul was scattered in order to seal the wronged soul. I am looking for his fragments. Miss Shen's obsession may contain a trace of his soul. I want to help Miss Shen resolve her obsession and also want to find the fragments of my lover."
The old man sighed and led Lu Ye into the inner room. Hanging on the wall was a larger photo of Shen Yurong and the troupe. In the center, Shen Yurong was holding a ticket, and next to her stood a man in a suit. The old man said, "This is the troupe's owner, Zhang Wanlin. He was the one who poisoned my aunt because she discovered he had embezzled the troupe's funds and was planning to sell her to a warlord."
The old man pulled a wooden box from under the bed. Inside was a yellowed theater ticket. Inscribed on the ticket was "The 25th year of the Republic of China, July 7th, 'The Soul Locker,' starring Shen Yurong." A dark red stain, like dried blood, stained the corners. "This is my aunt's theater ticket," the old man said, his voice choking with emotion. "She planned to use this ticket as evidence after the performance to expose Zhang Wanlin's crimes, but he poisoned her before the show even began."
Lu Ye took the ticket, and just as his fingertips touched the paper, the soul-calming bell in his pocket rang. The blue light of the bell was reflected on the ticket, and a vague figure slowly emerged from the bloodstains on the corner of the ticket—it was Shen Yurong! She was wearing a white costume, holding the ticket in her hand, and her eyes were filled with grievance.
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