The Shadow of the Archives and the Echoes of the Old Alleys
The morning sun filtered through the glass windows of Shenyuan's secret chamber, casting tiny specks of light on the floor, but it couldn't illuminate the fatigue in Lu Ye's eyes. He sat at the front desk, his fingertips repeatedly stroking the soul-calming bell—the bell itself was warmer than yesterday, and Qi Chen's outline loomed within it, as if ready to emerge from the light at any moment.
"Brother Ye, the police called again yesterday, saying someone anonymously reported us for 'promoting feudal superstition' and told us to be careful recently." Xiao Wu came over with a cup of hot soy milk, his tone full of worry. "Could it be that someone is deliberately trying to mess with us?"
Lu Ye took the soy milk and felt the warmth of the cup with his fingertips. He suddenly remembered that when Qi Chen was still around, he would arrive at the store half an hour early every morning to prepare hot soy milk for him. Back then, there was always a spoonful of rock sugar in the soy milk, which Qi Chen had specially added to remember that he didn't like bitter tastes.
"Don't worry," he said, taking a sip of soy milk. The sweetness spread across his tongue, but a sour look welled up in his eyes. "We have all the necessary paperwork, so they can't find anything. By the way, I'm going to the city archives today to check some information, so I'll have to trouble you in the store."
The Municipal Archives was tucked away in an alley in the old city. Ivy covered the red brick walls, and the bronze plaque above the entrance read "Shanghai Municipal Archives." Lu Ye pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a whirring smell of dust and old paper filled the air. The room was dimly lit, with only the slow, creaking sound of the ceiling fan overhead.
"What period are you looking for?" the old man behind the counter raised his head, his glasses reflecting a cold light. "A lot of people have been looking for archives from the Republican era lately, especially those related to the Jinling Opera Troupe."
Lu Ye's heart moved. "Do you know about the Jinling Opera Troupe? I want to find information about a woman named Su Wan from the 25th year of the Republic of China, as well as the family information of the troupe's director, Zhang Wanlin."
The old man took out a bunch of keys from the drawer, stood up and walked towards the deep warehouse: "Come with me, the archives of the Republic of China are in the innermost warehouse. The light there is not good, so walk carefully."
The warehouse door was a heavy iron door that clanged loudly when it opened. Inside, tall iron shelves were filled with stacks of yellowed files, their labels illegible. The old man pointed to a shelf in the far corner: "The Jinling Opera Troupe's files are all there. Su Wan's information... I remember it was tucked away on the last few pages of the 'Jinling Opera Troupe Personnel Directory.'"
After the old man left, the only sounds in the warehouse were Lu Ye's footsteps and the rustling of files. He found the "Jinling Opera Troupe Personnel Directory" and just as he opened it, he felt a cold wind blowing from behind - the warehouse windows were clearly sealed, so where did the wind come from?
"Who?" Lu Ye turned around suddenly. There was no one behind him. Only the files on the filing rack were shaking slightly, as if they had been touched by something.
He gripped the Soul-Calming Bell tightly, the bell itself growing slightly hot. Qi Chen's outline became clearer within the ring, as if to warn him of danger. Lu Ye took a deep breath and continued searching. Sure enough, there was a yellowed piece of paper tucked between the last few pages of the directory. It contained Su Wan's information:
"Su Wan was born in 1936. In 1936, she married Li Mo, a musician for the Jinling Opera Troupe. She became pregnant in July of that year and was pushed down the stairs in October, where she died. The fetus was stillborn. The suspect, Zhang Xueqin, was the daughter of Zhang Wanlin, the troupe's headmaster. She was jealous of Su Wan and Li Mo's marriage and was a major suspect in the crime. However, due to insufficient evidence, she was not prosecuted."
There were a few water stains on the edge of the paper, like tear marks, and a line of small words was written on the back in pencil: "Xueqin said that the theater ticket can prove everything..."
"Theatre ticket?" Lu Ye's heart trembled, and he immediately thought of Shen Yurong's ticket. He took out the ticket he carried with him and placed it next to the piece of paper. The edges of the two pieces of paper fit together perfectly! On the back of the ticket, where it was originally blank, a line of handwriting slowly emerged: "Li Mo's violin case, under the old locust tree in the backyard of the opera troupe."
At this moment, the lights in the warehouse suddenly flickered, and files on the shelves began to fall madly, hitting the ground with a "bang bang" sound. Lu Ye looked up and saw a red shadow flashing quickly between the shelves. It was Su Wan's wronged spirit!
"My child... my brother Mo..." Su Wan's voice was filled with shrill tears. The temperature in the warehouse dropped sharply, and a layer of white frost condensed on the walls. "There is evidence in his violin case, evidence that Zhang Xueqin harmed me!"
Lu Ye grabbed the ticket and the paper, turned around and ran out. As soon as he rushed out of the warehouse, he bumped into the old man guarding the door. The old man was pale and pointed behind Lu Ye: "What...what is that?"
Lu Ye turned around and saw Su Wan's shadow pressed against the iron door of the warehouse. Her eyes were red as she stared at the ticket in his hand. "Help me... find the violin case..."
The shadow slowly dissipated, and the warehouse returned to peace. Only the scattered files remained on the floor. The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Young man, you'd better be careful. That warehouse... was haunted during the Republic of China. I heard that a pregnant woman died in it, and her spirit has never left."
Lu Ye thanked the old man and quickly walked out of the archives, ticket in hand. Standing at the entrance, looking at the ticket in his hand, he suddenly remembered that he and Qi Chen had come here to look up information last winter. Qi Chen, worried that he'd be cold, took off his scarf and wrapped it around his neck, saying with a smile, "The archives are filled with yin energy, and you're weak, so don't let it get to you."
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye touched the Soul-Calming Bell, and a warm response came from the bell, "Look, we are one step closer to the truth."
That afternoon, Lu Ye followed the instructions on his ticket and returned to the former site of the Jinling Opera Troupe in Nanjing. The old locust tree in the backyard was still lush and leafy, but its trunk was covered in cracks, like scars carved by time. He squatted beneath the tree, brushing aside the thick layer of fallen leaves with his hand. Suddenly, his fingertips brushed against something hard—a black violin case with the words "Li Mo" engraved on it.
The violin case was locked, the lock rusted. Lu Ye pulled out the small knife he carried and slowly pried open the lock. The moment he opened the case, a strong musty smell hit him. Inside was a violin, its strings broken. A small photo was taped to the side of the violin. It showed Su Wan, wearing a white cheongsam, nestled in the arms of a man holding a violin and a gentle smile. It was Li Mo.
Written on the back of the photo were words: "Xueqin stole Wanwan's ticket and said she would never be able to finish the play."
"I see," Lu Ye said softly, "Zhang Xueqin not only pushed you away, but also stole Shen Yurong's theater tickets, wanting to prevent both of you from fulfilling your wishes."
At this moment, footsteps were heard behind him. Lu Ye turned around and saw a white-haired old lady standing not far away, leaning on a cane, looking at the violin case in his hand with complicated eyes.
"Who are you?" Lu Ye asked vigilantly.
The old lady sighed and slowly walked over. "I'm Zhang Xueqin's daughter. Before my mother died, she asked me to give this to you." She pulled a red cloth bag from her pocket and handed it to Lu Ye. "She said she owed this to Su Wan."
Lu Ye opened the cloth bag and found a yellowed ticket inside. It was the other half of Shen Yurong's lost ticket! When the two tickets were put together, the inscription on them was completely revealed: "July 7, 1936, the 25th year of the Republic of China, "The Soul Locker", starring Shen Yurong, audience members Su Wan and Li Mo."
"My mother said," the old lady's voice was choked with sobs, "she was jealous of Su Wan marrying Li Mo, and she was afraid that Shen Yurong would expose my grandfather's embezzlement of public funds, so she stole the theater tickets and pushed Su Wan down the stairs. Over the years, she has had nightmares every day, dreaming that Su Wan came to her with the child in his arms to ask for an explanation."
Lu Ye clutched the intact ticket tightly, his eyes suddenly warming. He remembered what Qi Chen had said: "Behind obsession, there is often guilt and regret. Sometimes, an apology is more important than anything else."
"Thank you," Lu Ye put away the tickets, "I will help your mother apologize to Su Wan."
It was late at night when Lu Ye returned to Shanghai. He pushed open the door to Shen Yuan's secret room and found the lights on. He walked into the "Republic of China Study" themed area and saw Su Wan's shadow sitting at a desk, holding a small baby swaddling cloth, tears streaming from her hollow eyes.
"Su Wan," Lu Ye said softly, "I've found evidence. Zhang Xueqin has apologized. Your child... should rest in peace."
Su Wan looked up and saw the intact ticket in Lu Ye's hand. Her body began to tremble. She slowly stood up, walked over to Lu Ye, and took the ticket. Tears dripped onto the ticket, making it glow with a faint golden light.
"Thank you," Su Wan's voice became gentle. "I can finally see my child, and finally say sorry to Yurong - I promised to help keep her theater tickets, but because of my own affairs, she couldn't fulfill her wish."
The golden light grew brighter, and Su Wan's shadow gradually became transparent. Just as she was about to disappear, the theater ticket suddenly floated up, transformed into a warm light, and entered Lu Ye's soul-calming bell.
The bell shook violently, making a crisp sound, and Qi Chen's outline became clearer than ever in the bell - he was wearing a black coat, with a familiar smile on his lips. Although he still had no entity, one could see the tenderness in his eyes.
"Xiao Ye," Qi Chen's voice came clearly, with a hint of warmth, "I can feel... my life is coming back."
Lu Ye reached out and gently touched the bell. He felt a warmth at his fingertips, as if Qi Chen's hand was covering his own. His tears fell on the bell, creating circles of light.
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye's voice was choked with sobs, "I knew I would find you."
Qi Chen in the ring slowly approached him. Although he couldn't touch him, it was as if he was hugging him. Lu Ye closed his eyes and let the tears fall. He knew that this was just the beginning. He still had to find Qi Chen's memories, voice and emotions, and let him return to him intact.
The moonlight outside the window shines through the glass and falls on Lu Ye and the Soul-Calming Bell, forming a warm light, as if witnessing this hard-earned reunion.
The late autumn rain had begun to fall again, its fine threads hitting the glass door of the Shenyuan secret room, leaving streaks of water. Lu Ye sat at the front desk, holding Li Mo's violin. He had sanded the cracks on the violin with fine sandpaper. Although it was still unplayable, it had regained some of its original appearance.
"Brother Ye, someone sent you a package, saying it was sent from Nanjing." Xiao Wu walked in holding a brown package. There was no sender's address on it, only the four words "Lu Ye's Personal Address".
Lu Ye opened the package, revealing a yellowed diary with "Li Mo's Piano Score" written on the cover. He flipped to the first page, revealing a black-and-white photo tucked inside. It showed Li Mo and Su Wan sitting in the backyard of a theater troupe. Li Mo was playing the violin, while Su Wan leaned against him, holding Shen Yurong's ticket and smiling gently.
The diary records the story of Li Mo and Su Wan: In the spring of the 25th year of the Republic of China, they met in a drama troupe, Su Wan was the troupe's makeup artist, and Li Mo was a violinist; in the summer, they got engaged, and Shen Yurong gave them a ticket to "The Soul Lock", saying that she wanted them to watch her debut together; in the autumn, Su Wan became pregnant, and Li Mo secretly prepared a violin, wanting to play for them when the child was born; in October, Su Wan had an accident, and Li Mo sat at the hospital door with the violin case for three days and three nights, and finally buried the violin case under the old locust tree and left Jinling.
The last page of the diary was written by Li Mo in his later years: "Wanwan, I have been looking for you all my life, but I still can't find you. If there is an afterlife, I still want to play the violin for you and watch Yurong's play with you."
Lu Ye's fingertips traced the handwriting in the diary, tears dripping onto the pages, blurring the ink. He remembered that Qi Chen had also kept a diary, recording the days they worked together on the case, as well as those unspoken tendernesses - "Xiao Ye's porridge today was too salty, I'll make it next time," "Xiao Ye is afraid of the dark, remember to bring a flashlight when investigating at night," "Xiao Ye said he wanted to see the sea together, I'll take him there after I solve this case."
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye touched the Soul-Calming Bell. The outline of Qi Chen in the bell became much clearer, and he seemed to be nodding. "Li Mo and Su Wan can finally be together. We can too, right?"
The bell swayed gently, making a crisp sound, as if responding to his words.
In the afternoon, Lu Ye brought his violin and diary to the former site of the Jinling Opera Troupe. The old lady was still there. When she saw the diary in Lu Ye's hand, tears fell from her eyes. "This is what my mother said. It's Mr. Li Mo's diary. She stole it all her life and only asked me to return it to Miss Su Wan before she died."
"Thank you," Lu Ye placed the diary and violin under the old locust tree. "Li Mo and Su Wan can finally rest in peace."
Just then, a breeze blew by, and the leaves of the old locust tree rustled, as if in response to his words. The violin strings suddenly emitted a faint sound. Although it was out of tune, it was as if Li Mo was playing for Su Wan.
Lu Ye held the soul-calming bell tightly, and Qi Chen in the bell suddenly became clearer. His figure slowly walked out of the bell. Although he still had no entity, his complete appearance could be seen - a black coat, a thin face, and a familiar smile on the corner of his mouth.
"Xiao Ye," Qi Chen's voice was filled with warmth, "I can feel that my life is becoming complete. Thank you for never giving up on me."
Lu Ye stretched out his hand. Although he couldn't touch, he could feel Qi Chen's warmth. He remembered that last winter, Qi Chen stood in front of him like this and said with a smile: "Xiao Ye, no matter what happens, I will be by your side."
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye's voice was choked with sobs, "I miss you so much. I really want you to come back to me. I really want to investigate cases with you again, cook porridge with you, and watch the sea with you."
Qi Chen slowly approached and placed his hand on Lu Ye's shoulder. Although he had no physical body, he could still feel his comfort. "Yes," Qi Chen's voice was gentle. "I will come back slowly. When I find all my souls, we will go to the sea together and live a peaceful life together."
The rain stopped, and the sun shone through the clouds, shining on the old locust tree, forming a warm light. Lu Ye knew that this was only the second step in his reunion with Qi Chen. He still had to find Qi Chen's memories, voice, and emotions, and bring him back to him intact.
After returning to Shanghai, Lu Ye placed Li Mo's diary and violin in a display case in Shen Yuan's secret room, alongside Shen Yurong's theater tickets and Su Wan's baby swaddling clothes. Standing before the case, looking at these old items filled with stories, he could still hear Shen Yurong's singing, Li Mo's violin, and Su Wan's laughter.
In the dead of night, Lu Ye sat on the floor of the secret room, placing the soul-calming bell on his knees. Qi Chen in the bell could already speak clearly. Although still without a physical body, he could chat with him and accompany him to reminisce about the past.
"Qi Chen," Lu Ye said softly, "Let's go see Grandma Chen's stuffed rabbit tomorrow. I remember you said that the rabbit hides a gentle obsession."
"Okay," Qi Chen's voice was gentle, "I'll go with you."
The moonlight from outside the window poured in, illuminating Lu Ye and the Soul-Calming Bell, and also illuminating their hope of reunion.
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