Chapter 033: Ancient House Phantom (5)
The wooden door opened and closed, isolating itself from the noise outside, as if entering another world.
Motes of dust floated in the light as Tao Xing stepped over the threshold carrying a box.
In the dim courtyard, a sudden gust of wind blew, the old tables and chairs, and the rotten railings creaked, the door upstairs that was not closed shook loudly, and the backyard was dusty and misty.
Tao Xing stood by the door, looking at the strange wind in surprise, and saw a bench leg flying towards him and then away.
His eyes followed the bench leg back and forth for a while, and the bench leg probably got tired of flying and stopped in front of him.
Tao Xing stretched out his hand and waved it over. It had no rope tied to it, so it floated up on its own.
He tried to reach back to grab it, but the bench leg dodged by leaning sideways. Then, the wind suddenly became stronger, and the bench leg hit the railing and flew back with a crackling sound.
It seemed that the wind would not stop for a while, so Tao Xing simply walked inside, first going back up to find the wall where the plaque was. The peeling wall paint had not been swept and was still on the ground. He leaned into the wall and saw that the plaque had not returned to the inside, so he went to find a broom and swept away the white lime and sawdust.
The wind was whistling as Tao Xing lowered her head to sweep the floor. After sweeping, she mopped it again.
Before the old man issued a notice that non-competing owners were not allowed to enter the old house, other people were allowed to enter the house. At that time, some people occasionally cleaned it, repaired it, and connected water and electricity.
Those who were cleaning didn't know anything about the seal. Maybe they didn't have this hint in their minds and were not affected by the hallucination, so nothing happened.
He mopped the floor slowly, and the bench leg finally stopped flying and fell in front of the mop with a "thump". At the same time, the sound of the wind suddenly stopped.
As if feeling being stared at, Tao Xing looked up, and suddenly saw a person standing by the railing on the second floor.
The big red skirt, golden tassels, and ruby-like eyes are looking down.
Tao Xing threw away the mop, took a step forward and said with a smile: "You are really here, I... guessed that Dad hid you here."
The man asked, "Are you here to ask me for a plaque?"
"Uh..." Tao Xing still had to help him maintain his persona, so she had to follow his words and ask, "Why do you insist on having that plaque? You can't eat or drink it."
The red-clothed man glanced and said, "Why did you, the Tao family, try so hard to get this plaque?"
"It's just a belief, and I firmly believe that it can bless the family."
"I..." the man in red said, "I also have faith, and I firmly believe that it can protect me." After that, he said in a stern tone, "I won't let you take it again, so give up on this idea."
"I didn't say I wanted to take it." Tao Xing smiled, "I'll give it to you." He looked around and said, "This house is not suitable for living. I think you should not live here. Come with me."
There was a hint of confusion in the man in red's eyes. He turned around and walked slowly along the corridor.
The man in red floated gently by the railing. On the invisible side, several cracks slowly appeared on the skin of his cheek. His fair skin lost its blood color and gradually turned into blue-gray. There was no blood in the cracks, only black lines, like gullies exposed in dry land, or cracks in broken tiles.
Turning the corner ahead, his sleeves slightly lifted, and half of his face, which was full of wrinkles, returned to normal as he turned around, and he walked downstairs.
Walking up to Tao Xing, he said, "I won't leave."
"oh?"
"I...have a deep affection for your father, and I want to stay here as a widow for him."
Tao Xing stroked his chin and nodded: "You said last night that you were forced by my father, and at dawn you said that you followed him voluntarily for the sake of wealth and fame. Now, you say that we are deeply in love. Sir, which of your words is true?"
The man was stunned and silent for a moment. He frowned and turned away, saying, "None of your business."
"Okay." Tao Xing responded, leaning over to open the box, "If you don't want to leave, forget it. I won't leave either."
The man turned back in surprise: "You want to stay here?"
"Yes, it's our Tao family's old house after all. I have the right to live here. I've brought all my stuff with me. Don't worry, I'll pay for the water, electricity and food myself." He took the supplies out of the box, looked around, and felt that there was no place to put them. "It's dusty everywhere."
He picked up the broom again and swept the floor back and forth, raising layer upon layer of dust. It wasn't his fault; the dust was simply too thick.
The man in red stood quietly by and watched indifferently. After a while, he couldn't help but stepped back and waved the dust in front of his eyes with his sleeves.
After he waved a few times, a white shadow suddenly passed by. He raised his eyes and saw a white rag on his hair.
man:"……"
Tao Xing: "Oh, why did the rag fly away?"
He walked over and took the rag off the man's head: "Sorry, sorry."
As she spoke, she swung the rag in her hand, and water droplets flew all over the man's face.
The man wiped the water off his face and said, "That's enough."
"It's not enough and it's still very dirty." Tao Xing said seriously.
The man took a deep breath and raised his finger slightly. An imperceptible light flowed to the second floor. He said, "The upstairs is clean."
"Really?" Tao Xing put down the rag and looked up. "You should have said it earlier." He carried the box upstairs.
The man hesitated for a moment and followed him.
The second floor was indeed bright and clean, with no dust on the corridor, and not even a trace of damage. It was neat and new, as if it had just been decorated.
"I didn't go to the second floor last time I came here. I didn't expect it to be so well maintained." At this point, he turned around and asked, "I didn't see you last time. Were you not there then?"
"I hid myself." The man said, "Your father...didn't want your family to know of my existence, so he told me to hide if anyone came."
"Two people came before us. Did you hide as well?"
"Um."
"How do you get food and drink here alone?"
The man lowered his eyes and changed his words: "I remembered it wrongly. The day those two people came, I didn't hide. I went out to eat and drink."
"Fortunately you were not there that day, because those two went crazy after they returned. There are rumors that this house is haunted."
"I haven't seen anything."
"There are no ghosts or gods in this world." Tao Xing nodded. "What a coincidence. Last time, my nephews were also frightened and screamed here. Did you hear it?"
"I heard it, but I didn't dare to come out."
"It's hard for you." Tao Xing sighed, pushed open a nearby door, and then paused slightly.
The house was spotless, clean indeed, but... too clean. There was nothing in it, no tables, chairs, benches, beds, wardrobes, nothing.
He went to open another door, and the same thing happened.
"This is uninhabitable. How are you going to live here? You need to install furniture, build cabinets and bed boards. Let me take a look. A bathroom is also necessary, and there is also a kitchen. How about connecting these rooms and making a big living room? What do you think?"
The man said, "That's weight-bearing, you can't hit it."
"Yes, it will collapse if we hit it, but it doesn't matter. This house is already very old. If it really doesn't work, we can tear it down and rebuild it. Now I am the head of the Tao family, and they will all listen to me."
The man's face was as cold as ice, and he moved his fingers in his sleeves again, saying, "The room on the third floor is furnished."
Tao Xing ran up to the third floor again. It was also brand new and clean, as if it had just been cleaned. When a door opened, his eyes lit up.
There was a wooden bed with a curtain, covered with soft bedding. There was a desk at the head of the bed with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone, and a row of wardrobes opposite.
All are made of fine materials, luxurious and elegant, the furnishings are a bit retro, but they have everything you need.
Walk forward and push open the next door, you will see a screen in front of you, behind which is a wooden bathtub, and another room with a stove inside.
Continue walking forward, and behind each door is the same as the first room, with beds, tables and chairs.
"There really is everything." Tao Xing asked, "Which room do you live in?"
The man moved his fingers twice more: "The room at the end."
"Okay." Tao Xing didn't move forward. He carried the box back to the first room at the stairs. "Then I'll live here." He put his things on the table and half-lay on the bed. "I'm so tired." This body was too weak. He was really a little tired.
The man was silent at the door for a while, then asked, "Why do you want to stay?"
Tao Xing looked up: "I said I'll come to accompany you, do you believe me?"
The man didn't say anything, seemed to be lost in thought, and after a moment, he turned and left.
Tao Xing smiled and lay down to rest.
The courtyard has been tidied up, the windows are open, and there is plenty of sunlight. Apart from a bit of a decadent smell, the atmosphere is quiet and leisurely.
He slept until the afternoon, and when he got up he didn't see the man in red. He went downstairs. The light in the hall was poor, and it got even darker in the evening. He looked up and saw a light on the ceiling. He found the switch and pressed it a few times, but there was no response.
The circuit was damaged and he needed to find tools to repair it, but it was too late today. He went to wash his face and pushed the door open to go out.
A man in red clothes floated in the courtyard and fell from above. In the dim room, the mottled cracks on his face were faintly visible.
He looked towards the door and sneered: "Just...leaving now?"
Not long after, a ray of light came in, the wooden door opened and closed, and Tao Xing walked in holding a pile of things.
The man turned his face to make the cracks disappear, and looked at the person in surprise: "You're back again?"
"Yes, I went out to buy some things." Tao Xing put the scattered bags in her arms on the table. "Although there is a stove here, I really don't know how to cook. I see that the kitchen doesn't have firewood, rice, oil, salt, etc. You don't cook normally, do you?"
He brought over two clean chairs: "There's no signal in here, so I can't order takeout. I went out and bought some food. I don't know what you like to eat, take a look."
The man didn't look at the table. "I don't want to eat."
"How can you live without eating? Didn't you just say you would go out for food and drinks at noon?"
"I..." The man was at a loss for words, "I had already eaten when you were out. There is food stored in the house."
"Okay." Tao Xing opened the packages one by one, "Then I'll eat it."
The aroma of food filled the room. The man sat next to her with his arms folded, glancing over sideways.
The exquisitely crafted pastries are like pink petals in spring, the stir-fried dishes are red and look like they have a lot of peppers, and the fish soup is thick and white, dotted with a few green leaves.
There are two more... cups next to it, filled with dark water with black spots floating in it, and a layer of milky white stuff like clouds on top.
The aroma continued to fill his nose, and the man finally coughed lightly and pointed at the strange cup: "What is this?"
"Milk tea." Tao Xing said, handing over a cup, "Try it."
The man took it with doubt in his eyes, hesitated for a while, then imitated him and took a sip from the straw.
His red eyes suddenly lit up, he looked at the glass of water curiously, and took several sips in succession.
"Have some food too." Tao Xing handed over the chopsticks.
The man took it reluctantly and tasted all the food on the table.
When eating something sweet, his brows will relax; when eating something spicy, he will frown but continue to eat; when eating something sour, he will stop after taking one bite.
The small cake and milk tea were all consumed, and the man held out the cup: "I want more."
"No more." Tao Xing gently pushed his hand away, "Don't drink too much milk tea, no more than one cup a day."
The man frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. He stared at the milk tea cup and slowly stood up.
He walked into the darkness, and a light flashed in his hand, and then a cup of identical milk tea appeared. He bit the straw and went upstairs with satisfaction.
It was dark after dinner. The circuit was broken and there was no light in the house, but Tao Xing was well prepared and had candles in his box.
There was no need to light candles on the first and second floors. He lit candles in the corridor and the room on the third floor, and went to the stove to boil water for a bath. It must be said that this retro wooden barrel was quite comfortable for taking a bath.
After taking a shower and returning to his room, he stood at the door and turned back to the man in red in the corridor and said with a smile, "Good night."
The man stood at the end of the corridor, in a dark cloister, with flickering candlelight and swaying red shadows. He stood there for a long time without moving.
After entering the room and getting on the bed, Tao Xing put his hands behind his head. He had slept too much during the day and couldn't fall asleep at night, so he closed his eyes and rested.
The candlelight at the bedside flickered, as if there was a breeze blowing. He turned his head and slowly opened his eyes.
A red shadow passed through his eyes, and the man sat quietly on the desk beside the bed without anyone knowing.
Tao Xing slightly curved her lips and looked at him sideways.
The man asked, "Are you really here to accompany me?"
"Yes." Tao Xing said slowly.
The breeze blew the red hem of her dress, and the man was silent for a moment, not saying anything else.
Tao Xing didn't say anything either.
After a while, the man looked over and said, "I felt very comfortable last night."
Tao Xing's smile became even more intense. She reached out, grabbed the other person's sleeve, and with an effort, pulled the person onto the bed.
The pressing movements have become skillful, and taking off complicated clothes is also easy. The kiss is getting hotter and hotter. Today there is no pain, only hearty pleasure.
The candle flame kept jumping, and it was so intense that the man could hardly control himself. Cracks appeared on his face. He tilted his head, afraid of being seen by the person on him, and then raised his finger to turn off the lamp on the table.
As soon as the lights went out, his chin was lifted up and a hot kiss fell on his cheek. He was slightly startled and opened his eyes. Fortunately, the person on him didn't seem to notice.
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