Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 026

Chapter 26

The name wasn’t right, the hometown wasn’t right, there was no way they had ever met in the past, and there had never been any twin sisters. From any angle, Chen Yindeng and Chen Wan couldn’t possibly be related. Yet, she just happened to look an awful lot like Chen Wan.

It wasn’t just a resemblance; it was the same person. Beyond her appearance and voice, even her small movements were identical to Chen Wan’s, like tilting her head slightly and biting her lower lip when she was lost in thought, or unconsciously stroking her temples with her hands while laughing.

Qin Fang was completely dazed. His mind told him it couldn’t be, but he couldn’t control his emotions. As he was talking to Chen Yindeng, his eyes suddenly felt sore. He quickly turned away, took a deep breath, and apologized to Chen Yindeng again, “I’m sorry.”

Chen Yindeng was quite understanding. Considering what Qin Fang had asked her before, she had a good idea. “Do I look a lot like one of your close friends…?”

“Yes.”

“Did she… leave? Or is she gone?”

“She passed away.”

After saying these three words, his chest churned, his vision blurred, and he couldn’t explain it. It had been so many years since the incident; how could he have lost his composure in front of others? Chen Yindeng sighed softly and handed him a tissue. After hesitating for a moment, she reached out as if to pat him on the shoulder.

As her hand touched Qin Fang’s clothes, she suddenly felt something was wrong. Looking up, she met Si Teng’s half-smile. Yan Furui stood beside her, his mouth wide open.

***

Si Teng, of course, had no interest in seeing Yan Furui off. She was simply wondering why she hadn’t seen Qin Fang in a while. The honest Yan Furui observed her expression and quickly explained. “Qin Fang and Miss Chen are talking outside.”

Miss Chen? Chen Yindeng? What did she want with Qin Fang?

Yan Furui initially thought it was nothing, but when Si Teng’s face sank, he realized that the two sides were actually hostile. It was indeed inappropriate for Chen Yindeng to meet Qin Fang privately without Si Teng’s knowledge. He quickly followed behind, pestering Si Teng, explaining that she shouldn’t overthink it. The two of them weren’t actually familiar with each other and had never met before. Qin Fang even asked him to take a photo of Chen Yindeng to identify her face.

Upon opening the door, the scene was truly unexpected. Si Teng folded her arms, leaned against the doorframe, and asked Yan Furui, “Don’t you know me? Is this a reconciliation or a moment of familiarity?”

Chen Yindeng hadn’t expected to see Si Teng under such circumstances. After a moment’s pause, her expression quickly turned cold. Her eyes were filled with undisguised hatred. After staring at each other for a few seconds, she said to Qin Fang, “Goodbye.”

With that, she turned and walked away. She hadn’t taken two steps when Si Teng’s voice came from behind her. “Wait.”

Chen Yindeng froze, standing there for a few seconds before gritting her teeth and turning. “What’s the matter?”

Si Teng ignored her, her bright eyes fixed on Yan Furui. “Go back and tell Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple that we’re not sworn enemies, but we’re not friends either. It doesn’t seem right to summon my people for a private chat without my approval. Magu Cave may not be a family of scholars, but their upbringing isn’t so lax as to disregard even the most basic etiquette.”

Chen Yindeng knew she was deliberately mocking her and resolved not to respond. She simply sneered.

“You’ve come to my door, treading on my territory. It’s one thing not to offer a visiting card or greet me, but you’ve turned and walked away. After all, Chen Cuiqiao and I shared a table, clinked glasses, and drank tea together. We’re elders. Asking you, Chen Yindeng, to kowtow to me and call me ‘Grandma’ isn’t excessive.”

Chen Yindeng raised her chin and chuckled coldly.

“Also, there’s something I must tell Miss Chen. I heard she has a grudge against me, so I’m sure she’s obsessed with revenge. But before you do, please read more about famous people and historical biographies. The ancients said, ‘A man with a heart as calm as a lake can be promoted to general.’ Goujian’s success in restoring his kingdom was likely due to his ability to contain his anger, be courteous, and remain silent. If he were like Miss Chen, acting like a fighting spirit the moment she met the King of Wu, the King would have pulled out her eyes and fed them to the dogs.”

Qin Fang felt awkward and wanted to persuade her several times, but thinking of Si Teng’s personality, speaking would only make matters worse, so he sighed and remained silent. Finally, Chen Yindeng couldn’t contain herself and asked, “Are you done?”

Si Teng nodded to Yan Furui. “Master Yan, goodbye. I won’t see you off.”

***

Back in the courtyard, Si Teng sat down on a chair on the porch and gestured for Qin Fang to sit across from her. “Why aren’t you explaining this to me?”

Qin Fang helplessly said, “Si Teng, it’s not as serious as you think…”

Si Teng interrupted him, “I know that in your era, many rules are no longer enforced, but avoiding suspicion is always a given. My relationship with the Taoist Sect is currently delicate. Emotionally and morally, you shouldn’t have met Chen Yindeng privately.”

She added, “You performed such a scene for me today. There must be a reason behind it. No matter how I think about it, there’s no way you could have met Chen Yindeng, unless it was that day at the club. I asked you to chase her out, and you met her, but you didn’t tell me when you came back. Why?”

He hadn’t told her that day because, having first seen a face that looked like Chen Wan, he panicked and, for some reason, kept it a secret. He didn’t know what was going on in Si Teng’s head, but with such a coherent narrative, she was able to refute him completely. It would be better to tell her the truth from now on.

Qin Fang decided not to hide it from her. “That Chen Yindeng looks exactly like my first girlfriend, Chen Wan.”

Women’s priorities were sometimes inexplicable, and even seductresses were no exception. “You’re about to get married, and you’re still thinking about your ex?”

“No… Chen Wan’s been dead for years…”

That made it easier to understand. Si Teng pondered. “Exactly the same?”

“Exactly the same.”

“I don’t believe there are two people in this world who look exactly the same. They’re either the same person or twins. Even in TV shows and movies, those who look exactly alike share the same mother, don’t they?”

Qin Fang felt a little uncomfortable and whispered, “It really is exactly the same. I’ve asked Miss Chen about your situation, and she said it wasn’t true. But… I think they really do look alike.”

“However, I admit you have a point. We need to avoid suspicion. She and Chen Wan are not the same person. From now on, I will just avoid meeting her.”

Si Teng laughed instead. “No, they are two different things.”

When Qin Fang said that, she understood. It was normal for him to feel a surge of turmoil, considering it was his first love and they were exactly the same. An Man was definitely out of the picture anyway. If Qin Fang started a new relationship, it was reasonable for him to develop a special affection for Chen Yindeng. If he remained calm and indifferent, that would be suspicious. Besides, if he truly fell in love with Chen Yindeng, could he resist? The more he tried to resist, the more likely it would spread like wildfire.

“I don’t care what happens between you and Chen Yindeng. There are only two things: first, keep your mouth shut and know what to say and what not to say. Second, choose a place where I can’t see Chen Yindeng under the moonlight. Although I’m a generous person, seeing her acting like a bitch all day makes me uncomfortable.”

With that, regardless of Qin Fang’s stunned expression, she stood up and went straight back to her room. Qin Fang was secretly congratulating himself that the storm was finally over when Si Teng couldn’t help but look back. “Exactly the same. She looks just like your girlfriend. I was saying that you and my…”

The corridor was dimly lit, hazy, and blurry. Qin Fang stood there in the shadows, his head slightly lowered, a faint smile on his lips, as if he were helpless, yet also seemingly unconcerned. It was strange. She saw him every day, and nothing had changed. But at this moment, it was like a sudden revelation: he looked like a completely different person.

Si Teng suddenly stopped talking.

After waiting for a long time without any further response, Qin Fang looked up at her. “What’s yours?”

“Don’t move!”

Qin Fang was startled by her sudden cry. Si Teng was standing a meter away, her expression indescribably strange. She instructed him, “Lower your head a little.”

What did she mean? Qin Fang was filled with doubt, but he lowered his head anyway.

“Turn your face to the right, a little further to the right.”

“Tuck your chin in a little, and don’t show any other expression…”

…

After several attempts, Qin Fang felt something was amiss. “What’s wrong with you?”

Si Teng stared at him, hesitating for a long time, a rare moment, before asking, “I remember you told me you were from Hangzhou?”

“Hangzhou.”

“So, tracing back to your ancestors, has anyone ever been to Qingcheng?”

***

Chen Yindeng was furious and hurried along. Yan Furui trotted after her. He didn’t dare to speak to her until they were almost at their hotel.

“Miss Chen, I know you’re upset. I’d be the same if it were you…”

“Stop fussing with the monster…”

“It’s impossible to reason with Miss Si Teng. When I met her, I told her she shouldn’t have cursed your Magu Cave. But she said, ‘So what if she did? There are so many gates, and she only cursed Magu Cave, not others. So it must be Magu Cave that’s bad!’ She can even come up with such twisted logic…”

Chen Yindeng stopped abruptly. Yan Furui, caught off guard, nearly bumped into her.

“She admitted she cast the curse?”

“Yes, she said she took responsibility for it and had nothing to deny.”

Chen Yindeng was stunned for a long moment, seemingly incredulous. She whispered, “Why would she admit it?”

Yan Furui didn’t understand the meaning of Chen Yindeng’s question: Why wouldn’t she admit it? She did it, so of course she admitted it. What’s wrong with that?

He wanted to ask Chen Yindeng, but before he could, Master Zhang Shaohua’s voice echoed behind him. “Miss Chen, everyone’s waiting for you.”

***

As always, Yan Furui couldn’t attend this “meeting” and could only watch helplessly as the door to Master Cang Hong’s room slammed shut.

It wasn’t even bedtime yet, and Wafang was watching cartoons in his room, his chattering annoying. Yan Furui simply went to chat with Wang Qiankun—although Wang Qiankun was a Taoist, he was only a disciple and, like Yan Furui, couldn’t attend high-level meetings.

Strangely, Wang Qiankun seemed drained and listless. After inviting Yan Furui into the room, he lay on the bed and stretched his muscles. After a while, he did some eye exercises, pressing his fingers on various acupoints, such as Yuyao, Qingming, Sizhukong, and Qigong. Upon asking, he learned that the Temple abbot Cang Hong had assigned him work today and had the Taoist brothers who stayed behind in Wudang Mountain send him a number of documented copies of “Monster Records” and “Local Strange Records.” After browsing through them, the abbot had him read through “Monster Records of Yunnan and Guizhou” and list a few famous monsters from eastern Guizhou.

Was there anyone else compiling a monster record? Should Si Teng be included in “Monster Records of Qingcheng”? Yan Furui casually asked him, “Are there any powerful monsters?”

Yes! Wang Qiankun suddenly became alert and sat up from his bed. “In the autumn of the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign, a giant monster appeared in eastern Guizhou. It was said to stand tall, blocking out the sun and blotting out the sky, shaped like an umbrella. Whenever it passed through a prefecture, it would inflict countless casualties and cause rivers of blood. Later, Magu Cave intervened, spreading news to Wudang, Qingcheng, Longhu, and Qiyun, along with the help of hermit masters. They managed to defeat the monster, severely inflicting heavy damage and eradicating its presence. Later generations lamented that this monster was the greatest demonic threat in eastern Guizhou, hence the name ‘Red Umbrella.'”

***

Professor Bai Jin’s notebook was handed over. Yingying’s screen displayed a photo of a page from a yellowed bound book. It looked like an ancient Chinese woodblock print. Countless civilians were fleeing in panic in front, while behind them, in mid-air, a monster pressed down on the clouds. Its head was as large as a winnowing basket, its body was as thin as a pole, and its eyes were narrow and long. Although it was drawn with ink, it was so lifelike that it made one’s teeth shiver and one’s eyes tremble with fear.

Chen Yindeng glanced at it briefly. “This is the Red Umbrella.”