Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 030

Chapter 30

Si Teng was already quite upset after his meeting with Chen Yindeng last time. Qin Fang didn’t want to hide it from her, so he handed her his phone. “Should I go or not?”

Si Teng took the phone and looked at it. “She’s trying to get my reaction. If you want to go, go ahead, but you know what to say and what not to say, right?”

Qin Fang glanced at her. “You’re not three years old. If anything happens to you, I’ll be buried with you. Do you think I’d say anything?”

This was indeed Qin Fang becoming more understanding. Si Teng felt better. “Then go.”

Qin Fang breathed a sigh of relief and was about to turn and leave when Si Teng called him back. “Qin Fang, you’ve been acting so well these days. Now, it’s good, so I’ll give you some advice. It’s good advice; you should always remember it.”

It was most likely not good. Qin Fang looked at her warily. “What?”

“Give up! Chen Yindeng won’t like you.”

Qin Fang was furious. “When did I ever say I liked Chen Yindeng?”

“Every time you see her, I’m afraid your eyes will fall out.”

“I just glanced at her a few times because she looks like Chen Wan. Anyone who sees someone who looks like their friend would take a second look.”

Si Teng smiled. “Whatever you say is fine. Go quickly. Miss Chen is waiting outside. I’m afraid she’ll get impatient and try to climb over the wall. That would be immoral.”

Qin Fang turned around and left.

***

After Qin Fang left, the courtyard fell silent. Si Teng, bored, sat for a while before turning to fiddle with the furnishings on the table. A chime clock, a vase, and a wooden mirror were placed interspersed on the table, symbolizing “a lifetime of tranquility (the sound of the bell and the stillness of the vase).” But any woman fiddling with these things would eventually end up looking in the mirror.

The old-fashioned mirror distorted the image of people, and she was just looking at it with amusement when a slender figure appeared in the mirror, shoving its way into the room along the corner. Si Teng was startled, then realized: It was Yan Furui.

She placed the mirror back on the table. “You haven’t left yet.”

Yan Furui asked cautiously, “Miss Si Teng, are there any monsters in this world that appear in black smoke and fog?”

So it was all about Wafang. Si Teng found him pathetic and ridiculous, yet there was a lingering sense of pity that made her feel sorry for him. “Don’t attribute everything to monsters. In this era, even if monsters exist, they wouldn’t be so rampant. What the hotel attendant said makes sense. Perhaps it was a human crime.”

Perhaps because he was too sad, Yan Furui spoke slowly. He said, “Miss Si Teng, you don’t know. At that time, Taoist Pan’s gourd was shaking, and he jumped up and yelled about a demonic presence. Later, it turned out that Taoist Liu, Master Zhang, and Master Ding’s magical instruments were also moving. And, as Professor Bai Jin said today, the police searched every room and couldn’t find him. Wafang must have been taken by a demon.

Si Teng was silent for a moment, then asked, “Is Wafang a relative of yours?”

“I found him in the mountains. He was so skinny and tiny back then, like a kitten; everyone said they couldn’t keep him alive. But then I thought, wasn’t I also found by my master? So I brought him back, and now he’s making it through every meal of rice soup…”

Si Teng suddenly interrupted him. “So, this child has no origins?”

Yan Furui said, “Yes, what’s the problem?”

Si Teng asked, “Why, when Wafang was lost, did you all think he was abducted by a monster? What if he disappeared on his own? What if Wafang is the monster?”

Yan Furui stared blankly at Si Teng’s face. Miss Si Teng was smart, and smart people always made sense. But was Wafang a monster? Did he look like one? Not at all.

He remembered the time he used to sell spicy hot pot skewers at his stall, and Wafang, puffing out his cheeks, helped him push the cart. He remembered how Wafang, looking at the lamb skewers stall next to him, swallowed hard. He remembered arguing with the demolition engineer Song and how Wafang rushed forward, yelling, “Fuck you, you idiot!”

Yan Furui cried. He didn’t show any emotion as he cried, his face expressionless. Tears streamed down his wax-yellow face and dripped down his chin…

Si Teng was startled.

—”Why are you crying? I didn’t say anything.”

—”Stop crying! You’re a grown man; what’s the point of crying like that?”

—”Stop crying, okay? It’s not a big deal. If he’s missing, just look for him.”

—”Okay, okay. Where did he go? Take me there.”

Through his tearful eyes, Yan Furui could only see Si Teng frowning and talking. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but strangely, he caught only her last sentence. He asked in a hoarse voice, “Miss Si Teng, are you going to the hotel?”

Si Teng was furious. Yan Furui’s crying had given her goosebumps. She wasn’t afraid of people crying, but seeing Yan Furui crying like that was terrifying.

“Let’s go and see.” Firstly, Yan Furui had already ‘surrendered’ to her, and secondly, she was curious about where that evil spirit in the middle of the night came from.

***

Before leaving, Yan Furui answered a phone call. Si Teng heard him say, “Oh, you’re Qin Fang…”

Then, holding up his phone, he asked Si Teng which room Qin Fang was in. Si Teng gestured, and Yan Furui went inside while still talking on the phone. A short while later, he returned with a black wallet and explained to Si Teng that Qin Fang had forgotten his wallet but that he and Miss Chen hadn’t walked far and that he had already told him that he and Miss Si Teng were on their way out, so he could give it to him on the way.

Si Teng didn’t say anything at first, but after a few seconds, she suddenly felt unhappy and grabbed the wallet, throwing it on the table. “You’re not allowed to bring it.”

Yan Furui didn’t know what was wrong with her, so he had to report to Qin Fang. “Miss Si Teng said you can’t bring it…”

He said a few more words and carefully handed the phone to Si Teng. “Qin Fang said he wanted to talk to you.”

On the other end of the phone, Qin Fang was helpless. “How did my wallet do to bother you? I forgot to bring it.”

“According to the rules, she wanted to see you, so she should treat you to dinner.”

What kind of rules were these? Qin Fang was at a loss for words. “I’m a man. How can I let a woman treat me to dinner?”

“In your era, men and women are equal. She’s treating.”

Qin Fang gasped and remained silent for a while. Si Teng heard Chen Yindeng’s gentle voice on the receiver. “What’s wrong? Aren’t we leaving yet?”

Si Teng sneered. “Now you’ve learned to be gentle and obedient. Why were you acting like a mad dog last time?”

After a while, Qin Fang seemed to move away and asked her in a low voice, “What do you want?”

Si Teng reached out to fiddle with Qin Fang’s wallet. “I don’t want anything. I’m just annoyed with Chen Yindeng. You work for me, and the money is mine. Don’t even think about using my money to treat Chen Yindeng to dinner!”

With a soft click, the clasp opened, revealing a photo of a beautiful woman. Si Teng asked, “Who is this? An Man?”

Qin Fang guessed she had opened his wallet and hummed.

Si Teng pulled the photo out and examined it. Was this An Man? Not bad, she’s pretty. If it weren’t for all that mess, she and Qin Fang would have been a good match.

“She’s quite charming. Haven’t you thrown away her photo yet?” Si Teng was about to put the photo back when she realized there was another one inside, but it was facing inward. “Two?”

“Don’t…” Qin Fang tried to stop her but was too slow.

A very innocent girl, with long straight hair, an oval face, excellent skin, and playful eyes. However, she was definitely not An Man.

Si Teng laughed. “Okay, Qin Fang, does An Man know you have photos of other women in your wallet? You’re so good at playing both sides.”

Qin Fang’s voice suddenly dropped. “That’s Chen Wan.”

Chen Wan? Oh, yes, it hadn’t occurred to her at first, but it must have been Chen Wan. Joking about someone who had died didn’t seem very authentic, so Si Teng stopped talking and began to slip the photo back through the gap in the wallet’s transparent plastic film. Halfway through, her expression suddenly changed.

Yan Furui watched as she, with incredibly slow movements, took out the photo again, holding it between her fingers and holding it in front of her face, facing the sunlight behind her, as if comparing a hundred-yuan bill to a fake one.

She said, “The signal’s bad. Tell me again, who’s it?”

“Chen Wan… ah…”

The voice cut off, and Si Teng hung up.

Qin Fang, baffled, paused, then called back, fuming: What’s wrong with Si Teng? How did Chen Wan’s photo offend her again?

***

The phone was on a vibrating mode, buzzing on the desk like a toad about to jump. Yan Furui wanted to answer but didn’t dare. He asked Si Teng, “Miss Si Teng… Qin Fang’s calling… aren’t you going to answer?”

Si Teng smiled and turned the front of the photo towards Yan Furui. “Is she pretty?”

She was pretty. She looked quite young, probably a university beauty. But no matter how pretty she was, it couldn’t distract Yan Furui from his thoughts about the Wafang. “Miss Si Teng, aren’t you going to the hotel to take a look?”

“No hurry,” Si Teng gestured to the photo. “Do you recognize her?”

“Qin Fang’s friend? How could I know her?”

Strangely, Si Teng burst into laughter at such a simple reply that tears nearly came to her eyes. She picked up the phone, pressed the answer button, and said softly, “Let Miss Chen answer the phone.”

Yan Furui heard her say, “Miss Chen, I’m so sorry, Qin Fang can’t treat you to dinner. Have him come back and help me pack. I’m leaving for Qiandong tomorrow…”

***

As expected, things were unpredictable, and the situation took a lot of twists and turns. That evening, while discussing the next steps, Liu Jinding sighed, “That Si Teng woman is truly cunning. She’s made up her mind long ago, and she’s determined to keep us hanging, not letting us have a peaceful life.”

He added, “Miss Chen’s idea is truly brilliant. With a mix of truth and falsehood, she’s actually managed to keep Si Teng out of the loop.”

Taoist Master Ma Qiuyang said, “That’s right. When it comes to monsters and spirits, our Taoist sect is definitely more skilled.”

Remembering Master Ma Qiuyang’s sarcastic remarks during the day, Chen Yindeng sneered, dismissive.

Tomorrow they were leaving for Qiandong. Seeing that time was almost up, everyone went back to their rooms. When they opened the door, they were all startled.

Standing in the corridor was, surprisingly, Si Teng.

She wore a cheongsam, a mink coat draped over her left arm, and her hair was nearly waist-length. Seeing everyone emerge, she looked slightly surprised but quickly composed herself. “Greetings, Taoist Priests.”

Qin Fang and Yan Furui were nearby. Yan Furui explained to Temple Abbot Cang Hong, “Miss Si Teng heard about the incident with Wafang and said she wanted to come and see it, so I brought her here… Look, Miss Si Teng, this is where it was filmed. The camera is in that position…”

Si Teng looked for a moment, then suddenly noticed that everyone was still standing at Temple Abbot Cang Hong’s door. As if realizing something, she quickly made way for him. “Am I blocking the way? My apologies. Taoist priests, please do as you please.”

She apparently had no intention of engaging in conversation, and standing there would have been foolish. They exchanged glances and hesitantly passed by her. Si Teng watched coldly as they all returned to their rooms, remaining silent. Only when Chen Yindeng pulled out her room card and opened the door did she say, “So, Miss Chen stays here.”

Chen Yindeng looked back at her and said, “We all live around this corridor.”

After a pause, she added, “Has Miss Si Teng finished assessing the Red Umbrella Blood-soaked Mud I sent this morning?”

Si Teng smiled and looked directly into her eyes. “I have. It took quite… a bit of effort.”

***

Having looked, Si Teng said nothing. Yan Furui escorted Si Teng and Qin Fang out of the hotel and watched them eagerly as they got into the car. Just before the car started, Yan Furui finally couldn’t contain himself and clutched the car door, crying, “Miss Si Teng, have you figured anything out?”

Si Teng said, “I’ll let Qin Fang tell you.”

Qin Fang was stunned for a moment but still turned his head. Si Teng whispered in his ear for a long time and finally said, “That’s it. It’s up to you how to tell Yan Furui.”

Yan Furui looked at Qin Fang with hope. Qin Fang hesitated for a long time, then said to Yan Furui with a forced smile, “As long as you continue to stay with them and gather information for Miss Si Teng, she will definitely tell you the whereabouts of the Wafang.”

Yan Furui had been in agony all day, but only now was he truly overjoyed. Standing outside the car, he bowed repeatedly to Si Teng before hunching over and wiping his tears as he returned to the hotel.

Qin Fang didn’t start the car for a long time after Yan Furui left. Si Teng tilted her head to look at him and said, “Qin Fang, Qin Fang, you have a kind heart after all.”

Qin Fang suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and whispered, “Aren’t you the same? Otherwise, why didn’t you tell him yourself?”

Si Teng laughed, and at the end of her laughter, she said with a sigh, “I was afraid he’d cry.”

***

—As long as you continue to stay with them and gather information for Miss Si Teng, Miss Si Teng will definitely tell you the whereabouts of Wafang.

That wasn’t what Si Teng had said at the time.

What she said was, “Go tell Yan Furui that as long as he continues to stay with the Taoist sect and honestly gather information for me, I will help him and avenge Wafang.”