The twenty-first day (3) The wind and moon are boundless

  There really is a storm!

  I saw the place where the sun and clouds intersect, a vast expanse of crimson, as if a great fire had been lit in the sky. I walked up a few steps and gazed far into the distance at the village, which stood silently and lifelessly, its central locust tree standing out so starkly that it seemed like an old man standing upright in the center of the village, looking back at me.

  With an air of death about him.

  I was unknowingly drawn to it, staring at it all the time, and in my heart there was still a thread of absurd thought. If it really was the one that was after my life, should I find an opportunity to cut it down? If this locust tree were gone, would the curse be lifted?

  I actually have a clear idea in my mind that if there really is a curse, it must be related to the red-clothed female ghost in the ancient temple. This cypress tree should be innocent, but I don't know why I'm so particular about it.

  The sky is getting darker and darker, I dare not shout the name of Da Ai near the inn, I'm afraid Xiao Ai in the room will hear it. I used up all my eyesight but didn't see any living thing appear in the village. I turned back to look again, after walking over this hill, I should be able to see the clear river winding behind.

  Has great love gone to the riverbank?

  Think about it again, or maybe Da Ai just went to town, she said that her family members will arrive soon, probably to pick up the station.

  I'm feeling a bit down. I originally wanted to put Da Ai and Xiao Ai together and have them confront each other, but now Da Ai has left again and I don't know what to do with myself.

  I trudged back to the inn with a heavy heart, and the dwarf looked up at me with his face raised and said, "In a while, let two police officers shout out 'assemble' and see if anyone is missing. It's going to rain heavily, the inn has been neglected for years, the door needs to be blocked, otherwise the wind can easily blow away the entire inn."

  I said it has nothing to do with me, you can go find the police yourself. By the way, that friend I just found doesn't seem to be in the room.

  Where did the dwarf go?

  I said, I don't know, didn't you see me here?

  Jujube said, "Can I take a look at the people coming and going? Anyway, I told you, let's gather later, you notify the students."

  I get annoyed when I hear dwarves speaking. From the first glance, there's no good impression. I said, I can't take care of them, you notify yourself.

  The dwarf said, I'm just telling you, there are all students inside, at a critical moment you are the one in charge.

  I said, I can barely take care of myself, let alone other people's affairs. If the students have something going on, you should talk to that girl, she can handle it.

  He let out a snort of disdain, seemingly rolling his eyes at me, before lowering his head.

  I knocked on Xiaoyi's door and she poked her head out from the doorway, smiling at me and asking what was up.

  I'm just asking if you have anything going on.

  Xiao Ai said, I'm fine, just resting, a bit disheveled, do you want to come in?

  I recalled the warm joke Xiao Ai made for me, that revealing nightgown has been lingering in my mind these past few days, lighting up what's left of my life. I chuckled and shook my head, saying "You're fine, just be ready to gather soon, you... get ready."

  Xiao Ai nodded, and I returned to the room. As soon as I closed the door, I sat on the bed intending to rest for a while, when I heard the door of the next room make a slight sound.

  I was stunned for a moment, thinking that Xiaoyi had come to find me, but after waiting for a while, there was no sound at all.

  It seems I misheard again, I lay on the bed for a while, either because of boredom or not fully recovered from illness, or maybe too tense, as soon as my head touched the pillow I felt extremely sleepy, my eyes were heavy, my head hurt a bit, after struggling for a few times I felt I couldn't get up, so I fell asleep again in a daze, until I was woken up by thunder and didn't hear the assembly call.

  I heard the thunder like firecrackers on New Year's Eve, one after another. The windows had already started to blow in icy mist, and I felt the whole building was trembling and swaying, as if it were a lonely boat adrift in the vast ocean.

  I got up and moved the window, it seems that there is no way to stop the rain from pouring into the house. I picked up the bed sheet and stuffed it on the windowsill, feeling a bit less cold air in the room. I thought of Xia Ai beside me, wondering if she would be scared under such loud thunder.

  I thought of Da Ai again, who has gone missing, I wonder if she is trapped in the rain.

  I washed my face and went out, then knocked on Xiaoyi's door, but there was no sound.

  My heart tightened, Xiaoyi had been waiting for me in the room all these days, it seemed like she never went out, where did she go today?

  I suddenly heard a lot of noise downstairs, ran down the stairs, followed the sound into the cafeteria, and found that many people were inside, but I didn't know who was talking about what. Anyway, it suddenly became lively, and many people burst out laughing.

  As I walked in, I heard that Officer Han was telling some legendary stories about his time as a police officer. The table was filled with dishes, exceptionally sumptuous. Ma Tiancheng stood behind the table and saw me coming, waving the ladle in his hand for me to come over. I also saw Xia Ai at the table, gesturing and smiling at me. Seeing her made me relax completely, and I walked over to Ma Tiancheng's side. Ma Tiancheng said, "Today it rained heavily and thundered, everyone was a bit scared, right? So we had a sumptuous dinner and organized a small evening gathering to liven up the atmosphere."

  After finishing, she gave me a full bowl of rice. I took the bowl and walked over to sit beside Xiaoyi. Xiaoyi said, "Just now when you knocked on the door, why didn't you make any sound? If I hadn't known you were sleeping in your room, I would have been worried to death."

  I smiled apologetically and said, how did you come down?

  Xiao Ai said, "The thunder is too loud, I'm afraid in the room. Isn't there still a party tonight? Let's go out and have some fun. What's the point of staying in the room all the time? By the way, I'll sing a song later, let's sing together."

  I was stunned and said, sing?

  Xiao Ai said that we need to prepare for the program, aren't these two police officers? They tell stories and sound especially good. In a while, I want to sing "Because of Love", will you sing with me?

  I nodded and said I would, but I wouldn't sing well.

  Xiao Ai said, "It's nothing, everyone is just making a fuss. By the way, why hasn't that Feng Yue come down?"

  I just realized that Fengyue wasn't there. I carefully counted in my heart, and apart from Fengyue and D'ai, everyone else at the inn should be present.

  There was a male student next to me whose name I couldn't recall, and I whispered, "Where's Fengyue?"

  The male student seemed very reluctant to answer my question, pretending not to hear the first time. I asked again, and he said he was changing clothes upstairs and wanted to dance a little. Aren't you asleep? How did you come down here?

  It seems like you don't want me to watch Fengyue's dance, but I'm a person who can't stand being teased by others. I smiled and said, "Aren't we here to watch Fengyue dance? Her dance is so beautiful, why not watch?"

  Seeing the boy next to me pouting, I felt quite pleased. The little Ai beside me whispered, "It'll be our turn soon."

  I let out an "oh" and said, so soon?

  Xiao Ai said, Officer Han finished telling this story, now it's my turn, I just drew lots.

  I nodded, just as Han Weidong was telling the ending of a story about how he shot and killed a female lunatic who had committed murder. I had heard this story before, it was about an ancient village, but previously he had said that it wasn't a female lunatic, but rather a bride possessed by a ghost.

  Han Weidong said that when he mentioned the time of opening fire, he was really excited, his tone also rose, and his hands waved in the air, making a gun shape. But suddenly, it was like someone pinched his mouth shut, and he closed his mouth instantly, his hands stopped moving, and his whole body was like being struck by acupuncture, staring straight ahead with wide eyes, as if he were an ice man.

  The sudden silence drew everyone's attention to Han Weidong.

  I also turned around and saw Fengyue walking towards me in that red dress.

  This red skirt is as if it were tailor-made for her, every detail is just right, every stitch, every line, every fold, every concealment seems to be made for this moment.

  I gazed at the wind and moon, her slender arms swaying, her long legs faintly visible in her long skirt, with every step she took, red and white blended together, yet transformed into the most resplendent colors in the world.

  Every step she took brought a piece of silence, whether it was men or women, they all held their breath. Her beauty had already exceeded the language description, and every step she took was slowed down to eternity, as if time itself was distorted by her.

  Her every step was taken in everyone's world, and gradually, her beauty became everything for everyone.

  In a suffocating silence, I heard the boy next to me mutter unconsciously, "Damn, it's really freaking beautiful."

  This sentence brought me back to my senses, and I sat down with Fengyue. Han Weidong's hand dropped, seemingly a bit embarrassed by his own loss of composure. He wiped his hand on his clothes and said, "That's it. That's the reason this village is desolate." My story is over. Next, let's invite Miss Fengyue to dance.

  This is not right!

  I took a glance at Little Ai, who was staring straight at Feng Yue, who had just sat down. She didn't express the opinion that should have been hers to give. The others seemed naturally not to have any opinions either. Just as Feng Yue had sat down, she stood up again, smiling and saying, "Is it my turn now?"

  Almost all the men said "en" at the same time, this unanimous voice was even more powerful than that lightning, stunning me for a moment. Xia Ai quietly pulled my arm, I turned to look at her, and there was an indescribable light flashing in her eyes, she whispered, isn't this my dress?

  I nodded.

  Xiao Ai said, how did you give it to her?

  I said in a low voice, it's hard to express in words.

  Xiao Ai said, what did you give her?

  I nodded and then shook my head.

  To be honest, I'm really nervous, I don't know why I'm so nervous, but it feels like I've been caught by the master of the house.

  But it can't be denied that Fengyue looks absolutely stunning in this outfit, I didn't expect a dress to suit a woman so perfectly, as if the dress was made for Fengyue, as if it had been waiting here all along for her arrival.

  What am I thinking about?

  I shook my head and saw Xia Ai staring at me with a complex gaze that I couldn't decipher.

  I whispered, I'll explain it to you later when we have time.