C25 The Curse

"What are you doing?" I called out loudly, but Ms. Xiaofeng paid me no mind. Amidst the sweltering summer heat, she was clad in just a white shirt, which she swiftly removed, exposing her pale skin beneath.

"Changsheng, please, I'm begging you to save Xiaohu. He's the only family I have left. I'm willing to devote my life to serving you," Ms. Xiaofeng pleaded.

In the dim light, her face was flushed like a ripe apple, her skin so soft it seemed it could weep droplets of water. The sight sent my blood racing and left my throat parched.

But I couldn't lose my composure there, not beneath my foster father's memorial tablet. I took a deep breath and declined, "I've told you, I can't save Xiaohu, and I don't want you to serve me. It's late; you should stay in the next room for the night and head back to the village first thing in the morning."

"Changsheng, I implore you..." Ms. Xiaofeng persisted, reaching behind her to undo her last piece of clothing.

I quickly intervened, raising my voice, "Have you no decency? To behave like this in front of my father's memory? I thought you were better than this. Leave, now."

I immediately regretted my harsh words. I had only meant to prevent her from degrading herself, not to lash out so cruelly.

Ms. Xiaofeng froze, her eyes brimming with tears as she quickly dressed. With a pained look and a soft apology, she rushed out.

Realizing my words had cut deep into her pride, I followed her out, calling after her, "Ms. Xiaofeng, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."

"It's okay. I was never pure anyway. I'll return to the village early tomorrow," Ms. Xiaofeng said without looking back, as she entered the adjacent room.

But as she closed the door, I caught a glimpse of the shackles behind her shortening. Ms. Xiaofeng was the one holding her own shackles. They had been long before but had just shortened. She was contemplating suicide...

My right eyelid twitched uncontrollably, clearly a reaction to the harsh words I had just spoken. They had struck a nerve, driving her to the brink of despair and prompting thoughts of a drastic nature.

I couldn't let her go through with it. I had already witnessed enough death in the past few days.

Crouching stealthily beneath the side room window, I quietly pried it open. Inside, darkness enveloped the space, but I could make out Ms. Xiaofeng rummaging for something.

She soon pulled a hemp rope from beneath the table. A chill ran down my spine as I recognized it—the very rope Old Master Jiang had used for retrieving bodies.

This was bad. She was planning to hang herself!

I couldn't hesitate any longer. I burst through the door and into the room, where Ms. Xiaofeng was still holding the rope, not yet having secured it to the beam.

Relief washed over me as I addressed her, "Ms. Xiaofeng, please don't do anything rash. I apologize for my earlier words; they were unkind. The events of these past days have overwhelmed me, and I've been under a lot of stress."

Despite my explanation, Ms. Xiaofeng stood there, dazed, the rope still in her grasp.

Thinking she was upset with me, I continued, "Ms. Xiaofeng, we can work this out. Isn't my promise to rescue Xiaohu enough?"

But even with my plea, she remained unmoving. That's when I sensed something was terribly wrong.

Groping for the light switch, I finally found it. The incandescent bulb overhead, likely faulty from years of neglect, flickered erratically.

In the eerie strobe of light, I saw Ms. Xiaofeng's face, ghastly pale and twisted into a bizarre expression. Her eyes glowed an unnatural green, fixated on me with an intense, unwavering stare.