Records of the Halls of Ten Thousand Affairs: Chapter 8: The Grievance of the Drudging Soul (Part 4)

Records of the Halls of Ten Thousand Affairs: Chapter 8: The Grievance of the Drudging Soul (Part 4)

In the dream, Ranran harbored not the slightest grudge against her, acting with the same intimacy and warmth they’d shared in their first year of knowing each other. “Li Mengran, are you out of your mind?” Xu Xin asked tremblingly, her voice breaking with tears. “Why didn’t you ask someone for help? Why didn’t you come to me? If I’d known sooner, I would’ve helped you take that scumbag down even if it cost me my job!” “But I really wanted to climb the ladder.” Li Mengran sat there gazing at her, her voice soft and sweet. “Xinxin, I’m not the same girl I was when we first met, not that naive little thing anymore. Will you still be my friend?” Xu Xin retorted sharply, “Did I ever say I wouldn’t?!” “I took shortcuts. The company’s gossiping that I slept my way up haven’t you heard?” Li Mengran’s eyelashes fell, her words steeped in self-loathing. “Most of those rumors are true. The first time was a drunken mistake, but after that, I went along with it willingly. I knew he had a fiancée, yet I still became the other woman. I’m no good person.” Xu Xin moved closer and pulled her into a tight embrace. “He forced you! He lied to you! Zhou Xu is the lowest, most malicious, damned bastard alive! He made you think it was your choice you were coerced! Li Mengran, you weren’t willing! Did his sweet words turn your brain to mush? Snap out of it!” They fell into a long silence, until Xu Xin’s shoulder grew damp with tears. After a moment, Li Mengran could no longer maintain her forced composure and burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I was so scared…” she cried. “I was terrified of my secret getting out, of being disgraced, of everyone looking down on me, of disappointing Mom and Dad. The pressure was unbearable every single day… He kept saying he’d help me… that he’d take care of everything… if I just worked hard… and obeyed him… he promised he’d handle it all…” “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m here, Ranran. I’m right here.” Xu Xin held her, trying to soothe her, when a sudden ringing filled her ears. Dizzy and disoriented, the dream shattered. The office buzzed with noise as everyone leaned toward the windows to stare down below. A terrible premonition washed over Xu Xin. She slapped her cheeks hard to clear her head before hurrying to the window to look. At the company entrance, a figure lay motionless in a pool of blood as paramedics rushed to administer first aid. Nearby, an elderly, hunched man was being restrained by police, handcuffed and led toward a patrol car. She covered her mouth in shock, catching fragments of conversation from her colleagues that revealed the truth: the man being rushed away was Zhou Xu, and the one arrested was Uncle Li. As she turned to look away, she spotted a familiar figure standing in the crowd outside Chen Jiu. What sin have I committed? Chen Jiu thought, her face impassive as she watched Zhou Xu being carried away. She had hesitated for a split second when Li’s father raised the knife, yet she was already tangled in this karmic mess. She’d secretly intervened, nudging the blade just enough to keep Zhou Xu from dying instantly from the wound. “Master!” Xu Xin ran toward her breathlessly. “Do you have time? I’d like to treat you to afternoon tea.” On a sudden impulse, Xu Xin took half a day off for the meal. Half an hour later, a group of young girls at the next table posed for photos of their fancy meals, leaving the two of them sitting awkwardly in silence. Chen Jiu asked, “Aren’t you hungry? Why are you staring at me?” “Ah… I’m not very hungry,” Xu Xin mumbled nervously. Chen Jiu chewed her food for a moment before speaking. “Just ask whatever you want to ask.” “Um… I actually dreamed about Ranran just now.” Xu Xin’s eyes were vacant and confused. “This dream felt so real, nothing like the last one. Master, could you do another divination for me after you finish eating?” Chen Jiu said nothing, thinking to herself that of course it felt different. Li Mengran had deliberately channeled her energy to meet Xu Xin in the dream nothing was more important than the two friends finally clearing the air. “You cannot repeatedly cast divinations for the same matter; it will harm your karmic blessings,” she replied. Xu Xin let out a disappointed “Oh.” After eating until she was nearly full, Chen Jiu finally spoke again. “Once Zhou Xu wakes up, get him to sign a letter of understanding. Fight for Uncle Li’s release first.” “How do you know…” Xu Xin realized she’d raised her voice and quickly lowered it. “How do you know Zhou Xu didn’t die? And after everything that’s happened, why would he ever agree to sign it?” Chen Jiu wiped her mouth, her tone unwavering. “He will sign it.” Having narrowly escaped death, Zhou Xu would cling fiercely to life. Signing a letter of understanding was nothing to him. After all, taking care of Li Mengran’s parents would be part of his atonement. Xu Xin covered her mouth, her mind in utter chaos. It was only after reading the suicide note that she understood why Mr. and Mrs. Li had refused an autopsy for their daughter. They had no ulterior motive—they only wanted to protect her secret: Li Mengran had once had an abortion for a man. For half a year, Li Mengran had endured endless overtime, subtle harassment from her superior, a drunken one-night stand, and psychological manipulation both at work and in her relationship. The mounting pressure had nearly crushed her. To the outside world, Zhou Xu was an upright, refined gentleman with a promising future, good looks, and impressive professional skills. Behind closed doors, however, he exploited her mentally and physically. Who would have believed her if she’d spoken up? Zhou Xu only had to snap his fingers, and countless women would throw themselves at him. Why would he ever set his sights on an ordinary, inexperienced office nobody like her? Public opinion would only bury her deeper. One day, Mrs. Li showed up unannounced with meals for her daughter, and discovered the secret in her tiny rental apartment. “Who is it, sweetie? Who did this to you?” Mrs. Li sat beside her bed, sobbing uncontrollably. “Tell Mom!” Li Mengran stared blankly at the ceiling, saying nothing. After a long silence, she spoke in a hoarse voice. “Mom, you can’t fix this. Please don’t ask. I just need a little rest, and I’ll be fine. I’ll keep working hard to make money. I’ll get a promotion soon, a higher salary, bigger bonuses. Next year, at the latest, I’ll buy an apartment in Qiu City. Once I do, I’ll bring you and Dad to live with me…” Who else could help her? No one, except Zhou Xu. But things only got worse. Using work trips as an excuse, Zhou Xu began avoiding her ignoring her calls, messages, and even minimizing work contact with her. The ninth time Li Mengran was turned away from Zhou Xu’s office door, his assistant stared at her with contempt. “Mr. Zhou is very busy,” the woman said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “He’s getting married after the new year. Don’t be so foolish, Miss Li. If not Mr. Zhou, there are plenty of other executives.” Li Mengran’s lips trembled, robbed even of the strength to fight back. She had reached the point of utter despair. One day, Xu Xin passed her by in the elevator. Standing in the far corner, Xu Xin watched Li Mengran, who looked utterly broken. She wanted to say hello, but feared another cold rejection, just like the times before. She opened her mouth several times, but the elevator doors closed. No one knew that this door would seal their separation forever. That was how he drove her to madness, to her death. And yet Zhou Xu still claimed he had nothing to do with Li Mengran’s death. Tears welled in Xu Xin’s eyes as she looked at Chen Jiu. “Master, she came back on the seventh night after her death, didn’t she? She wanted revenge, she couldn’t accept dying like this. That’s why Zhou Xu will never have a happy life, right?” “Xu Xin, all things in this world have their time.” Chen Jiu raised her hand and gently touched the space between Xu Xin’s brows. “Do not cling too tightly to the past.” She could not reveal more she had seen Xu Xin’s stubborn nature from the moment they met. The more Xu Xin knew, the more it would drain her spirit for the rest of her life, a self-inflicted torment. Xu Xin sat dazedly for a moment, feeling inexplicably clear-headed. When she looked up, Chen Jiu was gone. She checked her phone and realized she had been sitting there lost in thought for forty minutes. Two days later, Li Mengran’s body was cremated, and all affairs were settled. Back in their old house, Mr. and Mrs. Li stared blankly at the stacks of cash on the table. The money was enough for a down payment on an apartment in Qiu City, but their daughter was gone. Mr. Li smoked a cigarette in silence, then spoke in a hoarse voice. “We can’t take this money.” “Why not?” Mrs. Li glared at him, rare in her fierceness. “This is compensation for our daughter!” Mr. Li sighed. He had heard that Zhou Xu had survived the stabbing, aging overnight. That single strike had exhausted all his grief and courage he could never bring himself to try to kill him again. “What do we do now?” Mrs. Li wept to the empty air, unsure who she was asking. Years later, Mrs. Li heard the last news of Zhou Xu while shopping at the local market. “Did you hear the thunder last night? That man was in the middle of something, and a bolt of lightning struck. Whether it was the noise or something else, it scared him to death right on the spot,” an aunt at the neighboring stall gossiped enthusiastically. “Sounds like sudden madness.” “That’s what they used to say.” “I heard his heart stopped immediately. By the time the ambulance arrived, he was already stiff.” Zhou Xu had resigned from DH voluntarily years ago, shocking everyone in the industry. He’d abandoned his million-yuan salary, his fiancée who could have helped him climb the social ladder, sold his car and house at rock-bottom prices, and donated all his money to charities and poor mountainous regions. He had lost everything, hoping Li Mengran would stop haunting his dreams. Yet after narrowly escaping death from Mr. Li’s knife, Zhou Xu felt his life had been spared. Once he recovered, he vanished from Qiu City and returned to his hometown. But old habits die hard. After years of peace, Zhou Xu had no more dreams about Li Mengran. He visited countless temples and Taoist shrines, and every master told him his karmic obstacles were gone, that he could start a new life. Ironically, he returned to the old trade he’d had when he first entered society sleeping with a married woman.