The Tale Never Ends

“What happened to you, Shiyan? I heard you were injured. How are you now? Where were you hurt? Let me see it!” Lu Shengnan pelted a flurry of questions at me before I could say anything. “How did you know I was hurt?” I almost laughed out loud and she chuckled. “Humph. What makes you think you can keep secrets from us?”

Smiling weakly to myself, I shook my head. A rascal that should have been born a boy instead of a girl. She must have heard from somewhere that I was injured although something told me that she was not here only for a simple visit. Lu Shengnan was never known to be fastidious about manners with me and me her as well. “So, what brings you here?” I asked directly. She plopped into the couch opposite mine and lighted herself a cigarette. “I hope I can rely on you to remember most of our classmates in university?”

I shook my head and I was serious. Aside from Lu Shengnan, I had almost forgotten everyone else from my class. I was usually distant and aloof and kept mostly to myself during the four years in university. That was why I had hardly remained in contact with anyone from school since my graduation. For the past two years since leaving university, the incident involving the cursed zither and Lu Shengnan’s reunion at the restaurant was the only few times I encountered anyone from my class.

But Lu Shengnan looked neither dismayed nor disheartened. She knew already that I would forget everyone else from class. She was about to reveal the purpose of her visit when Edelweiss’ voice came from behind, “I didn’t know we have a guest.” Lu Shengnan spun and saw her. She then waved to her and broke into a cheerful smile. “Yo, hi there! We meet again, Sister!” Edelweiss threw her a suspicious look before she stared at me, failing to recognize her.

Naturally, Lu Shengnan knew who she was. In fact, they had met the first time Edelweiss came to Wu Zhong. With not many associates to boast of all thanks to her eccentric attitude, Lu Shengnan has but only a handful of people she could call friend and should remember. And for that very reason, Lu Shengnan found it easy to remember people she saw.

Noticing the awkwardness, I hastily made the introductions. “This so-called sister of mine, whose attitude is no different from a boy, is the Lu Shengnan I told you about. I believe you’ve met before.”

At that, Edelweiss finally knew who she was and the two girls began exchanging courtesies warmly. But the conversations lasted barely minutes. Despite being a former outlaw, Edelweiss was still very much a lass in disposition and behavior. “If only we’d been able to meet earlier, Shengnan,” she said, “I’ve heard so much about you from Shiyan. I have you to thank for being a friend to him during his university years…” Like a dutiful wife, she spoke in the same manner that any wife would to her husband’s friend.

Whereas Lu Shengnan, in her usually boorish inclination, slapped on Edelweiss’ shoulder, “You have a strong body, Sister! No wonder you’re able to snag a weirdo such as Shiyan! Good!”

Her remark left both Edelweiss and I stunned beyond words. Lu Shengnan’s greatest weakness, the cause of her inability to make friends, was beginning to show: her inability to make conversation.

On the other hand, Edelweiss curled her hands around my arm, looking more suspicious with Lu Shengnan here today. She might be a former outlaw, but she was still a woman nonetheless. And having a woman in the same room must have made her jealous as she squirmed uneasily beside me, readying herself to listen to what we were going to talk about. I adjusted my sitting position and asked, “So why are you here today?”

But the clumsy Lu Shengnan did not seem to notice Edelweiss’ unfriendly gaze. She threw a knowing look at me, as if asking for my permission to speak openly in front of Edelweiss and me being able to pick up her tacit signal seemed to do justice to our four-year-old friendship in university. I grinned and said, “Speak freely. There’s nothing I would keep from Edelweiss.”

As soon as the words left my lips, I felt Edelweiss’ grip on my arm loosen and so did my heart!

“Well, do you remember Huang Li who was with us when we just started university?” Edelweiss and I traded a look. I would not have remembered anyone else. But Huang Li was a name that I would never forget. “The one who was using spirits that I caught? Your first friend at university?” Lu Shengnan nodded although she quickly sighed. “She came looking for me two days ago, asking me for your contact.”

My forehead wrinkled in thought. Why and how did Huang Li find Lu Shengnan to locate me? “Have you been in contact with her?” I asked and Lu Shengnan shook her head. “Nope. In fact, we have lost contact ever since she’d left university. I told you then, remember? She even changed her number. I have no idea how did she find me. And it was not through the phone. She came to me at my place.”

“Your place?” I uttered. Lu Shengnan nodded her affirmation. “Well, after our graduation, I have taken up a teaching position at an agency until last year, I asked my dad for some money and I started my own tuition center. It’s not big, but it keeps me busy.” Lu Shengnan paused to grind her cigarette in an ashtray and she went on, “Then two days ago, out of nowhere, Huang Li appeared before me. She looks so different now that I could barely recognize her!”

“Get to the point!” I stressed impatiently and a block-headed Lu Shengnan said, “All right! I was just about to get to that!” “Okay, okay. Go on.” I nodded and smiled bitterly.

“I did not recognize her, but she knew who I was at first glance!” Of course, I almost blurted aloud, Anyone would have recognized you from miles away! Not wishing to interrupt her, I waited for her to go on. Lu Shengnan was a garrulous talker to an Olympic degree; she would never rest until she had made sure we got every word out of her.

She went on talking about her first encounter with Huang Li in many years. Lu Shengnan asked about what Huang Li had been doing and the latter revealed that she had been working at her family’s company while deftly evading the rest. Everything about her had changed, according to Lu Shengnan. The look she gave Lu Shengnan when their eyes met, the type of clothing she was dressed in; Huang Li was a completely different person having undergone some unknown life-changing experience. But Lu Shengnan knew better than to pry. Despite being formerly friends as close as sisters, there was no denying that they had gone distant due to the many years of not keeping in touch.

“So, Huang Li was telling me that her house is haunted! With her home now uninhabitable and no other friends to ask for help from, she could think of only me. She came to me, asking if she could stay in for a few days. That reminded me of you! This is a job for you!” Lu Shengnan paused for a breath. “But Huang Li chickened out when she heard your name. She’s still raw from that incident, see? Obviously, she’s still embarrassed over what happened then and till now, so she refuses to see you. Apparently, her father had enlisted the help of many priests and mediums, but none of them seem to be of any use. She’s staying at my place now; her husband has gone somewhere else to stay too. I hear it’s one of his colleagues in the military. So here I am to ask for your help!”

“Wait, you said ‘colleague in the military’? So that means she really got hitched to that army officer Cao?” Lu Shengnan slapped her thigh and said, “Yeah! Unbelievable, is it? But they’re not really married yet. They’re just living together for now.” I nodded. So they’re almost the same as Edelweiss and me, I thought quietly.

Just then, I felt Edelweiss’ hold on my arms seem to tighten spontaneously. I turned and found her looking at me. We shared a quick look and I immediately realized that she was worried about my wound. Giving her an encouraging smile, I said to Lu Shengnan, “Well, you’ll have no problems with me. I’m all in.” “How are the charges?” Lu Shengnan squeaked excitedly, but I was a little awkward at that, saying, “Well, truth be told, we haven’t received many jobs yet since our opening. So I’m afraid I have yet to fix a price on our services. How’s this? I’m giving you a special rate, for old time’s sake. I’m charging less than a thousand yuan, as long as the job is nowhere near dangerous.”

Lu Shengnan frowned and said, “Come on, that’s not right, Shiyan! I know that you’re a nice guy and you’re giving me a good rate out of friendship, but this is business! You’re undercharging me!”

At first, I was stunned, failing to understand what she was saying. Then I understood: she was being serious in saying that I was undercharging her. She must have thought I was too abashed to charge a former classmate the usual rates. But it was understandable. Charlatans and swindlers oftentimes charged at least a five-figure sum for exorcisms or other cases of similar nature.