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墨書 Inktalez
Shu Ran drove alone, meandering through the Southern Old Building District.
The decades-old dilapidated houses flashed by in the rearview mirror. With no one to care for them, the courtyards were overgrown with weeds, reaching over the low walls as if eager to scrutinize the passing vehicles and pedestrians.
The car rolled over fallen leaves, producing a crisp sound.
Shu Ran turned her head, gazing through the glass window at the towering tree above the car. She marveled at how, after all these years, regardless of the noise or tranquility, it still stood tall and lush, deeply rooted in this old residential area.
It reminded her of her childhood when Grandpa Zhang would often take her and her brother here to wander around during his free time.
Back then, this place was still a small night market, with food stalls and trinket vendors set up beneath that big tree. Every time they passed by, Grandpa Zhang would pull out money to buy them snacks to satisfy their cravings.
Time flew by like a fleeting horse.
Now she was no longer that little girl with two ponytails bouncing along the road, munching on candied hawthorn.
And this place was no longer that bustling night market.
She parked her car and leisurely got out to walk.
She wasn't here to reminisce about the past; she had come to buy a gift for Old Qin.
Grandpa Zhang had said that Old Qin valued Zen and didn't care much for gold, silver, or jewels.
So this gift was neither difficult nor easy to find; it simply depended on finding the right place.
Thus, she had come here.
She vaguely remembered that Grandpa Zhang used to love taking her to an antique shop here when she was young.
The antique shop was filled with a variety of items, many of which were quite unique. She recalled how Grandpa Zhang enjoyed browsing through the chess sets in this store, and he would always cherish the ones he bought.
So she thought that she should be able to find a suitable gift here.
With that in mind, she walked through a narrow path that could barely fit two people, relying on her memory to locate the antique shop.
After some wandering, she finally found the shop at a turn deep in the alley.
The antique shop itself was not very large; the entrance looked somewhat old and lacked excessive decoration. However, once inside, it was strikingly different, exuding an ancient charm.
Directly opposite the entrance stood a wooden screen over two meters tall, intricately carved with beautiful patterns.
As she walked around the screen, she saw a Rosewood Table with someone dozing on it.
Shu Ran softly called out, "Hello."
An elderly lady squinted her eyes and slowly opened her wrinkled eyes, hazily noticing a beautiful young girl standing in front of her.
She gradually got up from the table and kindly greeted, "Little girl, what do you need? Feel free to look around."
Shu Ran obediently nodded and glanced around. On both sides of the shop, there were redwood shelves lined with ceramics of various sizes.
Shu Ran moved forward, carefully examining each antique. After circling around, she still couldn't find a gift that she liked.
She had a faint hint of disappointment between her brows. The old lady had been in this line of work for so long that she was adept at reading people's expressions.
The old lady lazily sat on a redwood chair behind the screen and casually asked, "Are you looking for something, young girl?"
"Um, there's a grandfather whose birthday is coming up, and I don't know what gift to give him. Grandma, could you help me choose?" Her voice was soft and sweet, and she spoke politely and respectfully.
It was rare for an elder not to like a well-behaved younger person, so the old lady was not surprised. She agreed to Shu Ran's request and asked, "What are Your Grandfather's interests or hobbies?"
Shu Ran thought for a moment, and in almost just a second, she blurted out, "Playing chess."
She remembered Grandpa Zhang saying that Old Qin loved playing chess and had even been obsessed with it for a while, playing several games every day.
The old lady seemed to ponder this, while Shu Ran calmly waited, neither rushing nor nagging.
"I have an idea," the old lady's eyes suddenly lit up. "There's something I can show you."
As she spoke, she got up, lifted the curtain in front of the counter, and bent down to go inside.
Shu Ran stood quietly there, feeling bored as she took out her phone and glanced at the messages on the screen.
It was a message from Qin Xian sent five minutes ago: Where are you?
Shu Ran looked up at her surroundings, blinked, and lowered her head, unsure of how to reply.
Forget it; I'll respond when I go outside.
Shu Ran just put her phone away when the old lady came out, and unlike when she went in,
she was holding something in her hands.
Shu Ran opened her eyes wide, carefully watching as it came closer, finally settling on the Rosewood Table.
It was a Board.
The surface of the Board was crafted using the unique Maki-e technique, giving it a splendid golden and silver sheen, elegant and beautiful in style.
The lines of the Board were straight, slightly revealing its surface, which felt wonderful to the touch.
Shu Ran was surprised; with just one glance, she confirmed that this Board was exactly what she had been looking for.
“Do you like it?” The old lady poured a cup of tea, leisurely blowing on it to cool it down, her sharp gaze fixed on her, capturing her delighted expression.
Shu Ran bit her lip and nodded, extremely satisfied. So she asked about the price, “Old lady, how much is this Board?”
The old lady leisurely held up a few fingers. After seeing this, Shu Ran bit her lip in hesitation; the price was indeed a bit steep.
However, the material of this Board was truly excellent; good things once missed would not come back.
Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth and ultimately made up her mind to buy it.
The old lady wrapped the Board in a beautiful Paulownia Box, making it look elegant and generous.
After buying the gift, it was finally time to wrap up a matter.
Shu Ran held the wooden box and walked back along the path she had come, traversing the narrow alley that was just wide enough for two people.
The sky grew dim and overcast, and this old residential area was deserted, with even the streetlights reluctant to illuminate a single lamp.
Shu Ran quickened her pace, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the empty alley.
Though there was no one around, the atmosphere felt somewhat gloomy. She took a deep breath and suddenly sprinted forward, running toward the light ahead.
Finally, after a few seconds, she saw the light in front of her and ran toward it, escaping from the narrow alley.
Once out of the alley, she crouched down on the ground to catch her breath.
Suddenly, several dark figures blocked her view. Shu Ran looked up in fear, and upon seeing them, she nearly froze in terror.
A few stern-faced men in black stood neatly before her, expressionless and serious.
This scene felt eerily familiar...
Shu Ran's legs went weak with fright; she couldn't even run.
She was utterly bewildered—where had these men in black come from, and what did they want?
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