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At that moment, a rhythmic knock came from outside the door. The sound interrupted Qiluo Ling's thoughts, and she frowned, appearing somewhat displeased. In a flurry, Qiluo Ling stuffed the few pages on the table into the drawer, tidied her hair and clothes, and quickly walked to the door to open it.
Standing outside was Madam Carolina, wearing a smile.
"Hello, Miss Qi."
"Hello, Madam Carolina, please come in."
Qiluo Ling politely invited Madam Carolina inside, and the two of them sat down on the long sofa in the room.
The light in the room was soft; sunlight streamed through the window, filtered by lace curtains into a mottled mix of pale yellow and gray-black that fell across Qiluo Ling's forehead, resembling mysterious characters. Qiluo Ling wore a sleeveless green floral nightgown, her bare arms fully exposed before Madam Carolina's eyes.
Madam Carolina suddenly stared at her arms, seemingly unable to look away, a hint of surprise flashing across her face.
"What did you need from me?" Qiluo Ling broke the silence with a smile.
Madam Carolina quickly regained her composure and asked with concern, "I just wanted to check if there's anything you need help with, Miss Qi. After all, you disappeared without warning for two days. We were all quite worried; if you hadn't shown up soon, we would have called the police. Where exactly have you been these past two days?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you with my sudden departure. I had an urgent matter to attend to at that time, so I couldn't inform you in advance. I apologize for that," Qiluo Ling said apologetically.
"May I ask what exactly happened?" Madam Carolina inquired.
Qiluo Ling paused for a moment before sincerely replying, "I'm truly sorry; I can't explain or accurately describe what has happened to me over these past few days. It's not that I don't want to tell you; it's just that many things are complicated and can't be explained in just a few words. I hope you can understand."
Madam Carolina nodded as if she understood but was still somewhat puzzled.
"Madam, I must take my leave," Qiluo Ling said.
"Why?" Madam Carolina looked at her in confusion.
"Because I want to leave the estate for a while."
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know. I want to change my environment and think calmly about some matters, some things that are unusual for me."
"This is related to your sudden departure these past few days, isn't it?"
Qiluo Ling nodded.
Madam Carolina lowered her head, falling into silence again. After a while, she raised her head and fixed her gaze on Qiluo Ling, saying, "The first time I saw you, I felt like I had seen you before. I've remembered where I've seen you."
"This is my first time in Poland. You must have never seen me; perhaps you are mistaken," Qiluo Ling smiled slightly.
"No, I have seen you. Maybe I didn't express myself clearly. When I say I've seen you, I mean not in real life but rather in a painting, in an oil painting."
Qiluo Ling looked at Madam Carolina in surprise and asked, "A painting? What oil painting?"
"An oil painting of a young girl. In the style of Classicalism, the girl in the painting is smiling while holding a large bouquet of colorful flowers. Her appearance and expression resemble yours closely. What impressed me most is that on the girl's right upper arm in the painting, there is a colorful butterfly that looks exactly like the pattern on your arm now." Madam Carolina's gaze shifted once again to her arm.
Qiluo Ling was stunned and instinctively turned her head to look at the butterfly on her own arm again. She realized that at some point, the butterfly had transformed from a simple red into a vibrant array of colors, with patterns on its wings intertwining in both vivid and muted tones.
"Where did you see that painting?" Qiluo Ling seemed to recall something and continued to ask.
"It was a winter day several years ago. I was walking down the main street in the city, distracted by the beautiful clothes in the transparent display windows. In a moment of inattention, I bumped into a passerby and his belongings. The other party was a middle-aged man holding a square object wrapped in cloth. When I knocked it to the ground, the cloth covering it came loose, revealing an oil painting. I apologized while picking up the painting from the ground, and in my flustered state, I glanced at it a few times. I handed the painting back to the man, and he hurried away."
"Do you remember what that man looked like and his build?"
Madam Carolina thought carefully and said, "He was probably in his forties, tall, wearing a black coat, but I couldn't see his face clearly. It was winter, and it was very cold; he had wrapped most of his face tightly with a scarf."
A painting? How could there be an oil painting that resembled her? Qiluo Ling pondered deeply; those few pages of text didn't mention any painting. However, this oil painting might be a clue.
"It seems I should go to Hua City," Qiluo Ling thought to herself.
"You are not familiar with Poland. If you need to leave the estate, is there anything I can do for you?" Madam Carolina said sincerely.
"I really appreciate you and your husband's concern and care for me. I've decided to stay in the city for a while; do you know of any suitable accommodations?"
"I have an apartment on Nickel Street in the city. The building is a bit old, and the place isn't very spacious, but it's clean and tidy. What do you think?"
"That's fine; I'm just happy to have a place to stay. Thank you."
"Alright then, let me make arrangements for you."
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