Chapter 9: The Graveyard Hill
“You’re the one with the unusual quirks.”
Qiu Yiyao retorted angrily, but Bai Peiyu only left her with a mocking back as he walked away.
“Yiyao, you must be polite to guests. You can’t just act on your little whims all the time,” Qiu Shengming frowned and said, “Xiao Bai will be staying with us for a while. You keep opposing him, and he…”
Qiu Yiyao felt indignant. Although her temper was sometimes a bit bad, she had never done anything to hurt anyone. It was the first time Qiu Shengming had ever scolded her since she was born.
She cut in, “Dad, I’m your daughter. Don’t you know what kind of person I am? Why do I feel like you’ve changed since you came back?”
“That’s nonsense,” Qiu Shengming said with a stern face. “How could your dad have changed? No matter what, I’m still the same dad who loves and cares for you the most.”
Qiu Yiyao pouted, “That’s not necessarily true. I think you treat that guy much better than you treat me.”
Upon hearing this, Qiu Shengming laughed loudly. “So you’re jealous? Haha, you kid. Xiao Bai isn’t much older than you, and he’s kind-hearted. When you weren’t around, he helped me a lot. It’s not too much to be a little nicer to him.”
He then ruffled Qiu Yiyao’s hair. “Alright, enough of this. Let’s go eat.”
As they went downstairs, they saw Bai Peiyu coming out of the guest room carrying a small suitcase, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Passing beside Qiu Yiyao, he whispered, “Don’t forget to pack away your pink fluffy stuff later. I don’t want to turn into Hello Kitty.”
Though his voice was low, Qiu Yiyao heard it clearly. Just as she was about to retort, she caught Qiu Shengming’s gaze and had no choice but to suppress her anger.
...
When Qiu Yiyao kicked open the guest room door with one foot, holding her suitcase in one hand and a laptop in the other, she was taken aback by the scene inside.
A single bed was neatly made with a plaid sheet and a light-colored blanket folded tidily on it.
Next to the window stood an old-fashioned desk with only an unknown book on it—no other clutter.
The room was clean and orderly; not a scrap of paper was on the floor, let alone any stinky socks or dirty underwear.
Recalling her own messy bedroom, Qiu Yiyao’s face flushed with embarrassment. She had always accused others of being untidy, but it turned out she was the messiest of all.
Bai Peiyu was coming down the stairs and noticed her standing hesitantly at the door. Silently, he approached from behind, wearing an amused expression. “Got hit with an acupuncture point? Or are you afraid the smell of those stinky socks in here will knock you out?”
His sudden voice startled Qiu Yiyao, causing her to loosen her grip. The laptop in her arms nearly fell, but Bai Peiyu quickly caught it.
...
“You’re so clumsy,” Bai Peiyu glanced at the laptop in his hand. “Not great at studying, but you sure use the computer a lot.”
His words dripped with sarcasm in Qiu Yiyao’s ears. She set down her suitcase, snatched the laptop from him, and snapped, “None of your business! It’s my dad’s money, not yours.”
She strode into the guest room, slammed the laptop onto the desk, then turned back to the door, pulled the suitcase in, made a face at Bai Peiyu, and slammed the door shut.
Only Bai Peiyu remained outside the door.
Qiu Shengming, sitting on the sofa, watched the scene and sighed helplessly. “Sigh, the older she gets, the more stubborn she becomes.”
Bai Peiyu seemed unfazed. “No one’s personality stays the same. The more stubborn you are, the faster you grow when facing challenges.”
He glanced at the firmly closed door and headed toward the exit.
“No need to make dinner for me. Just leave the door open.”
...
After a quick freshening up, it was nearly one o’clock. Qiu Yiyao hurriedly changed into sneakers and, taking advantage of the good weather, set off with Qiu Shengming to visit her mother at the back mountain.
Moon Carp Town was nestled among the mountains, and this back mountain was where generations of townsfolk laid their deceased to rest.
Qiu Shengming rode a motorcycle, and within just over ten minutes, they arrived at the foot of the hill.
Looking up, the back mountain wasn’t high—at most fifty or sixty meters—much lower than other mountains nearby.
Perhaps because of this, it was easy to climb and had thus become known as the “Grave Mountain.”
The mountain was quiet except for the birds chirping incessantly in the trees and the footsteps of father and daughter.
Qiu Yiyao stepped on stone steps made of cement, glancing around at the many grave mounds.
Surprisingly, she didn’t feel scared at all.
Her mother’s grave lay halfway up the mountain, beside a small pine tree that shaded the tombstone like an umbrella sheltering it from wind and rain.
Seeing the familiar name on the tombstone, Qiu Yiyao’s long-held yearning and sorrow overwhelmed her. She covered her mouth as tears fell silently.
Qiu Shengming also felt heavy-hearted. He bent down, placing fruits and fresh flowers from the basket before the grave, gently touching the carved name on the stone. As if comforting or speaking to himself, he said, “Don’t worry, Yiyao is doing well. I’ll take good care of her and protect her with all my strength.”
...
His words only deepened Qiu Yiyao’s grief, and she couldn’t help but sob aloud.
Memories of her time with her mother flooded her mind. She felt a heavy pressure on her chest, as if a piece of her heart had been carved away, leaving her breathless with pain.
She looked up; the tall, dense leaves on both sides blocked the sky, dark and oppressive with no sunlight.
“Dad…”
Qiu Yiyao felt everything around her begin to spin. She reached out, trying to grasp Qiu Shengming.
But before her eyes appeared countless versions of Qiu Shengming, each turning back with a strange smile.
She staggered and fell to the ground, her head pounding as if someone was hammering her temples with a drill.
“Dad…”
She still tried desperately to reach for Qiu Shengming, though she didn’t know which one was truly her father.
Her consciousness grew dim, but out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught a glimpse of something white flashing by—something like an animal, or perhaps… clothing?
“Yiyao!”
Qiu Shengming shook her shoulder and gently tapped her face. Her complexion was pale, utterly devoid of color, her furrowed brow and the fine beads of sweat on her forehead signaling her body was in trouble.
By then, the sky had been completely covered by dark clouds, and occasional muffled thunder rumbled. Although it was just past two o’clock, the sky was as dark as night.
Seeing the impending rain, Qiu Shengming looked back at the trail down the mountain, helped Qiu Yiyao sit up, and prepared to carry her down.
“Boom!”
The thunder grew louder. Suddenly, Qiu Yiyao opened her eyes as if awakened by the thunderclap.
Qiu Shengming was overjoyed and carefully asked if she felt unwell anywhere.
“I’m fine, Dad. Let’s go back,” Qiu Yiyao said.
Supported by Qiu Shengming, she stood with effort and took a few steps before turning back.
She saw a wisp of white near the grave dissolve into smoke and vanish.