Uncovering Family Secrets
That night, Su Liyun once again attempted to enter her foster father's study to examine the crystal ball. The moment she stepped inside and glanced toward the desk, she discovered the crystal ball had vanished. As she stood frozen in place, the familiar footsteps reached her ears once more. Turning around, she saw her foster father approaching with a stern expression. Su Liyun's heart skipped a beat, but with no way to escape the situation, she steeled herself to face his "interrogation." "Uncle... I... I didn't mean to enter the study. I'm sorry." Su Liyun stammered nervously. Unexpectedly, her foster father looked at her earnestly and gestured toward the study. "Liyun, come inside. There are some things I believe you have the right to know." Su Liyun nodded, a hint of confusion lingering on her face, and followed her foster father into the study. He sat down leisurely at the desk, pulled the crystal ball from a drawer, and said, "You were looking for this, weren't you?" Su Liyun stared wide-eyed at the crystal ball. "Uncle, how did you know..." "This crystal ball is a unique treasure belonging only to my partner and me. There are only two of them—the other is with him. He runs a small shop. The origin of these two crystal balls is a long story, but I imagine your search for this one is connected to your family, right?" Su Liyun's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected this crystal ball to actually be connected to her family. "Uncle, do you know about my family?" she asked cautiously. "Hmm, I know a little. Though we come from different countries, I do have quite a connection with the Su clan. That's why I specifically requested you stay with my family." "Then, Uncle, could you share the story behind them? It's crucial for uncovering my family's secrets."
Her foster father pondered for a moment. "Alright, I'll give you a brief account. But I hope only you, me, and my partner know about these crystal balls, understood?" Su Liyun nodded.
"We acquired this crystal ball years ago while exploring for treasures. Legend says it holds special powers originating from a certain ethnic group. This pair of crystal balls are twins—meaning they must be placed together to summon that mysterious force. Perhaps this power can help you uncover the truth. However, my partner and I haven't been in touch for a long time. Strange things often happen at his shop. I wonder if it's connected to the ghost stories at your school, or perhaps..." "
Suddenly, the crystal ball on the table emitted an intense glow, interrupting the foster father's narrative. Both their gazes were instantly drawn to the blinding light. "This is bad! A terrible omen! Why is this orb emitting such an abnormal light on its own? Could my partner have done something?" The foster father's face turned grave, leaving Su Liyun frozen in place beside him. "That's enough for today. Be cautious at school from now on..." With that, the foster father dismissed Su Liyun from the study. Back in her room, Su Liyun pondered long and hard before deciding she had to investigate that shop...
Early the next morning, Su Liyun didn't go to school as usual. Instead, she headed straight for the shop with purpose. Arriving at the door, she peered through the window. Inside was dimly lit, seemingly not yet open for business. But remembering her foster father's words about strange occurrences at the shop, she shrugged off her hesitation. Summoning her courage, she knocked on the door, but received no response. Just as Su Liyun hesitated over whether to push the door open, that mysterious yet familiar voice resounded again: "The door cannot be opened. The time is not yet ripe. The moment is not right." With that, it vanished. Su Liyun raised her voice, tinged with confusion, and called out, "Hey! Who are you? Why are you popping up like that? Answer me!" Yet no matter how she called, she received no reply whatsoever.
At that moment, Su Liyun felt even more hesitant, unsure of what to do. She walked to the roadside, sat down on the curb, and fell deep in thought...
"The time is not yet ripe, the moment is not right..." Su Liyun suddenly understood. Not the right moment? Perhaps she had come at the wrong time. She decided to return to school first and come back later that evening. Back at school, Su Liyun was distracted all day, counting down the minutes until dismissal. As soon as she stepped out of the school gate, she headed toward the shop. "Su Liyun! Where are you going? Liyun, wait for me!" Jiang Ruotang's voice suddenly called out from behind her. Su Liyun stopped and turned to shout back, "Don't worry about me! Go home first! I have something to do!" Jiang Ruotang, refusing to give up, ran towards Su Liyun. "Wait! You dashed out the moment class ended! I couldn't even catch up! Where are you rushing off to? I'm coming with you!" "You can't come with me. I... I need to uncover the truth! It's not safe." Jiang Ruotang instantly grew serious. "Uncover the truth? What truth? You're not going to that shop, are you?" Seeing she couldn't hide it, Su Liyun admitted, "I... Yes, I am going there. But you really can't help me this time. Go home now. We'll see each other tomorrow." "I'm not leaving! There's something I can help you with that you don't know about. That shop only lights up after dark, and even I don't know about all the strange things that have happened there. You can't handle this risk alone." Seeing her senior's resolute stance, Su Liyun relented. "Alright, then let's go together tonight."
As dusk fell, Su Liyun and Jiang Ruotang waited patiently at the school gate. Just like before, the campus plunged into darkness after four o'clock. All lights in the four buildings went out, except for the lone shop at the corner across campus, its lamp glowing brightly. The two approached the shop door, knocked, and heard that deep, sharp voice again, "Who's there?!" " Su Liyun and Jiang Ruotang dared not answer, waiting silently instead. After a long moment, the wooden door creaked open. Su Liyun instantly recognized the kindly-faced uncle standing there. "Hello, Uncle. We met yesterday. You said if we needed anything, we could come back the next day. Well, I just got out of school and came straight here with my classmate." Seeing no point in arguing, the uncle gestured for them to enter.
Just as Su Liyun had glimpsed through the shop window, the interior was packed with all manner of strange and curious items. The space was surprisingly large, featuring a long corridor-like passageway lined with shelves brimming with goods on both sides. As Su Liyun and Jiang Ruotang cautiously began to step inside, the man abruptly halted their progress. "No entry beyond this point. You two can browse here." They were puzzled. The hallway clearly held displayed goods, and it didn't look like a storage area. Why were they barred from entering? Carrying this question, the two began exploring the limited space. Su Liyun searched purposefully for something, while Jiang Ruotang browsed like a genuine shopper, admiring each item. Just then, Su Liyun seemed to spot something. Her eyes fixed intently on a ceramic bottle engraved with a large character "Su." The bottle's color was simple yet carried a hint of antiquity. Su Liyun glanced around, ensuring no one was watching her. She quietly approached the vase, wanting to see if there was anything inside. Suddenly, a shadow flashed before her eyes, startling Su Liyun into taking a step back. Jiang Ruotang noticed the shaken Su Liyun. "Liyun, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I think I really found something just now. Look at this vase." Su Liyun pointed at the ceramic bottle. "A ceramic bottle? With a 'Su' on it? Liyun, why don't you buy it? Come on, let's ask the owner." Before Su Liyun could react, Jiang Ruotang pulled her to the owner. "Sir, how much is this bottle?" The owner took the bottle, carefully examining the ceramic piece in his hands while sizing up Su Liyun. After a moment's thought, he said, "This bottle... ...I can give it to you outright, but remember this: some things can be spoken, while others must be buried deep within—especially you!" The uncle pointed at Su Liyun, his expression stern as he cautioned them. Su Liyun took the bottle, but before she could thank him, she hurriedly pulled Jiang Ruotang away from the shop.