chapter 2

Growing up in a coastal city, Ning Qiuyan had only been out to sea twice.

As a child, he was busy with schoolwork and practicing his instrument. Since his family was not well-off, he rarely had the chance to visit the nearby islands that were popular tourist spots.

Of those two experiences, one ended with the boat capsizing. Fortunately, they were wearing life jackets.

After being rescued, he learned that a passenger had drowned. The body, covered with a white cloth, was placed on the deck very close to him. His mother held him tightly, and he hid in her arms, only daring to look with one eye.

After that, he never went to sea again, and did not even know that he would get seasick.

Fortunately, even though the boat rocked violently in the wind and waves, it still sailed steadily.

When someone woke him from a half-conscious state, Ning Qiuyan thought he was going to die. He even imagined his own body being hauled onto the deck by the coast guard, bloated all over from soaking in seawater.

The cabin door was wide open, cold wind pouring in, and the cabin was already empty.

Ning Qiuyan clutched his collar and sat up, looking out the window.

The sky was still gray.

The strong wind seemed to have gradually died down, and swirling snowflakes fell onto the sea, vanishing instantly upon contact.

Between that gray and deep blue, an island suddenly appeared.

Up close, icy waves crashed against the island’s rocks; in the distance, the island’s rolling mountains could be seen, with dense forest vaguely visible at the foot of the hills.

They had safely arrived at Du Island.

“Get ready to disembark.” Uncle Ping appeared at the cabin door. “Someone from the island is here to pick you up.”

“Okay,” Ning Qiuyan replied weakly.

After tidying up, he took his luggage and walked onto the deck, exhaling a puff of white mist into the cold air.

They were not far from the pier. From here, he could see a truck and a car already waiting there, as well as some tiny black figures. The boat had purchased quite a bit of cargo, so these people were probably here to unload it.

The vessel slowly docked, heavy metal hinges clanging as Uncle Ping unfolded a plank for people to come ashore.

A few seabirds flew low, skimming past their mast.

That was when something happened.

Just as Ning Qiuyan took a step forward, someone bumped hard into his backpack. He lost his balance, carrying his instrument case in his left hand, and instinctively pressed his right hand against the ship’s rail to steady himself.

A sharp pain shot through his palm, and he couldn’t help but cry out, “Ah!”

Blood surged out, flowing across his palm and dripping onto the deck.

On the snow-white deck, a small pool of blood formed within seconds.

“What happened?” Uncle Ping barked sternly. “What are you doing?!”

Ning Qiuyan broke out in a cold sweat, the pain so intense he couldn’t speak.

The Boy who had bumped into him said nothing. He probably was just in a hurry to get off the boat and hadn’t meant it, but after the collision, he only stood there in a daze, staring at Ning Qiuyan’s wound. Uncle Ping, who walked over, also wore a suddenly strange expression.

Strangely, there was a silence at the scene that lasted more than ten seconds.

Ning Qiuyan forced himself to bear the pain, biting his lip, his eyes brimming with tears. “Uncle Ping, do you have anything to stop the bleeding?”

Uncle Ping seemed to snap out of it, the shock on his face fading as he frowned. “How could you be so careless?”

His tone was reproachful.

Ning Qiuyan answered honestly, “I got bumped.”

The Boy still stood there silently, offering no explanation and no apology.

Uncle Ping said again, “Get off first; there’s a doctor on the island who can take care of it.” He told Ning Qiuyan more firmly, “Next time, don’t bring an injury onto the island. Remember that.”

Even for people who were meeting by chance, these people were really too cold and heartless.

Ning Qiuyan could hardly believe it. Only after someone helped him off the boat did he feel that there was still a bit of warmth on this island.

But he had only walked a short distance along the pier when suddenly he heard a commotion behind him. Looking back, he saw that the Boy who had come with him was punched to the ground by Uncle Ping, curling up in pain.

Two people stepped forward, dragged the Boy up from the ground, and roughly shoved him into the truck.

The door slammed shut with a bang, and the Boy looked over at him.

Ning Qiuyan felt a chill in his heart.

“Is that Xiao Ning?”

Someone called out to him.

Perhaps the snow had come early on Du Island.

Everywhere he looked, the ground and treetops were covered in a thin layer of white, the road was muddy, and a shiny black sedan was parked by the roadside.

In front of the car stood an Old Man with graying hair at his temples, who beckoned kindly to Ning Qiuyan. “Come over here.”
Ning Qiuyan stiffly took a step forward.

A truck and a sedan.

It was obvious that he and the Boy had received completely different treatment upon arriving on the island.

Towering fir trees lined both sides of the road, their branches dusted with snow. The road wound its way forward, disappearing into the deep, mysterious forest.

Everything here warned outsiders: this was a private island, and anything could happen.

When Ning Qiuyan approached, the Old Man simply took his right hand gently and looked at it. “How did you get hurt? It’s alright, get in the car first. We’ll have a doctor take a look when we get back.”

*

The Old Man was the Butler of the island, who called himself Uncle Kang.

After getting in the car, Uncle Kang used a handkerchief to quickly bandage Ning Qiuyan’s wound. Ning Qiuyan almost forgot about the pain, his mind preoccupied with the thought that coming alone to such a private place was far too naive.

In a society governed by law, handcuffs aren’t something you use casually.

When the Boy struggled earlier, the blanket draped over him fell off, and the cold glint of metal on his wrist flashed before Ning Qiuyan’s eyes. In all his years, it was the first time Ning Qiuyan had seen someone wearing handcuffs in real life.

Definitely illegal ones.

On the boat for a full four hours, Uncle Ping spent half the time outside the cabin. If it was illegal detention or coercion, the Boy had plenty of chances to ask Ning Qiuyan for help, but he never did.

There were generally two possibilities in such a situation. One: the Boy was mute.

Alright, not very likely, but Ning Qiuyan kept thinking, “This analysis isn’t reliable, but it’s possible-otherwise, why was he so rude?”

Two: asking Ning Qiuyan for help would be useless, because in some sense, they were the same kind of people.

Ning Qiuyan thought anxiously.

If he chose to go back now, it would still be too late.

“You’re a quiet child.”

The weathered voice of the elderly suddenly sounded.

Ning Qiuyan was startled back to reality and turned his head.

The car had been driving through the forest for over twenty minutes.

About halfway, Ning Qiuyan noticed the truck behind them turn onto a side road and disappear from view.

Uncle Kang met Ning Qiuyan’s gaze and asked gently, “It’s your first time on the island, are you not used to it?”

Ning Qiuyan mumbled an “Mm.”

Uncle Kang asked again, “Isn’t the island beautiful?”

It was beautiful.

They had already passed through the forest and were crossing a hill.

Gray-green moss, wild grasslands covered in thin snow-not beauty in the usual sense, but a kind of untouched, primal beauty belonging to nature itself.

“The island is big. Mr. Guan’s house is at the northernmost tip; it’ll be a while before we get there,” Uncle Kang said. “It’s been some time since we’ve had newcomers here, so people might notice you, but they’ll only look and won’t come talk to you. You don’t need to be nervous.”

The brim of Ning Qiuyan’s wool hat was pulled low. Maybe because of seasickness, his face was a little pale, making his eyes look even darker and brighter. He asked, “Am I donating blood today?”

Uncle Kang replied, “No need to rush. You’ve just been tossed around at sea and must be hungry. I’ve asked someone to prepare lunch for you. You can’t donate blood right after eating. Besides, you’ve been injured today, so the blood donation can wait until tomorrow.”

Ning Qiuyan lowered his eyelids. “I’m not hungry. I don’t need to rest either.”

Uncle Kang smiled. “You’ll have to wait until Monday to go back anyway. Why not rest first? That way you’ll recover better.”

Ning Qiuyan: “…”

That’s what the agreement said, so he couldn’t argue.

“Child, thank you for your hard work.”

Suddenly, Uncle Kang said this.

Ning Qiuyan looked up, his eyes still holding the wariness that came with his age.

“Mr. Guan’s situation is special. The daily life of donors often changes, and even small differences can make the donation unsuitable. Each time, a professional doctor needs to take samples and confirm before drawing blood. So, it’s a bit troublesome, and we have to ask you to come to the island in person,” Uncle Kang said kindly. “With this weather, the journey by sea must have been tough, right?”

Uncle Kang’s thoughtful words made Ning Qiuyan feel a little lost, and reminded him of his own grandfather.

He felt less afraid.

Uncle Kang patted the back of his uninjured hand. “Thank you for coming to Du Island.”

*

They finally stopped at the foot of a mountain, beside a huge white building.

The building covered a vast area. Ning Qiuyan couldn’t tell exactly how big it was, nor could he identify its style. He only felt it must be quite old-so old that parts of the exterior walls were mottled and dilapidated. Yet the owner of the house was certainly not someone who couldn’t afford repairs.
In front of the house stood a circular fountain, its water no longer flowing, a thin layer of snow piled upon its stone walls.

He followed Uncle Kang out of the car, stepped across the withered lawn, then walked along a long wooden boardwalk and entered the building.

A servant came forward to take their coats, but Ning Qiuyan declined, standing in the entryway and looking inside.

So dark.

That was Ning Qiuyan’s first impression upon entering the house.

It was already overcast outside, but the interior was even darker than outdoors.

A fireplace burned in the center of the hall, making the room very warm-a world apart from the icy snow outside. Yet all the curtains were drawn, so not only was there no draft, not even a sliver of light could penetrate.

The entryway was a long corridor, wall lamps casting orange halos, together with the not-so-bright chandeliers forming the only sources of illumination.

If he hadn’t just come in from outside, Ning Qiuyan would have thought it was nighttime, not day.

Was such an environment really suitable for a patient to live in?

Everyone walked with very light footsteps.

Someone approached and whispered something, and Uncle Kang turned to Ning Qiuyan and said, “I’ll take you to your room first. The doctor will be here soon, and they’ll bring food to your room. You can go to the dining room for dinner tonight.”

Ning Qiuyan agreed.

He didn’t want to linger in such an oppressive environment anyway, because, just as Uncle Kang had said, quite a few people were watching him, making his skin crawl.

Perhaps it really had been a long time since a newcomer arrived on the island.

“Come with me,” Uncle Kang said.

They passed through the dim hall and up to an equally dim second floor, then through several function rooms, and along another lengthy corridor before finally arriving at the door of the room where Ning Qiuyan would be staying.

Ning Qiuyan hadn’t remembered the route at all; he felt a bit dazed the whole way. The place was so large it felt like a maze, leaving him disoriented.

“I got lost the first time I came here too.”

After opening the door, Uncle Kang gestured to a bell on the wall. “If you want to take a walk, just press this bell and someone will come to guide you. Of course, if you’d like to explore on your own, feel free-just don’t go upstairs. You can go anywhere on the first and second floors. The third floor is Mr. Guan’s private area; he doesn’t like to be disturbed.”

The room was fully furnished, with a private bathroom as well.

With such amenities, Ning Qiuyan could easily spend the whole weekend indoors.

Right behind them, someone brought in Ning Qiuyan’s luggage.

When the violin case was set down, Ning Qiuyan couldn’t help but say, “Please be gentle!”

The person set it down carefully.

Ning Qiuyan added, “Thank you.”

Before leaving, Uncle Kang reminded him gracefully, “Everything you need is here. Next time, you don’t have to bring so much. Mr. Guan is very generous.”

What does ‘everything’ mean?

Ning Qiuyan didn’t quite understand, but in the end, he couldn’t hold back and called out to Uncle Kang, “Grandpa Kang, the boy who came to the island with me-does he live here too?”

At the address, Uncle Kang’s expression didn’t change, but he answered even more kindly, “He doesn’t live here.”

Ning Qiuyan asked, “Then what is he doing on the island? Did he do something wrong?”

Uncle Kang smiled and withdrew, not answering the question Ning Qiuyan shouldn’t have asked.

Now Ning Qiuyan was alone in the room.

The carpet was soft, and the white bedding looked soft as well.

There was even a bouquet of fresh yellow flowers at the bedside, perhaps as a gesture of welcome.

Ning Qiuyan took off his coat and boots, removed his hat, and walked to the window.

This place was truly strange.

Even the guest room curtains were drawn tightly shut.

Ning Qiuyan pulled open the thick, floor-to-ceiling curtains and looked outside through the clear glass.

He saw a pale blue lake behind the house, with a small boat floating on its surface.

Beyond the lake stretched a ridge of mountains.

Standing in such a quiet and lonely environment for a while, Ning Qiuyan took out his phone.

The signal bar showed an exclamation mark.

It seemed he was now officially cut off from the outside world.

Author’s note:

Guan Heng (héng-it can also be pronounced háng, but promise me you’ll say héng, okay!)