The three including Lian Xue were complete rookies. Hearing Jiang Luo say a blizzard would arrive in an hour, they were so nervous they looked like they were about to cry. They stared at Jiang Luo with wide, anxious eyes: “What do we do, Senior Brother?”
Jiang Luo looked up at the clouds for a moment and replied casually, “We divine.”
He took off his backpack and pulled out three copper coins. Before casting, he needed to purify his hands, so he scooped up some snow to clean them. The other three squatted nearby, eyes fixed on him without blinking.
The result of the divination was Qian Gua, which pointed to the northwest. Jiang Luo packed up and pulled out a compass. “Let’s go.”
The four of them trudged toward the northwest. Half an hour later, the sky darkened and thickened with clouds, the wind picked up, and it was clear that a blizzard was coming.
Lian Xue and the others were thoroughly convinced by now, calling Jiang Luo “Senior Brother” with real admiration. They said it so sincerely that Jiang Luo’s smile froze in place, goosebumps rising from the earnestness of it all.
Another half hour passed. The snowflakes turned fierce, combining with the howling wind to batter the entire mountain.
The cold hit them like a tidal wave. The three boys were managing okay, but Lian Xue’s face had gone pale from the cold, and even walking through the thick snow had become extremely difficult for her.
Jiang Luo used his fingers to divine for a moment, then turned around and shouted, “We’re almost there—hang in there!”
He coughed a few times after saying that.
With every word, the cold wind poured into his throat, stinging painfully.
Lian Xue’s spirits lifted, and she found the strength to keep moving forward.
After the blizzard hit, everything before them turned into a gray blur. They couldn’t see a thing. Who knew how far they had walked when, all of a sudden, several warm lights flickered into view, swaying faintly in the storm.
Lian Qiang exclaimed excitedly, “There’s someone up ahead!”
With the sight of light, their legs suddenly regained strength. The group hurried toward the direction of the lights, and soon a beautifully crafted wooden villa appeared before them.
Jiang Luo stepped forward and knocked on the door first. He turned and asked Lian Xue in a low voice, “Are there usually cabins like this up in the mountains?”
“There are,” Lian Xue leaned weakly against the wall, exhausted. “In the summer, some people come here to escape the heat. They’ve built quite a few small villas. The families that can afford to build houses up here are all very well-off. We’re saved.”
As soon as Lian Xue finished speaking, a slightly aged voice came from behind the door. “Coming.”
Everyone quickly stood upright. The door opened, and an elderly man who looked like a butler, around his fifties, greeted them with a smiling face and deep smile lines. “And you are?”
“We were hiking when we got caught in the blizzard,” Lian Xue said. “May we stay the night?”
The old man looked them over and then glanced at the storm outside. With a knowing nod, he stepped back. “Of course you can. Come in, children.”
The moment they stepped inside, warmth enveloped them. It felt like they had come back to life. They all shivered violently and clumsily took off their snow-drenched down jackets under the old man’s direction.
Unlike the city, the mountains didn’t have central heating. The house was kept warm by an old-fashioned fireplace. Besides the elderly man, two other groups of people were seated awkwardly on the sofas inside.
One group was an elderly couple sitting close together. They looked kind and amiable, helping Jiang Luo’s group hang their jackets near the fire while chatting about the sudden snowstorm. The other group consisted of four young students—two male, two female—who had also taken off their coats and were warming them by the fire. Judging by their appearance, they too had been caught in the storm unexpectedly.
The students waved to greet them. A curly-haired girl said cheerfully, “Are you guys here to sketch the scenery too?”
“Huh?” Lian Bing was baffled. “What kind of scenery is there to sketch in this snowy weather?”
“That’s exactly why it’s special,” said a boy in a cap who had been fiddling with his camera. “We haven’t had such a heavy snowfall this early in the year for ages. The four of us came specifically to take photos.”
The elderly couple chuckled and came back with cups of hot water. “Us two old folks got trapped up here too. We hurried to bring up firewood while the snow let up this morning, but the roads were slippery and we’re not so spry anymore. Just as we finished delivering the firewood, the blizzard hit. We’re lucky Butler Yan let us shelter here.”
Butler Yan carefully hung up their clothes and then brought out two plates of snacks from the kitchen. Only then did he smile and say, “You’ve all had a hard time getting here. Feel free to stay until the storm passes. Our master is a good man—he loves hosting guests.”
At those words, the atmosphere visibly relaxed. Everyone seemed easygoing, and soon they were all exchanging names.
The four students were members of a photography club at a nearby university. The guy in the cap was named Du Ge, and he was the club president. The curly-haired girl was Qin Yun, the vice president. The other two—a quiet couple—were club members. The guy was called Duanzi, and the girl was Li Xiao.
They were all of similar age, so they should have had a lot to talk about. But Lian Xue and her junior brothers felt completely lost among the trending slang and pop culture references. They could only sit awkwardly and laugh along.
The students didn’t mind and were more intrigued by Jiang Luo. Long-haired guys were already rare—good-looking long-haired guys were even rarer.
Du Ge pointed his camera at Jiang Luo. “Can I take your photo?”
There wasn’t enough room on the sofa for everyone, so Jiang Luo had casually sat cross-legged on the carpet. The long-haired young man glanced lazily at the lens, lips politely curled, but his words were not polite at all. “Preferably not.”
Du Ge regretfully lowered the camera but didn’t give up. “Alright, but I hope you’ll change your mind and let me take one before we part ways.”
Qin Yun’s smile faltered. She tugged on Du Ge’s sleeve and half-jokingly reminded him, “Didn’t you promise I’d be your next model? I’ve waited a whole year and you’ve never taken my photo.”
Du Ge’s expression didn’t change. “Qin Yun, inspiration comes when it comes—I can’t control that.”
He pulled his arm back, slipping his sleeve free from her grasp.
Qin Yun suddenly felt extremely embarrassed. Just then, Butler Yan came out from the kitchen, and she quickly asked, “Grandpa Yan, is the master of the house here too?”
Butler Yan replied warmly, “Yes. Our master just returned and is resting in the master bedroom. I hope you all won’t mind if he doesn’t come out to greet you.”
Qin Yun quickly waved her hands. “Of course not, not at all.”
With that quick exchange, the earlier awkwardness passed. Qin Yun grew more curious about the mysterious “master” Butler Yan had mentioned. It was her first time meeting a real-life Butler, and she really wanted to ask more, but since no one else said anything, she didn’t dare continue.
Butler Yan then asked, “I’m preparing dinner right now. Do any of you have dietary restrictions?”
Everyone hurriedly shook their heads and thanked him. Jiang Luo extended a hand and said, “Sorry, I don’t eat fish.”
Butler Yan smiled. “There’s no fish in tonight’s dinner, don’t worry.”
After politely refusing everyone’s offer to help, Butler Yan went back into the kitchen. With nothing to do, Jiang Luo’s professional instincts kicked in, and he got up to take a walk around the first floor.
The second floor housed the master bedroom and guest rooms. Without Butler Yan leading the way, it didn’t seem appropriate for him to go up uninvited. After walking around and looking at everything, Jiang Luo came to a conclusion: the owner of this villa must either hold extremely high standards for their appearance, or be incredibly narcissistic.
Mirrors of all shapes and sizes could be seen everywhere. In the corner sat a vase of roses that, even in winter, remained tightly budded and full of vitality. And on the coat rack by the entrance hung a graceful black gentleman’s hat and a trench coat without a single wrinkle.
Even with so many people walking in and out, the carpet by the door remained spotless, untouched by wind or frost. This over-fifty-year-old butler was more thorough and efficient than many young people.
Jiang Luo stood by the entrance for a while, chuckled to himself, and returned to the living room.
The house’s layout was no issue. The villa was large enough to accommodate all of them comfortably.
Butler Yan came out once during that time. Seeing they were bored, he brought out two decks of playing cards.
An hour later, dinner was ready. Butler Yan took a separate portion of food upstairs. After a while, he brought the untouched food back down.
He sighed but didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply called to the others, “Please, everyone, go ahead and eat.”
Dinner was plentiful and delicious. Everyone was starving and too busy eating to speak. Only after they were full did they begin praising Butler Yan’s cooking skills.
Butler Yan smiled and shook his head, then brewed them a pot of digestive herbal tea.
The tea gave off a light, soothing aroma. The wooden house firmly kept out the blizzard and howling winds. There was a TV in the house, but no one turned it on—everyone knew that in such a snowstorm, it likely wouldn’t work.
After dinner, the elderly couple returned to their room to rest. But the younger people weren’t tired yet. Du Ge fiddled with his phone for a while, then frowned and sighed, “Still no signal. Do any of you have signal?”
Everyone pulled out their phones. Jiang Luo also took out his own, which he hadn’t used in over ten days. His screen, too, showed no signal.
Blizzard. Enclosed space. No way to contact the outside world.
Jiang Luo thought to himself, this feels like the beginning of a murder mystery.
Sitting around doing nothing was too dull, so someone soon suggested they play a game. “There are playing cards here. How about we play the King’s Game?”
Lian Xue and the other two had never played before. They listened carefully to the rules. “Whoever draws the Joker becomes the King and can give any command to the holders of two chosen cards. If the command isn’t carried out, there’s a penalty. Is that right?”
Qin Yun was very familiar with the game. There were eight people at the table, and she took out nine cards. “Right. The Joker is the King.”
Jiang Luo joined in with the others, resting his chin on one hand while watching Qin Yun shuffle the cards, her red-painted nails flicking nimbly.
Just as Qin Yun was about to deal the cards, Butler Yan suddenly stood up and respectfully addressed the second floor, “Sir.”
Everyone paused and turned toward the staircase.
At some point, a man had appeared, standing near the second-floor railing.
He was wearing a black bathrobe that fit snugly to his body, looking down at the group below. “What are you playing?”
His voice was slightly hoarse, as if just awakened. A smile played on his lips. His handsome features—from his smooth forehead to his high-bridged nose—were sliced by the shadow of the upstairs corridor, casting a mysterious split across his face. “You’re being a little too loud. It disturbed me a bit.”
Author’s Note:
Jiang Luo: suddenly wide awake.jpg
