Chapter 2: The Mysterious Encounter

"How beautiful."

The water rippled in the evening light, casting a soft glow that danced across the surface. Shadows seemed to bend and flicker as the little yellow warbler fluttered through the scene, its movement delicate and graceful. The whole moment felt like a painting—each part in harmony, each part blending perfectly with the others.

Li Zhuiyuan had been taken to various performances by his parents in the past, seeing many accomplished singers and dancers. Yet, yesterday, when he had watched the performance of the little yellow warbler, something unexpected had stirred within him. It wasn't just the delicate movements or the sweet melodies that caught his attention; it was the wild beauty of the bird's spirit. The performance was bold, raw, and untamed—qualities that Li Zhuiyuan had never expected to see in such a simple, innocent creature.

The bird wasn't just a performer; it seemed to embody something more. A freedom, a primal grace that held him captivated.

And now, here it was again—this bird-like spirit that had drawn him in before. A memory, almost a dream, was slowly beginning to turn real as it fluttered closer.

At that moment, he no longer cared where he was or what was happening around him. It was as if his entire being had become a part of this scene—unaware of the water choking him, unaware of his struggle to breathe. He was lost in the sensation, lost in her presence.

She was drawing closer, her hands reaching out, moving like the wings of a bird, reaching for him.

Yesterday, when he had sat among the crowd, squeezed between his older and younger brothers to watch the performance, he had watched her closely as she danced toward him. She had even reached out and touched his face.

At that time, Li Zhuiyuan had wished she would touch him again. He wanted that same gentle yet mysterious connection.

But now, this time, her hands reached toward him not just once, but twice—two hands grabbing his shoulders, pulling him forward.

The warmth that had initially filled him now shifted. His chest tightened as panic gripped him. It wasn't as it had seemed before—the sensation wasn't gentle or warm anymore.

He tried to move, to struggle, to break free, but the grip only tightened.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp tug from behind.

He could feel himself being pulled upward, the force dragging him away, as though he were the rope in a tug-of-war. He was no longer in control.

Finally, with a great force, Li Zhuiyuan was lifted out of the water.

Upward, upward—he rose higher, and the little yellow warbler, once so close, seemed to grow smaller and smaller beneath him. Her arms stretched toward him, but there was now an impossible gap between them.

"Hey!"

Luckily, Li Weihan's grandson had been carrying a bamboo basket, which helped provide the strength needed to pull him out.

The weight was unbearable. It felt like he was struggling with an animal—a wild beast—and for a moment, there was no certainty whether the pull would succeed.

From below, there was something preventing him from rising.

At that moment, Lei Zi arrived to help, his hands gripping Li Weihan's waist and pulling with all his might.

With a final, powerful pull, the force that had held Li Zhuiyuan down vanished. Both Li Weihan and Lei Zi collapsed onto the boat, exhausted.

"Quick, go!"

Li Weihan could barely stand, but he ordered Pan Zi, the boatman, to move quickly, to row to safety.

"Grandpa, she's coming, she's coming!"

Lei Zi pointed ahead, eyes wide with terror.

Li Weihan turned to look, and sure enough, he saw the mass of dark hair moving toward them, bobbing in the water.

She was chasing them.

"Lei Hou, help Pan Hou with the boat! Quickly!"

Without hesitation, Lei Zi ran to the back of the boat and began to row with Pan Zi. The boat sped up, but the distance between them and the figure in the water was narrowing.

Li Weihan grabbed a fishing rod and, with his face set in grim determination, pointed the rod toward the dark figure.

The rod went into the water, and though it should have encountered some resistance, instead, it was violently pulled downward.

"Ouch…"

Li Weihan gasped in pain, but luckily he let go of the rod just in time to avoid being pulled into the water.

The dark figure was closing in, growing clearer with each passing second.

From the edge of the boat, Li Weihan saw a woman in a black cheongsam, walking steadily against the current, moving through the water like it was nothing.

She was walking—walking in the water, against the flow.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

The boat began to shake more violently, the tension in the air palpable.

Li Weihan could hardly imagine what would happen if the boat capsized. It would not just be a matter of swimming to shore—no, this was something else. This was something dangerous, cursed even.

At that moment, Li Weihan's eyes fell on the fishing net that lay at his feet. Without thinking, he grabbed it and cast it over the spot where the woman's dark hair was about to reach the boat.

The net settled over the water, sinking halfway beneath the surface.

For a moment, the net was dragged by the current, but then its movement slowed and it stopped entirely.

It worked—the net had caught her!

Li Weihan rushed to the back of the boat, gripping the bamboo pole with all his strength. "You all go check on Xiao Yuan!"

"Grandpa, yes!"

Pan Zi and Lei Zi, both exhausted from the struggle, quickly rushed to check on Li Zhuiyuan.

"Yuanzi, Yuanzi? Yuanzi, wake up! Wake up!"

"Grandpa, we can't wake him up!"

Li Weihan didn't answer. His eyes remained fixed on the task at hand. Without pausing to wipe the sweat that poured down his face, he continued to push the boat forward.

At last, they reached home. Li Weihan threw the bamboo pole aside and leapt off the boat, carrying Li Zhuiyuan in his arms. But the exhaustion from the struggle was too much. As he landed, he stumbled, bracing himself against the stone steps with his knee.

"Aah…"

His knee scraped against the stone, but he ignored the pain, pushing forward to get inside.

"Guiying, Guiying!"

"You're back already?" Cui Guiying was tending to the stove when she heard the noise. She looked up to see her husband carrying the child, and her face immediately filled with worry. "What happened? What happened to the child?"

Li Weihan laid Li Zhuiyuan down on a mat. There was no room for a bed in their cramped house, and in the heat of summer, the children often slept on the floor.

Cui Guiying touched the boy's face, calling to him desperately, but the child wouldn't wake. Fear and panic filled her.

"Oh, my child! What's wrong with him?"

"Stop crying!" Li Weihan kicked her lightly to get her attention. "Quick, change him into dry clothes!"

Cui Guiying wiped her tears and hurried to get clothes.

"Pan Zi, go call Zheng Datong!"

"Right away, Grandpa."

Zheng Datong, the village doctor, was known for his strange ways, often scaring the children with his large syringe.

"Lei Zi, go call Liu Xianzi!"

"Got it, Grandpa."

Liu Xianzi, once known for her own tragedy—losing both her parents and enduring the death of two husbands—had become a local figure known for her fortune-telling. Her reputation was enough to send people seeking her services.