Chapter 14 — The Illusion of Spring Peaches

The rear door of the vehicle swung open, and I scooped up our two canine companions, settling them onto the seat right beside General, Master Li’s formidable Doberman. No sooner had they boarded than Mao Mao and General locked eyes, a palpable spark of mutual hostility crackling through the air.
“Grrr…”
“Woof!”
Instantly, tiny little Nhung Nhung scrambled right between them, her tail wagging furiously. “Big brother, please calm down… let’s keep the peace… We’re here to have fun, no fighting, no fighting~”
General snorted with supreme disdain, “I wouldn’t deign to argue with stray mutts picked up off the street!”
Mao Mao perked its ears up, snapping back immediately, “Oh, you wouldn’t deign, yet you’re sitting right next to me, you lanky oversized beanstalk!”
The entire back row erupted into a chaotic symphony of barks and growls. At that exact moment, Ah Le leisurely hopped into the front seat, gracefully landing right in my lap and stretching luxuriously as if claiming a royal throne. It shot a sidelong glance at Master Li, its gaze dripping with aristocratic arrogance.
“Hmph… mere mortal, today Nana is under my protection. You will drive carefully, no sudden jerks, no abrupt braking. If even a single strand of my fur is displaced, you shall pay with your life.”

I chuckled softly, stroking the cat’s sleek spine, “Ah Le, stop stirring up trouble…”
The feline proudly flattened its ears, stretching its neck forward as if bestowing a grand favor, “Nana, on this trip to the ancient town, I demand grilled squid, black sesame pastries, spicy dried beef, jasmine tea, and… a warm cup of goat’s milk. Have you memorized this?”
Master Li: “…”
He blinked, staring at me before lowering his voice to a whisper, “Is that… creature… actually ordering takeout right now?”
I nodded with absolute solemnity, “Yes.”
He remained silent for three whole seconds before offering a helpless, wry smile, “I swear… I have never felt jealous of a cat until this very day.”

Throughout the journey, Ah Le remained curled up in my lap, its tail sweeping rhythmically back and forth. Its tone was lazy yet carried an undeniable aura of authority, “Nana, I smell the wind… the days ahead will not be peaceful. This ancient town harbors… undercurrents.”
I frowned, looking down at it with heightened seriousness, “You mean… something is going to happen?”
Ah Le didn’t answer immediately; it merely licked a paw before glancing out the window. “When night falls, you will know. Of one thing I am certain—we are not the only ones arriving in the ancient town today.”
Master Li’s mouth twitched slightly, “A friend of mine bought an old house over there and remodeled it into a homestay. Coincidentally, the entire ancient town area has just been redeveloped, so now it’s bustling with all sorts of shops.”
Upon hearing this, Ah Le merely nodded with utter composure, “Oh, how fascinating.”
Master Li tilted his head toward me, his expression silently asking, “Why on earth did you bring it along?”
Truth be told, I desperately wanted to explain that ever since last night, the moment Ah Le learned I was heading to the ancient town, it had wailed relentlessly to come. Well, to be precise, it had issued a direct command. I firmly believed that if I had left it behind today, it would surely have found a way to murder me… Though how a cat intended to assassinate me remained entirely beyond my comprehension.
“Watch the road, Nana!” Ah Le suddenly piped up, issuing a sharp command.
Hearing this, Master Li immediately straightened his posture, snapping his head forward to drive with intense concentration, not daring to utter another word for the remainder of the trip.

Fortunately, the ancient town wasn’t too far, roughly a two-hour drive. Master Li’s friend ran a homestay situated right along the canal, an ancient building hugging the water’s edge that appeared quiet and timeless from the outside. The moment Master Li and I pushed open the doors, his friend, Truong Minh Minh, was already waiting at the reception desk. He assisted us with the check-in procedure and personally led us to our quarters.

The estate strictly preserved Ming and Qing architectural styles: octagonal pavilions, rockeries, winding covered corridors, various potted plants, and even a tranquil little pond in the courtyard. Minh Minh explained that during the renovation, he had kept the original structure intact, upgrading only the interior furnishings for modern comfort.

Along the way, my gaze happened to catch an antique painting hanging in the homestay corridor. It depicted a pitch-black cat against a backdrop of artificial rockeries and gardens, mirroring the exact scenery of the courtyard we had just traversed. Noticing my fixated stare, Minh Minh smiled and explained, “I discovered this painting in the house’s old study. I found it rather intriguing, so I had it hung here.”
The cat in the painting possessed glowing emerald eyes, its expression a captivating blend of vigilance and charm. Involuntarily, I lingered, feeling almost drawn into that piercing gaze.
“Meow!” Ah Le let out a sharp cry, registering clear displeasure and signaling me to hurry along.
With a reluctant sigh, I tore my eyes away and followed Master Li and our menagerie deeper into the rooms to unpack.

Once we finished and returned to the lobby, I noticed a small side door next to the front desk leading out to the bustling street. Minh Minh introduced it as his newly opened Hanfu experience shop, enthusiastically inviting us to take a look.
Stepping through the small doorway, we found ourselves in a space draped with traditional garments from various dynasties, each piece exquisitely crafted and brilliantly colored. My eyes came to rest upon a late Qing Dynasty women’s outfit. Unlike the others, its colors were subdued and elegant, bearing classical patterns that looked as though they had been preserved straight from the twilight of the imperial era.
“You certainly have an eye for this,” Minh Minh chuckled from the side. “I had this piece meticulously replicated by a master tailor based on an antique I once collected.”
Standing beside me, Master Li nodded approvingly, “If you like it, go try it on.”

I gathered the garments and stepped into the dressing room. Before long, a stylist nudged me down into a chair, skillfully applying makeup and styling my hair into an elaborate classical updo. Moments later, the mirror reflected a figure that left even me momentarily breathless: a noble matron of the late Qing, radiating gentle grace, dignified yet impeccably refined.
“You look stunning… heheh.” Master Li stared at me, grinning like a love-struck fool.
Standing nearby, Ah Le cast a look of utter contempt in his direction, shaking its ears in pure disdain.

Afterward, Master Li led me on a stroll throughout the ancient town, indulging in a day brimming with laughter. By evening, as we made our way back to the homestay, we passed once again through the corridor hanging that ancient painting.
A single glance, and the black cat within the frame locked eyes with me once more. In that exact instant, a shiver raced down my spine, as if… …I was being sucked right into the artwork.

When my consciousness finally snapped back, I found myself standing before an artificial rockery, with a green-eyed black cat resting at my feet. It strolled forward leisurely, brushing against my ankles, its soft tail curling into an alluring arc that exuded an aura of haughty mystery. I raised my head just in time to meet its gaze. At that very moment, a voice echoed directly inside my mind:
“Mother… you’re finally back.”

I froze in shock. Yet little did I know, back in the homestay corridor, Master Li—who had been standing right beside me—was watching in horror as I vanished into thin air before his very eyes. Panicking, he searched frantically in every direction, but I was nowhere to be found. Involuntarily, he raised his head to look at the antique painting hanging on the wall… Only to see that beside the black cat in the painting, the faint figure of a woman had now appeared.

Curiosity overriding my shock, I crouched down and stared intently at the black cat. “What is your name?”
The cat stood upright, resting its front paws on my knees, and stubbornly nuzzled its head against my hand, demanding to be petted.
“Has Mother forgotten? My name is Tu Tu, and you were the one who gave it to me.”
My hand hovered in mid-air for a second. The soft, warm texture of its fur touched my palm, stirring a deeply complicated sensation within my chest. Unlike Ah Le back home—a haughty feline who viewed me merely as an ATM and a fleshy piece of furniture—Tu Tu snuggled into my hand with an obedience that felt genuinely affectionate.

As I stroked its fur, I continued questioning, “If I am your mother, then… who am I?”
A vague suspicion had already begun to form in my mind; perhaps I had unwittingly wandered into some bizarre otherworldly tale akin to the strange anomalies of classical folklore. Under the present circumstances, gathering more information was the wisest course of action.
Tu Tu parted its mouth to reply, but before a sound could escape, an interruption cut through the air:
“Oh my goodness, Fifth Mistress! Today is your day of great joy, why are you hiding out here!”

I whipped my head around. Emerging from behind the rockery was a housekeeper of around fifty years of age, holding a silk handkerchief, her expression a mix of astonishment and anxious urgency. Mid-speech, she reached out as if to drag me away.
Frowning in bewilderment, I firmly pulled my arm back, “Fifth Mistress? Day of great joy? What are you… talking about?”

The housekeeper beamed radiantly, covering her mouth with a chuckle, “Oh, stop playing shy, Fifth Mistress! Today is the day you are brought into the family as a bride, have you forgotten? Just days ago, your father brought you to the estate to become the old master’s concubine, and even brought home a hefty betrothal reward. Though you are entering as a concubine, our Gu family is a prominent, prestigious clan, so even a concubine’s arrival must be handled with grandeur. Today is an exceptionally auspicious day, perfectly suited for marriage. The old master specifically chose this date, prepared a grand banquet, and tonight is even… the wedding night! Hurry along with me, I still need to fix your hair and makeup, we mustn’t keep the old master waiting!”

Hearing this, I stood frozen for a beat before violently wrenching my arm free and turning on my heel to sprint away.
Become someone’s… concubine? What kind of insane joke was this?!