Chapter 68: Playing God and Ghosts
Gong Bao’an hadn’t expected Gong Changan to seek him out, and he was overjoyed.
“The Heir Apparent is here too,” Gong Bao’an, unaware that his mother had already fallen out with Wu Shi, said, “Please come in quickly.”
“Oh my, isn’t this Duke Feng’s Family’s Young Heir?” Granny Yang emerged from inside, spotting Feng Tianzhu, and greeted him with a smile, “Who came with you?”
“Hmph!” Feng Tianzhu ignored her and squeezed past her into the room, with Gong Changan following closely behind.
“Brother, don’t rush. This ‘Li Di Huo’ is very cunning! We can’t let him know we’re looking for him, or he’ll hide and disappear completely,” Gong Changan whispered to Feng Tianzhu.
“Mm.” Feng Tianzhu deeply agreed. He had heard the old women in his household tell stories about mountain spirits and strange creatures, saying they could become invisible and even burrow into the ground.
They had to find a clever way to lure them out.
“This is a kaleidoscope I made,” Gong Changan took out two items from his embrace and handed them to Feng Tianzhu and Gong Bao’an respectively.
“Let me see. Wow, it’s really interesting.” Feng Tianzhu was quickly captivated by the kaleidoscope in his hand, temporarily forgetting about the ‘Li Di Huo’.
Gong Bao’an was also engrossed. With a slight movement, different scenes appeared before his eyes; it was indeed interesting.
“Huh? What was that flashing by?” Feng Tianzhu put down the kaleidoscope and looked around the room.
“I didn’t see anything,” Gong Changan shook his head. “Brother, you probably saw wrong.”
However, a moment later, Gong Bao’an also exclaimed in surprise, “It really seemed like a shadow flashed by, like… like a child.”
“Fifth Brother, don’t be scared. Perhaps your eyes are just tired,” Gong Changan said, casually touching Gong Bao’an’s face and hands.
Gong Bao’an hadn’t seen clearly in the first place, and with Gong Changan’s comfort, he relaxed again.
But a moment later, he and Feng Tianzhu saw the shadow of a child flash by again.
“It’s real, it’s really real!” Feng Tianzhu put down the kaleidoscope. “I definitely didn’t see wrong. Could it be what you were talking about?”
“What is it?” Gong Bao’an quickly asked.
“Come closer, let’s talk quietly…” Gong Changan crumpled the paper cutting in his hand into a ball as he spoke to them about the ‘Li Di Huo’. “The book says this thing is a treasure. It would be great if we could find it.”
“Is that so? Then how can we find it?” Gong Bao’an really wanted to know.
“I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell anyone else,” Gong Changan said with a serious expression. “You must promise me, or I won’t talk to you anymore.”
“Don’t worry, Fourth Brother. If I can’t do it, I won’t be surnamed Gong,” Gong Bao’an patted his chest and promised.
“Alright, I’ll tell you…” Gong Changan leaned close to his ear and whispered, “This way, and then that way…”
Feng Tianzhu, listening from the side, scratched his ears and cheeks. Gong Changan just gave him a look that said “be patient,” and he immediately quieted down.
After a while, Feng Tianzhu felt bored and said to Gong Changan, “It’s no fun playing in the room. Let’s go out.”
“Fifth Brother, the Heir Apparent and I will go to Old Madam’s place first.” Gong Changan gave Gong Bao’an a look. “I’ll come find you to play later.”
“Granny Yang, Granny Yang, I want to sleep!” After the two left, Gong Bao’an shouted.
“Oh, my little ancestor, why do you want to sleep now? Let’s talk about it after lunch,” Granny Yang hurried in. “Did those two leave?”
“Yes, I’m sleepy and want to sleep now. I’ll eat after I wake up,” Gong Bao’an said.
“Alright then!” Granny Yang didn’t find anything amiss. “I’ll take off your shoes for you.”
Gong Bao’an lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and pretended to sleep.
As it was getting hot, Granny Yang fanned him from the side.
“Mmm… I want green trousers and a red blouse…” Gong Bao’an mumbled in his sleep, “And I want to eat rose cake…”
This sentence almost scared Granny Yang to death. The fan in her hand dropped to the floor with a bang.
“Fifth Young Master, Fifth Young Master, wake up!” Granny Yang pushed Gong Bao’an hard. “Wake up!”
“Granny Yang, why are you pushing me?” Gong Bao’an opened his eyes, looking impatient.
“Uh, it’s nothing. I heard you talking in your sleep and was afraid you were having a nightmare,” Granny Yang said with a forced smile.
“Oh, I just had a dream. I dreamt of a little brother who asked me for things,” Gong Bao’an said earnestly. “He wanted a red blouse and green trousers, and rose cake. Granny Yang, why do other families have rose cake, but we never make it?”
“This… this is naturally because no one likes to eat it,” Granny Yang said. “Fifth Young Master, I think you should get up and play for a while!”
Granny Yang felt a chill run down her spine. It was broad daylight, yet the room suddenly felt eerily cold.
“No, I’m so tired! The little brother in my dream asked me to carry him,” Gong Bao’an lay back down. He had promised Fourth Brother that he would find the ‘Li Di Huo’. “He said if I don’t prepare these things for him, he’ll stay on my back.”
This statement was even more terrifying than what he had said in his dream. Granny Yang’s heart trembled non-stop. “Qiu Hong, where are you, you little rascal?!”
She began calling out through the window to the maid serving Gong Bao’an.
“Granny Yang, didn’t you ask me to draw patterns for you?” Qiu Hong said as she walked in. “I’ve only finished half of it.”
“You stay with Fifth Young Master for now and stop drawing patterns,” Granny Yang said, glancing at her, then got up and went to Consort Song’s room.
“Little Madam, why did Fifth Young Master say such a frightening thing out of the blue?” Granny Yang’s expression was anxious as she recounted Gong Bao’an’s situation in detail to Consort Song.
“Someone from the East Courtyard just visited. Could it be…” Consort Song suspected Gong Changan.
“Then I’ll call Fifth Young Master over, and you can ask him. Children don’t keep secrets,” Granny Yang said.
Gong Bao’an was brought over. Consort Song, pretending nothing was wrong, beckoned him, “Bao’er, come, sit by Mother.”
Gong Bao’an climbed onto the bed and sat next to Consort Song, but Consort Song’s face suddenly turned pale.
A faint, sweet fragrance emanated from Gong Bao’an, the scent of rose cake. She would never forget it.
But the mansion hadn’t made rose cake since then. How could Gong Bao’an have this scent?
However, when she sniffed again, the fragrance seemed to have disappeared.
“Bao’er, tell Mother what you and Brother Changan played,” Consort Song began to coax her son.
“Brother Changan made a beautiful kaleidoscope for me and the Heir Apparent,” Gong Bao’an said.
“And then? What did he say to you?” Consort Song asked again.
“He didn’t say anything!” Gong Bao’an remembered Gong Changan’s warning not to talk about the ‘Li Di Huo’, or it would become invisible and he would never find it again. “It’s just that in my dream, I dreamt of a little brother who kept asking me to carry him and wanted rose cake to eat, and also wanted a red blouse and green trousers.”
Brother Changan said the ‘Li Di Huo’ liked to wear red clothes and green trousers, and also liked to eat rose cake. If these things were prepared, he would appear at night.
