FEAR
4207 Words
The woman laughed.
It was not a loud laugh.
That was what made it worse.
It came from somewhere beyond the walls of the hidden room, soft and breathless, almost like someone trying not to be heard.
Wanning stared at the cracked gemstone hanging around her neck.
A thin line had appeared across the red stone.
Then another.
Her fingers immediately went to it.
“What the hell is happening?”
Gu Meilin’s face changed.
The old woman’s fear was no longer hidden.
“Take it off.”
Wanning looked at her.
“What?”
“Take the necklace off.”
Wanning pulled at the chain.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.
The chain wouldn’t move.
It was as though it had become part of her skin.
“Gu Meilin,” she said slowly, “I don’t think it’s coming off.”
“Don’t pull it.”
“I wasn’t planning to wear it forever.”
“Wanning.”
The sharpness in Gu Meilin’s voice made her stop.
The woman stood up.
For someone who had supposedly been hidden away for decades, she moved with surprising strength.
She came closer but stopped before touching Wanning.
Her eyes remained fixed on the gemstone.
“It has recognized her.”
“Recognized who?”
Gu Chenyuan finally spoke.
His voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
“Who is inside the heart?”
Gu Meilin looked at him.
For several seconds, mother and son stared at each other.
Then she whispered,
“The woman you loved.”
Wanning’s head snapped toward her.
Gu’s expression barely changed.
But something happened.
His hand tightened around the edge of the wooden table.
The old wood cracked beneath his fingers.
Wanning looked down.
Then back at him.
“You loved her?”
Gu didn’t answer.
Gu Meilin did.
“He loved her more than anything.”
Wanning gave a short, disbelieving laugh.
“That’s convenient.”
Gu looked at her.
She folded her arms.
“You’re telling me that a man who doesn’t remember his own past somehow loved a woman so much that her spirit is now living inside my necklace?”
Gu Meilin shook her head.
“No.”
Wanning’s eyes narrowed.
“No?”
“The spirit isn’t living inside your necklace.”
The woman pointed at the gemstone.
“The necklace is only the door.”
Silence filled the room.
Wanning slowly lowered her hand.
“A door to what?”
Gu Meilin looked at Gu.
“To him.”
Wanning stared.
Gu did not react.
His eyes remained on his mother.
“What are you talking about?”
“The heart was never created to keep the bride inside.”
Gu Meilin’s voice trembled.
“It was created to keep the bride away from the man she loved.”
Gu’s face hardened.
“Why?”
“Because your father was afraid of what would happen if you remembered.”
“My father?”
“Yes.”
Gu Meilin looked at Wanning.
“And because your grandmother knew the truth.”
That name changed something in Wanning.
“My grandmother?”
“Yes.”
“My grandmother knew about all this?”
“She knew enough.”
Wanning stepped closer.
“How much?”
Gu Meilin looked exhausted.
“Enough to know that you could never be allowed to marry into the Gu family.”
Wanning laughed bitterly.
“Funny. She spent my entire childhood telling me that some things were better left buried.”
“She was right.”
“No.”
Wanning shook her head.
“She wasn’t.”
Her voice became firmer.
“She died without telling me anything. She gave me this necklace and told me to keep it safe. She never told me about your family. She never told me about some dead bride. She never told me there was a man who had apparently been waiting for me for one hundred years.”
She looked at Gu.
“And now I’m standing in a hidden room under an abandoned house while your mother tells me that I was somehow connected to a marriage that happened before I was even born.”
She spread her hands.
“You people have a very strange definition of normal.”
For the first time, something almost resembling amusement passed through Gu’s eyes.
It disappeared quickly.
“You’re not wrong.”
Wanning looked at him.
“Was that a joke?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Gu Meilin almost smiled.
Then the smile vanished when the laughter came again.
This time it was closer.
Right outside the door.
Wanning turned.
The wooden door was closed.
No one was standing outside.
Yet the laughter continued.
A woman’s voice.
Soft.
Beautiful.
Familiar.
Wanning felt the back of her neck tighten.
Then the voice whispered,
“Zhenyuan.”
Gu stopped breathing.
Wanning looked at him.
The name seemed to reach somewhere inside him that nothing else had managed to touch.
His face went completely still.
“Zhenyuan.”
The voice came again.
Gu took one step toward the door.
Wanning immediately caught his arm.
“Don’t.”
His eyes dropped to her hand.
She released him.
“Sorry.”
She stepped back.
“I just don’t think following mysterious voices into dark rooms has worked particularly well for us.”
Gu looked at the door.
“Stay here.”
Wanning stared at him.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll check.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“No?”
“You’re not going alone.”
“This isn’t your problem.”
“It became my problem when that voice started calling your name while I’m standing here wearing a cursed necklace.”
Gu stared at her for a moment.
Then he opened the door.
The corridor beyond was empty.
Cold air moved through the passage.
Gu stepped out.
Wanning followed.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay?”
“And I ignored you.”
“I noticed.”
“Good.”
Gu looked back at her.
She gave him an innocent smile.
“Keep walking.”
He did.
The corridor stretched farther than it had moments ago.
Wanning stopped.
“Was this corridor always this long?”
“No.”
That answer came too quickly.
She looked at him.
“You noticed too?”
“I remember the room.”
“And?”
“It had three doors.”
Wanning counted.
There were seven.
“Wonderful.”
Gu walked forward.
She followed.
Behind them, the hidden room door slowly closed.
Neither noticed.
At the end of the corridor stood a woman.
White dress.
Long black hair.
Bare feet.
Her face was hidden.
Wanning’s stomach dropped.
She had seen her before.
In the forest.
At the shrine.
At the old Gu residence.
The woman lifted her head.
“Zhenyuan.”
Gu’s eyes darkened.
“Who are you?”
The woman smiled.
“You still don’t remember?”
“No.”
Her smile widened.
“You always forget.”
Wanning moved closer to Gu.
Not because she trusted him.
Because standing alone in a corridor with a woman who appeared and disappeared whenever she pleased was not on her list of hobbies.
The woman looked at Wanning.
“You.”
Wanning swallowed.
“Me?”
“You were never supposed to return.”
“Apparently nobody told me.”
The woman laughed.
Gu stepped between them.
“Leave her alone.”
The woman looked at him.
“You still protect her.”
Gu said nothing.
“You don’t remember her.”
“I don’t need to.”
That answer silenced the corridor.
Even Wanning looked at him.
The woman tilted her head.
“You don’t remember her name.”
“No.”
“You don’t remember her voice.”
“No.”
“You don’t remember the wedding.”
“No.”
“You don’t remember how she died.”
Gu’s jaw tightened.
“No.”
The woman whispered,
“And yet you love her.”
Gu didn’t answer.
Wanning stared at him.
The woman laughed softly.
“That’s the cruelest part.”
“What is?”
Wanning asked.
The woman looked at her.
“He forgot everything.”
Then she looked at Gu.
“But his heart didn’t.”
The gemstone around Wanning’s neck burned.
She gasped and grabbed it.
The c***k spread.
A faint red light appeared inside the stone.
Gu immediately reached for her wrist.
“Don’t touch it.”
“It hurts!”
He pulled her hand away from the gemstone.
The moment his fingers touched her skin, the light disappeared.
Both of them looked down.
Gu released her.
Wanning stared at him.
“What did you just do?”
“I don’t know.”
The woman smiled.
“Exactly.”
Then she disappeared.
Not walked away.
Not vanished behind a corner.
She simply wasn’t there anymore.
Wanning stood in silence.
Then she looked at Gu.
“I’m beginning to hate your family.”
Gu looked down the empty corridor.
“You’re not the first.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
He turned.
“Come.”
“Where?”
“Back to my mother.”
They returned to the hidden room.
But Gu Meilin was gone.
The chair where she had been sitting was empty.
Wanning stared.
“She was right here.”
Gu searched the room.
“Mother?”
No answer.
Wanning walked toward the wall.
Something had been written there.
Fresh scratches marked the stone.
Three words.
SHE REMEMBERS FIRST.
Wanning read it twice.
Then she looked at Gu.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“Of course.”
Gu reached toward the writing.
The moment his fingers touched it, the wall trembled.
A loud bang came from beneath the floor.
Wanning jumped.
Gu caught her shoulder before she stumbled.
“Careful.”
She immediately stepped away.
“I can stand.”
“I know.”
“Then stop catching me.”
“Then stop nearly falling.”
“I didn’t nearly fall.”
“You did.”
“I slipped.”
“That’s another word for nearly falling.”
She glared at him.
He looked completely serious.
Wanning sighed.
“You’re irritating.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“By many people?”
“Most.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
They heard another bang.
This time, something moved underneath them.
Gu looked down.
“There is another room.”
Wanning stared at the floor.
“Under this one?”
“Yes.”
“How deep does this house go?”
“I don’t know.”
She looked at him.
“You own the place.”
“I inherited it.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
Before she could argue, a wooden panel shifted beneath the carpet.
Gu pulled it aside.
A narrow staircase appeared.
Darkness waited below.
Wanning looked down.
“No.”
Gu glanced at her.
“No?”
“No.”
“You’re the one who wanted answers.”
“I want answers. I don’t want to die.”
“We’ll try not to.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
He stepped onto the stairs.
Wanning remained where she was.
Gu looked back.
“Are you coming?”
She crossed her arms.
“You go first.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because if something attacks us, I’d rather it attack you first.”
For the first time, Gu actually smiled.
It was brief.
Barely there.
But Wanning saw it.
And somehow, the expression made him look younger.
More human.
Then it disappeared.
“Fine.”
He descended.
Wanning followed.
The staircase ended in a chamber beneath the house.
There were shelves everywhere.
Old books.
Boxes.
Documents.
Photographs.
Candles.
And in the middle of the room stood a large wooden table.
On it was a red cloth.
Gu walked toward it.
Wanning stayed several steps behind.
There was something about the room that felt different.
Older.
The air smelled like dust and dried flowers.
Gu pulled back the cloth.
A wooden box sat beneath it.
Wanning recognized it immediately.
“My grandmother’s box.”
Gu looked at her.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
She moved closer.
“That was in her house.”
“How did it get here?”
“I don’t know.”
Gu opened it.
Inside were more letters.
Wanning’s fingers trembled slightly.
She picked up the first one.
The handwriting was her grandmother’s.
If you are reading this, then the heart has opened.
Wanning’s eyes moved down the page.
I prayed it never would.
She continued.
The girl must never know what happened before she was born.
Her breathing slowed.
Gu stood beside her.
“Read it.”
Wanning continued.
The Gu family believes the bride belongs to them. They are wrong.
She belonged to one man.
And that man belonged to her long before either of them understood what love was.
Wanning stopped.
She looked at Gu.
He said nothing.
She continued.
His name was Gu Zhenyuan.
The room became silent.
He loved her.
He loved her so deeply that when she died, he refused to accept it.
Wanning’s fingers tightened around the letter.
That refusal became the beginning of the curse.
Another page.
He asked the dead to return her.
Wanning looked at Gu.
“You did what?”
Gu’s face was unreadable.
“I don’t remember.”
She continued.
But the dead do not return people for free.
They offered him a bargain.
One life for another.
One bride for another.
Wanning’s eyes widened.
“No.”
Gu looked at her.
“What?”
She handed him the letter.
He read it.
His expression became darker.
Wanning picked up another page.
I tried to stop him.
I begged him.
But love had already made him desperate.
He agreed.
Wanning whispered,
“What bargain?”
Gu looked at the next page.
His face changed.
“What?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Then he handed her the paper.
Wanning read.
The bride would return through another woman.
But she would not remember him.
Her stomach twisted.
She looked at Gu.
“The woman would be me?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
Gu’s eyes remained on the document.
“There are missing pages.”
Wanning picked up another.
The new bride would carry the heart.
The man would remember her with his soul, but not with his mind.
Wanning went still.
She looked at him.
Gu looked back.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then she said quietly,
“So you don’t remember me.”
“No.”
“But…”
She swallowed.
“You still love me?”
Gu’s eyes remained on hers.
He did not answer quickly.
That made the answer feel heavier.
“I don’t know what love is supposed to feel like when you can’t remember the reason for it.”
Wanning said nothing.
He continued.
“But when I saw you that night…”
His voice lowered.
“I knew I had been waiting for you.”
She looked away.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t know my face.”
“No.”
“You didn’t know my name.”
“No.”
“You didn’t know anything about me.”
“No.”
“And you still…”
He looked at her.
“Yes.”
Wanning’s throat tightened.
She immediately pushed the feeling down.
“This is insane.”
“It probably is.”
“You’re saying your brain forgot me but your heart didn’t?”
Gu looked at the gemstone.
“Apparently.”
She gave a nervous laugh.
“That sounds like something from a terrible romance movie.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.”
A small silence followed.
Then Wanning looked back at the letters.
“But who was the first bride?”
Gu’s expression changed.
“We need to find out.”
She turned another page.
The paper was almost destroyed.
Only a few words remained.
Her name was never Yuexin.
Wanning stopped.
She remembered the woman in white.
Shen Yuexin.
She had claimed to be the first bride.
But this letter said otherwise.
Another line was visible.
Yuexin was the woman who tried to save her.
Wanning’s eyes widened.
“Then who is the woman we’ve been seeing?”
Gu looked at her.
“I don’t know.”
The candle beside them suddenly went out.
Then another.
Then another.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Wanning heard breathing.
Not hers.
Not Gu’s.
Someone was standing behind them.
A whisper came.
“Finally.”
Gu turned.
Nothing.
Then a woman’s voice spoke directly beside Wanning’s ear.
“You are beginning to remember.”
Wanning spun around.
Nobody was there.
She backed into Gu.
He caught her by the shoulders.
“Where?”
“She was right there.”
“Who?”
“The woman.”
Gu looked around.
Nothing.
Then Wanning felt something cold brush her neck.
She cried out.
The gemstone flashed.
A woman’s face appeared inside the red stone.
Wanning stared.
The face was hers.
But older.
Sad.
Tears ran down its cheeks.
Then it smiled.
Wanning dropped the letter.
“No.”
Gu looked at the gemstone.
The face disappeared.
He reached for Wanning’s hand.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Let me see.”
She pulled her hand away.
“I said I’m fine.”
He paused.
“Alright.”
She looked at him.
His expression wasn’t romantic.
There was no tenderness she could understand.
It was simply concern.
Instinctive.
Automatic.
Like his body had decided before his mind could.
That frightened her more than the ghost.
Because it meant the woman’s words might be true.
His memory had forgotten her.
But something else hadn’t.
Footsteps suddenly sounded above them.
Gu’s head lifted.
Someone was in the house.
Wanning looked toward the stairs.
“Did we come here alone?”
“Yes.”
“Then who’s upstairs?”
Gu’s expression hardened.
He picked up the old wooden box.
“Stay behind me.”
“Again?”
“Yes.”
“You really like giving orders.”
“Yes.”
“You know I’m not good at following them.”
“I know.”
They climbed the stairs.
When they reached the hidden room, the door was open.
A young woman stood inside.
Wanning’s blood ran cold.
“Liliana?”
Liliana turned.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh my God.”
She looked between Wanning and Gu.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Wanning stared.
“How did you get here?”
Liliana looked nervous.
“I followed you.”
“You followed us?”
“I was worried.”
Wanning almost laughed.
“You were worried?”
Liliana’s eyes filled with tears.
“I know we don’t always get along, but you’re still my sister.”
Wanning stared at her.
She knew that voice.
That sweet voice.
The one Liliana used whenever their parents were watching.
Gu said nothing.
Liliana looked at him.
Then her expression softened.
“Gu Chenyuan…”
She smiled shyly.
“I didn’t know you would be here.”
Gu looked at her without interest.
“Why are you here?”
Liliana hesitated.
“I told you. I was worried about Wanning.”
“Leave.”
Her smile faltered.
“What?”
“Leave.”
She looked hurt.
“I only came because—”
“Leave.”
Liliana’s fingers tightened around her handbag.
Then she looked at Wanning.
“You see?”
She whispered.
“He doesn’t even care that you’re in danger.”
Wanning frowned.
“What?”
Liliana stepped closer.
“I came because someone told me you were in danger.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.
“There were messages.”
She showed Wanning the screen.
YOUR SISTER IS NOT SAFE.
Another message.
THE MAN BESIDE HER IS THE REASON.
Another.
IF YOU WANT TO SAVE WANNING, TAKE HER PLACE.
Wanning stared at the messages.
Gu’s eyes narrowed.
“Give me the phone.”
Liliana hesitated.
Then handed it to him.
He read everything.
“Who sent these?”
“I don’t know.”
“Have you replied?”
“No.”
“Have you received anything else?”
Liliana nodded.
“There was one more.”
She opened the message.
Wanning read it.
THE FIRST BRIDE IS NOT THE WOMAN YOU THINK.
Wanning looked at Gu.
Gu looked at the gemstone.
Liliana followed his gaze.
Her expression changed.
“What is that?”
Wanning instinctively covered it.
“Nothing.”
Liliana’s eyes narrowed.
“That’s the necklace Grandma gave you.”
“Yes.”
“Why is it cracked?”
Wanning said nothing.
Liliana stepped closer.
“Let me see.”
“No.”
“Wanning.”
“No.”
Liliana’s sweet expression disappeared for half a second.
Then returned.
“I was only asking.”
Gu noticed.
His gaze moved to her.
Liliana smiled.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
But he did not look away.
Liliana became uncomfortable.
For the first time, she seemed to understand something.
Gu wasn’t interested in her.
Not even slightly.
She had expected coldness.
She hadn’t expected complete indifference.
And somehow, that hurt her pride more.
Her phone vibrated.
She looked down.
A new message.
Her face went pale.
Wanning noticed.
“What did it say?”
Liliana didn’t answer.
“Liliana.”
She slowly turned the screen around.
One sentence.
HE LOVES HER EVEN WITHOUT REMEMBERING HER.
Liliana stared at Gu.
Then at Wanning.
Something bitter flashed through her eyes.
“No.”
Wanning frowned.
“What?”
Liliana shook her head.
“No.”
She stepped backward.
“That isn’t fair.”
Gu looked at her.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t even remember her.”
Gu’s face hardened.
Liliana’s voice trembled.
“And yet you chose her.”
“Enough.”
“No!”
Liliana’s tears finally fell.
“You don’t know anything about her!”
Wanning stared.
Liliana continued,
“She ran away from her own wedding. She doesn’t even care about you.”
Wanning’s eyes narrowed.
“Liliana.”
“She told me herself!”
Gu looked at Wanning.
Wanning sighed.
“I told her I didn’t love you.”
Liliana looked at Gu.
“See?”
Gu’s expression remained calm.
“She doesn’t need to love me.”
Liliana stopped.
Wanning looked at him.
Gu continued,
“I don’t need her feelings to know what I feel.”
The room went silent.
Liliana’s face crumpled.
Wanning didn’t know what to say.
Gu looked at Wanning.
“You asked whether I love you.”
She stared at him.
“I don’t remember the first time.”
His voice remained steady.
“I don’t remember the wedding.”
He looked at the cracked gemstone.
“I don’t remember what you looked like when I first saw you.”
He paused.
“But every time you walk away, something in me tells me to stop you.”
Wanning swallowed.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“That’s what frightens me.”
For once, Wanning had no sarcastic answer.
Because she understood.
This wasn’t a man pretending.
Gu genuinely didn’t know why he felt this way.
He wasn’t using memories to convince her.
He had none.
Whatever remained was deeper.
Older.
And perhaps far more dangerous.
A loud crash came from downstairs.
Everyone turned.
Gu immediately moved toward the door.
“Stay here.”
Wanning followed.
Liliana followed too.
Gu stopped.
“Not you.”
Liliana looked offended.
“But—”
“Stay.”
Wanning raised an eyebrow.
“Apparently I’m the exception.”
“You’re the problem.”
“What?”
“You never listen.”
She almost smiled.
“Now you’re learning.”
They reached the main hall.
The front door was wide open.
Rain poured outside.
A trail of muddy footprints crossed the floor.
One pair.
Bare feet.
Wanning stared.
“They came from outside.”
Gu looked at the footprints.
“No.”
He pointed.
“They came from inside.”
Wanning looked carefully.
The footprints began in the middle of the hall.
And ended at the front door.
As though someone had walked backward out of the house.
Liliana whispered,
“What kind of place is this?”
Nobody answered.
Then the lights went out.
A woman’s voice came from upstairs.
“Zhenyuan.”
Gu looked up.
The voice laughed.
“Come and remember me.”
Wanning’s gemstone began to glow.
Gu reached for her.
This time, she didn’t pull away.
Not because she trusted him.
Not because she loved him.
But because whatever was upstairs had clearly been waiting for both of them.
And somewhere inside the darkness, something whispered a final sentence.
“Your bride has come home.”
Gu looked at Wanning.
Wanning looked back.
Neither of them knew whether the voice meant her.
Or the woman trapped inside the heart.
But the answer was waiting upstairs.
And for the first time since Wanning entered the mansion, Gu looked afraid.
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