Sweet Sister
2317 Words
The road to the countryside was quieter the second time.
Wanning sat beside the window, her grandmother’s photograph resting inside the bag at her feet.
She had spent most of the morning thinking about one person.
Madam Xu.
Her grandmother’s old neighbor.
If anyone knew what had happened before Wanning was sent away, it would be her.
The woman had lived beside her grandmother for decades.
She had watched Wanning grow up.
She had been there when her grandmother became sick.
She had even attended the funeral.
Wanning had been too young to understand what she was losing.
Now she needed answers.
She looked at Gu.
He was driving.
His eyes remained on the road.
“You’re quiet.”
“So are you.”
“I have a lot to think about.”
“I know.”
Wanning frowned.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because you think loudly.”
She turned toward him.
“What does that mean?”
“You’ve been staring at the same tree for ten minutes.”
Wanning looked outside.
She had.
She rolled her eyes.
“Maybe the tree is interesting.”
“Perhaps.”
Silence returned.
After a while, Wanning asked,
“Do you really remember my grandmother?”
“No.”
“Then why did your father know her?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you remember your own father?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Some memories don’t disappear.”
She looked at him.
“Even after one hundred years?”
“Yes.”
“That’s convenient.”
Gu glanced at her.
“You don’t believe me.”
“I don’t know what I believe.”
“That is reasonable.”
She leaned against the window.
At least he wasn’t trying to convince her.
That made things easier.
⸻
When they arrived at the village, Wanning immediately recognized the small shop at the corner.
She asked Gu to stop.
“I’ll be back.”
He looked at the shop.
“Where are you going?”
“To ask something.”
“I’ll come.”
“No.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“I need to speak to someone who knew me before I left.”
“I can wait.”
“Inside the car.”
“I’ll be here.”
Wanning walked toward the shop.
An elderly woman sat outside, sorting vegetables.
The moment she saw Wanning, her hands stopped.
She stared.
“Wanning?”
Wanning smiled.
“Aunty Mama.”
The woman stood.
“My child!”
She hurried toward her.
Wanning hugged her.
“You’re back.”
“Yes.”
“Look at you.”
The woman held her face.
“You’ve grown.”
Wanning smiled.
“I haven’t been here in years.”
“Your grandmother would have been so happy.”
Wanning’s smile faded.
“She would.”
The woman looked behind her.
Then her eyes landed on the black car.
Her expression changed.
“Who is that?”
“My…”
Wanning hesitated.
She didn’t know what to call Gu.
Husband?
She still wasn’t comfortable with it.
“Someone helping me.”
The woman looked suspicious.
“Helping you with what?”
“Something about Grandma.”
The woman became quiet.
Then she looked around.
“Come inside.”
Wanning followed.
The old woman lowered her voice.
“You shouldn’t be asking about those things.”
Wanning’s stomach tightened.
“What things?”
“Your grandmother’s business.”
“What business?”
The woman shook her head.
“You were too young.”
“Please.”
“I don’t want trouble.”
“I’m not trying to cause trouble.”
The woman stared at her.
Then sighed.
“Your grandmother was frightened before she died.”
Wanning’s eyes widened.
“Frightened?”
“Yes.”
“Of what?”
“I don’t know.”
“You knew her.”
“I knew she was afraid.”
“Did she tell you why?”
The woman hesitated.
“Sometimes she would come to my house at night.”
“Why?”
“She would ask if I heard anything.”
“Heard what?”
“Knocking.”
Wanning’s skin prickled.
“From where?”
The woman looked at her.
“Your house.”
Wanning remembered the knocking inside the wardrobe.
Her voice dropped.
“Did she say anything about the Gu family?”
The woman immediately crossed herself.
“Don’t mention that name here.”
Wanning stared.
“Why?”
“Because some names are better left alone.”
“But I need to know.”
The woman looked toward the road.
Then back at Wanning.
“Your grandmother once told me that your family had made a promise.”
Wanning’s heart jumped.
“What promise?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t?”
“She never told me.”
“Then how do you know there was one?”
“She said someone would come for you.”
Wanning went still.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
The woman shook her head.
“She said, ‘Not yet.’”
Wanning’s mouth went dry.
“Did she say who?”
The woman didn’t answer.
“Please.”
“She said the dead man would come.”
Wanning’s blood ran cold.
“The dead man?”
The woman nodded.
“And she was afraid he would take you.”
⸻
Outside the shop, Gu sat in the car.
He could hear nothing of the conversation.
But he could see the woman’s face through the window.
Fear.
That was enough.
He stepped out.
Wanning turned when she saw him.
“Why did you come?”
“The woman is frightened.”
“She knows something.”
Gu looked at the old woman.
The woman immediately lowered her head.
Gu’s eyes narrowed.
“You know me.”
The old woman shook her head.
“No.”
“You recognized the name.”
“I don’t know anything.”
Gu didn’t move.
Wanning looked between them.
“Tell us.”
The woman’s eyes filled with fear.
“Go home.”
“Why?”
“Before he comes.”
Wanning frowned.
“Who?”
The woman whispered,
“The groom.”
Wanning’s face went blank.
Gu’s expression became cold.
“What groom?”
The old woman looked directly at him.
“The one who was supposed to die.”
Silence.
Wanning slowly turned toward Gu.
He said nothing.
The old woman hurried inside and shut the door.
Wanning stood outside.
“What did she mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“No.”
“Then why did she call you the groom?”
Gu looked at the closed door.
“I don’t know.”
Wanning stepped closer.
“You keep saying that.”
“And I keep meaning it.”
She stared at him.
Something about the conversation disturbed her.
Not because of the old woman’s words alone.
Because Gu didn’t look surprised.
He looked angry.
⸻
Back at the house, Wanning opened the wooden box again.
She read every letter.
One after another.
Most contained nothing useful.
Until she found a folded piece of paper hidden inside the lining.
She carefully pulled it out.
There were only two lines.
When the bride returns, the other half will awaken.
Underneath:
Do not let her remember.
Wanning stared.
“What?”
Gu looked over her shoulder.
His expression changed.
“What is it?”
She handed him the paper.
He read it.
Then his jaw tightened.
“What does ‘the other half’ mean?”
“The gemstone.”
“I know.”
“Then what does ‘awaken’ mean?”
He didn’t answer.
Wanning snatched the paper back.
“And who doesn’t want me to remember?”
Silence.
She looked at him.
“Gu.”
He finally spoke.
“Perhaps someone is afraid of what you’ll remember.”
“That doesn’t help.”
“I know.”
She sat down.
Her mind was exhausted.
Then another thought came.
“My grandmother knew this would happen.”
“Yes.”
“She knew someone would come for me.”
“Yes.”
“She knew about the gemstone.”
“Yes.”
“And she never told me.”
“Yes.”
Wanning stared at him.
“You’re agreeing too much.”
Gu looked at her.
“Because everything you’ve said is true.”
She leaned back.
“Then why?”
“Perhaps she was protecting you.”
“From you?”
His gaze held hers.
“Possibly.”
That answer silenced her.
⸻
In the city, Liliana sat in her bedroom surrounded by shopping bags.
Her mother entered.
“You’ve been shopping all day.”
Liliana smiled.
“I needed clothes.”
“You already have enough.”
“I know.”
Her mother laughed.
“You’re spoiled.”
Liliana smiled.
“You spoil me.”
Her mother kissed her forehead.
“I always will.”
Liliana’s expression softened.
Then she remembered Wanning.
“Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think Wanning is happier now?”
Her mother frowned.
“I don’t know.”
“She married a stranger.”
“A wealthy stranger.”
Liliana smiled.
“Exactly.”
Her mother sat beside her.
“You’re not thinking of doing anything foolish.”
Liliana immediately shook her head.
“No.”
“Good.”
“I just want my sister to be happy.”
Her mother looked at her lovingly.
“I know.”
Liliana lowered her eyes.
“But…”
“What?”
“She never had to suffer for anything.”
Her mother sighed.
“Don’t compare yourself to her.”
“I’m not.”
“She was sent to the countryside because she was difficult.”
Liliana said nothing.
Her mother continued.
“You’ve always been the responsible one.”
That wasn’t true.
Both of them knew it.
But neither said so.
Liliana smiled.
“Thank you, Mommy.”
Her mother hugged her.
“Don’t worry about Wanning. Your father and I are here for you.”
Liliana leaned against her.
And smiled.
⸻
That evening, Liliana received a message.
Mr. Gu will be attending the Gu Foundation dinner tomorrow.
Her eyes lit up.
Finally.
An opportunity.
She immediately began planning.
She wouldn’t approach him aggressively.
She wouldn’t flirt.
She wouldn’t make it obvious.
She would be gentle.
Helpful.
Vulnerable.
The kind of woman a powerful man would feel protective toward.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
Then practiced.
“Mr. Gu…”
Too formal.
She tried again.
“Gu Chenyuan…”
Too familiar.
She smiled softly.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Perfect.
She would become the innocent sister.
The one who never asked for anything.
The one who always worried about Wanning.
The one who was completely different from her spoiled reputation.
⸻
The following morning, Wanning woke from a nightmare.
She was standing in a dark room.
Someone was calling her name.
“Wanning.”
She turned.
There was a man standing at the end of the room.
She couldn’t see his face.
He held something in his hand.
A half-heart.
Then he said,
“You promised.”
She woke suddenly.
Her breathing was uneven.
The room was dark.
She sat up.
The door was closed.
Everything was normal.
Then she heard it.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Three times.
From inside her room.
Wanning slowly turned.
The wooden box was sitting on the table.
Closed.
She stared at it.
Another knock.
She got out of bed.
She approached the box.
Her hand hovered above the lid.
Then the box moved.
Just slightly.
Wanning stepped back.
“No.”
The lid lifted by itself.
The papers inside shifted.
And the photograph of her grandmother slid onto the floor.
Wanning picked it up.
Something had appeared on the back.
Words that hadn’t been there before.
She stared.
Ask her about the night the first bride died.
Wanning’s face went pale.
She immediately opened the door.
“Gu!”
He appeared from the corridor almost instantly.
“What happened?”
She held out the photograph.
“Look.”
He read the message.
His face became completely still.
“Who wrote this?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you touch the back?”
“No.”
He took the photograph.
The writing began fading.
Wanning watched in disbelief.
“It’s disappearing.”
Within seconds, the words were gone.
Gu looked at her.
“We’re going back to the village.”
“Why?”
“I need to find someone.”
“Who?”
“My father’s old servant.”
Wanning frowned.
“He’s alive?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then how are we going to find him?”
Gu looked toward the window.
“He disappeared more than seventy years ago.”
Wanning stared.
“Seventy years?”
“Yes.”
“Gu, people don’t just disappear for seventy years.”
His eyes met hers.
“People do.”
He handed the photograph back.
“But sometimes…”
He paused.
“…they don’t disappear.”
Wanning’s fingers tightened around it.
“What does that mean?”
Gu looked toward the door.
“It means we may not be looking for a living man.”
Silence filled the room.
Wanning looked at him.
Then at the photograph.
For the first time, she wondered if returning to the countryside had been a mistake.
Because her grandmother had left behind more than an old house.
She had left behind a secret.
And someone—or something—was making sure Wanning found it.
Meanwhile, in the city, Liliana was putting on her sweetest smile.
Tomorrow night, she would meet Gu Chenyuan again.
And she had no idea that the man she planned to seduce was already involved in a mystery older than her entire family.
::
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