Chapter 30: Going through Xu Weishan’s memories
“What’s the point if I can see but never speak…”
Grandmother Meng gradually stood up and walked over to the cabinet to take out an old fas.h.i.+oned porcelain bowl. She placed it in front of me. “There is a way to communicate with ghosts….I can help you. But beyond a doubt, this method has a risk factor. I urge you to think it clearly beforehand.”
“What type of method….?” I was totally driven by my curiosity.
“I can allow the ghost to enter your body. Once you are both using the same body, she will know whatever you’re thinking and you will know whatever she’s thinking. This is called exchanging consciousness.”
“Then I’ll know about her life?”
“Your thoughts will be interconnected. It’s sort of like an internal exchange. But I cannot guarantee what you’ll find out is the truth. If the ghost decides to lie to you, everything you’ll know will be a lie.”
I roughly understood Grandmother Meng’s words as I turned around to shoot a glance at the Xu Weishan ghost that was standing outside. She had stretched her neck in as she anxiously waited for me.
“I thought spirits that can enter the bodies were made up in movies!” I was hesitant; unsure of whether I should do it.
Grandmother Meng coldly chuckled, “Most people believe ghosts are made up, but you can see them, right?”
Oh, that’s true.
“If I let her come inside me, will there be any side effects? Would it be like the movies….where in the end, it isn’t me? Would my spirit be replaced?”
“That’s why you need a professional like myself to guide you so that you can prevent ghosts with bad intentions from harming you.”
“So, does this mean you promise to help me?” I gave Grandmother Meng a coquettish gaze.
“If I don’t help you, who else can help you?” Suddenly, Grandmother Meng took out a kitchen knife from her drawer and turned to me. “If you want my help, then let’s quit the chit chat and start. Later, I have some personal matters to deal with. So let’s get this done quickly!”
“What? Now? So sudden? I’m not ready yet….” I began to recoil my body; mainly because the kitchen knife looked too frightening in her hand. It looked like the type of knife that people used to chop up bones. I wonder what she was going to use it for? Is it because she wants to kill me?
Seeing how I was backing away, Grandmother Meng shook her head and forcefully came over to grab my hand as she raised the kitchen knife and slit my forefinger. Fresh blood instantly gushed out.
I stared at the blood coming out of my finger and yelped, “You! My hand! Blood! Blood! It’s bleeding!”
Grandmother Meng disregarded my yelling and dragged me back to the table. She used the bowl to catch the continuous blood that was flowing from my finger. After a few moments later, she flung me some gauze and told me to wrap my finger myself.
“You didn’t disinfect the knife, right?” I sorrowfully held onto my forefinger as I glared at Grandmother Meng. At the same time, I didn’t want to make it too obvious. So, I used the gauze to tie a simple knot around my injury as I sobbed, “So painful…”
“My time is very precious. Let’s settle your matters now!” Grandmother Meng didn’t feel the slightest pity for me. She pointed at the multi-coloured bed and said, “Go and lay there.”
Was this actually going to work? Would there be any problems? Deep down, I was beginning to have a lot of doubts.
But since I had already entered a pirate’s boat, it was too late to get off.
I lay on the bed and Grandmother Meng placed an eye mask on me. First, I heard the tick tock sounds of a timer. Then, everything around me began to turn very blurry.
By the time I opened my eyes again, Kevin was standing in front of me.
You….
I wanted to speak, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t even able to control my movements.
Kevin was smiling. What does he want from me? How come he’s getting so close? Huh? Eh? His whole face was on mines! He was kissing me? How come I don’t feel anything?
Could this be the exchange of thoughts? I’m in Xu Weishan’s memory?
I kept trying to get my body to move, and the scenes before my eyes kept changing. I was quite certain that everything I was seeing was from Xu Weishan’s past.
She was taking me to see her past life.
There didn’t seem to be any noticeable differences between the old Xu Weishan and Kevin and the new Xu Weishan and Kevin. They looked like the typical boyfriend girlfriend relations.h.i.+p. They roamed around the park, watch movies, hug, kiss….all their past moments were flas.h.i.+ng in front of my eyes. I was able to relive their experiences once more.
They were so in love. Couldn’t Kevin feel that his girlfriend was a different person? He had never questioned the current Xu Weishan?
While these thoughts were running through my mind, there was a letter that had appeared in front of “me”. The content was as follows:
Please go to the National Art Gallery alone. I have something important to inform you.
When I arrived at the National Art Gallery, the fake Xu Weishan was there. She was Xu Weishan’s twin sister.
Next, it was the cliché sister we-have-finally-met moment. However, as far as I know, in Xu Weishan’s memories, she had never told anyone about her twin sister’s existence. If she had, perhaps the future tragedy could have been avoided.
From then on, Xu Weishan’s life revolved around her younger sister and boyfriend. Aside from going on dates with her boyfriend, she would occasionally meet her younger sister and give her some pocket money.
Based on what the fake Xu Weishan was wearing, she was probably not living very well.
“Elder sister, didn’t I tell you not to tell anyone about my existence? Who do you want me to meet?” The fake Xu Weishan said to “me”.
“You’ll know when you see him.” “I” smiled at the fake Xu Weishan and led her to the corner of a coffee shop. I pointed at Kevin, who was sitting by the window. “That is my boyfriend, Kevin. To me, you two are the most important people in my life. After giving a lot of consideration, I want to introduce you guys.”
“Didn’t I say not to let people know about me? Why are you….”
“I haven’t told him yet. I’m seeking for your opinion right now.”
“I don’t want to meet him.” Then, the fake Xu Weishan shoved me a bit and said, “Go focus on your date. Don’t think about introducing us.”
She shoved “me” out and Kevin happened to see, so he waved. Since he waved at “me”, I had no choice but to walk towards him by myself.
“How are you feeling today? It looks like there’s a lot on your mind.” Kevin asked me.
“Nothing. What are you reading?” “I” switched the topic as my eyes floated towards the fake Xu Weishan. She was still watching us from afar.
In my opinion, at the time, the fake Xu Weishan’s eyes were already kind of unstable. But perhaps in “my” eyes, she was just curious.
The weather was great on this lovely weekend afternoon. A handsome boy and a beautiful girl was facing each other in a romantic coffee shop. Their happy interactions would have been perfect if there wasn’t an extra pair of restless eyes at the corner.
From then on, whenever “I” mentioned Kevin, there would be some type of unclear emotions lingering in the fake Xu Weishan’s eyes. I wonder if the real Xu Weishan was stupid. Why would she keep mentioning Kevin to her younger sister?
On a blistering hot summer day, while the Sun was hanging right in the sky without any clouds blocking, I received a text message:
Elder sister, today at 3pm, meet met at the outskirts of the car factory. Just us two. I have something very important to tell you.
Don’t go!
I screamed from within. What a suspicious and meticulous place! Only a fool would go!
But regardless of how loud I shrieked, the body still moved on its own.
Xu Weishan made the biggest mistake in her life. She was already at the abandoned car factory.
“Elder sister.” The fake Xu Weishan suddenly appeared and scared “me”. After I carefully gazed at her, I noticed the fake Xu Weishan had bruises on her face.
“Elder sister, this time you must help me.”
Without saying anything further, she directly got down on her knees and pleaded, “I honestly have no other choice but to come to you, elder sister. I won’t be able to live on.”