Beauty Snake - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: “Benefactor, Are You Truly Certain That What You Saw Was The Abbot And This Little Monk?”

“North Star? Where is there a North Star at this time?” Hearing Ji Yunfei constantly muttering the words “North Star,” Chi Chang didn’t react at first and simply glanced out the window.

A moment later, as if realizing something, her eyes widened and her voice trembled: “Wait… the North Star you’re talking about… it couldn’t be the ring you gave Xie Yin, could it?”

Seeing that her question was met with silence—Ji Yunfei was just staring at the TV like a lost soul, repeating the three words “North Star”—Chi Chang turned her gaze back to the screen. “Holy crap…”

Compared to the photos Ji Yunfei had shown her, the ring on the screen had a few faint scratches, and its edges were stained with dark ash, making it look somewhat unkempt.

But regardless, Chi Chang recognized it instantly. It was the token of love Ji Yunfei had given Xie Yin, the one-of-a-kind “North Star.”

“Chi Chang, that’s the North Star…” Ji Yunfei finally stopped her mechanical repetition, her dull gaze shifting toward her friend.

“This… maybe Xie Yin just happened to pass by… and lost it…” Chi Chang tried to offer comfort, but in the face of such evidence, her words felt so hollow that they were practically nonsense.

“I… I’m going out to be alone for a bit. I’m leaving.” Ji Yunfei stood up. Because she didn’t control her strength, the chair made a piercing screech against the floor.

“Hey, wait…” Before Chi Chang could stop her, Ji Yunfei had already rushed out like the wind. Chi Chang shook her head, grabbed Ji Yunfei’s trench coat which was still hanging on the back of the chair, and followed her out.

The November wind wasn’t as mercilessly biting as the depths of winter; it was softer, like a veil as thin as a cicada’s wing, brushing against the face and causing a slight itch.

But why did such a wind feel so prickly now? It felt like a freshly sharpened blade—a flash of cold as it sliced the skin, followed by an unstoppable flow of blood.

This wind was an invisible knife that cut open Ji Yunfei’s tear ducts.

In an instant, the dam broke.

She sat by a hidden flower bed below the company building, in a corner where the streetlights couldn’t reach. The sleeves of her thin white shirt turned dark as they were soaked with water.

She shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions about Xie Yin’s situation before anything was certain, but she couldn’t help it. The string that had been pulled taut in her mind all day snapped completely the moment she saw the North Star.

Xie Yin had once said that no matter what happened, she would never leave the North Star behind. To her, the North Star was a part of Ji Yunfei, and a vital part of herself.

But she had broken her word. She had left the North Star behind. She had left her behind.

“Xie Yin… ugh…” Ji Yunfei buried her face deep between her knees, letting her tears soak her clothes. She wanted to wail, but she didn’t want to draw attention, so she could only suppress her voice into low sobs.

Chi Chang, who had rushed out after her, kept searching for Ji Yunfei under the streetlights but found no sign of her. It wasn’t until she passed the flower bed and heard the muffled crying that she spotted Ji Yunfei’s curled-up figure.

At this moment, Ji Yunfei looked like a small, unprotected animal. Her broken whimpers pounded heavily against Chi Chang’s heart.

With a soft sigh, Chi Chang draped the trench coat over Ji Yunfei’s shoulders and sat down beside her, gently patting her back. “The weather is getting colder. No matter what, take care of your body first.”

“Xie Yin is a ‘snake beauty’—that means she’s a demon with cultivation. She won’t… go that easily. Have a little more faith in her.”

“Waaaa—!” With someone beside her, Ji Yunfei’s suppressed emotions could no longer be contained. She lunged into Chi Chang’s arms, her sobs growing louder.

“Sigh…” Chi Chang let Ji Yunfei hold her, not caring that the hot tears were soaking her own clothes. She simply held her back, occasionally stroking her chestnut-brown hair.

How long did they stay like that in the dark corner? Chi Chang wasn’t sure. It felt like a long time—long enough for her arm to go numb and nearly lose sensation.

“Tomorrow… I want to go and get the North Star back…” Ji Yunfei had seemingly cried her fill and regained a sliver of logic, struggling to sit up from Chi Chang’s embrace while still sniffling.

“Things sent to the police station… I don’t think you can just get them back whenever you want…” Chi Chang didn’t want to be cruel, but she had to pour cold water on the idea.

“Heh… then just seeing it would be fine. I’ll get it back eventually.” Ji Yunfei lowered her swollen eyes, her tone unreadable.

“Then, shall I go with you?” Looking at Ji Yunfei’s currently soulless state, Chi Chang couldn’t leave her alone.

This was the first time she had seen her friend so undone. Ji Yunfei used to be someone who cared about nothing—always heartless, a “salted fish” lying flat. She had never seen her this heartbroken over anything. Even when she first returned from the village, she had only become a bit more silent.

“Sorry for the trouble…” Ji Yunfei didn’t try to be brave; she just nodded and forced a twisted, awkward smile.

“Between the two of us, there’s no such thing as trouble…” Chi Chang patted her shoulder and pulled her up. “Buck up. I’ll take you home.”

“I’m very sorry, but the ring you mentioned has already been claimed by the owner’s family.” The female officer with bobbed hair showed a hint of apology as she politely informed Ji Yunfei of the facts.

“Family…? Was the surname Xie, or Yin…? Can you tell me?” Ji Yunfei’s heart stirred, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, that information is confidential and cannot be disclosed.”

“Alright, thank you…” The answer was as Ji Yunfei expected. As she turned to walk out of the station, she suddenly felt like laughing.

She laughed at how she had lost her composure and ignored everything. She knew she wouldn’t get the answer she wanted, yet she had insisted on coming just to be rebuffed.

Claimed by family…?

Ji Yunfei instinctively reached for her phone to contact Xie Chu or Yin Qing. But halfway through scrolling her contact list, she realized that because their last meeting was so rushed, she hadn’t saved their numbers.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead, feeling regretful. But at the same time, she felt a slight sense of relief. If the North Star was handed over to Xie Yin’s mothers, did that mean…?

Ji Yunfei’s shattered heart began to piece itself back together slightly.

When I have time, I should visit the old manor to see the two of them.

“How was it? Did you see the ring?” Seeing the softened expression on Ji Yunfei’s face, Chi Chang, who was waiting at the entrance, hurried over.

“No.” Ji Yunfei shook her head, but her tone wasn’t as heavy as before.

“You didn’t see the ring, yet you can stay this calm…?” Chi Chang found it hard to read her friend.

“She must still be alive.” Ji Yunfei smiled. She bypassed Chi Chang, walked to the car, and pulled open the driver’s side door. Before Chi Chang could react, she called out: “Let’s go. To Qingshan Temple.”

“There’s too much I need to know.”

Stepping into the familiar temple again, Ji Yunfei no longer looked like the skeptic she once was. She pulled Chi Chang along, holding three sticks of incense, and bowed to every deity and Bodhisattva in the temple, large and small. Her mouth moved constantly, muttering words Chi Chang couldn’t hear.

Chi Chang followed behind her the whole time, doing whatever she did. They eventually reached a courtyard where Ji Yunfei stopped. “This is where that old abbot stopped me last time.”

“I was hoping to run into him again, but I guess I used up all my luck at the amusement park.” She sighed, forcing a light, self-mocking tone.

The wind seemed to agree with her, blowing the fallen leaves around with a rustling sound, as if mocking her overestimation of her own strength.

Suddenly, Ji Yunfei caught a glimpse of a red shadow flitting by in her peripheral vision. She turned her head quickly but saw nothing.

Intuition told her: Follow it.

“Hey, why are you running all of a sudden?” Watching the other person sprint away, Chi Chang froze for a second before lifting her feet to keep up.

Through countless halls and corridors, Ji Yunfei couldn’t quite catch the flickering red figure. She gritted her teeth in frustration, but remembering this was a sacred Buddhist site, she could only swallow her irritation.

Gradually, the figure seemed to have had enough of the game and slowed down, giving Ji Yunfei a chance to catch up.

“Little Master, wait.” Controlling her voice, Ji Yunfei placed a hand on the young monk’s shoulder.

“Amitabha. Benefactor has been following this monk for a while now. With such persistence, what exactly is the matter?” The young monk turned around and bowed, his eyes lowered.

Seeing the young monk’s face, Ji Yunfei’s heart jolted, and her tone rose uncontrollably: “Little Master, do I look familiar to you?” As she spoke, she pointed to herself, trying to trigger his memory.

The reason was simple: she remembered this monk. He was the one who had rushed over that day to call the abbot away.

Hearing her, the young monk looked up and studied her carefully, a trace of confusion entering his clear eyes. He furrowed his brow as if thinking. After a long while, he spoke slowly: “I’m afraid I have never seen you, Benefactor. Could you have mistaken me for someone else?”

“After all, there are many monks in this temple. We are used to brothers being confused for one another.”

“No, I couldn’t possibly be mistaken.” Ji Yunfei shook her head. She was certain she hadn’t remembered incorrectly; his face was etched clearly in her mind.

“Does Little Master remember when I was with the old abbot?” Ji Yunfei thought for a moment and brought up the abbot. He might not remember her, but he should remember his own superior, right?

“And you came running in a hurry, seemingly with an urgent matter, to call the abbot away.” After saying this, she stared at the young monk, her eyes shining with anticipation.

To her surprise, he didn’t remember; instead, the confusion on his face deepened. “May I ask when this occurred?”

“June of this year.”

The young monk’s brow furrowed even tighter. He shook his head firmly. “No, Benefactor. That is impossible.” He paused, and his next words made the hair on Ji Yunfei’s arms stand on end.

“The Abbot has been in secluded meditation since the beginning of this year and only recently came out. Furthermore, in June, I was away studying at Mingyang Mountain. How could I have appeared before your eyes?”

“Benefactor, are you truly certain that what you saw was the Abbot and this little monk?”

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