Three days later, in the evening, Luo Ren returned to Lijiang without informing anyone in advance.

No one was home. Uncle Zheng was probably still busy at Phoenix Tower. Luo Ren first went to the room where the evil bamboo slips were stored. The smell of fresh plaster hadn’t completely dissipated, but everything was already well-arranged. All the maps and analysis of clues had been hung on the walls. Someone unfamiliar with the situation would never know there was a room within the room.

Following his previous instructions, a large standing wardrobe had been placed in the corner. Opening the cabinet doors revealed clothes hanging inside. Reaching in to feel around, he found a small indentation on the innermost panel. With a firm push to the side, the panel slid open like a sliding door.

Luo Ren crouched and crawled through.

The space inside was narrow. The fish tank was firmly secured to the corner by an iron frame. The four evil bamboo slips floated in the water, the oracle bone script characters emitting a faint glow that seemed to illuminate the water itself.

The blood-colored Phoenix Luan had grown longer than before, coiling upward around the evil bamboo slips.

Luo Ren stepped back and concentrated his gaze, though his mind was elsewhere.

A few days ago, he had spoken with Shen Gun on the phone again. Shen Gun had vowed: he wouldn’t leave Yin Family Village anytime soon, determined to eat and live with Yin Erma, build a sincere friendship, and extract what he knew.

“Since he knows something, I must stick with him tenaciously. Why search far and wide like a headless fly when the answer is close at hand?”

He also said, “People are emotional creatures; they can be moved.”

Luo Ren truly admired Shen Gun’s dedication. Why was he so committed to a matter that didn’t directly affect him?

Thinking back carefully, his journey had largely been reactive. Initially, for Pin Ting’s sake, intending to stay uninvolved, but the evil bamboo slips seemed to have hooked onto all of them—Yi Wansan, Yan Hongsha, Mu Dai, each with their connections. So each time, he had no choice but to face things head-on. Without realizing it, they had already collected four slips.

Now, he was essentially caught in a dilemma. However, after the Nantian incident, a thought had quietly formed in Luo Ren’s mind.

—These evil bamboo slips would be better off collected.

This feeling was somewhat like driving on a lonely road and having a tire punctured by an iron spike jutting from the road. Though he would consider himself unlucky, he would still try to dig out the spike and throw it away to prevent others from suffering the same misfortune.

After tidying up a bit, he went to Phoenix Tower. By this time, the restaurant’s peak hours had mostly ended. The next round of activity would be at the bar.

Indeed, there weren’t many diners left. Uncle Zheng was settling accounts at the counter. Cao Yanhua, wearing an apron, was clearing tables.

Seeing him, they both paused in surprise.

Uncle Zheng frowned: “You could have let us know you were coming back. Is Pin Ting doing well?”

“She’s doing very well. The caregiver I hired is reliable, and Pin Ting likes her a lot.”

He showed Uncle Zheng a photo of the caregiver, a woman in her fifties, slightly plump with kind eyes.

She did look dependable. Uncle Zheng relaxed a bit, then remembered he should update Luo Ren on the business.

“These past few days have been good. No empty tables during meal times. Mu Dai and the others help with both lunch and dinner service. Mu Dai and Yi Wansan were just here but went back to attend to the bar.”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “While you were away, Huo Zihong often sent her staff to help out. We owe her a lot of thanks…”

At this point, he glared at Luo Ren, implying: All of you are like absentee bosses disappearing for half a month. How am I supposed to keep this restaurant running?

Luo Ren smiled without challenging him. After all these years, he knew Uncle Zheng’s temperament very well.

Sure enough, once the grumbling was over, Uncle Zheng’s anger dissipated: “Have you eaten?”

“No.”

Uncle Zheng scolded him: “You haven’t lifted a finger to help, but you’ve eaten plenty of free meals!”

Cao Yanhua, standing nearby, understood the hint immediately and hurried to the kitchen, returning with a plate of reheated beef fried rice and a bowl of bone broth.

After serving the food, he didn’t leave but instead sat down across from Luo Ren.

Luo Ren looked up at him: “Is something the matter?”

Cao Yanhua was very enthusiastic: “Brother Luo, don’t stand on ceremony with me. You eat first, eat.”

Luo Ren thought to himself: Fatty Cao, you’re overthinking. When have I ever stood on ceremony with you?

He bent his head to eat, certain that Cao Yanhua couldn’t contain himself for long.

Sure enough, he began to stammer and fidget.

“Brother Luo, I’ve done a bit of analysis on the evil bamboo slips recently…”

Luo Ren continued eating without pausing, though he was genuinely surprised. Cao Yanhua truly had some similarities with Shen Gun. At times, they both had an inexplicable persistence.

He made a sound of acknowledgment: “Go on.”

“According to Mr. Shen, the five of us carry the power of the Phoenix Luan Clasp, but why us five? I’ve thought about it, and it doesn’t seem like we were randomly chosen…”

He counted on his fingers: “The first one is related to you, with your uncle and Pin Ting involved; the second one is related to Brother San, with his parents affected by the old clam incident; the third one involves Red Sand’s grandfather’s past misdeeds; the fourth one, well, everyone knows about that…”

Luo Ren looked at him: “So?”

Cao Yanhua lowered his voice and leaned in mysteriously: “So, Brother Luo, it should be my turn for the fifth one, right?”

Luo Ren’s face remained expressionless: “Come closer, Fatty Cao.”

Cao Yanhua wasn’t stupid and shrank back warily: “What for?”

He wasn’t quick enough. Luo Ren’s hand shot out with his chopsticks, striking Cao Yanhua squarely on the forehead.

“Is this something good? You’re looking forward to it?”

Cao Yanhua clutched his head in silence.

Of course, he knew it wasn’t something good, which is why he had asked so hesitantly and with such difficulty. But…

How to describe this feeling? Five people, always together, all of you have it, but I don’t—it was like the inappropriate jealousy he often felt toward Yi Wansan. It just made him uncomfortable.

So he hung his head, feeling awkward as he prepared to get up.

Unexpectedly, Luo Ren called him back.

“What does your family do?”

“Nothing special. We’re from the countryside… farmers. When there’s no farm work, we do some handicrafts. We’re… honest people.”

A stable occupation, not like Yan Hongsha’s grandfather, who was easily tempted by wealth, nor as complicated as Mu Dai’s mother, Xiang Silan.

“Have there been any unusual events recently?”

Cao Yanhua shook his head, thought for a moment, then said: “There is a happy event though. My second cousin is getting married.”

Luo Ren smiled: “That’s good news.”

He asked again: “You’re not going back for the wedding?”

“I wrote a letter home and enclosed some money.”

These days, few people write letters anymore. And putting money in a letter—wasn’t he afraid it would get lost? And in rural areas, personal relationships were most important…

Luo Ren asked once more: “You’re not going back for the wedding?”

Cao Yanhua mumbled vaguely: “Not going back.”

…

Around ten o’clock, Phoenix Tower closed. Both Cao Yanhua and Uncle Zheng were heading to the Casual Gatherings Bar. Over these days, the mutual support between the two establishments had become almost a habit. After closing the restaurant each night, Uncle Zheng would go to help at the bar. When not busy, he would chat with Zhang Shu or play a game of chess.

Luo Ren hesitated about whether to join them.

This brief hesitation led Cao Yanhua to all sorts of speculations: “Brother Luo, since you’ve returned today, have you seen my little master? Haven’t you told her? Are you two having problems…”

It was endless. Not wanting to give him any opportunity for gossip, Luo Ren said, “I’m coming too.”

The bar was as lively as ever, but Mu Dai wasn’t there. Zhang Shu had just sent her out to buy something.

Huo Zihong led Luo Ren to a corner seat, saying: “I haven’t thanked you yet for this trip.”

She seemed to have started treating Luo Ren as one of her own. Her tone was much more familiar as she spoke. She motioned for Yi Wansan to bring drinks. Yi Wansan brought over a B-52 Bomber, flicking open a lighter with a click as he approached. First warming the glass, then lighting it.

Ice-blue flames rose from the rim of the glass, with a touch of glowing red at the top.

Yi Wansan was somewhat proud: “This drink…”

Before he could finish, Luo Ren took the glass and drank it down in one go. His lips didn’t touch the rim, avoiding a burn, and the fire was extinguished in his mouth.

Yi Wansan was dumbfounded, then grudgingly said: “You’re good.”

He had never tried drinking it this way, only daring to use a straw.

Huo Zihong smiled, then after a pause said: “Mu Dai is in very good condition now. She also told me about what happened in Nantian.”

At this, her voice lowered: “I didn’t expect that woman to be her mother either.”

Luo Ren interrupted her: “Why did you decide to adopt Mu Dai in the first place? I mean, why adopt a child?”

Huo Zihong lowered her eyelids, remaining silent for a good while: “When I adopted Mu Dai, it wasn’t long after the incident with my family. At that time, I just felt that I didn’t have a single relative by my side…”

There weren’t many noble reasons. She was just a young, lonely girl then, wanting to find some family affection and companionship.

She smiled self-mockingly: “I couldn’t even manage my own life well… If Mu Dai had been adopted by a normal couple, she might have been much happier than she is now.”

Luo Ren replied: “Maybe. But then she would have no connection to us.”

He pressed his temples, feeling a bit dizzy.

Perhaps it wasn’t dizziness, just frustration. He didn’t want to talk anymore. The bar was very noisy, with the clinking of glasses right next to his ear.

Huo Zihong spoke gently: “Are you drunk? Downing it in one gulp like that can go straight to your head.”

She added, “If you’re not feeling well, go lie down in Mu Dai’s room for a while. When she returns, I’ll ask her to check on you.”

Mu Dai’s room wasn’t particularly soundproof, but the clamor from downstairs, filtered through the floor, became like distant background noise, making the room seem especially quiet.

He lay on the sofa for a while, heard Mu Dai return, heard Huo Zihong speaking softly to her at the door, and also heard Mu Dai’s surprised voice: “How could Luo Ren get drunk?”

She pushed open the door, treading lightly. As she approached, she bent down to look at him and called: “Luo Xiaodao?”

She carried the crisp coolness of the outdoors, her soft hair brushing against his face with a slight tickle.

Probably smelling the alcohol on him, she said nothing more. After a while, she went out again.

When she returned, she filled an electric kettle with water, plugged it in, and then sat down on the edge of the sofa with very gentle movements.

The low humming sound of boiling water spread throughout the room, emitting some steam. Luo Ren opened his eyes and saw her sitting beside him, carefully peeling an apple. The long peel hung down, swaying in his line of sight.

He remembered that video—the noisy and dim environment where only Mu Dai’s image was visible, with He Ruihua’s voice abrupt and harsh.

Saying to her, “I’ve examined historical cases of multiple personality treatment. There are many successful precedents, such as Sybil from the United States. She had sixteen personalities, and after eleven years of careful treatment, they merged into a new, seventeenth personality. After that, treatment stopped, and she became a famous artist in New York.”

“Another example is the famous Mrs. Thigpen, on whom ‘The Three Faces of Eve’ was based. She experienced twenty-two personalities. Around the age of fifty, she began to recognize her ‘true self,’ and after that, her condition remained normal.”

“Neither the previous ‘Little Pocket’ nor the seemingly strong Mu Dai Number Two can handle all your problems from a comprehensive, continuous perspective. To survive normally without strange looks, you need to establish a truly robust personality. That’s why I previously suggested you leave your past relationships and complete this rebuilding process in a new environment. But… Luo Ren contacted me to provide you with a psychological certificate. He must have found you.”

Mu Dai smiled.

“Dr. He, I’ve also thought about this for a long time. An abrupt personality change might cause others to stare and be afraid, but as you said, a ‘gradual change’ would be more effective. I think I can handle it properly. After all, whether it’s Little Pocket or Mu Dai Number Two, they can integrate with my main personality rather than conflict with it.”

“Then why seek me out? Have you encountered problems?”

Mu Dai fell silent for a moment, licking her lips as if troubled.

She said, “I can quickly accept family members or friends. But when facing Luo Ren, the feeling is complicated, because part of you already loves him, but another part—the larger part—hasn’t fallen in love with him yet.”

“What if I can’t fall in love with Luo Ren? How should I continue this relationship?”

He Ruihua’s response was: “I’ve interacted with Luo Ren. I think, why don’t you choose to have an honest conversation with him?”

Mu Dai shook her head, continuously shaking it.

He Ruihua pressed her: “Why?”

She still wouldn’t answer.

Yes, why? This was a question Luo Ren also wanted to ask her.