Ya She

Chapter 11 The Silent Shop - The White Snake Umbrella

"Hello, your package." A regular knocking sound came from outside the door.

The doctor opened the door, skillfully took the package, signed it, and then closed the door.

It was a very long and narrow package. The doctor recalled that he hadn't ordered anything online recently. Just as he was wondering about it, he noticed that the shipping address on the package slip was his hometown.

The doctor remembered that his aunt had called a few days ago, saying that she had mailed him one of his grandfather's belongings, which she had found while cleaning the house. The doctor eagerly tore open the package, revealing an old oil-paper umbrella inside.

This oiled paper umbrella looks very old; the yellowish-brown surface has turned black, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch, and it emits an unpleasant musty smell. The ribs, made of an unknown material, are pure white like jade, creating an inexplicable disharmony compared to the yellowish-brown surface.

The doctor remembered that his grandfather had hidden the oil-paper umbrella in a large camphor wood chest. His grandfather was very careful and didn't allow him to handle it casually. But the more his grandfather did this, the more he wanted to peek at it. Perhaps his aunt thought he really liked the umbrella, which was why she sent it to him.

Actually, he didn't really want the umbrella.

The doctor scratched his head in exasperation. His room was already messy enough, and this umbrella was probably going to fall apart as soon as it was opened, so it was completely unusable.

Or should we throw it away?

The doctor's idea was quickly dismissed. "This umbrella looks like an antique," he thought, "I'll take it to the mute shop and show it to the owner sometime."

He carefully covered the oil-paper umbrella with a plastic bag, placed it on top of the wardrobe, and then forgot about it.

A light drizzle began to fall outside. A long, thin shadow appeared vaguely outside the window, then vanished in the wind and rain in an instant, so fast it seemed like an illusion…

"Boss, these are some Wuxi specialties I brought back for you." The doctor pushed the bag in his hand and looked at the boss behind the counter with a smile.

"Thanks." The shopkeeper raised his eyes indifferently, took out the local specialties, and opened them directly.

The doctor didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a piece of pastry and started eating, grumbling as he ate: "Why does the hospital have to organize an annual trip? We're so busy, and we can't go to faraway places, so we can only squeeze in a trip to Wuxi. What's so interesting about Jinshan Temple! Oh, by the way, there was an old monk who stared at me for a long time and then handed me a packet of realgar!"

The shopkeeper was taken aback. "What about the realgar?"

"Of course I just threw it away! Damn it, do you think I'm some kind of immortal?" The doctor sneered, patting the pastry crumbs in his hand.

The shopkeeper glanced at the longevity lock that was faintly visible in the gap of his collar and said casually, "If I remember correctly, your birthday is coming up soon, right? You'll be twenty-five soon?"

The doctor immediately became interested. "Yes, yes, only a few days left. Hehe, I'm the youngest doctor in our hospital! I skipped several grades when I was in school, starting three years earlier than my classmates. I'm a genius! What? You want to give me a birthday present? Well... but I need to think about whether I should accept it..."

"Judging by the time, it's about time..." the boss muttered to himself, then asked, "Have you received anything strange lately?"

"Strange stuff? Isn't it strange enough that I inexplicably received realgar?" The doctor pushed up his glasses, somewhat indignant.

“I mean before that,” the shop owner stroked the purple clay tea pet in his palm, pondered for a moment, and said, “for example… an umbrella…”

"An umbrella?" The doctor was taken aback. "Hey, you know what, there really was an umbrella sent to my house. It was sent by someone from my hometown... You mean there's something wrong with this umbrella? It's a very old oil-paper umbrella, I think it's quite old. I was thinking of taking some time to bring it to you so you could see it, but I've been so busy with the end of the year that I forgot about it."

The shopkeeper squinted at the doctor, looking at him with a hint of pity, and said, "Do you know the Legend of the White Snake?"

"Of course I know, but although the story is beautiful, it's still fiction. Realgar? Xu Xian? You mean... that umbrella is the legendary White Snake Umbrella? That's ridiculous!" the doctor scoffed.

"Do you believe in myths or legends?" the boss asked casually.

Although the doctor wanted to say he believed it, having witnessed many strange things at the Silent House, he shook his head and said, "Of course I don't believe it. Everything needs scientific evidence. It's about logic, not imagination. My job isn't to operate on people based on imagination." All the strange things were confined to the Silent House; his life remained perfectly normal.

"Oh? So do you love your job?" The boss raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I love it," the doctor replied without hesitation.

"Then show me the actual evidence!"

"..."

"Just because there's no evidence doesn't mean it's fabricated! Love, hope, faith—these things exist." A mysterious smile played on the boss's lips. "Legends, too, exist."

The doctor had nothing to say.

"Besides, there's evidence for the Legend of the White Snake, and the white snake umbrella in your house is proof. It was Xu Xian who borrowed this oil-paper umbrella at the Broken Bridge on West Lake, which led to his union with Lady White Snake. I never expected it to end up in your hands now," the shopkeeper said slowly, finally looking at the doctor and gently shaking his head.

The doctor was startled by his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? Isn't this white snake umbrella good enough? Maybe a beautiful snake woman will come and become my girlfriend!"

The shopkeeper looked at him sympathetically and said, "If it were a good thing, why would that monk give you realgar for no reason? He only gave it to you and not to anyone else, right?"

A chill ran down the doctor's spine. "You mean... that venomous woman has been around for a while? But... but everyone around me is perfectly normal!"

The boss nodded and said, "It must be because of that white snake umbrella that attracted the white snake's obsession. You are a doctor, and you see many patients every day. When the white snake met Xu Xian, she had already cultivated for a thousand years and attained human form. The story of the White Snake Legend is said to have taken place in the Song Dynasty, which is another thousand years ago. It would be strange if you could recognize a snake spirit with a cultivation of two thousand years."

"Wasn't Lady White Snake imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda...?" The doctor suddenly fell silent, because he remembered that Leifeng Pagoda had long since collapsed. The one that was rebuilt by West Lake was magnificent and unique, with all the modern amenities inside, including an elevator, but it certainly didn't have the spiritual power to suppress the snake spirit.

The doctor froze for a moment, then suddenly jumped up as if electrocuted, nervously looking back and forth in the empty shop: "Boss, you're not kidding me, are you?"

The boss scoffed, "Weren't you just fantasizing about having a beautiful snake as your girlfriend?"

"It was just a joke! Who would have thought it would be real!" The doctor paced anxiously. "The white snake came for the white snake umbrella? I'll give her that broken umbrella, okay?"

The boss said calmly, "That white snake is probably here for revenge."

"Revenge?" The doctor was dumbfounded. "Isn't the legend of the White Snake a love story?"

The shopkeeper lowered his eyes, picked up the celadon incense burner on the table, watched the wisps of smoke rising from it, and said calmly, "The tragedy of the White Snake's life all began with a cup of realgar wine. On the Dragon Boat Festival, the man who claimed to love her poisoned her. Tell me, how could she not hate him? Legends aren't all true. In the end, she was imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda, while the man she loved married another woman to continue his family line. That ancestral oil-paper umbrella you received was originally stored in a camphor wood box, wasn't it?"

"Camphor wood repels insects and snakes, and its special scent prevents the white snake from sensing the presence of the oiled paper umbrella, so we've lived in peace all these years. But now that this oiled paper umbrella has resurfaced, how could she not notice? Whoever owns this white snake umbrella will bear her wrath," the shopkeeper said calmly, his words carrying a hint of seriousness, completely different from his usual jovial demeanor.

The doctor fell silent, finally realizing the seriousness of the problem. "Boss, do you have any realgar here?"

"You think mere realgar can suppress a snake spirit who has cultivated for two thousand years? Xu Xian used realgar wine to force Bai Suzhen to reveal her true form because at noon on the Dragon Boat Festival, her magic was at its weakest. Now that it's almost the end of the year, no matter how much realgar you prepare, it won't be of any use." The shopkeeper took a deep breath, seemingly satisfied with the sandalwood scent permeating the air, and squinted his eyes in enjoyment.

"What should we do then?" The doctor didn't believe in these supernatural sayings about not speaking of strange phenomena and ghosts, but he had already seen many supernatural phenomena at the Silent House. He had personally witnessed the Ring Dog and Qiongqi from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and he had been feeding the Three Bluebirds with fresh bamboo shoots bought from the supermarket!
Suddenly, the shopkeeper reached out, pulled open the doctor's clothes, and grabbed the longevity lock on his chest. This longevity lock was carved from a single piece of white jade, its texture delicate, its luster lustrous, and its appearance like solidified fat. The front was engraved with the four characters "长命百岁" (meaning "Long Life to a Hundred Years") in raised seal script, while the other side was carved with a crystal-clear white lotus flower.

Seeing the shopkeeper staring intently at the longevity lock, the doctor chuckled sheepishly, "Hehe, you'll probably laugh at me, thinking this is something a child would wear. Fortune tellers all say I'll have a major calamity when I'm twenty-four, and my family also told me not to take off this longevity lock. But it's definitely a lie. My birthday is less than two weeks away, and I'll be twenty-four almost over. What calamity could there be?"

The shop owner gripped the longevity lock tightly, causing the doctor to lean towards him. The doctor assumed the owner wanted to examine the lock closely. Although he claimed not to believe in fate, he had never removed the longevity lock, even during surgery. Therefore, he couldn't voluntarily remove it to show the owner and could only brace himself against the counter, leaning closer.

Upon getting so close, the doctor's gaze inevitably fell upon the boss.

It seemed as if he had never seen the owner so closely before. The doctor suddenly had this thought. Perhaps it was because they often met in this dark shop, where the owner's face was mostly hidden in the shadows. Even when he did see him, what attracted him most was not the owner's appearance, but the red dragon on his black Zhongshan suit.

The boss seemed quite young. The doctor professionally observed his skin and features, estimating he was probably two or three years younger than himself, which struck him as somewhat unbelievable. Perhaps it was because in those past strange events, the doctor had always seen the boss calmly solve one problem after another, making him feel very reliable. Even now, with the snake spirit coming for revenge, the doctor wasn't too concerned, subconsciously assuming the boss would definitely handle it.

The doctor's gaze followed the boss's smooth profile downwards and suddenly noticed a gruesome horizontal scar on the neck, hidden by the boss's raised collar. It looked quite old, and the doctor wanted to ask him how he got this decapitation-like scar, but then thought that asking now would be a bit off-topic. He decided to wait for another opportunity to ask.

Perhaps the boss always wears a high-necked Zhongshan suit to cover up this scar...

Lost in thought, the doctor watched as the shopkeeper rubbed the white jade longevity lock in his palm, as if pondering some difficult problem. Not daring to disturb him, the doctor stood there awkwardly until his hand, which was supporting him on the counter, began to ache. Finally, the shopkeeper released the longevity lock, pulled open the doctor's shirt collar, and carefully placed the lock close to his skin.

The doctor shivered the moment the cold jade touched his skin. Why didn't the jade, which the boss had held for so long, have any warmth at all?

The question flashed through the doctor's mind, but before he could confirm it, he heard the boss say calmly, "Actually, it's easy to avoid the White Snake's revenge. A thousand years ago, she was imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda, and Fahai put a curse on her, preventing her from harming living beings. However, the ill-fated relationship between Xu Xian and the White Snake all stemmed from that time when she borrowed an umbrella by the Broken Bridge in West Lake. So you just need to prevent her from borrowing the umbrella."

"Just that simple?" The doctor was stunned. The boss had seemed so worried earlier, but it turned out that such a simple method could prevent it? "That oil-paper umbrella is at my house. If she took it herself, does that mean I lent it to her?"

“An umbrella is for sheltering from the rain. Rain is water without roots; although it greatly benefits all things by nourishing them, when it falls on humans, it chills and penetrates the body. Therefore, an umbrella protects the body from the cold on rainy days. Snakes love dampness and were once called 'little dragons,' and rainy days are when their yin energy is at its peak. What she needs isn't necessarily that oil-paper umbrella; any umbrella in your hand will do. By lending her your umbrella, you're essentially lending her something to protect you. She can then use the rain to invade your body and devour your soul.” The shopkeeper's somber voice was low, sounding like he was telling a ghost story.

The doctor, however, felt relieved and chuckled, slapping the table as he said, "So what if I can't borrow an umbrella? I'll remember that. Sigh, it's almost time, I have to go back to my shift. We'll talk again sometime!"

The boss said to his retreating figure, "The White Snake has a strong ability to transform into human form; don't trust anyone."

The doctor didn't turn around, but simply waved his hand to indicate that he understood, and then pushed the door open and left.

The shop owner stood there lost in thought for a very long time, his expression hidden behind the rising smoke from the incense burner, so much so that even the Republic-era crystal mirror opposite him couldn't reflect his features clearly...

Although there is a possibility that the snake spirit, who has cultivated for two thousand years, might be targeting him, the doctor is currently very calm.

Because the boss said that as long as you don't lend your umbrella to strangers, it's fine! But who's going to use an umbrella in the middle of winter when it's not raining?

However, he only grumbled to himself that day. The next day, it was as if God had heard his complaints. A light drizzle, occasionally mixed with ice pellets, fell all over the place. In the blink of an eye, the rain continued. The weather forecast also said that this low pressure would last for a week.

The doctor was frustrated. Although he knew that this was normal in the southern winter, the thought that the person passing by him might be the White Snake in disguise made him feel uneasy. He couldn't stand being startled like this for long.

He also thought that he might as well not bring an umbrella at all.

But then I thought, that won't work either. What if he borrows someone else's umbrella, and that person is the White Snake Spirit in disguise? The boss didn't say the reverse wasn't true!

The world before me, which I've seen for two years and is incredibly familiar with, now feels somewhat unreal under the misty rain, as if nothing is quite real.

The doctor stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, an umbrella on the table. The thought that the white snake, which had become a spirit, might be nearby made him feel like a frog being stared at by a snake, a chill creeping down his spine.

"What are you daydreaming about? Why aren't you leaving? Didn't you bring an umbrella?" A loud voice rang out as someone slapped him from behind. The doctor turned around and saw Chun Ge, his college classmate and current colleague. The doctor couldn't help but recall a dream he had made while using a millet pillow, in which Chun Ge washed his hands and cooked for him... He shuddered in disgust!
Chun Ge saw the umbrella on the doctor's desk and chuckled, "Hey, you're lucky today! Aren't you on duty tonight? Can I borrow this umbrella?"

The doctor watched as Chun Ge naturally reached for the umbrella in his hand. Although the conversation and the unassuming gesture were all too familiar, he still shuddered when he remembered that the white snake could transform into human form. Before Chun Ge could touch it, he switched the umbrella in his left hand. "No, I switched shifts with someone else tonight. It's not worth it."

"Oh, that's great! Come on, take me to the parking lot!" Chun Ge said with a grin. He bought a car at the beginning of the month and became a car owner, so he really wanted to show it off.

The doctor's lips twitched. "You can take the elevator directly to the underground parking lot."

"There was a traffic jam when I came this morning, and the underground parking lot was full, so I parked in the square..."

Just as Chun Ge was about to vent his frustration about the city's congested roads, his pager started beeping.

Chun Ge glanced down and sighed, "Emergency surgery, looks like I won't be back for a while. I'm off!" With that, he patted the doctor on the shoulder and strode out of the building.

Watching Chun Ge's figure disappear behind the door, the doctor felt that he had really made a fuss over nothing. Whether or not it was a snake spirit was just the boss's own opinion, and maybe it was just a joke to scare him!

Just as the doctor was about to head home, he suddenly felt someone appear beside him. Upon closer inspection, he recognized her as a female doctor who had recently been assigned to their hospital for an internship. Because she was very beautiful, the doctor remembered her name: Ye Qianqian.

Ye Qianqian is as beautiful as her name suggests; she is pretty and clean-cut, just like a light-colored leaf, pleasing to the eye.

Even the doctor couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, feeling puzzled. These days, it's rare to see a woman go out without any makeup, but Ye Qianqian looked to be in her twenties, yet her skin was as good as a teenage girl's.

"Xiao Ye, you didn't bring an umbrella?" The doctor asked, seeing Ye Qianqian standing in front of the French window looking worried.

"Yeah, the weather forecast clearly said there would be no rain today, so I was lazy and didn't bring any."

Ye Qianqian's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. She looked down and saw the umbrella on the doctor's desk. Her beautiful eyes lit up. "Senior, are you on duty tonight? Can I borrow this umbrella for a bit? I'll bring it back to you when I get home. My home isn't far from here." Because she was two years younger than the doctor, Ye Qianqian called him "senior."

In the past, the doctor certainly wouldn't have put the pretty junior in a difficult position; he would have just gone home a little later himself. Just as the doctor was about to agree, the words he was about to say suddenly changed: "Your home isn't far? Then I'll take you home!"

Sharing an umbrella shouldn't be considered borrowing an umbrella, right? The doctor was pleased with his quick wit.

Ye Qianqian's lips twitched slightly, but she smiled faintly without making a sound and said, "Then thank you very much, senior."

The rain outside intensified, and the doctor opened his umbrella, walking alongside Ye Qianqian along the streets. The muffled patter of raindrops on the umbrella seemed to isolate them from the outside world, leaving only him and Ye Qianqian beside him. The doctor suddenly understood the purpose of the umbrella the shopkeeper had described; it truly was like a barrier, protecting the person beneath it.

Because of the heavy rain, the doctor lost interest in chatting with people, but still kept pace with Ye Qianqian beside him, walking at a leisurely pace.

As the doctor watched the raindrops splashing into puddles at his feet, creating crown-shaped sprays, he suddenly realized that while things have changed over the centuries, umbrellas have remained the same.

Just like the world, everything changes endlessly, yet some things remain forever unchanged. He thought of the antiques in the Silent Shop, where history had been frozen into eternity; they had remained unchanged for thousands of years, as if stubbornly waiting for something…

Sigh, if it weren't for the fact that his oil-paper umbrella was so fragile, even now, no one would think it's outdated.

Ye Qianqian's place wasn't far at all. As the doctor turned a familiar alley, he realized that if they continued walking, they would pass by the Silent House, so he couldn't help but pay attention. However, when he arrived at the Silent House, he found that there was a heavy copper lock on the wooden door.

The doctor stopped in his tracks. He remembered that even when the owner wasn't in the shop, the door to the Silent Shop was never locked, and it wasn't dark yet, nor was it time to close...

Because the doctor with the umbrella stopped, Ye Qianqian had no choice but to stop as well. Although she looked puzzled, she obediently kept quiet. The doctor was puzzled but didn't take it seriously, turning his gaze away and preparing to continue walking forward. Just then, someone suddenly walked over and blocked their way.

"Hey! It's you! Do you know where the owner of this shop went?" The man, with an umbrella in one hand and a cane in the other, had gray hair and a refined demeanor; he was none other than the museum curator.

"I don't know. I saw him at the Silent House yesterday." The doctor knew that the curator, like him, often frequented the Silent House, so the two were somewhat familiar with each other, but neither knew the other's name. He only knew that the other was the curator of the museum, and the other only knew that he was a doctor.

The curator stomped his cane on the ground and sighed, "The Silent Shop hasn't been open all day. Yesterday, I traded a Warring States period black gold alchemy cauldron for three of his antiques. I was planning to come and ask him about what I got from that cauldron today, but I found that he wasn't even open!" The curator spoke with great distress, clearly feeling that he had suffered a huge loss.

Although the doctor didn't know much about antiques, he knew that the items in the Silent Shop were priceless, and that they weren't sold arbitrarily because they were all strange and had their own reasons.

He had also witnessed curators or other wealthy individuals persistently pleading and haggling, only to find the shopkeeper unmoved by their exorbitant prices. Yet, they might turn around and sell the item to unsuspecting customers at ridiculously low prices, or even swindle and cheat people off their priceless antiques on the street. So, the fact that three antiques were being exchanged for a small tripod suggests that the tripod's origins must be quite extraordinary.

However, the doctor had no intention of getting entangled with the curator, who was short-tempered and insisted on acting like a gentleman. He chatted with him for a few minutes with a smile, then said goodbye under the pretext of taking his colleague home.

They walked in silence. After dropping Ye Qianqian off at her residence, the doctor watched her disappear into the stairwell, then turned and left, holding his umbrella.

Nothing happened; it seems he was overthinking things. Seeing that no one was around, the doctor twirled his umbrella in a good mood, watching the raindrops splash and fall around him. As if shaking off the pent-up frustration in his heart, he smiled happily.

The next day, the weather remained overcast and rainy.

The doctor stood in front of the notice board, looking for his surgery schedule for the day. Just then, Chun Ge arrived. The doctor greeted him with a smile, saying, "I heard the surgery last night was very successful. Well done!"

"That's right, with me on the job, one is worth two!" Chun Ge was very proud. Actually, last night's surgery wasn't a particularly difficult case, but it was his first time as the lead surgeon. Although it was because the chief surgeon couldn't get back in time, it was still very significant for him. After laughing twice, Chun Ge felt he should tone it down a bit and coughed lightly, saying, "Actually, it's also thanks to Ye Qianqian, who was the second assistant. Don't let her pretty face fool you, she actually knows how to use Holmes' suturing technique. You know, I only learned it last year. See, you don't believe me? Tsk, if you were there, you would definitely be stunned too."

The doctor was stunned, but not because Ye Qianqian knew any Holles suture technique.

Ye Qianqian was there during the surgery last night? That's impossible!

The doctor's gaze lingered on the notice board in front of him. The surgery schedule from last night hadn't been removed yet, and Ye Qianqian's name was prominently listed in the emergency surgery that took place at 5:30 pm.

It's all written in black and white, crystal clear. The surgery schedule wouldn't be wrong, because it involves medical liability. Chun Ge wouldn't lie... So who exactly was the woman he took home back then?

The doctor felt a chill run down his spine from the soles of his feet to the back of his head, and his hands and feet instantly became icy cold.

The doctor decided to never carry an umbrella again.

No matter how heavy the rain, he would rather get soaked to the bone and go home than bring an umbrella.

If the doctor had only half-believing the boss before, after experiencing it firsthand, he had no doubts whatsoever. He didn't even bring an umbrella; now no one could borrow one from him, right? Even a fairy couldn't do that!

After that, the doctor stopped worrying about it. It was already the end of the year, and he was busy with various surgeries, year-end summaries, and evaluations. And every day when he rushed home in the rain, he would find the door of the silent clinic still tightly locked.

Perhaps the boss went home for the holidays. The doctor thought to himself, although the boss seemed to be all alone, but no matter what kind of person he was, he must have a lover by his side.

However, I recall that the Ya She shop never closed during Christmas and New Year's Day in the past two years. Even last year during the Spring Festival, when he didn't go back to his hometown because he was working overtime, he found that the Ya She shop was still open as usual. It seems like the Ya She shop is open every day of the year.

The business has been closed for several days in a row, probably because of some urgent matter, or something urgent about antiques.

Although the doctor was worried, he knew the owner would be fine. Perhaps one day, when passing by the shop, the owner would still be wearing his Zhongshan suit embroidered with a red dragon, sitting behind the counter, leisurely reading and sipping Longjing tea. In comparison, the doctor, who was constantly busy, seemed to have a life of hard work…

On the fifth day of the Silent House's closure, the doctor, having just finished surgery, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, sipping bitter coffee to try and clear his head, while the rain continued to drizzle outside. The weather forecast said the weather would clear up tomorrow, but looking at the overcast sky, it felt like dusk at around 2 p.m.

"Birthday boy, you're treating us to dinner tonight!" Chun Ge's loud voice rang out, and everyone in the office joined in the teasing.

The doctor nodded repeatedly in agreement, knowing that these people were just looking for an excuse to relax.

"You probably don't have any tasks today, go home and change your clothes." Chun Ge patted the doctor on the shoulder and pointed to the wrinkled coat hanging on the back of his chair. "Did you lose your umbrella? I have one here, you can use it. As the birthday person, you can't dress so shabbily!"

The doctor stared blankly for a moment at the umbrella Chun Ge had shoved into his hand. The boss had said he couldn't lend three umbrellas to others, so it shouldn't be a problem if someone lent him an umbrella, right?

The doctor initially wanted to refuse, but it would be impolite to be invited to dinner and then get soaking wet, so he thanked her and slipped home to change his clothes, while also booking the venue for the gathering. It was the first restaurant on the commercial street behind the hospital, so that it would be convenient to report any emergency surgeries that might occur.

Stepping out of the restaurant, the doctor walked in the rain, holding an umbrella. It was a weekday afternoon, and with the incessant rain, the commercial street was deserted; many shops were closed. Since the doctor wasn't in a hurry, he unusually began to reminisce about his twenty-four years of life, habitually reaching out to stroke the longevity lock hanging around his neck.

It is said that this is a longevity lock left to him by his deceased mother. Although his elders told him not to take it off before the age of 24, he had already gotten used to wearing it and decided to continue wearing it even after he turned 24, because it was a keepsake left to him by his mother.

Lost in thought, the doctor strolled into the supermarket, intending to do some shopping while he had some free time. Just as he stood at the supermarket entrance and folded his umbrella, he noticed someone walking past in the rain. The bright red dragon on the black Zhongshan suit was strikingly visible.

"Boss!" The doctor waved excitedly, even happier to see his boss safe and sound than he had imagined. For someone as busy as him, his boss was his only friend in this concrete jungle, besides his colleagues.

"Why are you off work at this hour?" The boss was surprised to see the doctor. He wiped the rain off his face and unceremoniously extended his hand, saying, "Lend me your umbrella for a moment. I'm going to take care of some business up front. I'll return it to you when I get back."

Without a second thought, the doctor naturally handed over the umbrella, but in a casual glance at the boss, he noticed that the boss's neck was smooth and fair, without any gruesome wounds.

The doctor's expression immediately changed. He gripped the umbrella handle tightly and asked sternly, "Who are you?"

The question was actually somewhat redundant. The doctor felt his surroundings change instantly; thunder and lightning roared, deafeningly loud. The brightly lit supermarket behind him was gone, replaced by a gloomy, desolate wilderness. As he looked around in disbelief, he suddenly felt something strange in his hand. Looking closely, he realized that the umbrella in his hand had transformed into a bluish-white venomous snake, and the handle he had been holding was now the snake's head. Its two fangs gleamed in the lightning, poised to bite at his wrist.

The doctor reflexively released his hand, and as soon as his hand left, the venomous snake transformed back into an umbrella, which was grasped in the palm of a hand as white as jade.

An extremely beautiful woman appeared before him, dressed in white as snow, with features as exquisite and enchanting as an ink painting; it was a beauty that could not be described in words.

Looking at such a beautiful woman, the doctor's heart sank as if into an ice cellar, knowing that she was the white snake spirit. Although her expression was indifferent and calm, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed in the sky behind her, just like in the movies, making it clear that all of this was a strange phenomenon caused by the white snake spirit.

Only when the doctor felt the rain soaking him did he understand why his boss had forbidden him from borrowing an umbrella.

Without the protection of an umbrella, the rain falling from the sky felt like icy, piercing silver needles, stabbing me one by one, causing excruciating pain.

The surroundings were desolate, with nowhere to take shelter from the rain. The doctor didn't know if this was an illusion created by the White Snake, but no matter where he fled, the rain from the sky followed him relentlessly.

"Where is that umbrella? Where is the white snake umbrella?"

The white snake's voice was aggressive, but the doctor didn't understand what she meant. What umbrella? That white snake umbrella? In his house... The doctor moved his lips, wanting to speak, but found himself in too much pain to speak, too weak to even walk. He could only collapse to the ground, shielding his head with his arms, trying to minimize his exposure to the rain.

"Where's my umbrella? Where did you hide it?"

Perhaps because the white snake's cry was so piercing, the doctor couldn't help but lift his head from his arms. In his sight, the woman was gone, replaced by an enormous white snake, over ten meters long, slithering around him. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the beautiful, ethereal woman was actually this ferocious giant snake. And when he saw this terrifying white snake open its mouth to bite him, the doctor had no doubt that the snake could swallow him whole.

Is he really going to die like this?

For some reason, the doctor thought of what his elders had told him: that he would face a great calamity when he turned twenty-four. Could this be what they meant?
The doctor did not close his eyes despite the rapidly approaching, gaping maw. Closing his eyes wouldn't save him; he wanted to see how this white snake demon would devour people.

In that split second, everything in the doctor's eyes slowed down, and time seemed to stand still. He could almost see the crystal-clear raindrops in the air, and the lightning that streaked across the sky in the distance was like a crack in the sky. Against this backdrop, the terrifying snake kiss was surprisingly stunning and captivating.

Seeing this before I die should be enough, right?

Just as the doctor could smell the foul, venomous odor emanating from the snake's mouth, a person suddenly stepped in front of him, shielding him from the enormous serpent's bite. The snake seemed startled and tried to stop, but due to its sheer size, even though it changed direction in time, one of its fangs still grazed the doctor's chest and abdomen.

The doctor's glasses were covered in raindrops, but that didn't stop him from seeing a lifelike crimson dragon coiled behind the man, baring its fangs and claws.

Is this really the boss? The doctor's mind went blank for a moment. He hugged his knees and looked up in a daze.

Above his head was a huge oil-paper umbrella, which shielded him from all the biting cold rain.

"Idiot, I told you before, no one can borrow an umbrella, no matter who it is," the shopkeeper's calm voice came from above.

"I only lent it to you because I thought it was you!" the doctor thought to himself, but didn't dare to argue. Without the intensely damaging rain, he quickly recovered. Suddenly remembering that his boss had almost been bitten by the white snake, he stood up and moved to his side to examine him carefully.

"Thankfully, there's no physical injury, just a torn suit." The doctor noticed the tear in the boss's Zhongshan suit. Even if he wasn't an expert in clothing, he knew that the well-made Zhongshan suit the boss was wearing must be quite expensive. "What a pity, but don't you have many other suits? I'll replace this one for you!" The doctor thought to himself, no matter how expensive it was, his salary should be enough.

The shopkeeper, head bowed, showed a complex expression when he saw the tear in the clothes, but quickly concealed it. He calmly raised his head and said, "It's nothing, no need to pay for it. By the way, I took this white snake umbrella from your house five days ago, please don't mind."

The doctor had already recognized the white snake umbrella the shopkeeper was holding—the very umbrella that had caused all this trouble. While he was curious how the shopkeeper had gotten into his house, he also knew that if the shopkeeper hadn't kept it for him for five days, the white snake spirit would likely have taken the umbrella long ago. The doctor wasn't entirely stupid; he now understood that the white snake spirit's ultimate goal was still the umbrella, and borrowing it was probably just a trigger.

"I'll take care of this umbrella, okay?" the shopkeeper asked casually.

"We must deal with it, and while we're at it... let's get rid of that one over there too..." the doctor said sincerely, looking at the white snake flicking its tongue in the distance. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt that since the boss arrived, the white snake spirit had become much more subdued. At least, it hadn't even been striking any lightning bolts in the sky.

The boss stared intently at the white snake, then suddenly sighed and said, "Do you know? The legend of the white snake never actually explains its final ending."

"The final ending? Isn't it that the White Snake was imprisoned under Leifeng Pagoda, then the pagoda collapsed, and now she's reappeared in front of us?" The doctor didn't know why the boss suddenly brought this up, but with the boss by his side, the doctor felt that this matter could definitely be easily resolved, so he calmly chatted with him.

"That white snake has cultivated for a thousand years and can now summon wind and rain; it is a half-dragon. Once it overcomes its tribulation of love, it will transform into a dragon and ascend to heaven, becoming a dragon god to be worshipped by people."

The doctor gasped, realizing that the week-long rainy weather was entirely the work of the White Snake Demon. And the recent thunder and lightning were, of course, also the White Snake Demon's doing; otherwise, where would thunder come from in winter?

"Actually, back then, although it didn't have a dragon's form, it already had dragon bones. But Fahai's spell identified it as a snake spirit and imprisoned it under Leifeng Pagoda. When Fahai asked Xu Xian how to deal with the White Snake Spirit, do you know what Xu Xian decided?"

Although the boss's voice was flat and monotone, the doctor was terrified and didn't dare to ask any questions for a moment.

The one who spoke wasn't the boss, but the white snake opposite him.

"He skinned me and made the umbrella canopy, and removed my keel and made the umbrella ribs..."

As the white snake spoke, it transformed back into human form. Its beautiful, captivating face was filled with an intense, unyielding resentment.

"All vows of eternal love, all sweet words, vanished like smoke in the face of fear. He only thought I was a demon who ate people, but did he ever consider... that I actually loved him deeply..." the white snake murmured.

"This...could it be..."

The doctor stared in disbelief at the white snake umbrella in the boss's hand, goosebumps springing up all over his body like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

"Bai Lu, just wait one more day, and your vengeful spirit will dissipate. In your next life, you will forget your past and be reborn as a human, which is much better than wandering in this world." The boss sighed again.

It turns out this snake has a name, and it's not called Bai Suzhen, but Bai Lu. The doctor watched the graceful woman approach and couldn't help but sigh at the importance of appearance. He had just found the white snake ferocious and terrifying, but the woman before him was delicate and slender; even knowing her true form was that white snake, he couldn't muster any fear.

Why was Xu Xian so heartless back then? If he had truly loved her even a little bit, he wouldn't have said things like he wanted to skin her alive and tear her bones out...

The doctor couldn't help but think that sometimes, humans are really not as sentimental, righteous, or flesh-and-blood as those mountain spirits and monsters.

Bai Lu stopped in front of them and said firmly, "I only want the umbrella in your hand. Melt my skin, burn my bones, and my soul can wander in this world forever."

"Aren't you tired of relentlessly searching for his reincarnation, watching him suffer retribution, become impoverished, lose his family, and have his remains forgotten?" the boss asked, frowning.

Bai Lu's thin lips, red as if smeared with blood, curved slightly as she smiled and said, "The pot calling the kettle black. You and I are no different. A thousand years ago, you obeyed the will of Heaven and did not come to save me. Today, you should mind your own business."

Upon hearing this, the doctor looked at the boss in surprise. A thousand years ago?
Bai Lu glanced at the doctor out of the corner of her eye, and laughed in a way that seemed both helpless and mocking, saying, "I knew it. You'd do anything for 'him.' Give me the umbrella, don't force me to do something irreversible."

The doctor found it strange, feeling as if they weren't talking about him, but someone else entirely. This feeling made him very uncomfortable.

The shopkeeper didn't say anything more, but simply handed the umbrella to Bai Lu, then grabbed the doctor's sleeve and left without looking back.

The raindrops hitting his body were no longer icy cold, and the doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hehe, thank you very much. I'm so sorry for tearing your Crimson Dragon Robe. However, you've lingered in this world for far too long..."

Bai Lu's silvery laughter came from behind, like the clouds breaking through the sky, allowing the long-awaited sunlight to shine through the thick clouds.

The doctor couldn't help but turn around and see that, under the sunlight, the surface of the white snake umbrella in Bai Lu's hand had begun to melt, as if it were burning in the sunlight, emitting bluish-white smoke, and almost disappeared in the blink of an eye.

He knew Bailu must be in great pain, even though she was already a soul without feelings, he knew she must be heartbroken.

But she was laughing at that moment, laughing freely and happily.

Rainwater seeped through the white snake umbrella without a canopy and pattered on Bai Lu's beautiful and refined face, rolling down like her tears.

She stood in the rain, holding the white snake umbrella that was now just a rib, looking poignant and beautiful. It wasn't as if she was facing millennia of loneliness, but rather as if she were standing on the misty, rainy Broken Bridge of West Lake, waiting proudly and resolutely for her lover.

The doctor reluctantly looked away, only to find that he and his boss were already walking on the commercial street he knew so well. The sun had come out, but the rain was still drizzling. The puddles on the ground reflected the sunlight from the sky, as dazzling as if they were newly born.

"The reeds are green, the dew is white as frost. The one I long for is on the other side of the water..." From afar, the gentle and lingering song of egrets drifted over, but eventually faded into the distance.

The doctor knew she was gone, but she was still alive.

She refuses to break free, and will never break free.

The doctor suddenly stopped and looked up at the shopkeeper, who had been hurrying along with his head down, asking, "Do you know... Bai Lu?" The doctor had initially wanted to use "that snake" instead, but he realized he couldn't say it. Because, clearly, she was a woman who dared to love and hate; her name was Bai Lu.

The shopkeeper stopped, but didn't turn around. He simply said, "It was a medicinal snake that my master raised years ago."

The doctor stopped breathing; his intuition told him that his boss wasn't joking.

But how could that be? Back then? More than two thousand years ago!

The doctor quickened his pace and reached the boss, intending to look him in the eye when he spoke. But when he saw the boss's face, he was startled.

He knew his boss had very fair skin, as white as jade, but now his boss's skin was as white as snow, as if it would melt into the warmth of the sun.

Suddenly, the boss started coughing, a violent cough that seemed to rip out his internal organs.

The doctor was startled, thinking the boss had suffered internal injuries, and hurriedly grabbed his hand and headed towards the hospital: "I'll take you for a check-up."

"No need, cough... it's nothing." The boss recovered his senses, tasted the blood in his mouth, and carefully swallowed the blood that had accumulated in his throat.

The doctor frowned, not believing the boss was truly alright, especially since his palms were unusually cold, practically devoid of any body temperature. Just as he was about to insist on taking the boss to the hospital for a checkup, the doctor's eyes suddenly widened as he watched in disbelief as two dragon whiskers appeared on the boss's left shoulder. The red dragon that had been coiled behind the boss seemed to have come alive, slowly crawling up to the boss's shoulder at a speed visible to the naked eye.

As if sensing the doctor's speechless shock, the shop owner gently comforted him, "It's alright, as long as you're okay. As long as you get through today..."

Just as the doctor was about to ask why he had survived today, and what the consequences would be, he suddenly felt a lightness in his neck, followed by a crisp cracking sound.

The two looked down at the same time and saw that on the clean bluestone road, washed by the rain, a jade longevity lock was neatly broken in two.

(End of this chapter)