15 Explore The Unknown

"Didn't you say you don't have any money?" asked Liu Xinyu. "You should keep this for yourself. I am already taking advantage of you."

Yi Qin waved his hand offhandedly, "Don't worry about that. I still have ways to get money."

"What ways?" she asked curiously.

"Being the youngest in the family has its perks," he replied proudly. "Usually, I am not in such desperate situations. It's just that lately, nothing has been going my way. First, I ended up in an accident and my Grandpa confiscated my car. Then I got into a fight and Dad cut off my pocket money to teach me a lesson for my impulsiveness. Just last week, I lost something important and Mom got mad at me. So, she also took away my motorbike. My brother wants me to come and work at the company with him but since I have been avoiding that, he isn't helping too. But I still have ways. I can just call my Grandma and she'll send me money. Haha! I'm so smart."

"Are you sure, it's a smart move to share your family dynamic with a stranger?" asked Liu Xinyu as she felt like he needed to learn to be wary of strangers more than she. He was too defenseless and it was giving her anxiety. 

Yi Qin shrugged carelessly as he didn't think he shared too much. It's not like she knew where he lived or what status his family held in the society. He was just sharing very unimportant things. And maybe because he was too frustrated because of everything going against him that he wanted to share it with someone and she just happened to be here.

He stood up and went to the bedroom, he changed the bedsheets and cleaned up the room for her. Outside, Liu Xinyu looked at the barely decorated house but her mind was thinking about what she just learned. Her father not only had grandparents, and parents but also an elder brother. He wasn't the lonely soul he always claimed to be in front of her.

What else are you hiding?

She really wished to know what else her parents had lied about. Could she keep lying to herself that this was just an alternate reality where the past of her parents was different? Because it would be less hurtful that way. 

"This place is too empty and dirty too."

Liu Xinyu's train of thought was broken when that voice rang in her ears. She looked up abruptly to find Yiyi walking around the sitting area with a critical look on her face. Liu Xinyu was truly shocked to find her there. Even more than when she first realized that she could see a ghost.

She looked towards the bedroom and saw the closed door, she turned to Yiyi and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing here? No. How did you get here? Did you follow me? How?"

Yiyi stopped analyzing the house and looked at Liu Xinyu. With a lopsided grin that gave off an evil air, she replied, "I don't feel like answering that. But the only thing I can tell you is that you are stuck with me."

Liu Xinyu gritted her teeth and raised her hand to ruffle her hair and ruined her own properly and neatly tied hair. But she didn't care about that as she was more concerned about this ghost whom she wasn't able to get rid of.

"Sorry, this place is a bit dirty," said Yi Qin. "I don't usually live here. I rarely even come here so it's been neglected." He pointed towards the bedroom and said, "I changed the bed sheets and cleaned the room for you. That other bedroom is more like a storeroom with random things placed there. You can clean it up if you want to use it. There isn't much of a furniture here since I spent all my secret stash on paying the downpayment. I never got the chance to properly decorate this place."

"This is good enough," was Liu Xinyu's answer. "I'll take good care of this place. And I'll also pay you the rent on time."

Yi Qin didn't argue with her about the rent because he could tell she wouldn't have it any other way. She seemed to have her own principles. Anyway, it didn't matter much to him. Neither did he look forward to that rent nor would he reject it. As long as he knew that she was safe in this unfamiliar city, he could at least put his conscience to rest.

He sat down on the other wooden sofa in the sitting area and faced her, "You can think about the rent after you recover. The body is the capital. You can't overlook your health just because you don't want to owe me anything. So, first, get well soon, and then you can think about other things. I'll try to find time to come and see you whenever I have time. If you need any help, just let me know."

"I will," she replied.

Yi Qin felt like rubbing her head when he saw her obedient expression but had to restrain this thought. How could he think about touching a girl's head? That was such an intimate gesture. He must be losing his mind now.

"I should go now," said Yi Qin as he looked at the time. "We have a family dinner tonight and if I am absent, I'll be in trouble."

Seeing him leaving, Liu Xinyu contemplated before calling him, "Wait!"

"Huh? What is it?" he turned his head to look at her inquisitively.

"Do you know anyone named Liu Xing?" asked Liu Xinyu with a bit of anticipation in her eyes. She was also feeling fearful but also a bit hopeful, waiting for his answer.

Yi Qin thought long and hard before shaking his head, "No, I don't. The only Xing I know is Nan Xing; the devil reincarnate!"

Liu Xinyu held on to that name as she probed, "Nan Xing? Who is that?"

"Nan Xing?" repeated Yi Qin. "She is the devil I hate the most in this world. Why are you curious about her? Don't ask anymore. Just the thought of her sends shivers down my spine."

His expression didn't look fake, if anything it was too real. He really had something against the person named Nan Xing and there was a high possibility that was her mother.

As he departed, Liu Xinyu sat in a daze for a long while, lost in her thoughts. Yiyi, noticing her distant expression, inquired, "I thought you seemed more composed today. What's with the sudden change in demeanor?"

Liu Xinyu met Yiyi's gaze and posed a question of her own, "Do you believe it's possible to simultaneously love and hate the same person?"

Yiyi nodded thoughtfully, "There is a very fine line between love and hate. Oftentimes, we tend you blur it to the point that it's hard to tell if you love that person more or hate that person more. Distinguishing between the two becomes a real challenge. A loving heart knows how to hate but so does hate knows how to be consumed by love. You can never be clear between the two."

"I have an inkling that the Nan Xing he spoke to is my mother, Liu Xing," Liu Xinyu shared her thoughts with Yiyi without hiding anything. She felt like there was nothing to hide between them. If she was really stuck with this ghost, it meant she was the only one she could really talk to and maybe even depend on in this unfamiliar place and unfamiliar time. One of them belonged to the land of the dead and the other belonged to the land of the living, which was contradictory but it didn't mean they couldn't be talking buddies.

"Considering that your father's surname also changed, it is highly likely that your mother's did too. So, the future Liu Qin and Liu Xing are actually Yi Qin and Nan Xing of the past," was Yiyi's evaluation.

"In my memory, my father has never frowned at my mother. So, it's a little odd seeing that expression of fear on his face."

"So, you did notice," said Yiyi. "Your father doesn't actually hate the person named Nan Xing, he seems to fear her. The question is, why? Don't you wanna find out? Even I as a bystander am very interested in knowing the inside details of their relationship."

Liu Xinyu tapped the wooden armrest of the sofa before she said, "Since I'm just a tourist, I should really explore the unknown hidden in this past."

"What's the plan?"

"First, we need to earn money," said Liu Xinyu as she looked at the envelope filled with banknotes that Yi Qin left for her.