“I have a very strong intuition about many things in the fight. When I looked at the building she painted, I felt something was off at first glance. Its shape was strange and uncomfortable, exuding an eerie vibe,” the old woman said. “I thought she had gone a bit mad with the project, so I had a serious talk with her. During our conversation, I felt something was very wrong with her; her entire demeanor was quite abnormal. This feeling is hard to describe. She was both anxious and not particularly focused. Later, when I analyzed her behavior and shared it with others, a friend summarized it in a way that resonated with me: ‘It seems like there’s another person hiding in her room that she doesn’t want me to discover.’” The old woman took a sip of tea.

This description was very strange. When we describe an odd state, we usually use terms like tense, anxious, or unfocused, but this description was very specific.

“Could it be that she was hiding her boyfriend in her room?” I couldn’t help but say. At that time, Mrs. Huo was still the mother of a teenage girl and, like all mothers, was very concerned about her daughter’s various changes. I could understand her state of mind.

“Our courtyard is not a place where just anyone can come and go. If she were hiding someone in her room, we would definitely find out. Moreover, I had gone in several times when she left; I knew too well whether there was someone inside or not. I was very worried, so I sent someone to follow her, wanting to know what had caused this change. But after she left home that time, she never came back, not even until now.”

“She went missing?”

The old lady sighed deeply and nodded, continuing, “To find her, I started my own investigation. I checked through the archaeological project at Zhang’s Building from that year, but as soon as I started, I found that the project was very obscure, unlike typical archaeological activities. Even with my connections, I couldn’t smoothly obtain the materials. It was as if my daughter had never existed in this world; suddenly, there was no trace of her at all. I spent countless efforts but gained nothing. We have no idea what happened after they went to Guangxi back then.” She paused, “Over the years, I have been collecting everything related to this project. These blueprints are ones I gathered one by one from the market. This is the seventh one, and it has been over twenty years. I just hope that in my lifetime, I can find this building through these blueprints and see what really happened.”

Seeing her expression, I immediately thought of the look my uncle had when he talked about Wenjin. My premonition grew stronger, and I felt that things suddenly became chaotic, but it wasn’t a muddled chaos; it was the kind of overwhelming sensation where everything suddenly connected.

“When it comes to sadness, I’ve actually gotten used to it. I just want an answer before this old body of mine returns to the earth. Whether she is dead or whatever has happened to her, I just want to know the outcome. Otherwise, I will surely not be able to close my eyes,” she said. “So, this isn’t about money or anything like that, kid, do you understand?”

I nodded instinctively, and she gestured for me to leave: “You can take your friend and go. As your grandfather’s friend, let me give you a piece of advice: it’s best for you to leave the country for a while. Also, please keep your word and have someone send your style Lei over.”

I nodded, but I really didn’t want to leave. I suddenly realized I had more questions that needed answers, and of course, I needed to verify my thoughts first. So I asked, “Grandma, is the place where they discovered that building in Ba Nai, Guangxi?”

The old lady looked at me, and her expression changed: “Have you heard of that project?”

“In fact, I just returned from Guangxi,” I replied. “While I was there, I encountered some strange things involving an archaeological team and a peculiar building.”