Zhan winced in discomfort as pain radiated from his hip. As he surveyed his surroundings, it was dark except for a small ray of light coming from the room that slipped through the small openings of the bookshelves.
"W-where am I?" he asked himself nervously.
He didn't move from his perch for a while. He trains his eyes in the dark.
After a few moments, he realized the bookshelves were behind him. So, he just turned around and was in a secret tunnel. Amazed, he slowly stood up. Still, he didn't want to move from where he was. When he saw the narrow stairs down.
"Oh!" Zhan exclaimed. The staircase was only one step from where he was standing. If he had walked further, he might have fallen down.
If he followed the dictates of his mind, he should find a way to get back inside Yibo's room. Though not that easy, he could easily shout for help, if he couldn't find his way back to Yibo's room. But he was sure that not everyone knew about that secret tunnel.
And the other part of his mind dictated to find out where the narrow stairs in front of him lead.
Curiosity prevailed. Slowly... carefully, he stepped towards the stairs. Not wanting to trip, he holds the wall to support himself going down the dark stairs. When he felt himself descend to a landing. Zhan paused for a moment.
"There must be a lamp switch somewhere. This staircase can't be without a light. Yibo must have known this secret place." Zhan was talking to himself loudly.
He carefully explored the wall with his hands for a moment until he found a light switch. When he flipped it, the entire area was illuminated. He looked up where he came from, noting that he had descended seven steps from the top, followed by an additional five steps to the right upon reaching the bottom.
He advanced to the spot where the stairs were located. From the landing, he could see the bottom, which opened into a small room with adobe walls, which gleamed due to its varnished finish. He also saw the small window on the side. While some light filtered through, it was insufficient to brighten the entire room, as it was concealed by the surrounding plants.
In the corner is an air conditioner. Indoor type, not window type. Alongside it, an antique bench serves a dual purpose, functioning as a bed thanks to the rug draped over it. Several throw pillows are arranged on the bench.
Adjacent to the area stands an antique table accompanied by a study lamp. Fascinated and intrigued, Zhan proceeded down the last five steps and approached the table. He took a seat behind it, noticing the papers laid out on the table. The crystal penholders contained a variety of pens and ballpoints.
"This room must be in constant use," he said.
He pulled open the drawer of the table situated before him, only to close it once more upon discovering it contained merely a few sheets of paper. He then proceeded to open the larger side drawer, and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of an antique jewelry box. Beside it was an old black book, its edges showing signs of age.
He wanted to open the jewelry box but his curiosity for the old book won over. He picked it up, set it on the table, and proceeded to open it. "Lan Xie Yun..." He shut his eyes and let out a soft groan, realizing it was indeed Xie Yun's diary. With trembling hands and a heart brimming with anticipation, Zhan began to turn the pages.
"Luoyang, July 1948..." he started reading. "It has been more than a month since I departed from Beijing..."
The excitement and nervousness in Zhan's chest intensified. Lan Xie Yun started the diary after he left Beijing. He continued reading.
...it has been over a month since San and I parted ways, and I find myself at a loss for how to ease the ache within my heart. I do not blame San for his choice to be with Wangyin. Had he chosen me, we would have had to endure the disgrace it would have caused to both his family and Wangyin's. From Tang San, I learned the importance and honor of the word... Time does not heal anything. I may come to forget my first love, yet I remain uncertain about how that will happen. And when I don't know...
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