Rose Hotel 7

Recalling the hexagram she had seen on Su Yuye’s neck, Su Man changed course and headed toward that room.

The door was not even shut, merely left ajar. The closer she got, the louder the commotion became. Peering through the gap, Su Man saw Su Yuye, as well as the elderly woman from the front desk.

But the woman was a far cry from the gentle, kind-hearted figure Su Man had in mind. She was clutching Su Yuye’s throat with frantic, manic intensity, muttering under her breath, "Yuye, dear, Mother loves you too. Don’t worry, Mother would never hurt you. You just need to help Mother a little bit. I just miss her so much. Yuye, you must miss her too, don’t you? She is your sister, after all."

Su Man noticed a hexagram on the woman’s arm flickering rapidly, as if it had established some kind of connection with the one on Su Yuye’s neck.

Su Man did not rush in to intervene. Beyond the uncertainty of what might happen if she barged in, there was another crucial reason: she saw that Su Yuye, aside from struggling slightly in pain, showed no real desire to resist. She suddenly recalled the words Su Yuye had spoken to her on the balcony, asking if her choice to return was truly the right one.

She was distracted for a moment, and when she refocused, she realized Su Yuye had turned her face toward her. Clearly, she had noticed her presence.

Su Man paused, then mouthed silently, "If you need help, tell me."

But Su Yuye merely gave her a strained, unsightly smile. Then, in a hoarse voice, she spoke with difficulty to the frantic old woman: "Mother, if this is your wish, I will fulfill it for you. Consider it repayment for all these years of raising me."

Though her voice was faint, Su Man heard every word clearly. It was evident that these words were meant not only for the old woman but for her as well. Once again, she had rejected her offer of help.

Because Su Yuye offered no resistance, it wasn't long before she went still.

The old woman slumped to the floor, gasping for air, weeping and laughing at once. "Yuye, I’m sorry. Yuye, Mother won’t let you die..."

The old woman spoke many words of repentance and madness. Su Man did not actually witness what happened afterward, as the woman, having calmed down, noticed the door was ajar and got up to close it. Su Man left before she could be discovered.

Yet, even without seeing the rest, Su Man had a fairly clear answer in her heart. She returned to her room and took out the letters between Kang Fu and Lin Hui that she had read earlier that day. Every letter Lin Hui had sent to Kang Fu featured a hexagram as its background pattern.

The next morning, when Su Man went downstairs, the inn seemed unchanged, as if nothing had ever happened. The old woman was busy as usual, though with one difference: she would occasionally glance at "Su Yuye," who was tidying up the tables and chairs, her gaze filled with tenderness. Had Su Man not witnessed the entire ordeal the night before, she would have assumed nothing had occurred at all.

"Oh, young lady, you’re up! I’ve made breakfast and was just about to eat with my daughter. Why don’t you join us?" The woman was as warm and hospitable as ever.

Su Man did not refuse, and the three of them sat at the same table. The old woman enthusiastically piled food onto Su Man’s plate, smiling as she asked, "Did you talk to my daughter yesterday?"

At this question, the "Su Yuye" sitting opposite her looked up.

Su Man shook her head. "No."

Both the old woman and Su Yuye wore relieved, genuine smiles.

"Then you don’t know my daughter’s name yet. You two are about the same age; you should be friends."

Su Man looked up at the bashful "Su Yuye" and nodded.

The old woman’s smile widened. "Then you and Huihui are friends now. Our Huihui is unemployed and staying at home; having a good friend like you will surely cheer her up."

*Huihui.*

Su Man chewed on the name, nodding with a calm, practiced smile. "What a lovely name."

"Yes, our Huihui has been intelligent since birth, which is why I named her Huihui."

Su Man nodded but didn't say anything further, her interest seemingly waning. The old woman, however, was dedicated to drawing them closer. She nudged the shy Huihui, who kept smoothing her hair, and said, "Say something, Huihui. This young lady is such a kind person."

A look of struggle flashed across Huihui’s face. She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come out. She looked at her mother in agitation. The old woman encouraged her, "It’s all right, go ahead. You can speak."

Encouraged by this, Huihui spoke with great effort: "Hel...lo, I... am, Huihui."

She stuttered, but it was visibly apparent that a glimmer of delight flashed in her eyes. Su Man lowered her gaze. If she had been skeptical before, she was now certain: the current Su Yuye was Lin Hui.

And Lin Hui—Su Man looked at the old woman, who was so happy she was almost in tears—Lin Hui was the woman’s daughter.

This cast doubt on the truth of the story she had heard from the old woman earlier. Watching the mother and daughter who were on the verge of embracing in their excitement, Su Man suddenly felt it was a pity for Su Yuye. Did she truly believe this choice was the right one?

Pushing aside her emotions, Su Man continued eating and remarked, as if in passing, "Huihui is a lovely name, though I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before. Ah, right, that news report—the one about Lin Hui, the woman who was tormented by love. Her name is just like yours."

The smiles on the faces of the old woman and Lin Hui stiffened instantly. The old woman awkwardly tried to cover it up. "It’s not just similar; our Huihui has the same name, Lin Hui. But our Huihui is much more fortunate than that woman."

"Indeed," Su Man smiled, her words double-edged. "Huihui has a mother who loves her."

Whether the old woman associated this with Su Yuye, her smile turned somewhat strained. Lin Hui looked at her mother, then at Su Man, and asked, "Do you... not like me?"

Su Man smiled. "No, I’m just a very blunt person."

Lin Hui, perhaps with some hidden agenda, or perhaps simply wanting to get closer to Su Man, said, "I know of a place nearby that is absolutely beautiful. Do you have time? Why don't we go take a look?"

Su Man wanted to know what Lin Hui was up to, so she readily agreed. Once they were outside, Lin Hui led her in a specific direction with clear intent. The excitement on her face didn't seem feigned; she truly seemed to want to go sightseeing.

And when they reached their destination, Su Man couldn't say if she was surprised or otherwise. In fact, it was the only place it could have been.