Chapter 3 The Secret in the Rainy Night
The late spring rain came unexpectedly. In the early evening, lead-gray clouds hung low, and heavy raindrops crashed against the blue stone pavement, splashing tiny water droplets that shrouded the whole old street in a hazy mist.
Lin Wan stood at the alley entrance under an old black umbrella, hesitating to step forward. This narrow alley was her usual way home, usually full of life, but now, washed by the rain, it felt unusually quiet. The street lamps deep inside flickered on and off, their dim light fragmented by the rain, casting mottled, shaking shadows that carried an inexplicable sense of eeriness.
She tightened her grip on the umbrella handle, her knuckles turning slightly white. Ever since she found the yellowed old diary in the old house's attic three days ago and caught sight of that strange, thin man in a long plain shirt, unease had grown inside her like wild vines. The man had vanished too strangely; there was no trace left in the attic except scattered old items, as if it had all been a hallucination from exhaustion. Yet the fragmented words in the diary reminded her that everything was real.
The diary belonged to her grandmother, filled with a past she had never known. It mentioned a secret deep within the old house and someone deliberately hidden. The last page was scribbled messily, with only the words: "He's back. Be careful." The writing stopped abruptly, as if interrupted suddenly, revealing unmistakable panic.
The rain fell harder. Wind brought moisture into her collar, and Lin Wan shivered. Gritting her teeth, she walked into the alley. Her high heels clicked on the slippery stones, the sound sharp and clear in the silent alley. She quickened her pace, eager to get home as soon as possible. But halfway down the alley, soft footsteps sounded behind her—slow, steady, keeping a short distance behind her.
Lin Wan's heart leaped into her throat. She dared not turn back, pretending to walk calmly while listening closely over the rain. The steps were light but firm, each one seeming to tread on her heart, making her breath quicken. She instinctively touched her pocket, where her grandmother's old jade pendant lay. Its cold touch calmed her slightly.
She suddenly broke into a run, but the footsteps behind her also sped up, keeping the same distance, like a cat toying with a mouse, full of deliberate testing. Just as she neared the alley exit, the footsteps stopped. Then a deep, hoarse male voice came through the rain: "Miss Lin, wait a moment."
Lin Wan froze stiff, her feet stopping abruptly. Cold sweat dampened her back. Slowly she turned, lowering the umbrella slightly, revealing only her wary eyes as she looked at the man behind her.
In the mist, the man stood under the streetlamp, slim and upright, wearing a dark windbreaker. Rain wet his hair, a few strands sticking to his forehead, partially covering his eyes. Yet his eyes were unusually bright, carrying complex emotions under the dim light—curiosity, concern, and a hint of tenderness she could not understand.
It was the man she had seen in the attic.
Lin Wan stepped back instinctively, gripping her umbrella tightly, her voice trembling faintly: "Who are you? Why are you following me?"
The man did not approach, standing still, his gaze fixed on her, calm yet sincere: "I mean no harm. I just want to warn you—don't go to the old house's attic again. It's dangerous there."
"Dangerous?" Lin Wan's heart jolted. Thinking of the diary, she pressed on: "What do you know? Is the person in my grandmother's diary you? What exactly is the secret of the old house?"
At the word "grandmother", the man's eyes dimmed slightly. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly: "Some things cannot be told to you now. You will know when the time comes. I only hope you can protect yourself and not touch things you shouldn't."
His words were ambiguous, deepening Lin Wan's confusion. Before she could ask further, the man turned and walked into the rain, his figure quickly disappearing into the dark end of the alley, leaving only the pouring rain and her full of doubts.
Lin Wan stood there, staring at where he had vanished, motionless for a long time. Rain soaked her dress, cold to the bone, but she did not notice. His words and her grandmother's diary echoed repeatedly in her mind.
She faintly sensed that her grandmother's death, the secret of the old house, and this mysterious man… were all tangled together in an invisible web.