Chapter 5: A Familiar Guest in the Carefree Den

“Never heard of it. Is your surname Jiang? Is Qiliang far from here?”

Su Mu, completely guileless, had no idea that in this situation, even the slightest hesitation or ambiguity in his answer could mean he'd have to live his thirteen years over again in another lifetime.

The woman surnamed Jiang saw the clarity in Su Mu’s eyes and the ease in his reply, and her heart was already eight-tenths convinced of his sincerity. She thought, how could it be such a coincidence—sending this foolish boy to deliberately approach her?

“My surname is Jiang, my given name is Yingying. Qiliang is quite a distance from here. Little ghost, if you want to chat with me, couldn’t you find a place sheltered from the wind? It’s so gusty here, I’ll freeze to death. Get me something warm to wear, and—”

Jiang Yingying paused and said seriously, “Also, keep an eye out for any unusual people who might come around here. They tend to wear black robes.”

Su Mu was taken aback; it sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recall exactly. For now, he thought it best to settle Jiang Yingying comfortably.

“The Carefree Den isn’t far from here. Follow me.”

“Carefree Den? What kind of place is that?” Jiang Yingying asked, puzzled.

Su Mu wore a mysterious smile. “Carefree Den is just Carefree Den. You’ll see. It’s a good place.”

Jiang Yingying snorted coldly, “I’m not fit to be seen by others. I have a strange affliction: whenever someone sees me, they’re terrified and call me ugly. If I hear someone call me ugly, I have to kill them. If I get carried away, I might even snatch your little life, so your Carefree Den had better not be some shady place, and you’d best hope we don’t run into anyone.”

As she spoke, she drew a dagger and stabbed it into the ground a few times.

Su Mu felt somewhat dissatisfied—why did she always talk about killing people? What good did it do her? The first time they met, she’d threatened to kill and eat him, never considering that if she’d killed him yesterday, who would be rescuing her now?

As a child, Su Mu had seen death. Though he felt fear, it wasn’t as intense as most. Death was a mysterious feeling he couldn’t quite describe; he only knew that once someone died, they’d never wake again, couldn’t speak or eat, and most importantly, would never see their loved ones again. So he feared death, and he couldn’t stand seeing others die.

“Don’t say such frightening things. Rest assured, Carefree Den is far from town and there’s hardly anyone around. If we do meet someone, I’ll chase them off right away. Please, don’t kill anyone.”

Jiang Yingying laughed, “That’s best. As long as you behave, I won’t kill anyone.” As she spoke, she secretly laughed at her luck—how did she end up with such a foolish boy?

Su Mu was finally satisfied and smiled, “Then come quickly. It’s not too far, but it’ll take about fifteen minutes to walk.”

Jiang Yingying snapped, “Do I look like someone who can walk briskly?”

Su Mu stuck out his tongue and dared not reply. He gathered some dead wood and vines to make a frame, and Jiang Yingying managed to turn over and lie down. Su Mu struggled to pull her along, muttering as he walked, “Why do you look so light and frail, but you’re so heavy to drag?”

Jiang Yingying retorted, “How rude! You weak little brat—on an ordinary day, three or five like you, I could drag away with one hand!”

Su Mu didn’t believe her, thinking she was just too proud to admit weakness and boasting for no reason.

Along the way, Jiang Yingying watched Su Mu cheerfully pulling her, humming a little tune, and her heart gradually settled. Though she grumbled inwardly about the foolish boy, she found herself liking him a bit more. Still, she kept her eyes scanning around, wary of encountering others.

Suddenly Jiang Yingying asked, “Foolish boy, why are you helping me? Are you hoping for money from me?”

Su Mu didn’t even look back, replying offhandedly, “My family isn’t short on money. I’m helping you simply because I want to. An Rui once said, if you see a girl being bullied, wronged, or hurt, you must give her a hand.”

Jiang Yingying thought, there’s that An Rui again. This boy really listens to her; that woman is no ordinary person. She replied coldly:

“You want to rescue me, that’s your business. I never asked for help. I have nothing, and don’t expect me to repay you.”

“It’s fine, I’m willing. When you’re healed, you can leave whenever you want. I won’t ask anything in return.”

After about a quarter hour of dragging Jiang Yingying, Su Mu led her through a grove of trees toward a low hill, stopping beside a large pit halfway up. He peered down, then gestured to Jiang Yingying, indicating this was their destination.

“What kind of Carefree Den is this? What’s at the bottom of that pit?” Jiang Yingying asked, surprised and suspicious—was this boy planning to push her in?

Su Mu chuckled and didn’t answer, dragging Jiang Yingying around the pit for several dozen steps to a smaller cave entrance. Through the opening, a sloped passage could be seen, its walls showing signs of being smoothed out. Jiang Yingying thought to herself, this seems to lead toward that pit; who knows what’s down there.

“We go down here; that spot just now was inaccessible.” Su Mu sat down to catch his breath, his face showing excitement.

He dragged Jiang Yingying’s frame to the cave entrance. The passage inside was wide enough for an adult to stoop and walk, sloping downward. Su Mu measured the width and pulled the frame in.

Once inside, the light dimmed and a brisk wind blew from the cave. Jiang Yingying felt nervous but forced herself to remain calm. Luckily, the tunnel wasn’t long, and soon the light ahead grew brighter—they had emerged.

Su Mu stretched lazily and turned, saying, “We’ve arrived at the Carefree Den. It’s beautiful here.”

They were now beneath the pit. At its center lay a pool of deep blue water, about ten meters across, with a few fallen leaves floating on its shimmering surface. The water was crystal clear, bathed in sunlight. They stood at the pool’s edge.

From above, the pit seemed small, but underneath, it was a hidden world. Around the lake were several rock caves and some hanging stalactites. Though underground, the air was surprisingly warm.

Jiang Yingying clicked her tongue in wonder. She spotted some wooden knives and swords, empty food boxes, and glimpsed a wooden bed and table in a nearby cave. Although crude, the bed had a blanket and pillow. She propped herself up and said to Su Mu,

“What kind of name is Carefree Den? It’s awful. Did you make all these things? Such a child’s place.”

Despite her words, Jiang Yingying was actually satisfied. Setting aside the child-made furniture, the environment was superb and well hidden.

“I brought the bedding from home. The Carefree Bed inside is handmade by me. You’ll rest on it soon.”

“It’s peaceful here. Does anyone else know about it besides you?”

“An Rui knows,” Su Mu replied honestly.

“Hmph, who’s An Rui? This place might not be safe—find another.”

Su Mu waved his hands in protest, saying seriously, “Don’t worry. An Rui only came twice. She said it’s too quiet here, that only monks who sit all day would like it.”

In truth, Su Mu was very fond of this place. He liked tranquility; whenever he was bullied badly, he’d come here alone. Gazing at the clear water and the wide sky overhead, he felt utterly safe, and all his troubles and grievances would melt away.

Hearing this, Jiang Yingying asked suspiciously, “Who is this An Rui to you? Your sweetheart?”

Su Mu’s face flushed, shaking his head and hands,

“No, no, no, An Rui is my friend. We’re not, um, that. She’s the only one who’s willing to play with me, takes care of me, treats me well, so I treat her well too.”

Jiang Yingying scoffed, “I don’t care if she’s your sweetheart or not. Can you guarantee she won’t come? Let me tell you, if she does, I’ll kill her.”

Su Mu grew angry, his face stern, “I won’t let you bully An Rui. If you say that again, I’ll throw you in the water. Even if you cut me with a knife, or bite me, I’m not afraid. If you want to kill her, you’ll have to kill me first.”

Jiang Yingying laughed in exasperation, “If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead within half a meter—not even aware of it! There are countless people in the world who could end your life without you knowing. Your pathetic resistance means nothing! If I hadn’t lost all my strength yesterday, the riverbank would have been your grave.”

Su Mu didn’t understand what she meant by strength, only thinking she was unreasonable. He shouted, “I promised my mother never to stand up and rescue people again, but I still saved you. Now you want to kill An Rui, and me too—I’ll fight you!”

He made to charge forward, and Jiang Yingying, seeing he was genuinely angry, hastily called out, “Alright, I won’t kill your sweetheart. Stop right there!”

Su Mu stopped, eyes red, and asked, “Really? Then don’t say those awful things again. If you don’t, I’ll treat your illness and give you steamed buns.”

He remembered something else and emphasized, “And don’t tell my mother about this place.”

Jiang Yingying rolled her eyes, thinking she had no time for his nonsense.

“Help me inside to lie down. Bring some food when you return, and a warm coat. I might need to recover here for a few days.”

She especially stressed the word “food.”

Su Mu didn’t really understand, nor did he care. He agreed and dragged Jiang Yingying into the Carefree Den.

After settling her in, he told her he’d return in the afternoon. Before he left, Jiang Yingying reminded him,

“Keep an eye out for any trouble in town, or any unusual people. If you notice anything, let me know immediately.”

Su Mu promised and retraced his steps to the surface. Suddenly, he remembered he’d promised to meet An Rui and feared he was already late. He hurried toward the riverbank, hoping An Rui had been delayed, or that he could say something to calm her anger. As for deceiving her, he didn’t dare even consider it.