The Company

Chapter 11: Dumb Shop · White Snake Umbrella

"Hello, your package." A rhythmic knocking came from outside the door.

The Doctor opened the door, took the package with practiced ease, signed for it, and closed the door.

It was a long, narrow package. The Doctor tried to recall if he had ordered anything online recently but drew a blank. Just as he was puzzling over it, he noticed the sender's address on the package slip was his hometown.

The Doctor remembered his aunt calling a few days ago, saying she had found one of his grandfather's belongings while cleaning the house and would mail it to him. Eagerly, he tore open the packaging to reveal an old oil-paper umbrella inside.

The umbrella looked ancient. The oil-yellow canopy had turned nearly black, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch, and it emitted an unpleasant musty odor. The ribs were made of some unknown material, white as jade, creating an indescribable dissonance against the yellowed canopy.

The Doctor recalled his grandfather keeping this oil-paper umbrella hidden in a large camphorwood chest. His grandfather had been very careful, never allowing him to play with it freely. But the more forbidden it was, the more he wanted to sneak a look. His aunt probably thought he liked the umbrella, which was why she sent it.

Truthfully, he didn't really want this umbrella.

The Doctor scratched his head in frustration. His room was already messy enough, and this umbrella would probably fall apart if opened—completely useless.

Should he just throw it away?

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he dismissed it. The umbrella looked like an antique. He should take it to the Dumb Shop someday and let the Boss have a look.

He carefully covered the oil-paper umbrella with a plastic bag, placed it on top of the wardrobe, and promptly forgot about it.

Outside, a drizzling rain began to fall. Through the window, a slender shadow seemed to flicker briefly before vanishing into the wind and rain, so quickly it might have been an illusion...

"Boss, I brought you some Wuxi specialties." The Doctor pushed a bag across the counter, smiling as he looked at the Boss behind it.

"Thanks." The Boss glanced up indifferently, taking out the specialties and opening them immediately.

The Doctor didn't stand on ceremony either, picking up a piece of pastry and eating it while complaining, "Why does the hospital have to organize an annual trip? We're so busy, can't go anywhere far, just squeezed in a trip to Wuxi. What's so great about Jinshan Temple? Oh, and get this—some old monk stared at me for ages and handed me a packet of realgar!"

The Boss paused at this. "What happened to that realgar?"

"Tossed it, of course! Damn, he thought I was Xu Xian or something!" The Doctor brushed pastry crumbs from his hands and scoffed.

The Boss glanced at the Longevity Lock faintly visible beneath his collar and said calmly, "If I remember correctly, your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it? Turning twenty-five?"

The Doctor immediately perked up. "Yeah, yeah, just a few days left. Heh, I'm the youngest doctor at our hospital! I skipped several grades in school, started three years earlier than my peers. I'm a genius, you know! What, gonna give me a birthday gift? Well... I'll have to think about whether I want anything from you first..."

"The timing matches up after all..." the Boss murmured to himself, then asked, "Have you received anything strange lately?""Strange things? Isn't receiving realgar out of the blue strange enough?" The Doctor pushed up his glasses, sounding rather indignant.

"Before that, I mean," the Boss stroked the purple clay tea pet in his palm, pondering for a moment before saying, "For example... an umbrella..."

"An umbrella?" The Doctor was taken aback. "Hey, now that you mention it, there was indeed an umbrella delivered to my house. Someone from my hometown sent it... Are you saying there's something wrong with that umbrella? It's a very old oil-paper umbrella. I thought it looked quite antique and meant to bring it for you to see when I had time, but with the year-end rush, I completely forgot about it."

The Boss narrowed his eyes, looking at the Doctor with a hint of sympathy. "Have you heard of The Legend of the White Snake?"

"Of course I have. Though it's a beautiful story, it's still fictional. Realgar? Xu Xian? Are you saying... that umbrella is the legendary White Snake Umbrella? That's ridiculous!" The Doctor scoffed dismissively.

"Do you believe in myths or legends?" the Boss asked calmly.

Though the Doctor wanted to say he did—after all, he had witnessed many bizarre things in the Dumb Shop—he shook his head and said, "Of course not. Everything must have scientific evidence. It's about logic, not imagination. My job isn't something I can perform based on imagination." All the strange occurrences were confined to the Dumb Shop; his life remained perfectly normal.

"Oh? Then do you love your job?" the Boss raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I do," the Doctor answered without hesitation.

"Then show me concrete evidence."

"..."

"Just because there's no evidence doesn't mean it's fictional! Love, hope, faith—these all exist." A profound smile played on the Boss's lips. "Legends exist too."

The Doctor was left speechless.

"Besides, there is evidence for The Legend of the White Snake. The White Snake Umbrella in your house is the proof. Back then, it was likely this very oil-paper umbrella that Xu Xian lent by the Broken Bridge of West Lake, which led to his fateful encounter with Lady White Snake. Who would have thought it would end up in your hands now?" the Boss explained slowly, finally shaking his head at the Doctor with a pitying gaze.

The Doctor felt a chill under that stare. "Why are you looking at me like I'm some tragic figure? What's so bad about the White Snake Umbrella? Maybe a beautiful snake spirit will come and be my girlfriend!"

The Boss looked at him sympathetically. "If it were a good thing, why would that monk give you realgar for no reason? He gave it to you and no one else, right?"

A cold dread began to creep up the Doctor's spine. "Are you saying... that beautiful snake spirit has already appeared? But... but everyone around me seems perfectly normal!"

The Boss nodded. "It must be because of that White Snake Umbrella, which has attracted the lingering obsession of the white snake. You're a doctor—you see many patients every day. When Lady White Snake met Xu Xian, she had already cultivated her human form for a thousand years. The story of The Legend of the White Snake is said to have taken place during the Song Dynasty, which was another thousand years ago. A snake spirit with two thousand years of cultivation—how could you possibly recognize her?"

"But wasn't Lady White Snake suppressed under Leifeng Pagoda..." The Doctor trailed off, suddenly remembering that Leifeng Pagoda had long since collapsed. The rebuilt one by West Lake, though beautifully designed and fully equipped with modern amenities—even an elevator—surely lacked the spiritual power to suppress a snake spirit.The Doctor froze for a moment before suddenly jolting as if electrocuted, nervously scanning the empty shop interior. "Boss, you’re not joking with me, are you?"

The Boss snorted disdainfully, "Weren’t you just fantasizing about having a snake spirit as your girlfriend?"

"That was just a joke! Who knew it could be real?" The Doctor spun around anxiously. "Is the white snake here for that White Snake Umbrella? That shabby umbrella—I’ll just give it back to her!"

The Boss replied calmly, "That white snake is likely here for revenge."

"Revenge?" The Doctor stared in disbelief. "Isn’t the Legend of the White Snake a love story?"

Lowering his gaze, the Boss adjusted the celadon incense burner on the table, watching the curling smoke rise. "The tragedy of the white snake’s life began with a cup of realgar wine. On the Dragon Boat Festival, the man who claimed to love her poisoned her. Do you think she wouldn’t hold a grudge? Legends aren’t always truthful. In the end, she remained trapped under Leifeng Pagoda, while the man she loved married another woman to continue his family line. That ancestral oil-paper umbrella you received—was it originally stored in a camphorwood chest?"

"Camphorwood repels insects and snakes. Its unique scent masked the umbrella’s presence, so all was peaceful over the years. But now that the umbrella has resurfaced, how could she not sense it? Whoever owns this White Snake Umbrella must bear her wrath." The Boss spoke gravely, his tone entirely different from his usual lighthearted banter.

The Doctor fell silent, finally grasping the severity of the situation. "Boss, do you have any realgar here?"

"Do you think mere realgar can suppress a snake spirit with two thousand years of cultivation? Xu Xian used realgar wine to reveal Lady Bai’s true form because noon on the Dragon Boat Festival was the moment her power was weakest. It’s the end of the year now—no amount of realgar will help." The Boss took a deep breath, savoring the sandalwood fragrance permeating the air as he contentedly narrowed his eyes.

"Then what should I do?" The Doctor had never believed in supernatural tales, but he’d witnessed enough inexplicable phenomena at the Dumb Shop—from the Huan Gou and Qiong Qi of the Classic of Mountains and Seas to the Three-legged Azure Bird he’d been feeding with fresh bamboo shoots from the supermarket!

Suddenly, the Boss reached out, parted the Doctor’s collar, and grasped the Longevity Lock hanging on his chest. Carved from a single piece of white jade, the lock was smooth and lustrous, resembling congealed fat. One side bore the seal-script inscription "Long Life and Hundred Years," while the other featured an intricately carved, translucent white lotus.

Noticing the Boss staring intently at the lock, the Doctor chuckled awkwardly. "Heh, you’re probably laughing at me for wearing a child’s trinket. Fortune-tellers all said I’d face a great calamity at twenty-four, and my family insisted I never remove this lock. But it’s obviously nonsense—my birthday is in less than two weeks, and my twenty-fourth year is almost over. Where’s this so-called calamity?"The Boss tugged hard on the Longevity Lock, pulling the Doctor’s body involuntarily toward him. The Doctor thought he wanted a closer look at the lock. Although he claimed not to believe in fate, he had never removed this Longevity Lock—not even during surgeries. Unable to take it off and hand it over, he braced his hands against the counter and leaned in.

At this proximity, the Doctor’s gaze had no choice but to settle on the Boss.

It seemed he had never observed the Boss this closely before, the Doctor suddenly realized. Perhaps because their meetings often took place in this dimly lit shop, where the Boss’s face was mostly shrouded in shadows. Even at a glance, what caught his attention wasn’t the Boss’s appearance but the crimson Dragon embroidered on his black Mao Suit.

The Boss must be quite young, the Doctor noted professionally, analyzing his skin and features. He estimated the other man to be two or three years his junior, which felt somewhat unbelievable. In past encounters with bizarre events, the Doctor had always seen the Boss calmly resolve one problem after another, making him seem utterly reliable. Even now, amid the tension of a vengeful snake spirit seeking retribution, the Doctor wasn’t overly worried, instinctively believing the Boss would handle it.

The Doctor’s gaze drifted down the Boss’s smooth cheek and suddenly noticed a faint, vicious horizontal scar on his neck, concealed by the upright collar of his suit. It appeared old. The Doctor wanted to ask how he’d gotten such a decapitation-like wound, but realizing it was off-topic, he decided to wait for another opportunity.

Perhaps the Boss always wore high-collared Mao Suits precisely to hide this scar…

Lost in thought, the Doctor watched as the Boss rubbed the white jade Longevity Lock in his palm, seemingly pondering a difficult problem. Not daring to disturb him, the Doctor maintained this awkward stance until his arms began to ache from supporting himself against the counter. Finally, the Boss released the lock, pulled open the Doctor’s shirt collar, and tucked the lock back against his skin.

The cold jade sent a shiver through the Doctor upon contact. Why hadn’t it retained any warmth from being held so long by the Boss?

The question flickered through his mind, but before he could confirm it, the Boss spoke calmly, “Actually, avoiding the white snake’s revenge is quite simple. A millennium ago, she was imprisoned beneath Leifeng Pagoda. Fahai cast a spell on her, forbidding her from harming living beings recklessly. However, the ill-fated bond between Xu Xian and Lady White originated from that borrowed umbrella by the Broken Bridge of West Lake. So, all you need to do is prevent her from borrowing an umbrella.”

“That’s it?” The Doctor was stunned. Earlier, the Boss had acted as if facing a formidable enemy, yet such a simple method could avert disaster? “But that oil-paper umbrella is at my place. If she takes it herself, does that count as me lending it to her?”"The umbrella is for sheltering from rain. Rain is rootless water—while immensely beneficial for nourishing all things, it carries a chilling Yin energy when it falls on humans. Thus, the umbrella protects the body from this cold influence during rainfall. Snakes thrive in dampness and have been metaphorically called 'little dragons' since ancient times. Their Yin energy peaks on rainy days. What she needed wasn’t necessarily that specific oil-paper umbrella—any umbrella in your hand would do. By lending her your umbrella, you essentially handed over your protective barrier. Through the rain, she could invade your body and devour your soul."The Boss's voice was low and subdued, almost as if he were telling a ghost story."

The Doctor, however, felt reassured and slapped the table cheerfully. "So it's just about not lending out umbrellas? Got it. Well, it's about time—I need to get back to my shift. Let's chat another day!"

As the Doctor walked away, the Boss called after him, "White snakes are highly skilled at shapeshifting into human form. Don't trust anyone."

Without turning back, the Doctor simply waved a hand in acknowledgment before pushing the door open and leaving.

The Boss remained standing there, lost in thought for a long while. His expression was obscured by the incense smoke curling up from the burner, so hazy that even the Republican-era crystal mirror opposite couldn’t capture it clearly...

Though potentially targeted by a two-thousand-year-old snake spirit, the Doctor remained utterly unperturbed.

After all, hadn’t the Boss said that as long as he didn’t casually lend his umbrella to strangers, he’d be fine? And really, who would use an umbrella in winter when it wasn’t even raining?

He’d only muttered this to himself that day, but starting the very next morning, as if the heavens had overheard his grumbling, a drizzling rain mixed with occasional ice pellets began to pour down. In no time, the gloomy weather settled in, and the forecast predicted this low-pressure system would linger for a week.

The Doctor was frustrated. Though he knew such weather was typical for southern winters, the thought that anyone around him could be the transformed white snake kept him on edge. After a while, the constant vigilance became exhausting.

He even considered not carrying an umbrella at all.

But then it occurred to him—what if he borrowed someone else’s umbrella, and that person turned out to be the white snake spirit? The Boss hadn’t specified whether the reverse scenario was safe!

The world he’d grown familiar with over the past two years now seemed illusory under the misty rain, as if nothing was quite real anymore.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, the Doctor glanced at the umbrella on his desk. The idea that the snake spirit might be lurking nearby made him feel like a frog frozen under a serpent’s gaze, a chill creeping up his spine.

"What are you spacing out for? Why haven’t you left? Did you forget your umbrella too?" A loud voice boomed as someone clapped him on the back. Turning, the Doctor saw Chun Ge, his university classmate and current colleague. He couldn’t help recalling the dream he’d had using the Huangliang pillow, where Chun Ge was cooking for him... He shuddered at the memory. So gross!

Noticing the umbrella on the desk, Chun Ge grinned. "Hey, lucky me! Aren’t you on night shift? Lend me this umbrella for now!"The doctor watched as Chun Ge naturally reached for the umbrella in his hand. Though both the conversation and this familiar gesture were nothing new, the thought of the white snake being able to transform into human form sent a chill down his spine. He swiftly switched the umbrella from his right hand to his left before Chun Ge could touch it. "No, I swapped shifts with someone tonight. I’m not on duty."

"Oh, that’s perfect! Come on, walk me to the parking lot!" Chun Ge said with a grin. He had bought a car at the beginning of the month, officially joining the ranks of car owners, and he was eager to show it off.

The doctor’s lips twitched. "You can take the elevator straight down to the underground parking lot."

"It’s just that there was a traffic jam this morning, and the underground lot was full, so I parked in the square instead..."

Just as Chun Ge was about to complain about the city’s congested roads, the pager on his waist beeped urgently.

Chun Ge glanced down and sighed. "Emergency surgery. Looks like I won’t be able to leave for a while. I’ll catch you later!" With that, he patted the doctor’s shoulder and strode briskly back into the building.

Watching Chun Ge’s retreating figure disappear behind the door, the doctor felt he had overreacted. The whole snake spirit thing was probably just the Boss’s wild imagination—maybe even a joke to scare him.

Just as he was about to head home, the doctor noticed someone standing beside him. Taking a closer look, he recognized her as Ye Qianqian, a new intern at their hospital. He remembered her name because of her striking beauty.

True to her name, Ye Qianqian was fresh and delicate, like a slender leaf that was pleasing to the eye.

Even the doctor wasn’t immune to her charm, stealing a few extra glances. He couldn’t help but wonder: it was rare to see a woman in her twenties who wore no makeup at all, yet her skin was as flawless as a teenager’s.

"Xiao Ye, didn’t you bring an umbrella?" the doctor asked, noticing her standing worriedly by the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Yeah, the forecast said no rain today, so I got lazy and left mine at home."

Ye Qianqian’s finely shaped brows furrowed slightly. As she lowered her gaze, she spotted the umbrella on the doctor’s desk, and her eyes lit up. "Senior, aren’t you on duty tonight? Could I borrow this umbrella? I’ll bring it back after I get home—I live nearby." Since she was two years his junior, she addressed him as "senior."

In the past, the doctor would never have hesitated to help a beautiful junior, even if it meant going home a bit later. But just as he was about to agree, the words that came out were different: "You live nearby? Then let me walk you home!"

Sharing an umbrella shouldn’t count as lending it, right? The doctor felt rather pleased with his quick thinking.

A subtle stiffness flickered at the corners of Ye Qianqian’s mouth, but it vanished without a trace as she smiled gently. "Thank you, Senior."

Outside, the rain grew heavier. The doctor opened the umbrella and walked alongside Ye Qianqian through the streets. The soft pattering of raindrops against the fabric created a muffled rhythm, as if isolating them from the rest of the world. Under the umbrella, it felt as though only he and Ye Qianqian existed. In that moment, the doctor understood what the Boss had meant about the umbrella’s function—it truly was like a barrier, protecting those beneath it.The rain was pouring heavily, and the Doctor had lost all interest in conversation. Still, he matched Ye Qianqian's pace beside him, walking unhurriedly.

Watching the crown-shaped splashes raindrops made in puddles at his feet, the Doctor suddenly realized that over thousands of years, while everything else kept changing, umbrellas remained essentially the same.

Just like in this world, where all things undergo countless transformations, there are still some elements that remain eternal. He thought of the antiques in the Dumb Shop, where history had solidified into permanence. For centuries, they remained unchanged, as if stubbornly waiting for something...

Ah, if only the oil-paper umbrella at his home weren't so fragile. Even if carried today, no one would consider it outdated.

Ye Qianqian's residence wasn't far at all. As the Doctor turned a familiar corner, he noticed they would pass by the Dumb Shop if they continued forward, and he unconsciously grew more attentive. But when they reached the shop's entrance, he discovered a heavy bronze lock fastened on the Dumb Shop's carved wooden door.

The Doctor couldn't help but stop in his tracks. He remembered that even when the Boss wasn't in the shop, the door of the Dumb Shop was never locked. And now, though it wasn't dark yet and nowhere near closing time...

Since the Doctor, holding an umbrella, had stopped, Ye Qianqian had no choice but to halt as well. Though full of questions, she obediently kept silent. The Doctor was puzzled but didn't dwell on it, withdrawing his gaze and preparing to continue on his way. Just then, someone suddenly approached and stopped them.

"Hey, it's you! Do you know where the owner of this shop has gone?" The newcomer held an umbrella in one hand and a cane in the other, with graying hair and an elegant demeanor—it was none other than the museum Curator.

"No idea. I was at the Dumb Shop yesterday and saw him," the Doctor replied. He knew the Curator, like himself, was a frequent visitor to the Dumb Shop, so they were familiar with each other's faces. However, neither knew the other's name. The Doctor only knew he was the museum Curator, and the Curator only knew he was a doctor.

The Curator tapped his cane on the ground and sighed, "The Dumb Shop hasn't opened at all today! Yesterday, I traded a small Warring States period alchemy bronze tripod for three of his antiques. I came today hoping to ask him what he'd discovered about that tripod, only to find the shop closed!" The Curator spoke with evident distress, clearly feeling he'd gotten the short end of the stick.

Though the Doctor didn't know much about antiques, he was aware that everything in the Dumb Shop was priceless. Moreover, each item had its own peculiar history, which was why they weren't sold indiscriminately.

He had seen the Curator and other wealthy individuals try every means of persuasion, yet the Boss remained unmoved by their high offers. On the other hand, he might turn around and sell an item at an absurdly low price to some clueless passerby who wandered in, or even give away priceless antiques for free while casually roaming the streets. So, trading three antiques for one small tripod likely meant that tripod had an extraordinary background.

Still, the Doctor kept these thoughts to himself, having no desire to engage with this irritable yet determinedly gentlemanly Curator. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he excused himself by saying he needed to escort his colleague home.

The rest of the walk passed in silence. After seeing Ye Qianqian to her residence, the Doctor watched her disappear into the stairwell before turning away with his umbrella.

Nothing had happened. It seemed he had been overthinking things.

Seeing no one around, the Doctor cheerfully twirled his umbrella, watching raindrops splatter around him as if shaking off the gloom in his heart. He broke into a happy smile.

The next day, the weather remained overcast and drizzly.

The Doctor stood before the notice board, checking his surgical schedule for the day, just as Chun Ge arrived. The Doctor greeted him with a smile, "Heard last night's surgery was a great success! Well done!"

"Of course! When I'm on the job, one person does the work of two!" Chun Ge was immensely proud. Though last night's surgery hadn't been particularly difficult, it was his first time as the lead surgeon—a significant milestone, even if it was only because the Director couldn't make it back in time. After a couple of triumphant laughs, Chun Ge felt he should tone it down and coughed lightly. "Actually, credit goes to Ye Qianqian as the second assistant. Don't let her looks fool you—she actually used the Halsted suture technique. You know I only learned that last year. See, you don't believe me, do you? Tch, if you'd been there, you'd have been blown away too."The Doctor was stunned, but not because Ye Qianqian knew the Halsted suture technique.

Had Ye Qianqian been present during last night's surgery? That was impossible!

His gaze fixed on the bulletin board before him—yesterday's surgery schedule hadn't been taken down yet. In the emergency surgery conducted at 5:30 PM, Ye Qianqian's name was clearly listed.

Black ink on white paper, unmistakable. The surgery schedule couldn't be wrong, as it involved medical accountability. Chun Ge wouldn't lie either... So who was the woman he had escorted home that day?

A bone-chilling cold surged from the soles of his feet, crawling up his spine to the back of his head, leaving his limbs icy in an instant.

The Doctor decided never to carry an umbrella again.

No matter how heavy the rain, he'd rather drench himself completely on the way home than bring an umbrella.

If he had only half-believed the Boss's words before, after his personal experience, all doubt had vanished. By refusing to carry an umbrella, no one could borrow one from him now, right? Not even a supernatural being could manage that!

Having made this resolution, the Doctor stopped dwelling on the matter. After all, year-end was approaching, and between various surgeries, annual summaries, and performance reviews, he had enough to keep him busy. Every day, as he dashed home through the rain, he noticed the door of Dumb Shop remained tightly locked.

Perhaps the Boss had gone home for the holidays, he thought. Though the Boss gave off a solitary vibe, everyone must have someone special in their lives.

Yet, he recalled that during the past two years' Christmas and New Year holidays, Dumb Shop had never closed—not even during last year's Spring Festival when he worked overtime and didn't return home. It seemed as though Dumb Shop operated every single day of the year.

This sudden closure for several days in a row likely meant something urgent had come up, probably related to antiques.

Though concerned, the Doctor knew the Boss would be fine. Perhaps one day, passing by Dumb Shop, he'd find the Boss wearing his Mao suit embroidered with the Crimson Dragon, sitting behind the counter, leisurely sipping Dragon Well Tea while reading. In comparison, he himself was the one stuck with a life of constant toil...

On the fifth day of Dumb Shop's closure, the Doctor had just finished a surgery and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, drinking bitter coffee to refresh himself and spacing out. Outside, the rain continued to drizzle. The weather forecast claimed it would clear up tomorrow, but the overcast sky made 2 PM feel as gloomy as dusk.

"Birthday boy, you're treating everyone to dinner tonight!" Chun Ge's booming voice echoed through the office, followed by cheers from the others.

The Doctor nodded repeatedly, aware that they were just looking for an excuse to unwind.

"You don't have any tasks left today. Go home and change first," Chun Ge said, patting the Doctor's shoulder and pointing at the crumpled jacket hanging on his chair. "Did you lose your umbrella? Take mine. As the birthday boy, you can't dress so shabbily!"

The Doctor stared blankly at the umbrella Chun Ge had shoved into his hands. The Boss had warned him not to lend his umbrella to others, but would it be okay if someone lent one to him?The doctor initially wanted to decline, but it would be impolite to attend a dinner invitation while soaking wet, so he expressed his thanks and slipped home first to change clothes. He also took the opportunity to finalize the gathering location—the first restaurant on the commercial street behind the hospital. This way, if any emergency surgeries arose, he could report for duty promptly.

Stepping out of the restaurant, the doctor walked through the rain under his umbrella. As it was a weekday afternoon with relentless rainfall, the commercial street appeared deserted, with many shops closed for the day. Unhurried, the doctor found himself unusually reminiscing about his twenty-four years of life, habitually reaching up to touch the Longevity Lock hanging around his neck.

It was said to be a Longevity Lock left by his deceased mother. Although elders had warned him not to remove it before turning twenty-four, he had grown so accustomed to wearing it that he decided to keep it on even after that age, as it was his mother’s final memento.

Lost in thought, the doctor turned into a supermarket, planning to do some shopping while he had time. Just as he stood at the entrance, closing his umbrella, he noticed someone walking past in the rain. On the person’s black Mao Suit, a vivid crimson Dragon stood out strikingly.

"Boss!" The doctor waved excitedly, realizing that seeing the Boss safe and sound brought him more joy than he had anticipated. For someone as intensely busy as he was, aside from colleagues, the Boss was his only friend in this concrete jungle of a city.

"Why are you off work at this hour?" The Boss looked surprised to see the doctor. Wiping the rain from his face, he unceremoniously reached out and said, "Lend me your umbrella for a moment. I have an errand up ahead—I’ll return it later."

Without a second thought, the doctor naturally handed over his umbrella. But as he glanced up at the Boss, he inadvertently noticed that the Boss’s neck was smooth and pale, completely devoid of any gruesome wounds.

The doctor’s expression instantly darkened. Gripping the umbrella handle tightly, he demanded sharply, "Who are you?"

The question felt somewhat redundant, as the doctor sensed the surroundings shift abruptly. In an instant, thunder and lightning roared across the sky, deafeningly loud. The brightly lit supermarket behind him was nowhere to be seen—replaced instead by a bleak, desolate wilderness. As he warily scanned the area, he suddenly felt something strange in his hand. Looking down, he realized the umbrella had transformed into a bluish-white venomous snake. The handle he had been holding was now the snake’s head, its fangs gleaming ominously in the lightning, poised to strike at his wrist.

Reflexively, the doctor released his grip. The moment his hand let go, the snake reverted to an umbrella, now held in a jade-white hand.

An extraordinarily beautiful woman appeared before him. Dressed in snow-white robes, her features were as delicate and elusive as an ink-wash painting—a beauty beyond words.

Despite her stunning appearance, the doctor’s heart sank as if plunged into an ice cellar. He knew she was the white snake spirit. Though her expression remained detached and unruffled, the thunder rumbling behind her and the lightning flashing through the clouds—just like in the movies—confirmed that these supernatural phenomena were all her doing.Only when the doctor felt the rain touch his skin did he understand why the boss had forbidden him from lending out the umbrella.

Without the umbrella's protection, the falling raindrops felt like icy, bone-piercing silver needles, each drop nailing into his body with excruciating pain.

The surroundings were desolate, with no shelter from the rain in sight. The doctor didn't know if all this was an illusion created by the white snake, but no matter where he fled, the rain from the sky followed him relentlessly.

"Where is the umbrella? Where is that white snake umbrella?"

The white snake's voice was aggressive, but the doctor didn't understand what she meant. What umbrella? That white snake umbrella? It was at his home... The doctor moved his lips, wanting to speak, but found himself in too much pain to utter a word. He didn't even have the strength to walk, so he could only collapse to the ground, using his arms to shield his head and minimize his exposure to the rain.

"Where is my umbrella? Where have you hidden it?"

Perhaps because the white snake's voice was too piercing, the doctor couldn't help but lift his head from the shelter of his arms. In his line of sight, the woman had disappeared, replaced by an enormous white snake, its body stretching over ten meters long, slithering around him. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the elegant and ethereal woman was actually this terrifying giant snake. And when he saw the horrifying white snake open its mouth wide to bite him, the doctor had no doubt that it could swallow him whole in one gulp.

Was he going to die like this?

For some reason, the doctor's mind recalled what his elders had told him—that he would face a great calamity at the age of twenty-four. Could this be it?

The doctor's eyes didn't close despite the rapidly approaching gaping maw. Closing his eyes wouldn't change anything; he wanted to see how this white snake demon devoured people.

In that split second, everything in the doctor's vision slowed down. Time seemed to stand still, and he could almost see the crystal-clear raindrops suspended in the air. The lightning tearing through the sky in the distance resembled cracks in the heavens, and against this backdrop, the terrifying snake's maw appeared shockingly mesmerizing.

Seeing such a sight before death should be worth it, right?

Just as the doctor could smell the foul, toxic breath from the snake's mouth, someone suddenly stepped in front of him, intercepting the massive bite. The snake seemed startled and tried to stop, but due to its immense size, even as it changed direction, one of its fangs still grazed the other's chest and abdomen.

The doctor's glasses were covered in raindrops, but it didn't hinder his vision. In his sight, a vivid crimson dragon was coiled fiercely behind the person, its claws bared.

Was this really the boss? The doctor's mind felt sluggish as he hugged his knees and looked up in a daze.

Above his head, a large oil-paper umbrella shielded him from all the biting, icy rain.

"Fool, I told you not to lend the umbrella to anyone, no matter who it is," the boss's calm voice came from above."I only lent it because it was you!" The Doctor grumbled inwardly, but didn't dare talk back. Freed from the corrosive rain's devastating effects, he quickly caught his breath and suddenly remembered how the Boss had nearly been bitten by the white snake earlier. He hurriedly stood up and moved in front of the Boss, carefully examining him.

"Thank goodness, no injuries—just torn clothing." The Doctor observed the rip in the Boss's Mao Suit. Even with his limited knowledge of fabrics, he could tell this exquisitely tailored suit must have been extremely expensive. "What a shame, but don't you have plenty more? I'll compensate you for this one!" The Doctor thought to himself that however costly it was, his salary should cover it.

The Boss lowered his head, a complex emotion flashing through his eyes when he saw the torn garment, but it was quickly concealed. He lifted his head calmly and said, "It's nothing, no need for compensation. By the way, I took this white snake umbrella from your place five days ago—hope you don't mind."

The Doctor had already recognized the white snake umbrella in the Boss's hand as the source of all this trouble. Though curious about how the Boss had entered his home, he understood that if the Boss hadn't kept it safe these five days, the white snake spirit might have taken the oil-paper umbrella long ago. The Doctor wasn't truly foolish; he realized the white snake spirit's ultimate goal was this umbrella, with the borrowing incident merely serving as a trigger.

"May I take care of this umbrella?" the Boss asked quietly.

"Please do, and... while you're at it... handle that one over there too..." The Doctor gestured toward the white snake flicking its tongue nearby, speaking with genuine sincerity. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he felt the white snake spirit had become much more restrained since the Boss arrived. At the very least, the thunder from the horizon had ceased.

The Boss gazed steadily at the white snake and suddenly sighed. "Did you know? The legends about the white snake never reveal the final outcome."

"Final outcome? Wasn't it crushed under Leifeng Pagoda, then the pagoda collapsed, and now it's here before us?" The Doctor didn't understand why the Boss brought this up, but with the Boss beside him, he felt the situation could be easily resolved and calmly engaged in conversation.

"That white snake cultivated for a thousand years, gaining power over wind and rain—it had become a half-Dragon. Once it overcame its tribulation of love, it would transform into a Dragon and ascend to heaven, becoming a local Dragon deity receiving worship."

The Doctor gasped, realizing the week-long gloomy weather had been the white snake spirit's doing. The earlier thunder and lightning were naturally its handiwork too—otherwise, why would there be thunder in winter?

"Actually, back then, though it hadn't attained Dragon form, it already possessed Dragon bones. But Fahai's talisman, identifying it as a snake spirit, pressed it beneath Leifeng Pagoda. When Fahai asked Xu Xian how to deal with the white snake spirit, do you know what he decided?"

Though the Boss's voice remained flat and unemotional, the Doctor felt chills hearing this, momentarily afraid to ask.

The answer came not from the Boss, but from the white snake across from them.

"He skinned me to make the umbrella's cover, pulled out my Dragon bones to frame the umbrella..."The white serpent spoke while transforming back into human form. Her strikingly beautiful face was filled with profound, unresolvable resentment.

"All those mountain vows and sweet whispers turned to mist before fear. He only thought of me as a demon who eats humans, but did he ever consider... how deeply I loved him..." the white serpent murmured.

"This... could it be..."

The Doctor stared dumbfounded at the white serpent umbrella in the Boss's hand, goosebumps sprouting all over his body like bamboo shoots after rain.

"Bailu, just wait one more day and your vengeful spirit will disperse. Reincarnating as a human in your next life, forgetting the past, is much better than wandering the mortal world." The Boss sighed again.

So this serpent had a name, and it wasn't Bai Suzhen but Bailu. Watching the graceful woman approach, the Doctor couldn't help but sigh inwardly about how important appearance truly was. Just moments ago he had found the white serpent terrifying, but the delicate woman before him was so frail and slender that even knowing her true form was that white serpent, one couldn't muster any fear.

Why had Xu Xian been so heartless back then? If he had loved her even a little, he wouldn't have spoken of skinning her and pulling out her bones...

The Doctor couldn't help but think that sometimes humans were less compassionate and genuine than those mountain spirits and demons.

Bailu stopped before them and said firmly: "I just want that umbrella in your hand. Melt my skin, burn my bones, and my soul can wander this world forever."

"Persistently searching for his reincarnation like this, watching him suffer retribution through poverty, family ruin, and complete destruction... Don't you grow tired?" The Boss frowned as he asked.

Bailu's blood-red thin lips curved slightly as she smiled faintly: "The pot calling the kettle black. You and I are no different. A thousand years ago you followed heaven's will and didn't save me, so don't interfere today."

Hearing this, the Doctor looked at the Boss in surprise - a thousand years ago?

Bailu glanced sideways at the Doctor and laughed, a sound mixing helplessness and mockery: "I knew it. For 'him', you'd do anything. Give me the umbrella, don't force me to do something irreversible."

The Doctor found this strange, feeling they weren't talking about him but someone else. This feeling made him deeply uncomfortable.

Without another word, the Boss directly handed the umbrella to Bailu, then grabbed the Doctor's sleeve and left without looking back.

The raindrops hitting them no longer felt piercingly cold, and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hehe, thank you. Sorry about damaging your Crimson Dragon robe. But... you've lingered in this world too long..."

Bailu's bell-like laughter came from behind, like dark clouds breaking to reveal long-awaited sunlight streaming through the thick clouds.

The Doctor couldn't help looking back. Under the sunlight, the surface of the white serpent umbrella in Bailu's hand had begun melting, burning in the light with pale smoke, vanishing almost in the blink of an eye.

He knew Bailu must be in great pain - even if she was already a numb soul, he knew she must be suffering deeply.

Yet she was laughing, laughing freely and heartily.The rain passed through the white snake umbrella that had lost its canopy, striking against Bailu's elegant and refined cheeks, rolling down like her own tears.

Holding that umbrella frame stripped down to its bare bones, she stood poignantly beautiful in the rain. She didn't appear as someone facing millennia of solitude, but rather like standing by the mist-shrouded Broken Bridge of West Lake in that rainy season of years past, proudly and resolutely waiting for her beloved.

Doctor couldn't bear to watch and averted his gaze, only to realize that he and Boss had already arrived at the commercial street he knew so well. The sun had emerged, yet the rain continued to drizzle. The puddles on the ground reflected the sunlight from above, blazing brilliantly like newborn life.

"The reeds grow green; white dew turns to frost. The one whom I love is on the other side of the water..." From afar, Bailu's gentle, lingering singing voice drifted over, before finally fading away.

The Doctor knew she had left, but she still remained in this world.

She refused liberation, and would never allow herself to be liberated.

The Doctor suddenly halted his steps, looking up to ask the Boss who had been walking with his head lowered: "You... know Bailu?" The Doctor had initially intended to refer to her as "that snake," but he found he couldn't utter the words. Because, clearly, she was a woman capable of loving and hating fiercely—her name was Bailu.

The Boss stopped walking but didn't turn around, merely speaking indifferently: "It was a medicinal snake my master raised back in the day."

The Doctor's breath caught. His intuition told him the Boss wasn't joking.

But how could that be possible? Back in the day? That was over two thousand years ago!

The Doctor quickened his pace, catching up to stand in front of the Boss. He wanted to look into the Boss's eyes as they spoke. But when he saw the Boss's face, he was startled.

He knew the Boss's skin was pale, pale as jade, but now the Boss's skin was as white as snow, as if it would melt away in the warmth of the sunlight.

Just then, the Boss suddenly began to cough—a violent, earth-shaking cough, as if he were trying to expel his very organs.

The Doctor was alarmed, thinking the Boss had suffered internal injuries, and hurriedly grabbed his hand to lead him toward the hospital: "I'll take you for a check-up."

"No need, cough... it's fine." The Boss regained his composure, tasting the blood in his mouth, and carefully swallowed back the congealed blood in his throat.

The Doctor frowned, unconvinced that the Boss was truly fine. Moreover, the hand in his palm was ice-cold, unlike that of a normal person—it seemed to have no body heat at all. Just as he was about to insist on dragging the Boss to the hospital for an examination, the Doctor's eyes widened in shock as he watched two dragon whiskers appear on the Boss's left shoulder. The Crimson Dragon that had been coiled behind the Boss now seemed to come alive, slowly crawling onto his shoulder at a pace visible to the naked eye.

As if aware of the Doctor's speechless astonishment, the Boss gently reassured him: "It's alright, as long as you're fine. As long as you make it through today..."

The Doctor was about to ask why it mattered to make it through today, and what would happen if he did, when he suddenly felt the weight around his neck lighten, followed by a crisp cracking sound.

Both looked down simultaneously to see, on the rain-washed bluestone pavement, a jade Longevity Lock neatly broken into two halves.

(End of Chapter)