I've Been There Before

It was late at night. Memory Inn had already gone to sleep.

The night of the Erhai Lake was very quiet.

Daytime was still fuming hot. But at night, the wind arrived.

A vague black shadow headed towards one of the doors of Memory Inn. There was a wooden door that was hardly ever opened. Even workers who had worked at Memory Inn for ages had not seen this door open.

There was a rustling noise, as a key was inserted into the hole, "click". The wooden door opened and the person at the door stood motionlessly for a while, before lifting her foot to go in.

She was the owner of Memory Inn.

She was good-tempered, easy-going and kind-hearted manager in the eyes of everyone around.

But at this moment, people who were familiar with her would certainly find it unbelievable. The mild-tempered boss in everyone’s eyes had an indifferent look; her eyes hid grief that cannot be concealed.

Desperate looks, grieving eyes, and heavy feet... "I came to see you." A coarse voice slowly sounded.

But there was no one else in the house but her.

Lifting her foot, she walked inside Memory Inn. This might be the place she was most familiar with. Not her own room, but here.

With no lights on, she groped forward into the darkness. She felt assured that every single thing here was too familiar to her.

Moving forward, she unexpectedly touched the edge of a table. After fumbling for a while longer, she felt an object, 'snap'. At that moment, the fire lit up; her hand was holding up a lit matchstick. After her hands trembled inscrutably, she decided to light up two scented candles instead.

"Do you remember that day, the fire? So many people were all outside watching. Maybe the fire is too big. Maybe I'm not good with people. You were the only one who charged in… why are you such a fool…"

The candle was lit as the match went out. She took the incense from the offering table and gathered it to light them up from the candle. She then inserted it slowly into the incense burner. Everything was done slowly. Looking up, she stared at the picture before her.

"It's that time of year again when the Ghost Festival arrives and the Fengdu City Gate (the ghost gate, rumoured to be the only way for deceased people to pass down to Earth) opens, will you come and visit me, Leona?"

In the photo on the table, Leona smiled brightly. The woman sat silently in front of the table, looking at the photo in front of her. She certainly did not have a photo of Leona, nor her ashes. The photo was painted based on her own memories, by a stray painter who passed by Erhai Lake on a trip.

she was

the palm of

you come to see me?" The woman's nose was sore, "Before I came to Erhai Lake, I was able to dream of you from time to time. How come

eyes turned moist, "Leona, if you don't appear in my dreams

that she was lonely,

Leona never

but she couldn’t

in that

on the recliner, tasting tea while looking at the

one and dropping it into the fireplace while talking to Leona as

I am your family over there... Never again be so unlucky to meet a friend like me who

woman stood up slowly. Standing after squatting for long hours, her legs were so

she could react, she knew in her heart that this was

the ground when a force at

"Be careful."

saw the person, her face changed: "When did you come?" She looked to the doorway

him,

I saw a bright light coming from inside. So, I just stood at the door to look inside,

firepit on the floor that was still burning, "It's late, and you're...

pursed her lips and didn't

it a family member?" He quirked an eyebrow...

looked at the table. He could not see the person in the photo when he was

his sight, but it was helpless as

though it was mostly covered, he

A woman?

you call her Leona

He asked tentatively.

Lo like to pry into other people's

Even though she wanted to forget that past, that person,

Lo quickly stretched out his hands and held it up, "Ok,