My Ex-Girlfriend Said She Was A Fairy - Chapter 23

It was almost noon, and the sun was growing increasingly intense.

 

 

The humidity in the house probably wouldn’t be as bad as yesterday when she got back. Ji Qingyi found some small comfort in that thought.

 

 

“Want to grab something to eat?”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan pointed to some stalls in front of the temple gate, where grilled sausages were being sold. The aroma was enticing.

 

 

“I’m not hungry yet.”

 

 

Though Ji Qingyi wasn’t hungry, the smell was tempting. She glanced at the price and decided against it.

 

 

“It’s fine, just a snack. It’s not like we’ll be heading down the mountain anytime soon.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan smiled.

 

 

“…Whatever.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi was tired. She sat on a stone in the shade and responded absentmindedly. It wasn’t like she couldn’t afford a grilled sausage, but she couldn’t help thinking—this person really didn’t seem to have any financial worries at all. Had his previous job paid so well that he could maintain his lifestyle without cutting back even after losing his income?

 

 

Wen Yuchuan walked over to the stall and returned with two grilled sausages. They sat and ate, resting for a while before Ji Qingyi stood up again.

 

 

“Let’s go in.”

 

 

Since they were already here, they might as well take a look inside. Ji Qingyi thought she might light some incense and make a wish… but then she felt she wasn’t sincere enough. Even if she prayed, it probably wouldn’t do any good…

 

 

The two walked in.

 

 

A path of bluestone slabs led to the temple entrance, flanked by towering ancient trees. Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

 

 

True to its reputation as a tourist spot that advertised its stray cats, Ji Qingyi saw cats lounging along the path, waiting to be fed. They looked lazy and content, living more comfortably than she did. Even on the stone statue at the main entrance, a beautiful orange tabby was sprawled out. It reminded Ji Qingyi of the one she had spent a few days with before sending it to the shelter earlier. It would be fine there, just like these fluffy little freeloaders.

 

 

Ji Qingyi gave the cat a couple of strokes. It mewed softly before she and Wen Yuchuan followed the crowd inside.

 

 

In the temple hall, a towering golden Buddha statue stood majestically, exuding both solemnity and benevolence, its lips curled in a faint, enigmatic smile.

 

 

Ji Qingyi admired the intricate carvings and exquisite craftsmanship of the beams and pillars, thinking that this was indeed the main attraction of the temple. Though it wasn’t old enough to evoke a sense of ancient grandeur, the meticulous restoration was flawless.

 

 

Following the planned route, they moved deeper into the temple with the steady stream of worshippers. Incense burners were packed with sticks, and the curling smoke filled the air—fragrant but not overwhelming. The white haze blurred the Buddha statue behind it, making its expression indistinct. Ji Qingyi could only vaguely make out that faint, knowing smile.

 

 

For a moment, Ji Qingyi spaced out, but she soon snapped back to reality, still walking forward. She stared at the smoke and suddenly recalled an old saying—burning incense attracts ghosts… But then she thought, confused, since this was a temple, surely proper deities would be presiding here.

 

 

…

 

 

It was all Wen Yuchuan’s fault. Now, whenever Ji Qingyi thought of the word “deities,” she found it absurdly funny. She suppressed a smirk.

 

 

Well, there went another bit of sincerity. Might as well not pray—it wouldn’t work anyway. Ji Qingyi sighed inwardly, blaming Wen Yuchuan once again.

 

 

 

She shot a sidelong glance at the other person, only to be caught in the act, meeting those deep, unfathomable eyes. Ji Qingyi instinctively looked away, but Wen Yuchuan merely smiled nonchalantly, lazily surveying the Buddha statue at the front of the hall with an air that suggested little reverence for the divine.

 

 

Suddenly, the expression on Wen Yuchuan’s face shifted, the smile vanishing.

 

 

“It’s too crowded. Let’s go.”

 

 

Feeling the press of the crowd, Ji Qingyi spoke to Wen Yuchuan. She maneuvered through the throng, oblivious to the change in the other’s demeanor, and inadvertently walked a bit further before stopping to wait.

 

 

“Mm.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi heard Wen Yuchuan’s response from behind the people separating them. She glanced back but couldn’t see clearly through the crowd. After a moment, she spotted Wen Yuchuan following at a measured distance.

 

 

I’ll wait for her when there are fewer people, Ji Qingyi thought, letting the flow of the crowd carry her through the back door. She stepped into a corner, waiting for Wen Yuchuan to emerge.

 

 

“They say if you make a wish to Him, it’ll definitely come true.”

 

 

As she waited, Ji Qingyi overheard a conversation nearby. Two women chatted, discussing the efficacy of prayers and blessings.

 

 

“But you might not even get the chance to meet Him.”

 

 

Another woman chimed in, and the two continued deeper into the temple.

 

 

Is it really that miraculous? Ji Qingyi mused idly, watching their retreating figures disappear around a corner.

 

 

She grew impatient before Wen Yuchuan finally appeared.

 

 

“Why were you so slow?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi asked, displeased. The earlier crowd had moved on to the next attraction, leaving the area sparsely populated with only a few stragglers.

 

 

“Someone dragged me off to burn incense.”

 

 

“Huh? Forced purchase?”

 

 

“No, I refused. It just took some time.”

 

 

“I see…”

 

 

“They say there’s a particularly efficacious deity inside.”

 

 

“Huh? Wasn’t the place mentioned in the brochure back there?”

 

 

“Brochure? Not sure. A volunteer suddenly came up and told me.”

 

 

“Oh… So where is it?”

 

 

“No idea. They said it depends on luck.”

 

 

Depends on luck? Ji Qingyi was baffled. What did that even mean? If it’s up to luck whether a wish comes true, then it can’t really be called efficacious, can it? Depending on luck… Given the context, it sounded like whether you could encounter the wish-granting deity was a matter of chance. But if it’s a deity enshrined in a fixed location within the temple, shouldn’t you be able to find it for sure? There’s only one path here. Unless… the deity’s availability is unpredictable, making it uncertain whether you can make a wish. Ji Qingyi looked at Wen Yuchuan in confusion, who seemed to understand her question but wore an equally puzzled expression.

 

 

Ji Qingyi glanced up and noticed the sun had lost its intensity, the sky dimming slightly. Maybe it’s blocked by clouds, she thought, but she saw no clouds—only an indistinct gray haze.

 

 

Wasn’t it supposed to be sunny all day? Maybe the weather forecast was wrong.

 

 

“Let’s go.”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan smiled again as she spoke.

 

 

“Mm.”

 

 

Ji Qingyi responded and followed her out.

 

 

“They say if you make a wish, you’ll lose something of equal value in return.”

 

 

“Huh?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi was taken aback when Wen Yuchuan brought up the topic again. When had she become interested in blessings and prayers?

 

 

 

“I just heard about it.”

 

 

Seeing her strange expression, Wen Yuchuan added with a smile.

 

 

“Did the volunteer just tell you that too?”

 

 

“Yeah.”

 

 

“I see…”

 

 

Would a volunteer really do something like that? More accurately, it was even stranger that someone as free-spirited as Wen Yuchuan could be stopped and forced to listen to such dull content.

 

 

And besides… having to lose something of equal value to make a wish come true—that wasn’t praying for blessings at all. It sounded more like a transaction.

 

 

“Then it seems like you can only make small wishes,” Ji Qingyi said.

 

 

“Yeah, as long as the condition is something you can accept, it shouldn’t matter much,” Wen Yuchuan continued with a smile, following her lead.

 

 

Ji Qingyi wasn’t particularly interested in the topic, so she didn’t bring up the blessing ritual again. They continued walking forward, chatting idly about other things.

 

 

As they descended, a shrine appeared ahead. Ji Qingyi thought it wouldn’t be much different from the previous one and didn’t feel like going in. However, she was drawn to a small cat at the entrance. She approached it, and the cat was very docile, letting her pet it freely.

 

 

“So well-behaved,” Ji Qingyi murmured, enjoying the soft fur. Why were all the cats here so tame?

 

 

“You like cats,” Wen Yuchuan remarked.

 

 

“Huh?” Ji Qingyi looked at her in confusion, unsure why she suddenly spoke as if making some definitive statement.

 

 

“Never mind, just making conversation.” Wen Yuchuan resumed her usual lazy demeanor, and Ji Qingyi couldn’t be bothered to engage further.

 

 

After petting the cat, they walked further inside. The crowd thinned out, and since the path was one-way, they should have caught up with the earlier group by now. Even if they couldn’t overtake them, there should have been people behind them.

 

 

Ji Qingyi glanced around, puzzled. There were no branching paths—just this winding stone road stretching ahead.

 

 

“It’s like everyone’s disappeared,” Ji Qingyi said.

 

 

“True… it is a bit strange,” Wen Yuchuan mused after a moment.

 

 

“Could there be another path we didn’t see?”

 

 

They walked a little further, and Ji Qingyi voiced her confusion. The sky seemed to grow gloomier, and even the temperature had dropped, as if the earlier blazing sunlight had never existed. Ji Qingyi took out her phone to check the weather forecast but found no signal. The forecast page remained unchanged, stuck on the last update she’d seen.

 

 

“Is the signal blocked here?” Ji Qingyi stopped and asked, refreshing her phone to no avail.

 

 

“Maybe it’s because we’re in the mountains.”

 

 

“That can’t be… this is a tourist area…”

 

 

…

 

 

This is strange, Ji Qingyi thought. She looked at the person beside her, a peculiar idea forming in her mind.

 

 

It was too quiet. Not a single person could be seen on the path, as if everyone had stepped into another dimension. Or perhaps… we’re the ones who entered another space. The thought gave her a headache—this couldn’t be real, could it? Maybe they had just unknowingly taken a wrong turn, straying from the intended route.

 

 

“Should we keep going forward?” Wen Yuchuan hesitated, sounding uncertain. The path ahead looked the same as before—paved with stone slabs—so logically, it should be the right way…

 

 

“No, let’s turn back,” Ji Qingyi said, eyeing the endless road ahead and deciding retreat was the better option.

 

 

“Alright, that works too.”

 

 

 

Wen Yuchuan smiled faintly, her expression still indifferent.

 

 

So they began walking back.

 

 

The sky grew overcast, and the temperature gradually dropped. A gust of wind swept past, making Ji Qingyi feel an eerie chill.

 

 

Was this road always this long? It didn’t seem right.

 

 

Ji Qingyi stared at the winding path, growing increasingly uneasy.

 

 

It felt like they had passed the same spot three times already. She stopped beside a telephone pole, next to which stood a small wooden hut-like structure.

 

 

It was a tiny thing—hardly even a proper structure—just a roadside ornament no taller than Ji Qingyi’s calf. It looked like a miniature shrine.

 

 

Had this been here on their way in? Ji Qingyi tried to recall but couldn’t remember.

 

 

“We can’t get out…”

 

 

Wen Yuchuan suddenly spoke, her expression slightly more serious than usual. Ji Qingyi stared at her, into those pitch-black eyes, but could discern nothing. A strange sensation—even fear—flashed through her.

 

 

Fear? It was fear, but… Ji Qingyi’s mind drifted for a moment before she snapped back to reality.

 

 

“Why? A ghost wall?”

 

 

Ji Qingyi murmured, shifting her gaze from Wen Yuchuan’s face to the small roadside shrine.

 

 

“Maybe.”

 

 

“How could that be…”

 

 

“Perhaps we’ve offended something. Or maybe we’ve just had the bad luck to run into something sinister… Or perhaps we’ve encountered that efficacious deity.”

 

 

Listening to Wen Yuchuan’s words, Ji Qingyi felt as though she were hearing a tale from a supernatural novel—utterly fantastical.