Secrets of the Secondhand Shop - Chapter 6

Chen Xiaocheng mulled over Zeng Yunxiang’s words—“a worthy death.” What exactly did he mean by that?

“You just need to do what I tell you. It’ll be better for both him and you,” Zeng Yunxiang said, pulling her into his arms. His lowered eyes were full of tenderness, like he was handling a precious treasure.

Chen Xiaocheng glanced at the dazzling diamond ring in front of her again. Zeng Yunxiang took her hand gently and slid the ring onto her finger.

She raised her left hand, letting the jewel scream under the silent moonlight, as if shouting something at her. She could feel the devil inside her stirring, on the verge of awakening.

Just then, her phone rang. She knew it had to be Zhao Jinsong. After all, it was Valentine’s Day, and her sudden disappearance was suspicious. But Chen Xiaocheng couldn’t be bothered to care anymore. Everything she’d gone through in the past had already left her feeling numb and hopeless.

Ding-dong.

Another text.

She picked up her phone to shut it off, only to catch a preview of the latest message:
Are you okay? Where are you?

54 unread texts. 23 missed calls.

Chen Xiaocheng unlocked her phone. A strange curiosity took hold—she wanted to see exactly what Zhao Jinsong had said.

Why aren’t you answering?
Where are you?
I’m really worried about you. Call me back.

…

The very first message read:
Babe, it’s Valentine’s Day. Get off work early—let’s go to the hot springs together. I already bought the tickets. There’s a surprise waiting for you tonight!

An hour later, the second message:
I bought you that watch you’ve been wanting for so long. Can’t wait to see you.

Her heart skipped a beat, like something had knocked hard against it.

“What’s wrong?” Zeng Yunxiang noticed her change in expression.

“Nothing. Just someone doing something pointless again,” she said, turning off her phone.

Time had passed quickly. It had been more than a year since that day—February 14th, 2014. That day had marked her transformation. It was also the day something inside her was lost, snuffed out.

Ever since then, every time Chen Xiaocheng looked in the mirror, she felt a piece of herself had gone missing. That unfamiliar part of her still lingered. She didn’t know when the feeling would fade, but she sincerely hoped she’d be free of it someday.

Now, she was sitting on the balcony, staring at the unusually blue Beijing sky—thanks to the alternating license plate driving restrictions. But it felt fake to her. Just like her life.

She looked at the ring on her finger. Everything felt so unreal. Her life had turned into a cheesy soap opera, and it was finally heading toward a fairy tale ending. If she told anyone about it, they probably wouldn’t believe her—a woman who had fallen to the bottom of society was now going to marry into a wealthy family and become a phoenix.

If Zeng Yunxiang hadn’t proposed to me, would everything be different? She shook her head. No. There’s no way it would be different. Zhao Jinsong was bound to die. A dying man can’t keep dragging the living down with him.

She was lost in thought when her phone suddenly rang. The number was unfamiliar.

“Hello?”

“Miss Chen, hello. I’m President Zeng’s secretary,” a man said. But it didn’t sound like Xiao Wang.

“Yes? How can I help you?”

“President Zeng asked me to pick you up at 9 tonight. He wants to take you somewhere.”

“Isn’t he supposed to be back the day after tomorrow?” Zeng Yunxiang had gone to Shanghai on business. He shouldn’t be back yet. Is this another surprise? Chen Xiaocheng couldn’t help but smile.

“He changed his schedule. He’ll arrive in Beijing at 9 tonight. I’ll come get you first.”

“Alright, see you tonight.”

“Miss Chen, may I ask where I should pick you up?”

“Home.”

“Apologies, I’m new. I don’t know your address yet.”

“No problem. I’ll text it to you.”

She hung up and sent the address to that number. Holding her phone, her heart fluttered with joy. Ever since getting together with Zeng Yunxiang, she rarely felt weighed down anymore. But Zhao Jinsong still lingered in her heart like a grain of sand. She had thought that once he died, she’d finally feel free. But somehow, that grain of sand had only grown larger—sharp and painful.

She glanced at the clock. It was 4 p.m. That gave her plenty of time to get ready. She wanted Zeng Yunxiang to see the most beautiful version of her.

Time flew. Before she knew it, it was 9 o’clock. Chen Xiaocheng wore a pure white gown and let her long, dark hair flow freely. Right on time, she headed out.

The secretary called, saying the car was parked in an alley next to her neighborhood. She told him to drive in, but the new guy claimed he couldn’t find the entrance. It’s just a few steps. No need to make things hard for him.

She looked into the alley. A car was parked there, and next to it stood a man—tall, about 1.8 meters—with a slender frame. He leaned against the car and waved at her.

It was dark, and she didn’t see his face clearly until she got closer.

She recognized him.

It was the owner of that second-hand shop.

Her stomach dropped. Sh1t. Trouble’s here. The guy she had wronged had come to collect his debt.

Back then, when she realized something was off about that watch, she’d found a master to examine it. The man had drawn a talisman and stuck it on the watch, telling her to sell it within a day. If, after half a month, the new owner hadn’t come looking for her, she would have dodged the curse.

Sell it? In such a short time? And she couldn’t sell it to anyone she knew. The watch was cursed. It had to go far away.

Eventually, she decided to pawn it. That day, someone in her WeChat group mentioned selling a bag at a second-hand market. That’s how she learned there was one in Beijing. She drove there, browsed around, randomly picked a shop, accepted a dirt-cheap offer, and got rid of the watch.

The market was far from home, and she didn’t know the shop owner. She figured there was no way that unlucky guy would ever find her.

Yet, less than a week later, here he was.

No time to think. She turned to run—but someone was behind her.

A hand flung a powdery substance into her face.

This is poison, isn’t it? She panicked, frantically wiping at her face.

The person sprinkled something else near her too.

She tried to keep running, but her hands were yanked behind her back. A large hand clamped over her mouth, silencing any scream.

Chen Xiaocheng knew—she wasn’t getting away tonight.

“Don’t be afraid. As long as you cooperate, we won’t hurt you,” the second-hand shop owner said.

Frozen in fear, she scanned the area, searching for a way out.

“Put the watch back on her,” said the man who had thrown the powder. He was slimmer and far more refined-looking than the shop owner.

No! I can’t let them give me that watch again! Fear surged through her. Zhao Jinsong’s pale face flashed in her mind.

She struggled, but the man behind her was too strong.

“It’s on.”

“Miss Chen,” the refined man said sternly, “you harmed others first. I won’t hold it against you, but I need your cooperation.”

Chen Xiaocheng nodded, signaling for the shop owner to let go. The refined man gave him a look, and he finally released her.

“What do you want from me?” she asked.

“Simple. At the hour of the pig tonight, you need to kill Zhao Jinsong again. I’ll guide you.”

She started to protest, but the man cut her off.

“Time is short. Don’t waste it with pointless denials.”

“Don’t you accuse me without proof. If you have evidence, go to the police. What you’re doing tonight is illegal, and I’ll take legal action. I’m not playing your twisted game. Let go of me now, or I’ll scream for help.”

With this man, denial was her only option. As long as she didn’t admit anything, she still had the upper hand.

She knew if she didn’t cooperate, the second-hand shop owner would die. But if he died, she’d be truly free. No matter what happened tonight, she had to tough it out.

She remembered those dark days when Zhao Jinsong clung to life like a roach. Nothing could be worse than that. She could survive this too.

Just hold on a bit longer. She looked at the ring on her finger. I’m almost free.

“Let her go,” the refined man suddenly said.

Both Chen Xiaocheng and the shop owner were stunned.

He nodded, and the shop owner loosened his grip.

She walked away cautiously. Neither of them followed.

“I didn’t realize you’d performed a soul-eating ritual until I visited your place and Zhao Jinsong’s,” the refined man said, as if telling a story. “It’s a forbidden art, disgraceful and dangerous. I can’t believe someone still dares to use it today.”

Chen Xiaocheng ignored him and kept walking.

“That kind of ritual rarely succeeds, and even when it does, the consequences are severe. In your case, it failed. Zhao Jinsong wasn’t consumed. Instead, he used the watch to hide in some void space. I underestimated the situation and let this poor shop owner run into him. That opened a passage, and Zhao slipped through. Now Wu—the shop owner—has to die in his place.”

“If you don’t cooperate, this poor man will die tonight.”

The refined man’s voice was calm, almost gentle. It was hard to tell whether he was talking to her or to himself.

“I’ve known this man a long time. Watching him die so unjustly goes against my principles. If I can’t save him, I’ll at least send a beauty to keep him company in the afterlife. He’s been single for over twenty years. He’s never known the pleasures of life. Dying young is a tragedy.”

“So I cast a spell on the watch. It’s special—it links all of its previous owners together. Like grasshoppers tied on the same string, you could say. If he dies… you die.”

Chen Xiaocheng froze. Rage bubbled inside her.

That spell… It must be what he sprinkled on me earlier.

She had known things wouldn’t be this simple. She thought if she just refused to cooperate, she could get through this. But it turned out they were always one step ahead.

She turned around. The refined man smiled.

“What’s the matter, Miss Chen? Changed your mind?”

“Zhao Jinsong is already dead. How do I kill him again?”

The refined man pointed to the car beside him. “Just get in. I’ll show you.”