Chapter 27: The Old Soul in the Library

Two in the afternoon, by Cui Lake.

The gray-white edifice of the Chutian Provincial Library stood silently by the lake. Its massive glass curtain wall reflected the sky, yet lacked its usual clarity, instead shrouded in a moist, hazy veil.

On the stone at the entrance, the characters “Chutian Provincial Library” appeared particularly weighty under the cool light.

People bustled up and down the broad steps leading to the entrance. In this somewhat subdued afternoon, the appearance of one figure was like a drop of clear water falling into an inkwell, inadvertently spreading gentle ripples.

It was a young woman dressed in a retro academic style. A deep brown checkered suspender skirt, its hem falling past her knees and adorned with delicate ruffles, was layered over a cream-colored puff-sleeved blouse. Her soft black hair was tied into a low ponytail at the back of her head, with a few wisps caressing her cheeks.

She carried a deep brown satchel, matching her attire, and ascended the steps with light, unhurried steps. Her fresh, dewy temperament stood in subtle contrast to the hurried crowd around her. As people passed by, many glances lingered on her for a moment—glances filled with admiration, an instinctive yearning for beauty, and a faint sigh of ‘Ah, to be young.’

No one would have guessed that beneath this demure exterior resided the soul of a seventy-year-old.

Su Xinxin could feel those gazes.

She unconsciously adjusted her satchel higher on her shoulder, muttering inwardly, ‘Are young people today so direct in their staring?’

She even instinctively wanted to look down and check if she had worn something incorrectly. This thought flashed through her mind, then was immediately suppressed, replaced by a ‘senior-like’ understanding: ‘The love of beauty is universal; it’s normal for children to be lively.’

She steadied herself, no longer paying attention to the stares, and looked up at the library’s imposing entrance.

She gripped her bag strap. Inside, the bag contained an umbrella, a notebook, a pen with a white fluffy ball, tissues, a power bank, and more. Most notably, it held a brand new ID card belonging to ‘Su Xinxin.’ Each item was a fitting prop for her identity as a ‘normal female student.’

Stepping onto the slightly damp stairs, she followed the crowd into the cool foyer.

At the turnstile, she paused, mimicking the person in front of her. A soft ‘beep’ sounded, facial recognition passed, and her phone vibrated, displaying a ‘Successful Entry’ notification.

The entire process was so smooth that even this ‘old-fashioned’ person was slightly astonished. Her meticulously prepared ID card was completely unnecessary?

Inside, the library’s interior unfolded, vast and bright.

The multi-story atrium was grand and luminous, with light cascading from high glass skylights. A colossal electronic screen suspended in the center continuously displayed information about upcoming lectures.

The air was filled with the distinct, calming scent of books, a blend of ink and paper, along with the constant cool breeze from the central air conditioning. All sounds here were absorbed and muffled, leaving only the faint scuff of shoes on the floor, the distant rustle of turning pages, the nearer sounds of book lending and return machines, and the reassuring silence inherent in such a vast space.

She paused briefly before an information sign. She realized she was currently on the second floor; the east side housed the self-study area, while the west side was the Chinese periodical reading area. Downstairs was the ‘Children’s Library.’

Just as she pondered where to begin, her phone vibrated in her bag.

It was a message from Jasmine: [I’ve arrived at the library! Jasmin, have you arrived? If you have, feel free to look around. If you spot any ‘Dust,’ just deal with it as you go.]

Seeing the message, the string in Su Xinxin’s heart, which had been slightly taut due to the ‘mission,’ relaxed a little. It seemed she wasn’t immediately thrown into battle; she was just here to ‘look around’ first. This made her feel much more at ease.

She replied concisely: [I’ve arrived too.] After a moment’s thought, she added, [Okay, I’ll just browse around then.]

Putting her phone away, she suddenly felt that since she was here, she might as well truly enjoy the library like any ordinary reader.

Soon, she decided to head to the ‘Chinese Periodical Reading Area’ in the west wing first.

This area differed greatly from the modern atrium she had just passed through. Deep brown wooden bookshelves stood heavy and steady, neatly arrayed with bound volumes of periodicals from recent years and even earlier. On the long tables by the wall, various daily newspapers lay spread open. The patrons here were noticeably older, and the air carried the dry, familiar scent unique to old paper.

This scent was like a key, gently unlocking the floodgates of memory.

She walked to a row of periodical shelves, her fingers brushing over the spines. Some of the titles had appeared in her cultural memory during her youth, others on her daughters’ extracurricular reading lists during their student days. She pulled out an old magazine from several years ago; its cover still featured the popular design style of that era.

She placed her satchel on a nearby table and stood there alone, slowly turning page after page. The slightly yellowed feel of the paper, the solid impression of the letterpress print, those article titles that now seemed distinctly dated—they flowed like a silent stream, quietly tracing the riverbed of her memories.

The flow of time here seemed different from outside, slower, more settled. Xiao Ming was tactfully silent; perhaps it also understood that this was a rare moment of tranquility belonging to ‘Old Master Gu.’

A girl so elegantly dressed in a retro, literary style, alone in the newspaper and periodical reading area, flipping through old magazines—it was indeed a rather unique sight. She could feel the slightly curious and benevolent gazes from several elderly readers nearby, as if they were saying, ‘This young lady has good taste.’

There was also a little girl, brought by her grandmother, who stared at her with wide, round eyes, probably finding this ‘big sister’ a bit different from the other adults here.

Su Xinxin’s cheeks felt warm, but she did not put down the magazine. From those kind glances, she even felt a long-lost warmth, a sense of being ‘watched over by elders.’ It wasn’t until she had roughly finished reading that she carefully returned it to its place.

Next, she walked to the newspaper reading area. Just as she picked up a local newspaper from the current day, and before she had read a few lines, her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

It wasn’t an issue with the news content.

Instead, not far from her, in the area corresponding to an empty seat, a faint, grayish ‘aura’ floated in the air. It was formless and insubstantial, yet carried a subtle sense of irritation and frustration, clinging to the tabletop like dust—an N-level ‘Dust,’ perhaps formed from fragments of negative emotions left by a previous reader.

She put down the newspaper, pretending to stretch her wrist, and naturally turned her back to that direction. Her left hand dropped, her palm lightly brushing her side. A trace of warm, goose-yellow luminescence, like the gentlest breath, silently swept across the area. The gray aura trembled slightly, then silently dissipated, as if it had never existed. The light on the tabletop seemed to brighten and clean by a fraction.

Having done all this, she continued to browse the newspaper headlines as if nothing had happened. Yet, inwardly, she felt a hint of satisfaction at the proficiency of her ‘covert operation.’

Not bad; it was a significant improvement from her fumbling attempts to pretend to play with her phone beside the trash can last time.

Her stay in the newspaper section was brief. She could feel that with her presence as an ‘anomaly,’ the quiet, scrutinizing glances around her seemed to increase. She closed the newspaper, deciding not to ‘disturb’ this realm belonging to the elders any longer. It was time to explore other areas.

She began to stroll leisurely around the second floor.

In the self-study area, she saw every seat occupied, with young faces buried in books or laptops. The focused silence there possessed a powerful infectious quality. She didn’t enter, merely watched quietly for a moment, then followed the corridor towards the direction of the restrooms.

She sensed that there seemed to be a faint trace of ‘Erosion’ near the restrooms as well.

As she walked, she observed that the restrooms here were designed somewhat uniquely, with an entrance around a corner. Without much thought, she walked in, and as she rounded the bend, her gaze swept over the facilities inside—

Urinals?

Xiao Ming, who had been quiet until now, finally couldn’t help but speak. “Wrong way! Wrong way! This is the men’s restroom!”

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