Chapter 14: Materials
Yu Chunqiu chuckled and waved at Bai Lengci.
“Xiao Bai, come, come! You sit down!”
Bai Lengci’s gaze swept across the chessboard.
Black and white intertwined, the situation was clear.
The white stones had formed a thick presence in the center, firmly controlling the territory and already occupying several key points.
Meanwhile, although black stones had made some small gains in corner battles, they were overall being suppressed—especially the large group of black stones in the lower right corner, which had been tightly surrounded by white.
There weren’t enough eyes; being captured was only a matter of time.
For now, it was merely lingering on the edge of defeat.
In this middle game, white was clearly dominant, and black’s loss was almost certain.
Unless black could somehow pull off a shocking reversal in the next few moves, there was no hope of turning the tables.
But to step in and take a guaranteed loss on someone else’s behalf was not Bai Lengci’s style.
“I don’t know how to play.”
Bai Lengci shook her head.
It was a bit impolite to refuse an elder outright, so she could only claim she didn’t know how to play.
“Eh?”
Yu Chunqiu’s face clearly read, *‘Who are you trying to fool?’*
“I remember, you do know how to play, don’t you? I even saw you messing around with Old Zhang over a few games before.”
Bai Lengci replied,
“That was just fooling around. I didn’t really understand anything.”
Seeing that she was completely unmoved, and noticing Luo Nansheng crossing her arms with a look that said *‘I want to see what tricks you’ve got left,’* Yu Chunqiu had no choice but to give himself a way out.
He patted the armrest of the chair beside him.
“Aiya, what are you standing there for? Sit down, sit down quickly!”
Then he turned his head toward Luo Nansheng with a big smile.
“Xixi, don’t just stand there sulking. Go pour Xiao Bai a cup of tea, ease your temper, ease your temper.”
“Again with this trick?”
Luo Nansheng sneered.
“If I go, you’ll just steal my move again. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“I promise! I really promise this time I won’t!”
Yu Chunqiu raised his hand as if swearing an oath.
“I’m not going.”
Luo Nansheng’s refusal was firm and absolute.
Taking the chance, Bai Lengci spoke again.
“Mr. Yu, there’s really no need for tea or a meal. I only came here to borrow some materials and ask a few questions before leaving. I don’t want to intrude.”
Just then, the study door was gently pushed open.
A housekeeper in an apron peeked her head in respectfully.
“Dean Yu, the meal is ready. Shall we serve it now?”
Yu Chunqiu looked instantly relieved.
“Come, come, come, Xiao Bai, Xixi, let’s eat first and talk while we eat!”
Without giving them a chance to object, he cheerfully led the way out of the study.
Bai Lengci frowned slightly as she watched his eager back.
She had thought this would be resolved in just a few words, but she hadn’t expected Mr.
Yu to insist on keeping her for a meal.
Eating at someone else’s home?
She had never done such a thing since childhood.
What’s more, when facing a whole table of dishes, the only thing she felt was nausea.
She couldn’t possibly just sit there like a block of wood while everyone else ate, could she?
“Mr. Yu.”
Bai Lengci raised her voice slightly.
“There’s no need for a meal. I already ate at home. I really just came to borrow some materials and clarify a few questions. Besides, I also have some personal matters to handle.”
Yu Chunqiu stopped in his tracks and turned around, his always-smiling little eyes carefully observing her.
He had known this student for a few years now and understood that her temperament was solitary and stubborn.
Once she set her mind on something, it was hard to change.
Seeing her expression so earnest, without a hint of politeness for politeness’ sake, Yu Chunqiu didn’t press further.
What could a senior high schooler possibly need to borrow materials for? Most likely just some academic difficulties.
“Ai, you child, still keeping such distance.”
He waved his hand, without the slightest sign of displeasure—on the contrary, there was a kind of easygoing *‘have it your way’* air about him.
“Alright, alright, just go to the archive room yourself. You know your way around well enough anyway.”
He didn’t even bother asking what exactly she was looking for, and instead turned to instruct the housekeeper.
“Sister Wang, take Xiao Bai to the archive room.”
“Alright, Dean Yu.”
The housekeeper answered, then turned to Bai Lengci.
“Master Bai, please follow me.”
“Thank you.”
Bai Lengci nodded slightly, quietly relieved, and followed her out.
Passing through a quiet corridor, the housekeeper stopped before a heavy dark wooden door, pulled out a key, and unlocked it.
“Master Bai, here we are. Please take your time, and call me if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
Bai Lengci thanked her again, then watched as the housekeeper turned away before stepping in alone.
The archive room was vast, filled with the cool scent of old paper and timeworn bindings.
Rows of steel bookshelves stood in order, packed full of large tomes—stitched thread-bound books, bound archives.
The classification labels were clear: *Local History, Economic History, Intellectual History, Folk Culture, Policy Compilations…*
Bai Lengci walked toward the *Folk Culture* and *World Religions/Legends* section.
Her eyes skimmed quickly over the titles: *Illustrated Guide to Chinese Spirits and Monsters, Studies on Medieval European Folk Beliefs, Genealogy of Greek and Roman Mythology, Treatise on East Asian Witchcraft, Compendium of the World’s Unsolved Mysteries…*
She pulled out a thick copy of *Encyclopedia of European Folklore* and flipped through it quickly.
Werewolves, witches, goblins, water spirits…
The entries on “blood clans” or “vampires” were only a few pages of vague descriptions, filled with conjecture and literary embellishment, utterly irrelevant to her own experiences.
Next, she picked up *Heresies and Taboos in the Religious Perspective*.
This one did mention the “blood accusations” of the Middle Ages and certain heretical sects’ “blood-drinking” rituals.
But it still stayed only on the level of religious persecution, without a single substantive record of physiological traits.
Time ticked by.
In the quiet archive room, the only sounds were the soft rustle of turning pages and her own nearly soundless, steady breathing.
She searched through every possibly relevant section, even flipping through obscure collections of local strange tales.
Nothing.
What was kept here were the official histories of national development and serious scholarly research—the “officially sanctioned” past.
And “vampires”?
They only existed in word-of-mouth gossip, cheap horror novels, and corners of internet urban legends—things unworthy of such a refined academic archive.
Half an hour later, Bai Lengci closed the last book in her hands—*Report on Nineteenth-Century Far Eastern Folk Customs*—and gently placed it back on the shelf.
The result was just as she had expected, yet still brought a faint sense of disappointment.
Her gaze swept across the room and finally landed on the section labeled *College Entrance Exam Preparation Materials* and *Classics Every Youth Must Read*.
She walked over, casually pulled out a few brand-new volumes—*Detailed Analysis of Core Points in High School History, High-Scoring Guide to Classical Poetry Appreciation, Complete Collection of Argumentative Essay Writing Templates*.
Hugging these high school study guides, she stepped out of the archive room and closed the door behind her.