2 - Romantic Mélancolique

Chapter 2: The book Romantic Mélancolique

Over the past two weeks that I have been stuck in this alternate universe, I learnt that time passed faster here than in the real world. While I could not be certain how many days have passed in actuality, I knew that I could use it to my advantage. Now, I would have more time to complete my holiday assignments and study for the gaokao [1] next year.

I sat in the living room, half pondering over my Literature assignment and half wondering if I should blackmail Ji Kai into finishing it for me after I rescued him. Before I could meet him, Wu-momo said that I would have to undergo some training as a substitute 'Librarian' and wait for the right timing.

After finishing a few simple missions, my current task was to manage the world within a fantasy book titled Romantic Mélancolique, written by a contemporary author, Fu Sheng, and published in 2004. Set in the 1920s Republican Era, the book narrated the story of a young lady, the female protagonist, who wished to perform Western jazz music, against society's norms. She learnt music under a mysterious young man, Yan Chun, who was half Chinese and half French.

Yan Chun was the male protagonist and little was described about his background. At the start of the story, the author had included minor details about him having an older sister, Felicité, who ran away from their home in the French Concession and vanished when he was younger. This led to Yan Chun's broken family and he spent his teenage years having to take care of his sickly mother who fell into depression. Against this backdrop, he grew up to become a talented musician who groomed the female protagonist into a world class singer and developed a romance with her. However, before any of these major events played out in the book's universe, a teenage Yan Chun gained 'consciousness' and started acting out of the ordinary.

When book characters gained awareness, they may become confused, dissatisfied with their world or act unnecessarily. This would complicate the plot, causing it to deviate from what was originally written. The job of the Librarian was to erase the consciousness of such book characters by entering these alternate fictional universes or by luring them out of the books and into the Tower of Ten Thousand Books.

In Romantic Mélancolique, the teenage Yan Chun, who still went by his childhood name 'Frédéric', gained awareness and realised that his sister was missing and he decided to search for her, wandering around the country. If things continued the way they were, he would not grow up to become that talented musician, would not meet the female protagonist, and would not fall in love with her, and there would be chaos in the book's universe. A Librarian like Ji Kai, peacekeeper of thousands of fictional universes, would have to search for a young Yan Chun in the book and make him drink a concoction of brewed tea akin to Meng Po's Soup. This way, Yan Chun would return to the path that the author had set out for him and forget everything that he did while he was aware.

Unfortunately, as I was not a Librarian, the librarian assistants at the Tower thought that it would be safer if I stayed in the Tower and invited Yan Chun over, instead of leaping straight into the book's universe. Together, we borrowed an enchanted black cat from another book and sent it out into Yan Chun's universe to lead him over to our garden. They called this the "luring technique" for beginner Librarians, who were usually children trying to familiarise themselves with their duty as guardians of books.

"It is a good thing that Miss Yuhan is not dealing with an antagonist who has gained awareness." Wu-momo entered the living room while carrying a tray of clay teapots and teacups. Han Dong, a librarian assistant whom I met the day after I had arrived, trailed behind her with a book in his hand.

Han Dong sat down gracefully on the opposite side of the table. He opened the book in his hand and stared down at the handwritten traditional Chinese characters on the yellowed pages. Holding up the book in a certain awkward position which would draw anyone's attention to its blue cover displaying a complicated and difficult sounding book title, he flipped a page nonchalantly. "I have specially selected simpler books for Miss Fang."

I smiled wryly and ruminated on his words. I could not tell if this young Great Ming top scholar was expressing sarcasm with an expressionless face. The other day when he gave me a tour of the Tower, he remarked that the standard of Chinese literature had declined drastically.

Subconsciously, I covered my school assignment and hid the literature text behind me.

"Thank you, Scholar Han. I'm more familiar with fiction from the 20th century onwards." I cleared away my schoolwork and helped Wu-momo to arrange the tea set.

Wu-momo nodded appreciatively at me but quickly pushed my hands away. "Just sit and relax. You don't have to be so formal."

"Xiao Dong, you are still scaring the young lady," she chided the silent young man, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing with his long hair tied up in a topknot, sitting opposite me, "look, she's still being so formal with you."

"Just call him Xiao Dong, like the rest of us too. You're one of us now. Moreover, I've always said that times have changed outside and we should move along with it."

"Alright." I nodded. "Then he should be informal with me too."

Han Dong said nothing but took out an envelope from inside his long, wide and flowing sleeves before sliding it across the table gently.

"This is a reply from Miss Yuhan's parents."

I eyed the brown envelope with slight disbelief. Even though this enchanted garden was something like the middle ground of thousands of different universes, I was told that it was not entirely disconnected from the reality that I came from. I could still write letters to my parents to tell them that I had decided to go camping and would be uncontactable via technology for a few days. They should not be too worried about me.

Anticipating my parents' wrath for suddenly disappearing without informing them beforehand, I tore the envelope carefully. Instead of the chastisement I was expecting, my mother simply wrote that I should be careful and take care of myself, and that they were going away on a holiday without me for the next two weeks. It was indeed a letter from my parents. There was my mother's familiar handwriting and evidence that I was their daughter—gadding about suddenly without prior notice must run in the blood. Letting out a little scoff, I folded the letter in a random manner and slotted it between my textbook.

Wu-momo offered me a cup of tea as she looked at me with worry and hesitation.

"Don't worry." I smiled and tapped the book holding my letter. "They aren't too worried about me. I can still complete my mission over here."

"O—n-no, I wasn't trying to pry into your business," she said slightly flustered, "but I'm glad they are not upset at you."

I shook my head and gave her a reassuring smile. Excusing herself, her lips curled as her face relaxed. I stared after her as she left the room, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. The way ancient people acted was too polite and somewhat rigid. At least Wu-momo and Xiao Lan seemed friendlier than Han Dong, who was outwardly austere and very reserved. I blinked at that thought as a realisation crossed my mind.

Ji Kai acted just like that. Minus the archaic manner of speaking.

"Hey." I turned excitedly to Han Dong. "Are you friends with Ji Kai?"

His eyes lit up for a brief second before he nodded silently. "We have meaningful discussions about all kinds of literature texts."

Han Dong pulled out the book, Romantic Mélancolique, that I had been poring over the past couple of days. "In any case, you would not be able to leave this place without the young master's help."

My heart tightened upon hearing his sobering reminder. But I inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly to calm my anxiety. This mission seemed to be taking longer than I expected.

"Xiao Chun will be arriving later this afternoon by train. I will meet him at the entrance of the Garden, lure him to the Tower where you will be waiting in ambush, then I will feed him the secret potion that will give him amnesia. Then I'll send him off by train back to his storybook world." I regurgitated our plan to get rid of Yan Chun's consciousness. "That's our plan, right?"

Clearing his throat, Han Dong straightened and placed a hand over the book. He thought for a moment before his lips twitched. "You have got the gist of it. This is your first time executing it alone, but you have practiced it multiple times before. You should be able to do it well. Constant dripping of water can wear down a stone." [2]

Leaning forward, I smirked. "That's an encouragement coming from you, right?"

An unexpected scoff came from across the table. "It's such a simple task and you need encouragement?"

Was he mocking me?

I launched up from my chair and slammed the tough wooden table with an annoyed harrumph. "I don't need your encouragement. I live by the saying: when the boat gets to the pier-head it will go straight with the current!"[3]

***

In the middle of the Garden, next to a koi pond surrounded by rockeries and fake mountains, stood a magnificent and elegant pavilion which was decorated with yellow glazed tiles, a gilded mono-eave, ornately carved lattices and vermilion pillars. A wooden plaque inscribed with gold characters, "Wan Shu Lou", Tower of Ten Thousand Books, hung prominently above its tall and wide entrance.

Inside, the five-story tower was richly decorated with Chinese paintings, calligraphy, porcelains and neatly arranged rows of bookshelves. On the ground floor, a wooden counter was placed near the entrance of the hall. In modern day language, it was the information counter of the library and it was also where the librarian assistants work. From the second to the fifth floor, one could find a wide collection of fiction books with a variety of different genres. The second floor held mostly treasured and prized ancient scrolls and texts which were stored in an enclosed room with no windows to prevent oxidation, while the fifth floor contained contemporary novels and other literature. I learnt that the older books were typically 'stable' and it was usually the newer books that were brought into the Library that required constant supervision. Interestingly, there was a veranda on the fifth story where one could appreciate the view of the Garden and the adjacent vast lake. But I was unable to enjoy the scenery at the moment.

I watched nervously with bated breath as Yan Chun picked up the cup with the amnesia-causing tea, took in its aroma, and drank from it. As long as he drank most of the tea, my mission would be almost completed. As if deep in thought, Yan Chun continuously sipped the tea without noticing my strange and eager expression. I lifted my cup to pretend that I was drinking the tea as well, but my hand started trembling. Using my other hand to stabilise myself, I quickly set the cup down gently. My unnecessary movements may actually cause me to hit the grass and alarm the snake.[4] I should simply breathe silently and wait patiently.

After a long moment of silence, Yan Chun finally finished his tea and became conscious of his surroundings once again. He shot a glance at my cup which was still filled up with tea and opened his mouth, but I quickly stood up before he could say anything.

"It's almost time for you to leave. I would require your assistance with operating the lift once again, please." I smiled sweetly at him and started leading him away from my crime scene.

Although the Tower had stairs that were well-maintained, I did not want to pass up on the opportunity to ride a manually-controlled elevator built in the early 1900s. According to the librarian assistants, the Tower was built sometime during the Ming dynasty, but during the Republican era, the Ji family's Librarian of that time period installed a manually-controlled lift for convenience. Out of the four librarian assistants working in the Tower, only Pan Yi, who was born in the last years of the Qing dynasty, was the most familiar with its operation. But when I led Yan Chun into the building earlier, none of the librarian assistants were around. Fortunately, the book character this time was someone who lived in that era.

With familiarity, Yan Chun unlocked the latch that held the lift's door open before rolling it shut. Turning the shaft in the opposite direction this time, the lift started descending slowly and I listened to the creaking noises around us, not daring to even breathe.

"May I ask you a question which has been on my mind for a while now?" Yan Chun politely asked.

"Go ahead."

"Do lifts exist in your time period? I mean, I know that electric lifts only came about in the last century or so, but do you have a similar kind of invention as well? "

I mentally scratched my head. How would he know that I came from the 21st century? Following his line of sight, I suddenly realised that he was under the impression that I was a time traveller of sorts due to my clothes.

"What you're wearing looks like the clothes that I've seen them wear in Peking operas. From the Ming dynasty, isn't it? And earlier when we arrived in this building, you mentioned that you did not know how to operate this lift as you do not have such lifts from the time period that you live in. Even though I'm still quite confused about what this place is, and how time seems to be warped here like in the science-fiction books that I've read, I have an inclination to believe that you are not from 1924."

"Oh yes, you're right about my clothes. I'm wearing an aoqun. But to answer your question on whether we have lifts in my era, our lifts are so much more modern and advanced. We even have escalators. That's why we hate climbing the stairs."

Yan Chun frowned in confusion but quickly concealed his facial expressions. He remained silent for the rest of the excruciating long journey down.

Ding! A smile stretched across my face as I braced myself for the light bump upon reaching the ground floor. As the lift finally came to a jerky stop, my hands reached out impatiently to open the gates.

A black cat, I named 'Midnight', was sitting patiently atop the unmanned counter in the main hall on the first floor of the Tower. It had led Yan Chun into the Garden earlier and it was to lead him once again, out to the train station and back home.

"Follow the cat," I pointed to Midnight which leapt down from the countertop and ran proudly out of the Tower.

We hurried after the cat, walking briskly down the gravel pathway, past the koi pond, fake mountains and flowering bushes.

I twirled around to ask as we neared the Garden's exit. "Do you have your return ticket?"

Yan Chun shoved his hands into his pocket and felt around. He pulled out a slip of paper and a pocket watch.

"Yes," he answered and gazed fondly at the objects in his hand. "The train will take me back to the suburbs where I came from?"

I clutched the book, Romantic Mélancolique, in both hands and grinned. "If I'm not wrong, the train would take you straight to the railway station in Shanghai. I'm sure you will be able to find your way home from there."

Yan Chun nodded before stopping suddenly.

Hearing the lack of footsteps behind me, I turned around and gave him a quizzical look.

"Jade," he called out the English name I had given to him earlier. It was a random translation for the second character of my name—Yu.

I retraced my steps and stood in front of him. "What's wrong?"

I tried to hide my nervousness and impatience behind a mellow tone. If we did not exit the Garden soon, Yan Chun might miss the train.

"Pardon me if I am being intrusive, but can I ask you a question?"

Pressing my lips together, I hummed affirmatively.

His curious gaze swept across me once more like he did when he first entered the Garden. "Why are you here? In this strange place? Do you live here?"

A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I took some time to consider the question. Whatever happened in this strange place and whatever I was going to say, Yan Chun would never remember it after he returned to his world. Especially not after he has drunk the special tea.

"That's three questions," I started and wanted to pause for dramatic effect, but seeing him open his mouth to say something in protest, I continued, "but I'll answer you anyway. I'm here to save a friend who got stuck in a little bit of trouble. He is the owner of this place and had sent you that letter. Originally, he was supposed to meet you and pass you the pocket watch that your sister left for you. But he can't make it... so here I am."

He stared at me for a brief moment, but the momentary confusion in his eyes faded when hissing and screeching sounds rang out in the Garden. He snapped his head in the direction of a piercing sharp whistle which rudely interrupted our peaceful and tranquil surroundings. "That sounds like the train."

I nodded and pulled him along the rest of the path leading out of the Garden. The black cat had long reached the station and gave a loud meowed, as if beckoning us over. It was time for Yan Chun to go home now.

"What took you so long? The train is leaving now!" Wu-momo stood in front of the opened train doors, her arms flailing in the air.

"Sorry, sorry," I laughed and climbed up the stairs to the platform with much urgency.

Turning to Yan Chun, I pointed at the train conductor. "You can hand the ticket over to him before boarding. This is where we will see you off."

He hesitated as he boarded the train. Turning around, he gave me a small smile. "Thank you for giving me information about my sister."

"It's my pleasure." I gave him a light pat on the shoulder. "I hope that you will feel more assured now to pursue your own happiness, Xiao Chun."

"Thank you," he nodded, with a growing smile on his face.

Yan Chun finally got onto the train and the black cat followed him closely. The train conductor shredded the ticket before closing the train doors.

"Sorry that your farewell is so rushed!" I waved at him through the opened windows. "The black cat will lead you home. Follow it!"

The train whistled loudly, signalling its soon departure.

"As soon as this train leaves, it is mission accomplished!" I turned towards Wu-momo excitedly. "Which character is it next?"

She laughed in response and shook her head helplessly.

"You'll have to ask Xiao Dong about that. But it seems like he thinks that you are ready to save Young Master."

*** ***

Author's Note: [Just realised that I can't have Chinese/Korean characters in the body of the story... So got to remove them...)

[1] (gao1 kao3): China's annual standardised college entrance exam.

[2] (di1 shui3 chuan1 shi2): Translated literally as "constant dripping of water can wear down a stone" simply means that one's perseverance will bring one success eventually.

[3] (chuan2 dao4 qiao2 tou2 zi4 ran2 zhi2): Translated literally as "when the boat gets to the pier-head it will go straight with the current", this phrase means that eventually, everything will turn out for the best; therefore, one should not need to worry about any potential problems at the moment as the problems will eventually be resolved.

[4] (dao2 cao3 jing1 she2): Translated literally as "hit the grass and alarm the snake", this phrase means to act rashly and alert the enemy.

*One should avoid doing this!

Thanks for reading! : )