Translator: CinderTL
Fatty gazed up at the four-story, dark red building, suddenly feeling as if he were facing a massive, crouching beast.
Its jaws were already wide open, waiting for him and the Doctor to walk right into its trap.
"Let's go," Jiang Cheng said, stepping through the gate first.
Perhaps due to its structure, the library's first floor was poorly lit. Though lamps glowed overhead, the dimness still created a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
Whether it was the inherent chill of the place or the Doctor's claim of seeing a human face behind him, Fatty felt deeply uneasy the moment he entered the library.
It was as if eyes were watching him from the shadows.
The interior was far larger than it appeared from the outside. With its high ceilings, the space should have felt expansive.
Yet the architect had designed the place with walls and large screens bearing warning signs, creating a labyrinthine layout. Walking through it felt like navigating a maze.
After leading Fatty through a series of twists and turns, Jiang Cheng and the others finally found a library map, allowing them to pinpoint the location of the lending desk.
Their mission was simple: find the book corresponding to the coded notes.
"Doctor, it's so quiet in here," Fatty whispered suddenly as they walked. They had only encountered one girl near the entrance.
"This library really looks old," Fatty said, tugging nervously at his collar. "No modern library would be built like this. It's like a maze."
"Even old libraries weren't built like this," Jiang Cheng replied.
Fatty's eyes widened. "What... what do you mean?"
"I don't think this place was ever a library. And this building clearly predates Jiangtan University."
Fatty understood Jiang Cheng's implication: when Jiangtan University was founded, it must have incorporated this ancient structure, renovating and repurposing it into the library we see today.
"Then what was this place before?" Fatty's face paled instantly, his mind conjuring terrifying possibilities like a mortuary or an asylum.
"Don't ask me. Ask the person behind you," Jiang Cheng said.
Fatty grimaced and immediately shut his mouth, sticking to the Doctor like glue, practically wanting to become a mascot clinging to his back.
"We're here," Jiang Cheng announced.
About ten meters ahead, a semi-enclosed space separated by glass walls contained several tables, one of which was piled high with books.
A woman with a ponytail and unremarkable features sat at the desk, her head bowed. She occasionally picked up a book, recorded something in a blue binder, and quickly moved on to the next.
Above the glass window, the words "Circulation Desk" were written.
Jiang Cheng had only ever seen such scenes in old movies. Most modern libraries now had computer terminals for self-service searches, making this kind of setup a relic of the past.
"Hello, ma'am," Jiang Cheng said, approaching the window and tapping politely on the glass.
After a moment, the woman looked up. She appeared to be in her early thirties, with pronounced forehead wrinkles and dark circles under her eyes, likely from frequent late nights.
Adjusting her glasses, she asked in a strictly professional tone, "Borrowing or returning? Also," she paused, "you can just call me 'Senior Sister.' I'm a junior this year."
"Hello, Senior Sister," Jiang Cheng replied with a nod, leaning against the window and blinking his eyes. In a deliberately cute tone, he said, "I'd like to borrow a book."
"Title and classification," the woman said, her expression unchanging.
"I don't know the title, but I have this," Jiang Cheng said, handing her a slip of paper. "Could you please check this book for me? I'd like to borrow it."
The woman glanced at the slip and immediately returned it. "I'm sorry, but this catalog number isn't from our library."
"It's not?" Jiang Cheng had considered many possibilities when he came, such as the book being lost or other issues, but he never imagined there would be a problem with the library's catalog number.
"No," the woman replied, her expression unchanging.
Jiang Cheng immediately plastered on an even more radiant smile, leaned closer, and pleaded in a low voice, "Senior Sister, could you please check again? How could it not be? I'm a student here. Are you sure—"
"When I say it's not, it's not," the woman interrupted, her face stern. "Student, I must remind you that this is a library, a very serious place. Please refrain from being so flippant."
Seeing this exchange, Fatty's face lit up with amusement.
Just as Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, preparing to unleash his ultimate move, the dark iron gate behind the woman suddenly swung open, and a slender figure entered.
It was an elderly man with snow-white hair, dressed in simple, unadorned clothing, wearing narrow-framed metal glasses, and a thick woolen scarf around his neck.
"Curator Zhou," the woman greeted, immediately rising to her feet as the old man entered.
"Wu Qing, you're still here? No classes today?" Curator Zhou nodded with a smile, then his gaze shifted to Jiang Cheng and Fatty.
"I overheard you talking earlier. Is there something I can help with?" the old man asked, removing his scarf and placing it on the table with a natural grace that put everyone at ease.
"They're here to borrow a book, but they have a reference number from an unknown source," Wu Qing replied stiffly.
"That's not quite right, Curator Zhou. We're also students at Jiangtan University," Jiang Cheng quickly explained through the glass.
Curator Zhou took the reference number from Wu Qing, glanced at it, and Jiang Cheng noticed his brow furrow slightly, his expression turning peculiar. "Where did you get this reference number?" Curator Zhou asked Jiang Cheng.
Worried about revealing too much, Jiang Cheng deflected the question. "Curator Zhou, do you recognize this number?"
"Hmm," Curator Zhou replied, seemingly not giving it much thought. He lowered his head to examine the reference number again, recalling, "This is indeed a reference number from our library's collection."
"How is that possible?" Wu Qing blurted out.
"But it's not a current one. It's from many years ago, when the university library was first established. It's understandable that Wu Qing wouldn't recognize it," Curator Zhou explained.
"Then is the book still available now?" Jiang Cheng asked, uninterested in the history. He just wanted the book.
Curator Zhou shook his head and handed back the catalog slip, his voice tinged with regret. "It's been too long. Many of the books from that era have been lost, and even if they still exist, they'd be nearly impossible to find."
Seeing their hard-won lead vanish, Jiang Cheng and Fatty refused to give up. Jiang Cheng decided to make one last effort. "Curator Zhou, please try to remember. This book is very important to me."
(End of the Chapter)
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