Strictly speaking, Luo Qiu wasn't exactly an orphan because he had a legal guardian and relatives.
That person was his father's second wife, simply put, his stepmother.
A stepmother indeed...
However, such topics never appeared in Luo Qiu's conversations or life.
Because watching that woman who worked tirelessly day and night for him, who seemed to want to give him motherly love no matter what, Luo Qiu felt somewhat agreeable.
Of course, if it weren't for the owner of the name added to his household register—this woman with the legal status of his 'mother', who was in the best years of her life—Luo Qiu thought he might have been more willing to call her 'mom'.
People are creatures that get used to or avoid sadness, and they get used to the people around them.
Theoretically, no one should yearn for solitude.
"But why do I yearn for it?"
Luo Qiu wrote 'out' on a sticky note and placed it on the refrigerator door, taking advantage of the weather before it became scorching hot and left the house.
It was the weekend; there were no college classes, and he simply wanted to be alone and quiet, nothing more.
...
...
The morning streets had already begun to bustle.
Perhaps it was because of the early rising of those using the weekend.
Fathers taking their daughters out to play, elderly couples strolling hand in hand by the riverbanks, some utilizing the weekend to engage in sports to feel life's vitality, while others began their day's livelihood.
All kinds of people appeared in Luo Qiu's line of sight, then disappeared, like actors on a stage in a grand theater, seemingly born to be top-notch performers playing their roles.
Luo Qiu was accustomed to observing but not to speaking, wanting to probe what was in people's hearts but unwilling to have excessive contact with them.
What could it be?
A belated adolescence full of conflicts and contradictions?
He just wanted to be alone and quiet... The nearby bustle started, Luo Qiu shook his head and walked towards the shopping street which probably wasn't officially open yet.
It might be quieter there; perhaps he could find one or two pedestrians and observe them well?
With earphones plugged into his phone, listening to songs that weren't particularly popular, Luo Qiu unknowingly walked into the shopping street.
As he expected, there were mostly unopened or half-open stores, with occasionally a couple of places already selling breakfast bread and such.
Luo Qiu bought two buns and sat on the bench at the edge of the street... It seemed no one paid attention to him, even though he looked so peculiar alone.
——'Trafford's Trading Club'——
This was the name that suddenly caught Luo Qiu's attention.
Although not to the extent of memorizing everything around him, a store with such a quirky name should leave some impression, right?
The sign was made with letters pieced together, and the storefront was entirely wooden, with a lantern evoking strong European flavor on the left side, while the right side featured a clearer window display.
He barely managed to see some small decorations in the window; they attracted Luo Qiu to go closer.
Lavishly dressed dolls, a small clock that seemed to have stopped, bear claw-like artworks, and a tattered but particularly alluring fisherman's hat.
"Would you like to come in and take a look, sir?"
Just as Luo Qiu was observing these odd decorations at the window, a voice suddenly appeared beside him.
It was an unusually pale girl, seemingly of similar age to him.
Black and white, a Gothic maid outfit with eternal hues, overall carrying a morbidly beautiful air. Yet Luo Qiu didn't have much time to focus on these.
What he looked at was her sapphire eyes, truly mesmerizing, like gemstones, stones with strange magical powers.
Like a vortex.
When Luo Qiu came back to his senses, he'd already walked into this peculiar club. He couldn't even recall how he got in.
Like the scenes in a movie, suddenly switching.
"Please have some tea, sir."
The girl with sapphire-like eyes and a slim figure, dressed in a Gothic maid outfit not uncommon in this era, served Luo Qiu a cup of herbal tea.
"Roselle can make you feel at ease, sir. Only when you're at ease can you know what you truly need."
"Oh... Is it just you in this shop?"
He really couldn't figure out what to say, but since he'd inexplicably ended up inside, Luo Qiu decided to go with the flow; just window shopping wasn't particularly uncommon.
This strange shop, however, sparked a new curiosity within Luo Qiu.
Even though he walked in, he still didn't know what it operated.
"No, the master will come out soon to negotiate with you." The girl smiled slightly and walked into the inner hall.
Master? Is it the boss's hobby?
Heh heh...
Shaking his head, Luo Qiu started to survey everything inside.
Perhaps it was an extension of the style from the outside window display, all kinds of bizarre items that shouldn't match, yet it didn't seem awkward at all, and instead carried an air of mystery.
The shop's area for receiving guests resembled those western divination rooms Luo Qiu had seen, in dim colors, and instead of incandescent lights, there were long, white candles placed properly on candle holders.
The boss certainly put a lot of thought into this place.
The waiting time exceeded Luo Qiu's estimate, but curiosity prompted him to stay. His attention was drawn to the items on the display cabinet beside him.
They were two beads, fixed with stands above and below, scarlet, like some kind of gemstone, encased in a delicate glass container.
For some reason, Luo Qiu imagined them as moons in the night sky. But thinking about how could there be two moons in the sky, and scarlet ones at that, Luo Qiu couldn't help but smile.
"Do you like this pair of 'Scarlet Moons'?"
Finally, he heard another voice aside from the girl's; it seemed to be the so-called boss who had been reluctant to come out.
Luo Qiu turned around and saw a neatly dressed middle-aged man—more appropriately, a foreign middle-aged male.
Unlike the maid clerk, his eyes were a murky gray... and his spoken language here was exceptionally fluent. Without looking at him, one might not realize he was a foreigner?
Plus, the fact that he's a handsome uncle is quite striking...
"I was just looking." Luo Qiu instinctively replied.
Both the boss and the maid clerk gave Luo Qiu a sense of mystery.
At this point, the boss smiled slightly, walked to the display cabinet, and gracefully took out the glass container.
He looked at Luo Qiu and said, "These 'Scarlet Moons' are something only possessed by a tribe living on the ancient Latin American mainland. When people of this tribe experience unbearable sorrow, anger, or even joy, their eyes transform into this beautiful scarlet. Moreover, under the night moons, they emit a marvelous brilliance. Of course, this tribe has gone extinct because of these beautiful eyes. This could be the only existing pair of 'Scarlet Moons' in the world."
Are those eyeballs?
Luo Qiu was dumbfounded and felt like he was listening to an incredibly absurd story, the absurdity being that he listened all the way through.
But the boss's entrance was somewhat unconventional, so Luo Qiu instead asked, "Since it is such a precious item, how much are you planning to sell it for, boss?"
The boss chuckled, "This requires the guest to personally set the price. Because this is Trafford's Trading Club... So if you want to obtain this pair of 'Scarlet Moons,' please bring out what you think is appropriate. Also, a reminder, we do not accept any form of currency."
So... is it a strange shop run by a deranged boss?
"Don't like it?"
The boss seemed not disappointed and put the items back in place, enthusiastically guiding Luo Qiu to sit back down, "Then let's talk about what the guest wishes to buy."
"Wish to buy something..." Luo Qiu chuckled and said, "I don't even know what this place sells."
Shaking his head, Luo Qiu stood up and said, "I'm sorry, I probably don't have anything I want to buy... Of course, this shop is very special, so if I have time, I might come back again."
"Anything can be purchased, as long as you are willing, anything can be bought... of course, it requires the guest to pay sufficient price. So... what does the guest truly want?"
The boss sat quietly like that, with a transcendent confidence and smile, silently watching Luo Qiu.
Today didn't seem as boring as usual.
Luo Qiu looked into the boss's eyes, momentarily lost.
What does he truly want?
Luo Qiu instinctively pondered over the question... the surroundings became utterly serene, quiet enough that Luo Qiu felt a sense of reassurance.
This place... it seemed to transform into another world; one could see the people outside, but they seemed never to notice its existence.
Just watching, watching, watching in solitude...
"This place... I want, this place."
Luo Qiu slowly revealed his thought at that moment.
Of course, it was merely a moment, and he seemed to snap out of it, realizing that everything here was unfathomable, breaking out in a cold sweat.
The boss's expression suddenly became strange, as if joyous, as if expectant, but more so... eagerly.
"Respected guest, one of Trafford's Trading Club's rules is that once you speak of what you desire, the transaction enters its process. If you fail to mention what you wish to offer in exchange, it will be up to me to set the price. So... as you wish. I will sell Trafford's Trading Club to you, for your freedom as the transaction currency..."
The world seemed to turn completely upside down, swallowed by darkness around him.
Before Luo Qiu, an ancient goatskin unfurled; he couldn't even see the writing on it, but saw his name began to appear on it bit by bit.
Then, it burned.
Quickly it burned.
The darkness devoured him.