Yu Daochen was seventeen years old. Because of his unusual left eye and a special destiny, he had caused the death of his parents at birth.
His grandmother, the only one who had raised him, passed away when he was fifteen.
It was in that same year that a fortune teller came to the village, saying that he was destined to bring misfortune and disaster, and that he would likely not be able to live a normal life.
With no other options, Yu Daochen sold his old house and the family property left by his parents, and came to Jiangdu, Yangzhou, to open a shop that only opened its doors at midnight.
The night had dyed everything around him black. As it was an old street, the houses were tightly shut, with not a sliver of light escaping. Only the faint streetlights by the roadside were still on.
A gust of wind blew, lifting the flyers on the ground. Yu Daochen shivered unexpectedly, rubbed his half-closed eyes, and yawned. Summer had barely passed, so why was the wind already so chilly? As he spoke, he quickened his pace.
On the roofs of the houses by the roadside, black stray cats roamed back and forth. In the moonlight, their pair of green eyes stared at him, occasionally letting out calls that sounded like a baby's cry. Coupled with the fact that there were no pedestrians on the road late at night, seeing those pairs of green eyes fixed on him made him feel a chill.
Yu Daochen glanced at the pairs of eyes staring at him, ignored them, and continued walking. As he approached, the stray cats' meows grew fiercer, and some looked ready to jump down and attack him.
Yu Daochen stopped, clicked his tongue, and impatiently glared at the stray cats on the roof. Instantly, the stray cats cried out in unison and scattered from the rooftops.
Yu Daochen took out his phone and checked the time: eleven forty-five. He put his phone back in his pocket and quickened his pace.
The rest of the way was much quieter, with no stray cats bothering him. However, this only made the surroundings seem more eerie and terrifying.
After a while, Yu Daochen stopped under a streetlamp and walked to the front of a two-story building opposite.
It was an old-fashioned house. Although old-fashioned, it had been built by Yu Daochen just six months prior. Under the lamplight, a door plaque made of hundred-year-old sandalwood came into view, engraved with three large characters: Midnight Shop.
Yu Daochen took a key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and turned it gently. With a click, the lock was opened.
Taking a deep breath, Yu Daochen pushed hard, and the two doors swung open heavily, accompanied by the characteristic creaking sound of wood.
Yu Daochen stepped inside and flipped the power switch. There weren't many doors inside; one could count them on one hand. Besides the door leading to the backyard, there was a tea table and a cabinet. Behind the cabinet were drawers used by traditional Chinese doctors to store medicinal ingredients. Although not on the same scale as a traditional Chinese medicine shop, there were at least forty drawers.
Forty drawers, no more, no less, arranged in a five-by-eight grid. This layout was designed by a friend of Yu Daochen's who understood feng shui, including the orientation of the house and all its architecture.
He lit the stove, placed a teapot filled with water on it, and let it heat slowly. Once everything was ready, Yu Daochen took out his phone and saw it was exactly twelve o'clock. He stretched and lay down on the rocking chair, closing his eyes to rest.
In the pitch-black depths of the night, the lights inside the shop shone exceptionally brightly. Yu Daochen's shop was the only one with light on the entire old street, like the last glimmer of hope in the darkness.
Welcome to Midnight Shop. What can I do for you, esteemed guest?