It was only a little past midday when we arrived at the old family home in the country, on one side surrounded by greenery, and on the other flanked by a couple other sihueyan-style homes, which eventually gave way to more contemporary residences and small stores. The property was of course fronted by the temple, which stood out imposingly, with its sweeping, orange-tiled roof bending upwards at the corners, its elegant wooden doors with copper door-knockers, and its red-colored walls and columns. The front was further decorated with a colorful facade showing dragons, fierce deities, and intricate patterns finished in gold lacquer.

From where we stood, I could see a couple of people walking around the temple; but, what most caught my attention were the two, large, stone guardian tiger statues at both sides of the main entrance. To my relief, I was unable to see the residing spirits anywhere. The path leading to the actual family residence was to the side of the temple, paved with gray, weathered stone brick.

"If you would prefer, Liao, we can pass on visiting the temple for the time being," came Lin Hu's voice from behind me. "It would be better for you to see your family first, and then rest from the trip. There's no rush."

"Yeah, that sounds good," was my reply, though my tone lacked much enthusiasm, and though in complete honesty, I was beginning to regret this visit, wishing I'd just stayed in Taipei for the holiday. Not only had the trip been tiring, but the prospect of seeing my family and meeting with the various temple spirits was beginning to seem like more and more of hassle than it was worth.

"Anyways, how come I can't see any of the spirits?" I asked, looking around as I began to walk down the brick path towards the front door of the house, leaving behind the narrow street and passing the temple by. "I thought the minute I got here, I'd be seeing temple gods and spirits everywhere."

The beast-man – who was walking behind me – grunted before replying: "They're there, simply out of sight. I can sense their chi, and surely, they can sense mine. They knew of our visit, and for now, I am guessing they've all gathered in the inner part of the temple to discuss how to respond to your – our – arrival."

"What's there to discuss?"

"For starters, your spiritual power. That'll be of interest to them, and they will likely try to convince you to return to the temple permanently, despite what they know about your wishes," he replied, pausing, no doubt to gauge my own response. I said nothing, although the information was adding to my trepidation, and overall contributing to my regretting the visit. He then continued: "There's also the matter of our relationship. Despite the Goddess' approval, I'm sure it will have caused quite a stir among the other gods. Most of them will see it as extremely scandalous. You already knew as much, though."

"Damnit."

The tiger sighed.

"Liao, please don't let it get to you, whatever it is they say in front of you," he said, in that caring, paternal voice; "for even we gods aren't infallible. The gods at your family's temple… they're steeped in tradition, and don't know any different. Should they say something off-color, it's not because they hold any hostility towards you, but rather because they've never been exposed to life beyond the temple. I was the same, until the day you finally were able to see me."

I nodded without turning, and then felt his large paw on my shoulder, gripping me tightly, reassuring me. We were facing the front entryway now, and I was one knock from seeing my family again. I could understand his reasoning; and, though I didn't want to admit it to myself, I did feel some excitement deep down to actually meet and converse with the deities in the family temple. I took a look at the characters for Lín Family elegantly emblazoned by the door.

"I understand what you're saying. Besides, some part of me legitimately does want to meet all the guardian tigers, and Clairvoyance and Clairaudience, and all the other gods. Maybe even Goddess Mazu. If she'll have me. That aside… I-I think it sucks that I'll have to lie and tell them I'm single," I admitted, while turning around to face him and giving a nod in the direction of the house. "Or that I won't be able to talk to you in front of them."

"I'll be with you the entire time," Lin Hu offered, smiling tenderly before putting his large arms around me in a warm embrace. I hugged him back, the softness of his fur and the comfort of his scent lulling me into tranquility. Anybody passing by would have seen me embracing the thin air, so we refrained from extending the hugging for too long.

I gave him a last, deep glance, and then turned to knock on the door.

ll

As expected, my parents made a big occasion out of my visit. Right after the enthusiastic greetings, I was led to the house's living room, where my mom and dad jointly showered me with questions about life in Taipei. Questions about my academic standing and achievements were prominent, although, to my annoyance, they didn't ask once about the dance club; moreover, the one time I did bring it up, they rushed over it to ask if I was eating well.

At one point, I was asked if I was single, or if there was anybody I was seeing presently. At that question, I had to consciously avoid looking up at Lin Hu (who had been standing at my side, like a bodyguard, his tail moving in a constant pattern), and I felt a pang inside as I replied that I was single, since I was too preoccupied with studying. That answer seemed to please them, at which point they moved on.

In turn, they told me about how things had been going at home. It had been a good year: according to them, one of the local business-owners in town had recently secured a good deal, and, as a form of thanks for his prayers, had donated a brand-new statue of Mazu and one of the local Fudegong, as well as a tidy sum both for rites to be performed in his name, as well as for the general upkeep of the temple. In addition, the number of tourists to the temple had continued to grow, which translated to an increase in prestige and funds. They then let me know they had prepared a feast in advance to celebrate both my visit and the Tuen Ng holiday (although I had guessed that beforehand, judging by the smell of food cooking), and that my older brother – in addition to other family members – would be visiting shortly. At that point, my parents excitedly told me that there were some preparations they still needed to attend to, and that I was free to use my old room before everything was ready.

I took that as my cue. Picking up my duffel bag, I made eye contact with Lin Hu, before I began walking to the old room I had used to live in. He followed, at one point phasing right through my dad. It made me want to chuckle, but I kept from doing so, although I think the guardian tiger noticed. We walked to the old room, and closed the door. I was about to say something, but then remembered I couldn't, or I would be heard. So I just looked at Lin Hu in silence, and he glared back. The moment of silence grew longer and longer. It grew until it took up the whole room.