cemetery

"Li Luo?" Shi Youchen and Lin Zhouze exchanged a glance, seeing the complex expression in each other's eyes. They immediately understood that there was more to the story. Yan Zhiyuan poured more tea into their cups and said calmly, "At least a life was saved. Compared to the others who perished in this incident, we're lucky."

Lin Zhouze, however, shook his index finger in a pretentious manner and said, "That's not the case." He scooted forward, lowered his head slightly, and spoke mysteriously, "Didn't he suffer a serious injury in City Z before? It's said that although he recovered, his body still has many sequelae. After all, he's just an ordinary person."

"This injury is no less severe than the last one, and it's to his lower body. I heard he no longer has male sexual functions."

Lin Zhouze finished speaking in a low voice, leaned back and took a deep breath: "Hiss, it hurts so much just thinking about it."

"!" Everyone was stunned, and it took them a long time to react. "Where is he now?" Shi Youchen asked with mixed feelings.

Lin Zhouze finished the rest of the pear in a few bites. The core traced a beautiful parabola in the air and landed steadily in the trash can. Then he took the tissue Yan Zhiyuan handed him, wiped his mouth, and said, "Do you want to visit? There's a memorial service in a couple of days. They're going to place the victims in the northern cemetery. Why don't we go together after it's over?"

"good."

Three days later, on the 16th floor of dormitory building 7, Shi Youchen was adjusting his tie in front of the mirror. The man in the mirror was tall, and his newly trimmed hair no longer covered his eyebrows. His jaw was thinner than before, and the joints of the hand holding the bow tie were distinct.

Shi Youchen put on a black formal jacket, walked to the door of the guest room and knocked three times, "Ying Yungui, get up." A few seconds later, the door was opened, and a tired-looking man yawned and slowly moved out. He walked to the dining table, sat down, and began to eat breakfast with his eyes closed.

Shi Youchen glanced around the room and found it perfectly tidy. "After today, you're going home, right?" he asked, closing the door. Ying Yungui paused as he peeled the egg, his voice hoarse, "Hmm." He said nothing more and took a bite of the egg, finding it tasteless.

The two of them sat opposite each other and finished their breakfast in silence.

Shi Youchen was about to clear the dishes as usual when his wrist was gently pushed away. "Let me clean up today. You go get some rest." Ying Yungui didn't wait for him to react and had already piled up the dishes and carried them to the kitchen. Shi Youchen curled his fingers in the air and followed him in.

The man with his back to him, head bent over, washing dishes, had broad shoulders and long legs. His back muscles were faintly visible under his black and purple striped pajamas, bulging with the movement of washing and wiping the dishes. "Can you leave Lu Shen's notes with me first?" Shi Youchen asked, leaning against the cupboard.

Ying Yungui didn't stop what he was doing. "Of course. Or rather, I wouldn't trust anyone else with this except you." He placed the last plate in the drain rack and wiped the water stains off the countertop. He turned and met Shi Youchen's eyes. "Then can you promise me that you won't force yourself to investigate?"

He looked serious and frankly at Shi Youchen and said, "I'm also interested in Lu Shen's affairs, but I don't want to hurt anyone I care about because of a possible interest." Behind Shi Youchen's back, he squeezed the rag tightly, and the water that seeped out wet the hem of his pajamas, and his lower back felt cold.

Shi Youchen lowered his eyes and opened the medical report. "This is the result of my full-body checkup two days ago. It's now the third day of validity. You know my diet and exercise schedule from those three days, and my sleep patterns are all recorded." He turned the screen. "I don't have any symptoms and am in good physical health."

"Also, this is the ability test I took on the same day." He pulled up the updated file. "I'm currently a Level 4 Healing Psychic, with the ability 'Healing'."

"So, can you feel a little more at ease, Ying Yungui?"

"I'm fine, how about you?"

"Can you come back intact without forcing yourself?"

Ying Yungui's eyes gradually cleared, and his gaze lingered on Shi Youchen. "I don't want to lose important companions and friends along the way again, especially in places where I can't see or reach them." Shi Youchen swiped the screen away and looked up at Ying Yungui.

"You..." Do you treat me as a special person?

"Don't worry, I haven't taken the position of president yet, and no one values life more than me." Ying Yungui said with a grin, but in the end he didn't dare to ask that question.

Shi Youchen: "Okay, go change your clothes, the mourning ceremony is about to begin."

Ying Yungui rested his hand against the large wet mark on his lower back, then turned sideways and disappeared from Shi Youchen's sight with a crab step.

...

The largest farewell hall No. 7 of the association was filled with people, and it was pitch black. The leader was holding a paper lantern with red-orange flames dancing inside.

"Please enter in order to say goodbye. Those who finish first, please wait in the next room." This ceremony adheres to the principle of voluntariness. Even if you have never interacted with them before, you can still participate as a fellow psychic from the association. Shi Youchen and Ying Yungui arrived late and couldn't find Yan Zhiyuan and Lin Zhouze in the crowd. They had to wait at the end of the line.

When it was their turn, the host handed each of them a cigarette and bowed slightly. Entering the hall, one could see two rows of low platforms facing each other, wreaths stacked against the walls. The platforms were covered with black cloth, and long, strip-shaped frames were filled with white chrysanthemums, lying within them were the victims of the tragic incident.

The two followed the procession, holding incense and circling in mourning, their eyes glancing at each unfamiliar name. After two circles, Youchen noticed that many of the cards were unmarked, presumably because they were so broken that it was impossible to discern or extract any identifying information.

After inserting the cigarette into Taichung, they left the farewell hall and went to the silent room next door. As soon as they entered, Lin Zhouze, who was standing by the door, grabbed their sleeves.

"Finally, we've got you." Lin Zhouze said softly, "We'll be taking them to the cemetery soon. We'll have a long walk there, so take a break first."

Shi Youchen looked around him and asked, "Is Yan Zhiyuan not here?"

"He doesn't attend any such ceremonies," Lin Zhouze said lightly, but Ying Yungui was puzzled. They had clearly attended the funeral of a former teammate together before, but he didn't want to comment on other people's behavior until now. Besides, he didn't know Lin Zhouze very well, so he didn't ask.

Most people in the silent room remained silent, but Lin Zhouze, undeterred, spoke quietly to Shi Youchen. "Generally speaking, burial arrangements need to be discussed with the family, but families generally prefer the association to handle it. It's an honor, and the cemetery is open to all."

"So you might run into ordinary people outside paying their respects later. Don't be surprised if you see anything strange."

Shi Youchen was just listening to him quietly, but suddenly something occurred to him and he asked, "Does the association contact the family first after every registered psychic dies?"

Lin Zhouze: "That's not the case. Some people will submit their own applications, stating how they want to handle their affairs after death. The association's primary criteria is the individual's wishes. For example, some people have family conflicts or more complicated relationships, so they may not be notified."

Shi Youchen: "If we don't notify them, what will happen to their bodies?"

Lin Zhouze: "Generally, those who apply for non-notification of family members will indicate their preferred disposal method. Some want a conventional burial, while others want their ashes buried at sea or scattered as fertilizer. If they do not specify anything, their ashes will be kept secret."

"You know quite a bit about these things." Ying Yungui suddenly spoke.

Lin Zhouze raised the corner of his mouth: "That's right, after all, I have been in management for so many years."

The three of them waited for nearly half an hour before the host came to call everyone: "Please follow us to the cemetery." Shi Youchen was a little surprised. In his previous experiences, he had to wait for at least an hour at this stage. However, this time, with so many victims in the association, the cremation stage was completed so quickly.

Seeing Shi Youchen's melancholy expression, Lin Zhouze wondered if he was reminiscing about the past and thought he was mourning the deceased, so he said, "Don't be sad. This is everyone's fate. Just let it go."

Ying Yungui raised his eyebrows. "I didn't realize you were so open-minded." He had always thought Lin Zhouze was a man trapped in the mundane world. "Hehe." Lin Zhouze smiled perfunctorily. "Let's go and give them a ride."

The cemetery was located in the northwest of the base. The group was escorted there and after a farewell ceremony was held at a fixed location, the host thanked everyone and dismissed them.

"Wait for me for a moment, I'm going to see someone." Lin Zhouze spoke hurriedly before the two left, then turned and walked inside.

He paused with familiarity before a blank monument in the farthest corner. He brushed off the dust, clasped his hands together, and bowed three times, muttering, "...It's almost nine years. I hope you won't blame him anymore and let him truly move on. Please." He bowed solemnly three more times and pulled a small cornflower from his inner pocket. "I brought this back from District Three, carefully preserving it. It's your favorite flower."

He placed the flower into the tiny crack at the bottom of the monument, remained silent for a moment, and then left.

"Sorry to make you wait for me, let's go eat together!" Lin Zhouze waved to the two from a distance and invited them to come over.

Ying Yungui: "I won't go. I have to leave first for something. I'll leave Shi Youchen to you." It seemed that he waited just to give this instruction. After he finished speaking, he got into the car parked opposite and waved through the window.

Watching the car drive away, Lin Zhouze curled his lips: "What's the rush? You can even skip your meal."

Shi Youchen said calmly, "It's okay. We just had breakfast and aren't hungry yet." He didn't ask who Lin Zhouze was going to see, but simply remembered some appointments. "Okay, let's go see Li Luo," Lin Zhouze said, scratching the back of his head.

Shi Youchen hummed, then moved forward and asked, "You said before that he was still in a coma?"

"Yes, that was the news a few days ago. I don't know the situation yet."

They hadn't walked far when they heard a woman's sharp screams not far away. "Please! Please! Please tell me where my daughter is! I beg you!"