Longing

Wen Ya accompanied Si Mucheng to the hospital to change his dressing.

A week has passed, the wound has healed, and the stitches can be removed. After the stitches were removed, the doctor went on and on about some precautions. Wen Ya stared at the pinkish-red scar, which clung to Si Mucheng's arm like an earthworm, speechless for a long time.

Noticing her gaze, Si Mucheng glanced at her. Wen Ya's expression wasn't good, so he smiled and comforted her, "Don't worry, it's just a scar. It's normal for a man to have one or two scars."

Wen Ya looked disapproving upon hearing this: "You're an athlete."

Si Mucheng's dog eyes crinkled into crescents: "I'm a sprinter. This injury is on my hand, and it doesn't affect any bones or tendons, so it won't affect anything."

Wen Ya was still annoyed. She said seriously, "Don't come near me if there's any danger in the future. I can handle it."

“That won’t do,” Si Mucheng disagreed. “I can’t just stand by and watch you get into danger. If either of us is going to get hurt, I’d rather it be me.”

Wen Ya was stunned, completely baffled by his logic. She'd always been a lone wolf, used to charging into battle alone. Initially, she'd been somewhat dismissive of Si Mu Cheng; though he looked tall and strong, he was cowardly, his muscles disproportionate to his courage, and he clung to her like glue. But she'd gotten used to it, used to standing in front of him. Yet this man, so clearly timid, had actually rushed to protect her.

She doesn't need protection at all.

During their conversation that day, Wen Ya sighed, "Can't we both avoid danger? Why do we have to get hurt?"

Si Mucheng chuckled again and scratched his head: "That's true. I was careless this time. I promise I won't let us both get hurt in the future. I'll protect you."

"Never mind," Wen Ya thought, "I can't reason with him." Seeing that the doctor had finished, she walked out first.

The doctor was still going on and on about some precautions when Si Mucheng saw Wen Ya leave. He became anxious, nodding and humming in response. After finally finishing his instructions, he quickly caught up with Wen Ya. However, Wen Ya stood motionless in front of the outpatient building.

Si Mucheng blinked and saw the person in front of Wen Ya.

The girl, in her early twenties, had short, shoulder-length hair, a pale face, and wore simple trousers and a T-shirt; she was very plain. Si Mucheng was about to step forward to ask what was wrong when he suddenly realized—it was a ghost. Because "she" had no shadow.

Wen Ya examined the female ghost closely. She was thin and frail, with skin so white it was almost translucent, and eyes as clear and cold as autumn water and stars. Although she was thin, she was not short, almost as tall as Wen Ya.

Wen Ya's gaze fell on "her" wrist. The ghost's form remained unchanged from when she died. The female ghost before her could be considered to have died gracefully, without being particularly bloody or gruesome. Her only notable feature was a deep, bone-revealing wound on her wrist, the flesh torn open and already pale. No wonder her face was deathly pale; she must have bled to death. It was clear how much force and determination "she" had used to make that cut.

Si Mucheng saw it too. He walked over and said softly to Wen Ya, "You've arrived?"

Wen Ya felt the humming of the resurrection lamp in her bag but didn't answer. The female ghost stared at her blankly, saying nothing, and sighed silently.

Although it was several days late this time, the fifth ghost who came looking for the Soul-Returning Lamp finally arrived.

After returning to the Jiang family home from the hospital, Wen Ya went to see Old Madam Jiang and told her that she and Si Mucheng would be leaving soon.

They stayed at the Jiang family's house for a week, which had already exceeded Grandma Jiang's expectations. Even though she was extremely reluctant to part with them, when she heard Wen Ya say goodbye, she could only gently pat her back and say, "If you ever feel wronged or homesick in the future, just come back. Your great-aunt will always welcome you. If you encounter any difficulties, don't be polite to Ashuo; he can handle it. You... don't stop associating with the Jiang family just because of your grandfather."

Wen Ya hesitated for a moment, then, knowing that Old Madam Jiang was genuinely kind to her, nodded and said, "Okay."

When Jiang Shuo heard that she was leaving, he rushed over. Seeing that their luggage was all packed, he remained silent for a long time with a cold face before finally asking, "Where are you going this time?"

The female ghost had said that "her" home was in Changshi, but this time it wasn't that far, which relieved Si Mucheng.

Wen Ya answered, and Jiang Shuo asked again, "Have you bought the tickets?"

Changshi isn't a popular tourist city, but as summer vacation was coming to an end, even though it's a small city, it still had some foot traffic. Although things didn't go very smoothly, I still managed to book the tickets.

Upon hearing Wen Ya mention the date and train, Jiang Shuo fell silent again.

Wen Ya and he weren't particularly close; aside from that relationship, there was a subtle feeling between them. Wen Ya couldn't quite put her finger on it—whether it was dislike or contempt. Of course, Jiang Shuo felt the same way.

Si Mucheng had a different opinion. When he boarded the high-speed train to Changshi, he poked the bag of snacks that Jiang Shuo had handed them when he dropped them off at the station. His tone was not very comfortable: "Big brother seems to treat you differently."

Wen Ya glanced at him: "How come it's different?"

Si Mucheng held up one finger: "I always felt that he liked you quite a bit."

Wen Ya remained silent.

She sighed, "We're cousins." Besides, this is ridiculous. What does that even mean? Jiang Shuo is arrogant; she doesn't think she deserves his special regard.

Si Mucheng shook his head, his tone inexplicably aggrieved: "You've already gone through three generations."

Wen Ya turned to look at him, her face expressionless: "If you say another word, you'll be going back to Qicheng."

Changshi and Qicheng are not far apart. Although they are in different provinces, geographically it is closer to Changshi from Qicheng than to the provincial capital. The high-speed rail takes only half an hour.

Hearing her say that, Si Mucheng immediately became obedient, but the downward turn of his lips made his grievances seem even more pronounced.

But he obediently stopped talking about Jiang Shuo. Thinking of the ghost that had come to his door, he changed the subject to the female ghost who had cut her own arteries: "Did 'she' mention her obsession?"

Wen Ya thought of that pale face and nodded: "It's very simple."

Indeed, it was quite simple. Wen Ya discovered that even in death, the kind-hearted ghosts dared not make too many demands on the world.

Even in death, "they" are not treated well.

They arrived in Changshi in the evening. Even though Changshi is close to Qicheng and not far from Xiqiao Village, neither of them had been there before.

This is a small southern city with nothing particularly outstanding. The high-speed rail station seems to be newly built and looks quite impressive. However, once you step out of the station, its true colors are revealed. The surrounding area is desolate, and the houses not far away look old. As soon as passengers walk out of the station, people swarm around them, asking if they need a ride—the situation of unlicensed taxis is even more rampant in small cities.

However, Si Mucheng was tall and stood there like a mountain, and Wen Ya had a cold expression, so they didn't dare to mess with him. The unlicensed taxi drivers didn't dare to approach him, which made things peaceful for them.

Si Mucheng looked around curiously. He hadn't settled on a place yet and wanted to see how things were going.

The female ghost silently floated to Wen Ya's side again. She was as quiet as ever. When she came to her door, she wouldn't have spoken unless Wen Ya asked her name.

Wen Ya could almost imagine what "she" must have looked like when she was alive. She must have been quiet, reserved, and shy, otherwise she wouldn't have given up her life.

The female ghost was named You Huan. Wen Ya glanced at "her" and said softly, "Do you remember where she lived?"

You Huan looked dazed, and after a while, she nodded.

Si Mucheng asked curiously, "Are we going now? Won't it be too late?"

It was almost dinnertime, and he was hungry.

Wen Ya remained silent for a while before asking You Huan, "This is your hometown, your territory. Do you have any recommendations?"

Si Mucheng couldn't help but laugh. Everyone else asks the locals, but Wen Ya is asking a local ghost.

You Huan was clearly surprised that Wen Ya would ask "her" for advice. She paused for a moment, then a hint of nostalgia appeared on her face: "When we were in school, Miao Miao and I loved going to a certain snack shop. Even after I went to university in another city, we would go there every time we came back. The business was very good and it never got popular."

Wen Ya nodded readily, making the final decision: "Okay. We'll go there."

The shop that You Huan mentioned is in a community. According to "her", the shop is located in the community behind "her" high school. Many students go there to eat after school, and locals in the neighborhood also love to go there.

"It's super popular." You Huan pursed her lips. "There's often a queue. You can just set up a table and a small stool outside and eat there. Miao Miao and I love the spicy chicken feet and the mixed noodles the most. We order them every time. The chicken feet are braised until soft and tender, and the chili sauce is made by the owner herself. It's spicy and numbing when you eat it together. The mixed noodles are also very flavorful, and the pickled radish and peanuts in them are quite eye-catching. I don't know if you guys can handle spicy food, but the people around here can really handle spicy food."

"I can eat, I can eat." Si Mucheng's hunger was whetted by You Huan's words, and he swallowed hard. He said to Wen Ya, "Then let's go quickly."

So the two quickly hailed a taxi and went to the address provided by You Huan.

The high school You Huan mentioned was Changshi No. 1 High School. When the taxi stopped at the school gate, Si Mucheng exclaimed, "Wow, this school gate is quite impressive."

The taxi driver overheard this and smiled proudly: "This is a century-old school in our Changshi, a top-tier school among top-tier schools."

Si Mucheng gave a thumbs up: "A century-old school! Impressive!"

After getting off the car, Si Mucheng praised You Huan, saying, "Wow, you're amazing, a top student!"

You Huan was a little embarrassed. She subconsciously touched her hair and said, "No, I... I just studied hard and did practice questions every day. I barely made it into the university. I can't compare to Miao Miao. Miao Miao is amazing. She's a true academic genius. She always gets first place. And she doesn't do many practice questions. She can understand something after hearing it once. She's a natural talent."

Si Mucheng disagreed: "A genius is a genius, but diligence is also a kind of talent."

Upon hearing this, Wen Ya's heart stirred. She glanced at Si Mucheng, who, oblivious, continued, "Not everyone can be diligent. There are many who are not geniuses but lazy. So, you shouldn't underestimate yourself."

You Huan smiled but didn't say anything.