Longing for my love to return

By the time the dinner ended, the neon lights were already flashing.

Zhang Dali and Afei were still a bit reluctant to leave, and called out to Si Mucheng, "Young Master, it's rare for us to get together like this, how about we continue the party? Go sing karaoke?"

The others nodded in agreement.

"Agreed! It's been so long since I've had this much fun!"

"That's right, we can go get a drink!"

"Wow, it's really rare to see a little guy like you offering to have a drink!"

"Don't look down on people!"

...

Despite the noise, everyone eventually turned to look at Si Mucheng, after all, he was the main character. But Si Mucheng simply waved his hand: "No, no, it's late today, maybe next time."

"Why!"

"This is nothing!"

"Exactly, it's only a few o'clock, what's so late about it?"

Seeing everyone sighing and complaining, Si Mucheng laughed: "Next time, I'll beat you all next time."

Zhang Dali glanced at Wen Ya and laughed at Simu Cheng: "Hey young master, how come I never noticed before that you value women more than friends?"

Si Mucheng made a gun gesture and fired a "biu" at Zhang Dali.

Zhang Dali knew that Si Mucheng had made up his mind, so he didn't want to force him. Just as he was about to say that it was okay, Wen Ya spoke first, "Go ahead." She was talking to Si Mucheng.

Si Mucheng was taken aback: "Huh? You want to go?"

Wen Ya shook her head and pointed to the bus stop by the roadside: "I know how to get back, you can go. Don't spoil the fun."

As soon as she said that, the boys around her were energized: "Young Master, the Young Madam has spoken, so let's go!"

"Yeah! It's a rare treat, don't spoil the fun."

Si Mucheng just stared blankly at Wen Ya. He suddenly had the illusion that he was very far away from her. Even though she was right in front of him, he felt that she was like a flower in the fog, impossible for him to grasp. But they were already teammates fighting side by side, and he still called her master.

Just then, a bus slowly pulled into the station. Wen Ya carefully looked at the route name on the bus and realized that it was the one she needed to take. She nodded slightly to the crowd, turned around, and boarded the bus.

Si Mucheng watched her board the bus so decisively, his mind completely blank. Zhang Dali and the others were still arguing, but he couldn't hear a word they said.

The last passenger had already boarded the bus, and the doors were about to close when Si Mucheng, as if suddenly released from a pressure point, rushed onto the bus.

Before anyone could react, the bus doors closed and it drove away.

Even Wen Ya was stunned. Si Mucheng was standing at the car door, still fiddling with his phone to scan the QR code—he didn't have any change on him.

Wen Ya sighed, stood up to put the coin in his account, and returned to her seat.

Si Mucheng walked over with a grin and sat down behind her. Wen Ya was silent for a moment before saying, "You should have gone out to play with your friends."

Si Mucheng leaned closer to look at her from the side: "Why?"

That's your friend.

Si Mucheng was very puzzled: "Even if they are friends, there is no reason why they have to play together every day. I can choose to play with them or not."

Wen Ya finally decided to be frank with him. She turned to look at him and said, "Those are your friends, your life, and who you are. The ability to see ghosts is just an accident. Don't let it hold you back. You need to live your own life. Those people were with you just now. That's your world, young master."

Si Mucheng didn't know why she suddenly wanted to push him away again, and said blankly, "But, didn't you already take me as your disciple? I... I call you Master."

Wen Ya sighed softly: "Don't be silly. Just think of these gods and ghosts as a side effect of having the ability to see ghosts. Your junior brother at Yuhuang Temple taught you how to use talismans to ward off evil spirits, right? Just use that and you won't have to worry about encountering ghosts for no reason. As long as you pretend you don't see them, ghosts won't be able to get close to you."

"you……"

"I'll be heading to Yucheng tomorrow. Si Mucheng, go back and study hard."

Si Mucheng stared at her blankly, his wet, dog-like eyes deep and gradually revealing a hint of resentment. Wen Ya couldn't stand his gaze, so she looked away and gazed out the window, no longer looking at him.

Si Mucheng sat up straight, lost in thought, and fell silent.

The conversation ended there, and the two remained silent the rest of the way. Back at the Si family home, it was quite unusual to find both Si Licheng and his wife there. Wen Ya told them she would be going to Yucheng the next day, and said goodbye once more. Everyone was already prepared and not as reluctant to part. Aunt Chen, however, prepared a large bag of food for Wen Ya, saying she should eat it on the train and not deprive herself while traveling. Before Wen Ya could stop her, Aunt Chen forcefully stuffed the food into her bag.

She hadn't been able to say a single word to Si Mucheng all night. Lying in bed, half-asleep, Wen Ya thought to herself, "This is for the best. It saves me from getting lost in a maze of thoughts, talking myself hoarse without making any sense."

As usual, Wen Ya got up very early in the morning. She picked up her bag and left her room. She looked at the bedroom next door, but the door was tightly closed, as if the room's owner was making a silent protest.

Knowing she was leaving, Aunt Chen got up early to make breakfast, and the Si family couple were also there. Perhaps sensing something, Chen Hui gently patted Wen Ya's shoulder: "Don't worry, Xiao Cheng is just like that, he'll be fine in a couple of days. If you have the chance to come to Qicheng again in the future, remember to come visit again."

Wen Ya nodded.

After a few more simple instructions, Si Mucheng didn't cause any trouble until Wen Ya left.

Wen Ya couldn't quite describe her feelings, but seeing Chen Guixiang's graceful figure standing under the tree, she suppressed her indescribable emotions and strode forward.

After seeing Wen Ya off, Chen Hui called out, "Xiao Cheng," but didn't call out her own son.

She asked curiously, "Is Xiao Cheng being so well-behaved this time?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Chen placed the milk in front of Chen Hui and pursed her lips, saying, "I don't think so."

Chen Hui understood her unspoken meaning, raised an eyebrow, and turned to nudge Si Licheng's arm: "Your son's 'entanglement power' is a family heirloom, isn't it?"

Si Licheng remained unfazed: "The student surpasses the master."

There was a bus right outside the Si family villa that went directly to the high-speed rail station, and Wen Ya rode it all the way to her destination without incident.

She couldn't figure out how to buy tickets online, so after getting off the bus, she headed straight for the ticket hall, which was nearly empty. Just as Wen Ya reached the entrance, a tall figure who had been leaning against the door suddenly stood up straight, his tone full of complaint: "Why did it take so long?" But his puppy-dog eyes were bright and sparkling.

Wen Ya asked in surprise, "You... what are you doing here?"

Si Mucheng laughed, one hand in his pocket and the other carrying his travel bag, as he swayed over to Wen Ya: "What were you babbling about yesterday? Of course, a disciple should follow his master."

“You…” Wen Ya was speechless.

But she knew that when this person started to act shamelessly, there was nothing she could do.

Si Mucheng pulled out two train tickets from his pocket and waved them in front of Wen Ya: "The tickets are bought. Let's go, get on the train, it's almost time to check tickets. If you hadn't come, I would have had to think about changing my ticket."

Wen Ya: "..."

The journey from Qicheng to Yucheng takes six hours by high-speed train. Wen Ya only learned that Si Mucheng had bought a business class ticket after being led onto the train. She looked at the spacious seat and muttered, "As expected of a young master."

Si Mucheng heard this clearly, but instead of feeling ashamed, he felt proud and said with a grin, "So follow the young master well, and the young master will guarantee you wealth and honor."

Wen Ya ignored him.

Around noon, the train arrived at the station.

Yucheng is an ancient capital of two dynasties, and at this time of year, it offers scenery different from that of the south.

This was also the first time Si Mucheng had come here, and he looked around this city with great interest.

Wen Ya had already asked Shen Guixiang, who said that she had been trapped by the archway bridge for sixty years and had only seen the surrounding environment. In particular, the city had developed rapidly over the years, so she didn't know the way at all.

Wen Ya wanted to go to the place where Shen Guixiang died first, but before that, she needed to find out where the archway bridge was. However, before she could even start, Si Mucheng had already enthusiastically approached the old man by the roadside.

He was sweet-talking and good-looking, and he charmed the elderly people sitting by the roadside, making them smile. Before long, he returned with the answer.

"I found out! There's a moat in the west of the city, and over there is a historic arched bridge. How about we go check it out?"

Wen Ya nodded, and Si Mucheng immediately took out his phone: "Then I'll call a car." After fiddling with his phone for a bit, he raised his hand, wrinkled his nose at Wen Ya, and said, "All done."

Wen Ya was momentarily stunned by his smile.

Si Mucheng leaned closer, looking into Wen Ya's eyes, and said ingratiatingly, "So, isn't it great to have me with you? I can run errands, carry bags, I'm strong, and I have a good wallet. Where else can you find such a good apprentice like me!"

Just then, a few girls who were obviously tourists passed by them, and their whispered conversation reached Wen Ya's ears.

"Look, there's a handsome guy over there."

"Where?... Oh! I see it, wow, you have a great figure."

"Right, right? Even without taking them off, you'd think they had eight-pack abs."

"You can't see her face at all!"

"That's called a contrast... Haha, stop looking, stop looking, he's just trying to win over his girlfriend."

"Let me see, wow, his girlfriend looks really cool too, she looks like a female dog, I'm shipping them!"

Wen Ya: ...

Although they were speaking Mandarin, why couldn't she understand them?

Si Mucheng's expression remained unchanged, and it was impossible to tell whether he had heard or not. However, at that moment, his phone rang. Si Mucheng straightened up, picked up his phone, glanced at it, and said to Wen Ya, "The car is here, let's go."

The Didi driver was a chatterbox; once he saw their destination, he started talking non-stop.

Wen Ya never expected that the Arch Bridge would become a tourist attraction. Because it was built during the Ming and Qing dynasties and is well-preserved, and locals have even created some stories about it, everyone knows about the bridge whenever you ask.

"It's said that for a time, you could hear a woman crying on the bridge. The older generation says that during the war, a woman's husband was conscripted to fight and never returned. The woman waited for her husband on the bridge day and night, but he never came back. After he died, her soul didn't reincarnate; it stayed on the bridge, still waiting for her husband." The driver told Wen Ya and the others the story of the Arch Bridge with great interest.

Upon hearing this, Wen Ya and Si Mucheng exchanged a glance. Although this story had nothing to do with Shen Guixiang, it did have some similarities to "her".