The two looked at each other, and Ran Yusheng took the initiative to say, "If other people accidentally touch me, they seem to only feel cold."

Ruan Bei: "..."

Does that mean he can not only see ghosts, but he might even encounter them?

He had no desire to continue researching this matter. After thinking for a while, he squatted down and rewrote several letters, choosing the best one to put into an envelope.

While packing, she boasted to Ran Yusheng, "Knowing I was going to pack love letters, I specially bought pink envelopes. Oh, and this letter paper even has a fragrance!"

Ran Yusheng: "...Thank you?"

Ruan Bei didn't notice that his "thank you" sounded a bit forced. Afraid of crumpling the letter, he deliberately tucked it into his book before putting it back in his bag.

"I'm going to buy an umbrella. Please wait for me. If it works out, I think we might try to give the letter directly to your wife."

He thought this was Ran Yusheng's dying words, and seeing his wife read the letter with his own eyes should make him a little happier.

"Go ahead, and by the way, you don't need to use honorifics with me anymore. I need your help now."

Ruan Bei smiled sheepishly: "Then you are also an elder."

However, at Ran Yusheng's request, he changed his address, no longer calling him Mr. Ran, but the more intimate "Uncle Ran," and no longer using the formal "you" address.

Ruan Bei, carrying her schoolbag, ran quickly outside and found a shop selling umbrellas.

With summer just around the corner, the store displayed many fancy and attractive parasols. He was fair-skinned and handsome, and the saleswoman kept recommending light-colored, lightweight single parasols to him.

Ruan Bei smiled and declined, carefully selecting a large black umbrella with twenty-four ribs.

Not only is the opening area large, but the umbrella fabric is also very thick, making it heavy in your hand. Of course, the price is not cheap either.

He stretched it out to test it, and only after confirming that it wasn't cramped at all even with two people on it did he put it away with satisfaction and let the seller pay.

To be honest, if it weren't so silly to look at and too heavy to lift, he would have loved to buy one of those super-sized umbrellas that businesses use.

I was so focused on helping Ran Yusheng, but it's really hard to share an umbrella with a ghost.

"Sure enough, good-looking people look good even with this big black umbrella, it makes them look especially elegant." The saleswoman gave Ruan Bei a discount because of his good looks.

Ruan Bei touched his empty pockets and sighed helplessly; he was really poor.

Although I'm not an adult yet, I feel like one in my mind. I'm embarrassed to keep asking my parents for money, but I spend my allowance too quickly.

He had previously discussed some small plans that might make money with his father. They had already bought a sealing machine and started using it, and it had indeed made some extra money from beverages.

However, his father scolded him, telling him not to worry about making money, as he was about to enter his senior year of high school and shouldn't be distracted by such trivial matters.

So the development of new products was put on hold. He couldn't just tell his dad about all those recipes and expect him to come up with them on a whim.

His father couldn't be trusted either. Everyone in his family was a good cook, except for him. That was probably the only thing he was like in the Lu family.

So Ruan Bei, as a high school student, was really poor.

His mind wandered to his empty pockets as he ran towards the small park without stopping. His lunch break was short, and he couldn't afford to miss his afternoon classes.

This time, there was no need to search for Ran Yusheng everywhere. Ruan Bei, who was very familiar with this place, directly chose to take a shortcut through a small grove of trees to the big locust tree.

He had only gone halfway when Ruan Bei seemed to hear footsteps. He reflexively turned his head and saw a little girl standing not far away, looking up at him with her innocent face.

Ruan Bei immediately softened his expression, walked over and half-squatted down in front of the little girl, asking gently, "Little friend, why are you here all alone? Where are your parents?"

The little girl was quite pretty, with big eyes, a small mouth, and two dimples on her round face. But I don't know if she fell somewhere, because one of her two braids came undone, and the other was hanging loosely behind her head.

The little girl stared at Ruan Bei for a while, then said in a soft voice, "Daddy goes to work, Mommy goes to work."

Ruan Bei frowned: "Then why are you here alone? Do you know where your parents work? Do you remember their phone numbers?"

The little girl fell silent again. Ruan Bei rubbed his temples in worry, intending to tell Ran Yusheng that he would take the little girl to the police station today.

"Wait a minute—"

"Brother, Niu Niu can't find her mother."

Perhaps it was Ruan Beiwen's gentle aura that had an effect; just as he was about to ask the little girl to wait for him, she suddenly reached out and tugged at his clothes.

Then those fair, delicate hands passed through Ruan Bei's clothes, or rather, the clothes passed through her hands.

The little girl looked bewildered, withdrew her hand, and looked around in front of her eyes.

Ruan Bei: "..."

Before he could think, his legs reacted first, and he ran out of the grove like the wind.

At this moment, he no longer found Ran Yusheng scary. After all, he was a familiar ghost and didn't have any bad intentions; he was a good ghost.

He ran to the big locust tree in one breath and saw Ran Yusheng standing under the tree, and felt somewhat comforted.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Noticing that Ruan Bei's expression was not quite right, Ran Yusheng asked with concern.

Ruan Bei said with a pained expression, "I encountered another ghost, a little girl. It scared me to death."

He told Ran Yusheng what had just happened, and felt much better afterward.

To be honest, he couldn't easily talk to others about things like seeing ghosts; keeping it buried in his heart for too long would only become a burden.

But after he finished speaking, he became a little worried: "That little girl seems to be looking for her mother..."

Is it really a bad idea to just leave her like this?

Ran Yusheng thought for a moment and advised, "Xiao Bei, let me say something. Listen to it if you think it's useful."

Ruan Bei immediately said respectfully, "Uncle Ran, you're too kind. Just say what you have to say. Any experience you share will be more than enough for me."

He spoke so nicely that even if Ran Yusheng was trying to win his favor, he still found the kid quite endearing.

"As far as I know, you've only encountered two ghosts so far, me and that little girl, right?" Ran Yusheng asked.

Ruan Bei nodded, agreeing.

Ran Yusheng continued, "Look, there are so many people in this world, and countless people lose their lives every day. Have you ever thought about why you only met the two of us?"

Ruan Bei was taken aback. He would be happy if he saw fewer ghosts, so he didn't care why he only encountered this once. He wished he didn't see any at all.

But after Ran Yusheng said that, he felt that it was indeed strange.

"Uncle Ran, what do you think?" He couldn't figure it out, so he humbly asked someone who might know.

Ran Yusheng said, "I suspect that not everyone can become a ghost after death; there must be a prerequisite."

"What are the conditions?"

"I don't know either, but I guess it might be an obsession."

"Obsession?"

"Yes, it doesn't necessarily have to be a specific thing. It could be a person, an object, a promise, or a grudge. In short, if you can't let go of something, you become a ghost."

Ruan Bei seemed to be deep in thought. Ran Yusheng couldn't let go of his wife, which was why he became a ghost. Perhaps that little girl just wanted to find her mother.

"What if the obsession cannot be fulfilled?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that I won't be able to stay in the mortal world for much longer. Seventy-seven is the final deadline."

Ruan Bei looked surprised: "So there really is an underworld? A netherworld? Yama? Meng Po? The River of Oblivion?"

Ran Yusheng chuckled and said, "Aren't you afraid of ghosts? You seem to know quite a bit about these things."

Ruan Bei touched his nose sheepishly. It was precisely because he was afraid of ghosts that he wondered what ghosts were afraid of!

"I've never been there, so I'm not sure. But if it really exists, that would be great. I'll wait under the Bridge of Helplessness, and maybe I'll be able to see my wife there."

Speaking of this, Ran Yusheng was quite composed, after all, he had been dead for so long and had come to accept reality.

Ruan Bei felt a little sentimental, but then he understood Ran Yusheng's intention in bringing this up: "So, that little girl will leave after the forty-seven-day mark, and I don't need to worry about her?"

Ran Yusheng nodded: "I think so. And I feel we shouldn't interfere."

He said, “Although I am a ghost myself, I must remind you that not all ghosts are harmless. You have only seen the two of us. I consider myself a good ghost and have never harmed anyone. That little girl’s appearance is naturally deceptive, so of course you think she is harmless, and even feel sorry for her and want to help her.”

"But Xiao Bei, ghosts and humans are not the same species. If a ghost stays with a human for too long, it will harm the human."

He just wanted to catch a glimpse of his wife from afar, and his contact with Ruan Bei wasn't frequent. As long as Ruan Bei got some sunshine, nothing would happen.

But what about that little girl? She's too young to know anything. If Ruan Bei sends her home, she'll just stay with her parents, which isn't a good thing.

Ruan Bei understood what he meant. He had previously guessed that ghosts might harm people, and now he completely gave up the idea of ​​helping the little girl.

He thought even deeper. He couldn't do anything else besides see ghosts, so it was best not to have any contact with them. Who knew if he would encounter a good ghost or a bad one?

Besides, ghosts, good or bad, are all scary...

Let's resolve Uncle Ran's matter first.

Ruan Bei took out a large black umbrella, opened it, and let Ran Yusheng come in and try it out in the sunlight.

Ran Yusheng said that it would be a little uncomfortable, but bearable.

Since the umbrella works, their plan can proceed.

It's too late today, Ruan Bei has to rush back to class. Luckily, tomorrow is Sunday. High school students only get one day off a week, so tomorrow is a good day off.

"Uncle Ran, would you please wait for me at the street corner tomorrow?"

Ruan Bei timidly discussed it with him, saying he was too scared to come to the small park anymore...

Ran Yusheng couldn't help but laugh. This kid was quite familiar with him, so why was he still so afraid of ghosts?

"Okay, how about I see you out?"

Ruan Bei was madly in love, but he was also terrified of running into that little girl again on his way back!

"Would it be too much trouble for you...?"

"It's alright, let's try out this umbrella."

Ran Yusheng, being very understanding, helped him find an excuse, and Ruan Bei readily accepted his kindness, holding up a large umbrella for Ran Yusheng to see him out.

Perhaps because there was a little devil hiding somewhere posing a threat, he chose the lesser of two evils, and Ran Yusheng walking beside him was not so scary. Ruan Bei felt that he was not as afraid as he had imagined.

Ruan Bei walked cautiously through the small park until he saw pedestrians on the street, at which point he breathed a sigh of relief.

He led Ran Yusheng to a shady spot, then looked around to make sure that no matter how the sun moved, there would always be a shady spot to shelter him before he said goodbye with peace of mind.