Out-of-control ghosts and malfunctioning soul-calming bells
The morning sun should have dispelled the night's chill, but today the city was shrouded in a thin, dark mist, like a layer of dirty glass. Lu Ye stood at the apartment window, looking at the intersection below—the once bustling breakfast stall was deserted, save for an overturned bicycle, its wheels still creaking. The soy milk hanging from the handlebars had spilled onto the ground, casting an eerie white glow in the mist.
"Another incident." Qi Chen's voice came from behind him, holding the phone he had just connected. His face was darker than the fog outside the window. "Over in the alley, Chen Zhe said a dark figure broke into the tailor shop last night. The stuffed rabbit's eyes turned red, and he heard someone say, 'I want everyone buried with me.'"
Lu Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he turned around and grabbed his coat: "We're going now!"
While driving to the old alley, emergency notices came intermittently from the radio - "Unknown black fog appeared in many places in the city, accompanied by strange noises. Citizens are requested to stay at home as much as possible and not go out..." Before the words were finished, the signal turned into a crackling noise, as if it was interfered with by something.
A cordon was set up at the entrance of the old alley, and several police officers stood outside, their faces pale. Seeing Qi Chen and Lu Ye, the police hurried over and said, "It's so weird in there! We went in once and saw dark shadows floating around and heard a woman crying. We were so scared that we quickly retreated!"
Qi Chen took out his ID and lifted the cordon: "Let's go in and take a look. You stay outside and don't let anyone else get close."
The dark fog in the alley was thicker than outside, and the cobblestones at his feet shone with a damp, cold light, as if it had just rained. The door of the tailor shop was ajar, and from inside came a rustling sound, like someone tearing fabric. Lu Ye pushed the door open, and was greeted by a strong sense of resentment—heavier than any before, choking him and making him cough.
The stuffed rabbit in the shop was tossed to the ground, its once white fur stained with black mist, its eyes bloodshot, as if bleeding. Chen Zhe huddled behind the counter, his face pale. Seeing them enter, he spoke tremblingly, "Last night...last night, the black mist drifted in, and the rabbit's eyes suddenly turned red. Then a dark figure floated over and said, 'You all must die.' I hid behind the counter, so I wasn't noticed..."
Qi Chen squatted down and picked up the stuffed rabbit. Inside the rabbit's belly, a thin red thread, sewn in by Grandma Chen, had now turned black and was still slightly warm. "It's the resentment of that huge wronged soul," he said in a deep voice. "It's contaminating objects that have been obsessed with it, controlling the remaining wronged souls within."
At this moment, the stuffed rabbit suddenly moved, staring at Lu Ye with its blood-red eyes, and making a "ho ho" sound from its mouth, like Granny Chen's voice: "Accompany me... to die together..."
Lu Ye stepped back subconsciously, and Qi Chen immediately took out the soul-calming bell and shook it vigorously - there was a crisp "ding" sound, but this time, the bell did not dispel the resentment, but made the black fog thicker. The puppet rabbit moved even faster and pounced towards Lu Ye!
"The Soul-Calming Bell is useless?" Lu Ye broke out in a cold sweat. Qi Chen had already pushed him away and blocked the stuffed rabbit with his peach wood sword. The moment the peach wood sword touched the rabbit, a "sizzling" sound was heard, and black mist emerged from the rabbit, as if it was burning.
"It's not useless, it's just that its resentment is too strong." Qi Chen gritted his teeth and plunged the peach wood sword into the rabbit's belly. "The power of the Soul-Calming Bell is not enough. We need to find a stronger restraint."
The stuffed rabbit let out a shrill scream, turned into a cloud of black mist, and floated out of the tailor shop. Qi Chen breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at Lu Ye: "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Lu Ye shook his head, but his heart was heavy. "Even the Soul-Calming Bell is useless. What should we do?"
Chen Zhe walked out from behind the counter, holding a cloth bag in his hand: "This is the amulet that grandma sewed when she was alive. It contains her hair. Maybe it will work."
Qi Chen took the cloth bag and sniffed it gently. It contained a faint sandalwood scent, as well as the remaining kindness of Grandma Chen, which temporarily suppressed his resentment. "Thank you," he handed the amulet to Lu Ye. "Take it with you, it will protect you."
As the three of them walked out of the tailor shop, they heard the police shouting from the alley entrance: "Oh no! There's an incident at the museum! The black fog has surrounded the entire museum, and there are cries coming from inside!"
Qi Chen and Lu Ye looked at each other and saw solemnity in each other's eyes - there were relics of Su Qingyuan and Su Manqing in the museum, and it must be a huge wronged soul causing trouble there.
When we arrived at the museum, there were already a lot of people gathered outside. The black fog was like a huge cover, wrapping the museum tightly. The sound of a woman crying could be heard from inside. It was the voices of Su Qingyuan and Su Manqing, mixed together, filled with despair.
"The resentment inside is too strong. If you force your way in, you'll be controlled." Qi Chen frowned and took out Su Qingyuan's brass music box from his backpack. "Try this. Su Qingyuan's relics contain her kindness. It might be able to open a gap."
He unwound the music box, and the melody of "Songstress of the Wandering Wanderer" slowly flowed. Miraculously, the black fog, upon hearing the melody, slowly parted, revealing the museum's entrance. "Go in!" Qi Chen pulled Lu Ye and rushed into the museum.
In the Republican era exhibition area, the fog was thickest. The display cases for Su Qingyuan's diary and Su Manqing's porcelain vase shook, and the relics inside crackled, as if about to shatter. Two pale blue shadows drifted in the mist. They were Su Qingyuan and Su Manqing. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they kept repeating the words "buried together" and "die together."
"Su Qingyuan! Su Manqing!" Lu Ye shouted, "Wake up! We have cleared your name, don't let us control you!"
Su Qingyuan's shadow paused, a glimmer of clarity flashing in his blood-red eyes, but was quickly covered by the black mist and rushed towards Lu Ye. Qi Chen immediately raised the music box in front of him, and the melody became louder. Su Qingyuan's shadow was blocked, and he screamed in pain.
"Porcelain vase!" Lu Ye suddenly remembered Su Manqing's blue and white porcelain vase. "Piecing the pieces together might help wake her up!"
Qi Chen nodded, and Lu Ye immediately rushed to the display case, opened the door, and took out the porcelain bottle fragments. Su Manqing, who was in the black fog, saw the fragments and slowed down his movements. His bloodshot eyes stared at the fragments, as if he was recalling something.
Lu Ye frantically pieced the pieces together, his fingers cut by them and blood dripping onto them. Miraculously, after the blood dripped onto them, the fragments glowed a pale blue and slowly pieced themselves together, forming a complete lotus porcelain vase. "Su Manqing! Look! Your porcelain vase is complete!"
Su Manqing's shadow paused, the black mist slowly dissipating from her, and her bloodshot eyes regained clarity. She stared at the porcelain vase, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you... I almost fell under its control..."
Over at Su Qingyuan's side, the music box's melody also took effect. The black fog slowly dissipated, and her eyes regained clarity. The two shadows floated together and bowed to Qi Chen and Lu Ye. "Its core is underground in the clock tower square. It holds all the resentment it has absorbed. Be careful... It has also controlled other wronged souls and will soon attack the entire city..."
Just as he finished speaking, the museum window suddenly shattered with a crash, and a black mist poured in, thicker than before. A deep voice came from inside: "You ruined my plan... You all must die!"
The faces of Su Qingyuan and Su Manqing's shadows changed: "Hurry up and leave! We will help you block it!" They floated to the door and formed a light blue wall of light to block the black fog.
"Thank you!" Qi Chen pulled Lu Ye and rushed out of the museum. "Let's go to the Clock Tower Square! Only by finding its core can we completely solve it!"
Driving toward Bell Tower Square, Lu Ye stared out the window—the fog thickened, the streetlights flickered, and occasionally, he could see the controlled spirits drifting through the mist, uttering shrill screams. He clenched the amulet in his hand, his heart resolute: "We will definitely defeat it."
Qi Chen nodded, his eyes serious: "Yes, let's go together."
The black fog in the Bell Tower Square had turned into a black vortex, swirling around the bell tower, making a rumbling sound like a roar. A crack appeared in the ground in the center of the square, and black fog emerged from the crack, mixed with the sound of bones grinding against each other.
"The core is down there," Qi Chen took out the peach wood sword and the soul-calming talisman, "I'll go down to find the core. You wait here and use the music box and the porcelain bottle fragments to guard the entrance and don't let the controlled souls in."
"No!" Lu Ye grabbed his hand, "I'll go down with you! We agreed to face it together!"
Qi Chen looked at him, a hint of warmth flashing in his eyes, but also with worry: "It's too dangerous down there, the resentment is very strong, you might be controlled."
"I have the amulet, and you too," Lu Ye held up the amulet in his hand, "I'll be fine. Let's go down together so we can find the core faster."
Qi Chen did not refuse again and held Lu Ye's hand tightly: "Okay, let's go down together."
The two men tied ropes around their waists and slowly climbed down through the crack. Below was a vast space, like an underground cave, filled with black mist and very low visibility. Numerous bones lay scattered on the ground, the remains of the wronged souls previously absorbed by the giant ghost. They were all slightly warm, as if resisting.
"The core is over there!" Qi Chen's flashlight beam swept across the depths of the cave, where there was a black sphere wrapped in black fog, making a "bang bang" sound, like a heart beating.
The two slowly approached, and the black sphere suddenly emitted a black light, hitting Lu Ye's shoulder! Lu Ye groaned in pain, and the amulet in his hand emitted a light blue light, blocking the subsequent attack. "Be careful!" Qi Chen immediately blocked in front of Lu Ye, pointing the peach wood sword at the black sphere, "This is its core, absorbing all the resentment!"
A deep voice came from the black sphere: "You can't kill me... I have absorbed a hundred years of resentment. The entire city is my nourishment... You will become a part of me, just like them!"
The skeletons in the black fog suddenly moved and rushed towards the two! Qi Chen used his peach wood sword to block one skeleton, while Lu Ye used the light emitted by the porcelain bottle fragments to block the others. However, there were too many skeletons, and the two were soon surrounded. Qi Chen's arm was scratched by the skeletons and bleeding.
"Qi Chen!" Lu Ye shouted, wanting to rush over to help him, but a skeleton grabbed his wrist. At this moment, the music box in his hand suddenly rang, and the melody of "Song Girl of the End of the World" echoed in the cave. The skeleton's movements slowed down, and the black mist also faded a little.
"It's Su Qingyuan's power!" Lu Ye said in surprise, "The music box can suppress its resentment!"
Qi Chen seized the opportunity to stab the black sphere with his peach wood sword. The moment the sword pierced the sphere, a sizzling sound emanated, and black mist emerged from the sphere, dimming its light. "Try harder!" Qi Chen shouted, and Lu Ye immediately threw the porcelain bottle fragments at the sphere. The fragments stuck to the sphere, emitting a pale blue light, dimming the sphere's light even further.
The black sphere let out a shrill scream, and the skeleton within the mist suddenly stopped, slowly falling to the ground, motionless. "No... I will not lose..." The voice within the sphere grew fainter, and the black mist slowly dissipated, revealing its core—a black bone with three names engraved on it: Li San, Wang Er, and Zhao Yi.
"It's the bones of those three workers!" Lu Ye said, "Its core is this bone, it has absorbed all the resentment!"
Qi Chen took out the wooden box that had previously contained the workers' skeletons and opened the lid: "Li San, Wang Er, Zhao Yi, your grievances have been cleared. Don't let it control you anymore. Return to your bones and rest in peace!"
The black bones emitted a pale blue light and slowly floated toward the wooden box, landing next to the skeletons of the three workers. The wooden box made a "click" sound, and the lid closed automatically. The black mist completely dissipated, and the resentment in the cave also disappeared.
The two of them breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed on the ground. Lu Ye looked at the wound on Qi Chen's arm and said distressedly: "Does it hurt? We'll take care of it quickly after we get out."
Qi Chen shook his head and said with a smile: "It doesn't hurt, we won."
The two men slowly climbed out of the crack and returned to the Bell Tower Square. The dark fog outside had dissipated, and the sun shone brightly and warmly on the square. Police and residents gathered around them, their faces filled with joy. "The fog has dissipated! You succeeded!"
Lu Ye and Qi Chen looked at each other and smiled. At this moment, they saw the shadows of Su Qingyuan and Su Manqing floating in the sunlight, bowing to them, and then slowly disappearing into the air, as if saying "goodbye".
"Let's go back," Lu Ye said, "I want to have a good sleep and then eat the fried eggs you made."
Qi Chen nodded, took his hand, and walked towards the apartment.
Chapter 2: Remaining Resentment and New Clues
The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a faint glow on the bandage on Qi Chen's arm. Lu Ye sat by the bed, cotton swab in hand, carefully changing Qi Chen's bandage. Yesterday in the cave, Qi Chen's arm had been deeply scratched by a skeleton. Although it had been treated, it still required daily dressing changes.
"Does it hurt?" Lu Ye moved very gently, afraid of hurting him.
Qi Chen shook his head and looked at his serious profile with a smile in his eyes: "It doesn't hurt, just be gentle."
After changing the medicine, Lu Ye put away the medicine box and sat next to Qi Chen. "The core of that huge wronged spirit was resolved yesterday, but I still feel like there's still some resentment left, like the relics in the museum and the stuffed rabbit in the tailor shop. Is there still a problem?"
Qi Chen nodded, picked up his phone, and pulled up yesterday's news. "After the black fog dissipated last night, there were still a few small-scale resentments in the city, such as Qiming Middle School and Jingyuan. People from the Cultural Relics Bureau said that Su Qingyuan's diary and Su Manqing's porcelain vase were still slightly warm, as if there was lingering resentment."
"Then let's go check it out today," Lu Ye said, "and clear out any remaining resentment to prevent further problems."
After breakfast, the two of them went to Qiming Middle School. The school had already suspended classes, with a sign at the entrance reading "Temporarily Closed." Entering the teaching building, it was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind blowing through the windows. In the Grade 8 (3) classroom, Lin Wanqiu's lesson plan was still on the podium, the chalk dust on it turning black, as if stained with resentment.
Qi Chen picked up the lesson plan and flipped it open. Inside, he found a small note from Xiaoyu: "Teacher Lin, I'll help you find evidence." The handwriting on the note had turned black, still glowing faintly. "It's lingering resentment," Qi Chen said. "Xiaoyu's obsession still lingers. He's worried that Teacher Lin's injustice hasn't been completely cleared."
Lu Ye walked over to the blackboard and wiped away the chalk dust with a rag, revealing the words "Restore my innocence." He picked up a piece of red chalk and wrote next to it, "Teacher Lin, your grievances have been cleared, and Xiaoyu has found evidence. You can rest assured."
After finishing, the note on the lesson plan slowly returned to white, and the chalk dust also turned to its normal color. Qi Chen breathed a sigh of relief: "Xiao Yu's obsession has dissipated, and the resentment here has also been cleared."
The two went to Jingyuan again. The fog in the western-style building had dissipated, and the sunlight shone through the windows, shining on the wooden floor of the living room, emitting a warm light. Su Qingyuan's diary was placed on the table in the living room, and the cover of the diary was still slightly hot. Qi Chen picked up the diary and opened the last page. A line of words slowly emerged on it: "Thank you, I can go to reincarnation with peace of mind."
After the words finished appearing, the diary cover stopped burning and returned to its normal color. Lu Ye walked to the dressing table in the bedroom and looked into the bronze mirror. There was no longer Su Qingyuan's shadow in the mirror, only the reflection of the sun. "She's gone," Lu Ye said softly, "with a clear conscience, she's gone to start a new life."
When they left Jingyuan, Zhou Mingyuan called and said that Su Manqing's porcelain vase in Wangchuan Garden also had residual resentment, and asked them to go and have a look. The two immediately drove to Wangchuan Garden.
The fog in Wangchuan Garden had dissipated, and the water of Wangchuan Lake was clear, no longer the black it had been before. Zhou Mingyuan stood by the lake, holding a porcelain vase, his face a little pale. "After the black fog dissipated yesterday, the porcelain vase started to get hot and made a buzzing sound. I didn't dare touch it."
Qi Chen took the porcelain vase and held it in his palm. It was indeed getting hot, and the lotus pattern on it had turned black. "Su Manqing's obsession still lingers," he said. "She's worried that Zhou Tingshen's crimes haven't been known to everyone yet, and that some people might still misunderstand her as a runaway."
Lu Ye walked into the Wangchuan Pavilion, picked up a brush, and wrote on the stone table: "Su Manqing, Zhou Tingshen's crimes have been exposed, and your grievances have been cleared. Everyone knows that you were wrongly accused. You can rest in peace."
After writing, the porcelain vase slowly returned to its normal color and was no longer hot. Zhou Mingyuan breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Grandma Manqing can finally rest in peace."
The three of them sat in the Wangchuan Pavilion, gazing at the waters of Wangchuan Lake. Zhou Mingyuan suddenly said, "Actually, before my grandfather passed away, he left a suicide note saying he felt sorry for Grandma Manqing and hoped someone could help clear her name. Now, his wish has been fulfilled."
Lu Ye nodded: "All the grievances have been cleared, all the obsessions have been dispelled, that's all that's good."
It was already afternoon when they left Wangchuan Garden. As they drove toward the city, Qi Chen's phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. After answering, an elderly voice rang: "Excuse me, Mr. Qi Chen? I'm Researcher Zhou from the Municipal Archives. I have a Republican-era file that may be related to the tragic death of a former wronged spirit. I'd like you to take a look."
"Archives from the Republic of China period?" Qi Chen frowned. "Let's go there now."
When they arrived at the Municipal Archives, Researcher Zhou was already waiting at the door. He held a brown paper file bag in his hand, his face serious. "I found this file yesterday while sorting through materials from the Republican era. It records the construction and demolition of the monument in Bell Tower Square, as well as the cause of death of three workers. It's different from what you said before."
The three of them walked into the archives office. Researcher Zhou opened the file bag and took out a yellowed document. "It says that the three workers didn't die accidentally. They were killed on the orders of the then-mayor. They discovered that the mayor had embezzled public funds for the monument. The mayor was afraid of being exposed, so he killed them and buried them under the monument, claiming they were accidents."
Lu Ye and Qi Chen looked at each other and saw shock in each other's eyes - they had previously thought that the three workers died accidentally while dismantling the monument, but they didn't expect that they were murdered!
"That giant wronged spirit absorbed not only the resentment of the three workers, but also the resentment brought about by the mayor's crimes," Qi Chen said. "That's why its resentment is so strong, because it also contains evidence of the mayor's crimes."
Researcher Zhou pulled out another file. "And this one. The mayor was later arrested for corruption and died in prison. His body was buried underground in Bell Tower Square, right next to the three workers. So the giant wronged spirit absorbed his resentment and became even more powerful."
"I see," Lu Ye suddenly realized, "We only resolved the grievances of the three workers, but not the mayor, so there's still some residual resentment."
Qi Chen nodded: "We have to go to the underground of the clock tower square, find the mayor's body, and resolve his resentment, so that we can completely clean up the remaining resentment."
The three of them immediately drove to Bell Tower Square. The square was already bustling with activity, with elderly people dancing and children flying kites. Qi Chen and Lu Ye found the cracks that had been filled up. They dug them open with shovels, revealing the cave below.
The skeleton in the cave had disappeared, leaving only three workers' wooden boxes in the middle. Qi Chen's flashlight beam swept through the depths of the cave and found another skeleton there. The skeleton was wearing a suit, a Republican-era style. It must be the mayor's body.
"That's him," Qi Chen said, "His resentment hasn't dissipated yet, so there's still some residual resentment in the city."
Lu Ye walked over to the skeleton and discovered that it was holding an account book, which recorded his embezzlement of public funds. "He was obsessed with not wanting his crimes to be exposed," Lu Ye said. "We'll hand the account book over to the police, expose his crimes, and resolve his resentment."
Qi Chen nodded, picked up the account book, and carried it out of the cave along with the three workers' wooden boxes. They handed the account book to the police, who quickly publicized the mayor's crimes and erected a monument in Bell Tower Square, engraved with the three workers' names and deeds, to let future generations know about their injustice.
After all this was done, the remaining resentment in the city completely disappeared. Lu Ye and Qi Chen stood in front of the monument in the clock tower square, looking at the names on it, and felt a sense of peace in their hearts.
"It's finally over," Lu Ye said. "All the grievances have been cleared, and all the obsessions have been released."
Qi Chen nodded and took his hand: "Well, it's all over. We can spend a few days of peace and quiet."
The two walked in the square, the sun shining on them, warm and bright. Lu Ye looked at Qi Chen's profile and suddenly felt that such a day was really good - no terrifying ghosts, no difficult obsessions, only each other and the fireworks around them.
But he also knows that as long as there are innocent souls who need help, they will continue to move forward, because their mission is to ensure that every upright soul is treated kindly by the world.
(End of Chapter 2)
Chapter 3: Daily Fireworks and the Promise of the Future
The early morning sunlight streamed through the French windows, casting a glint of gold across the apartment's carpet. Lu Ye was awakened by the aroma of fried eggs emanating from the kitchen. He turned over and saw Qi Chen, dressed in gray home clothes, standing in front of the kitchen stove, frying an egg with a spatula in hand. The sunlight fell on his hair, casting a faint golden glow.
"Awake?" Qi Chen glanced back at him with a smile in his eyes, "Hurry up and wash up, breakfast will be ready soon."
Lu Ye got up, walked to the kitchen door, and leaned against the doorframe, watching Qi Chen. The frying pan sizzled, and the aroma of eggs mixed with the sweet scent of milk filled the entire apartment, a smell of home he had never experienced before. "When did you learn to fry an egg?" he asked with a smile. "I thought you only knew how to use the peach wood sword and the soul-calming bell."
Qi Chen placed the fried eggs on a plate and sprinkled some black pepper on them. It looked very good. "When I lived alone before, I always had to cook for myself. Try it and see if it suits your taste."
Lu Ye walked over, picked up his fork and took a bite – crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with just the right amount of saltiness. His eyes lit up: "Delicious! Even better than the ones at the breakfast shops out there!"
Qi Chen handed the milk to Lu Ye and took out the toast: "Eat slowly, don't choke. Today is the weekend, let's go to Chen Zhe's house. Lele said he missed us and wanted to show us his new paintings."
Lu Ye nodded and quickened his eating pace. After breakfast, the two packed up their things and went to a nearby cake shop to buy Lele's favorite strawberry cake and Chen Zhe's favorite chocolate mousse.
When they arrived at Chen Zhe's house, Lele was already waiting for them at the door. He saw the cake in Lu Ye's hand and immediately ran over, hugging Lu Ye's legs: "Brother Lu Ye! Brother Qi Chen! You are finally here!"
Chen Zhe opened the door with a smile: "Come in, I made your favorite braised pork, and Lele's favorite sweet and sour spare ribs."
There are Lele's paintings in the living room, some of which depict the scene of them in the tailor shop, some of which depict the scenery of Wangchuan Lake. The top one depicts two adults holding a child, with the Bell Tower Square at sunset as the background. Next to it is written "Lele and his brothers, and everyone is safe."
"This is my new painting!" Lele took Lu Ye's hand and pointed at the painting. "The black fog is gone. Everyone is very happy. I hope it will always be like this."
Lu Ye squatted down and touched Lele's head: "Yes, there will be no more black fog in the future, and everyone will be safe."
Lunch was lively. Lele chattered about kindergarten, Chen Zhe picked up food for them, and occasionally talked about the recent situation of the tailor shop - since the black fog dissipated, the business of the tailor shop has been getting better and better. Many people came to buy stuffed rabbits, saying that they wanted to get some of the luck of "peace".
"It's all thanks to you," Chen Zhe raised his glass. "If it weren't for you, the old alley would have been engulfed in black fog long ago, and we wouldn't be where we are today."
Qi Chen shook his head: "It was everyone's kindness that resolved the resentment. We just did what we had to do."
After dinner, Lele pulled Qi Chen to teach him how to do a puzzle, while Lu Ye and Chen Zhe sat on the balcony and chatted. "Has there been no strange incidents in the old alley recently?" Lu Ye asked.
Chen Zhe shook his head and said with a smile, "No, everyone is very happy. We still chat and play chess together at the alley entrance in the evening. It's as lively as before."
Lu Ye nodded, feeling a warm feeling in his heart. He looked at the sunset outside the balcony and thought that such a day was wonderful—no danger, no fear, only the people around him and the full atmosphere of fireworks.
When they left Chen Zhe's house in the afternoon, Lele was reluctant to leave them and held their hands and walked them a long way. "Will you come again next week?" Lele asked with her little face tilted up.
"Come," Lu Ye said with a smile, "next week we'll take you to the Bell Tower Square to fly a kite, okay?"
Lele nodded and ran back home happily.
The two walked on their way home, the setting sun stretching their shadows very long, close together. Lu Ye suddenly said: "Let's live here from now on and not go anywhere else, okay?"
Qi Chen looked at him seriously: "Do you want to live here?"
"Yeah," Lu Ye nodded, "Here are Chen Zhe, Lele, traces of the people we helped, and our home. I want to stay here forever."
Qi Chen smiled and held his hand tightly: "Okay, we will live here. If there are still wronged souls who need help, we will go and help them; if not, we will live like this, cooking together every day, taking walks together, and watching the sunset together."
Lu Ye felt warm in his heart and leaned on Qi Chen's shoulder: "Okay, that's it."
Back at the apartment, Lu Ye hung Lele's painting on the living room wall, placing it alongside some old items he'd previously kept—Su Qingyuan's music box, Su Manqing's porcelain vase fragments, Lin Wanqiu's lesson plan, Xiaoyu's diary, and the three workers' wooden boxes. These old items no longer held resentment, only memories, recording the days they'd spent together.
Qi Chen took out a notebook from the drawer and opened it. Written on it were the names and stories of the wronged souls they had helped: "Let's write these stories down. When we are old, we can take them out and read them, recalling the days we walked together."
Lu Ye nodded, sat down beside Qi Chen, and wrote with him. Moonlight shone through the gap in the curtains, falling on the notebook, casting a faint light.
"Do you think there will be wronged souls who need our help in the future?" Lu Ye asked.
Qi Chen looked at him with a smile in his eyes: "Maybe, but it doesn't matter, we will face it together. As long as we are together, there will be no obsession that cannot be solved, and no difficulties that cannot be overcome."
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