Jiang Xichu’s scolding was completely unreasonable; Chen Man was stunned stupid by it; only after great while did she finally react, raising her brows high, and said, “Jiang Xichu, explain it to me clearly! What did I do that you’re scolding me like this!” Jiang Xichu gazed at her, and after a few seconds, she let out a long breath, eyes slowly lowering, feeling that the heavy frustrations in her heart had more or less been dispelled; she raised her head, easily wiping her eyes, which had turned a light pink from the tears shed; being looked at by this pair of eyes of hers, Chen Man couldn’t get out a single harsh word, hesitating for quite a while, intending to act softly and coax her Secretary Jiang. But before she could open her mouth, Jiang Xichu spoke first. “Nothing; last night I had a nightmare of the two of us being chased and killed, and you pushed me to make me bait, running away yourself; when I woke up, I was still very upset, and so I came looking for you to get my revenge...

“I remember.” Yue Niang’s gaze was fixed, as if being pulled by an incorporeal string, passing the long-corroded coffin, and falling onto her long-departed homeland. “I am Taiping; my father’s reign name was Gaozong, and my mother, Zetian’s, clan name was Wu. The person in there is A Wan.” She pointed at the coffin before her, her voice remaining weak, pausing without brooking intervention as she related the entirety. “A Wan?” Li Shiyi asked, disbelieving. Yue Niang nodded, the jut of her jaw showing a haughtiness of the descent from heavenly aristocrats, and said, “Zhongzong-zhaorong, [1] Shangguan Wan’er.” [2] Remaining in her slim-fitting Western-style dress, her proud sparrow’s neck adding to her resplendence, the worry deepening between her brows, it made her seem as if she had travelled for many years and become an extremely graceful and tactful person. She said, “From childhood, I was doted on by many, wearing foreign outfit, men’s clothes, with a belt and jade, and a gauze he...

As it turned out, dying wouldn’t stop suffering at all. Although she no longer had a sense of touch, or her five senses, or a heart that would shake in moments of sadness, she was still drowned by boundless pain, paralysing her with despair on the ground, wanting to cry and wail. But she didn’t have eyes, and couldn’t shed tears. Whether she banged on the door or shouted loudly, the world was forever filled with a terrible silence, and she could only watch blankly as Chen Man’s life, bit by bit, slowly seeped away. It was far too cruel; even more cruel than if she were murdered. On the verge of death, Chen Man heard some movement, and, with great difficulty, opened her eyes, seeming to see that person that she had yearned for day and night, still wearing the clothes she had when she’d left that day—that outfit that she’d gifted her, fairly expensive. When she had received it, she had scolded her heavily, saying she shouldn’t spend her money recklessly, but the next moment, she’d eagerl...

Chen Man sat, hunched, at the head of the bed; the moon rose outside, then set, and the blood between her fingers slowly oozed, then congealed; Chen Man, regardless of the changes in the world outside or her own body, seemed to be suspended in time, unmoving, unhurting, neither crying nor laughing.  Even being murdered, Jiang Xichu couldn’t have imagined Chen Man would become like this because of it. She was shocked, so much so that she overlooked an important matter: there wasn’t anyone who would become distraught because of the death of a close friend. Only someone who had lost their greatest love, their entire world, would act like this. For three days, Jiang Xichu remained at Chen Man’s side, not going anywhere, watching Chen Man’s unresponsive form; in those three days, she only ate twice: one container of yoghurt, the one that Jiang Xichu had bought for her, treating it as a snack, for her to drink at her leisure so she could get more nourishment, which had already expired; a...

The young man and the older gentleman had both heard the furious words Jiang Xichu had let out, but they acted the same as if they hadn’t. The ghosts who wanted to crawl their way back to the human realm after dying were numerous; even if one succeeded, they would still have to crouch obediently outside to wait for registration, come in as quickly as possible and find a job they could provide for themselves with—it was what was proper. Being a person was hard, and being a ghost, well, that wasn’t easy either. Jiang Xichu walked out to where that wretched young lady was crouching at the entrance, who would probably still have to wait a lot longer. Jiang Xichu crouched down next to her, and asked, “Do you know where the exit to return to the human realm is?” The young lady blinked, and said, “Of course I know.” As she spoke, she pointed towards the distant light, which Jiang Xichu had assumed all along was the sun, because looking at it, it was quite similar to the sun; but, thinking abo...

Jiang Xichu’s chest rose and fell heavily, and she paced angrily around the office thrice; only then did she return to Chen Man’s desk, her hands pressing against the desk, fingers gripping the edge; she said, angrily, “How is it that you can’t understand what I’m saying? That piece of land can’t be invested in; ten years ago it was the site of a chemical plant’s draining pipe—if you were to buy that, you’d have to compensate an absurd amount!” Chen Man looked at her coldly, and said, “I already said I’m preparing to buy that piece of land; so what if it’s not good quality? I’m not wanting to grow farm crops on it!” “Then what are you preparing to do with it? I’m telling you, what can you even do with that land?!” Jiang Xichu glared; someone without knowledge would think that she was the General Manager; not to be outdone, Chen Man returned her glare, and after a long while, she let out a cold scoff, and said, “I’m not telling you.” Jiang Xichu choked on a mouthful of blood. Outside th...

Just as the words fell, Tu Laoyao was abruptly roused, his hands tightly grasping the armrests to the left and the right, and he cautiously gazed at either side, and said, “It, it’s like the painting again?” Song Shijiu let out a couple of sighs, and once Li Shiyi had been sighed awake, she raised a hand and rubbed her forehead, her voice remaining hoarse as she said, “Say it, then.” Her voice was soft like a young bird’s shed down, eliciting a soft tickle in the bottom tip of one’s heart, like those days she’d eaten and slept with her, when Song Shijiu had always wanted to curl in the crook of her arm, ears perked to hear the sound of her still not fully awake voice. Song Shijiu said in a secretive manner, “I’m quite terrific; indeed, I can slow down the effects of growth.” In the period of speech, the passengers inside the hold woke up one after another, some of them carrying their mugs and heading outside to brush their teeth, some of them wearing slippers to go look for a place to...

Saying the road was slow would make it slow, and saying it was quick would make it quick, but after a few days, they arrived at Shanzhou dock. The sky was like a jade as clear as a body of water, and the clouds crowded together, low in the sky, hanging around the alternating white and red steamships, masts erect, the canvases making rustling sounds as they were blown by the wind, the water eaten up by the boats one swallow at a time, the swaying extremely pleasing to see. Only upon walking closer would one realise that the steamboats were as tall as two storey buildings, like massive monsters, cast iron steps extending from the ships to the shore, like a long tongue admitting all kinds of travellers. The milky white leather high heels trod upon the ground, pressing close against the fair, pale skin of the instep of the foot, a hand enclosed in a lace glove supporting itself on the railing, tapping as if playing a piano, an apricot-coloured Western-style dress wrapped around a full wais...