A Yin’s gaze rose, her fawning peach blossom eyes in that moment showing a faint degree of restraint; they didn’t have tear stains, or a sense of aggrievement, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly, reinforcing her boldness and arrogance. A Luo wasn’t in the best of spirits, and didn’t have the intention of reminiscing; she only gave a parting call to take care, and then gathered up her skirts and returned back to the house. Song Shijiu and Tu Laoyao looked at each other, not knowing what to do; the slender man briefly bowed and extended his hand to see them out, and only then did they walk shoulder to shoulder with Li Shiyi, a matter on her mind. As they departed, Tu Laoyao paid attention to A Luo’s meaningful glance, and retreated a step, hurriedly putting the engraved golden calling card into his sleeve. A Luo, hearing the vermillion door creakily pulled open, and then creakily close once more, paused her steps on the stairs, and after not too long, the man returned to her side...

The restaurant that Chen Man had brought Jiang Xichu to had been open for a few decades, and from the fact that it had been open for so many years it was obvious that its dishes were pretty good. Chen Man particularly liked its flavours, but she ate today’s meal without tasting. The fault wasn’t with them; her entire mind was filled with the matter of Jiang Xichu. The two ordered three dishes, and in the end, together they didn’t finish even a single dish, having them put into takeaway boxes; Jiang Xichu walked at the front, the early summer night neither cold nor hot, and the warm breeze brushed against them; Jiang Xichu’s steps involuntarily grew relaxed, and her lips lifted, slowly heading towards the parking lot. Behind her, Chen Man followed along, gaze fixed on Jiang Xichu’s figure. She really likes me? That can’t be, she doesn’t like me; I knew that from the start. Maybe I made a mistake, and it might still be that she likes me! No no no, if she liked me, liked me from early on,...

Since they’d returned home, they’d eaten three meals a day in front of a hot furnace, and their taut muscles easily loosened, and unexpectedly they passed a month or two of peaceful days; Song Shijiu and Li Shiyi lived in one courtyard, and every morning, Li Shiyi would open the door, always finding her placing a full bucket of water down, cuffs drawn high, raising her lustrous, pale arms to wipe away the faint perspiration on her face, asking after her morning with a smile. In the evening, Li Shiyi would flip through books, and every few days she would present the pastries she’d learnt how to make, waiting for Li Shiyi to try a couple, and then she would sit down, making use of every moment to cut paper and wash brushes for her. When the light was good, she would go to the market to buy seeds, and scatter the seeds onto all of the flowerbeds, saying that once summertime came, they would be bound to be filled with fragrant, luxurious vegetation, and all the rooms would be filled with t...

The rooster crowed at dawn; in the winter morning, the gurgle was hoarse, as if wailing, and each call was more mournful than the last; A Yin had packed up quite a bit ago, and was sitting at the furnace, playing mahjong with Tu Laoyao. Song Shijiu had always been diligent in the past, but today, she dallied, and no one saw a trace of her presence; Li Shiyi, at the table, braced her temple and had tea, the corners of her eyes sweeping in the direction of the securely closed door, then sweeping again; then, without making a sound, she drew her gaze back, her ring finger idly pressing against the space between her brows. A Yin, seeing this expression of hers, held back laughter cutting a gaze at the faintly discernible bruises beneath her eyes, and tossed her tiles at Li Shiyi, saying with a smile that wasn't a smile, “Who could have imagined?” “En?” Li Shiyi tossed the syllable at her. A Yin let out a sorrowful sigh, and said, “Who could have imagined you’d stick to this path.” With...

Afterwards, no matter how Chen Man asked, Doctor Liu would only emphasise a single phrase: “Accompany her as much as possible.” Chen Man’s heart muttered, ah, how could she possibly accompany her more? She and Jiang Xichu went to work together, and left work together, and on returning home, they were still face to face; since this was the case, how could she accompany her further? Manager Chen thought a long while, and then finally understood. In the evening, Jiang Xichu watched, dumbstruck, as Chen Man moved for her, putting all of her own things in her own bedroom; seeing Jiang Xichu looking, Chen Man argued, “Doctor Liu said, I’m to accompany you; since that’s the case, before you get better, just live together with me. Let’s eat together, sleep together, and work together, and create a wonderful tomorrow together.” …Are you treating this as a demotion to the ground floor? Jiang Xichu watched her mirthfully; not only did Chen Man completely lack awareness, she was even arranging her...

After rushing about for a day again, in the night they rested in a small village on the way; the village was very small—one could walk from start to end following a single road; in the middle was a small inn, transformed from the previous owner’s courtyard house; it was of some age, and was even more dilapidated than A Tang’s inn; on entering the inn, there was a scent of horse hooves and wet rice straw blended with mildew. The four, bustling in, devoured a few bowls of noodles, and then without further discussion, went directly to the rear courtyard to rest. The inn was small and the inhabitants were few, and the waiter wasn’t particularly enthusiastic; only after pinching her brows for a long while was A Yin able to call for a few buckets of hot water, using a few to clean her body, which had been soaked for a whole day. Tu Laoyao, naked, leaned inside the bathing bucket, letting out rarely-heard moans and gasps of pain; the majority of the day’s silence had been stuffed in the rush ...

Breaths like rust, making one nauseous, spat out from the E Shou’s nose, puffing onto the crown of Li Shiyi’s head; instinctively, Li Shiyi tilted her head, the motion enraging the great, drooling beast; a strong wind moved within the cave, and an excited whining howl once again came from the E Shou’s chest, as if praying devoutly before a satisfying meal. Li Shiyi was toppled to the ground by a flick of its right foot, her shoulder feeling as if having been firmly clamped by iron welding pincers; she could feel the E Shou’s steel-like claws about to break through her bones and flesh, with an unwavering, piercing tension. At death’s moment nearing, her senses had all been carried away; the sounds of Tu Laoyao and A Yin wailing by her ear were far away, as if on the horizon, and in the daze, it all shrank into a sharp, small point, only the aching perspiration remaining now, the thick liquid clouding her gaze. She could only barely sense the sound of her own breathing, entering and exit...

Chen Man had only said a few very simple words, and yet they were even more frightening than all the nightmares; Jiang Xichu closed her eyes, unable to sleep anymore. Chen Man was always good on her word; her temperament appeared good, as if she were easy to discuss with, but that was for minor matters; if there was a large issue, no matter what others said, she would never change her decision. Jiang Xichu’s breaths were very light; if one didn’t look attentively, one wouldn’t even be able to tell that she was still breathing; as her breaths became lighter, the hammering of her heart slowed, and the original disorder of her mind gradually cleared as well. After an indeterminate amount of time, as even the sky grew the inky blue of pre-dawn, Jiang Xichu opened her eyes, gazing at Chen Man by her side. Chen Man had already fallen asleep; half her face had sunk into the soft pillow, and a few strands of hair fell messily by her ear; Jiang Xichu cautiously and carefully reached out a hand,...