The three indistinct characters dispersed in the tomb chamber; the amorous scent of sweet basil was incredibly improper on the ice-cold yellow loess and stones; Li Shiyi picked the smoking pipe up, and considered it carefully, and then felt the ground faintly vibrate, the sound of swift, uneven, hoofbeat-like footsteps rushed, approaching from the distance with the force of a hot knife through butter. Tu Laoyao’s body trembled violently, and the fat on either side shook as if struck over and over by Lei Gong; [1] the group gazed at him, bewildered, and saw that he’d fished the Hun’ce Command out from his pocket with some difficulty, pinched between numb fingers, and he said, stammeringly, “F…fuck, it’s shaking!” Li Shiyi thought to herself this wasn’t good; she held the smoking pipe horizontally across her chest, just having fallen into a defensive stance when she heard a burst of ghostly breeze attack, coming icily behind her head. She pressed her mouth firmly shut, the veins on her ...

It was said that Yan mountains were on a dragon’s vein; rising from west at the Yang River, and at the east linking the Shanhai Pass, they faced the Taihang mountains across the waters. To the east of the Yan mountains was Mount Wuling; Li Shiyi, because of A Yin, had a bit of a relationship with this place, and somewhat took into consideration her complexion, but, seeing that her expression was as lively as usual, relaxed a bit. The Chaohe River meandered like a dragon’s spine, and was one of the ones which wound around the Yan mountains; the mountain range wasn’t very high, and now, waking from hibernation, had sporadic greenery. Following around the Chaohe River halfway, arriving at Gubeikou, the Hun’ce Command that Tu Laoyao held in his hand began to make faint movements, a bit like a chick which had recently broken out of its shell and was pecking at feed, lightly jolting over and over. Li Shiyi and the others got out at the south side of Gubeikou Village, and asked for the locati...

“Even if I didn’t like you, the place you have in my heart is one that could not be replaced by anyone, to say nothing of the fact that I do like you.” Hearing Jiang Xichu say this, Chen Man was frozen for half a day, and only afterwards did she suddenly react, complexion flushing in an instant; she tilted her head, pressing her lips together, and after a long time, she slowly turned her head back. She stammered a few words; Jiang Xichu, for a while, couldn’t hear them clearly, and she turned towards Chen Man slowly, and then turned her ear towards her, and said, “What are you saying? I can’t hear it clearly, speak a bit louder.” “I said,” Chen Man said, and drew a deep breath, and only with great hardship summoned her courage, and increased the sound of her voice, “I want to kiss you…” In total, five words, the sound of each softer than the last. Jiang Xichu raised her head, gazing at Chen Man with astonishment; before, she hadn’t known that Chen Man had this sort of bashful and girli...

After bidding A Luo farewell, Li Shiyi and the others rested at the residence for a few days. In the past, every time they would go on a trip, Song Shijiu would always grow exhilarated; this time, it wasn’t clear whether she had once again gotten some lazy affliction or something similar, but unexpectedly, she would close the door and refuse guests, the curtain pulled tight; not to mention her visits to Li Shiyi every morning and evening, even when Tu Saozi, belly protruding, would come to invite her to eat, she would say in a discontented voice, “Go ahead and leave it outside,” and there wouldn’t be any sign of activity. Li Shiyi didn’t know if she’d been made into a cheap mother, [1] or if it was some other mood; in short, she had become concerned; the character of “placid” had been written halfway, the vertical hook cutting it in half, and looking at it, it appeared crooked and at an angle, not upright in the slightest. She crumpled up the paper, washed up, and got into bed to slee...

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...