“Why don’t you tell her?”

“I don’t want her to know about the past.”

Meng Yuan was silent for a moment, flying up to sit on a tree. “Selective disclosure then.”

“We’ll see.”

“But what do you plan to do in the future? One human, one ghost—you can’t keep going like this forever. Let her never marry and wait until she dies of old age or illness?”

He Feng ignored her and left the area.

Meng Yuan followed closely. “That’s easy to solve too—just have her come down to accompany you now.”

“I can’t bear to.”

“If you can’t do it, I can.”

“Do you want to go to prison and roll fireballs?”

“With you protecting me, I’m not afraid. Besides, would you really bear to let me go to hell?”

“Yes.”

“You’re being contrary. I don’t believe it—”

“In any case, don’t get any twisted ideas.”

“I know! She’s your lifeline. I was just talking.” Meng Yuan looked at him with disdain. “No fun.”

He Feng didn’t want to waste words with her. “When I’m not around sometimes, help me keep an eye on her.”

“Didn’t you already give orders? Who in the area would dare touch her?”

“There might be some we missed.”

“Fine, fine, Master He. I’ll definitely protect your beloved well. You can go in peace.”

“I don’t trust you to handle things.”

“Then why are you still asking me to help!”

“Might as well use what’s available.”

“…”

He Feng went to the suburbs, having heard that a ghost was causing trouble there. He needed to investigate.

Meng Yuan secretly followed behind Ji Tong, escorting her home.

…

After washing up, Ji Tong restlessly worked on problems. Half an hour passed, and she was still looking at the first line.

That female ghost had said He Feng liked her.

What kind of liking?

She tapped her head with her pen, telling herself not to let her mind wander anymore, when she suddenly heard crisp laughter from outside the window.

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me, Meng Yuan.”

Ji Tong calmed down and pulled open the curtains to see Meng Yuan floating outside with her face pressed against the window.

“Tap gently—if you break it, my brother will feel heartbroken.”

“…”

Meng Yuan examined her features. “Looking closely like this, your eyes and brows are quite similar.”

Ji Tong didn’t understand. “Similar to what?”

Meng Yuan didn’t answer. “My brother is still unmarried. Would you consider him?”

Ji Tong’s face turned completely red.

“Why are you so shy now?” Meng Yuan laughed, remembering her proud appearance in her previous life, completely unable to connect it with this bashful little girl now. “I won’t tease you anymore. I’m here to protect you.”

Ji Tong didn’t know what to say. Since she was He Feng’s sister, she certainly wouldn’t harm her. She pushed open one side of the window. “Do you want to come in?”

Meng Yuan shook her head. “I can’t enter. There are door gods watching.” She blew a gust of wind and closed that window. “Study well. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

Meng Yuan flew away.

Ji Tong pulled the curtains closed and looked at the densely packed words on her test paper, feeling even more unsettled.

…

At midnight, Ji Tong woke with a start.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw a familiar black shadow at the foot of her bed.

He still wore that black cloak, covering half his face.

Ji Tong stared blankly for a moment. “You… how are you here?”

“I heard you calling me. So I came.”

“I… called you?” Could she have been talking in her sleep? Zhou Xin used to always say she liked to talk in her sleep. If she really had called his name, it would be too embarrassing.

“If you’re afraid, I’ll leave.”

Just as he was about to disappear, Ji Tong called out to him. “Hey… don’t go.”

He Feng reappeared.

Ji Tong sat up a bit, pulling her blanket closer and leaning her head against the bed frame. “My house has many evil-warding items. Don’t they affect you?”

“They don’t affect me.”

“What about the door gods?”

“They can’t stop me.”

“Where are the door gods? Why can I see you all but have never seen them?”

“They don’t manifest.”

“I see.”

Ji Tong suddenly thought of something. “By the way, can you help me with a favor?”

“Yes.”

“I haven’t even said what it is yet.”

“Anything is fine.”

“You’re a cit— Patrol Envoy. You must have seen many ghosts.”

“Yes.”

Ji Tong got up, turned on the desk lamp, opened a drawer, and pulled out a small photo album. She extracted a photograph and held it up for He Feng to see. “Have you seen him?”

He Feng shook his head.

Ji Tong was somewhat disappointed and lowered her hand. “This is my father.” She looked at her father’s photo, stroking his young face in the picture with her finger. “He passed away when I was in fifth grade. I’ve seen countless ghosts, but I’ve never seen him.”

“He might have been reincarnated long ago.”

“Perhaps.”

“I’ll help you inquire about it.”

Ji Tong looked up at him hopefully. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Thank you.” Ji Tong carefully put away the photo. “How should I thank you? You’ve helped me so much.”

“No need to thank me.”

“Let me burn some paper money for you.”

He Feng smiled slightly, but with his head lowered and his hat brim casting shadows that shrouded all expressions. “I don’t need those things.”

“How could you not need them? All the ghosts I knew before really liked them. My house still has unused paper money—the kind shaped like gold bars.”

“I don’t need them. You keep them.”

“I just want to give them to you.” As soon as she said this, Ji Tong felt her words seemed overly intimate. She looked elsewhere, scratching the chair back with her fingernail and muttering, “What’s your birth year and time?”

He Feng didn’t answer. “Give them to me after I find out news for you, okay?”

“That works too.”

He Feng wore loose pants tucked into short leather boots, somewhat like those worn by military officers on TV. His upper garment appeared to be a black long-sleeve shirt, but it was covered by his cloak so she couldn’t see clearly. Something strange and white was tied around his waist. Ji Tong asked him, “Why do you always wear a cloak? Is it your uniform?”

“Yes.”

Ji Tong’s gaze moved upward, trying to catch a glimpse of his face. “I still haven’t seen what you look like.”

He Feng lowered his head even deeper.

Ji Tong could only see pitch blackness.

Maybe she had guessed wrong?

Perhaps his appearance was hideous and he was afraid to show himself?

“It’s still early. Sleep a bit more.”

“What about you?”

“I’m going out to patrol.”

“Then… will you come again?”

He Feng was silent for a few seconds. “Do you want me to come?”

Ji Tong was stumped by his question. Recalling Meng Yuan’s words, her face immediately burned up.

“Get back in bed. Don’t catch cold.”

Only then did Ji Tong realize she was wearing only shorts and a camisole. She quickly turned off the light and crawled back under the covers with red ears.

Seeing her embarrassment, He Feng said, “I’ll leave first. If anything happens, just call my name.”

“Mm.”

…

During the Mid-Autumn holiday, Gan Ting invited Ji Tong to go out and play. Ji Tong didn’t want to go anywhere—she just wanted to stay home sleeping and reading.

Zhou Xin came back and actually pushed Ji Tong out the door, telling her to make more friends and not to mope around alone all day without any vitality.

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, Huaixiu Garden held a lantern festival. Nothing particularly novel—just aiming for festive excitement and liveliness.

Gan Ting’s boyfriend was there too. Ji Tong tagged along beside them with nothing to say to them.

Ji Tong got tired of walking and wasn’t interested in taking photos, so she sat alone on the riverside steps to rest.

Not far from her, two small children were crouched on the ground playing with origami. Ji Tong’s gaze swept over them without noticing anything wrong, but when she looked back, she realized one of them wasn’t human.

Ji Tong’s heart couldn’t help but tense up—she was most afraid of little ghosts.

Suddenly, that little ghost was lifted high up.

He Feng held him and said something to him. Once the little ghost was put down, he scampered away like smoke.

Ji Tong was naturally delighted to see He Feng and waved at him. Just as she was about to speak, seeing people all around her, she helplessly kept quiet.

She walked toward a more secluded area and stood in an empty pavilion. He Feng understood her meaning and followed.

“Are you working?”

“I don’t have set working hours.”

“What did you just say to that little ghost?”

“I said if he kept misbehaving, I’d eat him.”

Ji Tong laughed.

He Feng watched with a trembling heart—she was the same as in her previous life. When she wasn’t smiling, she had a melancholy expression, appearing cold and distant, difficult to approach. But when she smiled, she completely transformed, becoming warm and sweet, with innocence and childishness in her eyes, and a shallow dimple on her right cheek.

In the distance by the river stood a male ghost in traditional robes.

Ji Tong had noticed him early on. She hadn’t expected that after so long, he was still standing there motionless like a statue.

“Do you see that ghost?”

“Mm.”

“What’s he doing standing there all this time? Shouldn’t you go ask?”

“I already asked. He’s waiting for his wife.”

“His wife?”

“He and his wife were separated at this very place over fifty years ago. They never reunited until death, so he keeps waiting here.”

Ji Tong sighed with emotion. After a long while, she remarked, “Can one person really love another person so deeply?”

He Feng looked at her profile without answering.

Ji Tong suddenly turned toward him, and He Feng immediately looked away.

He gazed into the distance and answered in a low voice, “Yes.”

…

An elderly woman came by selling lotus lanterns. Ji Tong felt too embarrassed to refuse and bought one.

The riverside was crowded with people and crowded with lanterns.

Ji Tong held it in her hands and went to a less crowded place to release it, but it soon drifted back into the cluster of lanterns.

“Are lotus lanterns really effective?”

“Not sure.”

Ji Tong looked at her lantern floating motionlessly on the water surface. “There are too many lanterns today, all crowded here. It probably won’t drift far.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the colorful lotus lanterns on the water seemed to grow legs, scattering in all directions to make way for a narrow waterway. Ji Tong watched her white lotus lantern move forward unobstructed.

The people by the river also exclaimed in amazement, rushing over to watch.

Ji Tong knew it was He Feng’s doing. She excitedly turned around and almost passed through his body.

She stepped back two paces. “Did you do that?”

The lanterns in the river illuminated his face, and Ji Tong finally saw his appearance clearly.

He wore a black eyepatch with red patterns over his left eye. His features were very delicate—narrow right eye with subtle double eyelids. Ji Tong couldn’t find words to describe that eye. Gentle? Or tinged with a hint of mystery? There were also his high nose bridge, distinct yet flowing facial lines, and thick handsome eyebrows. Setting aside the marks of time, this should be an extremely refined man.

Seeing her staring at him in a daze, He Feng suddenly lowered his face.

Ji Tong was still looking at him.

In an instant, all hundred lanterns in the river extinguished at once.

The night darkened.

People clamored noisily.

Only Ji Tong quietly whispered to the air, “Why did you put out the lights?”

“I’m ugly. I was afraid of scaring you.”

“How could you scare me?” Ji Tong moved in front of him. “You’re not ugly.”

He Feng dodged again.

Ji Tong wasn’t good at communication and didn’t know how to praise people. She could only clumsily follow him in circles, explaining, “Really, not ugly. You’re the most handsome I’ve ever seen.”

Only then did He Feng raise his face.

But Ji Tong became shy again and awkwardly looked away.

Fortunately, Gan Ting ran over with her boyfriend, breaking the momentary awkwardness. “So magical! Tong Tong, did you see just now? There must be gods! The Lantern God must have appeared!”

There were no gods, but there was a ghost.

Gan Ting excitedly kept describing, “I was taking photos when I saw the lanterns in the river go crazy, actually making way for one white lantern! After making way, all the lanterns suddenly extinguished at once!”

Her boyfriend said helplessly, “What gods? It was either wind or some underwater path. Just mystifying things.”

Ji Tong remained silent.

Before going home, Gan Ting bought a sky lantern. After writing her wish, she handed the pen to Ji Tong.

She didn’t have any particular wishes and only wrote “Peace and Safety.”

The sky lantern slowly rose into the sky.

Gan Ting clung to her boyfriend’s arm, sweet-talking lovingly.

Ji Tong stood quietly behind them, looking up at the bright lantern gradually becoming a dot of light.

He Feng stood on high ground, watching her silhouette.

Rest assured, with me here, I will protect your peace and smoothness throughout this life.

…

At night, Ji Tong couldn’t sleep. She opened her phone and saw photos Gan Ting had sent her, along with several supernatural posts.

River gods, water ghosts—all kinds of theories.

She casually scrolled through them, found them boring, and closed her phone.

When she closed her eyes, He Feng’s face kept appearing in her mind.

There was an indescribable special feeling in her heart.

Like what books described—a seed planted in her heart, sprouting and budding, waiting to bloom.

“He Feng.”

She called softly, wanting to see if He Feng would appear.

He didn’t come.

“He Feng.” Ji Tong called again, nervously hugging her blanket and listening to the surroundings.

He wasn’t there.

Ji Tong pulled the blanket over her head, then suddenly heard a voice outside.

“What’s wrong?”

It was him!

Ji Tong immediately threw off the blanket, but felt too embarrassed to look directly at him. “I just suddenly thought of you.” She didn’t want him to discover her little thoughts. “I was just browsing supernatural forums.”

He Feng was silent for two seconds, then asked, “Do you have any questions?”

Ji Tong shook her head. “Are you nearby?”

“More or less.”

“Then I… didn’t disturb you, did I?”

“Not at all. I was idle anyway.” Seeing her not speaking, he said, “It’s late. You should sleep.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“There are no ghosts around.” He Feng thought she was afraid and, after saying this, added, “Except for me.”

Ji Tong wasn’t afraid and had no sleepiness. She just wanted to take advantage of the quiet night with no one to disturb them and talk with him a bit more.

“How long have you been… deceased?”

The door was suddenly pushed open—it was Zhou Xin.

Ji Tong had an expression like she’d seen a ghost, her face turning white with fright.

“Who are you talking to?”

“I… I was reciting essays.”

“What essays are you reciting in the middle of the night? It’s almost one o’clock. Sleep quickly.”

“I know.”

Zhou Xin left.

Ji Tong held her breath listening to her footsteps. After she entered her room, she asked He Feng, “Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

Ji Tong couldn’t see him. “Where are you?”

He Feng materialized, standing by the window.

“You scared me to death. If my mom discovered you, it would be over.”

“How would it be over?”

“My mom knows many ghost hunters.”

He Feng laughed. “I see.”

“So we should be careful in the future.”

“Alright.”

Tonight was cloudless with bright moonlight. Weak light shone through the curtains and passed through his body.

Ji Tong looked at the dreamlike ghostly figure before her. “We haven’t finished our conversation.”

“Where did we leave off?”

“How long have you been a ghost?”

“About seventy-some years. Seventy-three years.”

“So you’re from the Republican era.”

“Yes.”

“What did you do before?”

He Feng didn’t answer. “You should sleep. I still need to patrol.”

Ji Tong didn’t press further. “Alright then.”

He Feng disappeared.

Ji Tong looked at the empty room. Had he left?

“Are you still here?”

“He Feng?”

She covered her head with the blanket again, staring with open eyes.

How strange—when facing him, she always had endless things to say. Would he think she asked too many questions? Would he find her annoying?

He Feng hadn’t left. He was just outside the wall. Waiting for her to fall asleep, just as he was about to leave, he heard the girl inside the wall murmur:

“Pearl.”

Though a ghost is just a mass of energy, upon hearing these two words, he felt as if a scalding heart had grown within him.

He Feng couldn’t bear to leave and returned to her room, looking at her peaceful sleeping face.

Are you dreaming?

What are you dreaming about?

He Feng couldn’t resist entering her dream.

This was a deep mountain, the homeland He Feng knew all too well—the home where he had grown up for seventeen years.

He stood in the deep forest and heard calls from a nearby pool: “A’Zhi.”

“A’Zhi.”

It was his youthful voice.

He Feng watched from afar, unable to help but smile.

This should have been one of the few happiest times in their lives together.

He saw the young man gracefully jump into the pool and dive deep.

The girl sat on a large rock by the water, pulling wild grass and casually threw a small stone into the water.

He Feng transformed into his youthful appearance and walked toward her.

The girl looked at him puzzledly. “How did you come from over there?”

He Feng said nothing. He walked to her side, knelt on one knee, took her hand, and lowered his head to kiss her fingers.

The girl pulled back her hand. “What are you doing?”

I miss you so much.

Tens of thousands of days and nights, I’ve missed you to the point of madness.

In the end, He Feng said nothing and left her dream.

…

“Tong Tong, time to eat.”

Ji Tong was awakened by knocking and stared blankly at the ceiling.

She had a dream, but what was it about?

Though she usually couldn’t see the faces of people in her dreams clearly, she generally remembered the plot. But this time, she had forgotten everything.

She sat up and suddenly felt empty inside, as if pressed down by a heavy stone, somewhat breathless.

Grandmother urged again, “It’s getting cold. Get up quickly.”

“Coming.”

Grandmother had bought fried buns and soy milk. Ji Tong took a big bite of the fried bun but found it difficult to swallow. She took a sip of soy milk to force it down.

Grandmother handed her an egg. “Eat the egg.”

Ji Tong took the egg, tapped it twice, and slowly peeled the shell.

“Your mother left early this morning, said she was going to Nanjing and would be back tomorrow night. She told me not to wake you and let you sleep more. But you can’t skip breakfast. It’s past eight o’clock. You can sleep again after eating. Look at your complexion—you didn’t sleep well again last night, did you?”

Two drops of water fell into the bowl, splashing the milky white soy milk. Ji Tong looked up, wondering where the water came from. Feeling warmth on her cheek, she raised her hand to touch her face and wiped away tears.

Grandmother saw this. “Why are you crying?”

Ji Tong wiped with her sleeve.

Grandmother looked at her anxiously. “Did you bite your mouth? Or get burned?”

Ji Tong shook her head, put down the egg, pulled out tissues to wipe her tears, but they kept flowing more. Her eyes were like a broken faucet, continuously streaming tears.

“Child, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know either.” Ji Tong was also anxious. She was crying uncontrollably without warning, feeling empty and miserable inside, as if she had lost something extremely important.

“Grandma, I feel so awful.” She pounded her chest, feeling inexplicable sadness and collapse. “I can’t control it.”

Grandmother quickly called Zhou Xin. “Something’s wrong with Tong Tong. She suddenly started crying endlessly. When I ask what’s wrong, she says she doesn’t know. Don’t let it be something supernatural again. Come back quickly to see.”

…

Zhou Xin arrived home in the afternoon, bringing a spirit medium with her.

The spirit medium went to the kitchen to prepare something, then came out with a bowl of what looked like clear water. She dipped her hand in it and sprinkled it on Ji Tong. Soon, Ji Tong recovered.

Zhou Xin pulled the spirit medium outside to talk.

“Since she was born with yin-yang eyes, it’s fate. Why not come follow me in this profession?”

“No, no. She’s timid and can’t do your work. She still wants to go to university and live an ordinary life. She already took a year off last school. Can’t let these things delay her anymore. She had just gotten better, then inexplicably cried like this. What did she encounter again?”

“Something has been following her—an official of some sort. I couldn’t see clearly what he looks like exactly, but I know he’s an official.”

“An official?” Zhou Xin scratched her hair irritably. “Did he leave?”

“He’s gone for now.”

“Meaning he might come back?”

“Not necessarily, but it’s possible.”

“Then what do we do? We need to get rid of him. What does he want? I’ll give him anything.”

“He doesn’t want anything. Besides, what he wants, you couldn’t afford.”

“What do you mean?”

The spirit medium smiled and was about to leave.

Zhou Xin caught up. “I don’t understand. What does he want?”

“Don’t worry. He won’t harm you.”

“But—”

“Please go back. I should leave.”

“I paid good money to hire you. You can’t just leave! You have to help me solve this!”

The spirit medium stopped at the stairway. She took some talismans from her bag and handed them to Zhou Xin. “These might help—they can ward off other evil spirits.”

…