“You’re making this seem like a marriage proposal.”

“Someone once told me to kneel when confessing.” Though He Feng had wandered the human world for decades, he hadn’t paid attention to others’ romantic affairs. Hearing her words, he suddenly felt his gesture was somewhat inappropriate and laughed softly. “I’m old-fashioned.”

Ji Tong was holding back tears, but at his words she also felt like laughing. She sat back on the tree root. “Get up first.”

“So you’re agreeing?”

“I don’t care whether you’re human or ghost.” She became shy, looking down and mumbling, “I’m conservative in my thinking. When those memories came flooding in, I already belonged to you.”

He Feng didn’t get up, looking up at her and deliberately asking, “Which memories?”

Her voice weakened. “Those ones.”

“Which ones?”

“You… you know what I mean.”

“I don’t know.”

Ji Tong’s face turned red with embarrassment, feeling her body heat up as if about to burn. She avoided his gaze and got up to walk around him. “I need to go back to class.”

He Feng stood up and blocked her path.

Though she could have walked straight through his body, Ji Tong stopped. A gust of wind blew into the grove, swirling down leaves. She looked up, watching the leaves fall intermingled with countless green ghost fire points. He Feng’s face suddenly drew near, and through a falling leaf, touched her lips.

She stared wide-eyed at He Feng so close before her.

Is he kissing me?

Green light scattered from his eye patch, completely occupying her vision. Ji Tong felt no warmth, breath, or scent from him – only the cool leaf on her lips proved his existence.

Separated by the boundary between human and ghost, thinking further ahead, the next several decades of her life would be spent this way. For the first time, she realized it would be a very long, very difficult process.

He Feng stepped back, and the leaf silently fell to the ground. The eye patch was like a magic box, retracting those mysterious green lights. He looked at her tenderly. “Did I scare you?”

Ji Tong came back to her senses, suddenly feeling flustered and embarrassed, not daring to look at him. “No.” She kept her head down, picking at her fingers. “I just… didn’t react in time. It was too sudden.”

“Sorry, I was rash.”

“No… it’s not… that.” She bit her lip, which still retained the taste of dew from the leaf.

He Feng watched her flustered expression, silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

Ji Tong frowned, casually picked up a small stone and threw it at him. “What are you laughing at?”

The stone passed through his body and landed in the moist soil.

“Laughing that you’re just a little girl.”

Ji Tong’s face grew even hotter. “Childish. You’re three years old.”

“You always used to say I was three years old.” He Feng remembered how she looked when speaking in their past life, his smile deepening. “Now it’s different. If I were alive, I’d already be an old man of great age, old enough to be your great-grandfather.”

The distant building suddenly returned to brightness.

Ji Tong looked over. “Why is the power back on?”

“Maybe we’re too far away, so it lost effect.”

“I see.”

“Should we go back?”

Ji Tong leaned against the tree and sat down again. “Forget it. Since we’re already out here, let’s sit a bit longer.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being discovered?”

“I’ll say I had a stomachache and went to the bathroom.”

“Good excuse.”

Ji Tong patted the tree root beside her. “Won’t you sit?”

“No.”

He Feng stared straight at her. Ji Tong felt uncomfortable under his gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I like to.”

Ji Tong’s heart thumped, feeling both flustered and happy. She suddenly asked, “Do you ghosts also… do that thing like humans do?”

“Which thing?”

“That thing.”

He Feng played dumb with her, his voice carrying laughter. “Which thing?”

“You… never mind.” Ji Tong turned away, not wanting to look at him. He clearly knew what she meant, yet kept playing dumb again and again. This old ghost was becoming increasingly improper!

He Feng flashed in front of her and crouched down. “Why would you ask this?”

Ji Tong cleared her throat. “Just… curious. Forget it, pretend I didn’t ask.”

He Feng stared at her face and said flatly, “Yes, we can do it.”

Ji Tong hastily stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye, then shyly looked away.

“No need to be embarrassed. It’s a very normal thing.”

“Who’s embarrassed?” Ji Tong was stubborn. She feigned composure, taking a breath and meeting his gaze. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? What era are we living in now?”

He Feng watched her little mouth opening and closing, really wanting to bite it hard.

“Then in these years, have you ever… with other female ghosts…”

She spoke haltingly. He Feng knew this little mind of hers like the back of his hand and answered first, “No.”

Ji Tong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He Feng looked at her frankly. “In the human world and underworld, I’ve only ever had A’Zhi. I have no interest in other people or ghosts.”

Ji Tong felt very happy inside, as if she’d eaten a basket of honey, her face hiding joy. “Then I can’t die just yet.”

“You want to do it with me?” He Feng asked directly. “Can’t wait?”

“No, no! What are you saying!” Ji Tong blushed from neck to face. “Don’t misinterpret my meaning!”

“What did you mean then?”

“I…” Ji Tong couldn’t argue and puffed out her cheeks, angry and silent.

He Feng laughed. This little girl was even more fun to tease than before.

“I was just asking casually.” She secretly glanced at him. “Stop laughing!”

“A’Zhi is still an innocent little girl in this life, hasn’t experienced those pleasures yet. If you want to, it’s not impossible.”

“Don’t say anymore!”

“I could temporarily draw out your soul, or—”

“You’re still talking!”

“Alright, I’ll stop.”

“No wonder when people curse men for being lustful they say ‘perverted ghost.’ Indeed, once this topic comes up, you can’t stop.”

“Don’t you know whether I’m perverted or not?” He Feng leaned toward her. “Didn’t you remember everything?”

“…”

“You used to say no with your mouth but loved it immensely.”

“I’m going back to the classroom!” Ji Tong stood up in embarrassment, suddenly noticing green light emerging from his eye patch again. “Your eye.”

He Feng lowered his head, waiting for the green light to fade before looking up at her. “It’s nothing.”

After multiple observations, Ji Tong had a preliminary guess about his eye. She asked, “Does your left eye emit green light whenever you get emotional?”

He Feng didn’t deny it. “Mm.”

She was a bit worried. “Meng Yuan told me there’s something hidden in your eye to suppress emotions. What is it?”

“A little trinket. It’s not serious.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Enough, don’t ask randomly.” He Feng suddenly became serious. “Go back to the classroom. The exam is coming up. Study hard, do those new practice books you bought. I’ll check them in a few days.”

“…”

This ghost… changes faces too quickly!

…

The next morning after running exercises, Gan Ting was so hot she unbuttoned her clothes and threw her arm around Ji Tong’s shoulder. “I’m dying of heat.” She looked utterly hopeless, fanning herself with her hand. Unintentionally seeing the butterfly on Ji Tong’s collar, she exclaimed, “My god!” She let go, looking surprised. “Tong Tong, it’s that butterfly again!”

Ji Tong nodded.

“How is it still not dead? In this cold weather.”

Ji Tong couldn’t be honest and could only say, “I don’t know.”

“Then why does it always follow you?” Gan Ting began imagining. “I’ve heard that deceased people can turn into butterflies or insects to come back and see their relatives. Could it be your father? Or grandfather? Some ancestor?”

“…” Ji Tong wanted to hit her. “It’s not.”

“Then why? It’s too weird.”

“Maybe it likes my shampoo.” Ji Tong said this nonsense with a straight face.

Gan Ting actually believed it, leaning over to smell her hair. “It does smell nice. What brand?”

“…”

He Feng stayed in Ji Tong’s desk drawer, watching her little movements while listening to the teacher’s lecture.

During break time, Ji Tong went to the bathroom. He Feng didn’t follow her to such private places.

He contentedly listened to these students’ laughter and joy, very much enjoying this feeling – an experience he couldn’t envy when alive.

Just as he was relaxing, something suddenly covered him.

…

Ji Tong hadn’t finished drying her hands when she returned to her seat. The first thing she did was look for the butterfly, but it was gone.

Maybe it had left for some reason? Ji Tong wasn’t too worried. Just as she sat down, she heard several classmates making noise in the hallway. “Why isn’t it moving? Is it dead?”

“It can’t die.”

“Shake it and see if it moves.”

“These green patterns are so beautiful!”

Ji Tong looked out the window and saw a female classmate holding a transparent water bottle, shaking it vigorously. The butterfly inside was crashing against the bottle walls with her violent movements.

She immediately became furious, rushed out and snatched the bottle from the girl’s hands. Her fingernails accidentally scratched the girl’s hand, making her scream.

It was a mineral water bottle cut in half, with the cut sealed with paper and tape, airtight. Ji Tong tore off the tape in a few motions, nervously looking at the butterfly at the bottom of the bottle.

It wasn’t moving at all.

The female classmate looked at her hand that Ji Tong had scratched red and angrily shouted, “What are you doing? Give it back!”

The girl reached over to snatch it back. Ji Tong unconsciously pushed her away. “Get away! It’s mine.”

The girl almost fell, roaring furiously, “You steal my thing and push me! How is it yours? I caught it! Are you being reasonable?”

The butterfly fluttered its wings and tremblingly flew up. Ji Tong breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Seeing Ji Tong ignore her words, the girl became violent. She grabbed a large broom from behind the classroom door and swatted at the butterfly that had just risen into the air.

It was knocked to the ground, trapped in the gaps of the broom.

Ji Tong’s mind went blank for a moment. Too angry to think or control her hands, she slapped the girl across the head.

The girl hadn’t expected this seemingly gentle, weak honor student to actually hit her. She was stunned for a while before trying to hit back, but was stopped by nearby classmates.

Ji Tong crouched down and carefully extracted the butterfly from the broom. Its wings seemed broken. She cupped it in her palms, not daring to touch it carelessly. “Are you dead?”

“Move a little.”

The hallway was packed solid with people. Even students from upstairs came to watch the commotion.

Ji Tong completely ignored what others were shouting. She was so anxious she broke into a sweat, panicking and crying. “You… get up.”

“He Feng.”

The butterfly moved its wings slightly. She immediately calmed down and sat weakly on the ground.

Only when she looked up again did she notice the teacher who had arrived.

Ji Tong was called by the homeroom teacher for a lecture and finally apologized to that girl. After all, she had hit someone, so she was in the wrong.

He Feng appeared in his original form, smiling at her. “So dizzy, I got a concussion.”

Ji Tong walked toward the classroom with her head down. “You’re still laughing. I almost thought you were dead.”

“I can’t die.” He Feng couldn’t see her expression. “I was just inhabiting it. I couldn’t control it well just now and couldn’t get out for a moment.”

“Don’t turn into a butterfly anymore.”

“Alright.” Seeing her unhappiness, He Feng coaxed, “Sorry for making you worry.” He turned to float backward in front of her. “I’ll go teach her a lesson.”

“Don’t.” Ji Tong lifted her face. “Forget it. As long as you’re okay.”

They were almost at the classroom.

“We’ll talk after school. I’m going in first.”

“Okay.”

…

He Feng’s birthday was the day after tomorrow. Ji Tong wondered what to give him. Burning paper money was too vulgar, and as an official, he probably didn’t lack gold and silver. She didn’t know what else he might like. After struggling all day, she decided to ask him directly.

Near midnight, after He Feng accompanied Ji Tong to finish her homework, she lay in bed with half her little face showing, looking at him and asking, “Do you have anything you like?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“Impossible. There must be something.”

“I like you.”

“That doesn’t count. Other things.”

“Nothing.”

Ji Tong frowned slightly.

Seeing her silence, He Feng said, “I like listening to records.”

“Records?”

“Mm.”

“I don’t remember that.” Ji Tong mumbled. “Oh right, I remember now. You used to have a phonograph in your room.”

“Back then I just treated it as decoration. I started liking it later.”

“Do you have a favorite musician?”

“No.”

“Or what style of music?”

“No.”

“Then what do you usually listen to?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then what kind of hobby is that? You’re fooling me.”

“Why would I fool you?” He Feng smiled. “I like anything that sounds good.”

“Alright.”

“Pull the blanket down a bit. Don’t cover your nose.”

“Oh.” Ji Tong obediently listened, revealing her whole face. “I’m going to sleep now.”

“Okay.”

Just as she was about to speak, He Feng said first, “I’ll leave after you fall asleep.”

Ji Tong curved her lips, said nothing, and closed her eyes.

After a little while, she slightly opened her eyes and found he was still there.

He Feng frowned at her, and Ji Tong immediately closed her eyes, smiling as she fell asleep.

…

The night before his birthday, Ji Tong quietly went out and came downstairs with He Feng.

“What are you doing running out in the middle of the night?” He Feng was slightly displeased. After asking several times, she wouldn’t answer.

Ji Tong had a small box tucked in her arms and crouched on the ground to light a fire.

He Feng vaguely sensed that she seemed to be burning something. “For me?”

Ji Tong suddenly turned to look at him. “No peeking. You’ll know in a moment.”

He Feng quietly watched her fuss around, even hearing her mumbling something under her breath.

Fortunately there was no wind tonight, and the fire burned quite fiercely.

He Feng stepped back. His spiritual form was different from before – being too close to fire was still somewhat unbearable. Suddenly, a small box appeared before him – the very thing Ji Tong had just burned.

Ji Tong looked at him, stood up, and checked her watch. 12:02 AM – not too late. “A birthday gift for you.”

He Feng was momentarily at a loss.

Ji Tong looked at the box on the ground, then at him. “Don’t you want it?”

He Feng came to his senses and picked it up, carefully holding it in his hands. “What is it?”

“You’ll know if you open it.”

He Feng turned the box over, looking at the bow on top, gently pulled it open, slowly opened the box, and took out what was inside.

It was a black MP3 player and a pair of earphones.

“When I asked what you liked before, you said you liked records. I looked for a long time, but phonographs are too expensive – I can’t afford one yet. So I bought this instead.” Seeing his silence, Ji Tong added, “There are many songs in here, all ones I like, plus some different styles. I downloaded them all. Listen and see.”

He Feng remained speechless. He looked somewhat nervous, even missing the earphone jack when trying to plug it in. He carefully found the power button and pressed it, but it had no reaction at all.

Seeing it wouldn’t turn on, Ji Tong asked, “Is it broken?”

He Feng put on the earphones, but there was still no sound. Items from the living world didn’t work exactly the same way when they crossed over. This little device made no sound.

Ji Tong stared at him seriously. “How is it? Can you hear anything?”

He Feng looked at her expectant eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

“What song is it?”

He Feng paused, then made something up. “Not sure, a piano piece.”

Ji Tong’s expression immediately relaxed, and she smiled sweetly. There were hundreds of songs – she didn’t remember the order or exactly what was included, so she believed him. “Do you like it?”

“I like it.” He Feng treasured it in his palm. “Thank you.”

Ji Tong shivered, crossing her arms over her chest. “So cold. Let’s go upstairs.” She cleaned up the things on the ground and quickly ran up the stairs. After climbing two steps, she turned back to look at him. “What are you standing there for? Come on.”

“Coming.”