In late October, after Shencheng welcomed its last heatwave, temperatures plummeted. Gray clouds accumulated in the sky, strong winds rose on the streets, and before long, torrential rain poured down.

Today was the day Xu Xingchun was discharged from the hospital.

Auntie Qi had bought new bed sheets in advance, taking them to the neighborhood laundry to wash and dry. Knowing Fu Xueli wasn’t used to sleeping on hard beds, she specially ordered a soft mattress to be delivered.

Just cleaning and tidying the house took an entire morning. Looking at the time, it was just past three in the afternoon.

Auntie Qi estimated it was about time—Xu Xingchun should be leaving the hospital and arriving home—so she prepared to go to the supermarket to buy groceries.

Fu Xueli was afraid of both dampness and cold and didn’t want to move at all. Nestled on the sofa playing a match-three game on her phone, she said lazily, “It’s raining heavily outside, why not just order takeout?”

Changing shoes at the entrance before leaving, Auntie Qi said, “How can takeout compare to my cooking? Besides, I’m planning to make pork rib soup for Xiao Xu today.”

Past the residential complex, the market was several streets away. Autumn rain was particularly fierce, accompanied by wind. Auntie Qi held an umbrella, inevitably getting slightly wet. She struggled to carry a large pile of groceries with one hand, standing on the street corner hunching her shoulders and stamping her feet, preparing to hail a cab back.

Just as she looked left and right, several police cars suddenly stopped one after another in front of her, honking a few times to signal.

Passersby couldn’t help but turn to look.

Auntie Qi was bewildered, thinking something had happened nearby, also looking around. The side window of the police car rolled halfway down, “Hey, what a coincidence Auntie, come on, let us give you a ride.”

“I’m holding an umbrella and you still saw me?” Sitting in the car, Auntie Qi was confused.

First time riding in a police car, Auntie Qi was still quite nervous, looking around everywhere, yet feeling inexplicably imposing.

Liu Jingbo drove, Xu Xingchun sat in the passenger seat. Xiao Wang beside them chatted away, “That’s nothing, Auntie. You don’t know—when we go out on cases, catching suspects is truly amazing. Eyes like X-rays, one sweep covers an area. Those suspects who’ve had sex changes or wear makeup, we can still catch them all the same.”

Auntie Qi found it interesting and deliberately said, “According to what you’re saying, I’m your suspect?”

“No no no!” Xiao Wang clicked his tongue, “Look at you, wasn’t it all thanks to Captain Xu recognizing you at a glance?”

Auntie Qi asked, “Did all these cars full of people come to pick up Xiao Xu from the hospital? He doesn’t seem to have much stuff, why so many people?”

While they talked, Liu Jingbo looked at the road conditions and interjected, “We’re on leave today, so we all came together. My wife even made a whole table of dishes at home. Why don’t you put the groceries in the fridge and bring Xu Xingchun to my place for dinner tonight?”

“No need.” Before Auntie Qi could speak, Xu Xingchun refused.

Auntie Qi smiled, “You all eat, you eat. There’s still someone at home.”

Xiao Wang was about to say who, bring them along too, but the words reached his lips before he swallowed them back, remembering something.

The cast on Xu Xingchun’s arm had been removed, white bandages wrapping the wound. But his legs still weren’t very mobile and he needed crutches.

A particularly burly guy from the detachment helped Xu Xingchun move his odds and ends to the front door, making several trips back and forth, exchanging a few words with Xu Xingchun at the building entrance before leaving. Everyone else went to Liu Jingbo’s house for dinner, leaving only Xu Xingchun and Auntie Qi.

“Oh my, Xiao Xu, look at your condition, why didn’t you have them help you upstairs?”

Xu Xingchun shook his head, “Don’t want to trouble them.”

Auntie Qi didn’t know that under normal circumstances, Xu Xingchun would avoid all physical contact with people. He had severe mysophobia.

“Xueli, we’re back.”

Opening the door with the key, Auntie Qi called twice. In the huge house, there wasn’t a sound or any response. She wondered as she put away the groceries, muttering to herself, “Where is she? Where did she run off to again?”

Dimly, vaguely hearing someone call her name, Fu Xueli groggily removed her earphones and propped herself up, poking her head out from the sofa, “…You’re back.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she flopped back down softly.

All the big and small bags were arranged by Auntie Qi, who changed clothes and went to busy herself in the kitchen.

She’d been sleeping soundly and couldn’t muster energy after being woken up. Face buried in the soft cushion, she turned over and continued sleeping deeply.

Last night she’d been recording a show elsewhere then rushed back to Shencheng, calling a moving company overnight to move some important things from her place to Xu Xingchun’s. But their neighborhood security was extremely strict. Fu Xueli had no choice but to call Xu Xingchun several times. After much persuading, this proof and that proof, the security finally let them through. Almost didn’t close her eyes all night, and this morning early she went with Ji Qinqin to shoot Vigo’s sister series Christmas special advertisement.

Only now did she have a bit of rest time.

Fu Xueli was so sleepy, deep fatigue hitting her. The TV was on, she could hear occasional clanging sounds from the kitchen and the faint fragrance drifting over.

She remained in a half-sleep state, vaguely feeling someone’s shadow moving back and forth in front of her.

Until Auntie Qi pushed her awake, “Lili, go call Xiao Xu out from the room to eat.”

The clock on the wall already pointed to seven-thirty.

“Oh.” She stared at her messy hair, yawned, put on slippers with eyes closed, and got up to find him.

She pushed open the bedroom door.

She froze.

Xu Xingchun looked calm, legs slightly crossed, talking on the phone.

Fingers on his shirt, collar already unbuttoned a few buttons, most of his chest exposed.

Looking like he was about to change clothes.

His voice stopped as he looked at the person at the door.

Both fell silent simultaneously.

“……”

The person on the other end of the call waited for a response that never came and shouted a few times hoarsely.

Xu Xingchun removed his earphones, ending the call.

Fu Xueli had just showered in the afternoon, wearing pure cotton pajamas, barefoot. Her throat tightened, then returned to normal. Eyelids drooping, she stepped back a few paces, “Xu Xingchun, come out to eat.”

Stir-fried pork with green peppers, sweet and sour eggplant, tomato and egg soup, mapo tofu. Red, white, and green at a glance, colors complete, rich and delicious soup, fragrant and tasty, perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

Fu Xueli, waiting obediently in her chair, smelled the aroma and perked up. She leaned over to sniff—it was the familiar fragrance from memory, from her youth.

Auntie Qi casually placed the bowls and chopsticks on one side of the dining table, then turned back to the kitchen to continue bringing out dishes. Xu Xingchun wanted to follow and help but was stopped.

“Xu Xingchun, you’re practically disabled now, just rest properly. Sit with me and wait for food, don’t add to Auntie Qi’s chaos.” Fu Xueli seemed to have completely forgotten that awkward scene just now. Elbows on the table edge, hands supporting her chin, eyes bright staring at the delicious food before her.

After a while, she suddenly looked up at Xu Xingchun sitting beside her and said, “Xu Xingchun, do you believe I could eat all the dishes on this table with just my hands?”

His gaze met hers, “No.”

So Fu Xueli righteously glared at him, eyes bright and shining, “If you don’t believe me then why the hell aren’t you quickly passing me chopsticks!”

“……..”

Behind them Auntie Qi shouted, “Lili, you haven’t grown much in height but your temper sure has grown a lot. Perfectly capable hands and feet doing nothing, just sitting here ordering Xiao Xu around to do this and that! Lazy bones.”

After a while, Xu Xingchun pushed the bowls and chopsticks toward her, saying softly, “It’s fine.”

Fu Xueli was delighted, rolled up her sleeves and picked up chopsticks preparing to eat, while raising her voice to retort, “But the chopsticks and bowls are on his side, it’s more convenient for him.”

Recently she’d been so busy she hadn’t had time to eat properly, just waiting for this good meal. Fu Xueli devoted herself wholeheartedly to sucking on a spare rib, eating the meat clean, not leaving a bit.

Auntie Qi saw her wolfing it down and felt a bit sorry, putting another piece on her plate, “Eat slowly, there’s plenty, no one’s competing with you.”

“No, I can only eat two spare ribs, I’ll gain weight.” Fu Xueli didn’t even think, turning her head, very naturally picking up that spare rib and casually tossing it into Xu Xingchun’s bowl.

Xu Xingchun only paused, glanced at the suddenly added spare rib, and continued eating silently.

Yielding to her had become Xu Xingchun’s instinct.

Auntie Qi saw this and silently sighed in her heart.

Midway through eating, Fu Xueli’s old problem flared up—she started becoming anorexic again.

“I told you I don’t like eating cilantro, and I don’t like ginger or garlic either. Smelling that flavor makes me really not want to eat.”

“I can eat so little to begin with, why put in cilantro?”

After becoming a celebrity, Tang Xin usually had very high requirements for what she ate. Had to strictly control diet, be disciplined—coffee, milk tea, cake, couldn’t touch anything. Plus Fu Xueli’s appetite had long been cultivated to be extremely picky. Thinking she could finally indulge once today, eat one good meal, and this was the result.

She was extremely unwilling, wishing she could throw down her chopsticks on the spot. This kind of picky young miss behavior naturally earned another lecture from Auntie Qi.

“How can you still be so picky at your age, just like when you were little, not sensible at all. Ginger and garlic remove fishy smell, of course they have to be added. Getting dissatisfied over a tiny bit and refusing to eat, how is that acceptable? Besides, today I prepared all this for Xiao Xu, and you’re the pickiest one?”

Xu Xingchun put down his chopsticks, “It’s fine, Auntie Qi, let’s just eat.”

“What do you mean it’s fine? Xiao Xu, you can’t always indulge Lili like this, letting everything go her way. Getting upset at the slightest dissatisfaction—what will happen when she gets married in the future? Being disliked by others…”

Apart from Auntie Qi, when had Fu Xueli ever been lectured like this?

But it was Auntie Qi, not Xu Xingchun—she wanted to get angry but had no reason, couldn’t get worked up. So Fu Xueli could only wrinkle her nose and interrupt, humming and hawing like acting spoiled, “Stop stop stop, okay okay, I know I was wrong, I truly realize my mistake. But there are tons of people who want me Auntie Qi, what are you worrying about?”

Her parents died early, she grew up with her uncle since childhood. The Fu family had few collateral relatives, not many elders at home. Auntie Qi had taken care of their daily needs since childhood, definitely counted as one.

This was also why Fu Xueli and Fu Chenglin had mischievous personalities, feared nothing under heaven or earth, but rarely disobeyed Auntie Qi.

The spare rib soup with corn was too fragrant. Fu Xueli’s mouth burned a bit when drinking it.

Throughout the meal, although Xu Xingchun didn’t talk much, there was basically no chance for awkward silence at the table. Auntie Qi was very talkative, and Fu Xueli talked quite a bit too.

Auntie Qi didn’t stay here at night, leaving only Fu Xueli and Xu Xingchun. The two of them alone together was still slightly awkward and unnatural. Fu Xueli felt somewhat uncomfortable and retreated to her room after Auntie Qi left.

She’d already looked through every nook and cranny in the afternoon and was very familiar with everything.

At night, easily finding her way to the bathroom to shower, Fu Xueli was bored and lay on the bed applying a face mask, holding her iPad to start watching a recently popular Thai horror film resource Ji Qinqin had sent her.

The supernatural events in the film occurred in a psychiatric hospital, starting with a female patient hanging herself in a room.

Fu Xueli was the type who didn’t dare watch ghost movies but once started couldn’t control her curiosity.

She ran to the bathroom to rinse off the face mask with warm water. Immediately jumped back on the bed, both scared and hesitant, anxiously enduring for an hour and a half, finally watching this Thai ghost film to the end.

For thrills, all the lights in the room were turned off. Dark and gloomy, outside lightning flashed and thunder roared, rumbling, occasionally splitting through with bright light, wind seeming to beat against the windows.

Fu Xueli felt cold sweat pouring down her neck.

After closing her eyes, after a few seconds, that female ghost’s final shrill screaming terrifying face became clearer and clearer in her mind.

Clearer and clearer…

In this unfamiliar environment, Fu Xueli kept feeling that somewhere in the darkness, a pair of eyes were staring at her, increasingly creepy.

So terrifying.

Suddenly remembering—Xu Xingchun was a forensic pathologist.

Always having to deal with corpses…

His home shouldn’t have any bodies or anything like that stored, right?!

Thinking this, she shuddered violently.

Tossing and turning on the bed, really couldn’t sleep. Fu Xueli’s mind recalled the scenes just now, wild thoughts getting worse and worse, scaring herself to death.

Watching midnight approach, Fu Xueli finally couldn’t take it anymore. Simply threw off the covers and tiptoed out of bed.

Of the twenty-four hours in a day, she feared midnight the most.

Because she’d heard others say before that midnight was the easiest time to attract ghosts.

Her heart pounding wildly in her chest, the back of her ears starting to sweat too. Fu Xueli hurriedly passed through the empty living room, taking off at a run toward Xu Xingchun’s room at the other end.

Without a word, not even knocking, she directly pushed open his door.

Only the bedside lamp was on in the room. In the warm shallow light, Fu Xueli almost tripped, her mind clearing considerably.

Quietly approaching.

Back facing her, Xu Xingchun lay on the bed. His right shoulder was injured, so he could only lie on his side.

“Xu Xingchun?” She carefully spoke, “Are you asleep?”

Slowly, slowly, she circled around, staring for a long while.

He looked like he was already fast asleep.

She actually kind of liked seeing Xu Xingchun sleeping like this. Looked so well-behaved, face half-buried in the pillow, brow furrowed even in sleep. Not like when awake—always seeming overly orthodox, with impenetrable silence.

After a few seconds of silence, Fu Xueli knelt on the edge of the bed with one leg, pushing at Xu Xingchun’s face, “Hey, wake up.”

The touch under her hand was incredibly soft and smooth.

Fu Xueli paused, unable to control the urge to pinch his cheeks.

How was Xu Xingchun’s skin even better than a woman’s?…

After waiting a few more seconds, his eyelashes moved slightly.

Fu Xueli still maintained her previous position, staring at him unblinkingly.

Under the lamp his face was blurred. She rarely looked at him so intently.

Xu Xingchun’s body was clean, no scent at all.

His features, no matter where, were truly just right. Not abrupt, but combined together very handsome.

Straight nose bridge, thin and soft lips, a bit soft, a bit red.

Xu Xingchun didn’t speak for a long time, briefly in a confused period. Eyelids slightly propped open, half-open, seeming a bit puzzled.

Probably still hadn’t reacted to when and where he was. Her face reflected in his slightly raised eyes, had a rarely seen, seemingly very gentle feeling. Gaze not as indifferent as usual.

Fu Xueli coughed, thick-skinned, pretending it wasn’t her who forcibly woke Xu Xingchun.

She said as if nothing happened, “Xu Xingchun, I want to ask you a question.”

He seemed about to sit up, voice exhausted and extremely hoarse, “…What?”

Fu Xueli moved back a little, sitting on the edge of the bed, asking very seriously, “Do you think there are ghosts in this world?”

“……”

She asked again, “Xu Xingchun, are there ghosts in this world?”

When Fu Xueli was young and home alone scared, she liked calling Xu Xingchun to ask this kind of question. He always patiently told her over and over that there were no ghosts.

There were no ghosts in this world.

As long as she heard him say it, she especially believed it.

Xu Xingchun’s upper body leaned against the headboard unmoving. He quietly looked at her, “Ghost is just a term. The existence of some kind of substance is possible.”

“No, that’s not what you used to tell me.” Fu Xueli was a bit angry, pounded the bed once, obviously very dissatisfied with his answer.

He wasn’t fully awake, voice still low, even more hoarse than just now. “What did I say?”

“You told me, what is this world?” She was semi-illiterate, never studied properly since childhood, only knew how to play. Now that he asked, she really couldn’t quite remember, only had vague impressions, “You said this world is materialism? Or what… I forgot.”

Not hearing him speak, Xu Xingchun still focused on watching her, fingers lifting to touch her earlobe.

Fu Xueli stiffened, feeling an illusion of dry mouth.

This gesture… this… was a bit off…

He leaned against the bedside. After a moment he murmured, “Materialism acknowledges that the essence of the world is material. In the world, matter exists first, consciousness second. Matter determines consciousness, consciousness is the reflection of matter.”

Going round and round made Fu Xueli somewhat confused. She reached out to pull at his blanket, still not giving up, leaning closer, “Wait, tell me again, are there ghosts in this world or not? There aren’t, right? Those things are all made up, right?”

Xu Xingchun was silent. His whole person silent.

She felt his gaze seemed to have something else, but when she looked up carefully, there was nothing, as if it was just her illusion.

He hummed acknowledgment.

“No good!” Fu Xueli didn’t notice at all that her upper body was already pressing on him, bare calves and ankles suspended in the air, softly requesting, “Can you personally tell me once?”

After quite a while, his lips moved slightly, “There are no ghosts in the world.”

Xu Xingchun’s low calm voice was especially deep in such a quiet night.

The bedroom immediately filled with her questioning, “Really none?”

“Mm, none.”

After returning to her room, Fu Xueli lay on the bed, tossing and turning alone. Clearly not very scared anymore in her heart, but strangely not very sleepy at this time.

After a long time, she rustled into slippers again, twisted the doorknob, following the route just now, pushing open Xu Xingchun’s room door again.

He wasn’t there.

Fu Xueli released the doorknob, walked in a few steps. Discovered no one in the room.

Looking around in a circle, only then discovering on the pitch-black balcony, a little faint red light, flickering on and off.

She felt a bit guilty, didn’t dare walk over, just stood in place calling, “Xu Xingchun?”

Borrowing the faint dim light coming from the room, she saw Xu Xingchun with a cigarette between his lips, a bright red point of light.

He was smoking again.

Why smoking at this time again?

Was it because of worries?

Or because of loneliness?

Turning back to see her, Xu Xingchun removed the cigarette, extinguished it. Night wind rustling. His tousled hair was a bit dampened by the drifting rain.

Fu Xueli gradually hesitated, confused for a few seconds. A bit uneasy, wanting to speak but stopping, “Did I keep you awake with noise?”

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” he asked.

“I can’t sleep.”

Across a distance, Fu Xueli looked up at him, “Are you in a bad mood again because of me?”

Xu Xingchun wore a black short-sleeve shirt, just a bit wet. His legs still somewhat inconvenient, he tossed the lighter on the table, saying casually, “No.”

The lighter knocked lightly, making a sound. Fu Xueli said oh, then asked, “Then why?”

Xu Xingchun looked at her, “I’m a bit hungry, so can’t sleep.”

Fu Xueli immediately showed an ingratiating and innocent smile, “Then I’ll cook noodles for you. You really can eat a lot, ate so much at dinner and still hungry.”

Facts proved Fu Xueli really might not be suited for the kitchen.

She had zero life skills.

Turning on the gas stove, waiting a while, boiling the water in the pot, gurgling continuously bubbling. Fu Xueli started thinking about how many noodles to throw in. The water in the pot was already churning and overflowing. She hurriedly turned down the heat. Then by feel threw in a handful of noodles, then in a fluster remembered she hadn’t added seasoning.

She didn’t know how to season either, temporarily took out her phone to search. Following the recipe, a little vinegar, a little salt, a little MSG.

Busily sweating, after much fussing, finally produced a bowl of noodles that looked decent. Fu Xueli went to pick up the ceramic bowl with both hands—touching it, she almost flung it away!

Holy shit. She almost cried out, quickly putting it down, fingers pinching her earlobe, so hot so hot.

Wrapping the bottom of the bowl with a wet cold towel, Fu Xueli moved it bit by bit to the dining room.

At Xu Xingchun’s first chopstick bite.

“Is it good?” She couldn’t wait to ask. A bit expectant, also apprehensive, also a bit awkward.

“Mm.”

“Then eat more!” Fu Xueli was happy.

Quiet for a moment. After a while, Xu Xingchun said softly, “You should go sleep first.”

“No way!” Fu Xueli wore an apron, quite pleased with herself now, immersed in the joy of being very capable at housework, “I’ll wait for you to finish eating, I have to wash the bowl.”

“……”

Xu Xingchun stopped, sweat forming on his nose tip, face showing no obvious emotion. Ate a mouthful of noodles, slowly chewing, then swallowing.

Watching Xu Xingchun eat silently, Fu Xueli leaned beside watching, mind randomly thinking about strange things.

He ate her noodles, which meant she’d already compensated him—(2100)

Silently note it down.

When it reached 100, she wouldn’t owe Xu Xingchun anymore.

“What happened to your hand?”

Fu Xueli was spacing out when Xu Xingchun suddenly grasped her right hand, face grave.

She followed his gaze downward—hadn’t paid attention, where she’d been scalded just now, a small crystalline blister had already swollen up.

Fu Xueli was actually a bit nervous, wanting to pull her hand back, “It’s fine.”

Didn’t pull free in one try.

Only then did she discover Xu Xingchun’s expression had already turned cold. Couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. Just inexplicably made her heart flutter with fear.

He held her wrist, leading her straight into the kitchen. Turned on the faucet, putting her hand under running water in the sink.

This entire series of actions, silent and forceful. This kind of coldness was a forcefulness and oppressive feeling she’d rarely experienced, inexplicably producing a sense of fear.

Cold water continuously dripped down from her fingertips.

Fu Xueli leaned against the counter, spacing out for a while.

Xu Xingchun’s eyes stared at her.

When he leaned down, soundlessly.

Fu Xueli was suddenly pulled to lean toward him. Then just one hand, not using much force, tightly encircled her back. Could be considered gentle strength. She stiffened but didn’t struggle at all.

This was their first embrace after a very, very long time.

But the duration seemed a bit long, already exceeding the necessary range.

Brain briefly dazed.

Xu Xingchun seemed… already a bit, unable to restrain his slight trembling.

She struggled to turn her face aside a little, pressing her lips, mouth slightly open. Lifted her hands bit by bit, then lowered them, then lifted them again, then embraced his waist.