Chapter 4: Ghosts

Jiang Wenxin saw the elevator door close and hurriedly reached out to press the B1 and B2 buttons, but halfway stopped her hand.

Although she didn't know Shen Siyuan, she knew he was an employee of Guanghui Animation and often encountered him at the company, so she wasn't worried about finding him.

Right now, the most important thing was the daughter in her arms; her heart was filled with countless questions, wanting to ask the little one in her arms.

"Dou Dou, you…"

Jiang Wenxin opened her mouth but didn't know what to ask.

After thinking for a moment, she asked softly: "Dou Dou, you… have you been beside Mom these past two years?"

"Hehe~, and Dad too." Dou Dou rubbed her eyes and grinned.

But then she added, slightly aggrieved: "But you couldn't hear me or see me."

"I'm sorry, it's Mom's fault."

Jiang Wenxin touched her daughter's tiny face, filled with heartache.

Three-year-old Dou Dou didn't speak clearly yet, her words were jumbled, but Jiang Wenxin, as her mother, though separated for over two years, loved her and understood her deeply—her bond was Engraved Mark into her bones.

So with her gentle guidance, she quickly learned the full story.

"I drank so, so much water, I couldn't drink anymore, my belly was about to burst, and the seawater tasted awful…"

Dou Pat her little belly, frowning slightly, as if still feeling the pain from back then.

"Then suddenly, my belly stopped swelling, I felt light as air, so I swam up from the sea, Mom, let me tell you, I was so awesome then—shoo-shoo-shoo… like a little sea turtle…"

Dou Dou waved her arms, face glowing with excitement; she compared herself to a sea turtle because her family had once kept one as a pet, and later took her to release it into the ocean.

"When I got to the beach… there were so many police uncles… but you couldn't see me. I saw Mom crying so sadly—I tried to comfort you, kissed you—but you couldn't hear or see me, and I was so heartbroken…"

Dou Dou had drowned; Binhai was a coastal city, so going to the beach in summer was perfectly normal.

Dou Dou had gone to the beach with her grandparents, and by accident, was swept away by Qin Hailang.

Jiang Wenxin fell seriously ill, and after recovering, sank into deep guilt.

Because Dou Dou had always been under her care; that day, she had an urgent matter, and her parents-in-law said they missed their granddaughter, so Jiang Wenxin sent Dou Dou to stay with them for one day—she never imagined such an accident would happen in just one day.

Her husband worried she'd fall into depression if she stayed home too long, so he arranged, through family connections, her current quiet job.

Indeed, after starting work, Jiang Wenxin slowly emerged from her grief.

"Mom, I'm a good baby—I always stayed right behind you, or waited alone at home for you to get off work…"

There was a hint of pride and a touch of grievance in Dou Dou's voice.

Hearing this, Jiang Wenxin hugged her tightly, heart aching, then stepped out of the elevator.

"Mom knows, baby's the best…"

The basement on B3 wasn't dark—it was brightly lit—but even so, every day after work, walking alone through this silent space, Jiang Wenxin still felt afraid and unconsciously quickened her pace.

But today, she felt no fear at all; instead, she wished to walk slower, to linger longer.

"Mom~"

"What is it, baby?"

"When you walk from now on, can you walk slower, like this?" Dou Dou waved her tiny hands.

"Why? Mom doesn't usually walk fast."

"No, you walk too fast, hmm…"

Dou Dou tilted her head, thinking hard—so adorable it was unbearable.

"Once, I went shopping with Mom, but you walked too fast—I lost you. But I was smart—I didn't run around, I just waited right where I was. But… but…"

As she spoke, Dou Dou's lips began to tremble, full of grievance.

"But I waited… for so, so long…" Dou Dou opened her tiny arms to show how long.

Jiang Wenxin's heart ached at this—she realized she'd lost Dou Dou again. Luckily, the little girl had been smart and waited right where she was.

But the thought of leaving her alone, waiting in solitude, pierced her heart like needles.

"Some uncles and aunts said they could help me find you, but Dad said not to go with strangers, so I waited right there. But… but Mom, I waited too long, I got so anxious—so Mom, please don't walk too fast anymore…"

Hearing this, Jiang Wenxin noticed the problem in her words and couldn't help asking: "What uncles and aunts?"

"The ones who died too, like me." Dou Dou said innocently.

It turned out Dou Dou already knew she was dead.

Jiang Wenxin was startled—so if this were true, there must be many ghosts in this world?

Did all people wander the earth after death? No, that couldn't be right—this was Da Xia; they should return to the Netherworld.

Shen Siyuan saw an unbelievable sight.

Outside, ghosts were everywhere—some pacing under streetlights, some strolling down roads, some lingering outside shops…

People didn't avoid ghosts, and ghosts didn't avoid people—they were clearly separated, interfering with nothing.

Shen Siyuan wanted to immediately summon the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and absorb these souls.

But the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was now broken, most of its power lost; absorbing ghosts on such a large scale was impossible right now, and besides, he wasn't a demonic cultivator—he couldn't do such an evil thing.

Besides, he had just gained this opportunity and didn't fully understand this world yet—he should be cautious.

Shen Siyuan stepped out of the building, went to the parking lot, found his electric scooter, but kept observing the wandering souls along the way.

This world was truly strange—no spiritual energy at all, yet ghosts existed.

These ghosts seemed chaotic, but actually followed their own set of behavioral rules.

Humans couldn't see ghosts, and ghosts couldn't affect humans; in fact, they might even be harmed by a person's Three Fires.

Unless a person's fortune declined and their Three Fires weakened, then ghosts could cling to them—though they wouldn't cause real harm, the person would suffer bad luck in everything.

The Three Fires refer to the fire at the crown, and the fires on the left and right shoulders; the stronger a person, the stronger their Three Fires—unless it was a close relative, ghosts would all avoid them.

Thus, ghosts and humans remained clearly separated, interfering with nothing.

This was actually similar to Da Huang—but Da Huang had Yin World, Netherworld, Hell, and even Pure Land, Divine Realms, Heaven, True Void Homeland, each with its own destination.

And the ghosts of this world seem to have no destination, wandering everywhere.

Furthermore, because the qi of heaven and earth is turbid, no fierce ghosts or evil spirits are born; thus, this world has reached a balance, with each side leaving the other in peace.

However, Shen Siyuan also noticed that some ghosts would turn into particles and vanish, yet he felt no power of reception, only a simple disappearance.

Watching the lost souls coming and going on the street, Shen Siyuan felt as though he had forgotten something.