Chapter 1: The Outsider

"I am a failure. I barely pay attention to whether the sun is shining or not, because I have no time.

"My parents couldn't provide me with any support, my education isn't high, and I am alone in the city, searching for a future.

"I've looked for many jobs, but I haven't been hired for any of them. Perhaps no one likes someone who isn't good at speaking, doesn't like to communicate, and hasn't shown enough ability.

"I went three whole days eating only two loaves of bread. Hunger made it impossible for me to sleep at night. Fortunately, I had paid a month's rent in advance, so I could continue to live in that dark basement without having to go outside and endure the abnormally cold winter wind.

"Finally, I found a job: working the night shift at a hospital, guarding the morgue.

"The hospital at night is even colder than I imagined. The corridor wall lamps aren't lit, and it's dim everywhere. I can only rely on the faint light seeping out from the rooms to help me see my feet.

"The smell there is awful. From time to time, the deceased are sent over stuffed in body bags, and we work together to help move them into the morgue.

"It's not a very good job, but at least it allows me to afford bread. The free time at night can also be used for studying. After all, no one is willing to come to the morgue unless there are bodies that need to be delivered or transported for cremation. Of course, I don't have enough money to buy books yet, and I don't see any hope of saving money for now.

"I have to thank my former colleague. If it weren't for his sudden resignation, I might not have even been able to get a job like this.

"I dream of being able to rotate to the day shift. Now, I always sleep when the sun comes out and wake up after night falls, which has made my body a bit weak, and my head also aches from time to time.

"One day, the porters delivered a new body.

"I heard from others that it was my former colleague who had suddenly resigned.

"I was a bit curious about him. After everyone left, I pulled out the cabinet and quietly opened the body bag.

"He was an old man, his face blue and white, covered in wrinkles, looking very frightening under the extremely dim light.

"He didn't have much hair, most of it was white, and all his clothes had been stripped off, not even a scrap of fabric left for him.

"For a deceased person like this without family, the porters certainly wouldn't miss the chance to make some extra money.

"I saw a strange mark on his chest, blue-black in color. I couldn't describe the exact shape; the light at the time was just too dim.

"I reached out and touched the mark, but there was nothing special.

"Looking at this former colleague, I wondered, if I keep going like this, when I get old, will I end up like him...

"I told him that tomorrow I would accompany him to the crematorium and personally take his ashes to the nearest free cemetery, so that those in charge of these matters wouldn't find it troublesome and just throw them in some random river or wasteland.

"This will cost me a morning of sleep, but fortunately, it's almost Sunday, so I can make up for it.

"After saying that, I fixed the body bag and shoved it back into the cabinet.

"The light in the room seemed to get even dimmer...

"Since that day, every time I sleep, I always dream of a thick fog.

"I have a premonition that something will happen soon, a premonition that sooner or later, things that I don't know if I can call human will come looking for me. But no one is willing to believe me; they think that in such an environment and such a job, my mind has become abnormal and I need to see a doctor..."

A male guest sitting at the bar looked toward the storyteller who had suddenly stopped:

"And then?"

This male guest was in his thirties, wearing a brown tweed jacket and light yellow trousers. His hair was pressed very flat, and there was a simple dark bowler hat by his hand.

He looked ordinary, just like most people in the tavern: black hair, light blue eyes, not good-looking, but not ugly either, lacking any obvious features.

And the storyteller in his eyes was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a tall, straight build and slender limbs. He also had short black hair and light blue eyes, but his features were deep and striking, enough to catch one's eye.

The young man looked at the empty wine glass in front of him and sighed:

"And then?

"Then I quit my job and went back to the countryside, coming here to brag to you."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, a smile with a hint of mischief.

The male guest was stunned for a moment:

"What you just told was bragging?"

"Haha." A burst of laughter erupted around the bar.

As the laughter subsided slightly, a thin, middle-aged man looked at the slightly embarrassed guest and said:

"Outsider, you actually believed Lu Mian's story? What he tells every day is different. Yesterday, he was a loser whose engagement was broken off because of poverty, and today he's become a morgue guard!"

"Right, saying things like 'thirty years on the east side of the Sailunzuo River, thirty years on the west side of the Sailunzuo River,' just babbling nonsense!" another tavern regular added.

They were all farmers from the large village of Cordu, wearing short jackets that were black, gray, or brown.

The young man with black hair, called Lu Mian, leaned on the bar with both hands, stood up slowly, and said with a smile:

"You know, this isn't a story I made up; it was all written by my sister. She loves writing stories the most and is even a columnist for the 'Novel Weekly'."

After speaking, he turned his body to the side, spread his hands toward the outsider, and smiled brilliantly:

"It seems she writes really well.

"I'm sorry for misleading you."

The man in the brown tweed jacket with the ordinary appearance wasn't angry; he stood up as well and responded with a smile:

"A very interesting story.

"What should I call you?"

"Isn't it common sense to introduce yourself before asking others?" Lu Mian laughed.

The guest from out of town nodded:

"My name is Ryan Cos.

"These two are my companions, Valentine and Lyra."

The latter part of the sentence referred to the man and woman sitting right next to him.

The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with yellow hair dusted with powder. His eyes, not particularly large, were a color slightly deeper than lake blue. He wore a white waistcoat, a blue fine-wool coat, and black trousers, clearly having been carefully dressed before going out.

He looked quite indifferent and didn't pay much attention to the surrounding farmers and herdsmen.

The woman looked younger than the two men. Her light gray long hair was tied into a complex bun, wrapped in a white veil that served as a hat.

Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and her gaze toward Lu Mian carried undisguised amusement, as if she only found what had just happened interesting.

Under the light of the tavern's gas wall lamp, this woman named Lyra revealed a pert nose and beautifully curved lips. In a countryside village like Cordu, she could definitely be called a beauty.

She wore a white, unpleated cashmere tight-fitting dress, paired with a cream-colored small jacket and a pair of Masil long boots. There were two small silver bells tied to her veil and boots respectively. When she walked into the tavern just now, she jingled all the way, which was very eye-catching and made many men stare blankly.

In their eyes, this must be the kind of fashionable attire only found in big cities like the provincial capital Bigor or the capital Trier.

Lu Mian nodded to the three outsiders:

"My name is Lu Mian Li; you can just call me Lu Mian."

"Li?" Lyra blurted out.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with my surname?" Lu Mian asked curiously.

Ryan Cos helped Lyra explain:

"This surname of yours is terrifying. I almost couldn't control my voice just now."

Seeing the surrounding farmers and herdsmen looking puzzled, he explained further:

"Anyone who has had contact with sailors or sea merchants knows that there is a saying circulating on the Five Seas:

"Rather encounter those pirate generals or even kings than run into a man named Frank Li.

"That person's surname is also Li."

"Is he very scary?" Lu Mian asked.

Ryan shook his head:

"I'm not sure, but since such a legend exists, it certainly won't be bad."

He ended the topic and said to Lu Mian:

"Thank you for your story. It's worth a drink. What would you like?"

"A glass of 'Green Fairy'." Lu Mian didn't stand on ceremony and sat back down.

Ryan Cos frowned slightly and said:

"'Green Fairy'... Absinthe?

"I think I need to remind you: absinthe is harmful to the human body. This kind of alcohol can lead to mental confusion and cause you to have hallucinations."

"I didn't expect the fashion trends of Trier to have already spread here." Lyra added with a smile from the side.

Lu Mian said "Oh":

"So people in Trier also like to drink 'Green Fairy'...

"For us, life is already hard enough; there's no need to care about a little more harm. This kind of alcohol can let our spirits achieve greater relaxation."

"Fine." Ryan sat back in his seat and looked at the bartender, "A glass of 'Green Fairy', and add a glass of 'Spicy Heart' for me."

"Spicy Heart" was a famous fruit shochu.

"Why not give me a glass of 'Green Fairy' too? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can even tell you the whole story about this kid!" The thin, middle-aged man who had first exposed Lu Mian for telling stories every day shouted with dissatisfaction, "Outsider, I can tell you're still skeptical about whether that story is true or false!"

"Pierre, you really would do anything for a free drink!" Lu Mian responded loudly.

Before Ryan could make a decision, Lu Mian added:

"Why can't I tell it myself? That way I can have another glass of 'Green Fairy'?"

"Because they don't know whether to believe the situation you're talking about." The middle-aged man named Pierre laughed triumphantly, "The story your sister loves to tell children the most is 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. People who always lie will inevitably lose their credibility."

"Fine." Lu Mian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a glass of pale green liquid in front of him.

Ryan looked at him and asked for confirmation:

"Is it okay?"

"No problem, as long as your wallet is enough to pay for these drinks." Lu Mian didn't care at all.

"Then another glass of 'Green Fairy'." Ryan nodded.

Pierre was suddenly all smiles:

"Generous outsider, this kid is the biggest prankster in the village. You must stay away from him.

"Five years ago, he was brought back to the village by his sister Aurora and never left again. Think about it, before that, he was only thirteen; how could he possibly go to a hospital to be a morgue guard? Hmm, the nearest hospital to us is in Daliezh at the foot of the mountain, which takes a whole afternoon to walk to."

"Brought back to the village?" Lyra asked keenly.

She tilted her head slightly, producing a jingling sound.

Pierre nodded:

"Aurora moved here to settle down six years ago. A year later, she went out for a trip and brought this kid back, saying she picked him up on the road, that he was a stray child about to starve to death, and she planned to adopt him.

"Then, he took Aurora's surname 'Li', and even the name 'Lu Mian' was given by Aurora."

"I've forgotten what I was called originally." Lu Mian took a sip of absinthe and said with a grin.

It seemed that he didn't feel inferior or ashamed at all about his past being exposed like this.

PS: Today is Xiao Ke's birthday. I hope he likes this gift, haha.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 2 =====