In that moment, Lu Xiaowan, trapped inside Jiang Xiaosi’s body, let out a painful scream. She couldn’t understand why Jiang Xiaosi’s consciousness and spiritual strength had suddenly become so powerful, nearly tearing her apart. Yet, with Shen Mo’s talisman sealing her in, she couldn’t escape. Weak and defeated, she could only huddle in a corner, muttering to herself, regretting ever messing with a zombie.
“Tutor, are you okay?” Jiang Xiaosi looked at her blood-covered hands, tears streaming down her face. The scent of RH blood overwhelmed her senses, and she could barely control her rapidly growing fangs. And it wasn’t just any blood—it was Shen Mo’s, flowing in such abundance, tempting her far more than any other.
But as she looked at Shen Mo’s pale face, worry overtook her greed. She supported him, trying to explain but was utterly confused, stammering incoherently.
“You were possessed by Lu Xiaowan.”
Jiang Xiaosi, with the talisman still on her forehead, started to piece things together.
“Are you okay? What do we do now?”
“I’m fine. Take this; she won’t dare act up for a while. Help me get back.”
Jiang Xiaosi took the bottle Shen Mo handed her and swallowed a pill. She wished she were taller, strong enough to carry him.
Suppressing her desire, she checked Shen Mo’s wound. Although it was close to a vital area, it wasn’t life-threatening for now. She tore off a strip of her bathrobe to help stop the bleeding, but that made her bathrobe even shorter.
Looking around, she saw that the residential area was deserted, with only a few people having been scared off by the commotion. No taxis were in sight.
With blood sticking to her hands, Jiang Xiaosi, despite her growing anxiety, felt a strange calmness take over. Spotting a few bicycles in the nearby parking lot, she ran over, found a rusty wire in the trash, and began using it to pick the lock.
Shen Mo leaned against a streetlamp, pressing down on his wound. He watched Jiang Xiaosi’s shadow stretch out as she worked, the talisman on her forehead occasionally blocking her view. She kept blowing on it in frustration, making her look utterly ridiculous. Despite himself, Shen Mo chuckled—though the laughter caused his wound to ache, making him cough violently.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xiaosi was too focused to notice. Even if she had seen, she wouldn’t have believed that Shen Mo could find anything funny at a time like this.
Her skills had grown rusty from lack of practice, and her hands trembled slightly, smeared with blood. It took her a while to finally unlock the bike. Jiang Xiaosi helped Shen Mo onto the back seat, his arms instinctively wrapping around her small waist, enveloping her completely. It felt warm and safe, but soon she could feel the wet heat of his blood soaking into her back.
“Hold on tight.”
Jiang Xiaosi pedaled quickly, sweating profusely. The talisman on her forehead had curled up, making her look even more comical. She kept swallowing nervously, trying not to think about the blood.
Shen Mo’s breathing was steady, and despite his heavy blood loss, he didn’t seem as severely injured as she feared. He had tried to stop the bleeding by pressing on acupoints, but Jiang Xiaosi knew that the lingering corpse poison from her fingers had made it impossible to fully halt the flow.
Shen Mo, sensing Jiang Xiaosi’s guilt and self-blame, didn’t know how to comfort her. He reached out and wiped the sweat from her temple, startling her so much that she nearly swerved the bike into a ditch.
“Tired?”
“No, the road’s flat. But when we get back, you’ll have to walk yourself up the mountain. Why did you leave your comfy faculty apartment and choose to live in the hills? Should I call Koudan to come take a look?”
“No need, it’s nothing serious. Don’t tell her; it’ll ruin my dignity as an elder.”
Jiang Xiaosi giggled.
“Jiang Xiaosi, did your teacher ever teach you not to take other people’s things without permission?”
“Nope. If you’re unhappy with me, you can give me a lesson on morals later.” As soon as she said it, she realized that there wouldn’t be a “later” for them anymore. Quickly backtracking, she added, “I’ll have Yueyi return the bike for me. I don’t care about it anyway; my Xiao Qiang is way cooler.”
“Xiao Qiang?”
“My electric bike, of course. It’s awesome—my dad modified it so it can go on forever. I named it Xiao Qiang.”
Shen Mo had no words. The night breeze blew softly, the crescent moon playing hide-and-seek with the clouds, and an occasional car passed by. Taoyuan City felt serene and beautiful at this time, so much so that it made him drowsy. His head slowly rested on Jiang Xiaosi’s shoulder. As he thought about her moving away, his heart ached.
“Jiang Xiaosi…”
“What?”
But in the end, he couldn’t say what he wanted. He closed his eyes. Jiang Xiaosi’s hair, not too long nor too short, fluttered in the wind, brushing against his face with the scent of strawberry shampoo.
It took about twenty minutes for them to reach T University. Jiang Xiaosi supported Shen Mo up the hill, watching as his blood dripped along the way. She couldn’t help but feel it was a waste—if only she had a bowl to catch it all.
Once they made it to his home, they both let out a sigh of relief. Shen Mo lay down while Jiang Xiaosi tended to his wounds.
With the medicine, Jiang Xiaosi worked with ease. But soon her thirst became unbearable, and she rushed to the bathroom to lick the blood off her fingers one by one. If she didn’t satisfy her craving now, she might lose control and pounce on Shen Mo later.
Shen Mo’s blood tasted far better than any she’d had before. Her nerves tingled with excitement, and she feared she might become addicted.
After taking off her bloodstained bathrobe as a memento, she took a quick shower, being careful not to let the talisman get wet. It took her a while to finish and emerge from the bathroom. She noticed the desk was a mess—highly unusual for Shen Mo, who was a bit of a neat freak. Curious, she peeked at the papers and saw that they were all related to the Mei Mansion and the tomb from last time. Shen Mo was still investigating Mei Xin, and the purple seal was likely in his possession.
But none of that was her concern anymore. Deep down, Jiang Xiaosi knew her dad was right. She should leave before she fell too deeply for Shen Mo. Otherwise, it would become impossible to leave. Even if he never discovered her true identity, she knew her eternally young appearance wouldn’t offer him much of a future.
She used to try hard to set her dad up with Yuchen, but Yuchen was always too shy to be proactive. Jiang Xiaosi used to get frustrated with her. Yuchen would say that their lifespans were so long that there was no need to rush. If confessing would only burden Jiang Liu with worries and no guarantee of happiness, why take the risk? As long as she could stay by his side, she was content.
Jiang Xiaosi hadn’t understood then, but now she did—at least a little. She had always thought about how to make Shen Mo fall for her but had never considered whether falling for her would be good for him, whether it was worth it.
Jiang Xiaosi gazed down at Shen Mo’s sleeping face, looking at his thin lips, feeling both sweet and bitter, happy and sad.
She slowly leaned closer, but before she could get too near, Shen Mo, without opening his eyes, lazily muttered, “Don’t steal a kiss.”
Jiang Xiaosi blushed furiously, puffing her cheeks in frustration. Just then, the doorbell rang. Jiang Xiaosi figured it was Jiang Liu. She had called him earlier. Shen Mo was bound to extract Lu Xiaowan’s soul soon, and without her bead, her true identity would be revealed. She couldn’t let everything fall apart now that she was so close to leaving.
When Jiang Liu came in, he first put the bead back around her neck. Seeing the talisman on her forehead, he couldn’t help but chuckle—she really did look like one of those zombies from the movies.
By this time, Shen Mo had gotten up and stood by the door, holding a soul-retrieving mirror.
“Tutor, why are you up?” Jiang Xiaosi asked, concerned about his still-pale complexion, though she quickly corrected herself—she couldn’t call him ‘Tutor’ anymore.
“I’m fine. We need to force Lu Xiaowan out now before she causes more trouble.”
“You should rest a bit longer. We can deal with it in the morning.”
Shen Mo shook his head, glancing at Jiang Liu. Jiang Liu reached out and removed the talisman from Jiang Xiaosi’s forehead.
The two men stood ready, but Lu Xiaowan didn’t take the opportunity to escape. She was too injured, cowering weakly in the corner of Jiang Xiaosi’s body. When Shen Mo used the mirror to draw her out, she didn’t resist.
“Lu Xiaowan, where is Xiao Tang’s soul? Hand it over.”
“I’ve already swallowed it. He abandoned me once; I won’t let him leave me again.”
A cold light flashed in Shen Mo’s eyes. “Jiang Xiaosi, leave the room.”
Lu Xiaowan shrank back but still stubbornly held her head high.
Jiang Xiaosi didn’t dislike Lu Xiaowan; she just thought her actions were foolish. She had heard about how ruthless Shen Mo could be towards non-humans, and she couldn’t help but feel afraid, quietly pleading, “Please don’t…”
Jiang Liu also spoke up. “No need to rush. She’s endured all these years; Xiao Tang is her only weakness. Forcing her too hard might harm his soul. Let’s take her back to Xiaoli Village tomorrow. You should rest well tonight. Xiaosi and I will stay here.”
Shen Mo realized Jiang Liu was worried that he might harm Lu Xiaowan after they left. With a cold smile, he turned and went back to his room.
Lu Xiaowan, trapped in the mirror, felt both joy and sorrow. She was glad that Xiao Tang was still in the village, meaning she would see him again soon.
Jiang Xiaosi slept in Shen Koudan’s room, while Jiang Liu took the guest room. The next morning, they prepared to return to Xiaoli Village, and Shen Koudan was called over as well. Shen Mo seemed back to normal, showing no signs of having been injured the night before. Jiang Xiaosi couldn’t tell if he was using some sort of illusion or if he had truly recovered.
When they arrived at Xiaoli Village, everything looked the same. Roosters crowed, dogs barked, and paths crisscrossed the village. The villagers went about their daily lives, occasionally stopping to greet them. Xiao Tang burst into tears as he rushed forward, unsure whether to hug Shen Mo or Jiang Liu. He felt a bit awkward about hugging Shen Koudan, so he threw himself at Jiang Xiaosi, squeezing her tightly until Jiang Liu and Lin Qiang pulled them apart.
“I thought you guys had abandoned me!” Xiao Tang cried.
Jiang Xiaosi laughed. “How could we? But Lu Xiaowan is tricky—we had a hard time catching her. How did you manage here? Wasn’t Lin Team Leader keeping you company?”
Xiao Tang thought for a moment. The truth was, the peaceful scenery and quiet life here were quite pleasant, much like how he imagined his retirement. No difficult cases to solve, and Lin Team Leader wasn’t always scolding him. Lin Qiang even cooked for him and taught him how to play chess. But he still missed the hustle and bustle of the outside world, missed his family and friends.
“Of course, home is better! Right, Lin Team Leader?”
Lin Qiang, expressionless as always, nodded. “No cigarettes here.”
Everyone collapsed in disbelief. Xiao Tang protested, “Didn’t I make you a pipe just the other day?”
“I didn’t get used to it, so I threw it away.”
Xiao Tang gritted his teeth in frustration. “When we get back, I’ll send you a whole cartload of Chinese cigarettes. Smoke them all and get lung disease!”
Jiang Xiaosi chuckled. This kid had gotten so spoiled over the past few days that he was even daring to talk back to Lin Team Leader. “Don’t get too excited. It won’t be easy to leave. Lu Xiaowan still hasn’t returned your soul. You should try asking her for it.”
Lu Lin stood to the side, looking worried.
When Lu Xiaowan was released from the mirror, she immediately regained her old form upon returning to Xiaoli Village, happily throwing herself into Xiao Tang’s arms.
“Xingzhi! I’ve missed you so much!”
Xiao Tang was nearly in tears. “Please, could you be kind? I’m not Tang Xingzhi. Just give me back my, um, thing!”
Lu Xiaowan’s eyes filled with mist. “Xingzhi, are you really going to leave me again?”
“There’s no way we can be together.”
“Why?”
“Humans and ghosts belong in different worlds! Besides, I don’t even like you.” Xiao Tang spoke firmly, but Jiang Xiaosi felt a chill in her heart.
“Then I’ll make you a ghost too!”
Lu Xiaowan screamed, her eyes turning blood-red as her face twisted into a ferocious mask. “We can die together, but you won’t leave me again!”
Seeing that she was on the verge of destroying Xiao Tang’s soul in a fit of rage, everyone quickly intervened.
Lu Lin shouted desperately, “Xiaowan, stop! Xingzhi never abandoned you. He never wronged you!”
Everyone froze, including Lu Xiaowan, who turned around in shock. “What did you say?”
“Xingzhi died on his way to the capital for the imperial exam. He encountered bandits and succumbed to his injuries, never making it to the exam. He didn’t abandon you. When you grew sick from waiting, asking everyone for news of him, I had just taken on human form. I disguised myself as a doctor from the capital to treat you. I didn’t dare tell you the truth because I feared you’d follow him into death. So, I made up the story that he became a top scholar, married someone else, and betrayed you. Your love turned into hatred, and while you slowly recovered, the village suffered a disaster that left you full of resentment for all these years. Xiao Tang is just Xiao Tang. Whatever happened in the past has nothing to do with him or the village. And Xingzhi never betrayed you, never thought of leaving you. If you must hate someone, hate me.”
Hearing his words, everyone was left speechless. Love could be beautiful, but reality was often harsh and powerless.
Lu Xiaowan felt her world spinning. She had harbored resentment for so many years, only to be told that she had been wrong all along. Xingzhi had never wanted to leave her, but fate had cruelly kept them apart. So all this time, her obsession, her unwillingness to let go—what had it all been for? Suddenly, everything she had done seemed like a joke between two strangers.
Tears streamed down Lu Xiaowan’s face.
Jiang Xiaosi pitied her. “Xiaowan, the one who truly loves you, who has always been by your side, is Lu Lin. Why cling to the past?”
Lu Xiaowan knew. How could she not know how good Lu Lin had been to her? But in the past, all she could see was Xingzhi. She had loved him, hated him, wanted to take him back, and sometimes even wanted him dead. There was no room for anything else in her heart.
Finally, Lu Xiaowan opened her mouth and slowly spat out a glowing object. Everyone rejoiced—it was Xiao Tang’s soul.
Shen Mo helped Xiao Tang absorb the soul back into his body. Xiao Tang clenched his fists in excitement, eager to leave the lake and return to the world.
Lu Xiaowan gazed at him sorrowfully, realizing that this person, in both character and behavior, was nothing like the gentle and scholarly Xingzhi. He was someone entirely different.
She slowly turned and walked away in desolation.
“From now on, we have nothing to do with each other.”
“Xiaowan!” Lu Lin hurried after her.
Xiao Tang stuck out his tongue at their retreating figures. “Go on, be together! I’m going home!”
As the group left the lake, they all let out a collective sigh of relief—the ordeal was finally over.
“Jiang Liu.” Before getting into the car, Shen Koudan called out softly. The two of them lingered behind the group.
“What is it?” Jiang Liu looked at her, noting how she looked just as she had when they had been trapped in the cave. He smiled warmly.
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”
Jiang Liu nodded. “Now that Xiao Tang is safe and Xiaosi’s concerns are resolved, we’re leaving tomorrow.”
Shen Koudan’s breath hitched. She reached into her bag and handed him a small box. “This is for you—a parting gift.”
Jiang Liu opened it to find a silver coin attached to a chain, meticulously refined with magic. It gleamed brightly, exquisitely crafted.
“This…”
“I’m sorry for causing you to lose your copper coin last time. This is a small token of compensation, though it doesn’t compare to the original.” Shen Koudan lowered her head.
“Don’t say that. It’s beautiful. You put a lot of thought into it. I like it very much. I’ll gladly accept it.” Jiang Liu felt touched as he tucked the coin into his pocket.
A while later, Jiang Xiaosi sneaked over. “Dad, what did Koudan give you?”
“A farewell gift.”
“Really? Should I give Shen Mo something too?”
“That’s up to you.”
“I can’t think of anything. He doesn’t seem to care for anything of mine, so maybe I’ll just skip it.”
Jiang Liu patted her head. “What’s the matter? Have you come to terms with everything? You’re not sad anymore?”
Jiang Xiaosi looked at Shen Mo’s back, sighed wistfully, and smiled bitterly. “What else can I do?”
Jiang Liu felt a pang in his heart, hearing her talk like that for the first time. “I’m not forcing you. If you really can’t bear to leave, we don’t have to go. How about that?”
Jiang Xiaosi forced a smile and shook her head. “It’s fine. Let’s go. If I stay any longer, I might lose control.”
“Lose control?”
“I might want to… suck his blood…”
Father and daughter exchanged a bittersweet smile.
Xiao Tang knew they were leaving, and after trying to stop them for half a day without success, he declared that he would see them off tomorrow. They arrived at Tuogu Xiang, got out of the car, and Shen Mo glanced at them briefly from the window. He didn’t say a word, and the car drove away. Jiang Xiaosi had hoped that he would at least say goodbye.
She stood there for a long time before going inside to pack the last of their things. The next day, the moving company arrived, and they said their farewells to Miao Yan, Yuchen, Shen Koudan, Xiao Tang, Lin Qiang, Li Yueyi, and her dog Shaobing. As they drove out of Taoyuan City, Shen Mo never came.
The car passed by T University, and Jiang Xiaosi pressed her face against the window, gazing at the lush greenery of the hills. From here, she couldn’t even see the house. She clutched Shen Mo’s key tightly in her hand. Out of selfishness, she hadn’t returned it, and Shen Mo hadn’t asked for it back. It was as if he had forgotten about it.
Jiang Liu sat beside her, holding her close, gently patting her shoulder as he had done when she was a child to help her fall asleep.
Just then, her phone chimed with a text message.
Jiang Xiaosi took it out and looked at the screen. Her tears, which she had tried so hard to hold back, finally fell uncontrollably.
The text was from Shen Mo. It contained only three words:
“Don’t go.”
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