Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 354 Lover
My mother, my grandmother, Li Hongye... they are all dead.

There is no doubt about this.

Li Hongye has even turned into a demon, and is still secretly trying to help Ran Qing.

But before her were three living, breathing people, with identical faces, identical personalities, and even identical memories.

Ran Qing asked her about several secrets that only the two of them knew, and this girl who looked exactly like Li Hongye was able to answer them!
Her mother and grandmother knew all about Ran Qing's mischievousness when she was a child.

Some of the interesting stories they told Ran Qing vaguely remembered, while many others were completely unknown to her.

But they recounted it with absolute clarity.

This unusual situation made Ran Qing's face turn sad, and the suspicion in her heart became clearer.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

Another familiar face to Ran Qing, Sixth Aunt, walked in.

Ran Qing was stunned when she saw her sixth aunt's face.

Aunt Liu sighed and said, "Child, we meet again."

Ran Qing's most cherished and deceased relatives in this world were all gathered in front of him at this moment.

This heartwarming scene is like something out of a dream.

Ran Qing was in a daze and didn't know what to say.

Wearing the uniform of No. 3 Middle School, Li Hongye smiled mischievously and said, "The celebration has already begun, we should go out."

Li Hongye, who was just in a hurry to drag Ran Qing in, is now pulling Ran Qing's hand and happily calling him to go out together.

The smiling mother, the kind grandmother, the sighing sixth aunt... they all surrounded Ran Qing as they walked out of the gate together.

"This is a rare celebration."

"Little Stone, are you happy?"

His most important family members surrounded Ran Qing, helping him walk out the door and into the long street.

The people celebrating on the long street happily welcomed them.

The people here had no ill intentions towards Ran Qing; on the contrary, they all smiled at him in a friendly and cordial manner.

Mother, grandmother, sixth aunt, Li Hongye... they surrounded Ran Qing, talking to her from time to time.

The most lively Li Hongye, beaming with joy, teased Ran Qing with playful jokes, just like when she was alive.

Aunt Liu sighed and followed at the back.

Gradually, she disappeared, and no one knows where she went.

But Li Hongye and the others seemed oblivious to everything, happily following Ran Qing and escorting him toward the center of the bustling city.

Amidst the bustling street scene, the light from burning torches illuminated the friendly, smiling faces.

The kind grandmother smiled and patted Ran Qing's head. As they passed an intersection, she abruptly left Ran Qing and walked into the crowd, disappearing into the throng in an instant.

At this moment, all that remained by Ran Qing's side were her kind, smiling mother and Li Hongye, who was grinning mischievously.

The mother said gently, "Little Stone, you must take good care of yourself..."

As her mother said goodbye, she looked at Ran Qing with reluctance.

After accompanying Ran Qing for a while, she also disappeared into the crowd.

This time, Ran Qing witnessed her mother's passing.

Even though he knew it was fake, when he actually saw his mother disappear into the vast sea of ​​people, he still felt a kind of grief of having gained and then lost her.

In the end, only Li Hongye remained by his side.

Wearing the school uniform of No. 3 Middle School, Li Hongye playfully and boldly grasped Ran Qing's hand.

The two snuggled together intimately, like a young couple secretly dating behind the teacher's back. Ran Qing tilted her head and glanced at her, asking, "...Aren't you leaving?"

Under the bright firelight of the celebration, Li Hongye blinked and said, "I don't need to leave... You've kept me here, I want to go back with you."

Li Hongye happily grasped Ran Qing's hand and said, "When we get back, everyone at school will definitely be shocked."

"Anyway, there's no one at my house anymore. Why don't you move in with me next semester and we can live together? I have spare rooms, and we can study together."

The girl winked playfully at Ran Qing, envisioning a bright future for the two of them after returning to the human world.

"After school in the afternoon, we can go to the market together to buy groceries, and then go home and cook together."

"I don't go into the kitchen often, but I can still cook a few dishes."

"Also, the fried potatoes I made are absolutely delicious! You have to try them at least once, so you won't always say I'm bragging."

Li Hongye nestled happily and sweetly against Ran Qing, planning their future together.

Hearing the girl's joyful laughter, Ran Qing felt even more heartbroken.

At this moment, they had reached the very center of the celebration.

At some point, all the people on the long street disappeared.

Here, only lanterns hanging from the eaves cast their bright light on the streets.

At the center of all these lanterns is a red door.

There was a pale, dead face on the red door, but now it split in two as the red door opened and cracked open.

Behind the open red door, white mist drifted out, creating a vast expanse of white.

Li Hongye happily took Ran Qing's hand and said softly, "...I should have told you how I felt a long time ago."

"Actually, I've always known that you like me, but I just haven't said anything."

"I was thinking that when you confess to me someday, I'll happily tell you that I actually like you too, and give you a big surprise."

"And you're always under so much pressure. I'm afraid that if I tell you how I feel, you'll avoid me, and I'm also afraid that my confession will affect your studies."

"So on the night I died, I really regretted it... I regretted that I couldn't tell you in person that I liked you until the moment I died."

Li Hongye held Ran Qing's hand tightly, feeling both sad and sweet, and murmured softly, "But thankfully you found me. Now I can go back to the human world with you. I have so much to say to you, and so many things I want to do with you."

"This time when I go back, I will no longer be timid and hesitant."

"I want to stay by your side, protect you, study together, make progress together, and take the college entrance exam together."

"After we graduate from university, we'll work together, get married, and travel together."

“I have so many places I want to visit, just like we planned before.”

"Snow-capped mountains, the Yellow River, the Forbidden City, the sea... We want to travel the world together."

"Then, after we have a baby, we'll tell them stories about the places we've been."

The girl's eyes were filled with the joy of having something lost and then found again.

She murmured softly, becoming more and more emotional as she spoke, her eyes misting over.

That kind of sincere emotion is absolutely genuine.

At this moment, she truly is the deceased Li Hongye, now about to return to the human world with Ran Qing.

but……

Looking at the red door ahead, and listening to the gentle murmur of the girl beside me.

After a long silence, Ran Qing spoke slowly and stiffly, her voice filled with bitterness.

"...You're not Li Hongye."

(End of this chapter)