The Nightmare Experience of a Useless Person

There were three chickens in the yard, all noticeably thin, but their crowing could shatter the night. At a quarter past Chen Shi (7:15 AM), another sweltering day began.

"Sister Qingjun, could you comb my hair?" It was Xiulian, who was holding a book in her left hand and handing over a wooden comb in her right.

"Of course." Qingjun agreed quickly, but she was actually unsure. In the past, Ayi always combed her hair, and she never had to put in any effort.

A broken wooden comb pierced through thick hair, releasing a faint fragrance. Qingjun carefully divided her hair into three sections and gently twisted them left and right.

"Sister Qingjun, just use your strength, it won't hurt." Xiulian sat comfortably on the small chair, talking, but her mind was actually on the old book.

The paper was yellowed, and the corners were curled into various shapes, clearly indicating it had been read hundreds of times. Qingjun cautiously asked, "What is Xiulian looking at?"

Having found an interesting topic, Xiulian was noticeably more excited than before. She closed the book and showed Qingjun its cover.

"This book is called 'Reminiscences of Distant Thoughts,' which tells the love story of Liu Shiyu, a noblewoman, and Xu Moxing, a playboy from Jincheng."

Xiulian swayed her head as she told the story, leaving Qingjun alone, tugging at a few strands of her hair in worry.

"Liu Shiyu was born with a heart condition and was frail and weak. Everyone said she wouldn't live past twenty-five, so she had never left the Prince's mansion since childhood. But she yearned for freedom and didn't want to be a caged bird. One day, she tried to escape by climbing over the wall under the cover of night and was almost discovered by the guards. At the critical moment, she was protected by Xu Moxing, a notorious playboy in Jincheng. They went through hardships, were attracted to each other, and fell in love. For Liu Shiyu, Xu Moxing studied medicine diligently and traveled the world with her. The couple wrote countless biographies and eventually became renowned travelers."

Xiulian's narration was vivid and engaging; she even gestured excitedly when she got to the parts. "Sister Qingjun, do you know which sentence I like the most?"

Her fingertips deftly turned the pages, finally settling on those few lines: "You are the rain, I am the ink; you cleanse me of impurities, I write for you. We are no longer wanderers trapped in each other's pain; rain and ink unite, becoming a perfect pair of lovers in the world."

Those few lines of words had become blurred under Xiulian's touch, but they were engraved in Xiulian's heart with unparalleled clarity: "Sister Qingjun, I will definitely meet the man who will make me whole, accompany each other, and help each other achieve. So I cannot marry hastily and then waste my life in the years."

She wasn't crazy; in fact, she was more clear-headed than most people.

Qingjun felt a slight tremor in her heart. The more she learned about Xiulian, the closer she felt to her.

The story was over, and her hair was combed. A long braid hung from her ears to her waist. It was a long braid, although it was a bit crooked and a few strands had escaped, but it was still quite a neat long braid... right?

Qingjun felt somewhat guilty.

She picked up a comb and tidied the stray hairs on Xiulian's forehead. As she brushed the comb aside, a horrifying scar was revealed on her forehead.

A deep, wrinkled patch, like crumpled paper, ruined her once smooth and intact skin.

Once again, Qingjun's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't explain it; she only felt a pang of sorrow, a touch of admiration, and a hint of heartache.

The girl before me, still so innocent and naive, wants to live according to her own wishes, but can only resort to self-harm—this is her weapon for self-protection…

"How about it! Don't you feel like I'm a master of love!" Xiulian raised her eyebrows, twisted her shoulders, and casually stroked her right hand to cover the scar under her hair.

Qingjun was somewhat at a loss, his raised hand hovering in the air.

It seems that such scars mean nothing to her.

At this moment, the usually taciturn girl, who was engrossed in the story, became lively and vibrant. Compared to her, Qingjun's sentimentality seemed rather childish.

"So, if you and Zhiyang have any questions, feel free to ask me." Xiulian closed the book, leaned gently against Qingjun, and revealed that very strange smile again.

Why me and Jiang Zhiyang? What do you not understand? Qingjun looked confused.

"Sister Qingjun is actually the sister-in-law that Brother Zhiyang went on a blind date with, right? Look at him, his face is clearly red with embarrassment, but he still keeps calling her a noble lady. He's so spineless."

"A blind date?"

"Yes, Aunt Dong said that Zhiyang is getting old, and she asked a matchmaker she knows to set him up on blind dates. He meets four or five girls a month! You two really didn't meet through blind dates?"

"certainly……"

The conversation was interrupted. Qingjun felt her clothes being tugged. Looking down, she saw it was Xiaotao. She was fidgeting and her words were mumbled.

"She said she also wants Sister Qingjun to braid her hair," Xiulian said, speaking up for her and enthusiastically suggesting that she and Qingjun could each braid one side of her hair.

But it was obvious that Xiulian couldn't get enough of gossip. "He must like you. Otherwise, just look around. Has he been going on blind dates these days? Go around and see if he's secretly following you."

Why not go on blind dates? Why follow me? Does following me mean you like me? Qingjun was puzzled, but secretly remembered it.

"But don't leave at night, especially in the yard."

Why?

"In the dead of night, there were wild ghosts crying. Brother Zhiyang said that no one is allowed to go out at night. If we hide under the covers, we will be fine." The little head under his command spoke up, this time speaking clearly and without any ambiguity.

"No one has ever seen a ghost, but I've definitely heard crying, and it was a man!" Xiulian lowered her voice, then suddenly changed the subject, "Maybe it was a devoted male ghost, longing for his wife who is still alive!"

For a moment, I didn't know whether to praise or scold her. Xiulian's head was full of love and romance. She was a ghost, a deeply affectionate ghost.

Xiao Tao's hair was still very delicate, and Qing Jun struggled for a long time before finally managing to finish. However, compared to the braids done by Xiu Lian, the difference in quality was stark, like heaven and earth...

But Xiao Tao was extremely satisfied. The little girl shook her head, and her two braids swayed like rattles, making Qing Jun very happy.

Her smile is just like Ah Liu's. Speaking of which, Qingjun really misses Ah Liu. When she returns to the Divine Realm, she will definitely braid her hair like that.

"Sister Qingjun, this is for you." Xiaotao's eyes were round and bright, like two purple grapes on her fair face. She reached out and handed over a piece of candy.

The candy wrapper was crumpled and had an irregular shape, with a thin layer of paper fuzz on the edges due to wear.

Just by looking at it, Qingjun could imagine how long Xiaotao had treasured this candy, how she craved it but couldn't bear to part with it, how she would open it to take a look and then wrap it up again, and how she would carefully hide it deep in the corner of her clothes for fear that other children would snatch it away.

"Keep it for yourself, Xiaotao," Qingjun refused. She didn't need a piece of candy, but Xiaotao really needed it; she needed a sweet treat to soothe her bitter days.

"Really don't want it?" The two purple grapes instantly glistened with water, making Qingjun a little flustered. If it were Ah Liu in front of her, she would have already swallowed the candy with a smile.

"Really, it's not necessary." Qingjun took the candy and put it back in her shallow pocket. Then, as if to change the subject, she said, "Xiaotao, let's go to class. Your brother Zhiyang will be angry if we're late."

The little girl is very well-behaved; she listens to everything I say. Right now, she's sitting obediently in her little chair, listening to the lesson.