Regarding the matter of awakening lightning abilities after transformation

"Well...see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye."

After closing the door, Gu Cheng leaned against the stairwell, gazing at the cramped rented room for a long time.

Section 24, Chapter Twenty-Four: The Cemetery

How long had passed? Two hours or longer? Qin Jin hadn't closed his eyes since he lay down on the bed. He had thought he would cry out in grief, or give up on himself and complain about the injustice of the world.

In fact, he did nothing, just stared blankly at the ceiling, as if he didn't care about what Gu Cheng was saying. He picked up his phone, the pale light shining on his face.

Around 3 a.m., unable to sleep, he got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

The person in the mirror had bloodshot eyes, dry and cracked lips, and trembling arms supporting them on the sink.

"Ugh..." A sudden stomach spasm made Qin Jin's body go limp. He staggered and lay down in front of the sink, vomiting repeatedly. Fortunately, he hadn't eaten dinner yesterday, so all he vomited was nearly digested instant noodles, which mixed with acidic water and emitted an unpleasant smell.

After his stomach was emptied, he gagged for a while before taking the towel from the glass clips and wiping the grime from the corners of his mouth in front of the mirror.

His steps were unsteady, his whole body felt weak, and the fabric of his clothes was soaked with sweat and stuck to his skin. Qin Jin walked into the living room, went to the dining table, and pulled out a chair.

In the silent space, apart from the ticking of the clock hands, there was only the man's rapid heartbeat.

He didn't turn on the light, but instead stared quietly at the table in the moonlight, at the cold death certificate, until dawn broke.

"Knock knock knock..." Around seven or eight o'clock, a clear knocking sound came from the door.

"Wait a moment." After stretching his stiff wrists, Qin Jin changed his clothes and slowly pushed open the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Qin." The pretty young woman greeted him with a smile, carrying a steaming cup of soy milk.

Gu Cheng was wearing a dark blue knitted undershirt today, and a warm breeze was blowing against her face, causing her sleeves to flutter.

"Let's grab something to eat before we go." She untied the knot on the plastic bag, which contained soy milk, steamed buns, and fried dough sticks.

Qin Jin didn't make a fuss and finished her breakfast quickly and efficiently.

"Where to? Zhongshan Hospital or...?"

"The cemetery." A night of contemplation completely shattered Qin Jin's self-deceptive thoughts. He should have known that Gu Chengyan wouldn't joke about such a matter.

"...OK."

Song Shiyan had already made all the arrangements. The burial site he chose for Gu Chengyan was located in the western suburbs of the city, where the largest public cemetery in Lanjiang was located.

Take the subway to the nearest stop, transfer to a bus, and finally get off at the last stop. Today is not a special day, and there are few pedestrians in the cemetery. Most of them are carrying bouquets and have solemn expressions.

Gu Cheng and Qin Jin walked between the tombstones, each lost in their own thoughts, and remained silent.

“We’ve arrived…” Based on the information provided by Song Shiyan, Gu Cheng stopped in front of one of the tombstones.

The tombstone was plain and ordinary, quietly nestled in a corner of the cemetery.

Besides the deceased's name, there is no record of birth, death, or place of origin; only a short sentence describing his life.

He is a savior with genuine good intentions.

There were no flowers in front of the monument, only a black and white photograph, with a few drifting catkins occasionally accompanying it.

"Who wrote this?" After standing for a long time, Qin Jin reached out and let his fingertips caress the tombstone.

"I..." Strictly speaking, it was written by Song Shiyan after consulting her.

"Well written." He suddenly smiled, his eyes slightly moist.

"Gu Chengyan is indeed a great philanthropist. I have known this for the past ten years."

“He’s a year older than me and took good care of me in the orphanage. He would share everything with me, and if anyone bullied me, he would always be the first to stand up for me. Not to fight, but to tell the teacher. More than a friend, he was like an older brother to me.” Qin Jin squatted down, his voice choked with emotion, but he persisted, as if his tears would burst forth if he stopped.

"Of course I would never call him 'brother,' I would either use his full name or simply omit the subject..."

"He's very stingy. He won't add anything to a jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe), he only eats the simplest kind, plain jianbing."

“He can be very generous sometimes. He would save up his allowance for a long time to buy me gifts.” Qin Jin used to really like a toy belt, but she couldn’t save up the money herself, so Gu Chengyan would save it up and then give it to her under the guise of her birthday. Now that she thinks about it, it’s been almost seven or eight years.

"He's indecisive and always hesitates before doing anything. I used to joke with him that he should definitely find a strong-willed wife, because if no one in the family can make decisions, they probably won't be able to get along..."

Qin Jin looked up at Gu Cheng as he finished speaking.

"I never expected him to be so decisive when he saved you, like he was a completely different person..."

My face felt tingly and numb, as if drifting petals had gotten into my eyes.

"You can leave for a bit. I want to talk to Gu Chengyan one last time." Qin Jin had no intention of showing any mercy to her. Even if he did, all he could do was cry with her for a while.

"Okay." The girl in front of him turned around, wiped her eyes, and finally disappeared from Qin Jin's sight.

"Long time no see..." He sat cross-legged, ignoring the dust on the ground, and silently looked at the black and white photo.

"Let's talk, bro."

......

Not far from them, a woman slowly stood up. She wore a brown hat and a dark dress that covered her entire body, with only half of her black stockings showing at her calves. Her face was delicate, and her temperament was aloof. Even though her slightly mature attire could not conceal her natural beauty. Su Wanxi took off her black gauze gloves and gently placed the bouquet of flowers, still damp with dew, in front of the grave.

She once read a sentence in a book—"A person dies three times in his/her life."

The person in the tomb has experienced two deaths: biological death and the ensuing funeral.

They will only truly die if they are forgotten by people in the real world.

A gentle breeze rustled through the lush green pines and cypresses.

Composing herself, Su Wanxi turned and walked out of the cemetery, only to see a familiar figure at the corner.

Gu Cheng, why is she here? The girl's shoulders trembled slightly, and her face was pale.

"Are you alright?" A clear voice came from beside her ear, and Gu Cheng finally came back from her daze.

"Miss Su..." She was stunned for a moment when she looked at the person in front of her, and then responded blankly.

"I'm fine, I'm just a little tired from standing." The next second, Gu Cheng put on a smile again and replied politely.

"Have you been crying?"

"No." It was too embarrassing to cry in front of a girl, so she stubbornly explained.

"Then there isn't one." Su Wanxi smiled faintly, which was taken as an agreement with her statement.

Why do I feel so bad... even though I've already made up my mind?

It wasn't until this moment that Gu Cheng truly understood that letting go of certain things was far more painful than she had imagined.

Feeling the delicate touch on her fingertips, Su Wanxi reached out and put her arm around Gu Cheng's shoulder, gently hugging her from behind.

The hug was warm but brief; Gu Cheng didn't even have time to savor it before Su Wanxi released her.

"I hope you feel better." She thought of herself two years ago, standing there pitifully, only this time no one was there to give her a hug.

"Ah! Thank...thank you." After a long pause, Gu Cheng finally realized what had happened, her cheeks flushed red, and she stammered.

Immediately afterwards, Su Wanxi pulled out a bouquet of flowers from behind her back as if by magic.

"Limited time offer, one yuan per bunch."

It was a large bunch of white carnations, swaying gently in the morning breeze, releasing a faint fragrance.

Section 25, Chapter Twenty-Five: Black Mist

"Where are you going now?" Gu Cheng asked Qin Jin after leaving the public cemetery.

"Sunshine Welfare Home." Even though Gu Chengyan was no longer there, he still wanted to go back and visit.

"Well... I'll be going now." Gu Cheng thought for a moment but decided against going with them.

This heart is burdened with unresolved issues; this is the greatest suffering in life.

The two said their goodbyes. Qin Jin waited for the bus at the platform, while Gu Cheng went to the nearest subway station. She held a bouquet of carnations and quietly waited outside the waiting line.

With three minutes to go before the next subway, I brought the pure white petals close to my cheek, their delicate fragrance refreshing and invigorating.

Gu Cheng was surprised that meeting Su Wanxi again would be in such an awkward situation. Recalling that brief hug, the soft touch made Gu Cheng feel a little shy.

It was the same before, and it's the same now; Su Wanxi always manages to appear when she's in her most difficult situation.

Moreover, why would she go there? Was it also to commemorate someone?

My thoughts drifted aimlessly until the subway finally pulled into the station.

Lanjiang is, after all, a prefecture-level city, so even if you avoid peak hours, there are still many passengers. They are forced to squeeze into the carriages like sardines in a can.

Before the subway had even come to a complete stop, a crowd had already gathered in front of the doors, pushing and shoving.

Gu Cheng, carrying her travel bag, held the delicate flowers close to her chest as she prepared to get into the car.

However, the moment the car door opened, an inexplicable chill swept over me, and intense negative emotions, like a cold, venomous snake flicking its tongue in the darkness, made me feel as if I had fallen into an ice cave even in the height of summer.

Gu Cheng subconsciously activated her spiritual vision, and in addition to the golden veil, she also saw a fine black mist.

That is... the source of the black mist.

In the crowd, a man was shrouded in darkness. His hair was disheveled, his face haggard, and he wore a wrinkled suit with greasy cuffs, exuding an air of decadence from head to toe.

Gu Cheng had seen related information on the anonymous version of the Hermit Bureau. The black mist penetrated the golden gauze and invaded reality. This was the first step in the process of birth. As long as it could absorb enough negative emotions from the host, it could "cocoonize" and use the cracks to complete its birth.

Encountering this situation for the first time, Gu Cheng dared not act rashly. Instead of entering the subway, she chose to follow her target from a distance, while sending the address and general situation to Su Wanxi.

Hopefully Miss Su hasn't gone far... Her reply was just three simple words: Stay close to him.

Beyond the layers of stairs, there was a wide-open space with solid concrete. Gu Cheng wasn't familiar with the roads in the western part of the city, so she could only follow behind the other person as closely as possible.

Fortunately, the man did not take any other means of transportation; he simply walked around, stopping and starting, looking around with his briefcase in hand.

What exactly is he trying to do? As the journey grew longer, Gu Cheng's doubts deepened.

"How long have you been following us?"

"About twenty minutes, and judging from the route she took, the target was just strolling around." A faint fragrance wafted from beside her, and Gu Cheng knew without turning around that it was Su Wanxi.

Your flowers don't seem very healthy.