The Return of the Soul

Chapter 14

I thought about his words carefully and said, "Brother, you're right. It's best not to remember things like this. If you do remember, wouldn't you become a monster? That doesn't make sense." I paused, then added, "Brother Ma didn't say when, did he? Then I'll help you with the property transfer before I go back. It's inconvenient for you to be there, and Sister Ming doesn't understand any of this." I didn't know how long such a large property transfer would take, but given their current situation, how could I just leave?

Luo Yi looked at me and sighed, "I never thought that I, Luo Yi, would meet such a loyal and devoted friend like you after I die. Why didn't I meet one when I was alive? In that circle, there is nothing but scheming and scheming. Everyone's feelings are wrapped in several layers of sugar coating. They look beautiful on the outside, but who knows what kind of evil intentions are inside?"

I was so embarrassed by what he said that I quickly said, "Brother, please don't say that. I just like to meddle in other people's business and comment on right and wrong. Isn't it because I had a lot of free time in the past that I wanted to find things to do?"

Luo Yi seemed to be thinking about something, looking at the dark glass window and said, "Now they are waiting for you to go back. Your parents, your lover, and your child are all in danger. It's a matter of life and death. The sooner you go back, the better. Who knows what might happen? If you miss this opportunity for our sake, it would be too much of a waste."

I got serious and said, "Brother, there are priorities. I've already been bedridden for months, what's the harm in lying down for a few more days? But this house might be auctioned off tomorrow. If that happens, where will you and Sister Ming go?"

Luo Yi revealed a mocking smile and said, "I never thought ghosts had housing problems." His expression turned serious, and he said, "Little sister, I've always relied on you. You're so young, yet so responsible, making me, as your older brother, feel ashamed. Now that your family has been found, it's time for you to leave and go back. Don't worry about my whereabouts anymore." As he spoke, he revealed the smile that had captivated millions of viewers, turned back, and said, "Brother Bu, hello."

I was startled and quickly turned around, only to see the Chen brothers standing at the front door of the living room. Their pale faces had turned ashen, almost as white as their white shirts. Then, with a thud, they collapsed onto a rug in front of the door.

I screamed as if I had encountered a ghost, yelling, "Big brother, big brother, why are you scaring people like that?"

It was pitch black outside the window, and the glass window acted as a mirror. Luo Yi and I were talking in front of the window when he drew back the curtains to look at the scenery outside. Naturally, the objects behind us were reflected in the mirror. Our bodies weren't reflected in the mirror, but the shadows of the Chen Brown brothers appeared. It was in the mirror that Luo Yi saw Chen Brown return, which led him to make his decision and say those words.

Mingjie was startled by Chen Brown and went over to look down at him. I said, "Brother, are you sure you want to do this?"

Luo Yi said, "Based on my understanding of him, he will stand by my side. Although he is greedy and lustful, he also has a sense of loyalty, otherwise we wouldn't have cooperated for so long. You can do what he wants, and he can help me with what I need to do."

I admit he has a point, but I still scoffed and said, "Look at him, so pathetic, he faints at the sight of a ghost." I completely forgot that I had also fainted yesterday when I saw Luo Yi's green face and sharp teeth, and I ignored the natural fear that a living person would feel when suddenly seeing a dead acquaintance. I just thought this pretty boy was utterly useless. Would Luo Yi have made a mistake by using him? "I'd borrow a few feathers from him to give me courage. He doesn't seem like the type to be a ghost broker."

Luo Yi laughed and said, "With money backing me up, how can I not be bold? I have hundreds of millions of yuan, I'm not afraid he won't agree. Some people sell their souls to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune, I just want him to serve me as before."

My admiration for him is like a surging river, endless and boundless. I truly haven't wasted my time recognizing him as my older brother. Although he can be a bit slow-witted at times, making me feel like he's wasted his good looks, he always steps up when it matters, showing great responsibility. For the sake of the brotherhood we became, which we somehow somehow formed, he gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and sacrificed his dignity. My eyes sparkled as I exclaimed, "Great! Courageous, resourceful, and strategic—that's the style of a superstar! That's what makes Luo Yi so worthy of his glorious image. As the saying goes, wine emboldens the coward, and money supports the hero. Brother, you're amazing!" In my excitement, I rambled on, then realized my words might cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so I quickly added, "Of course, he's the coward, and you're the hero."

Luo Yi smiled indifferently and said, "It's all the same." He went over and squatted down in front of Chen Bulang, patted his face and said, "Brother Bu, Brother Bu."

I quickly went to close the gate. One Chen Brown is already like this; who knows what will happen if more people see Luo Yi? Mingjie and I are fine; nobody knows us. But Luo Yi is a big star and a long-time resident here. What will happen if someone sees him?

Chen Bulang was momentarily stunned. Once his senses returned, he slowly woke up and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ming Jie's concerned face. He actually smiled and said, "Madam, I'm sorry, I startled you. I came back to get my umbrella."

Ming smiled gently and blinked. Chen Bulang was overjoyed. He glanced at Luo Yi beside Ming and saw that Luo Yi was staring at him without blinking. The boy's mind raced. His face turned pale, then green, then purple, then black. He gritted his teeth and said, "Madam, I will take good care of you and look after the property that Yi left you. Please rest assured, Yi."

I sat to the side, watching like a spectator, suppressing my laughter until my stomach ached. That Chen Bulang! Now I'm slightly more indifferent to him. Even seeing a ghost, he has this composure. Not bad, he's someone I can trust. Luo Yi didn't misjudge him. I guess Chen Bulang was thinking something like this: Did I really see Luo Yi's ghost? Is his ghost worried about his wife? Fine, I'll let him know that I, Chen Bulang, am a man of honor and loyalty. We're brothers, I wouldn't do anything like that, would I? That's probably why he used what he said to Ming Jie to convey to Luo Yi's ghost.

I chimed in at the opportune moment, "Brother Chen, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly faint? Are you alright? Let me help you up."

Chen Bulang shook his head and said, "I'm fine, I just had a bit of an eye lapse." He didn't even glance at me, staring intently at Luo Yi, but said to Ming Jie, "Madam, since Brother Yi passed away, haven't you noticed anything strange happening around you?"

Ming smiled gently and said, "No."

Chen Brown got up by himself, looked at me, then at Ming Jie, then at Luo Yi, and whispered, "Miss Luo, what about you?"

I said in a serious tone, "Yes, I often feel that my brother is not dead, and he comes back to visit us from time to time. I know that he is reluctant to leave his wife. He can't bear to leave her alone in this world without anyone to rely on. He wouldn't feel at ease leaving her behind."

Chen Bulang nodded vigorously and said, "I believe it, I believe it. Brother Yi is a man of great loyalty and affection. He will definitely not be able to bear to part with his family. Don't worry, I will take care of you for him."

I believe this is when he finally speaks his true feelings. Before, he was just giving us empty words, or trying to swindle Luo Yi's money. Seeing Luo Yi's ghost guarding his wife's side, he's finally being honest. What could be more terrifying than a ghost appearing before your eyes?

Mr. Chen Bulang's forehead was sweating, and I kindly said, "Brother Chen, are you hot? Really? It's been raining all day, and the temperature is quite low." Mr. Chen Bulang took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and said, "Not hot, not hot, just a little sweaty, maybe it's because the air pressure is too low."

Seeing that I had teased Chen Bulang enough, Luo Yi suddenly decided to speak. He opened his mouth and said, "Brother Bu."

Poor Brother Bu collapsed onto the carpet once again.

Singin' in the Rain

I clapped and laughed, even the usually gentle Mingjie couldn't help but smile, and Luo Yi laughed too. I said, "Big brother, are you enjoying playing pranks now? You're usually so rigid and boring."

Luo Yi patted Chen Bulang's face with a smile and said, "Brother Bu, Brother Bu?"

Chen Brown woke up groaning and saw Luo Yi smiling at him. I could clearly hear his teeth chattering. After a few more chattering sounds, he finally shouted, "My God!"

Luo Yi said, "Brother Bu, it's been a long time."

Chen Brown's eyes darted around a dozen times, and when he saw me, he asked with pale lips and a grim face, "What did you see? What did you hear?"

I said I heard it, and his face lit up. I continued, "I heard you call your mother." His face turned pale again, and he asked suspiciously in a low voice, "Didn't you hear other people talking? Like... Brother Yi?" I nodded, put my hand to my heart, and said, "My older brother's words are always ringing in my ears."

Chen Bulang was completely exasperated by what I had done. He jumped up and said, "I meant that Brother Yi was talking, he was really talking, didn't you hear me?"

I asked, "What did he say?"

Chen Brown was furious, his eyes darting around as he said, "He's calling my name, saying it's been a long time."

I asked again, "So what happened?"

Chen Bulang shouted, "But Brother Yi is dead! How can a dead man talk?"

I asked him, quite puzzled, "If you miss him, he lives in your heart. I often talk to him too." I looked up at the roof at a 45-degree angle and said, "Brother, are you there?"

Chen Brown gritted his teeth and said, "You...you're insane!"

I chuckled and said, "Sister Ming, this person seems to dislike my older brother, like he doesn't want to see him at all. Isn't it Ghost Month now? Everyone's trying to find ways to summon the spirits of their deceased loved ones. Last night I saw people releasing river lanterns on the Wuli River. Was that reported on the news?"

Chen Bulang actually nodded, which surprised me. I had just said it casually; such a romantic gesture from Wei Xiao was bound to attract public attention. These days, the media will stir up trouble even if there's nothing wrong, let alone when someone actually does something. Especially when such romantic and affectionate lines float on the water! I suppressed my laughter and fell silent. Chen Bulang said, "The midday news already reported it, saying that someone strung together the verses into a lotus lantern and put it in the river. The public's concern about this matter surpasses even this damn acid rain. Someone filmed the lantern in the river with a home DV camera, and even Zhang Dahuzi said it was very touching and wanted to make it into a TV series."

I smiled sadly and asked, "Did you manage to take a picture of the person who released the river lantern?"

It wasn't his fault, so Chen Bulang was normal again, his mind was clear and his tongue was sharp. He said, "No, it's just that someone filmed the light installation on the roof. The person who put the lights down has already left. The person who filmed it sent the DV clip to the TV station, and the news channel immediately used it, saying that they wanted to use it to dilute the public's fear of the environment and to make people feel that there are still touching moments in life."

I almost burst into tears, but to cover it up, I said casually, "Maybe that person is putting on a show, or maybe it's an advertisement. The later creative ideas haven't come out yet, and they're just letting people guess. If things go wrong, and it turns out to be medicine or mooncakes or something, people will be shocked."

Chen Brown glanced at me sideways and said, "Miss Rose, why aren't you moved at all? I thought a young lady like you would be very curious about this."

I pouted, thinking to myself, how could you, a mere mortal, possibly understand the sadness in my heart? Sister Ming kindly said, "This child may not say it, but she cares deeply. We saw it together last night, of course she... sigh."

Chen Brown looked at me intently and said, "So Miss Rose is quite the enigma?" He's actually taken a liking to me now. Damn it, I snapped, "Can't I? Do you think everyone's like you, fainting seven or eight times over the slightest thing?" With just one sentence, Chen Brown was forced to shrink back.

Luo Yi, who had been listening to our rambling conversation, almost forgot about us. He shook his head and said, "Brother Bu, please expedite the transfer of ownership."

Upon hearing this, Chen Bulang's dizziness subsided. He stared blankly at Luo Yi, shook his head, and hurriedly stood up, saying, "I'm leaving. This place is really strange, it's like seeing a ghost in broad daylight." He uttered a curse and glanced at Luo Yi suspiciously. Luo Yi didn't seem to care, just smiled at him and said, "Brother Bu, please take good care of my wife and little sister."

I reckon Chen Brown's teeth were worn down a bit. He didn't answer, but grabbed an umbrella from a cloisonné peacock umbrella stand by the front door and dramatically opened it. As soon as the door opened, a young woman dressed entirely in white stood there, raising her hand to knock. The woman's face was cold, yet strikingly beautiful. On this gloomy, rainy day, her white dress, white shoes, and white socks made her look as white as Princess Xiangxiang. Truly, she was as white as snow from the sky, as radiant as the moon in the clouds. Only her hair, reaching her eyebrows, was jet black, making her eyes shine like shooting stars. Chen Brown, with the heart of someone who had just seen a ghost, suddenly saw this person. Every hair on his body seemed to stand on end. His eyes blazed with ghostly fire, and he blurted out, "Who are you? Are you human or a ghost?"

I greeted her with a smile, "Qingqing, what brings you here? What if your shoes and bike get ruined in this rainy weather?"

The aloof and imposing woman at the door was naturally quite reserved. Seeing me and a strange man questioning her, she answered first, saying, "I just got home from get off work and saw a car parked in front of your door. Worried someone might come looking for trouble, I came to check it out. Sir, who are you? What are you doing here? And your question is very rude. What do you do for a living?"

Chen Brown, sensing from her words that she was a resident, immediately breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm Luo Yi's agent, the original owner of this place. I came here today to take some of Luo Yi's personal belongings, but as soon as I entered, I saw two women, one claiming to be Luo Yi's sister and the other claiming to be Luo Yi's wife. Miss," he stepped forward and whispered in Leng Qingqing's ear, "look around and see how many people are in this house? Besides these two women, is there a single man?"

I covered my mouth and laughed behind him. He asked Leng Qingqing if she had seen a ghost, wasn't that asking an expert? Where did he get such good luck? He encountered Wu Song while hunting tigers, Zhang Shun while fishing, Zhang Yimou while digging a well, O'Sullivan while playing snooker, and now he's run into a ghost while digging a wall?

She gave him a cold, indifferent look, ignored him, and said to me, "It's alright, I'll go back now."

Chen Bulang was someone who had been frightened by ghosts. The cold, aloof woman looked at him as if he were holding an invisibility leaf, but he didn't mind at all. He pressed her repeatedly, asking, "Miss, how many people are in the room?"

Leng Qingqing turned and left, saying, "There's no one here."

Chen Bulang froze on the spot. I laughed and said, "Goodbye, Sister Qingqing." Then I said to Chen Bulang, "Brother Chen, can I hitch a ride into town? Just drop me off at Fisherman's Wharf." What he had just said stirred up my longing for him. I thought about going to Fisherman's Wharf to see if my beloved would still be releasing river lanterns today. If he wasn't going, he was probably resting at his home in the Wave Building. I wanted to go and see if he was alright. Also, I had to go find Brother Ma.

Chen Brown seemed to be thinking about something for a long time before finally saying, "Okay."

I said, "Wait for me a moment, I'll go put on some clothes, change my shoes, and grab a raincoat." I turned and went inside, closing the door behind me and leaving Chen Bulang outside.

Ming asked, "Are you going alone? Do you want him to come with you?" When she talked about Luo Yi, she never called him by his name, only using the word "he," and she would blush whenever she mentioned him. Ah, if only I had that tender, affectionate expression!

Luo Yi also said, "I'll go with you."

I don't care, but isn't it a waste to leave such a grown man locked up at home after he's woken up? What fun is he having here? But Leng Qingqing just came by... I said, "Sister Qingqing just came by, do you want to go see her?" Luo Yi glared at me, I grinned and went upstairs.

In the innermost room on the second floor, there were so many clothes. I buried myself in the room before I could find something I could wear. Meng Xixi is slender and petite, a real beauty. I'm so short, how could I possibly fit into her costumes? I managed to find a short jacket and a lemon-yellow hooded raincoat, which I think she wore when she performed "Singin' in the Rain" on stage. There were also matching rain boots in a box, which I picked up and put on. The boots were a bit too big, so I grabbed the pillow and stuffed it with cotton. Well, after all that stuffing, the pillow was almost completely empty.

I put on my rain hat, went downstairs to the door, picked up an umbrella, and turned back to Mingjie, saying, "Are you alright at home all by yourself?" Mingjie smiled and shook her head. I thought so too; she was used to waiting for people by herself, so she should be fine. I opened the door, opened the umbrella, and covered Luo Yi with it as well. I said to Chen Bulang, who was standing outside, "Brother Chen, let's go."

Chen Brown's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he asked, "You...you're not alone, are you?"

I said with a smile, "I'm alone. Ming-jie doesn't want to go out, so I'm all by myself. Brother Chen, what's wrong?"

Chen Brown slapped his forehead and muttered, "I'm really crazy."

I smiled secretly as I stood by the back door of his car. He hesitated for a moment, then had to come over and open the door for me. I closed the umbrella, shook it, and shut it. In that time, Luo Yi had already gotten in. Only then did I slowly bend down and sit down, pulling my hat down over my face as I did so, saying, "Brother Chen, I'm going to take a nap."

Chen Brown, sitting in the driver's seat, turned around to look at me, whose face was covered by a hat, and then at Luo Yi beside me, and said, "Miss Luo, are you really alone?"

I said sullenly, "Brother Chen, aren't you annoying? How many times have you asked? My sister-in-law is gentle and beautiful, but she's still heartbroken right now. If you want to pursue her, wait a while."

Chen Brown blushed after I said that, and Luo Yi happened to whisper in his ear at that moment, "Brother Brown, the roads are slippery in the rain, drive carefully." I heard Chen Brown grunt twice, and then the car horn blared loudly. I guessed that he had been so scared that he slumped over the steering wheel again.

I yelled, "Brother Chen, you're so noisy!" Chen Bulang's strong nerves once again overcame his cowardice. After waking up, he shakily started the car and started waltzing on the road, taking three steps back and then backing away. Luckily, there weren't many people out and about in this bad weather, so there was no traffic accident. But this made me furious. I said, "Brother Chen, can you drive? Am I in a car or on a boat? If I had known, I would have asked Sister Qingqing to take me."

Chen Bulang was led astray by me, and this wasn't the first time this had happened all afternoon, so he asked, "Who is that lady in white? She's quite a peculiar person."

I coughed and said, "You've been in this industry for so long, what kind of strange, beautiful and weird people haven't you seen? Why do you have such a problem with her? Her nickname is the leader of the Cold and Aloof Cult. You can just call her Miss Leng."

Chen Brown let out a sound of surprise, but then laughed out loud, saying, "Miss Rose is really interesting. You wouldn't call her that to her face, would you?"

“I call her that to her face too,” I said with a laugh from behind my hat. “We’re best friends, we talk about everything, and she doesn’t mind.”

Chen Brown said, "Miss Rose is so interesting, why haven't I heard Brother Yi mention you before?"

Before I could answer, Luo Yi spoke up, saying, "When did I ever mention my family?"

I was so prescient; I covered my face with my hat right away, otherwise I'd be holding back my laughter so hard my face would be cramping. Chen Bulang fell silent after hearing this, no longer daring to try to trick me, and escorted me all the way to Fisherman's Wharf.

I put on my hat first, then opened the car door, opened my umbrella, and got out of the car. I turned up the collar of my raincoat, and Luo Yi stood under my umbrella. I smiled and thanked Chen Brown. Chen Brown was kind enough to lean out and say, "It's so dark, Miss, would you like me to keep you company?" I smiled and said no, and then I saw Brother Ma come out of the dark rain and mist with a black umbrella. Luo Yi walked past me and under his umbrella. I don't know what method Brother Ma used, but Luo Yi's body disappeared. I was stunned, let alone Chen Brown.

Oh, poor Chen Brown, he's been scared by us all afternoon, and this time he's so frightened his eyes rolled back. I closed the car door for him and greeted Little Ma with a smile.

True love to joke

I remembered when I first met Luo Yi in the Ghost Realm. In order to trick me into taking him away, he showered me with sweet talk, saying that I was light and electricity. He was all honey and daggers. Now that we've become best friends, I find it quite amusing. So I chuckled and sang a hymn to Little Ma, saying, "Little Ma, you are light and electricity, you are my only myth, I can only love you, you are my superstar."

Little Ma laughed heartily, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses, dazzling me in the rain. He said, "You're just my type. Whether you're a human or a ghost, you have to have the spirit to find joy in adversity. Many people are not as good as you in this respect. They cry and whine at the slightest thing. They're spineless."

I felt lightheaded from his flattery and said comfortably, "This is different, Brother Ma. I didn't live a good life to begin with, but I'm doing quite well as a ghost, so I'm at peace. Others are all living decent lives, but suddenly they become ghosts with nothing, and they feel really lost. Like my older brother, he earned so much money, but he hasn't even used it yet, and now he can't use it anymore. Isn't that a huge injustice? We all know that you can't take it with you when you die, but when we're alive, who doesn't work their butt off to earn it? Who knows if they'll wake up tomorrow morning and never wake up again? All that effort to earn, and then it's all for nothing when you die. Anyone would feel resentful and blame others."

When Little Ma saw me giving a long speech, he asked with amusement, "So why did you want to fall?" He was deliberately mimicking my tone and word choice, which was quite cute.

I said in a serious tone, "That's because I have no feelings. My feelings are left here. Brother Ma, please help me. I can't cry when I see my parents, and I can't fall in love with my lover. Even if I have a lot of passion, it has turned into a desert, a desert where not even a cactus can grow."

Little Ma chuckled and said, "This little girl, she talks like she's singing. If I'd known you were this funny, I wouldn't have helped you." He waved his hand and shrugged, saying in a roguish manner, "I caused this acid rain that won't fall for five years, and this is how you thank me, rushing to leave?"

I feigned surprise and said, "So this rain was for me? I thought you were doing it because of the deep brotherly bond between you and my elder brother. You sent this rain to see me off, but now you're going to regret it halfway through?"

Little Ma smiled mysteriously and said, "I regret it. I even regret not paying attention to you before. When I was alive, I was quite powerful. Who couldn't I get to know? I've never met a young lady like you before."

I chuckled, finding him quite amusing. Since I was used to joking around with Luo Yi, I casually said, "Brother Ma, why do you want to get to know me? How could you possibly know me? I used to spend most of my time at schools and hospitals. I even bought DVDs to watch my older brother's movies. I stayed home all the time. How could I possibly meet someone as influential as Brother Ma?" People like Brother Ma were only seen in movies when I was alive, so I cherished this opportunity all the more.

"Brother Ma, I heard from Big Brother that you funded the production of this public service advertisement to warn people to protect the environment, or they will suffer the consequences. Your foresight is remarkable. It's a pity those so-called entrepreneurs only care about their immediate profits; they don't understand your good intentions. Ah, I'm so moved. My understanding of you has deepened. Brother Ma, you're truly amazing. There are ways to do things in the underworld, and there are also noble ways. I've never heard of a brother with such a profound mind. It's a pity I have to leave; otherwise, I really wanted to be your friend. We could get together and chat from time to time, and I'd love to hear you talk about the old grudges and feuds of the underworld. It would be very interesting. Oh, and please invite my Big Brother too."

Brother Ma watched me ramble on and on, not stopping me, just listening with a smile, seemingly thoroughly enjoying it. Of course, I'm quite the talker, and I was spouting nothing but compliments; who wouldn't love to hear that? But besides smugness, there was something else in his eyes that I couldn't discern. I'm just a naive and inexperienced little ghost girl—even in life, I was still a naive and inexperienced young woman—how could I possibly know what a big shot like him was thinking?

I sensed he was mocking me, so I stopped talking. After admiring him for a while, I remembered Luo Yi and looked around, saying, "Hey, where's my older brother? Where did you hide him? Older brother, older brother?"

Little Ma said casually, "I blocked him so he wouldn't get in the way. Hey girl, you know what I used to do, and you know my temper now. We get along well, so how about we become a couple? How about you be my wife?"