Chарter 1: Hеlp, Is Somеоnе Rеаllу Digging Up а Grаvе with Thеir Bаre Hаnds??
“Аt leаst give mе а сhanсе to сhесk mу оwn rеmаins.”
A biting wind blеw in gusts. Jiang Еr stаred blankly at thе snow thаt had соmрlеtely buriеd her bodу.
#Whаt’s it likе tо get run оver bу a traсtоr оn thе first dаy оf your vaсаtiоn?#
#Whаt shоuld you do whеn уоu oрen уour eуеs аnd find уou’ve turnеd intо a ghost?#
#Stuсk beside уоur оwn сorрsе and unable to go to the undеrworld fоr rеinсаrnаtion—is it bеcause уou’vе beеn reаding too much netherworld fanfiction?#
Jiang Er’s mentality shattered.
Jiang Er began to crawl around gloomily.
And randomly scared two passing birds into fainting.
Merit -1 -1
The sky was overcast, with layers of gray clouds pressing heavily overhead.
The snow, which had finally stopped for half a day, was about to start again.
Jiang Er looked up at the sky and instinctively reached out, trying to catch the leisurely falling snowflakes.
The snowflakes passed silently through her, melting into the vast expanse of white below.
It seemed as if this was the only color left between heaven and earth.
She let out a long sigh and lowered her head gloomily:
“If someone could take me away from here, I wouldn’t mind squatting by their bedside for three months to ward off evil for them as a way of repaying the favor.”
“Creak—”
A gust of wind blew, carrying a bone-chilling cold. Tree branches swayed, and accumulated snow rustled down.
At the same time, footsteps sounded from not far away.
Jiang Er: “…”
Jiang Er: “…”
Someone was coming!
Her eyes lit up, and she immediately turned around.
But when she saw who it was, she froze in shock.
That person…
Not far away, a figure approached from the distance. He seemed to have some difficulty walking, his gait somewhat awkward.
It was a young man, tall and slender, with striking features and a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes. His pupils were pitch-black, devoid of any light.
“…Fu Tinghan?”
Jiang Er was astonished.
Why would it be him?
During idle moments, she had wondered who would be the first to find this place.
She had guessed everyone—police, family, friends.
But she never imagined it would be Fu Tinghan.
—Her husband.
No, strictly speaking, while they were legally husband and wife, they were practically strangers.
At most, they would nod to each other when they met.
After all, this marriage had never existed because of love.
For him to leave his work and travel thousands of miles from the capital to look for her… it really didn’t seem like Fu Tinghan’s usual style.
Especially considering his leg…
Jiang Er couldn’t figure it out, so she continued watching.
Amidst the swirling snow, Fu Tinghan carried no umbrella, allowing the cotton-like snowflakes to gather on his shoulders.
He just kept walking forward, step after step.
Even though he stumbled and staggered, he never stopped, as if searching for something or rushing toward a predetermined destination.
His handsome face was now only numb and hollow. Compared to Jiang Er, he seemed more like a wandering spirit… or perhaps a dead man.
Jiang Er was startled by his expression and instinctively took a few steps toward him.
Her toes lightly brushed over the snow, leaving no footprints.
She waved her hand in front of his face. “Fu Tinghan?”
Fu Tinghan lowered his gaze and stepped forward, passing through her translucent body.
Just like that snowflake.
Jiang Er felt a wave of frustration. “Right, how could a living person hear a dead person’s voice?”
The footsteps stopped.
Fu Tinghan halted.
Jiang Er was stunned.
Could it be…
Before she could feel any joy, she saw Fu Tinghan slowly crouch down, his scarred fingertips probing the soft snow.
When he withdrew his hand, he was holding something.
He lowered his gaze, staring at it, his body trembling uncontrollably. Finally, an emotion other than numbness surfaced on his face.—Despair.
What exactly had he found?
Jiang Er curiously leaned over to look and recognized it as one of her shoes, its white laces now completely stained crimson.
She couldn’t help but feel a chill.
How gruesome must her death have been…
No wonder Fu Tinghan was scared to tears.
She quickly turned her face away, hoping he would hurry and call someone to dig her out, cremate her, and choose an auspicious geomantic site for her final rest.
After all, every profession has its specialties—such matters were better left to the experts.
Otherwise, if Fu Tinghan got frightened again, her merit might just keep dropping -1, -1.
If it kept decreasing like this, she might end up reincarnating as some monkey on Mount Emei in her next life.
Unexpectedly, Fu Tinghan didn’t move.
He stood still for a long time amidst the howling wind, then gently set down the shoe and began digging through the thick snow in front of him with his hands, bit by bit.
His movements were exceptionally careful, as if afraid of harming the person beneath the snow.
Jiang Er realized what he intended to do and wore an expression of hesitation, holding back her words.
After a long silence, knowing he couldn’t hear her, she still couldn’t help muttering softly:
“How about we go back and get a shovel? This place is, in a way, my grave. Digging up my grave with bare hands… feels a bit strange.”
Most importantly, for heaven’s sake, she really didn’t want to become a monkey!!
Fu Tinghan worked quickly, and before long, he found her body.
He remained silent for a long time, staring at the curled-up corpse, his fingertips trembling violently at his sides.
Jiang Er’s already still heart tightened even more.
The good news was that, due to the extreme cold, the body hadn’t decayed.
But it could only—
Barely be recognized as human.
The situation was ten thousand times more tragic than she had imagined.
With just one glance, Jiang Er dared not look again, nor could she bear to imagine Fu Tinghan’s expression at that moment.
Would he… be disgusted by her?
Or perhaps… afraid…
The next moment, she heard a sob, suppressed to its limit.
It was close, right beside her.
She froze, slowly lifting her head.
The young man knelt in the snow, carefully holding the stiff hand before him, his throat releasing a few indistinct, trembling sounds.
He was calling her.
Jiang Er
Jiang Er
Jiang… Er.
Over and over again.
Each time, it was the name he had never dared to utter aloud before.
Jiang Er had never imagined that Fu Tinghan, someone so composed as to be called cold-hearted—
Could also have a day when his eyes turned red and he lost all reason.
She was utterly bewildered.
Until Fu Tinghan lowered his head, pressing his forehead against the grayish-white back of that hand.
A clear teardrop slid across the icy skin, melting the frost and leaving a faint trail in an instant.
In a daze, she seemed to feel the warmth of that teardrop through the corpse.
It was scalding.
This time, Fu Tinghan’s voice was very, very soft, almost dissipating in the wind.
He said:
“Er Er, I’ll take you home.”
“…”
The cold wind rustled, and the world fell silent.
The young man carefully put the shoes back on his deceased wife’s feet, bent down, and lifted her body, following the path he had taken to get there.
In mid-air, Jiang Er uncontrollably followed him, her gaze lingering on the prosthetic limb on his left leg, unable to look away for a long time.
His pace was slow, but each step was steady, as if the person in his arms was merely asleep and not dead, needing his gentle care to avoid disturbing her sweet dreams.
After what felt like an eternity, the snow finally stopped, the dark clouds dispersed, and the gloomy sky gradually brightened.
Even the longest road eventually reaches its end.
——————On this rare clear winter day, Fu Tinghan led his wife out from her burial ground.
It was only much later that Jiang Er learned from others that the once-in-a-century blizzard had stopped everyone in their tracks—only Fu Tinghan, with his disabled left leg, had resolutely ventured into the mountains alone.
All to bring her home.