Li Zhuiyuan looked up at the desk, the lamp, and the fifth volume of *Chronicles of Jianghu Anomalies*, which he had only just started reading.

Yes, he had fallen asleep, but he knew this wasn’t a dream.

He didn’t understand why the old woman chose to “release” him at the last moment.

He didn’t want to use the word “save,” because she was also the one who had pulled him into this birthday banquet in the first place.

Perhaps it was difficult to describe her with simple labels like “pure good” or “pure evil,” just as her very existence—a combination of a human and a cat’s corpse—was an embodiment of complex contradictions.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes, slowly massaging his temples with his fingers.

When he was studying in the capital, he always felt like he was on a one-way street; no matter how dense the traffic and crowds, he just had to keep going down that road.

But after returning to his hometown, he found that although the roads were narrow, often riddled with potholes, and there weren’t many cars or people, the crisscrossing field paths between the rice paddies often left him confused about which way to go.

He could feel the changes that had occurred within him since returning home, especially in the days since he met Little Oriole.

He was observing more diligently, pondering more seriously, conversing more carefully, and interacting with non-human entities… it truly wasn’t easy, as there was no room for error.

In short, he felt less and less like a ten-year-old child these days.

How simple it used to be to be a child.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan opened his eyes, a look of shock in them.

He,

Why did he have that thought?

What did he mean by “how simple it used to be to be a child”? He was clearly still a child!

He began to feel flustered and frightened, instinctively wrapping his arms around himself.

In that moment, what came to his mind was a memory from his childhood: secretly watching his mother look in the mirror every morning after waking up.

His mother would take deep breaths in front of the mirror, repeatedly trying to suppress something, as if it might break through her skin.

Li Zhuiyuan got up and walked to the wardrobe, which had a mirror in the middle of its doors.

He looked at himself in the mirror and suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

He raised his hand, touching the mirror, and in turn, his own reflection.

He began to wonder what kind of person lay beneath this facade.

He dared not think further. He turned around, breathing deeply, telling himself over and over again in his mind that he was Li Zhuiyuan, he was ten years old, his paternal grandfather was Li Weihan, his paternal grandmother was Cui Guiying, and his great-grandfather was Li Sanjiang.

Finally, he calmed down, and the innocence of a child returned to his face.

The terror he had felt moments before was no less intense than the moment the Cat-faced Old Woman found him in the kitchen.

Because he had a vague feeling that if he hadn’t stopped those thoughts from spreading, he might have looked at his reflection with deep disgust.

Thankfully, he stopped it in time, just as his mother had once done, returning to a gentle smile after taking deep breaths in front of the mirror.

“Phew…”

Li Zhuiyuan shrugged, checked the time: 3:30 AM.

Had he slept or not?

He didn’t feel like he had slept, but he wasn’t tired; in fact, he felt better than after a normal night’s sleep.

Was it because his consciousness had left his body, allowing his body to fully rest without distraction?

Li Zhuiyuan pushed open the door and stepped out. The late-night breeze was cool, carrying the dampness of dew from the approaching dawn.

Downstairs, it was quiet, or rather, it had never been noisy to begin with.

But he didn’t dare go downstairs alone right now; a rational sense of security could never overcome the fear of the unknown.

Just then, his great-grandfather’s bedroom window flickered. Although it wasn’t the standard SOS signal, Li Zhuiyuan immediately pushed open the bedroom door and went in.

On the bed, Li Sanjiang was bleeding. His left hand was frantically pulling the lamp cord by the headboard.

His neck hurt so much he couldn’t call out. He was afraid no one would see him, and even more afraid that the cord would break or the switch would get stuck in the “up” position.

Fortunately, he saw Li Zhuiyuan push open the door and enter.

“Little Yuan Hou…”

Before Li Sanjiang could weakly call out and extend his hand, he saw his great-grandson, who was standing at the doorway, run out without hesitation.

He knew the child was going to get help, but somehow, Little Yuan Hou not rushing to his bedside to anxiously ask questions and interact still left him feeling a bit empty.

The comforting words like “Great-grandfather is fine” and “Don’t cry, Little Yuan Hou” that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back, leaving him feeling rather stifled.

Li Zhuiyuan ran downstairs, ignoring the fear on the first floor. The lights were off on the first floor, but moonlight revealed the eastern section filled with paper figures.

Yes, the paper figures were still there. Li Zhuiyuan even spotted the Fat Master figure leaning against the wall at a glance.

Most paper figures were traditionally customized, but to meet diverse market demands, some special ones would also be made according to the client’s specific requests.

For example, if a client worried their deceased relative wouldn’t eat well in the afterlife, they would burn a paper chef.

And for some old men who passed away early, their wives, fearing that burning young maids would leave no place for them when they eventually passed, would commission paper old women who looked even older than themselves.

After reaching the courtyard, Li Zhuiyuan went directly to the west room and knocked on the door:

“Aunt Liu, Uncle Qin, open the door! It’s Xiao Yuan, Great-grandfather is in trouble!”

The door opened.

Uncle Qin stood at the doorway. Behind him, Li Zhuiyuan saw Aunt Liu sweeping the floor with a broom.

“Xiao Yuan, what’s wrong?” Uncle Qin asked.

“My great-grandfather is injured and bleeding a lot. He needs to go to the clinic.”

“I’ll go; I know how to stop bleeding and bandage wounds.” Aunt Liu dropped her broom, grabbed a cloth bag from a cabinet, and rushed out the door. Uncle Qin followed.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at the paper scraps swept into the dustpan, then looked at the retreating figures of Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu.

Did they not take off their clothes when they slept at night?

Li Zhuiyuan’s gaze swept toward the east room. She must be awake too, he thought.

However, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t go to the east room. Instead, he ran back. As he passed the pile of paper figures on the first floor again, he walked up to the Fat Master figure, reached out, and touched it.

With just a slight touch, the Fat Master figure disintegrated, collapsing into a heap on the floor.

This triggered a chain reaction. In an instant, all the paper figures began to “collapse” one after another, like dominoes.

Soon, the eastern half of the first floor, which had seemed so crowded, became completely empty, save for a floor covered in shredded paper and broken wooden sticks.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t afraid, nor was he even surprised. He calmly walked over the paper scraps, ignoring the crisp “snap” sounds underfoot, reached the staircase, and went up to the second floor.

When he returned to the bedroom, he saw Aunt Liu already bandaging his great-grandfather.

A faint herbal scent, similar to Guilinggao, permeated the air; medicine must have been applied first.

Uncle Qin replaced the blood-stained mattress and straw mat, took out clean ones from the cabinet and laid them out, then gently lifted Li Sanjiang, whose wounds were now bandaged, onto the bed.

Seeing Aunt Liu finish tidying her cloth bag, Li Zhuiyuan walked forward and asked, “Aunt Liu, how is my great-grandfather?”

“He lost a lot of blood, and the injuries aren’t minor, but they’re all external. They’ve been dealt with; there’s no need to go to the clinic, just rest.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Li Sanjiang lying on the bed and saw that his great-grandfather’s face had regained a good deal of color.

Aunt Liu also looked at Li Sanjiang. In truth, she was quite surprised; despite the old man’s advanced age, he had abundant vitality. Though outwardly aged, he was remarkably robust underneath.

Other old men and women his age might be sent away with just a careless stumble, yet he had so many punctures and bled so much, yet it seemed none of it had depleted his core vitality.

“Xiao Yuan,” Uncle Qin said to Li Zhuiyuan, “if anything else happens, just call us.”

“Okay, Uncle Qin, Aunt Liu. Thank you.”

Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu left. Li Zhuiyuan picked up the tea mug, poured some hot water, and walked to Li Sanjiang’s bedside.

Li Sanjiang rested his head on the pillow, his right arm draped across his chest. He took the tea mug with his left hand and drank in small sips.

After finishing, Li Sanjiang sighed, “Little Yuan Hou, let’s pause the fortune-transfer ritual starting today.”

“Okay, Great-grandfather.”

“Once Great-grandfather recovers, we’ll continue.”

“Mhm.” Li Zhuiyuan took the tea mug and set it aside. “Actually, there’s no need to continue, Great-grandfather.”

“Silly boy, don’t talk nonsense.”

“Okay, I won’t say it.”

Li Zhuiyuan took off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, sat beside Li Sanjiang, leaning against the headboard.

“Go to sleep, Little Yuan Hou. Great-grandfather is fine now.”

“Didn’t Aunt Liu ask how you got like this?”

“I said I fell.”

And they believed it?

Li Zhuiyuan had many questions, but he didn’t know where to start, and it seemed Li Sanjiang had no intention of explaining.

After a long silence, Li Zhuiyuan spoke, “Great-grandfather, how should I learn?”

If the incident with Little Oriole had been merely his first bewildered encounter, tonight’s events truly made him feel powerless.

Hearing this, Li Sanjiang thought the boy had finally come to his senses and was ready to study hard.

He secretly felt smug, thinking, “It seems the fortune-transfer array is working. Haven’t you noticed Little Yuan Hou’s change of heart?”

“Good, this is very good. As long as the child is willing to learn and improve, a little blood from me is worth it.”

However, Li Sanjiang had been a rogue in his early years. Even when he ventured into Shanghai, he dealt with all sorts of dubious characters. He had never properly pursued an education in his life.

He only learned to read back then to follow the gossip columns in Shanghai newspapers.

Still, he could certainly expound on common knowledge.

“Little Yuan Hou,” he said, “you must never aim too high without a solid foundation. You need to build a strong base first, so you can go further in the future.”

So, did that mean he still had to continue reading *Chronicles of Jianghu Anomalies*?

“I understand, Great-grandfather.”

“Mhm, knowing isn’t enough; you have to act on it. Do things steadily, step by step, and only then will you achieve something. Don’t be like your great-grandfather, who dabbled in everything when he was young and only felt regret when he got older.”

“Great-grandfather, you’re amazing too.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Li Sanjiang, covered in bandages, and had a suspicion: could that zombie be related to his great-grandfather?

Firstly, his great-grandfather was the only one injured in the house, and secondly, the main bandaged areas on his great-grandfather highly overlapped with the areas where the zombie had been attacked by the old woman.

So,

Was this some kind of technique Great-grandfather used?

“Ha! Your great-grandfather has many impressive skills! So, you boy, you must study hard. You’ll definitely do better than your great-grandfather in the future.”

Li Sanjiang wasn’t referring to arcane arts. What he was proud of was his ability to manage a comfortable living. As for the arcane side… he didn’t even know if he truly counted as being in that line of work, so he simply ignored it.

“Mhm, I know.”

Li Zhuiyuan believed that if he kept reading the book, he would eventually understand what method his great-grandfather had used today.

At this point, Li Sanjiang began to snore. He had lost blood, was tired, and had fallen asleep.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the thin quilt nearby, gently covered his great-grandfather’s abdomen, and then closed his own eyes.

As if he’d just taken another short nap, Li Zhuiyuan woke up to daylight outside.

He carefully got out of bed, moving around the still-sleeping Li Sanjiang, and went out to wash up.

While brushing his teeth, he instinctively looked up towards the east room.

Behind the east room, a little girl sat, dressed in a red skirt today, her feet on the threshold.

Beside her, Grandma Liu was combing her hair.

Li Zhuiyuan smiled, feeling a bit brighter inside. He picked up his washbasin and returned to his room.

As he left the edge of the terrace, Qin Li looked up and watched him.

“Hmm?”

Liu Yumei took the comb away and asked, “Did Grandma hurt you?”

Qin Li turned her head forward, looking straight ahead, and didn’t speak.

Liu Yumei continued combing her hair, smiling as she said, “You were playing for quite a long time last night. Can you tell Grandma what was so fun?”

Qin Li didn’t answer.

In the courtyard, Aunt Liu began setting out wooden stools, preparing breakfast.

Li Zhuiyuan, now washed and ready, walked down the stairs to see a clean, empty first floor.

When he reached the courtyard, Aunt Liu smiled at him. “Xiao Yuan, breakfast is ready.”

“Okay, Aunt Liu.”

Li Zhuiyuan sat down. On the wooden stool was a bowl of plain congee and a salted duck egg.

“Why are you just staring here instead of eating?” Aunt Liu asked, setting down a bowl of fish jelly.

“I was still a bit sleepy.”

“It’s good to be young,” Aunt Liu said with a smile as she walked away, “eating well and sleeping well.”

Li Zhuiyuan silently picked up his chopsticks. He remembered that at the end of the banquet last night, the Cat-faced Old Woman had sent people to call the hosts. The Fat Master had gone upstairs, and several paper grandmas had run out to call people from the east and west rooms.

His great-grandfather was injured and bleeding, yet they acted as if nothing had happened.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish jelly, and put it in his mouth. It melted instantly. With soybeans and chili added, it was very flavorful and perfectly complemented the congee.

Just then, not far away, Grandma Liu led Qin Li by the hand to a wooden stool. Qin Li sat down, and Grandma Liu squatted beside her, beginning her daily pre-meal “prayers.”

Today, she didn’t wear a bun. Her smooth hair draped over her shoulders, paired with a red dress, made her appear both lively and dignified.

Thinking of her silly appearance in his dream last night, Li Zhuiyuan couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

Some people indeed possess this special charm. They don’t need to know anything, or even speak; they just need to stand there, and one glance at them can immediately bring joy.

It was like the exquisite vase Li Zhuiyuan had seen freshly unearthed in the artifact storage room when he used to accompany his mother.

As if hearing the laughter, Qin Li turned her head and looked at Li Zhuiyuan, who was eating across from her.

Liu Yumei, still in the midst of her persuasion ritual, looked over with some confusion.

Li Zhuiyuan felt a slight surprise. Could interactions from last night’s dream carry over into reality during the day?

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to the congee bowl in front of him and softly said to her, “Eat.”

Qin Li lowered her head, picked up her chopsticks, and began sorting the various pickled vegetables and sliced duck egg before starting to eat with the congee.

Liu Yumei’s eyes widened, as if she had seen a ghost.

Qin Li ate faster than Li Zhuiyuan. By the time Li Zhuiyuan put down his chopsticks, Qin Li was already back sitting on the threshold.

Aunt Liu quickly appeared. This time, she collected the bowls and chopsticks before Li Zhuiyuan could.

“Thank you, Aunt Liu.”

“Next time, just leave them here after you’re done; I’ll collect them. You wouldn’t want to make your Aunt Liu lose her job, would you?”

“I understand, Aunt Liu.”

“Xiao Yuan,” Liu Yumei called out, “come make tea for Grandma.”

She was sitting on a bamboo reclining chair, with a tea set on the side table.

Li Zhuiyuan walked over. As he did, Qin Li, sitting on the threshold, followed his movements with her gaze.

Liu Yumei noticed. She raised her hand, signaling Li Zhuiyuan to stop.

Li Zhuiyuan stopped and also looked at Qin Li. He began to back away, and Qin Li’s gaze continued to follow him.

Liu Yumei scrutinized Li Zhuiyuan with an appraising look.

“Grandma, still want tea?”

“Yes.”

Li Zhuiyuan walked over and began making tea.

Liu Yumei kept an eye on her granddaughter, who was looking in their direction. “Heh, it’s been a long time since my granddaughter has been so observant, and it’s thanks to this boy beside me.”

“Xiao Yuan…”

“Grandma…”

They both spoke at the same time, then paused. Just as Liu Yumei was about to continue without yielding, she heard Li Zhuiyuan speak even faster:

“Grandma, why are you living at my great-grandfather’s place?”

Liu Yumei smiled. “Just trying to make a living.”

“But you’re not struggling. You’re very rich. This tea set, and the jade thumb ring you said you’d give me yesterday, could already buy an apartment in the capital.”

Then, Li Zhuiyuan added, “But the antique market isn’t booming yet. It’ll be more profitable to sell in ten years.”

The grandpas and grandmas in the family compound who enjoyed collecting had started inquiring about old items in alleys and hutongs ten years ago. But they only collected, never sold, claiming that antiques flourished in prosperous times and should be sold years later or passed down to descendants.

“Xiao Yuan, you even understand antiques?” Liu Yumei straightened slightly, her expression turning serious. “Did your great-grandfather tell you?”

The antique business relied on accumulated discernment and insight. How old was this child? Liu Yumei didn’t believe he could figure it out on his own.

Li Zhuiyuan shook his head.

Not to mention the collections that grandpas and grandmas in the family compound liked to show off, he had seen antiques most frequently when accompanying his mother to various museums and institutions in the capital, including many true treasures not exhibited publicly.

“Xiao Yuan, Grandma lives here because the air is good, the climate is good, and it’s beneficial for A-Li’s condition.”

“Oh, I see. Grandma, what were you about to ask?”

Liu Yumei was a little surprised. Had the child believed her just like that?

She asked, “Why is A-Li looking at you?”

Li Zhuiyuan said a little shyly, “Maybe it’s because I looked at her too many times the past few days, and she feels like she’s at a disadvantage, so she’s returning the gaze.”

Liu Yumei: “…”

Sure enough, the child hadn’t believed her earlier words.

“Grandma, have some tea.”

“Mhm.”

The old and the young, each drinking tea, the glint in the tea reflected their shrewd minds.

After finishing tea, Li Zhuiyuan was going to read. He first went to the restroom behind the house. Passing the east room on his way there and back, he greeted Qin Li, who gave him her full attention.

Before he even entered the main house, he heard his great-grandfather’s hoarse angry shouts from the first floor:

“What happened? What happened? Where are my paper figures? Where did they go?”

Li Zhuiyuan watched his great-grandfather, so enraged he almost bounced, then stomped his feet repeatedly after landing.

Aunt Liu walked over and said, “There was a light rain last night. The rain came in and ruined everything.”

Li Sanjiang frowned. “What?”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Great-grandfather, you can get out of bed already?”

“Of course, your great-grandfather is strong… No, we’re talking about the paper figures now! How did this happen?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Aunt Liu is right, the rain came in.”

“This…” Li Sanjiang’s mouth hung open. “This, this, this…”

Aunt Liu said, “Uncle, it’s fine. A-Li and I will work overtime to make them again quickly. It won’t affect the delivery.”

“Is this just about delivery? The materials…” Li Sanjiang felt a surge of frustration, feeling that the loss of the paper figures was more painful than his own injuries.

He was wealthy—the house, the furniture, the dishes, the paper-figure workshop… but he didn’t save money and lived a carefree life. Now, suddenly, an entire storeroom of goods was gone, and his finances would become tight.

“Little Yuan Hou, go run an errand for Great-grandfather at Blind Liu’s place. Ask her if she’s figured out the date for Granny Niu Fu’s posthumous birthday. If not, tell her to hurry up.”

“Huh?” Li Zhuiyuan was stunned. Seeing that Aunt Liu had already left to get raw materials, he walked up to Li Sanjiang. “Great-grandfather, you’re in this state, and you still want to arrange a posthumous birthday?”

Li Sanjiang said matter-of-factly, “Precisely because I’m like this, I have to go even more!”

“Your current condition… what if you encounter some danger at the Niu family’s house?”

“If I don’t have money to spend, what’s the use of this body?”

Li Zhuiyuan was at a loss for words.

“Little Yuan Hou, your great-grandfather lives this kind of life. This old life of mine has long been lived to its fullest, and I don’t want to be short on cash. Be good, listen, and go pass on Great-grandfather’s message.

Also, let me tell you, it’s not just Blind Liu and me going this time. Your great-grandfather also invited a colleague. Heh heh, he’ll probably arrive tomorrow. That old fellow, along with his kid, they’re quite formidable.

Remember, you absolutely cannot tell Blind Liu about my current condition. She’s timid, and if she knew, she’d probably back out!”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, having no choice but to go to Liu Jinxia’s house.

Cui Cui’s maternal grandmother was sick in the hospital. Li Juxiang had taken Cui Cui to visit her at the clinic, so they weren’t home.

Liu Jinxia had already set up her bridge game that morning, and she was having a good time when Li Zhuiyuan arrived.

After hearing Li Zhuiyuan’s message, Liu Jinxia flicked off cigarette ash and said, “The day after tomorrow, yes, the day after tomorrow. We’ll all go to Niu Fu’s house in Shigang the day after tomorrow morning.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Grandma Liu, won’t that be too soon?”

“Too soon? What’s too soon? The sooner we get it done, the sooner we get the money, heh heh. Besides, your great-grandfather will be there, what’s there to worry about?”

If you knew what Great-grandfather looked like now, you wouldn’t think that.

Li Zhuiyuan returned home and reported the date to Li Sanjiang.

“Alright, good, good, good.”

Li Sanjiang, lying on a rattan chair on the second-floor terrace, happily patted his leg. He reached out and pulled a rope on the adjacent wall, the upper end of which was connected to a black wooden box nailed to the wall.

First there was static, then after another pull, storytelling could be heard.

Li Sanjiang closed his eyes, lit a cigarette, and listened to the storytelling as he smoked. Despite his numerous injuries, he still exuded a carefree and unrestrained air.

Seeming to notice Li Zhuiyuan still standing beside him, Li Sanjiang said:

“Little Yuan Hou, this is the life your great-grandfather chose. I do the most dangerous jobs. Why? Because they’re not tiring and they pay well.

This, ah, is your great-grandfather’s destiny.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. He took out the fifth volume of *Chronicles of Jianghu Anomalies*, walked to the southeast corner of the terrace, sat down, and began to study.

Just like before, every time he turned a page, he would look up at the girl below.

He noticed the girl was also looking up at him.

“Very nice. Eye contact makes it even more pleasing to the eye.”

However, as he continued looking, Li Zhuiyuan realized that every time he looked up, he met her gaze.

Even Grandma Liu downstairs followed her granddaughter’s gaze upwards.

This made it awkward for Li Zhuiyuan; every time he wanted to admire her, he also had to glance at Grandma Liu, making the whole viewing experience rather strange.

Therefore, he didn’t look down again until he finished the fifth volume.

He went inside, took out the sixth volume. After sitting down, Li Zhuiyuan looked down again. Grandma Liu was now sitting in a nearby chair reading a newspaper, but Qin Li still maintained her upward gaze towards him.

“She won’t keep her head tilted up like that the whole time, will she?”

This made Li Zhuiyuan feel a bit guilty, and he found it hard to focus completely on his reading due to a growing annoyance.

Grandma Liu, reading her newspaper downstairs, had actually been observing the terrace out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the boy poke his head out repeatedly, and with increasing irregularity, she couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly:

“This is men for you: at ease when free to come and go, but agitated once bound by responsibility.”

But soon, Liu Yumei surprisingly put down her newspaper, because she saw Li Zhuiyuan running downstairs. He smiled as he passed her, then walked straight towards her granddaughter.

“You…”

Before Liu Yumei could finish her sentence, she saw the boy actually bend down and try to take her granddaughter’s hand.

“Danger…”

Liu Yumei knew the terrifying reaction her granddaughter had when touched by outsiders. This boy in front of her would be scratched bloody. Even she, as her grandmother, dared not make overly intimate gestures.

Immediately, Liu Yumei abruptly stood up with a “whoosh.” To her astonishment, she saw that after the boy took her granddaughter’s hand, her granddaughter actually stood up with him.

“What… what was happening?”

Earlier that morning, when her granddaughter was staring at the boy, she had deliberately used the excuse of making tea to get a closer look, checking if there was anything dirty on the boy that might attract her granddaughter’s gaze.

But this kind of interaction was now beyond Liu Yumei’s comprehension.

Li Zhuiyuan held Qin Li’s hand; her hand was warm and soft.

“Your neck will get tired if you keep looking up like that. Would you like to come up and read with me?”

Qin Li looked at Li Zhuiyuan but didn’t speak.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

Li Zhuiyuan bent down, picked up the stool Qin Li was sitting on, then led her towards the house.

Liu Yumei did not stop them. On the contrary, after the initial shock,