"Do it again, and I'll kick you to the Underworld without undergoing formal procedures." The man looked at the reflection of Little Loli in the mirror. The fire burning in his sockets, veiled by sunglasses, amplified the fire, incinerating Little Loli's courage.
Question marks appeared inside Minglan's head; she momentarily set aside her fear and asked Xiao Hei, "The dead also needs to undergo procedures? Is it troublesome?"
Xiao Hei lifted her collar and returned her to her seat. "The procedure is not arduous but very important; otherwise, a soul will wander alone in the vast void and get lost, unable to reincarnate. Guiders are needed, and that is my main job." He explained patiently and raised his voice for the Little Loli to hear.
Little Loli heard their conversation and instantly calmed down. She was oblivious to how the Underworld works and what will happen to her afterwards, but the words the man said clarified some of her doubts, although the main point was still vague. "How long do the procedures last? And How long can I stay in the mortal world?"
Minglan mouth became 'o' shaped the moment Xiao Hei talked about the Underworld affairs.They've been together for a week now and this was the first time she learned about his main job. Normally, he would just disappear after saying a few words and come back after a few hours. She finally knew what he'd been busy with.
The man returned his attention to the road again before he responded to Little Loli's inquiry. "About 7 days in the mortal world and 49 days in the boundary. Beyond that, you'll be a lost soul with only residual energy left."
The Little Loli's expression turned grave. She counted the days since her passing, and only four days were left. She couldn't help but ask anxiously, "Can I still visit the mortal world even If I'm within the boundary?"
The man knew her plans but mercilessly crushed them, "Cannot."
The Little Loli weakly slumped on the chair and lowered its head.
Minglan was very attentive and listened to their exchanges with great interest until Xiao Hei's one word extinguished it. She wanted to satisfy her curiosity about what happens to the ghosts in those 49 days or what formal procedures ghosts are required to follow. She had a bellyful of questions waiting to be answered, but she didn't want to dampen Little Loli's mood any longer and just restrained herself. Later, when Xiao Hei and she were alone, she'd sneak up and ask him.
Then she turned her head to the back seat but couldn't see what Little Loli was doing. Then, after a few seconds, childlike sobs and teeth chattering flew to her ears. Her mood died down, and she planned to say a few words to Little Loli but found herself lost for words. She couldn't really do anything. It was beyond her power and authority to do so.
The silence circulating continued, and Minglan looked back and forth between the two, defeated.
When the car reached the parking lot of the apartment, Minglan opened the door, got out, and observed Little Loli still drowning in sadness. The Little Loli in her SpongeBob pajamas still slouched inside the car even though Xiao Hei had already parked and turned down the engine.
Xiao Hei took the four bags out of the trunk and strode towards the entrance of the building apartment.
Minglan didn't see his departure and knocked on the window of the backseat to gain Little Loli's attention. She knocked on the glass until some redness appeared on her knuckles before Little Loli lifted her sorrowful eyes.
"We're here. How about you stay at my place first?" Minglan invited the Little Loli, and although she was still unable to move on from the haunting experience in the elevator, the Little Loli's current appearance and Xiao Hei's company dissolved a bit of her fear. "She can stay, right, Xiao Hei?" She asked, but got no answer and looked around only to find him gone. Oh no, bastard, you forgot about me! She immediately looked around, and sure enough, she could see silhouettes floating towards her with vague faces. "Xiao Hei, come back for me!" She tried to open the car door but was unable to since the keys were on Xiao Hei. "Little Loli, could you open the door?"
The Little Loli sniffed her snout but still raised her cuffed hands to the handle. Unfortunately, her hand slipped and she couldn't touch it.
Both of them stared at each other for a moment before realizing their stupidity.
The Little Loli looked at Minglan in grievance, blaming her for affecting its IQ.
Black lines appeared on Minglan's face. She wanted to flip the car, but a pressing matter was at hand, and she resisted the urge to curse again.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hei noticed something wrong and turned around, frowning in the process. Minglan didn't follow him, and he immediately dropped the bags at the reception area and ran to the parking lot.
"Don't come over! I said I'm not delicious! Stay away!" She circled the car, swatting the entities approaching her. Her hand didn't manage to do anything at all, much to her despair.
Little Loli watched her from the inside and scoffed. She could hear the whispers of the dead, and one word was being emphasized repeatedly, like a chorus in a song.
"Light..."
Minglan's attention wasn't on this, and she continued backing up and even climbed on the roof of the car. Her canvas shoes scratched the pristine coat of the car. "Xiao Hei!" She called in a loud voice, and this time, the man with his eyes glowing with terrifying light appeared a few meters away.
The ghosts that kept reaching out to Minglan disappeared into a puff of white smoke with Xiao Hei's arrival.
"It's your fault! You didn't wait for me at all, letting those ghosts almost eat me again!" Minglan's eyes kept flowing with tears like a broken dam dropping on the surface of the roof.
The man walked in quick strides until he reached her and stretched out his arms wide open. "Come down" , he pleaded, and Minglan put her arms around his shoulders, letting the man carry her down. "I'm sorry." He stroked her hair, trying to stop her from crying longer. Minglan felt his voice tremble a bit in his apology.
Little Loli was quite surprised at the man's gentle actions. She never knew he could make such tender gestures and comfort people like this. In her eyes, he was like those villains in movies—always gloomy and love their selves. She turned her head away, letting the two into their world, but inside, she was quite jealous. Unfortunately, for the dead, these feelings are no longer needed.
Minglan hugged him tighter, and when she felt tired, she leaned into his ears and unconsciously mumbled, "I wish I couldn't see them."
Xiao Hei could hear the sentence very clearly but didn't reply. He knew the answer but had no courage to say it.