"Splash…"
Zhou Xun cupped a handful of water and splashed it onto his face.
After a moment, he looked up at the mirror.
Reflected in it was the face of a fifteen-year-old boy.
It had been two weeks now.
Zhou Xun still hadn't gotten used to this new face. Every time he looked in the mirror, he instinctively paused, bracing himself mentally.
He reached out, pinched his cheeks, pulled at them, then let go, leaving two red marks.
If only he could tear off this skin, shatter everything around him like broken glass, and wake up from this surreal dream—that would be perfect.
Of course, Zhou Xun knew that was impossible.
"Slap!"
Zhou Xun smacked himself across the face.
Even though this face looked a lot like a young Leonardo DiCaprio, Zhou Xun didn't hold back at all when he slapped it. In fact, there was a strange sense of satisfaction?
This slap wasn't meant to wake him from a dream but to help him get his head straight and continue living in this dream.
If you're here, you might as well make yourself comfortable.
Zhou Xun could only comfort himself this way.
"Knock, knock, knock… knock, knock, knock…"
The bathroom door was knocked on, accompanied by Mina's concerned voice:
"Orpheus, Orpheus, are you okay?"
Mina was his cousin, Uncle Mason's daughter.
The body Zhou Xun was inhabiting also had a name—Orpheus.
"I'm fine," Zhou Xun replied.
"Alright." Mina let out a long sigh of relief, then added, "I'll bring breakfast to your room later."
"No need, Mina, I'll come down to eat."
Mina was surprised but quickly responded, "Okay, brother."
Zhou Xun continued staring at his reflection in the mirror, then picked up a cold towel and pressed it against his reddened face.
He used to be a private psychologist with his own clinic in Nanjing, also working part-time as a police psychological consultant.
During a hostage situation, he was acting as the negotiator with the kidnappers. Something went wrong during the negotiation; the kidnapper tried to push a little girl off the rooftop. Zhou Xun rushed forward and pulled the girl back but ended up falling himself, losing consciousness.
It felt like he was dreaming for a long time.
When he finally woke up, Zhou Xun was shocked to find he wasn't lying in an ICU hospital bed, surrounded by doctors, but instead encircled by a group of… "foreign friends."
The oldest among them was his grandfather—Deese Immolras.
He was Deese's eldest grandson. Seeing him wake up, there was both relief and a strange, indescribable emotion in his grandfather's eyes.
An uncle, over forty years old—Mason—was overjoyed.
Aunt Mary, Mason's wife, smiled first, then her face turned gloomy before she smiled again.
Another elderly woman was his aunt Winnie, who burst into tears of joy.
There were also three children, Mason and Mary's kids—14-year-old Mina and 13-year-old Lent—as well as Winnie's daughter, 13-year-old Chris.
As for Zhou Xun—or rather, Orpheus—his parents had passed away a few years ago.
This was the situation of his new family.
Zhou Xun replaced the cold towel with a hot one and covered his face again. After a while, he tossed it aside.
For most of the past two weeks since waking up, he had been bedridden, partly due to the body's weakness and partly to process the memories of "Orpheus."
Assimilating these memories was a peculiar experience; there was no conflict or confusion between his own and the original Orpheus's memories. It felt more like Orpheus's memories were stored in a bookshelf or computer file.
He was still Zhou Xun, but when needed, he could search and access Orpheus's memories with a mere thought.
In any case,
Since things had come to this,
He had to face life bravely.
Zhou Xun had mentally prepared himself to face this second life with a positive attitude.
Pushing open the bathroom door, he saw the family's black cat, Poe, lounging lazily on the windowsill, basking in the sun. Upon seeing Orpheus, the cat turned its head back towards the window, exuding the haughty demeanor of a true feline master.
Zhou Xun paused for a moment,
Took a deep breath,
And murmured:
"From today onwards, I am Orpheus."
...
Orpheus descended the stairs from his third-floor bedroom to the second floor.
The Immolras family lived at 13 Chiswick Street in the western district of Roger City, in a standalone villa with a large garden.
In terms of his previous life's understanding, Chiswick Street wasn't exactly in the city center, but it was definitely within the second ring.
Imagine owning a standalone villa in a second-tier city, not in the suburbs…
In his previous life, Orpheus could only dream of a townhouse, never mind a semi-detached house.
This was something he was quite grateful for—if you're going to transmigrate, it's much better to end up in a well-off family. It'd be hell to be reborn as a poor boy selling matches.
The kitchen and dining area of the Immolras family were on the second floor, while the first floor was used for work.
Yes, this was a "company" or more like a "family business." The villa was not only their home but also a production site.
This family was in the "funeral" business, under the banner of the "Immolras Mortuary Service Company."
Grandfather was the boss, and he was the absolute authority in both the family and the "company." He also served as the pastor at the small church at the end of Chiswick Street.
Uncle Mason used to work at the stock exchange, and Aunt Mary had once been a makeup artist, even making minor appearances in a few small films.
They should have been living a comfortable middle-class life, having moved out long ago.
But due to Uncle Mason's failed investments, they lost their savings, house, and even went into debt. In the end, Uncle Mason could only bring his wife and children back home to… fulfill filial duties.
Grandfather didn't say much about this,
But soon found an excuse to fire the original driver and mortician.
As Grandfather put it: The Immolras family doesn't support idlers.
Now, Uncle Mason was the driver—well, he drove the family's hearse, working with employees Paul and Ron to transport "guests."
Aunt Mary continued her profession,
But now her clients didn't complain or cause trouble.
Their children, Mina and Lent, were still in middle school.
Aunt Winnie used to be an accountant at a small clothing factory. After a messy divorce, she returned home with her daughter, Chris.
Fortunately, the Immolras house was large enough. Even with the basement occupied by "guests" and the first floor used as a "mourning hall," the second and third floors had enough rooms for everyone.
Orpheus used to share a room with his cousin Lent. After Orpheus fell ill, Lent moved in with Grandfather on the third floor, which also served as Grandfather's office.
The second floor had three rooms: Uncle Mason and Aunt Mary in one, Aunt Winnie in another, and the two younger girls shared the third.
Despite the unusual living arrangement, the family atmosphere was good, thanks to Grandfather's strict authority. No one dared to stir up trouble under his watch.
When Orpheus reached the dining table, Mina was helping her mother set the table.
Aunt Mary noticed Orpheus coming down the stairs and deliberately sneered:
"Our young master can finally come down for breakfast by himself, without needing his loyal maid auntie to serve him?"
Aunt Mary was just like that, her words always sharp, often mocking others.
In this house, she only refrained from offending Grandfather. Everyone else—her husband, children, sister-in-law, and even Orpheus—was fair game for her verbal assaults.
Orpheus smiled warmly,
And said sincerely:
"Thank you, Aunt, for taking care of me these past few days. That's why I've recovered so quickly."
In Orpheus's memory, this aunt, though sharp-tongued, had cared for him as she would her own children—she was tough on the outside but soft-hearted.
"Uh…"
Surprised that her usually introverted and solitary nephew could speak so eloquently, Aunt Mary didn't know how to respond. She pursed her lips and said:
"Eat up."
"Alright."
Orpheus sat down at the dining table.
Breakfast consisted of sandwiches, fried eggs, milk, and some small sausages.
Taking a bite of the sandwich,
Chewing slowly,
Even though he'd only been here for two weeks,
Orpheus already missed his spicy duck blood vermicelli soup with three spoonfuls of chili.
At that moment,
The sound of a car horn came from outside.
"Your father is back."
Aunt Mary washed her hands at the sink, then took off her apron.
"You guys go ahead and eat. I'll see if your father brought me any 'surprises.'"
Most husbands bring their wives home gifts like rings or designer bags, or at least a bouquet of flowers.
Uncle Mason brought home… bodies.
For Aunt Mary, a regular corpse was already a "pleasant surprise." She hated dealing with those who died under unusual circumstances, as they were a hassle to handle.
Orpheus put down his fork. Subconsciously, he felt like an adult; when there was something going on at home, he couldn't just sit and eat like the children, so he followed Aunt Mary downstairs.
The first floor was spacious,
with a small platform of three steps in the southeast corner for placing coffins.
At this moment,
Two of the family's employees, Paul and Ron, were pushing a gurney covered with a white sheet inside.
Uncle Mason didn't come down. He had a bit of a high opinion of himself, and while he was forced to work by his father, he only drove the hearse and rarely dealt with the bodies directly.
In Orpheus's impression, Uncle Mason, despite his incompetence in investments and being somewhat of a spendthrift, was actually a humorous man who cared deeply for his family.
Aunt Mary walked over and lifted the sheet, then let out a sigh of relief.
The body was of a young man, his face not too ghastly. Though the body lay flat, his face was turned 90 degrees to the right.
"Frozen to death?" Aunt Mary asked. "Charity case?"
Though it was only early winter, drunks and vagrants freezing to death on the street were becoming common.
Charity cases were handled by a special fund office set up by the city government, church, and charitable organizations, providing proper funerals for those with no family to cover the costs.
These cases were divided among various funeral homes by district. After all the deductions, the profit was minimal, but it kept the business running. Workers still needed to be paid, even if there were no jobs.
On the bright side, charity cases were easier to manage, as there were no relatives to complain or nitpick.
The body was given a simple treatment, placed in a coffin, photographed by officials for records, and that was it until the end-of-month payout.
"Yes, madam. I knew him—Lazarus, a poor guy who always lost at cards. I'm even more unfortunate—I wasn't around whenever he came to the pub to play." Ron said.
"Madam, there's another one. We need to go to Water Bay Nursing Home." Paul added.
Aunt Mary quickly reminded, "Make sure the staff clean the body first, or don't bother bringing it back. Last time, an old man from there had dried feces stuck on him."
"Yes, madam, understood." Paul assured.
With that, he and Ron headed back to the hearse with an empty gurney.
"Beep… beep…"
Uncle Mason, sitting in the car with a cigarette in his hand, honked twice, calling out:
"My dear Orpheus, you seem to be recovering well."
"Yes, Uncle." Orpheus replied.
"Haha, wonderful." He then looked at his wife and called, "Darling, I want your meat pies for lunch. They're one of the two greatest things I've ever tasted in my life!"
"Eat them in the bathroom, I'm busy!"
Uncle Mason shrugged,
Grinning shamelessly:
"Oh, that's the other great thing!"
Aunt Mary's face twitched, unable to suppress her smile as she turned away.
"See you later, honey!"
Uncle Mason started the car and drove off.
Aunt Mary took a deep breath, pushed the gurney.
Orpheus instinctively moved to help.
Aunt Mary glanced at him, then stopped.
Orpheus looked at her, puzzled.
"Orpheus, you're not quite the same as before."
"Maybe."
Orpheus wasn't interested in hiding his "transmigration." For a "transmigrator," the least of his worries was being discovered. Who would suspect their soul had been replaced?
They'd think you were crazy!
"To the basement."
"Okay, Aunt."
The two of them pushed the gurney with the corpse down the hallway and then downstairs.
The path to the basement sloped downward with a flat section midway.
Going down, they had to control the speed to prevent the body from slipping.
"It'd be great to have an elevator installed," Orpheus remarked as they reached the basement, his arms feeling a bit strained from holding the gurney.
"Like the ones in department stores?" Aunt Mary scoffed, "Are you crazy? Do you know how much that would cost?"
The basement was divided into three rooms, or functional areas.
One was a storage room—though it was more like a warehouse, filled with neatly stacked funeral supplies.
Another was the mortuary, currently empty, with no refrigeration units in sight.
Orpheus didn't bother asking why they didn't have freezers, as Aunt Mary would likely respond, "Are you crazy? Do you know how much that would cost?"
This showed that, despite being a small operation, the Immolras family was doing just fine. They didn't need to "stock up" on bodies.
On the other hand, it also indicated that no matter the era or cultural background, the death business was indeed lucrative.
The last room was Aunt Mary's workspace, where she beautified the bodies.
No matter how beautiful someone was in life, death made everyone look… ordinary.
Not to mention those who didn't die peacefully; the workload was even greater.
For charity cases, they only needed to focus on the face, as there were no family members to scrutinize the rest. For big jobs, when families wanted everything perfect, they had to clean and groom the entire body, down to trimming the nails. The coffin, clothes, pastor's prayers, and even the funeral setup—all had varying price tiers.
Orpheus helped Aunt Mary push the gurney into the workspace.
She pulled up a chair, sat down, and placed an ashtray on the gurney, almost in front of Lazarus's face.
"Click…"
Aunt Mary lit a cigarette, took a puff, and exhaled slowly.
Ignoring her sharp tongue, Aunt Mary was quite attractive. Though she was getting older, she still had a certain allure.
Of course, even the most well-bred woman would lose her elegance if forced to do this kind of work because of her husband's failure.
Orpheus eyed the cigarette in her hand.
Aunt Mary noticed,
Smirked,
And pushed the pack towards him.
Orpheus reached out, took a cigarette, and picked up the lighter.
He lit it,
Took a drag.
"Cough… cough… cough… ugh…"
A wave of nausea hit him as Orpheus clutched his chest, coughing violently.
"Haha… hahaha…"
Aunt Mary laughed until she teared up.
Orpheus wasn't faking it. In his previous life, he had been a heavy smoker, but this body had never been exposed to nicotine. Both his body and brain were resisting, sending out "reject the toxin" warnings.
Aunt Mary stubbed out her cigarette,
Then examined Lazarus's body, confirming there were no external injuries. She tried to straighten his head.
With just a bit of makeup, this job would be done. Once the men returned, they'd dress Lazarus and bring him upstairs. The weather was cool enough to skip the preservation process.
"Huh?"
Aunt Mary let go and said to Orpheus:
"Give it a try, I can't move it."
"Oh, okay."
Orpheus extinguished his cigarette, reached out, placing one hand on Lazarus's neck and the other on his right cheek.
He pushed,
Pushed,
Pushed…
Lazarus's head began to slowly straighten.
But what shocked Orpheus, or rather what Aunt Mary couldn't see, was that as he pushed, it felt like Lazarus's body was pushing back…
It didn't feel like he was repositioning a dead man's head; it was more like he was wrestling with a living person!
This realization sent a chill through Orpheus. Just as he was about to let go, he noticed the resistance disappeared. No… after he released his grip, Lazarus's head,
"Creak… creak…"
It adjusted itself!
Lazarus's eyes
Snapped open,
Staring at Orpheus.
His mouth began moving frantically, making a sound like rats gnawing on wood.
Orpheus instinctively stepped back, his back hitting the wall.
Suddenly,
"Bang!"
It felt like someone hit him in the back of the head with a shovel.
Orpheus's body curled up,
His vision blurred,
But he resisted the urge to lose control in such a situation.
Forcing himself through the pain, he looked up.
What he saw,
Was a sea of red.
Stumbling back, his view widened.
He realized he was looking at a giant red high heel, and above it, a very long leg. On the opposite side, another identical giant high heel and leg.
He felt like
A tiny mouse standing by a human's feet.
"Thud…"
Orpheus lost his balance and fell to the ground.
He couldn't tell if this was a dream or if he'd gone insane…
Until,
"Drip…"
A thick liquid splattered onto his body, soaking his upper half.
Orpheus slowly looked up.
He saw,
Above him,
Between those two enormous legs,
A woman's face,
Watching him with curiosity and a smile.
Meanwhile,
Drool dripped intermittently from her slightly parted lips.
"Fizzle… fizzle…"
Amidst the static, a deep, magnetic male voice echoed:
"Don't be afraid, my beautiful lady… she's just hungry for your body."