Chapter 1: An Unexpected Twist
The girl with large, luminous eyes had been staring at her for a long time.
She, however, remained oblivious.
The girl was stunningly beautiful. Two delicate eyebrows arched like willows in spring; a pair of almond-shaped eyes shimmered like crystal-clear autumn waters; her nose was straight and refined, her lips rosy as fresh blooms, and her skin glowed with a flawless radiance. If not for her enigmatic gaze, she could have easily been mistaken for a celestial maiden descending to earth.
"Sister, if you disagree, fine! But this isn't a place for you to linger. Why haven't you left yet?" The girl with large eyes finally broke the silence, her voice sharp with frustration.
She looked up, startled, and blinked at the girl in confusion before asking, "Are… you speaking to me?"
The girl rolled her striking eyes dramatically. "Of course! I've been talking to you for ages, but you completely ignored me! You left me—no, left a ghost—ranting on my own for half the day!"
She stared, puzzled, at the girl's indignant expression. "Ranting on your own? …Oh, right, I've already…"
The memory surfaced, stark and brutal.
In just an instant, she and he had both perished in a tragic accident. Their earthly lives had come to an abrupt end.
Now, her new identity was that of a wandering soul.
A soul even the King of Hell refused to claim.
"Zhong Qinglan, your allotted time has not yet ended. Return to the living world at once, and stop disrupting the order of my realm!" Not long ago, the King of Hell had coldly dismissed her, turning his back on her as he cast her out before the gates of the Underworld.
The Underworld!
Yes, she was in the shadowy, ghostly realm of the dead.
And yet, she was supposed to return to the world of the living.
In the distance, the bearded judge assigned to escort her back was engrossed in conversation with a black-faced counterpart, their animated discussion peppered with gestures and laughter. She lingered where she stood, unsure whether to approach or wait.
The grim reality had shattered her spirit completely. At this moment, she felt utterly incapable of returning—bereft of both courage and strength.
"I'm away on business. No, I won't be back tonight." His voice, speaking to his current wife on the phone, still echoed in her ears.
The memory of him lowering his voice, clutching the phone as he lied, twisted her heart anew. What a cruel joke! Eight years after they parted, he had once again deceived her.
Living with her—his mistress—he had lied to her, claiming to be single, and launched a fresh pursuit. She, fool that she was, had succumbed and become his secret lover. His mistress.
Once, she had been his proud wife, a cherished princess. She had forsaken everything to join him in the mundane world. And yet, he had trampled her love into the dust, over and over again.
"I… I can't leave her," he had weakly explained, only to fervently insist a moment later, "But trust me, Qinglan, I still care for you! Isn't this… isn't this enough for us?"
Enough?!
How could he? How could he lie to her, betray her, degrade her? How could he have the audacity to say this was "enough"?
Her heart ached unbearably, torn apart by searing pain. And then, in the midst of that agony, the accident happened, claiming both their lives.
Life had been exhausting.
Death, she thought, might finally bring release.
For so many years, she had endured with a forced smile, holding herself together. But now, she was at her limit. Even the strongest spirit eventually falters.
"Sister, what do you think? Isn't it great?"
"…What?" Her mind was a haze as she stumbled forward, not comprehending the girl's words. One thought consumed her: Why can't I even die in peace?
Ahead, a group of souls queued up to drink soup from an old woman. It was said that a single sip of that soup would erase all memories of one's mortal life.
To forget all the painful, humiliating memories—what a relief that would be. Quietly, she edged closer, snatched a bowl, and took a sip.
The taste was peculiar.
Sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy—each flavor washed over her tongue, blending into a strange, complex aftertaste.
The taste of life.
She stared at the dark, murky liquid and let out a soundless sigh.
"Mine!" shrieked a pale-faced child ghost.
Before she could react, the bowl was snatched away by a clawed, ghastly hand. The child gulped the soup down greedily, glaring at her with accusatory eyes.
I can't even forget if I want to.
"Sister, you drank the soup! Does that mean you've agreed to my plan?" The big-eyed girl appeared beside her again, her excitement palpable.
"Agreed to what? What are you talking about?" she asked, bewildered.
The girl arched her delicate brows and seemed about to speak, but just then, a dazzling light burst forth in the distance.
The crowd erupted in chaos as a radiant gate opened, illuminating the dreary Underworld like the midday sun. Cheers, groans, and shouts filled the air as souls jostled for position.
"Quick, form a line! Time's up!" A strange, floating creature zipped forward to restore order.
The radiant gate seemed to lead to the next life. Was this how reincarnation worked?
Curiosity stirred in her as she stood rooted, observing the commotion.
Suddenly, the beautiful girl with big eyes grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the front of the line with surprising strength. They stopped directly before the gate, where five colorful, blinding paths extended into the unknown.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, uneasy at the girl's nervous expression.
"I should be the first one through, but… I can't face being reborn as a woman again. And you—you don't want to go back, right? So…"
Before she could respond, the girl shoved her with all her might into the gate.
"You'll be born into a good family!" the girl's voice echoed behind her.
"I don't want to reincarnate! I need to go back! I still have to—"
Her protests were cut short as an overwhelming force propelled her forward. Dizziness overtook her, and darkness swallowed her whole.
And then, all awareness slipped away.