"Let's go..."
Shen Siyuan turned off the computer and got up unhurriedly.
The little one next to him was already so impatient, her little bottom wiggling non-stop, as if that could speed things up.
"Alright now, don't rush, we'll make it on time," Shen Siyuan said, smilingly consoling her.
Because the finance department was located at the very back of the office, whether taking the stairs or the elevator, one had to pass by their operations department.
And in internet companies, the partitions between departments are large floor-to-ceiling glass panels, so everything was clearly visible.
Shen Siyuan turned his head for a glance at the empty office, everyone had already left by now, he casually turned off the lights, the few computers' faint blue glow became clearly visible—it was because the computers were not turned off, if not on standby, then downloading something.
Shen Siyuan didn't bother with that, closing the door directly, the programmers' department opposite was still brightly lit, with bursts of noise coming now and then, which of course was not work discussion, but gaming side by side.
The little one turned and walked inside, eager to find her mom, but was grabbed by Shen Siyuan.
"We can just wait by the elevator, she's not going to jump off the building."
This sentence seemed to amuse her, and she giggled non-stop.
Seeing the little one familiarly slipped her hand into his palm again, Shen Siyuan smiled and asked, "I still don't know your name. How old are you this year?"
"I'm called Dou Dou, this year I'm mountain-sleep."
The little one still had a bit of a lisp, saying "three" (三 "san") as "mountain" (山 "shan") and "sleep" (睡 "shui") instead of "three" (三 "san"), Shen Siyuan was momentarily stunned before he understood.
"So your nickname is Dou Dou, what's your full name... What's your full name?"
"Full name... full name... full name is Tao Hongdou, am I awesome?"
The little one finished with a clenched fist, her face carrying a look of 'come praise me now'.
Shen Siyuan didn't start to praise her, but instead reached out and touched her soft little head, the little one immediately nuzzled in Shen Siyuan's palm like a kitten, squinting her eyes.
Children are actually not much different from small pets; they like to be hugged, stroked...
It's been over two years since the little one passed away, and it had been a long time since anyone had touched her like this, even at night when she secretly sneaked into her parents' embrace, but because they couldn't see her or touch her, naturally there was no tactile sensation, so the little one seemed very happy.
The two arrived at the elevator entrance, the after-work rush was over by then, and there were hardly any people by the elevators.
So Shen Siyuan waited quietly, Dou Dou became a bit impatient, running back and forth several times before she finally saw her mother, wearing a bag over her shoulder, walking out leisurely.
Dou Dou followed beside her, stretching out her little hand, trying to pull her, but failing again and again.
Finally, she looked for Shen Siyuan with a face full of frustration.
"Guo Guo..."
"There, there... I'll be able to make her see you soon."
-----------------
Jiang Wenxin, upon seeing Shen Siyuan standing at the elevator entrance, only gave him a brief glance and did not greet him.
Although they were in the same company, amongst hundreds of people, it's impossible to know everyone, especially not from the same department, with no interaction, so of course, there would be no random greetings.
Shen Siyuan also glanced at Jiang Wenxin once, Jiang Wenxin was a thirty-something-year-old young woman with very fair skin, dressed in a red gown she looked even more radiant, not very tall, but with a full figure, delicate facial features, and an excellent demeanor—she looked like a pampered rich lady.
But her complexion seemed not very good, even with thick makeup, her haggardness was hard to conceal.
Dou Dou was on the side, hopping about non-stop, trying to get her mother's attention, but as always, her existence was ignored by her mother.
So Dou Dou looked up at Shen Siyuan with suspecting eyes, as if to say, are you lying to me?
Shen Siyuan was amused by her expression, and said softly, "Just a bit longer."
Dou Dou heard this, staring blankly at Shen Siyuan, then sighed quietly, standing obediently to one side, occasionally looking up at her mother and then at Shen Siyuan, appearing very well-behaved.
Though Shen Siyuan spoke softly, it still caught Jiang Wenxin's attention, and she glanced at him again.
Shen Siyuan didn't expect her to look over, so he just smiled at her a bit.
Jiang Wenxin was momentarily lost in thought because she suddenly found that this young man's eyes were extremely beautiful, as if they contained a magic that could devour a person's soul, profound and mysterious, like a deep pool...
Fortunately, Shen Siyuan voluntarily shifted his gaze, allowing Jiang Wenxin to snap out of it.
Shen Siyuan himself did not notice anything abnormal about his body.
A rotten boat still has three-inch nails; the Jiu You Netherworld Lord was known as the strongest Demon Lord in the Great Wilderness for a millennium and managed to escape even under the Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation and the encirclement of the righteous path. Although only a residual soul remained, it proved his formidable power.
As the afternoon progressed, with integration and adaptation, Shen Siyuan began to emit an air of abnormality without realizing it.
At this moment, the elevator arrived. Shen Siyuan stepped in first, pressed the button for the first floor, and moved to the furthest corner inside.
Jiang Wenxin didn't think much and entered the elevator, pressing the button for the third basement level as she had driven there.
But at this time, Shen Siyuan flipped his palm, and the Ten Thousand Soul Banner appeared in his palm. Following the memory, he pinched the finger formula, and a wisp of nether light emerged from the broken Ten Thousand Soul Banner, like a Spirit Snake, traveling along his fingertips to land on Jiang Wenxin's shoulder in front. It then crept along her shoulder and burrowed into her neck, disappearing from sight.
Dou Dou stood by, eyes wide with amazement at the scene unfolding before her.
"What are you dazing off for?"
Shen Siyuan gestured at Dou Dou.
Then he flicked his finger, and a similar wisp of nether light landed on Dou Dou.
Jiang Wenxin had great hearing; she could hear Shen Siyuan's mutterings outside the elevator, let alone inside it.
So she thought to herself, what a nice young man, yet why does he have mental issues? Out of curiosity, she almost turned her head to look.
But just at that moment, she felt her hand being grasped and got immediately furious.
Thinking this man not only had mental issues but was also a pervert.
So she immediately turned around and was about to shake off the hand that held her.
But then—
She froze suddenly, and her complexion turned deathly pale.
Because the little figure before her eyes was precisely the person she had been dreaming of.
"Dou... Dou Dou?" Jiang Wenxin stuttered.
"Hehe~, Mommy, you can finally see me," Dou Dou said with a broad smile. But as she smiled, her little mouth began to quiver; she wanted to cry.
So she burst into loud tears.
Seeing her cry, Jiang Wenxin instinctively picked her up and comforted her.
"Dou Dou, don't cry~"
"Dou Dou, be good~"
"You've cried yourself into a little tear-stained kitty~"
These were the phrases she used to soothe Dou Dou in the past. Although confused with countless questions at this moment, the sight of her daughter's sorrow shattered her heart into pieces.
"Mommy can see me, I'm so happy, but... but I just want to cry," Dou Dou pouted, her voice choked with sobs.
"No crying... no crying..." Jiang Wenxin reached out to wipe her tears.
But she discovered that the tears disappeared without a trace on her hand, with not even a hint of moisture.
Piecing together what Dou Dou had just said, she had a vague suspicion.
Yet, she didn't feel afraid.
There's a saying: every ghost that you fear is someone else's longing person.
Dou Dou was the person she longed for, so how could she possibly feel scared to see her again?
She hugged her daughter tightly, fearful that she would disappear.
Now the elevator had reached the first floor, and with a ding, the doors opened.
Fortunately, it was after work hours and there were no people waiting for the elevator. Even if there were, it would hardly matter; at most, people would think Jiang Wenxin was mad, which had nothing to do with Shen Siyuan.
Shen Siyuan walked past the two of them and exited from the lift.
Dou Dou, still softly whimpering, obediently waved her little hand and said with a sob, "Si Yuan, goodbye."
"Goodbye~," Shen Siyuan waved back at her.
At that moment, Jiang Wenxin suddenly understood something. Before she could speak, the elevator doors closed and began to descend.
As Shen Siyuan stepped out of the elevator, he moved directly outside the building, but was stunned by everything he saw before him.