**Chapter 1: A Jar of Yellow Sand**
At Huacheng Central Hospital, in a certain patient room, beneath the pure white ceiling, the smell of disinfectant lingered, resonating with the monotonous ticking of medical instruments.
Huaxie Yu lowered her head, remained silent for a long time, and then looked up at Lu Yi Bei, who was sitting across from her, and said, “I understand.
Is that it? Uh, okay then!” Lu Yi Bei shrugged nonchalantly.
Although Huaxie Yu seemed a bit too indifferent after hearing her father’s story, Lu Yi Bei thought it was understandable.
Perhaps, in Huaxie Yu’s heart, Huo Qianli was originally a great hero, but she stubbornly refused to acknowledge it.
Like the anti-heroes in stories, they fail to earn people’s recognition.
“What are your plans for the future? Are you going back to Dawn City?” Lu Yi Bei changed the subject and asked, “After a while, once things settle down, you can go to Shizhou City to pick them up. I think returning to Dawn City is still a good idea.”
“I still want to go back.” Before Lu Yi Bei could finish his sentence, Huaxie Yu interrupted firmly, “Earlier, your colleague, the beautiful big sister.”
“Qing Sister?” Lu Yi Bei tilted his head.
“Yes.” Huaxie Yu nodded, “It’s her. She invited me to join the Siye Society when she visited me last time.”
“You agreed?” Lu Yi Bei asked, astonished.
Although he hadn’t interacted with Huaxie Yu for long, he could tell she wasn’t the type to want to be tied down to the Siye Society.
“I guess I sort of agreed?” Huaxie Yu hesitated, speaking a bit uncertainly, “Isn’t this a matter of inheritance?”
“I told her that if I could go back to Dawn City as an operative, I’d say yes. She said she’d communicate with the higher-ups about it, and it should work out.”
Lu Yi Bei nodded thoughtfully.
Although she seemed tough like a platypus, deep down, she still cared about her father’s affairs!
As for An Qing trying to recruit Huaxie Yu while helping her recover, that was not surprising at all.
It was common for the Siye Society to be short of hands, and it wasn’t the first time An Qing “persuaded a wayward girl to reform.” It truly seemed like something she would do.
“If it works out, find a good location, buy a large house, let the children live there, and then send them to school.”
“Speaking of which, we got a lot from that man.” Huaxie Yu paused and added, “It’ll also make it easier to take in other children in the future.
If the Siye Society operatives are to work in Dawn City, we’ll probably encounter more homeless children, right?” Huaxie Yu mused.
Lu Yi Bei remained silent for a few seconds and then nodded, “Sure! If there’s anything needed, feel free to contact me, and I’ll try my best to help.”
Perhaps staying beside Huaxie Yu wasn’t the best choice for them, but it certainly brought happiness.
Moreover, from what Zhang Hainan had said, the children weren’t adapting well at Dachunyang Palace either.
“However, we’ll have to wait a month or so.” Lu Yi Bei added.
From Huacheng to Dawn City wasn’t a short journey, and if they wanted timely support, the fastest way would be through Liao Zhai Tavern.
But Liao Zhai Tavern was still undergoing repairs, and Hu Boss hadn’t even started the renovations yet. It would take at least another month before it could reopen.
After all, the lost items and letters hadn’t all been returned to their owners, and [Floating Life as a Guest] would vibrate from time to time. It was too early to fix the tavern; the star-top would collapse eventually.
Lu Yi Bei thought, standing up from his chair and stretching his back.
“Since you’ve made your decision, I won’t say much. I’ve got some things to take care of.”
Being alone with a girl, Lu Yi Bei always felt a bit uneasy.
Although they both tacitly avoided mentioning their engagement, it didn’t mean the engagement didn’t exist.
Spending time with Huaxie Yu made him feel strangely like he was visiting an ex-girlfriend who was seriously ill and close to d*ath; while he felt sympathy, he simultaneously had an impulse to pull out her oxygen tube.
“Okay!” Huaxie Yu nodded and smiled, “You go ahead and get busy, don’t mind me.”
Some say there’s no such thing as a green tea girl, only considerate good sisters.
Ultimately, it was proven that after sorting out her unspeakable feelings, a green tea girl could indeed be a very understanding sister.
After saying goodbye to Huaxie Yu, he left the patient room and casually closed the door. Before leaving, Lu Yi Bei paused for a moment, leaning against the door and looking through the small glass window into the room.
The weather outside was just right, sunlight pouring in through the window, making the space seem as clear as a stream. Huaxie Yu sat on the bed, covered with a thin blanket, looking at the treetops outside the window. After a long moment of contemplation, she bent over and buried her face deep in her hands.
A sound of restrained sobbing echoed in the room.
The parasitic type urban legend had caused significant harm to her body. Even though she was a Spiritual Ability User, and with An Qing’s exquisite medical skills, it was impossible for her to wake up so quickly.
She was able to wake up this fast thanks to the gray-clothed figure that appeared in her dreams.
As the terrifying monster receded and the fog that enveloped the dream dissipated, Dawn City once again welcomed dawn. The gray-clothed figure lifted the sick girl, opened the door, and stepped out of that damp little room into the light.
At the moment the bright sunlight shone down, the girl looked up, staring at the silhouette of the gray-clothed figure, feeling that familiar warmth, and without needing any reminders, she suddenly understood who had always protected her.
However, knowing wasn’t the same as feeling anything significant before she received a confirmed answer from Lu Yi Bei; her emotions remained calm, much like the low pressure before a storm.
Such matters were like small thorns buried in the fingertips; for the most part, they wouldn’t affect one’s life. It was only when inadvertently touched that they would bring excruciating pain.
“Naisu!” Seeing Huaxie Yu finally unable to hold back her tears, Lu Yi Bei excitedly punched the air, satisfied as he turned to leave.
Crying was the right response!
Such a thrilling and touching story hadn’t even made Huaxie Yu cry. He had questioned whether his storytelling had declined in quality, but it seemed it was just that Huaxie Yu was too good at containing her emotions.
After leaving the hospital, standing by the roadside in front of the hospital’s main entrance, Lu Yi Bei took out a brown paper folder from his pocket, gently brushed his fingers over it, and grimaced.
In the past few days, he had been tied up with a mix of trivial matters and hadn’t had the time to return Bai Kai’s lost items and letters to Water Brother.
Now that he finally had some free time, it was time to hand the items over to Water Brother.
Once Water Brother received the items, he could ask for the letters back, leaving a trace of earthly warmth behind.
Lu Yi Bei thought, waved his hand, and hailed a passing taxi.
Though the fare wasn’t cheap, as it almost meant crossing half of Huacheng from the central hospital to Bai Kai’s residence, taking the bus or subway would have been much more economical. But he truly couldn’t afford to save that money.
There were too many people on the bus and subway; he hated that.
“Ah! Driver, please go to the No. 3 Mansion community in the west of the city.” After getting in the car, he threw this line at the driver, then leaned back in his seat, resting his forehead against it.
The driver stole a glance at the back seat through the rearview mirror, falling into a brief silence.
Noticing the driver’s unusual behavior, Lu Yi Bei felt a slight tightening in his chest, carefully observing the driver. He confirmed that the driver didn’t have dark circles under his eyes and seemed to be in good spirits before asking, “Driver? Is something wrong?”
The driver grinned and shook his head, “Oh, nothing. I just noticed that your complexion seemed a bit off and wanted to ask if you were feeling unwell.”
“You’re the reason I’m looking pale,” Lu Yi Bei thought to himself, maintaining a blank expression, “Thanks for your concern, just a bit tired.”
Mentally drained.
That man who was suspected to be the Solar Eclipse Association President gave him PTSD. When there were a lot of people around, he felt restless, as if there were eyes observing him in a creepy way.
“Young man, make sure to pay attention to your rest!”
“Mm-hmm.”
So, after a brief exchange with the taxi driver, the car slowly started, driving along the road toward the west of Huacheng.
After resting for a moment in the back seat, Lu Yi Bei took out his phone from his jacket pocket and sent a message to Du Sixian.
Lu Yi Bei: “Du Sixian, how many of the urban legends returned yesterday with the lost items?”
After a moment of waiting.
Du Sixian: “High Person, eleven returned yesterday. Currently, excluding the one you plan to return yourself, there are thirty-three items that haven’t been claimed. Oh, by the way, there’s one more today; the owner has passed away and can’t receive it.”
“Huh—!” Looking at Du Sixian’s reply, Lu Yi Bei slowly exhaled a sigh.
This was the second lost item that couldn’t reach its owner.
Three hundred sixty-five letters and three hundred sixty-five lost items formed three hundred sixty+five “mysterious gifts,” and the delivery of these “mysterious gifts” was not always smooth.
Like a function graph, the closer it got to the end, the harder it became to find the owners.
Although when extracting earthly warmth materials, Lu Yi Bei had captured fragments of the owner’s memories and knew some of their personal information, that was still just an incomplete memory.
Life is never constant, and relying on incomplete information from memories to find the owner is essentially the same as searching for a sword in the boat.
Naturally, there would be difficulties.
Either the owners had moved away from the places in the memories, or they had encountered accidents and their appearances had dramatically changed, or too much time had passed and they had passed away. Various unforeseen life changes inevitably increased the challenge of finding the owners.
However, the advantage was that certain letters unable to be delivered to the owners, after being sent, could still be retrieved and kept for oneself.
By this calculation, Lu Yi Bei now had two portions of earthly warmth.
One for the Proxy Player Sister, one for Huasang to go turtle fishing, and if there were any extras, he would consider Hu Boss. As for Water Brother, was that even a question? Of course, that would be kept for himself!
Lu Yi Bei thought and typed a response to Du Sixian: “Mm-hmm, I understand. Please continue to monitor the progress of the returns.”
After sending the message to Du Sixian and not waiting for a reply, the taxi stopped by the roadside, and the taxi driver’s hoarse voice rang in his ears.
“Young man, we’ve arrived; it’s twenty-eight. WeChat or Zhifubao?”
Looking out of the car window, the European-style entrance of the community came into view. Behind the entrance, glimpses of five-story villas were partially obscured by greenery.
This was Bai Kai’s residence, No. 3 Mansion community.
6-5-1, No. 3 Mansion community.
Before heading out today, Lu Yi Bei had already planned to bring the lost items and letters to Bai Kai, so he brought along the spare key Bai Kai had left for him.
Standing at the door, he caught a glimpse of a garbage bag at the entrance, releasing a faint sour smell, and he quietly sighed, taking out the key and inserting it into the lock, gently turning it.
“Click—!”
The lock made a faint sound, but the door didn’t open. Lu Yi Bei was not surprised; he just turned around and walked to the potted plants at the end of the hallway. He lifted the pot and retrieved another spare key from below it.
Changing the spare keys at home from time to time had become routine for Bai Kai, and Lu Yi Bei was accustomed to it.
Whenever he got drunk, he would hand over his spare key to that night’s partner. After sobering up, worried about being pestered by those fleeting relationships, he had to change the lock.
And after every lock change, he would hide a spare key under this flowerpot for Lu Yi Bei.
Though Lu Yi Bei didn’t visit his house often, he always maintained this habit.
It was their little secret.
After getting the new spare key and opening the door, Lu Yi Bei glanced around and frowned.
This was a house over one hundred thirty square meters, furnished in a light luxury style, with a light gray marble coffee table and an over eighty-inch TV facing a vividly colored sofa.
He heard that the sofa was made of high-end materials and was very comfortable to sit on, but Lu Yi Bei had never tried it.
Sitting in a place where others had fought felt somewhat uncomfortable for him.
Although every corner of Bai Kai’s home had seen its share of debauchery—
A faint smell of mildew drifted in the air, giving the place, which should have felt fresh and clean, a somewhat dirty vibe.
A thick layer of dust accumulated on the shoe cabinet; a gentle swipe of his fingertip left a clear mark.
It seemed like nobody had lived here for quite some time.
“Odd, didn’t the man in the tire shop say Water Brother was back from his leave? Why hasn’t he returned yet? How long has it been now?”
“d*mn it, if you’re going to be gone this long, then don’t change the locks! At least someone would come help clean up, right? Just as long as the stepmother doesn’t find out.”
With how grown-up he was, how could he be so hard to deal with? Lu Yi Bei thought irritably.
Though Bai Kai had many fleeting relationships, it didn’t mean those girls viewed that night as merely a wonderful encounter.
In the past, some girls would come to live in Bai Kai’s home after their encounters, trying to use the warmth of home to bring the wayward man back until Bai Kai found an opportunity to secretly change the locks.
From a certain perspective, Bai Kai was not only flirtatious but also quite scummy.
Don’t ask Lu Yi Bei how he knew.
In short, the experience of keeping an eye out for Bai Kai climbing into his bed and sleeping next to him was truly not pleasant.
After complaining a couple of times, Lu Yi Bei helplessly sighed, changed into slippers, and headed straight for the bathroom.
He filled a bucket with water and charged the vacuum cleaner to prepare for cleaning, then turned to step outside, ready to open all the doors and windows for ventilation.
Just as he pushed open the door to the main bedroom, a wave of dry hot air rushed toward him. He paused at the doorway, looking inside the main bedroom, his gaze resting on the tightly closed window, and frowned again.
It was summer, and hot air blowing in wasn’t unusual, but under the closed window with no airflow, having hot air rush in was a bit strange.
What was even stranger was that after opening the door, the hot air continued to intermittently breeze in.
With confusion, he searched around the main bedroom and soon found the source of that hot air—a jar filled with yellow sand placed on the desk. The jar, about the size of a teacup, had its metallic clasp lid slightly ajar, and that intermittent hot air was blowing through the gap of the half-open lid.
As the hot air wafted over, the yellow sand inside seemed to flow slowly, emitting a series of faint “sasa” sounds.
It was as if a sandstorm was brewing inside that tiny crystal jar.
But upon closer inspection, he found that the yellow sand was completely motionless.
Lu Yi Bei stood by the nightstand, scrutinizing the crystal jar for a moment, as if suddenly remembering something, he bent down, picked up the jar, and slightly tilted it, pouring a little yellow sand into his palm.
The next moment, he widened his eyes, staring in disbelief as the yellow sand passed through his palm and scattered on the floor.
Even at the moment of feeling the sand flowing through his fingers, tightly clenched fist couldn’t grasp a single grain.
And as the yellow sand flowed through his palm, an indescribable subtle sensation made him feel incredibly familiar.
Dry, rough, and scorching, just like the strange yellow sand he had found at the dilapidated small Taoist Temple at the foot of Dachunyang Palace.
Why would Water Brother have this yellow sand at his place?
Could it be that he also went to that haunted Yumen? What could he possibly want to do in such a ghostly place?
There’s no way he was just interested in collecting this strange sand, right? He hadn’t shown any interest in that before! Lu Yi Bei thought with confusion.
Even if Bai Kai reunited with Xing Yuan after many years and settled down, he wouldn’t have collected this stuff. If he were to collect anything, it would only be those that are artistic when unpixelated and scandalous when pixelated.
