The scene shifted, and Lu Anguo appeared in front of Ning Yitao. In his normal state, Lu Anguo was undoubtedly kind. With a calm expression, he gave Ning Yitao a composed smile and said, "Sure enough, you don't look like that. But I didn't expect you to still be a child."
"You should know why I brought you here. I can sense your extraordinary abilities. I hope you can help Duan Qinghuai. Don't worry about me. Don't be concerned that I'll regret it. I'm willing to stay here with them. It's just that I'm worried about Qinghuai."
When he mentioned Duan Qinghuai, his expression turned tender. "This child, Qinghuai, has suffered a great deal. I'm really grateful that you can help him."
"After I transformed into this form, I realized how difficult Qinghuai's daily life is. But he's always positive and optimistic in front of me. He's never complained or shown a negative attitude. I can still help him a bit in this state."
A mist welled up in Lu Anguo's eyes. "I know I'll eventually disappear, but I always cherish every moment by my family's side."
"But if you do this, you'll perish and have no chance of reincarnation," Ning Yitao asked puzzledly.
"Why don't you want to leave?" Ning Yitao was confused. There was clearly a better choice. Why would he let himself vanish into thin air? Since she could remember, everyone around her had only cared about their own interests.
All she'd received in return for her feelings was betrayal. Over time, Ning Yitao had closed herself off. For an orphan like her, it was a bit hard to understand family affection. In her heart, interests came first.
But when she saw Lu Anguo going through thick and thin with his family, without any scheming or infighting, strangely enough, she found herself yearning for such a relationship.
Looking at the young and puzzled Ning Yitao, Lu Anguo patiently told her about his every moment with Duan Qinghuai, trying to tell her what love was.
Lu Anguo also had his own selfish motives. He hoped that Ning Yitao would get to know Duan Qinghuai better and form a deeper bond with him, increasing the probability that she'd be willing to help him.
The two chatted for a very long time.
Outside, Zhaocai, who had been guarding all along, noticed that when Ning Yitao's formation was almost complete, Lu Anguo, who had been sitting still, suddenly shed big teardrops.
The teardrops fell to the ground and turned into something like pearls, crystal - clear, which startled Zhaocai. Unexpectedly, Lu Anguo even staggered to his feet and tried to break the formation.
Zhaocai was about to stop him, but was blocked by Ning Yitao, who had woken up at some point.
With an inscrutable expression, she crouched in front of Lu Anguo, caught his teardrops, and put them in her pocket. Zhaocai then curled its tail and collected the clumped - up teardrops on the ground.
Ning Yitao murmured, "Since I've accepted your gift, I'll fulfill your wish and let you accompany them in another way."
Zhaocai knew that Ning Yitao had softened her heart.
She opened the door and asked Lu Xia to find the porcelain that Lu Anguo had liked when he was alive. She put the teardrops inside, allowing his soul to temporarily reside there.
She then said to the three of them, "He doesn't want to leave. I can help him stay with you in another form."
"But now his soul is damaged. You need to manage that shop for him. Open it on time at the third watch every day. No matter who the customer is or what they want, just give it to them without asking any questions. This is to pave the way for him."
After saying that, Lu Anguo was about to fall to the ground. Duan Qinghuai took a quick step forward and caught him. Ning Yitao looked at Duan Qinghuai, who was holding Lu Anguo, and said,
"He'll always be watching over you. Now you just need to properly bury his physical body. He'll come back after some time."
The mother and son immediately understood what Ning Yitao meant. She was willing to help them. The two looked at Ning Yitao gratefully.
"Don't thank me. I've already received my due reward," Ning Yitao said and silently exited the room, leaving them some space.
****
"The teardrops he shed are useful, but what you've done far exceeds the reward for helping him. This deal isn't worth it," Zhaocai asked puzzledly.
"You're not really swayed by a few words he said, are you?"
It was and it wasn't. She was indeed a bit swayed by his words, but it was also for her own sake.
His funeral shop was located in an extremely yin place. After living with Duan Qinghuai for so many years, he had accumulated enough merit to run a netherworld post - station, guiding passing souls or providing them with a temporary resting place.
It was equivalent to finding a position for him as a ghost official. He could protect his family at the same time and wait for them to reincarnate together. In return, he had to help her unconditionally.
But what really made Ning Yitao fall into deep thought was what he said.
He said that even if he vanished into thin air, he still wanted to accompany them for a while longer.
He said that he didn't want to see them sad anymore.
He said that he loved them.
Was love really that important?
Facing the first ray of sunlight at sunrise, she looked up and saw Duan Qinghuai coming against the light.
****
Ning followed Duan Qinghuai back to the hospital. The mother and son took on the task of burying Lu Anguo. They didn't want to owe Duan Qinghuai any more.
Seeing Duan Qinghuai, who had been in a low mood since he came back, and even the golden light around him had dimmed a lot.
Did the golden light on him change with his emotions? He had so many secrets. Ning Yitao didn't understand these complicated things. She thought he was just sad about Lu Anguo and explained the reason to him. Obviously, he became a bit happier.
"Can I see him normal every day from now on?" Duan Qinghuai couldn't hide the smile on his face. The golden light on him brightened a bit.
Ning Yitao nodded satisfactorily and answered him. The stronger the golden light, the purer the merit. The spiritual energy she had just consumed recovered quickly after staying by his side for a while. This move was right.
"Since I've already fulfilled your wish, shouldn't you also fulfill your promise?" Ning Yitao stared at him intently, waiting for his answer.
"Of course. But why does it have to be me?"
Ning Yitao gently raised her eyebrows and smiled. "You finally remembered to ask me this question."
After explaining his constitution to him,
"So we're on the same boat now. I'll help you, and you'll help me. It's a win - win situation."
Duan Qinghuai found it novel. This was the first time someone had told him that they'd advance and retreat together from now on. Did this mean that he finally had a friend?
Ning Yitao saw the corners of his eyes slightly curving, as if he was smiling. Just as she was about to say something, Zhaocai shook its head and said, "What's this guy so happy about? He still doesn't see clearly that being tied to you isn't a good thing."
Ning Yitao immediately grabbed Zhaocai in front of her eyes and showed it a big smile as a threat. "Do you think I should let you experience what 'good things' can happen when you're with me right now?"
Seeing her smile with a hidden threat, Zhaocai immediately flattered, "No, no. It's a great blessing for us to follow Master Ning."
"Master Ning? What does that mean?" Duan Qinghuai suddenly interrupted.
Zhaocai's tail straightened in shock. "You, you human can actually understand what I'm saying."
Duan Qinghuai explained, "I've been able to communicate with animals since I was a child."
Zhaocai's eyes widened in surprise. "You kid, you have talent. I'm not an ordinary animal, and you can understand what I'm saying. If there was more spiritual energy in this world, you could at least become a master."