◎ Sleeping Princess. ◎

“What do you mean? Who is about to die?”

“Literal meaning.”

Shi Li stared at the underworld supervisor’s weathered face, suddenly a surge of anger rose in her chest. She couldn’t help but curse loudly, “You old man, who are you cursing? He is clearly fine, only twenty-eight years old, how can he be about to die? I think you are the one about to die—no, we’re already dead… I mean, I think you are about to turn to ashes!”

The underworld supervisor did not get angry at her curses. He replied gloomily, “I’m already dead. As for you—”

He gave Shi Li a meaningful look, expressionless, and said, “Anyway, your attachment hasn’t been fulfilled, you can’t return. You better take care of yourself.”

Space and time twisted again. In the void, a translucent ripple opened. The old man’s transparent body disappeared into the gap.

“Hey, old man, come back. Tell me clearly what you mean! Who the hell is about to die? What nonsense are you talking about?”

Shi Li chased after him, trying to reach into the crack to pull him out.

A strong force suddenly erupted, like an invisible barrier surrounding the apartment, forcefully knocking her back a meter.

Shi Li groaned, pain spreading, even her soul trembling.

She bent over, struggling to get up, looked at the void, and her voice involuntarily softened, almost pleading.

“Is it not okay if I said the wrong thing?”

“I apologize, come back and explain clearly…”

But no matter how much she begged, the apartment was empty and silent, without a single response.

Shi Li stood in the middle of the living room, looking around. The white and cold walls gave off a deathly chill, making her suddenly feel a fear she had never felt before.

Having been a ghost for so many years, she had never been so scared.

Even in the worst poverty, when she couldn’t pay rent and faced being thrown into the furnace, she had never been this terrified—

So scared that even her transparent body trembled slightly.

She hugged her arms and turned around, her gaze falling on the pitch-black big door, confused.

It was so empty here.

Why was there no one?

Could someone talk to her? Even just one sentence would be fine…

Shi Li suddenly missed Chen Du, hoping he would come back soon, appear in front of her soon.

She didn’t know how long she had stood there when the door lock finally made a sound.

Shi Li snapped back to attention and quickly floated to the door.

The heavy security door opened. Chen Du’s pale, thin face appeared behind the door.

The fierce autumn wind rushed in, slamming the door shut.

Chen Du’s body suddenly swayed, stumbling half a step, quickly putting his foot to block the door gap, exhaling softly, then steadying himself and pushing the door open again.

How come he can’t even hold the door properly?

Shi Li blinked away her fear and floated beside Chen Du, circling him 360 degrees, trying to find proof he was unharmed.

But she couldn’t find any.

In just a few days, he seemed to have lost a lot of weight. His once solid, full muscles had shriveled. Even his suit jacket looked empty.

“Chen Du, Chen Du!”

Shi Li tried to talk to him, but he didn’t hear anything.

She anxiously followed him through the living room and bathroom, watching him fold clothes with a normal face, wash up as usual, and tidy up.

“That old man was talking nonsense just now, right?”

“You have to answer!”

“Chen Du, are you too poor to see a doctor? Then why are you burning money for me? You just pocketed it? What can I do to you?”

All her efforts were in vain. Chen Du didn’t hear a word.

Outside the window was the rare sunny day of deep autumn. Chen Du seemed in a good mood.

Basking in the sun, patiently and unhurriedly, he cleaned every corner of the house again—fridge, sink, cabinets… all the food about to expire or possibly rotten was cleared away.

Even the aluminum window frames, gypsum skirting boards, window screens, and the grease filter on the range hood…

He applied anti-rust oil to all places prone to rust or mold. He even coated the floor with protective oil.

This posture was just like…

Just like he was going to leave for a while.

For a long time.

Shi Li followed him with a face full of fear, silently begging him to just go to sleep first.

She had many things to ask him, so many questions.

But Chen Du didn’t seem to plan to rest.

He seemed to want to finish everything today.

Finish… all the preparations before leaving.

Finally, while cleaning under the sofa, Chen Du saw the small medicine bottle lying in the dust.

He bent down to pick it up, emotionlessly wiping the thick dirt off the bottle.

Yes, this is the medicine, right?

He found the medicine.

If you are sick, just take medicine, and the illness will get better.

Shi Li’s eyes lit up, but the next second, Chen Du carelessly threw the medicine bottle into the trash.

Shi Li cried out in shock, trying to grab it, but it was like trying to scoop the moon from the water—futile.

She anxiously paced in place, helplessly watching Chen Du walk into the bedroom.

Shi Li stomped her foot on the spot and reluctantly followed.

Chen Du stood in front of that creamy white princess bed, looking at the wrought iron rose on the bedside table.

He seemed hesitant, reluctant.

But in the end, he still made a decision.

He bent down, took off the sheets and quilts, and stuffed them into a huge black trash bag.

Then he took a transparent plastic bed cover and covered the mattress and bed frame.

This seemed like a difficult beginning.

Once this was started, everything else would naturally follow.

Chen Du opened the wardrobe and took out all his clothes, freeing up the entire space.

Including that one—

The misty gray-blue shirt Shi Li had only seen him wear in Lin University’s staff ID photo.

He gently smoothed out the wrinkle on the collar, paused silently, as if persuading himself, “Better not keep it. You’ll cry again when you see it. Crybaby.”

After saying this, he mercilessly folded the shirt and put it on top of the trash bag.

Next was the living room and bathroom.

Those withered roses he cherished, the messy men’s skincare products, towels, cups… everything he had used was packed one by one.

The black and white couple’s toothbrushes—only the black one was missing, leaving the white toothbrush standing alone on the cold countertop, like a lone island in the deserted sea.

On this warm, golden afternoon, Chen Du cruelly peeled off all the traces of his existence.

Shi Li looked at everything with a heart full of panic, not knowing what he was really going to do.

She watched him as if he were following a preset program, completing every step ahead.

He wrote a resignation letter to Lin University and set it to send automatically tomorrow.

He printed out the carefully revised “paper” he had worked on for many days and placed it on the desk.

Shi Li only managed to glance at the title—”A Survival Guide for You”—before she saw Chen Du take out the last box of medicine from the bedside drawer.

That was the sleeping pills he had taken yesterday to fall asleep.

He calmly opened the lid, poured out all the pills inside, and patiently counted them.

“Enough.”

Chen Du put the pills back into the bottle and slipped it into his pocket.

He quietly stood in the now empty apartment, looking out at the sunlight.

The sunlight was warm and dazzling, Chen Du turned his head away and raised his hand to shield his forehead.

She did not know what he was thinking of. His lips curved slightly as if he was in a good mood. Suddenly, he shone the light on the dark TV screen to look at himself.

The reflection showed a young man still upright and handsome. After a long moment, he gently brushed his bangs and seemed satisfied.

“Today is a good day. I’m still okay, suitable to go see you.”

Chen Du muttered to himself, then suddenly a wave of pain hit him. His body trembled, and he staggered, kneeling halfway on the floor, one hand supporting the edge of the desk.

After a long time, he slowly leaned against the wall and stood up, saying without much emotion, “Don’t worry, I won’t do it in this home. You’re too timid; you’d be scared.”

After saying this, he no longer hesitated and strode toward the apartment door.

Shi Li followed closely behind him. The sunlight burned painfully, but deep in her soul, the panic spread like damp fog on a cold night, silently enveloping her, cold and suffocating.

“Hey, Chen Du, where are you going?”

Chen Du did not respond or turn back. His figure was thin and resolute; his pale fingers gripped the door handle.

Shi Li blinked in confusion.

At that moment, she suddenly realized what she was about to lose.

She was about to lose the only, most precious existence in her life.

“Don’t go, Chen Du, I feel so bad, I’m so scared…”

Still no response.

Shi Li gritted her teeth.

She pressed close against Chen Du’s back, closed her eyes, and at the moment the door opened, she trembled and spread her arms, hugging him tightly.

She didn’t know why, but this time Chen Du was clearly not asleep, yet she succeeded.

The next moment, along with the familiar heartbeat and breathing came an unbearable pain and dizziness.

Shi Li groaned in pain a few times, her hands trembling so much she could barely hold the door handle. She slowly slid down the door and sat on the floor, panting painfully.

She didn’t have Chen Du’s tolerance.

A strange place in her upper abdomen seemed to be slowly rotting from the inside out, like sharp barbs growing inside her abdomen, deeply embedded in the soft and fragile flesh. Every breath pulled out unbearable stabbing pain.

Shi Li clutched her abdomen tightly, sobbing and curling on the floor, tears streaming down her face.

“It hurts so much, Chen Du, why do you hurt so much?”

In just a few minutes, she almost lost consciousness, but her brain remained clear, and her pain nerves refused to miss any chance to torture her.

Until the pain receded like a retreating tide, Shi Li collapsed on the floor exhausted. After a while, she barely managed to support herself and shakily got up.

She trembled as she pulled open the door, digging through the few trash bags left unprocessed. After searching through layer after layer, she finally found the small white medicine bottle.

Shi Li exhaled and opened the bottle.

“Chen Du, you have to take the medicine. Taking the medicine will make the pain less.”

But she didn’t know how to take this medicine, when to take it, or the dosage.

She couldn’t recognize a single English letter on the bottle, and there was no instruction.

Shi Li didn’t dare to take risks. She stood by the door holding the bottle, confused. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Right, I’ll find Dr. Liu. He must know how to take this medicine. He must know how to save you.”

She took the keys and Chen Du’s phone and closed the door. Following her memory, she took a taxi to the hospital.

The hospital was more crowded during the day than at night. After many years, Shi Li no longer remembered the process of seeing a doctor.

She went helplessly to the guidance desk and told the nurse on duty she wanted to see Dr. Liu.

“Dr. Liu? There are many doctors surnamed Liu in various departments. Do you know his full name?”

Shi Li shook her head. The nurse looked troubled. “Do you know which department he is in?”

Shi Li still shook her head.

She took the medicine bottle from her pocket and handed it to the nurse, speaking incoherently, “This medicine… this medicine should have been prescribed by him. I want to ask how to take it; I forgot.”

The nurse took the bottle, glanced at it, blinked, and then looked up at “Shi Li.”

In her eyes, Shi Li saw Chen Du’s handsome and young face, along with some hidden surprise and regret.

The professional nurse quickly hid her emotions and returned the bottle, smiling and asking, “There is no Dr. Liu in the oncology department. Could you think again?”

Oncology department.

Shi Li’s fingers holding the bottle turned white. After so many years as a ghost, she still remembered that word.

For a human body, that small lesion was no less than a furnace in the underworld’s hell.

No wonder it hurts so much.

So the old man did not lie.

What he said was true.

Chen Du might, might really be dying soon.

Shi Li lowered her head, trembling as she rubbed her palms. Suddenly, she felt very cold.

At the next moment, Chen Du’s heart was beating wildly in his chest, twisting in pain, slowly sinking down.

Was Chen Du the one who was sad?

Or was she the one who was sad?

Shi Li suddenly felt her cheek turn cold. She blinked and curiously touched it. Her fingertips were wet and cold.

This heartless ghost was actually crying tears through Chen Du’s eyes.

In the noisy and bustling outpatient hall, with people coming and going, the clean, bright tiles at the guidance desk reflected “his” pale and fearful face.

“Sir… Sir, are you okay?”

The nurse asked with concern.

Shi Li wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand, wrapped Chen Du’s clothes tighter around her, blew a breath to drive away the cold, and forced a small smile. “I’m fine, thank you. Could you please help me find Dr. Shu? Her name is Shu Yun. She is Chen Du’s… she is my sister.”

“Okay, I will check for you.”

The nurse typed a query on the computer. After half a minute, she looked up and said, “Dr. Shu is still in surgery. It will take about two to three hours to finish. When she’s done, I can let her know. Would you like to wait here?”

“Okay.”

Shi Li thanked her and found a chair nearby to sit down. Around her, the crowd was bustling. People held various test reports and medical records, hurrying past. Footsteps hurried across the bright marble tiles, and the glossy tiled walls reflected no smiling faces.

Shi Li stared blankly at everything, feeling tightness in her chest, struggling to breathe.

She buried her face in her hands and dared not think about anything.

Anything, she didn’t want to think about.

As if by not thinking, everything that happened today would not exist.

She was about to return to being a rich lady, and Chen Du would live a long life.

Chen Du would definitely live a long life.

Shi Li repeated these words over and over in her heart, but fragmented blurry images appeared again in her mind, crowding her head until it hurt.

It seemed that every time she came to this hospital, she would “see” these scenes, like a corrupted old movie tape playing again and again in her mind—

Snowy night, cold wind, yellow streetlight, two people tightly hugging…

Heavy rain, warm desk lamp, wet and warm kiss…

Crowded subway, parallel pedestrian bridge, strong arms, interlocked fingers, north Lin’s spring, summer, autumn, winter, countless days and nights relying on each other…

What were these?

Why couldn’t she see clearly?

She felt trapped in an endless abyss, surrounded by thick mist, no matter where she walked, she couldn’t reach the end.

So uncomfortable… so suffocating…

Shi Li took several deep breaths, feeling the thin air around her and the invisible bindings tightening around her chest, making it hard to breathe.

She rubbed her temples, slowly stood up, and pushed open the heavy glass door with effort, walking out of the outpatient hall.

She walked to a quiet garden where the cool, moist air greeted her, finally giving her some space to breathe.

Shi Li sat on a long bench, tilting her head up to bask in the warm sunlight, trying to steady her breathing, but her thoughts remained tangled and confused.

“…Brother, why are you here?”

A young girl’s clear and crisp voice sounded, accompanied by light footsteps approaching.

Shi Li opened her eyes and looked toward the voice.

It was an eight or nine-year-old girl wearing a large, loose hospital gown. She was short and had a high ponytail. Her face was full of surprise and joy, with two dimples on her cheeks when she smiled.

“…You called me?” Shi Li asked her.

“Yes,” the little girl blinked her clear big eyes and walked to his side. “Brother, why did you come back again? Didn’t you say you were leaving this morning? I thought I wouldn’t see you anymore!”

After speaking, she leaned close to Shi Li’s ear and whispered like sharing a secret, “Don’t worry, I will definitely do what you told me.”

“I told you what to do?”

“Read stories to sister. Mom said I still have a long, long time before I can leave the hospital. You’ve taught me to read so many storybooks, learned so many words. Don’t worry, when you’re not here, I will read to sister every day. But brother, I forgot to ask, where are you going? Will you be gone for a long time?”

Shi Li couldn’t answer her question. She only felt her head buzzing painfully, unbearable. She pressed her temples and instinctively asked back, “What sister? Who are you?”

The little girl widened her eyes in surprise, waving her hand in front of “him”: “Brother, what’s wrong with you? I’m Xia Xia, living with Sister Shi in room 706.”

“…Room 706…”

Her heart suddenly ached again, as if a crack quietly appeared in her chest.

Who was in pain this time?

Was it her, or was it Chen Du?

For some reason, Shi Li suddenly felt that place might have the answers she was looking for, might have medicine for this headache. She looked at the little girl and steadied her voice, asking, “Brother forgot, can you take me there?”

“Okay.”

The little girl didn’t care about “his” forgetfulness. She grabbed his shirt corner and happily led the way.

Shi Li tried to steady her steps and follow behind, but her legs were weak and barely kept up with the girl’s cheerful pace.

They went around a few buildings, took a crowded elevator, then walked through several deep, cold corridors, the strong smell of disinfectant filling her nose. The little girl finally stopped in front of a quiet ward.

“We’re here, brother. Before you leave, do you want to see Sister Shi again?”

Shi Li stood outside the door, looking blankly through the glass window.

The ward faced south. Golden sunlight shone through the bright window, falling on the bed by the window, on a large bouquet of red roses on the bedside table, dazzling and brilliant.

On that bed lay someone wearing a respirator, with an IV drip on her arm. From this distance, it was hard to see her face clearly. Only that she was very thin, and under the quilt, only a small, thin outline appeared.

Her exposed wrist was slender and fair, the hospital wristband looked empty. Her long black hair was soft and smooth, resting gently on her shoulder.

It was a girl.

Time quietly passed. The mottled light spots on the quilt slowly shifted, yet she remained motionless and silent, sleeping quietly.

Like the sleeping princess in a fairy tale.

For some reason, Shi Li suddenly felt her heart pounding wildly, unable to calm down.

Conflicting fear and desire rose deep from her soul. She took a deep breath, turned the doorknob, and stepped inside.

In the warm, clear sunlight, Shi Li hesitated and stepped closer, one step at a time.

Until the girl’s face became clear in the sunlight.

This girl was really well cared for.

Her hospital gown was neat and fresh. Her hair was tidy and smooth, obediently resting on one shoulder. The unruly strands on her forehead were all pinned neatly with a delicate crystal hairpin.

The face exposed outside the collar was small and pointed but very clean and fair. Her lips were soft, without dead skin.

Her appearance was not particularly beautiful, at most delicate and refined, but her cheeks looked much thinner than she remembered.

The nutrient solution flowed into her body through the needle. Under the nearly transparent skin, faint blue veins intertwined densely, like quietly dormant mountains.

Shi Li blinked, unable to stop herself from reaching out and touching the girl’s warm cheek.

That was herself.