Chapter 23: A Message Delivered by the Azure Bird

Wang Ying left Dad Jiang to watch the shop and took Ming Siyu to No. 19, Shanhai Street, to find Lin Jiuyuan.

Lin Jiuyuan had only recently moved in, and he wasn’t exactly known for tidiness. The courtyard was a complete mess, looking more like an abandoned lot than a place where someone actually lived.

Wang Ying pressed the doorbell several times. With a loud clang, a window on the second floor swung open. A bleary-eyed young man in a wrinkled white T-shirt leaned against the windowsill, his hands propping him up. His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse beyond belief. “Auntie Ying, what’s up?”

Wang Ying had been in a hurry, but the sight of him made her pause and switch to concern. “Have you been pulling all-nighters drawing again? Did you even eat breakfast?”

“I didn’t stay up late,” Lin Jiuyuan replied seriously. “I got up at four in the morning to work. That doesn’t count as staying up late.”

Wang Ying let out an exasperated laugh. “Who taught you that nonsense? Not getting enough sleep is terrible for your health! Hurry up and come down. I’ve got some porridge at my place, and I need your help with something. We’ll talk on the way.”

Ming Siyu stared blankly at Lin Jiuyuan, her emotions in turmoil. So this was the part-time Taoist priest who was also a manga artist?

He certainly looked like he belonged in a manga, but he was so young. Had he even done anything like this before?

Ming Siyu made a silent wish—please let this little Taoist be more reliable than he looked.

Not wanting to keep the two ladies waiting, Lin Jiuyuan quickly washed his face and came downstairs without even changing his clothes.

“Auntie Ying, what’s the urgency?”

Wang Ying introduced Ming Siyu and gave him a quick rundown of the situation.

“Have you ever heard of anything like this before?” Wang Ying asked. “What should we do with Xia Feng’s letters?”

“I’ve heard of something similar once, but that was a case my dad handled,” Lin Jiuyuan said, rubbing his chin. “The client owed a friend some money. After the friend passed away, the client didn’t return the money to the family right away. Soon after, he started receiving IOUs from the deceased.”

Lin Jiuyuan turned to Ming Siyu and curved his eyes into a half-smile. “But your case is completely different. From what you described, Xia Feng wrote you those letters herself because she was worried about you during a rough time. She wasn’t trying to haunt you—she was encouraging you.”

Ming Siyu nodded and pulled out Xia Zhifeng’s letters without hesitation. “All the paper has turned blank. You can’t see the writing anymore. But Xia Feng never once mentioned her illness in those letters. There wasn’t a single negative word. She just kept encouraging me.”

“I’m certain that she sent these letters to fulfill our promise to each other. And… she didn’t want me to be affected if the letters suddenly stopped, especially during such a crucial time.”

Lin Jiuyuan nodded. “Sounds like you understand her well. She wouldn’t harm you. The letters have been sent, you’ve graduated—this chapter is over. It won’t affect you anymore. So, what exactly do you want from me?”

Ming Siyu stopped walking, her voice trembling as she choked out, “I want to see her. Just once.”

Wang Ying paled. “Child, the living and the dead are worlds apart. How can you meet her? Didn’t you hear what Xiao Lin just said? This matter is finished, and Xia Feng should be moving on, too!”

She had already found this whole thing unbelievable, but this girl’s request was downright shocking!

“Sorry, I can’t do that,” Lin Jiuyuan said flatly. “Even in my dad’s case, he couldn’t make the client speak directly to a ghost—only pass along brief messages.” He paused. “But I can take you to see someone. He’s incredibly skilled. He might have a better solution.”

Besides, Lin Jiuyuan could tell that Ming Siyu was deeply distressed. He figured it might help to bring her to Feifei for a while, let her calm down a bit.

Ming Siyu agreed without hesitation.

Lin Jiuyuan turned to Wang Ying. “Auntie Ying, you should head back to the shop. I’ll handle this.”

Wang Ying still hesitated. “This is serious. Shouldn’t an adult go with you?”

“No need to worry.” Lin Jiuyuan grinned. “Don’t forget, I’m a professional. First stop—breakfast at the restaurant.”

“Alright,” Wang Ying relented. “Qingqing is at the restaurant today. If anything happens, have her call me.”

Lin Jiuyuan led Ming Siyu to the Taotie Delicacies. Neither of them spoke on the way.

When they arrived, Ming Siyu saw that the front entrance was partially blocked by a barrier. She hesitated. “Can we get in?”

“Yeah, no problem. Follow me.” Lin Jiuyuan stepped into the courtyard and immediately noticed something new—a mailbox at the entrance, perched atop a statue of a three-legged Azure Bird, radiating an unusual aura.

Everything at the Taotie Delicacies had a story. Lin Jiuyuan thought of the Azure Bird’s legend and mused that maybe this girl really had come to the right place.

The courtyard was large but uncluttered. As soon as they stepped inside, Yun Tao spotted them and was surprised. “Xiao Lin! You actually remembered to come eat breakfast? I figured you’d be lost in your endless deadlines.”

Lin Jiuyuan sheepishly rubbed his nose. “That was the plan… until Auntie Ying dragged me back to reality.”

The protagonist of his latest work was still hanging off a cliff somewhere.

“There’s breakfast in the kitchen,” Yun Fenghe said, checking the time. “I was about to call you in ten minutes.”

He turned to Ming Siyu and greeted her politely, “Is she a friend of yours?”

“More like a new acquaintance,” Lin Jiuyuan said, glancing toward Feifei. “I wanted to bring her over to Feifei-jie for a bit, but it looks like she’s busy.”

Feifei had sharp hearing. She raised a hand, signaling Jiang Qing to pause her makeup session, and looked over. Her gaze swept past Lin Jiuyuan and landed on Ming Siyu. The girl’s eyes were red—she’d clearly been crying.

Feifei beckoned. “Xiao Lin, don’t leave her standing in the sun. Bring her over.”

Lin Jiuyuan led Ming Siyu over, and Feifei told him to grab breakfast from the kitchen.

Ming Siyu sat beside the two older women, feeling a little out of place. Was this really a restaurant? Were these people the owners? They were all stunning, and their personalities were so warm.

Especially the woman with long white hair—Ming Siyu didn’t know why, but just being near her made her feel better. The heavy weight on her chest suddenly felt a little lighter.

Lin Jiuyuan returned quickly, setting breakfast on the outdoor table and inviting Ming Siyu to eat.

She had rushed out of her hotel that morning, only managing to scarf down a small piece of bread. Now, the scent of fish and rice made her stomach growl loudly.

Embarrassed, she clutched her stomach and mumbled, “Sorry…”

“What’s there to be sorry for?” Yun Tao laughed, taking her hand to wash up. He leaned in and whispered, “Jiejie, do you feel better now?”

His amber eyes were so pure. Ming Siyu’s heart softened, and she gave a tiny smile. “Much better.”

“Good.” Yun Tao handed her a towel. “Whatever’s bothering you—eat first, talk later.”

The little kid made sure everything was just right for Ming Siyu. First, he found her a seat, then stuffed a large steamed bun into her hands.

Once everything was settled, he grabbed a giant bun for himself and took a big, satisfying bite.

Yun Tao ate with such gusto that everyone couldn’t help but watch him. Ming Siyu, too, found herself mesmerized—like she was watching a mukbang video. Without realizing it, she ate way more than usual. The seemingly simple buns and porridge turned out to be incredibly flavorful—better than any fancy hotel breakfast she’d ever had.

After breakfast, Lin Jiuyuan finally brought up the real reason they were there. Since Wang Ying already knew about it, he didn’t bother avoiding Jiang Qing’s presence.

When Jiang Qing heard the story, her eyes turned red. “So, you’re Xia Zifeng’s friend. I know a bit about this. Originally, I was supposed to help mail those letters, but I got busy with work and handed the task off to my mom. I didn’t expect…”

The seven letters had been mailed, but then others came from the underworld—that was just too bizarre. If it hadn’t happened so close to home, who would believe that something like this was even possible?

Ming Siyu’s eyes darted between them, scanning their faces, unsure who the “deeply skilled” person might be.

Just as she was lost in thought, she heard Lin Jiuyuan ask the little kid, “Boss, she wants to meet Xia Zifeng one last time. Is there a way?”

Ming Siyu: ?!

Wait. The deeply skilled person is… this kid? Suddenly, the world seemed a whole lot stranger to her.

Yun Tao was about to respond when a system notification popped up for him, refreshing a side quest:

[Side Quest: A Letter via Azure Bird, Carrying Unspoken Words.

Help Ming Siyu send a letter.

Reward: 300 Shanhai Coins, 500 Mailbox XP (0/1000 XP required for upgrade).]

This quest couldn’t have come at a better time.

Yun Tao opened the shop’s inventory to check the price of stamps, then turned to Ming Siyu and said, “I can’t help you meet her, but I can help you send her a letter.”

Ming Siyu’s face lit up with surprise. She nodded eagerly. “Sending a letter would mean the world to me! What’s the charge?”

Yun Tao held up two fingers. “Twenty yuan.”

“Only twenty?” Ming Siyu blinked in disbelief. Was the kid just being kind?

“You’re fresh out of high school, right? I bet you don’t have a lot of spending money.” Yun Tao gave her a sly grin. “So, I’m giving you the student discount.”

Looking into his bright, clever eyes, Ming Siyu couldn’t help but believe him. She nodded in earnest.

Feifei led her into the bakery to write her letter. Sitting at the table, Ming Siyu held the pen in her hand, her mind awash with memories of her time with Xia Zifeng. Thinking of everything that had happened and where she was now, she found herself completely at a loss for words.

It was a long time before she finally put the pen to paper and began writing:

[“Zifeng,
Seeing these words is like seeing you again. They say growing up happens in a single moment. I think I just lived that moment. I’ve made it to No. 8 Shanhai Street. I know now everything you did for me. I’m sending this letter to tell you that none of your efforts were in vain. I got into my dream school. What about you? Are you doing okay? …”]

Ming Siyu wanted to keep writing, but her tears had already smudged the ink, soaking through the paper.