Chapter 103: Resurrection

When it was time for bed, Gu Lili carefully arranged the porcelain dolls upon her vanity.

The more she looked at them, the more she yearned for such a pair of children of her own.

Long Yubei, watching her giggle to herself, rested his head upon his arm, his gaze deep and unreadable. "If you keep staring at those dolls, they might just come to life under your gaze."

Gu Lili leapt onto the bed, her legs swinging playfully, chin propped upon her hands, eyes wide and glimmering. "Darling, since twins run in your family, I hope my first pregnancy will bless us with a boy and a girl. That way, I'll only have to suffer once. Just imagine it—two plump, adorable little ones lying side by side. My heart melts just picturing it."

He remained unmoved. "I don't want that."

Her smile faltered, and she pouted. "You say that now, but once they're here, you'll change your mind."

"Come to bed."

She kicked off her slippers and crawled over, pulling his arm from beneath his head and replacing it with her own cheek. "I suddenly thought of a question. Will you answer me honestly?"

"Ask."

"In what circumstance would you give up on me?"

He hadn't expected the question. "Truthfully, there are three."

"I'm listening."

"First, if I grow disgusted and can no longer stand the sight of you. Second, if you commit something truly unforgivable—there's a broad range of examples for that. Third, if you betray me and have an affair behind my back. In those cases, I would walk away." He turned to her. "What about you?"

"Just one."

"What is it?"

Gu Lili tilted her face up, her voice soft yet firm. "Disappointment. If I ever feel deeply, irreparably disappointed in you, I'll let go without hesitation. I won't look back. I won't even use the word 'despair,' because for me, disappointment alone is enough to destroy a relationship, to make me give up completely. I'm the kind of person who knows when to hold on and when to walk away. Even if I love you deeply, if you let me down, then we're done."

"That word covers far too much."

"Exactly." She took his hand, admiring its graceful fingers and sculpted joints. "These hands are so beautiful, I could be entertained by them for a whole year."

He instinctively pulled her into his arms. "Sleep."

The lights went out. Gu Lili, having napped that afternoon, wasn't the least bit sleepy.

Long Yubei, however, quickly drifted off. She soon heard the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing.

She lay still—until a sudden, pale silhouette appeared just outside the floor-to-ceiling window. Narrowing her eyes, she saw the white figure raise a hand, beckoning her silently.

Rising quietly, she slipped into her slippers and stepped outside.

The white figure stood by the swing. She had just begun to approach when Tang Qingli's voice called out, "Young Madam, do you need something?"

"No, I just can't sleep. Thought I'd sit on the swing a while."

"Understood." Tang Qingli retreated.

She strolled toward the swing and sat down naturally, her voice low. "Who are you?"

"I heard you have the gift of seeing spirits. Now that I see you, I know it's true. I've come to propose a deal."

The voice startled her. Judging by the long black hair cascading to the waist and the slender silhouette, she had assumed it was a woman—yet it was unmistakably a man.

"What kind of deal? Speak plainly."

"I need your help with something. In return, I'll reward you handsomely."

"What is it?"

"I need you to find a recently deceased male body. He must be between eighteen and thirty-five years old, unmarried, and of decent appearance."