Love Beyond the Grave

The rain had lessened from its initial downpour but still drizzled persistently. The streets of the Southern Capital bustled with hurried pedestrians, some occasionally casting puzzled glances at the young man silently walking down the road with an umbrella. Dressed in fine clothes and holding a sugar figurine, he was drenched despite the umbrella, water dripping steadily from his sleeves. His gaze, lost in thought, fixed absently on the ground just ahead, his expression one of utter desolation.

Yet his steps were steady, and he naturally sidestepped other passersby as if fully present—an altogether peculiar sight.

Duan Xu was, in fact, lost in thought.

He was thinking that from such a distance earlier, he hadn’t been able to see what He Simu was holding at all, let alone discern the shape of a crow. That had just been a flimsy excuse he’d blurted out.

Nor did he know how he had recognized her.

Yes—how had he recognized her? How had he, in that fleeting moment, picked out that one soul from among thousands of ordinary, unfamiliar faces?

He had only known this soul for half a year.

Duan Xu couldn’t make sense of it. Then he thought of how everyone said forgetting was the easiest thing in the world. Perhaps one day, when his temples had turned gray and he reached the age his father had spoken of—when he could no longer remember childhood sweethearts—would he still be able to recognize her at a glance in a sea of people?

For no reason at all, he felt that he still would.

By then, he might no longer have the luxury of recklessness. He wouldn’t be able to run, his vision would blur, his steps unsteady, his voice too weak to call out. He wouldn’t even know what to say to her. When that time came, even if he did recognize her, would he still chase after her as desperately as he had today?

He pondered this for a long time before deciding—yes, he still would.

Why?

As he walked, Duan Xu suddenly found a brick wall blocking his path. Startled, he tilted his umbrella upward and saw the vine-covered city wall, its verdant green glaringly bright. He had reached the edge of the city.

This road had come to an end. There was nowhere left to avoid.

In that moment, it was as if the heavens had cleared. The questions that had tangled in his mind for so long finally unraveled, the truth dawning on him like a revelation. Duan Xu suddenly began to laugh. He laughed uncontrollably, his body trembling, until he dropped his umbrella and covered his eyes with his hands. Slowly, he slid down against the wall in the pouring rain.

Chasing after someone with a cane in hand, gray-haired and frail—how absurd was that? What kind of ridiculous thing was that?

Why would he do something so foolish?

From youth to old age, from life to death—a lifetime was a long time. How could he be so certain he would never forget?

He liked her. She was the first girl he had ever liked. He didn’t even fully understand where such affection in this world was supposed to lead.

She was merely the first girl who had awakened him.

Merely the first girl who had reached for him in pitch-black darkness.

The first girl who had felt the world’s beauty and pain because of him.

A girl who always spoke harshly but had never truly hurt him—who had even fed him medicine with her own hands.

A girl who was lonely yet proud, who expected no one to understand her, who asked for no longing or gratitude—who simply did what she believed was right.

A girl who always called him Duan the Little Fox , Duan Xu , Duan Shunxi —who said, I’ll protect you, but don’t you dare like me. A girl with a long life who would eventually forget him, yet could not bear to be forgotten by his fleeting decades of existence.

Rainwater trickled between Duan Xu’s fingers as he covered his eyes, mingling with the moisture seeping through the gaps before dripping onto the stone-paved ground.

How ironic. His original wish had been to live as an ordinary man—to escape the shadow of Heaven Knows, to rein in the sharp edges and control the emotions tearing at him, to learn to live like a normal person.

Or rather, to pretend to live like one.

He had tried so hard. Yet now, everything ran counter to that initial wish. Ghost King He Simu had become his new desire—the most outrageous desire imaginable.

He didn’t know what kind of ending love in this world was supposed to have. But he had seen his own ending. He had fought against fate in every way, yet at this moment, he surrendered to it.

They had all been right, and they had all been wrong.

It was true—no one in this world couldn’t live without another.

But for him, it had to be He Simu.

When the eldest daughter-in-law of the Duan family, Wu Wanqing, encountered her brother-in-law in the corridor of the estate, she was genuinely startled. Her brother-in-law—Duan Shunxi, the most sought-after young talent in the Southern Capital—had returned in such a drenched, disheveled state, despite holding an umbrella in his hand.

The moment he saw her, Duan Xu raised a finger to his lips with a smile and said, "Sister-in-law, don’t tell anyone about this state of mine."

Wu Wanqing nodded, then realized he hadn’t come through the main gate—he had climbed over the wall instead. She hadn’t known Duan Xu still had such unruly youthful recklessness and couldn’t help asking curiously, "How did you get soaked like this? Is the umbrella broken?"

Duan Xu shook his head. "The umbrella is perfectly fine. I just didn’t use it."

"Not using an umbrella in such heavy rain will leave you drenched! A cold wind will make you sick—how could you be so careless with your health?"

Madam Duan devoted herself to Buddhist worship and paid little attention to household affairs, so Wu Wanqing had long grown accustomed to managing the inner household. Unconsciously, she began lecturing Duan Xu as if he were her own son.

Duan Xu chuckled softly, twirling the umbrella in his hand as he murmured, "Yes, not using an umbrella means getting soaked, yet I still didn’t use it. Knowing the principles of living well, yet refusing to live well—how maddening."

Wu Wanqing sensed something deeper in his words and couldn’t help asking, "Brother-in-law… do you have something on your mind?"

"Nothing at all. By the way, Sister-in-law, aren’t you quite close with the wife of Minister Wang from the Ministry of Revenue?"

"I often interact with Madam Wang. Why?"

"Today, when I was at Yù Zǎo Tower, I happened to meet Young Master Wang and his sister Su Yi. Young Master Wang asked me to escort Su Yi home. But while speaking with her, I spotted a familiar face on the street—likely a Dan Branch assassin or spy—so I immediately gave chase. In the rush, I neglected Su Yi and failed to escort her as promised. The next time you see Madam Wang, please convey my apologies on my behalf." Duan Xu spoke lightly, his eyes full of sincerity.

Wu Wanqing studied his soaked clothes, sensing there was more to the story. But she had long understood that most matters didn’t require digging to the root, so she simply agreed. "Very well."

Duan Xu smiled and nodded, about to head to his room when he suddenly turned back to Wu Wanqing as if remembering something. "Sister-in-law, may I ask you a presumptuous question?"

Puzzled, Wu Wanqing nodded.

"Sister-in-law, you and my elder brother were childhood sweethearts. You must truly love each other, right?"Wu Wanqing widened her eyes in surprise, then blushed, somewhat abashed as she said, "You... why are you asking this?"

"Lately, Father has been making arrangements for my marriage, so I'm curious. After all, there are many couples like Father and Mother who live a plain and uneventful life, treating each other with respect."

"Shunxi and I... I believe we are mutually in love."

"How can you be sure, sister-in-law, that elder brother truly likes you?"

"Well... it's naturally something you can see. When I was fifteen or sixteen, he would be happy whenever I got close to him. He'd get flustered when others teased us about it, always finding excuses to visit the mansion to see me. When he did see me, his face would turn red, and he'd speak quickly and incoherently—isn't that what liking someone looks like?"

Duan Xu seemed to ponder this seriously for a moment before smiling noncommittally. "I see. Thank you, sister-in-law."

He Simu was always so composed before him—gentle yet indifferent, as if she cared for him in every way, yet remained unmoved.

Not a single behavior matched what his sister-in-law had described. But then again, she and his elder brother had vastly different temperaments. Just how much of her preferential treatment and indulgence toward him was mixed with genuine affection?

Returning to his room, Duan Xu tidied his soaked clothes while thinking that he might have to gamble once again.

Meanwhile, after parting ways with Duan Xu, He Simu walked through the streets of the Southern Capital under Hejia Fengyi's umbrella, with Ziji quietly holding an umbrella behind them.

He Simu gazed straight ahead, her unremarkable body exuding an imposing aura as she spoke with displeasure. "Hejia Fengyi, your divination skills have truly grown more refined."

He had insisted there was a beautiful sight to behold on the streets of the Southern Capital, dragging her out despite the heavy rain. After only a few steps, he feigned surprise—wasn’t that General Duan sitting in Yù Zǎo Tower? And who was that sitting across from him? They seemed unusually close.

Hejia Fengyi tapped his birch wood staff on the ground and sighed, playing innocent. "What a coincidence! Who knew we’d run into him?"

Such a flimsy excuse was too blatant to be believed.

Rain dripped steadily from the umbrella ribs, blurring their vision in the downpour. After a moment of silence, He Simu asked, "How has Duan Shunxi been lately?"

"Exceptionally well. General Duan is the most admired young man in court these days—full of vigor and basking in success. Though, perhaps due to injuries from the battlefield, he looks rather frail. And now, getting drenched in this weather, he’s bound to fall ill. Speaking of illness, I have plenty of experience. Someone like him, who usually seems robust, once sick, collapses like a mountain—dangerously so. A minor ailment can swiftly turn severe, and before you know it, life—"

Catching He Simu’s warning glare, Hejia Fengyi swallowed the words "snuffs out."

She sneered. "Do you feel physically ill if you don’t talk enough?"

"Exactly! You understand me best, Ancestor." Hejia Fengyi grinned, his peach-blossom eyes brimming with mischief. Covering his mouth with a hand, he whispered, "What, afraid I’ll curse him to death? Don’t worry—that phrase carried no curse power."

"I know."

"You know? Then you’re simply worried for him and don’t want to hear about his demise?"

"If he’s unwell, you should talk less."If it weren't for the fact that this guy was the descendant of her aunt and uncle, and that she had taken care of him for a few years during his childhood, He Simu would have already beaten him beyond recognition by now. Hejia Fengyi had grown up in such a proper place like Star Clarity Palace, so how did he end up like this?

"Which part of you actually resembles my aunt and uncle?" He Simu couldn't help but ask.

"Probably... the good looks." Hejia Fengyi pointed at his own face.

"..."