There was a type of flower on the other shore, the mystical Red Spider Lily, which was known to bear only flowers with no leaves. Its petals paved the pathway to the underworld, guiding the dead to Lethe, a river with water that made the souls of the dead forget their life on earth. There was a bridge, known as Naihe, where the dead would encounter Meng Po and get a taste of her soup.
Meng Po’s soup, generally known as the Love Potion, would erase all memories from the past before the dead entered a new cycle of life. Some of the poor souls, however, refused the soup, so Meng Po had no choice but to fulfill their wishes. As a result, these souls were marked with a mole on their chest.
In return, these souls would have to spend a thousand years in the Lethe River, enduring the torment of deadly flames and floods before they were allowed to enter a new cycle of life. These reincarnated souls would be born with their memory intact, allowing them to search for their past lovers and resume their conjugal felicity.
The room was so quiet that the only sound they could hear was their breathing. He was still staring blankly at the mole on her chest, which reminded her of an old legend that she once read from an online article. For the dead who refused Meng Po’s soup, they would have to endure many years of suffering in the Lethe River in exchange for their memories to be kept. Once reincarnated, they would remember their past and would no longer remember the torment.
She had the same mole on her chest in her previous life, but it was slightly smaller.
He used to stare at the mole the same way, blankly, as if enchanted by their fading memories. Could he be…
“So damn beautiful!” His sudden remark shattered everything that Ye Qiao believed in from the legendary tale.
Frankly, she was speechless for a moment.
Contrary to her flawless and seemingly opalescent skin, the mole had the brilliance of vermillion red that stood out so vividly. The word beautiful alone could not express his admiration. Therefore, the word ‘damn’ was added as an emphasis.
The tall man in black made a thorough security check of her room. Taking extra precaution, he even had the windows shut, just to be safe. Right before he walked out of her room, he pulled her over and pointed at the safety chain that was installed at the door. “You have to plug the chain in and don’t answer the door, especially at this hour. Understood?” He needed to make sure that she was aware. He had little time, but her safety was still his top priority.
“I know; it’s not my first time staying in a hotel,” Ye Qiao paused as soon as she noticed his glare. She knew at once that she had said something wrong.
She looked him in the eye and corrected what she had previously uttered, “Xiao, it’s not what you think. By hotel, I mean the one that I stayed in at my hometown,” she explained quickly to answer his doubt.
Finally, he seemed relaxed. “Ye Qiao, answer me. Who am I to you, and who are you to me?” He said with intense earnestness.
“You’re my boyfriend, and I’m your girlfriend,” Ye Qiao was not embarrassed to talk about their relationship at all.
“What a good girl. Keep that in mind!” He then walked out of the door.
“Xiao, be careful on your way back! Be extra careful when you go for your missions!” She said while walking him out. All of a sudden, she was overwhelmed with an intense feeling of reluctance. She did not want to part with him.
“Get inside! Remember to lock the door!” He turned around and reminded her for the last time.
She did as told and promptly went into her room. With the door locked, she leaned against the wall. Her heart was thumping with excitement.
At the hotel’s entrance, Lu Beixiao was impressed by the motorbike that Du Jun had specially prepared for him; it had a maximum speed of 290km/h. However, he still disliked the look of satisfaction on Du Jun’s face, which was clearing fishing for compliments.
He ignored him and went straight to the bike instead. Cap off; he put the helmet on before starting the engine.
“Lu Beixiao!” Du Jun flew into a rage, for all of his efforts went unacknowledged.
“Mr. Du Jun, please take good care of your niece-in-law. I’ll be grateful for your help. See you!” Swift as an arrow, Lu Beixiao raced ahead, leaving behind a trace of dust.
“Damn!” Du Jun stomped his foot in anger.
There was a reason why Lu Beixiao kept giving Du Jun the cold shoulder.
Lu Beixiao was the eldest son in the Lu family, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Since young, he had been displaying the personality traits of a leader by ruling the courtyard. Indeed, he was the leader for everyone, regardless of age.
Du Jun, on the other hand, was the only one that he simply could not conquer. He kept introducing himself as Lu Beixiao’s uncle, though he was only three years older. It was an embarrassment that Lu Beixiao simply could not get over.
Despite the minor dispute, they truly cared for one another. Du Jun used to fall sick a lot, which caused him to be the victim of bullying. However, Lu Beixiao took him under his wing and always made sure that no one else could bully him. He would give all of Du Jun’s oppressors a harsh beating to remind them that Du Jun was not someone they could simply mess around with.