Into The Sea

The following year, Ji Xing made an early request to the Ghost Queen to visit the human realm during the Ghost Festival. After receiving approval, she was cheerful for days.

Lan Yueyao found it amusing and personally escorted her out of the underworld, asking her to visit Lan Yuan on her behalf. The little cat readily agreed, but when it came to Lan Wu and Ji Lingyue, her face scrunched up as if she had eaten something sour. After much hesitation, she reluctantly agreed.

Through their interactions, she had learned Ji Xing’s true identity and couldn’t help but wonder, “How come you treat them differently when they’re both your sisters?”

Ji Xing rolled her eyes. “Lan Wu isn’t my sister.”

Lan Yueyao chuckled, unable to resist ruffling her hair. “Alright, go on. Remember to come back on time.” She paused, then plucked a bright red petal from her bangs. “What’s this?”

“Probably got stuck on me while I was walking.” Ji Xing seemed to remember something and exclaimed, “Oh! It seems Ghost Capital is holding a grand festival this year too. You should take Aunt Chu to see it when you get back.”

“Alright.”

The girl turned and eagerly headed towards the human realm. Once her figure disappeared, Lan Yueyao walked along the bustling Changle Street towards home.

Just as she was crossing the bridge, she encountered a lavishly decorated flower float coming her way. The streets were packed with Ghost Capital residents, and the river below was filled with countless golden lanterns. Ghost guards in black robes were rowing small boats, collecting the lanterns.

Lan Yueyao averted her gaze and leaned against the bridge railing to avoid the crowd, when she heard a clear voice call out, “Sister Yueyao!”

She instinctively looked down and saw Shen Mo, the little girl from next door, standing by the water’s edge. And beside her, who else but Chu Chunhan.

Today, she was dressed in simple clothes, with a beautiful and fragrant floral wreath adorning her dark hair. Her eyes, under her arched brows, were as soft as spring water, like a figure from a classical landscape painting.

Lan Yueyao smiled and leaned over the bridge, “When did you come out?”

“Early this morning,” Shen Mo replied cheerfully. “Everyone’s following the flower float. They say that a thousand moonlight flowers will be thrown at the end, and only one will be white. If you catch it, you’ll receive a gift from the Ghost Queen!”

Lan Yueyao nodded and tilted her head. “Did you make the wreath on Chunhan’s head?”

“Yes! I made one, and then Sister Chunhan learned how to make them. She even made one for you.”

“Really?” Lan Yueyao’s eyes lit up. “Where is it?”

Chu Chunhan raised the flower in her hand. “Here.”

Lan Yueyao smiled. “Are you going to give it to me?”

“Yes.”

Her smile widened, and she leaned down. “Then, I’ll trouble you to put it on for me.”

Chu Chunhan obediently raised her hand but realized she was still a little too far from the person on the bridge. She frowned, thinking for a moment, before taking two steps forward and slowly rising on her tiptoes, carefully tucking the delicate petals into the mermaid’s silver hair.

The fragrance of the flowers filled the air, their breaths mingling. Lan Yueyao lowered her gaze and looked into her bright eyes, whispering, “Does it look good?”

Chu Chunhan nodded. “It looks good.”

“You look good too.”

Taking advantage of the moment, Lan Yueyao leaned down and quickly kissed Chu Chunhan’s cheek, then straightened up as if nothing had happened, rubbing her lower back. “Ah, working in the Rebirth Residence every day is really taking a toll on my old back.”

Chu Chunhan stood still, looking at her with a hint of confusion. As Lan Yueyao walked down the bridge, swaying slightly, Chu Chunhan asked, “Why?”

Lan Yueyao tilted her head, confused. As she pulled her along, following the float, she asked loudly over the crowd, “Why what?”

“Why did you kiss me outside?”

Lan Yueyao coughed, noticing that Shen Mo had squeezed away to buy flower lanterns. Relieved, she leaned closer to her ear and whispered, “Don’t ask about things like that outside.”

Chu Chunhan frowned. “You said we can’t kiss outside, but you just kissed me. You’re breaking your own rule. And now you say we can’t talk about it outside. You…”

“I was wrong,” Lan Yueyao quickly surrendered, afraid she would get stuck on it. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you outside.”

Chu Chunhan stubbornly asked, “Why did you kiss me?”

“Why? Because seeing you makes me happy. I just… I…” Lan Yueyao’s face gradually turned red, but she spoke with conviction. “It was a moment of affection.”

Chu Chunhan pursed her lips and stared at her thoughtfully for a long time before finally turning her head. “Flower.”

Lan Yueyao was taken aback. “What…”

Before she could finish, a shadow fell over them, followed by deafening cheers from the residents of the ghost capital. Amidst the shower of red lunar flowers, Chu Chunhan was jostled by the crowd and quickly disappeared from Lan Yueyao’s sight. Her heart skipped a beat, and she cried out, “Chunhan!”

She struggled through the crowd, her eyes fixed on a glimpse of white fabric. Finally, she saw Chu Chunhan’s confused figure. Before she could relax, she saw her stumble off the bank and fall into the river with a splash.

“Chunhan!”

Lan Yueyao’s expression changed drastically, and she ran over in a panic. All she saw was a sea of red flowers. She bit her lip, ready to jump in, when a white figure emerged from the flower-filled water.

Chu Chunhan, still looking dazed, was covered in vibrant petals. She looked up at Lan Yueyao, who was frozen on the shore, and held out a flower to her.

Lan Yueyao paused. “Huh?”

Chu Chunhan said patiently, “For you.”

Lan Yueyao leaned down and took the flower from her hand. The fear in her heart slowly receded like the tide. She looked at the woman standing in the sea of flowers and finally smiled. She reached out, cupped her face, and gently kissed her lips.

Chu Chunhan frowned. “You did it again…”

“Shh, it was a moment of affection.”

As they walked away from the bustling crowd, heading towards home, Shen Mo called out from afar, “Sister Yueyao, aren’t you going to try to catch the white moonlight flower?”

Lan Yueyao waved at her and smiled. “No need. I already have my own flower.”

That night, Ji Xing still hadn’t returned. Instead, a ghost guard knocked on the door and left two flower lanterns.

“Today, the gates of underworld are open. The lanterns sent by the living for the deceased will float down the River of Forgetfulness. These two are for you.”

After the ghost guards left, Lan Yueyao took the lanterns back to the house and took out two paper slips from inside.

“Hmm… this one seems to be written by Lan Yuan,” Lan Yueyao said softly, glancing at the focused woman beside her. “May my mother and aunt find peace in the afterlife and be happy and carefree in the future.”

She clicked her tongue. “Why so formal? ‘Find peace in the afterlife’? She should’ve just sent more paper money.”

Chu Chunhan averted her gaze and opened the other paper slip. She seemed to want to read it as well, but after unfolding it, she sat up straight and fell into a long silence.

“Is it too long?” Lan Yueyao took it from her, amused. She looked at the dense writing and couldn’t help but feel a headache. “These two sisters are really so different. One’s so formal, the other’s so chatty. Alright, I’ll read it to you.”

She cleared her throat and slowly read, “Mother, Aunt, Ah Yue and I have disguised ourselves and traveled in the mortal realm. We have seen the Three Rivers and Four Seas, the great rivers and north and south. We have made many friends and done many things.”

“A few days ago, Xuan Yu’s younger brother was seriously injured in Youluo Valley. Xuan Rulin actually wanted my blood to save him. If he had asked nicely, maybe I would have given him a drop or two, but he was so disrespectful. Not only was he bossy, but when I refused, he tried to kidnap me! This angered Ah Yue, and she went straight to the Immortal Platform and publicly humiliated Xuan Rulin in front of the elders of the three sects. Only then did we learn that Xuan Rulin’s cultivation had stagnated long ago. He wasn’t even at the peak Tribulation Transcendence Stage. Xuan Yu took the opportunity to banish her useless brother to an outer sect and reclaim her position as the sect leader again. That old Xuan Rulin was so angry that he fell ill and retreated to the back mountains to recuperate in seclusion. It can be said that Yunxiao Pavilion is now Xuan Yu’s territory.”

“As for Haochen Mountain, they’ve reinstated Ah Yue and me as disciples. But that’s not important to us anymore. I heard that Qin Yu will be in seclusion for a long time, so our master invited Ah Yue to return and temporarily serve as the Jinling Peak Elder, but Ah Yue is still hesitating. After all, she is now a demon, and it would be a bit strange to teach sword cultivation in an immortal sect. My master also invited me to teach talisman techniques and spells. I am willing to do so because my talisman techniques and spells all come from my mother. I think if I pass it on, maybe it means that a part of my mother can be preserved in this world forever. However, I have never taught anyone before. Even with Ah Li, I have never taught her anything. I don’t know if I can take on this important task.”

“This Ghost Festival, my sister came to the human realm to spend it with us. We went out for a walk and happened to see the city releasing river lanterns. I heard that during the Ghost Festival, these river lanterns will float to the side of the dead. I don’t know if it’s true or not. Oh well, whether it’s true or not, the lanterns have already been bought. My sister even complained that I wrote too much, but it took her an hour to write those two lines.”

“By the way, Ah Yue sends her regards to you. I don’t know what the underworld looks like, and I don’t know if you have been reincarnated. But we hope you’ll find peace and happiness in the afterlife.”

After finishing the long letter, Lan Yueyao took a sip of tea and muttered, “Not a single one of them thought to burn paper money.”

Unfortunately, Chu Chunhan didn’t respond. Instead, she carefully put away the two paper slips and placed them in a box in the drawer. Lan Yueyao smiled and waited for her to put the things away before saying, “Are you still going out for a walk later?”

Chu Chunhan shook her head. “Sleep.”

“So early?” Lan Yueyao looked out the window in surprise. “Well, if you want to sleep, go to sleep. I’ll wait for Ji Xing to come back before I sleep.”

Chu Chunhan frowned and sat there for a while before repeating, “Sleep.”

Lan Yueyao paused, turning to stare at her for a moment. Suddenly, it dawned on her. “What kind of sleeping are you talking about?”

Chu Chunhan said, “Last time we slept, it was different from before. Why?”

Lan Yueyao pursed her lips, her face starting to burn again. “What’s so different? Didn’t we just kiss and touch?”

The woman nodded. “Let’s do it again.”

“Why?”

Chu Chunhan looked at her, puzzled. “Because you, liked it.”

“…” Lan Yueyao couldn’t help but shrink back, her cheeks already flushed, her eyes watery. “I, I didn’t…”

“You liked it,” Chu Chunhan said firmly. “So, we sleep.”