Ji Shuangyu used to find a corner to remove his makeup. Today, his luck wasn't great; he kept running into people on the road, so it wasn't convenient for him to do it. Otherwise, if someone saw him wandering the streets after playing a hanged ghost, they would definitely curse him for being unlucky.

By the time he reached Small Drum Alley, he was almost home. Only then did Ji Shuangyu quickly get to work, taking off his hat and the cloth strips wrapped around his head, making it easier to clean off the makeup that reached his hairline later.

It was quiet here, with hardly anyone around, just a bit dark.

Sigh, a poor area. The municipal government hadn't installed streetlights here. Moreover, there might be a structural issue with Small Drum Alley; there was always a ghostly wind blowing through, and your footsteps echoed as you walked.

Ji Shuangyu was fine with it, but the children at home didn't dare to go out at night.

Right now, Ji Shuangyu was focused on removing his makeup. He had just started when he suddenly heard a voice from behind him.

In this pitch-black night, a sudden shout made Ji Shuangyu jump.

Ji Shuangyu shuddered violently. He couldn't even process the other person's words in his mind at first. He spun around quickly to look.

The lantern was out. By the light of a cold crescent moon, Ji Shuangyu could only vaguely see a tall figure from his angle, and a pair of eyes staring straight at him.

After only two seconds of eye contact, just as Ji Shuangyu was about to speak, he saw the person fall backward stiffly, hitting the ground with a loud "thud."

Ji Shuangyu was a half-step too late in getting the words out of his throat: "...You scared me to death."

After saying it, he felt a bit speechless himself: ".........."

This was simply incredible. Ji Shuangyu touched his face. It wasn't some particularly terrifying special effects makeup. When most people saw it, they would just curse him for being unlucky.

Or was it because I suddenly turned around, and he was caught off guard?

Ji Shuangyu started to feel guilty: 'Oh dear, this is why the troupe's rules are no good! If they had let me remove my makeup backstage, how could I have scared anyone!'

Reform. If there's a chance, there must be reform.

"Brother, are you okay? You absolutely cannot have anything happen to you! If something happens to you, I can only go with you!!" Ji Shuangyu cried out sorrowfully, with exceptionally genuine emotion, "I have no money, boohoohoo."

Muttering to himself, he went forward and felt for the man's pulse on his neck and wrist. Thank goodness, he wasn't dead!

He couldn't just leave the man outside in this cold winter. But the other person was a bit taller and bigger than Ji Shuangyu, so he had to half-drag, half-pull him back home.

"Big Brother, who is this?"

His younger brother and sisters gathered around, one poking his overcoat, another touching his hair.

"A passerby. I accidentally scared him and he fainted, so I had no choice but to bring him back." Ji Shuangyu felt his limbs; they were still ice-cold.

"Should we call a doctor?" his second brother sniffled.

Ji Shuangyu: "..."

Aren't you trying to kill your brother??

The money Ji Shuangyu had just earned hadn't even warmed his pocket. He was thinking of getting everyone some winter clothes and buying some meat. If he called a doctor, he would probably spend it all.

"...I'll see how he is when he wakes up. If he's not okay, we'll call a doctor!" Ji Shuangyu was also afraid he might have injured the man. He wasn't that heartless, or he would have just left him there. Since he was the one who scared him, he should take some responsibility.

"Big Brother, you look so scary like this."

A soft voice suddenly emerged from beside him.

"Who! Who!" Ji Shuangyu yelped, only to realize it was his third sister standing there. He said, still flustered, "You're the scary one!"

Third Sister: "..."

But having been reminded, Ji Shuangyu quickly removed the hanged ghost makeup. The day had been truly exhausting. After taking off his makeup, Ji Shuangyu pushed the victim he had picked up onto the kang, and they all squeezed together to sleep.

......

Zhou Siyin slowly regained consciousness, finding himself lying on a nearly cold kang in a dark and dilapidated room. Beside the kang were three children and a young man. This young man was as if sculpted from snow and jade, but he wore a hat even indoors and looked somewhat familiar. The faint light from the window drifted across his smooth face, as if covering it with a light veil, or as if he had walked out of a dream.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry, I scared you last night," the young man said shyly.

The shock from last night slowly returned. So it was a misunderstanding? Zhou Siyin was still in a daze and subconsciously retorted, "How was I scared!"

If you weren't scared, why did you faint? The young man glanced at him, "Ah haha, if you weren't scared, that's even better. I was so afraid I'd have to pay medical fees."

He slowly took off his hat, revealing a full head of white hair.

In the dim space, combined with that face, an unreal, demonic aura emerged again, making Zhou Siyin's breath catch and his heart tighten once more.

"It's a misunderstanding, haha. I work in a theater troupe. That was makeup yesterday. The white hair is purely from glutt—uh, malnutrition, premature canities. If you feel unwell after you go back, you can find me at the Changle Theater. My name is Ji Shuangyu. Um, these are my four younger siblings..." Ji Shuangyu introduced himself.

Zhou Siyin's just-awakened brain started to turn. Premature canities was the common term for having white hair at a young age. Although it wasn't common to be so completely white, there were exceptions.

He wasn't one of those people from the theater world with heads full of drama, nor did he know Ji Shuangyu before this, so he didn't know that Ji Shuangyu's hair had turned white overnight.

—But, he carefully observed the color of Ji Shuangyu's hair and still felt something was off. The color didn't resemble any kind of white hair he had seen before, and he remained skeptical of Ji Shuangyu's glib explanation.

He then stared at Ji Shuangyu's face, as pure and beautiful as the first snow, a countenance that was completely out of place here. He found it very strange; so poor, yet with the air of someone who had been pampered. It was too incongruous!

Also, he said he was in a theater troupe. Could he be a famous actor, which was how he maintained such looks? Then why was he living in a place like this?

Besides, what kind of play would have a hanged ghost as the main character??

...Wait, Zhou Siyin suddenly thought of something and was horrified.

Four? There are clearly only three children here!

A cold sweat instantly broke out. Could it be that he was truly in a nightmare?

Just then, a trembling, childish voice sounded beside him, "Brother, do you want some water..."

Zhou Siyin: "!!!"

When did someone get here!

Hair standing on end! Heart-stopping terror! Soul-scattering fright! The ghost is a ghost, and the ghost's sister is also a ghost!

Zhou Siyin's head lolled to one side, and he fainted again.

Third Sister: "..."

Ji Shuangyu: ".................."

......

...It seems some money just can't be saved.

My sister is so dark and so good at being invisible, what can I do!

In the end, Ji Shuangyu painfully went to fetch a doctor. He wasn't familiar with any, but Xu Xinyue's mother was ill and had been seeing a doctor. With Xu Xinyue's recommendation, Ji Shuangyu went to a Huaxia medical hall.

The apprentice receiving guests said politely, "A family has already requested a visit, so he cannot leave right now. I will write down our hall's name for you. You can go back and wait for a bit."

Because the alleys didn't have house numbers at this time, for jobs like house calls, it was inconvenient to ask for directions. You couldn't just go up and ask, "Hey, is there a patient in your house?" That would bring people bad luck.

Therefore, this method was used. The doctor would give a slip of paper for the patient to paste on their door, so he could find the way later.

Ji Shuangyu was very anxious, but medical practices weren't very advanced yet. Without an acquaintance's recommendation, he couldn't just randomly find a doctor, as who knew how skilled they'd be. He had no choice but to take the red paper slip and go back first.

Zhou Siyin's constitution was quite good. Just as Ji Shuangyu finished pasting the slip, he woke up again.

This time, Ji Shuangyu learned his lesson. He opened the door, letting the cold wind and sunlight in. His first words were: "Don't be afraid, we're all human! We're not afraid of sunlight!"

Zhou Siyin: "..."

This time he saw clearly. They all had shadows in the sunlight, although he was still quite beautiful.

"Are you alright?" Ji Shuangyu met Zhou Siyin's gaze for a few seconds and saw him staring at his hair. He quickly put his felt hat back on. "Are you a little scared of this? I'll cover it. I've also called for a doctor. He'll check on you later. You've fainted twice from fright."

Zhou Siyin said sternly, "I am not afraid. Do not call a doctor!"

Ji Shuangyu: "I'm worried you might have after-effects, fainting twice from fright..."

Zhou Siyin: "What fainting twice from fright! That never happened!"

Ji Shuangyu: "..."

Zhou Siyin took a breath and took out a fountain pen from his bosom. "But I am a bit dizzy. Get me some paper, and I'll write a prescription for you to buy me medicine."

Ji Shuangyu: ".........."

This... he's still dizzy from the scare...

How pitiful.

Not only was Zhou Siyin dizzy, but his hands were also a bit weak. Under the multiple blows, he felt extremely mortified and annoyed, but he couldn't vent his anger. Damn it, this person had personally witnessed him fainting twice. Forget yelling at him, he himself felt like he had lost face.

Seeing his state, Ji Shuangyu volunteered, "Let me write for you. You can dictate."

Zhou Siyin was indeed struggling to hold on. He handed the pen to Ji Shuangyu.

Ji Shuangyu picked up the pen and wrote the two words "Prescription" on the paper, testing the feel of the nib. His family had no paper for writing besides toilet paper; he had to find a small blank sheet from one of his parents' old books. It wrote quite well, though.

Zhou Siyin noticed his posture for holding the pen. The man held the pen correctly, and his strokes were fluid and practiced. He really didn't seem like someone from a home so poor they had to search for a scrap of paper.

Zhou Siyin recited a few medicinal ingredients, and Ji Shuangyu wrote them down as he spoke. Then he showed it to him, "Did I write it correctly?"

Zhou Siyin took the slip of paper, and as he scanned it, he couldn't help but let out a soft "Yi."

Ji Shuangyu: "What's wrong, did I write it incorrectly?"

"No." Zhou Siyin looked at him. "You also know how to write with a brush pen?"

Ji Shuangyu said nonchalantly, "Yeah, I know a little."

His casual reply made Zhou Siyin doubt himself, as if it were a very trivial matter.

Indeed, many people knew calligraphy. Zhou Siyin's own mother, for instance, was skilled at capturing the artistic spirit of Yan Zhenqing while having her own style, and her calligraphy was highly acclaimed when she was alive.

How acclaimed? The price of her works increased a hundredfold after she passed away...

In any case, with his deep family learning, Zhou Siyin's keen eye could see the unique quality in Ji Shuangyu's fountain pen calligraphy. It was precisely because he could see the brushstroke spirit of traditional calligraphy in it that he had asked.

To think he was a skilled calligrapher, with both talent and looks. How did he end up in this tenement courtyard? This person was truly... completely out of place here.

Zhou Siyin still had some lingering shadows from last night when looking at Ji Shuangyu, but seeing the calligraphy, he felt a bit of admiration for his talent.

Ji Shuangyu remained completely unaware. He just assumed that all literary people of this era could use both brush pens and fountain pens, so casually writing something was no big deal. It was just like how he used sculptural lighting on the opera stage—it was just exceptionally natural and came to him easily!

"So, is it okay? I'll go buy the medicine then?" Ji Shuangyu asked.

"...Alright." Zhou Siyin responded, then called out to him again, handing him two yuan. He said with a grave expression, "Keep the change after buying the medicine. Just remember, if you see anyone looking for me outside, don't say anything. Today, you have not seen me, and I have not seen you!"

Ji Shuangyu: "..."

He wanted to say something but held his tongue.

Forget it. He had scared the man into fainting twice and was even getting money for free. This was a huge bargain.

"Second Brother, come with me to carry things—we'll buy cotton-padded clothes on the way, and I'll get you all some candy!" The moment Ji Shuangyu said this, it wasn't just his second brother; all the children shrieked and dashed out with him.

......

Zhou Siyin watched Ji Shuangyu's departing figure. His mind flashed back to the face from last night, half-lit and half-shadowed before the light was extinguished, appearing both human and ghostly. Then he thought of the naturally unrestrained calligraphy on the slip of paper. They say the writing reflects the person. His brushwork was unique, his strokes awe-inspiring...

"The elegance of a scholar and the beauty that could topple cities, all in one person." Zhou Siyin unconsciously murmured in a low voice, lost in thought.

In the empty, impoverished room, a small voice floated up, full of childish confusion, "...Um, does that mean you're complimenting my brother for being handsome?"

Zhou Siyin: "!!!!"

Zhou Siyin turned his head with a blank expression. It turned out there was still one child left in the room.

".................."

...Just let him faint.