Paper Life 25

All of Shang Nan's lingering drowsiness vanished in an instant. He stared wide-eyed. "How can you eat even them?"

Yu Zhibai curved his lips into a smile. "It's not against the law."

"..."

"Let's go. Take Grandma to the hospital." Shang Nan sat up and climbed over Yu Zhibai. "She's in very bad shape. She should see a doctor."

Yu Zhibai got up too. After a while, he finally responded to Shang Nan's words. "She's about to die. Does she still need to see a doctor?"

"It's precisely because she's about to die that she needs to see a doctor." Shang Nan felt Yu Zhibai still had a lot of room for improvement in this area. It imitated humans, but only from its own perspective as an observer, observing surface-level things and following surface-level rules.

Shang Nan pulled off his top. There was a beautiful spinal groove running down his back, and his fair skin glowed like a piece of lustrous jade in the dim room.

Yu Zhibai stood behind him and reached out to touch it.

Shang Nan had been lost in thought and had forgotten about Yu Zhibai's presence. When the other's ice-cold fingers made contact, his skin flinched inward. He hurriedly pulled on a sweater, his eyes slightly flustered. "Aren't you going to change?"

Yu Zhibai also pulled his top off over his head right in front of Shang Nan. His hair was tousled by the collar. His hair was actually getting a bit long, and the texture was visibly coarser than Shang Nan's. It hung over his forehead, and an air of chaos and strangeness began to spread.

"When is next time?"

"What?" Shang Nan didn't immediately follow.

"You said last night that we'd continue next time. When is next time?" Yu Zhibai pulled on a button-up shirt and a jacket, the collar still folded inward.

Yu Changyue had once said that true beauty lies in the bones, not the skin, and it was the same for Paper People. A perfect finished product would inevitably possess a perfect skeletal frame. Human skeletons always had various issues -- disproportionate feelings caused by an oversized skull, spinal curvature and rigidity. Yu Zhibai always paid close attention to skeletal structure when making Paper Effigies. In contrast, the outer appearance was far less important.

Shang Nan was one of a kind, Yu Zhibai thought. He couldn't craft a skeletal frame of Shang Nan's caliber.

Hearing Yu Zhibai's question, Shang Nan paused briefly, then remembered he had said "next time" last night. In truth, he'd just said it offhandedly...

But looking at Yu Zhibai's utterly serious expression, Shang Nan deliberated for a moment. "Just... next time."

Yu Zhibai: "..."

Shang Nan looked at Yu Zhibai, and a question suddenly popped into his head. "Yu Zhibai, those -- are your abs something you trained, or did you craft them yourself?"

If he'd crafted them himself, then Shang Nan thought Yu Zhibai actually cared quite a bit about his image. He'd made exactly eight, with clean lines and defined musculature -- not overly muscular, carrying the healthy vitality unique to young men in their youth.

Yu Zhibai blinked. "This is just how I look."

"I'm different from those other Paper People. I'm like you -- I grow, I age, and eventually I'll die too." Yu Zhibai took Shang Nan's hand and pressed it against his abdomen. "Do you really like them?"

Yu Zhibai was a Paper Person handcrafted by Yu Changyue, made with the last wisp of the human Yu Zhibai's consciousness and her own heart's blood. He possessed all the stages of a human life, which meant he also had human emotions and desires. He just needed guidance and learning. A monster acting purely on instinct would only destroy the world.

Yu Changyue had done everything in her power to help him become human.

"Oh, I was thinking, if it were possible, maybe you could craft a couple of abs onto me too." Shang Nan was a bit disappointed.

"Nannan is already perfect just the way he is now," Yu Zhibai said.

Yu Zhibai wasn't one for beating around the bush. He said whatever he thought. Shang Nan looked at him, and his ears slowly began to burn. His gaze dodged the other's direct stare. "Let's go. Let's check on Grandma."

......

Yu Changyue was already awake, staring at the bleak daylight outside the window. Yu Zhibai went to make breakfast for Grandma, while Shang Nan helped her get dressed and supported her out of the room.

Yu Changyue had been frightened the night before, and her complexion wasn't good. She didn't eat much and didn't give Yu Zhibai a pleasant look either. Watching Yu Zhibai follow his instincts as he moved around the house searching for Yu Changyue's thermos, jacket, medical records... Shang Nan felt a pang of sourness in his heart. Even though Yu Zhibai was a monster, his instincts still told him he should be good to Yu Changyue.

"Let's go." Once outside, Yu Zhibai naturally positioned himself at the bottom of the steps and bent down -- Yu Changyue couldn't walk long distances on her own, let alone go downstairs by herself. She needed someone to carry her on their back.

Yu Changyue was still angry at Yu Zhibai, even though she knew being angry was pointless.

Seeing Yu Zhibai still holding that position without moving, Shang Nan gently poked him. "I'll carry Grandma downstairs. You go call a car first."

"Okay."

Yu Zhibai grabbed the pile of things and left without looking back.

Shang Nan glanced at Yu Changyue's expression. The old lady was clearly even angrier now.

Humans really were an incredibly complex and hard-to-understand species.

The hospital was always packed, no matter the hour. The more renowned specialists a hospital had, the more popular and sought-after it was. Shang Nan looked down at his phone in the car, checking available appointment slots... There were no available slots left.

After thinking for a moment, he had no choice but to call the contact labeled "Special Assistant" in his phone.

The person picked up almost immediately. "I'll arrange it right away." When the young master made a request, arranging a doctor was nothing -- even if he asked them to go enroll in a combined master's-doctoral program in medicine right this second, it wouldn't be a problem.

The taxi turned around and headed toward Xizhou Private Hospital in Huinanfang. Xizhou Private was a Shang Family enterprise, and the doctors they'd recruited weren't limited to domestic experts. The Shang Family had deep pockets and could afford the recruitment fees. But not many people could afford to be treated there, so the Shang Family held free clinics every month. On clinic days, people would line up before dawn.

Hearing that the young master was coming, the hospital director rushed out of his office with his staff and called the geriatric internal medicine and rehabilitation departments. Before the patient even arrived, a crowd was already waiting in the hospital parking lot.

The taxi stopped. At first, they mistook Yu Zhibai for the young master, but thought he didn't quite match the photo on file. The young master probably wouldn't be wearing such thin canvas shoes. They could only keep looking, until they spotted Shang Nan carrying Yu Changyue on his back. That was him.

A stretcher was wheeled over. Shang Nan placed Yu Changyue on it. Yu Changyue had never experienced such a grand reception and was so startled she immediately tried to get up. Yu Zhibai, one step ahead of Shang Nan, silently took Yu Changyue's hand. Only then did Yu Changyue calm down.

The private hospital's service and medical expertise were equally outstanding, not to mention this was the boss's own family. So from top to bottom, everyone treated Yu Changyue with the utmost enthusiasm and attentiveness.

They ran every possible examination. The director held a thick stack of reports and test results and spoke to Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai. "The old lady's condition is very poor -- malnutrition, osteoporosis, possible COPD triggered by asthma..."

"If we begin gradual treatment and recovery management now, the old lady should be able to live for several more years."

Shang Nan glanced at Yu Zhibai. The other didn't understand any of this. He was picking at his fingernails, performing the action of picking at nails out of instinct. He was anxious, even though he didn't know why he was anxious.

"Treat her," Shang Nan said.

The director: "May I ask what your relationship to the old lady is?"

"She's my grandmother," Shang Nan said.

Yu Zhibai slowly raised his head and stared at Shang Nan. The director had already left to arrange the attending physician and other hospitalization matters. After a long silence, Yu Zhibai said, "Thank you."

[14: Corruption Value has dropped by 20. It's now at 40.]

"From now on, let Grandma stay here in the hospital. I'll have someone find a caretaker to look after her, and we'll come visit once a week. Once her condition improves, she can be discharged." Shang Nan explained his plans to Yu Zhibai. "How about this -- when the time comes, you and Grandma, and Yu Xiaoyu and her little companions, you all come live at my place. It's more spacious, the transportation is convenient, and it'll be good for Grandma's health."

"Later, after we get into college, we can bring Grandma along with us. When we don't have classes, we can go out on dates together, and if possible, we can take Grandma for walks in the park."

Yu Zhibai leaned close to Shang Nan and bit his cheek -- a bit hard. Yu Zhibai's eyes were washed over with amber again, spreading across in full, but the feeling of amber dispersing was much better than black. It had a romantic quality, like sunset falling across a lake.

"I love you," Yu Zhibai blurted out.

Shang Nan paused for a moment. "Me too." Setting love aside, he did like this Paper Person.

Yu Zhibai lowered his eyes. His pale eyelids concealed the many dark thoughts lurking beneath. "I also want to eat you." Ignoring his motives, his expression actually looked rather aggrieved.

"Why don't you just keep thinking about that." Shang Nan stood up and left Yu Zhibai sitting alone in the corridor.

Yu Changyue was surprisingly cooperative this time. The hospital placed her in the best VIP ward -- with adequate heating, a two-bedroom suite with a living area, one room designated for the caretaker to facilitate patient care. Her blankets and padded coat were removed, folded neatly, and stored in the wardrobe. Now she wore only a thin hospital gown, which made her look even thinner and darker. Seeing Shang Nan enter, she mumbled something about it being a waste.

Shang Nan tore a piece of paper from his school bag, wrote down his phone number, placed it on the bedside table, and turned to the caretaker. "Call me if anything comes up."

Only after the caretaker took the slip of paper did Shang Nan turn to speak with Yu Changyue. "Cooperate with the doctors and get proper treatment. When Yu Zhibai gets into college, he'll buy you a big house."

Yu Changyue said nothing, but Shang Nan could see a hint of anticipation on her face.

Yu Changyue, Yu She, and now Shang Nan -- all the people Yu Zhibai cherished most. Even though he didn't know why he loved the first two, whenever anything happened to them, Yu Zhibai was always the first to panic, and they were the most likely catalysts for his corruption. So Shang Nan hoped Yu Changyue could be well.

As he was walking out, Yu Changyue called after him. She coughed a few times and said, "Wear more layers. Don't sacrifice warmth for style."

Shang Nan blinked. "What about Yu Zhibai?"

"He's not even human. What difference does it make how much he wears?" Yu Changyue leaned against the headboard, still taking jabs at her beloved grandson.

Shang Nan said goodbye and pulled the door shut.

In that instant of closing the door, he suddenly felt a wave of emotion. Dai Lili, his own mother, had never shown him concern. But Yu Changyue, an old lady he'd only met a handful of times, had told him to dress warmer.

From that point on, Shang Nan developed the illusion that he and Yu Zhibai were two people depending on each other in this vast, vast world.

......

On Sunday, they were going on a field trip to Jinzi Lake. Two days, one night. The homeroom teacher was leading and treating them, but they had to buy their own food, since the teacher was getting on in years and couldn't guess their tastes.

Not that a group of young lords and ladies lacked the money. Each of them had food delivered to the Jinzi Lake villa district.

Zhang Xueli had rented an entire villa for them to relax. Next month brought not only the monthly exam but also finals, and Zhang Xueli wanted them to face the tests in the best possible condition.

In reality, for them, high school wasn't a stage they absolutely had to go through. If they wanted, they could study however they pleased. The more money and power you had, the more choices life offered.

Early in the morning, the bus was already parked at the villa district entrance. Shang Nan was the last to get off. When he jumped down, Yu Zhibai instinctively reached out both hands to catch him.

Zhang Hu's neck stretched longer than those of the black swans on Jinzi Lake. "Whoa, am I witnessing the real deal here~"

This villa district had almost no actual residents left. It had become a recreational area -- hotels, private dining establishments, entertainment complexes... everything one could want.

The villa faced the lake. The reeds and bushes along the shore had already turned yellow in winter, and the lawn was half yellow and half green, looking rather pitiful.

Shang Nan, Yu Zhibai, and Zhang Hu were assigned to charcoal duty, preparing the grill.

Yu Zhibai placed charcoal briquettes one by one into the grill. He looked very practiced doing this. Shang Nan, on the other hand, was rather unfamiliar with it. He crouched beside Yu Zhibai and asked quietly, "Are you afraid of fire?"

"Yes." Yu Zhibai's answer was clean and decisive.

Shang Nan leaned closer. "Would it set you on fire?"

Yu Zhibai kept his eyes lowered. He didn't mind telling Shang Nan his weaknesses. "It would. It just takes some time."

He was different from ordinary Paper People. Ordinary ones, like Yu Xiaoyu or the chubby driver, would ignite instantly. But burning Yu Zhibai required more difficulty and time, and if he did catch fire, the recovery process would be extremely difficult. Like a human, he needed time to heal. Even if the outer shell was restored to look as good as new, the interior still needed to mend.

Shang Nan watched Yu Zhibai's movements, lost in thought. After a while, he held out his hand toward Yu Zhibai. "Let me do it."

Since it could hurt him, better to stay away from the fire.

The charcoal soon caught flame, and in the biting winter air, it immediately warmed everyone nearby until they were toasty. Shang Nan wore a scarf, his face flushed rosy from the heat, while Yu Zhibai maintained the same flawlessly pale complexion as before -- it couldn't be flushed by heat, but it could be ignited by it.

"Here, drinks." Zhang Hu came over with two cups of blue liquid. "They're alcoholic, so if you can't handle it, don't drink."

A few people brought over a large platter of skewered food. Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai immediately cleared the space and went inside. There were even more people indoors, each busy with their own tasks, aside from a few slackers playing cards or sneaking drinks.

They knew how to have fun -- much more in line with the popular image of rich second-generation kids.

Seeing Shang Nan, they stood up and called out, "Shang Nan, come play! Yu Zhibai too!"

"What are you playing?" Shang Nan walked over and looked down.

"Truth or Dare -- but only dares!" The one who answered was Zhu Mai, a boy, very tall and thin, with a face shaped like a wedge, who flashed a set of blindingly white teeth when he grinned.

The person next to him lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I heard that Villa No. 11 nearby is haunted, so we're going to play an exploration game. We'll spin this bottle six times, and the six people the bottle points to have to go walk through Villa No. 11. The whole thing has to be filmed. When you come back, we'll check the footage. So -- do you dare?"

Shang Nan disliked nothing more than being asked whether he dared. "Sure." He agreed.

Ten people were participating in total. Six spins meant two-thirds would have to go, and only the remaining four would be survivors.

While the bottle was spinning, 14 quickly retrieved information about Villa No. 11.

[14: The owner of No. 11 was Shang Xuan -- your father. Ten years ago, he was driving drunk and accidentally killed someone in Red Stone Tunnel. I don't need to tell you who the victim was -- it was Yu She. After Yu She's death, the villa owners around Jinzi Lake banded together to vouch for him and find people to help. In the end, it was settled with money. The news was suppressed, and even the news reports had Shang Xuan's license plate blurred out. But Shang Xuan later died suddenly one night. The rumor was that he sleepwalked into the lake. In reality, according to the data I've obtained, your father drowned himself. After that, villa owners around Jinzi Lake began moving away in droves, especially the families that had helped clear Shang Xuan's name. They were the first to flee.]

[14: Recently, the lights in No. 11 turned on by themselves several times for no apparent reason. Some people say they saw a figure moving inside. I can't currently determine whether No. 11 is truly haunted, but it's reasonable to suspect it's connected to Yu Zhibai.]

14's tone sounded calm, as always. It was always calm -- the only time it had briefly lost its composure was when Shang Nan bought cake.

The owner of No. 11 was Shang Xuan? His father?

Shang Nan knew that 14 could only access detailed information relevant to the plot as it unfolded. But learning that it was his own father who had killed Yu She still plunged him into a moment of disorientation.

His father had killed Yu Zhibai's mother. His mother was relentlessly cursing Yu Zhibai. In this moment, Shang Nan's feelings were extraordinarily complicated. He knew the grudges of the previous generation shouldn't be carried over to the next, but if he were in Yu Zhibai's position, he would probably have a very hard time letting go.

"Does Yu Zhibai know?" Shang Nan asked 14.

[14: It knows everything.]

"Haha, I'm safe!" The boy who had explained the rules jumped up excitedly and read out the names of everyone the bottle had pointed to.

Shang Nan was among them, but Yu Zhibai was not.

Yu Zhibai said quietly, "I'll go with you."

"Hey, that's not allowed," the boy heard him and quickly interjected. "If we break the rules, it's no fun anymore. I know you two are close, but at a time like this, you can't let personal feelings get in the way. Give us some face, top student." Out of respect for Shang Nan, he joked good-naturedly with Yu Zhibai.

"I'll go by myself." Shang Nan put on his jacket and stood up with Zhu Mai. There were also two other boys and two girls. The two boys exchanged a glance, then resolutely clasped each other's hands. The two girls rolled their eyes in unison.

The six of them left through the back door. It was freezing outside. Shang Nan quickly pulled his jacket tight and secured his scarf.

The two girls walked in the middle. One of them, a long-haired girl, held up her phone, recording video.

Jinzi Lake was actually quite lively at night. Luxury cars passed constantly on the road, the entertainment complex was ablaze with lights, and Villa No. 5 wasn't the only one hosting a barbecue. On their way to No. 11, they could see Villas No. 16 and No. 9 also throwing parties, bustling with activity.

At this point, the cold wind cleared Zhu Mai's head. He cursed, "Damn, who the hell goes ghost hunting on a field trip?"

Shang Nan found it funny but also entertaining. He shoved his hands into his pockets and touched something cold and hard. He traced its contours, and the thing immediately climbed up his finger and clung on eagerly. Now he knew -- it was Yu Zhibai's little Paper Doll.

When had it crawled into his pocket?!

Did it not know this was an invasion of privacy?

After Zhu Mai finished cursing, he knew there was no turning back and gave up struggling. As they drew closer and closer to No. 11, he grew increasingly uneasy. He looked at Shang Nan's composed face. "Aren't you scared?"

Shang Nan thought about it. "A little." 14 had said that each world had only one monster. This world already had Yu Zhibai, so no other non-Paper-Person-type monsters would appear. And if what appeared were Paper People, then there was even less reason to be afraid. Yu Zhibai would never hurt him.

"Badass." Zhu Mai gave a thumbs up. As expected of the richest kid in class -- he had the biggest guts too!

......

Villa No. 11 wasn't the last building in Jinzi Lake's numbering sequence, but it was the farthest from the villa cluster. The few villas nearest to it were pitch dark, clearly uninhabited, with no businesses renting them either.

The sounds of insects and birds grew louder -- or perhaps they weren't louder, but because it was so quiet here, every sound seemed particularly sharp and loud.

The six people drew closer together -- mainly closer to Shang Nan.

Villa No. 11's courtyard was spacious, and the exterior looked quite grand. One could imagine Shang Xuan's business had been thriving.

The yard was overgrown with wild grass, dense as a small forest. Hiding people or wild animals in it wouldn't seem difficult at all.

The white picket fence surrounding the villa was falling apart from years of neglect -- paint peeling here, sections collapsed there.

The walls had also deteriorated to some degree. The enormous floor-to-ceiling windows had accumulated a thick layer of grime from wind and rain, making it impossible to see inside -- and of course, impossible to see outside from within.

This villa's dilapidation stood out starkly against the others.

Zhu Mai clung to Shang Nan's arm with both hands. The second the fence gate was pushed open, he let out a scream, and the entire group, already on edge, immediately fell apart, screaming wildly.

In the end, there was nothing there. Shang Nan stood in place, perfectly calm. "What are you all doing?"

Zhu Mai held out his hand. "Something bit me!"

Shang Nan couldn't see where exactly Zhu Mai had been bitten, but he had a pretty good idea of what had bitten him -- because Zhu Mai had been standing too close.

This time, Zhu Mai didn't dare cling to Shang Nan anymore. He ran to the back to huddle with the two girls, while Shang Nan walked at the front, leading the way.

Wild grass grew through the cracks in the stone path, waist-high, requiring them to push it aside to move forward.

The front door was half-open. The door, carved with dragons and phoenixes, must have been quite impressive once. Now it was rusted and coated in dust.

-- Like a gaping maw.

Shang Nan stepped onto the stairs. The living room had high ceilings, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the top floor down to just above the living room. The reception hall and dining room connected to the living room. Even without lights, one could sense the decay and eeriness within.

There was some discomfort. Shang Nan glanced at the light switch on the wall. After so many years, the electricity had surely been cut long ago.

He looked up toward the second floor. A dark shadow flickered past.

Shang Nan's heart skipped a beat.

The others hadn't seen it. They were still curiously wandering around the living room.

According to the rules, they needed to check every room.

The living room had nothing unusual. They moved to the second floor. The second floor mostly consisted of entertainment rooms, plus an art studio. The studio was large -- nearly the size of the living room.

On the studio walls, inside large and small cabinets, and on easels of various heights placed on the floor, there were canvases and finished paintings, all covered with dust cloths.

One of the boys couldn't contain his curiosity. Using his phone as a flashlight, he pulled the dust cloths off the easels nearest to them one by one. When they saw what was painted, everyone exclaimed in unison, "Whoa!"

Shang Nan looked at the paintings. He recognized the subject -- it was Yu She. The one in the center showed Yu She in a school uniform, back when she was still very young, with a youthful, radiant smile and a high ponytail. There was also Yu She dancing in a white dress, Yu She glancing back with a smile, and finally, a very small boy wearing a baseball cap, crouching on the grass playing with building blocks.

The paintings were extraordinarily good -- vivid and lifelike, showing superb technique. Shang Nan recalled that he himself had artistic talent too. It must have been inherited from Shang Xuan.

But these paintings... there wasn't much technique to study in them. What overwhelmed the viewer was the love pouring out from the artist, nearly overflowing.

Shang Xuan would rather give his love to a stranger's child than spare even a fraction for his own.

If it weren't for the fact that he was Shang Nan and not "Shang Nan," he and Yu Zhibai would very likely have been enemies.

Coming here had been the right choice. He'd learned more of the story -- about Yu Zhibai and about himself.

"Who's in the painting? She's so pretty! Even prettier than our school belle!"

Zhu Mai leaned in. "Look at the uniform. There's a school name on it. Ri... Riyue High School?" What kind of name was that?

The long-haired girl, Lin Xin, shoved him. "What 'Riyue'? It's Changyu. Our school."

Zhu Mai: "Our school? We have someone like this at our school? If we did, there's no way I wouldn't know!"

Shang Nan stood behind them. "Maybe she graduated a long time ago. She's probably an upperclassman."

Zhu Mai thought Shang Nan was absolutely right and nodded vigorously. "Right, right, right. Definitely an alumna. Going to the same high school as such a gorgeous alumna -- I can die without regrets."

"Eek--"

BANG

Just as the chatter died down, a thunderous noise gave everyone a fright -- including the absent-minded Shang Nan.

The door had slammed shut for no apparent reason.

Lin Xin reacted first. She rushed over and pulled at the handle, but it wouldn't budge. Cold sweat immediately broke out across her back. She turned around, her face written over with panic. "The door seems like... it won't open..."

The video was still recording. Time kept ticking forward.

Hearing Lin Xin say the door wouldn't open, the whole group panicked. "How can it not open? Is there really a ghost?"

At the mere mention of ghosts, even the beautiful alumna in the paintings started to seem unsettling.

Shang Nan skirted around the frantic group running in circles, walked calmly to the door, gripped the handle, turned it downward with a click, and the door opened. Wind rushed in from outside, and the screaming stopped abruptly.

......

Zhu Mai's face was full of disbelief. He stared at Lin Xin. "You? You? You? What were you doing?"

Though they knew it was just an accident, no one dared linger any longer. They scrambled downstairs and burst out of the courtyard.

They'd left Shang Nan behind entirely.

The commotion quickly faded from the villa. Shang Nan was on the staircase. He was sensitive -- in every way -- so when the atmosphere around him shifted, he reacted almost instantly.

Shang Nan quickened his pace and ran toward the exit.

The front door leading to the courtyard closed on its own right before Shang Nan's eyes, with a heavy, muffled thud. It wasn't the wind. Wind couldn't move a door that heavy, and besides, there was only a gentle breeze right now.

Shang Nan stood in the vast, empty living room. He felt as though he weren't standing in a living room at all, but in a graveyard. The silence around him transformed into the wailing of ghosts, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to be sinking.

Following his instincts, Shang Nan slowly turned toward the staircase leading to the second floor.

The figure that had flickered past earlier -- thin, blurred, strange, jarring.

A small window on the adjacent wall let in a beam of light from a distant building that happened to fall on the figure, stretching its shadow to infinite length, folding back on itself where it met the far wall.

Thanks to that beam of light, Shang Nan could make out Yu Zhibai's face.

Seeing it was Yu Zhibai, he immediately let out a breath of relief.

"Nannan, come here." Yu Zhibai extended his hand toward Shang Nan.

Shang Nan walked over and placed his hand in the other's palm. Yu Zhibai's palm was ice-cold. His entire body was a heavy, papery white. Ink-black pupils, dark red lips. The light fell on one side of his face, making one half snow-white and the other half gray and dark -- like the divide between the worlds of the living and the dead, or the distinction between good and evil.

His mood seemed to be... not bad, actually.

Yu Zhibai led Shang Nan back to the studio from before.

Shang Nan made small talk, pointing at one of the paintings. "Is that you?"

"Mm. That's me."

Yu Zhibai picked up all the dust cloths from the floor and gently, carefully replaced them over the easels. "Uncle painted very well. He truly loved Yu She. He really, really did."

Shang Xuan was the only human who had voluntarily chosen death out of guilt. Whether he died sooner or later, death was death, but his attitude of remorse was better than anyone else's.

Shang Nan watched Yu Zhibai move through the room as if he were in his own home. He thought the strange occurrences that had been reported in this villa recently must have been caused by Yu Zhibai.

After Yu Zhibai finished straightening the dust cloths his classmates had disturbed and righting the easels they'd accidentally knocked over, he took Shang Nan's hand and led him to a small room next door.

Inside the small room stood a group of human-shaped figures of varying heights... human-shaped somethings. Since they were all uniformly covered with dust cloths, Shang Nan couldn't tell what they were, but the temperature of his palms had already dropped to match Yu Zhibai's.

"I prepared a gift for you." Yu Zhibai positioned Shang Nan in front of one of the human-shaped objects -- possibly a mannequin or something similar -- and then, in one motion, yanked off the dust cloth.

It was a Paper Person... a Paper Person made to look exactly like Shang Xuan. The Paper Person was about the same height as Shang Nan, smiling gently, wearing a suit, with an air that was refined and warm.

Shang Nan's hands and feet went ice-cold. In that moment, his heart nearly stopped. Looking at his dead father standing before him again, he couldn't accurately describe what he felt -- fear, bewilderment, confusion...

"Why would you give me this?" Shang Nan found his voice, but it was hoarse, as if it didn't belong to him.

Yu Zhibai tilted his head slightly, his eyes brimming with blazing sincerity. "Your father is dead, so I'm giving you a new one. Aren't you happy?"