Paper Life 31 Part 1

Yu Zhibai observed Shang Nan for a long time before realizing the other person was angry.

Shang Nan went to exchange for the same amount of game tokens as before and operated the joystick without saying a word. Yu Zhibai stood beside him, "I'll help you."

"No need." Shang Nan was concise and didn't even look at him.

In the past, no matter how Yu Zhibai acted up, Shang Nan never got angry at him. Today was the first time. Hearing Yu Zhibai say he gave them all away, Shang Nan's smile slowly disappeared.

As Shang Nan's smile slowly disappeared, Yu Zhibai's heart also slowly lifted in suspense. It had a heart, it just hadn't used it much. This was the first time Yu Zhibai felt such a strong presence of the heart. It silently watched Shang Nan's movements catching dolls, feeling increasingly uncomfortable inside.

It walked closer to Shang Nan and reached out to hold Shang Nan's hand, "I remember their faces. I'll go ask for the dolls back."

After Yu Zhibai finished speaking, he really prepared to go find the people who took the dolls. Shang Nan hurriedly pulled him back, "You already gave them to others, how can you have the nerve to ask for them back?"

Shang Nan wasn't actually angry either. He stepped aside a few steps, "You catch them. If you don't catch 10, you're sleeping in the living room tonight."

[14: Ooh~]

Shang Nan: "Shut up."

Yu Zhibai pursed his lips, his expression unprecedentedly serious.

Shang Nan looked at Yu Zhibai's side profile. He wasn't angry; he was just speechless and powerless, not wanting to talk for the moment. He knew that since Yu Zhibai was a non-human, a monster, his thinking couldn't be the same as a human's. A normal human wouldn't get jealous over a few dolls, but Yu Zhibai would. Shang Nan thought, 'Maybe because he himself is a Paper Person, dolls belong to the same kind, so him getting jealous seems understandable.'

After twenty-something attempts, Yu Zhibai only missed once. The entire claw machine was cleared to the bottom. Shang Nan held a large string of them until the game tokens were used up, attracting even the staff members.

The staff politely offered Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai hot milk tea and guided them elsewhere. Shang Nan knew the staff hoped he and Yu Zhibai would leave after drinking the milk tea and stop playing. If they continued, the staff would have worked for nothing.

"Are you still angry?" Yu Zhibai asked Shang Nan softly, carrying that large string of dolls.

Shang Nan chewed on the pearls in the milk tea, "I wasn't angry to begin with."

"..." Yu Zhibai didn't understand, "But I felt like you were angry."

"Really not angry."

Yu Zhibai thought for a while and asked, "You mean to say, although you looked like you were angry, you actually meant you weren't angry, right?"

Shang Nan thought about it. Yu Zhibai understanding it this way didn't seem to be a problem. He nodded, "Yes."

At this time, Shang Nan could not have imagined how much trouble this Q&A would cause for his future daily life with Yu Zhibai. At least, after Yu Zhibai thoughtfully figured it out, in certain matters, even if Shang Nan was truly angry, it would feel the other party wasn't angry and could continue.

On the wide asphalt road in front of the shopping mall, a black business car sped past. Dai Lili, sitting by the car window, happened to see Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai standing at the mall entrance.

The heir of the Shang Family, holding such a cheap cup of milk tea, dating a poor boy with no future. More importantly, the two boys should have been enemies, should have been opposing each other, yet now they stood on the same side.

The scene in front of the mall kept surfacing in Dai Lili's mind. She didn't even feel her fingernails piercing her palm. She stared blankly and thought, 'Why? Why did Shang Xuan betray her, and now even Shang Nan wants to betray and abandon her?'

......

On the eve of New Year's Eve, Huinanfang welcomed the most festive days of the year.

Small red lanterns hung on the street trees, strings of colorful small bulbs wound around the branches, and various shopping malls released introductions to New Year's Eve activities early on.

Zhang Xueli sent a large red envelope in the class group chat. She had visited Zhang Hu and the others in the hospital two days ago. Being the homeroom teacher, Zhang Hu and the others trusted Zhang Xueli immensely. They said they saw ghosts, saw ghosts. They thought Zhang Xueli wouldn't believe it, but Zhang Xueli said she had friends she knew and would help them ask for some amulets or things to ward off evil.

After visiting Zhang Hu, Zhang Xueli expressed concern for Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai, and casually mentioned: final exam results were coming out. If there was no improvement, she would deal with Shang Nan.

Shang Nan felt that the latter part was what Zhang Xueli mainly wanted to express.

After wishing Zhang Xueli a Happy New Year, Shang Nan pushed open the ward door. They were taking Yu Changyue home tonight. For New Year's Eve and the New Year, they couldn't let Yu Changyue stay alone in the deserted hospital.

When they arrived at the hospital, although Yu Changyue still kept a straight face, there was obvious joy in her eyes and brows.

Compared to when she was first admitted, her complexion was like night and day. In the hospital, nutritious meals were specifically designed by nutritionists for three meals a day, with varied set menus. Plus the doctors' treatment, her physical condition had improved significantly. Of course, those chronic diseases could only be nursed slowly and couldn't be cured. Most elderly people had this or that ailment, not to mention Yu Changyue's body which had never been maintained.

The doctor instructed Shang Nan: "You can purchase some home physical therapy instruments, including oxygen inhalation equipment and the like. The elderly person is old and her physical foundation is very poor; she needs good rest."

"In winter, you must, must be careful not to catch a cold. It will trigger her asthma, and the elderly person will suffer a lot."

There was a thick stack of medical records, and several pages of precautions for after discharge.

Yu Zhibai held the photo of Yu She and carried a large bag of Yu Changyue's change of clothes, "Let's go."

Shang Nan supported Yu Changyue.

Walking into the elevator and pressing the floor for the parking lot, as the elevator started moving down, Yu Changyue's fleshless fingers gripped Shang Nan's arm tightly.

Shang Nan lowered his eyes and asked, "Grandma, is there anything you want to eat? I'll have someone buy it."

Yu Changyue didn't answer but hmphed. She always hmphed. "How much of your money did I spend staying in the hospital?"

The doctor had cut her hair short for easier management. Upon discharge, the nurse had combed it neatly. Yu Changyue's back was slightly hunched, wrinkles ran across her face, but her eyes were no longer cloudy; they were firm and powerful, like a withered tree starting to sprout again.

"Not much," Shang Nan said. He never thought about calculating these things with Yu Changyue. Anyway, the Shang Family had so much money they couldn't spend it all in several lifetimes.

Yu Changyue looked at Yu Zhibai standing nearby, "Remember to pay people back, do you hear?"

Yu Zhibai slowly turned his head. He pursed his lips, "Okay."

Shang Nan stifled a laugh. If they really calculated it, Yu Zhibai might really have to work for him for a lifetime.

The driver waiting in the parking lot was still Li Houde. He asked if they were going home, back to the city center. Yu Changyue pressed down on Shang Nan, "On New Year's Eve, I want to go back to my own home." A stubbornness revealed itself in the old woman's eyes.

Shang Nan paused slightly, quickly understanding. Yu Changyue wanted to return to Happiness Community. After all, many memories related to Yu She were there. Leaving the old woman to spend the New Year elsewhere, leaving her daughter behind, was indeed not very good.

So, Shang Nan said to Li Houde, "Go to Happiness Community."

Li Houde turned the steering wheel, watching for cars behind while saying, "Young Master, let me tell you something. A few days ago, someone jumped off a building in Happiness Community. It made the news."

Shang Nan: "?"

Seeing Shang Nan reveal a confused expression, Li Houde knew they didn't know about it yet. Young people in love, they just forget the world. Li Houde said, "There was a young man named Li something Ping. Not super young, I guess. Just two days ago, early in the morning, he suddenly went crazy in the courtyard barking like a dog. He crawled on the ground with hands and legs, moving very fast, barking 'woof woof' while crawling. He went up the stairs just like that and jumped directly from the top floor without any warning."

Li Houde recalled the video and got goosebumps, "Looking at the angle of that video, it was filmed by someone in the opposite building. Scared people to death. Some people sway for a while on the building before jumping; he just crawled up and 'bam', smashed down immediately. Personally, I suspect it was rabies."

Shang Nan and Yu Changyue looked at Yu Zhibai together. Seeing Yu Changyue looking at Yu Zhibai, Shang Nan guessed it. Yu Changyue had always known these people would suffer backlash from their own actions. She also knew what Li Rongping had done to the mother and son, Yu She and Yu Zhibai.

The car was silent for a while. Someone spoke as if sighing with emotion, "Maybe he encountered evil."

It was said by Yu Zhibai, his tone airy.

Li Houde shuddered again, "Don't say that. They all say that, but who barks like a dog after encountering evil? Experts said to consider the possibility of rabies."

It was quiet for a while again. Li Houde said, "But my daughter also said many people online analyzed it as encountering evil."

After that, no one spoke in the car again.

Li Houde thought they were sighing over the fragility of life and the unpredictability of fate.

Shang Nan remembered Li Rongping, and the impression was deep. The last time he saw him, he was already very abnormal. Shang Nan had roughly predicted then that Li Rongping's death was imminent.

The Paper Person never intentionally hurt anyone; both he and Lu Yang died by their own hands. Fate is a huge vortex; no one can escape. Fate is indeed in one's own hands, and death is included in that.

Birth is uncontrollable, but death is controllable. The cause of death lies in the past that everyone ignores.

Yu Zhibai... what was Yu Zhibai's cause of death? Yu Zhibai's cause of death was its birth. Shang Nan felt very sad.

......

It was afternoon when they arrived at Happiness Community. There was still a lot of paper money on the ground at the community entrance. The funeral should have been held in the community instead of going to the funeral home. A wreath was still propped up in front of the building where Li Rongping lived. In the middle of the garden lay a giant "Mourning" character. The wind blew past, the wreath wobbled a few times and fell to the ground.

The community was very quiet. The weather was nice today, but there were no old men or women playing cards or chess under the banyan tree. The windows on every floor were pitch black, like black holes capable of sucking people in. Even though some windows had 'Fu' characters pasted on them, and preserved meat, sausages, and fiery red peppers hung up, it couldn't change the desolation and gloom pouncing on them face-on.

Shang Nan noticed that some people had also pasted yellow talismans on their windows, probably scared by Li Rongping's incident.

If he didn't know the context, he would also feel it was very eerie.

Upon returning home, the first thing Yu Changyue did was wipe Yu She's portrait and the incense table. She poured out the dried-up fruits on the table and took out a few incense sticks from the drawer.

She clicked the lighter several times, the flame continuously roasting the incense, but it wouldn't light.

Yu Changyue sighed and inserted the unlit incense into the incense burner. Looking at Yu She in the black and white photo, she murmured, "Little Yu has found very reliable family. Why are you still unwilling to leave?"

If Yu She didn't leave, the incense would never light. She would forever wander in Red Stone Tunnel, and Yu Zhibai's resentment would never dissipate; if Yu Zhibai's resentment didn't dissipate, Yu She would never leave.

This was a dead end.

Looking at the rotten fruit in the trash can, Yu Zhibai said, "Shang Nan and I will go to the supermarket to buy groceries later, and buy some fresh fruits for Ah She."

Hearing Yu Zhibai's voice, Yu Changyue snapped out of her sorrowful mood in a second. She remembered how much money she gave Yu Zhibai before. It had been so long, it was probably all gone. "Where did you get the money?"

"Shang Nan has it," Yu Zhibai said softly.

Yu Changyue's breath hitched. Although she didn't admit the current Yu Zhibai was her grandson, hearing Yu Zhibai say "Shang Nan has money" so righteously, Yu Changyue still couldn't help but feel faint.

She hit Yu Zhibai hard twice, "You should earn money for him to spend!"

"I will study hard," Yu Zhibai said. Yu Changyue couldn't hurt him; he felt no pain.

Yu Changyue sat on the chair and asked Yu Zhibai, "Then have you thought about what to do in the future?"

"Want to be a doctor." Yu Zhibai answered Yu Changyue without much pause. Shang Nan heard it from the side too.

A Paper Person full of resentment wants to be a doctor?

But Shang Nan thought again. Yu Zhibai was so good at making paper effigies, and the structure of paper effigies was the same as humans. With his craftsmanship, it would be a pity not to be a doctor.

"Go, go, you guys go buy things. Let me stay with Ah She for a while." Yu Changyue shooed them out, tears in her eyes.

Little Yu should have impressions. When the doctor announced Yu She's death, when the doctor announced for her to prepare for her grandson's funeral, Little Yu remembered it all.

So Little Yu would want to be a doctor.

But doctors work very hard, and the wages aren't that high. Yu Changyue worried a bit. Being a doctor, how could he support a child like Shang Nan? Connecting this to Yu Zhibai's righteous face of living off him, Yu Changyue's head felt a bit dizzy.

......

In the mall, Shang Nan pushed the cart behind, touching this and that. Yu Zhibai chose very carefully.

Shang Nan didn't understand what was so good about comparing two pumpkins of the same size. He said, "Let's buy some supplements for Grandma later."

"Okay." Yu Zhibai was still comparing those two pumpkins.

"I want to eat shrimp," Shang Nan added.

"Okay."

Yu Zhibai hadn't felt that visiting a supermarket was such a happy thing before. Previously when he came to the supermarket, he would leave after buying things and wouldn't choose carefully. He couldn't quite remember the feelings from that time. The vague impression was that there were many people in the supermarket, it was noisy, and the smells were strong—the fishy smell of seafood and poultry, the smell of mud not removed from vegetables, and some rotting fruits would also emit unpleasant odors.

Although Shang Nan couldn't help much and would grab some useless things, as long as Shang Nan was by his side, as long as Shang Nan was by his side, everything was good.

They bought a very large lobster, the length from the middle fingertip to the middle of the forearm. The lobster was very spirited and even tried to extend its claws to attack Shang Nan.