Qin Yu was in utter turmoil.
Her foster mother had reappeared before her, in the form of a ghost.
"It's really you, Teacher, isn't it?" she asked again, doubting if this was all just a dream.
It was simply too absurd to be real.
"Yes, it's me, though I'm in this form... You wouldn't fail to recognize me, would you? I haven't changed at all, but you've grown even more beautiful, Qin Yu," Teacher said, looking Qin Yu over with a pleased smile.
"E-eh? It's really you, Teacher..."
A stinging sensation rose in Qin Yu's eyes, but she couldn't let tears fall with others present. She took a deep breath, desperately suppressing her trembling heart, and found herself involuntarily stepping forward.
"Wait, Qin Yu. I'm already dead. You can't come over here."
Qin Yu froze, uncertain what to do.
That's right, Teacher is dead. Her last living relative had passed away right before her eyes, the memory still vivid in her mind.
And now she was a ghost.
It felt like the bond between them had been reconnected.
Even in ghostly form, she was reunited with her family! The thought filled Qin Yu's heart with such overwhelming happiness and joy that it threatened to burst forth.
Ah, no, my eyes... Qin Yu took another deep breath, desperately trying to distract herself.
"Is this your friend?" Teacher asked, glancing at Hu Tao.
Hu Tao snapped out of her surprise, realizing she'd never encountered a situation quite like this before. Even she was momentarily perplexed about how to respond.
But etiquette couldn't be neglected.
"Yes, I'm Fishy Treasure's friend. My name is Hu Tao, the current Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Why is she acting so normal?
But it was better this way. If Hu Tao started spouting nonsense, Qin Yu felt she'd definitely lose her temper. Seeing Teacher again was wonderful, but this was likely their only chance.
I can't let her worry.
"I'm doing great! Everything's fine!" I have to make her believe that.
Teacher scrutinized Hu Tao for a moment.
"Fishy Treasure? Hmm... she seems quite clever. I didn't expect you to make new friends, Qin Yu. Good, good. I thought you'd end up spending your whole life with Keqing."
"That's impossible!" Qin Yu blurted out, flustered.
Not that she wouldn't remain friends with Keqing—but the idea of spending her "whole life" together was simply too exaggerated. Although Qin Yu had always hoped to stay close with Keqing, her childhood friend...
Yeah, that was definitely an overstatement.
"Impossible? But before I left, I specifically told her to take care of you. Is she still stuck in that stubborn mindset?" Teacher crossed her arms, looking puzzled.
Wait, when did that happen? Qin Yu was genuinely surprised.
She'd never heard about this.
Qin Yu touched her bracelet. "No... we've made up. It's just that what you said was a bit... exaggerated."
"I don't think so. And... has your personality changed?"
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat. As expected, she couldn't hide anything from her mother.
But Hu Tao was right beside her. If only it were just Teacher, she could drop the act entirely.
But there's someone else here.
Qin Yu simultaneously hoped Hu Tao would give them some privacy to talk and frantically searched her mind for a plausible explanation to defuse the situation.
"It's just... because I've entered society now," Qin Yu forced a stiff smile.
"Is that really it? You used to be so much more carefree."
"No, that's not true, is it?" Qin Yu replied defensively.
"Do you think I haven't been your mother all these years? I've watched you grow up since you were a baby! I can't even count how many diapers I changed for you—"
"That never happened!"
"Really? But I remember when you used to sleep with Little Keqing and draw maps together—"
Qin Yu's ears and face flushed crimson with shame. Visibly shaken, she blurted out, "R-right! Teacher, how did you become a ghost?"
She never imagined she'd one day face the same predicament as Shenhe. Was this karma for secretly laughing at Shenhe's exposed embarrassing past?
If that were the case, then I was in the wrong. So, I should stop this immediately.
Hu Tao pressed eagerly, "I want to know more details about this map-making project."
If you dare listen, I'll kill you, then kill myself.
"Director Hu Tao, isn't this going too far?" Qin Yu maintained a polite smile, but her inner displeasure was palpable.
"Eek! You're right, we should get to the main topic. Fishy Treasure makes a good point. Hmm. By the way, I think it's perfectly normal for children to act that way..."
Qin Yu's eyes went blank.
Hu Tao, sensing the danger, didn't dare tease Qin Yu further. Beads of cold sweat rolled down her forehead as she raised a trembling index finger. "N-normally, when people die and become ghosts, it's because they have lingering regrets—unfinished business that keeps them tethered to this world."
Tsk, really?
Hearing the shift in topic, Qin Yu's resentment melted into a soft, resigned sigh.
According to the rumors she'd heard, people only became ghosts if they died with lingering regrets. But Qin Yu distinctly remembered the serene, satisfied expression on her Teacher's face in her final moments.
So why had she manifested as a ghost?
Could it be that in that final moment, she recalled something she couldn't let go of?
"I do have regrets," the Teacher said candidly.
"What are they?" Qin Yu asked earnestly.
The Teacher glanced at Qin Yu. "In that final moment, I suddenly remembered a dream I had: I hadn't seen the entire world yet. Then, when I came to, I was in this strange place."
"A strange place?" Qin Yu asked, puzzled.
"Yes, a place filled with many ghosts, just like me."
So many ghosts? But given the massive population, it made sense that there would be countless souls with lingering regrets.
At least they didn't all end up on Wuwang Hill.
"I wandered out alone and saw you, but I was too shy to speak to you."
"After a while, you found me. Oh, and a young man saw me on the way and suddenly started chasing after me—it was quite frightening." The Teacher sighed, feeling utterly helpless.
I almost forgot—that man claimed it was love at first sight and that he was looking for an Adeptus.
But the Adeptus is my Foster Mother!
Ugh, this is terrible no matter how you look at it. I don't want a stepfather suddenly appearing out of nowhere. If that guy gets too close, I'll just preemptively shoot him with a tranquilizer dart and put him to sleep.
Qin Yu made up her mind.
"That's all there is to it," the Teacher said.
"I see..."
Is that really all there is to it?
The Teacher's expression was perfectly natural, as if she wasn't lying.
She still looks exactly as she did before her death—already advanced in age, yet people still see her as an Adeptus. Is that guy into mature women? Qin Yu thought, feeling a mix of scorn and guilt.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out.
"What are you apologizing for?" the Teacher asked, puzzled.
Qin Yu lowered her head and blurted out, "Is it because you adopted me that you couldn't go anywhere else?"
"That's not true at all."
Qin Yu didn't quite believe her.
Since entering society, she had grown to understand just how difficult it must have been for the Teacher to raise her alone. It wasn't just the financial burden; balancing work with childcare and education required immense time and energy.
She even remembered overhearing idle gossip about it once.
She's saddled herself with a burden.
Recalling how she had stubbornly refused to study as a child, Qin Yu felt a surge of self-loathing.
If only my younger self had been more sensible, she thought.
Yet she wasn't particularly fond of her present self either.
If Teacher hadn't chosen to adopt me, she could have lived a better life.
Noticing Qin Yu's silence, the Teacher turned to Hu Tao and asked, "Could you give us some time alone?"
"Sure! I'll take a stroll nearby. You two have a good talk. Just call if you need anything—my ears are sharp, I'll hear you for sure!"
"Thank you."
Hu Tao grinned, patted Qin Yu on the shoulder, and hummed a cheerful tune as she hurried away.
The Teacher watched Hu Tao disappear into the distance before turning to face Qin Yu.
"We're alone now," she said with a gentle smile.
Qin Yu felt the warmth of tears streak down her cheeks.
"Still such a crybaby, aren't you? Come, sit over here."
"I'm not crying."
"Then what's that on your face?"
"Blood."
The Teacher shook her head with a wry smile. "That would be rather terrifying, wouldn't it?"
"Can ghosts get scared too?"
"Of course they can."
"What a lame ghost," Qin Yu muttered, wiping her eyes and sniffing.
Seeing her Teacher sitting on the ground, Qin Yu pressed her skirt down with both hands and sat down beside her.
"How have you been lately?"
Embarrassed by her earlier clumsiness, Qin Yu mumbled, "Fine."
"Did you find a job?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Doing what?"
Qin Yu replied with a hint of pride, "I'm the Tianquan's personal maid!"
Although her path to this position had been somewhat unconventional, having earned the approval of Baiwen and the others, she figured a little bragging to her Teacher wouldn't hurt.
"How did you get the job?"
Why are you questioning me?! Qin Yu's expression turned indignant. "I got it fair and square."
"No need to get upset. It's a good job—don't lose it."
"I know. The salary is really good, plus lots of bonuses. It's just been really busy lately. I'm only here today because of a lucky coincidence..." Qin Yu trailed off.
"Have you made up with Keqing?"
Qin Yu flashed her bracelet. "Yeah, we exchanged these. Though I still haven't fully recovered my memories of our past."
Her Teacher smiled warmly. "You'll remember everything in time."
"But Teacher, you knew everything all along, right? Why didn't you tell me?" Qin Yu asked, puzzled.
"For various reasons, I suppose..."
It was partly a mother's selfishness, considering what her daughter had been through. But hearing the good news about Qin Yu and Keqing still filled her with genuine relief and joy.
"How is Keqing doing now?"
"She's still working hard as the Yuheng Star. I think she's amazing," Qin Yu said with a smile.
"She's always been mature for her age. Has she found someone she likes yet?" the teacher asked.
"No. And she never will."
The teacher looked surprised. "So certain? How will you manage later in life without a partner?"
"I'll just manage, I guess. I don't see any need for a partner," Qin Yu said, shaking her head.
"Perhaps you just haven't found the right person yet. That's why you think that way."
Qin Yu grew somewhat sullen, still disliking these marriage-related topics.
"What about you, Teacher? Why haven't you found someone?" Qin Yu retorted, her tone sharp.
"Because I'm already six feet under."
Qin Yu sighed. "I meant before, back then... Raising me alone must have been so hard. Wouldn't it have been better if you'd married and had a husband?"
Unexpectedly, the question she had pondered before was now something she could ask the person herself.
"Marriage is actually quite terrifying."
So that's why?
"You have to find the right person to marry, but how do you know if someone's right? How they act while dating can be completely different from how they are after marriage. What if living with them becomes unbearable? That would be awful."
The Teacher shook her head. "There's nothing more terrifying than settling for a mediocre life."
"That's absolutely true..." Qin Yu agreed wholeheartedly.
"So you need to find the right person someday."
"I've already told you, I'm not going to!"
The Teacher ignored Qin Yu's tone, replying calmly, "Well, there's no need to rush."
"No need to rush because I'm not going to at all," Qin Yu sighed.
"Oh, I mean... even if I'm not around anymore, you'll be just fine."
Ah...
Qin Yu's chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
What should I say now?
"Mm, don't worry"—that would be the best thing to say, right? Because she couldn't let the Teacher worry, because she wasn't a child anymore, but an adult. She had to act like a mature adult.
But she couldn't bring herself to say it.
"No..." Qin Yu mumbled, her head bowed, her voice hoarse.
"No?"
"Not at all."
"Like this," Teacher said, turning to face Qin Yu.
"Is something wrong?"
"...No."
Teacher smiled wryly. "You say there's something wrong, then you say there isn't. How contradictory.
"You taught me that," Qin Yu retorted.
"I did not."
"You did!"
"I did not."
Teacher paused, then said, "Qin Yu, I'm already dead."
"...I know."
"I can't be with you anymore."
Qin Yu felt her breathing grow heavy and raspy.
"Don't act spoiled."
"..."
After a long silence, Qin Yu rubbed her eyes and said, "That's too harsh."
"It's the truth. As both your mother and your teacher, I have to say things that might seem harsh. From now on, you have to walk your own path. You can't keep thinking about me. The living must always look forward."
Qin Yu hugged her knees, burying her face in her legs.
"Do you think I don't know that? But... you're my only family..." Qin Yu murmured.
"You're my only family, so I want you to be happy."
Qin Yu's throat tightened as she struggled to voice her feelings. "It's so hard being alone."
"Life won't always be like this," Teacher said.
"Human relationships are so fragile."
Teacher reached out, as if to touch Qin Yu's head, but seeing her own ethereal form, she withdrew her hand casually, pretending she hadn't meant to.
"That's not entirely true. Even if I'm gone, you'll always be my daughter—always. Unless you choose to deny it."
"I'd never deny it," Qin Yu mumbled.
"Then that's all that matters. As long as you don't deny it, we'll always be family. Whether human relationships are fragile or not depends on your perspective... Do you understand?"
Qin Yu stubbornly retorted, "No, I don't understand."
"Look at you, still acting like a child at this age. Who would ever want you?" Teacher sighed deeply.
"I don't know. I don't care. I don't want anyone."
Qin Yu gasped for breath, her chest trembling.
"I'm sorry," she said again.
"What's wrong now?"
"I... I'm a bad daughter," Qin Yu murmured.
Teacher chuckled. "Just a little troublemaker, really."
"No way."
"Oh, come on."
"It's not true!"
Qin Yu looked up and wiped her tear-streaked face with the back of her hand. Though her heart still ached and her chest felt tight, she surprisingly felt much lighter.
"Thank you for adopting me," Qin Yu whispered.
"Thank you for being my daughter," Teacher replied with a warm smile.
Qin Yu's eyes welled up again. "You left too quickly," she complained.
"Well, I couldn't help that," Teacher said with a wry smile.