On a winter night, Deities decided to pay a visit

"If Gods hated me so much, why did they create me in the first place? I cursed the existence of God at once. He has so many names , Yahweh, Buddha, Allah, God, etc. But none of them got me any luck in life. People said that They were merciful, kind-hearted, gracious, but the first thing I know, They kept throwing my life in hell even though I was still alive several times in a row without even letting me breathe" - Xi

(New Year's Eve 1999 - January 1st 2000)

A man was standing in front of a building as if he was waiting for someone. He kept looking at his watch. It was a new year's eve but it had been a month since the last time he stayed in the city due to a business trip. He was so nervous but happy. He wanted to surprise someone. He held 4 entry tickets to an amusement park and rechecked it several times. He kept smiling every time he looked at the tickets. Not long after that, a pretty lady approached him and startled. She smiled while looking at him. Her eyes showed that she was longing for him. She was so happy. She hugged and kissed him on the cheek. For that man, it was already the 10th year of their marriage, but he still got butterflies every time his wife kissed him. He was the luckiest man in the world. He finally married his favorite lady and got a beautiful daughter and son. He felt like hitting a jackpot and he perhaps was a savior of his nation in his past life. He held his wife's hand and showed her the ticket he held. His wife smiled at him and held his hand tighter. She thanked him. They held each other's hand while walking to their car. They would never think that it would be their last day of marriage.

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In the distance, A white pale-faced guy sat on the edge of the high building's rooftop. He sat without any fear of falling like he was immortal. Hmm.. Wait. Was he?

He sighed. He talked to the pigeon near him like a lunatic.

"I am extremely bored."

He looked far away. Then He just snapped his finger out of his boredom.

Far below, right after His snap of finger, a bus hit a city car and destroyed it into pieces including the passengers inside and caused the consecutive accidents for the vehicles behind them. 3 victims passed away, including the bus driver, and the rest were injured.

He looked far away down to accident scene and suddenly said emotionlessly ,

"Till death did you apart."

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On the first night of the new year, when anybody else would celebrate the time with their family, winter felt so much colder than before. A little girl was sleeping on the pink bed peacefully that night, until someone woke her up. She fell asleep waiting for her parents to come home. Her father pinky-promised her a ticket to a newly-opened amusement park near their home if she slept earlier that day as her father picked her mother from work. She still remembered how nice her father's smile was as he walked out of the door. She opened her eyes. She expected her parents and their warm hug but she saw someone else. It was her grandma. Her grandma already picked her brother and kept him in her grandma's arms.

"Amma…" she smiled while looking at that old lady.

The old lady just stroked her hair gently and smiled back at her. Her smile was so calm but her eyes were teary. She looked like she hid something painful.

"Let's go. We should meet your parents for the last time."

She was dumbfounded but later she would finally realize that she already lost her parents that day. Her parents were not going back home anymore.

(New Year's Eve 2013)

That little girl finally grew up as a young fine lady. Unfortunately, she was such a damn beautiful but cold lady. Her bitter childhood made her trust nobody except her family. She thought as long as Xi Yuan had her Amma and brother, everything would be fine. She continued her life as Junior Journalist for crime section in Xin Wei Media. An online newspaper. Her mom was a journalist too. So that was why she wanted to be a journalist. An unseen connection with her grew stronger when she finally achieved what she had been dreaming of.

But life was never easy for a journalist. Crappy boss, life threatening events of disclosing crimes, criminal's grudge and threat, two-faced workmates, unbelievably horrible work hours made her drained. She also had to work in this heavy snow. But it was not as bad as she thought before. After her long working hours, she decided to take some sips of alcohol in a nearby supermarket and celebrated the new year. She hated new year because unfortunate moments kept coming in every new year.

"SCREW YOUUUUU, GOOOOOODD !!!!!!" she shouted her heart out and startled the passing-by passenger. They just shook their heads after looking at her, almost drunk.

Few years ago on the first night of new year, she lost her parents. The next year, she got hospitalized because of a peanut allergy that almost took her life because she couldn't breathe at that time and last year on the first day of new year, Guan got hospitalized due to car accidents. Xi almost got a heart attack after she heard that and thought she would lose Guan like she lost her parents. Luckily, it was just a minor scratch although it was a total wreck for Amma's old car. There were always new stories for her new years but they were not the happy ones. She started to wonder what would happen this year. Unlucky was her forever best friend, so what happened right now to her, would never be classified as an unlucky one. It was just "ordinary".

Xi started to feel drunk already. She dialed Guan's number but he didn't pick up.

"There.. There.,. How dare that little brat do not pick up my call." she mumbled.

Her eyes started to get blurry. She closed her eyes for a moment. At first, she thought that there was only her who sat under the umbrella in front of the supermarket. No.. She was wrong. There was a little girl with a red shirt watching her now. She smiled every time She looked at Xi.

"Why did you yell at God like that, Jiejie? Don't you believe in Deities at all? " She moved closer to her. She smiled nicely.

Xi smirked and replied her,

"When you get older, you will understand me, little girl."

Then Xi tried to ignore her. Her unfortunate life was already miserable and heavy. Xi thought for herself that there was no need to tell anyone else, especially the one who was much younger than her.

Before she passed out, and got too drunk, that little girl already sat beside her.

"Be patient, my daughter. Every storm shall pass too." she said to her and stroked her hair gently.

"Heyy! Why are you calling me "daughter"? Who are you?" asked Xi half asleep.

She smiled and then left.

"Nǚwā"

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A young girl with a red shirt walked cheerfully on the first day of new year. It would not be weird if it wasn't 3 a.m and almost all stores were already closed after the new year's festival. What a creepy moment when a little girl walked alone in a quiet and dark street at that time. But she was not bothered at all with that. Her wide smile made this moment completely strange. It was supposed to be a merry time for the world to celebrate the new year, She thought. She was in a very good mood until someone called Her.

"Hey, You, young girl." shouted someone. She knew this voice.

She turned around and her merry expression turned sulky.

"Yamla." She sighed.

There was a teenage boy who wore a black leather jacket and smiled at Her. Then He grinned.

"So now, You are a little girl. Ha ha ha ha. You keep changing Your appearance."

"Stop teasing me, Yamla. Let's grab some drinks first. Don't ruin my good mood." She sighed and offered Him a drink.

"Alright." He agreed and nodded.

Suddenly, their appearance changed into a young lady in white and a fine pale-faced guy in black leather jacket. A perfect combination of yin and yang walked side by side.

After walking a few blocks away, They stopped at a supermarket and that lady went inside and bought a few cans of beer. Few minutes later, She came back with a plastic bag with a few cans of beer and dried fish sticks.

The guy was dumbfounded and shook His head.

"Waah.. An honored lady treated me to only beer and dried fish sticks. What a cheapskate." He continued to shake His head.

"Shut up and drink." She hit His head hard.

"HEY."

He started to get angry but restrained it because He knew whom He was talking with.

After hitting Him, She just sat in front of Him. He opened the first can. Then, She started to talk.

"I guess you don't have enough jobs recently. So you can wander freely like that." She sat in front of Him, spoke graciously but Her mocking tones were amusing.

He was speechless and mumbled. He wanted to talk back but He knew for sure he wouldn't win. Ever.

"What's up with You, recently? Are You getting bored again up there?" Yamla just asked Her mischievously while pointing at the sky.

She just hit His head again but harder than before. Like an older sister treating Her naughty little brother.

"IT HURTS!!!!!"

She didn't say any words. She just opened the beer and took a sip.

Her face turned serious.

"It seems everything gets more chaos, here. I saw several Gǔdú-guǐ* (Dark spirit / ghost which spread hatred, could transform into insects or lived inside human beings like parasites) wandered around this neighborhood a few days ago. They were also seen freely in the human virtual world."

He took another sip of beer nervously. The only one who could make his feet tremor like this was only her (and her husband, obviously). As Yamla expected before, the underworld issues became more and more complex throughout millennia.

"I know. I already sent them back. But humans keep feeding them their energy. So they keep coming back" He answered her quickly and simply.

She took another sip and nodded.

"I know. It must be a hassle for you. But it is a part of your responsibility. I believe that you are still reliable enough to do it. It's not bad for an imbecile." She said it emotionlessly.

He was flattered for seconds before getting a little annoyed with Her last word.

"Do you still love humans that much?" Yamla asked Her cautiously..

She nodded without saying any words.

He looked at Her. Even without any words, Her love was obviously shown through Her face. Even after a very very very long time, Her answer was still the same. He was mesmerized. She was still that gracious, like before. Like a few millennium ago. Her love was still that strong although human beings kept making troubles. No wonder, She was still called "Heavenly Mother."

"This beer is not that bad. But it would be great if there was plum wine." said her so sudden while looking at the beer can carefully.

He laughed hearing what She just said. Her talks definitely broke an awkward moment like this.

They just enjoyed their beer and reminisced about the good old days, before finally getting silent.

"I have a favor," said Her, unexpectedly.

He just startled and burst the beer from His mouth to Her face.

This was the very very first time when She asked Him for a favour and it definitely surprised Him.

He nervously wiped Her face. He didn't know what would happen next but He knew one thing for sure : He was in serious trouble.

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In the next morning, Xi finally woke up and felt her head was so heavy and dizzy. She realized that she was finally at home. She ran to the bathroom and threw up. Guan just looked at his sister and shook his head.

"You were so wasted last night, Jie-Jie. Ck ck ck." Guan told her immediately after she left the bathroom.

Then Xi suddenly hit Guan's head.

"Arrrgh… It hurts, Jiejie." he screamed at her.

" Then why didn't you pick up my call, huh?" Xi replied while drinking a glass of water.

" I did, at last. The one who picked you up was ME!" he yelled at Xi while caressing his head.

Xi finally remembered what happened the time before she passed out.

"Then who was she?" she whispered.

"Who?" Guan asked her, curious.

"Did you see a little girl wearing a red shirt last night?" Xi asked.

"No. You were alone and miserable. You were completely wasted."

Xi was ready to hit her brother again but Guan moved quickly and avoided her.

"Strange." Xi said to herself but she just ran to the bathroom and threw up once again.

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I'm doomed." Xi talked to herself repeatedly.

She spent her day off sleeping and had a hangover. A normal day off would never be enough to finish this paperwork. She just woke up in the evening. Then she realized she made a huge mistake by drinking last night.

She was so stressed out but there was nothing else she could do. It was 11 p.m and an hour away before Cinderella left the party. What a stupid fairytale, she thought. She smirked. She envied Cinderella, in a weird way, for the facts, at least she found her happiness even only for hours. What a luxury thing to dream about for Xi. Tried to stay focused, she just kept pushing her thoughts away and finished that damned paperwork. Mr. Liu would kill her, for sure.

She looked away out of the window. It was a quiet street outside with no one passing by. Until she finally realized a guy stood there watching her. A tall guy with a black leather jacket. His eyes were so sharp as if his stare could kill anybody who looked at it for instance. His face was emotionless. But those eyes were so deep and made her frozen for seconds. When she blinked her eyes to make her vision clearer, she just realized that the mysterious guy had already disappeared.

What just happened scared her and made her close the curtain. It gave her goosebumps.

"WHat… the HelL.. Was that??????" She was so stumped and scared for some moments.

But she just continued her work after because she knew she might be murdered by Mr. Liu if these damned things were not finished.