Feng Ru (25)

"The first time that we met, you told me revenge is the correct way to deal with depression..."

He looked at her. Confirmed. Given her interest in the matter, this villainess was most likely in love with the task she imposed on herself. Her lackluster eyes showed him she badly wanted an answer.

How he wished that he could reply he was simply bullsh*tting back then!

"Girl, to be honest, the best cure for depression is not really known. But I'm sure it's not suicide. It could be to take medication, be happy or not allow those who made you suffer to be happy. There are so many ways. But I want to believe it's revenge, or generalize it as revenge since no matter what, the goal is to show the world that you can stand up after that blow, retaliate, and not allow it to boss you around."

"... I still don't understand..."

Jiang Li shrugged. "The guy earlier was the one who broke Na Yu's heart. It's okay continuing your way. Help her out. Just not through the old stupid method you always employed. Yesterday, she would have been left crying there if you did not embarrass that dork. Compare to immediately killing a scumbag versus making him insane from not knowing why he is always seeing and doing things out of imagination, which is better? Which will help her better?"

"..."

He threw her a glance and saw her deep in her thoughts. It seemed this time the ghost was finally getting what he meant.

If Gu Cheng died due to that windowpane, Na Yu would certainly be affected, either because she still loved him or because she used to be where that object fell. Now that wouldn't happen since all she would remember was Gu Cheng's embarrassment.

Jiang Li yawned then glanced at his wristwatch. The night was no longer young. In a few minutes, he would have to leave and accompany his family to the oncology center.

He was thinking about the band and the university when Feng Ru spoke again. Her voice started off pleasant and ended that way as opposed to her words.

"Jiang Li... Thank you for enlightening me. To show my sincerity. Let me tell you. If you are only a girl, you would have been a target of mine. In my eyes, your shell reeks of depression and desperation. That He Chen you're speaking of has a sad secret, based on the past that I can see. Since you have the same ability there should be no way you don't know about it."

Technically, he was a ghost but unlike this villainess, the memories were from the system. And also, what was with this kind of thank-you gift? He rolled his eyes. But internally, he's thankful that he was no longer remembering something unpleasant.

When Jiang Li was checking the time again, she tried to confirm, "So for He Chen your way of revenge is to help him become famous? Is it to show the one who broke him that while she remained on the ground, he's up the stage doing what he likes and is loved by many?"

He answered, "Yeah." In his mind, he was thinking, 'What a weird set up this is. I'm being interrogated by a ghost.'

"Something is wrong then."

"Oh?" Jiang absentmindedly responded.

"If your goal is that and looking how it's easy for you to make illegal money, why are you helping his father be admitted to a hospital, but here you are, not helping He Chen be cured?"

He was still hung up on the illegal money part so he didn't fully get what she meant by the last part.

"Believe me, I'm now helping him." He simply said.

Feng Ru shook her head. "You're weird. In my eyes too, the ghost inhabiting the shell is just as depressed and lonely. Since you are given the chance to 'live' again, why don't you clear a bit of your obsession at the same time that you are helping He Chen?"

"Not possible."

"Why?"

For once, he was feeling annoyed. How he would answer that? He was not even in his own world. 

Intimidated by the darkness and anger his eyes showed her, Feng Ru shut up. After a minute, however, since she was a persistent ghost, though she did stop asking why he couldn't clear off his own obsession, she still tried to advise.

"I'm saying this since we're the same kind, albeit you are luckier. How about you remain in that body as long as you can and live his life to the fullest."

"I'm not getting your logic. Aren't I doing that already?" He emotionlessly remarked.

Confusion was on her pale face. "What I mean is to extend your time. You threw away the medicine you purchased from that grandpa. You'll die again in three months. And your death will be different from when I was possessing somebody. It's the real second death."

Jiang Li scowled. "What of it?"

His goal was to complete the missions and go back to his world as soon as possible, why would he stay once his business here was completed?

For him, since it was the Original who wanted him to stay for three months, so be it. That fit his interest the best. Three months were more than enough time to do everything that would make Tang Lan unable to forget He Chen. As for the main mission...

He looked at the immature-looking face of the woman. She was the Villainess that he had to 'save' from being crazy in love. And he thinks things were going okay since all he had to do was prevent her from being too in love with the suicide thing.

In any case, she was an intelligent spirit. Now that she was reminded of other ways to help every severely depressed person in this city, he only needs to look out for her for some time to ensure she was not returning to the old ways. His plans were simple, and perhaps naive, in opposed to how complex things in this world appeared to everyone.

"Every ghost lingering around yearns to go back to life. Each of us desires to be free from our unfinished business." She softly said. 

"Obviously?"

"So I don't understand why you don't want to entertain my idea."

"Mine is simply not in this world."

'His unfinished business is no longer in the material world? A person?'

The ghost was probably stumped for words, which he felt very grateful for. Unfortunately, it didn't last for long. Her gaze suddenly became lukewarm as if telling him that he was so hopeless and pitiful. It was simply so strange and hair-raising. It was giving him a bad feeling.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"... The realization just crossed my mind. Maybe it's destiny that you end up in that love fool's body. You two are actually the same. But if it's not too late for you. If it's already a person from the afterlife, then why don't you just move on and try to open up your heart again? After all, she's no longer in the world, not even as a lingering spirit. Maybe, you just didn't know, but your obsession is actually to love again..." 

"What the f*ck!" The moment he heard the villainness' advice, he subconsciously blurted out, disbelief written all over his face. 

He couldn't help but think that she was indeed crazy. 

Where the heck did this spirit's mind wander to? How did she come up with that ridiculous idea?

He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "I'm already insane, so to stop myself from wishing to destroy this world right at this moment, I'll also stop talking to you."

Feng Ru watched him leave his spot and walk towards the staircase. A frown appeared on her deathly white face.

She vanished then reappeared on the doorway, but the man ignored her and continued walking. When she resentfully said to his ears, "I'm just being nice for once. What did I say wrong?", he didn't comment on it.

But when she murmured the word 'weirdo' again and again, Jiang Li felt so offended that he immediately wanted to find a taoist to purify her.