Was this the world after death?
Surrounded by boundless darkness, Mu Yu felt as though he was about to turn into a stone that could neither feel nor think.
Souls existed, but there seemed to be no hell or heaven.
Everything had vanished, leaving only eternal darkness. It was truly agonizing!
Mu Yu's parents had died when he was very young, and his grandfather had raised him single-handedly.
Because of that, his grandfather's personality and way of dealing with things had deeply influenced him.
His grandfather was a laid-back man who often brewed a pot of tea, lay back in a reclining chair, basked in the sun, and let half the day drift by in leisure.
Or he would take a fishing rod to the lakeside and sit there. If he caught a fat fish, he would use it as a snack with his liquor; if he caught nothing, that was fine too. He had enjoyed himself either way.
As his grandfather put it, "The joy of fishing lies not in the catch."
Mu Yu often mocked his grandfather's lifestyle as that of a "salted fish"!
But his grandfather never minded. Instead, he would cheerfully lecture Mu Yu about philosophies such as "contentment brings happiness."
He also often used the words of ancient figures like Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Su Dongpo to brush him off.
The old man's favorite quotation was a line from Dongpo—
"Between heaven and earth, everything has its owner. If it is not mine, I shall not take even a hair of it. Only the clear breeze over the river and the bright moon among the mountains—heard by the ear, they become sound; met by the eye, they become color. They may be taken without restraint and used without exhaustion. They are the Creator's inexhaustible treasure."
It was practically brainwashing.
Although Mu Yu acted dismissive, he had still inevitably been influenced.
By the time the old man realized something was wrong, Mu Yu had already gained a resounding nickname in the village—Little Old Man!
How could a grandson grow up to become a Little Old Man?
Young people still needed to strive, didn't they?
The old man suddenly came to his senses and decided to correct Mu Yu's lazy disposition.
Whenever he had the chance, he would drill sayings into Mu Yu's head, like "Success comes from preparation; failure comes from lack of it. Never fight an unprepared battle," and "A lifetime passes like grass through autumn; geese leave traces when they fly, and people leave their names behind."
But it was basically useless. Once a lazy temperament had taken root, how could it be changed just because someone said so?
Still, Mu Yu could not stand hearing the old man chant in his ear all the time.
So, Mu Yu made an agreement with his grandfather—first earn five million, then he could do whatever he wanted!
Only after arriving in the city did Mu Yu realize that his grandfather had completely fooled him.
Five million was a small goal?
Wasn't that even harder than "give me a hundred pictures every day and let me pick whatever I wanted"?
Half a year later.
The old house left behind by his parents was demolished for redevelopment, and he had achieved one-third of his small goal.
With startup capital, "starting a business" became much easier.
In the end, Mu Yu set his sights on the rental market and planned to become a leisurely landlord.
After a round of hard work, he finalized the deal and completed all the paperwork.
One month later.
The rental building Mu Yu had purchased not long ago was slated for demolition. He had achieved his small goal several times over!
Not to mention anyone else, even Mu Yu himself was stunned.
What kind of luck was this?
How could a mere ancestral grave emitting green smoke possibly describe it?
The old man was furious, but there was nothing he could do about Mu Yu!
After all, they had made an agreement!
Those two demolitions turned Mu Yu into a famous local tycoon, and matchmakers nearly wore down his doorstep.
Then his grandfather started chanting again, making a fuss about wanting to hold a great-grandchild.
Mu Yu was speechless. Wasn't that far too greedy?
A blind date was just a blind date. Mu Yu was not all that opposed to it deep down.
And then, there was no then.
Perhaps his reputation for being rich was simply too well-known, because criminals broke into his home.
Even handing over all the money in his bank card was not enough, because rumors claimed that he had hundreds of times more money than what was in that card.
Then Mu Yu was stabbed.
The criminals panicked and fled in disarray. One of them even apologized to him—he had not meant to do it; he had only wanted to scare him.
He would have been better off saying nothing!
If he had said nothing, Mu Yu would not have felt so aggrieved.
Mu Yu struggled to call 120, but the small town he lived in had beautiful mountains, beautiful waters, and beautiful scenery—yet it was simply too remote.
The ambulance ultimately failed to arrive in time!
As he lay on the brink of death, Mu Yu did not know why, but his mind was filled with his grandfather's teachings, things like "geese leave traces when they fly, and people leave their names behind."
At the very end, Mu Yu used his phone to record his final wish—to donate his organs to those in need!
Mu Yu did not think himself great or noble. He only wanted to leave something behind, to keep living in another way. That was all!
His grandfather would surely be comforted when he learned of it!
Just then, Mu Yu suddenly saw threads of light emerging from within the darkness.
Light—it really was light?!
He wanted to go there!
He had truly had enough of that endless deathly silence and darkness!
He did not know how much time had passed before Mu Yu slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was an incomparably beautiful and intelligent woman, with exquisite features, picturesque brows and eyes, red lips, and white teeth.
The instant he saw her, Mu Yu was so moved that he almost wanted to cry.
It had been too long. He had stayed in that sunless place for far too long.
As though she had seen through his feelings, the beautiful woman said nothing. She merely helped him up and then gave him a big hug.
Mu Yu instinctively reached out and tightly embraced the woman he was meeting for the first time.
No words could describe Mu Yu's feelings at that moment—being moved, excitement, joy, delight, remembrance, relief, gratitude.
Mu Yu did not know how long they embraced. There was no lust in his heart, but he simply could not bear to let go.
He had been trapped in that dark space for far, far too long!
The woman did not urge him. She only continued to comfort him.
Half a day later.
Mu Yu was somewhat bewildered.
"You mean... you're a god, and to repay my kindness, you used a World Tree Seed to 'plant' me?"
The intelligent beauty nodded very seriously. "That's right."
Mu Yu's mind was a mess.
Could people be planted too?
Maybe they could?!
Hadn't Great God Nuwa molded humans out of clay?
Enkidu and Kikyo the Shaman both had bodies of clay.
If dirt could do it, then wood certainly could too!
Did that make him a "true plant person"?
He did not doubt the Goddess's identity, but that did not mean Mu Yu had no questions.
"Sorry, but I really can't remember when I ever helped you. Also, if you're a god, I shouldn't have been able to help you, right?"
"Do you remember the heart you donated before you died?"
Mu Yu nodded.
A faint smile appeared on the Goddess's face, gentle and beautiful. "The heart beating in my chest right now is the one you donated!"
Huh?
Mu Yu was confused.
"If you're a god, do you still need my heart?"
The Goddess's expression darkened. "I made a grave mistake and had my divine power sealed. Besides, I'm only a Humble Goddess!"
All right!
Mu Yu said nothing more, nor did he try to comfort her.
No matter how "humble" a god might be, she was still a god!
Of course, the Goddess had not intended for Mu Yu to comfort her. With a casual gesture, she conjured a mirror.
"Look. This is what you look like now. Are you satisfied?"
The moment he saw his reflection in the mirror, Mu Yu was utterly stunned.
Was this him?
He could vaguely still make out traces of his former features, but their proportions had clearly been optimized. His nose bridge was taller, while his eyes were larger and more beautiful.
Compared to before his death, he looked far more youthful.
Before dying, he had been a young man in his twenties. But now, he looked no older than twelve.
Most importantly—
He was way too handsome!!!
It was as if his features had been kissed by God—no, kissed by the Goddess!
What was he supposed to do about being so handsome?
The thought of girls chasing after him all day in the future gave Mu Yu a headache!
Troublesome!
Before you continue