Summoning the Soul

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

In the guesthouse room, Miao Yingying and Bai Hui were in the same room. Miao Yingying stayed in the room to take care of Bai Hui. When she saw Bai Hui come out of the bathroom, she picked up a hairdryer and dried Bai Hui's hair.

"You scared me to death! What were you doing dancing on the boat all of a sudden?" Miao Yingying said, still shaken. "Luckily you were on the same boat as Liu Chang'an. If you had been on the same boat as me, you would have been finished."

"It's a new dance I learned, and I haven't recorded a video yet. I want to see the reaction. If Liu Chang'an thinks it's good, it must be pretty good." Bai Hui's face was also a little pale. "Before I got on the boat, I asked her if she would save me if I fell into the water, and she said she would, so I dared to jump."

"Liu Chang'an doesn't seem to be a very good swimmer either. I remember he almost lost his life when he went to rescue Zhao Wuqiang that time," Miao Yingying recalled.

"So I have to thank him." Bai Hui thought of a word, blushed slightly, but bit her lip and looked a little angry. "You know... when I fell into the water and first started struggling and calling for help, I saw him smiling at me!"

"Oh my god, isn't that terrifying? It feels like a murderer getting what he wanted. Otherwise, who would laugh when they see someone about to drown!" Miao Yingying said in horror as she imagined the scene.

Bai Hui nodded in agreement. "His smile gave me quite a fright. Then I was rescued, and my heart skipped a beat before I passed out."

"Gao Dewei and I rushed over in our boat and saw you being turned over and over in his hands like a salted fish. But the rescue was quite effective; you regained consciousness immediately." Miao Yingying breathed a sigh of relief. "Why didn't you wear a life jacket?"

"There weren't any on that ship, and he wouldn't just stand by and watch someone die, so I didn't pay any attention to it."

"Pah, you're handing your life over to him."

"I didn't think that far ahead! Who would have imagined falling into the water!"

"Sigh, they already thought we were a bit slow, and now that you've fallen into the water, Liu Chang'an and Gao Dewei are probably laughing at us," Miao Yingying said sullenly.

"You're starting to resent me?" Bai Hui scratched her head. "You're used to being bullied by them, aren't you!"

"Hehe, but he saved your life, so logically speaking, your relationship has made a big step forward." Miao Yingying giggled.

"We're just friends, not like Gao Dewei. Don't interfere... It's fine as it is now. You keep trying to make things awkward between us." Bai Hui slapped Miao Yingying.

Miao Yingying disagreed. She was Bai Hui's best friend, not An Nuan's. Of course, she would support Bai Hui's preferences. There was no need for her to be so rational and neutral.

"You can go out first, I'll change my clothes." Bai Hui and Miao Yingying had brought clothes with them to play, so they could change if they fell into the water.

"Go out where? I've noticed you're getting a lot more of these spoiled princess quirks lately." Miao Yingying ripped off the bath towel Bai Hui was wearing.

"You're going to die!" Bai Hui quickly raised her hand to cover herself, her cheeks flushed.

"It's been so long... Oh my god..." Miao Yingying hugged a bath towel and rolled around on the bed, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm so smitten with you, why don't I have a figure like that..."

Bai Hui ignored her and took out the lotion to apply. Girls start to age after sixteen and must take good care of their delicate skin... It's not that it's for men's enjoyment, but doing this kind of thing has a sense of ritual and accomplishment, and it's a necessary procedure to satisfy her refined girlish life.

When Bai Hui and Miao Yingying came downstairs, it was already dark. Gao Dewei was tending a fire next to the large stove in the yard. There was an enormous pot on the stove, big enough to make you take a bath in.

"Where's Liu Chang'an?" Miao Yingying asked on Bai Hui's behalf.

"He went to the lake to summon Bai Hui's spirit," Gao Dewei said admiringly. "Chang'an is amazing; he can do everything."

"What's so great about that? He even practices feudal superstition?" Miao Yingying found many of Liu Chang'an's actions utterly absurd. "Also, before the college entrance exam, I went to pray to Buddha, and you were very disdainful of that, weren't you? Liu Chang'an's 'summoning spirits' thing is even more ridiculous."

"Your grades are just so-so. No matter how much you pray to gods and Buddhas, it's better for me to explain a couple more problems to you. That's the right way. You're ignoring two great classmates to pray to a bodhisattva who has to deal with countless test-takers. Are you stupid? If you were as pretty as An Nuan, maybe even the bodhisattva would give you a second glance, but you're not that..."

"I'll beat you to death, Gao Dewei, I'll beat you to death!" Miao Yingying picked up a fire poker from the ground and attacked Gao Dewei, who was still trying to reason with her.

Bai Hui smiled and shook her head, ignoring the two playfully fighting, and walked towards the lake.

In the October evening, darkness fell earlier than usual, making the tranquil lake appear exceptionally deep and serene. Bai Hui saw Liu Chang'an holding a sieve filled with rice. He tossed a handful of rice into the lake, shouting, "Rice from the East, rice from the West, rice from the South, rice from the North, rice from the Four Great Directions and Five Directions! Bai Hui, return! I beg the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, the Soul-Receiving Child, to bring back Bai Hui's courage and spirit!"

After repeating this several times, Liu Chang'an scattered all the rice into the lake, sang a section of Qu Yuan's "Summoning the Soul," and then turned around and walked back, where he saw Bai Hui standing by the roadside.

"Uncle Gao came over and heard that you fell into the water. He said he had to call back your soul, otherwise the water ghost would grab your soul at night and make you have nightmares. I said I could do it, so there was no need for him to go to his troubles," Liu Chang'an explained.

"Thank you." Bai Hui smiled gently. Although she didn't believe in these feudal superstitions, it was still a token of her appreciation. However, she also understood that if Gao Yuanshan hadn't mentioned it, Liu Chang'an wouldn't have come to help her with this.

"You're welcome."

"How can I repay this life-saving grace? It feels like in ancient times, I would have to kowtow and bow, then become your godfather or sworn brother, give you a whole bunch of gifts, and visit you every year during festivals, help you with farming and other work..."

"Godfather is good." Liu Chang'an nodded, seemingly in complete agreement.

"Huh?" Bai Hui was just joking, she didn't expect Liu Chang'an to be so serious.

"Just kidding." Liu Chang'an wouldn't casually become someone's godfather or sworn brother.

"How annoying!" Bai Hui patted her cheeks. "By the way, your phone got wet, didn't it? I'll buy you a new one... Don't be shy, it's my fault after all."

"No need, my phone didn't get wet."

"A waterproof phone?"

"No, why do you think I'd be so stupid as to jump into the water to save someone without even taking out my phone?"

"I had already fallen into the water, and you were still thinking that your phone couldn't get wet?"

"Of course, I also took off my shirt and pants, leaving only my underwear on, since I didn't bring any spare clothes."

"Liu Chang'an, your phone didn't get wet, it's my brain that's gotten wet!"

"I already knew that." Liu Chang'an gave Bai Hui a relieved smile; she finally realized how foolish she had been.

Bai Hui stormed back, still lying on top of Liu Chang'an when she regained consciousness. She hadn't even noticed why Liu Chang'an was shirtless at the time. Later, when Miao Yingying helped her upstairs, she hadn't thought about it either. Only now did she realize that he not only found it amusing that she had fallen into the water, but also calmly took out his phone, took off his clothes, and only then came to rescue her... If An Nuan had fallen into the water, would he have acted like this when rescuing her?

Bai Hui pressed her hand to her chest, trying to remind herself that having sound values is the sexiest label. If someone saves her, she should just be grateful and not worry about whether they were in a hurry to save her... But the swelling feeling in her chest really made her feel like she was about to explode with anger!