"Tap, tap, tap..."
It was early March, and dawn had barely broken. A few lingering stars dotted the pale blue sky. A spring rain had just washed over the city, leaving the air rich with the smell of damp earth. On the horizon, a lonely, slight figure walked through a city of towering buildings, looking so small, yet still pressing on toward the distance.
Gradually, a pale light appeared at the edge of the sky. The faint morning sun struggled through the clouds and shone upon the earth, draping it in a golden glow.
"Another job done," the young man sighed as he watched three thousand yuan arrive in his phone account. "But now there's one less person's mark left in this world."
He walked across the rain-soaked ground, pulled on a denim hat, and entered a breakfast shop nearby.
"Boss, one serving of soup dumplings and a bowl of soy milk."
"Sure! Just a moment!"
There were few customers in the shop. Maybe it was because it had just rained; nobody felt like coming out to eat.
Lin Yiyi took off his hat and aimlessly scrolled through short videos. Then he came across a mobile game.
The video showcased a game with stunning visuals. Its distinctive camera work introduced viewers to the cultures and customs of the various nations in its vast world.
"The game's good, but there are all kinds of people out there, and the community's getting worse by the day." Lin Yiyi shook his head. The game was Genshin Impact, the hugely popular anime-style open-world mobile game.
Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he'd opened Genshin Impact on his phone. The last time he'd played was after the New Year celebrations earlier this year.
Accompanied by ethereal music, a massive stone gate slowly took shape. It stood there in silence, waiting for one traveler after another to push it open.
Beyond the gate lay another world.
He claimed his Welkin Moon rewards, did his commissions, converted his resin, and farmed the Marechaussee Hunter artifact domain. Maybe because he'd been away for so long, the game had unusually given him a double-crit, HP% sands...
It was from the Golden Troupe set, though, and his Furina already had an HP% sands with nearly 50 CV and four useful stats.
"To the stars..."
"Thank you..."
The day-in, day-out grind had gradually worn away his interest in the game. Thinking back, he'd once sworn he'd love it forever.
Suddenly, an update window popped up on the screen.
"So it's version 4.5 today. Chiori's banner will be updated too, right? I'll spend a little and pull for C6R5 when it comes. Wait, I think there's still a guarantee on my account."
People online liked to brag about how strong their accounts were, but some average players undoubtedly exaggerated their skill. For the record, if you opened Lin Yiyi's Genshin Impact character roster on HoYoLAB, you'd find an inconspicuous "6" in the top-right corner of every single character portrait on that little brat's account.
And every one of those characters had their signature weapon beside them, all marked "Refinement Rank 5."
That's right. He was a veteran player with every character at C6 and every signature weapon at R5.
Maintenance usually lasted until eleven, though the servers generally came back an hour early. It was only just past seven now. Fortunately, the young man had been invited to a funeral to pass the long wait.
After breakfast, as the sun slowly rose over the horizon, Lin Yiyi put on his denim hat and headed to the funeral hall early.
"Ah, Xiao Lin! Come on, have a seat."
Lin Yiyi had barely sat down when a middle-aged man carrying some things passed by him. Lin Yiyi recognized him from the hospital, where he'd seen him for some time.
A week earlier, at Guo City First People's Hospital
"Young man, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, my old mother would've gone to meet the Buddha."
The young man set down a large box and brushed the dust off himself.
The middle-aged man's surname was Xu, and his name was Xu Nian. At that moment, his mother lay in a hospital bed.
The events leading up to it were simple. Lin Yiyi had spotted a crowd gathered at a street corner. Never one to pass up a chance to see what was happening, he'd run over to take a look.
He regretted looking. An elderly woman was lying on the ground, suffering a sudden illness.
While the bystanders watched, Lin Yiyi didn't stop to think. Drawing on what he knew of traditional Chinese medicine, he immediately pressed several acupoints on the old woman, then gave her some medicine. Her condition actually began to improve.
When the ambulance siren sounded, everyone scattered. True to his belief that if you helped someone, you should see it through, Lin Yiyi scanned for a shared electric bike and followed the ambulance.
At the hospital entrance, Lin Yiyi met Xu Nian. The reason was that Lin Yiyi had accidentally spilled cola on the other man's clothes while opening a can.
The young man was full of apologies, but Xu Nian's mother was in critical condition, and he didn't hold it against him.
Feeling guilty, Lin Yiyi offered to help Xu Nian with some of the odd jobs.
In the hospital room, Lin Yiyi silently watched the old woman, who remained unconscious.
"The doctor examined her and said there's a malignant tumor in Mom's brain. They recommend immediate surgery, but she's already so old. The risks are too high."
Lin Yiyi looked at the towering figure before him. Every man had to face this one day, and the young man had seen too many partings and deaths. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
The older man looked far more weathered than usual. Lin Yiyi could only offer some comfort. "It's all right. She'll get better."
Even though he knew the old woman wouldn't last a week, he couldn't bring himself to tell Xu Nian the truth.
"My old mother used to be a doctor, too. Do you remember the epidemic in 2003? She worked tirelessly through it, going to the front lines even after she'd turned sixty." Xu Nian's eyes were slightly red and swollen. "When the epidemic ended, she didn't receive any compensation. Not even one person cheered for her."
"Mom never complained. She believed a person should live humbly and uprightly. If she really has to go, the King of Hell will surely let her leave in peace." Xu Nian's voice caught in his throat.
All people must die; some deaths are lighter than a feather, others weightier than Mount Tai.
Lin Yiyi's face remained expressionless. After witnessing so many partings, he'd grown all the more numb to such things. Still, he did his best to comfort Xu Nian with empty words like, "What if there's a miracle?" and "Everything will be all right."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Yiyi left, saying he'd look after the old woman for a few days.
"Until she passes," Lin Yiyi murmured.
Lin Yiyi wandered aimlessly down the street. He spotted an anime merchandise shop nearby and, being a Genshin Impact player, went in to have a look.
Inside, he found all kinds of merchandise: badges, standees, cards, instant photos, figurines, and more. There was so much to take in.
Lin Yiyi looked through them all but didn't find anything he particularly liked, so he settled on a Genshin Impact blind box.
When he opened it, he found a button badge. The illustration showed a girl with plum blossoms in her eyes. She seemed lively, cute, and a little mischievous.
"...Is this a hint that I can go straight into the ground?" Lin Yiyi sighed. He gave the badge to a Hu Tao cosplayer nearby, then left.
Time waits for no one. Today was the old woman's fifth day in the hospital.
Under Lin Yiyi's attentive care, the old woman's complexion had remained rosy. That was the only thing that made Xu Nian happy. But she still hadn't said a word, and that was what made him unhappy.
Lin Yiyi quietly took the old woman's pulse. Much as he didn't want to, he could still feel its irregularity—and the death pulse he least wanted to find.
"It seems she doesn't have much time left. I should let her son talk to her." Lin Yiyi thought, then inserted silver needles into several of the old woman's acupoints.
Take one last look at the only thing you still care about. See this world for me. Fly high above the clouds for me.
Before you continue