Ding Yumian

Shanghe Street was an old street where modern and traditional buildings stood side by side, giving it a charm all its own.

Mo Xie's footsteps went tap, tap against the weathered stone pavement.

He studied the houses on either side. It looked as though no one had lived in them for a long time.

The street was empty too, without a single person in sight. It felt desolate.

It was bearable in daylight, but at night, who would dare walk down this street alone?

After walking for a while, he spotted a thin plume of cooking smoke rising in the distance.

Smoke meant someone lived there.

Hadn't the old man said everyone on the street had moved away? How could anyone still be here?

Mo Xie frowned and headed toward the smoke. Only when he drew near did he realize it was coming from an inn.

Unlike the dusty, cobweb-covered houses he had passed, the inn was spotless. Someone clearly lived here and cleaned it regularly.

Beside the inn stood a large courtyard.

Flowers and other plants grew inside, their fragrance drifting on the breeze.

An elderly woman lounged in a reclining chair, basking lazily in the sun.

She was probably the owner of the inn.

"Who are you?"

A girl's voice rang out behind him, clear as a bell.

Mo Xie turned. A girl stood behind him.

She had a quiet, gentle air, with a delicate oval face, long lashes, lively eyes, a straight nose, and soft pink lips with a dewy sheen. Her fair face gave her the ethereal beauty of a fairy stepped out of a painting.

She dressed simply in a white T-shirt, skinny jeans, and black-and-white canvas shoes.

Her exposed skin was smooth and luminous, as pale as ivory.

She was tall and shapely, and