In the car, Chen Miao opened the book and read its altered contents.
"..."
"The next day, out of curiosity, I decided not to head straight back. I wanted to follow Chen Guokun and the others, broaden my horizons, and see just what was so remarkable about that feng shui formation."
"After discussing it, we decided to visit Yue Na's grave first."
"..."
"The empty grave we discovered cast a shadow over our hearts. We found the cemetery caretaker and asked him about it, but he knew nothing."
"As someone working in the funeral industry, I knew a little about cemeteries, so I immediately asked to see the salesperson who had handled Yue Na's arrangements."
"From that salesperson, we learned where the ashes and personal effects had gone. We also heard a story that left us speechless."
"Afterward, the three of us arrived at an orphanage called 'Yue Getting Better' and found the child named Yue Xiaodao."
"Yue Xiaodao led us to the orphanage's backyard, where we saw three locust trees."
"Many red cords were tied to the branches, connecting them to one another. Objects resembling wish plaques hung from some of the branches."
"Beneath the trees, between the three trunks, stood an elaborate little wooden house about half a person's height, complete with a door and windows."
"All sorts of cartoon images were painted on the outside."
"Judging by the different styles, they must have been painted by many different people."
"If Yue Xiaodao hadn't told us the ashes were inside, I would never have guessed that the house served essentially the same purpose as a coffin."
"After learning that the ashes and personal effects were inside, Chen Guokun obtained Yue Xiaodao's permission and went over to inspect them."
"Throughout all this, I kept feeling that something was wrong."