Paper Life 32 Part 1

Yu Changyue was sent to the hospital by ambulance. Shang Nan stayed behind to handle the remaining matters. "Xiao Bai, wait for me here." He looked at the lifeless Yu Zhibai; it had turned back into the appearance it had when Shang Nan first saw him on the first day.

Shang Nan put on his wet jacket and ran towards the front door.

The fire had been extinguished. The sky above the community was blackened by thick smoke, and the smell in the air was choking. Shang Nan found the captain and explained the situation, "I have already sent the person to the hospital."

"Are you a family member?"

"I'm a classmate of the family member. He accompanied his grandmother to the hospital first."

The scene was a mess. The captain checked; the only injured people upstairs were from the household on the sixth floor. If they had already been transported, the numbers matched.

After the fire was out, they still had to count the team members, eliminate hidden dangers, and do a lot of other work. They didn't talk much with Shang Nan and restarted their operations.

Shang Nan slowly backed away, then turned and ran to find Yu Zhibai.

Yu Zhibai was squatting in the corner. Half of his face had been burned. Unlike humans who reveal flesh and blood after being burned, he only had blood vessels in his neck and wrists. The skull was just an object similar to a mold, but this belonged to the Paper Person itself, grown from within its body. It had said that if only the exterior was damaged, it could repair itself quickly, but if the inside was injured, like a human, it would take a long time to heal.

"Is Grandma dead?"

Its trachea had been rolled over by thick smoke, sounding incredibly hoarse.

Shang Nan took out a water-soaked tissue from his pocket, wrung it out, and wiped the dust off Yu Zhibai's face. Its lips were pale, blending into the same color as the facial skin, looking like they had been brushed with a layer of thick white paint.

Shang Nan didn't know how to answer Yu Zhibai's question.

"Xiao Bai, go to my house to fix your face, then we'll go to the hospital to see Grandma." He took off his jacket and put it on Yu Zhibai, pulling up the hood.

On the way home, Shang Nan asked 14: "Can I stay with Yu Zhibai until I die?"

14 answered after a while.

[14: This is a matter of world settings. The mission is now complete, and you can leave at any time. But if you choose to continue staying in this world and extend your stay, in every future world, you will have to live out a full life. This will be a huge waste of time.]

[14: And I do not belong to this world. After the mission is completed, I will be forced offline. After I go offline, I cannot continue to prompt or help you. You must know that you are facing a monster, a Paper Person. I will only come back online when you enter the next world. However, I respect all choices made by the host.]

[14: Nannan, I'll give you time to consider. You don't have to make a decision right now.]

After speaking, 14 changed its online status to invisible.

Shang Nan: "..."

They arrived home.

Yu Xiaoyu saw Yu Zhibai behind Shang Nan and was stunned with fright, "What happened?"

Shang Nan pushed Yu Zhibai into the study. Only after closing the door did he explain to Yu Xiaoyu. Yu Xiaoyu suspected she might have heard wrong, "Fire?"

"Do you want to go see Grandma?" Shang Nan re-braided Yu Xiaoyu's loosening braid, though his skill naturally couldn't compare to Yu Zhibai's.

Yu Xiaoyu pulled a long face, "I can't go out, I'll scare people."

Shang Nan turned his head to look in the direction of the study, slowly retracting his gaze. He looked at Yu Xiaoyu and pinched her braid, "Then Xiao Bai and I will bring Grandma back later, and you can see her then."

The current Yu Changyue actually had no need for treatment anymore. While doctors tried to prolong her life, they were also prolonging her suffering.

For a burn victim, the pain would drill into the internal organs.

Xizhou Private Hospital handled the most difficult and miscellaneous cases in Huinanfang City. They could treat illnesses, but they could not bring the dead back to life.

Yu Changyue was put on oxygen and began receiving massive amounts of IV fluids. A dose of painkiller was administered when getting on the ambulance, and two more were given after entering the emergency room. The old woman unconsciously groaned in a low voice. Being of flesh and blood, how could she not feel pain?

A large group of doctors stood at the nurses' station in the emergency room: burn specialists, geriatrics, surgeons, and the director was there too. Looking at the old woman lying on the emergency bed, he only felt that this was fate.

"Are the family members here?"

The director looked at the report in his hand, "The young master should be arriving soon."

Shang Nan soon arrived with Yu Zhibai. Yu Zhibai looked no different from before on the outside. Paper had been pasted over the wounds and quickly bonded with the original skin, though the internal burns still needed a long time to repair.

Because of the injury, Yu Zhibai's complexion was very poor, no different from white paper. Standing beside Shang Nan, the doctor even asked him if he was feeling unwell anywhere.

"No, thank you for your concern." He smiled politely.

The director briefly explained the situation to Shang Nan. The gist was essentially about the final moments—try to make the old woman pass with less pain. It was estimated to happen within today or tomorrow.

Shang Nan handed the agreement to give up treatment to Yu Zhibai to sign. The director handed the fountain pen from his pocket to Yu Zhibai. Watching the young man bend down to sign on the table, he said, "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are human nature. Those who remain must live well to be worthy of the elder's upbringing."

Shang Nan looked at Yu Zhibai's pale profile. He thought, he still wanted to stay.

The hospital had a special vehicle responsible for transporting critically ill patients. They even carried Yu Changyue upstairs. After settling her in bed, they left.

This was the guest room where Shang Nan lived. The sheets and duvet cover were new, changed when Yu Changyue was brought over for the New Year previously. Considering the elderly are afraid of the cold, an extra quilt was added.

At this moment, Yu Changyue lay in the fluffy and soft quilt, her expression peaceful. The painkillers must have taken effect.

Yu Zhibai sat on the chair beside the bed, looking expressionlessly at the person lying on the bed. Yu Xiaoyu behind him didn't dare make a single sound. She stared blankly at Yu Changyue, endured for a long time, then whispered to Shang Nan, "Will Grandma get better?"

Shang Nan gently shook his head.

Yu Xiaoyu couldn't cry, but she wanted to cry very much. "Last time you got hurt, you healed yourself. Why can't Grandma get better?"

Last time, Shang Nan was scalded by noodle soup. Yu Xiaoyu told him to find Yu Zhibai to fix it. Shang Nan said there was no need. Yu Xiaoyu thought it was magical; humans were truly amazing, able to heal themselves after getting hurt. She just didn't know that injuries also varied in severity. In a situation like Yu Changyue's, everyone was powerless.

Yu Changyue was in a coma the whole time. Yu Zhibai sat by the bed continuously, leaving only once in between to make dinner for Shang Nan. Shang Nan wanted to do it himself, but he refused.

"Accompanying her on her final journey is what I should do. Taking care of you is also what I should do." Yu Zhibai rolled up his sleeves. His complexion was a bit better than before, his pupils pitch-black.

Shang Nan moved a small stool and sat in the kitchen.

He watched Yu Zhibai's busy back, thinking about what the other had just said. After a while, he asked softly, "Are you okay?"

The scene of Yu Zhibai shedding tears earlier was deeply etched in Shang Nan's mind. Yu Changyue was his only relative; how could he not be sad? Even if he didn't remember Yu Changyue, he still rushed into the fire immediately, using his body as a buffer for Yu Changyue. Deep inside the Paper Person's heart, it still understood that this was its last relative in this world.

Yu Zhibai looked back at Shang Nan, "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are human nature, aren't they?"

"That is true, but..." Shang Nan said in a low voice.

"Do you prefer white pepper or black pepper?" Yu Zhibai frowned slightly, looking at the two seasoning bottles in his hand.

Shang Nan: "..."

......

In the latter half of the night, Yu Changyue woke up. Yu Zhibai got up and fed her a small sip of water, then sat back on the chair, watching Yu Changyue quietly.

Everything was destined. Yu Changyue's body weakened day by day. Perhaps she had predicted her death not long after the beginning. The closer Yu Zhibai got to being a Paper Person, the closer she was to death.

So later on, she waited at home for that day to arrive.

Until Shang Nan's appearance. After Shang Nan appeared, Yu Zhibai became a bit like Little Yu again. Yu Changyue wanted to struggle again, to stay for a few more years, thinking maybe Little Yu would come back.

"Do you still want water?" Yu Zhibai held the water cup, his tone indifferent.

This was not Little Yu.

Yu Changyue looked at him and turned her head away.

After waking up, Yu Changyue didn't say a single word to Yu Zhibai. When the sky turned bright in the morning, Yu Changyue's consciousness became chaotic. She gasped for air a few times, her eyes wide open, and finally let out a long breath before slowly closing her eyes.

Yu Changyue died.

Yu Zhibai lowered his eyes. After a long while, he placed the water cup on the bedside table, ignoring the discomfort of wanting to vomit surging from the bottom of his stomach. This wasn't something that made it very sad.

It should go prepare Nannan's breakfast.

When Shang Nan woke up, Yu Zhibai had already arranged Yu Changyue's remains. Yu Xiaoyu changed Yu Changyue into red longevity clothes. Yu Changyue's body was already stiff; her head was elevated, and her expression was peaceful.

Everything happened quickly after that. The Yu family had no relatives or friends. The funeral was held in Yu Changyue's hometown, in the countryside. There were only Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai at the funeral. Two Paper Persons with naively charming expressions stood on both sides of the coffin; one was Yu Xiaoyu, and the other was the previous semi-finished product. Yu Zhibai used half an hour to turn the semi-finished product into a finished one.

The sky was a thin smoky gray. Fine rain covered this place gently like mist. Water droplets fell pitter-patter from the eaves of the old house, smashing into the overgrown courtyard and creating little mud pits.

Shang Nan found a few strong men nearby to help carry the coffin so Yu Changyue could be buried smoothly. These people were locals and knew Yu Changyue's family. Initially, they looked reluctant upon hearing help was needed, but hearing Shang Nan say he was willing to pay, they immediately fought to carry the coffin, and their tone when speaking to Shang Nan became flattering.

One of the men, named Da Zhuang, hoisted the two Paper Persons and shouted, "Little Yu really got Granny Yu's true teachings."

Yu Zhibai carried the paper money and candles, holding Shang Nan's hand without saying a word.

Although the country folk had some petty calculations about Yu Changyue, they were essentially very simple. They took the money and worked very efficiently.

The group quickly buried Yu Changyue, used sickles to chop down the surrounding weeds and trees cleanly, and bowed before leaving.

After they left, the surroundings immediately returned to silence. Bird calls rang out constantly overhead—all kinds of birds. The crowns of the trees in the dense forest were pressed tightly together, forming a giant canopy that blocked the drizzling rain, though a few raindrops would still leak down from the time to time.

Shang Nan wiped the water droplets off his forehead and looked at the simple grave that had been quickly piled up in front of him.

Yu Changyue, who was still lying in the quilt yesterday, was lying in this wet little earthen mound in front of Shang Nan today.

Right next to it was Yu She's grave. It no longer looked like a grave; it was covered in weeds, yellow and green interlaced. This was still winter; come spring, it would probably bloom with a whole patch of flowers.

Yu Zhibai lit white candles and incense, inserting them into the soil one by one. He burned a large pile of paper money. The flickering firelight reflected on his face; he had no expression, doing all this mechanically.

Shang Nan withdrew his gaze from his face, squatted down to take a few incense sticks from the bag. The lighter was also taken from Yu Zhibai's pocket.

The flames flickered beneath the incense sticks, and wisps of white smoke rose from the tips. Shang Nan closed the lighter. The wind blew from the side, ash fell to the ground, and the remaining parts continued to burn.

Shang Nan froze for a moment, then showed joy and said to Yu Zhibai, "Xiao Bai, the incense is lit."

Yu She's incense had never been able to be lit. She had refused to leave, unable to let go of Yu Zhibai. At this moment, after Yu Zhibai's blackening value was cleared to zero, she was finally willing to leave and no longer obsessively guard the Red Stone Tunnel.

Yu Zhibai took the lighter from Shang Nan's hand, flipped the lid, and placed the flame under the corner of Yu Xiaoyu's clothes.

Yu Xiaoyu held hands with the paper boy next to her. She happily bid farewell to Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai: "Goodbye Xiao Bai, goodbye Shang Nan." She and her companion were prepared for Yu Changyue's passing in the first place.

After Yu Changyue was buried, Shang Nan and Yu Zhibai rushed back to the city. They took the company car, and the driver was still Li Houde. The family car couldn't allow Yu Changyue to lie flat, plus there were two Paper Persons.

It felt a bit crowded when they came, but on the way back, the car felt desolate and cold.

After returning, school would start.

Shang Nan hadn't rested well these past few days. He leaned on Yu Zhibai's shoulder and dozed off. Seeing Shang Nan close his eyes, Li Houde turned up the temperature of the air conditioner.

The winding mountain road had one sharp turn after another. The road was slippery due to the rain, so the speed was slow. Li Houde drove cautiously.

Mist shrouded down from the mountain top to the mountainside. Visibility was very low, and the sky looked almost like it was night.

In the haziness, Shang Nan heard the sound of gongs and drums, among which the suona's tune was the most high-pitched and piercing. The distance was getting closer. He slowly lifted his eyelids, but could only half-open them, as if in a dream.

A group of people passed by their car. They were expressionless, their faces pale, their steps unsteady. The people in front beat gongs and blew suonas, and the people following behind were endless.

But Shang Nan didn't have the strength to get up. He felt like he was being held down, only able to watch this procession of obviously non-humans pass by the car.

Until he saw the bouncing and vivacious Yu Xiaoyu, and the boy walking beside Yu Xiaoyu—the paper boy Yu Zhibai had just finished not long ago.

And, Zhang Gou.

Behind Yu Xiaoyu were two palanquins. After seeing the faces of the people on them clearly, Shang Nan's heartbeat almost stopped—it was Yu Changyue who had just died, and Yu She who had passed away many years ago but remained in the Red Stone Tunnel.

When passing by, the two turned their heads and smiled faintly at him.

Following the palanquins was the unfinished procession. Among the similarly pale and green faces, Shang Nan saw several people he knew: Lu Yang, Li Rongping—the latter was crawling slowly on the ground with a collar around his neck, led by a rope held by the person in front.

Shang Xuan, who only lived in memories and had never been met; and... Dai Lili holding a bunch of white chrysanthemums. Dai Lili had a dull expression, her face bruised and dark, walking numbly in the team.

This was a spirit-sending procession. All those who had harmed Yu Changyue and Yu She had come to send them off at this moment. They were all dead.