Chapter Text
If Lu Guang has to describe his life in one word, it would definitely be that it was mundane.
He was just an ordinary person, living a ordinary life, where everyday it seemed like he was living in a constant loop - wake up, eat, open his photo shop, serve some patrons, eat, sleep.
This fixed schedule of his would rarely ever be interrupted. To him, it was a relaxing thing, as he was not fond of having his routine disrupted.
Therefore, if he ever does receive some texts or phone calls from his family, he would always ignore them with a grumble on his face. After all, they were currently nothing but a hinderance in his life.
(But, he would probably die before he would admit that he missed spending time with them, and how sometimes, when the world turns mute and the sky are full of shining stars looking down at him, he wonders if he should have followed their instructions like a puppet instead.)
Despite that, once something has already been broken, can it really go back to the way it was?
If anyone were to describe Lu Guang, it was that he was an introvert with so much wisdom on the tip of his tongue. Someone who is very mature for his age.
That was what made him popular in his teenage years. Ever since he gave advice and was the only one able to convince a suicidal girl that there was so much more to life, rumors spread like wildfire that he should be the one others should turn to for counselling. Students would pop into his classrooms everyday, asking him for advice.
Though, whether he answers, that is another question for another day.
The school counsellor even offered him a part time-job once. It was a great deal, but he politely declined it. He had no interest in those sort of things, and it was pressurising, having so many people depending on him.
Lu Guang has always enjoyed the idea of photography. As the saying goes "A picture speaks a thousand words", he thinks that there are so much more to pictures than anyone says. Some may call it overthinking, but he would protest by saying that he was analysing the photograph, looking from different perspectives and trying to make up the photographer's thoughts.
That was the magic of pictures.
So, could someone explain to him why there was a faint silhouette of a human being in one of his photographs?
He was indulging in his hobby after he had closed up the shop. Since he only had a few appointments, he made a last minute decision to go to the nearby forest to snap some quick photos of the crystal clear water.
He took out a random camera, one that he had just bought recently from a thrift store. He could not understand why the owner would throw it away, since it was still in perfect condition.
The reason he decided to bring this instead of his other cameras was the fact that it was going to be quite dark in the forest, and he did not want to risk scratching his those expensive valuables for just a simple photoshoot.
By the time he had reach there with his camera, the surroundings was almost pitch black, the only source of light was from the few fireflies fluttering around. Even then, it was still pretty dim that one would have to be aware of their surroundings and be wary of possible dangers.
He loved this view, and he loved the tranquility of the place even more. Since it was night time, not many would hang out in this area, making it a perfect place to take a breather from life and relax.
Having been to this place so many times that he knows it like the back of his hand, he lets his instinct and body guide him around the area - more specifically, to a certain destination that he would always end up at no matter what.
The cool breeze mischievously teases his white hair and kisses his skin, and he hums in enjoyment at the barely audible sounds of the crickets chirping. He immediately stops when he reaches the area, and like always, it looked magnificent. In broad daylight, one could never cherish the beauty of this place, with the blinding, bright sunlight reflecting off the blue, calming water.
At night however, it was a different sight with the moon and stars illuminating a soft, white hue, and the waves on the water capturing it perfectly. Occasionally, Lu Guang would spot the little waves that would magically appear out of nowhere, and how the force of the playful wind would disrupt the stagnant, calm water and cause ripples to appear.
He strolled down on the slope of grass patch to the edge of the water. He lightly taps the shallow water with his shoe, and marvels at how the water reacted. He holds up the camera to eye level, and picks up a pebble beneath him. With immaculate precision, he flings the pebble to the water, and takes a photo once the water tension breaks. It was enchanting - at the angle that he was taking the picture from, the big splash of water would look like it was enclosing the moon, as if protecting the precious sphere from the stars next to it.
However, upon closer inspection, Lu Guang could tell that there was something - someone - that was present in the photograph. He immediately glances up from the camera, and he was greeted by the sight of nothingness.
He rubs his eyes, blaming it on the lack of sleep he had been getting in the past few days, and observed the photograph again. This time, he was certain. There was someone there. In front of the moon. A faint, almost transparent silhouette of a person, the rays of moonlight passing through them as if they were glass.
He would not admit it, but it looked rather captivating, seeing how the water is now "encapsulating" the moon and the figure.
He quickly snaps another picture, but this time, there was nothing there at all.
Lu Guang continuously presses the button to compare the pictures, but the one he had just taken felt like there was a presence missing in it.
He looks up once again, just to ensure that his eyes were not playing tricks on him, and sure enough, the silhouette was gone. Feeling a shiver run down his spine, he decided that that was all for the day and slowly beckoned away from the river, before hurriedly walking home.
Now, if there was something Lu Guang liked about his profession, it was that his house was located directly above his shop, which gave him the ability to feel safe in the comfort of the four walls of his home, and allowed him to be able to print out the picture immediately.
So there he was, lying on the bed, holding the picture directly on top of him. Only when he tilted it to the side could he trace the barely visible outlines of a young man. Other than that, there was nothing - it was like any other scenery photograph. He placed it next to his table stand after deciding that he should really be going to bed. Pushing all his thoughts to the back of his head, he closed the curtain and embraces the darkness.
Lu Guang forgets about it days later. Anyways, what could he do about it? It was not like he would see them ever again.
He should have known better.
It had been a few weeks since that incident when Lu Guang saw the silhouette again.
It was around three in the morning, his stomach was grumbling and demanding for food. In a daze, he groggily pulls himself out of his bed and drags his feet to the kitchen. Thanks to his muscle memory (his eyes were barely open), he could took out a packet of ramen and proceeded to heat up the water, before dumping it into the boiling liquid.
He leans against the wall, and slowly began to nod off, till his head hit the top cabinet. He jerks, cursing under his breath as he winces. That was going to leave a bruise.
Out of nowhere, he heard a soft giggle. It was barely audible, since the wind had muffled out most of the sounds.
He froze, not daring to move a muscle as gazillion thoughts ran through his mind - mainly about who let out that giggle.
He waited for what seemed like minutes, before deciding it was just better to grab his nearby pan and look up.
When he does, what greeted him was the sight of a lonely and faint looking young man who was floating on top of his windowsill, rocking back and forth rhythmically. There was a small, exhausted smile resting on his porcelain face.
The young man had black hair tied up into a little ponytail that swayed as he moved, and had half lidded black eyes observing him. He was wearing a blue and yellow jacket.
If Lu Guang had not known any better, he might have assumed that he was a stalker that had extraordinary abilities to be able to climb a two story flat to his kitchen window.
Although, he knew - by that silhouette that he had spend hours looking at weeks ago, that this was the magical guy that could float on water.
"Eh... Is there something behind me? He looked like he's just seen a ghost..." the man comments, before smirking and adding on, "Pun intended." He turns to his side, and turns back to look at Lu Guang.
"That's so lame." Lu Guang retorts back without thinking. He immediately covers his mouth with one of his hands.
The young man's eyes enlarges as his mouth opens in shock. He floats away from the windowsill, eyes never leaving Lu Guang.
"I-I'm so sorry, I-I have to go..." He stutters, and in an instant, he vaporises into the night sky.
Lu Guang stares at the trail of translucent white particles that was left behind, and wonders if he was really that sleep deprived.
The smell of smoke brakes his train of thoughts, and he hurriedly tries to save his now overcooked ramen noodles.
Call it an instinct, but he had a feeling that he would meet the young man again very soon...
Just...
Not this soon.
Lu Guang nearly trips and falls in fright when he wakes up the next morning to see an unexpected guest lying on his couch and making random hand signs.
This action alerts the young man, who suddenly turns his head.
They locked eyes.
Ah, Lu Guang notices. His eyes are gorgeous to look at.
The young man has heterochromia. It was a shame that the colour of his eyes were dulled by the fact that he was translucent. If he was still alive, Lu Guang would no doubt be mesmerised by the colour of his eyes - the left one being a rich shade of lustrous gold, while the right one being as dark as the abyss. Two totally contrasting colours, but they fit the young man so well.
"So you can see me!" The young man begins, the Lu Guang shifts his attention to how the young man suddenly appears right in front of him.
"That's super cool!" He continues, his eyes gleaming with interest as he floats around Lu Guang.
Lu Guang, a bit startled by the sudden attention, moves back and leaned against the wall. "What are you...?" He asked, being very careful with the words he says.
"Me? I'm a..." The man starts before he goes through the wall. He reappears on the other side of the wall and continues, "Ghost! Or spirit! Or whatever you call these things!" he smiles.
"And I can see you because...?"
"Eh? You don't actually believe I caused it, right? Because I'm innocent! Besides, I'm not really that powerful to do it... " The ghost crosses his arms and feigns a small pout. "But in all seriousness, your third eye is probably opening..." The man concludes.
"Third eye?"
The man nods in affirmation and points to Lu Guang's forehead. "Right here! All of us has a third eye, actually, and you ability to see us spirits depends on how much that eye is open. Take yours, for example, it's halfway opened!"
"Okay... Is there a way to reverse it?" Lu Guang speaks with such uncertainty, still not understanding the situation.
"I'm not sure of that... Anyways, why would you want to stop seeing us? I believe that I'm too amazing to be ignored!" The young man jokes, and he gets an eye roll from Lu Guang in response.
"Well... I guess it's because... Well..." Lu Guang looks everywhere but him as he tries to put his words in a way that would not offend the spirit.
"Because we're scary? Because we have the ability to curse others? Because of the way horror movies depicts us?" The man says out his thoughts.
"Ah..." Lu Guang could not help but feel a little guilty for his stereotypical way of thinking.
The man gives an understanding smile.
"It's alright, actually, it's only natural of you guys to think of us this way... We get bored easily, so we may have played pranks on you guys for entertainment while completing our goals..." The man says sheepishly.
"Goals?" Lu Guang questions, getting intrigued.
"There's a reason why we have not reincarnated yet," The ghost explains. "Usually for most people, when they die, their spirits get send up to heaven. However, in some occasions, if someone dies before their strong desires are complete, they won't be able to reincarnate. They would have to use this time to quickly settle it and find peace. "
That was something interesting.
"What about you?" Lu Guang questions. "What is your goal?"
Lu Guang observes the way the spirit suddenly stops talking, and gazes in his direction. Despite that, Lu Guang knows that he is not staring at him, but something beyond him. The grandfather's clock in his living room ticks at least ten times before he gets his answer.
"I'm not sure..." The man runs his fingers through his hair, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he tries to recall it. "At some point, I just... forgot... So right now I'm just a wandering spirit, trying to find something that would hopefully jolt my memories. Still, I'm a little jealous of the other spirits who have completed their tasks... Oh, how I long to one day be able to reincarnate and experience everything you guys are doing! " He sighs dreamily.
That was weird, Lu Guang never knew that spirits could lose their memory.
The ghost must have been a mind reader when he was alive, as he next thing he mentions answers Lu Guang's thoughts.
"Well, there is reason why we spirits have to settle it fast. You see, we tend to lose more and more of our memories the longer we stay on earth - hence the rush. I heard, that once we completely loose our memory, we will become nothing but mindless spirits, and will start disintegrating, thus losing any chance of reincarnation." The ghost shivers at the thought of it all.
"That's why, I'm searching for my reason... Sometimes, I feel like hitting my past self in the head for not settling my issues quick enough." the young man sighs in disappointment. "It's alright though, since I just started losing my memories a few years ago, I probably have ample time before I lose it all!"
Though the man flashes him a wide grin, Lu Guang could tell from those expressive eyes that in actuality, the ghost was desperate, nervous and most of all, scared.
"Oh!" The ghost jerks up and exclaims, startling Lu Guang. "Speaking if which, I really, really need your help! Please!" He begs, placing his hands together in a prayer.
"What is it?" Lu Guang asks.
"You see, since I can't really recall what my goal was, I started to help others try to accomplish their goals, since I don't want them to one day lose their memories and forget their goals like me. I would help them either by talking to them or helping them with things. The latter is way more complicated..." The ghost mumbles the last part. He looks up to gauge Lu gang's expression, and proceeds when the human gives him a slight nod.
"There's this one little girl that I'm helping... And she has always longed to eat a dragon's beard candy. However, since we are spirits, she can't eat them unless someone offers it to her as prayers... So, if you don't mind... Do you mind helping us? You don't have to feel obliged to helping, I won't hold a grudge if you decline, since I understand that it's your money and all and-" The ghost adverts his eyes away from Lu Guang as he explains his predicament.
"Sure. " Lu Guang interrupts him, heading to his room to grab his wallet.
The man's eyes lit up in shock. "Eh? Really? Woah, I didn't think that you'll agree to it..."
"Well," Lu Guang reasons, "She's a little girl, right? So honestly, it's such a shame that she died at such age. Besides, if helping her reincarnate is a good deed, then I'm willing to do it."
"Oh my goodness, thank you!" The man does a backflip in excitement as he watches Lu Guang fishes out his wallet. "I'll teach you step by step on how to offer it to her, so don't worry!"
Lu Guang gave a slight nod in response to that.
"Uh... Do you mind going out while I change?"
"Huh? What's the big deal?" The ghost gives a cheeky smile and wiggles his eyebrows. "I'm a ghost, so it's not like I'm going to tell the whole world if you have a six pack or a big d-"
"Get out."
"Alright, alright, I was just messing with you!" The ghost laughs in amusement as he sees Lu Guang's cheeks turn pink. "Sorry!"
Lu Guang knows that he is not sorry.
He purposely changes slowly out of spite.
They headed out together and went to a nearby vendor. Lu Guang bought two servings of dragon's beard - one for the little girl and one for him.
Next, they went to buy everything that was needed to make an offering.
"If my memory serves me right, it's somewhere around here..." The man floats further ahead of him, glancing around in search for the child.
Lu Guang weaves in and out of the busy crowd, trying his best to keep an eye on the carefree spirit.
"Ah, hey there!" The ghost suddenly says as he came to a stop. Lu Guang follows suit.
He looks in the direction of the ghost and sees...
Nothing.
"There's nothing here..." He comments.
"What do you mean? She's clearly-" the man says before he stops himself. He turns to Lu Guang. "Don't worry, since your third eye has not opened yet, you probably can't see her."
"Do you know if there is a way for me to see her?"
The ghost shakes his head in response.
Lu Guang wracks his brain. There must be something, if he's able to see that spirit, he had to do something to cause it...
Unless...
Lu Guang gasps, earning the attention of the ghost.
"Wait here." He instructs as he ran off, ignoring the puzzled shouts from the ghost.
He ran back to his shop, and ran upstairs to his bedroom.
He was only able to see the young man when he accidentally took a photo of him, so maybe...
He find the camera tucked away nicely in his drawer.
Maybe if he took a photo of the spirit, he would be able to see it.
Grabbing the camera firmly in his hands, he heads out again.
"I'm back." Lu Guang says, as he spots the young man speaking to the air.
"There you are! Where did you go?" The ghost questions him.
"Home. Now, do you mind helping my point out the location of the girl?"
The ghost was puzzled, but he did not question Lu Guang. He points to the base of the tree, and Lu Guang hold up his camera and snaps a picture.
Sure enough, when he puts down his camera, the young girl was visible to him.
She was cute - with her chubby face and hair tied into two pig tails, and her outfit bringing out the colour of her emerald eyes.
"Hello there," He squats down and gave her a polite smile.
"Hi!" The girl energetically speaks. If Lu Guang sees a big scar on her forehead, he does not mention it for now.
"W-what..." The young man splutters, confused over the whole situation. It takes him a moment to realise what was going on, and when he catches on, he slowly nods in awe.
"Li Qing, this is... Er..." The young man shifts his gaze between them.
"Lu Guang, " Lu Guang completes his sentence. " And we've brought you your favourite candy."
The girl's eyes lit up with joy as she jumps around Lu Guang, shouting phrases of 'Thank you' s.
"Now, now, calm down, or we won't give you the candy!" the ghost behind him chirps in mischievously, and Li Qing sticks out her tounge at him playfully.
Lu Guang proceeded to stand up and told the little girl to bring him to the graveyard, so that the prayers could be held.
The girl eagerly brings them to her graveyard.
"Say..." Lu Guang asks the spirit behind him as he follows the girl. "Come to think of it, I still don't know your name."
"You're right!" the spirit replies. "It's Cheng Xiao Shi!"
"Cheng Xiao Shi..." The name rolls off his tougue perfectly, as if he has repeated those words many times before.
Lu Guang wonders why he feels that way.
"Oh..." Lu Guang turns to him again. "Where is your grave? Maybe if you find it, it might trigger your memories..."
"I don't have one."
"Huh?"
"A grave. I'm one of those people who died without a grave..."
"O-oh... Sorry..."
"It's alright, I've been dead for a few hundred years already, so even if I did have one, it would have long disintegrated from the lack of care."
"You're that old?" Lu Guang could not believe his ears. One would expect a hundred year old spirit to speak with wisdom... But yet...
"Haha! I get that a lot, mainly from how I usually act!" Cheng Xiao Shi huffs.
"It's good though," Lu Guang adds. "Being so free. Given your age, you must have witnessed alot of things. It's good that you did not let this affect how you see the world and your kindness. And I think it's admirable that you seek to help others complete their goals even though your due date is probably closer than theirs."
"Aw, shucks!" Cheng Xiao Shi lightly pets him, but his hand passes through Lu Guang. " You're such a charmer, you're going to make little, old me blush..." Cheng Xiao Shi teases.
Lu Guang only smiles at that.
Lu Guang finishes sets up the prayers as Li Qing and Cheng Xiao Shi waits at the side playing rock, paper, scissors.
He opens the container and places the food on the ground. He then proceeds to light up the joss sticks. He holds the bottom of the sticks in his hands and prays, before placing them in the ash bucket.
He spots a squeal of delight coming from his side and turns his head, to see the dragon's beard candy in the girl's palms.
"Thank you! Lu Guang!" Li Qing exclaims as she digs in, munching on the candy and the peanuts, not caring if her brown hair touched the thin strands of the white outer covering. "This is way better than what I have imagined!" she says with her mouth full.
Lu Guang sees the fondness in Cheng Xiao Shi's eyes as she looks at her.
She finishes it off by licking the sweet residue off her fingers.
"Thank you once again, Cheng Xiao Shi, Lu Guang! You guys are the best!" She emphasizes her gratefulness in each word and grins from ear to ear.
She looks at Cheng Xiao Shi and gives him a tight hug. "Thanks for accompanying and comforting me about my death when I first became a spirit. I'll always remember you!"
"You better!" Cheng Xiao Shi jokes and snuggles her. "Rest well, alright? Hopefully you'll live to become an adult in your next life!"
"I'm sure she will," Lu Guang chips in. "An adorable and well-mannered girl like her would definitely have a good time in her next life."
Li Qing smiles brightly at him, and Lu Guang feels his heart squeeze.
This must be how Cheng Xiao Shi feels when he is helping others. It was a nice feeling.
Li Qing starts disapearing, and she stares in amusement as her legs dissolves. For a moment, Lu Guang could see some longingness in her eyes, like she was not ready to leave the world just yet.
Before the last of her turns to particles, she bows at them, and proceeds to wave them farewell. Her silhouette glows a bright gold, before it bursts, leaving behind a trail of golden particles in the wind.
Then, it was like she was not there to begin with, the only thing reminding them of her existence was her grave.
"Felt nice, didn't it?" Cheng Xiao Shi remarks. "Helping others and seeing their faces before they leave."
Lu Guang takes another bite of the candy, being very careful not to make a mess of it.
"I have mixed feelings about it. Sure, it's fulfilling to know that they have found peace, but to know that people like her have died before being able to live their lives- it's... saddening, to say the least." Lu Guang states his view on it all.
"True," Cheng Xiao Shi nods in agreement. "And to think she lost her life due to a car crash... Her father must be feeling full of remorse right now."
"Car crash?"
"Yeah... It left a pretty big scar on her pretty head too. You see, when we die, the place on our body that caused us our deaths are imprinted in the spirit's body. For her case, she died due to brain damage." Cheng Xiao Shi frowns.
"What about you? How did you die?"
"Me? Well, I cannot remember exactly what happened, there's only this scar here to remind me of it."
Cheng Xiao Shi disappears and appears in front of Lu Guang and raises his chin. On his skin, Lu Guang could see a gunshot(?) directly below his chin.
"Gunshot." Cheng Xiao Shi reaffirms his doubt. "It makes me wonder what happened to me that made me die from that..." Cheng Xiao Shi gently rubs the wound, as if it had just healed days ago.
"It's alright, we'll figure it out." Lu Guang consoles him.
" 'We'? You're going to help me?" Cheng Xiao Shi gasps in shock.
"Why not, I wouldn't want to see you disintegrate into nothing. And if by helping you means that I get to help other spirits as well, then count me in."
"That's awesome! Thank you so much! I'll forever be indebted to you!" Cheng Xiao Shi gushes.
"Don't be ridiculous."
Cheng Xiao Shi grins, and Lu Guang feels his heart tighten at that smile as well as an indescribable feeling swelling at the pit of his stomach.
From then on, if Lu Guang has to add "helping a wandering spirit and others along the way" as part of his schedule, it is something that he does not mind doing at all.