After two hours, Wan Yunting stood up and said with a smile to his second brother and Ma Zhendong, "Alright, second brother, Old Ma, you two can head back first. I'm staying to guard Master's tomb for three days to show my filial piety."
Wang Chulin wanted to say something, but Wan Dongming stopped her. Ma Zhendong nodded, "Alright, then I'll bring you food at mealtimes. Oh, the tent is set up for you nearby with everything you need. If you need anything else, just call."
"Mmm."
Wan Yunting glanced at the camping tent nearby and nodded with a smile, "Then you two can head back first. I won't see you off."
Wan Dongming and Ma Zhendong nodded, reminded him a few times, and then left the tomb together. Wan Yunting was left to look at his Master's tombstone, then he went to his parents' tombstone nearby and used a small brush to sweep the dust off it. "Dad, Mom, I'll guard your graves too, and have a good chat with you..."
That day, Wan Yunting stayed in front of his parents' and Master's graves, holding a bottle of wine in the middle, smoking and drinking, chatting with his parents and Master with a smile...
By nightfall, drunk, he didn't return to the tent but lay down directly on the ground, gazing at the starry sky, his mind flashing through the past seven years...
The next morning, when he woke up, he cleaned the graves of his parents and Master...
"Yunting..."
Just then, Fang Yanxi, dressed in a black dress, came up carrying many things. Wan Yunting turned his head and was surprised, "Why are you here?"
Fang Yanxi walked over, looking at his somewhat haggard face, her heart filled with heartache. She said, "I heard about your Master from my second brother yesterday and knew you were guarding the tomb for three days and three nights, so I came to see you and brought you some food."
Seeing the woman holding two large bags of things, Wan Yunting felt warmth in his heart. He reached out to take them and smiled, "You're very thoughtful."
Fang Yanxi saw the two graves, one for his parents and one for his Master, and said, "Let me offer them some incense."
"Alright..."
Wan Yunting carried the things to the tent, then took out incense and lit it, handing it to Fang Yanxi. She first bowed three times to Wan Yunting's parents, then placed the incense, and then bowed three times to his Master and placed incense. Wan Yunting stood by her side, looking at her gently, and smiled, "Yanxi, thank you."
"It's nothing."
Fang Yanxi looked back at him, knowing that he needed comfort at this time, and said gently, "My condolences, don't push yourself too hard."
"Mmm."
Wan Yunting nodded and gestured to the steps by the tent, "Sit for a while."
"Okay."
Fang Yanxi nodded and followed him to the tent. Wan Yunting swept the steps clean, and they sat down together. He handed the woman a bottle of water, lit a cigarette, and Fang Yanxi looked at him. She wanted to persuade him to smoke less, but in this special circumstance, she didn't say anything and asked, "Can you tell me about what happened to you in prison?"
"You want to hear?" Wan Yunting turned his head to look at her.
"Mmm..."
Fang Yanxi nodded gently. Wan Yunting smiled and said, "Okay, I'll tell you about what it was like when I first went to prison..."
It was a long story. Fang Yanxi sat beside Wan Yunting, her eyes fixed on the man, listening very attentively as he recounted his experiences in prison over the past seven years...
It could have been a prison drama movie.
The story continued until noon, and it was still not finished. Fang Yanxi was unwilling to leave; she just wanted to stay with Wan Yunting.
At noon, Ma Zhendong sent someone to deliver lunch. Seeing that she didn't want to leave, Wan Yunting continued to tell her his story. It wasn't until the afternoon, when the sun had already set, that Fang Yanxi still refused to leave. She looked at Wan Yunting with tenderness in her eyes and said, "I took a day off and want to stay and keep you company."
Feeling the woman's sincerity, Wan Yunting was very moved and didn't refuse...
And so, they sat together on the steps of the graves, chatting through the night. Eventually, Fang Yanxi got sleepy and leaned on his shoulder to sleep...
Wan Yunting turned his head to look at the woman sleeping on his shoulder. Her fair and beautiful face, her delicate eyebrows, her closed eyes, her long eyelashes so captivating, everything was so beautiful...
He sat quietly for about ten minutes before gently waking Fang Yanxi, telling her to go inside the tent to sleep so she wouldn't catch a cold...
Of course, Wan Yunting wouldn't go in with her. If they slept together while guarding the tomb, his Master would surely crawl out of his coffin and curse him to hell...
The next morning, Fang Yanxi, who had slept in the tent, woke up. Knowing that the man had slept outside, she opened the tent and walked out. Wan Yunting smiled, "Good morning."
"Mmm, morning..."
Fang Yanxi a bit shyly ran a hand through her hair. It was the first time she was appearing before him in such a disheveled state after waking up. "Do I look ugly?"
Wan Yunting handed her a towel and smiled, "Not at all, you look even better like this."
Hearing his words, Fang Yanxi blushed. Wan Yunting took out a large bottle of mineral water, "Wash your face. Old Ma will send breakfast later, and then you can go back after eating."
"Okay."
Fang Yanxi nodded. She had already spent a day with the man, and she felt a bit embarrassed to stay any longer.
After breakfast, Wan Yunting waved goodbye to her. Fang Yanxi kept looking back, appearing reluctant to leave, and called out that she would pick him up from the city the morning after tomorrow...
Wan Yunting continued to guard the tomb, chatting with his parents and Master. Time passed quickly, and it was the third day, with one more night to go. Wan Yunting would return the next morning.
Today, Ma Zhendong brought Director Pang and Niu Qiuling. Seeing the man looking unkempt and dirty, Niu Qiuling felt heartache and comforted him, "My condolences, don't be too sad."
"I'm fine."
Having gotten over the initial shock, Wan Yunting's grief had subsided.
Pang Yuan and Niu Qiuling also offered incense to his parents and Master, and then they left in the afternoon.
Niu Qiuling had wanted to stay longer but was too shy to say anything, so she had to leave.
In the evening, the last night, Wan Yunting drank two bottles of baijiu with his Master and then passed out, falling asleep...
The night was very dark, without stars, only a faint moonlight hidden by dark clouds. In the quiet cemetery, a cool autumn evening breeze blew, creating a terrifying atmosphere...
Wan Yunting, sleeping nearby, shivered from the cool breeze, smacked his lips, turned over, and continued to sleep...
"Xiu Liang, you old fellow hid in prison for so many years and wouldn't let me visit you. Now that you're gone, I didn't even get to see you one last time. You're truly too inconsiderate..."
The next moment, Wan Yunting frowned. He vaguely heard an old man's complaining voice, making him feel as if he were dreaming in his drowsy state...
"But you old ghost are blessed. You finally took such a good disciple at the end, and he can guard your tomb for three days and three nights. I'm truly envious..."
The voice drifted closer. This time, Wan Yunting, who was lying beside him, heard it clearly. Drowsily, he opened his eyes, turned his head slightly, looked at his Master's tombstone beside him, and then looked around. No one was there...
"Must be a dream..."
Seeing no one around, Wan Yunting scratched his greasy hair, thinking he was dreaming, and turned over to go back to sleep...
Suddenly, an old face appeared in front of him, startling Wan Yunting, his eyes wide open. He felt a chill all over his body, goosebumps erupting, and he yelled, "Who the hell are you..."