Short Story
The Birth of Man
My sister went to Yunnan to teach as a volunteer, but shortly after, she vanished.
All she left behind was a bizarre post on her social media feed:
“Black dogs grow white scales, the Flesh Well blinks with a thousand eyes, and humanity cannot escape Ailao Mountain!”
After failing to reach her privately, I turned to the police for help, but they refused to open a case.
Left with no other choice, I had to travel to Yunnan alone.
At that time, I had no idea that the terrifying truth buried deep beneath the surface had already begun to emerge…
The Blind Girl’s Sacrifice
I am blind.
Inside the refrigerator, I felt my boyfriend’s corpse.
And someone was standing right behind me,
waiting to see how I would react.
The Blizzard Has Come
In the third year of my secret crush on Zhou Jinghe, we got married. A year later, at a ski resort, his close friend and I both found ourselves in danger at the same time. Zhou Jinghe rushed over, shielding that female friend as they tumbled to the ground. As I fell onto the snow, I suddenly felt that everything was utterly meaningless. And when something is meaningless, it should simply be thrown away.
The Blossoming Brilliance
When he called out his first love’s name in the heat of passion, I knew that woman had to die.
The General and I were wed by imperial decree, our families perfectly matched in status. In a marriage like this, I never expected much in the way of affection.
Yet, he brought back a woman from his past-his “white moonlight.” She was pregnant, and he even intended to raise her status to that of an Equal Wife.
He does not understand me. Though I am a virtuous and kind wife, I will never allow another woman to claim a share of my husband.
The Bodhisattva’s Curtain
I was a female scripture teacher who recited sutras for the madam of the household.
Yet in the middle of the night, someone cornered me behind the incense-draped curtains and asked me who was better-looking: him or the Bodhisattva.
That night, I did not choose the Bodhisattva.
Unfortunately, after barely three months, he came to bid me farewell.
I thought he had simply grown tired of me, so I agreed without fuss.
From then on, he lived beneath the glow of red lanterns, lost in endless pleasure, while I returned alone to the ancient Buddha and my solitary lamp.
Who would have thought that later, when he learned I had been drowned in a pond… He went mad.
The Bone Demon in the Village
I am a Bone Demon, trapped for countless years within that cold, desolate graveyard.
No one can see me, and no one can hear me. I have spent centuries in solitary silence.
Until one midsummer, when the sun was shining just right.
A young girl came to sweep the graves, but she mistakenly offered her tributes to me.
I took a bite of a crisp peach and said, “Truly sweet.”
She froze for a moment, then covered her mouth and stifled a giggle.
“Next year, I’ll come again.”
True to her word, she returned year after year, bringing me crisp peaches every time.
Later, she died, and her remains were carelessly tossed into the graveyard.
Her five-year-old daughter, clutching the hand of a younger brother who had only just learned to walk, came to the graveyard day and night to wail for their mother.
I couldn’t stand the noise.
I possessed her body, crawled out from the straw mat, and clumsily gathered those two little brats into my arms.
“Keep crying, and Mother will eat you.”
The Burden
Chapter 0
Liang Ling shot to unexpected fame thanks to a fleeting “white moonlight” scene in a xianxia drama, and through it, she met Tang Chen, the calm and self-restrained heir to a wealthy family. During their five-year relationship, she thought she had finally found the stable love and family she had always wanted. Instead, time and again, Tang Chen’s practical calculations, family obligations, and views on marriage pushed her into second place.
Career scandals, breakups and reconciliations, and his belated attempts to make her stay finally made Liang Ling see the truth: this relationship had long since become a burden neither of them could afford to carry. In the end, she dragged her luggage away from Tang Chen and gave her five years of youth a proper goodbye as well.
The Butcher and the Baker
I am an NPC in the game City of Desire.
By day, I sell fragrant, freshly baked bread; by night, I find my pleasure in butchering men.
On the night the bakery closed early, a heavy rain was falling.
A man walked in. Beneath his black raincoat was a naked body and a sharp knife.
I took a bite of my toast and bowed in welcome. Then, as his eyes filled with terror, I raised the chainsaw I had been hiding behind my back.
Bang! Ten minutes later, his head exploded inside the oven. As flesh and blood splattered everywhere, I beamed with joy.
“Welcome to City of Desire, Player. I hope you enjoy your game!”
The Call of the Mountain Magpie
The Seventh Prince became an outcast.
For four years, I followed him as his servant, never leaving his side through thick and thin.
Later, he ascended to the highest position in the land.
Everyone thought my days of suffering were finally over and my rewards were at hand.
But then, the New Emperor took the Chancellor’s Only Daughter as his Empress.
Some sighed with pity; others watched for the drama to unfold.
Yet, not a single ripple of emotion stirred in my heart.
Because the one I love was never him to begin with.
The Canary Who Always Wants to Usurp the Throne
Chapter 0
I am the most low-maintenance Canary in the Shanghai Circle’s elite social scene.
On the surface, I have no interest in causing trouble; in reality, I am single-mindedly focused on making money.
Everything the Big Boss gives me, I liquidate.
Stocks, bonds, and physical investments-I let the money breed more money, compounding the interest.
I secretly invested in his rival’s company and even took the opportunity to acquire shares in the Big Boss’s own firm.
On the day the truth finally came out, the Big Boss looked at my thick stack of asset reports and let out a cold laugh.
“Other Canaries want to climb the social ladder and take a seat at the table,” he said. “You, on the other hand, want to usurp the throne.”