Afterlife Department

Chapter 128 - Fragile

Yi Bing turned to Liu Lin. "Not noticing doesn't mean there is nothing." He told him.

Liu Lin rubbed his nose in embarrassment. He knows he is wrong and Yi Bing is just stating a fact. Yi Bing is also their senior, and he knows Yi Bing only meant good and has no intention of making things hard for him, nor humiliate him. "Sorry." He lowered his head as he realized his mistake.

Yi Bing sighed. "I know you are not careless." He told him in a soft tone. He was the first to arrive in the Afterlife Department, thus he saw how each of the grim reapers arrived and worked in the place. He knew Liu Lin.. Though he is arrogant, but not to the point it is insufferable. The commendable attitude of Liu Lin is he admits his mistakes.

"We don't dare not to." Di San bitterly laughed.

Their task is from Shen Sheng – their high superior, after all. If they tried to slack off, who knows what will happen to them if a word of their carelessness got out and reached Shen Sheng's ears. Also, Soul Fragments are a threat to all the worlds. Thus, they are very careful in their task.

The grim reapers continued to chat. Meanwhile, Huo Ling, who was silently on the side – particularly, observing Yi Bing, was surprised. "This guy… ehem, yao, always acts familiar. How can he suddenly have a matured aura in him? Hmph." He pouted as he looked at Yi Bing in displeasure. Then, he withdrew his gaze and chose to observe his surroundings.

It was like that time before the shipwreck. The passengers – now turned to ghosts, are acting normally. Since they are currently in the upper deck where wealthy and influential personas are around, some were flattering them to gain their favor. For example, a small-scale businessman's ghost Unfortunately, all these are for naught since they suddenly, unexpectedly, died.

The incessant chattering in the background caused Huo Ling's head to suddenly ache. They're already ghosts. Why are they still so noisy? He thought as he felt annoyed while he rubbed his head.

"Hm." He muttered when he noticed the actress and a famous politician's daughter – Jury Pete, isn't around, nor the other famous personas – like the wealthiest sheikh, Jamir Khan, he had seen during his last service as a waiter before he died. "Could it be their soul is in someplace, like Albert's?" he asked when he felt his headache has subsided. The ghost ship must haven't had fetched Albert and the others yet.

"Something wrong?" Yi Bing asked when he saw Huo Ling is in a daze.

Huo Ling turned when he heard Yi Bing's voice. The man was standing beside him. "Done chatting with your friends?" he asked when he saw Di San, Feng Er, Liu Lin and Si Shui had disappeared.

"They have something they have to do." Yi Bing answered.

"Are they preparing to be sacrificed?" Huo Ling asked. So, not only they have to give their life, but the preparations must have done by themselves, too? He thought. He felt it is unfair, and that the 'sacrifices' are very pitiful.

"Hm?" Yi Bing saw Huo Ling's gaze on him had changed. Why does he look at me with his eyes filled with… pity? He thought when he saw that Huo Ling's eyes are even reddish. What is he thinking now? And what did he just say? 'sacrifice'? Does he know something?

Yi Bing is confused. Seeing the confusion in Yi Bing's face, Huo Ling thought Yi Bing must have felt offended and the topic is very sensitive.

Of course, who wants to be a sacrifice? He thought. Also, I am a stranger, so I am being inconsiderate. He sighed. "Can't I leave the ship?" he asked as he changed the topic.

"You can." Yi Bing answered. "Only those who are bounded to the ship are those who cannot leave." He explained. "Is there a place you want to go to?" he asked.

"Yes." Huo Ling answered.

"Where to?" Yi Bing asked.

"The Virgin Islands." Huo Ling answered. "Where I lived." He muttered as he lowered his gaze. Was he still there? He thought. He's referring to his father's friend. I wonder what his reaction after knowing I died. Was he shocked? Did he feel sad? Or – he closed his eyes. He remained indifferent? After all, I am just a burden to him. He can't even find a wife because of a child like me –

"Huo Ling." Yi Bing called as he placed his hand on Huo Ling's shoulder. He saw he's in a daze again. What is he thinking? He thought as he stared at Huo Ling when the young man slowly opened his eyes and his eyes regained their clarity. Sometimes, I wish I can read his mind. He thought. His fingers placed on Huo Ling's shoulder curled. He felt the coldness from Huo Ling's soul in his palm. He liked this coldness. However, he can't touch his soul for a long time. Even if the souls are a grim reaper's task, but touch is forbidden between them. For them, souls are fragile. As well as the memories, and emotions.

"What?" Huo Ling's voice pulled Yi Bing from his thoughts when he's the one that gone in a daze.

Yi Bing blinked and he stared at Huo Ling. "This ship will pass by your place." He told him.

"I know." Huo Ling nodded.

"Good. Let's get off once we reached it." Yi Bing said.

"En." Huo Ling nodded.

S City, China.

"Have they returned?" Hao Baiyun asked as he signed the documents after he carefully read them.

"Yes." Fei Xuli answered as he placed a cup of milk on the table.

"Good." Hao Baiyun said without raising his head. He reached the milk and took a sip. The warm and sweet liquid entered his tongue and travelled down his stomach. "Hm." He comfortably breathed. The nausea he felt was gone.

Fei Xuli stared at Hao Baiyun's complexion that gone from pale to rosy. His former fragile look disappeared. "Young master… is…." He said and glanced at Hao Baiyun's flat stomach. He's pregnant. He thought.

Hao Baiyun didn't answer since he knows Fei Xuli can guess. "What are the updates from the Ascend Cruise Ship?" he asked. He's referring to the ship that sank.

"The authorities are almost done with their search of the passengers' corpses." Fei Xuli answered.

Hao Baiyun sighed and placed his pen on the paper. Then, he leaned on the back of his seat. "Five of our business partners and two potential customers boarded the ship. Now…" he frowned. They are dead.

"Our cooperation can be continued with their heir." Fei Xuli comforted him.

Hao Baiyun nodded. "Do it in an appropriate time." He told him. The family members still have to mourn for the head of their family.

"Yes." Fei Xuli answered and wrote his notes before he kept his pen and paper. "Young master…" he called.

"Hm?" Hao Baiyun answered as he resumed signing the documents.

"… have you decided what to name the second little master?" Fei Xuli asked.

Hao Baiyun's hand slipped. Fortunately, the tip of the fountain pen wasn't stuck on the paper. Or else, he would have screwed his signature. "Fei Xuli." He called.

"Yes?" Fei Xuli answered. His eyes couldn't hide his excitement.

Hao Baiyun's ears are flushed. "Out." he told him.

"… oh." Fei Xuli considerately closed the door when he left.

"Xuli." Jing Yu, who was silently sitting on the sofa he almost blended on the background, called when he saw Fei Xuli. "What happened?" he asked.

Fei Xuli grinned as he walked towards Jing Yu and sat beside him. He poured his cup and then drank. "Young master is embarrassed." He answered.

"Oh."

S City Police Station.

"Madam. We are coordinating with the foreign authorities." Gu Xingfeng said as the old woman cried.

"My son… and my grandchildren..." the old woman said between her sobs. "Mengmeng is just three years old. Lele is still a baby. Tongtong is just eight." She said the name of her grandchildren.

Gu Xingfeng felt both sad and helpless. Death doesn't excuse one's age. Some even die while still in their mother's stomach. He prayed for these children's fate in their next life. "I am on my way to ask for the list of the name of the passengers whose corps… who were already found." He said. He can't bear to say 'corpse' in front of a parent who lost not only her child, but the entire family of her child. "I will immediately contact you to claim them." he told her.

"Thank you… thank you very much… wuwuwuwu…" the old woman cried as she was led outside by Jiang Xinduo.

Gu Xingfeng pinched the space between his brows. This is the fifth person that 'visited' him to ask about their family member or a friend who boarded the Ascend Cruise Ship. Some are neighbors with the victim and is sincere to inquire about the victim's fate. But, there are some who only went to inquire the situation just to gossip it with others. Of course, he only told them the gist of the incident and not the specific details.