Xiao Yu went through everything on Wang Jue's body—the keys, the wallet, the ID, and a photograph of Hua Gu, her smile as bright as the day Xiao Yu and Wang Jue first arrived at Miao Village. If only life remained as it was at the very beginning, everything would be nothing more than yesterday’s fireworks, leaving behind a sky studded with stars once they faded. Xiao Yu desperately wanted to believe Wen Shu’s words: that the one at the bottom of the well wasn't Wang Jue, but some vengeful spirit conjured to harm her. Yet, everything before her now accused Wang Jue’s identity with tangible, piercing pain.

Tears streamed down uncontrollably, and Xiao Yu collapsed beside Wang Jue's body, finally letting out a cry. The sound was so fierce, so utterly devastating it seemed to tear her very soul apart, as if she needed to expel every dark emotion festering inside, willing to sacrifice her own life just to bring Wang Jue back. If time could rewind, Xiao Yu would give anything to return to the past, to grant him just one more second—only one second—enough time to stop Wen Shu’s hand from severing the rope.

Wen Shu slipped down the rope and stood quietly beside Xiao Yu. Seeing his utterly desolate grief, she was suddenly enveloped in confusion. Just moments ago, she had been perfectly clear-headed, determined to prevent Wang Jue from exposing her façade. Now, she regretted it. She regretted cutting the rope without a second thought. It turned out that hurting others also brought a strange, gnawing sense of unease to herself. Why? When she single-handedly wielded the cleaver to kill those patients and doctors, there had been no hesitation or guilt in her heart. But now, she felt a genuine disquiet, standing awkwardly beside Xiao Yu like a child who had done wrong, wringing her hands as she waited for the inevitable punishment.

Seconds bled into minutes. Xiao Yu knelt beside Wang Jue for a long time, until her tears dried up and her voice grew hoarse, yet she still refused to leave him. Wen Shu sighed, thinking this couldn't continue; she had to find a way to pull him back to reality. So she said, "I have a way to bring him back alive!"

Hearing Wen Shu’s words, Xiao Yu immediately turned her bloodshot eyes to stare at her. That gaze held countless inexpressible emotions—anger, shock, a profound sense of loss—but overwhelmingly, suspicion.

"The Life and Death Pact! You have that ability. Just ask the two elders; agree to their terms, and you can save him," Wen Shu asserted confidently.

However, Xiao Yu shook her head at her, her eyes returning to Wang Jue’s corpse. "He wouldn't want a life like that. No one wants to live as a puppet."

"As long as you don't control them, there are no puppets in this world, only immortal bodies," Wen Shu replied calmly.

That sentence did the trick. Xiao Yu stopped sobbing, staring blankly at Wang Jue’s body as she silently placed his belongings one by one into her pockets. She stood up without a word and began walking toward the pool, completely ceasing any interaction with Wen Shu, as if the other woman were an invisible shadow, always trailing her but instantly forgotten the moment she turned away.

Wen Shu followed Xiao Yu silently, accepting her role as his shadow. No matter how completely he ignored her, she maintained that exact distance of a foot and a half—neither too far nor too close. She knew that only two people could extricate her from this mess and push her back into Xiao Yu’s orbit. No matter what, she had to make Xiao Yu go find them. Trying was better than not trying; persisting was better than giving up!