Chapter 234: Swing

In the dead of night, Naoko was awakened once again by a strange sound.

When she sat up, she noticed that Lei Yin, who had been sleeping next to her, was no longer there.

Where did he go?

Naoko put on her robe and slowly walked out of the room.

When she reached the wooden corridor outside, she saw the little girl in a kimono, whom she had met the night before, sitting on the swing under the cherry blossom tree. Lei Yin was standing beside her, gently pushing the swing.

As the swing soared higher, the little girl laughed with pure delight, her clear and melodious laughter ringing out like the chime of silver bells. It was this sound that had woken Naoko.

“Lei,” Naoko called out softly.

Lei Yin turned to look at her and, after a moment, waved her over.

Naoko walked toward him.

“Lei, who is she?” Naoko asked, gazing curiously at the little girl on the swing.

“She’s been all alone and really wanted someone to play with her, so I decided to keep her company for a while,” Lei Yin explained.

She’s just like how I was as a child. Naoko, deeply empathetic, understood the loneliness and solitude of being by oneself all too well. She looked at the little girl with a pang of sympathy.

After a moment, she asked, “Can I stay and play with her too?”

Lei Yin thought for a moment before replying, “Sure, but if you start to feel tired, you must go back and rest. Understood?”

“I understand.”

When the little girl got off the swing, she looked at Naoko curiously before turning to Lei Yin and asking, “Big brother, who is she?”

“She’s my wife,” Lei Yin said with a smile. “She wants to stay and play with you. What do you want to play next?”

“Will you really stay and play with me?” the little girl asked hesitantly.

Lei Yin gently patted her head with a smile. “Yes, we will.”

The little girl’s face immediately lit up with excitement. Overjoyed, she grabbed his hand and started running.

“Are you hidden yet?” Lei Yin called out loudly, facing the wall.

“Yes, I’m ready! Ah, no, this doesn’t count. I need to hide again,” the little girl exclaimed, realizing she had given away her hiding spot by speaking too soon.

“Alright, but be quick,” Lei Yin replied.

The little girl quickly found another hiding place.

After a while, Lei Yin called out again, but this time there was no response.

Seeing that the game was ready to begin, Lei Yin began walking around, calling out, “You little piggies better hide well! The big bad wolf is coming to get you!”

Although Naoko hadn’t played such games in years, hiding in the bushes gave her a refreshing sense of excitement. Watching Lei Yin draw closer, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Lei Yin, knowing full well where she was hiding by the sound of her breathing and heartbeat, deliberately searched near her spot without catching her right away. His teasing approach made Naoko’s heart race as she anxiously waited for him to move away.

After a while, Lei Yin finally walked in another direction, and Naoko exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.

Lei Yin continued wandering around, pretending to search the area. When he approached the hiding spots of both Naoko and the little girl, they were so nervous they didn’t dare to move or make a sound.

Then, all of a sudden, Naoko heard the little girl shriek nearby, followed by Lei Yin’s triumphant laughter.

“Got you, little piggy! Where else can you hide now?” he teased gleefully.

“I’m not a piglet! I’m not fat at all. You must have cheated and peeked earlier; otherwise, how could you have caught me so quickly?”

“Ha! To catch a little silly pig like you, I don’t need to cheat. I could catch you even with my eyes closed.”

“How mean! I’m saying it again: I’m not a piglet!” the little girl protested loudly.

“Well, anyone I catch is a piglet.”

“You… Forget it. I’m not arguing with you. Just carry me down already.”

“Why did you even climb up so high?”

“Stop talking and carry me down. I’m a little scared of heights,” the little girl whined.

“Honestly, you’re unbelievable. Scared of heights, yet you still climbed so high.”

A moment later, Lei Yin walked to the center of the garden with the little girl sitting on his shoulders, laughing gleefully. Her laughter, as clear and melodious as silver bells, echoed through the air.

Hearing their playful exchange, Naoko couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You stay here and play for a while. I’m going to catch another piglet now,” Lei Yin said, placing the little girl on the swing.

“I want to go too! Ahhh…” Before she could finish her sentence, Lei Yin had already pushed the swing. She quickly grabbed the swing’s handles to steady herself.

“Big brother, you’re so mean!” the little girl huffed, puffing her cheeks as the swing rocked higher.

“Watch carefully. I’ll catch the other piglet before the swing even stops,” Lei Yin said confidently.

The little girl shouted, “Big sister, make sure you hide well! Don’t let this guy catch you!”

Lei Yin smiled and walked toward the bushes where Naoko was hiding.

As he got closer, Naoko’s heart started racing again.

“Beautiful lady, where are you?” Lei Yin teased as he strolled around, searching playfully.

Finally, he was less than two meters away from where Naoko was hiding. Hearing his approaching footsteps, Naoko felt certain she was about to be caught.

But then, Lei Yin suddenly muttered to himself, “Hmm, strange. Where could she be hiding? Maybe over there?” With that, he stepped in another direction.

Relieved, Naoko couldn’t help but smile smugly.

Just as she thought she had outsmarted him, a pair of strong arms suddenly grabbed her tightly from behind.

“How lucky I am! I’ve caught a gorgeous beauty. Now, I finally have someone to do my laundry,” Lei Yin teased, his voice tinged with amusement.

“You knew where I was all along! You were just pretending to mess with me over and over!” Naoko playfully scolded.

“Congratulations, you’re absolutely right. Here’s your prize.” Lei Yin leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Naoko, caught between annoyance and amusement, gave him a playful glare.

After playing another round of hide-and-seek, Lei Yin suggested a different game called “Statue Standoff.”

The rules were simple. One person faced the wall and counted aloud, from one to five or one to seven, at a speed and rhythm of their own choosing. During the counting, the other players would move forward as much as possible. Whoever crossed the set distance first would win.

However, after each count, all players had to freeze in place. The person counting would immediately turn around and check for any movement. If anyone moved, they’d lose and take over the counting role, while the original counter would switch places and continue playing.

At the end of the game, if everyone successfully crossed the designated distance, the last person to cross would also be considered the loser and would take on the role of the counter in the next round.

Since neither Naoko nor the little girl had played this game before, they were often caught during their first attempts. However, after two rounds, they quickly got the hang of the rules. Each time Lei Yin finished counting at varying rhythms and speeds, their abrupt freeze positions were hilarious—sometimes with one foot suspended mid-air, other times poised as if ready to sprint with heels raised. Despite the comical postures, they found the game thoroughly enjoyable, and the little girl’s laughter never ceased.

When it was their turn to count, they imitated Lei Yin’s strategy, deliberately varying their counting pace. Both of them managed to catch players successfully, including Lei Yin himself, whom the little girl caught once. She jumped and shouted with excitement at her triumph.

Next, they moved on to other games like hopscotch, cat-and-mouse, and four-corner chess. Seeing that Naoko was starting to look a bit tired, Lei Yin decided to stop playing. He sat on the swing with the little girl on his lap, telling her a story. Naoko sat on another swing nearby, smiling as she watched them.

However, Lei Yin wasn’t very skilled at storytelling. After a few attempts, he gave up and asked Naoko to take over.

Naoko chuckled, thought for a moment, and began telling the little girl the story of Cinderella.

Surprisingly, this classic fairy tale, known to nearly everyone, was entirely new to the little girl. She listened with wide, intrigued eyes, her expressions shifting with the story’s progression. She frequently asked questions, completely engrossed.

When she heard that Cinderella was finally found by the prince, her face lit up with pure excitement.

Inspired by the girl’s animated reactions, Naoko became increasingly absorbed in her storytelling. After finishing Cinderella, she continued with Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

As before, the little girl showed immense interest in these well-known fairy tales, listening intently without blinking.

Unconsciously, time slipped away. Just as Naoko finished Sleeping Beauty, the sky began to lighten.

Noticing something, the little girl’s face suddenly took on an unusual expression—one far beyond her years.

Seeing her sudden silence, Naoko asked curiously, “Sakura-chan, what’s wrong?”

The little girl slowly raised her head, tears brimming in her eyes, yet she smiled and said, “Thank you, big sister. I have to go now.”

A mist of moisture welled up in Naoko’s eyes. Smiling, she said, “I really like you, Sakura-chan. Playing with you has made me very happy.”

“I like you too, big sister. Big brother, you have to take good care of her from now on, okay?” The little girl turned around and looked at Lei Yin with a serious expression.

“You don’t need to tell me that—I will, without a doubt. Did you have fun tonight?”

“Mm,” the little girl murmured, closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest.

“Thank you. Tonight was the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m a little tired now; I think I’ll have a good sleep.” The little girl spoke softly.

Lei Yin didn’t say anything, only stroking her head gently with his right hand.

When the golden sunlight spilled into the garden, the little girl who had been resting in Lei Yin’s arms was no longer there.

“Lei, what will happen to Sakura?” After a moment of silence, Naoko softly asked.

Lei Yin walked over to her, gently stroking her hair as he replied, “Spirits are a form of energy. Once their lingering attachment is resolved, they gradually dissipate like any other spirit. Don’t worry, she’s found peace now. She won’t be lonely anymore.”

“Who was she?” Naoko asked. The night before, she had accidentally touched the little girl’s body and was startled to discover that the girl had no physical form, like a shadow. At that moment, Naoko realized that the little girl was not human.

Lei Yin spoke in a low voice, “This inn was a large house sixty years ago. Sakura was the granddaughter of the house’s owner. She was frail from birth and could only stay in her room every day. Tragically, she died of illness when she was just nine years old. Because she was always alone during her life, she longed for someone to play with her. That intense desire kept her spirit from dissipating and allowed it to remain. However, most people can’t perceive spirits. Only a rare few, whose brainwave frequencies are similar to hers, can see her. You happen to be one of those people, which is why you heard her crying that night.”

A look of sorrow appeared in Naoko’s eyes. “So she’s been lonely all these years. If we hadn’t played with her, would she have stayed that way forever?”

Lei Yin shook his head. “While strong attachments can temporarily sustain a spirit, their energy will eventually deplete. When that happens, they’ll slowly fade away. It might take fifty years, or even a hundred. But inevitably, she would have disappeared.”

There was one thing Lei Yin didn’t say out loud—since he himself was a spirit, he could see and touch other spirits. However, spirits like the little girl, who remained because of their deep attachments, were not uncommon. If Naoko hadn’t seen her, Lei Yin wouldn’t have intervened. After all, he wasn’t a savior.

“You’ve had a long night. You must be exhausted. Why don’t you go back and rest?”

Naoko nodded weakly.

Lei Yin wrapped his arms around her and carried her off the swing, heading back to their room.

“Lei, do you think people can reincarnate?” Naoko suddenly asked as she lay in his arms.

“I believe they can. Energy can transform but never disappears. Since a spirit is a form of energy, when it dissipates in this world, it may convert into another kind of energy. Perhaps that’s when reincarnation begins,” Lei Yin answered as he walked.

“If there really is a next life, I hope I can stay by your side like this and never be separated from you,” Naoko said, pressing her head tightly against his chest.

“When the time comes, I’ll come find you,” Lei Yin said, kissing her on the forehead.

“So will I,” she whispered.