"Haha, I'm just an old bone now. A few extra days don't really matter to me. But haven't you noticed? Your deal with the Green Door is about to expire. Without the life-sustaining string, you could die soon. Why haven't you told these two men? Why aren't they protecting you?" Old Master Shànqīng asked, his voice firm.
"What?!" The two men stared at Luo Wan in shock. They had only heard about the search for the Green Door but were completely unaware that it was about to expire in just a few days. They also didn't know that once the deadline passed, Luo Wan would be in danger of dying.
Why did this woman always care for others, searching for her friends' bodies, almost dying for Xiǎomù, and remaining by Shàngguān Liúyún's side in his moments of sorrow, yet never seeking her own survival?
"Why didn't you tell me?" Shàngguān Liúyún's eyes turned red with emotion.
Old Master Shànqīng tied the life-sustaining string around her wrist and said, "Unfortunately, I only found this one life-sustaining string. If I could find another and tie it on your left hand as well, you´d have a chance to hold on until you find the Green Door.”
"What should we do?”Lǐ Dàlù asked.
"Do you think life-sustaining strings are easy to find?” the little girl reprimanded.
"This is the most precious thing my grandpa has. It was originally meant to extend his own life.”
"It's okay.” Luò Wǎn touched the red string, which was as ordinary as could be—slightly worn but with a very comforting shade of red. She looked up and smiled, saying, "It really doesn't matter.”
Yes, it didn't matter. No matter what, she had been here and had felt love. After everything that had happened, she truly realized that life wasn't about its length but about whether one had lived it sincerely.
Old Master Shànqīng walked outside, saying, "Since you have such a connection with the life-sustaining string, think carefully. Is there a red string in your life that makes you nostalgic that you couldn't let go of? A string that can evoke all your memories? Perhaps that string is your lifeline."
Luò Wǎn's thoughts instantly drifted back to her childhood.
Young ran up to her mother and said, “Mommy, I want a necklace too. Lanlan next door has one.”
The young Luò Wǎn ran up to her mother, saying, "Mom, I want a necklace too! Lán Lán next door has one!"
The mother looked up from the busy kitchen and gently patted her daughter's head, saying, "But Mommy doesn't have one either!”
In an instant, the girl burst into tears, feeling as if the sky had fallen. In her childlike mind, not having the necklace meant losing the chance to play with her friends, and that felt like a disaster.
The mother looked at her daughter's tears and, in a sudden moment of inspiration, loosened her hair. A long red string fell into her hands. She tied a simple pendant from her earring onto the string and gently placed it around Luò Wǎn's neck. That red string was a symbol of the mother´s deepest love for her.
Where did that necklace end up? Perhaps finding the red string could lead to hope, a glimmer of possibility emerging.
As soon as Grandpa Shanqing walked out the door, two men approached and asked, "Did you feel the warmth of the red string?"
"I did, but it must have been left back in my hometown. That was many years ago, and I don't even know where it's been placed anymore." Luò Wǎn thought for a moment and then replied.
Upon hearing this, Shàngguān Liúyún turned around and instructed the butler, "Quick, get the helicopter ready."
Luò Wǎn turned her head, staring at him in shock. Shàngguān Liúyún grabbed her hand and started walking out. Lǐ Dàlù was still standing there, dumbfounded.
Shàngguān Liúyún shouted, "What are you waiting for? Go to Luò Wǎn's hometown now and bring back that life-saving item!"
As the three of them stepped out the door, they saw a woman standing at the entrance—it was Shěn Jī. Seeing Shàngguān Liúyún come out, her face lit up with a smile as she moved forward to greet him. However, noticing how hurriedly Shàngguān Liúyún was heading toward the back courtyard, she walked alongside them and asked, "Where are you going?"
Li Dalu replied irritably, "We're going to Luò Wǎn's hometown."
"I'm going too!" Shěn Jī said, following behind.
"What are you going for? What help can you offer?” Shàngguān Liúyún turned his head and said expressionlessly.
With tears in her eyes, Shěn Jī looked at the three of them with a pitiful expression and said, "I'm scared being here alone. I want to go with you.”
Luò Wǎn's heart softened. She grabbed Shěn Jī's hand and said, "Alright, let's go! It's always better to have one more person helping with the search." The latter part of her statement was directed at Shàngguān Liúyún. He gave a cold hum, said nothing, and just continued walking.
The helicopter arrived quickly, and the powerful gusts of wind blew the leaves backward. The four of them got in, and Luò Wǎn, who was flying in a helicopter for the first time, felt a sense of excitement and novelty.
"Where should we head now? the pilot asked.
Luò Wǎn mentioned an obscure place, causing even the pilot to be momentarily stunned.
However, he quickly regained his composure, picked up the microphone, and began communicating with others to clarify the location. Once everything was confirmed, the helicopter finally took off into the sky.
This was a race against time. If Luò Wǎn lost, the price would be her life.
After several hours of flying, the helicopter finally arrived in Luò Wǎn's hometown, a picturesque and serene little town. It was a very old town, and the helicopter landed in the field of a local elementary school. As soon as the four of them disembarked, Luo Wan dashed toward her home, not having time to respond to the curious questions from the local villagers.
The house had long been emptied. Her mother had passed away, her father had left home a long time ago, and she herself had moved away for studies, rarely returning. Although the house still stood, when she pushed open the door, a cloud of dust wafted up and stung her face.
Luò Wǎn pointed to a row of drawers in the dim corner and said, "It's likely there. It's a red string with a very ordinary earring tied to it, fashioned into a necklace. Since it's not valuable, no one would have taken it. I'll go search through the old boxes in the attic."
Luò Wǎn moved a ladder and began climbing up to the attic, while Shàngguān Liúyún and Shěn Jī opened the drawers and started searching through them.
Shěn Jī's eyes lit up as she saw a red string with an earring clearly hanging from it. Just as she was about to reach for it, Lǐ Dàlù's voice called out from upstairs, "Luò Wǎn, Luò Wǎn, what's wrong?”
Shàngguān Liúyún hurriedly climbed the ladder, while Shěn Jī took the opportunity to grab the red string and tuck it into her small bag.
When Luò Wǎn reached the attic, she was immediately enveloped by a cloud of dust that filled the air. The overwhelming dust made her dizzy, and she had to cover her mouth.
