Hospital.
Under the gaze of the family of three, the person on the hospital bed slowly opened their eyes.
She appeared to be around forty to fifty years old, her hair gradually turning white from the roots.
Her complexion was pale, with crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and slightly dry lips.
"Mom, Grandma's awake! Grandma's awake!" Tiao Tiao exclaimed happily.
"Mom! Are you alright?" Fu Jiajia and Zhang Lang asked in unison.
The woman on the bed instinctively turned her head towards the voices.
After a long while, her unfocused pupils began to sharpen.
The figures of the family of three in front of her reflected in her eyes.
"I..."
As the woman opened her mouth, she realized her throat was incredibly hoarse.
"I... I went to see Old Zhang."
A faint smile touched her aged face. "He's doing well."
"Who is Old Zhang?"
Tiao Tiao tilted his head, completely bewildered.
Fu Jiajia, however, exchanged a shocked glance with Zhang Lang.
Old Zhang...
Wasn't that how Mom referred to Dad?
But Dad had died in an accident over a decade ago.
Not just Dad, but all the passengers in that bus had perished.
"Mom, don't scare me."
Zhang Lang's voice trembled slightly.
He was afraid Mom would say next, "Your dad said he's coming to pick me up."
However, the woman on the bed merely smiled and slowly closed her eyes.
She couldn't quite recall the details of the dream.
She vaguely remembered wearing a floral dress on a bus, surrounded by various passengers.
Though she had her little quirks, they were all easy to get along with.
In the driver's seat ahead sat Old Zhang.
Old Zhang asked, "Passenger, where are you going?"
She replied, "Where are you all going? How long will it take?"
Could she go along?
Old Zhang shook his head and said, "No. You need to go home quickly, to where you belong."
She replied unhappily, "Why can't I go? I'll pay!"
Then, Old Zhang stopped speaking.
The bus drove on and on, passing through many places.
She sat by the window, watching the scenery outside, cherishing the people and things inside the bus.
She chatted and laughed with the passengers, having casual conversations.
Until the bus reached its final destination.
Her journey also came to an end.
...
"Mom—"
Zhang Lang fell to his knees with a thud, his face instantly paling. "Mom, don't scare me! Mom—!"
Fu Jiajia covered her face with one hand, tears streaming down.
Sobbing, she ran out. "I... I'll go get the doctor..."
Ever since Mom had collapsed and lost consciousness,
They had been worried and fearful,
Afraid that the scene before them would turn from a nightmare into reality.
"Grandma? Grandma, what's wrong?"
Tiao Tiao looked at his mother, then at his father, somewhat frightened.
He nudged Grandma's arm. "Grandma, Grandma, wake up, don't sleep."
"Mom, don't leave us..."
Zhang Lang's trembling hand reached under his mother's nose.
"What are you doing?"
Just then, the woman on the bed suddenly opened her eyes and replied curtly.
She gave her son a look of disdain and strangeness. "What are you shouting about? I was just resting my eyes."
With that shout, she had forgotten what she was thinking about.
She looked at her grandson beside her. "Tiao Tiao, don't cry. Grandma is fine, okay?"
"?"
Zhang Lang and Tiao Tiao froze simultaneously, blinking in confusion, not quite processing.
"Mom, I'm glad you're okay. I thought..." Zhang Lang quickly got up.
He hadn't slept well from staying up late these past few days. When his heart skipped a beat just now, his legs gave out and he knelt down.
"Don't worry, I still have a long life ahead of me," the woman said.
"I still want to see Tiao Tiao grow up, right, Tiao Tiao?"
Tiao Tiao nodded. "Mhm! Grandma must see me grow up! Tiao Tiao will buy you lots of delicious food in the future!"
"Tiao Tiao is so good~"
A moment later, hurried footsteps sounded from outside.
Fu Jiajia arrived with a doctor. "Doctor, please take a look at my mom..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw her mother looking at her with open eyes.
She gasped, the rest of her words catching in her throat.
The woman smiled. "I'm fine."
She cherished the scenery inside the bus but also cared about the people outside.
Perhaps one day, she would board that bus again.
But, it wasn't time yet.
Wishing each other well was the best answer.
...
...
The Underworld.
As soon as the spirit vehicle reported its departure, Jiang Lin felt a new movement on the Soul Ushering Register.
The heavy register appeared in his hand, flipping open with a rustle.
It finally stopped on two pages of golden paper.
As two golden lights flashed, two different mission details appeared.
"...Special Grade Mission?" Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow.
Since his return from his assignment, the Eighteenth Team had gained more members, and a golden area had appeared on the Soul Ushering Register.
A small inscription in the corner of the golden area read: Special Grade Mission.
According to King Yama, these missions also counted towards performance.
And they were considered high-paying tasks.
"Looks like I'll be busy again."
After confirming the details of the two missions, Jiang Lin closed the Soul Ushering Register and rose to walk out of the hall.
...