Deep in the Courtyard

Suspense editor Shen Yan came home late at night and picked up an old red rope tied with a copper bell in the alley of an old bungalow. It felt warm to the touch, so she tied it to the desk drawer as a decoration. Unexpectedly, this was the beginning of a contract that spanned a century. The red rope was soaked in the heart of Lu Zhinian, an architect in the Republic of China, and hid his obsession with dying unjustly. The contract will take effect on the day the owner is recognized. Since then, Shen Yan's life has been shrouded in weirdness and suspense: when writing a manuscript late at night, fleeting architectural sketches of the Republic of China will inexplicably flash on the computer screen; when tracing materials, key clues always appear "coincidentally"; when approaching an old building, a red rope bell will make a soft buzzing, as if to guide the direction. Until he got involved in an old construction case from the Republic of China and was obstructed by unknown people. At the critical moment, the red rope became hot, the bell rang rapidly, the street lights suddenly went out, and the obstructionist disappeared into thin air, leaving only a piece of paper with strange symbols painted on it. As the investigation deepens, the power of the red rope gradually increases. Lu Zhinian's consciousness awakens from the bell and appears in the form of blurred light and shadow. Although he cannot speak, he can control objects to communicate. With his incomplete memories, he reveals that the construction corruption case of that year has not yet ended. The descendants of the people who framed him are using old drawings to make profits. Many recent "accidental falling cases" are related to it. As a result, Shen Yan was targeted by villains and faced repeated threats, while Lu Zhinian became his most secret guardian. The two used the red rope as an energy link. Shen Yan's obsession helped Lu Zhinian condense his form, and Lu Zhinian's century-old perspective helped him decipher the building mechanisms and secret passages. When Shen Yan found the hidden design manuscripts and evidence of corruption, he was shocked to realize that the man behind the scenes was actually an industry senior he respected. The villain threatened his life and the copyright of the book manuscript to force him to destroy the evidence. At the critical moment, Lu Zhinian used the power of the contract to briefly restore his entity, fight side by side against the villains, and reveal the complete truth: he was not killed because the design was tampered with, but he was killed after uncovering the secret of the villain's ancestors colluding with officials and embezzling public funds to build dilapidated buildings. The evidence was exposed, the villain was arrested, Lu Zhinian was vindicated, the red rope bell made a crisp sound, and the halo of completed contract enveloped the two of them. Faced with the choice between "reincarnation" and "spiritual body staying together", Lu Zhinian looked at the reluctance in Shen Yan's eyes and decided to stay - even if he could no longer stay three kilometers away from Shen Yan, and even if his strength was greatly reduced, he would not miss the bond that he had found after a hundred years. Shen Yan untied the red rope and solemnly tied it back to their wrists. The red rope instantly turned into two shallow gold marks, marking them permanently. In the days to come, the old bungalow will no longer be weird, only gentle and daily life will remain: when Shen Yan is writing a manuscript, there will be a cup of tea at the right temperature beside him; when he is tired from working on the manuscript late at night, a gentle touch will fall on his shoulder; he takes Lu Zhinian around the corners of the city, taking pictures of the scenery with his camera, and whispering about the world a hundred years from now. Lu Zhinian's form became clearer and clearer. Although he was still insubstantial, he could hold Shen Yan's hand steadily. The red rope bell occasionally rang softly, not as a warning, but as a murmur of love. Shen Yan's new book is a great success. The end of the book reads: "The best redemption is to stay together across yin and yang; the most beautiful contract is the fate of loving each other." The sunlight in the old bungalow fell through the window lattice on the two people who looked at each other and smiled. The red rope and golden traces shone brightly. A century-old obsession has finally come true. People and ghosts have different paths, but they love each other year after year. Intention: Obsession is a contract, love breaks the boundaries: obsessions spanning hundreds of years are connected by a contract, and sincere love can break the barrier between yin and yang, allowing lonely souls to rest in peace and mortals to be warm, becoming the most gentle salvation.