Paper Bride 3: The Yin-Yang Debt
Synopsis:
In the Year of the Fire Horse, before the first lunar month has ended, a once-in-a-century "spring cold snap" sweeps icy rain over the ancient town of Guining. Qiu Yingying, a graduate student in folklore, ventures there alone to complete her thesis on "ghost weddings in the Year of the Horse." The village is rumored to still observe bizarre old marriage customs.
She never expected to see, in an old photograph of the town's century-old opera house, the face of a woman identical to her own. The woman was a bride "married" to the River God in a terrifying ghost wedding sixty years ago. More chilling still, ever since Yingying entered the town, a cold, persistent voice has haunted her ears: "Yingniang... come home..."
Following the clues, Qiu Yingying meets Shen Kanqing, a young antiques restorer who is likewise entangled in secrets. Cool and aloof, he nevertheless knows the town's sinister past inside out. A broken bronze horse saddle pendant in his possession matches the dreams that have been haunting Yingying perfectly. Has he approached her to help, or does he have another motive?
As their investigation deepens, a conspiracy spanning six decades slowly comes to light. The unfinished ghost wedding, it turns out, left behind a "yin-yang debt" that must be repaid by the descendants of those involved. An ancient curse clings to them like a bone-deep affliction, binding their fates together. Brides in red at midnight, hollow paper figures, a bridal sedan chair moving upstream, faceless spirits performing an opera... The "things" in town are already eager to complete the ceremony for these "newlyweds" on the last yin hour of the first lunar month.
When the ancient opera house's bell rings again, Qiu Yingying is forced to don a bright red wedding dress. Before she is completely replaced, she must reclaim her name amid the horror where reality and illusion intertwine, while dealing with Shen Kanqing, who is at once a man and a mystery, and his secrets and deceptions. She must uncover his hidden past and face a cruel choice together with him:
Should they follow the century-old evil ritual, with one condemned to the underworld forever so the other may live?
Or join hands to burn this devouring old custom to the ground, and gamble on the chance that they might die together and share a grave?
A red thread binds their souls, yin and yang turned upside down. This time, we are both pieces in the game.
Theme: Wedding attire
