After All This, Have We Still Not Held Hands?

On the second day after coming back from the dead, Yu Qihun had no time to mourn her ill-fated life. A System called Zhu arrived, forcing her onto the stage to unravel old unsolved cases for the gods. Her parents are dead, and she suffers from a grave illness. Once the daughter of a marquis, she now makes a living copying books and polishing manuscripts. She has no idea why the gods have taken such an interest in her. So Yu Qihun adorns herself with all sorts of jeweled ornaments and tinkling charms formed from Zhu, and plays her part both onstage and off. While Zhu’s touch, an intent without any hint of lust, leaves her unsettled, she works in seamless accord with him, using divination① until the final act②. The past is behind her. Now Yu Qihun will live for herself, rather than follow the rules dictated by some inherited identity. She will become a diviner, and she will fall in love. Thinking of the man in her heart, she remembers Zhu, who is always whispering in her ear, though she has no idea what he really looks like. She remembers Zhu’s frequent, rather brazen advances, which somehow never annoy her, as if he were simply petting a kitten. And she remembers how he repeatedly shows her the way forward, then gets her riled up, only to take her retaliation without the slightest displeasure. But who could have guessed that Zhu really did see her as nothing more than a kitten? Fine, Yu Qihun says with a laugh, coughing up blood. Let’s see how much longer you can keep that up. Zhu has never spoken with, spent time with, tangled with, or grown so intimate with a human before. It is all because of Yu Qihun. Born without a heart, he has always been ravenously curious about how human hearts grow, what they are for, and why people cannot live without them. Until the day he wants to eat someone’s heart. Only later does Zhu realize that the way he approached Yu Qihun was wrong, and that he expressed his feelings all wrong, too. But how could he know? He doesn’t understand the human heart, and he doesn’t know how to observe propriety. He has read the lyrics about “if two hearts are truly in love, they will last,” yet he still doesn’t know what love is. But Yu Qihun is almost becoming his heart. He has never had one, yet he knows it with perfect clarity. Then he hears the unguarded thought she meant to hide: “Why do you only see me as a kitten?” Unable to understand what she means, Zhu endures countless hardships to take human form, all for her. He should not be able to have a human form. It makes no sense by any measure. But his feelings are stronger than reason, and he thinks he can keep a heart for himself, too. Covered in wounds, his appearance washed in blood and impossible to place as male or female, he kisses her hand and says, “Your beloved has returned. You’ve missed me for so long. How could anything in all eternity be harder to forget?” 【A clever, sickly, faintly gloomy and forthright fallen noblewoman x a powerful System who toys with and probes the human heart, yet is guileless and pure-hearted】 ① Divination: In ancient times, people used tortoiseshell to predict good and ill fortune, a practice called bu, and yarrow stalks, a practice called shi. Together, they were known as divination. ② Final act: A theatrical term for the ending of a scene or an entire play. It calls for a brisk finish rather than a slack one, bringing the performance to a perfect close. Please note: ① The dynasty and setting are fictional and won’t stand up to historical scrutiny. This is my take on a fantasy world, and the most important thing is to enjoy the story. ② One-on-one romance, both are each other’s first, mutual pining, and a young married couple. The leads are imperfect and each has their flaws. ③ The heroine is portrayed as sickly. This is not a story about an invincible heroine, so please skip it if that’s not for you~ 2026.9.26 Theme: Life passes in the blink of an eye, gone before you know it.