The Paper Doll I Carved Suddenly Came to Life

[An unconventional inheritor of gold-leaf engraving x a quintessential King of Reincarnation, one of the Ten Kings of Hell]

I.

After her parents die unexpectedly, Lu Tinglan is forced to inherit the family business and begin learning the long-neglected art of gold-leaf engraving. At a city competition, she is an amateur who runs into an accident. Not only does she nearly ruin the contest, she almost loses her father's workshop. At the last moment, the mysterious evil spirit she picked up steps in, saving her from disaster and helping her win third place.

Supernatural tricks won't get her far in the long run. After much soul-searching, Lu Tinglan decides to apprentice herself to the evil spirit and train hard.

Though fierce, the evil spirit is a good teacher, sharing everything he knows. Her skills improve by leaps and bounds. One day, she holds up a carefully engraved gold-leaf portrait, not yet having a chance to show it off when a brilliant light flashes before her eyes. The gold leaf vanishes, and the evil spirit, who should be nothing but a soul, stands solidly before her.

Lu Tinglan: ?!

The paper doll I engraved came to life?!

II.

The Underworld is in turmoil, and most of its Yin deities have vanished. Of the Ten Kings of Hell, only the King of Reincarnation, Jun Li, survives, but he falls into a century-long slumber.

When he wakes again, Jun Li has lost his memories and can exist only as a spirit. He relies on Lu Tinglan's "help" to hold on.

Even without his memories, the King of Reincarnation never leaves a debt unpaid. He teaches her engraving, helps her deal with awful relatives, and works with her to bring the art of gold-leaf engraving into the public eye. But he never expected that the woman who saved his life could not only stabilize his soul, but also use her gold-leaf portraits to give him a physical body!

The King of Reincarnation takes human form, with dark hair, flowing robes, and peerless looks. He lowers his eyes to the astonished woman before him and says in a steady voice, "You saved me. I owe you a reward."

III.

Netizens can't stop praising the modern internet. You can watch a beautiful woman show off intangible cultural heritage, and then watch her feed her handsome boyfriend sweet affection. Fans of her looks, her career, and their relationship are all delighted.

Who says the internet is bad? It's wonderful!

The ghost officials stranded in the human world are just as pleased with the internet. But when they see a man in a video being directed by a human woman to pose in all sorts of ethereal ways, smiling indulgently from time to time, they can't help rubbing their eyes and staring at one another.

"I'm not seeing things, am I? Is that... His Highness, the Tenth King?!"

[Bonus Scene]

The gold-leaf portrait in Lu Tinglan's hand suddenly falls to the ground. It takes her a while to find her voice. In disbelief, she asks, "You said you're... what kind of king?"

Jun Li bends down, picks up the portrait, and places it in her palm. Calmly, he says, "The King of Reincarnation, one of the Ten Kings of Hell."

Note: She thought she'd picked up a ghost, but it turns out he's a deity with an official post. The heroine isn't a master of the craft from the start; she has a growth arc. There are a few supernatural elements, but nothing scary. At heart, this is a romance.

Theme: Promote traditional crafts, tame an antique ghost king, and rise to the top