The group continued forward, and at the end of the main street, a tall, brightly lit building appeared.
A red carpet stretched from where they stood all the way to the entrance of that building. The edges had been worn fuzzy from foot traffic, yet the middle was clean, not a speck of dust. Metal strips firmly secured it to the concrete ground, clashing with the ruined debris on either side.
Su Shuang’er stopped pushing the cart, looked up at the red carpet, and frowned. “Who was this carpet laid for?”
“For the living who pass by.”
White Peace stood at the start of the red carpet without stepping onto it. She tilted her chin toward the building at the end of the street.
The light beige stone exterior had been polished to a shine. Above the front door hung an elegant golden glass sign—a high-end restaurant from before doomsday.
Every window in the building was spotless. Warm yellow light shone through, clearly revealing the scene inside: every table was full. Men wore suits, women wore dresses. The tables were set with snow-white tablecloths, silver cutlery, and vases of fresh flowers. Everyone was raising their glasses and smiling, but no distinct voices or laughter could be heard—only a muffled, indistinct hum of background chatter through the glass.
“All these tables… are they Weirdness?” Su Shuang’er asked.
“It’s a Collective Obsession,” White Peace said, her tone heavy. “On the night doomsday struck, that restaurant was packed. Dozens of guests, plus the Head Chef, waiters, and the Owner—everyone was there. That night, a couple married for fifty years was holding their Golden Wedding Feast.”
“Doomsday happened that night. They were still raising their glasses when they died.”
“So now they…”
“Still raising their glasses,” White Peace said. “Everyone in the restaurant is stuck on that night, reliving this Golden Wedding over and over. The longer it goes on, the deeper the Obsession of this ritual becomes. This is one of the trickiest Weirdness cases on this street.”
Mu Yingying immediately asked, “Why is it tricky to handle?”
“It’s a Collective Obsession of over forty people. If we force-break it and everyone suddenly realizes they’re dead, the Spiritual Shock will radiate down the entire street. Any living person passing by could lose their memory at best, or at worst be sucked directly into this Golden Wedding and become one of the celebrants, never to escape.”
“Then what do we do?”
“Let the Golden Wedding end.”
White Peace said, “They’re stuck on this night because the ritual wasn’t completed. The old couple’s Granddaughter was supposed to be here, but she missed her flight because of work out of town. She never got to go up and give her Blessing or bring out the cake. With those two things undone, the Golden Wedding can never end. We have to take that Granddaughter’s place and complete the Final Step.”
Mu Yingying and Su Shuang’er exchanged glances, both stunned.
“Us two?”
“Yes, you two,” White Peace nodded. “One goes up to say the Blessing, the other brings the cake. One person alone can’t carry this ritual.”
Mu Yingying instinctively looked down at her clothes, covered in gray bloodstains. But White Peace said, “They can’t see that. In their world, you’ll just be the Granddaughter’s friends. They won’t suspect anything. But the Blessing has to be sincere. If it’s fake, they’ll know, and the Golden Wedding won’t end.”
She added, “White Night can’t go in. She’s a Soul Body. The people inside would recognize her and break the Obsession. She’ll wait outside with me.”
Su Shuang’er looked down at White Night in the bike basket. The girl hugged two bags of chips and looked up, speaking softly. “Auntie Frost, be careful.”
Su Shuang’er gently touched her head.
Mu Yingying and Su Shuang’er stepped onto the red carpet. It was soft and springy beneath their feet, but not a single footprint was left behind.
They reached the end. The double Dark Wood Carved Floral doors were slightly ajar. Su Shuang’er pushed them open. A wave of warm voices and rich food aromas rushed out—the milky scent of melted butter, the fruity fragrance of red wine, the wheaty smell of baked bread. All sorts of smells mixed with a faint perfume, the smell of normal life.
Both of them froze for a moment.
The restaurant was exactly as they’d seen through the windows. Every table was packed with guests, raising glasses and chatting. The atmosphere was warm and lively. As they entered, no one turned to look. Only the Head Waiter in a black suit at the door came forward, gave a perfect bow, and asked gently, “Good evening, ladies. Welcome. Are you here for Mr. and Mrs. Chen’s Golden Wedding Feast?”
Su Shuang’er steadied herself and nodded. “Yes.”
The Head Waiter nodded immediately. “Please follow me. Mr. and Mrs. Chen’s table has reserved seats for their Granddaughter and her friends.”
The two followed the Head Waiter inside. The guests continued talking and clinking glasses among themselves, occasionally throwing kind smiles toward the Main Table at the far end. The whole restaurant brimmed with genuine warmth—everyone truly celebrating for the old couple.
They were led to the Main Table at the deepest part of the restaurant. A round table covered with a snow-white cloth held a candelabra, white roses, and a full set of silver utensils. At the center sat a three-layer Golden Cake.
Two elderly people in their seventies sat at the table. The Old Grandpa wore a crisp black suit. The Old Grandma wore a deep red dress with pearl jewelry. Both had dressed elaborately for the banquet, their eyes gentle and filled with uncontainable smiles.
Seeing them approach, the Old Grandpa immediately smiled—warm, kind, with an elder’s affability. “Young ladies, thank you for coming.”
Su Shuang’er and Mu Yingying were both stunned. They felt not a trace of Weirdness from these two elders—only a gentle, elder-like kindness. Mu Yingying even unconsciously bent at the waist and gave a slightly awkward bow.
The Old Grandma laughed and took Mu Yingying’s hand. Her hand was warm—the temperature of a living person. She smiled. “Young lady, you’re Xiao Ting’s friend, right? Xiao Ting had to work late today and missed her flight. She was crying on the phone. I told her it’s fine, but I still hoped someone could go up and say a few words for her. She was raised by us, so she was supposed to say something. Young lady, would you be willing to say a couple of words for Xiao Ting?”
Mu Yingying met the Old Grandma’s hopeful eyes. All the lines she’d rehearsed in her head vanished. She blurted out, “Yes. I’ll say it for Xiao Ting.”
The Old Grandma squeezed her hand and thanked her repeatedly. Meanwhile, the Old Grandpa looked at Su Shuang’er. She immediately spoke. “I’m her friend. I’ll help bring out the cake.”
The Old Grandpa smiled and nodded. “Good, then I’ll trouble you.”
Su Shuang’er stood beside the cake and touched it. It was real cream cake, with a fresh milky fragrance.
Then the Old Grandpa stood up and cleared his throat. The entire restaurant instantly fell silent. All the guests turned to look at the Main Table, their gazes full of goodwill.
The Old Grandpa’s voice was steady, laced with a smile. “Thank you, everyone, for coming tonight to celebrate our Golden Wedding with me and my wife. Fifty years ago, Xiu Hua and I had only a bowl of noodles at the civil affairs bureau door. I promised her then that when we had money, I’d bring her here for a meal. It took us fifty years to get this meal.”
He turned to look at the Old Grandma beside him, his eyes tender. “Xiu Hua, thank you for spending these fifty years with me.”
The Old Grandma’s eyes glistened. She gripped his hand and smiled. “What’s there to thank? I’ve also spent fifty years with you.”
Gentle applause filled the restaurant—neither hurried nor slow, full of Blessings.
The applause faded. The Old Grandpa turned to Mu Yingying. “Young lady, your turn. Say something for Xiao Ting.”
Mu Yingying stood up. She no longer wanted any of the lines she’d practiced. Looking at the two elders before her, she spoke from the heart. “Grandpa and Grandma, happy Golden Wedding. Xiao Ting really wanted to come today. She didn’t mean to miss it. She told me that her Grandpa is the most trustworthy man in the world—a promise made fifty years ago kept fifty years later. She said she wants to find someone like Grandpa in the future. She wanted to witness this Golden Wedding herself. Now, I’m witnessing it for her. On her behalf, I wish Grandpa and Grandma a happy Golden Wedding. May you have a Diamond Wedding too, and many more fifty-year milestones. Stay well, always.”
Her words fell, and applause rose again in the restaurant. The Old Grandma cried, then smiled and wiped her tears. “That child Xiao Ting—when did she learn to speak so well? And thanks to you, young lady, for saying it so beautifully.”
The Old Grandpa nodded at Su Shuang’er. She immediately carried the cake over and placed it before the couple. Together, the old pair held the cake knife and cut the first slice. The creamy fragrance instantly spread.
The Old Grandpa handed the first slice to the Old Grandma. She handed the second to him. They each took a bite, looked at each other, smiled, and whispered, “Fifty years.” Then slowly closed their eyes.
In that moment, the lights in the entire restaurant gradually dimmed.
Table by table, the guests calmly and slowly turned to ashes. Before doing so, each person finished their last small action: someone raised a glass in a toast to the Main Table, someone hugged their companion beside them, someone straightened their tie. Last was the Head Waiter, who bowed deeply to Su Shuang’er and Mu Yingying and spoke softly. “Ladies, thank you. Mr. and Mrs. Chen waited fifty years. Tonight, they have finally achieved Fulfillment.”
With that, he too turned to ashes.
Only the hand-in-hand old couple remained. The Old Grandpa opened one eye and looked at Mu Yingying, asking softly, “Young lady… is Xiao Ting… doing well?”
Mu Yingying froze. She had no idea who Xiao Ting was, alive or dead. But looking into the old man’s eyes, she answered without hesitation. “Yes. Xiao Ting is doing very well. She got married—found a husband as trustworthy as Grandpa. She video-calls you every year and often thinks about your Golden Wedding. She’s doing great.”
The Old Grandpa smiled, whispered “That’s good,” and closed his eyes again. Together with the Old Grandma, hand in hand, they turned to ashes, gently falling onto the Golden Cake.
The entire restaurant fell completely silent. One by one, the lights went out. At last, only on the Main Table, a warm Ghost Crystal condensed. Inside, fine golden light flowed slowly.
Su Shuang’er walked over, picked it up, and held it in her palm. The Ghost Crystal was warm—unlike the warm Ghost Crystals from unfinished Obsessions before. Its warmth was one of Fulfillment.
Mu Yingying stood still and said quietly, “Everything I just said was made up. I don’t even know what Xiao Ting looks like.”
“But you said it well,” Su Shuang’er said.
“Because I wanted it to be true for her,” Mu Yingying’s voice was soft. “Those two old people waited fifty years for this meal. They deserved it.”