Walter Cao had already been in the provincial city for more than half a year, yet there was still no news of the Fake Taoist. The business at the Photo Studio was thriving, but at this time, Grace Hu noticed something odd—no matter how lively the people looked in Walter Cao’s photographs, there always seemed to be a hint of aggression in their expressions.
Walter Cao had started drinking heavily. The smile on his face was gone. Grace Hu was deeply worried, but whenever she tried to talk to him about anything, Walter would erupt in hysterical shouting, as if he had become a completely different person.
I couldn’t help but feel surprised looking at Walter Cao now. He was just over thirty, but his temples were already streaked with gray, and his whole face seemed twisted and tense. Gradually, the days of joy between the man and the ghost faded, and Walter began to lash out at Grace Hu over trivial matters.
No matter what happened, Grace Hu remained diligent and uncomplaining, her face always bright with a smile. In contrast, Walter Cao and Grace Hu seemed like two sides of a coin—utterly opposed.
"Did you find anything?"
Walter Cao spoke in a cold, icy voice.
"Nothing yet, Walter, I..."
"What exactly are you going out for?"
Walter Cao actually started to complain about Grace Hu. He glared at her fiercely, his face twisted in a snarl as he kept shouting and drinking. Finally, Grace Hu broke down in tears.
"Walter, please don’t go on like this, alright? Can you..."
Don't meddle in my business. Look at what I've become—every day, I'm trapped here in this Photo Studio. I want to go somewhere far away, but I can't. I want to go out and take photos, but I can't even move. Hurry up and find him for me, bring that bastard to me.
Walter Cao kept shouting, but finally, Grace Hu stood up and slapped him hard across the face—twice.
Wake up, Walter! Take a good look at yourself. Just look at what you've become!
Grace Hu cried out, holding up a mirror in front of Walter Cao. For a moment, Walter gave a silly smile, and then, as he smiled, tears started streaming down his face.
The old Walter Cao seemed to be gone for good. After that night, Grace Hu didn't return the next day, nor the day after. The whole Photo Studio was left with only Walter Cao. Suddenly, he felt like something was missing.
Many times, he would call out Grace Hu's name, but no one answered. At that moment, Walter seemed to sober up. He stopped drinking every day and longed for Grace Hu to come back. Yet day after day passed, and Grace Hu never returned. Walter was on the verge of collapse and began to reflect in silence.
Over the years, if it hadn't been for Grace Hu's companionship, Walter Cao would have died long ago. He seemed to finally come to his senses, and then, a month later, Grace Hu came back.
Walter, I've found something. Listen to me...
It's alright, Grace. I don't need anything else. I just need you by my side. Just stay with me...
Walter Cao, moved to tears, hugged Grace Hu and cried like a child. Only after he calmed down did Grace Hu tell him that she had spent the past days searching every nearby town and finally found some news.
The Fake Taoist’s crimes were finally exposed. While performing an exorcism for an official family, he made a fatal mistake and killed their son. He was then wanted, captured, and tortured in prison, but in the end, he managed to escape.
After the family had their fill of torturing the Fake Taoist and were about to execute him, he used the money he had swindled over the years to bribe the local officials. The official let him go, and he vanished without a trace.
Hearing this, Walter Cao let out a long sigh of relief and started to smile.
The net of heaven is vast and nothing escapes it. He got what he deserved. Don’t look for him anymore, Grace. Don’t look for him. It’s enough...
After hearing all this, it was as if the knot in Walter Cao’s heart had finally been untied. The light returned to his eyes.
With a click, Walter Cao pressed the shutter. Grace Hu, who was standing by the backdrop, ran over. Walter developed the photo, but there was no trace of Grace Hu in it.
It’s no use, Walter. I’ve told you before—I’m a ghost. The camera can’t capture me.
Grace Hu laughed, watching Walter Cao who had completely recovered. His heart was full of passion for photography again, and business at the Photo Studio was better than ever. Many people came hoping to become his apprentices, but Walter refused them all.
Gradually, all of Jiangnan knew Walter Cao’s name. He was hailed as the top photographer in Jiangnan. Even many foreigners regularly visited his studio. Every photo he took was unique, vivid, and beautiful.
Yet every day, Walter Cao asked Grace Hu to wear different outfits so he could photograph her. But each time, all he captured was the clothing—floating in midair, with no sign of Grace Hu herself.
In just four or five short years, Walter Cao’s hair had turned completely white. One night, he prepared food and placed some on the altar. Grace Hu sat down without saying a word, her expression hesitant, as if she had something important to tell Walter.
What's wrong, Grace? Is the food not to your liking tonight?
Grace Hu shook her head, then picked up a mirror and held it toward Walter Cao.
Oh dear, how did I get so much white hair?
As Walter spoke, he coughed a few times. His body was getting weaker and weaker; he looked terribly frail.
It seems I’ve been working too hard lately. So many old gentlemen want me to come to their homes and take their portraits. Once I finish with these clients, I’ll take a break for a while.
But at that moment, Grace Hu just shook her head.
Walter, I have to go.
In an instant, the chopsticks in Walter Cao’s hand fell to the table with a clatter. He stared at Grace Hu in shock.
What's wrong, Grace? Did I do something wrong? I can...
Grace Hu didn’t dare look Walter Cao in the eye. She just smiled and shook her head.
It’s like this, Walter. I can reincarnate now. I want to go—I...
No, Grace, no! I can’t live without you. Grace, I’ll kill myself right now, or you can strangle me, or scare me to death, or push me off something high. As long as I die, we can be together.
Grace Hu immediately refused, looking pained. Walter Cao seemed to panic. I knew very well that if this kept up, Walter would die. After all these years with Grace Hu, he’d begun to be eroded by Yin energy. In the past, when he was filled with hatred, his body was full of violent energy, so he’d managed to get by. But now, things were different—Walter’s heart was free of knots, his business was thriving, and the violence within him had dissipated.
It’s fine, Grace. I’ve said it before—I want to be with you. Even if it means dying, so what? If I die, we can...
Don’t say that, Walter! Are you really going to throw everything away like this? Everything you’ve worked for, Walter—I can’t even go out with you during the day. If you die now, what about your dream of capturing all the beautiful sights in the world and storing them in photographs? If you die, there’ll be nothing left.
Grace Hu cried out. In an instant, Walter Cao was stunned into silence. Then Grace Hu slipped into the wall. The next day, no matter how Walter searched for her, she was gone—she had left.
Walter Cao, though still depressed, held the old photos he’d taken of Grace Hu every day—even if they only showed her clothes. Then, miraculously, he discovered that in one photo, Grace Hu’s image actually appeared. He clutched the photo like a treasure and cried.
A few months later, Walter Cao’s health and vigor returned. More and more photography jobs awaited him, and he finally decided to take on apprentices—since traveling far was inconvenient. Walter took on two male apprentices in total.
Business at the Photo Studio was always good, and the two apprentices worked hard and obeyed Walter Cao in everything. But one night, a beggar came to the Photo Studio’s door to beg. The older apprentice tried to drive him away, but Walter Cao stopped him.
Walter Cao gave the beggar some money. In that instant, I saw the beggar looking at Walter Cao in shock—and I recognized him. Wasn’t this beggar the Fake Taoist who had ruined Walter Cao’s family years ago?
Yet Walter Cao didn’t seem to recognize him. The beggar took the money with a bow and a nod, but at that moment, a strange smile crept across his lips.
I glared at the Fake Taoist, who didn’t leave the Photo Studio but instead lingered around it.
Young master, it’s been so many years—ha, you don’t even recognize me anymore. Hmph, you’re successful now. If it hadn’t been for you, maybe I wouldn’t have fallen so low. Hmph, after all, city folk aren’t as easy to fool as country bumpkins.
I stared fiercely at the Fake Taoist, watching him scheme again. I couldn’t help but feel anxious.
What are you doing?
Walter Cao, pushing his wheelchair, stopped in front of a room on the second floor. The older apprentice tried to open the door, but Walter Cao shouted at him.
Sorry, Master, I just wanted to go in and clean.
Enough, go on, this doesn’t concern you. That room is important to me. From now on, stay away from it.
After the apprentice left, Walter Cao went into the room. When he turned on the light, I saw the walls covered with photos of Grace Hu. All the photos showed only her clothes—except for one, which had Grace Hu’s image.
Grace, where have you gone? Do you know how much I miss you, how much I miss you...