(a)

"There was once a painter who lost his son in old age and was so grief-stricken that he devoted his life to making a portrait of his young son who died young, in order to 'see his painting as if he were a person'. ”

However, before the painting was completed, the painter was exhausted, and soon vomited blood and died with regret. The pure white portrait with only lines and words, but no coloring, became his posthumous work. ”

"Until...... A friend of the painter, a Taoist priest, stumbled upon this unfinished portrait while sorting through his belongings. The Taoist priest saw that the painting was vigorous and powerful, like a dead man, with a broken finger as a pen, weeping blood as ink, and working hard for a lifetime. The love for one's loved one, which was almost sad, had already broken through the picture scroll and jumped, as if a soul had been born. ”

The Taoist priest could see that this painting had a completely different meaning than the thousands of elegant paintings of flowers, birds, fish, and insects made by his friends in his lifetime. Just like the general whose ambition has not been rewarded, he left a few sentences of family letters before he died, which is simple and complicated. ”

So, he thought, the blank space on the painting can't just be left empty, it should be finished, so that the dead can be comforted and blinded. ”

"It was the middle of May, and the painter's house was neglected to be cleaned, and some wild blue grass grew there. When the Taoist priest saw it, he thought it was providential, so he chose an auspicious day, bathed and changed clothes, picked blue grass to make ink, and dipped the pen in ink to stand on the picture scroll, but he refused to put down the pen for a long time, motionless, as quiet as a stone Buddha. ”

The wind rose, and the blue ink hanging on the tip of the pen swayed with the wind, and then left the pen and fell, just dripping into the blank eye sockets of the young man's portrait. ”

"One stroke, just one stroke. The Taoist priest did not prepare much paint for the portrait, and the young man in the painting always maintained a white appearance, white clothes, white hair, and white skin. However, it is this finishing touch that fills the painter's last regret before his death, and also makes this portrait have a full life enough to contain his soul. It comes to life, not on an artistic level, but really, alive. ”

Baili Bailing blinked his blue eyes, and his white hair was scattered, like freshly cut silk.

The pure white sleeves brushed the table, and the pure white skin seemed to melt into the uninked painting. He picked up the empty shell-like, blank "portrait", took one last look at it, and then carefully rolled it up.

"Life?" the ghost man wondered.

"Life. Bai Ling held the scroll in both hands and looked up at her, "Everything that is born in my pen has life. ”

"I have lived in seclusion on the mountain for countless years with the Taoist priests, with the disciples and grandchildren, with the four white walls after the disciples and grandchildren were scattered, and with the ruins after the white walls collapsed, and I only wanted to understand one thing. ”

"What is life?"

"Is movement life? What about flowers and trees?"

"Is thinking life? What about beasts, insects, and pigs?"

"There is a beginning and an end, and it is life to give it to parents and return it to nature?

"In the end, I realized that life is loneliness. ”

"Being separated from the universe as one, aware of one's own existence, but not aware of the existence of others, is life, and it is with loneliness. ”

"Loneliness explains everything, including why I say such meaningless words to a stranger like you, and why you don't feel as resonant as I do when you hear them. Because you and I are lonely, you and the passers-by outside the door are also lonely. I can't understand you, and you can't understand anyone. ”

"To live is to live alone in the shell, to be alone, to be alone, and to rest only when you die. None of you have to suffer this sin for a long time, but I'm different. ”

"I am the person in the painting, there is only a beginning, there is no end. ”

"So when I paint and write poems, I don't have any expectations for whether my works can be understood, I just want to find a small place in the 'world' that I have created with my own hands. ”

Speaking of this, Bai Ling closed his mouth.

He took the scroll and walked past Good and Evil. His face never showed much emotion, but good and evil could feel it, and a sad aura was spreading from his body.

"You're right, I really can't understand your state of mind. ”

When Bai Ling stood behind her with his back to the good and evil, in front of the open bookshelf, ready to put the blank portrait back, the good and evil smiled.

"But I have the way out of what you call 'loneliness'. ”

Hearing this, Bai Ling involuntarily stopped all his movements, was stunned in place for a moment, and then turned around and faced good and evil. At the same time, good and evil also faced him.

Win!

The joy on the faces of good and evil was unreservedly revealed. The current Bai Ling, seeing her expression like winning a million jackpots, I'm afraid she will be confused, right?

It doesn't matter, after a while, he will understand, in the ocean of remorse, the true meaning of this smiling face of good and evil at this moment.

"The way to do that is, 'let it go.'" ”

The small mirror she had brought here, which she called a 'family heirloom', raised her hands to her chest and ripped off the cloth that had been covering it.

It was a rather quaint bronze mirror, not luxurious, but with a sacred aura. The totem engraved with the sun on it, and there is a turtle and a crane, which are on the left and right of the sun, which is auspicious. Bai Ling saw his own shadow in the mirror, which gradually became clear from blurry. As he stared at his own, blue eyes, he found that he couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Bang Bang"

The silk scroll in his hand fell to the ground, rolled for a while, and the blank scroll was completely spread out.

Indeed, as you say, victory will be mine!"

Good and evil held up the bronze mirror that side, even if it changed its position, it still had the image of Bai Ling completely printed, and shouted:

"I am a ghost, good and evil, and I have held the key to open the door to victory!"

(b)

"Am you there, Xiaobai, I'm in!"

Motoi-chan pushed open the unlocked door of the "Lark House" and walked in.

She had a heavy book in her hand, something she had come to return from her trip. It's a shame to say that her family obviously runs a bookstore, but she still has to take care of Bai Ling to borrow books.

Since the beginning of winter, she has to go to Bai Ling's house every once in a while, sometimes for his family's books, sometimes for his family's people...... That is, himself.

On the surface, it looks a little stern, a little impersonal, and so knowledgeable that people dare not approach, but when you actually come into contact, you will find that this guy really has a lot of places, and he is unexpectedly "childlike", such as the child-like stubbornness.

Of course, the most important thing is his appearance! How could anyone not like such a cute boy? If anyone dared to say that he didn't like it, Suzu Motoi, who was the vice president of the Gensokyo Appearance Association, would definitely be the first to rush up and beat him to death...... If she can beat it.

By the way, the president is Ah Qiu.

"Xiaobai! If you're not at home, you'll squeak when you're here!"

Xiao Ling stood in the doorway and roared at the top of her voice. The aftermath echoed in the empty living room, and the expected reply, of course, was not.

"It's a little strange," she thought for the first time, "obviously not at home, but he didn't lock the door, Bai Ling is not such a careless person!"

However, the idea only lasted for a split second. Because "Bai Ling is very strong, nothing will happen, you can rest assured", Xiao Ling's little heart collided again, just like when she first entered the door.

"If you think about it carefully, it has now developed to the point where you can visit the door at will and 'you can call your nickname at will'!"

She clutched her book tightly, her mind was blind and her cheeks were flushed.

"Next...... More...... Isn't it possible to look forward to further things? such as this and that and ........?"

"Poofha, I hate it~" Xiao Ling squirmed, and it could even be said that she was extremely ugly, and laughed, "Xiaobai is really a little ghost, this kind of thing is too early for the two of us!"

It's just a bunch of delusions, and of course, delusions are an integral part of a girl, just like beer and a fridge.

But now, she has business to do.

"It's not good, it's not good, if you're not careful, you'll indulge in delusions. Xiaoling wiped her saliva and said to herself, "I have to return the book quickly, and I have to go back to the store." ”

As usual, she strode through the antechamber, opened the curtains, and walked straight to the bookcase of the only "popular literature" she could read, put the book back in its place, and picked out a new one...... No, strictly speaking, this time, things are a little different.

Halfway through, she stopped, stooped down and picked up a nearly completely blank silk scroll, and then read the words on it with a puzzled expression:

"What is this?"