New York.
A Manhattan apartment.
Liang Wan lay quietly in the bathtub, eyes closed, savoring the rare moment of peace.
After a long day of relentless deadlines and pressure, this silence felt precious. The world outside faded away as warm water enveloped her, washing exhaustion from her bones.
Steam curled upward, softening the sharp lines of her face. Under the gentle glow of the wall lamps, her features appeared almost unreal—calm, elegant, luminous.
She exhaled contentedly, debating whether to stay a little longer—
Then something felt wrong.
Her eyes snapped open.
Someone was in the bathroom.
She froze.
Standing there was a skeleton.
A human skeleton.
Dark white flames flickered quietly inside its empty eye sockets.
For a split second, Liang Wan's mind went completely blank.
But she wasn't a fragile woman.
As an investigative journalist, she had seen bodies before—real ones. Corpses at crime scenes. Autopsy photos. War footage.
She forced herself to stay calm.
A prop, she decided instantly.
A threat.
Someone she'd exposed must be trying to scare her.
She reached for the bathroom phone, determined to call the police and trace whoever had staged this grotesque intimidation—
Then she felt it.
A strange heat brushed across her skin.
Not physical.
A gaze.
The same kind she'd felt countless times before—whenever men looked at her with undisguised desire.
Her breath hitched.
That made no sense.
How could an empty skull… look at her like that?
Before she could stop herself, the words slipped out.
"Who… who are you?"
The moment she spoke, regret slammed into her.
What am I doing? Asking a skeleton its name?
The skeleton suddenly grinned.
Its jaw creaked as it opened.
"My name is Lin lan," it said cheerfully. "We've met before."
Liang Wan nearly jumped out of the tub.
A talking skeleton was already bad enough.
A talking skeleton that claimed to know her was downright insane.
When had I ever met a skeleton?!
Her heart pounded violently.
Then another horrifying realization struck her.
The voice was male.
Meaning—
She was naked.
In front of a male skeleton.
Her vision darkened for a moment.
She had guarded herself fiercely her entire life. No man had ever laid hands on her, or even seen her like this.
And now—
Rage exploded.
Covering her chest with one hand, she pointed furiously toward the door with the other.
"You—get out. NOW."
Lin lan shuffled backward obediently…
but kept glancing back.
Again.
And again.
Spring sunlight flooded the bathroom, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.
He wasn't a saint.
Any man—skeleton or not—would look.
That was the final straw.
"AAAHHH!"
Liang Wan screamed, grabbing anything within reach and hurling it at him.
"Whoa—she's lost it!" Lin lan yelped. "That temper is lethal!"
He bolted out of the bathroom just in time.
If he'd stayed a second longer, he was fairly certain she'd throw the entire bathtub at him.
Once safely outside, Lin lan leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.
Relief… mixed with frustration.
Seven parts relief.
Three parts regret.
Relief that he'd finally seen Liang Wan again—alive, real, breathtaking.
Regret that he was still a skeleton.
Great for staring.
Useless for everything else.
If I were human…
I might be enjoying something far more interesting right now.
He sighed.
Then reality hit.
After she cooled off, Liang Wan would absolutely come looking for him—and angry, beautiful women were far scarier than Archer Chieftains.
He needed to disappear.
Fortunately, he had options.
Back in the Nine Netherworlds, the Emerald Spirit Mirror had shown him that he'd arrived in New York.
Since he was already overseas, it would be a shame not to explore.
He rummaged through Liang Wan's wardrobe and found a loose coat and a hat. After wrapping himself up thoroughly, he slipped out the door like he belonged there.
Seconds later—
Liang Wan burst from the bathroom, wrapped tightly in a towel.
Her panic had vanished.
In its place was something far more dangerous.
Professional curiosity.
A thinking, speaking skeleton.
With intelligence.
With personality.
This wasn't just a story.
This was a world-shattering headline.
Her pulse raced.
She'd dreamed of becoming a world-class journalist since the beginning. And now—this opportunity was practically screaming her name.
The only question was whether that skeleton would agree to be interviewed.
She searched the apartment.
Nothing.
He was gone.
Liang Wan stood still for a long moment.
Then she sighed softly, disappointment filling her chest.
Missed it.
Just then, her phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID.
Ruth.
Ruth was a veteran Brooklyn sergeant in his fifties—tall, sharp-eyed, and infamous across New York's police force.
Brooklyn was the city's ugliest battlefield: crime-ridden, chaotic, and dangerous. Ruth had ruled it for thirty years, dismantling gangs one after another with ruthless efficiency.
Liang Wan knew him well.
Several of her biggest exclusives had come from his tips.
Her eyes lit up.
She'd lost one story tonight.
She wouldn't miss another.
She answered immediately.
"Tina," Ruth's deep voice came through. "You free tonight?"
"Always," Liang Wan replied smoothly. "What's going on, Chief?"
"We've got an operation. Need one media outlet on site. Interested?"
"Absolutely." She smiled. "I owe you dinner—Chinese place this time."
"I'll hold you to that," Ruth laughed. "Meet us at the station. Now."
She hung up, changed quickly, and headed out.
At the station, Ruth filled her in.
A drug deal was set to go down at an abandoned construction site on 32nd Street in Brooklyn. It wasn't huge—but headquarters needed visible results.
And visible results needed cameras.
Liang Wan understood instantly.
Not the biggest scoop.
But still exclusive.
Still solid.
She smiled and nodded.
"Thanks again," she said sincerely.
And somewhere, far away—
A skeleton in a borrowed coat stepped into the neon-lit streets of New York, completely unaware that fate was already pulling them back together.