Hello Son, I am Your Mother

Novel Info

Author:
三紅又七綠
Status:Ongoing

Summary

Eighteenth Lady is a low-ranking ghost residing in Fushan Tower, a dwelling for unclaimed solitary souls in the capital of Luojing. For eighteen years, she has failed to receive offerings from the living, forcing her to live in poverty on the first floor while her rivals occupy the upper levels. Desperate to secure her livelihood, she attempts ritual solicitation by impersonating the deceased relatives of mortals. After two humiliating failures involving a man mourning his dog and a woman whose sister is merely in hiding, she targets Xu Jichun, a newly appointed Tanhua who lost his parents young. Disguising herself as his birth mother, she successfully deceives him into providing daily offerings of food and spirit money. However, the deception is complicated by a series of violent events. A serial killer targeting scholars has been gouging out hearts in the capital. When Xu Jichun’s friend Zhao Guangning becomes the fifth victim, Xu Jichun is consumed by guilt and resolves to investigate the murders. Eighteenth Lady, fearing the killer might murder Xu Jichun and cut off her offerings, accompanies him. They are joined by Shu Chi, Zhao Guangning’s close friend, and Lu Xiuyan, a martial artist from a prominent noble family who possesses the Yin-Yang Eye and can see ghosts. Lu Xiuyan reveals that Eighteenth Lady once protected him as a child, establishing a connection between the ghost and the noble house. The investigation leads the group to suspect that the killer is a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Rites, given the victims' shared connection to examination candidates. They uncover that one of the previous victims, Tang Zhien, was an adopted son of a merchant family, and his death was linked to a meeting with Third Young Master Lu. Further inquiry into case files reveals a connection to the Ruan sisters. Ruan Qingshang, who erected a grave for her sister Ruan Shuyu, reveals that her sister faked her death to escape an assault by a high-ranking official in crimson robes. The official intended to remove Shuyu’s heart but was interrupted by another man who dismissed her as unworthy due to her gender. As the group closes in on the suspects, they identify Vice Minister of Rites Xue Huaiguang and his son Xue Yan as the culprits. Xue Huaiguang believes his son is the reincarnation of the Literary Star and that consuming the hearts of talented scholars will grant Xue Yan enlightenment and ascension to the heavenly court. During a confrontation in a dark alley, Xue Yan attacks Xu Jichun, but is thwarted by Lu Xiuyan. Helan Wang, the narcissistic ghost whom Eighteenth Lady had previously claimed was Xu Jichun’s father, also intervenes to save Xu Jichun, revealing his true identity and magical prowess. The arrest of the Xue family exposes the conspiracy, but leaves Eighteenth Lady’s false identity as Xu Jichun’s mother unresolved. Xu Jichun, aware of the deception but grateful for her companionship, chooses to maintain the charade, allowing their unusual bond to continue as the immediate threat is neutralized.

Novel Items

Nether-wealth

Currency

The currency used by ghosts in Fushan Tower, derived from offerings provided by mortals. Ghosts must pay three taels of Nether-wealth monthly to live in the tower; those who cannot afford it live in the woodshed on plain porridge and salted vegetables. More offerings mean more Nether-wealth and a better standard of living.

Observation, Listening, Inquiry, and Pulse-taking

Technique

A four-word secret method for performing ritual solicitation under a false name, taught by Su Yingtang to Eighteenth Lady. Observation means looking at clothes to distinguish rich from poor. Listening means hearing complaints to know urgent needs. Inquiry means provoking thoughts and impersonating the person they long for. Pulse-taking means capturing their hearts and suggesting offerings at the right time while they are in grief.

Peony

Flower

Peonies were central to the festival. A child sold them calling out to customers. Wang Wendong bought one and handed it to Xu Shuyao. Fish at Ling Stream were seen nibbling at the peony petals that Xu Shuyao dipped in the water.

Spirit Tablet

Item

A spirit tablet that appeared before Lin Yuanfeng when his forehead thudded against it, causing him to faint from fear.

Lanting Poetry Society

Event

A gathering of scholars scheduled for the next morning at the Lanting Poetry Society. Xu Jichun proposed this gathering to the other scholars after celebrating his examination success, though heart-gouging murders in the capital had made him urge them to return to their inns quickly.

Heart-gouging Murders

Event

A series of murders occurring in the capital Luojing, described as heart-gouging murders. Xu Jichun mentioned these frequent crimes when urging the scholars to return to their inns quickly at night.

Latest Release

Date	Group	Release
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c10
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c9
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c8
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c7
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c6
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c5
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c4
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c3
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c2
2026-08-11	shanghai fantasy	c1

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Popular reviews

AndrewMicucci Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ October 5,2025

Okay, I need to talk about Su Yingtang because this woman is absolutely fascinating and I don't know whether to love her or fear her. She's Eighteenth Lady's rival but also her mentor, and the dynamic between them is so much richer than a simple 'mean senior ghost' trope. When Eighteenth Lady crawls into her room and drops to her knees begging for help, Su Yingtang's first response is 'I don't collect trash.' Brutal. And yet—she still teaches her. She still gives her the four-word method. She still has a plan for her. The deal they make is hilarious: Eighteenth Lady agrees to scold Helan Wang so Su Yingtang can hear it, and in exchange she gets tuition. This is a ghost who would literally trade verbal abuse of a stray dog for magical instruction. It's petty and wonderful. But what really got me is the power dynamic. Eighteenth Lady has lived on the first floor for EIGHTEEN YEARS. Eighteen years of plain porridge and salted vegetables while Su Yingtang lives in luxury on the third floor with all the offerings. And yet Eighteenth Lady still goes to her for help. There's resentment there—I can feel it—but there's also this weird loyalty. She's the bottom of the food chain and she still bows to the top. That says something about her character, doesn't it? She's proud enough to try again and again, even after two failures. That's not stupidity. That's stubbornness. And honestly? I respect it.

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RIPstone Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ July 12,2025

Okay, so the Xue father and son storyline is absolutely unhinged and I need to process this. The father literally slaughtered people for their hearts because his son told him he was the reincarnation of a Literary Star and needed nine fresh hearts to ascend to immortality. Nine hearts. NINE. And the father just... went out and learned to slaughter pigs first, then moved on to humans. The seamstress got rejected because the son was picky about gender, then three beggars were eaten and found to have no flavor, and THEN he decided scholars' hearts would be perfect because of the ink and book fragrance. That is some next-level delusion right there. But the twist — and this is the part that made me sit up — Xue Yan was never human. He was a weasel spirit wearing a human body the whole time. When he swallowed his own father's heart, he shed the human form and the weasel escaped. The father died with unseeing eyes, still believing in his son. The weasel's final line to him was basically the cruelest thing possible: "Foolish mortal, your son died long ago." Meanwhile, the Taoist priest Zhongliguan shows up to capture the weasel, but here's the thing — he's the same priest from Buju Mountain's Tianshi Temple who could hear Eighteenth Lady but never told her. And now he can SEE her. His cultivation base apparently hit some threshold. That's a thread I want to see pulled later. The Ghost Bride story is introduced as a nested narrative within the narrative — Yellow-robed Guest telling his story to the group. He escaped because the Ghost Bride only loves handsome men in their prime of sixteen, and he was over thirty. That's both hilarious and terrifying. The imagery of red candles turning green and spirit money ash flying through the hall is genuinely creepy. I'm already invested in whatever the Ghost Bride subplot is going to become.

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Matchesbox Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ June 25,2025

"My son, I deliberately waited until you achieved success in the imperial examinations before daring to appear in your dreams." I keep coming back to this line. Eighteenth Lady is performing, yes—she's a ghost trying to scam a living scholar into becoming her sponsor—but there's something genuinely achingly sad underneath the con. She says she broke the rules of the Underworld because she couldn't bear to leave her 'son.' Whether that's true or just part of her act, I'm not sure. And that uncertainty is what makes this scene so emotionally complex. Then there's Xu Jichun. This guy just passed the imperial exams, placed third as Tanhua, and the first thing we see is him talking to himself at the inn door: "The deep kindness of my father and mother is like the mountains and the sea... I have not repaid you in the slightest." He's celebrating publicly but mourning privately. He lost both parents young, was raised by his aunt, and his first instinct after achieving everything is to feel like he hasn't done enough for the people who raised him. When Eighteenth Lady appears and he asks "who is my father?"—not in fear, but in genuine confusion—that hit me. He doesn't know his parents at all. He's been carrying this grief alone for twenty-two years, and here comes a ghost claiming to be his mother. Even if it's a con, the emotional vulnerability on both sides is real. She's desperate for offerings. He's desperate for connection. That's not just a setup for comedy—that's the beginning of something genuinely moving.

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NahIdwin89 Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ April 13,2025

The stakes in this batch escalated in ways I didn't expect, and I need to process this because the emotional whiplash is real. On the surface, the conflict is straightforward: a murder investigation. A third-rank minister and his family are dead, and someone wants answers. But the author keeps raising the stakes with each revelation, and by the end, this isn't just about catching a killer—it's about something much darker. The first layer of stakes is the investigation itself. Xu Jichun and Eighteenth Lady are racing against time. The Ministry of Justice has taken over, Wu Feijue is involved, and there's a deadline. The pressure is external but real. Every clue they find could be the difference between solving the case and watching another body count rise. But then the personal stakes emerge. Qin Shuyan—the five-year-old boy. The coroner found that he died from long-term cinnabar ingestion. This wasn't murder in the traditional sense; this was slow poisoning disguised as medicine. The parents weren't just victims; they were also perpetrators, feeding their son toxic substances for years in the name of healing. And now they're all dead, hacked to pieces in an abandoned house. The killer didn't just murder a family—they destroyed a family that was already destroying itself from within. The conflict between Madam Zhang and the deceased Qin family adds another layer. Her reaction to the news is performative grief, but that line—'Qin Silang deserved his death'—suggests deep-seated resentment. Is she an ally? A suspect? The author won't let us settle into knowing who to trust, and that uncertainty keeps the tension high. And then there's the romantic tension between Xu Jichun and Lu Xiuyan, which operates on a completely different frequency but equally high stakes. When Lu Xiuyan appears 'bringing a gust of wind,' it's not just a plot device—it's a moment where personal desire collides with professional duty. Xu Jichun has a case to solve, a ghost companion to protect, and now this other person who clearly cares for him is offering help. The unspoken feelings between them create a different kind of danger—not physical, but emotional. What happens if feelings get in the way of the investigation? What happens if one of them gets hurt? The highest stakes, though, are the ones we can't yet see. The half-talisman. The ritual services in Taomu Village. Fushan Tower, which humans can't enter but which clearly holds secrets. The author is building toward a conflict that transcends murder—it's about the boundary between the human and ghost worlds, about rituals that bind and break, about the things we do in the name of love that become acts of violence. I'm not just worried about whether they'll solve the case. I'm worried about what the case will reveal about the world they live in. And that's when you know the stakes have truly escalated.

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godofchaosXTf Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ January 28,2025

Let me be clear about what's at stake here. Eighteenth Lady has ONE CHANCE left this year to manifest for ritual solicitation. One. She's already blown two. If this con fails, she goes another year without offerings. She stays on the first floor eating plain porridge. She gets mocked by Su Yingtang's cronies. Her social standing in Fushan Tower remains exactly where it is: at the absolute bottom. But there's a deeper stake. If she kills Xu Jichun—if her ghostly presence frightens him to death—she can never enter Samsara. She's already broken the rules of the Underworld once by fleeing Naihe Bridge. A second violation and she's trapped forever, neither living nor dead, neither reincarnating nor at peace. When Xu Jichun faints and she bursts into tears screaming "My son, you must not die!"—this isn't just panic about losing her con. This is genuine terror. She's a ghost who has already defied death once, and now she's one misstep away from eternal damnation. The stakes are personal, immediate, and escalating with every line. And Xu Jichun himself has stakes. He's a young scholar who just achieved the highest honor in the imperial examination system. His reputation, his future, his ability to bring his aunt to the capital—all of it depends on him staying alive and sane. The fact that a ghost just appeared in his room and claimed to be his mother is not a good look for anyone's mental health. The tension here is real because both characters have everything to lose. She's gambling her last chance. He's vulnerable and grieving. And the reader is sitting on the edge of their seat wondering: will this work, or will it all collapse in the most dramatic way possible?

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rbp Review ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ April 15,2025

The opening of the Ghost Bride chapter is one of the most atmospheric passages I've read. Let me paint this for you: it's the fifth day of the fifth month — an ill-fated day in an ill-fated month, where yin and yang clash and life divides from death. Dark clouds thick as spilled ink. Fierce wind and torrential rain lashing tattered window paper. Inside, a half-burned white candle flickers, wax tears rolling down in winding trails. The dim light casts blurred, monstrous shadows on the walls. And then Yellow-robed Guest starts telling his story about the Ghost Bride. The imagery he describes — the vermilion gates in the wilderness, the old man with an ashen face, the hall filled with double happiness characters, the Faceless Paper Figures dragging him to the ceremony, the red candles suddenly turning green, the gust of wind carrying spirit money ash — this is horror worldbuilding at its finest. It feels like a Chinese gothic novel come to life. Fushan Tower itself is such a vivid setting. Each room houses a different ghost. The female ghost on the third floor wanders into male ghosts' rooms on the second floor. The male ghost on the third floor dreams of moving into the female ghost's quarters on the first floor. It's a ghostly apartment building with its own social hierarchy and drama. Moyu'er gets rolled out of a room dispute and ends up in the city. The whole place feels alive in the most unsettling way. The scene where Xiang Liwen appears behind Eighteenth Lady with his mouth stretched wide in a bloodthirsty grin, fangs bared, while Meng Yingqiu stands awkwardly behind him — that's pure cinematic. The lanterns flare to life, illuminating the room as bright as day, and all the ghosts scatter. This author knows how to stage a scene.

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