Blessings from the Past
Returning to the city from Qinan Mountain, life seemed to be infused with a new tone. Lin Wanxing still went to the School of Literature to attend classes and grade papers, but the weariness and sorrow that had lingered in her eyes for years had faded, as if washed away by the mountain breeze and river water. Jiang Chen naturally stayed at her apartment, his composure becoming a reliable and reassuring background sound in their lives. Su Xiao and Lu Zi'ang's relationship also entered a new phase, everything steadily moving in a warmer direction.
However, Lin Wanxing knew that deep in her heart, there was still a ritual that needed to be completed: a formal, solemn, and grateful farewell to the past.
On a quiet weekend afternoon, the autumn sun shone warmly, and the sky was high and clear. Lin Wanxing came to Xishan Cemetery alone. Unlike the wild and untamed Qinan Mountain, this place was well-maintained and solemn, with evergreen pines and cypresses. Holding a small bunch of fresh white daisies, she walked slowly along the familiar path towards the place where she had lingered countless times, but ultimately pushed Jiang Chen away.
My steps were no longer as heavy as before, and my heart was no longer filled with turbulent grief, but rather with a calm and solemn feeling of about to accomplish something important.
She stopped in front of Shen Yu's tombstone. The black stone was spotless, engraved with his name and dates of birth and death. She bent down and gently placed daisies before the grave; the white petals stood out against the dark stone.
She stood quietly for a while, feeling the warmth of the autumn sun on her shoulders and listening to the gentle rustling of the wind through the pine forest. Then, she carefully took out a small object wrapped in soft cloth from the cloth bag she carried with her.
Uncovering the soft cloth, inside lies the small, exquisite metal gear model left behind by Shen Yu. It was the first little gadget he made by hand when he was obsessed with mechanical engineering. The surface is somewhat oxidized, but the traces of his original care are still visible. It was once a witness to their youthful love, carrying countless burning dreams and laughter, as well as the excruciating pain of its sudden interruption and years of longing.
She ran her fingers very lightly over the cold teeth marks of the gears, as if touching that brilliant but frozen moment for the last time.
“Chen Yu,” she said, her voice soft yet exceptionally clear, carried on the wind, “I’ve come to see you.”
There were no tears, only a warm, bittersweet feeling that had settled over time.
“Here, take this back.” She gently placed the gear model on top of the tombstone, near his name. The metal made a barely audible sound as it touched the stone. “It holds our best memories, and it also trapped me for too long. Now, I leave it here to keep you company. I will always keep those memories in the warmest place in my heart, but they are no longer my everything, nor are they my shackles.”
She looked at the gear lying quietly on the stone tablet, as if a handover had been completed.
“I’m sorry for making you worry for so long,” she continued, her tone calm, as if she were talking to a dear friend who had traveled far away. “I’ve been locking myself in my memories, thinking that was how I was being loyal to you. I was wrong. That stubbornness in the past, ignoring the present and the people who care about me, is definitely not what you want to see.”
She took a deep breath, her gaze becoming clear and firm as she looked at the tombstone, as if she could see through the stone to the young man behind it who always wore a gentle smile.
“I’m fine now. Really.” A genuine and relieved smile appeared on her lips. “I met someone, his name is Jiang Chen. You should… already know him.” She recalled the clear dream that had guided her, and her tone was filled with certainty and gratitude.
“He’s very different, completely different from you. He’s quiet and a bit clumsy, but he hides all his goodness in his actions. He’s been through a lot of pain, and even despaired at times. It was your notes, the love and reluctance you left inside, that pulled him back from the edge of the cliff, and indirectly, brought him to my side.”
Her voice softened, carrying a strange sense of destiny that connected the past and the present.
"Come to think of it, it seems like you were the one who brought him into my life. You were the one who sent him to take your place and protect me, weren't you?"
Just then, a gentle autumn breeze swept by, swirling a few golden ginkgo leaves on the ground. They twirled around her feet before falling silently, and the sound of the pine trees seemed to become exceptionally soothing.
“I feel safe and happy with him.” Her voice was steady and firm when she said the word “happiness.” “So, don’t worry about me anymore. I will carry the best love and memories you gave me and move forward bravely and well. I will cherish the happiness I have now and create our own future together with Jiang Chen.”
She paused for a moment, then spoke softly, with endless gratitude and farewell:
"Thank you, Shen Yu. Thank you for coming into my life and giving me such wonderful love. And thank you for your final guidance and blessings. Goodbye."
After finishing her long speech, Lin Wanxing felt an unprecedented sense of ease and clarity. It was as if the invisible threads that had bound her soul had been gently untied at that moment.
She lowered her head and pulled out the handmade Jupiter pendant that Jiang Chen had given her on the summit of Qinan Mountain, which she always wore close to her body. The wood was warm and smooth, its shape simple and unadorned. She removed it from her necklace, and then, with an almost ritualistic solemnity, put it back on, letting the small Jupiter rest securely against her chest. The cool wood was quickly warmed by her body heat, as if it had become one with the rhythm of her heartbeat.
She glanced one last time at the quiet gear model and Shen Yu's name on the tombstone, her eyes calm and warm. Then, she turned and walked back the way she had come with steady and firm steps.
Just as she turned around and took her first step—
In the cemetery, the gentle breeze that had been blowing suddenly paused for a fleeting moment, as if some lingering scent had finally found its final resting place. Then, an exceptionally gentle breeze, carrying the scent of the mountains and the warmth of the sun, gently blew from behind her, softly brushing her hair and shoulders, like a silent, comforting embrace, before sweeping past her and disappearing into the open, bright sky before her, leaving no trace.
Lin Wanxing stopped in her tracks a moment later, without turning around. But she clearly felt the wind sweep by, and after the wind passed, the surrounding world became even clearer and more peaceful, as if in a state of perfect tranquility.
He heard it. And he left, relieved.
When he returned to the apartment, the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, filling the living room. Jiang Chen was sitting on the carpet by the window, organizing some documents he had brought back from Qinan Mountain. He looked up when he heard the door open.
His gaze fell on her face, keenly noticing the subtle difference between when she left and now. The lingering mist in her eyes had lessened, replaced by a clear, serene tranquility and a sense of peace—a genuine lightness emanating from within. His gaze then moved downwards, landing on the Jupiter pendant he had carved himself, clearly visible around her neck.
He didn't ask her what she had done, nor did he say anything to comfort or encourage her. He simply looked at her quietly, and then gave her a gentle, all-knowing smile.
That smile contained understanding, support, and a silent promise of "I'm here."
Lin Wanxing returned his smile with the same serene and warm one. She walked over to him, sat down naturally, leaned on his shoulder, and looked out the window at the city skyline bathed in the golden-red hues of the setting sun.
The room was quiet, save for their steady breathing and heartbeats. The past had finally become a warm memory, a source of strength, securely sealed away. And they sat firmly in their present, facing together a hopeful future.
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