Chapter 44 The Last Meeting This Won’t Be the Last
When a promise is not bound by regulations, its execution depends entirely on conscience. When two people reach a promise, to ensure the other party won't go back on their word, they use a legally binding contract to bind both parties.
The underworld lacks strict laws, but that doesn't mean its "agreements" are easily broken. On the contrary, once a contract is made, it's engraved on your soul, irrevocably so.
"I'll give you one hour." Wuchang's voice was cold, but one could hear the excitement hidden in his tone.
Chang Xile was oblivious to all this. She waited until Wu Chang had vanished from her sight before turning to look at Dai Xigang. He frowned, his emotions split between anger and hesitation. Reason told him Chang Xile was playing tricks, but the glance she'd given him earlier revealed a striking resemblance to Dai Shanyan.
"After your sister died, her spirit stayed with me. I came here at her request to see her family and friends one last time. Now, a death god is about to take her away. We have two hours left to say our final goodbyes." Chang Xile summarized the situation in the simplest terms and asked, "I know you want me to prove the truth of these words, but I don't recommend wasting your time on them."
"So, do you believe it? If there are no other questions, I will let Shanyan speak out." The feeling of having another soul in the body was very uncomfortable. Chang Xile always felt that there were two double images in front of his eyes, and he had to blink very hard to see things clearly.
This is the case when Dai Shanyan has no ill will towards her. Otherwise, Chang Xile may not be able to have absolute control over her own body.
While living abroad, Dai Xigang often encountered people enthusiastically inviting him to participate in activities. These might be welcoming newly arrived international students or providing a forum for young people with similar interests to connect. However, beneath the veneer of warmth, the organizers of these activities were always trying to subtly instill their own beliefs about ghosts and spirits into these immature young minds.
He never went and never believed.
He couldn't understand why his roommate would spend a fortune on a thin piece of paper with a talisman written on it, nor did he understand why his always smart and steady friend would follow a group of people on a ship and never come back just because a so-called "master" said, "Your dead lover is wandering on the east coast of the ocean."
But today, he suddenly understood—sometimes, even if the other person's words were extremely outrageous, people would still accept them, because the absurd stories they told were a luxury that was out of reach for some people.
It’s not that the deception is so sophisticated, it’s just that the loved ones are in too much pain and want to find a solace in this vague and hopeless world.
Daisy Port gave a self-deprecating smile and said, "I believe it."
Chang Xile nodded, took a deep breath, and tried to endure the state of her body being out of control.
Almost instantly, her eyes changed. When Chang Xile looked up again and met Dai Xigang's gaze, she smiled a smile uglier than crying and gently called his name, "Daisy Gang."
Dai Xigang's eyelashes trembled as he observed the face before him in disbelief. Some say that a person's appearance is closely related to the direction of their facial muscles. Chang Xile's features bore no resemblance to Dai Shanyan's, but at that moment, the movement of her eyebrows gave her the impression of his proud younger sister.
He raised his hand to touch her face, but ended up just tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Shanyan." If you listen carefully, you can hear the slightest tremor in Dai Xigang's voice. Yet, for the first time in days, Dai Shanyan felt in control of her body again, her heart pounding. She only heard Dai Xigang ask, "Do you want to go see Mom and Dad?"
Chang Xile had asked Dai Shanyan a similar question before. At that time, she'd said it was normal for her parents to not attend the funeral since they were ill, and there was no need to force it. But now, she simply nodded continuously, tears falling like beads from a broken string, and she choked out, "If you want to see them, take me with you!"
Dai Yonghui, the real estate tycoon who was said to be decisive and resolute, was holding a bowl of medicine at this moment. He scooped up a spoonful, blew the medicine gently to cool it down, and fed it to his wife who was half lying on the bed.
Lin Sunv opened her mouth slightly, then immediately turned her head away and started coughing violently. Dai Yonghui quickly put the bowl on the table and reached out to pat her back.
"Let me out. How can we not be at Nannan's funeral?" She shook her head, lifted the quilt and wanted to get out of bed, but was stopped by Dai Yonghui again.
"You've fainted twice. The doctor said you need to rest." Dai Yonghui covered her with the quilt and said soothingly, "You need to stay calm now and not get too upset. Sihanoukville will take care of everything. Let's take the medicine first, okay?"
Lin Sunv just shook her head. She coughed and coughed, grief welling up in her chest. Tears streaming down her face, she repeated, "I didn't even get to see my daughter for the last time. How can I let go? My poor daughter... You're so cruel. My daughter is dead, and you're not sad at all?"
The man's eyes also turned red. He didn't want to quarrel with his wife, so he just asked: "How can I not be sad?"
The two of them stood with their backs to each other in silence for a while, until there was a knock on the door, and Dai Yonghui stood up to open the door.
Perhaps it was Daisy Port who arrived, Lin Sunv quickly turned her back and wiped away her tears, not wanting her son to see them.
However, the girl who poked her head in was a completely unfamiliar girl.
She hid behind the door with only half of her body exposed. When she saw the two of them, her eyes lit up, but she was too timid to enter.
Dai Yonghui frowned and was about to speak, but Lin Sunv stopped him and asked, "Who are you from? Are you lost?"
"I am..." Dai Shanyan opened her mouth, unsure what to say. She looked at her mother lying on the bed. Her mother, always gentle and elegant, was now pale, with dark circles under her eyes, a completely different person. Dai Shanyan's tears fell, and she couldn't help but call out, "Mom..."
As soon as these two words came out, the gentleness that Lin Sunv had forced herself to maintain collapsed. She turned her head away, covered her face with her bare hands, and her narrow shoulders trembled.
The little girl who called her mother is no longer alive.
Dai Yonghui glanced at his wife with a sorrowful look, and said coldly to the uninvited guest at the door: "Get out!"
Dai Shanyan subconsciously took a step back, and Dai Xigang, who was following behind her, held her shoulders with both hands.
"Dad, Mom." Dai Xigang put his arm around Dai Shanyan's shoulders and took her one step further into the room. "Shanyan is back to see us."
"Don't you think your mother is heartbroken enough? You just brought back some strange little girl and treated her as your sister? Get out!" Dai Yonghui shouted angrily.
Dai Xigang pressed his solar plexus with a headache. He knew it would be difficult to convince his parents about this matter, but if he spent all his time explaining his identity, it would be too late by the time they believed him.
It's a difficult problem.
But before he could react, Dai Shanyan moved forward with a determined heart. She squatted down beside her mother's bed, looked up at her sad face, and said everything she wanted to say in one breath: "Mom, I know you often stay up late reading without telling us, but staring at words for too long is really bad for your eyes! I was going to tell you when we got home that after reading for a while, you should do this—" She stretched out her hands and rubbed them vigorously a few times, then covered Lin Sunv's eyes. After a few seconds, she let go and said, "Use the heat to soothe your eyes!"
Then she turned her head to look at her father and said, "Mr. Dai, please make sure to urge Ms. Lin to do this. Now that I, your caring little cotton-padded jacket, am gone, it's time for your cold armor to learn to generate heat on its own."
Lin Sunv stared at the unfamiliar girl in a daze, but somehow the more she looked at her, the more familiar she felt.
Dai Shanyan seemed to remember something and rummaged through her bag again, pulling out the two silver rings. "It was my fault for running away from home because of the fight between you two. It was also my fault for not returning home in time when I got sick. I thought I'd be fine after a few days in the hospital like usual."
She took out the women's ring, took Lin Sunv's hand and put it on, then smiled with satisfaction: "Just right."
She handed another men's ring to Dai Yonghui, but he looked at her cautiously and did not take it.
Dai Shanyan curled her lips and continued to chatter, "But it's not that I've fallen out of love with you because I've reached my rebellious stage. I just wanted to give you an anniversary gift, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make it in time. Look, Mom, I've engraved your names on this ring."
She took her mother's hand and wanted to show her, but she felt a warm liquid dripping on the back of her hand. Dai Shanyan looked up blankly and saw Lin Sunv's tears. She panicked: "Why are you crying again? Did I say something wrong? You still don't believe it..."
The next second, she felt like she was in a warm embrace. Above her head was her mother's familiar whisper: "My dear...I'm home."
Dai Shanyan sniffed, holding back tears and smiling, saying, "Mom, I don't have time. Don't waste your precious time crying. Just continue to listen to me."
She rambled on and on about many things, making Lin Sunv laugh and cry at the same time. Dai Yonghui and Dai Xigang, who were standing by, just listened in silence, occasionally smiling knowingly.
The girl still looked so unfamiliar, but everyone present knew that their loved one had returned when they saw her every frown and smile.
Dai Shanyan raised her head, cupped Lin Sunv's face, and said earnestly, "Mom, I'm so, so grateful for bringing me into this world, and I love the name you gave me. The doctor said I wouldn't live past one or eighteen, but I made it through! I've lived much longer than expected, and I'm already very satisfied."
When Lin Sunv heard her daughter's farewell words, an indescribable panic welled up in her heart—a fear of losing what she had gained. She grabbed Dai Shanyan's arm and asked, "What do you mean? Shanyan, can't you stay?"
Dai Shanyan shook her head with tears in her eyes, gently but firmly removed her mother's hand, picked up another ring and walked to her father. She smiled and held out her palm to him.
After a brief silence, Dai Yonghui also held out his left hand. Dai Shanyan carefully placed the silver ring on him, complaining softly, "Dad, your name is so hard to write. I spent so much time carving it that my eyes are blurry."
Dai Yonghui looked down at the sparkling ring on his hand, blinked hard, and then sighed deeply.
Dai Shanyan looked left and right, finally smiling with satisfaction. She put her hands behind her back and said proudly, "Dad, you must take good care of Mom. You two are not allowed to quarrel anymore. Whenever you miss me, just look at this ring. As for you not coming to my funeral, I'm very generous and won't make a fuss about it!"
She glanced at the clock on the wall, its hands irresistibly moving forward. She took a few steps back and announced, "I don't like the idea of 'last meeting'. We'll meet again. The butterfly by the window, the kitten in the corner, the raindrops falling from the sky could all be me. Of course, it's also possible that I, the lagging goose, will finally catch up and reach the finish line before all of you."
Dai Shanyan smiled and said, "So, this is where we'll meet today."
The meaning of farewell is so subtle and clear.
"Shanyan!" Lin Sunv had already burst into tears. She wanted to sit up and grab Dai Shanyan's sleeve, but was pulled back into Dai Yonghui's arms.
He shook his head at Lin Sunv.
Dai Shanyan's smile remained undimmed. She said goodbye to them in the most cheerful manner she could muster: "Next is the time to communicate with Dai Xigang. Adults, please don't participate in the younger generation's conversation. Bye, Mom and Dad!"
Lin Sunv's tears never stopped, but she still tried to smile at her: "Goodbye, my dear daughter..." Dai Yonghui held his wife's hand tightly and nodded vigorously to his daughter.
The owners of the two silver rings held each other tightly, symbolizing eternal separation.
As the door closed, the sobbing was isolated in another room.
Dai Shanyan leaned against the door, took a deep breath, and looked dazed.
It's the last time...
Where do people go after death, and what becomes of them? Dai Shanyan doesn't know. She doesn't know what she'll experience after being taken away by the spirit of death. The road ahead is like a bottomless abyss to her, one she dares not face.
If possible, I hope to be reincarnated as a human. If not, turning into a cute little animal and raising it with my mother would also be nice.
"Don't you plan to spend your final moments with your parents?" Daisy Gang asked.
He couldn't help but glance at the clock on the wall again - 4:30 in the afternoon, ten minutes left before the expected time - even though the relentless flow of time would not stop because of his observation, he still couldn't help but look at it again and again.
Dai Shanyan shook her head: "That's too cruel." The moment of seeing a loved one leave is no less than being in hell. Losing their daughter for the second time is definitely a heavy blow to two people in their fifties.
Daisy Port smiled helplessly and asked, "Isn't it cruel to me?"
She looked at him seriously and said, "You are different. You are the only one left by your parents. You have to support this family."
Dai Shanyan seemed to remember something, and she hooked her finger at Dai Xigang and whispered a few words to him.
Daisy nodded to show that she understood. After a while, she couldn't help but ask her, "Don't you have anything you want to tell me?"
She explained so many things to so many people, but she only said to him, "You have to support this family."
Dai Shanyan raised her eyebrows and said, "Of course I have. I wrote a lot on that paper..."
Before she finished speaking, she suddenly leaned back, bent her knees and fell towards Daisy Port. Daisy Port silently caught the girl and looked at the top of her black hair.
Looking up, the pointer on the wall had turned to exactly 4:40, not a minute off.
The girl's face was calm and her appearance had not changed from before, but he could feel that something very precious was quietly leaving.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
