Chapter 54 End of Main Text The Cycle Begins Again, Let Nature Take Its Course (Part 2)...
Hua Yu rushed towards Yun Jin without hesitation. The moment his body disappeared, he thought to himself, "I've done so many good deeds. Heaven should at least give me one last chance to embrace her."
But no, God did not show mercy, and no miracle occurred. He suddenly appeared in the house he had rented in 2013.
Liu Zhuangzhuang, who was preparing to cook, was startled when he saw him: "Where did you come from?"
Hua Yu stared at him silently for a long time, then suddenly began to cry: "Fat Brother..."
Upon seeing this, Liu Zhuangzhuang quickly dropped the shovel and hurriedly began to comfort him.
He didn't know what had happened to Hua Yu, but judging from her expression, he could guess that it was related to Yun Jin.
As a considerate friend, he didn't ask any questions, but stayed by Hua Yu's side for several days without leaving the house.
A few days later, Hua Yu cheered up and decided to look for a job.
"That's great!" Liu Zhuangzhuang raised both hands in support. "I was just about to quit my last job, so let's do it together."
Hua Yu nodded: "Yes, let's go together."
As if remembering something, Liu Zhuangzhuang added, "But before we look for jobs, we might have to do something else first."
Hua Yu frowned: "What is it?"
Liu Zhuangzhuang shrugged: "Moving."
"……move place?"
Liu Zhuangzhuang: "The youngest son of this family is suddenly getting married, and the landlord wants to vacate the house for him to use as his wedding room. So he paid us an extra month's rent and asked us to move out. Coincidentally, the house across the hall became vacant and the rent was cheaper than here, so we have to move from 504 to 503."
"When did this happen?" Hua Yu asked, puzzled.
Liu Zhuangzhuang: "Just recently, you were never home, so I didn't have a chance to talk to you about this."
"Fatty..." Amidst her grief, Hua Yu felt a long-lost emotion of guilt. "I was wrong during this time."
"Oh ho, you've learned to apologize now. It seems that heartbreak really does help people grow..." Liu Zhuangzhuang, who was quick to speak without thinking, realized what he had said and quickly shut up.
Hua Yu smiled bitterly: "I'm not heartbroken, I just..."
But what? He couldn't say.
"Anyway, I didn't break up with anyone," he emphasized again.
“Let’s pretend we didn’t break up,” Liu Zhuangzhuang patted his shoulder, not mentioning that he had also secretly called Yun Jin, but she hadn’t answered. “Let’s move first, then look for jobs. No matter what, things will get better in the future.”
"Yes, things will get better and better," Hua Yu nodded.
Liu Zhuangzhuang had arranged everything in advance, so moving was relatively simple. However, finding jobs together was not so easy. Either the pay was low, or they couldn't hire two people at the same time. In short, they searched for a long, long time but couldn't find anything suitable.
Seeing her savings disappear like water, Hua Yu compromised first: "If it really doesn't work out, let's each find our own way."
“That won’t do,” Liu Zhuangzhuang immediately objected. “We should look together. Don’t rush. The more you rush, the less likely you are to find a good job.”
Hua Yu thought he made sense, so she didn't insist anymore.
The two reached an agreement, but it was also true that their savings were dwindling. During those days when she would send out resumes and go to interviews as soon as she opened her eyes, Hua Yu could only curl up in a ball at night and secretly think about Yun Jin.
He really wanted to see her again, but with twelve years separating them, he could never get close to her no matter how much he wanted to.
At times like these, he would feel pain, the pain of helplessness.
Liu Zhuangzhuang sensed his mood but didn't know how to comfort him, so he could only secretly add an egg to his lunchbox the next time he bought it.
But this was obviously ineffective; Hua Yu was not him, and the healing effect of food was almost non-existent in front of Hua Yu.
As Liu Zhuangzhuang watched him grow increasingly silent, she grew more and more anxious. Just as she was considering whether to find a psychologist, things suddenly took a turn for the better.
"Thump thump!" Liu Zhuangzhuang slammed a brochure down in front of Hua Yu.
Hua Yu glanced at it and asked, "What is this?"
"A medical institution is recruiting volunteers. Volunteers who pass the physical examination and participate in the experiment can receive a reward of 20,000 yuan." Liu Zhuangzhuang pushed the brochure forward again.
Hua Yu frowned, still refusing to accept: "What kind of volunteer can get so much money? It must be a very risky experiment. I'm not going, and you're not allowed to go either. Nothing is more important than health."
"You kid, why are you so afraid of death at such a young age?" Liu Zhuangzhuang rolled his eyes at him. "Don't worry, this experiment is legal and compliant, and the risks are not high. It's just that it involves brain experiments, so the standards are too high and they can't find volunteers. That's why they raised the fees to attract more people to participate. Would your chubby brother harm you?"
Seeing that he was serious, Hua Yu pursed her lips and finally picked up the brochure.
Then I saw a familiar name: Li Yueshu.
In 2025, Hua Yu read some of his information and clearly remembered that he had only done two projects in his life: one was about the erasure of specific memories, and the other was about the initial causes of tumor formation.
Just like the beginning of every story, there must be a prelude, just like a foreshadowing arranged by fate, which is finally revealed at the end of the story.
Hua Yu suddenly remembered a certain afternoon in 2025 when she was hospitalized, Hua Cheng and she got along peacefully together, sitting on the hospital bed and discussing the matter of Yun Jin's time travel.
“I don’t understand,” Hua Cheng said, resting his chin on his hand, his 32-year-old face still showing a hint of ignorant naivety. “Why did Yun Jin change the past, and Lan Li and the others’ memories also change as a result, but Fatty and I were not affected at all, and our memories are still the original versions.”
He casually retorted, "Yes, why?"
Hua Cheng rolled her eyes at him, then switched hands to rest her chin on her hand: "If I knew why, why would I be asking you?"
Now he knows why.
After returning to 2013, Hua Yu, who had been immersed in the pain of emptiness, suddenly realized at this moment that she should do something.
“Fatty.” He looked at Liu Zhuangzhuang seriously.
Liu Zhuangzhuang: "...Just say what you want to say, don't look at me like that, it's scary."
Hua Yu suddenly smiled.
Ten days later, they used two forged ID cards to participate in the volunteer selection for Li Yueshu's laboratory. After going through layers of physical examinations and verifications, they became the only two qualified volunteers.
Li Yueshu was temporarily sent abroad to participate in a project. This experiment was led by his assistant. Hua Yu only made one request: after erasing the specific memories, she wanted to fill them with something else for him and Liu Zhuangzhuang.
"What do you want to fill in?" the assistant asked, puzzled.
Hua Yu: "A very small amount of content."
After saying that, he took out several thick pages of paper.
assistant:"……"
Making requests right before the experiment started was very unruly, but volunteers are rare, and the assistant and Li Yueshu talked on the phone for two hours before finally agreeing.
As Liu Zhuangzhuang put on the special equipment, he nervously grabbed Hua Yu's hand: "Um... I feel like this lab is a bit unprofessional. Are we sure we want to continue?"
“Keep going, nothing will happen,” Hua Yu glanced at him. “Although Li Yueshu didn’t achieve anything significant by 2025, his research ability is still remarkable.”
Liu Zhuangzhuang was speechless: "How did you know?"
Hua Yu chuckled: "I just knew it."
Liu Zhuangzhuang clicked his tongue, hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure you want to forget Yun Jin?"
Hua Yu's lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, and after a long while, she softly hummed in agreement.
Even now, he doesn't know if losing his memories of this period would allow him to meet Yun Jin without any problems.
But it doesn't matter anymore. He's come to terms with it now. He is Hua Cheng, and even if he loses some time, he's still Hua Cheng. Compared to that real person, an invisible and intangible memory isn't that important.
He was willing to take a gamble, hoping that while fate would drive him into a dead end, it would also secretly leave a door open for him.
Give yourself a chance to truly let things take their natural course.
"Give it a try," Hua Yu mumbled.
"You really are... Fine, I'll risk my life to keep you company!" Liu Zhuangzhuang sighed.
Hua Yu smiled and shook his hand: "Thank you, Fatty. You really are my best friend."
Liu Zhuang rolled his eyes at him: "After this is all over, come back to my hometown with me for a few days. My dad makes really good rice wine, you'll definitely like it."
"OK."
The two looked at each other and then closed their eyes at the same time.
During the time she lost consciousness, Hua Yu felt as if she were floating in the ocean, becoming a drop of seawater, surrounded by millions of others. Because the sun was too strong, a few of her drops dried up and evaporated, turning into water vapor, which then fell back as rain.
He opened his eyes again and felt a little lonely. Fortunately, Liu Zhuangzhuang also woke up. The two of them took the huge sum of money they had earned from the experiment and walked out arm in arm.
"With so much money, you won't be looking for a job before the New Year, will you?" Liu Zhuangzhuang asked.
Hua Yu nodded: "I'm not looking anymore."
"Okay, come home with me. My dad asked someone to introduce me to someone, and he wants me to meet her. I'm too embarrassed to go alone, so you can come with me."
"You called me back, wasn't it to drink rice wine?" Liu Zhuangzhuang: "..."
Hua Yu narrowed her eyes and suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Feeling guilty, Liu Zhuangzhuang coaxed and hugged the person, eventually managing to lure them back to his hometown.
Although Hua Yu was dissatisfied, she still accompanied Liu Zhuangzhuang to meet his blind date. The girl was gentle and beautiful. Compared to her, Liu Zhuangzhuang, who had just finished fishing that day, looked like a butcher.
Hua Yu shed two tears of sympathy for her brother, never expecting that they would become friends so quickly and have such a warm relationship.
Human love is truly unpredictable. Although Hua Yu thought Liu Zhuangzhuang was perfect in every way, she also knew that he wasn't the type of guy that girls would fall in love with at first sight. Out of a sense of responsibility for her brother, Hua Yu couldn't help but ask him what exactly he saw in Liu Zhuangzhuang.
“He came to a blind date with a guy who was a hundred times more handsome than him. He seemed like he had no guile at all,” said Chen Yueqin, the gentle and beautiful sister-in-law. After getting to know him, she crossed her legs, drank beer and ate barbecue. “I like guys like that who have no guile.”
Hua Yu: "..."
Okay, Fatty really isn't a sly one.
Liu Zhuangzhuang and Chen Yueqin's relationship progressed rapidly. After returning to Pingcheng after the New Year, he told Hua Yu with a embarrassed look that he wanted to move out and live with his wife.
Hua Yu was genuinely happy for them and even added a lot of things to their new home. However, after returning home, she suddenly felt all alone.
"Maybe I should go on a blind date too..."
He muttered something to himself, chuckled, and went to sleep.
Hua Yu's twenties were chaotic and embarrassing, but with the New Year over, she seemed to have ushered in new luck as she got rid of the old and welcomed the new.
He and Fatty found jobs delivering seafood to various restaurants and eateries in Pingcheng. They had to get up at three or four in the morning and sometimes didn't finish until ten at night.
It was tiring, but the pay was high. Fatty only worked there for two months before moving to a better place and even advised him to move to a different place as well.
Hua Yu felt that her current place was quite good, so she didn't agree.
Spring in Pingcheng is short; once March is over, the weather gets hot.
Fatty transferred some of his work to him so he could focus on his relationship. He found new enjoyment in this new job and learned how to interact with people. When life is going too well, it's hard for a person to be stubborn anymore; even Fatty said he's become more cheerful.
Life is busy and fulfilling, but she eats and lives alone. Occasionally, she feels lonely. On some nights when she can't sleep, Hua Yu will stare blankly at the night sky, and then the next morning, she will throw herself into her delivery work.
One ordinary summer night in August.
After delivering his last order, he followed the hotel's lobby manager to settle the bill. As he approached the kitchen, a thin, slender figure suddenly darted out from the next room and stumbled toward him.
Hua Yu had been delivering goods all day, and was covered in dirt and smelled strongly of seafood. When she saw the other person, she instinctively took a step back.
The girl didn't look at him and ran quickly past him, the soap scent in her hair very fresh.
Hua Yu was stunned for a moment, and only after the girl disappeared did she look at the lobby manager and ask, "What happened?"
"Why do you care so much?" The lobby manager handed him a stack of cash. "Count it, and if it's enough, we'll issue a receipt."
Hua Yu clicked her tongue and lowered her head to count the money.
After paying the bill, he stretched and walked wearily out. As he passed the last private room, he suddenly heard a man's voice.
"You got into Pingda University, but so what? Many of our hotel's waiters are graduates of Pingda University. In Pingcheng, you can't get ahead just by having a good degree. Since you have this advantage, why don't you make use of it?"
These words sounded too much like a lewd man trying to seduce a young girl, so Hua Yu couldn't help but stop.
The door to the private room was ajar, and you could see a thin girl with her head down, and two bundles of cash in front of her.
"I won't force you. Think it over carefully. Sometimes choices are more important than hard work. If you just nod today, countless riches and honors will be waiting for you tomorrow. You're so smart, you should know what to do."
After the man finished speaking, he left.
The girl stared at the two bundles of money in silence for a long time before slowly reaching out her hand.
"Hello."
A voice laced with laughter suddenly rang out, and the girl abruptly looked up, her eyes filled with wariness.
Afraid of scaring her, Hua Yu smiled and said, "College student, once you take this kind of money, it's a one-way street. Are you sure?"
The girl stared at him for a few seconds and said, "I'm sure."
Then he picked up the money.
The smile on Hua Yu's lips vanished instantly, and he didn't say anything more until the girl passed him with the money.
Everyone has their own ambitions, what else can he say?
Hua Yu let out a soft breath and turned to go to the parking lot.
The hotel parking lot was large. It took him some time to find his car and some time to drive it out. After leaving the hotel, just as he was about to step on the gas and get onto the main road, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.
He slammed on the brakes, and the girl turned around in a panic, then paused for a moment when she saw him.
"What are you doing here?" Hua Yu asked curiously.
The girl probably sensed that he meant her no harm, and frowned as she asked, "What's it to you?"
Hua Yu raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you take the money?"
"If we don't take it, how are we going to hit him on the head?" the girl retorted.
Hua Yu laughed: "You're quite fierce."
The girl glanced at him coldly, not understanding what nonsense he was spouting.
Hua Yu: "You got fired?"
girl:"……"
Hua Yu: "Nowhere to go?"
girl:"……"
Hua Yu: "I have another room at home. If you don't mind, you can make do with this room for one night?"
The girl looked at him again, seemingly considering her options.
After Hua Yu finished speaking, he realized that he had been too rash. After all, they were of different genders, and his invitation was a bit too ulterior motive.
"If you don't want to, that's fine. I have some money here, you can..."
“Okay,” the girl interrupted him.
Hua Yu was taken aback: "What's good? Do you want to pay me or stay at my place?"
The girl didn't say anything, but went around to the passenger side, opened the door, and jumped in lightly.
Now it was Hua Yu's turn to get stuck.
After a long silence, he said, "Shouldn't we introduce ourselves?"
"My name is Yun Jin."
"...Hua Cheng".
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Author's Note: The main story is finished! I originally planned to end with the previous chapter and release this chapter as a side story, but I decided to release the whole thing anyway. Hua Yu's choice to erase his memories and meet Yun Jin as a completely new person was an ending he had already decided on. He's a bit pitiful for losing part of his memories, but compared to 32-year-old Hua Cheng, he doesn't have to face life and death anymore and can grow old healthily with Yun Jin. So, it's a case of every loss having a gain.
The latter half of this chapter features Hua Yu, who is also Hua Cheng, the protagonist of our story. Starting tomorrow, I'll be updating with an extra chapter depicting their meeting, getting to know each other, and falling in love. If there's anything else you'd like to see, please leave a comment below, and I'll try my best to accommodate your requests. Thank you for your support, see you tomorrow! [Fireworks][Fireworks][Fireworks]
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