Chapter 96: A Lifelong Dream, Finally Freed (?)
On the winter night of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the snow fell particularly heavily. Goose-feather-like flakes pounded the thatched roof of the thatched cottage, making a rustling sound, like someone sobbing softly outside the door. The oil lamp in the cottage was dim, its flame flickering in the cold wind, illuminating Xiao Jin's withered face like a wrinkled piece of yellow paper.
He huddled in the corner, clutching the plain wooden box tightly in his arms. He covered the box with his only remaining piece of old cotton wool—he feared the withered bones inside would freeze. His breathing was light, with heavy gasps. Every time he took a breath, his chest felt like it was being stabbed with needles. When he coughed hard, he would vomit blood-tinged phlegm, which he carefully wiped away with a handkerchief, fearing it would stain the box.
"Zhi'er, are you cold?" He whispered into the box, his voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz, his lips cracked and bleeding. "I've covered you with cotton wool. I'm not cold... Don't get cold, okay?"
The oil in the lamp was almost gone, the flame dwindling until it finally went out with a puff. The hut was instantly plunged into darkness, with only the faint light of snow filtering through the cracks in the thatch, allowing a faint glimpse of the box to be discerned.
Xiao Jin fumbled around, pulling out the broken jade pendant from his bosom and placing it in his palm. He held it warm, the inscription of the words "Broken Moon Dust Heart" rubbed smooth by his fingertips. He placed the pendant against the box, as if letting Yun Zhi feel this final thought: "Look, our jade pendant is still here... I've always had it with me, I didn't lose it..."
The cold wind blew in through the cracks in the thatch, scratching his face like a knife. Xiao Jin's body grew colder and colder, his hands and feet numb from the cold, and he almost lost the strength to hold the box. He leaned against the cold earthen wall, his consciousness beginning to blur, and some images gradually emerged before his eyes -
It was the year of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's mansion. Osmanthus trees were in full bloom, filling the courtyard with fragrance. A girl in plain clothes sat beneath the tree, clutching a copy of the Book of Songs. The sunlight fell on her hair, casting a gilded glow. She heard footsteps and looked up, her eyes sparkling like stars. She smiled and said, "Who are you? How did you get in?"
"Zhi'er..." Xiao Jin murmured, stretched out his hand, trying to grab the figure, but only grabbed a handful of cold air.
The scene changed again, to when Yun Zhi had just entered Prince Duan's mansion. She was wearing the pink dress he had given her, holding a string of candied haws. She skipped over to him and handed him one like a treasure: "Prince, try it, it's so sweet!" He had frowned and said, "A woman should be dignified," pushing the candied haws away. Thinking back now, he had never tasted anything as sweet as that string of candied haws in his life.
"I was wrong..." His tears flowed down and froze on his cheeks like small ice particles. "I shouldn't have pushed you away... I shouldn't have been so mean to you... Can you give me another candied haws, please?"
In the hallucination, Yun Zhi wasn't angry. She just smiled, turned around, walked towards the osmanthus tree, plucked a flower, and gently placed it in his palm: "Xiao Jin, look, the osmanthus flowers are blooming again. We agreed to see the osmanthus flowers together and go to Jiangnan together. Have you forgotten?"
"I haven't forgotten! I haven't forgotten!" Xiao Jin nodded hurriedly, his body swaying and almost falling. "I'm going to take you to see the osmanthus flowers and the peach blossoms in Jiangnan right now. Please don't leave, okay?"
In the illusion, Yun Zhi stretched out her hand, her fingertips shimmering with a faint warm light, and said gently, "Let's go, let's go together. We'll never be apart again."
Xiao Jin's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had grasped the last ray of light. Gathering all his strength, he held the box, slowly stood up, and walked towards the plain-clothed figure. His steps were light, as if he were treading on clouds. The cold and pain he had felt before vanished, leaving only a heart full of joy—he could finally be with Yun Zhi, never to be separated again.
"Zhi'er, wait for me..." He smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth squeezed together, but tears were still falling, "I'm coming... Let's go home..."
He walked towards the figure in his illusion, step by step, until his body leaned against the cold earthen wall, his strength gone. His hands slowly loosened the box, and the plain wooden box gently fell to the ground with a soft "dong" sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet winter night.
The jade pendant in the palm of his hand rolled out and fell into the snow. It was reflected by the light of the snow shining through the cracks, emitting a cold luster.
The snow continued to fall outside the thatched cottage, growing heavier and heavier, soon blocking the cracks in the doorway and extinguishing even the faint glimmer of light from the snow. The cottage was completely plunged into darkness, with only the withered figure leaning against the earthen wall, still holding the box in his arms, a faint, contented smile on his face.
No one knows whether the last thing he saw was Yun Zhi, smiling with eyes like a smirk when they first met, or her resolutely falling figure beneath the palace wall; no one knows whether he finally got a false liberation, or fell into the eternal hell of regret with the curse of "owing nothing to each other"; no one knows whether the long-weathered bones in the plain wooden box in his arms can really feel this final, belated companionship.
The snow fell all night. The next morning, the sun shone on the thatched cottage, and the snow reflected a dazzling light. A passing woodcutter saw that the door of the cottage was blocked by snow. He hesitated for a moment, but still did not dare to approach. The crazy old man finally didn't have to guard the box and live a crazy life anymore.
Only the jade pendant that rolled into the snow was still lying there quietly. The four words "Broken Moon Dust Heart" on it were shining in the sunlight, as if telling a past that had long been settled, a regret that could never be made up for.
It's a dream, and there's always a time to wake up. But for Xiao Jin, whether he woke up or not was no longer important. He used a lifetime of regret to pay for his past mistakes, but until his death, he never knew whether Yun Zhi had received this repayment.
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