Chapter 100 (The End) Mr. Jian, may I ask, would you like to...?
After being convicted of intentional homicide and other crimes, George R.R. Paul was renovated and turned into an ordinary residential building.
A few days later, at A-Zhi's hospital.
The dim moonlight shone through the window, creating a pleasant atmosphere for the angel statues in the corridor.
A seemingly sleeping figure lay on Azhi's bed, his camera beside him. Suddenly, a dark figure walked in.
This was an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman who had previously been in and out of St. Mary's Hospital. Everyone knew she was Ah Zhi's sister.
If her senior sister were here, she would agree with this statement, but when this strange person came to A-Zhi's bedside, her figure seemed to gradually lengthen and eventually turned into a long-haired man.
Zhong Jiyao: "Seven days, and he still hasn't woken up. I don't even have time for him anymore."
As he spoke, Zhong Jiyao's shoulder blades began to feel hot again, his wings were restless under his skin, and the urging of Heaven echoed in his mind, scolding him for delaying the mission.
But he didn't realize that the person on the bed had already opened their eyes.
Jane looked at him and suddenly spoke up, “Zhong Jiyao, so it was you who took the picture in the hidden camera, because you are neither a bound spirit nor a human?”
"..."
The air suddenly stopped.
Zhong Jiyao was taken aback.
His breathing quickened, and he looked at Jane Dieda with a complex and indescribable expression as she slowly sat up.
The two should have a good talk in this situation, but Jian Dieda didn't look well either; his face was pale, and his body seemed to have become much more transparent.
Zhong Jiyao remained silent, his expression one of worry and self-reproach that seemed to be a direct pain to him.
In the end, he was the one who took the initiative to speak.
"This is the seventh day. Don't ask why. Now come back to the building with me."
As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and gently touched the blue mark on Jian Dieda's wrist with his fingertips. When the warm touch landed, Jian Dieda felt the bone-chilling cold dissipate a little, while Zhong Jiyao withdrew his hand as if he had been burned.
The pure power of the holy angels, which should have suppressed resentment, instead warmed this innocent soul.
Jane Dieda knew perfectly well what was going on, and said with her head down,
“I died at the very beginning. Today is the seventh day. I will become a bound spirit and leave this place. I have reconciled with Brother Wen and Sister Wen, and I have left my unemployment benefits to them…”
"No! You, you wait a little longer." Zhong Jiyao heard himself say, his voice hoarse and tense, even surprising himself. "Perhaps, there is a way."
Jane was stunned, staring at his tear-streaked profile.
Moonlight fell on Zhong Jiyao's face, outlining his sharp jawline and slightly upturned eyes, but the gentleness of his former self was gone. He suddenly felt that this man who always followed him might be the only deity in some cold, impersonal building.
The motion-sensor lights in the corridor came on completely, illuminating the two clasped hands. One was a bound spirit unaware of his imprisonment, and the other was a fallen angel willing to give up heaven. In this old building filled with resentment, what should have been a punitive encounter turned into a long and peaceful companionship.
“You guessed right… I’m not a bound spirit. After I died, I actually became a candidate for holy angel. I came here to punish you because it was my duty to the human world.” Zhong Jiyao spoke, his voice clear but without a trace of murderous intent. “But you are not him. I knew that a long time ago, so I’ve been hiding A-Zhi’s camera. I don’t want you to discover that an angel is really hiding next to you.”
Jian Dieda was shocked, and only then did he realize that something had been wrong these past few days, the complex emotions in his eyes, and the warmth he felt when he approached him a few times.
Looking back now, Jian Dieda was completely out of his element when he was resurrected. He had just climbed up from in front of the wrecked car, his chest was in excruciating pain, and because the place where he died was also Qiao Ye's property, he had become a pre-destined earthbound spirit, just like Ding Xirong. Once his seven-day period in the human world was over, he would have no chance of escaping.
But he didn't know that a strange long-haired man was watching nearby at the time.
That night, Zhong Jiyao stood beside this unfortunate corpse. Light and shadow connected the boundary between heaven and hell; his white shirt was buttoned up completely, and he toyed with the cross between his fingers.
But no one knew what was hidden in those shoulder blades behind the clothes.
Those were actually a pair of folded holy angel wings, with each white feather distinct, waiting for the Father's command of punishment to break through his skin and lift his overcoat.
Zhong Jiyao: "The so-called enforcers of heaven... are actually angels. That's my real name. Before you appeared that night, the case file I received clearly stated Jian Xiang's crimes. My mission was to make you a completely bound spirit... This was also my last disciplinary mission in over twenty years. After it was over, I should have gone to heaven smoothly..."
Zhong Jiyao ended his recollection.
He looked at Jane Dieda with a gentle yet firm gaze.
Just like when he first saw those eyes, he hesitated.
He would feel sorry for the person who fed the cat bread at the bottom of the building, and he would also stay up late at night thinking about the moon on his hospital bed.
The purity of this soul became the sin of the angel for lingering on earth for too long. Those whispered confessions were punishments etched on his wings, yet he truly felt no sorrow or regret for anything.
The angel's cross of light emitted a warm glow, enveloping the two after their conversation. The contract was established, and Jane Dieda had just completed seven game days, the "first seven days" of his life. He received blessings and baptism from heaven, and the last earthbound curse on his body was broken.
Unbeknownst to him, Zhong Jiyao was gambling again. He was gambling that Paradise would listen to his explanation, gambling that he could find a way to remove the original owner's resentment, and gambling that he wouldn't personally sever this pure soul that had mistakenly entered the cage.
Beneath his folded wings, however, lay not only a pure heart of punishment, but also a trace of concern that even a holy angel should not possess.
Dawn came exceptionally slowly on the seventh day. The pain in Jian Dieda's chest was more intense than ever before, and the bruise on his wrist had turned dark black, like a lock. He looked at the sunlight outside the door and suddenly sensed something. He turned to look at Zhong Jiyao behind him: "It seems like I really can't leave."
Zhong Jiyao was behind him, the burning sensation in his shoulder blades reaching its peak, his wings almost bursting through his flesh.
At the same time, the command from Heaven sounded for the last time, with thunderous wrath. He could see the golden light in the clouds and the urging of the punishing angels, but as he looked at Jane Dieda's back, that back that clearly cared but pretended to be calm, he suddenly closed his eyes.
The next second, a dazzling white light exploded from his back, and white feathers burst through his clothes, spreading out. The holy light enveloped the entire hall. Jian Dieda turned around in surprise and saw the pair of huge wings behind Zhong Jiyao. The feathers shone with a divine radiance, but his eyes were incredibly gentle.
And when he knelt on one knee and raised the cross again, he also stroked the human with the feathers from the injured side of his wing...
“Jian Sheng, I, Zhong Jiyao, am willing to swear by my soul to make a covenant with you, to protect you for all eternity, and never leave you. Now, with the grace of the Heavenly Father, I wish to send you back to the human world.”
The young man in the suit was no longer transparent; he had completely merged with the body. Only his fingertips were still slightly cold. He knew very well what price Zhong Jiyao had paid. This was supposed to be a merit for him to go to heaven, but now he had used it to save himself.
Zhong Jiyao was now completely exhausted. He tugged at Jian Dieda's sleeve and whispered, "...baby, this time...I really can't go to heaven..."
After he finished speaking, his body turned to ashes in the golden light and completely disappeared.
The shaking of the building stopped, and Jian Dieda took a step forward, only to grab at nothing. He turned around and saw sunlight streaming into the room through the windows of the shattered building, illuminating the cross next to his knees.
"Zhong Jiyao..." Jian Dieda hurriedly called out, looking blankly out the window. The sun was shining brightly, the breeze was gentle, and the former hell on earth was finally welcoming the dawn. His story with the Happy Ghost would also come to an end.
In this bright world, that person's voice is no longer heard.
After going around in circles, it was his turn to kneel before the statue of Jesus.
Just as the young policeman in the first life guarded the fox spirit's tombstone his whole life, the junior in the second life always silently recited the Guanyin mantra on the senior's neck in the coffin, and in the third, fourth, and fifth lives, this person was always so willful in abandoning him and using so-called harm to achieve redemption.
But if his heart hadn't been unable to feel love back then, perhaps his lover wouldn't have left like this.
Jane Dieda slowly stood up and shook her head: "I don't know... I don't know..."
He never understood how love could be like this, or how to love someone.
Why is it only their love that is so difficult? Shouldn't love bring happiness to the other person?
"Ahhh!! Ah...!"
He fell back, bracing himself on the ground in agony, and broke down in tears, clutching his face.
Blood dripped from the bite wound onto the back of his clenched hand, and tears gradually blurred the young man's eyes, which were filled with despair and sorrow.
Then, with his mouth full of blood, his battered body rose again and again. On the 15th floor, which had vanished in countless white lights, he bowed to the many souls in the foundation, raised the silver cross in his hand, and bowed his head to apologize to God and to the man who had also cried in the confessional, word by word.
"Father, I have sinned."
"Heavenly Father."
"I've been stuck in the same place for over ten years, clinging to a deep-seated belief. Even though I know it's against the rules, I still couldn't resist it."
"I have a crush on someone. He is pure and innocent, like the warm sun, like salvation, the only light in my dark years."
"But I didn't cherish him when he was alive. I always kept him trapped in love and unable to breathe. He was crushed by responsibility and finally decided to die. I didn't know whether he was alive or dead and refused to let him be reincarnated."
“I know that humans and ghosts are different, and that this feeling should not exist. I am afraid of disturbing him, afraid of burdening him, afraid that my existence will bring him disaster, but I can’t control myself. I want to get close to him, want to be with him, and want to give him all the good things.”
“I often think that this unrequited love is my sin, the punishment for transgressing the rules. But he did nothing wrong. He is so good, he deserves all the peace and happiness in the world, and he shouldn’t be held back by my lonely soul.”
“Merciful Father, is it a sin to secretly love a man? If it is a sin, I will bear it alone. I only wish that he may be safe and carefree every year. Even if... he will never know my feelings, I am willing to place this love with you and return him to the purity of nature.”
“Father, please bring him back to life. I’m willing to let him go wherever he wants, as long as he’s happy. My persistent pursuit no longer needs his answer, okay? I will no longer try to drag him away with me, as long as he’s happy—I only ask God to forgive him, and I’m willing to stay in hell—as long as he can go back alone—”
It was only then that Jian Dieda realized that the feeling of repeatedly escaping the real world and not even being able to close his eyes and sleep was actually the situation before him. Suddenly, as he was crying his heart out, he felt a light again, and his arm was pulled back by a force.
Jane's heart nearly stopped pounding. He was trembling all over from the farewell, and the hand on his arm was shaking imperceptibly. The other person asked in a low, hoarse voice, "Are you crazy... what nonsense are you talking about..."
Jane's heart was pounding in her chest.
The man calmly replied that it was all nonsense.
Enraged, Jian Dieda grabbed his clothes and yelled, "Zhong Jiyao! Why didn't you say anything just now? You've gone mad!"
Someone took a step back, feeling guilty and scared, and said, "Brother Mike, why are you crying? So you love me that much? You don't love your husband anymore? Well, there's nothing I can do about it, Brother Mike. I like you too. Will you marry me?" He saw that Jane Dieda's eyes were red and he was speechless. Then, he bent down, sighing with heartache, and told Jane Dieda to take a look at his back. She would soon know why she had come back to life.
Jane Dieda walked past his shoulders and head and saw two dark holes in the back of the long-haired man; the traces of the wings that belonged to the holy angels were gone.
For the first time, Jian Dieda acted like a little dummy.
Zhong Jiyao smiled at him without a care in the world, "Oh dear, unfortunately, in order to come back and marry you, I have broken the record for going to hell and set the record for the fastest fall into hell in the history of angels. Hello sir, would you be willing to forget the previous angel of light and take in a fallen angel?"
"Mr. Jian, would you be willing to marry a Mr. Zhong?"
...
After the matter of the Garley Building was settled, Jane Dieda stopped working as a haunted house agent and instead enrolled in the University of Hong Kong. She and Chung Kei Yiu rented a small apartment with a balcony in Jordan. Every day, they could see the tea restaurant across the street from their window. Their lives were full of the lively atmosphere of Hong Kong Island. Their closest people became Brother Man and Sister Man, and Ah Chi and Uncle Kwok Fu also found new jobs.
At six in the morning, Jian Dieda was awakened by the shouts of the tea restaurant downstairs, the first thing he smelled was the aroma of butter. He rolled over and bumped into Zhong Jiyao's arms.
Now Zhong Jiyao is no longer trapped in the building, but his charitable nature and the spiritual body nourished by good deeds make him no different from ordinary people, except that his body temperature is still cold, as if he is carrying a piece of ice.
"Awake?" Zhong Jiyao's face was radiant. He nuzzled the top of his junior brother Jian's head, his voice still hoarse from just waking up. "Sister Lian's pineapple buns downstairs should be ready soon, wanna go?"
Jane nodded groggily, and the two washed up together, put on their coats, and went downstairs under the umbrella.
Jordan Street was particularly lively in the early morning. An old lady in her pajamas carried a shopping basket to the market, sanitation workers pushed a cart to sweep up fallen leaves, and many old neighbors were already sitting in the tea restaurant.
"Ah Xiang, Ah Yao, two pineapple buns as usual, one iced lemon tea (without ice), and one hot milk tea (less sugar)?"
Sister Lian quickly wiped the table and greeted them with a smile when they came in. The two of them had been coming every day lately and had become regulars.
"Add two more servings of ham pasta."
Jian Dieda found a seat by the window and sat down.
Zhong Jiyao went to the counter to pay, and when he came back, he had an extra bag of fish balls, which were curry-flavored and Jian Dieda liked.
The pineapple bun pastry is so crispy it crumbles, and when you bite into it, the butter melts in your mouth, perfectly complementing the refreshing iced lemon tea.
Manager Jian squinted with satisfaction: "If I had known this breakfast was so delicious, I shouldn't have been eating bread every day."
Zhong Jiyao smiled and wiped the crispy pastry from the corner of his mouth: "Before, I was so busy with my schedule that it was hard to even have a proper breakfast. Now I can eat with you at my own pace."
After breakfast, the two went to stroll through the market.
The market was bustling with people, and the auntie at the vegetable stall enthusiastically stuffed greens into Jian Dieda's hands: "Young man, these are freshly arrived, very tender. Buy a bunch and stir-fry them at home."
The fish stall owner scooped up a fresh grouper: "Brother Yao, the grouper is fresh today, steaming is the best way to cook it, would you like one?"
Zhong Jiyao waved his hand: "There are only two of us, we can't finish it. Let's buy a sea bass, it'll make a delicious soup."
The owner deftly scooped up the fish, scaled it, and gutted it, all in one smooth motion, and even gave him a handful of scallions and ginger as a bonus.
Passing by a fruit stand, Jian Dieda stopped and picked up a bunch of lychees: "Are these sweet?"
The stall owner, an old man, smiled and handed him a sample: "Don't worry, it's authentic glutinous rice cake, sweeter than first love!"
Jian Dieda tasted one, and the sweet juice burst in his mouth. He immediately weighed two jin (1 kg).
Zhong Jiyao looked at the lychees in his hand and suddenly smiled: "My fans used to praise my melodious singing voice in their love letters."
Jane Dieda turned around: "How many love letters did you receive?"
Zhong Jiyao pinched his cheek: "How could I dare to accept it? I gave it all to my assistant. I only have one person in my heart."
When they got home at noon, Jian Dieda put on an apron and started cooking, while Zhong Jiyao assisted him.
When Jian Dieda was making steamed sea bass, Zhong Jiyao helped him cut scallions and ginger into thin strips.
When Jian Dieda was stir-frying romaine lettuce, Zhong Jiyao handed him the salt shaker.
The kitchen wasn't big, but it was full of the warmth of home cooking. Jian Dieda suddenly thought of his days in the real world, and looking at the person in front of him, he felt an unbelievable sense of peace and security.
"By the way, are we going to Temple Street this afternoon?" Jian Dieda served fish soup. "I heard there are old record stalls on Temple Street. Maybe we can find your old cassette tapes."
Zhong Jiyao's eyes lit up: "Great! I'd like to see if anyone still remembers my songs after all these years."
"Yes, I will. Even if not, I will be there."
Temple Street isn't very lively in the afternoon; it's not until evening that it's filled with stalls.
The two strolled leisurely, past the crowded stalls selling used books and trinkets, until finally finding a used record stand on a street corner. The owner, an elderly man with gray hair, saw Zhong Jiyao staring at the records and asked with a smile, "Young man, looking for old songs?"
"Do you have any tapes of Zhong Jiyao?" Jian Dieda asked.
The old man's eyes lit up, and he pulled out a stack of cassette tapes from the box. The cover showed Zhong Jiyao with youthful features, just like he did more than 20 years ago.
"This young man was incredibly famous back then, it's a pity he left us so young." The old man sighed. "These cassette tapes are from my collection, I haven't been able to bear selling them."
Chung Chi-yiu picked up a copy of "First Love," his fingertips brushing across the cover, his eyes filled with emotion.
Jane paid the money and put the cassette tape in her bag: "Play it for me when you get back. You have to sing it live; it sounds better than on the tape."
Zhong Jiyao smiled and agreed, "Whatever you say."
Temple Street comes alive in the evening, with shouts of vendors selling beef offal, egg waffles, and shark fin soup rising and falling.
Jian Dieda pulled Zhong Jiyao and squeezed to the beef offal stall: "Two servings of beef offal, with extra radish!"
The owner was cooking beef offal, the broth bubbling away, while the radishes were stewed until soft and tender, soaking up all the flavorful broth.
The two men walked and ate their beef offal as they passed a fortune-telling stall. The stall owner, an old woman, called out to them, "You two handsome young men, would you like your fortunes told? Judging from your faces, you are destined to meet."
Jian Dieda thought of Granny Zhu and subconsciously waved her hand, but Zhong Jiyao stopped and asked, "Grandma, can you tell me how long we can stay together?"
The old woman squinted at them for a long time, then smiled and nodded: "When hearts are united, the bond lasts, and they will never be separated, life after life."
On the way back, the streetlights lit up one by one, illuminating their clasped hands. Jian Dieda, waving the beef offal skewers in his hand, suddenly said, "Actually, I used to think that being transported here was bad luck, but now I think it's lucky."
Zhong Jiyao squeezed his hand, the coolness of his palm turning warmer: "It's my luck to have met you."
From this moment on, they will share a lifetime of good fortune.
That evening, they returned to the apartment with sincere hearts. Jane found the old tape recorder in the house and put in the tape they had bought.
As the familiar melody began to play, Zhong Jiyao hugged him from behind and hummed along softly, his voice gentle and affectionate.
As the song drew to a close, Chung Chi-Yao leaned down and kissed the top of his head, saying, "I used to sing this song because I longed for love; now I sing it because I'm grateful to have you by my side."
Jane leaned against him, listening to the lingering notes from the tape recorder, and looking out at the lights of thousands of homes.
The night on Hong Kong Island is still lively. The tea restaurant downstairs is still lit up, and the clanging of the tram can be heard in the distance. Everything is calm and peaceful.
He thought that this was probably what perfection meant.
With a loved one by my side, the warmth of home cooking, and a future to look forward to.
Those thrilling past experiences have become the foundation for the peace and stability of this moment.
In the days that followed, they would eat pineapple buns together in the morning, stroll through the market in the afternoon, wander through Temple Street in the evening, and snuggle on the sofa late at night listening to old songs.
A meeting that transcends life and death, a bond forged through trials and tribulations.
This tale of love, hate, and passion ultimately finds its way into the ordinary everyday life of Hong Kong Island, saying lovely things and saying goodbye to everything.
Many years later, on a certain night.
They grew old again.
Jian Dieda, who looks like a middle-aged man, sat at the piano at home, playing "First Love". Zhong Jiyao, who also has graying temples, sat next to him and hummed along softly.
Moonlight streamed through the window, falling on the two of them; a scene of tranquility.
"Ji Yao, do you regret not going to heaven and staying by my side instead?"
Jane Dieda stopped playing and asked him.
Zhong Jiyao hugged him from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder, his cool breath brushing against his ear: "No regrets, never have. Wherever you are, that is my paradise."
Jane smiled, leaning against him, her fingertips once again landing on the piano keys. The gentle melody flowed through time, accompanying their deep affection as they walked towards the long years to come.
At that moment, a notification sound, which had never been heard before, came from outside the piano sheet music.
[“Ding—System notification! Main storyline complete!”]
"The mystery surrounding the Jiali Building has come to a successful conclusion!"
"Congratulations to host Jian Dieda on being reborn and embarking on a new life with contractor Zhong Jiyao!"
...
At the hospital.
The ventilator is the first prop to appear at the beginning of this story.
Then, Fatty's loud shouts came from the doorway, and the man on the hospital bed heard an unfamiliar conversation.
"Senior brother!! Did you hear what the doctor said?! The surgery is over, hurry up and go in!! You haven't slept for several nights either!!"
Zhong Yu looked up blankly, unsure how to look up.
It was a similar scene, except the people in the ward had undergone a completely successful surgical treatment this time.
The most important person in his life walked in through the door.
The two people are separated by several lifetimes, yet it's as if they've just finished a journey together.
After a long while, Zhong Yu on the bed smiled bitterly and pointed to his not-so-handsome head. His lips were ashen, as if it would take a long time to recover, but this was the best outcome.
"...After several years of chemotherapy, I've made it back, but I don't look very good right now. Do you mind?"
As he spoke, the proud young master glanced at his legally still-unresolved five-year marriage. Seeing that his spouse remained silent, the fragile and tearful man pouted, feeling as if he was about to be abandoned forever.
Just then, his young and handsome wife, who used to be the least likely to joke, suddenly spoke softly.
"That's great, because now we've both become two bald little babies addicted to staying up all night. But thankfully, the game is over. From the beginning of 'the end (the clock world)' to the end (finally), the road wasn't as slow as we thought."
Zhong Yu paused, his throat bobbing nervously.
Jian Dieda raised his eyes and reached out to try to warm the man's heart. Zhong Yu instinctively wanted to back away, but he was still saved by affection for the sixth time.
The two embraced each other in the hospital room.
A very light warmth touched his lips.
Their first kiss in the real world was given to him by Jane Dieda at the beginning of his sixth world.
Welcome home.
Before the tears could fully form, Jian Dieda smiled into Zhong Yu's eyes.
"Look, I can laugh too? Haven't you been waiting for this day for a long time?"
...
From the end to the end, they returned to reality, and in the days to come, they would no longer have nightmares that would wake them up.
"Time to eat. Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, baby." Young Master Zhong isn't working today; he's been staying home every day lately, cooking and taking care of his wife.
Having finished the last paragraph, Jane Dieda got up easily, stretched, and strolled over to Zhong Yu and his newlywed apartment.
"Okay, why are we eating so well today?"
"This is just the beginning, happy wedding, baby." Zhong Yu kissed him and said with a smile, "By the way, although it's just a game, please think about it. This time, are you really willing to marry me and never leave me for the rest of your life?"
"Mr. Jian, would you be willing to marry a Mr. Zhong again in your life?"
"Yes, I... am willing."
——end——
-----------------------
Author's note: It's finished.
I was in a daze for a long time after typing the words "The End".
Before I wrote the first word of this story, I was going through a long period of depression, deeply doubting writing and many other things. It was you, each and every one of you who left your mark, who silently accompanied me and helped me rediscover the power of writing. This gratitude is truly beyond words. Thank you for still being here, thank you for being willing to read.
The protagonists of this story, though trapped in hell, never ceased to gaze at the glimmer of light, trying to grasp at any possibility of change. Frankly, many times, it wasn't me writing about them, but rather their yearning, their struggles, that pulled and propelled me. My writing skills may be limited, but because their will to "climb out" was so strong, I gained the strength to carve out cracks, little by little, for them and for myself. It's as if we've completed a long swim together.
The data from this article, placed in the vast market, might be just a silent speck of dust. It's not dazzling, not popular, and could even be considered dispensable. But for me, it's an irreplaceable treasure. Every day I wrote it, I could feel a real heartbeat. Just finishing it was a huge healing experience, and the fact that some of you will discover, read, and remember it is an even more precious meaning that I never dared to hope for.
Thank you to everyone who made this meeting possible.
Thanks to the burst of passion at the end of 2025, I am finally able to tell this story that is so meaningful to me.
I'm really happy.
[Rose]
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