Yin Tong said, "Soon, I will be leaving here to make a deal."
The word "transaction" stirred up some distant memories, like a sharp needle pricking his temple. Chang Le shuddered and leaned against the rock to regain more clarity of mind.
She rubbed her cold forehead with her thin fingers, tossed her long, pale hair behind her, and sat down against the rock.
"You..." Chang Le took some time to regain her composure and organize her thoughts.
"You mean, leave this star, go somewhere else, and keep trading?"
The Shadow Child took a brief moment to analyze her words, then replied, "Yes. According to you, this is the life of us Shadow Children."
Like mayflies that live only a day and die at dusk, the only task of the adult Yin Child is to "make deals".
Chang Le stared at him for a while, without trying to make Yin Tong understand "the meaning of life".
She asked, "Where are you going?"
Yin Tong said, "Random. I will open a rift in spacetime and travel through this rift to any world that I can reach."
She then asked, "Can I choose where to go?"
Yin Tong paused for a moment and then said, "Yes. After inheriting the memories of my predecessors, I can choose to go to the worlds they have been to."
"Human," Yin Tong asked her, "I can go to your world too."
Chang Le gazed at it silently, then spoke softly, "Alright, but I don't know what that world is like now, so I can't give you any clues."
"We can share memories."
Chang Le sighed softly, "But the Yin Child descended into that world, which was already..." She paused for a moment before saying, "...thousands of years, tens of thousands of years ago."
The ghost child asked, "Is it true that even after a person grows up, they cannot return to their original place?"
"No." Chang Le slowly shook his head.
“I can go back, but…” she looked up at the dark sea of clouds, “I originally wanted to finish something before going back, but I didn’t, and the place I could go back to is now completely unfamiliar.”
The fact that she didn't find the yellow mud meant that going back meant she had completely given up on her obsession; the obsession she had pursued had failed.
What do you want to achieve?
Upon hearing the question, Chang Le realized something and turned to look.
The sticky mass in the depression rose up and gradually took on a rough human shape, modeled after Chang Le.
The ghost boy said, "People, you must make friends with me..."
"Shh." Chang Le stopped him from saying what he was about to say.
Yin Tong swayed slightly in dissatisfaction. Chang Le forced a smile, looking at Yin Tong with gentleness.
"Little one, there are limits to what you can trade. What I want, you can't give me. In the future, when you say those words that will decide your own life, remember to first make sure you can afford to give them."
Yin Tong retorted: "I can use anything that exists to trade."
Chang Le said helplessly, "But the heavier the karmic burden on the traders, the greater the loss to your lifespan."
Little one, you can trade your whole life, but you can also choose to do what you can afford.
You are blank sheets of paper, ready to be painted with any color, but in the beginning, you can choose your favorite color.
She floated down in front of the sticky blob, and gently touched the sticky blob's human-shaped cheek with her finger. The sticky blob did not flinch.
"The ghost child I knew could have had the vibrant colors of a daisy."
I don't want you to follow in his footsteps. If you can choose the color you want, perhaps one day you too can experience the feeling that is called 'happiness'.
The ghost child remained silent and did not respond.
Chang Le thought that it probably couldn't understand these things.
It's like a squirrel saying to a mayfly, "Hey buddy, after you take off, don't think about reproducing. Go see the scenery in the distance." Even if the mayfly hears the squirrel's words, it naturally won't understand and won't pay any attention.
A listless numbness, like a chilling wind, enveloped the heart that had regained some warmth: "Never mind."
Chang Le said goodbye to it once again: "I'm leaving now, little guy. This time, we probably won't see each other again."
The humanoid figure formed from the clump remained still.
Chang Le waited for a full minute, but the sticky mass still didn't move, so he turned and left.
As she soared into the clouds, she suddenly heard the sound of wind behind her, followed by a familiar language:
"I inherited all of my predecessor's memories."
I remember you, Lele.
A call made her freeze in place.
She had lost count of how many years had passed since anyone called her name. With just a single call, the river of time on the backdrop seemed to rush back millions of years, returning to the day they first met, which was also the day they parted.
Stars that brushed past each other will reconnect once more as they wander through distant galaxies.
"I think I like the form my predecessor took. I like the form of a 'human'."
Chang Le turned around and saw a boy with the temperament of Ming Xi but with the silver eyes of Mo Yue. This was the new Yin Tong.
He stepped forward and smiled, "What do you want? I hope to make a deal with you."
Chang Le didn't react in time to stop him from speaking, and the little Yin child in front of her stubbornly chose to make a deal with her, even though he knew that he might have to exchange his whole life for this deal.
Knowing it was a burden too heavy for life to bear, I still chose to follow the principles of trading.
Knowing full well that what I seek is fleeting and illusory, I would rather wander among the stars than turn back.
Chang Le suddenly let out a sad laugh.
They're all fools.
"What do you want?" the Yin Child asked again.
Chang Le didn't answer, but instead asked in return, "Can you capture happiness?"
The child replied, "As long as the happiness you speak of truly exists."
Chang Le gently curved her lips into a smile: "Then, Yin Tong, I want you to make me feel the happiness I possess. As a bargaining chip, I'll let you share my happiness. Is that alright?"
The ghost child's voice changed slightly; he said:
[Cheers: The Shared Happiness Experiencing by Traders]
[Seeking: To help traders experience the happiness around them]
Paying the price, experiencing happiness—
[Transaction Completed]
An undeniable warmth suddenly spread from Chang Le's frozen heart, and she felt a wave of drowsiness that made her unsteady on her feet.
A pair of hands held her and said, "Lele, I have found and given you the happiness that is by your side."
That hand pulled her along, and together they fell into the warm, sun-drenched sea.
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