"I want to! I dream about it!" Shi Jing's answer was decisive and firm, his eyes shining with a bright longing.
But the next second, when he turned his gaze to the bandage on Zhu Jinzhao's wrist, the longing in his eyes instantly vanished.
"Chao Chao, your hand just got stitches. If you don't go to sleep soon, it will hurt so much you won't be able to sleep." As he spoke, he lay back down on the bed and pulled Zhu Jinchao into his arms.
"Go to sleep, Chaochao, I'll comfort you."
Zhu Jinzhao stared at him intently with her clear eyes for a while, then asked directly, "If you want to, why are you in such a hurry to put me to sleep?"
"Silly girl." Shi Jing pinched her nose, blushing as she answered, "You just escaped from that hellhole, and your wrist is injured like this. How can I bully you at a time like this?"
"I do really want to be closer to you, but when it comes to your safety, that thought is nothing."
"You just go to sleep quietly. Once you're fully recovered and all this mess is completely resolved, we'll get married right away. Okay?"
wait……
Where should Zhu Jinchao go to wait? How long will she have to wait to bring Shi Jing back?
Looking into Shi Jing's expectant eyes, she could clearly feel the pain so intense she could hardly breathe, yet she still smiled and said to him, "Okay, let's get married."
Shi Jing smiled, his eyes crinkling, and suddenly leaned down to bite her ear, saying, "Chao Chao, don't worry, I have plenty of time to deal with you slowly..."
Zhu Jinzhao forced a stiff smile, unable to utter another word.
"Go to sleep." Shi Jing touched her face, then turned off the bedside lamp. "With me here, no one will dare to hurt you."
Zhu Jinchao closed her eyes and obediently nodded: "Mmm."
Shi Jing placed his hand on her stomach and gently patted her repeatedly. But she couldn't fall asleep at all.
She quietly opened her eyes and greedily gazed at Shi Jing in the dim light, afraid that if she missed even a single glance, she would have more regrets later.
Shi Jing was about to fall asleep, but she was abruptly woken up by her gaze.
"What's wrong, Chaochao?" He opened his sleepy eyes and carefully took Zhu Jinchao's left hand. "Is the wound starting to hurt? Can't you sleep?"
Zhu Jinchao shook his head.
Shi Jing patted her head, unconsciously frowning: "Then why aren't you sleeping? Are you in a bad mood?"
Zhu Jinchao still shook his head.
"Hmm?" Shi Jing was a little confused. "What's wrong? Why won't you sleep?"
I wish you would remain silent today.
Her eyes were clear, and she stared blankly at Shi Jing. After a moment, she suddenly tilted her head back and kissed Shi Jing's lips.
"!!!" Shi Jing suddenly opened his eyes wide and instantly became fully awake.
He didn't know why Zhu Jinzhao suddenly kissed him, but her lips had already begun to take the initiative.
Zhu Jinzhao's initiative was like a potent drug, directly plunging him into an abyss of loss of control.
He was stunned for less than two seconds before he couldn't help but close his eyes, pulling Zhu Jinzhao into his arms and deepening the kiss step by step.
Zhu Jinzhao brazenly cooperated with him, letting him bite open her collar and lift up her disheveled pajamas.
She closed her eyes, trying to accept Shi Jing's love, but suddenly, Shi Jing stopped.
"No." Shi Jing released her lips, panting slightly as he muttered, "No, not yet, your hand still hurts, I can't do this."
Zhu Jinzhao was too lazy to waste words with him, so she simply reached out and pressed his shoulder, pushing him down onto the bed.
"Enough with the nonsense!"
She didn't give Shi Jing a chance to hesitate and bit Shi Jing's lips directly.
Shi Jing's last shred of sanity completely collapsed.
He rolled over and pinned Zhu Jinzhao down, ripped off her annoying nightgown, and threw it away.
Zhu Jinzhao raised her hand and hugged his neck, doing her best to respond to him and agree with him.
That night was extremely chaotic.
It was their first time, so they were inevitably clumsy and unable to stop.
They didn't know how long they had been struggling, but by the time everything finally stopped, the night outside the window had turned from pitch black to deep blue.
Shi Jing held Zhu Jinzhao tightly, already fast asleep.
But Zhu Jinzhao still kept her eyes open. Despite being extremely tired and her eyelids starting to droop, she still couldn't bear to sleep.
She stared at the mirror, not even daring to blink, until the sky outside the window began to brighten.
She wished time could slow down, but dawn still broke.
She threw back the covers, sat up in bed, and turned to look at the clear sky outside the window. She had cried all night, but now, at the moment of parting, she found herself unable to cry anymore.
It seems that all the tears I've ever shed in this life were shed in last night's pleasure.
"Chao Chao?"
Sensing her movement, Shi Jing immediately opened his eyes: "Why did you suddenly sit up?"
He grabbed Zhu Jinzhao's hand and stood up, saying, "It's still early, why aren't you asleep? Is your hand hurting or are you feeling unwell?"
"...Nothing." Zhu Jinzhao withdrew her gaze, turned to him with a smile, "I just suddenly wanted to watch the sunrise. Shi Jing, will you watch it with me?"
"Okay." Without even a second of hesitation, Shi Jing immediately agreed to Zhu Jinzhao's small request.
He lowered his head and kissed Zhu Jinchao's still slightly swollen lips, whispering ambiguously, "Looks like Chaochao isn't tired enough. She stayed up so late last night, yet she still has the energy to get up and watch the sunrise today."
Zhu Jinzhao clutched the blanket beneath her, unusually without blushing: "Watching the sunrise isn't strenuous work, it has nothing to do with being tired."
"Hmph," Shi Jing chuckled, then mischievously reached under the covers and pinched Zhu Jinzhao's bottom. "Alright, as long as Chaochao wants to watch, I'll be happy to oblige."
"What time is it now? How much longer until sunrise?"
Zhu Jinchao: "It's 6:30 now, less than 20 minutes until sunrise."
Upon hearing this, Shi Jing immediately got out of bed, took a brand new shirt from the wardrobe, and draped it over Zhu Jinzhao's shoulders.
"Autumn is here, and it will be a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings, so please dress properly, Chaochao."
Zhu Jinzhao nodded and obediently wrapped his shirt tighter around himself.
"Come here." Shi Jing took her hand and led her to sit on the balcony. "The balcony in my room has the best view. Sitting here to watch the sunrise will definitely not disappoint Chaochao."
Zhu Jinzhao looked up at the distant horizon, her voice trembling noticeably: "As long as I can be with you, any sunrise is beautiful."
"Oh my, has Chaochao's little mouth become so sweet now?" Shi Jing had no interest in watching the sunrise; his eyes were only on Zhu Jinchao.
Zhu Jinzhao held his hand tightly, forcing herself to smile: "Yes, do you like it?"
Shi Jing leaned over and gave her several firm kisses on her soft, tender cheeks: "I love it, I love it so much, you have to say it often in the future."
“…Okay.” Zhu Jinzhao agreed, “If you like it, I’ll tell you every day.”
“Okay!” Shi Jing pinched Zhu Jinzhao’s cheek, then stretched out his little finger and waved it in front of Zhu Jinzhao’s eyes. “To ensure that Chaochao keeps his word, we must make a pinky promise before sunrise.”
Zhu Jinzhao: "...Okay."
She raised her right hand, gently bent her little finger, and slowly hooked it onto Shi Jing: "Let's pinky swear, I promise it will never change..."
"Never change!" Shi Jing withdrew his hand, but suddenly felt very tired, and even sitting was a bit difficult.
"Eh..." He exhaled softly, turned slightly to the side, and rested his head on Zhu Jinzhao's shoulder.
"Chao Chao, I need to rest for a bit."
Wishing you well today.
She thought she couldn't cry anymore, but when Jing leaned against her weakly, she burst into tears instantly.
She stared blankly into the distance, her vision blurred as she looked at the sky. The thin clouds on the horizon had dispersed, and the hazy sunlight was spreading outwards at a visible speed.
A moment later, the hazy light gradually turned into dazzling golden light; sunrise was approaching.
"Chao Chao." Shi Jing slowly moved his other hand over and gently placed it on the back of Zhu Jinchao's hand. He no longer had the strength; the only thing he could do now was try his best to hold Zhu Jinchao's hand in his palm.
Zhu Jinzhao dared not make a move and could only let Shi Jing hold her hand with his withered hands.
“Chao Chao…” His voice suddenly became very unpleasant, like a dusty, old bellows.
"Chao Chao, I have no regrets. Although the time was a bit short, I was really happy."
"Don't be sad. My life is your life. If you live, I live."
Zhu Jinzhao remained silent; her overflowing tears were her protest and defiance.
Shi Jing raised his hand and gently patted Zhu Jinzhao's hand: "After I'm gone, burn me to ashes. Keep part of it with you, leave part for my father, and scatter the rest on Yunmang Mountain."
"In my past life, the first time you kissed me was at Yunmang Mountain. I love that place, will you take me there?"
"..."
I wish you could remain silent today.
Fate never gave her a choice, nor did the mirror give her the right to refuse.
Besides crying, she didn't know what else to do.
She knew Shi Jing had grown old, but she didn't even have the courage to look at him.
"Chaochao, be good. Even if you can't see me, be good... I left you some money. Eat well and buy lots of pretty clothes..."
“If we have a child, name him Shi Nian. Shi Jing will always remember Zhu Jinzhao, forever and ever…”
Shi Jing didn't speak again, and the hand that was gently patting Zhu Jinzhao stopped at some point.
The thin clouds in the sky completely dispersed, and golden sunlight burst forth, gently falling upon Shi Jing.
The sun rose, and the mirror of time was gone.
In this gentle and hopeful sunlight, we mourn the loss of her beloved today.
Jiang Jingwen and Li Weiwan had already arrived in the garden below the balcony. Behind them stood a bandit with a full head of white hair.
Zhu Jinzhao took a deep breath, but still couldn't resist turning her head to look at the mirror.
Shi Jing leaned against her obediently, her eyes gently closed, as if she were asleep.
Zhu Jinzhao forced a smile, intending to give Shi Jing another one, but as soon as she opened her lips, she heard a heart-wrenching wail.
"ah……"
"ah--"
"Aaaaaa!!!!"
She held Shi Jing's emaciated body, her heart breaking with grief.
Shi Jing doted on her the most, but today he neither wiped away her tears nor kissed her face.
He left her there alone and never spoke to her again.
...
The mirror was placed in a small jar.
Zhu Jinzhao, carrying the urn, slowly walked out of the funeral home, then slowly got into Li Weiwan's car and headed to Yunmang Mountain.
The weather is great today, but the Yunmang Mountain in Zhu Jinchao's eyes looks gray and dull, not pretty at all.
She got out of the car carrying the small jar and walked step by step to the spot where she had forcibly kissed Jing.
Jiang Jingwen and Li Weiwan followed her closely, afraid that something might happen to her, since there was a bottomless cliff just ten steps away.
But in reality, she didn't have such thoughts at all.
All she wanted was to fulfill Shi Jing's last wish, then take Shi Jing away from here and live a good life in a place where no one knew them.
She stood there quietly for a while, and finally a gentle breeze arrived. She quickly unscrewed the lid of the small jar, intending to let Shi Jing ride the wind and roam freely in Yunmang Mountain.
But before she could unscrew the cap, she suddenly heard the sound of car brakes behind her.
She reflexively tightened the lid and then turned to look in the direction from which the sound came.
Several black minivans were parked on the road ahead. The doors opened, and Zhu Xingye and Zhu Mingyue stepped out.
Dozens of bodyguards in black suits followed closely behind them.
"...Zhu Mingyue? Zhu Xingye?" Li Weiwan stared wide-eyed in disbelief, her expression filled with horror as she looked at these two people who could never possibly be here.
"How did you get out? How did you open that door?!"
"Hmph," Zhu Mingyue raised her eyebrows arrogantly and sneered disdainfully, "How else can I get out? Of course, I'll just turn the doorknob, push the door openly, and walk out in the open."
"Impossible!" Li Weiwan didn't believe her. "Only my pupils can unlock that door! How could you possibly have gotten out!"
Zhu Mingyue shrugged helplessly: "I don't know either, anyway, my older brother and I just came out."
Jiang Jingwen blocked Zhu Jinzhao's path: "You came out, and then chased us all the way to Yunmang Mountain, so what are you trying to do?"
Zhu Mingyue tilted her head slightly, her smiling gaze falling coldly on the expressionless Zhu Jinzhao: "I'm not doing anything. I just heard that Shi Jing died, so I wanted to come and see him off."
"No need." Zhu Jinzhao hugged Shi Jing's urn tightly, her gaze towards Zhu Mingyue chillingly cold. "Shi Jing doesn't want to see you, and there's no need for you to send him off."
"Oh." Zhu Mingyue reacted indifferently, not taking Zhu Jinzhao's hostility to heart. "If Shi Jing doesn't need me to deliver it, then I'll deliver it to you."
"What do you mean?" Jiang Jingwen's face darkened, and she asked sharply.
Zhu Mingyue, with her hands behind her back, took a few steps forward: "The literal meaning. Now that Shi Jing is dead, there is no one left in the world who can protect Zhu Jinzhao."
"My dear Chaochao, isn't it time to settle the scores between us?"
"What do you mean?" Li Weiwan stepped forward, and together with Jiang Jingwen, they shielded Zhu Jinzhao behind them. "Zhu Mingyue, Jinzhao has never provoked you! You've hurt her so many times, haven't you done enough?"
"Besides, didn't you personally promise that you would let her go?"
Zhu Mingyue: "I did make that promise, but I don't know why, I've changed my mind now. I suddenly don't want to let Zhu Jinzhao go."
"You're right, aren't you, brother?"
Zhu Xingye's eyes were somewhat cloudy. When he heard Zhu Mingyue ask him, he paused for several seconds before answering, "Yes, I just don't want to let her go."
"How dare you!!" Jiang Jingwen's eyes widened in anger, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Even though Shi Jing is gone, Chaochao still has us by her side! Don't even think about touching her!"
"Heh..." Zhu Mingyue rolled her eyes speechlessly, "Let's see if we dare."
After saying that, she raised one hand and waved it forward lightly. The bodyguards behind her understood and immediately rushed forward, dragging Jiang Jingwen and Li Weiwan away from Zhu Jinzhao.
"What are you doing? Let me go right now!" Jiang Jingwen was being held by two bodyguards, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't budge them an inch.
The same applies to Li Weiwan on the other side.
There were four bodyguards holding him, so he had no chance to resist.
"Zhu Mingyue, you promised me you'd let Jinzhao go! Why are you going back on your word!"
Zhu Mingyue raised an eyebrow, looking unconcerned: "Why can't I go back on my word? I've never said I'm a person who keeps promises."
"You—" Li Weiwan's eyes turned red with anger.
She stared at Zhu Jinzhao, who was all alone on the edge of the cliff, and a crazy killing intent gradually welled up in her eyes.
"The rest of you, go and bring Zhu Jinzhao here. I still have a lot to settle with her."
"yes!"
The remaining bodyguards responded in unison, and then strode aggressively toward Zhu Jinzhao.
Zhu Jinzhao took a few steps back, and as the bodyguards drew closer, a flood of unpleasant memories uncontrollably surged into her mind.
Beatings, bullying, assault... If Zhu Mingyue catches her, she will face endless torture.
She held Shi Jing's urn protectively in front of her, staring intently at Zhu Mingyue and asking in a cold voice, "Are you really not going to let me go?"
"No." Zhu Mingyue's answer was crisp and resolute. "Although we have some pleasant memories, that doesn't change the fact that I hate you. I've said it before, as long as I live, I will never let you go!"
"You can't escape this day."
“…Okay.” Zhu Jinzhao’s last glimmer of hope was completely shattered.
"In that case, I don't need to run away anymore."
As she spoke, she looked down at the urn of ashes in her arms, a hint of relief flashing in her eyes.
"Shi Jing, wait for me, I'm coming to find you."
The moment she finished speaking, she closed her eyes without hesitation and leaped off the cliff behind her.
"Chao Chao!!"
Wishing you a prosperous day!!!
The whistling mountain wind swept past their ears, and Jiang Jingwen and Li Weiwan's screams faded into the distance in an instant.
Zhu Jinzhao's body plummeted rapidly towards the bottom of the cliff. The fierce wind stung her back, but she was not afraid at all; on the contrary, she felt very safe.
At the end of her life, a time mirror awaited her, and she felt that death was happier than life.
"Shi Jing, don't blame me."
...
"Upload!"
At her computer desk, a woman wearing glasses uploaded her newly written novel to the Rotten Eggplant website.
"Phew..." She breathed a sigh of relief, stretched, and said, "This silly and cute female supporting character is finally gone. My popular heroine has won a great victory once again!"
"Knock knock—"
Just then, someone knocked on her door.
She picked up the warm water on the table and took a small sip: "Come in."
A young girl pushed open the door and walked a few steps away from her, respectfully saying, "Teacher Yiyue, the activity is about to start. You can come out with me now."
"Let's go." The woman got up from the chair and followed the little girl out of the room.
To the right of the room, there is a small activity room, simply furnished, with a red banner hanging on each wall.
The banner had a few words printed on it—
"Book signing event for 'Poems on the Moon'".
Amidst enthusiastic applause, the woman strode to the stage in the activity room and took the microphone from the host.
"Hello everyone, I am Yiyue Weishi, welcome to my new book signing event. It is an honor to meet you all here with 'Poisonous Moon'."
As soon as she finished speaking, the host immediately followed up, reciting the opening remarks smoothly according to the event's schedule. A few minutes later, the first activity segment began—
Author's Q&A.
"Ms. Yiyue, why did you decide to create a novel with a truly wicked woman as the protagonist?" the first reader asked.
The woman smiled and replied, "Because the novels on the market nowadays are too monotonous and repetitive in terms of both subject matter and protagonist character design, I wanted to write a completely different story and create a protagonist who defies convention."
The second reader asked, "Teacher Yiyue, don't you think the female lead Zhu Mingyue in 'Poisonous Moon' is a bit too vicious? The second female lead, Zhu Jinzhao, is completely innocent."
The woman said, "Before I published the article, I said that the protagonist of 'Poisonous Moon,' Zhu Mingyue, is an absolutely evil woman. She has no kindness, only evil thoughts, so malice is her essence. My original intention in writing this novel was to show readers the evil in human nature, so that readers can be more vigilant and pay more attention to protecting themselves."
“Innocent and kind-hearted girls like Zhu Jinzhao are often the targets that these kinds of wicked women most want to bully. So her fate was actually predetermined from the beginning.”
The third reader asked, "Teacher Yiyue, don't you think the book 'Poisonous Moon' has very skewed values?"
The woman was still laughing: "The character's values do not represent the author's values. The purpose of writing this book is to warn all soft-hearted readers that you must be absolutely vigilant against the kind of wicked women around you, and that you must know how to discern people's hearts and protect yourself."
"It's certain that Zhu Mingyue's values are skewed, but I don't think there's anything wrong with the values in this book. After all, justice doesn't always prevail over evil in this world."
"Teacher Yiyue, after Zhu Jinzhao's character leaves the show, will other supporting characters become Zhu Mingyue's new prey?" asked the fourth reader.
The woman nodded: "Of course. 'Poisonous Moon' is a long novel. After Zhu Jinzhao goes offline, a new character will immediately appear to clash with Zhu Mingyue."
"Teacher Yiyue," the fifth reader stood up from his chair, "with Zhu Jinzhao and Shi Jing's deaths one after another, many readers feel sorry for their love and fate. What are your thoughts on this?"
The woman raised an eyebrow: "It's common to feel resentful in life. For Zhu Jinzhao and Shi Jing, what they thought was an inescapable fate was just a pen in the author's hand."
The sixth reader: "Teacher Yiyue, during the serialization of your novel 'Poisonous Moon,' the plot deviated from the main storyline several times. Do you think this is your characters rebelling against the ending you arranged?"
The woman shrugged: "Perhaps. But the pen is in my hand, and so is their fate. No matter how fierce their resistance, I can use a pen to turn them back."
"But don't you think this is a bit too cruel? Why can't we spare Zhu Jinzhao and Shi Jing's lives?"
The woman said, "Art is inherently cruel. Besides, if the two of them were to survive, then Zhu Mingyue wouldn't be considered a truly wicked woman."
"Oh..." The reader nodded and then handed the microphone to the next person.
"Teacher Yiyue, could you please tell me what Zhu Mingyue's original name was? It was the name she used when she lived in the countryside."
Woman: "I can only tell you that her surname used to be Zhao. As for the rest, you can guess."
One question after another was asked, and soon the woman sat down at the long table, ready to begin today's book signing.
But just then, she suddenly realized that she had forgotten to take out the custom-made signature from her backpack in the room.
So she asked her assistant to fetch it for her.
The assistant rushed back and rummaged through the woman's backpack for a while before finally finding the signature stamp that had fallen into a corner. The assistant grabbed the stamp and ran off, but accidentally pulled the woman's ID card out of her bag along with it.
"Smack..."
The newly issued ID card gently fell to the floor, exposing the woman's photo to the air.
Next to the photo, a name was prominently printed—
Zhao Yueming.
Below her name was her registered address. However, because a corner of her ID card was stuck in the crack of the table, only the latter half of the address was visible.
—Group 7, Luoxia Village, Yunmang Mountain.
2025.04.13
This concludes my writing.
The End.
—Random thoughts from Invincible Little Six-Fook. The author has something to say that I can't put down, so I can only post it here.
With this, the book is officially finished.
Thank you all for accompanying me this far. I have read every single one of your comments. Although you cried a lot, I still gave Jinzhao and Shijing a tragic yet liberating ending.
But don't be too sad, because death doesn't mean the end; forgetting is. As long as you always remember them, remember "Jing Jin's Journey to the Imperial Examination," remember the kindest Jiang Jiang in the world, remember Xiao Li Zi who couldn't have the one she loved, and those "protagonists" who wanted to be good but were manipulated into becoming evil, they will live on forever.
In a parallel world we can't see, Chaochao and Shijing may already have two children, Jiangjiang may have just rejected Xie Lang's fifth confession, and Li Weiwan may have run out of funds for her experiment and entered the entertainment industry to make money by performing.
而方磊还在暗恋他的电饭锅，宁诗正一边揍他一边让他少吃点。
In that world without the "main characters," these cannon fodder characters are living their own good lives happily and peacefully.
I had previously promised many readers that I would write side stories about Chaochao, her older brother, and Zhu Xingye. But after I finished writing the ending, I suddenly realized that I couldn't write those side stories anymore.
Chaochao and Shijing suffered so much but couldn't change their fate. If I let Chaochao be with another man in the extra chapters, wouldn't that be a second massacre of the young couple?
Let them live quietly in a small corner of the world.
Wishing all readers happiness and prosperity every day, and see you in the new book!
—Invincible Little Six Fortunes.
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