Chapter 73 The Sound of Pomegranate Blossoms and Rain (Part 4) About Love.
Emerging from the dance studio, the two walked one after the other through a greenhouse filled with roses, beneath which lay countless exquisite dolls, their petals still glistening with morning dew. In one room, enormous black and white piano keys covered the floor, producing a hoarse, resonant sound when stepped on. Another room was entirely an antique cloisonné enamel music box; passing through the center of the room, where once a dancing girl should have twirled to the music, now only remnants remained.
With each shifting scene, fragments of memory, like an overexposed roll of film, secretly replay on repeat in this screening room named "Dream." But the film's protagonist is escaping the scenes tailor-made for her, hiding in some unknown corner.
Xia Zhu could clearly sense that the person behind him was becoming increasingly impatient. The threat of danger could only temporarily scare him away. The more scenes they passed, the stronger the sense of unease became.
"I told you, you can find a place and wait for me to solve the problem so you can leave the dream." She had to stop and tell Ying Huo again, because the emotions emanating from his head were about to become something concrete, hovering around Xia Zhu's head like a swarm of annoying flies.
"Stop nagging and hurry up, okay?" He still had that same expression, clearly not appreciating her kindness.
Xia Zhu didn't understand why he insisted on following behind her if he didn't want to wander around in these trivial scenes, as if he wouldn't stop until he saw her insert some kind of sharp weapon into young Ye Li's chest.
She sighed softly, pushed open the door behind her, and was instantly enveloped by the overwhelming sound of fine rain. The world was shrouded in mist, the damp air rising up and making one's eyelids ache. In the indigo night, everything was washed clean by the summer rain and shimmered brightly behind the rain curtain, only the fallen red pomegranate blossoms were more beautiful than the water.
The small figure was hiding under a cluster of pomegranate trees in the distance. The braids she had tied up early in the morning were already loose, and her fluffy head was buried deep in her knees. Her little leather shoes, which were on the water, were already soaked.
Her cries were sorrowful and painful, as if she could no longer hold back and was about to burst her throat. Her snot and tears were more torrential than a torrential downpour. Xia Zhu couldn't help but wonder how such a small body could produce such a heart-wrenching sound.
She was only an eight-year-old child, yet it was as if she had already encountered the saddest thing in the world.
The door behind them disappeared, replaced by another large tree sheltering them from the rain. The protagonist was found, and the dream ceased to be fragmented, becoming complete.
The rain fell heavily, and there was a sobbing child and two outsiders who had stumbled into the scene.
Xia Zhu hadn't figured out how to face Ye Li like this, or how to end the dream, when Ying Huo suddenly spoke up.
He said, "I have never really understood the reason for the occurrence of ghost dreams, and I don't understand these human obsessions."
He didn't avoid Xia Zhu's gaze, but instead looked back at her coldly.
"Aren't all humans destined to die? So why waste so much energy worrying about things that are already lost, unknown, or never truly yours?"
"At least in my opinion, your... classmate? She hasn't even encountered anything life-threatening, yet she's so deeply obsessed with someone else's betrayal and hurt, developing a demonic dream. Don't you find that incredible?"
Xia Zhu stared intently at Ying Huo's face, trying to discern any mockery or contempt, but she found none. He was genuinely asking the question out of genuine confusion. This realization sent a chill down Xia Zhu's spine. She shifted her gaze from Ying Huo's face to a puddle of water between the two of them, where some red, rotten flower petals were soaking.
What caused the dream? She suddenly realized that this was indeed a question worth exploring. The innate appearance was a divinely bestowed ability, and different appearance powers would be sensed in different people. The original few gods were also human. Why could the innate appearance reside in the bloodline and pass on divine power from generation to generation, but in other places it became the cause and effect that attracted desires?
Did it all begin because the Lord God chose them to find their natural forms scattered among the human world?
And then, looking up again, Ying Huo, still waiting for her reply under the tree's shadow, couldn't utter a single word. She had never considered the perspective of the demonic dream he had raised, because Xia Zhu was a thoroughly "human" person. Ying Huo's question made her feel extremely uncomfortable; the sense of incongruity was like someone born with blue-green color blindness, always believing that the sky they saw was blue, until someone told them that they were actually colorblind and that what they saw as blue was actually green. This cognitive conflict simply didn't exist before the question was raised.
Now, the one who unveils the veil of conflict is Ying Huo.
His genuine bewilderment at "human desires" made Xia Zhu wonder if Ying Huo was truly like himself, or in other words, if he was even a human being.
She looked Ying Huo over again and couldn't help but ask him, "So?"
Ying Huo didn't speak. The rain soaked his eyebrows and eyes, making his face more otherworldly than usual. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and the edges of his light gray irises shimmered with a faint light in the indigo night. Xia Zhu noticed that the corners of his mouth were even twitching uncontrollably.
"So?" Ying Huo's voice was disturbed by the damp medium. "So I want to ask you, sincerely ask you. Is there really a need for such a fragile and inherently vile civilization to spend its limited lifespan on generating all sorts of desires and obsessions?"
He stared intently at Xia Zhu, even unconsciously moving closer, hoping to find any flaw in her expression. But the person in front of him simply lowered her eyes, seemingly pondering how to answer him.
Time was passing by so quickly it felt like centuries had passed. Everything around seemed to have been paused by some force. The rainballs were frozen in mid-air, and the sad little girl stopped trembling.
Xia Zhu finally raised her eyes and answered Ying Huo seriously.
“You’re right,” she said. “Our time is limited, our lives are fragile, we have to bear pain and crave some happiness, but in the end we can’t escape death. I didn’t understand the meaning of life before, but just now, after you asked this question, I suddenly understood.”
"People may hurt others intentionally or unintentionally, and then feel more or less guilty."
"Idle and bound by the framework of society, yet fantasizing about being the center of the world."
"Strong desires, ambitious, and never content with the status quo."
"Selfish and cruel, treating other lives like dirt."
"But similarly, humanity also possesses profound empathy, a spirit of resistance, and unconditional love. The progress of science and art has never ceased, over countless millennia, through countless changes. War, disaster, disease—this civilization has repeatedly demonstrated its astonishing resilience." This was the first time she had spoken so much in one breath, her tone shifting from excitement to unwavering determination. Her words were stiff yet earnest, as if she were merely recounting certain memories from her mind, the first feelings those memories evoked.
"But you mentioned the necessity of existence? Existence itself precedes meaning. Haven't you realized that you've already received the answer the moment you asked that question?"
Under Ying Huo's incredulous and skeptical gaze, she said, word by word: "The most precious ability of this civilization is to reflect on its own existence and value. And it has never stopped for tens of millions of years."
These words were like terrifying sorcery to Ying Huo. He retreated from his aggressive demeanor to a state of inexplicable weakness. Xia Zhu suddenly felt a sense of joy. She deliberately took a few steps forward, keeping only half a meter away from Ying Huo, until she could smell his clear scent before slowly speaking: "You're actually terrified, aren't you? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that you're also 'alone'?"
"I'm not...!" he blurted out instinctively, but immediately swallowed his words.
Xia Zhu smiled and stepped back, widening the distance between them.
"Alright, whatever you're afraid of, I'm going to solve the problem now." With that, he stepped into the rain.
The rain drizzled down, and the sound of crying returned. Xia Zhu's departure had tipped the scales again, leaving Ying Huo all alone, pitifully standing under the tree.
Xia Zhu braved the rain and walked up to Ye Li. She hadn't actually figured out how to solve the problem yet, but Ye Li was huddled up in a small ball, and it was hard to bear seeing her like that.
Pomegranate blossoms lay scattered on the ground, soaked by rain and trampled by passersby, oozing bright red sap. Xia Zhu stared at the little girl's crown of hair, pondering what to do next, when she was suddenly met with her swollen, red eyes.
"Who are you?" The child's voice was childish but full of vigilance.
Xia Zhu's mouth was slightly open; she hadn't expected that she could actually see her.
"I am...I am your friend."
Ye Li was clearly surprised; a large tear barely clung to her eye, unable to fall. She was astonished to have a friend.
"But I don't know you."
"I will be your friend when you grow up."
"Growing up?" How could a child resist the allure of the future? She wiped her eyes hard with the back of her hand, her tender skin turning even redder. "What will I be like when I grow up?"
Xia Zhu thought about it carefully, squatted down, tried to keep his line of sight parallel to the girl's, and then solemnly told her.
"You are still you."
Ye Li didn't quite understand what she was saying, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed.
Are you feeling very sad today?
As Ye thought of something, tears welled up in her eyes again.
"But I still want to tell you that no matter if you are sad or happy, you are still you. The future Ye Li will stand bravely and strongly with herself. Nothing that happens will change this fact. In this world, there is only you, who will always and firmly possess yourself."
Tomorrow might not be any better, but there are still a day or two left, so much time. Ye Li is still Ye Li. Everything changes, yet nothing remains the same. Sadness and pain, falling down and feeling hurt, being alone at home and feeling scared—but all of these will become her courage for the future.
"You mean, I've never been alone?"
Xia Zhu nodded firmly. She was such a smart child; she could understand what she meant.
"So, even without a father's love, you can still have your own love."
"Everyone's love will fade, but your own self-love will never disappear." Xia Zhu gently wiped away the tears on her chin with her finger. "The brave, outstanding, and beautiful Ye Li that I know will be waiting for you in the near future. But that doesn't mean that other people's hurting you is right. Now, you can continue to cry loudly because you're sad."
"I'm here with you, if you need a hug."
Ye Li stared blankly at Xia Zhu, her lips tightening and her eyes widening until her small face became wrinkled and tears gushed out like a burst faucet.
She let out a loud "Wow!" and threw herself into Xia Zhu's arms.
There was a faint scent of grass in the warm embrace; although it was somewhat familiar, she didn't dislike it.
Xia Zhu gently patted the girl's back, feeling her small body trembling. Pat after pat, until the weight in her arms gradually lightened, the crying subsided, the rain around them seemed to stop, and Ye Li's saliva faded, finally turning into pure white particles of light that dissipated into the moist air.
A green stone remained in Xia Zhu's palm.
Ye Li is indeed an outstanding person; he can solve all difficulties on his own, Xia Zhu couldn't help but think.
After a long while, she finally stood up, gripping the stone tightly. Turning around, she found Ying Huo still watching her from afar under the tree. His pale face made Xia Zhu feel a little embarrassed, wondering if she had gone too far just now.
The two stared at each other in silence and awkwardness across a field of pomegranate blossoms.
Ying Huo suddenly moved, his gaze slowly falling on the palm of her hand holding the Natural Fortune Stone. Xia Zhu also looked at herself in the same way. She suddenly opened her eyes wide, raised her head and looked around at the surrounding scenery.
The rain had stopped, but the pomegranate tree was still swaying in the night wind, raindrops dripping from the tips of its leaves into puddles on the ground, while the petals on its branches remained bright red.
They did not return to reality.
The dream wasn't over yet.
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The author says: There are two kinds of dreams. Dreams that you actively enter through the tapir can be exited by reciting a reverse spell, but dreams that you are forcibly pulled into by your physical body can generally only be exited by killing the spirit and obtaining the stone.
Xia Zhu: "Congratulations, you're a fairly competent human being." (Clapping, then spinning around clapping.)
Ying Huo (in a breakdown): No! I'm not!
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