Death. A living thing losing its life.

In this world, life is not eternal, but fleeting. Therefore, death is a very common and normal thing.

The Buddha said that all appearances are false. This means that everything in this world is false, untrue, subjective. Therefore, people must know how to set themselves free of entanglements. My family are all scholars, so I naturally know the meaning of this sentence.

But, but…..

The tragic collision of two million-dollar luxury cars had drawn much attention.

In fact, the truth is very simple. The young master of Yuhua’s newly wealthy Fang family drove his new car while drunk. He drove through a red light with three friends and crashed into the car belonging to the chairman of Wen Group. A total of five people died in this car accident, but Chairman Wen’s spouse was only slightly injured because he was protecting him. 

This incident was of great concern, causing an uproar online and in real life. After a long period of time, the news media would still bring it up and rehash it.

People were very distressed over the unexpected death of Chairman Wen. At that time, people who worked with or did not work with him wanted to come to my house and visit me, his family member. There were also many in the media who wanted to interview me.

I rejected them all.

I remember that when I got home, there were many reporters gathered in front of my house, and as soon as I got out of the car, cameras big and small were aimed at me. Many people asked me about the future of the Wen family, asked me how I felt about Mingcheng risking his life to protect me. Some also asked me whether I would remarry in the future and how I felt about his death.

I don’t remember how I responded, or if I even responded at all.

I can’t remember clearly. My brain hasn’t functioned well since Mingcheng died.

I buried Mingcheng quickly after returning home, and denied requests to attend the funeral by anyone other than relatives. 

Outsiders were not allowed to come to the funeral to pay respects to his body, nor were interviews accepted. He was buried in a hurry.

There was a lot of criticism online over this, calling me heartless and suspecting that I was anxious to inherit his estate. What’s more, they suspected that I pulled him to shield me during the car accident so that I only suffered minor injuries, which was why I didn’t dare let anyone see the body.

Of course, there were also many subtle discussions in the real world. It seemed that a child I taught believed the rumors. He ran up to me and scolded me for causing him to be unable to believe in love.

Events will metamorphosize in people’s mouths, and the internet can easily spread and prolong the fermentation of matters. Just because I insisted on burying him early, there were so many inexplicable accusations.

But it didn’t matter. I had no love for surfing the internet at that time. In the real world, I couldn’t tell the difference between reality and dreams, and the comments of others simply did not enter my brain.

I thought there was no problem with burying the body early. After all, there was no custom in this region of having a seven-day moratorium on burying a body.

However, I also admit that there were other reasons why I insisted on burying him early and did not allow others to see his remains.

The car crash at that time was intense. The young master of the Fang family’s car exploded and caught on fire, and the entire front of our vehicle was deformed. He held me tightly under his body, countless pieces of glass and broken iron piercing him. He…..was not so good-looking anymore.

But in the last moments of his life, besides holding me firmly, he still covered my eyes tightly until his body became rigid and difficult to pry from me. His hand was still over my eyes.

In the past many years, he had never appeared in front of me in a slovenly manner. He cared very much about his appearance and whether or not he looked good. Whenever he came to see me, he always looked neat and tidy.

I think…..he didn’t want me to look at him, and didn’t want others to see him like this.

I hired a very capable undertaker in the business at a high price. And I heard from Mingcheng’s mother that the expert had made his remains very lifelike, so I took one last look at him.

The undertaker was truly impressive. When I entered the room, I saw Mingcheng lying in a coffin, covered with white lilies. There were no traces of injury on his body. His face was still handsome and his expression was calm and peaceful, as if he was asleep.

I looked at him for a long time and said to him in my heart: “Wen Mingcheng, you have always been the most good-looking.”

The day of the burial was cloudy, cold, and snowy.

My mom and Mingcheng’s mother hugged each other and cried, weeping without sound. Mingcheng’s father and Mingyi remained silent, saying nothing.

As his widow left behind in the world, I stood in front of the tombstone holding his portrait. Together, we watched his urn be put into a coffin and buried underground. The atmosphere was one of absolute pain and grief.

The funeral lasted for a long time, snowflakes floating in the sky and falling on the heads of everyone present. 

The dead was buried in peace, and the living lived on.

I knew that Mingcheng no longer existed in this world.

. . . . . . .

“I don’t know whether to be happy or sad that you remember this.”

I am half-reclining in bed, watching the little white bird eating food outside the window. When I hear this, I turn to look at the speaker. “You’re my doctor, of course you should be happy for me.”

Dr. Zhao helps me replace the finished IV bottle with a new one. The corners of his mouth twitch briefly. The skin on his face is dark and puffy, and his expression looks more tired than mine.

Probably because he wants to smoke a cigarette, his right hand subconsciously reaches into his pocket, then suddenly pauses and withdraws. “I really should be happy for you. The fact that you can remember means that your condition has improved. But that period of time you forgot…..”

After Mingcheng died, I acted very calm. I didn’t cry or make a fuss, I held the burial with composure, and I helped deal with his funeral affairs. I also dealt with the issue of his inheritance and worked with the directors to help Mingyi take office.

They all thought I likely wouldn’t have too many problems, but not long after, I was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment due to an overdose of psychotropic drugs.

I actually had no thoughts of committing suicide. He saved me, so I would naturally live well. I only wanted to relieve the pain.

I just unknowingly took the whole bottle of medicine. Fortunately, Dr. Zhao found out in time when he went to my house to deliver medicine.

I didn’t die, but I forgot about his death.

During the time I forgot, I told everyone around that Mingcheng was at home. How could there be something wrong with Mingcheng? They thought I was suffering from longing and stress, so they told me to take medicine but were afraid to tell me the truth.

No one, neither my doctor nor my family, was willing to pierce this window covering.

They wanted me to get better, but they thought it would be painful for me to think about.

I refused to stay hospitalized or stay at my older brother’s house. I chose to return to the old Wei family house where I lived as a child. I lived on the second floor, and the medical staff lived on the first floor.

The sun is very bright today, and my little white bird looks plump in the sunlight. Occasionally, out of boredom, it will use its little red feet to grab the grains of rice in its bowl.

Sparrows tease it from time, making it so angry that it flaps its wings and chirps in fury.

I look at it for a moment with a light smile, and then turn to Dr. Zhao: “These days, my mother and others didn’t dare to say anything when they came to see me. Don’t worry, as the saying goes, no child can cry all the time. What’s more, I’m not a child either. It’s been so long, and thinking about it now, I realize that I’ve been very unattached to the world.”

“I also recruited a new student this year. He somehow knows I’m sick, and sends me messages every day saying that he will wait for me and that I won’t let him down.”

Dr. Zhao gives me a deep, gloomy look: “I hope what you’re saying is true.”

He chats with me for a while, but before leaving, he turns to me and says: “A-Zhen, there are many people who like you in this world. You should cherish yourself more.”

In the afternoon, the young guard comes to see me.

I remember his name, Xiao Nan.

He apologizes to me, saying that he is sorry he sent me home alone. As he speaks, he starts to cry: “Why did you run to the police on your own? Wasn’t I on duty outside? What if something happened to you? Wouldn’t it be my fault if you were hurt?”

He looks about nineteen or twenty years old, like he just graduated from a sports school. When he cries, it is with snot and tears, and because he cries with a grimace, his cheeks wrinkle together.

So I comfort him.

Perhaps he opened his mouth too far while crying and accidentally swallowed air, because he begins to hiccup as he says intermittently: “Sorry, I didn’t…..I didn’t know……about Mr. Wen.”

I smile softly and pick up a package of hazelnut biscuits my brother brought me from the table, and hand it to him: “Eat something and be at ease.”

He moves to stretch out his hand and take it with a slightly embarrassed expression, then finishes it shyly and swiftly.

The package of biscuits diverts his attention, and after eating it, he feels much better. He forgets to cry, and stops hiccupping. 

He sits blinking for a while, trying to think of some way to comfort me, but after trying for a long time, he can only squeeze out one sentence.

“Mr. Wei, live a good life.”

I smile and nod: “Thank you, Xiao Nan.”

Maybe because I encouraged him, he thinks for a moment and says: “The puppy I grew up with passed away. I’m sad, but feel that he’s still alive in my heart. I think about him sometimes. When I was in school, the teacher said that as long as I still remember him, he has not really died. I think this makes sense. It’s like saying he’s still with me, so…..um, I mean, we all gotta live well.”

I didn’t expect him to speak so much, although he concluded with a sentence that was logically a bit far-fetched.

I listen to him in silence, then quickly ask him: “Is it possible that he’s really at your side?”

This sentence startles him.

He opens his eyes wide and looks at me in shock: “No way? There are no ghosts in this world, and of course there are no ghost dogs.”

After saying that, he gives me a worried look: “Mr. Wei, are you okay……”

At once, I raise my eyebrows at him and smile: “I was just teasing you.”

He breathes a sigh of relief and says: “You scared me to death.”

As the sun goes down in the evening, he rushes to work the night shift and the nurse comes to ask me to fill in the daily form.

There are a few simple multiple-choice questions on the list, as well as a place for a signature at the end.

I lower my eyes and easily sketch out the answers to several questions, chatting with the nurse: “I’ve heard people say that hospitals are places with a lot of yin energy. Do you feel scared when you work the night shift?”

The nurse laughs. Her voice is clear and sweet, full of vitality. “Of course not. That is to say, the internet always suspects that the hospital is haunted, and we are a psychiatric hospital. How can there be ghosts if people don’t die? Besides, the supernatural doesn’t exist.”

“You’re right.” I agree with a smile, and sign my name.

Wei Zizhen.

After watching me do all this, she takes the list and carefully examines the name I wrote. Before leaving, she clears the table for me and finally bids me farewell with a teasing smile: “Good night, Mr. Wei. If you need anything at night, ring the bell at any time. Although there are no ghosts in this world, you can call us if you are afraid.”

She jests at me, and I pretend to be angry and ignore her.

After the nurse leaves, the raised corners of my mouth lower. 

My gaze returns to the window.

A lot of people came into my room today, and they all thought I was looking at the bird outside, which was true, but not entirely.

Because nobody notices the black figure standing outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The sun moves from east to west, but all of its rays avoid him.

If there are no supernatural beings in this world…..

Then what are you?

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Chapter 23 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 25