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墨書 Inktalez
After the funeral of Yun Zhongzi was settled, Old Zhang became increasingly absent-minded, often sitting at the peak of Misty Mountain, gazing into the distance. As one ages, the longing for home grows stronger.
Fengyin was busy organizing the medicine store to fulfill Yun Zhongzi's wishes. Seven Nights was no longer on Misty Mountain; he had gone to the Demon Realm and was invited by the emperor to the palace for a candlelit night talk before his departure. In the Princess's realm, harmony reigned like never before.
Oh, I forgot to mention that a rare guest resides on Misty Mountain—Qing Lian!
Yes, she is the one who once drowned herself in the lake. As a singer, Qing Lian had long seen through the warmth and coldness of the world and the impermanence of life. During the Lantern Festival, when she threw her embroidered ball for marriage, she had already lost all hope. However, Zhu Qing's appearance brought a glimmer of life and sunshine to her. Yet… after years of marriage and having a son, he betrayed their previous vows and spent a night with An Ruo, causing a stir in the city. She always believed he was just drunk and hadn’t truly betrayed her, but that day at the bridge, she witnessed with her own eyes and heard him say, "I will treat Miss An well."
Qing Lian sought neither fame nor fortune; she only wished for one person to grow old with her. Since he had no intention of fulfilling that wish, she did not want to become his burden. Thus, she resolutely ended her life, only to be saved by Hibiscus.
"Qing Lian sister, don’t you want to see Bamboo Young Master?"
"I don’t want to; meeting is not as good as remembering. I hope he remains as I remember him." Just like when she first met him, he seemed like a hero descending from the heavens, rescuing her from dire straits—not helplessly promising another woman in front of everyone, "I will treat Miss An well."
"What about Zhu Nianqing?"
"Nianqing." Remembering her chubby son made Qing Lian smile slightly. "Fengyin, I know you have a kind heart." Qing Lian turned away and said no more.
"May I find one person's heart and never part until old age." Fengyin smiled as well and went back to work.
Soon everyone was busy with their own tasks, and no one noticed Old Zhang's melancholic gaze. He often wondered lately if he had not come to this world and remained in a corner of Beijing, would his son have come to take him back?
One cannot escape aging; after sitting for a while without energy, Old Zhang lay back on a lounge chair under the sun. Gradually, he drifted into slumber.
The bright light made Old Zhang furrow his brows and open his eyes. Misty Mountain was always shrouded in fog; how could there be such intense sunlight that it hurt his eyes? Before Old Zhang could fully open his eyes, the sound of honking filled the air. This was...
"Oh my God." Old Zhang couldn't wait to open his eyes. Indeed, this was Beijing, and that was the sound of cars honking. The long-lost feeling of homesickness made Old Zhang's eyes well up with tears. The scene before him resembled a 21st-century urban landscape. Had he really returned after a long dream? Old Zhang looked around, completely unaware that he was standing in the middle of the road, only gazing greedily at the familiar sights of his hometown. After a while, he came to his senses and noticed cars passing through him without any awareness, running over him. It dawned on him that the people from his hometown couldn't see him. Could it be that he was already dead? Old Zhang thought repeatedly; only someone who had died would have their soul leave their body. Since this was the hometown that raised him, it wasn't strange for his soul to appear here. Thinking about how Fengyin might think he was dead and would surely be heartbroken, Old Zhang felt lost. Now that he had returned, he wanted to tell her everything, but perhaps he would never have the chance again. Memories of the ten years they spent together flooded back, bringing him sorrow.
Drifting aimlessly, Old Zhang found himself back at his home. Although he didn't experience the warmth of family here, there were still people he cared about, which unconsciously drew him back in sadness, even if just to take a glance.
Zhang Xuan dragged her weary body home and took out her keys to unlock the door. She didn't live alone; she relied on her father for companionship. However, she knew that even though her father was home, he wouldn't open the door for her. Holding the cold key, she turned it in the lock and softly called out, "Dad." As expected, there was no response. At just 17 years old, Zhang Xuan appeared more mature and capable than women in their twenties. This maturity came from life's trials as she skillfully moved between the kitchen and living room. In no time, a delicious aroma filled the house from the simple two dishes and a soup she prepared; just smelling it made one’s appetite awaken.
"Dad, dinner's ready." Zhang Xuan looked into the house; the bedroom door was tightly shut. She pushed it open to find darkness inside, but the pleasant aroma indicated that Zhang Xuan had worked hard; otherwise, such a room would surely smell musty and rotten.
"You unfilial daughter! You come back now to cook? Do you want to starve me?" A man shouted angrily with his back to Zhang Xuan. His commanding attitude seemed natural as if he were born to be served by others, and this delicate girl before him was somehow still his daughter.
"I'm sorry, Dad." Zhang Xuan didn’t explain that she had to work overtime due to unavoidable circumstances; after all, working for someone else meant her time wasn’t her own. She had rushed back as best as she could. After years of habit, even if she explained herself, her father wouldn’t listen and would only get angrier.
Zhang Xuan felt a sting in her nose as memories of her childhood flooded back—how much her father had loved her then, always taking her to various events where others praised her and her father's face would light up with joy. Holding back tears that threatened to fall, she pushed out the wheelchair.
Zhang Xuan placed the peeled shrimp into her father's bowl while she only ate plain rice with soup herself. There was no other choice since her father still couldn’t change his habit of wanting rich foods; her salary wasn’t high enough for extravagance, so she had to save money while trying to meet all of Zhang Wanfu's demands.
Neither of them realized that a faint Light and Shadow had been watching them all along.
After tidying up the kitchen, it was already 6 PM; she needed to go for her second job at night. Zhang Xuan entered her bedroom and closed the door before taking out her makeup kit to start getting ready. She naturally had delicate features—big eyes and a refined nose—and with makeup enhancing her beauty further, her hair fell down from its daytime style into soft waves that blended allure with innocence. Wearing a fitted dress accentuated Zhang Xuan's slender figure beautifully; coupled with her long legs that were well-proportioned made her look stunning in a dress. Before Zhang Wanfu fell ill, she had been learning ballet for quite some time but hadn’t danced in ages; now when she danced at work, it was only energetic pop dances meant to entertain guests while sipping drinks for tips. However, Zhang Wanfu's illness left Zhang Xuan feeling increasingly powerless; more than once she thought about stripping down just for money—anything else didn’t matter.
But every time she thought about Professor Fengyin, she gritted her teeth; Zhang Xuan absolutely refused to let herself fall into depravity. Even if neglected or insulted by customers, she could only quietly cry in a corner before putting on a smiling face for everyone else.
Zhang Xuan said, "I am not being self-righteous; I just..." Several times in front of the guests, she found herself at a loss for words. She could only lower her head and repeatedly say sorry.
Watching Zhang Xuan about to leave, Old Zhang wanted to follow her out, but as a flash of light passed by, he could only watch his granddaughter walk further away, seeing her stubborn silhouette.
"Grandpa." When she was little, Zhang Xuan was particularly attached to him and very well-behaved. She would always tilt her little head and call out "Grandpa" non-stop, then giggle.
The child has grown up, but she has suffered.
"Grandpa! You're awake!" Old Zhang had just opened his eyes when he saw Fengyin's surprised expression.
"Girl, Grandpa thought he wouldn't see you again."
"Grandpa, you scared Yin Yin to death." Fengyin laughed through her tears as she brought the medicine to Old Zhang.
Looking at the beautiful girl before him, Old Zhang recalled Zhang Xuan's lonely back and felt a sense of melancholy. Back then, Fengyin was just a little beggar, but now she was known as the Medical Immortal, living in peace and even having an outstanding man who cared for her.
But his granddaughter was living a precarious life. Old Zhang grew increasingly worried and urgently wanted to return home. Not just in spirit; he wanted to go back. Even if he couldn't do anything, he could tell Zhang Xuan that she was not alone and that her grandpa was with her.
"Girl, Grandpa is old and wants to go home," Old Zhang said.
"Home?" Fengyin stopped in her tracks. "In my heart, wherever Grandpa is, that is home."
"Grandpa means our hometown, Homeland."
“Homeland.”
“But Mom…”
“Regardless, Grandpa has to find a way to go back.”
“Yes, I will definitely help Grandpa. Grandpa, you should rest well.” Fengyin closed the door and walked out.
After taking a few steps, she saw Hibiscus meditating, while Cold Heart was also sitting in a similar manner. Fengyin quietly sat beside them, watching Hibiscus and the fierce scar on his face, feeling a slight pain in her heart, hoping that the scar would disappear.
A miraculous thing happened; the scar on Hibiscus's face truly vanished. That cursed wound, which was supposed to remain on his face forever, unexpectedly disappeared in Fengyin's thoughts.
What is happening? Fengyin couldn't come to her senses for a long time.
However, Hibiscus looked at her with curiosity. “Why are you staring at me?” When she didn’t respond, he became somewhat annoyed. “I’m asking you a question.”
“I feel like I’m not human,” Fengyin murmured.
“What happened?” Hibiscus pulled down her hand and held it tightly. “Tell me what happened.”
“It’s my thoughts. It seems like my thoughts have some kind of power. Look… light.” Fengyin said softly, as the once silent night began to fade away, and vast sunlight poured down. Fengyin looked at Hibiscus with a bit of fear. “I don’t know why this is happening.”
Since Hibiscus returned, she had noticed that this kind of thought had been growing stronger, just like when Jinse fell into the water that time.
"I saw the injury on your face earlier, and it hurt my heart. I just thought... and then it really disappeared." Fengyin nodded, "I'm a bit hungry, so I'm going to cook."
"You go ahead," Hibiscus nodded, noticing that Cold Heart was still calmly meditating. "Cold Heart, why are you so obedient today?"
Cold Heart shrank his neck. Pressing his large mouth close, he said, "I'm afraid Yin Yin thinks I'm not well-behaved."
"Do you know what's going on?" Hibiscus pondered for a moment. Although asking Cold Heart seemed a bit unreliable, he was quite remarkable and had a good relationship with the Underworld King, so he should know a lot.
"I know," Cold Heart nodded, looking as if he obviously knew.
"And that is?"
"The will of the gods. Immortals have their spells, Buddhas have their teachings, demons have Demonic Arts. But gods only have their will," Cold Heart said, shaking his head.
"God? Are you saying Fengyin is a god?"
Cold Heart nodded, not expecting Hibiscus to pat his little head. "Cold Heart, you shouldn't eat dinner tonight."
Cold Heart felt very wronged. Why not?
Hibiscus looked at the darkening sky and the moon. No matter the reason, fulfilling the wish of Senior Yun Zhongzi meant getting married.
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