Chapter 17: There Will Always Be Partings (1)
The place was unexpectedly tranquil.
Shi Yi felt fortunate. Although his mother had asked her to accompany them throughout, she hadn’t said anything further. Shi Yi’s prayers were genuinely devout—she clasped her hands together, knelt on the cushion already worn with two deep grooves, and bowed three times to the Buddha.
When she raised her head, she gazed at the faintly smiling statue. It was said that the Buddha appeared differently to believers and non-believers, to the kind and the wicked—sometimes compassionate, sometimes pitying, sometimes smiling. But in her memory, the Buddha had always worn that faint smile, never changing.
Suddenly, she wondered—why had things been arranged this way?
She remembered everything, yet Zhou Shengchen knew nothing.
When Shi Yi knelt, she forgot about her knees, still in recovery. Only when she stood up did the delayed pain register. A hand grasped her upper arm, steadying her as she rose. “If there’s a next time, don’t do this just to wear a qipao. You look good in sportswear too.” He remembered the last time he had napped at her home. When he emerged from the guest room, Shi Yi had been sitting cross-legged in the dimly lit room, wearing light blue sportswear and watching TV with headphones on.
Especially the way she had covered her mouth, laughing at the scenes before she noticed him.
He still remembered it clearly.
“It’s fine. I didn’t remove them completely, so it won’t be a problem,” she said softly. “I didn’t see you earlier?”
“I’m an atheist,” he replied in a lowered voice. “So I’ve been standing outside the hall, enjoying the scenery.”
The two of them stepped outside the hall. The ancient temple, standing for a thousand years, brought a quiet calm to the heart just by being there.
“But I believe deeply in the Buddha,” she said with a smile. “What should we do?”
He glanced back at the statue inside the hall. “Complete respect.”
“What do you see?” she asked curiously.
“What do I see?”
“I mean, when you look at him, what does he look like to you?”
Zhou Shengchen studied the statue a little longer at her question. “Compassionate.”
She watched his profile in silence.
Some people never truly changed, even if they forgot everything and their voice and appearance altered.
For a moment, another figure overlapped with the man before her—that shadow had once said that Sakyamuni abandoned his wife and child to enter monastic life out of compassion for all living beings. She remembered it clearly, which was why she had never resented his words: I failed no one under heaven, only you, Shi Yi.
Noticing her silence, Zhou Shengchen turned to look at her. “What? Does it look different to you?”
“A little different.”
“What do you see?”
“Smiling,” she murmured. “As if he likes me very much, so he’s always smiling.”
He looked surprised, then laughed.
His gaze drifted from her eyes to her ring finger—her slender, pale fingers suited the ring beautifully.
Where they stood, the white stone railing was mottled with age. As if worried she might be sunburnt, he guided her into the shade. The spot was secluded, and he kept talking to her, as if afraid she might grow bored. Over the past few days, she had realized that Zhou Shengchen wasn’t the type to enjoy idle chatter—especially unnecessary small talk.
Yet with her, he always found topics to keep the conversation going.
He was making an effort—she could see it. And so, she was willing to make an effort for him too.Lunch was served at a restaurant at the foot of the mountain. Zhou Wenxing walked beside her and whispered that because their mother was a devout Buddhist, she had this place built years ago specifically to host the Zhou family and their friends.
Naturally, it was vegetarian fare.
After the meal, one of today’s guests, upon hearing that the girl Zhou Shengchen was about to become engaged to was present, spontaneously wrote a piece of calligraphy on the spot. Zhou Shengchen didn’t know this person, but his mother kindly informed them that he was a friend of Zhou Shengchen’s father and that his calligraphy was worth a fortune.
The gift was unexpected, and when Shi Yi received it, she realized she had nothing to reciprocate.
She quietly asked Zhou Shengchen what to do, but he didn’t seem concerned, soothing her in a low voice. Such spontaneous gifts of calligraphy were rare, and even without a return gift, it wouldn’t be considered impolite. After a moment’s thought, she smiled at the elder and asked, “Uncle, your calligraphy is priceless. Though my painting cannot compare, I’d still like to offer something in return. I hope you won’t find it unworthy?”
Her tone was polite, and the elder, upon hearing this, smiled warmly and immediately cleared the writing desk for her.
Their conversation took place on the second floor of the restaurant. Earlier, many of the Zhou family’s guests had risen to admire the elder’s calligraphy. Now, upon hearing that the future eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhou family would paint on the spot, their curiosity grew even stronger.
What kind of skill would this girl—ordinary in background but exceptionally beautiful—possess?
Zhou Shengchen hadn’t expected Shi Yi to be so composed about offering to paint.
He knew her past too well—so well that he could recall the names of all her classmates and friends from kindergarten through university. Yet none of the records mentioned her having studied painting under any master.
He stood by the desk, watching as she picked up the brush and paused in thought.
In her mind, Shi Yi recalled the subjects she had once been most skilled at—those still-life compositions he had personally taught her, the ones he loved most. Then, with natural ease, she began.
First came the reeds, a single stalk with many leaves.
Layer upon layer, without pause, as if she had traced them a thousand times, her technique so practiced it was astonishing.
When she reached the roots of the reeds, her brush hesitated slightly. She rinsed it in clear water, dipped it in light ink, wiped the excess at the edge of the dish, and then continued—this time painting boneless lotus flowers. Gradually, a fresh lotus stem took shape on the paper.
Those who didn’t understand could only marvel at the painting’s delicate, ethereal beauty.
But the elder and a few of his friends, who did understand, gradually shifted from encouraging smiles to genuine appreciation—until, finally, their expressions openly revealed awe and admiration.
The painting depicted lotus flowers and reeds, its strokes free and light, yet its spirit carried a touch of cool elegance.
Afraid of taking too much time, she had deliberately worked faster. By the time she finished, the elder couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh, “A pity, a pity—it’s just a bit rushed. Still, it’s a masterpiece worth collecting.” He then naturally reminded her, “Miss Shi Yi, don’t forget to sign it. I will treasure this painting.”
She nodded, rinsed her brush again, and inscribed her name.
Just as she was about to set the brush down, the elder suddenly grew inspired and asked if she would mind him adding a poem to it. Shi Yi naturally had no objections. The elder took the brush and, with unrestrained flourish, wrote two lines of verse. Yet, out of respect for the painter, he refused to add his own name.
The future eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhou family possessed such painting skills—this surpassed everyone’s expectations.The elders and family friends of the Zhou family present at the gathering began to regard Shi Yi in a new light because of this highly respected uncle. Some even jokingly said they would personally visit her in the future to request paintings. Unskilled in socializing and even less adept at handling the various tones and expressions of his family members, she eventually found herself at a loss for words, frequently glancing at Zhou Shengchen for help with pleading eyes.
He seemed amused but, seeing her pitiful state, found an excuse to leave early with her.
Once in the car, he recalled her painting and how, despite being praised, she had appeared so flustered. Unable to suppress a smile, he turned to look at the person seated beside him.
Shi Yi noticed and muttered discontentedly, "Stop laughing at me."
"It's amusing," he chuckled. "You painted so well yet acted as if you were embarrassed—it's quite entertaining."
"You think it's good too?" she asked, looking at him.
"Exceptionally good. Who taught you traditional Chinese painting?"
She froze momentarily but quickly masked it. "No one. Someone just gave me some painting manuals. I liked them, so I locked myself in my room to practice, just to pass the time."
He didn’t hide his surprise.
"Quite talented, don’t you think?" she continued, deliberately evasive.
He shook his head in admiration. "Only natural talent can explain it."
She smiled. Ten years of devoted painting practice had made her most skilled at painting lotuses.
And he—he was that lotus.
When they returned to the old house, the midday sun was blazing. Zhou Shengchen told her to go change, while he sat in the open study on the second floor to finalize the handover for the Xi'an exchange project. Following his instructions, Shi Yi changed into sportswear and came out to find him on a phone call, discussing something she couldn’t understand.
Only when the call ended did he suddenly hand her the phone, saying He Shan wanted to say goodbye.
Shi Yi took it and heard He Shan’s voice, both excited and nervous: "Um... Shi Yi—no, I should call you Shimu now." She hummed in response, stealing a glance at Zhou Shengchen, her face warming slightly.
"What a shame Teacher Zhou Sheng left so suddenly. But once a teacher, always a father, so you’ll always be our Shimu," He Shan chuckled. "You know what? Teacher Zhou Sheng is our idol—the kind of scientist who seems like he’d never marry or have kids. We all thought it’d be weird if he did. But when we found out it was you, we thought it was a perfect match. A genius and a beauty—the most elite pairing possible."
He Shan rambled on.
She couldn’t help but laugh.
Zhou Shengchen, intrigued, sat across from her, watching as she took the call.
Shi Yi mouthed: He’s so talkative.
He smiled, reaching out to pat her forehead.
A natural gesture—but once his fingers touched her, he didn’t want to pull away. Slowly, his hand slid down from her forehead, tracing her face until it brushed her lips. Shi Yi didn’t move, feeling his touch, meeting his dark eyes.
He looked at her questioningly.
Shi Yi silently closed her eyes.
He studied her for a moment.
In his youth, he had memorized Lüshi Chunqiu , which once said: "Delicate beauty, pearly teeth, the music of Zheng and Wei—all are meant for self-indulgence."
But how many in this world could truly embody the phrase "delicate beauty, pearly teeth"?Zhou Shengchen silently leaned in to kiss her, not caring whether the call had ended or not. They were so close that she could even hear He Shan still rambling on the other end, muttering something about a perfect match between a talented scholar and a beautiful woman. Unable to hold back a smile, he kissed her lightly before pulling away slightly to speak into the phone, "Alright, send me the paper you need me to review. Check it yourself first—last time there were too many English spelling mistakes."
After saying this, he took the phone from her hand, hung up, and set it aside.
"Continue?" he asked softly.
Shi Yi had just opened her eyes when she heard him speak and immediately squeezed them shut again.
A faint blush crept up from her ears.
Every time he kissed her, he would first ask for her opinion. It was such a rigid habit, yet at this moment, spoken so quietly, it inexplicably gave the illusion of flirtation—a strangely earnest kind of teasing.
Sunlight fell on her arm, warm and comforting.
His hand slid down from her shoulder, brushing against her wrist before giving it a gentle squeeze. "Eat more."
She hummed in response, her face burning with embarrassment.
"I might have to leave the country for a while."
"Because of that matter?"
"No," Zhou Shengchen chuckled. "That incident was indeed meant to make me leave here. But this time, I'm going for my research project."
"Halogen-free flame-retardant silane cross-linked POE composite material?"
Shi Yi had painstakingly memorized this convoluted term.
Zhou Shengchen hadn’t expected her to recite it so smoothly and gave her a slightly surprised glance, as if he wanted to ask something. But after a few seconds, he let it go. "That’s a research project in Xi’an, not what I’ve been working on these past few years."
She looked at him in confusion.
"To put it simply, I’ve been at a center in Europe these years, replicating Venus’s environment to study its habitability."
She let out an "Oh."
That was indeed easier to understand than the technical term.
But it also felt even more distant from her. "Habitability on Venus? Can people live there?"
"The surface is scorching, with temperatures around 480 degrees Celsius, and surface pressure nearly 90 times that of Earth’s atmospheric pressure," he answered plainly, speaking about it like an audiobook version of a textbook. "But in terms of size, mass, and even position, it’s the closest to Earth. In the solar system, it’s practically our twin. So, in the future, it might be possible for people to live there."
She let out another "Oh."
He smiled. "Does it sound boring?"
"No," she shook her head. "It’s quite interesting. Precisely because I don’t understand it, that’s what makes it interesting."
He continued explaining a bit more.
Her memory was good—though she barely understood, she retained the details. For instance, Venus’s four-day atmospheric circulation, polar vortices, and his research on the distribution of trace components. She thought that during his absence, she might quietly study up, so that when he occasionally mentioned these things, she wouldn’t just sit there under the sunlight, listening blankly.
"So… when will you be back?"
He said, "Three months."
She nodded, thinking that three months would pass quickly.
"Shi Yi?"
She hummed in acknowledgment.
"Why me?"
She didn’t understand. "Why?"
"At Baiyun Airport, why did you want to get to know me?"Zhou Shengchen inadvertently brushed against the eighteen-bead prayer bracelet on her wrist as he spoke. The jade-green beads felt slightly cool to the touch, giving him a strange sensation... He frowned, unaccustomed to this momentary lapse of concentration, as if something was on the verge of emerging yet remained completely elusive.
Shi Yi also fell into a brief silence before finally saying after a while, "It was love at first sight."
She couldn't explain the past that existed in history books.
This was the only way she could describe the beginning of their story.
Three months.
After Zhou Shengchen briefly mentioned this duration, he truly left the next day.
He only gave her an approximate return time, never once mentioning taking her along from start to finish.
She guessed that the so-called project he mentioned might just be one of the reasons for his departure. The family he was born into was a bizarre existence—even after such a major incident, there seemed to be no upheaval. Apart from the uninvited guest late that night and a series of explosive alleged crimes, no one mentioned Tang Xiaofu, who had died so easily.
That family seemed to exist in another dimension, with its own set of rules.
If she didn't remember him, how would she dare approach such a family?
Not long after he left, summer arrived early.
Apart from three daily phone calls, he seemed distant from her world.
Meilin spent the entire month organizing a dubbing talent show to boost the company's profile. Due to her award, Shi Yi had to cooperate with some activities, though she only recorded a promotional message and still refused to participate in the events.
That day, Meilin brought her over a dozen recordings to listen to, mostly scripts written by the contestants themselves.
"That year, the Buddha sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree, attaining enlightenment in forty-nine days. What he realized was the emptiness of all things, forgetting love, hatred, and obsession. I think, whether we've known each other for four hundred and ninety days, four thousand nine hundred days, or forty-nine thousand days, I would never have the courage to sit in meditation, preferring to keep my golden body rather than forget you..." Listening to the demo, she suddenly felt moved.
Meilin laughed, "It reminds me of how I felt when I first heard your demo. Out of so many sample tapes, only you recited 'Ode to Shanglin Forest,' leaving us utterly confused yet thinking it sounded truly beautiful."
Shi Yi smiled, "I'm most familiar with 'Ode to Shanglin Forest,' so it felt the most natural to recite."
"Shi Yi?"
"Hmm?"
"Your scientist fiancé..."
She turned around, waving her hand, "Look closely at where my ring is—married now."
"Married?" Meilin couldn't believe it, "You've been hanging out with me these past two months, and you call that married? What about the house? The car? The honeymoon? Most importantly, where's your chemistry guy?"
"He's at the National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome..." Shi Yi told the truth.
"Astrophysics?" Meilin looked puzzled, "I thought he was in chemistry?"
"The boundaries aren't that clear. Right now, he's mainly working on trace and semi-trace component analysis of Venus's surface..." She tried to keep it non-technical, though she couldn't have explained it more professionally even if she wanted to.
Meilin remained immersed in these terms, still not understanding what Venus had to do with Shi Yi's wedding.
"I never knew you liked... scientists dedicated to human progress, selflessly devoted to the greater good? People like that probably don't place much importance on romantic relationships."
Selflessly devoted to the greater good?
(End of Chapter)
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