Chapter 38 Epilogue: Fleeting Life Like a Dream, How Much Joy Exists?
The steady drizzle turned Xi'an into a misty Jiangnan landscape.
Though this was the land of the Three Qins, no trace of ancient Chang'an remained.
At Mi Family's Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup, a tiny eatery packed shoulder-to-shoulder with noisy patrons, business was inexplicably booming.
A man sat in the corner, his scholarly brows prominent though his features were ordinary—neither ugly nor memorable. He wore a standard lab coat left unbuttoned, revealing a plain checkered shirt and trousers beneath.
Impeccably neat yet utterly out of place in these surroundings.
People brushed past him constantly, some even holding bowls while waiting for seats.
The shop's business had always been absurdly good.
When the owner brought his order, the man accepted it wordlessly. Splitting disposable chopsticks, he rubbed them together to remove splinters before lowering his head to eat in silence.
His table manners were impeccable—once he began eating, he never spoke.
Not that it mattered at this solitary table where no one would chat with him anyway.
Nearby, youths debated the Yangtze River Delta's economy. After such prolonged stagnation, overseas Chinese investors had finally arrived—not just one group but what appeared to be a sustained project.
Their discussion gradually shifted to corporate backgrounds and tantalizing job opportunities.
He listened absently. These were Mei Hang's specialties—no need for his involvement.
"Professor Zhou Sheng!"
Someone dashed in from the rain, shaking off an umbrella. He Shan hurried over, his jeans soaked to the knees: "Let me charge your phone daily, please? Just keep it on 24/7 for me." Panting from his search across multiple locations, he added, "I wouldn't have found you without spotting the institute's car."
Before He Shan finished, Zhou Shengchen's phone rang.
He Shan immediately fell silent, recognizing the private line reserved only for Shi Yi's calls.
As Zhou Shengchen listened, he suddenly stood.
Striding past He Shan without acknowledgment, he boarded the institute's vehicle and sped away, leaving the assistant speechless.
Rain lashed the windows.
For two months he'd kept vigil by her bedside as she remained lost in dreams. Were it not for that afternoon call, he'd never have believed she'd briefly awakened. Perhaps not seeing him, she'd slipped back into slumber. He waited patiently.
Zhou Shengchen's gaze was limpid as still water.
Watching her intently.
After an eternity, Shi Yi's lashes fluttered faintly. Sensing his presence, her fingers twitched.
"Shi Yi?" Cradling her hand, he leaned closer.
Hearing his voice, she struggled against leaden eyelids.
"No rush," he murmured. "Take your time."
From endless darkness, she finally glimpsed a thread of light.He dimmed the lights in the entire room, fearing she might feel discomfort upon waking. At first, she could only make out his silhouette, but as her eyes gradually adjusted, she could see his features clearly. She wanted to tell him that she had woken from her dream because she longed to see him. This dream had felt like a beautiful reincarnation of a past life, yet she... simply wanted to see him.
She was afraid he would grow impatient waiting.
Shi Yi tried to speak, but after such prolonged unconsciousness, her voice failed her. Her lips merely trembled slightly.
"This is Xi'an," he said in a low, steady, and gentle voice. "We'll live here from now on."
Xi'an? Chang'an...
Her eyes flickered with barely restrained emotion.
He smiled faintly. "It's hard to ride horses within the city now, but I can still take you everywhere."
She froze, her vision instantly blurring.
He took her hand and guided it to his face.
Her fingers traced his brows, his eyes, then slowly trailed down the bridge of his nose.
Every inch, unhurried.
The subtle contours—the slope of his nose, the arch of his brow—were unchanged.
"'The Rhapsody of Shanglin,'" he murmured. "I finished writing it. Every single word."
She laughed, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"'The bones of a beauty—some possess the bones but not the skin; others possess the skin but not the bones. Yet most people are shallow, seeing only the surface, never the essence.'" His voice was clear as water, repeating the words she had once written on the title page of a book. "Shi Yi, say my name."
Her vision was too blurred to see him now.
But his voice compelled her, and she whispered, "Zhou Shengchen..."
He answered softly, "I think... I must have traded my 'bones of a beauty' for your peerless grace, for your ability to remember me, for your voice to call my name."
She laughed. Such sentimentality was so unlike him.
He chuckled too. "Seems like a fair trade."
"Then..." She feigned a frown. "What about the next life?"
He couldn't hold back his amusement. "You can keep your peerless grace. That... I don’t need."
Shi Yi smiled gently, gazing at him.
She heard him say:
"I don’t remember, but I believe. Shi Yi, I believe everything you’ve written."
Life is but a dream—how fleeting is joy?
A thousand years of desolation, bones turned to dust—only Shi Yi remains, the one I seek.
(End of Chapter)
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