Immortal Travel of Longevity

Yunxiang's words were much more direct now. It hardly seemed like her at all.

It was as if another person stood beside her. It was Zhu Qi—the Zhu Qi who had waited bitterly for hundreds of years, the Zhu Qi who loved candied fruit and ground ink by Mister's side.

Yunxiang said nothing more. Propping her chin in her hands, she simply gazed at Mister's profile.

She seemed to be recalling the past.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment before asking, "Could you tell me about the past?"

Yunxiang paused. She nodded and said, "If Mister wishes to hear it, then Zhu Qi will tell Mister."

She started from the very beginning, speaking of that destitute, miserable little girl.

Then she spoke of traveling across the great rivers and mountains by Mister's side, and then of what happened later, and later still...

Countless memories seemed vivid before her eyes, yet they were separated by such a vast span of time. Logically speaking, these were things that should have long been forgotten.

Through her words, Chen Changsheng finally gained a deeper understanding of Zhu Qi. He was no longer like before, knowing only that she liked candied fruit.

The food was delicious, and the past spoken of in her words drew him into deep thought.

Mostly, though, they brought him puzzlement and confusion.

Once again, Chen Changsheng found himself bewildered by the question of who he truly was.

Indeed.

It seemed he had come into this world solely to figure out this very question.

He wavered endlessly between 'I am me' and 'I am not me.'

It felt like torment, yet it was also remarkably wondrous.

As night began to fall, Yunxiang returned to the courtyard across the street.

The courtyard fell quiet once more.

Chen Changsheng lay back on the recliner, thinking about how peaceful this day had been.

He didn't know why.

It seemed he was growing to hate this kind of peace. The quieter it became, the more uneasy he felt.

If this were the past, there would have been a mischievous Mao'er in the courtyard. During the day, an adult and a child would be causing a ruckus without end. There was Ping'an, Ruyi, the old man selling fish in the market, and so much more...

He was becoming more and more mundane.

Chen Changsheng thought this was a good thing.

To be an ordinary person, lingering in the marketplace every day, listening to the vendors hawking and the greetings of acquaintances—it was a life one would never tire of.

...

Night fell.

Chen Changsheng had originally planned to just lie on the recliner and rest.

Unexpectedly, someone knocked on the door.

It was Yu Hongjin.

The door had been left unlatched. Yu Hongjin carefully pushed it open a crack and peered inside.

At a glance, she spotted Chen Changsheng sitting on the recliner.

"Mister?"

Chen Changsheng looked over. "Come in."

"Oh."

Yu Hongjin stepped through the door.

Compared to her usual unruly self, she seemed rather restrained right now.

"Have a seat," Chen Changsheng said.

Yu Hongjin glanced at the chair in front of her before climbing up onto it. Because her legs were too short to reach the floor, they dangled in the air, making her look incredibly well-behaved.

But in reality, she was the least well-behaved of them all.

Yu Hongjin carefully peeked at Chen Changsheng before averting her gaze. Wanting to speak yet holding back, she clearly had something to say but didn't quite dare.

Seeing her like this, Chen Changsheng said, "Zhishu's matter will depend entirely on her own decision. Neither you nor I should meddle. Do you understand?"

Yu Hongjin paused, marveling inwardly at how Mister Chen really seemed to hear her thoughts.

Pursing her lips, she said, "I can't bear to part with Sister Zhishu."

Chen Changsheng looked at her. "Zhishu is leaning toward entering Reincarnation, isn't she?"

Yu Hongjin nodded. "I know I'm being a little selfish, but I just can't bear to let her go. Sister Yun tried reasoning with me, but I didn't want to listen."

Chen Changsheng watched her. "Children usually don't think about so many things."

Yu Hongjin raised her head. She paused, initially wanting to argue back, but after a moment of hesitation, she relented. "I am just a child."

"Exactly."

Chen Changsheng smiled. "Which is why you don't want to listen to reason."

Yu Hongjin also thought that made for a pretty good excuse.

She let out a rare sigh, suddenly looking a few years older in that brief moment.

"I really can't figure it out."

Yu Hongjin lowered her head, muttering, "Mister Chen, tell me, why do people have to think about so many things? What's good, what's bad, what they want to do, what they don't want to do... Shouldn't being happy be the most important thing?"

"It should."

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Then do you think Zhishu is happy, having forsaken her Lifespan to become a soul?"

Yu Hongjin froze at the question. She opened her mouth but found she couldn't answer.

Chen Changsheng said, "Prioritizing your own happiness in everything you do is completely understandable. But the world is unpredictable, and most things are a mixture of joy and sorrow. Therefore, it becomes a matter of what you are willing to do and what you are not willing to do, rather than simply what makes you happy."

It took Yu Hongjin a long while to process this. She nodded blankly, at a loss for words.

She actually understood his meaning, but she just didn't want to accept it.

Yu Hongjin let out a long sigh and helplessly shook her head.

"Chen Changsheng."

"Yes?"

"I want to drink."

Chen Changsheng paused before saying, "This Chen has no wine here."

Yu Hongjin pouted. "Why do you never have anything?"

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "This Chen is destitute, with nothing to my name."

Yu Hongjin looked at Chen Changsheng. "If it were someone else—if it were Sister Yun—would Mister act the same way?"

Chen Changsheng thought it over for a moment, then nodded.

Yu Hongjin stared at him. "You're so cold..." she remarked.

"Hm?" Chen Changsheng looked over at her.

Yu Hongjin said, "You never used to be like this. Years ago, back at the Lotus Pond, you poured wine right down my throat! You were so free and unfettered back then, but now... you're really so different."

"Different how?"

"If it were the old you, you definitely would have tried to make Sister Yun stay, instead of saying absolutely nothing and just letting her choose for herself."

Yu Hongjin looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "How can a person not have even a single shred of selfishness?"

Chen Changsheng froze.

Selfishness...

She was right.

Yu Hongjin's words had struck him right to the core.

It seemed as though many things had started to become governed by rigid rules.

He didn't know when it had started, but Chen Changsheng had begun hiding his own thoughts. In his handling of many matters, he had grown seemingly indifferent, never taking a side.

The cool night breeze swept into the courtyard.

Chen Changsheng drew his clothes a little tighter, tucking his hands away inside his sleeves.

Propping her chin in her hands, Yu Hongjin lowered her head in thought as she waited for Chen Changsheng to speak.

But even after a long while, Chen Changsheng remained silent.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Yu Hongjin asked.

Chen Changsheng snapped back to reality. After a brief pause, he said, "This Chen cannot provide a proper explanation for your questions."

He had asked himself the same thing, yet he still couldn't find an answer.

When exactly did this begin?

Chen Changsheng had no recollection of it either.

He had become unlike himself.

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