Chapter 53: The End

Su Nianmei took a long time to accept the fact that she was a child of the Ji family. The Ji family, known for their friendly nature, became even more eager to visit now that they knew Su Nianmei was one of their own.

Ji Yuan was usually busy but made it a point to visit his sister every few days. Old Mr Ji, under the pretence of inspecting the area, often came by to check on his precious daughter.

She had lived outside since childhood, and now that her mother had passed away early, he felt he owed her so much. He could only make up for his past mistakes by spending more time with her.

Uncle Ji directly took on the support duties during the military training, ensuring that Su Nianmei could see him waiting with juice at the entrance throughout the morning and noon.

Grandma Ji was even more direct; she brought a small stool and set up camp on the playground, determined to be there for her granddaughter’s training.

Watching her precious granddaughter practice, she noted how thin her little arms and legs looked.

Grandma Ji pondered what nutritious food she could buy the child once the training ended.

With so many visitors around, Su Nianmei felt a bit shy.

Gu Xichao became busy again in the following days, and the half-month of military training flew by. During this time, so much happened: the Su family was taken to court, and Su Nianmei was recognized and returned to the Ji family.

After the military training concluded, Gu Xichao and Su Nianmei’s relationship deepened further.

During this period, she seriously contemplated her relationship with Gu Xichao and found Qi Man’s words quite reasonable. Most of the time, Gu Xichao had taken the initiative; in comparison, she felt slightly reserved.

One weekend, Su Nianmei made a special trip to Ji’s house to send Gu Xiaobao there, allowing herself allowing her to engage in intimate moments with Gu Xichao.

When Gu Xichao returned, he was greeted by the scent of alcohol permeating the room. As soon as Su Nianmei saw him walk in, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around his neck, jumping into his embrace.

She was draped in Gu Xichao’s large coat, her long legs wrapping around his waist. Her fair skin was barely visible from beneath the black coat, and her hands instinctively brushed against Gu Xichao’s Adam’s apple.

“You’re back!” Su Nianmei’s voice was muffled.

Gu Xichao felt a sudden rise in temperature as he glanced at the table, where several bottles lay haphazardly.

“How much have you drunk?”

Su Nianmei squinted her eyes and pecked his lips. “As long as it means I can sleep with you, I’d drink however much it takes.”

She patted Gu Xichao on the shoulder, then jumped down from him, raising a bottle to her lips. Gu Xichao quickly grabbed the bottle to stop her. Su Nianmei swatted his hand away. “You’re not allowed to touch my drink! Alcohol is a matchmaker and gives people courage. If I drink, I want to…”

Su Nianmei suddenly forgot what she wanted to say as she spoke and smacked her forehead with her palm.

“What do you want?” Gu Xichao stood straight, seizing the bottle from Su Nianmei and holding it high above his head, his lips curling into a smile, yet he maintained a seemingly abstinent demeanour.

“To sleep with my man!” Su Nianmei huffed, slightly out of breath. She swallowed hard and reached up to grab the bottle from Gu Xichao.

Gu Xichao raised his hand higher. As Su Nianmei hopped forward, her head bumped against his shoulder epaulette. His voice rang in her ears. “Who is your man?”

Dizzy, she replied, “Gu Xichao.”

Gu Xichao took a sip of the alcohol and passed it into Su Nianmei’s mouth.

The taste of the liquor was unexpectedly not bitter. Her coat slowly slipped off her shoulders.

As the sun hung high in the sky the next day, Su Nianmei finally woke up, rubbing her sore waist. The two had kept at it until late the previous night. “I feel like I got the short end of the stick!”

Gu Xichao raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

Su Nianmei looked at him, her long-held thoughts spilling out all at once. “I was the one who… had my first time. You have so much experience; how did I lose out?”

Gu Xichao chuckled, interpreting Su Nianmei’s words as a compliment to him. He pulled up the blanket that she had been using, noticing now that it was covered in starry spots from their activities the night before.

Su Nianmei said, “Why are you messing with my blanket? You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I was a first-timer, too. Are you hoping for a second round this morning?”

Su Nianmei, taken aback, blurted out, “Then what about Xiaobao?”

Gu Xichao lay back on the bed, wrapping his arms around Su Nianmei’s shoulders. He believed she should know the truth about the situation. His voice softened as he explained, “Five years ago, we were on an urgent mission and happened to come across a farming household. During that chaos, the entire family of five perished, leaving only one child. Only Chuanzi and I made it back out of the ten of us.”

Su Nianmei held his hand tightly. “We’ll be alright, and Xiaobao will be fine too.”

While they might be powerless against the tragedies of this world, they could still offer each other love.

—o—o—o—

At the end of the month, the Ji family hosted a reunion banquet. Many people attended the event, including relatives from both inside and outside the Ji family and some business figures.

Since they were welcoming their precious princess back into the fold, it had to be a grand affair.

At the banquet, Su Nianmei became the center of attention. It had been a while since she had experienced such a scene.

After greeting a few guests, she felt fatigued and slipped away to catch her breath by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

With the windows wide open, the view revealed the Ji family’s garden, which was at its most beautiful in August and September. The delicate flowers were in bloom, and a few sparrows perched on the branches, chirping and welcoming the autumn.

As Su Nianmei turned to look outside, a pink paper aeroplane suddenly landed at her feet.

Curious, she unfolded the paper airplane and discovered a hand-drawn map inside. The route was marked with tiny, careful symbols, and the back featured a drawing of a plum blossom alongside two small handprints.

Following the directions on the map, Su Nianmei weaved her way into the depths of the flowerbed, only to find the surroundings eerily silent.

Zhong Yi stood deep in the thicket, raising his glass and giving it a gentle shake before swallowing a mouthful of strong liquor. The girl he liked would never like him back.

Zhong Yi ultimately softened. He had known since their time in the Northwest that Su Nianmei was the girl he had feelings for, but she was now married to someone else and had long forgotten him.

He had thought that if he stopped her from claiming her heritage, they might still have a chance.

However, he decided to let go. His little childhood sweetheart only smiled brightly when she saw Gu Xichao.

He shared the story with Su Huailin, making him a key player in shattering the veil that hung between them.

Zhong Yi raised his glass towards the girl, silently wishing in his heart, “I wish you happiness.” He casually kicked the firework cannon at his feet.

With a “pop,” the firework exploded in the sky, bursting into brilliant flowers.

Everyone in the hall turned their attention to the windows.

In the centre of the Ji family garden, Gu Xiaobao and Er Gouzi, dressed as flower boys, emerged from afar in their small suits, each holding a tiny flower basket, walking in perfect step.

Behind them, a chubby brown teddy bear followed, its arms flailing as it stumbled awkwardly in its costume.

A song filled the air: “If I hadn’t met you, where would I be?”

The rich, magnetic voice mixed with the childish tones, creating a beautiful harmony against the backdrop of the vibrant fireworks overhead.

As they approached step by step, Su Nianmei stood frozen in place, covering her mouth with her hand, tears welling in her eyes. “Gu… Xichao!”

At that moment, the world fell silent. Su Nianmei felt like a princess in a fairytale, waiting for her prince to come closer.

The teddy bear knelt on one knee, and the heavy headpiece was removed, revealing Gu Xichao’s handsome face, his hair damp with sweat. His eyes glistened as he looked at her.

Su Nianmei’s heart raced, almost bursting. Gu Xichao’s gaze felt like the scorching sun of summer, tantalizingly warm, yet his eyes held a mist where fierce sunlight met an icy mountain, transforming iron resolve into tenderness.

In his eyes, there was only her.

“Sweetheart, I still owe you a proposal.”

Gu Xichao’s expression was sincere, his eyes sparkling with hope. “Marry me.”

Standing in the center, Su Nianmei’s eyes turned red as a necklace was placed around her neck, the pendant crafted from a bullet shell.

It was Gu Xichao’s exclusive custom design.

—o—o—o—

Many years later…

The afternoon sun bathed Su Nianmei, wrapping her in warmth. The lounge chair behind her swayed slightly, and the blanket that had covered her slipped off without her noticing. Next to her, another empty lounge chair creaked gently.

Gu Xichao moved slowly, shuffling out from the house with a cup of hot tea, which he carefully handed to Su Nianmei. He leaned his cane against a tree and slowly sat down with his hand resting on his knee.

Holding the teacup, Gu Xichao carefully guided Su Nianmei in drinking it. “Sweetheart, tomorrow is your seventy-eighth birthday. What delicious food do you want? I’ll make it for you.”

Su Nianmei sipped the tea but quickly pulled her hand back as soon as it touched the cup. In the sunlight, the skin on her hand looked loose and lacked the previous softness. She sighed, “At this age, why even celebrate a birthday?”

She lay back, closing her eyes as the sound of cicadas filled the air. Stretching out her palm, Gu Xichao naturally took her hand in his. His right hand held hers while his left hand waved a fan, sending a gentle breeze her way.

Su Nianmei rambled on, “Xiaobao’s eldest finished the college entrance exam this year. I wonder how the kid did?”

“Our girl is off gallivanting again this year. I hope they can make it back tomorrow.”

“…”

Su Nianmei asked about trivial matters, and Gu Xichao patiently responded to each one.

As Su Nianmei’s thumb rubbed along Gu Xichao’s hand, he instinctively tried to pull his hand away. She looked into his eyes, which had become cloudy and aged, no longer shining as they had in their youth.

She touched Gu Xichao’s cheek and suddenly smiled. “So many years have passed, and we’ve both grown old.”

Half-lifting her gaze to Gu Xichao, she touched the pendant around her neck. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m close to leaving, but I’ve been dreaming about the past a lot lately. The more I think about it, the more you remind me of someone.”

Gu Xichao paused, his hand that was wiping Su Nianmei’s palm halting. The towel was damp, soaking up the moisture in his palm. “I have a common face. The grandson of Old Li next door even said I look like that. What’s his name, that star…”

Gu Xichao twisted the towel in his hands. “Don’t think too much. You’ll be fine. In a few days, the doctor our girl arranged for will be here. Once we finish the surgery, you can still accompany our little grandson to play badminton. That little rascal keeps insisting he wants Grandma to play with him, leaving me, Grandpa, in the dust.”

Su Nianmei didn’t respond to Gu Xichao’s words. She looked into his eyes and continued speaking, “Actually, I’ve seen you a long time ago, haven’t I?”

Gu Xichao’s heart tightened. He forced a smile, realizing he might still be discovered.

Su Nianmei grasped Gu Xichao’s fingers, her voice a bit scattered. “You don’t need to answer me. No matter who you are, you will always be my Gu Xichao.”

Slowly, she closed her eyes, a tear rolling down her wrinkled cheek. “I know my body can’t hold out much longer.”

Yet, as she spoke, she smiled. “I love you.”

As Su Nianmei’s eyes fluttered shut, the warmth of the hand Gu Xichao held began to fade.

He chuckled softly, bending down to pick up the blanket from the ground and draping it over Su Nianmei, tucking the corners in gently. “You’re so grown up, yet you still can’t take care of yourself. You fall asleep without even covering up properly. It’s windy during the day—what if you catch a chill?”

After speaking, he chuckled to himself, feeling a bit more upright than usual. He pressed a light kiss on the corner of his old partner’s lips, burying his head against her chest, his shoulders shaking gently.

In his life, he had walked with her through two lifetimes.

He lay down beside her and slowly closed his eyes. The spot where Su Nianmei’s fingers had just caressed revealed a patch of pale skin.

The skin was taut, not at all resembling that of an eighty-year-old.

Over the years, he had not aged.

Fearing that Su Nianmei would worry, he had never told her his secret.

He felt like a monster, but now this monster had a heartbeat.

The wind blew softly, and the two hands in the air remained tightly clasped together.

“You’ve been forgetting more and more. You have high blood pressure; you need to rest early. Don’t forget to take your medicine every day, and at night, make sure to cover yourself well…”

“Once you reach the Naihe Bridge, don’t rush to drink the Meng Po soup. Just hold that necklace tight; I’ll come find you soon.” ^[1]Naihe Bridge – “Bridge of Helplessness”, a bridge every soul has to cross before being reincarnated, they are said to drink the Mengpo soup (孟婆汤) at Naihe Bridge so they will … Continue reading

Gu Xichao had so much more to say. He glanced at his wife beside him, his lips moving as all his words condensed into a single phrase.

“I love you too,” he said.

—o—o—o—

The number “2” before Gu Xichao’s eyes changed to “1.”

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself surrounded by a desolate scene, ruins everywhere and cries echoing in the air. Rescue workers hurried back and forth.

A little girl lay in a rescue tent, wailing loudly. He gently tickled the girl’s hand, making her giggle, her neck looking even more delicate against the red mole behind her ear.

Gu Xichao removed his necklace and placed it around the girl’s neck, winking at her as he whispered.

“Don’t be afraid of the world’s malice.”

“A long time from now, you will meet a man who will love you with his entire world.”

An elderly woman picked up the little girl and noticed the new necklace around her neck. She examined it closely, recognizing it was made from a bullet, with “Nianmei” engraved on it.

The old woman murmured, “Nianmei, what a lovely name.”

It seemed the little girl understood, her eyes darting around in curiosity.

—end

—o—o—o—

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T/N: Finally, it’s done!!! Sadly, there are no extra chapters; if the author decides to make one in the future, I will translate it~ Thank you so much for reading this novel!! I hope to see you all on my next project~

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