Chapter 74: Do You Like This Story? ^[1]Author don’t ask me and just make this a happy fcking ending, i beg of you.

Chen Qianqing saw a beam of light.

A warm, piercing beam of light. His footsteps, which had been steadily moving through the tunnel, halted as he lifted his head and looked toward its source.

At the end of the light stood a shadowy figure, backlit against the brilliance.

The shape of the shadow felt familiar. In the next moment, Chen Qianqing realized who it belonged to. He softly called out, “Qianqing.”

The shadow trembled slightly, as if its owner had reacted to the call. Gradually, the dazzling light behind the shadow dimmed, and the dark silhouette revealed its face.

It was a handsome face, wearing a faint smile. He spoke: “Lu Zhengfei, long time no see.”

This was the real Chen Qianqing.

Chen Qianqing—or rather, Lu Zhengfei—felt a wave of faint sadness and guilt rise in his chest as he saw him. Surprisingly, there were no complex emotions—only this.

Time has a way of washing everything away; even the most intense feelings cool when enough of it has passed. That’s why, after Chen Qianqing’s death, Lu Zhengfei chose to follow. He could not forgive himself for forgetting Chen Qianqing.

Chen Qianqing looked at the identical face before him, showing no surprise. He asked, “How have you been?”

Lu Zhengfei, recalling his counterpart in the other world, answered, “I’m sorry.”

Chen Qianqing laughed. This laughter was free of the resentment and anger he’d carried before his death. He had reverted to the proud, pure Chen Qianqing—untouched by darkness. “Why are you apologizing?” he asked.

“I failed to protect your body,” Lu Zhengfei replied.

Chen Qianqing chuckled softly, his smile as radiant as the sun, as if no shadows had ever touched his life. “Just for that?”

“I also failed to stop your parents’ deaths,” Lu Zhengfei admitted.

Chen Qianqing sighed and shook his head gently. “Lu Zhengfei, do you know how much I hated you?”

Lu Zhengfei lowered his gaze. Of course, he knew.

“You ruined my entire life,” Chen Qianqing said. “It was only natural for me to hate you.”

The person Lu Zhengfei owed the most was Chen Qianqing. No matter how much Chen Qianqing retaliated, it was a punishment he deserved.

“I never believed you loved me,” Chen Qianqing continued. “I even believed the things Lu Yiqin told me about you wanting me to go blind.” In his previous life, when Lu Yiqin hinted that Lu Zhengfei had orchestrated his blindness, Chen Qianqing chose to believe her.

The trust between them had been shattered beyond repair, leaving only hatred behind.

“How was your life in that world?” Chen Qianqing asked, referring to the one Lu Zhengfei entered after his rebirth.

Lu Zhengfei hesitated, unsure how to answer.

Seeing his silence, Chen Qianqing smiled. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say it; I already know.” He paused before continuing, “You being reborn there was my wish.”

Lu Zhengfei’s eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.

Chen Qianqing tilted his head slightly, a playful expression lighting up his face. “How was it, experiencing your love for me firsthand? Was it eye-opening?”

Lu Zhengfei asked, “Am I dead? And where is this place?”

Chen Qianqing chuckled. “You’re as slow as ever. How many things did I say before you thought to ask that?”

Lu Zhengfei let out a helpless laugh. He realized that Chen Qianqing had returned to being the person he had fallen for in the beginning—bright, candid, and proud in the way only youth can be.

“When I died full of hatred,” Chen Qianqing said, “someone granted me three wishes.”

Such a fantastical claim would have sounded ridiculous to Lu Zhengfei before, but after experiencing rebirth, his worldview had been reshaped. Chen Qianqing’s story didn’t seem impossible now.

“Do you know what my first wish was?” Chen Qianqing asked.

Lu Zhengfei had an inkling but chose to remain silent.

As expected, Chen Qianqing said to Lu Zhengfei, “My first wish was for you to experience the pain I endured.”

Lu Zhengfei chuckled bitterly and replied, “Don’t you think such revenge is too mild?” After all, his eyes hadn’t been blinded, nor had his counterpart in the other world reached an irreparable point.

Chen Qianqing shook his head. “That’s because you didn’t see your expression after that Lu Zhengfei had his way with you. Tell me, Lu Zhengfei, would physical pain alone break your spirit?”

Thinking about it, Lu Zhengfei realized Chen Qianqing had a point. He sighed. “What about the second wish?”

Chen Qianqing smiled faintly. “The second wish was for me to meet someone who could bring me lifelong happiness.”

Hearing this, Lu Zhengfei should have felt jealous, but he found himself too drained even for that. He asked, “And are you happy now?”

Chen Qianqing smiled gently. “What do you think?”

The answer was evident. No one who wasn’t truly happy could wear such a warm expression, one that even abandoned hatred.

Lu Zhengfei asked, “And the third wish?”

Chen Qianqing shook his head, avoiding the topic. Instead, he said, “Aren’t you curious about how the Lu Zhengfei in that world is doing now?”

Before Lu Zhengfei could respond, Chen Qianqing waved his hand. A screen of light appeared in front of him.

On the screen, the other world’s Lu Zhengfei sat in a barren room, silently smoking a cigarette. His face was unshaven, his eyes vacant and filled with madness. It was clear he was in a terrible state.

Lu Zhengfei recognized the location—it was a crematorium.

Chen Qianqing remarked, “Do you think he’ll follow you out of that world?”

Lu Zhengfei replied, “Perhaps.”

Chen Qianqing said softly, “And so… in this world, the only person who can truly stay with you is yourself.”

Lu Zhengfei didn’t take offense to this. Instead, he said, “If you can’t even love yourself, who else will love you?”

Chen Qianqing rested his chin on his hand, contemplating. Then he nodded. “Hmm… that’s true.”

Lu Zhengfei asked, “I’m dead now, right? What happens next?”

Chen Qianqing turned to look at him. Without hatred clouding his gaze, his eyes were startlingly clear, though they seemed to hide subtle emotions.

The two locked eyes in silence. After a long moment, Chen Qianqing said softly, “Lu Zhengfei, can I give you my last wish?”

Before Lu Zhengfei could respond, his body began to dissolve into golden specks of light, vanishing into the long, dark tunnel.

Chen Qianqing stood against the light, watching as Lu Zhengfei disappeared. The smile on his face faded into silence. After a moment, a slender hand rested on his shoulder. The light grew stronger, obscuring the face of the figure behind him, but the voice was clear. “Darling, if you’re this generous, I’m going to get jealous.”

Chen Qianqing sighed. “Without you, I wouldn’t have been so generous.” Hatred had the power to destroy a person, leaving them blind and deaf to everything else.

The figure rested their chin on Chen Qianqing’s shoulder, murmuring, “I’m still not happy.”

Chen Qianqing chuckled lightly and turned to leave. “Who cares if you’re not hap—mmph.”

The kiss was gentle. Against the light, the two shadows intertwined, as if destined never to part for eternity.

Lu Zhengfei—no, Chen Qianqing—woke up. It felt as though he had just had a long dream, one where the real Chen Qianqing had appeared and told him that the final wish had been given to him.

But when Chen Qianqing looked at the pen cap in his hand, he realized it hadn’t been a dream at all.

He stood and walked to the balcony, where he saw Lu Zhengfei on the phone, as expected.

Chen Qianqing watched him, tracing Lu Zhengfei’s outline on the glass with his finger. He stood there for a long time until Lu Zhengfei finished his call and turned to see him.

“Didn’t you go to the park?” Lu Zhengfei asked.

Chen Qianqing shook his head.

Lu Zhengfei seemed relieved. “I’m glad you didn’t go. I’ve had a strange, unsettling feeling all this time.” While on the phone, he’d suddenly felt an indescribable unease, as if his heart were about to leap out of his chest. He’d wanted to end the call quickly and find Chen Qianqing, but his body had inexplicably refused to move.

Chen Qianqing replied, “Hmm… You should figure out a time to send Lu Yiqin to a mental hospital.”

Lu Zhengfei understood what Chen Qianqing meant by a “mental hospital.” It was nothing more than a more humane version of a prison. Without his consent, Lu Yiqin would spend the rest of her life there.

Lu Zhengfei nodded. After everything that had happened, he was utterly disappointed in his sister.

Looking at Chen Qianqing, Lu Zhengfei suddenly said, “It feels like I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

Chen Qianqing looked back at him, his mind drifting to the image of the original Chen Qianqing. He hadn’t expected that Chen Qianqing would give his final wish to him.

Time had reversed. Chen Qianqing had never stepped out of his home, and naturally, the great tree that was Lu Zhengfei remained lush and thriving.

Lu Zhengfei took Chen Qianqing’s hand in his own, absentmindedly rubbing the ring on Chen Qianqing’s fourth finger out of habit. He said, “I feel like there’s something really important I forgot to tell you…”

Chen Qianqing asked what it was.

Lu Zhengfei frowned, troubled. “I can’t remember.”

Chen Qianqing only smiled. He gently withdrew his hand from Lu Zhengfei’s, turned around, and said, “I’ll ask Aunt Zhao to make some cake.”

As he watched Chen Qianqing’s retreating figure, Lu Zhengfei’s brain hadn’t caught up, but his mouth moved on its own. He called out loudly, “Chen Qianqing, the one I love is the you of now.”

Chen Qianqing paused mid-step. Without turning around, he raised a hand in a casual wave to signal that he’d heard.

Lu Zhengfei lifted his right hand and pressed a heavy kiss to the diamond ring that reflected soft light. In his heart, he thought… he was truly, profoundly happy.

And how about you, Chen Qianqing?

End.

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Lhaozi’s Note: Wow. I am amazed, omg, the author has a unique way of imagination. I never imagined to read a story where he fell in love with his other self, that was wow awesome, truly fictional imagination that was out of this world. This was unique in its own way. A great read really! Thankyou always for Sandra of discord to recommend this one, never regret translating this one. Wait for the side story too! And always read all my translation in Shanghai Fantasy Website Only!