"Is there anything else?"
After waiting a mont, since there was no further response from Jiang Hao, Yan Junze asked again.
"No, that’s all," Jiang Hao said.
"Think again, are you sure you haven’t rembered it wrong?" Yan Junze asked for confirmation.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, and then Jiang Hao spoke up, "No, when we were together, she liked to speak sweet nothings, yes, I wouldn’t rember it wrong."
Yan Junze paused for a mont, revealing a smile, "Forgive my boldness, but why did you two break up? Or more precisely, why didn’t you go to the appointnt that ti?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Hao didn’t speak for a long ti, and then his voice began to choke, "I let her down, I had no idea that not going that night would lead to such serious consequences, I’m full of regret."
Yan Junze remained silent, waiting for Jiang Hao to vent his emotions.
"She was very clingy, not only wanting to be with every day, to exchange sweet nothings, but also calling at least twenty or thirty tis a day even when we weren’t together. I couldn’t take it, I felt as if I were being tied down by sothing, unable to breathe, unable to think clearly, and even... even later on... I started to be afraid of the love I had for her."
Yan Junze shook his head, indeed, loving soone to this extent could be daunting to anyone.
"So I started looking for excuses, avoiding her. She was sensitive and after being dodged by several tis, she broke down. I had her best friend keep her company, talk with her, and try to guide her. About a month passed, and she hadn’t co looking for . That day, the day she died, I received a call from her.
She said she was at the fountain in our community, she wanted to et one last ti, then she would leave completely."
"So... you didn’t go," said Yan Junze.
"I didn’t dare to go," Jiang Hao said with a bitter laugh, "To avoid seeing her again, I even quit my job. But this... might have been the biggest mistake of my life. I should have gone, even if she clung to again, otherwise, she wouldn’t have fallen into the electrified fountain. I... I’m sorry to her!
I’m sorry to Fang Ning!"
At that mont, both ends of the phone fell into silence once more; no one spoke, and no one hung up.
After a long while, Jiang Hao spoke again, "You are an exorcist, even if she now hates to the bone, please, you must help her."
"You don’t need to tell that," Yan Junze said, "Let confirm once more. The words you liked to say were, she would say: ’I wish the world could be very small, so small that I could see you the mont I turn around.’ Then you would say: ’I wish the world could be very big, so big that I could hold your hand and we could never reach the end.’"
"Yeah, that’s right."
"And then Fang Ning would ask you to say: ’I don’t want any talk about seas drying up and rocks crumbling, about the next life, about forever. I just want you by my side every second,’" Yan Junze added.
"Yes, that’s how it was," Jiang Hao’s voice was very low, as if he were in a terrible emotional state at the mont.
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"Alright, Mr. Jiang Hao, thank you for your cooperation," Yan Junze hung up the phone.
Jiang Hao, however, continued to hold the phone emitting a busy tone, not pressing the disconnect button until it cut off by itself. He sat motionless in the chair, his mind filled with past mories.
Past scenes and the sweet nothings they had exchanged kept resurfacing in his mind. He wasn’t sure how much ti had passed when he suddenly ca to a stop, gradually coming out of his recollections.
Talking to himself, he said, "I don’t want any talk about seas drying up and rocks crumbling, about the next life, about forever. I just want... every second for you to still be by my side."
"Hmm, that doesn’t seem right," Jiang Hao showed confusion, repeating it again to himself, "I just need... each next second... for you to still be by my side, I just need... every second... for you to still be by my side? Hiss, which one is it actually?"
It had been two years since he tried hard to forget those mories, and this mont brought a sense of uncertainty to Jiang Hao.
...
"What did you say our son did?" Li Man placed freshly washed fruit on the coffee table in front of Yan Daguo, looking puzzled, "Is he... in love?"
Yan Daguo picked up an apple and took a bite, "Why do you say that?"
Li Man sat down and glanced toward the bedroom, "Didn’t you hear? He’s been saying all day that he wishes the world was small so that he could see you with just a turn of his head, and then wishes it was big enough to travel to the ends of the earth hand in hand with soone."
"Is it travel to the ends of the earth?" Yan Daguo was surprised, "I thought it was ’walk to the edge of the world.’"
"And you said you didn’t hear it?" Li Man was both annoyed and amused.
"No, I thought he was on the phone," Yan Daguo explained.
"That’s exactly why it’s suspicious. Do you know who the girl on the other side of the phone is?" Li Man asked.
"You go ask him. The child has grown up and is about to go to college. I have no right to interfere," Yan Daguo looked quite enlightened.
Li Man didn’t get up, clearly not planning to ask Yan Junze, but simply sat there, talking to herself, "He even ntioned ’till the seas run dry and the rocks crumble, wanting to be by my side every second.’ It gave goosebumps."
"Mom, where’s the apple you washed for ?" Yan Junze suddenly ca out from the bedroom.
"Here." Li Man pointed to the coffee table in front of her.
Yan Junze walked over, took an apple and took a bite, still mumbling, "All that ’till the seas run dry and the rocks crumble,’ ’next lifeti,’ ’forever,’ I don’t want any of that... Mm, it’s a sunny day, huh? Mom, what’s the lunar date today?"
"May fifteenth," Li Man replied without thinking, but she watched Yan Junze with a scrutinizing look.
As if he sensed the "judgntal gaze," Yan Junze shuddered suddenly and turned to look back.
All he saw was his parents sitting together peacefully, eating apples and calling out, "Sweet," with nothing amiss. Their recovery speed had already broken through the skies.
The moon was quite full tonight, and the weather was nice, so carrying out the "Reflection Under the Moonlight" task was possible.
Yan Junze went through the "sweet nothings" Jiang Hao had told him over and over again, ensuring he wouldn’t ss up during the mission, and at this mont, he was certain that even under pressure, he wouldn’t make a mistake.
He went back to his bedroom and closed the door.
As usual, he prepared two flashlights, a lighter, a dry towel, a portable cara and cara head, and everything else he packed into a black backpack—whether it was needed or not, he stuffed it in first.
Then Yan Junze made a call to Tang Zhengyi, informing him that he would be recording a Spirit Exploration video and uploading it soon.
The response from Tang Zhengyi was simple; as the honorary "Open Your Eyes" platform’s Master of Spirit Exploration, the best promotional spot was waiting. The mont the video was uploaded, it would be thrust into the spotlight.
After dinner, Yan Junze said he was going to stop by Zhou Dali’s place. After all, he had used that boy as a shield countless tis; one more wouldn’t make a difference.
Around eight thirty, he left the house with his black backpack. His parents were watching TV and reminded him that he had to be ho by ten o’clock at the latest.
In Yan Junze’s view, Yan Daguo and Li Man seed to be growing more and more confident in him. After thinking it over, ever since he had taken possession of the body, it seed like he’d resolved all the strange occurrences in the house and the neighborhood.
Although his parents hadn’t truly realized it, subconsciously, they felt very secure with him around. In fact, when Yan Junze was ho, they’d beco unconsciously more at ease.
Even the person in question hadn’t noticed this.
But regardless, ensuring that his family in this life could live safely and without worries was currently Yan Junze’s greatest wish.
Of course, lighting up the Atlas to maximize his strengths was the guarantee of all this and equally important.
He soon arrived in the neighboring community. Yan Junze took a deep breath as he looked into the depths of Flowery Paradise Garden and stepped inside.
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