Luò Wǎn stood guard at the door of Shàngguān Liúyún's room, while Lǐ Dàlù sat by the sofa. Since Shàngguān Liúyún received Xiǎomù's ashes, he had refused to leave his bedroom.
No matter how much she pleaded or how hard Lǐ Dàlù tried to provoke him, Shàngguān Liúyún still refused to come out. If this continued, Shàngguān Liúyún would inevitably collapse.
Luò Wǎn knew he was suffering. He had never experienced setbacks before, yet within the shortest span of time, he had lost his two most beloved family members, and one of them had fallen to death right in front of him. The blow he had endured was immense.
Luò Wǎn stood up and sat face-to-face with Lǐ Dàlù, both of them gazing at the door as if waiting for someone. The living room in Shàngguān Liúyún's home was luxuriously extravagant to an unbelievable degree. If Luò Wǎn had come to this family's house without knowing the truth, she might have been overwhelmed with envy while standing in this grand hall. But now, Luò Wǎn understood that there are many things in this world that cannot be judged solely by their surface appearance.
No one's heart is without wounds, no one's happiness is free from shadows, and few smiles are without a trace of bitterness. We can see others' joy, but we often cannot see the sadness that lies on the other side of happiness.
Footsteps approached from the front yard, and Luò Wǎn stood up to see Shěn Jī.
She came to this house every day now, her face filled with concern for Shàngguān Liúyún.
Luò Wǎn didn't want to see her; whenever she did, she was reminded of the man who spread his wings and fell into the meteor shower in the darkness.
After Shěn Jī entered, Luò Wǎn turned her head away.
However, Shěn Jī thought Luò Wǎn was looking down on her. Shěn Jī bit her lower lip, unable to fathom why her fate was so miserable. After finally attracting the attention of the second young master of the Shangguan family, it turned out he was a pervert. Yet, she couldn’t forget the moment when Shàngguān Liúyún had lifted her up—his steadiness and the scent of him had nearly intoxicated her.
She glared at Luò Wǎn's neck with intense hatred, wishing she could snap it. If it weren't for this woman, perhaps her promising future would have been within reach. If it weren't for this woman, she wouldn't have endured repeated humiliation. Why did this woman always appear wherever she was, preventing her from having a good life?
She approached the door of Shàngguān Liúyún's room, gently knocking and calling with a tender tone, "Liúyún, come out quickly! I´m so worried about you.”
A “bang” came from the door, followed by the sound of breaking glass. Shàngguān Liúyún must have thrown a vase at her. She quickly turned her head, staring at Luò Wǎn, who had her head down. Although she couldn't see Luò Wǎn's expression, she was certain that the woman was mocking her!
Shěn Jī's anger had shattered her rationality. Shen Ji's anger had shattered her rationality. She had once possessed everything, only to have it gradually stolen by this woman, leaving her with nothing. What infuriated her the most was the calm, dismissive expression on Luo Wan's face—a look that seemed to see through everything, as if nothing could faze her.
The sound of Shěn Jī's high heels clacking on the marble floor was loud. She walked quickly, while Luò Wǎn and Lǐ Dàlù exchanged wry smiles. Both of them were at a loss as to how to handle Shěn Jī, who behaved like a spoiled young lady.
Soon, a car pulled up in front of the garage. They heard several pairs of footsteps carefully treading the gravel path approaching. Luò Wǎn and Lǐ Dàlù hurried to the door to greet them.
A little girl came in first, looked them over, and then said, "You're really annoying, always bothering my grandpa. Don’t you know that he’s old and shouldn’t have to come such a long way?”
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again.” In front of the seven- or eight-year-old child, Luò Wǎn and Lǐ Dàlù had no temper at all. Instead, they sincerely apologized.
"Kid, you mustn't speak carelessly. After teaching you for so long, haven’t I taught you to cherish every event that happens each day as part of the cycle of fate?” Old Master Shànqīng walked in from outside, looking at Luò Wǎn and Lǐ Dàlù standing by the door.
He then said, "Where is Shàngguān Liúyún? I just heard the butler mention it in the car. Sigh, I had already anticipated this. I'm here to take Xiǎomù's ashes back with me, to place them alongside his grandmother's. At least they can keep each other company."
"Grandfather, how did you know? And how did Grandma die?”
"Sigh, I had already warned Shàngguān Qīng about the bloodshed in their family. If it continued like this, someone would face irreversible consequences. When Shàngguān Qīng was younger, she encountered my master and learned a thing or two about fortune-telling. She must have seen something that compelled her to make that promise of sacrifice, to help guide the souls of those girls killed by Xiǎomù," Old Master Shànqīng said, shaking his head.
Old Master Shànqīng shook his head. “Did Grandma die by suicide?” Luò Wǎn asked in surprise.
"Of course not. She merely used the method of shortening her own life to seek mercy from the heavens, to lessen Xiǎomù´s sins, and to take on some of the grievances of the Shàngguān family.”
Luò Wǎn was stunned. In a family, if there were such a self-sacrificing elder willing to protect the children, how could the family not prosper?
Old Master Shànqīng looked at her and said, "You don't need to worry. I will definitely persuade Shàngguān Liúyún not to let his grandmother's intentions go to waste."
"Alright," Luò Wǎn said, finally showing a relieved smile. She had summoned this old sage into the city specifically for Old Master Shànqīng to help Xiǎomù's soul find peace. She knew that only he could persuade Shàngguān Liúyún to step out of the shadows.
Old Master Shànqīng walked up to the closed door and spoke softly, "Cause and effect, the cycles of life and death. Liúyún, how long will you cling to this entangled love and hate? Let Xiǎomù go! Allow him to move on and find a good family to be reborn into. Your current feelings for him are a kind of obsession, and with that obsession, he won't be able to let go."
After a long pause, the door slowly opened. Shangguan Liúyún stepped out, tightly holding Xiǎomù's white jade urn against his chest. His face showed no tears, but his eyes were hollow, as if a part of him had been hollowed out. From that moment on, he was entirely alone, with no family to share in his joys or sorrows. Even in happiness, there would be no one to celebrate with him.
He slowly placed the urn into Old Master Shànqīng's hands, but his fingers gripped it tightly. As he looked into the Old Master Shànqīng's serene, all-seeing gaze, he gradually loosened his hold on the urn, letting it rest in the other's care.
In the end, he let it go. He felt as if a part of his being had been emptied out, leaving an ache that echoed in his heart.
Old Master Shànqīng did not look at him for long; he simply turned and walked away. Passing by Luò Wǎn, he stood for a moment, then turned back and said, "Extend your right hand.”
Luò Wǎn stared in shock as she stretched out her hand blankly as Old Master Shànqīng took out a very old crimson string from his pocket., intending to tie it around her wrist. The little girl was startled and quickly intervened, saying, "Grandpa, that's a life-sustaining string! It's meant to be used only at the last moment. How can you give it to someone else?. You can't give it to someone else. You've searched for so many years just to find this one!"
"Life-sustaining string!” Luò Wǎn exclaimed in shock, pulling her hand back.
"Grandfather, I can’t accept such a great gift.”
