Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 152
by Little PandaJust Like the First Meeting (End)
“When she returns home with her beloved, she brings joy to her family.” (End of Main Story)
(A line from the ancient Chinese poem “Tao Yao” from the Book of Songs/Shijing, which is traditionally used to describe a happy marriage and the harmony between a bride and her new family.)
Ye Zhen belatedly realized what Xu Jiao wanted to investigate—
Her gaze followed Xu Hankai’s scattering consciousness outward, seeing those semi-transparent and transparent fragments falling through the air like snowflakes, and suddenly she spoke in her mind:
“System, will you absorb Xu Hankai’s consciousness and place it in other worlds to save him?”
The System answered honestly: “No.”
“This human’s moral values are extremely low, his evil-doing index is very high, and the cost of reforming him would be too great. Rather than trying to make him good again, destroying him directly would be more beneficial for protecting the world.”
Ye Zhen: “……” pft.
Somehow, she felt like laughing when she heard that.
But that hint of amusement only flashed briefly in her eyes, and then she continued: “Then, when Ye Zhen did good deeds before, after she died, was it possible for you to capture her consciousness and place it in other worlds, right?”
The System denied: “I didn’t capture this person’s consciousness.”
Ye Zhen: “Hmm?”
The System said very seriously: “After death, unless someone has very strong attachments, consciousness disperses very quickly, leaving only some energy wandering in the world. Souls and consciousness with strong attachments are conceptually closer to ‘li gui’ (vengeful spirits that harbor intense resentment or unfinished business), and li gui are different from living people – you’ve experienced this, so you should understand—”
“When Ye Zhen died, she didn’t have deep attachments, so her consciousness dispersed quickly, just like Xu Hankai now, with only some energy and thoughts lingering around the place of death.”
“Xu Jiao later rented the house where you lived when you were alive, her wish for your resurrection was very strong, she even created world after world for you.”
The System stopped here.
But Ye Zhen already understood…
Because Xu Jiao’s desire to bring her back to life was so intense, it unknowingly attracted her fragmented consciousness that remained nearby. She attached herself to those stories, and the protagonists of those stories developed their own souls because of her consciousness. At this point, “Xu Jiao’s wish for her rebirth” and “the story protagonists’ desire to meet Xu Jiao” intertwined, letting the System hear it, so it made their two worlds interweave again.
“Then can I still be considered Ye Zhen?”
She muttered softly.
When Xu Jiao heard her words, her pupils suddenly contracted—
Although she couldn’t hear the conversation between the System and the person in front of her, with her logical thinking ability, she could roughly figure out what was happening. Now hearing the girl speak like this, the speculation in her heart gradually took shape.
She never expected that after all the twists and turns, the person beside her would turn out to be the one she had been thinking of from the beginning.
It was as if heaven had played a harmless joke on her – when she thought she had forever lost that sun in her life, it gave her a lighthouse, telling her that light had never left her world.
Xu Jiao took a deep breath.
At the same time.
The System answered Ye Zhen: “Whether you are or aren’t, what’s the difference? There are many forms of life’s continuation, names are just codes. What’s important is that when Ye Zhen was alive, she died for Xu Jiao, and you, who retained part of her memories, were born because of Xu Jiao, and even saved her when she was wandering aimlessly in this world like a walking corpse.”
Ye Zhen was speechless for a moment, and after several seconds, she asked again: “Why did you happen to appear in our world? Was it a coincidence?”
Hearing this question, the System wasn’t as quick-witted as before, instead, it seemed like it had been asked something truly important, and after a moment of silence, it spoke again:
“It wasn’t a coincidence.”
“You’ll know later that there was a reason for my appearance—”
“But for now, you can consider it a kind of luck. The person who created me hoped that lovers in this world would end up together (a reference to the Chinese idiom “有情人终成眷属” meaning destined lovers will eventually unite), hoped that those who do good deeds would receive good karma, that’s why I’m called the Soc-ial-ist Harmony System, and after your story, I will leave to find the next fated pair.”
For Xu Jiao and Ye Zhen, their lives had already seen too much misfortune. If gods truly existed in their world, perhaps letting the System appear in their world and allowing them to meet again was a kind of merciful luck.
Hearing the System’s words, Ye Zhen chewed over them several times in her mind.
In her memories, although she excelled in studies and work as a human, she didn’t actually have any grand pursuits in life. Coming from a well-off family, she lived comfortably since childhood. Later, although she had disputes with some people over family property, she decisively gave up her portion and moved into the old house where her grandparents had lived, managing to live well through her own abilities.
Her life had already been more successful than most people’s.
And even those dark times weren’t really anything that could break her bones.
Until she saw everything in her neighbor’s house.
For the first time, she felt such an urgent desire to do something, wanting to help Xu Jiao escape from her stepfather’s control, wanting this flower of the motherland (a common Chinese phrase referring to children as the future of the nation) to have a warm environment to grow up in, wanting the child to experience the goodness and kindness in this world…
Even if she paid for it with her life.
But looking back now, her wish had still come true.
Ye Zhen suddenly thought that perhaps she could accomplish more things than she had imagined.
So she jokingly said to the System: “When there’s a chance in the future, tell me about your creator, I’m very curious about how you were made—”
If given the opportunity, Ye Zhen also hoped to create this kind of artificial intelligence that could benefit society.
“Sister…”
Xu Jiao’s voice pulled Ye Zhen’s attention back from the System.
Seeing the emotion in Xu Jiao’s eyes, Ye Zhen smiled, suddenly feeling an unprecedented sense of stability, an emotion she had never felt since being with Xu Jiao until now. Perhaps it was because she knew Xu Jiao and herself weren’t from the same world, so she had always been desperately wanting to bind the other person to her side, even during moments of soul connection, having an impulse to knead the person into her own flesh and blood.
Because she feared separation, lacked security in their relationship, and found the future as thick as fog, she always had an anxiety she hadn’t noticed herself, showing in her daily words and actions, and expressing itself completely in their intimate moments.
Like having an impulse to make Xu Jiao die in her bed.
But now.
Seeing Xu Jiao still so young, she suddenly felt it wouldn’t matter even if she had to wait twenty or thirty years, because she knew how deep the bond between herself and Xu Jiao was, to the point that she suddenly had confidence that no matter if Xu Jiao went to the ends of the earth, she was certain they would meet again.
Ye Zhen kissed Xu Jiao’s forehead, her voice unusually gentle: “Earlier when I asked you to call me, you wouldn’t, but now you’re acting cute with me in public, you know I can’t resist you when you’re like this, don’t you?”
Xu Jiao couldn’t speak.
She just shook her head.
Then she reached out, hugging Ye Zhen’s neck and burying her head in the other’s neck, asking softly: “…Can we never be apart again from now on?”
Ye Zhen rarely saw her being this dependent on herself. Before, no matter what the script background or situation was, Xu Jiao had always managed to appear completely at ease. Even when she finally fell in love with her, the initiative in their relationship was mostly in Xu Jiao’s hands—
Until this moment.
Until now.
Ye Zhen could clearly realize that she shared the same fears as herself, experienced the same emotions as herself, and even like herself, had developed a deep dependence on the other person.
She was no longer just an optional, accidentally appearing lover in Xu Jiao’s life, but the only, irreplaceable, equal soulmate.
Vaguely, Ye Zhen realized that this seemed to be the moment when she, as a character from an author’s writing, truly stood as an equal to the author, and at this moment—
A white light emerged from her body.
Xu Jiao also noticed this, and she frantically widened her eyes, holding onto Ye Zhen’s neck with extraordinary strength, showing an explosive force beyond her age. She thought she was going to lose her again, and opened her lips wanting to say something, but only her widened eyes revealed her fear.
Ye Zhen realized something as the white light appearing inside her body enveloped her completely. That light also fell upon Xu Jiao, and she smiled, looking past Xu Jiao’s shoulder to see Xu Jiao’s mother coming out of the ICU. The other person looked over uncertainly, and when her gaze fell upon them, the entire world froze.
Only the light enveloping the two of them gradually expanded.
She soothingly stroked Xu Jiao’s nape, saying softly: “Don’t be afraid.”
Ye Zhen said: “Look, we’re together.”
Not just now.
But in the future too.
The System’s voice appeared at this moment: “Congratulations to host Xu Jiao and wisher Ye Zhen for completing the mission, achieving the happy ending in the ‘What is constantly in one’s thoughts will surely come to echo back’ world (a Buddhist-derived saying meaning sincere wishes will eventually be answered). Now extracting both of you from the parallel space and transmitting you back to Xu Jiao’s original world—”
“May your good match last forever, perfectly suited for each other.”
The white light enveloped them, passing through the false space the System had previously set up for Xu Jiao. That room full of otaku atmosphere gradually materialized, the books on the shelves no longer emitted golden light, the computer screen gradually became three-dimensional, along with the keyboard with its worn keycaps, and the gaming chair showing some signs of use…
Their toes touched the ground.
The world seemed to be in slumber, the night sky shrouded the city, with only the lights from the building across shining through the window, falling on their faces, casting a layer of haziness.
Their embracing posture changed as Xu Jiao’s form continuously stretched and grew, becoming her twenty-something self from before the System extracted her consciousness, standing opposite to Ye Zhen in her most radiant years, so their embrace became one of equals.
Xu Jiao moved her lips, unconsciously saying: “What is constantly in one’s thoughts will surely come to echo back—is this my story?”
Ye Zhen pressed her forehead against hers, smiling: “Yes.”
Even though there wasn’t much light indoors, they could clearly see the emotions in each other’s eyes, feeling each other’s deep love.
The System separated its existence from their bodies, its voice falling from above: “Blessing you both once again. All good things must come to an end, my mission is now complete, see you again in the future.”
Xu Jiao called out to it: “Hey!”
The System stayed for a moment: “?”
Xu Jiao looked at the data scrolling screen in mid-air that appeared like a holographic projection, staring at the System’s true form for a while, but didn’t know what to say. After all, the farewell came too suddenly. She wanted to be polite with the System, but found she really couldn’t think of anything to say.
Finally, she just moved her lips, saying softly: “Would you… finish reciting the witness oath?”
The System’s blessing just now was taken from a Republican era (referring to the period between 1912-1949 in Chinese history) marriage vow, but it was only two lines.
The System was stunned for a moment, then said incredulously: “You’ve just gotten together and you’re already showing off?”
Ye Zhen blinked: “We can’t really say we just got together, after all, adding up all the worlds, we’ve been like old wives for hundreds of years. Thinking about it this way, shouldn’t we be asking you for a witness gift?”
System: “…”
Should it reload their save files right now?!
“See this day with peach blossoms blazing bright, suitable for home and family; foretelling years of abundance like spreading vines, flourishing and thriving. With the promise of growing old together, written on this grand letter, and the autumn leaf pledge recorded in the book of love. This certificate…”
The sound of fireworks suddenly burst in the night sky.
Multicolored fireworks rose into the night sky, accompanying the System’s departing voice, with pink flames continuously shooting upward, finally forming into a large peach blossom.
Xu Jiao held Ye Zhen, softly reciting: “The peach tree is young and elegant, its leaves are lush and full. The maiden is getting married, well-suited to her family.” (a verse from Shijing, the Classic of Poetry, traditionally used in wedding contexts)
Ye Zhen also raised her hands to embrace her waist, her lips falling by her ear with warm breath, she whispered: “Indeed very suitable, want to experience it firsthand?”
Xu Jiao: “…?”
She was stunned for two seconds.
Then, a smile appeared in her eyes, and she actively fell back into the chair behind her, pulling the other person down with her.
With such a fine moment and beautiful scenery, accompanied by her beloved, the countless feelings of the night could be slowly expressed.
Xu Jiao’s eye corners were flushed red, stained with glistening sweat, hugging Ye Zhen’s neck, thinking—
How fortunate she was, that she could now use a lifetime to paint the story of her and Ye Zhen.
She firmly believed that this would definitely be more beautiful than all the stories she had ever written.
【Main Story End】
LP: Main text has ended but there’s still 11 chapters more to go!
I thank you very dearly for translating this novel, I had a lot of fun reading this!