Chapter 296: Damn It, I’ll Never Believe a Woman’s Nonsense Again
Chen An slowly stopped the movement in his hand, placing the half-carved wooden figure on the table. He decided not to carve it for now. Doing the same thing all day would surely become tiresome.
At this moment, Xiaoyu, who was beside him, seemed to suddenly notice something and exclaimed in surprise, “Mister, you have white hair!” She pointed to a small clump of hair near Chen An’s ear, where a strand of white hair stood out starkly against the black.
Chen An was taken aback. “Xiaoyu, how long have you been here?”
“How long? It feels like a very, very long time.” Xiaoyu tilted her head, thinking, and started counting on her fingers. “One, two… five, five years, Mister.” She couldn’t help but look up at the sky outside the door, filled with emotion. “Mister, time passes so quickly.”
“Quickly? Perhaps…” Chen An followed her gaze out the door, feeling a sense of disorientation. Five years. And adding the six years before Xiaoyu arrived, it had been a full eleven years. In these eleven years, he had never stepped foot outside this small Guanping City. Unknowingly, he had already turned forty-one. They say men establish themselves at thirty and are free from doubt at forty, which is considered a man’s prime. Most great figures in history began their careers during this period. But in Chen An’s current state, there was not a trace of the vigor of a man in his prime. All that remained was a deathly pallor, like a candle in the wind, an old man nearing his twilight.
“Let’s go out for a walk,” Chen An suddenly said. But Xiaoyu seemed unenthusiastic, resting her head on her hand and mumbling, “Mister, we’ve walked through every alley in Guanping City countless times.” Chen An smiled, “Then this time, we’ll go outside.” At this, Xiaoyu blinked, her eyes then lighting up with excitement, “Really?”
“Really.” Upon receiving a definite answer, Xiaoyu hesitated again. Although she had long wanted to explore outside the city and see the mountains and rivers, she said, “What, you don’t want to?” Xiaoyu quickly waved her hands, “No, it’s just, I feel… I feel…” She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully, and finally said, “I feel like Mister is a bit strange today.”
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In the twelfth year, Chen An began to become increasingly sleepy. He could lie on that bamboo chair and sleep for an entire day. If it weren’t for Xiaoyu calling him for meals at precise times, Chen An estimated he would have slept until the next day. Of course, it was possible he might have slept forever. His craft, which he had diligently practiced for over a decade, was also completely abandoned. That small storage room, once locked, had never been opened again. Thick dust coated the lock. Xiaoyu initially asked Chen An why he stopped carving, but as time passed, she gradually forgot about it. If she hadn’t occasionally seen that locked room while cleaning the courtyard, she would have almost forgotten it had ever happened. Human memory is easily overwritten by other things.
In June of the same year, news arrived from Li Ye. It wasn’t Li Ye himself, but his son, Li Yizhou, who came to visit Chen An on his father’s behalf, accompanied by several guards. After a brief stay of three days in Guanping, Li Yizhou left in a hurry, taking with him some books Chen An had written on a whim in previous years. The books contained theories Chen An had known from Blue Star. Although Li Yizhou found them somewhat baffling, he treasured them like heavenly treasures and bowed three times towards the courtyard from afar.
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The thirteenth year after Luo Cong’an left. It was the unbearably hot September. On this ordinary early morning, Chen An woke up. When he opened his eyes, he wasn’t greeted by familiar beams and a ceiling, but complete darkness, with not a trace of light visible. And, as expected, complete paralysis. Chen An had lost his sight. Unlike those who were born blind or became blind later, he was truly unable to see. For others with vision loss, they could still perceive some light, perhaps even indistinct shapes. But not Chen An. He knew this was the final warning from this world. Chen An did not panic, calmly calling out for Xiaoyu as usual. He felt a sense of relief, as he had not yet lost his ability to pinpoint location by sound. He heard footsteps outside the door and the creaking sound of the door being opened. Xiaoyu’s voice soon rang out.
“What is it, Mister?” she asked gently. Chen An replied truthfully, with no intention or need to conceal anything. Xiaoyu listened, remaining stunned on the spot for a long time. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out.
“Xiaoyu, thank you for taking care of me all these years.” Chen An’s expression was calm as he spoke. He rarely spoke so much, but most of it served as an indirect suggestion for Xiaoyu to leave on her own. Whether Xiaoyu couldn’t understand or chose not to, she still decided to stay. She had a premonition, but hadn’t expected things to happen so quickly. Xiaoyu understood nothing and knew nothing, but this did not hinder her kindness and gratitude. In those dazed days, Chen An miraculously lived for another three months. He held on until winter at the end of the year. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to wait any longer, nor that he couldn’t find another excuse. It was simply because his life had reached its end.
On this night, a heavy snow fell on Guanping City. Chen An lay in bed, quietly feeling the last moments of his life. There was no regret, no complaint. All there was, was a pile of scattered, useless thoughts. He thought with a sigh. Damn it, I’ll never believe a woman’s nonsense again.
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Meanwhile, in a secret realm of the Heavenly Evolution Sect, a girl with white hair and red eyes stopped her meditation and slowly opened her eyes. She felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. Luo Cong’an instinctively covered her chest, feeling as if an invisible hand had just tightly squeezed her heart. It ached faintly. What was happening? Had something gone wrong with her cultivation? She wanted to continue meditating, but couldn’t calm her mind. So, Luo Cong’an took out the small wooden carving from her clothes and rubbed it against her chest. She hoped her “chibi” self would bless her to successfully break through to the middle stage of Qi Refining, so she could visit Mister at the end of the year. The girl began to meticulously count the days. After counting several times, she couldn’t help but chuckle with delight. Only two more months left… When she broke through and emerged from seclusion, she would give her Master a surprise, then sneak back to the courtyard to see if Mister had gotten involved with any bad women while she was away. The thought made her slightly apprehensive. It shouldn’t be… right? Mister had promised her that even if he were to marry and have children, he would let her have a look first. Luo Cong’an mused blankly, then suddenly frowned. She stared intently at the wooden carving in her hand. Only three or four months had passed, so why did this wooden carving look so old already?
(End of this chapter)
