Outside the Qin Emperor's Tomb Scenic Area.
Next to a stylish black SUV, a black-haired girl stands by the car, nervously gazing in a certain direction within the scenic area.
Though clad in a simple hoodie, Qiao Qiao's presence in the night air, with the hem of her hoodie swaying, still accentuates the charm of her slender legs.
And her black straight hair, it captivates Chen Xiaolian's mind...
Chen Xiaolian stands behind a large tree, quietly observing the girl in front of him, suddenly entranced.
Silently, a tear rolls down from the corner of his right eye.
In this moment, he hears the pounding of his own heart!
The emotions, which seemed numb all along, surge and churn within him, as if about to break through some barrier and erupt.
Chen Xiaolian suddenly feels breathless, reaching out to grasp the tree trunk for support, struggling to catch his breath. This suffocating sensation makes him dizzy.
In his eyes, at this moment, everything in the world has become blurry, except for that black-haired girl, in the center of his vision, so clear, so radiant!
"Qiao... Qiao Qiao."
Chen Xiaolian almost painfully utters this name.
Chen Xiaolian vividly remembers that it was on this very night, after leaving the replica of the Qin Emperor's Tomb, that evening, on the rooftop terrace of a certain hotel.
Qiao Qiao accompanied him, sitting on the edge of the terrace, drinking together. This girl quietly listened to his expressions of confusion and turmoil, ultimately soothing his perplexities with her tender embrace.
And finally, that phrase, "Let's be together, okay?"
How could Chen Xiaolian ever forget that sentence?
"Why... why?" Chen Xiaolian's eyes began to well up with tears, continuously flowing.
Tears filled his face, and Chen Xiaolian clenched his fists tightly, questioning himself.
"Why... aren't you sad? Why?"
Suddenly, Chen Xiaolian stood up, took a deep breath, determination gleaming in his eyes. He stepped out from behind the tree with firm strides, walking towards Qiao Qiao.
But just at that moment...
Two figures, one large and one small, dashed out from the scenic area. Qiao Qiao's eyes glanced over, her face lighting up with surprise, and she hurriedly ran forward to meet them.
"... " Chen Xiaolian suddenly froze in place, standing still.
He watched as Qiao Qiao opened her arms and embraced the small figure tightly, then carefully inspected the small figure before standing up straight again.
He saw Qiao Qiao gazing at the guy who looked exactly like himself, then throwing herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
Suddenly, Chen Xiaolian felt a surge of heat erupting from the depths of his heart, as if it were about to break through a sturdy dam that had been there all along...
Step by step, Chen Xiaolian retreated, until he was behind the large tree.
Next, he witnessed the scene of history repeating itself: the tires and spare tire supporting each other as they ran out of the scenic area.
After a moment, Chen Xiaolian watched as they conversed and then left together in the car...
"What... what is going on?"
Chen Xiaolian looked at the departing taillights, his eyebrows suddenly furrowing, and he hurriedly followed!
...
In the night sky, the city lights dazzled, obscuring the starlight.
Yet the moon still hung in the sky.
The wind was strong on the rooftop terrace.
Chen Xiaolian stood in the dark corner of the rooftop, silently watching.
Watching the young man and the young woman sitting side by side on the terrace, their legs dangling over the edge of the building, with a bottle of wine beside them.
The guy who looked exactly like himself was still the same as he remembered, silly, clumsy, even weak, babbling about his inner turmoil and confusion to the girl.
The girl just listened quietly on the side, the night wind blowing through her black straight hair, brushing against her face, and the ends of her hair falling onto the boy's shoulder. The girl's eyes were tender and gentle as water, while the boy was still silly, babbling about those things...
Chen Xiaolian suddenly clenched his fist, wanting to rush up and shout at the guy, "Is this all you can say?! You... you... you idiot!!"
The girl quietly listened to the boy's confessions, then she suddenly took a deep breath, leaned in, and hugged the boy tightly, with all her strength, and then kissed him on the lips.
In the dim corner, Chen Xiaolian subconsciously touched his own lips... Tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Do you feel it?"
"I don't know how to advise you... If this is your doubt, then now, sitting here with you, looking into your eyes, I really want to kiss you, and then I did."
"This, is what I consider real."
"...When you're confused, I'll be there with you. When you're hesitant, I'll also be there with you."
"So... Let's be together! Okay?"
"Let's be together! Okay?"
"Together! Okay?"
"Together..."
In the corner, Chen Xiaolian suddenly cried silently, kneeling on the ground.
At this moment, finally, deep within his consciousness, it was as if there was the sound of shattering glass, and then, a certain corner that had been veiled was suddenly torn apart!
Completely torn apart!!
The overwhelming, heart-wrenching surge of emotions, like a tide, crashed down, filling his entire body, his entire heart, every corner!
Every corner!
As if all the emotions, all the feelings, all the heartbreak, all the grief, all the memories that had been imprisoned by some mysterious force for so long suddenly surged forth!
"In the future... Let's be together! Okay?"
That gentle, tender, affectionate voice, word by word, appeared in the deepest, softest part of his heart.
"In the future... Let's be together! Okay?"
Chen Xiaolian's fingertips fiercely dug into the ground, leaving deep marks on the hard stone.
Meanwhile, in the distance... on the edge of the rooftop terrace, the silly guy had already laid down, his head resting on the girl's lap, as if, after pouring out the unrest in his heart, he finally fell asleep.
And the girl, gently cradling the boy's head in her hands, lightly stroked his forehead with one hand.
Chen Xiaolian remembered... that night, he indeed had said those words, and after receiving the greatest comfort of his soul from Qiao Qiao, he fell asleep contentedly.
And what came after... all he remembered was waking up to the dawn.
That night, he had slept on Qiao Qiao's lap, as if experiencing an unprecedented peace of mind and tranquility.
Memories... ended there.
Chen Xiaolian's body trembled, letting the waves of pain engulf him.
And just at that moment...
A familiar yet unfamiliar singing voice gently drifted over, reaching the ears of Chen Xiaolian, who was almost suffocating.
It was... Qiao Qiao's voice.
Qiao Qiao, who never liked to sing, with her tender and even somewhat clumsy voice, softly sang a song.
Her singing lacked any technique, but the tender voice of the girl, and the unabashed affection and gentleness in every word and sentence, seemed to carry an indescribable magic.
As Chen Xiaolian's trembling body heard the first line of this song, he was completely stunned!
Qiao Qiao, singing softly, as if using all the effort of a young girl to comfort her sleeping lover.
"I will be by your side, never looking back.
Your every move is like a heartbeat, stirring my soul.
I will be by your side, never letting go.
No matter yesterday, today, or tomorrow, until the end.
...
I won't leave, not for anything, not for the past, the present, or the future.
With every piece, every fragment, every bit that takes you away.
I won't stop, remembering every moment, every night, every day, every hour I waited.
Don't look back, I'm still here!"
...
When he heard, "Don't look back, I'm still here," Chen Xiaolian was already choked with sobs!
No matter how he tried to suppress it, tears and mucus flowed uncontrollably.
At this moment, everything seemed clear, everything awakened!
This song, he had not heard it for the first time!
That night, on this rooftop, in this girl's embrace, while he slept soundly, she had softly sung it in his ears for a long, long time.
With the tender and gentle voice of a young girl, she had comforted his frightened and lost heart!
...
"I will be by your side, never letting go."
...
Chen Xiaolian suddenly wanted to rush over, to rush over! To tightly embrace that girl!
But just as he took the first step, suddenly, everything spun!
Everything before his eyes dispersed like smoke and vanished!
Upon awakening, Chen Xiaolian found himself standing again in the space where Zero City's main program was located.
"...Is it time?" Chen Xiaolian's voice was hoarse.
"Yes, it is time," Zero City replied coldly.
Chen Xiaolian lowered his head, silent for a long time, before asking in a low voice, "What... what is going on?"
"...You were under a spell," Zero City's response was clear, calm, but it tore through the veil of indifference.
"It was a benevolent spell. The caster confined the source of your sadness and some memories in your heart."
"...It's... her?"
"From what I gathered from your memories, yes, it's her," Zero City's reply tore at Chen Xiaolian's heart. "From my analysis, it seems she did this just so you wouldn't be sad. So she used magic to seal away all the potential sadness and memories in your heart that could arise from her passing."
"So, I haven't felt any sadness all this time," Chen Xiaolian sighed bitterly, biting his lip hard. "And now? Is the spell lifted?"
"Yes."
Chen Xiaolian hung his head.
"So... she wanted me to not be sad and upset before she died?" Chen Xiaolian smiled bitterly.