One Life, One Incarnation, Beautiful Bones

24

Chapter 7.3 - Eighteen Prayer Beads (3)

She had been struck with fear that he would suddenly leave her.

So, this was the first time she had spoken honestly about her true feeings.

With slight apprehension, she let him know how important he actually was to her.

The less she understood about this family's true background, the more fearful she was, as if she had already been pushed to the edge of a vortex.

No one understood more clearly than her how easy it would be if one wanted to end the connection - the fate - in this life that one person had with another. Perhaps, a simple turn at the corner of a crosswalk would result in two people separated by the distance between heaven and earth [separated by death][1]. She would sometimes even wonder, if she chose to let go, would she become the next Tang Xiaofu of this old manor? After all, to this family, she was also a newly arrived guest and was very much a misfit.

It was evident that even his mother was hostile toward her.

Shi Yi clutched his hand, refusing to loosen her hold.

"Shi Yi." He was visibly moved by her words. With his right hand, he gently patted her hand that was holding tightly onto his. "To me, you have always been unforeseen. I seem to have never gotten a good grasp on how to approach you in our relationship, and I do not know how to answer your questions." He hesitated briefly, and then, lowering his voice slightly, he said, "Thank you for trusting me."

A very formal and proper answer. It could be written down and made into a standard thank you email template.

She pulled her hand back and laid back down on the chaise lounge with a slight feeling of frustration due to his indifference. She gave a quiet laugh and, taking a saying that had been overused to death in movies and television dramas, complained, "Sheesh... 'I had given my heart to the moon, but yet the moon shone only on the gutter.' [You have chosen to ignore my sincere heart.][2]"

Her voice really was nice.

He let out a chuckle. "Wrong word choice. There is no 'gutter.' You are now my legally recognized wife."

If he had not mentioned it again, she would have overlooked this point.

With an "oh," she curled up her legs and rested her face against the wicker chair. Her heart, that just a moment ago had sunk dejectedly, now seemed to float up again. The wicker lounge chair was cushioned with a soft, white fox pelt and was very similar to the chair that he of the past had once liked. She remembered, she would always like to quietly climb onto it, and while he was reading or writing or even when he was on the other side of the beaded curtain angrily rebuking his subordinates, she would lie on it and listen quietly.

His voice had once been extremely pleasing to the ears.

She had rehearsed it in her mind tens of thousands of times, how to imitate the tones of his voice, from the tonal quality when he first started speaking to how he would end his words. She of that time period had once thought, if she ever was able to produce speech from her mouth, the first words she said would be "Zhousheng Chen."

"Zhousheng Chen," she addressed him.

"Mm?"

"Zhousheng Chen." She changed to a different voice and called him again.

"Mm." He undertood her intent.

"Zhousheng Chen." She persisted and spoke his name yet again.

"Mm." He played along with her little game.