One Life, One Incarnation, Beautiful Bones

55

Karma.

Without the seeds sown yesterday, how could there be the fruit borne today?

Ten years ago, had he not been the one to root out the traitor of the Zhou family and, hence, personally ordered the hunting and killing of Xiao Ren's mother on the gambling ship, she would not have committed suicide by climbing up onto the high-temperature boiler and ingesting poison.

If, in ten years, the Zhou family was handed over to Xiao Ren, it could be considered a form of recompense.

Who in this life has been without fault? How can one make atonement for all the debts one owes to people?

It was deep in the night when Zhousheng Chen regained consciousness.

The gunshot had not struck a vital spot. It was only his arm. Perhaps, it could be said that it should have hit a vital spot, but the bullet had strayed slightly off course due to Shi Yi's intervention. Beside him, someone was performing a medical check on him.

When Zhousheng Chen attempted to rise from his bed, all the physicians fell into a panic but at a loss over how to persuade him otherwise.

Uncle Lin hurried forward to him, and with his uninjured arm, Zhousheng Chen pushed himself up. "Where is Shi Yi?"

Uncle Lin fell silent for a moment.

"Where is Shi Yi?!" He abruptly grabbed Uncle Lin's arm.

His wound immediately tore, and blood slowly soaked through the gauze.

"Miss Shi Yi... has not awoken all this time."

His fingers dug deep into Uncle Lin. His eyes shut tightly and then, he whipped off the white quilt covering him and got off the bed. Some of the doctors moved to stop him but were held back by a wave of Uncle Lin's arm. He pushed open the door and led Zhousheng Chen to Shi Yi's room. As a precautionary measure against further unfortunate incidents, all the medical personnel had been stationed there, and her room had become like a hospital room.

As Zhousheng Chen approached the door, his steps came to a halt.

The pain in his arm was far eclipsed by the fear and anguish that ate into his heart and penetrated into his bones.

Again and again.

He could not protect her.

His hand, which was resting against the door, propping his body weight, gradually formed into a fist. Warm tears spilled from his eyes.

Uncle Lin and the other people in the hallway dared not make a sound and only watched as he slowly lowered his head and pressed it into his arm. For a long time, he remained there in that position - separated by the door, leaning close against that door, but fearful of entering.

Suddenly, from within the room, someone spoke:

"Is that her finger moving?..."

Zhousheng Chen abruptly shoved open the door. Inside, the doctors all froze and turned to look at him.

But he had fixed his eyes only upon the person lying on the bed.

The line on the heart monitor was jumping... very regularly. Little by little, it dissolved away the fear that had been spreading through his blood and veins.

She was alive. He had to see with his own eyes before he dared believe that she was still alive.

He remembered every word she had said, those words that had slowly seeped into his heart. Now, the person who had spoken them was sleeping but appeared as if she would awaken at any moment and talk to him.