CHAPTER 509: CHAPTER 5: THE REMNANTS OF DREAMS

The squabbles between the Dong Liu and Lin Xiao families were of no concern to Shen Chi or Lin Xiaoguai any longer.

Lin Xiaoguai opened her eyes wide with bewilderment as she looked at the scene before her—was this... the old city area?

She knew she was dreaming because she was very clear that in reality, she had just fallen asleep in Shen Chi’s arms under his comforting pat.

Looking at the sky, it seemed to be night. She looked down at the ground—had it just rained?

Without realizing it, she remembered that the last thing she saw in her previous life was the misty weather with light rain.

While thinking this, Lin Xiaoguai noticed a person walking toward her. She lifted her head to look and was instantly face to face with shock—

Shen Chi!?

She couldn’t help but call out that familiar name, only to realize she couldn’t make a sound.

She looked incredulously at the deeply-lined face of the old man. How could Shen Chi look like this!?

Suddenly, she noticed she seemed to be holding someone. Her gaze shifted downwards, and this time, shock was an understatement.

She stepped back several paces in astonishment—how could this be...

The person Shen Chi was holding was herself!?

No, that might be a bit incorrect; it should be her own corpse.

Because she could clearly see that this "herself" had a still chest, with no rise and fall.

She carefully scrutinized this "herself"; the white porcelain qipao with blue patterns, the classical jade hairpin, the white slope-heeled sandals made of young cow leather, the color of glass-like jade bracelet, the silver clutch...

Lin Xiaoguai’s eyes grew wider and wider; these were all the clothing and accessories she wore when she died in her previous life!

Then...

She abruptly turned to the elderly Shen Chi—could this be what happened after her death in her previous life?!

No matter how tumultuous her emotions were inside, she still followed closely behind Shen Chi, watching him unhesitatingly go to her residence in the old city area, taking out the keys from "her" handbag to unlock the courtyard door, then slowly stepping into the house.

How could Shen Chi have become so aged?

Lin Xiaoguai’s heart ached as she recalled the events of her previous life, yet she realized that in the years that followed, she indeed never saw Shen Chi again, only occasionally hearing news of him on television, but she could never see him in person.

She watched him struggle to place her corpse on the bed in the bedroom, trembling as he took out a handkerchief from his pocket to carefully wipe the raindrops on her face and hands.

Once he had finished wiping, he didn’t move, just stared unblinkingly at the person on the bed, his eyes gradually reddening.

"Chen Han, go out and close the door," he said. Only then did Lin Xiaoguai realize that Chen Han, who appeared much older than she remembered, had been standing at the door all along.

The bedroom door was closed, and Shen Chi untied "her" hair bun and took out a comb to carefully straighten out her hair, whispering cautiously, "I can’t style a hair bun; don’t be unhappy."

Lin Xiaoguai’s nose tingled, and she nearly cried, but Shen Chi seemed to be enchanted by "her" as he murmured, "You haven’t changed at all, only I have become old and ugly."

She had never heard him speak with such a lack of confidence before and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

After some time, he leaned on the bed to stand up, opened the wardrobe, pondered for a long while, and took out a rarely worn, almost brand-new water-pink qipao. He then pursed his lips, opened the drawer underneath the cabinet, and took out a set of brand-new underwear.

Realizing what he intended to do, Lin Xiaoguai felt somewhat embarrassed and uncomfortable.

But when Shen Chi really started to help her corpse change clothes, for some reason, that feeling disappeared.

His movements were so slow and feeble, yet his expression was so devout and serious, as if he were conducting the most sacred task of his life.

By the time he was done, half an hour had passed. Shen Chi was gasping for breath and rested against the headboard for more than ten minutes before he recovered.

He reached out to touch "Lin Xiaoguai’s" hair and softly said, "Wanwan, I might be doing something you hate again. You can be angry with me, hit me, but don’t drive me away."

The listening Lin Xiaoguai was confused until she followed him to a grave and saw the epitaph on the tombstone—Grave of beloved wife Lin Xiaoguai, erected by Shen Chi. Then she understood what was going on.

Especially since it was a double tomb, with the space next to it clearly reserved for Shen Chi himself.

For a moment, Lin Xiaoguai didn’t know what to feel. If it had been her from the previous life, she certainly would have been grinding her teeth in rage at Shen Chi’s actions, but now...

Even knowing that this Shen Chi was different from the one she had fallen in love with, perhaps because of a love for everything associated with him, she softened after all.