Life: A Black and White Film (一生一世，黑白影画)

Chapter 9.3 - On Whom Shall I Place My Heart's Pining? (3)

Wen Han opened her eyes and rose rather happily to her feet. Right as she was about to say something to him, she saw a familiar figure appear from the crowd of people in the distance.

Pulling off his sunglasses, Meng Liangchuan grinned at them. "I've come."

Wen Han unconsciously pulled her brows together.

Meng Liangchuan felt terribly glum with that. "Miss Wen Han, why are you not happy to see an old acquaintance? Don't forget, those several times when you narrowly escaped death, Cheng Muyun was not the only one who helped you; I put in a lot of effort, too, eh." Saying this, he even did not forget to shake his head. "Sure enough, to women, good looks are more important than anything else."

Wen Han murmured lightly, "Regardless, any time I see you, nothing good ever happens."

"... Miss, you need to get it straight. The one bringing you all the misfortune is the man behind you, not me." As he said this, Meng Liangchuan pulled out a small bag from a pocket in front of him and handed it to Cheng Muyun.

Cheng Muyun took it from him and walked down the stone steps. Half squatting down, he opened that small bag and poured its contents into the river.

"What is that?" Wen Han asked with a soft voice, a bad feeling forming in her.

"Zhou Ke's ashes."<>This is an UNAUTHORIZED copy, taken from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com

"Zhou Ke?" The words blurted from Wen Han's lips, and wide-eyed, she stared at Meng Liangchuan.

Meng Liangchuan confirmed, "Yes, the ashes of that young, rather handsome man who brought you from the Russian embassy back to Cheng Muyun's side. I had originally intended on leaving them in Nepal and having Cheng Muyun bring them back to Moscow for burial. I didn't expect he would have me bring them here and he would scatter them in this place."

This will certainly be yet another awesome story, Meng Liangchuan surmised.

He was even beginning to enthusiastically theorize, since he was always fraternizing with Cheng Muyun, what would his own death be like? Where would he die? He must be mad. This was so darn exciting!<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the translation has been taken without consent of the translator.

Too sudden.<>Please support the original translation at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com instead

Wen Han's mind was in a whirl of confusion. That night in the temple, when she helped him carry out that tonsure-like process and shaved his head, could it be that Zhou Ke was already... She recalled the expression he had worn in the glow of the butter lamps, his eyes downcast as he remained quiet in his own thoughts. He had been using the tonsure process as a ceremony to release his friend's soul from suffering?

Cheng Muyun threw the bag that had contained the ashes into the water as well, then walked back up the steps.

"There are just too many ashes in this river. And here they say it will let a soul rest in peace. If you ask me, they're all crammed to death in there." Meng Liangchuan was not a Buddhist, so he did not bother to filter his words.

"Zhou Ke was not a believer in Buddhism," Cheng Muyun replied, with little expression on his face.

But the lad had once very seriously said, "Laoban, whatever you believe, I will believe."

She had many questions she wanted to ask him, but remembering he had said that he would not answer anything, she could only allow these queries to amass in her heart—and heavier and heavier they became.