Sister Zhi Zhen smiled in response.
"No, I'm serious. Being a volunteer is quite impressive."
"Have you forgotten that you are one too?"
...She really had forgotten about it because her volunteerism was solely motivated by her desire to get closer to An Zhizhen.
"Actually, this is sort of my dream."
"Dream?"
"Yes. Dongsheng, guess why I wanted to become a doctor?"
"I don't know."
"Actually, the reason is simple. It's because a family member died when I was young, then, during the last days of that person's life, I saw firsthand how they were tormented by illness. Since then, I've had the idea of becoming a doctor. But my real ideal has never been this..."
As they walked back to Xiaokang Building, passing by the bicycle parking area and the flower beds, An Zhizhen suddenly stopped.
The sunlight falling from the courtyard perfectly illuminated the flowerbed in the center of the building shaped like the letter H. This might be the brightest spot in the entire Xiaokang Building with someone meticulously watering, the flowers and plants thrived.
Sister Zhi Zhen bent down, casually plucked a piece of foxtail grass from the flower bed, and twirled it in her hand. After removing a few weeds, she turned her head and asked:
"Are you tired?"
Cen Dongsheng shook his head.
With his current monster-like constitution, even "intense physical activity" in the eyes of ordinary people for 24 hours would probably not make him feel tired.
"What I mean is, I might be tired."
Sister Zhi Zhen blinked an eye and showed a mischievous smile.
"If you ever have the chance to go shopping with a girl, you can't always be so straightforward. You have to learn to read between the lines."
"Is that so." Cen Dongsheng looked indifferent, "I think if you're tired, you should just say it; after all, the legs are your own."
He hated having to guess "hidden meanings" in behavior, especially when sometimes those orders came from irresponsible superiors, making him, a frontline staff member, really feel like punching someone.
"That's true. Well... I'm tired, I want to rest here for a bit."
An Zhizhen sat down by the flower bed and patted the spot next to her, inviting with a cheerful smile.
"Come, sit here."
Cen Dongsheng obediently sat down.
...
The daylight was just right, and a warm breeze was blowing.
Looking up at the courtyard, with the smell of flowers and soil behind them.
The delicate light fell like dandelion fluff, illuminating the bright face beside him.
It was mid-afternoon, the quietest time of the day for Xiaokang Building.
For a moment, the noise of the building faded from their ears, leaving only the sound of the wind by their side.
No one spoke. Cen Dongsheng and An Zhizhen silently maintained the silence, enjoying and immersing themselves in this brief tranquility.
It seemed as if they were the only two people in the vast world at that moment.
Until someone riding a bicycle "ding-ling-ling" passed in front of them, breaking the quiet.
An Zhizhen spoke up:
"Going back to our earlier topic. About my real ideal, do you remember the essay we studied as children that said 'respect the old as we do our own aged parents, care for the young as we do our own children'..."
"Yes, that was the ancient ideal of a perfect society."
"It's very beautiful."
"For the people back then, it was far away. However, for a modern society with advanced productivity and a complete social security system, it's no longer an unreachable goal."
"Yes, because we are living in the best era in human history. But... can it really last?"
Cen Dongsheng's heart trembled.
He could not help but glance at An Zhizhen from the corner of his eye, somewhat suspicious.
What did she mean by that?
Indeed, for some time in the future, the modern social order within cities would collapse, and most people would struggle just to survive.
But before his rebirth, in the Tiannan Region, the Governance Bureau had indeed begun to restore and establish a social security system...
"Think about it, in case of an accident, like a war, some things we take for granted could be destroyed and may not continue."
"Yes, that's correct..."
In the future, there would indeed be a full-scale war between humans and ghosts, he thought.
"However, aren't you thinking too far ahead?"
"Indeed."
An Zhizhen placed her hands on her knees. For a moment, her expression looked quite serious.
"Simply put, since I was a child, I hoped to become someone who could change society in the future. But this era doesn't require overly drastic changes, does it? Some things are not achievable by one person alone. That's why I chose to become a doctor; if I can't change many people, changing even one is still good."
In the future, you really changed society and altered the destinies of countless people, Sister Zhi Zhen.
Cen Dongsheng sighed to himself, as long as you awakened the "Special Grade Life Prohibition, Heavenly Leader"—that terrifying power to manipulate others at will.
"Dongsheng, did you hear that? What are your thoughts?"
"Nothing, I think it's good...but why are we suddenly talking about this?"
"Ah, your elder sister is sharing her heartfelt thoughts with you, you should listen carefully."
Seeing Cen Dongsheng's perfunctory attitude, An Zhizhen pouted her lips but did not stop, rather she began to ramble on as if she was treating him like a confidant.
"However, if something really happens, maybe everyone will have a chance... Anyway, it doesn't have to be alone...actually, a true partner doesn't need to be many, just one... People can have a group of like-minded friends or recruit a group of trustworthy subordinates, but for someone to fully trust, one is enough... That way, when doing many things, you won't feel uncertain in your heart..."
An Zhizhen probably just wanted to chat with him casually and express her emotions, including those somewhat unfocused words. But to Cen Dongsheng's ears, they resonated deeply.
—Isn't this exactly his goal?
A partner, yes, he desired a partner who could support each other in the chaotic future.
This partner naturally had to be incredibly strong and reliable. Who else could more easily discern this than his future self?
"Sister, sometimes I feel lonely when no-one seems willing to listen to me. Do you hear me, Dongsheng? Ah, is talking about human aspirations really so boring..."
"No, what you said makes a lot of sense!"
Cen Dongsheng slapped his knee and stood up, his expression serious.
"I'm willing to support you, Sister Zhen, no matter what you do, I want to be your partner."
"Eh? Why so sudden..."
Sister Zhen widened her eyes. From her expression, she was clearly taken aback.
"I'm serious."
Cen Dongsheng clenched his fist, standing toweringly before her.
"I mentioned earlier I needed to talk to you about something, right? It's actually about this."
"...You mean, you sought me out specifically to tell me you want to be my partner...?"
The woman stared at him in astonishment.
Cen Dongsheng suddenly realized how strange their conversation had been, and he heard Sister Zhen burst into laughter with a "pfft."
"I thought it was weird to talk about ideals with others, but I didn't expect someone to be weirder than me... Dongsheng, you're really cute."
"I'm serious."
Cen Dongsheng emphasized again.
He glanced around, planning to lay out the well-prepared content—of course, he wouldn't reveal the entire truth, especially not the part about his reborn self, but that wouldn't stop him from leveraging future knowledge to gain trust.
But before he could continue, An Zhizhen interrupted him again.
"Okay, I really like your approach. Honestly, if I had to choose a suitable person, it could only be you... But my standards are very high, you know? Dongsheng, even for you, I won't lower them."
She then stood up, as if she had achieved some goal, her whole demeanor appearing casually languid.
"We'll talk more tomorrow, prepare well."
"Uh, well..."
"I'm leaving now. Goodbye, Dongsheng."
An Zhizhen waved at him and then coolly turned and left, her long, sleek black hair swaying gently behind her.
...
Cen Dongsheng didn't speak again but watched her retreating figure, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.
He touched his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm, the future isn't urgent. But, can this be considered a step forward...?"
*
That night.
Cen Dongsheng suddenly woke up from his sleep, immediately opened his eyes, and sat up in bed.
This "Qi" is...?!
He looked out the window warily, the Xiaokang Building lay quiet under the enveloping pitch-black night. Cen Dongsheng silently regulated his breathing, waiting, then heard a distant, eerie scream.
His expression turned grave.
An Zhizhen and Cen Dongsheng parted ways and she walked back to her room.
She encountered a young couple near the staircase, hand in hand, looking very affectionate. The wife's belly was round and bulging, clearly several months into her pregnancy, close to giving birth.
An Zhizhen was a celebrity in the neighborhood; many residents knew her and had received her help, including this couple, to whom An Zhizhen had given several pregnancy care tips.
The couple saw her next to the elevator and greeted her warmly.
"Doctor An, you look quite happy, has something good happened recently?"
The wife said with a smile.
"Eh, has it?"
"Yes, I see the corners of your mouth have been upturned."
Reminded by this, An Zhizhen touched her lips somewhat surprised.
...Indeed, she had unintentionally revealed an uncontrollable smile. Had she been overly happy?
The husband turned to his wife and said with a smile:
"I saw her and that young man sitting by the flower bed downstairs, chatting the whole afternoon."
"How can that be... it's not that exaggerated."
While she said this, the curve of her lips remained unchanged.
"I am several years older than him, but I only recently realized that we have quite a lot in common."
"When my dear and I first met, we felt like we were from different worlds. It was only after we actually sat down and talked that I felt he was my soulmate."
"You two are showing off your love right in front of me, making this single person envious."
An Zhizhen casually pushed on the stairway door and found it wouldn't budge.
"You're joking. With Doctor An's qualifications, if you really wanted a man, the line of suitors would stretch from the top floor to the ground floor."
"Other women I might be jealous of, but Doctor An, you... I can't even begin to envy," the pregnant wife said as she examined An Zhizhen's face with indescribable awe, "If I were a man, I would definitely be head over heels for you."
"I think you're almost the same even as a woman, your eyes almost can't look away." The husband teased on the side.
"Ha ha!"
The three were joking when An Zhizhen pushed the door next to her again, but it still wouldn't open.
"What's the matter? Is it locked?" An Zhizhen blinked, "It doesn't seem like it, it feels like there's something blocking the door on the other side."
"There's nothing to be done, I remember it had issues before, and we even had someone come fix it. Old complexes always have these kinds of problems... let's go, dear, we'll use the other door."
The couple left.
Leaving An Zhizhen alone, somewhat worried.
"I wanted to dispose of the trash in room 310... never mind, I'll deal with it in a few days."
...
Night was falling.
An Zhizhen was wearing a snow-white muslin nightgown, lazily sitting on the sofa, chin propped on one hand, flipping through the pages of a book with the other.
The room was lit only by a small desk lamp providing a dim halo of light, illuminating her immaculately beautiful face and her graceful figure veiled in light shadows, serene and captivating, like a painting.
All was silent except for the "rustle" of the book pages, the only sound in the quiet night.
After a while, An Zhizhen's eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if encountering some intricate puzzle and...
The nuisance of being disturbed.
"I'm so hungry... so hungry... so hungry..."
A woman's hoarse and melancholic voice came faintly from the direction of the hallway, alternating closer and farther, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, as if she was hauntingly pacing in the hallway in front of her door.
An Zhizhen sighed, put down the academic book she was halfway through reading, slipped on her slippers, and walked towards the door.
The security door had a small window that could be opened. After opening it and seeing no one outside, she shouted loudly:
"Miss Zhou, I've already told you, although diet control is part of losing weight, excessive fasting can cause severe harm to your body, and ensuring normal sleep habits and duration is equally important. It's time for you to go to bed now, do you hear me?"
The staggering footsteps paused for a moment. Then, the owner of the footsteps turned around and quickly approached.
The woman's appearance soon came into her view.
"Are you... Miss Zhou?"
An Zhizhen's pupils widened slightly.
No wonder she almost didn't recognize her at first glance. The "Miss Zhou" standing outside her door was only wearing a dirty nightgown, skeletal and frail, with dry and curly hair and bulging veins on her arms.
She looked as if she hadn't washed in a long time, covered in a sense of dirtiness, and appeared in very poor condition.
She remembered seeing Miss Zhou a few weeks ago when she was a rather plump type; how had she changed so drastically in just one week?
"It's so late, aren't you going home? This will affect the normal daily routines of the neighbors around you."
Miss Zhou didn't answer, her movements stiff and slow as she turned her head, her neck creaking like a rusty machine, An Zhizhen even heard a "crackling" sound.
Underneath the dirty hair, a pair of pallid eyes filled with blood stared straight at the woman behind the door, the emotions within them undeniably malicious.
An Zhizhen unconsciously stepped back.
"...Look at you, starving has made your physique abnormal. The hunger from extreme dieting affects your mood, making it easy to become anxious and depressed..."