Chương 18: Chapter 7 "You are a good person."_2
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.
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